Dey
preached three times a day; at eleven in de mornin', at three in de
evenin', and den again at night. De biggest meetin' house crowds was
when dey had baptizin', and dat was right often. Dey dammed up de crick
on Sadday so as it would be deep enough on Sunday, and dey done de
baptizin' 'fore dey preached de three o'clock sermon. At dem baptizin's
dere was all sorts of shoutin', and dey would sing _Roll Jordan, Roll_,
_De Livin' Waters_, and _Lord I'se Comin' Home_.
"When de craps was laid by and most of de hardest wuk of de year done
up, den was camp-meetin' time, 'long in de last of July and sometimes in
August. Dat was when us had de biggest times of all. Dey had great big
long tables and jus' evvything good t'eat. Marster would kill five or
six hogs and have 'em carried dar to be barbecued, and he carried his
own cooks along. Atter de white folks et dey fed de Niggers, and dere
was allus a plenty for all. Marster sho' looked atter all his Niggers
good at dem times. When de camp-meetin' was over, den come de big
baptizin': white folks fust, den Niggers. One time dere was a old slave
'oman what got so skeered when dey got her out in de crick dat somebody
had to pull her foots out from under her to git her under de water.
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