The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1923, Page 19

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

19

sisters of the church gathered around the mourners
to sing, clap, and stamp them “thoo.” For two
weeks they had been preparing themselves for the
oecasion by holding nightly prayer-meetings, in
which special prayers had been offered up for par-
ticular sinners in the community, and old Uncle
Jess’ had not been overlooked during these prepar-
atory meetings. In fact, as one brother expressed
it, “special special prayers” had been made for him.
Those, therefore, whose duty it was to help the
mourners “thoo,” gave the major portion of their
attention to the veteran banjo-picker and mourner.

Above the stamping, clapping, and singing an

Prof. R. 0. L. Lynn.

occasional voice could be heard exhorting the
mourners not to give up, but to pray, pray, pray.
In the perfervid zeal of the singing, clapping,
stamping band, there soon came a rhythm, a har-
mony, smooth to the eye and melodious to the ear,
‘forcing many “hallelujahs” and “glories” from the
swaying, groaning, rocking congregation. ‘The at-
mosphere in the small building was freighted with
stifling dust and an alliaceous or hircine odor, it
was hard to tell which it was. The singers gave
vent to their feelings either by screaming, jumping,

or violently waving their arms. ‘The perspiration

streamed down their faces and oozed through their
outer garments; some of them, in their frenzy,
were foaming at the mouth, and some of the women
had all but lost their outer clothing, and their hats

dangled from their heads as they swung and swayed
and stamped and screamed. In the midst of all this
the mourners were exhorted to pray!

At midnight the pastor of the church, the Rev.
Joseph James, D.D., joined the singers and led the
songs. With a deep, vibrating basso he sang: —

I was seven years a-mournin’,
to which the congregation sang the chorus: —

When I come out o’ de wilderness,

Come out o’ de wilderness,

Come out o’ de wilderness.
The verse and chorus were repeated several times,
and then followed the second verse and chorus.
‘The second verse was, “Oh, didn’t I shout!? to
which the congregation answered with, “When
I come out o’ de wilderness,” ete., adding to the
last line of the chorus, “Leanin’ on de Lawd.”

At the repetition of the second verse old Uncle -
Jess’ began to shake as with the ague. Slowly his
old gray head came up from its bowed position,
trembling like an aspen-leaf in the morning breeze.
[is nostrils were distended, his eyes rolled, and his ,
jaws, flecked with foam, worked as if he were in
the clutches of a fatal spasm. Suddenly he sprang
to his feet and began to jump and clasp his hands,
all the while erying with a loud voice, “Mah soul’s
happy! Mah soul’s happy!” ‘These actions and
words of old Uncle Jess’ were the signal for general
rejoicing on the part of the congregation, since the
most hardened sinner in the community had “come
thoo at Jas’,” and they must rejoice with him. Ear-
splitting screams pierced the air, benches were over- -
turned, men and women hugged each other and
shouted, “Glory to Gawd! Uncle Jess’ done come
thoo !”

In the mean time Uncle Jess’ had shouted his
way to the door and out into the cool, fresh air of
the first hours of the morning. And now, with head
thrown back, straggling beard flecked with foam,
and eyes staring straight ahead, he shouted his way
homeward. Limping toward his old cabin, nestled
among the plum bushes and blackberry briars, his
voice rang out, in perfect march tempo, on the still-
ness of the early morning breeze, “Glory, glory!
Glory, glory, glory!” And the echoes ‘answered,
“ Ory, ory! Ory, ory, "ory 1?

That same night a Lutheran minister in the far
North. preached on the text, “What must I do to be
saved?” to which he gaye the only correct answer,
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt
be saved.” R. 0.1L. 1.

ps