railing and stood in solemn state around the pastor as he
exhorted the people in most earnest words to get their records clean
before the opening of the new year.

I wish I could picture him to you as he stood before us that night, his
hair just turning gray, indicating in one of this race extreme old age;
a real "Uncle Tom" in appearance, and in character, I think; his history
taking in much of slavery and of life as Presiding Elder. Many times has
he stood on guard between Northern teachers and Ku Klux Klans. He told
us that night that the grace of God in a man's heart would make him
shine all over; he had seen it make a man who had not combed his hair
for a year, grease his boots and his hair too, and then what a shining!
And so on through his talk were the most earnest exhortations with his
striking illustrations.

One of the members there once in praising a sister to me spoke of her
having the ability to "groan so beautifully," and that night it seemed a
special gift bestowed upon all. All through the pastor's exhortation the
audience were keeping up a sort of rhythmic accompaniment with both body
and intonations. Their responses during the prayers certainly have the
virtue of fervency, if not of intelligence. At some times so great was
the noise it was almost impossible to distinguish any leader whatever.
One old "Father in Israel" seemed to be specially delegated to encourage
the praying ones by calling out above all the din, "Come on, son, come
on," right in the midst of the prayer. One woman near us "got the power"
and went off into spasms. Then the pastor gave the invitation for all
"mourning ones" to come to the altar, and about sixty answered the call.
Then the groans and ejaculations became more intense, until at least
three whom we could see were in religious spasms or frenzies. I know not
how many others had the "power," that is, were able to scream above all
the groaning at certain intervals.

At midnight a hush fell upon all, and the pastor's prayer told us a new
year had begun. Then all started up an old-time plantation song, the
only words being "A Happy New Year" in all its changes, and we found we
were expected to shake hands with everyone, and not any ordinary shaking
hands was it, but the tighter our hands were clasped, the better did it
show the individual's religious zeal. Before this, it had seemed as
though some of our teachers would get struck by the mourning ones as
they threw their arms