en
shoot bearing a white blossom.

"It is the sign that this is indeed our Lord's birth night, the sign
that January 6th is the real Christmas," old folk of the Blue Ridge bear
witness.

FOOT-WASHING

He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and
took a towel, and girded himself.

After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to
wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel
wherewith he was girded.

"It is writ in the Good Book," said Brother Jonathan solemnly, "in the
thirteen chapter of St. John, the fourth and the fifth verses."

With hands meekly clasped in front of him Brother Jonathan stood--not
behind a pulpit--but beside a small table. Nor did he hold the Book.
That too lay on the table beside the water bucket, where he had placed
it after taking his text.

It could be in Pleasant Valley Church in Magoffin County, or in Old Tar
Kiln Church in Carter County; it could be in Bethel Church high up in
the Unakas, or Antioch Church in Cowee, Nantahala, Dry Fork, or New Hope
Chapel in Tusquitee, in Bald or Great Smoky. Anywhere, everywhere that
an Association of Regular Primitive Baptists hold forth, and they are
numerous throughout the farflung scope of the mountains of the Blue
Ridge.

"He laid aside his garments ... and after that he poureth water into a
bason, and began to wash the feet of the disciples...." Again Brother
Jonathan repeated the words.

Slowly, deliberately he went over much that had gone before. This being
the third Sunday of August and the day for Foot-washing in Lacy Valley
Church where other brethren of the Burning Spring Association had
already been preaching since sunup. One after the other had spelled each
other, taking text after text. And now Brother Jonathan--this being his
home church--had taken the stand to give out the text and preach upon
that precept of the Regular Primitive Baptists of washing feet. It was
the home preacher's sacred privilege.

Old folks dozed, babies fretted, young folks twisted and squirmed in the
straight-backed benches. A parable he told, a story of salvation,
conviction, damnation. But always he came back to the thirteenth chapter
of St. John. He spoke again of that part of the communion service which
had preceded: the partaking of the unleavened bread, which two elders
had passed to the worthy seated in two rows facing each other at the
front of the little church; t