Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-07-31

or light right on his bal haid. en- set him
ahfe she's you bawhi"
'biei, I Weuldn't do e." said Charlie,
laughing In spite OF himself. 49,
Charlie refused to accompany him. But
Dicks mind was set on the necessity OF
this work OF reform. So IN the afternoon on
he slipped on without leave ana quietly
made his way into the gallery Of the ne
gro Baptist church.
The excitement was running high. Uns
Gle Josh had preached one sermon an
hour IN length, and had called Up the
mourners At least 30 had come forward
The benches had been cleared for Eve
rows back from the pulpit to give plenty
Of room for the rnourners to crawl over
the floor, walk back and forth and shout
when they "came through" and for their
friends to fan them.
This open place was covered with wheat
straw to keep the nourners of the bare
floor, and afford some sort OF comfort
for those far advanced in mourning, who
went into frances and sometimes lay mo-
tionless for hours on their backs or nat
on their faces.
The mourners had kicked and shufhed
this straw out to the edges and the floor
was bare. Uncle Josh had sent two dea-
cons out for more straw.
In the meantime he was working him
self up to another mighty climax Of ex-
hortation to move sinners to come for
ward.
Come on ter glory you 20, DO sinners,
EN- fee ter de Lamb er God befo de
flames er hell swaller you whole! At de
last great day de Sperit II fash de light
er his shinin' face on dis ole parch UP
sinful worl, en- hit II ketch er fire in
er minute an de yearth II melt wild fur
Went heat! Whar IL you be den 20 trem-
blin' sinner? Whar IL you be when de
flame er de Sperit smites de moon and
de stars wild fire, en- dey gin ter drap outen
de sky en- knock big holes in de burnin
yearth? Whar II you be when he rocks
melt wild dat heat, en- de sun hide his face
in de black smoke dat rise fun de pit?"
Means and groans and shrieks, louder
and louder filled the air. Uncle Josh paus-
ed a moment and looked for his deacons
with the straw. They we're just coming up
the steps with a great armful over their
heads.
whats de matter wild you bredderni
Fetch on dat wheat straw! Here's desc
tremblin' souls gwine down inter de
flames err hell des fur de lax er wheat
straw"
The brethren hurried forward with the
wheat straw, and just as they reached
Uncle Josh standing perspiring in the
midst of his groaning mourners, Dick
flashed from the gallery q stream of daz-
cling ligmt on the old mans face and
held II steadily on his bald head. Josh was
too astonished to move at first. He was
simply paralyzed with fear. 1t was all
right to talk about the flame Of the Spirit
but he wasn't exactly ready to run into 1t.
Suddenly he clapped his hands on the
top Of his head and sprang straight up in
the air yelling in a plain everyday pro-
fame voice.
"God-der-mightyl What's dat?"
The brethren holding the straw saw 1t
and stood dumb with terror. The light dis
L. IS Hao ~
the, straw in splendor on one of the dea-
cons shoulders. Aunt Mary's voice was
heard above the mourners' din,s clear,
shrill and soul piercing.
"G-l-o-r-y! Glory ter God! De fame
er de sperit! De judgment day! Vas Lawd,
Use herel Glory! Halleluyah!"
Suddenly the straw on the deacon's
back burst into flames! And pandemonium
broke loose. A weak-minded sinner
screamed:
ode flames er Hellp'
The mourners smelled the smoke and
sprang from the floor with white staring
eyes. When hey saw the fire and got their
bearings they made for the open--they
jumped on each others back and made
for the door like madmen. Those nearest
the windows sprang through, and when
the lower part Of the window was jam
med, big buck negroes Jumped on the
backs. of the lower crowd and plunged
through the two upper sasheS with
crash that added new terror to the panic
In two minutes the church was empty
and the yard full of crazy. shouting ne
groes. -.I.
Dick stepped from the gallery into the
crowd as the last ones emerged, ran up
to the pulpit and stamped out the fire in
the straw with his bare feet He looked
around to see if they had left anything
valuable behind in the stampede, and
sauntered leisurely out of the church.
NOW dog-gone 'em let EN- yell!" he
muttered to himself.
CTo be Continued.)