The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-03-14

Stuce how to dispense with the minis
try of Sister Humphreys was its OBJ
iect. and the sister was ? woman of
power. But she had gone 10 the store
Tor her semi-annual settlement of &C
count, Therefore the disaffected in
Zion raised their heads, perceivng
that sheir hour was come.
The 'church-house" (of weekday
the schooIhouse) crowned gentle
rise OF ground on the outskirts of an
Arkansas plantation. IL 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 its way
through the brown clay to the Black
river. Full OF mystery and uncanny
beauty was the slash. it's sluggish
CLEAN OF water creeping darkiy under
solemn expresses and monstrous hack
berry-trees. tinseled with cow-lilies in
summer, spattered with blood-red ber-
cies 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
hud in the slash suggestions of the
Africans undeveloped SOUL. where
brute aud child still battle for mas
terry.
Il vas 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 SDarsely
tlied by the regular worshipers, Zion
congregation proper. Brother Zubaeel
Morrow presided, because he had once
attended IA district Republican con-
Yeution, where he had imbibed parlia
.uentny lore.
Dis meetin' will please come to
Grdah," he announced; is 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
take dis gabble"-he extended the
Ratchet used, before it's promotion, to
chop kindiing-'take notice, | is de
Cheer; you-ail is to dress me as Mist
Cheerman.' You is akin bout de ques-
ton de question is, Shall Sist' Ehme-
reldy Humphreys continner to usa'p
de rights Of We-alls pastor? Amt
dat the onderstandin' 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 ne had admired most
ut the convention, plunging one hand
into the bosom Of his conditioned
for that purpose-and gazing solemnly
about him All the colored populs ton
II the countryside were proud OF the
schOoI-house, which was painted a
ueat lead color as to woodwork and
brown as to walls; with red lettering
done By member who had followed
the painters trade talthougE not very
f4rl. declaring piOusly on the west
wall. THE Lord will provide" and
Please do not spit on The floor" A
stately blackboard behind the teach
er's desk showed her excellent moral
sentiments and peumanship. There
was no carpet on the floor. but it was
clean and the windows glistened.
Dis we're sChoGl-houSe, dis yere
chu'chhouSe. are a credit to de cullud
ladies an genTmen 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 sayiu' one word CT disparage-
ment of our late Diseased pastor. He
BEN a good. piOus man" CAmen."
from two haif-grown lads in the rear)
hut he'd i terrible sight of losses an
troubles, i0sin all of his chillen like
ne done; an him sick such a spell.
befo' de Lawd called him fom grace
to glory Mabbe he didn't ben elo-
agent 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. kin, respectable hus-
ban'" "a little crumpled, elderly ne
geo raised MS head with an air OF
roGdest prde). AN he done borry two
dollars an fifty cents of de cheer dat
don't expec' nothin' of ontwel de
Judgment day! SO wen our pastor
PASSED away we-all was like sheep
ou5en shepherd; an wen Sist' Hum
phreys done offah to keep de church
house clean an cyah on de services
OF Zion. an make no cha ges, VEAL
accepted
Mist Cheerman".-a grizzled negro
ia 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
oreG man in the county. who had
moved into the neighborhood recently
this being his first appearance in Zion
''Fo' SPELL continued the chair
man. 't'ings went on suspiciously
enough. Sist' Humphreys ben an edi
Gated lady; an she is a plumb goot
cook Her preachin' didn't ben whut
we-all air longin' to heah: mar.
shakin of de soul ovah de mouf Of
hell, mare no'nin'. mare REVEALS: bu
we hilt our peace, an Zion attended
regular: an las socherable gatherin
there ben nigh a hundred big an
little presint-" - s'ats
NAno she gave us all cake and can
dy and lemonade with ice in it,. ;