THE COUNTRY.


strange and horrible smile stiffens upon poor
dull features, and in a trance the soul forgets.
A woman in this ecstasy flings her arms into
the air with terrible shrieks, and the preacher
stops his chanting prayer long enough to say,
"She's happy- our sister's happy. Dere's
souls hangin' over hell to-night, in dis yere
very room, looking' at her maybe,- I wish 't dey
was as happy as she is! "
 Through-such preparatory excitement such
a preacher leads his people until the moment
comes for the celebration of a peculiar rite
which in this especial sect accompanies the
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, the washing
of each other's feet. "De command of our
pore Jesus," the preacher explains; and he
then washes the feet of his elders, and they in
turn those of the congregation, now thrilling
and vibrating with the contagion of what seems
insanity; all the while there is singing and wail-
ing and broken shouts of prayer and exhorta-
tion. A woman, with sobs, breaks into shock-
ing words, which however contain the Christian
idea, -