Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-10-03

when they are Oh age anu Can :,
and do as they like. A great deal
has been written about the marriage
ceremony of our people but ali the
ceremony we have is that when a
couple reach the age OF twenty-one
| and decide they want to be married,
they secure the consent OF the parents
of both parties, after which ne builds
a house on wheels, they begin living
together and are called man and
wife.
One day when my father was a boy
! they were travelling through Eng
| land when his sister became i'll. My
grandmother doctored her with herbs
as we'll as she knew how, but the
girl steadily grew worse until fl
nally they drove into town and up in
front of doctors home. After ex-
aiming her, he told them she had
smallpox and must leave town at
once, so they went to place about
two miles out and pitched a tent for
the mother and children who We're
we'll, the father taking the wagon in
which lay the sick girl, shorb dis
tance away and caring for her him
self. My grandmother used to go in
town every day to get food for the
family until one day the butcher and
,, baker found out about the sick girl,
after which all the food she could get
was the little which was left on door
steps for her by women who heard
about the case. In short time she
too contracted the disease and after
giving birth to a baby died. The
baby soon died too and they were
buried side by side. in a corner of the
town cemetery, under rubbish pile,
that being the only place the towns
people would let them have. My
grandfather was nearly broken-heart-
ed and every one he met he told about
his trouble. One day, while talking
with stone-cutter, the man asked
him to go to a revival service that
evening, thinking that might help
him. That was the night my grand
father gave his heart to Christ. Not
long afterwards my father was pass
ing little church in England and
hearing the singing, wandered in
side. That night as the invitation was
given he got up to go forward, dress
ed in little velvet suit with a bright
handkerchief around his neck, and as
he passed down the aisle he heard
lone-man remark, "He's only gyp-
sy." My father went forward kneeled
down and said oh God, nobody else
wants me, and you will have to take
me- When my father went home that
night he said he wanted to 60 to
school so he could be a preacher. His
! father sent him for one week, then
they moved to another place and in
! all that winter he had only four
weeks schooling, but he had learned
his alphabet.
, In short time ne went to Lon
don and General Booth of the Saliva
tion Army found place for him to
live with nice family for he wanted
him to associate with refined people,
and learn good manners if he was to
| be a minister.
| General Booth, placarded London
with posters regarding Gypsy Smith
My father did not like being called
by that name, when his real name
was Rodney and he spoke to Gener-
al Booth about it. Mr.. Booth said
anyone can be Smith but everyone
can't be Gypsy Smith. He stayed
! with the Salvation Army about two
years, then he and General Booth
| copld not agree as to some Of the
Army rules, so my father left him
and started out as an evangelist. He
i has preached in every English-speak-
ing country in the world.
"Out of that little tribe of forty
people, thirty of them today are grad
yates either of Cambridge or Eton
and we have thirteen evangelists
preaching on five different CONT,
nents." !" uift3;slS