The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1902-03-14
OCALA As SEEN BY OTHER EYES.
Example Of One Good wsmsn-ooa's .
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conn,imsnt for ocsIs House

Compliment TOT SSS'
One Of the pleasures of a visit to
Ocala Is the meeting Of my old ana
va,usd friend. Mrs. F. r. Gary. More
than thirty years ago, she began q
oorrAsnopdence with me relative TO
the deplorabIe condition Of the bap'i''
c.use in this community, begging ne
- aid her in an effort to repair the
old Baptist church at Ocala. she was
then one of three Baptists in her town.
All three were women and two OF
.hau were dependent on others for
their support. Mrs. Gary's husoahu
was prominent lawyer and man Oh
masns int was not Baptist. Inc
nrospect for the Baptists seemed utter
" desperate, and great pressure was
brought 10 bear upon Mrs. Gary 10
induce her to join some one OF the
padobaptist churches Of the town.
Sba nromised to take the matter into
consideration. and to read her Bible
ovar again carefully end prayertuHy'
% 400 If she could conscientiously JOIN
INV other church. But at the end OF
This search Of the Scriptures she reach
a. tho conclusion that she could never
be anything but Baptist ana 50 she
informed her friends, at the same
time going TO work with a ne" zeal 70
Dr,Ia mn the faith which she believed
70 be the true one. The old Baptist
ob,,rcb had not been used for some
time and was in a state Of sad dilapi-
dation. Mrs. Gary herself went with
q carpenter to see what could be done
m make the building safe for puollc
services In looking around to see
what repairs were absolutely neees-
sarv IL was noted that the pulpit
seemed insecure, and, in the exsmina-
ton of the flooring, the carpenter dis
covered lust under the pulpita 'pOssum
and her young, snugly settled III their
nest. Abiding to this little incident
today, Mrs. Gary said she never kne"
what became of those 'OpOssums, but
thew certainly were not allowed any
longer to monopOlize the pulpit OF the
Baptist church.
When we remembered this begin
ming. this day Of small things, it seems
marvellous indeed to know that the
Baptists of Ocala have membership
Of 14O. a $4,000 house of worship IN
one Of the best parts Of town, and
bright prospect for better things.
Dare any Baptist, with such an exam
pie of courageous faith and Of Gods
power before him, give up the struggle
to uphold Baptist principles as he
finds them laid down in the New
Testament?
This beloved sister sets US another
example worthy of imitation. The
Lords aftiictiug hand has been laid
upon her, and she has been for
years so deaf that she cannot hear
word of any sermon or prayer; but
she is one of the most regular attend
ants upon public services and deeply
interested in all the work of her
church and in the advancement of
Christ's kingdom all over the world.
We take the liberty Of speaking thus
OF her and her work, with the hope
OF encouraging some feeble band else
where TO take courage and press on.
"She hath done what she could"
Let every good woman who reads this
article resolve to do more for the cause
Of Christ and to be more decided and
in her denOminatiOnal be-
lief, and not to imagine that the sue
cess of the church depends wholly
upon the men.
Ocala is beautiful, up-to-date city,
with imposing brick blocks, fine paved
streets, palatial hotels, elegant resi-
dences and most courteous and hOspi-
table people. 1t is situated in almost
the exact centre Of the peninsula
proper, about equi-distant from the
Atlantic and the Gulf, quite high in
and justly famed for its
booItb The tOvp - ru;IaIx, t-,,.,v,.,, -