“The next night I preached as hard as I knew how to sinners, and when I finished, I asked anybody who wanted to be prayed for to stand up. The same little rascal popped out into the aisle, as he had done the night before, and stood looking at me until I saw him and said, ‘God bless you.’ I thought I’d vary the thing a little, so I asked if anybody present was willing to come forward and give me his hand as an indication that he would accept Jesus. That same boy came shuffling out of his seat, straight down the aisle and gave me his hand. I saw smiles on the faces of some in the congregation. Nobody but the boy showed any interest, and I went off somewhat disheartened. The third night I preached, and when I asked all who wanted prayer to rise, that boy popped out into the aisle. The people had begun to regard it as a joke, and they nudged each other with their elbows, while a broad smile flared from one side of the house to the other. When I asked anybody who was willing to accept Jesus to come and give me his hand, that boy came, and the congregation smiled broader than before. After the meeting the deacons came to me and told me that the boy must be stopped, as he was a half-idiot, and was throwing a damper on the meeting. I said: ‘Stop nothing! How are you going to throw a damper on an ice-house?’
“For the whole of that week that boy was the only person in the house who showed any interest in the meeting. Then he wanted to join the church. The pastor was absent, and I was to open the doors of the church. The deacons came to me and said I must not receive that boy, as he didn’t have sense enough to join the church. I said: ‘Look here, brethren, I won’t take this responsibility on my hands. I’m going to put that boy on you, and if you choose to reject him, his blood be upon your hands.’ At the conclusion of the morning service, I invited all who wanted to unite with the church to come forward. That boy came. I asked him if he had accepted Christ for his personal Saviour. That’s all I ever ask. He said he had. ‘Brethren,’ I said, ‘you hear what this boy has to say. What will you do with him?’ An ominous silence fell on the congregation. After a time, from ’way back by the door, I heard a muffled and rather surly, ‘I move he be received.’ Another painful silence followed, and then, from the middle of the church, I heard a muffled, ‘I second the motion.’ When I put the motion, about a half dozen members voted ‘aye’ in a tone so low that it seemed as if they were scared. I gave the boy the right hand of Christian welcome awaiting baptism, and then dismissed the congregation.