The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1929, Sheet 76

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

14.

and the early hours of Sunday morning strumming
away on his old, battered banjo, while the compan-
ions shuffled, fought,.and drank wild-cat liquor until
they were physically unable to go on with the danc-
ing, fighting, or drinking.

It was the last Sunday of the revival, and Doctor
Perkins remarked during the course of his morning
sermon that he was not calling any names, but the
music of a certain brother’s banjo had done more to
fill the jail and hell than all the wild-cat liquor in
the country. “For,” he argued, “give a man all de
likker he can hold, an’ he don’t trouble nobody, not
eben de ol? ’oman. But jes’ git dat ol’ banjer
a-gwine, an’ all de saints an’ sinners in de neighbor-
hood *Il gather ’round an’ stah’t a dance towards de
jail an’ hell.” Then, waxing eloquent, he cried:
“Whar is mos’ 0’ de deacons an’ sistuhs 0’ dis here
congregation dis mawnin’? Dey’s in jail or lyin’ at
home nu’sin’ so’ heads! Why? All ’cause a sartin
banjer done sung last night. Brudders an’ sistuhs,
ef you-all would close de do’s o’ hell an’ de jails, jes’
git a hol’ o’ dat banjer an’ make kindlin’ wood
outer it!”

After the morning service the Reverend Doctor
accompanied “Aunt” Lucy, the wife of “Uncle”

Mose, home for dinner. While enjoying the com-,

forts of the humble cabin, the revivalist con-
veniently forgot the evils of “Uncle” Mose’s banjo
and had nothing but praise for the old man. “Uncle
Mose,” he said, “you sho’ is a good ’vider fo’ yo’
fam’ly. Ef all de husban’s done lak you, dis world
would. be a better place fo’ us all to live in. I ain’t
nevuh been to yo’ house, but I finds plenty to eat an’
drink an’ de fines 0’ rashuns at dat. You eats lak
white folks, you does.” ‘That night, however, the
preacher very ungraciously forgot the dinner which
the skill of “Uncle” Mose had provided and remem-
bered only the evils of the old sinner’s banjo.

During the night service “Uncle” Mose was the
only mourner whose presence graced the mourners’
bench; all the other sinners had “done come thoo”
and were now helping the lone lost sheep through the
ordeal of “gittin’ religion.” For two solid hours they

* sang, stamped, patted, and sweated over the bowed
figure of “Uncle” Mose, without producing the de-
sired results.

It was getting close to twelve o’clock, and
“Uncle” Mose continued to mourn and seek peace
for his soul. Suddenly the Reverend Josiah Jen-
kins, D. D., rose from his chair behind the pulpit

_ and strode forward. He stopped directly behind the
“kneeling sinner and began to sing: —

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

Pray, sinner, pray,

An’ don’t you be ashamed;

Fo’ Jesus Christ, de Lam’ o’ God,

Done written down my name,
and the swaying, stamping, sweating congregation
answered in chorus: —

I ain’t got long to stay here.

The beloved Doctor took up the next verse

and sang: —
When I was a sinner jes’ lak you,
I prayed and I prayed till I come thoo,
and the congregation repeated : —
I ain’t got long to stay here.

Along about the tenth stanza of this improvised
song of the revivalist, “Uncle” Mose suddenly threw
back his head, rolled his eyes, and let out a yell that
echoed and reechoed from hill to hill. The old
fellow sprang to his feet, and his action was the
signal for the unleashing of confusion. A perspir-
ing sister stopped in the middle of the chorus the
congregation was singing and screamed out, “Uncle
Mose done got it! Chilluns, Uncle Mose done got
de “legion !”

When these glad tidings were broadcast, benches
were overthrown, hats were shaken from heads and
trampled under foot, and waving arms sought to
embrace a forbidden lover, or clinched fists searched
for the jaw of an enemy. During the confusion at
least two pairs of female arms were around the neck
of “Brother” Josiah Perkins, D. D., and he and the
sisters were circling the shaky rostrum at no
slow gait.

In the mean time “Uncle” Mose had shouted his
way clear of the dust and confusion and reached the
open door. As he limped away from the little church,
he threw back his hoary head, and from between
foam-flecked lips there came an exultant cry of
“Glory !”? As the old man limped into the darkness,
he shouted, in perfect march tempo, “Glory! glory!
glory! glory! glory!” — and the echoes answered,
“Ory! ’ory! ’ory, ’ory, ’ory!”

Domine, fiat lux! (Lord, let there be light!)

. R.O.L. Lynn.

Home Missions in the Missouri Synod.

The Home Mission enterprise is carried on by
the various Districts of the Missouri Synod at no
less than 1,542 places. This does not include the
work done in Brazil. In the United States the
Synod has 1,215 Home Mission stations, while in
Canada there are 327. ‘This does not include the