The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-02-04

@~++A &NA& ~a@ s1h W ga Z
vas the centre % gravity % N. III. oil
the people. There VIE tot t~o ,harehss. .
h Baptist ana tho Methodist TIE
Episeopaiians had : building. bat il ~4s
built BY the generosity % on. 81 their.
dead members There A.rr four Pros
byt-rfan families IN town. ana they were
working desperately 10 bujii i church !.
The baptists had really taken the ooIn-
~. and the Methodist were their ouly :
r.Nals. The Baqtis1s rad fifteen flourish
ing churches in the county. the Aetho-
dists six There we're no others
The MEETINGS ~ ih. Baptist church
in the village Of HambrIght u.rs he
most important gatherings ia ~. COUNTY
On sunday mornings everybody ~ho
could walk. Young and ola saint and e.n-
ner. went 10 church. and by far ia,
larger number TO The Baptist church.
The services were Of the simplest kind
The singing Of the OLD hymns Of zion. tie
reading OF the Bible the prayer The col
lection. the sermon. the benediciion
The preacher never touched on politics
no matter what the event under whose
world import his people gathered War
was declared, and fought for four ter
rible years Lee surrendered. the slaves
were freed, and society was torn from
80 49, ~ ~ 49, 49, "a 11&
would never have known il from the lips
OF the Rev. John Durham In his pulpit
These things Mere tut passing events.
When he assembled the pulpit H. was the
Messenger of Eternity. tie spoke OF God
OF Truth. OF righteousness. OF judgment.
the same yesterday. TODAY and forever.
But il was in his public prayers that
he was at his best. Here all tie wealth
OF tenderness OF 4 great soul vas laid
bare. In these prayers he had the subtle
genuius that could find The way direct
into the hearts 0 ftho people before him.
realise as his own their sins and sor-
rows, their burdens and hopes and
dreams and fears, ana then. when he had
made them his own. he could give them
the wings OF deathless words and carry
them M 70 the heart OF God, lie prayed
in Il low soft tone OF voice il was like
an honest earnest child pleading with his
father. hat a hush fell on the people
when these prayers began. With what
breathless suspense every earnest soul
followed him,
Before and durirg the war. the gallery
of this church, which was built and re-
served for the negroes. was always
crowded With dusky listeners hat hung
spellbound on his words. Now there
were only a few, perhaps 4 dozen, and
they We're growing fewer. Some new and
mysterious power was AT work among the
negroes. sowing the seeds Of distrust and
suspicion. He wondered what ii could be
He had always loved to preach 10 these
simple hearted children Of nature. ant
watch the flash OF reSistlesS emotion
sweep their dark faces. He had baptized
over five hundred OF them into the fel-
lowship Of the churches in the village
and the county during the ten years 0
his ministry.
He determined to find out The cause o
this desertion OF his church by the ne
groes TO whom he had ministered s.
many years.
Al the close Of q Sunday mornings ser
vice. Nelse was slowly descending In,
f gallery stairs leading Charlie CASTOR b.
the hand, after the church had beer
nearly emptied Of the white people. Tn,
preacher stopped him near the door.
"How's your Mistress Nelse2"
: shes gcttin' better all de time nov
) praise de Lawd. Eve she stay wild er III
mornin'. while | fetch dis boy ter church
} He des SO sot on soin'."
, Where are all the other folks VII,
used to fill that gallery, Nelse2'
} You doan tell ne, you aint heart
} about lem" he answered with a grin
D aWs-a-maasy, dey done got e
! church er dey own! Dey has meetin
: now in de school house dat lanke
oman built. De teachers tell EN- ef Dc
amt good ernuf ter set wid dc white folk
III dere chu'ch, dey got ter hole up de
/ haidS, ana not low nobody ter push 81
: up in er Niger gallery. SO dey's 90
! ole Uncle Josh Miller to preach fur EN-
/ He low he got er call, en- he stan u
: dar en- holler fur EN- bout er hour ev'r
Sunday mawnin' en- night. En- sec
whoopin', en- yellin', en- bawlin', Yeh ca
/ hear 'em er mile, Dey tries ter git ID
ter go. l tell EN-. Marse John Durham
I preachin'S good ernut fur me, gall'ry o
5 no |gall'ry. l tell EN- dat l spec ct gal
Try higher heaven den de lower 40 eny
+ hoW-en fuddermo', dat when / goes te
4 church, wants ter hear sumfin' mo da
er ole fool Niger er bawlin'. | can hole
7 myself. En- dey low | gwlne back on m
4 color. En- den | tell EN- | spec | aint 5
4 proud dat l cant larn fun white folk
En- dey say dey gwine ter lay fur me yit.
I'm sorry to hear this, said tn
preacher thoughtfully.
"Yassir, hits des lax I tell yer.
f spec dey gone fur good. Niggers amt 20
no sense nohow. ! des wish | own 81
erbout er week, Dey gitten madder'
madden ct me all de time case / stay a
: de ole place en- wuk fer my pc sic
t Mistus. Dey sen er kermittee ter Sc
4 me mos evry day ter 'splain ter me Is
free. De las time dey come | lam on
on de haid wild er stick or wood erfo de
r leave me lone
& you must be careful, Nelse."
p "Yassir, / nebber hurt i'm. Des sorte
e crack his skull eli little ter show il
/ what l gwine do Wild i'm mex time de
f come pesterin' me"
Have they been back 10 see 70
: since?'
Dat dey aint. But dey sont me wor
dey gwine git de Freeman's BurO ate
: me. En- | sont EN- back word ter sen MI
Buro right on en- | land i'm in de middi
q er a spell or sickness, des IS sho as d
y Lawd gimme strength"
r You cant resist the Freedman's Bu
reau, NelSe."
t What dat Buro got ter do wild M
Marse John"
They've got everything to do with yot