The Mineral argus., 1883-09-06
Feet Washing in Kentueky-A
Renaissance.
San Francisco Bulletin.

San Francisco Bulletin.
In the southern part of Kentucky, be-
fore the war, the ''hard-shell' Baptists
were accustomed L hold their camp
meetings in the big groves of walnut,
hickory and oak trees which abound
throughout that region.
At these gatherings, the ceremony Of
fleet washing" (which they claimed our
Lord himself had instituted and COM
manded His followers to ~perpetuate)
was usually a part of the ceremonies.
When it was known among the soft
shell outsiders that this rite was ION the
programme for the day, crowds Of the
curious came to the camp grounds ito
see the fun as the boys called it.
1t was somewhat of a satire, however,
upon the lesson Of humility which our
Lord sought to ipculcate when He Him
self had washed the feet OF His disciples,
to observe upon these occasions, that the
feet washers we're invariably chosen
from among the good old colored breth-
rem and sisters Of 'hard-shel" persua-
sion, and never by anv mistake from
the white folks" who formed the large
majority of the membership. Whether,
under these circumstances, the latter
we're as much benefited as it was in
tended they should be by the ceremony
remains to this day a question in our
minds. Their feet we're washed, to be
sure, but some old aunty with a towel
slung over her shoulder and her basin
of water did the humility" part of the
business. The ceremony on their part
consisted simply in dipping the bare
feet into the basin presented to them,
when it was dried with a towel by the
kneeling foot washer" who passed
down between the benches, taking each
of the members in turn as she came to
them, nor making any delay, as all were
supposed to be ready to perform their
part of the ceremony as she reached
them.
"Aunt MeliDdy," "a quaint old col
ored woman. black as the ace of spades,
but with a faith founded upon the facv
that "John went down into the water"
and a belief that nothing else could suf-
fee for the rest of us) was a member OF
this church. AS usual, upon these occa-
sions, she was conspicuous among the
footwashers, as she came down the aisle
with her brilliant bandana handkerchief
arranged in a towering peak about her
head, her basin in her hand and a clean
white towel thrown over her shoulder.
we sat WIN party " young tOiho upOh
the first bench behind the members
we whose pedal publication Aunt Me-
Indy had charge. When Just in front
of us she came to an old brother" who
had trampeI in his low shoes five miles
through the dust to attend the meeting.
| AS the foot-washer reached him he
slipped these of and extended to her a
foot, du~st-covered and grimy TO the
last degree. When her eyes
fell upon the NANCY object held
out to her Aunt MelindY a q an indig'
nant snort and looking to right and LETT
as if for advice in this emergency, she
at last got up from her kneeling Dosi-
ton and, pointing TO the brothers foot,
exclaimed in a voice loud enough to be
heard by all in that part of the camp
ground.
$50 de Lawdl Dis heah foot 'quiret
soap and scrubbin'l Oats mo- dan
greed to do, and amt s-gwine to Spite
my towel for o such hoof as datl'
And with a scornful toss Of her tur
baned head the old OmRn pissed the
brother by and went on to the mex
member, leaving the discounted candi
date for foot-washing to resume hi
shoes in his unwashed state. whilst she
went on her way amid the audible tit
ter of those of the congregation whC
had witnessed the by-play, and the ir
repressible laughter of the young mel
In the back benches.