for us; and Mrs. W. H. thought merely of making all comfortable for me, taking all the inconvenience to herself. I could not get any rest in the tent, and therefore wished, at least, yet once more, to take a look at the camp before I lay down for the night.
It was now past midnight; the weather had cleared and
the air was so delicious, and the spectacle so beautiful, that
I was compelled to return to the tent to tell Mrs. Rowland,
who at once resolved to come out with me. The altar-fires
now burned low and the smoke hung within the wood.
The transparently bright and blue heaven stretched above
the camp. The moon rose above the wood, and the
planet Jupiter stood brilliantly shining just over the
tabernacle. The singing of hymns still ascended, though
much lower; still the class-leaders exhorted; still the
young girl slept her mysterious sleep; still the women
watched and waited and fanned her, in their attire of
mourning. Some oppressed souls still lay bowed upon
the counter and still were the preachers giving
consolation either by word or song. By degrees, the people
assembled in the tabernacle dispersed, scattered themselveds
through the woods, or withdrew to their tents.
Even the young sleeping girl awoke and was led by
her friends away from the assembly. Mr. R. had
now joined us, and accompanied by him we went the
round of the camp, especially on the black side. And
here all the tents were still full of religious exaltation,
each separate tent presenting some new phasis. We
saw in one, a zealous convert, male or female, as it
might be, who with violent gesticulations gave vent to
his or her newly-awakened feelings, surrounded by devout
auditors; in another, we saw a whole crowd of black
people on their knees, all dressed in white, striking
themselves on the breast and crying out and talking with
the greatest pathos; in a third, women were dancing
“the holy dance” for one of the newly-converted. This
