Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1883-04-26
A Foot Washing Ceremony,


You never saw foot wash ing ?
said the Rev. Joseph Bowen, Bap-
tist minister from Tennessee. to St.
Louis reporter. Then you could
not have travelled much in the hacf-
woods sections Of the South aud West.
I remember seeing one at Randolph,
Tenn, in June. 1877. Randolph is
in Tippon county on the Mississippi
bluffs. had to stay there over Sun
day, and learning that there was a
meeting at Salem church, six miles
away, borrowed horse and rode 10
the place. The church. built of logs,
with the cracks daubed, sat back
about one hundred yards from the
road in the middle Of grove. Inside,
the seats were all pretty we'll filed.
and every head in the church turned
as l entered. I shrank into corner
and took seat az quickly as possible.
In front there were a few benches
made of unvarnished poplar. but the
supply falling short the demand had
been met by plsnks laid on boxes.
On one Of these | sat down next to a
p,rtly lady dressed in cotton gown
with brood yellow checks. The min
lister had well earned bis reputation
Of being a powerful exhorter, as /
found when he commenced his SER
mon. As he warmed to his work he
walked rapidly from side to side Of
the pulpit, stopping occasionally, as
inNthnnaering voice be warned hls
unconverted hearers that they were
hanging over bell.fre by a single
hair to deal resounding blows to the
Bible with bis fists by way of empha-
sis. When he concluded he too a
long crash towel and girded it about
his waist. At the side of the pul pit
vas a bucket of water and n 'noggn.
If. you don't happen to know what a
noggin is may explain that it is a
small tub size larger than a piggin.
This one had been constructed by
saving a whisky keg in half. When
the preacher commenced pouring the
water into it an old gentleman in the
amen corner commenced pulling of
bis brogans and rolling up the bot
tom OF his trousers.
"Will some brother raise hvma?'
asked the minister, and the brother,
who now had mis- shoes off and was
engaged with his home-krit cotton
socks, raised one Il am a soldier of
the Cross" and as the congregation
joined he put both feet in the noggu,
which had been Sc, before him. The
preacher sqnatted down in front Of
hi m, rubbed his hands over the feet
aud up and down his shins half way
to the knee. When the brother tho t
they we're washed enough, be held
them up ont of the water, and the
parsoD wiped them on the crash towel
Then the parson sat down, and, hav-
ing pulled off his shoes, had his f.
wasned by the brother 10 whom ne
had just ministered All who wished
to Join in the ceremony had taken
possession of the front seats-the
mourners' benches. Among lhose
who had gone mp had been the rortly
sister by whom | sat. The no, gin
came to her next md she washed the
feet of the sister next to her, having
her own washed in turn. When all
the feet on tho front seat had been
bathed, the water in the noggin var
smpted out the back door and fresh
supply brought in from the we'll near
the church. The noggin passed aronnd
fro brother TO brother and from Sis
ter to sister for an hour, and in that
time Isaw more varieties Of feet t. an
I have ever seen before or sine.