Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-09
THE STORY OF CONKY STILES
The Unique Use of His knowledge Of the
Bible.
Influence of n Lively Theological Dis
Appropriate References.

knew how Conky Stiles came to know as
much of the Bible as he did. Thirty years
ago people as class were much better
acquainted with the Bible than folk ere
nowadays, and there wasn't another one
of 'em in the whole Connecticut valley,
from the Canada line to the sound, that
could stand up 1ongside of Conky Stiles
and quote Scripture. Well. he knew the
whole thing by heart, from Genesis, chap
ter 1. to the amen at the end Of the Rove
lation of st. John. the divine; that's the
whole business in NUTSHELL!
His name wasn't Conky; we called him
Conky for short. His real names was
silas Stiles. but one time at a Sunday
school convention Mr.. Hubbell. the minis
ter, spoke of him as a ''veritable concord
ance of the Holy Scriptures and so we
boys undertook to call him Concordance.
but bimeby that name got whitfield down
to Conky. and Conky stuck to him all the
rest of his life. not bad name for him.
neither. as names gos heap more dignifed
than 81,
My father always insisted that Conky got
his start in the Scriptures In this way:
Conky's folks lived for about five years
(whiIe Conky was boy) In the old Ransom
house. Their next neighbors were the
Cooleys. and just over across the road
lived the Kelseys. Maybe you've heard of
the Cooley-KelSey debate? No? Funny,
isn't 1t. how soon folks forget events and
epochs and things! Fifty years ago nothtn
else but the Cooley-Kelsey debate was
talked of in Hampshire county. and yet
here we are Twin In this intelligent state
OF Illinois. and it's dollars to doughnuts
that half our people never heard of Lawyer
Kelsey or of Deacon. Cooley!
You see the deacon was high up In the
Congregational Church. and he believed in
''baptyzo." which is the Greek for the
CONGREGATIONAL doctrine of spriniiling.
Lawyer Kelsey had never been converted
and had never made a profession, but
havin' brother who was a Baptist min
lister in Pennsylvania. he was counted with
the Baptists. too. and 1 guess he was
Baptist IL he was anything. although, like
as not. he'd have said he was a heather
IL he thought he could get up an argument
by sayin' it, for of all the folks you ever
saw Lawyer Kelsey was the worst for
keepin things stirred up. One time Deacon
Cooley and Lawyer Kelsey come together
an locked horns on that word 'baptyzo."
Lawyer Kelsey maintainin that the word
wasn't or shouldn't be "baptyzo." but
"baptidzo." and. as you know. of course.
there is as much difference between "bap-
tyZo" and "baptidzo'' as there is between
fog and thunder shower.
Well. for about six months they had 1t
up hill and down dale in all the meetin'
houses, and school houses, and vestry
rooms. and town halls in the country. and
IL dIQ beat all now mucn Iedrnln tney got
out of the books and dictionaries. and
what long sermons they made. and what a
sensation there was among the unbeievers
as well as the elect. I guess they'd have
been arguin' yet If the freshet hadn't come
an distracted public attention by carryin'
away the Northampton bridge and the
Holyoke dam.
1t happened that while this theological
cataclysm was at it's height Conky Stiles.
being six years old, was born again. and,
repentin' of his sins. made profession of
faith. And from that time he never lapsed
or backsided, but was always conscien-
tious and devout follower, illustrating in
his daily walks (as Mr.. Hubbell, the min
lister, saiD those priceless virtues which
had Illuminated the career of his Grand
mother Cowlos, lady esteemed not more
by the elders for her piety than by the
younger folks for her cookies and squash
pies.
When Conky was eight years old he got
the prize at our Sunday school for having
committed to memory the most Bible
verses in tho year, and that same spring
he got up and recited every line of the
Acts of the Apostles without having to be
prompted once. BY the time he was twelve
years old he knew the whole Bible by
heart. and most of the hymn book, too;
although as I have said. the Bible was
his speciality. Yet he wasn't one of your
pale-faced. studious boys: no. sir, not a
bit of it.! He took just as much consolation
in playin' three-old-cat and barn ball and.
hockey as any of the rest of US boys, and
haps that was because he learnt q new
way of spittin on his bait from his Uncle
Lutte Mason, who was considerable Of a
sport in those days.
Conky was always hearty and CHEEKY;
we all felt good when he was around. We
never minded that way he had of quotin'
things from the Bible: we'd got used to 1t,
and may be 1t was a desirable influence.
AT any rate. we all liked Conky.
But perhaps you don't understand what
I mean when refer to his way of quotin'
the Bible. 1t was like this: Conky. we'll
say. would be goin' down the road and I'd
come out of the house and holler: Hello.
there. Conkyl Where be you goin'?"
Then he'd say John xxi, 3'-that would
be all he'd say, and that would be enough;
for it gave us to understand that he was
goin' a-fshin'.
Conky never made a mistake: his quota
lions were always right; he always hit
the chapter and the verse sure pop the
first time.
The habit grew on him as he got older
Associating with Conky for fifteen or
twenty minutes wasn't much different from
tept that there wasn't any manual labor
about IT. I guess he'd have been q minis
ter IL the war hadn't come along and
spoiled IL all.
In the fall of 1862 there was a war meet
In in the town hall. and Elijah Cutler
made speech urgin' the men folks to
come forward and contribute their serv-
lces-their lives, IL need be-to the cause
up with excitement. for next to Wendell
Phillips and Henry Ward Beecher I guess
Elijah Cutler was the greatest orator that
ever lived. While We were shiverin' and
waitin' for somebody to lead off. Conky
Stiles rose UP and says: First Kings. xix,
eO.' says he. and with that he put on his
cap and walked out of the meeun'.
Let me. pray thee. kiss my father and
my mother. and then will follow thee"
That's what Conky sailor as good as
uaid-and that's what he meant, too.
He Didn't put Oft his religion when he
put on his uniform. Conky Stiles, soldier
or civilian. was always Twin. walkin'
encyclopedy of the Bible, d human COM
pendulum of psalms and proverbs and texts;
and / had that confidence in him that I'd
have bet he wrote the Bible himself IL 1
hadn't known better and to the contrary!
We We're with Mcclellan "A long spell.
There was a heap of sickness among the
boys, for We weren't used TO the climate,
and most OF us pinned for the comforts of
home. Lookin' back over the thirty years
that lie between this time and that, see
one figure loomin UP. calm and bright and
beautiful in the midst of fever and suf-
ferin' and privation and death: I see
homely, earnest face. radiant with SYM
pathy and love and hope. and 1 hear Conky
Stiles voice again speakin' comfort and
rhear tn all about him We all loved him;