In order to ascertain the spiritual condition of the villagers, a preacher went from house to house in a small village some time ago.
He asked their names, whether or not they attended any place of worship, and finally inquired: "Are you converted?"
To this last question the answers were amusing, except for the fact the question was so serious.
Some had been "christened," some "registered," some "confirmed," and several had been "vaccinated." But whatever "conversion" was, they did not know.
On his way home after a day of such labor, the interviewer came to a little shop. The shopkeeper's name was over the door. He wrote it down, and entering said to the elderly lady behind the counter: "I know your name. Let me ask you, do you attend any Sunday services?"
"Yes,"
"Are you a member there?"
"Yes."
"Are you converted?"
To this question there was no reply.
"People in this village," said the evangelist, "do not seem to know the meaning of the word, `conversion,' Do you?"
He pressed for an answer; and finally she replied:
"I dare not say that I am not converted."
"Very well," he said, "I will put a 'C' after your name. Now can you tell me how you were converted? I should like to hear."
And this was the old lady's story: "When I was a little girl, there came to live near us a man who preached on Sunday afternoons. No matter what his subject was, he always pressed home one thing: "Whether churchman or otherwise, Christ is the door by which you must enter." He made us understand that we must enter in by this door or be lost forever.
"About this time I was taken very ill with a fever, and I heard the doctor say to my mother: `Do not be surprised if this child dies in the night. She is very ill.'
"I was so frightened that I cried to the Lord to save my soul. All at once, while praying, I felt my sins were pardoned and my soul saved. I was so happy, and although it was three o'clock in the morning, I called my mother and told her. `Oh, Mother! what do you think? Jesus has pardoned my sins and saved my soul. I am not afraid to die now.'
"My poor mother began to cry and told me I must be quiet. When morning came and the doctor called, he shook his head, saying I was delirious and would soon die. The minister was called, and he too thought I was out of my mind.
"I did not die nor did I go out of my mind. I remained happy and recovered from my illness.
"But there was no sympathy or encouragement in this experience, so I kept it to myself. Eventually my happy feelings faded away. For fifty years I have not told anyone of my conversion."
As the old lady told her story her face began to brighten with animation, and she there and then declared that she was happy once more.
From that day on she had many opportunities to tell her customers of her conversion, and continued a bright and happy Christian.