teeple.
His marster was der and tuk him home and give him a good, sound
thrashin'.

"Slaves was 'lowed to have prayermeetin' on Chuesday (Tuesday) and
Friday 'round at de diffunt plantations whar deir marsters didn't keer,
and dere warn't many what objected. De good marsters all give deir
slaves prayermeetin' passes on dem nights so de patterollers wouldn't
git 'em and beat 'em up for bein' off deir marster's lands. Dey 'most
nigh kilt some slaves what dey cotch out when dey didn't have no pass.
White preachers done de talkin' at de meetin'houses, but at dem Chuesday
and Friday night prayermeetin's, it was all done by Niggers. I was too
little to 'member much 'bout dem meetin's, but my older sisters used to
talk lots 'bout 'em long atter de war had brung our freedom. Dere warn't
many slaves what could read, so dey jus' talked 'bout what dey had done
heared de white preachers say on Sunday. One of de fav'rite texties was
de third chapter of John, and most of 'em jus' 'membered a line or two
from dat. Missy, from what folkses said 'bout dem meetin's, dere was sho
a lot of good prayin' and testifyin', 'cause so many sinners repented
and was saved. Sometimes at dem Sunday meetin's at de white folkses'
church dey would have two or three preachers de same dey. De fust one
would give de text and preach for at least a hour, den another one would
give a text and do his preachin', and 'bout dat time another one would
rise up and say dat dem fust two brudders had done preached enough to
save 3,000 souls, but dat he was gwine to try to double dat number. Den
he would do his preachin' and atter dat one of dem others would git up
and say: 'Brudders and Sisters, us is all here for de same and only
purpose--dat of savin' souls. Dese other good brudders is done preached,
talked, and prayed, and let the gap down; now I'm gwine to raise it. Us
is gwine to git 'ligion enough to take us straight through dem pearly
gates. Now, let us sing whilst us gives de new brudders and sisters de
right hand of fellowship. One of dem old songs went sort of lak dis:

'Must I be born to die
And lay dis body down?'

"When dey had done finished all de verses and choruses of dat dey
started:

'Amazin' Grace, How sweet de sound
Dat saved a wretch lak me.'

"'Fore dey stopped dey usually got 'round to singin':

'On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye,
To Canaan's fair and happy land
Whar my possessions lie.'

"