Tambourines to Glory by Langston Hughes Read Free Book Online Page B

rivers of life to flow—and I have found my determination. Help me! Help me! Brothers and sisters, help me.”
    Whereupon, Laura came forward with a singing cry, took the convert’s hand, and appealed to the congregation on Crow-For-Day’s behalf:
    “When you see some sinner
Leave iniquity’s dark den
And turn his feet toward Canaan,
Friends, help him to begin.
Christians, take his hand,
Show him God’s his friend,
Just lead him on
And say Amen!”
    The building began to rock to the song. Shaking hands and dancing feet laced the rhythm into a net of ecstasy while the piano bassed its chords of confirmation.
    “Let the church say Amen!
Let the church say Amen!
When a sinner comes to Jesus
Let the church say Amen!”

13
LIKKER AND LOOT
    “I got two thousand dollars in that spice jar in the cupboard,” said Essie, “so I think we better take it to the bank.”
    “I think so, too,” said Laura, “to the colored bank.”
    “To the Carver,” said Essie.
    “Yes, because that’s too much loot to keep in the house any more. Who’d’ve ever thought this time last year, you and me would be banking money?”
    “You have shook your tambourine to blessings,” said Essie.
    “I’m gonna shake it to a mink coat by Christmas,” declared Laura, inspecting an unopened bottle of Scotch.
    “I’m gonna shake mine to glory,” said Essie.
    “You are doing right well shaking since you bought your ownself a tambourine, too. But I’m still the champion shaker—and collection taker.”
    “You do all right, Laura, and you deserves to buy a nice Christmas present for yourself. I wonder will I have my daughter with me by then?”
    “You said you wanted to wait till we got an apartment, didn’t you? A nice place to bring her to, not this old rundown joint. Essie, suppose we take this two thousand dollars and move, instead of putting it in the bank?”
    “No, Laura. The church needs a nest egg. This is it. We put this away. Then maybe we start doing a little something for ourselves.”
    “O. K., as you say. I’m happy—I got my man to keep me warm.”
    “Looks like you could choose a new man out of the church.”
    “This one is just temporary, honey.”
    “Must be, ‘cause I ain’t even met him.”
    “He comes in early and goes out late,” said Laura. “Lemme get on down the hall and see is he there yet.”
    “You gave him a key?”
    “Sure—which is why I told you to keep our money in
your
room. You know I’m generous with my keys. Why, that key-man around the corner has made me so many keys to my door he must know its shape by heart.”
    “Ain’t you scared someone of them mens will open your door some night and catch you with somebody else?”
    “Don’t worry, Essie, I got a night latch inside, also a bolt. Besides, when I put a man down, they usually don’t fool around no more, key or no key, especially now—since they think I can putthe curse of God on their sinful souls, me being a lady minister. Negroes don’t play around with the church much. They take it serious.”
    “I wish you’d take it serious yourself,” said Essie.
    “As if I don’t,” exclaimed Laura. “But you won’t catch me lending no money to nobody in the church, like you did Sister Birdie Lee last week. Facts is, I don’t think you ought to start it.”
    “Birdie Lee paid me back.”
    “You’re lucky. I expect she borrowed it to buy herself a tambourine.”
    “No, she didn’t. She borrowed it to get a tooth pulled.”
    “Birdie’s trying to tambourine herself up on the rostrum with us,” said Laura, “setting in the front row playing like mad.”
    “She sure can shake it,” confirmed Essie. “She tells me she can play drums, too. When we get our orchestra we planning, let’s give her a chance.”
    “Essie, do you want to help every stray we pick up—and put them in the forefront, too? Let Birdie Lee set down there in the congregation where she belongs. Dried up and ugly as Birdie is, nobody wants to look at