The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A. Nation [32]
told him the condition of this poor man; told
him to pass him to San Antonio. I had just three dollars, this I gave to
him. Oh, the gratitude in the face of this poor man. He raised his
hands and asked "Christ, and his mother, the holy martyrs, and the angels
to bless me."
In a few days I heard of a priest from Cleveland, Ohio, who through
gambling and drinking, had spent thirty thousand dollars of the church's
money and he was sent adrift. The name of this priest was John Kelly
and on our hotel register the name of this priest was written "John Kelly."
CHAPTER VI.
WHY MY NAME IS NOT ON A CHURCH BOOK, AND WHY THE MINISTERS WITHDREW
FROM ME.--CLOSING THE DIVES OF MEDICINE LODGE.--CORA BENNETT,
AND WHY SHE KILLED BILLY MORRIS IN A DIVE IN KIOWA.--HER
RESURRECTION.--RAIDING A JOINT DRUGSTORE.
I soon saw that I was not popular with the church at Medicine
Lodge. I testified to having received the "baptism of the Holy Ghost," and
the minister, Mr. Nicholson, took occasion to say that I was not sound
in the faith. This church at this time had a board of deacons and elders,
who I knew to be unworthy, some of them addicted to intoxicating drinks
and other flagrant sins. There was one man whose sincerity I never questioned,
Mr. Smith, who had a good report from those in and out of the
church.
Mr. Nicholson, the preacher, used to go to a drugstore kept by a noted
jointist and infidel. He would sit with him in front of his drugstore. I
would rebuke him for "sitting in the seat of the scornful and in the way of
sinners."
Whenever I went visiting, I went where I felt I could do some
good for Jesus, and at Thanksgiving and Christmas I invited the poor,
crippled and blind, to a feast at my house as Jesus said to never invite
those who were able to make a feast.
There was a Mrs. Tucker, who was quite young and married to an
old man. She worked hard, washing, to care for her five children. I
would take her to church and it was not long before she joined. There
was rejoicing in Heaven, but none in the church at Medicine Lodge.
For two years she attended church, and not an officer or member ever
called to see her. I would visit her, and often take her clothes for
her children, also read the Bible, and prayed with her. I did not wish
her to notice the lack of all Christian fellowship, but she saw the
cool way in which she was treated and she stopped going to church. A
false report of treachery was told to this minister by her unfeeling, jealous
husband, and without going to see this poor woman, it was decided to take
her name from the church book,
One Lord's Day morning, before Mr. Nicholson commenced his sermon,
he said: "It is the painful duty of the church to withdraw fellowship from
Sister Tucker, "who had been living in open adultery." I was sitting in
front, and I rose to my feet.
Mr. Nicholson said: "You sit down, the elders will attend to this."
I said: "No, the elders will not, but I will. What you have said is
not true about this woman. She has been a member of the church for two
years, and neither you nor the elders or any member of this church but
myself have been in her home. I do for that woman what I would want
some one to do for me, under the same circumstances. These elders never
reclaim the erring or pray with the dying, but this poor little lamb has
come in for shelter, and they are pulling the fleece off of her."
All this time Mr. Nicholson was telling me in angry tones to "sit
down". He then called on the elders to take me out, came down from the
pulpit, took me by the arm intending to put me out himself, but he could
not move me. I turned to the audience, told them what the preacher said
could not be proven. The Normal was in session and there were many
strangers present. I sat down as calmly as if nothing had happened out of
the usual, and waited until the close.
Mr. Nicholson came to me after service and said: "We will settle
your case."
I said: "Do your worst and do your best."
That afternoon the elders met in the church,
him to pass him to San Antonio. I had just three dollars, this I gave to
him. Oh, the gratitude in the face of this poor man. He raised his
hands and asked "Christ, and his mother, the holy martyrs, and the angels
to bless me."
In a few days I heard of a priest from Cleveland, Ohio, who through
gambling and drinking, had spent thirty thousand dollars of the church's
money and he was sent adrift. The name of this priest was John Kelly
and on our hotel register the name of this priest was written "John Kelly."
CHAPTER VI.
WHY MY NAME IS NOT ON A CHURCH BOOK, AND WHY THE MINISTERS WITHDREW
FROM ME.--CLOSING THE DIVES OF MEDICINE LODGE.--CORA BENNETT,
AND WHY SHE KILLED BILLY MORRIS IN A DIVE IN KIOWA.--HER
RESURRECTION.--RAIDING A JOINT DRUGSTORE.
I soon saw that I was not popular with the church at Medicine
Lodge. I testified to having received the "baptism of the Holy Ghost," and
the minister, Mr. Nicholson, took occasion to say that I was not sound
in the faith. This church at this time had a board of deacons and elders,
who I knew to be unworthy, some of them addicted to intoxicating drinks
and other flagrant sins. There was one man whose sincerity I never questioned,
Mr. Smith, who had a good report from those in and out of the
church.
Mr. Nicholson, the preacher, used to go to a drugstore kept by a noted
jointist and infidel. He would sit with him in front of his drugstore. I
would rebuke him for "sitting in the seat of the scornful and in the way of
sinners."
Whenever I went visiting, I went where I felt I could do some
good for Jesus, and at Thanksgiving and Christmas I invited the poor,
crippled and blind, to a feast at my house as Jesus said to never invite
those who were able to make a feast.
There was a Mrs. Tucker, who was quite young and married to an
old man. She worked hard, washing, to care for her five children. I
would take her to church and it was not long before she joined. There
was rejoicing in Heaven, but none in the church at Medicine Lodge.
For two years she attended church, and not an officer or member ever
called to see her. I would visit her, and often take her clothes for
her children, also read the Bible, and prayed with her. I did not wish
her to notice the lack of all Christian fellowship, but she saw the
cool way in which she was treated and she stopped going to church. A
false report of treachery was told to this minister by her unfeeling, jealous
husband, and without going to see this poor woman, it was decided to take
her name from the church book,
One Lord's Day morning, before Mr. Nicholson commenced his sermon,
he said: "It is the painful duty of the church to withdraw fellowship from
Sister Tucker, "who had been living in open adultery." I was sitting in
front, and I rose to my feet.
Mr. Nicholson said: "You sit down, the elders will attend to this."
I said: "No, the elders will not, but I will. What you have said is
not true about this woman. She has been a member of the church for two
years, and neither you nor the elders or any member of this church but
myself have been in her home. I do for that woman what I would want
some one to do for me, under the same circumstances. These elders never
reclaim the erring or pray with the dying, but this poor little lamb has
come in for shelter, and they are pulling the fleece off of her."
All this time Mr. Nicholson was telling me in angry tones to "sit
down". He then called on the elders to take me out, came down from the
pulpit, took me by the arm intending to put me out himself, but he could
not move me. I turned to the audience, told them what the preacher said
could not be proven. The Normal was in session and there were many
strangers present. I sat down as calmly as if nothing had happened out of
the usual, and waited until the close.
Mr. Nicholson came to me after service and said: "We will settle
your case."
I said: "Do your worst and do your best."
That afternoon the elders met in the church,