Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-23

Durham IN MS pulpit. IneSe lhlhSS NSAC
but passing events. When he assembled
the pulpit he was the messenger of eter-
nifty. He spoke of God, of truth, OF right
eousness, of Judgment. the same yester-
day, tomorrow and forever.
only in his prayers did he come closer
to the inner thoughts and perplexitles OF
the daily life of the people. He was
a man Of remarkable power in the pulpit.
His mastery of the Bible was profound
He could speak pages of direct discourse
In its very language. To. him 1t was d.
vine alphabet, from whose letters he could
compose the most impassioned message
TO the individual nearer before him. It's
literature, its poetic fire. the epic sweep
of the Old Testament record of life were
inwrought into the very fibre of his SOUL
AS a preacher he spoke with authority
He was narrow and dogmatic in his IN
teTpretations of the Bible. but his very
narrowness and dogmatism were OF MS
flesh and blood, elements OF his power.
He never stopped TO controversy. He
simply announced the truth The wise
received it. The fools rejected it and were
damned! That was all there was to 1t.
But II was IN his public prayers that
he was at his best. Here all the wealth
of tenderness of a great soul was laid
bare. In these prayers he had the subtle
genius that could find the way direct into
the hearts of the people before him. real
ize as his own their sins and sorrows.
their burdens and hopes and dreams and
fears, and then when he had made them
his own he could give them the wings or
deathless words and carry them up TO
the heart of Cod! He prayed in low
soft tone of voice: it was, like an honest
earnest child pleading With its father
What a hush fell on the people when these
prayers began! With what breathless sus-
pense every earnest soul followed him!\
Before and during the war the gallery
of this church, which was built and re-
served for the negroes. was always crowd
ed with dusky listeners that hung spell
bound on his words. Now there were only
few, perhaps a dozen, and they were
growing fewer. Some new and mysterious
power was at work among the negroes
sowing the seeds of distrust and suspicion
He wondered what IL could be. He had
always loved to preach to. these simple
hearted children of nature and watch the
flash Of resistless emotion sweep their dark
faces He had baptized over FIVE hundred
of them into the fellowship of the
churches in the village and the county
during the ten years of his ministry.
He determined to find out the cause Of
this desertion of his church by the negroes
to whom he had ministered so many years
At the close of Sunday mornings ser
vice Nelse was slowly descending the gal
lery stairs leading Charlie CASTOR by the
hand after the church had been nearly
emptied Of the white people. The preach
er stopped him near the door.
"How's your mistress, Nelse?'
''She's gettin' better all de time now,
dis mornin' while I fetch dis boy ter
church. He des so sot on goin'."
Where are all the other folks who used
to fill that gallery, Nelse?'
You doan tell me you amt heard about
dem?" he answered with grin.
"well, 1 haven't heard, and 1 want to
hear"
ape laws-a-massy, deg done got en-
church er deg own! Dey has meetin' now
In de school house dat Yankee oman
built De teachers tell EN- eff dey amt
good ernuf ter sit wild de white folks in
dere church, dey got ter hole up dey haids,
and not low nobody ter push EN- up In er
niger gallery! So dey's got ole Uncle
Josh Miller to preach fer EN-. he low ne
got er call, en- he stan UP dar en- holler
fur 'em bout er hour ev'ry Sunday mawn-
IN en- night. En- sech whoopin', en- yellin !.
en- bawlin'! Yer can hear EN- er mile!
Dey tries ter git me ter go. l tell EN-
Marse John Durham's preachin's good err
nut fur me gall'ry er no galTry. tell
'em dat I spec er gal'ry higher heaven
den de lower flo, enyhow-en fuddermo,
dat when I goes ter church. wants ter
hear sumfin' mo- dan er ole fool Niger er
bawlin'. 1 can holler myself. En- dey low
gwine back on my color. En- den L tell
EN- 1 spec 1 amt so proud dat 1 can't
larn FUN white folks. En- day say dey
gwine ter lay fur me yit"
I'm sorry to hear ais" said the preach
er, thoughtfully.
'eYassir, hits des lax tell yer. 1 spec
dey gone fur good. Niggers amt got no
sense, nohow / des wish I own EN- err
bout er week! Dey gitten madder'n mad
der ct me all de time case stay at de
etc fzfT
Dey SEN er kermittee ter see me mos
ev'ry day ter 'splain ter me Use free De
las time dey come / lam one on de haid
wild er stick er wood erfo dey leave me
lone"
You must be careful. Nelse."
"Yassir, nebber hurt I'm. Des sorter
crack his skull er little ter show i'm what
/ gwine do wild i'm mex time dey come
pesterin' me-"
Have they been back to see you SINGER"
Dat dey amt. But dey sont me word
dey gwine git de Freeman's Buro after
me- En- sont 'em back word ter sen Mr.
Buro right on en- land i'm in de middle
er a spell er sickness. des es sho es de
Lawd gimme strenk.
You can't resist the Freedman's Blu
reau, Nelse."
what dat buro got ter do wild me.
Marse John?'
They've got everything to do with you
my boy. Tney nave absolute power over
all questions between the negro and the
white man. They can prohibit you from
working for a white person without their
consent, and they can fix your wages and
make your contracts"
"Wen. dey better femme erlone. or
dere'll be trouble in dis town, sho's my
names Nelse."
Don't you resist their officer. Come
to me If you get into trouble with them, +"
was the preachers parting injunction.
Nelse made his way out. leading Charlie
by the hand, and bowling his giant form
in a quaint deferential way to the white
people he knew He seemed proud of his
association I'm the church with the whites.
and the position of lnferioTity. assigned
him in no sense disturbed his pride. He
was muttering to himself as he walked
slowly along looking down at the ground
thoughtfully There was infinite scorn
and defiance in his voice
"Bu-ro! Bu-ro! Des let 'em fool wild
mel I'll make EN- see de seben stars in
de middle er de day!'
CTo be continued)