The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1909-07-08
ACANDIDATE
FOR BAPTISM
~ sII,AS XAVIER FLOYD.
,ryripht by j, Il, Lippincott Co..

| At the close of the regular prayer
meeting service the pastor OF New
Mount Zion Colored Baptist church,
according to custom, stepped to the
front of the platform and inquired:
rs dere anybody present tonight
who would lax to jine dis church? Ell
so, please stan up.
Whereupon a little girl, apparently
Ia or Is years old, stood. The parson
said:
"Tek yo' seat. Dere's one; de
church will set togeddah after dlsmls
sion an Ayaeh FUN dis little lamb
The benediction having been pro-
nounced. all the sinners were asked to
leave the room. Only churchmembers
are allowed to remain for these after
meetings" When the room was
cleared of all the goats" a pompous-
looking individual, perhaps a deacon
| of the church, arose and said:
"Buddah Pastur, de house is in Or
dab an ready fur business"
The pastor then asked the little girl
who was seeking admission to come
forward She gave her name to one
eyed man seated at table in front
who after a laborious effort passed it
up on a piece OF paper to the preacher.
The preacher, read 1nsting his brass
trimmed spectacles, looked at the piece
of paper a long while, and then raised
his head and said
"Bruddahs an sistahs, dis is little
Queen Victoria Davis, who comes to
tell us how de Lawd has done fur her
soul" Then. turning to the girl, he
said: "My daughtah, we wants you to
tell us what fuss started you to pray
in, an how you foun' de Lawd, an
so on an so foth. Speak loud, so all
kin heah."
The little girl commenced as fol
lows:
well, bruddahs an sstahs. what
fuss started me TO prayN' was dat l
knowed dat | had a soul to save, an
eff l didn't git religion hell would sho'
be my home
True, True" exclaimed number
of men and women in chorus.
"An' den" continued Queen Victoria.
81 wanted to staxt servin' de Lawd
while l was young; l wanted to give
him my bes' days
amen" said one old brother.
well" asked the pastor, how did
you feel while you was seekin' de
Lawd?"
The girl hesitated a moment, evil
IDENTIFY in doubt as to the exact purport
Of the question. Finally she said:
81 felt lax | wanted to be saved ~
This answer not exactly suiting the
parson, he put the question in a differ.
ent way. Said he:
did you feel light er did you feel
heavy while you was prayin'?'
Il felt both" said the little girl in
unaffected innocence. Funeral groans
of pity swept through the congrega-
ton. The preacher tried again. This
time he asked:
Did you feel light de mos er did
you feel heavy de mos?'
When Queen Victoria responded: Il
felt heavy de mos" wave Of APP
proval greeted the remark.
wen did dat heavy load leave
you?" asked the parson.
Las Friday night" said Queen Vic
toria-"las Friday night. l KEEP on
a-prayin' an a-prayin an | didn't feel
no bettah unteel | made up my min
dat ! was gwineter fin de Lawd er die
a-tryin'. An las Friday night de
Sperrit met me an spoke peace to
my soul. | hyeahed little voice, but
| saw no man, an de little voice said
to me: Go in peace an sin no mo-:
yo' sins is furgivin an yo' soul sot
free"
At this everybody shouted assent
GLORY, Hallelujah!" exclaimed an ell
derby sister.
Now, my daughtah,' said the
preacher, how did you feel after
dat?"
81 felt light ez a feathah," said the
child. There was another shout of
approval. Queen Victoria having hit
upon the regulation answer,
EFF you was to die now, whar would
you go?" inquired the examiner.
10 UedNeH, was lHC lcply.
EFF you had "a died in yo' sins, whar
would you "a went?'
Il would "a went to hell said the
girl.
Would Gawd "a been jes' In sendin
you to hell?"
NO, sah!" exclaimed the applicant
Many of the hearers laughed. The
preacher raised his hand and said;
Don't laff; don't laff; de chile is
young VT, an she's got to learn"
Then by a series of leading ques-
lions, mainly concerning parental gov
eminent. the old pastor brought the
child around to the point where she
saw. or where she was willing to say
she saw, that it was just for God to
send people to hell.
"Do you want to jine dis church,"
continued the questioner.
Vas, sah,' said the applicant
Dis is a Baptis' church, you know"
explained the pastor; we baptize
hyeah by putin people deep down
undah de watah. Amt you skeered
o. col watah in de wntah time?"
"Watah can't git too COZ fur me-"
said the little girl; Il got de grace O.
Gawd in my heart
The people fairly whooped at this
Gas in their superstition they sup
posed) supreme manifestation of