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all was secure。 At last the cry came in: 〃You are saved。〃 I went in the
hotel office; sat down by the stove and Alex; my son…in…law; was by me。 I
said to him: 〃Oh; Alex; my vision!〃 He looked almost paralyzed; for
I had told him it was a warning and all the circumstances。 From that
day to this I have never had any fear of fire。
ENTERTAINING ANGELS UNAWARES。
One noon I was busy with the guests and waiting on the tables; and
going to the kitchen I saw sitting on the wood…box a poor dejected looking
creature; a man about twenty…four years of age。 He asked me if I had any
tinware to mend。 I told him; 〃No; but you can have your dinner。〃
He said。 〃I don't want any。〃 He looked the picture of dispair。
I said: 〃Don't go until I can speak to you。〃
When I had time I told him I wanted some one to wash dishes。 He
consented to stay; and I felt at that time I must care for that poor creature
or he would die。 He stayed with us three years and proved to be a
jewel。 All the rest of my help was colored; and generally speaking; white
and colored help do not assimilate; but they all had profound respect for
Smith。 He soon owned his horse and did the draying for the hotel。 Then
he got to be a clerk; and bought pecans for the northern market。 All his
family had died from consumption; and he was traveling for his health。
He left us for Pierce's Sanitarium; Buffalo; N。 Y。; and stayed there some
time for treatment。 He ran a little booth by the Niagara Bridge; and soon
accumulated quite a little sum。 He became a Christian and married。 I
often got letters from him expressing so much gratitude。 He was an
infidel when he first came; and he said it was my influence that made him
a Christian。
I often had the Orthodox Jews to stop with me。 They ate nothing
that contained lard; their food was mackerel; eggs; bread and coffee。 The
rates were two dollars a day; but I charged them only one dollar; and
allowed them to pay their bills with something that was in their 〃pack。〃
My other guests would often regard them with almost scorn; but when
they were at their meals I would wait on them myself; showing them this
preference; for I could not but respect their sacrifice for the sake of
their religion。 I have always treated the Jews with great respect。 Our
Savior was a Jew and said: 〃Salvation is of the Jews。〃 They are a monument
to the truth of the Scriptures; a people without a country; and
though they are wanderers upon the face of the earth; they retain their
characteristics more than any other people have ever done。 If an Italian;
German or Frenchman comes to America; in a hundred years he becomes
thoroughly an American; losing the peculiarities of his descent。 But
wherever a Jew goes no matter how long be stays he remains a Jew。
This can be said of no other people on earth。
I know by experience that the Jews are tricksters; but they have
almost been forced into their cupidity in getting money; yet the greatest
promise of deliverance in the Bible is for that nation。 The foundation
stones of heaven and the pearly gates are named for the twelve tribes。 No
Christian should scorn a Jew。
One day I was driving down the street of Richmond in a buggy; and
Mr。 Blakely the merchant I dealt so much with; and also a member of
the Methodist church; stopped me; saying that he had something to say
to me: ;
〃Your friends are becoming very uneasy about the state of your mind。
You are thinking too much on religious subjects; and they asked me to
warn you。〃 This gave me a blessed assurance; and I laughed very heartily;
saying:
〃Your words are indeed a blessing to me; for if I have a religion
that the world understands; it is not a religion of the Bible。〃
I was naturally ambitious and was very fond of nice furniture; china
and dainty things; but I have lost all taste for these; and stopped making
fashionable calls; for I have seen the vanity and wickedness in fashionable
society and costly dressing。 I educated myself to look at things as I
thought God would; and this change came about after that transaction
between my soul and God; at the Methodist church; which I know was the
〃Baptism of the Holy Ghost;〃 but did not know then what it was。 I had
been born in the Christian church; and was taught that only the Apostles
had received that gift。 I never knew what to call this experience until
three years after when I went to Kansas; and had it explained to me by
the Free Methodists; and where God gave me a witness that it was true。
We had quite a drought in Texas; everything was parched and burning
up; and great concern was felt by all。 Charlien said to me one day:
〃Mamma why don't you pray for rain?〃
I was so struck with the idea that I went to the church that night and
proposed that we pray for rain。 So four ladies were elected to appoint
a special meeting。 The minister's wife; Mrs。 Todd; Mrs。 Blakely and myself
were the four。 We met and we said the first thing is to agree。 The
minister's wife began to cry and said:
〃I have read of so many thunderbolts lately; that I am almost afraid
to pray;〃 and Mrs。 Blakely repeated the same; but I told the women this
was doubting God in the beginning。
〃 'If you ask for bread; will He give you a stone。' I am willing to
trust God who said: 'Ask and ye shall receive;' and let Him send the
rain any way He pleases。〃 This was finally agreed upon; and the next
afternoon the citizens of the town were called to the church to pray for
rain。
After the meeting; we were standing on the platform in front of the
church; and a sprinkle of rain out of a cloudless sky fell on the platform;
and on the shutters of the house。 This was nothing but a miracle; and
was very astonishing to us all。 The next day the clouds began to gather
in the sky; and the moisture began; at first; to fall like heavy dew。 There
was no lightning or thunder and the rain came down in the gentlest manner
and continued in this way three days。 With this marvelous manifestation
in direct answer to prayer; many people said 〃we would have had the
rain any way。〃 Truly the ox knoweth his owner; and the ass his master's
crib; but my people doth not know; my people doth not consider。〃
I began to think what I should do to fulfill my vow to God; for I
vowed to return to Him something for rain; to show my gratitude that I
had seen done。 There was an old man; about seventy years old; entirely
destitute; whose name was Bestwick。 I went to see him; asked him to
come to the hotel and make his home there。 There was also a poor German
girl; named Fredricka。 I also gave her board at the hotel。 These two
stayed with me free of charge as long as I lived in Richmond。
There were two political factions in Richmond at this time; one called
the 〃Jaybirds〃 and the other 〃Peckerwoods〃。 The latter were people
that were in favor of the negro holding offices。 This party had control of
the country for some time。 The head of this party was Garvey; the
sheriff。 The head of the former was Henry Frost; a saloon…keeper; and
to this belonged nearly all the young men of Richmond。
Mr。 Nation was correspondent for the Houston Post and he wrote
a letter speaking of the bad…influence and conduct of t