CHAPTER XXIII. THE CAMP-MEETING.

realgood." "Formypart,Iamsuchanenemytostagnation,"saidClayton,"thatIthinkthereisadvantageineverythingthatstirsupthesoul,eventhoughweseenoimmediateresults.Ilistentomusic,seepictures,asfarasIcan,uncritically.Isay,'HereIamseewhatyoucandowithme.'SoIpresentmyselftoalmostallreligiousexercises.Itisthemostmysteriouspartofournature.Idonotpretendtounderstandit,thereforenevercriticise." "Formypart,"saidAnne,"thereissomuchinthewildfreedomofthesemeetingsthatshocksmytasteandsenseofpropriety,thatIamannoyedmorethanIambenefited." "Therespokethetrue,well-trainedconventionalist,"saidClayton."Butlookaroundyou.See,inthiswood,amongtheseflowers,andfestoonsofvine,andarchesofgreen,howmanyshocking,unsightlygrowths!Youwouldnothavehadallthisunderbrush,thesedeadlimbs,thesebriersrunningriotovertrees,andsometimeschokingandkillingthem.Youwouldhavewell-trimmedtreesandvelvetturf.ButIlovebriers,deadlimbs,andall,fortheirverysavagefreedom.Everyonceinawhileyouseeinawoodajessamine,orasweet-brier,oragrape-vine,thatthrowsitselfintoagracefulnessofgrowthwhichalandscapegardenerwouldgodownonhiskneesfor,butcannotget.Natureresolutelydeniesittohim.Shesays,'No!Ikeepthisformyown.Youwon'thavemywildness—myfreedomverywell,thenyoushallnothavethegracesthatspringfromit.'Justsoitiswithmen.Uniteanyassemblyofcommonmeninagreatenthusiasm,—workthemupintoanabandon,andleteveryone'letgo,'andspeakasnatureprompts,—andyouwillhavebrush,underwood,briers,andallgrotesquegrowthsbut,nowandthen,somethoughtorsentimentwillbestruckoutwithafreedomorpowersuchasyoucannotgetinanyotherway.Youcultivatedpeoplearemuchmistakenwhenyoudespisetheenthusiasmsofthemasses.Thereismoretruththanyouthinkintheold'Voxpopuli,voxDei.'" "What'sthat?"saidNina. "'ThevoiceofthepeopleisthevoiceofGod.'Thereistruthinit.Ineverrepentmyshareinapopularexcitement,provideditbeofthehighersentimentsandIdonotasktoostrictlywhetherithasproducedanytangibleresult.Ireverencethepeople,asIdothewoods,forthewild,grandfreedomwithwhichtheirhumanitydevelopsitself." "I'mafraid,Nina,"saidAuntNesbit,inalowtone,tothelatter,"I'mafraidheisn'torthodox." "Whatmakesyouthinkso,aunt?" "Oh,Idon'tknowhistalkhasn'ttherealsound." "Youwantsomethingthatendsin'ation,'don'tyou,aunt?—justification,sanctification,orsomethingofthatkind." ********** Meanwhile,thedepartmentofAbijahSkinflintexhibitedadecidedactivity.Thiswasalong,lowbooth,madeofpoles,androofedwithnewly-cutgreenboughs.Herethewhiskey-barrelwascontinuallypouringforthitssuppliestocustomerswhocrowdedaroundit.Abijahsatonthemiddleofasortofrudecounter,danglinghislegs,andchewingastraw,whilehisnegrowasbusyinhelpinghisvariouscustomers.Abijah,aswesaid,beingaparticularlyhighCalvinist,wasrecreatinghimselfbycarryingonadiscussionwithafat,little,turnipybrotheroftheMethodistpersuasion. "Isay,"hesaid,"Stringfellowputitintoyou,Methodists,thismorning!Hitthenailonthehead,Ithought!" "Notabitofit!"saidtheother,contemptuously."Why,elderBaskumchawedhimupcompletely!Therewan'tnothin'leftofhim!" "Well,"saidAbijah,"strangehowfolkswillseethings!Why,it'sjustasclartomethatallthingsisdecreed!Why,thatarnailseverythinguptightandhandsome.Itgivesafellowakindofcomforttothinkonit.Thingsisjustastheyhavegottobe.Allthisfree-gracestuffisdreffulloosetalk.Ifthingsisbeendecreed'foretheworldwasmade,well,thereseemstobesomesenseintheircomingtopass.But,ifeverythingkindofturnsupwheneverfolksthinkon't,it'sakindofshakybusiness." "Idon'tlikethistyingupthingssotight,"saidtheother,whoevidentlywasoneofthefree,jovialorder."Igoinforthefreedomofthewill.FreeGospel,andfreegrace." "Formypart,"saidAbijah,rathergrimly,"ifthingswasmanagedmyway,Ishouldn'tcommunewithnobodythatdidn'tbelieveinelection,uptothehub." "Youstrongelectionersthinkyou'samongtheelect!"saidoneoftheby-standers."Youwouldn'tbesocrankaboutit,ifyoudidn't!Now,seehere:ifeverythingisdecreed,howamIgoingtohelpmyself?" "Thatarisnoneofmylook-out,"saidAbijah."Butthere'sapintmymindrestsupon—everythingisfixedasitcanbe,anditmakesamanmightyeasy." *********** Inanotherpartofthecamp-ground,BenDakinwassittinginhistentdoor,caressingoneofhisfavoritedogs,andpartakinghisnoontiderepastwithhiswifeandchild. "Ideclar',"saidBen,wipinghismouth,"wife,Iintendtogointoit,andsarvetheLord,now,fullchisel!IfIcatchthenextlotofniggers,Iintendtogivehalfthemoneytowardskeepinguppreachingsomewhereroundhere.I'mgoingtoenlist,now,andbeasoldier." "And,"saidhiswife,"Ben,justkeepclearofAbijahSkinflint'scounter,won'tyou?" "Well,Iwill,durnedifIwon't!"saidBen."I'llbemoderate.Afellowwantsaglassortwo,tostrikeupthehymnon,youknowbutI'llbemoderate." TheGeorgiatrader,whohadencampedintheneighborhood,nowcameup. "Doyoubelieve,stranger,"saidhe,"oneofthemdurnedniggersofminebrokelooseandgotintheswamps,whileIwasatmeetingthismorning!Couldn'tyoutakeyourdog,here,andgive'emarun?Ijustgaveninehundreddollarsforthatfellow,cashdown." "Ho!whatyougoingtohimfor?"saidJimStokes,ashort,pursy,vulgar-lookingindividual,dressedinahunting-shirtofblueKentuckyjean,whojustthencameup."Why,durnye,hisdogsan'tnobreed'tall!Mine'sthetruegrit,Icantellyouthey'sthetrueFloridablood-hounds!I'sseenoneofthemardogsshakeaniggerinhismouthlikehe'dbeenasponge." PoorBen'snew-foundreligioncouldnotwithstandthissuddenattackofhisspiritualenemyand,rousinghimself,notwithstandingtheappealingglancesofhiswife,hestrippeduphissleeves,and,squaringoff,challengedhisrivaltoafight. Acrowdgatheredround,laughingandbetting,andcheeringonthecombatantswithslangoathsandexpressions,suchaswewillnotrepeat,whentheconcoursewasroutedbytheapproachoffatherBonnieontheoutsideofthering. "Lookhere,boys,whatworksofthedevilhaveyougotroundhere?Noneofthisonthecamp-ground!ThisistheLord'sground,heresoshutupyourswearing,anddon'tfight." AconfusedmurmurofvoicesnowbegantoexplaintofatherBonniethecauseofthetrouble. "Ho,ho!"saidhe,"lettheniggerrunyoucancatchhimfastenoughwhenthemeetingsareover.Youcomehereto'tendtoyoursalvation.Ah,don'tyoubeswearingandblusteringround!Come,boys,joininahymnwithme."Sosaying,hestruckupawell-knownair:— "WhenIsraelwenttoJericho, OgoodLord,inmysoul!" inwhichoneafteranotherjoined,andtherisingtumultwassoonassuaged. "Isay,"saidfatherBonnietothetrader,inanundertone,ashewaswalkingaway,"yougotagoodcookinyourlot,hey?" "Gotaprimeone,"saidthetrader"anAnumberonecook,andnomistake!Pickedheruprealcheap,andI'llletyouhaveherforeighthundreddollars,beingasyouareaminister." "YoumustthinktheGospelabettertradethanitis,"saidfatherBonnie,"ifyouthinkaministercanaffordtopayatthatfigure!" "Why,"saidthetrader,"youhaven'tseenherit'sdirtcheapforher,Icantellyou!Asound,strong,heartywomanaprudent,carefulhousekeeperarealpiousMethodist,amemberofaclass-meeting!Why,eighthundreddollarsan'tanything!IoughttogetathousandforherbutIdon'thearpreachingfornothing,—alwaysthinkrighttomakeadiscounttoministers!" "Whycouldn'tyoubringherin?"saidfatherBonnie."MaybeI'llgiveyousevenhundredandfiftyforher." "Couldn'tdothat,noway!"saidthetrader."Couldn't,indeed!" "Well,afterthemeetingsareoverI'lltalkaboutit." "She'sgotachild,fouryearsold,"saidthetrader,withalittlecough"healthy,likelychildIsupposeIshallwantahundreddollarsforhim!" "Oh,thatwon'tdo!"saidfatherBonnie."Idon'twantanymorechildrenroundmyplacethanI'vegotnow!" "But,Itellyou,"saidthetrader,"it'salikelyboy.Why,thekeepingofhimwon'tcostyouanything,andbeforeyouthinkofityou'llhaveathousand-dollarhandgrownonyourownplace." "Well,"saidfatherBonnie,"I'llthinkofit!" Intheeveningthesceneonthecamp-groundwasstillmorepicturesqueandimpressive.Thosewhoconductcamp-meetingsaregenerallymenwho,withoutmuchreasoninguponthesubject,fallintoasortoftact,ininfluencingmassesofmind,andpressingintotheserviceallthegreatlifeforcesandinfluencesofnature.Akindofrudepoetrypervadestheirminds,colorstheirdialect,andinfluencestheirarrangements.Thesolemnandharmoniousgrandeurofnight,withallitsmysteriouspowerofexaltingthepassionsandintensifyingtheemotions,haseverbeenappreciated,andusedbythemwithevenpoeticskill.ThedayhadbeenagloriousoneinJunetheskyofthatfirm,clearblue,theatmosphereofthatcrystallineclearness,whichoftengivestotheAmericanlandscapesuchasharply-definedoutline,andtothehumansystemsuchanintenseconsciousnessoflife.Theeveningsunwentdowninabroadseaoflight,andevenafterithadsunkbelowthepurplehorizon,flashedbackafloodoftremulousrose-coloredradiance,which,takenupbyathousandfilmyclouds,madethewholeskyabovelikeaglowingtentofthemostetherealbrightness.Theshadowsoftheforestaisleswerepiercedbytherose-coloredraysand,astheygraduallyfaded,starafterstartwinkledout,andabroadmoon,ampleandround,roseinthepurplezoneofthesky.Whenshehadrisenabovethehorizonbutashortspace,herlightwassoresplendentandsoprofuse,thatitwasdecidedtoconducttheeveningservicebythataloneandwhen,atthesoundofthehymn,theassemblypouredinandarrangedthemselvesbeforethepreaching-stand,itisprobablethattherudestheartpresentwassomewhatimpressedwiththesilentmagnificencebywhichGodwasspeakingtothemthroughhisworks.Asthehymnclosed,fatherBonnie,advancingtothefrontofthestage,liftedhishands,andpointingtothepurplesky,andinadeepandnotunmelodiousvoice,repeatedthewordsofthePsalmist:— "TheheavensdeclarethegloryofGod,andthefirmamentshowethhishandy-workdayuntodayutterethspeech,andnightuntonightshowethknowledge." "Oh,yesinners!"heexclaimed,"lookupatthemoon,there,walkinginherbrightness,andthinkoveryouroaths,andyourcursings,andyourdrinkings!Thinkoveryourbackbitings,andyourcheatings!thinkoveryourquarrellingsandyourfightings!Howdotheylooktoyounow,withthatblessedmoonshiningdownuponyou?Don'tyouseethebeautyofourLordGoduponher?Don'tyouseehowthesaintswalkinwhitewiththeLord,likeher?Idaresaysomeofyou,now,havehadapiousmother,orapiouswife,orapioussister,that'sgonetogloryandtheretheyarewalkingwiththeLord!—walkingwiththeLord,throughthesky,andlookingdownonyou,sinners,justasthatmoonlooksdown!Andwhatdoessheseeyoudoing,yourwife,oryourmother,orsister,that'singlory?Doessheseeallyourswearings,andyourdrinkings,andyourfightings,andyourhankeringsaftermoney,andyourhorse-racings,andyourcock-fightings?Oh,sinners,butyouareabadset!ItellyoutheLordislookingnowdownonyou,outofthatmoon!Heislookingdowninmercy!But,Itellyou,he'lllookdownquiteanotherway,oneofthesedays!Oh,there'llbeatimeofwrath,byandby,ifyoudon'trepent!Oh,whatatimetherewasatSinai,yearsago,whenthevoiceofthetrumpetwaxedlouderandlouder,andthemountainwasallofasmoke,andtherewerethunderingsandlightnings,andtheLorddescendedonSinai!That'snothingtowhatyou'llsee,byandby!Nomoremoonlookingdownonyou!Nomorestars,buttheheavensshallpassawaywithagreatnoise