Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-30

~ OR those who have never witnessed
the old-fashioned Virginia camp
meeting where the weird religious
II rites and ceremonies are perform
ed today as in de days befo' de
wah,' there is peculiar treat in store, and
it is at this season of the year when Old
Sol Is getting in his fine work that the
plantation 'darkies' are in their glory. For
weeks at a time these camp meetings are
held in various sections and are attended
by the colored people for miles around
There Is no land in the world with more
OF romance than the south. There as no
where else, mysteries and superstitions are
still kept in motion by that least under
stood of all the races-the American negro.
He is a psychological problem in the aggre-
gate, understood by no one and. perhaps,
least of all by himself. At no place can
this be better illustrated than at a genuine
southern negro camp meeting. To be sure,
the methods of worship in most of the large
settlements have been greatly changed in
recent years to conform to the religions of
the whites. However, on plantations in the
interior there Is less sophistication. Many
of the old darkies and their progeny still
cling to the old custom of slavery days. 1t
is in such settlements as these-and they
can be found all along the famous Suwanee
river and also spotted here and there all
a study of the negro can be made
The typical camp ground of the couth-
ern darkey is formed of a series of tents
made from anything procurable, sheets,
comforterS, canvas and often of the
boughs of trees that are SO arranged that
they will turn water in case it should rain
A raised platform in the center of the
camp ground serves as pulpit, and there
is rough plank or two, stakes driven in
the ground, which serves as a mourners
bench. There are usually three services
each day, morning, afternoon and evening
the one in the evening being more largely
attended, and in consequence more enthu-
siastic. To tell of one of these services de-
ScribeS them all.
The meeting opens with a line read or
chanted by the preacher and the responses
made by the congregation. Old mammies
with turbans of bright hue, and uncles rig
ged in the fantastic garb of the plantation,
give the responses in natural melody, no
two voices singing alike yet all blending
into a harmony difficult to describe. The
voices of the colored people have peculiar
qualities absolutely inimitable, and with
their delicate variations and intOnations
they are plaintively sweet and strangely
fascinating.
Following this, a long and loud prayer
emphasized by many gestures coaxes the
congregation from its apathettc silence,
and "Lor' be praise!" "Hallelujahv' and an
occasional shout begin to ring through the
forest. The meeting is beginning to warm
up. A short sermon filled with birthstone,
yet holding out a comforting thought of
gold-paved streets and golden candles burn
ing for de sinnah;'' then a few young wo-
men, amid much shouting and singing.
glide down to the penitent rail. An old
deacon jumps up and says: II hub de Ior'
and 1 gwine be saved, Gaze l learned to
pray" In reply to this the minister begins
In a chant ending in song:
Some seek de Lor, but they don't seek Him right
Dey pray all day and dey sleep at night
Then, coming down to the front of the
pulpit. he shouts impressively: But dats
no way to do; you must wrestle wild Satan
and wrestle wild sin. Step ober hell and
come back ag'in."
After much of the same sort. with some
which were evidently pointed hints, like