The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-08-06

IN NcSFO NFI NINE 1earS Olu
breaches Inc Gospel-Has Very
Little Education but Uses Good
Language.
The State, 2Sth ins..
The most wonderful religious prodigy
to be found IN South Carolina is now
to be found in Cheraw. Her name
is Claretta NOrah Avery, aud she will
be ten years old on September 18th,
but for something less than three
years she has been doing what she
call, working for God amongst The
members of her own, the negro, race.
During the past few weeks she has
developed into a wonderful preacher,
and all who come within the sound of
her voice are amazed at her utter
ances.
In the very conservative section in
which she has been working for the
past two weeks there was much OPP
position to her at first, because chill
dren were supposed to have u place."
and especially girl children TO "be
Q Q and not heard" And there
existed decided conviction tina "
men should not speak out in meeting"
But before she a ended her first
sermon, In the words of one of her
auditors, the whole congregation had
come to III conclusion Ito let Gods
eottA~o ~ w. 4 "ouio hdNS "
Claretta Avery has been preaching
in Marlboro county for two week, and
she y numbers her converts among
both the white people and the negroes
by the score. AT first she preached
only to negroes, but, after few nights,
her audiences were composed OF both
races, and her simple, straightforward,
practical appealed equally to
the theolOgian and layman.
She was born in Washington, d. c.,
18th September, 1885. Her father
was u minister in that city, but he
died soon after her birth, and she was
taken to North Carolina, where her
mother had relatives. When eighteen
months old she claims to have been
converted to the Christian religion
n since that time she has felt that
she was commissioned to preach the
Word of God to her people. Her
mother had a struggle To make u
living Tor herself and her children and,
up to this time, Claretta has been able
TO go to school very little. She barely
u write but she seems to nave com
mitted the whole of the New Tesla
ment to heart. This she has succeed
ed in doing by most continually porting
| over 1t.
Since she was three years OF age she
u never let u Sunday pass without
attending church, going two and three
times q day whenever she could. She
seemed to prefer listening to the min
listers OF the white people, and many
u time she has been found in the gal
ieries OF the white churches alone and
listening intentiy to what was said by
tue Dreac her. Her memory was won
derful and she is now able 70 repeat "a
sermon, word for word, after hearing
it preached once.
Many believe that her are
dependent entirely upon the facility
with hlc she remembers the prOduc-
lions of others, and that she merely
~reproduces them. If this DC true, no
n yet has ever heard or read the
originals OF the h breaches.
Rev. Al Streator, Of Society Hill,
is authority for the following:
She preached her first ermon at
Raleigh N. q. Then she went to OK
ford, N. C., where she began a series
of meetings in a private house.; but
the attendance soon became 50 great
hat the largest church in the fowl
had to be engaged. Here 1870 persons
protested religion as the result Of her
preaching. SandfoTd, N. c., was her
next point and here h made thirty
four converts. Then to Vass, for one
day with ten converts as the result.
Then to Wadesboro and fifty converts,
and from there to Monroe, and there
we're thirty.nine converts. From there
to Society Hill, where she made
twenty-five converts" She is now III
work at Cheraw, s.. G.
The Rev. Streator says "She lays
hold Of " . tex with IL Herculean
grasp, AM swaSs her audience with IL
gift peculiarly divine. All who hear
her are forced to believe that God
has called her to preach the gospel.
l was opposed to women preaching
until heard this child, Jneu [ decided
to let Gods business as He would have
t."
She dresses modcstly and neatly and
shows Il decided d~istaste for all tincry
and Jewels of all descriptions.
The negroes throughout the whole
section in which she has been regarded
her with great awe, and are lavish in
their gifts to her. When she believes
the donor unable to make the sacilice
she refuses TO accept the proilered gift.
The superstitious attribute wonderful
healing power to her and remarkable
stories are told Of cures Effected merely
by her presence. These stories, how.
iieved only by the most crcdulous,
She claims TO have no unnatural
power, but merely TO be working for
Cod" as she is directed. The most
remarkable thing about her arc her
eyes, which arc very brilliant, and
have a peculiar cast; otherwise her
features arc normal, and she would
pass for an ordinary negro girl OF ten