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高山上的呼喊-go tell it on the mountain-第4部分

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ting in the Intermediate; which was taught by Brother Elisha。
  When he was young; John had paid no attention in Sunday school; and always forgot thegolden text; which earned him the wrath of his father。 Around the time of his fourteenth birthday;with all the pressures of church and home uniting to drive him to the altar; he strove to appearmore serious and therefore less conspicuous。 But he was distracted by his new teacher; Elisha; whowas the pastor’s nephew and who had but lately arrived from Georgia。 He was not much older thanJohn; only seventeen; and he was already saved and was a preacher。 John stared at Elisha allduring the lesson; admiring the timbre of Elisha’s voice; much deeper and manlier than his own; admiring the leanness; and grace; and strength; and darkness of Elisha in his Sunday suit;wondering if he would ever be holy as Elisha was holy。 But he did not follow the lesson; andwhen; sometimes; Elisha paused to ask John a question; John was ashamed and confused; feelingthe palms of his hands bee wet and his heart pound like a hammer。 Elisha would smile andreprimand him gently; and the lesson would go on。
  Roy never knew his Sunday school lesson either; but it was different with Roy—no onereally expected of Roy what was expected of John。 Everyone was always praying that the Lordwould change Roy’s heart; but it was John who was expected to be good; to be a good example。
  When Sunday school service ended there was a short pause before morning service began。
  In this pause; if it was good weather; the old folks might step outside a moment to talk amongthemselves。 The sisters would almost always be dressed in white from crown to tow。 The smallchildren; on this day; in this place; and oppressed by their elders; tried hard to play withoutseeming to be disrespectful of God’s house。 But sometimes; nervous or perverse; they shouted; orthrew hymn…books; or began to cry; putting their parents; men or women of God; under thenecessity of proving—by harsh means or tender—who; in a sanctified household; ruled。 The olderchildren; like John or Roy; might wander down the avenue; but not too far。 Their father never letJohn and Roy out of his sight; for Roy had often disappeared between Sunday school and morningservice and has not e back all day。
  The Sunday morning service began when Brother Elisha sat down at the piano and raised asong。 This moment and this music had been with John; so it seemed; since he had first drawnbreath。 It seemed that there had never been a time when he had not known this moment of waitingwhile the packed church paused—the sisters in white; heads raised; the brothers in blue; headsback; the white caps of the women seeming to glow in the charged air like crowns; the kinky;gleaming heads of the men seeming to be lifted up—and the rustling and the whispering ceasedand the children eone coughed; or the sound of a car horn; or a curse fromthe streets came in; the Elisha hit the keys; beginning at once to sing; and everybody joined him;clapping their hands; and rising; and beating the tambourines。
  The song might be: Down at the cross where my Savior died!
  Or: Jesus; I’ll never forget how you set me free!
  Or: Lord; hold my hand while I run this race!
  They sang with all the strength that was in them; and clapped their hands for joy。 There hadnever been a time when John had not sat watching the saints rejoice with terror in his heart; andwonder。 Their singing caused him to believe in the presence of the Lord; indeed; it was no longer aquestion of belief; because they made that presence real。 He did not feel it himself; the joy theyfelt; yet he could not doubt that it was; for them; the very bread of life—could not doubt it; that is;until it was too late to doubt。 Something happened to their faces and their voices; the rhythm oftheir bodies; and to the air they breathed; it was as though wherever they might be became theupper room; and the Holy Ghost were riding on the air。 His father’s face; always awful; becamemore awful now; his father’s daily anger was transformed into prophetic wrath。 His mother; hereyes raised to heaven; hands arked before her; moving; made real for John that patience; thatendurance; that long suffering; which he had read of in the Bible and found so hard to imagine。
   On Sunday mornings the women all seemed patient; all the men seemed mighty。 WhileJohn watched; the Power struck someone; a man or woman; they cried out; a long; wordlesscrying; and; arms outstretched like wings; they began the Shout。 Someone moved a chair a little togive them room; the rhythm paused; the singing stopped; only the pounding feet and the clappinghands were heard; then another cry; another dancer; then the tambourines began again; and thevoices rose again; and the music swept on again; like fire; or flood; or judgment。 Then the churchseemed to swell with the Power it held; and; like a pla rocking in space; the temple rocked withthe Power of God。 John watched; watched the faces; and the weightless bodies; and listened to thetimeless cries。 One day; so everyone said; this Power would possess him; he would sing and cry asthey did now; and dance before his King。 He watched young Ella Mae Washington; the seventeen…year…old granddaughter of Praying Mother Washington; as she began to dance。 And then Elishadanced。
  At one moment; head thrown back; eyes closed; sweat standing on his brow; he sat at thepiano; singing and playing; and then; like a great black cat in trouble in the jungle; he stiffened andtrembled; and cried out。 Jesus; Jesus; oh Lord Jesus! He struck on the piano one last wild note; andthrew up his hands; palms upward; stretched wide apart。 The tambourines raced to fill the vacuumleft by his silent piano; and his cry drew answering cries。 Then he was on his feet; turning; blind;his face congested; contorted with this rage; and the muscles leaping ands swelling in his long;dark neck。 It seemed that he could not breathe; that his body could not contain this passion; that hewould be; before their eyes; dispersed into the waiting air。 His hand; rigid to the very fingertips;moved outward and back against his hips; his sightless eyes looked upward; and he began to dance。
  Then his hands close into fists; and his head snapped downward; his sweat loosening the greasethat slicked down his hair; and the rhythm of all the others quickened to match Elisha’s rhythm; histhighs moved terribly against the cloth of his suit; his heels beat on the floor; and his fists movedbeside his body as though he were beating his own drum。 And so; for a while; in the centre of thedancers; head down; fists beating; on; on; unbearably; until it seemed the walls of the church wouldfall for very sound; and then; in a moment; with a cry; head up; arms high in the air; sweat pouringfrom his forehead; and all his body dancing as though it would never stop。 Sometimes he did notstop until he fell—until he dropped like some animal felled by a hammer—moaning; on his face。
  And then a great moaning filled the church。
  There was sin among them。 One Sunday; when regular service was over; Father James haduncovered sin in the congregation of the righteous。 He had uncovered Elisha and Ella Mae。 Theyhad been ‘walking disorderly’; they were in danger of straying from the truth。 And as Father Jamesspoke of the sin that he knew they had not mitted yet; of the unripe fig plucked too early fromthe tree—to set the children’s teeth on edge—John felt himself grow dizzy in his seat and couldnot look at Elisha where he stood; beside Ella Mae; before the altar。 Elisha hung his head as FatherJames spoke; and the congregation murmured。 And Ella Mae was not so beautiful now as she waswhen she was singing and testifying; but looked like a sullen; ordinary girl。 Her full lips were looseand her eyes were black—with shame; or rage; or both。 Her grandmother; who had raised her; satwatching quietly; with folded hands。 She of the pillars of the church; a powerful evangelistandverywidelyknown。Shesaidnothi(was) ngin(one) Ella Mae’s defense; for she must have felt;as the congregation felt; that Father James was only exercising his clear and painful duty; he wasresponsible; after all; for Elisha; as Praying M
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