T H E G A LLE ON
the author went to a negro bap-
tism. The candidates' :for ap-
tism met by . appoi tment at a
house some distance ;away and
when the crowd had gathered
at the pond, they came in sol-
emn file, robed in .white. men
and women' alike. The preacher
stood in the water with a half
dozen men by him. The folk-
lorist was curious to know
their office, but she soon learn-
.ed. As a candidate was: led into
the water, the preacher -lifted
his voice in passionate exhorta-
tion, which swept his audience
into a fever of response. Shouts
and groans came upprand snatch-
es of weird :song:
"I'm gwin down to Jordan-Hal-
lelu!
I'm gwin down to --Jordan--
Hallelu !
Wid de elders in de lead.
'1'1m so glad I got my religion
in time."
"You said somp'en now, bro-
ther."
"Praise de. Lawd."
She was told that the preach-
ers charge a dollar a head for
baptising--money in advance--
but she said he earned his fees.
Among these folk-songs are
many ballads that are familiar
to us, and we' have no idea
where they came from such as,:
"Hangman,; Slack On The Line,"
"Lady Isabell and the Elf
Knight," "Frog Went A Court-
in,"
"Mister Frog went a courtin'
He did ride, ur hum,
"Mister Frog went a courtin'
He did ride,
A sword and pistol by his side,
uh hum, etc."
In the Scarborough collection
there is one. version of a song
widely current :in the South,
.varying. some-what different lo-
calities, is concerned with a
'"Yaller gal" that some body's
"ole mas'r" had.
"Ole Mars'r had a yallar gal,
He brought her from the
South;
Her, hair is curled so very
tight
She couldn't shut her mouth.
This is one ballard that only
the first stanza can be found,
but it is very clever,
"Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
Killed old Lead and home he
run.
Old Lead was eat, and John was
beat,
And Mary ran bawling down
the street."
There are the dance songs or
"Reels" that have much vitality,
but when the negro is under
strong religious influence, he
won't sing them, for he believes
dancing a sin. When the author
would beg for the dance songs,
heads would wag reproachfully
at her, and they would say,
"Dem is devil songs, Mistis, in'
I doan hold with such."
There are some of the f -~
dances so sime that they cw
be danced without the aid of in-
struments. All that was needed
was some one to "pat and sing,"
to mark the rhythmic time--
"As I come 'long de , new cut
road,
Met Mister Tarrapin and
Mister Toad.
De Toad begin to pat an' sing,
While Terrapin cut de pigeon
Wing."
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