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said: 〃Thank God one white woman got ligen;〃 clapped his hands and
praised God。 It used to be and is now the sweetest music to have anyone
praise God。 I am at church often; when I long to hear a loud shout of
praise go up to the giver of every good and perfect gift。 It is torture to
attend the cold; dead service of most of the churches。
I was a teacher in the Methodist Sunday school and had given perfect
satisfaction up to this time; but things changed。 The minister said from
the pulpit that the teachers should be Methodists; and spoke so pointedly
that all knew he meant me。 The superintendent at the Episcopal Sunday
school asked me to teach in their Sunday school。 (This was Judge Williams;
the husband of Lola; Mr。 Nation's daughter。) I did so; and things
went smoothly for a while。
Father Denroach was the minister; and one morning he asked the
school questions out of the catechism。 My class could not answer。 I
arose and said: 〃Father Denroach; I do not teach my class the catechism;
I use only God's word。〃 〃What objection do you find to the
catechism?〃 he asked。 I replied: 〃I cannot teach the Bible and catechism;
for one contradicts the other。 The gospel is to be believed and
obeyed and a Christian is a follower of Christ。 The catechism in the
first lesson asks this question: What is your name? 'Bob; Tom or John。'
'When did you get that name?' 'In my baptism; when I was made a Christian。'
〃Baptism never did make a Christian。 Infants cannot be made Christians;
they cannot follow Christ; cannot believe or obey the Gospel。 Jesus
said: 'Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven! Now if I teach my class that
the state of being a Christian is something they get without the exercise of
their will; I contradict what I have been teaching。〃 The dear old man
walked up and down the aisle shaking his robes。 I said: 〃A house
divided against itself cannot stand。〃 You must have an Episcopalian
teacher to teach your doctrine。〃 So I was shut out from teaching in the
only two churches in Richmond。
I could not be satisfied。 I tried to get the Methodist church for a Mission
school in the afternoon; but failed。 I got plank for seats and after
dinner on Lord's Day I had my hotel dining…room seated and gathered all
the little ones I could。 These were largely children who went to no Sunday…
School。 I got five Catholic children to attend。 We had an attendance
of from thirty to forty。 We bought an organ; had our charts and
maps。 One poor saloon keeper named Frost came several times and always
gave a dollar。 He was killed in the fight between the Jaybirds and
Peckerwoods in Richmond。 This work was a blessing to my soul and I
have seen happy results from that little school。 I kept this up until I
left there for Kansas。 The last Sunday we all went to the graveyard to
study our lesson。 I wished by this to impress the little ones with the
purpose of the Gospel。
I have had visions and dreams that I know were sent to me by my
Heavenly Father to warn or comfort or instruct me。 I notice my dreams;
not all; but I can tell the significant ones; usually by the impression they
make on me。 The dream that comes to me just before waking up generally
means something to me。 To dream of snakes has always been a
bad omen to me。 When I first started out smashing; while in Wichita
jail; I dreamed of two enormous snakes; one on one side of a road; the
other on the other; one raised to strike me; the other made no move。 I
was impressed that the one that was the most venomous and in the attitude
of striking me with its fangs was the Republican party; and this
has been my deadly foe。
I will here relate a vision I had。 One cold night in March; 1889; I
heard a groan across the hall。 It was about three o'clock in the morning。
I found the sufferer to be an old gentleman who was having very severe
cramps; so I went down to the kitchen to make a mustard plaster。 The
hotel was a number of frame buildings; one having twenty…one rooms; and
about five or six cottages around the main building。 We carried no insurance;
and so many would say we had a 〃firetrap〃 there。 We had a mortgage
on the place; and I was kept in terror constantly for fear of fire; and
would often spring out of bed at night in my sleep; expecting to see a fire。
I lit a candle; went down stairs through several dark halls。 Then
I went upstairs again and gave the old man the plaster; afterwards returned
to the kitchen; thinking probably I left the candle burning。 Things
were all dark; but when I started up the stairs; there seemed to be
a light shining behind me; which would come and go in flashes; as I
ascended。 I looked everywhere to see where it came from; but discovered
it to be an; unnatural manifestation; for I could not see to step nor
move by it。 It followed me until I got to my room door。 It did not alarm
me。 I felt the sweet; peaceful presence of God; I prayed to him and I
could think of no reason for having this blessing from God; except that
I had gotten up in the cold to relieve this suffering man。 I stood by my
bed for a short time praying to God; and thanking him for his goodness to
me。 I thought Mr。 Nation was asleep; but he afterwards told me that he
heard me whispering。 I slept until late; and when I did go down to breakfast;
Mr。 Nation and Alex; my son…in…law; were at the table。 I told them
I had a warning last night; and if I had a Daniel or Joseph they could
interpret a vision I had。 The peculiar vision of the light was repeated to
them; but they paid very little attention to it; being very busy I thought
no more of it that day。
Just about three o'clock the next morning; I was awakened by the cry
of fire。 Charlien screamed from the next room: 〃Mamma; the town is on
fire。〃 I ran out and the whole heavens seemed to be on fire。 It had originated
in a drugstore and was sweeping towards the hotel。 I immediately
ran upstairs and began to pray。 I told God 〃There wasn't a dishonest dollar
so; far as I knew in the house; and that He told me 〃to call on Him in
a day of trouble;〃 and said; 〃this is my day of trouble; and begged He
would hear me。 Many of the guests passed by; some of them with baggage
in their hands and some still dressing。 I prayed until I seemed to get
an answer of security。 One lady; Mrs。 Moore; the wife of a physician;
who had boarded with me a long time; had a very elegant set of furniture;
and she called to me several times to take my things out of the hotel。 She
had two colored men moving her furniture I heard her say to several persons:
〃That woman has lost her mind。〃 All the boarders had their trunks
out and everyone was saying to me: 〃Why don't you try to save your
furniture?〃 I would take hold of some things to take out; but it seemed
something would intimate ; 〃Let it be。〃 I walked down the street and Mr。
Blakely; one of the men who was killed in the Jaybird and Peckerwood battle
in Richmond said: 〃Are you insured?〃
I said: 〃Yes; up there;〃 pointing to Heaven。
All fear was gone; and now in the time of almost certain danger I
was confident of deliverance; when before I had been nervous; in time when
all was secure。 At last the cry came in: 〃You are saved。〃 I went in the
hotel offi