The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1883-04-10
FOOT WASHING.
Soldiers of the Cross Washing Each
Others Feet In the South.
From tbe az I.o,,;s Ronrbl;.a,

From the St. Louis Republican.
"You never saw a foot Washing 2"
said the Rev. Joseph Bowen. Baptist
minister from Tennessee, to 3 reporter.
Then you eeuld not have Travelled much
in the hackwouds sections OF the South
and West. remember seeing one at
Randolph, Tenn. in June, 1877. Ran.
dolph is in 'flppon county, ON the Mis-
sissippi bluffs. had to stay there over
Sunday, and learning that there was q
meeting at Sa.em Church, si1 miles
away, l borrowed horse and rode tc
the place. The church, built OF logs.
With the cracks daubed, set back about
LOO narls frnm iha road in The middle.
lot grove. Inside the seats were az
ready well filed, aud every head in the
church turned ss / entered. / shrank
into corner and took a seat as quickly
as possible. In front there were lew
benches made Of unvarnished poplar,
but the supply falling short the demand
had been met by planks laid on boxes.
Onsons OF these i sat down next 10, q
portIy lady dressed in cotton gown
with broad yellow checks. The minister
had we'll earned his reputation Of being
a powerful exhorter, as I found when
he commenced his sermon. As he
warmed {, his work he walked rapidly
from side to side of the pulpit, stopping
occasionally, as in laundering voice
he warned his unconverted hesrers that
they were banging over hell fire by
single hair to deal resounding blows
to the bible with his fist by way of en-
phases. When he concluded he took
long crash towel and girded it around
his waist. At the side Of the pulpit
was bucket of wate;7 and a 'noggin''
II you don''. happen to know what nog-
gin is, 1 may explain that it is q small
tub, sixe larger than a piggin. This
one had been constructed by saving o
whisky keg IN half When the preacher
commenced pouring the ~ater inte -an
oil gentleman in the amen corner COM
menced pulling off his brogans and roll
i ing up the bottoms Of his trousers.
i "Will some brother raise a hymn 2"
ssked=the minister, and the brother, who
now had bis shoes off and vas engaged
with his home knit c ,t'on socks, raised
one i am soldier of the cross, and
as the congregation Joined he put both
feet in the noggiu, which had been set
before him. Tns preacher, squatted
down in front of him, rubbed his hands
around over his feet and up and down
his shins half way to the knee. When
the brother thought they were washed
enough he held them up out OF the wa
ter, and the parsoa wiped them on the
crash towel Then the parson sat down,
and, having pulled of his shoes, had bis
feet washed bg the brother to whom he
had just ministered. All who wished
to join in the ceremony had taken. pos
session Of the front seattle mour-
ners' benches. Among those who bad
gone up had been the portly sister by
whom sat. The noggin came TO her
next, and she washed the feet of The
sister next to her, having her own wash
ed in turn, When all the feet on the
front seat had been bsthed, the water in
the noegin wss emplied aud fresh sup
! ply brought in from the well near the
I church. The noggin passed around
3 from brother to brother and from sister
to sist,r for an hour. and in that time
saw more varieties Of feet than / have
ever seen before or since."