Our church observed the week of prayer, and there seemed to follow an unusual tenderness in the regular prayer-meetings. The people became more united and earnest, and it was evident that the way for better things was being prepared. In February, some of the brethren suggested sending for the aid of Rev. E. E. Rogers, of Orange, Conn., who was pastor here from 1869 to 1873. I wrote and found that the way was open for his coming, and we began at once to hold extra prayer-meetings. Brother Rogers came during the last week of February, and remained five weeks, preaching and laboring with uncommon earnestness and consecration. The Lord has evidently fitted him for this special work. The church took hold with remarkable unanimity. I never have known any church in the North to be so thoroughly united in revival effort. The contagion spread to other churches, many of them soon beginning to hold special services. This somewhat lessened our audiences, but a general revival spirit spread through the city, and still continues. During one or two weeks we held union afternoon prayer-meetings with a colored Baptist church, a very uncommon thing in this country.
The meetings were quiet, tender, impressive throughout. The people are beginning to get out of their old ideas of a noisy conversion. Some of the “old-time” quaint, plaintive songs are, however, wonderfully apt and appropriate in such seasons, ranking among the most effective “spiritual songs.” We held neighborhood meetings in various localities, which seem more necessary here as the people are so widely scattered. One disadvantage we found was the necessity for late hours at night. Some of our people are “in service,” and cannot get away early, and the rest do not finish their work until night, and afterward must go home and get supper, and walk from one to three miles to church. Our little band, however, were remarkably faithful in attendance, though we could not often begin the preaching until half-past eight or nine o’clock.
One peculiarity which I discovered during the meetings was, that so many of the colored people labor so long under conviction before conversion. I had formerly supposed them to be a very religious people, easily persuaded to become Christians; but my experience is (confirmed by that of other workers), that very many labor under intense conviction for many days, and even for weeks, coming to the “anxious seat” every night for long periods, and seeming, for some reason, unable to yield themselves up. No doubt this is in part owing to the traditions handed down from the older ones, and in part to ignorance of the true way. Yet, even after much personal labor and explanation is given, they often remain unenlightened. It is a phenomenon to me, especially as it is seen in the case of some of the most intelligent.
There have been from twelve to fifteen hopeful conversions. Ten have united with our church, four of whom are heads of families, and the rest promising young men and women. Some have united with other churches. It is the custom here with some to seize hold of converts at once and endeavor to persuade them into other churches. Sometimes the different denominations (of the old-time churches) wrangle over converts.
One Saturday night we held a neighborhood meeting in the house of a well-to-do colored family. The strains of song floated out from door and windows, and the sound fell upon the ears of a “poor white” woman of the lowest class, who was living illegally with a deaf colored man. Her heart was stirred. She asked permission to attend the next prayer-meeting, held at the same house on the following Saturday. There she rose, and, with tearful voice, confessed Christ, in the midst of her dusky audience. It seems to be a genuine conversion. She brought in one night three other degraded white women, one of whom was also living illicitly with a colored man, another, who had not attended church for fourteen years, and the third, who had never before in her life entered the doors of a church! And now comes the question, like that of the famous novel, “What will He do with it?” This poor, erring woman is in frail health and hardly able to earn her living. She lives with a colored man whom, she says, she is willing to marry. She wants to marry him and join our church. But here the civil law steps in and says, “Thou shalt not.” It is a crime in the eyes of this commonwealth for white and colored persons to inter-marry, and whoever celebrates such a marriage lays himself liable to a thousand dollars fine. Of course, we cannot admit her to the church while living in her present relations. She cannot marry, according to the law; she has no friends, and is not able to support herself if she should leave him. Even now she is so poor that she has to borrow shoes and other clothing in order to attend church. The white churches here have no room for such persons. She is in a more pitiable condition than even the lowest of the negroes. Such are some of the problems that beset us. Another of these white women is the prodigal daughter of a good family, and we are endeavoring to persuade her to return to her friends.
Our revival has strengthened the church, and has caused us all to “thank God and take courage.” Brother Rogers returned to his home with the benedictions of a multitude. We trust the work has not yet ceased.
ALABAMA.
Missionary needed.
REV. C. E. CURTIS, SELMA.