The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-17
OurRers Bench
From An Old And
A NeW Viewpoint
BY 8. EoRREs-

HA&18
To the initiated the mourners' bench
may not have any special msanings
there may even be some who have
never heard Of such a thing; but In the
rural or more properly speaking. prim-
tive communities. the mournery bench
Is a fixed institution, Just as II was
some 20 or more years ago. Even
though the mourners' bench may bean
old familiar friend to some. in its most
modern form, as ar agent in the edhca.
uoh Of small children It is practically
: Was at the m~ournerss bench that
SergI York, proclaimed the greatest
nero Of theN world war. first found
grace" More correctly speaking, per-
hhaps' IT was there that Grace found
name. and 1t was through her influence
that he attended the revival where he
was converted. He says so himself.
u was In those SAINT Cumberland
mountains, where Sergt. York has his
nome. that / had my first Introduction
fashioned kind. 1t was at a camp
} meeting, an ali-day affair, held at the
little log schoolhouse in the t"Old
Third deestrictI We sat upon pun
cheon" benches, and the half windows,
minus glass, left the ipterior rather
dim and spooky, giving Small children
\ a creepy feeling, as II some unknown
something were hiding in the corners.
While the. tail, Iraw-boned preacher,
typically "backwoodsy," warned the
conversation Of the wrath TO come, I
was very much engaged lin admiring
my new buckled slippers and white lace
: stockings, knitted from linen thread. /
even dangled my feet in the aisle in or
der that the whole congregation might
admire n envy me.
Thine Ala -#NiA s-E e.
Eye offset the efforts of the preacher,
shouting his warnings against the
vain pomp and glory of the world"
Al noon there was a picnic dinner
served beneath the giant oaks which
surrounded the buildings; that is to
say, 1t was served picnic fashion, but
the menu included everything from
hogs jowl and greens, corn pone. cab
bage and picked beets to fried chicken
and cake made with real butter.
In the afternoon the preacher re-
sumed his business Of saving souls,
and exhorted the sinners to come and
kneel at the mourners' bench and have
their sins washed away. Many did go
forward and publicly DECLARE them
selves miserable sinners. Burning with
a desire to mend their evil ways and
reform. could not understand how
ners, as they were mostly the hired
girls and hired men on the small farms,
This was the ancient mourners'
lbench-at least, the most ancient"
in my experience.
was not allowed to attend ~revivals.
My parents did not consider it good
for little girls to be excited by things
+ they could not understand, but by &C
cident l was present at the opening
meeting of a revival held In the small
town of some 800 inhabitants, rs miles
from a railroad, of which l was a ma
tive. had a very guilty feeling, for
many had come out of curiosity and
laughed at the poor souls who got
religion" some of them rather bolster
ously. and with many tears, and tome.
very sacred thing, and the laughter
was most unseemiY, if not sacrilegous.
In these small mountain communi-
ties members of what is known in the
cities as the Christian church, are
called Complexities. and many of them
eyer, at this meeting there was singing,
although no musical instrument was
allowed in the church. The tune was
raised" and all Joined with much
gusto in singing a hymn The Gospel
Chariot" AS recall it, 1t sounded
very much like those l have heard min
strels sing. The chorus was something
like this:
Get on board. get on board, get on
board tonight;
Trains awaiting. bells ~a-ringing;
twill soon be out of sight"
There was another very lively one
which was a great Notwithstanding
Up the Golden Stairs"
n thls there were many verses. Up
tiers, and probably others had gone To
glory" And don't you want to go?
Don't you want to go? Climbing up
the golden stairs?"
There was a little "old maid" who