The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-04-12

"Well, my brethren, WILL now
try to say what T allowed to say
about the Presbyterians.
Gas I said before, they raise their
children heap better than we do.
They behave better in church, and
keep Sabbath better, and read the
Bible and learn the Catechism better
than ours do. I declare, my breth'
ren, their children are iarnt that
Westminster Catechism by the time
they can begin to talk plain.
1T amt three weeks since I was
out q cattle huntin'-for two OF my
yearlings had strayed off-and I
stopped in at old Brother Harkey's,
on Mud Greek, and took dinner. He's
deacon in the Presbyterian church
over thar. Well, as true as I stand
here, my brethren, Sister Harkey had
had her little gal a-standin' right be-
fore her, with toes just even with the
crack O. the floor and her hands was
a-hanging down by her side and her
mouth turned up like chicken when
it drinks. and she was a putin this
question to her out O that Catechism,
What are the benefits which in this
life do either accompany or flow from
justification, adoption or sancti6ca-
tions"
"Now the question itself was
enough to break the child down.
But when she had to begin and say
that question all over (for that's the
way it was in the back and then
hitch the answer to it, and which all
put together made this: The bene-
fits which in this life do either &C.
company or flow from justification,
adoption and sanctifcation, are peace
of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost,
increase in grace and perseverance
to the end, I thought the child was
the greatest wonder I'd ever seen in
all my life. She tux it right in, too
without balkin' or missin' the first
word. And she spoke 50 sweet and
she looked so like a little angel that
before I know'd it the tears was
runnin' down my cheeks as big as
buckshot. I've seen the day when
Icould have mauled and split thou
SAN rails quicker and easier than I
could larn that thing and said it off
like she did.
"Now, my brethren, that child
didn't understand or know the mean
ing of one word O. that. It put me
up to all I know to take it in myself.
But just let that Presbyterian young
un grow up, and every word Of the
Catechism will come to her, and her
character will stiffen up under her,
and she'll have the backbone of the
matter in her life.
'sNow, I can't put things into my
children that way. Nothin' don't
stay, somehow. It's like dri7in' a
nail into rotten log"
This last remark I never forgot.
For thirty years after wards, as I
would stand at the blackboard trying
to fix rules and principles in the
mind of dull pupil, this remark
would come back to me with its
peculiar pertinency.
II tell you, my BRETHREN" he con-
tinued, ''if our children had a little
more catechism and the Presbyter-
ian a little less, it would be better
for both.
''Then we don't pray in our fami-
lies like they do. I know their
prayers are mighty long, and they
pray all creation; but, after all, it's
the right way. It's better than
prayin' too little.
Nov, my father and mother was
good Baptists, and raised their chill
dren to be honest and industrious;
but I never heard one of them pray
in my life, and I was most a grown
man before I ever prayed a prayer
myself, and it was on this wise:
There was to be a big meetin'
over in Elbert county, and [ knowed
pretty gal over thar that I wanted
to 90 TO see. So I borrowed a little
Jersey wagin, which was stylish
thing in them days, and went over tc
the house and stayed all night, and
engaged her to ride to meetin' with
me next day, which was Sabblth.
1--WE went and had a glorious
time-and I may as we'll say hight
here that she was afterwards my
wife-but comm home I met with s
powerful accident, that I've never
got over to this day. As I was com
in down steep bill, some part Of
gearin' gave way and let me and th'