The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-03-21

she been likely to attend,
since how to dispense with tho minis
try Of Sister Humphreys was its OBJ
ject, and the sister was woman Of
power. But she had gone TO the store
for her semi-annual settlement of ac-
count. Therefore the dlsaffected in
Zion raised their heads. perceiving
that their hour was come.
The "church-house" (of a weekday
the schoolhouse) crowned a gentle
rise of ground on the outskirts of an
Arkansas plantation. It was basked
by the great gum forests, where the
sun rose. while on one side, winding
toward the reddening evening skies.
the cypress slash had eaten it's way
through the brown clay to the Black
river. Full of mystery and uncanny
beauty was the slash, its sluggish
CLEAN of water creeping darkly under
solemn expresses and monstrous hack
berry-trees, tinseled with cow-lilies in
summer, spattered with blood-red ber-
ries in winter, green with delicate
beauty when the cypress Is in leaf. or
gray and softly brown when its short
ieaved foliage falls. Did one care to
deal in mystical analogy, one might
find in the slash suggestions of the
Africans undeveloped soul, where
brute and child still battle for mas
terry.
1t was school-house for children of
the darker race only and only negroes
were in the little band whose hymns
penetrated the wide sweep of cotton
fields, the weird African cadences
wilder and more mournful than the
hoot-owls oboe keening in the forest.
Tonight the house was but sparsely
filled by the regular worshipers, Zion
congregation proper. Brother Zubaeel
Morrow presided, because he had once
attended district Republican con-
vention, where he had imbibed parlia-
.nentary lore.
dis meetin' will please come to
ordah.' he announced; lis you~all
ready TO- de question:"
"W' are question, Bruddah Nor
row." called out a brother in the
rear seats.
"Bruddah Carroll, you is out of or
dab. Whenst l git in dis cheer an
take dis gabble"-he extended the
Ratchet used, before its promotion, to
chop kindling-'take notice, / is de
Cheer; you-all is to dress me as Mist
Cheerman.' You is akin bout de ques-
ton: de question is, Shall Sist' Ehme-
reilly Humphreys continner to usu'p
dc rights Of we-alls pastor? Amt
dat the ondecstandin' of dis here aw.
jence?"
Signs OF approval and assent came
from the audience. The chairman,
rising took the attitude of the white
speaker whom he had admired most
at the convention, plunging one hand
into the bosom Of his coat-buttoned
for that purpose-and gazing solemnly
about him. All the colored population
OF the country side were proud OF the
school-house, which was painted a
neat lead color as to woodwork and
brown as to walls; with red lettering
done by a member who had followed
the painters trade (although not very
far, declaring piously on the west
wall, The Lord will provide" and
politely requesting on the east wall,
please do not spit on the floor" A
stately blackboard behind the teach
er's desk showed her excellent moral
sentiments and penmanship. There
was no carpet on the floor, but it was
clean and the windows glistened.
dis we're school-house, dis we're
chu' lighthouse, are Il credit to de cullud
ladies an genl'men Of Zion Baptis'
chu'ch," declared Brother Morrow, So
norously, AN we-all had orter have a
pastor who w'u'd-w'u'd correspond.
amt sayin' one word of disparage-
ment Of our late diseased pastor He
ben a good, pious man" ("Amen!"
from two half-grown lads in the rear),
but he'd terrible sight Of losses an
troubles, losin' all of his chillen like
he done; an him sick such a spell
befo' de Lawd called him f'om grace
to glory. Mabbe he didn't ben elo-
quent like the supply we had, but Ell
der Wife had mare right to git Sist'
Lucy Tompkins to run way wild I'm,
f'om 'er good, kim, respectable hus-
BAN" "a little crumpled, elderly ne
gro raised his head with an air OF
modest pride), AN he done borry two
dollars an fifty cents of de cheer dat
J don't expec' nothin' of ontwel de
Judgment day! So Wen our pastor
al oil
outen q shepherd; an Wen Sist' Hum
phreys done offah to keep de chuch-
house clean an cyah on de services
Of Zion, an make no cha'ges, veal
accepted"
Mist Cheerman''-a grizzled negro
in decent black held up finger
Mist Cheerman, was hit Sist' Hum
phreys keep dis 'ouse dis away"
Yes, Bruddah Moore; she are a
right good scrubber," admitted the
chairman, while the congregation
stared at the speaker, the richest col
ored man in the county, who had
moved into the neighborhood Recently,
this being his first appearance in Zion.
"Fo' SPELL" continued the chair
man, things went on suspiciously
enough. Sist' Humphreys ben an edi-
Gated lady; an she is plumb good
cook. Her preachin' didn't ben whut
VEAL air longin' to heah: mare
shakin' of de soul ovah de mouf of
hell, mare no'nin', mare REVEALS; but
we h1lt our peace, an Zion attended
regular, an las socherable gatherin'
there ben nigh a hundred. big an