<TITLE>11. Par 37-40</TITLE>L-37 We got married. We didn't have nothing to start housekeeping on. Only thing we had... I tell you what we had: A little old place where I rented; my rent cost me four dollars a month. And I went into a little old place there, and somebody give us an old fashioned folding bed. You remember that old folding bed? Straw mattress, straw tick on it... And then... And we had a little old table we bought from Sears and Roebuck, and chairs; we had to--to paint it ourselves. And--and so I painted it. And we had two linoleum rugs, got from Johnny Jobbers. That was just a second hand place down into the, Jeffersonville. I said that John Jobbers so they could catch get the benefit of it. And so we got... I think they cost a dollar and a quarter apiece.
And I went over to Mr. Webber's; he was a junk dealer and bought a--a cooking stove. And I give him a dollar and something for it, and I had to pay a dollar and seventy-five cents for grates to put in. I got an icebox from Public Service Company for fifty cents, one they took in on swap. We went to housekeeping.

L-38 But friends, it was just as paradise on earth. We had each other. I'd become converted in that time, become a minister, and was preaching, and I loved the Lord with all my heart, and we loved one another. And that's all we cared for.
And listen. Happiness does not consist of how much the world's goods you own, but how contented you are with the portion that's allotted to you. That's right. Remember that. That's all we had. We were happy and lovely. I had a little church there they built for me; the little Tabernacle stands today yet as a memorial. And we all great crowds of people come from far and near, around the country to hear the simple Gospel. And we were just doing wonderful.

L-39 And I remember a lovely little boy was born into our home. I call him Billy Paul. I want him to be with me in the next meetings at Carlsbad, as soon as I leave Arkansas here. And so, he's fourteen years old now. And a little later on, eleven months come along, another--another lovely little sweet thing by the name of Sharon Rose.
Just before Billy was born, we had saved enough money, till I was, wanted to take a little time off. And we... I went up to Dowagiac, Michigan, to a--a meeting, and the--with an old man that had white beard and white hair, by the name of John Ryan.
And so I went up there. And on the road back, coming back, I seen a sign, great crowds of people everywhere when I passed through Mishawaka. I thought, "What are those people." And I went over there, and there's some of them in T-Model Fords, and some in Cadillacs. And they told me that they were... I couldn't get nothing to, no place to stay. And they said you're--you're... There's a conference going on here. The Pentecostal people are having a conference. The--the P. A. of J. C., I believe it was, P--P. A. of J. C. denomination of Pentecost called that.

L-40 Well, I seen all kinds of people. I thought, "Well, that's a religious meeting. Believe I'll go in."
Well, I never heard so much noise in all my life. So... Oh, church manners, they didn't have it. They were screaming, shouting, and carrying on. I thought, "What in the world?" I looked around there, and they got a tabernacle...
Some of you might know the man's name. His name's Rowe, Reverend Rowe. Anybody here happen to know Reverend Rowe? And a... Yes, someone here knows of him. Reverend Rowe, it was in his church.
Well, they were just clapping their hands, and carrying on, and dancing. And why, I said, "My, isn't that horrible, people dancing in the church?" I said, "Well, that's a shame." And I was setting in a seat of the scornful, sure enough. So I thought... Something though kinda got a hold of me a little bit. And I thought, "Well, now."


<A HREF="P12">Next Page</A>