The Worst Man I Have Ever Known

Sunday morning when I entered Sunday School the teacher met me at the door and said, "Mrs. Kirk’s father is dying so she cannot come to lead Devotions this morning.  Will you do it?

So I told this story of "The Worst Man I have ever known". In 1882 my parents built a home in the new part of the town of Wytheville, Va.  Just opposite them lived the worst looking old man I have ever seen. Some Dr. had given him an overdose of some kind of medicine that turned his face blue, not pale blue but deep sky blue. His gray hair and beard were never cut and he never washed.   Both legs were crippled from rheumatism, and he walked with 2 canes. His most aesthetic habit was that he had his chickens to roost on the high headboard of his bed.  He cursed fearfully everyone who came near him.  Mama used to give him cooked food  and I was the little child who had to carry it to him.  Culpepper and Fife evangelists, erected a large tent on a vacant lot in the center of town, and held a revival there.  They asked every Christian to bring one unsaved person to the meetings. Mama said she was going to take old Mr. Dick Hines because he needed Christ more than anyone in town. Everyone said he will curse you.  But she prayed first and then went over and invited him. He burst out laughing and said, "Do you mean that a fine lady likeyou in a black silk dress would walk in that tent with an awful looking old man like me?”  “Well if you will, I will go.”  Mama sent word for the evangelists to save 2 seats on the front row as he was very deaf.  So they walked down the "sawdust trail".  He became interested and asked her to take his again. God touched his heart. He became a Christian and never cursed again.   When he died, he left his little 2 room house and lot to Mrs. C. W. Gleaves.  He said he was going straight to hell  and nobody in that town cared to save his soul but  Mrs. C. W. Gleaves.

          With love to each and everyone,

                   Nana Rich  [Anna Gleaves Rich]