From Dixie to Canada: Romances and Realities of the Underground RailroadJohnson, H. U. (Homer Uri)
History
From Dixie to Canada: Romances and Realities of the Underground Railroad
Johnson, H. U. (Homer Uri)
Fugitive slaves -- United States; Underground Railroad
At the time we speak of, a protracted meeting had already been begun,
for the bleakness of winter had early set in. The services were
conducted by Rev. Jas. Gilfillin, a sterling old Scotchman, who had
received a large part of his training in the collieries of his native
land, and before the mast as a sailor on the high seas, assisted by Rev.
William Gheer, a young man of timidity and all gentility of manner. The
interest was most marked, and crowds came nightly to listen, to weep, to
become penitents, not only from up and down the “road,” but from Gospel
Hill, and far beyond, bringing even grand old father and mother Weed,
who had assisted at the formation of the society over thirty years
before, from away up in the “beechwoods,” and with them Nehemiah Beers,
an exhorter, particularly felicitous in the construction of unheard-of
words and expressions.
Under such circumstances Jack was deposited, early one morning, in his
rude apartment, measurably warmed by the pipe which came up from the
great box-stove below, and cautioned that he must keep particularly
quiet during the devotional exercises below. Here he remained for
several days, listening to the praises of new-born souls and the
hosannas of the older brethren during meeting hours, and then descending
and making himself comfortable in the well-warmed room when all was
quiet and safe. Indeed, so well did he play his part as fire-tender,
that the Chambers boys, who chopped the wood, which was hauled to the
church “sled-length” by the brethren, emphatically declared, as they
wondered at the marvellous disappearance of fuel, “It takes a power of
wood to run a red-hot revival, and we shall be glad when the meeting
closes,” and it required no little effort on the part of their father,
the main source of supply, to induce them to persevere in their “labor
of love.”
Thus matters passed until Sunday evening came, when the interest of the
meeting seemed to culminate in a Pentecostal shower. The Rev. James
Sullivan, then a young man, preached a sermon of great eloquence and
power, encouraged by many a hearty Amen from Father Weed and the older
brethren, and the responsive hallelujahs of hale old Sister Weed and the
other “Mothers in Israel.” The sermon ended, men clapped their hands in
ecstatic rapture, and struck up that grand old revival hymn,
“Come ye sinners, poor and needy,”
whilst the old pastor rose in his place, and earnestly exhorted sinners
to come to the “mourner’s bench” and find pardon and peace, until the
feeling of excitement burst forth in one simultaneous, “Amen, hallelujah
to God!”
The Spirit had reached the garret, and in the fervor of excitement Jack
forgot himself, and, “Amen, hallelujah to God!” came back in responsive
echo, sufficiently loud enough to attract the attention of those in the
gallery, who looked at each other in startled amazement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account