The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-20
Rare Contests Between DeUH and DdrkieS

>s<e<s<e<e%e<s<e<s<e<e<
| trance, self hypnotized, while others
vault wildly in semi-delirium, shrek
ing for somebody to "hor meh!" The
latter are swiftly seized, the unconsci-
Gus ones gathered up, and all are borne
bodily to the foot of the platform. Dur
ing the process of resuscitation the
congregation quiets down, save for low
sobbings and meanings that sweep at
intervals through the nervous mass
| When all is calm again one of the
band before the platform breaks forth
into wild wailing dithyramb on his
fierce conflict with Satan, one follow
ing fast upon the other chanters, until
the presiding elder sees fit opportunity
to sound his ramshOrn call again, when
another attack of madness seizes the
thrOng and the blood curdling scene is
reenacted.
! And so it goes on far into the night
until nervous and physical exhaustion
puts an end to it, Then the negroes
|
hymning their devil songs, mOurnful as
wind borne dirges, broken in upon now
and then by trembling "Oh, Lawd
| he's er rO'in' lion. Don't let him de-
vOuah meh!" wrung from the over
charged heart of some poor soul
There's little work done in tobacco OF
cotton field the next day.
! The experiences of the women are
i generally less interesting than those OF
| the men. though the huge negress who
told how fer TO days an fo' nights
All walked Ovah de pit er hell on er
cambria needle an de debble reachin
| fer meh wit his pitchfOrk de whole
blessed time" was not devoid of imagi-
| nation.
Presiding Elder is Arbiter.
| The presiding elder is the arbiter of
j the .genuineneSs of the experiences Of
| fered in evidence. That this power is
often abused for the discomforture of
the testifying enthusiast is evident
| from the ruling in the case of MINIS.
! the GRADER.
There inquiry showed jealousy to be
at the bottom of the injustice, the eld-
er being somewhat of an expert with
the cradle himself. Sometimes the
elder takes occasion to crafty priv
ate grudge.
A certain buXOm wench who had re-
pulsed with scOrn the ardent wOOing of
of fhnCn 1ieyni a,.iac oh tiy,ey
at meeting thrilling tale of how Satan
had attacked her with chills and goose
flesh galore. The congregation was
much moved, but the elder who hap
pened to be the rejected lover listened
impressive.
How yer say yer done feel. Mandy,
when de debble come an 'sassinate
yer?" he coldly inquired.
''Ah done feel DIES lax sumpin' wuz
er crawin all obah meh." cried Mandy.
rolling up the whites of her eyes
go way fun hyah. GAL replied the
elder with assumed disgust. Dat
VAIN nuthin' t all but ticks"
Thou shalt not steal has no place
III tIlt ItIlSlOuS SCHtIlle Vi THESE Simple
negroes. When a camp meeting is held
all the white folk in the neighborhoOd
double lock the chicken houses, gath
er the pigs closer into their pens and
starve the watch dogs into greater
alertness.
One white haired elder. sort of COM
missary- general for camp meeting,
was caught scrurrying through the
midnight barnyard of wary planter
with two bags a-shOulder, one filled
with pullets. the other with a couple of
fat shOtes. Perhaps in his many en-
counters with the devil he had learned
that undesirable persons manner of
quoting scripture. for when dragged
before the local magistrate next day
he did not deny the theft. but pleaded
in avoidance:
Don de Good Book say, Feed NAH
lams" an did'n' de good Lawd hissel
time he's wakin' thOo de mans cOhn-
tiel an got hongry. pull off de roas'in
yeahs an eat 'em 'thout sayin' nuthin
t all tub de man bout it?
Last fall there was a forest fire in
large tract of woodland owned by one
Thompson in south Virginia county
No negro could be induced to fight
those flames
From some unknown source they
had learned that de debble done bust
outer hell fer good ans er tuhnin' his
SET loose in Marse Thompson's woods"
and chantings and propitiatory prayers
without number.