The Black Man: His Antecedents, His Genius, and His AchievementsBrown, William Wells
History
The Black Man: His Antecedents, His Genius, and His Achievements
Brown, William Wells
African Americans -- Biography
the effect was indeed grand. When the curtain fell, the prince was
called upon the stage, where he was received with deafening shouts of
approbation, and a number of _bouquets_ thrown at his feet, which he
picked up, bowed, and retired. I went into Cheapside the next morning,
at an early hour, to see if the prince had given up his old trade for
what I supposed to be a more lucrative one; but I found the hero of the
previous night at his post, and giving out his bills as energetically
as when I had last seen him. Having to go to the provinces for some
months, I lost sight of Mr. Jenkins, and on my return to town did not
trouble myself to look him up. More than a year after I had witnessed
the representation of Othello at the Eagle, I was walking, one pleasant
Sabbath evening, through one of the small streets in the borough,
when I found myself in front of a little chapel, where a number of
persons were going in. As I was passing on slowly, an elderly man
said to me, "I suppose you have come to hear your colored brother
preach." "No," I answered; "I was not aware that one was to be here."
"Yes," said he; "and a clever man he is, too." As the old man offered
to find me a seat, I concluded to go in and hear this son of Africa.
The room, which was not large, was already full. I had to wait but a
short time before the reverend gentleman made his appearance. He was
nearly black, and dressed in a black suit, with high shirt-collar,
and an intellectual-looking cravat, that nearly hid his chin. A pair
of spectacles covered his eyes. The preacher commenced by reading a
portion of Scripture, and then announced that they would sing the
twenty-eighth hymn in "the arrangement." O, that voice! I felt sure
that I had heard that musical voice before; but where, I could not
tell. I was not aware that any of my countrymen were in London, but
felt that, whoever he was, he was no discredit to the race; for he was
a most eloquent and accomplished orator. His sermon was against the
sale and use of intoxicating drinks, and the bad habits of the working
classes, of whom his audience was composed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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