The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1907-03-07
A new EDEN
Where They viii Dress Only in Fig
Leaves as In
THE GARDEN OF EDEN

How Would You Like TO Wander
In This Curious. Fr.akish Earth
iy Paradise With g. New Adam
and New Eve ENTIRELY Free
isrom Clothes, Conventionalities
and Original Sin.
OF all the freak new religions that
are fourishing in the United States,
perhaps the most freakish IS the
Adam and Eve sect of Denver, Colo.
Adam is a man formerly known as
James Sharp, and Eve is his wife, for
n1e,.'v l-nown as Melissa Sharp.
Z The fundamental tenets Of the new
re.l..on are tnat these two interest
ing people are Adam and Eve, re-
turned to earth free from original
gin and just as good as they were be-
fore the fall and the expulsion from
the Garden Of Eden. !,
They have divine. nlissionsto lead
men and women back TO the Garden
of Eden, which they will establish in
the vicinity of Denver.
The central figure is naturally Mrs.
Sharp, or Mother Eve, as she is now
called, a handsome young woman OF
magnetic personality. 1t will be re-
called that Eve was, unquestlonably
the most interesting figure in the
Biblical drama of the fall of man and
his expulsion from the Garden Of
Eden. The role of man was the pas
sive and rather cowardly one. Eve
listened to the voice Of the serpent
and was persuaded that it,would be
delightful to eat Of the forbidden
fruit of the tree Of knowledge. Then,
mistakenly, she persuaded Adam to
share the fruit with her. believing
that it would contribute to his hap
piness. When they were both punish
ed for their disobedience Adam base
Iy and weakly attempted to excuse
himself by saying:
s'The woman tempted me and did
eat"
In a restored Eden the woman
must be a stronger and nobler char
acter than Adam, and the Denver
Mother Eve is so regarded by her
followers.
How would you like to wander in
the Gorden of Eden with a new Eve,
entirely free from original sin, curl
osity, spitefulness or any other of the
faults which have been imputed to
woman since the falH
This is the pleasure that awaits
those who join the new religion, and
it is attracting people in considerable
numbers.
There is no danger that this Eve
will listen to the voice of the serpent.
He may advance hismost specious and
le.uslve arguments, employ hismost
winning and seductive batteries, but
she will turn a deaf ear to him.
Mother Melissa Sharp Eve will en-
vite no man to picnic of forbidden
fruit.
It must be admitted that the mem
bers of the new sect are a strange
looking lot, and it appears that the
majority Of normal men will continue
to prefer the ordinary woman, with
all her faults. including her disposi-
ton to listen to the voice of the ser
pent. =,
Your correspondent called at the
present headquarters of the Adam
and Eve sect a large house on Marion
street. He was met by handsome
woman, with an enthusiastic and vis-
ionary smile upon her face. Instinc-
lively he felt himself in the presence
of Mother Eve.
Mother Eve, | presumed the cor
respondent began, lifting his hat rev.
erently.
eyes" she answered. "I amMoth-
er Eve come back to earth again. Do
you wish to enter the Garden Of Ed
en?''
81 should like to visit it very
much"
She led the way into large room
full of untidy looking people, among
whom were a number of children. A
will-eyed, tremendously whiskered
man sat upon throne and announc-
ed in loud voice that he was Adam,
sent to lead man back into the Gar
den of Eden.
The correspondent sided into the
most distant corner of the room, pre-
ferring to obtain enlightenment from
Eve, who kindly accompanied him.
''How do you know that you are
Adam and Eve?" asked the visitor.
Zone night when we were living
in Ok ahoma and had been attending
revival meeting, we saw star fall,
and we knew it was sign. Then we
heard a voice saying. You are Adam
and you are Eve. Henceforth you are
free fom sin, and yours is the gift of
prophecy. &c forth and lead the
children of men back to the Garden
of Eden" -,
SIS this the Garden of Eden here?"
ooh, no." said Mother Eve. This
is only the gateway where the re-
deemed are gathered together and
instructed before they are led into
the garden. That is in one Of the
beautiful valleys of Colorado. We
shall move as soon as Adam has COM
pleted his preparations.
81 shall dress only in a fig-leaf, as
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