In South Carolina. 407 



blacks to hear him. Among others, and who were the 

 first-fruits, were my old friends, Mr. and Mrs. Lums- 

 den, Mrs. Bowen (for many years preceptress of the 

 Female Academy), Mrs. Malsby, and, I think, Mr. and 

 Mrs. Blake. From these the gracious influence spread 

 to others, and a meeting-house was built. It was a 

 frame of wood, weatherboarded only on the outside, 

 without plastering, about fifty feet long by thirty feet 

 wide. Seats, distinctly separated, were at first ap- 

 propriated to the whites, near the pulpit. But Evans 

 had already become famous, and these seats were in- 

 sufficient. Indeed, the negroes seemed likely to lose 

 their preacher, negro though he was, while the whites, 

 crowded out of their appropriate seats, took possession 

 of those in the rear. Meanwhile Evans had repre- 

 sented to the preacher of Bladen Circuit how things 

 were going, and induced him to take his meeting-house 

 into the circuit, and constitute a Church there. And 

 now, there was no longer room for the negroes in the 

 house when Evans preached, and for the accommoda- 

 tion of both classes the weatherboards were knocked 

 off and sheds were added to the house on either side, 

 the whites occupying the whole of the original build- 

 ing, and the negroes those sheds as a part of the same 

 house. Evans's dwelling was a shed at the pnlpit end 

 of the church. And that was the identical state of the 

 case when I was pastor. Often was I in that shed, 

 and much to my edification. I have known not many 

 preachers who appeared more conversant with Script- 

 ure than Evans, or whose conversation w r as more in- 

 structive as to things of God. He seemed always 

 deeply impressed with the responsibility of his posi- 

 tion, and not even our old friend Castile was more re- 

 markable for his humble and deferential deportment 



