EDWARDS, Miss - abt 1900 - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

STORY OF HER CONVERSION AS TOLD AT KINGMAN ~~ about 1900

The following interesting article from the pen of the only DeVerter we take from The Rockville Republican. As I entered the church at Kingman, a stranger in a strange land, Miss Edwards had just finished reading the morning lesson. With as much grit as Abraham had when he led Isaac to the sacrifice, I made my way up the narrow aisle to within a few feet of the altar. By the time I was seated Rev. Mr. Wood was leading in an old time congregational song. This gave me a breathing spell and a moment to study the congregation in facial expression as well as in dress, and while I was at this Sister Kizie caught my eye and shook her head at me as much as to say, “Thee is in the camp of the Israelites now, De., and thee must bring a good offering in thy report to The Republican, or we will cast thee out of the gates of the city.” Looking over the audience of 250 people it was remarkable how many aged persons were there, only here and there could I see a bright young face. These were mostly girls verging into womanhood. The congregation was in fact made up largely of such aged persons as Miles Ratcliff, Dr. McKey, Levi Woody, Geo Lindley, Sylvester Bowsher and ex-Commissioner Ratcliff. Another strange feature of the congregation was that I did not detect a real ostrich plume on the hats of any of the ladies, and with the common but clean dress of all I made up my mind that it was a plain worshiping in a plain church at the feet of the lowly Nazarene. I write from memory the recital of Miss Edwards first experience, telling the story in my own way, and in not using her expressions or language it will not read as touching and sympathetic as she tells it. Weeping as if the great deep of her heart was broken up she came forward to the front of the altar and commenced the child-like story of four years of her life. She was then 6 years old, or at the age when Christ says, “Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven.” At this age we find her attending a mission church in the city of Louisville where she became convicted of sin and along with her sister, a few years older; and with the consent of her mother, who was and is still an excellent Christian woman, she commenced the great battle with sin and with child-like energy entered the fray with all the zeal of her little soul, and while mother pulls her towards …….. – jlr