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A Cakewalk
“A Singular Religious Festival,” The Religio-Philosophical Journal (Chicago), February 27, 1875.
A peculiar festival, known among the colored people as a “cake walk,” took place in the colored Baptist church, of Yonkers, N. J., lately. A reporter of the New York Herald describes the performers in the following graphic style.
The walk began at midnight. The Master of ceremonies came forward and said, “Gen’lmen and ladies, de time is amost ready for de grand demonstration to begin. You knows as well as I do dat de whole world will be proud to know who is de ladies and gen’lmen dat on dis occasion makes de best display of noble and dignified bearin’, together wid gracefulness and beauty of carriage. Carriage, ladies and gen’lmen, according to the renowned Webster, means de manner of de walk. It might mean a four-wheeled vehicle, but it don’t. When you have the carriage dat Webster means, you have more dan eider a four or a five-wheeled vehicle. God told Adam to walk on his feet, and not go mousin’ roun’ froo de hills and dells of Eden. Adam took de advice and walked like a man. And how did Adam walk? Now, ladies and gen’lmen, how did Adam walk? Dat’s de queshun. Dar is no confidential obligation on you to walk in de footsteps of Adam. He made a fool of hisself about dat apple, but he could walk. His bearin’ was noble and dignified. Miltown says he walked in beauty like de night of starry climes and cloudless skies. Now, gen’lmen and ladies, begin to git ready. De ladies will please take de gen’lmen, and de gen’lmen de ladies, with all due respect for one and de oder.”
When the ladies and gentleman had made the circuit of the room about two score times, the Judge Advocate, as the principal judge called himself, cried out—“Let de first couple decease from walkin’!” Then there was a pause while the judge put on his glasses and looked more closely at the performance. “Let de rare couple decease their perambulations!” The orders were meekly obeyed, until finally only two couples were left upon the floor. At this juncture a close consultation of wooly heads was held, and after considerable flourish, the Judge Advocate declared in favor of Miss Jaycox. In the following words he surrendered her the cake:—“Let dis cake remind you of the great I Am. It is roun’; so is de world. It is mysterious; so is de works of Providence. De frost you observe on de top of dish yere cake conceals de sweetness dat cantaminates de inside. It is mysteeris in de conformation, and wedder it is stuffed full ob raisins or huckleberries, dis chile can’t say. Now, you young men wat’s a lookin’ dis way, bar in mine dis is sweetness to de sweet, and widout any offense to de rest of de ladies present, I would conclu’ by sayin’ she is de sweeterish gal in dish yere room.”
The above exercises are just as acceptable to God as the grab bags, lotteries, gossiping sewing circles and kissing games of the white Christians. The only difference, if any, God would smile when looking at the exercises of the colored people, but would look sad when gazing at those of the white Christians.
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