Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1883-04-14
A Foot.Washing Ceremony.

"Y ou never saw a 1ootWaSnlng
said the Rev. Joseph Bowen, Baptist
minister from Tennessee, to st. Louis
reporter. "Then you could not have
Travelled much in the backwoods Sec
tions of the South and West. / remem-
Der seeing one at Randolph, Tenn, in
June, 1877. Randolph is in Tippon
county on the Mississippi bluffs. 1 had
to stay there over Sunday, and learning
that there was a meeting at Salem
church, six miles away, L borrowed a
horse and rode to the place. The
church, built of logs, with the cracks
daubed, sat back about 100 yards from
the road in the middle of a grove. In
side, the seats were all pretty well fill
ed, and every head in they church turned
as entered. | shrank into a corner
and took seat as 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 planks laid on boxes. On
one of these sat down next to port
ly lady dressed in cotton gown with
broad yellow checks The minister
had well earned his reputation of
being powerful exhorter,' as l found
when he commenced his sermon. AS
he warmed to his work he walked
rapidly from side to side of the pulpit,
stopping occasionally, as in thunder
ing voice he warned his unconverted
hearers that they were hanging over
hell-Gre by single hair to deal re-
sounding blows to the Bible with his
fists by way of emphasis. When he
concluded he took long crash towel
and girded it around his waist. AT
the side of the pulpit was bucket 'ot
water and 'noggin. If you don't
happen to know what noggin is l
may explain that it is small tub a
size larger than piggin. This one
had been constructed by saving a
whisky keg in half. When the preach
er commenced pouring the water into
it an old gentleman in the amen cor
ner commenced pulling off his brogans
and rolling up the bottoms Of his
trousers.
"Will some brother raise hymn !?
asked the minister, and the brother
who now had his shoes off and was en-
gagged with his home-knit cotton socks
raised one: II am Soldier Of the Cross,
and as the congregation joined he pu
both feet in the noggin, which hat
been set before him. The preache
squatted down in front of him, rubbed
his hands around over the feet and W
and down his shins half way to thu
knee. When the brother though
they were washed enough, he hel(
them up out of the water, and the par
son wiped them on the crash towel
Then the parson sat down, and, having
pulled off his shoes, had his feet wash
ed by the brother to whom he ha(
Just ministered. All who wished tt
join in the ceremony had taken posses
sion of the front seats-the mourners
benches. Among those who had gon
up had been the portly sister by whom
/ sat. The noggin came to her mex
and she washed the feet of the siste
next to her, having her own washe
, in turn. When all the feet on tn
front seat had been bathed, the waite
in the noggin was emptied out tn
, back door and fresh supply brougt
in from the well near the churcl
The noggin passed around from brothe
to brother and from sister to sister fc
an hour, and in that time saw nor
varieties of feet than have ever see
before or since"