It seems that a love for the ministry1, was inherent in the Carr family, and it is also a noticeable fact, that few, if any of them, have departed from the Baptist faith; beginning with Uncle Horace, and descending2 to his two sons, Altheus and William, on down to his grandson, Rev3. Thomas Carr, of Kansas, son of the late Calvin Carr, of Cheatham county.
Altheus, the fourth son of Uncle Horace, and Aunt Kitty, was born near Port Royal, Tenn., in the early 50’s. He was obedient to his parents from his early childhood.
While a day laborer4 on the farms around Port Royal, he manifested a thirst for knowledge, and while his plow5 team rested their noon hours rest, he was not idle. He could be seen lying around[40] under the shade trees, either with a book in his hand or a pencil and paper.
By saving his wages, and receiving financial aid from friends, he was enabled to take a theological course at Fisk’s University, Nashville, Tenn.
He was a negro of commanding appearance, and polite address, and after the death of his father, September, 1877, he was pastor6 of Mount Zion Church continuously for nine years. In his early twenties he was married to Miss Lou Gaines, daughter of Aunt Eliza Gaines, of whom I shall speak later.
After his marriage, he purchased five acres of land adjoining the Mount Zion lot, on which he built a comfortable three room cottage. It was here that he and his thrifty7 wife raised a large and interesting family of seven daughters, all of whom died young.
In his cottage he had his private study, in which he prepared some very able sermons, and after he thought he had his subjects well in hand, he often went to a valley near his home, on Sulphur Fork Creek8, and delivered them, with the fine old elms and sycamores his silent listeners.
His funeral orations9 were hard to beat, several of which I had the pleasure of hearing. The first being that of William Northington, the trusted[41] foreman for years on Miss Ellen Yates’ farm. William was highly esteemed10 as a colored citizen of the community, and Miss Ellen sent out for her white friends to attend his funeral. They occupied seats on the back porch, while the colored congregation sat under the shade of the tall locust11 trees, and listened with rapt attention. After taking his text, and making a few appropriate introductory remarks, he quoted effectively from Longfellow’s Psalm12 of Life:
Funeral marches to the grave.”
William and Jack16 Northington were brothers, owned by Mr. Henry Northington, one of the pioneer settlers of Middle Tennessee.
Mr. Northington was a large slave owner, and not needing William and Jack on his farm, he kept them hired out.
After they were freed, they said, “We will go back to the old home, and help take care of Mars Henry the remainder of his days,” and they did. Mr. Northington died June, 1877, but they still stayed on the old plantation17, working as long as they lived for Miss Ellen Yates, Mr. Northington’s adopted niece.
[42]Two summers later, August, 1883, I heard him preach the funeral of Aunt Lucy Parks Northington. For several years before her death, Aunt Lucy had cooked for Mrs. Lawson Fort. She had been a faithful servant in the Dancy, Parks, and Fort families all her life, originally belonging to William E. Dancy, of Florence, Ala.
She was beloved by her white people, who tenderly cared for her during the last two years of her life, in which she was unable to work. And when the last sad rites18 were to be paid her remains19, her casket was placed on the front gallery of the pretty Fort home; white friends sat in the parlor20 and sitting room; the colored congregation occupied seats leading from the steps to the front gate. As Rev. Altheus Carr stood at the head of the casket, and ’neath the shadows of the imposing21 columns of that old colonial home, it was a scene to touch the tenderest chord of a Southern heart. On the casket was a wreath of spider lillies, that grew in a valley near the cabin home of the deceased, when she lived at the old Parks homestead near Port Royal. Every summer, for years, she had admired that lily bed at blooming time, and the writer remembered it.
He took for his text, “Well done good and faithful servant,” etc., and started out by saying: “The nearness of this casket to the mansion22 door,[43] and the pure white lillies that shed their fragrance23 over the heart that is forever still, attest24 the truth of my text. Yes my hearers, this means something. It speaks appreciation25 of a life, whose ending deserves more than a passing notice.
“Sister Lucy Parks Northington was sixty-one years of age, and forty-one years of this long span of life were spent in the Master’s vineyard.
“She was a quiet worker, caring not for the praise of the world, but striving always to perform duties pleasing to the eye of Him who seeth in secret places.
“Too well I know, that my feeble words can do but scant26 justice to the life of such a departed sister, but I feel like we should hold high the light of such lives, that others may follow their brightness.
“My mother was often with Sister Lucy during her last days; they sang and prayed together, and she left every evidence that she was ready for the kingdom.
“Her last night on earth, she said to the friends keeping watch, ‘Sing to me, sing the good old songs of Zion.’ No doubt, but she, like the saints of old, wanted music to charm her last on earth, and greet her first in heaven.
“We shall miss her at the church she loved so well, but she has left her light on its altars, and[44] if we would see her again, let us find her footprints, and follow them. They have not been blotted27 out. We will find them leading from her doorway28 to those of affliction, to the church door, or wherever her gentle spirit was needed.
“This quiet Summer’s evening we will lay her tired body to rest on the hillside overlooking Red River; time for her is no more, but a home not made with hands, is hers to enjoy, though an endless Eternity29.”
The service was concluded with a song and prayer, after which the orderly funeral procession passed up the lane, and on down to the colored graveyard30, where so many of the Fort colored people have been laid to rest.
There was a certain dignity and refinement31 about Rev. Altheus Carr that was noticeable, and which he manifested on occasions when white people attended his services.
As for instance, at the large baptizings which followed his successful revivals32, when the good singing was especially inspiring, several emotional members of his church were in the habit of shouting, and at times, they were noisy in their demonstrations33. When he realized that they had reached a limit, he usually in an undertone, spoke34 some kind word of admonition.
Often they understood a gesture from him, and[45] all would be quiet. He wielded35 a subtle influence over his people that was remarkable36.
It is a fact worthy37 of mention, that only one member was publicly known to rebel at the new rules set up in Mount Zion church after he became its pastor.
His father, during his nine years charge of the church, had accepted for his services only what the members saw fit to pay him. His idea being that God did not intend for a price to be set on the preaching of the Gospel.
Neither did he advocate, or allow, church suppers as a means of raising funds for religious purposes.
But the world moves, and church conditions forced his successors to adopt new methods.
Altheus being the first to follow his father, was forced to have systematic38 means of raising church money, by assessing the members according to their supposed financial ability. Uncle Arter Northington, a reasonably prosperous colored tenant39 living on Mr. Felix Northington’s premises40, was assessed $2.00.
He thought it was too much, and appealed to his employer, in whose sense of right and justice he had great confidence. The latter told him he thought fifty cents would be enough.
When the contribution box was handed round[46] on the next collection day, Uncle Arter dropped in his fifty cents. After preaching was over, Rev. Carr approached him privately41, and quoted appropriately from Paul regarding certain religious obligations.
Uncle Arter was very black, very positive, and talked through his nose. Straightening himself up, he spoke defiantly42, and said: “Brer Carr, I keers nothin’ ’tall ’bout what Paul said. Mars Felix is smart enough for ME ter go by, an he says fifty cents is plenty fer me ter pay, an that’s all I’m gwine ter pay.”
The incident was related at the village store, and in a spirit of amusement some one exclaimed, “Hurrah for Paul!” and from that time on, till his death, twenty-five or thirty years afterwards, Uncle Arter was known far and wide as “Paul.”
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1
ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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rev
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| v.发动机旋转，加快速度 | |
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4
laborer
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| n.劳动者，劳工 | |
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plow
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| n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough | |
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pastor
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| n.牧师，牧人 | |
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thrifty
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| adj.节俭的；兴旺的；健壮的 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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9
orations
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| n.（正式仪式中的）演说，演讲( oration的名词复数 ) | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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locust
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| n.蝗虫；洋槐，刺槐 | |
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psalm
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| n.赞美诗，圣诗 | |
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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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15
muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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16
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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17
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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18
rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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19
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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20
parlor
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| n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅 | |
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imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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mansion
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| n.大厦，大楼；宅第 | |
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fragrance
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| n.芬芳，香味，香气 | |
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attest
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| vt.证明，证实；表明 | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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blotted
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| 涂污( blot的过去式和过去分词 )； （用吸墨纸）吸干 | |
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doorway
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| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
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29
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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graveyard
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| n.坟场 | |
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refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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32
revivals
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| n.复活( revival的名词复数 )；再生；复兴；（老戏多年后）重新上演 | |
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33
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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34
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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wielded
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| 手持着使用（武器、工具等）( wield的过去式和过去分词 )； 具有； 运用（权力）； 施加（影响） | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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systematic
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| adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的 | |
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39
tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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40
premises
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| n.建筑物，房屋 | |
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41
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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42
defiantly
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| adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地 | |
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