Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and WorkAlexander, Gross
Religion
Steve P. Holcombe, the Converted Gambler: His Life and Work
Alexander, Gross
Holcombe, Steve P., 1835-; Methodists -- United States -- Biography
will learn after awhile." Last night I was out late, and when I came
home she said, "We will all kneel down and pray." We started off, "Our
Father, who art in heaven," and Kittie went along with us, repeating it.
She knows all that, you know. After we were done saying that, I prayed;
and after I got through the old lady prayed; and after we had prayed I
said, "Kittie, you must say your prayer." She said, "I can not pray
like you do." But she did the best she could.
If you ask me how I came to change my life, it was this way: I knew that
Brother Holcombe was a good man, and knew that he was reformed and I had
so much faith in him, and I studied about that so much that I just
thought if he could be such a good man, why could not I be a good man;
and that is the way it came. I tell you, backwardness is a fault with a
good many preachers. If I was a preacher and I saw a man on the street
that I saw was going wrong, I would go right up to him and touch him on
the shoulder. I do it now--I never let him get away; I never let a
friend of mine get away, I do not care who he is. I go to him and tell
him what God has done for me. I say, "Why don't you come up to the
Mission? Don't you know Brother Holcombe?" If he says "No; I don't live
here," I say, "If you come up there, we will be pleased to see you. You
don't know what good it might do your soul."
I do wish I had an education. I reckon there has been more money spent
on me than on all the rest of my family. I went to three colleges; was
expelled from one and ran away from the other two. I was the worst boy
on earth; there is no use talking. I would rather fight that eat; but no
more fighting for me; I am done. You know that I have been trying to get
work to do, and at last I have found a place. I am earnestly praying
every day more and more--I _can_ pray now. A man asked me the other
day--I don't know whether I answered him right or not--he asked me, "Do
you ever expect to go back to gambling?" I said, "I would starve to
death before I would gamble any more." He said, "What about your
wife--if you knew your wife was going to starve, would you gamble?" I
said, "Before I would let my wife and child starve, I would gamble--I
would gamble to get them something to eat; but," I said, "there is no
danger of their starving. But you put that question to me so strong." I
said, "I know that God would not censure me for that, but there is no
danger of it."
I wish I could say more. I know I mean what I have said, God knows I do,
and it is all true as near as I can remember.
NOTE.--Mr. Price is a brother of the late Hon. J. Hop Price,
for many years a well-known lawyer and judge in Louisville. He
is now engaged as night watchman on Main street.
MILES TURPIN.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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