The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-03-11

salvation 1T is appointed unto al
men once to die and after that tht
Judgment"
A WONDERFUL GIRL.
Claretta N. Avery breaches to an In
1mense Congregation.
COLUMBIA, s. O., March 5.-There
were fully $500 people at the First
Calvary Baptist church, colored, last
to hear Claretta N. Avery, a young
colored girl, apparently about 13 years
of age, preach. She has, during her
short career, created decided sensa-
ton throughout the north and south,
lin many of the cities in which she has
preached to thousands of persons, both
white and colored.
Her mother, a woman apparently
about IS years of age, travels with her
and last night sat beside her on the
rostrum and seemed to take interest
in all that she said to her auditors.
Before the young girl commenced
her discourse a collection was taken
up and hundreds literally contributed.
After the singing of several hymns
the pastor, Rev. J. @. Daniels an
nounced that the wonderful little in
strument in the hands of God" would
again preach at Calvary this afternoon
at o'clock in order to allow the hun
dreds who had been denied admittance
to receive the benefit of her powers.
This service will be especially for the
whites.
Little Claretta is from Carthage,
North Carolina, but her pronuncia-
ton is distinctly different from that of
the southern negro, being doubtless
due to her long journey through the
northern States. She spoke in low
voice, though clear to those near her,
and the immense congregation was
aroused to a high state of enthusiasm
when she so intended them to be. She
seemed to hold them as in trance and
they appeared deeply touched and
strongly impressed by her prayers to
God and her Interpretation OF His
word.
It was with the greatest difficulty
that Rev. Daniels and his assistants
could restore quiet when those in the
audience became so enthusiastic over
the young girls teachings as to give
vent to ordinations of approval and
she was, in fact, repeatedly interrupt
ed during her discourse and the pastor
found it necessary to appeal fsr quiet.
In her preaching she said that the
Lord sent many into fields to work for
him and that satan attempted, often
with success, to persuade them to work
against him. There were hundreds of
unbelievers who had fallen by the
wayside by the persuasion of the dew
lii. The sinners needed to come to Je-
sus in order to appreciate their real
condition. It was dreadful to be a
sinner and unconverted to the cause
of Jesus Christ, for death comes at
any moment and perhaps at a time
when it is too late to prepare for an
entrance into the pearly gates. This
cause should be championed until He
forbids us to proceed further.
She pictured hell as vividly present
ed in the mind of a dreaming sinner,
as place where writhing, Kissing SER
pents found their habitation within
the living breast; where the soft spots
refused to rest the weary limbs of a
traveller, for in ''hell there there is no
rest" The sinner then called upon
God for aid. When the dreamer
awoke, the visions of damnation still
fresh in his mind, he deserted the ban
ner of satan and fought under the col
ors of Jesus. -
She appealed to her now thoroughly
aroused and enthused auditors, to do
as the dreamer had when he washed
in the blood of the Lamb" Old wo-
men in the congregation called to the
young girl in tones of approval, stand,
ing up and gesticulating wildly and
even applauding at times. The entire
assemblage gave vent to their feelings
by murmurings of delight as she de-
scribed the ascent to the heavenly gates
and the entrance to the kingdom OF
Jesus Christ. Men and women lost
control of themselves in mad enthusi
asm at the girls words when she
begged them to fight for God and pre-
pare themselvesfort the fields of happi.
ness above the clouds. Some pressed
toward the front of the church and
endeavored to get nearer to the girl
throwing up their hands before hel
and lingering between a smile and 8
tear of joyful belief.
At the close of her sermon she asked
those who desired to profess their con
version to the cause to stand, and fully
100 arose.
II Claretta is undoubtedly wonderful
girl, and to hear her is the only wa.
in which her powers of speech can b.
properly appreciated.-State.
Disastrous Storms.
LONDON, March IA dispatch re
, ceived here, dated Brisbane, says tha
gales and floods have caused grea
deal of damage in and abou
/. the seaport of Townsville. Seven
teen vessels in that harbor have found
[ cred and one of them went down will
2 its passengers and crew. Houses OF
shore were razed to the ground. . Th
loss by the laundering of four passene
, steamers is estimated to be 81, 500, ,OOC
ABridegroom Suicides.
} MANASSAS, Va, March &c. II
McAuley, 81 years of age. committee
t suicide at Marshall yesterday after
z noon, by shooting. He was marrie'