The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-09-09
A QUAINT CUSTOM.
Where the Washing Of Feet as Religious
Ceremony Still Survives

Ceremony Still Survives
Civilization in its onward march has
swept away from this country many Of the
peculiar customs and ceremonies Of half q
century ago. but there is no truer rule
than that there is an exception to every
rule" and accordingly many outlandish
practices are still in vogue in sparsely set
tied parts of the Union. Every section CT
country has something uncouth or old
fashioned within its borders, TO which a
few of the old inhabitants will cling, but
if they are all as harmless as a ceremony
still being occasionally performed in GER
tain parts of the south no one is injured
In the section alluded to, which embraces
Georgia, the Carolinas and northern Ala
bama, IS small and widely scattered re-
ligious sect known as Hard Shell, or anti
missionary Baptists. whose custom Of wash
ing one another's feet is worth noting on
the score of novelty If nothing else. The
operation is one which always attracts q
crowd. With the increase of schools in the
country, where these churches are invaria-
bly, situated. the practice is fast dying out,
however. and in short time will doubtless
be unknown.
This denomination claims to be the prim-
directly to John the Baptist. IL was in
1887 that the Georgia Hard Shells" with
drew from the orthodox Baptist church on
account OF difference in opinion on the
subject of foreign missions, and so bitter
were they against this work that they de-
clared in infancy against all forms of mis-
sionary teaching. Tract societies, Sunday
schools, temperance aud Bible organiza-
tions fell under the edict which went forth
when they declared themselves the primi-
tive church and began to wash each others
feet during their religious meetings. In
Middleton, Ga, paper Is published BIZ
monthly in the interests of this sect, and
the late editor. Gilbert Beebe, is said to
have been very brilliant writer. At any
rate. when he went to Georgia to preach
every member of the church in the neigh
borhood would go to see him. His sons
now run the paper, which takes no sdver-
tisements.
The members of these churches are ex-
cellent farmers.
The crowning glory of their religion con-
sists in carrying out the biblical injunc-
tion, ''Ye call me Master and Lord and We
say well; for so am. If am then your
Lord and Master have washed your feet;
ye ought also to wash one another's feet
For have given you an example that ye
should do as l have done to you"
The washing process is exceedingly sim
pie, the women sitting on one side Of the
church and the men on the other At the
conclusion of the service basins are brought
to the front of the church, and with them
buckets of water and towels. When all is
ready the women march in groups up To
the front bench o9 their side of the church.
and the men the same on their side. Half
of the group of each side sit down and
remove their shoes and stockings and the
remainder wash their feet in seniagony
Of religious fervor, carefully drying them |
after the process. This is continued until |
all have had their feet washed-those who |
sat down first always washing immedi- |
ately afterward the feet of those who per
formed like service for them.
The ceremony differs in various parts OF |
the section in which the Hard Shells are 4
found, but as it always provokesa a spirit of 1
evity on the part of the ever presenterowd !
Of spectators, only the Old people now en-
gage in it-NeW York World