Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1904-05-04
LETTER Faom an OLD ocoN1g HAN.
Rev. n. L. Davis. Of Waco. Texas. Tells Of
HE Success In the Lone Star State.

Thinking perhaps that many of
my old pupils and friends would be
glad to hear something of my stew
ardship for the last 10 years, / will
ask The Courier for space enough to
say few things.
In August, 1885, / left Westmin-
ster for Texas. My first stop in
Texas was at Jefferson, where my
mother, eldest and youngest brothers
and two baby sisters now live. After
spending two weeks at Jefferson, l
came to Blum, Hill county, Texas,
where Brother w. II. Davis was
teaching school. My first three years
In Texas was spent in the school
room, making from $75 to $194 per
month. The $194 was made in
twenty days teaching an arithmetic
and writing school. In March, 1887,
/ met, wooed and won the heart and
hand of Miss Mamie Edney, of
Brenham, Texas. She was grand
daughter of Robert e. Hardin, for
whom Hardin county, Texas, was
named. Of course she is Texan.
In the fall of 1888 1 and family went
to Louisville, KY, where [ spent one
year and half in the Southern Bap-
tist Theological Seminary, spending
my vacation in 1889 (three montbs)
at Crowly, La, as missionary under
the State Board of Louisiana. In
January, 1890, I came to Waco,
Texas, which is still our home.
During the last fourteen years l
have travelled perhaps not less than
seventy-five thousand miles. Dur
ing the first three of this last four
teen years l started and ran Bap-
tist book store under the auspices of
our Baptist State Sunday School
Board, and during this time l repre-
sented the Sunday school literature
of onr Sunday school board at Nash
vile, and also that of the American
Baptist Publication Society. Of
course these were three busy years.
then resigned this work of my
own free will and accord to enter
the pastorate. But l was pastor
only fifteen months, having resigned
the pastorate to travel for the Bap-
tist Standard, which, by the way, is
the best Baptist paper in all our
Southland. / travelled for this pa
per four years.
Since that time / have been travel
ing as missionary under our State
organizations, to wit: State Baptist
Sunday School and Colportage Con-
vention and Texas Baptist State
Convention, the two interests having
been consolidated some four years
ago. For several years our Annual
Baptist State Conventions have been
the largest Christian representative
gatherings the world has ever known.
1t is not an uncommon sight to see
from five to ten thousand people at
tending these annual conventions.
have never for one moment re-,
gretted casting my lot in the Lone
STAR State and thank God that l
have had the privilege of taking
small part in the great and glorious
work of evangelizing this great and
growing State.
In closing this article, please allow
me to express my unremitting thanks
to Almighty God for his innumerable
and unspeakable blessings, 80 abund-
antly showered upon upon US. The
Lord gave me noble, Christian wo-
man for wife, and to us he has
given six as healthy, pretty, sweet
and obedient children as any six
brothers and sisters l have ever seen.
During all these years of travel over
this great State / have never been
summoned home because of sickness
in my own family.
Over and above all this, I thank
God for the humble part he has al
lowed me to take in leading multi
tudes of poor, lost and helpless sim
ners to see Jesus as their real, per-
sonal Saviour. Oh, what glorious
and blessed work. Our two eldest
children, Unus II. Davis and Willie
Lee Davis, are active members of the
First Baptist Church of Waco.
May heavens richest blessings
abide with every friend who may
chance to read these lines.
Yours cordially,
M. l.. Davis.