Part 5

Among the many things which I have observed is the singular form of worship which the colored people practice here. While at Hampton last term, I read Livingstone’s book about Africa. Some of the religious customs related in that volume have certainly been brought over by our forefathers, and are in this enlightened land found mingled with the true religion. The great belief which our people have in conjuration, (or “throwing for each other,” as they call it) signs, and the returning of departed spirits, confirm the above opinion. Not long ago I went to one of their meetings. It was held in a little church about twenty-two or twenty-three feet long, and twelve feet wide, with three windows, which have shutters of plank, through which, when shut, little or no air can pass. In the middle of the floor sits a large stove in which a very hot fire was kept during the meeting. The preacher was to have come that night, but for some reason he disappointed them. His absence, however, did not prevent their having an “Old-time prayer-meeting,” as they call it. So, after waiting for some time for their pastor to arrive, they commenced the meeting by singing a hymn, given out by one called “the leader of the band.” Prayer and a short exhortation came next. Indeed, these two parts of the opening exercises were well performed by a young man. But, in the scene which followed his excellent prayer and advice, he (though somewhat intelligent) was one of the chief actors. One or two more hymns were sung from the hymn-book. I heard some of the women say: “If those men don’t stop singing those dry tunes we’ll take our bonnets and go home.” By the women ceasing to sing, the men discovered that there was something going wrong. The “leader of the band” seems to have seen at a moment’s glance what caused the commotion, and immediately struck up the well-known “I, John, Saw.” The women now joined in; and the woods and hills rang with the resounding melodies of that music which has never known a teacher, but yet is wonderful and almost sublime. While this “shout” was being sung the men and women gathered around the stove, the men on one side and the women on the other. The church by this time had become full of people. One could not kneel down without leaning on some one else. All three of the windows were shut, and the shutters closed. A fire was in the stove. Soon a sickening feeling came over me, caused by the impure air which pervaded the place. I asked one who was standing near the window to please open it. “You want us to freeze, don’t you?” said he. I looked up, and, to my great satisfaction, found that the roof was full of holes, and I knew that hot air rises, so I said no more to the man about the window. The “leader” had now become too warm it seemed, for while we were at prayers he took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, exclaiming at the same time, “Get ready, children, we are going to drive out the devil to-night!” The others, as soon as they saw him without a coat, immediately disrobed themselves of theirs. Had I expected to see such heathenism I am sure I would not have gone to the meeting. After this there came a tumult and excitement—women jumping among the men, men holding each other; some of the young girls uttering screams which really could have been heard a mile; and some tearing their clothes off without regard to womanly modesty. But what discouraged me most was to find among this seething mass some of my school-children. After the meeting was over, and all on our way home, a shameful fight came off between two of the leading shouters (females), about something which had been said during the meeting.

What shall I say, having seen such degrading things with my own eyes, (and I have not told the worst). All I can say is this: Let us work on with our might, and hope for better things. “For if God be for us, who can be against us?”

—_Student’s letter in the Southern Workman._

* * * * *

RECEIPTS

FOR SEPTEMBER, 1878.

* * * * *

MAINE, $161.98.

Bangor. Hammond St. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 100.00 Brewer. M. Hardy 20.00 Bridgton. “Dean,” First Cong. Ch. 5.00 Castine. Rev. A. E. Ives 2.00 East Madison. Eliza Bicknell 5.00 Machias. Centre St. Cong. Ch. 17.15 Portland. Williston Cong. Ch. 10.83 St. Albans. Rev. Wm. S. Sewall 2.00

NEW HAMPSHIRE, $493.07.

Amherst. “Friends” ($5 of which _for Student Aid, Straight U._) 14.75 Alstead. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 3.24 Atkinson Depot. Gyles Merrill $50; Mrs. Gyles Merrill $25; Mrs. Betsey Bartlett $50 125.00 Campton. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 17.35 Colebrook. Mrs. Benj. Gilman 1.50 Derry. First Cong. Ch. Sab. Sch. 13.81 Fitzwilliam. Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hill 5.00 Gilmanton Centre. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 8.50 Hampton. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.85 Keene. First Cong. Sab. Sch. $141.73; Second Cong. Ch. and Sab. Sch. $2.53 144.26 Mason. Mason Division of the N. H. Memorial Union, _for Wilmington, N. C._ 7.00 Manchester. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 76.56 Merrimac. “Ladies.” 9.00 Nashua. Sab. Sch. Class by Mrs. Saunders, _for Wilmington, N. C._ 2.00 Piermont. Cong. Sab. Sch. 26.00 Swanzey. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 2.00 Tamworth. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 6.00 Wolfborough. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 20.25

VERMONT, $565.25.

Coventry. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 15.35 Craftsbury. Dea. J. W. 1.00 Bethel. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 8.60 Brattleborough. Centre Ch. 37.86 Derby. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.00 Essex Junction. E. T. M. 1.00 Newport. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 7.00 Plainfield. ESTATE of Catharine Shepard, by Willard S. Martin, Adm’r. 350.00 Rochester. Cong. Ch. 22.28 St. Johnsbury. East Cong. Ch., Rev. J. P. Humphrey and wife 20.00 Shelburn. “A Friend.” 25.00 Vergennes. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 20.00 Waterbury. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 20.00 West Derby. Col. by Rev. S. S. Nickerson 3.33 West Dover. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 6.15 West Westminster. “A Friend.” 5.00 Williamsville. Emory Dunklee 3.00 Wilmington. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 9.68

MASSACHUSETTS, $1,988.39.

Amesbury. Mrs. A. L. Bayley 20.00 Andover. South Cong. Ch. and Soc. $300; West Cong. Ch. and Soc. $29.75 329.75 Bernardston. Cong. Ch. 8.00 Bradford. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 62.45 Brocton. Porter Evan. Ch. and Soc. $31.42; Mrs. Mary E. Perkins $5 36.42 Boston. Central Ch. 5.00 Campello. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 50.00 Charlemont. Cong. Ch. 10.00 Chelsea. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 48.33 Coleraine. Cong. Ch. 6.00 Conway. D. L. 1.00 Dedham. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 180.33 Dorchester Village. Cong. Ch. $20.01, and Sab. Sch. $17.20 37.21 East Hampton. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 84.57 East Longmeadow. Mrs. G. W. C. 1.00 East Taunton. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 6.19 Enfield. ESTATE of J. B. Woods, by W. B. Kimball, Ex. 100.00 Georgetown. First Cong. Ch. $29.64; “A Friend” $2 31.64 Greenfield. Second Cong. Ch. $63.31; First Cong. Ch. $10.75; Miss Janette Thompson $5.—Ladies $18, _for Student Aid, Atlanta, Ga._ 97.06 Greenwich Village. Daniel Parker 5.00 Groton. Union Cong. Ch. and Soc. 30.79 Hamilton. Cong. Ch. 15.75 Hopkinton. Cong. Ch. and Soc., by Mrs. P. J. Claflin 150.00 Ipswich. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 16.00 Littleton. Ladies’ Mission Circle 4.70 Lowell. N. C. Wiley 25.00 Medford. Mystic Cong. Ch. and Soc. 148.45 Millbury. Sab. Sch. of Second Cong. Ch. 7.05 Montague. Cong. Ch. 11.20 Monson. Ladies, bbl. of C. and $3 _for Freight_ 3.00 Newburyport. Belleville Cong. Ch. 57.46 North Brookfield. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 50.00 Oakham. Ladies’ Benev. Soc., bbl. of C. Orange. Cong. Ch. 11.86 Quincy. F. Hardwick $100; Evan. Cong. Ch. and Soc. $20 120.00 Rehoboth. F. A. B. 1.00 Shelburn. Cong. Ch. 63.75 Sherborn. “A Friend.” 3.00 South Abington. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 16.13 Spencer. “A Friend” in First Ch. 10.00 Sudbury. Ladies’ Miss. Soc., bbl. of C. and $2 _for Freight_ 2.00 Sunderland. Cong. Sab. Sch. to const. MRS. ELLEN M. WILLIAMS, L. M. 20.25 Sutton. Ladies’ Soc. _for Freight_ 1.25 Wayland. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 11.30 West Brookfield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 60.00 Westfield. Mrs. H. O. C. 1.00 West Hawley. Cong. Ch. 2.00 Williamstown. First Cong. Ch. 20.50 Worcester. “A Friend.” 5.00

RHODE ISLAND, $1,245.50.

Bristol. Mrs. M. De W. Rogers $250; Miss C. De Wolf $250; Cong. Ch. $15 515.00 Nayatt. R. S. 0.50 Providence. Central Cong. Ch. 730.00

CONNECTICUT, $4,401.43.

Berlin. Second Cong. Ch. 24.91 Bethlehem. Cong. Ch. 10.00 Bridgewater. Cong. Ch. 5.12 Canton Centre. Sarah B. Hallock 10.00 Collinsville. M. A. Warren, _for Student Aid, Atlanta, Ga._ 5.00 East Berlin. “Z.” 5.00 East Windsor. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.00 Franklin. Cong. Ch. (ad’l) 17.00 Griswold. First Cong. Ch. 60.00 Gurleyville. Second Cong. Ch. 7.63 Hanover. Cong. Ch. and Soc., to const. ANNA DELIA CHAPMAN, L. M. 32.63 Hartford. ESTATE of Rev. Jonathan Brace, D. D., by John Hooker, Ex. 2,000.00 Hartford. Mrs. Ellery Hills, $300; Dr. John R. Lee. $50 350.00 Harwinton. Cong. Ch. 39.36 Hockanum. South Cong. Ch. 9.00 Milford. Plymouth Ch. $40, and Sab. Sch. $20 60.00 Morris. Leverett J. Waugh 5.00 New Britain. South Cong. Ch. (a member) 10.00 New Hartford. Samuel Couch 10.00 New London. First Ch. 36.87 New Milford. Ladies’ Soc. by Mary E. Bennett 30.80 Northfield. Cong. Ch. 24.75 Norwich. ESTATE of S. C. Morgan, by Lewis A. Hyde, Ex. 850.00 Norwich. “A Friend” 200.00 Norwich Town. First Cong. Ch. 70.00 North Stonington. Geo. A. Avery 6.00 North Canaan. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 20.00 Northford. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 14.73 North Haven. Mrs. Alexis Painter, to const. WILLIAM S. TODD, L. M. 30.00 North Manchester. Second Cong. Church, $34.51, to const. REV. M. J. SQUIRES, L. M.; S. H. B. $1 35.51 Pequabuck. “A Friend,” by R. D. H. Allen, FOR STUDENT AID, TALLADEGA C. 25.00 Plantsville. Cong. Sab. Sch. _for Student Aid, Atlanta U._ 50.00 Poquonock. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 15.00 Somers. Mrs. M. M. W. 0.50 South Britain. Cong. Ch. (additional) 3.00 South Glastonbury. Cong. Ch. 5.00 Thomaston. ESTATE of Henry Brooks, by Jesse R. Brooks, Ex. 195.00 Thomaston. Cong. Ch. 27.25 Unionville. Cong. Ch. _for Talladega C._ 30.00 Wallingford. Mrs. T. B. Bartholomew 2.00 Wapping. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 7.59 Westport. “A. M. W.,” to const. MISS ARETTA M. WAKEMAN, L. M. 30.00 West Winstead. “A Friend” 10.00 Willington. Cong. Ch. (M. Coll’s) 1.78 Windsor. Cong. Ch. 10.00

NEW YORK, $534.57.

Aquebogue. Cong. Ch. 30.00 Bergen. Mrs. F. D. Kingman 5.00 Brooklyn. “A Friend” 2.00 Cortland. Miss C. E. Booth 2.00 Ellington. Anson Crosby and Mrs. Nancy Crosby, $3 each 6.00 Elma. Mrs. E. S. A. Bancroft 5.06 Evans Centre. Miss L. P. 1.00 Freedonia. Mrs. Thomas W. Stevens 5.00 Gerry. Mrs. Mary A. G. Sears 128.36 Hamilton. Miss M. Bronson 2.50 Harlem. John Dwight 100.00 Homer. Mrs. Electa Root $60; George W. Bradford, $5 65.00 Irvington. Mrs. R. W. Lambdin 5.00 Nelson. J. L. Bishop 7.00 Redfield. Mrs. Geo. McKinney 2.00 Rome. John B. Jervis 25.00 Silver Creek. Mrs. Eliza Lee $50; W. Chapin $5; Charlotte Howes $2; M. M. $1; L. C. $1; Mrs. P. F. 50c.; Miss D. A. 50c 60.00 Sinclearville. Earl C. Preston, $2; D. B. D., $1; Dea. E. R., $1; Mrs. A. B. $1 5.00 Spencerport. * 50.00 Syracuse. Rev. J. C. Holbrook, D.D. 10.00 Union Valley. Wm. C. Angel 10.00 Warsaw. L. H. H. 1.00 West Farms. Mrs. Rev. Alphonzo Wood 5.00 Westmoreland. First Cong. Sab. Sch. 2.65

NEW JERSEY, $65.

East Orange. Grove St. Cong. Ch. $25, and Sab. Sch. $10 35.00 Jersey. First Cong. Ch. to const. WILLIAM JAY HUNT, L. M. 30.00

PENNSYLVANIA, $21.

Clark. S. P. Stewart 2.00 North East. B. T. Spooner 5.00 Providence. E. Weston 5.00 Wilkes Barre. Welsh Cong. Ch. 7.00 Worth. John Burgess 2.00

OHIO, $644.31.

Bellevue. S. W. Boise, $20; Miss Elvira Boise, $20 40.00 Belpre. Cong. Ch. 21.15 Brocton. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 24.81 Cincinnati. Rent, _for the Poor in New Orleans_ 91.34 Cleveland. Plymouth Cong. Ch. $73.71; Mrs. S. H. E., $1; A. L. H., 50c. 75.21 Cleveland Heights. Cong. Ch. 40.50 Collamer. Union Church 27.70 Fredericktown. A. H. Royce 10.00 Freedom. Cong. Ch. $1.87; “J. C. B.” $5; W. K., $5 11.87 Lindenville. John Thompson 10.00 Madison. Mrs. S. H. Roe, and others, $10; Sarah E. Warner $5 15.00 Martinsburg. Cong. Church Property, $55; Geo. Stewart, $3; Mrs. D. $1 59.00 Medina. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 35.50 Oberlin. Second Cong. Ch. 35.66 Penfield. Cong. Ch. 11.00 Pittsfield. Cong. Ch. 20.15 Steubenville. Woman’s Miss. Soc. of First Cong. Ch., by Miss M. J. Leslie, Treas. 10.00 Strongsville. Free Cong. Ch. 15.00 Tallmadge. Mrs. Annis Wolcott $5; L. C. Walton $5; H. A. Peck $2; Miss M. A. C. $1, _for Tougaloo Miss._ 13.00 West Andover. Cong. Ch., bal. to const. DWIGHT R. CARPENTER, L. M. 24.42 Westerville. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 3.00 Windham. First Cong. Ch. 30.00 Yellow Springs. “D.” 20.00

INDIANA, $10.

Crawfordsville. Prof. Caleb Mills 10.00

ILLINOIS, $985.61.

Albion. Mrs. Martha Skeavington 5.00 Blue Island. Cong. Ch. 7.00 Buda. Sab. Sch. of Cong. Ch. $50 _for Student Aid, Fisk U._—Cong. Ch. $20 70.00 Chicago. Col. C. F. Hammond, for Howard University 500.00 Chicago. N. E. Ch. Mon. Con. Coll. $19.80; Mrs. M. J. Benton, $5; Lincoln Park Ch. (additional) $3.21; Mrs. W. 50c. 28.51 Chillicothe. G. W. Gillman 5.00 Elgin. Cong. Ch. 10.00 Emerson. Mrs. E. H. D. French 5.00 Evanston. Cong. Ch. 100.00 Freedom. “A Friend ” 10.00 Galesburg. ESTATE of Warren C. Willard, by Prof. T. R. Willard 14.00 Geneseo. Woman’s Miss. Soc., by Mrs. A. H. Manington, Treas. 29.00 Kewanee. H. T. Lay 100.00 Lamoille. Cong. Ch. 6.30 Malden. Cong. Ch. 20.00 Oak Park. John Merton, $5.25; Mrs. S. E. Hurlbut, $5 10.25 Prairie Centre. John Crawford 10.00 Roseville. Cong. Ch. $15.55; L. C. Axtell and wife, $10 25.55 Sheffield. Cong. Ch. 25.00 Waukegan. Woman’s Miss. Soc. 5.00

MICHIGAN, $154.67.

Bellevue. Mrs. H. L. B. 1.00 Chelsea. First Cong. Ch. $16.42; John C. Winans, $5 21.42 Grand Rapids. Mrs. G. E. F. 1.00 Homestead. Cong. Ch. 4.00 Hudson. Cong. Sab. Sch. 2.00 Jackson. Missionary Soc. 2.00 Kalamazoo. Plymouth Ch. 17.00 Memphis. Cong. Ch. $3.—Ladies’ Miss. Soc. $2, _for Bible Reader, Memphis, Tenn._ 5.00 Union City. Cong. Ch. 96.25 Warren. Rev. J. L. Beebe 5.00

IOWA, $29.87.

Cherokee. First Cong. Ch. 10.37 Dover. M. W. H. 0.20 Montrose. Cong. Ch. 11.00 New Hampton. E. F. Powers 1.30 Red Oak. Cong. Ch. 6.00 Wilton. D. C. S. 1.00

WISCONSIN, $123.68.

Beloit. Second Cong. Ch. $20; First Cong. Ch. (ad’l) $8 28.00 De Pere. First Cong. Ch. 14.93 Eau Claire. Cong. Ch. 18.00 Evansville. Cong. Soc. 10.00 Kinnick Kinnick. Cong. Ch. 2.25 Mount Sterling. Peter Valentine 5.00 New Richmond. Addison Moffat 5.00 Oconomowock. Cong. Ch. $15; Mrs. W. R. and Mrs. C. L. A. 50c. ea. 16.00 Paxton. Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Shaw 5.00 Pleasant Prairie. Cong. Ch. 1.00 River Falls. Wm. M. Newcomb $7.50; Mrs. S. W. $1 8.50 Sparta. Mrs. O. L. Irwin 5.00 West Salem. Mrs. W. L. Clark 5.00

MINNESOTA, $56.49.