In 1860, a little boy was born to a gypsy couple, Cornelius and Mary Smith. This birth was not unusual, nor was it noticed by the public at large. After all, many gypsies were looked upon as trouble makers and thieves. No one expected them to amount to anything. However, the Lord had different ideas for this baby boy. Gypsy Rodney Smith would grow up to be one of the greatest preachers of the nineteenth century- thanks to God’s grace. This is his story.
Gypsies as a people are nomads. They travel around in wagons, and sell their wares to people who will buy them. The women may sell baskets, or tin goods, while the men make the goods, and are in charge of transportation. These people also tell fortunes because it brings them a lucrative profit. Gypsies are very upright in their inter-personal relationships, but they do not mind taking advantage of outsiders. Because gypsies travel so much, they are generally an illiterate society. This is the background that Rodney Smith was born into. Gypsy Smith had three brothers and sisters, and a loving mother. His father sold baskets, clothespins, and also played his fiddle for the different festivities in the area. Life continued normally for this family until their mother and sister came down with the smallpox. Rodney’s sister recovered, but his mother succumbed to the disease, and passed away. Her death was a heart-breaking event for everyone in the family- and it had a profound effect on Rodney’s father, Cornelius. Cornelius was struck low by grief. He had promised his wife that he would be good, and take care of the children. It was at this time that Cornelius decided to seek the Lord in earnest. He would he convicted by his drinking, and his sinful ways, but had no power to be free from them. One day Cornelius was invited to a church service by a workman, and he got gloriously saved! No more would he drink, and steal for Christ was in his life to stay. Cornelius was wholeheartedly sold …show more content…
During this time, he had to get used to what one might call a “civilized life”. That is, he had to learn to wear a suit, sleep in a house instead of a tent, eat with silverware…. etc. Reading and writing were still difficult for this new preacher, and he struggled a bit with it at first. Notwithstanding, the Lord enabled Gypsy Smith. He determined to go on with the work, and was richly rewarded for his efforts when his sister Tilly came to Christ.
Whitby was the first town that Gypsy Smith ministered in, and he was well liked by everyone. One lady name Miss Pennock liked him in particular. She liked him so well in fact, that she became his bride! Gypsy Smith continued to work with the Salvation Army until a sad misunderstanding caused him to be discharge from the organization.
The people of Hadley had given Gypsy Smith a gold watch, and his wife a small monetary gift of five pounds. Now, there was a rule forbidding the reception of gifts, but Gypsy Smith thought that rule referred to the giving of gifts within the organization. He did not realize that he could not receive presents from his congregation, and thus, got himself into trouble. The Salvation Army thought he was being insubordinate when he received the gifts, and dismissed
Gypsies as a people are nomads. They travel around in wagons, and sell their wares to people who will buy them. The women may sell baskets, or tin goods, while the men make the goods, and are in charge of transportation. These people also tell fortunes because it brings them a lucrative profit. Gypsies are very upright in their inter-personal relationships, but they do not mind taking advantage of outsiders. Because gypsies travel so much, they are generally an illiterate society. This is the background that Rodney Smith was born into. Gypsy Smith had three brothers and sisters, and a loving mother. His father sold baskets, clothespins, and also played his fiddle for the different festivities in the area. Life continued normally for this family until their mother and sister came down with the smallpox. Rodney’s sister recovered, but his mother succumbed to the disease, and passed away. Her death was a heart-breaking event for everyone in the family- and it had a profound effect on Rodney’s father, Cornelius. Cornelius was struck low by grief. He had promised his wife that he would be good, and take care of the children. It was at this time that Cornelius decided to seek the Lord in earnest. He would he convicted by his drinking, and his sinful ways, but had no power to be free from them. One day Cornelius was invited to a church service by a workman, and he got gloriously saved! No more would he drink, and steal for Christ was in his life to stay. Cornelius was wholeheartedly sold …show more content…
During this time, he had to get used to what one might call a “civilized life”. That is, he had to learn to wear a suit, sleep in a house instead of a tent, eat with silverware…. etc. Reading and writing were still difficult for this new preacher, and he struggled a bit with it at first. Notwithstanding, the Lord enabled Gypsy Smith. He determined to go on with the work, and was richly rewarded for his efforts when his sister Tilly came to Christ.
Whitby was the first town that Gypsy Smith ministered in, and he was well liked by everyone. One lady name Miss Pennock liked him in particular. She liked him so well in fact, that she became his bride! Gypsy Smith continued to work with the Salvation Army until a sad misunderstanding caused him to be discharge from the organization.
The people of Hadley had given Gypsy Smith a gold watch, and his wife a small monetary gift of five pounds. Now, there was a rule forbidding the reception of gifts, but Gypsy Smith thought that rule referred to the giving of gifts within the organization. He did not realize that he could not receive presents from his congregation, and thus, got himself into trouble. The Salvation Army thought he was being insubordinate when he received the gifts, and dismissed