Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-30
OLD-FASHIONED SOUTHERN
CAMP MEETING

"oh, sister, there, mind how you step On
de cross;
Your foot might slip and your soul get
lost
the shouting commences in earnest. AL
though many swarm to the penitent rail
and kneel with their eyes turned toward
the sky; some fail to respond as the
preacher thinks they should. At this stage
of the meeting the minister begins to call
out the names of those he thinks should
come and be saved. Many are won by this
scheme. and stalk down to join the 9TH
ers. but one old fellow sits unmoved
Finally it is too much for the minister. He
points long, lean finger toward the sim
ner and halts and sings:
There's Old Bill Thomas, 1 know him
well.
He's got to work to keep from he'll
He got TO pray by night and day
If he wants to go the narrow way"
TO bring recreant black sheep to the fold
this verse has been used for many years
with variations of name only. In this in
stance, however, it fails it's purpose, for
serene as a Turk, neither shouting nor
singing.
After several hours of this. varied with
hand-clapping and much shouting, about a
dozen around the peniteat rail rise and be-
gin what Is known in the negro world
the Superficial dance" Shutting the bare
feet slowly IN jerking, hitchy movements,
without removing them from the ground,
tHey DtSlH 10 move ABOUT IN d cree, Win
head thrown back. eyes looking up and
each one singing his her own particular
hymn.
One by one the converts are joined by
the congregation. more than half of which
are soon shutting along and singing,
the dull thud, thud of the many bare feet
shaking the ground like an earthquake.
Those on the benches are ciapping their
hands and shouting explosively. There, in
the middle of the night, under the glare
of the tlaring torches, nothing more weird
can be imagined than this body of people
keyed to slip from their control. Often
these camp-meeting spiritual dances are
continued many hours, until, IN fact, the
participants fall from sheer exhaustion.
A protracted meeting of several days du-
ration is always followed by wholesale
baptism. About 10 o'clock on Sunday
morning from far and near those who had
not been able TO attend the meeting come
to see the baptizing. Between 300 and 400
men women and children gather on the
banks of one of the many little rivers trail
ing through the region. Those to be bap-
tized are dressed in light figured calico
with piece of white cloth twisted about
the head in place of the gay turban They
gather on the shore while those who merely
come to look on stand on the banks above.
One by one the mammies, with a preacher
on one side and a deacon on the other,
wade out waist deep, and there, with much
shouting and ceremony. are ducked under.
They Immediately reappear, suffering,
splashing and plunging, and as soon as
they once more regain their voices they be-
gin to shout, Il am saved. 1 am saved, 1
seen de Lor! I seen de Lori"
Often the assembly on shore, led by some
voice stronger than the others, will sing
like this:
II done been down and done been tried:
been through the water and been bap-
tized.
Lor' be praise.
Some day l cross the river over, and den
I reach de golden shore,
Cross de rber ober, riber ober, riber
ober," etc.
DE riber ober," lending itself easily to
the harmony seems to be a favorite. for
every stanza has a dozen lines or so of
crossing de riber ober." Sometimes the
younger women and the boys and girls