GARDEN AT MYRTLE BANK HOTEL.
Another story tells of an irreligious young clerk who often teased one of the head men about his piety and church-going. On Monday morning the chaff began as usual.
“You went to church again yesterday, you old rascal.”
“Yes, buckra,” replied he, “me go a church, sah! but de trange ting is me hear ’bout you, sah, during service.”
“Yes, you hear about me, eh!”
“Yes, sah, parson read de word, ‘De fool hat said in his heart dere is no god.’”
One day I read in the newspapers that the Keswick delegates were to give their last service at Kingston, before setting off on an evangelising tour throughout the island.
A fellow-passenger on the Port Antonio said he would like to hear them. We arranged to dine at Myrtle Bank Hotel, and go afterwards to the place of worship where the service was to take place. This hotel has an entrance into it from Harbour Street; the gardens on the other side of the building go down to the water’s edge, and are cool and inviting. Generally a breeze, known as “the doctor,” from the sea is blowing, which makes it deliciously refreshing.
We dined shortly after six, and were whirled in a “’bus” for sixpence to Coke Chapel, a large edifice furnished with galleries. Crowds were fighting to get in. Fortunately, the official black is still imbued with the idea of the superiority of the white people, but how long that will last if the social democrat is allowed to preach the equality of the black with the white, is a question a wiser head than mine may solve. On this occasion, my friend and I were shown with much respect to seats near the pulpit. There were mostly coloured people in our immediate vicinity; a little further away faces of ebony and mahogany made up the rest of the large congregation. All looked serious, expectant, prosperous, too, if one were justified in judging by the clothes they wore. The service began by a hymn, followed by extempore prayer. The singing was congregational and hearty. The blacks love singing hymns; one hears old familiar tunes hummed constantly wherever one goes.