第 14 节
作者:谁与争疯      更新:2021-02-19 00:36      字数:9322
  to pray;〃 and Mrs。 Blakely repeated the same; but I told the women this
  was doubting God in the beginning。
  〃 'If you ask for bread; will He give you a stone。' I am willing to
  trust God who said: 'Ask and ye shall receive;' and let Him send the
  rain any way He pleases。〃 This was finally agreed upon; and the next
  afternoon the citizens of the town were called to the church to pray for
  rain。
  After the meeting; we were standing on the platform in front of the
  church; and a sprinkle of rain out of a cloudless sky fell on the platform;
  and on the shutters of the house。 This was nothing but a miracle; and
  was very astonishing to us all。 The next day the clouds began to gather
  in the sky; and the moisture began; at first; to fall like heavy dew。 There
  was no lightning or thunder and the rain came down in the gentlest manner
  and continued in this way three days。 With this marvelous manifestation
  in direct answer to prayer; many people said 〃we would have had the
  rain any way。〃 Truly the ox knoweth his owner; and the ass his master's
  crib; but my people doth not know; my people doth not consider。〃
  I began to think what I should do to fulfill my vow to God; for I
  vowed to return to Him something for rain; to show my gratitude that I
  had seen done。 There was an old man; about seventy years old; entirely
  destitute; whose name was Bestwick。 I went to see him; asked him to
  come to the hotel and make his home there。 There was also a poor German
  girl; named Fredricka。 I also gave her board at the hotel。 These two
  stayed with me free of charge as long as I lived in Richmond。
  There were two political factions in Richmond at this time; one called
  the 〃Jaybirds〃 and the other 〃Peckerwoods〃。 The latter were people
  that were in favor of the negro holding offices。 This party had control of
  the country for some time。 The head of this party was Garvey; the
  sheriff。 The head of the former was Henry Frost; a saloon…keeper; and
  to this belonged nearly all the young men of Richmond。
  Mr。 Nation was correspondent for the Houston Post and he wrote
  a letter speaking of the bad…influence and conduct of these young men the
  night before; screaming about the streets and disturbing the peace generally。
  He went down to meet the trains about twelve o'clock at night。 The
  next night after the article appeared in the Post; he came in and woke
  me up saying: 〃Wife get up; I have been beaten almost to death;〃
  and lighting a lamp; I found that his body was covered with bruises。
  I bathed him in cold water and otherwise tried to relieve him。 He
  was too faint to tell me the trouble; only the boys had beaten him。 I knelt
  down by the window to pray to God。 I began by calling on God to send a
  punishment on people that would do such a mean; cowardly act。 I prayed
  until I received perfect deliverance from that kind of a spirit; and when I
  got up from off my knees; it was four o'clock in the morning。
  In this crowd was a family of Gibson boys; whose father was an
  infidel; and encouraged his sons in this matter and in all their bad ways。
  There were also other boys; Peason; Little; Winston; twenty…one in all。
  A man by the name of Henry George asked Mr。 Nation to come and sit
  on a bale of cotton on the depot platform; and talk with him; another one
  of these boys came up and threw Mr。 Nation backwards on the platform。
  Then each one gave him a hit with a stick; or a cane。 I don't think there
  are but two or three of those boys living now。 After moving to Kansas;
  a few months after this I returned to Texas for a visit。 I then looked;
  upon the graves of four of the Gibsons。 〃Truly; vengeance is mine; I will
  repay;' saith the Lord。
  Mr。 Nation was very unpopular with the 〃Jaybird〃 faction; because
  they said no Republican should stay in Fort Bend County。 The bitterness
  between these two factions broke out in a war。 Garvey and Frost with
  three others were killed。 Before this animosity between them arose; Richmond
  was a very pleasant place to live。 A great deal of sociability existed
  among the people; but from this time business and social relations were
  almost entirely ruined。
  I visited Richmond in 1902; and I never saw such a difference。 The
  Galveston storm greatly damaged many of the houses; and the ruins were
  still there。 A pall of death seemed to be over the whole place; and one
  coming into the town would feel a desire to leave it as quickly as possible;
  if there was not some interest independent of the town。 God said: 〃They
  shall eat the fruit of their own doing。〃 Still in Richmond God has those
  who have not bowed their knees to Baal。
  Mr。 Nation's life was threatened and we had to leave。 He went to
  Kansas where he had a brother。 After an application he took charge of a
  Christian church at Medicine Lodge; Barber County; Kansas。 This is January;
  1904; and we moved to Kansas about fourteen years ago。
  We traded the hotel for property in Medicine Lodge。 Charlien; Lola
  and their husbands moved to themselves and mother Gloyd would consent
  to stay away from me only until we could get settled in Kansas。 She
  had her trunk prepared for the journey。 She was now eighty…six years
  old; but had remarkable vitality。 I said:
  〃Mother you had better stay here the rest of your life; for Kansas is
  much colder than this climate。〃
  But she replied: 〃I came from Vermont and it is very cold there。〃
  She followed me to the train; and when I went to leave her she placed
  her arms around me and her head on my breast。 Her last words were:
  〃I have lived with you and I want to die with you。〃 Oh; how I disliked
  to leave her! This was the last time I saw her dear; sweet face。 We
  had lived together as constant companions for twenty…three years。
  Before I left Richmond; I requested of two of my dear friends; Mrs。
  Connor and Mrs。 Todd; that if mother ever got sick; they would stay by
  her until the last。 In a year from this time she died; being sick only three
  days。 These dear friends stayed by her side until the last。 A telegram
  was sent to me when she was first taken sick; and I wanted to go; but I
  had no money of my own; and Mr。 Nation would not consent。 I have
  never ceased to be sorry for it。
  I was very much pleased when I first went to Kansas; for it was a
  great relief from burdens。 We boarded six months。 After the year was
  up; Mr。 Nation went to Holton; Kansas; and took charge of a church
  there。 He went before I did; and to save shipping our horse and buggy;
  I drove through。 In order to get a good start and directions for my journey;
  I went to Bro。 Ed。 Crouce; who lived on a farm about five miles from
  town。 Our horse was not very safe for he had a way of balking。 Bro。
  Crouce told me to give him a severe cut across the back and give him the
  reins if he attempted to balk。 I tried this on two occasions; following his
  directions。 The horse reared up and acted in a way that terrified me; but I
  conquered and for ten years I drove that horse。 He was a noble beast
  with almost human sense。 This journey was four hundred miles。 For a
  hundred and fifty miles I was accompanied by a young girl of sixteen
  years of age; who was a farmer's daughter and seemed to be afraid of
  nothing。 She was a great inspiration to me; preparing me to drive the two
  hundred and fifty miles alone。 The great difficulty was in finding places
  to stop at night。 I got so I did not look for large roomy houses for
  entertainment;
  but the smaller ones。 I found out that the friends of the poor
  are the poor。 Mr。 Nation met me at Topeka and he was so pleased that
  he said: 〃You shall have this horse and buggy for your own。〃
  Holton was thirty miles north and we drove up together。
  I began to have a contempt for popular preaching; keeping apart from
  'clicks〃 and 〃sects〃。 I knew that my husband ought not to be in the ministry。
  I do not believe he was ever a converted man。 This made me very
  miserable; putting us in a false light before the people。 It was my desire
  to serve God in a simple; humble way。 Before the year was out because
  of some dissatisfaction in the church between Mr。 Nation and the board;
  we left Holton。 I then drove back to Medicine Lodge alone; enjoying my
  trip very much。 Mr。 Nation never took charge of a church again。 He
  was a man well versed in law; and at one time rendered valuable service
  in prosecuting liquor cases in Medicine Lodge。
  When I lived in Texas and was keeping hotel in Richmond; one cold
  rainy morning; a lot of men came in from the train。
  I took special notice of one man。 His hands were that of a woman;
  his face was very refined; but his clothes were shabby。 He was sitting
  by himself and I said to him: 〃You must excuse me but you
  look so much like a catholic priest I once saw。〃 I did not then dream he
  was one。 Next morning I sent one of the boys that waited on the table to
  see what was the matter that he did not come down to breakfast。 He was
  sick。 I went up to see him and he told me he often had attacks of heart
  trouble; that he had fallen in a faint in the yard the night before。 I asked
  him if he had any friends。 He said: 〃No。〃 I asked him his business?
  〃You guessed it last night;〃 he replied。 Then he told me he was a catholic
  priest。 I was very much astonished for he had on a common su