Events of Early Christian Life

One day soon after I was saved, I felt God stirring within me, and gave
vent to my happy soul by praising his precious name aloud. This seemed to
disturb Father, and he commanded me to be quiet. But God stirred me up more
and more, until my soul seemed to roar like a lion, and I quoted the
following scripture to Father: "If these should hold their peace, the
stones would immediately cry out." This looked like disobedience to my
father; but the outcome seemed to show that God was leading me, for Father
calmed down and did not again interfere with my praising the Lord.

Not long after I was sanctified, I received my first light on the subject
of dress. One Sunday morning while at the Methodist meeting listening to a
sermon, a voice began to talk to my soul: "You profess to be sanctified,
living a holy life, and yet your head-dress shows conformity to the world."
These words did not come from the pulpit either: nothing was being preached
against dress or worldly conformity. Sunday after Sunday the same still,
small voice talked to me in this way, until I hardly knew what to do.

Finally I said to myself, "I shall not allow my conscience to be tortured
in this way any more." Early Monday morning, therefore, as soon as I had an
opportunity, I took the flowers off my hat, as they were what the Holy
Spirit had been pointing out to me. My Mother, who was sitting by, said,
"Mary, what are you doing?" I said, "I am taking these flowers off." "What
are you doing that for?" she inquired. "Because," I answered, "I do not
want them on." I did not explain matters to her just then. She replied,
"That is just a foolish notion of yours. You will soon want the flowers on
again." "No, Mother," I answered, "I never will."