The American Missionary — Volume 36, No. 4, April, 1882Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 36, No. 4, April, 1882
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
A Northern man now resident in Florida, and always, both North and
South, a warm friend of our work among the colored people, after
reading in our notice of the Nashville Conference, the appeal for
another Theological Seminary further South, gives the whole matter
not only a most cordial, but practical, indorsement by pledging
himself “to be one of ten or twenty or fifty to contribute $1,000
each to make a beginning in the good work.” With thanks to our
friend for his liberality, we send forth the question, Where are
the nine, the nineteen or the forty-nine?
* * * * *
“In those portions of the South where the plantations were largest,
and the slaves the most numerous, they were very fond of burying
their dead at night, and as near midnight as possible. In case
of a funeral, they assembled from adjoining plantations in large
numbers, provided with pine knots and pieces of fat pine called
lightwood, which, when ignited, made a blaze compared with which
our city torchlight processions are most sorry affairs. When
all was in readiness, they lighted these torches, formed into a
procession, and marched slowly to the distant grave, singing the
most solemn music. Sometimes they sang hymns they had committed to
memory, but oftener those more tender and plaintive, composed by
themselves, that have since been introduced to the people of the
North and of Europe as plantation melodies. The appearance of such
a procession, winding through the fields and woods, as revealed by
their flaming torches, marching slowly to the sound of their wild
music, was weird and imposing to the highest degree.”‒From “In the
Brush,” by Rev. H. W. Pierson, D.D.
[Illustration: An old-time midnight slave funeral.]
Two or three second-hand communion sets will be very gratefully
received by as many of our needy young churches in the South.
Churches at the North changing from their present to better will
please take note.
* * * * *
There were twins in this country. One was slavery and the other
polygamy. One is dead and the other is threatened as never before.
This Association is proud of the part it took in the extinction of
the former. It now extends its heartiest sympathies to those who
are determined upon the destruction of the latter.
* * * * *
A postal from one of our schools at the South says: “We received
recently a good-sized box of books and only a few of any value.
Latin books of ancient date, German, French, Spanish, and Patent
Office Reports are of no use to us. Please ask our friends not
to send such, as they are only a bill of expense.” We have had,
heretofore, to make statements of this sort in the MISSIONARY.
We are always thankful for the liberality of our friends, but we
invoke their discretion in giving.
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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