file which includes the original illustration4 ,see #ebfig-;h4htm or #ebfig-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#ebfig_/pg#ebfig-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#eb fig_/ebfig-;h4zip7 ,images of the original pages are available through ,internet ,archive4 ,see https3_/_/archive4org_/details_/fiveyear sinalleg#ja;cros ,illustration3 ,,the ,,hawk',s ,,nest1 ,,or ,,marshall',s ,,pillar4 ,,fayette ,,county1 ,,west ,,virginia4 ,,page #afg4 ,,five ,,years ,,in ,,the ,,alleghanies4 ,illustration ,published by the ,american ,tract ,society1 #aej ,nassau-,street1 ,new ,york4 ,entered according to ,act of ,congress1 in the year #ahfc1 by the ,american ,tract ,society1 in the ,clerk's ,office of the ,district ,court of the ,southern ,district of the ,state of ,new ,york4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,the ,preparation #e ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,the milestone--,the elegant young man--,the collier--,the rich lady #ae ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,the grog-shop--,the rolling mills--,the ,universalist #bg ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,the new 8relagin0--,the hard father and his little daughter--,the deserted homes--,the stolen books #cg ,,chapter ,v4 ,book preachers installed--8,caught with guile0--,the clenched fist--,review #di ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,governor of ,west ,virginia--,surprising desolations--,the lodging--,the dinner--8,blazing the trees0 #eg ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,the hunter seeking books for a ,sunday-school--,the first sermon--,clock pedlars #fh ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,the 8,ironside0 preacher and distiller--,wife and granddaughter #ge ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,a church dignitary--8,have you let ,washington into heaven80 #ha ,,chapter ,x4 ,the pistol--,the surveyor's son--,a public-house--8,you have prayed plenty0--,the pocket-,bible #hi ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,the summit of ,cheat mountain--,the 8fellow that wanted to colport0--,the sheriffs warrant--,wishing to be a tract agent #ig ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,the wickedest man in the county--,the bully--,the shooting match--,a gang of desperadoes #aaa ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,a night on guard--,old ,randal ,lucas #aai ,,chapter ,,xiv4 8,no church1 no preacher1 no ,sunday-school1 no day-school0--,a young lady's success #abh ,,chapter ,,xv4 8,no such place as hell0--,the busy lawyer--,a ,trinity--,the great work in ,l----1 and in ,u---- #acg ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,a ,pentecostal season--,service in a graveyard--,a ,seceder church #aea ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,the ,spirit's blessing at ,c----1 and near ,marshall's ,pillar1 and at ,l---- ,b---- --,col4 ,s----#8s household #afc ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,grieving the ,spirit--,striking effects of the ,anxious ,inquirer #agf ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,work of grace at ,l---- --,the ,german professor--,the wealthy young lady--8,don't be offended0--,a distinguished civilian #ahh ,,the ,,conclusion #bja ,,five ,,years ,,in ,,the ,,alleghanies4 ,,chapter ,i4 8,it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps40 ,in all my connection with the scenes here truthfully described1 as in the training and discipline of earlier years through which ,i was brought into them1 ,i have been led in a way that ,i knew not4 ,i was born on the border of ,western ,pennsylvania and ,virginia1 within the wilds of the vast range of the ,alleghanies1 where the howl of the wolf1 the scream of the panther1 and the ,indian's tomahawk were my dread4 ,in infancy my father died1 and a few years later my pious mother4 ,but ,god raised up a foster-mother1 and in her family an intelligent ,scotch female teacher1 who made me her special charge during my first year at school4 ,here1 in connection with faithful preaching from a tent in the woods on the ,sabbath1 and instruction in the log-cabin day-schools1 ,i received those rudiments of education1 and was indoctrinated in that sound system of faith and morals from which 8old ,scotia's grandeur springs40 ,conscious of my ruin by sin and need of the 8new birth10 as set forth in old standard works of ,flavel and ,boston which ,i read1 for three years from ten to thirteen1 ,i was often deeply impressed as to the state of my soul4 ,i attended constantly on preaching and the monthly examinations1 committed to memory catechisms and scriptures1 and wrestled with ,god in prayer that ,i might be truly converted and become a minister of the gospel2 and sometimes ,i indulged a trembling hope in ,christ4 ,but among the snares and flatteries of ungodly companions1 my alarm and faint hopes of salvation gradually subsided4 ,i was at length led to show my manhood by tobacco-chewing1 card-playing1 and even profanity4 ,next ,i was enticed to read works on ,universalism1 and for four years sought to stifle conscience by arguments to prove that all will be saved4 ,yet a still small voice was whispering1 8,the soul that sinneth it shall die20 and though jovial in company1 when alone hell would seem to flash up before me in all its horrors4 ,two great powers were striving in my heart3 one to lead me into deeper sin2 the other crying1 8,turn ye1 turn ye2 for why will ye die80 ,at seventeen ,i went with an ungodly young man into the then wilderness of ,central ,ohio1 where for half a year ,i heard no sermon1 hunted on the ,sabbath1 threw off restraints1 and as it were dared the vengeance of ,god4 ,oh how astonishing the mercy of ,god1 to continue to strive with such a rebel6 ,when ,i arrived at eighteen1 ,i spent two or three nights in a week at the card-table1 to 8kill time0 and drown the whispers of the ,spirit4 ,i thought of enlisting in the army1 and then resolved to go to sea3 but in the providence of ,god1 a young woman just then engaged my affections2 thoughts of the army and the sea were dislodged1 and in a few months we were married1 depending on our personal exertions for the means of support4 ,we rented a piece of land1 and entered upon the scenes and responsibilities of real life4 ,after six months1 ,i was seized with acute inflammatory rheumatism1 and the verdict of the physician was1 that the disease was incurable1 and ,i must die4 ,every feature was distorted with agony2 and yet the agony of soul at the thought of being dragged into the presence of ,god with all my sins unpardoned was unspeakably more terrible4 ,i saw that ,i had shut my heart against the calls of ,god's word and ,spirit a thousand times1 and that ,i deserved the deepest hell4 ,i tried to pray1 but there seemed to be no ,god to hear1 no ,saviour to intercede1 no ,spirit to comfort my lost and wretched soul4 ,as ,i was recovering1 8,the ,afflicted ,man's ,companion10 received from a friend1 was greatly blessed to me1 and ,i resolved by ,god's help to live the life and die the death of the righteous4 ,the struggle now began in earnest4 ,such was my agony of soul1 that ,i often went to the woods and rolled on the ground for hours4 ,most of those around me1 for miles in every direction1 were living in neglect of ,god2 intemperance fearfully prevailed2 there was not one religious friend to whom ,i could reveal the feelings of my heart4 ,i tried to surrender myself to ,christ1 but in vain4 ,a voice seemed to follow me continually1 8,he that is ashamed of me and of my words1 of him will ,i be ashamed before my ,father and his holy angels40 ,i felt that a public acknowledgment of ,christ and his cause was the only way of relief2 but ,i shrunk from the duty1 wishing to be a secret ,christian1 and go to the ,saviour1 like ,nicodemus1 by night4 ,this distress continued for some months4 ,at length ,i was enabled to ask a blessing at my table1 which seemed a hard task before my then irreligious wife2 and after this it was a struggle of six months before ,i could summon courage to commence family prayer1 even on a ,sabbath evening4 ,this duty was then performed1 and peace of mind followed4 ,after a few months ,i made known the state of my mind to the officers of a church some miles distant1 and was admitted1 though with many sore misgivings and fears that ,i had no right to the ,lord's supper1 and was self-deceived4 ,god graciously removed these doubts1 and ,i felt the claims of ,christ to do something for others4 ,i first engaged in loaning such good books as ,i could get1 especially ,the ,afflicted ,man's ,companion1 ,doddridge's ,rise and ,progress1 and ,pike's ,persuasives to ,early ,piety2 feeling assured that no one could prayerfully read either of these books without being converted4 ,when ,i was in my twenty-third year1 a devoted ,christian settled in a very wicked community about five miles from me1 where he started a ,sabbath-school4 ,i went to see it1 and was greatly pleased with it4 ,at the close1 ,i was introduced to ,mr4 ,p----2 and to his influence1 under ,god1 more than to that of any other individual1 is to be traced all ,i have been enabled to do for the salvation of souls4 ,he told me all about the management of a ,sabbath-school1 and how to get books from the ,american ,sunday-school ,union1 which had just begun its heaven-born work in our country4 ,i immediately set to work1 raised five dollars1 procured ten dollars' worth of books1 and opened a ,sabbath-school in my own house4 ,the room soon became too small2 but ,god put it into the heart of an irreligious neighbor to offer a larger room1 where the school was continued for a year1 and where ,i also held a weekly meeting1 usually reading one of ,burder's ,village ,sermons4 ,more room soon became necessary1 and a large school-house was built2 and there1 for twelve long years1 the ,sabbath-school and religious meetings were kept up1 until nearly all the youth and most of the adult population in the neighborhood were brought into the church4 ,this ,sabbath-school and that of ,mr4 ,p---- were the means ,god used to build up a good congregation in one of the most wicked and hopeless communities4 ,with these results before me1 as soon as ,i heard of ,colportage my heart beat with joy at the thought that the poor would soon have the gospel preached to them1 and that thousands of children1 untaught at home1 would be reached by soul-saving truth adapted to their opening minds4 ,but the question came into my mind at once1 8,who will go into these ignorant communities1 and deny themselves the comforts of home1 to do this work80 little thinking that ,god1 by fifteen years training1 had selected me for that very work in the ,alleghanies4 ,an incident that occurred some years previous made a deep impression on my mind4 ,the ecclesiastical body with which ,i was connected had requested the officers of vacant churches to visit all the families in those churches1 and talk and pray with them4 ,i shrunk from the task2 but encouraged by ,mr4 ,p----1 ,i entered on it with fear and trembling4 ,by the time the first visit was paid ,i felt as if ,i should like to spend my days in such a work4 ,late in the evening of my first day ,i stopped at a house where the man and his wife were members of our church4 ,a young man was present who was to be married in a few days4 ,i had some acquaintance with him1 and asked him if he had ever felt any concern about his soul4 ,he said1 8,a little sometimes1 but not much40 ,i urged him to seek first the kingdom of ,god3 and his righteousness1 and said to him1 8,for aught you know1 before another morning you may be dead1 or on a sick-bed from which you may never rise40 ,at midnight that night he woke up sick4 ,in a day or two ,i was sent for4 ,he told me the moment he woke sick he thought of what ,i said1 and felt that he should never get well4 ,he lingered three months2 but more than a month before he died he professed his faith in ,christ4 ,from that time till he died1 he daily urged his ungodly1 intemperate parents to repent and meet him in heaven4 ,the father soon became much distressed about his soul2 and a year after1 he died a most triumphant death1 committing his children to my care for religious instruction4 ,within a few years the mother and most of the children were united with ,god's people4 ,all attributed their salvation to the exhortations of that son and those of us who attended him and his father4 ,this encouraged me to try to do more4 ,on the morning of ,october #bj1 #ahdd1 ,i rose in peace1 with my happy little family around me2 but a holy ,providence ordered that in twelve hours my dear wife was to be in the cold embrace of death1 and that her death was to be the first of a chain of providences to lead me 8out into the highways and hedges40 ,the next ,sabbath morning our pulpit was occupied by ,rev4 ,mr4 ,w----1 who presented the moral and religious wants of our country1 and tenderly appealed for laborers4 ,at the close of the service ,i was introduced to him1 and he accompanied me to the new-made grave of my beloved companion4 ,the band that had bound me to my home was loosed4 ,on ,monday morning the preacher called on me again2 preliminaries were arranged2 and ,i was commissioned as colporteur for ,western ,virginia1 consenting first to labor a short time among the colliers in ,western ,pennsylvania4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,i left home for the field of labor assigned me on the first day of ,november1 #ahdd4 ,on my way on horseback ,i came alongside of a young gentleman of very fine appearance4 ,we immediately entered into conversation about the beautiful farms and fine improvements we passed4 ,when we had rode some distance1 ,i observed a mile-stone1 which reminded me of a promise made some years before1 that ,i would never travel a mile or spend an hour alone with any person without talking on the subject of religion4 ,i immediately set about to find something to make an introduction out of4 ,the first thing that caught my eye was a very tall hickory pole1 raised by one of the political parties of the time1 and said ,i feared the political excitement was very seriously affecting the interests of the church4 ,the evasive reply of the elegant young man led me to suppose he was a gay1 thoughtless young lawyer or physician1 as ,i had discovered that he was an educated man4 ,i then observed to him that as we were providentially thrown together1 and ,i had made a promise not to travel a mile or spend an hour with any one without speaking on the subject of religion1 ,i hoped he had no objections to such conversation4 ,he said1 8,it is no doubt an important subject10 but said it in such a way that ,i still thought he was an irreligious man4 ,i then observed that ,i felt a deep interest in young men1 especially as the destinies of the church and nation would soon be in their hands4 ,that the only safeguard of either was real piety4 ,i then repeated the text1 8,except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of ,god40 ,and after preaching him a sermon from it near a mile long1 he observed1 8,well1 sir1 that is very good theology40 ,the manner in which it was said led me to reply1 8,perhaps ,i have run against a preacher40 8,yes1 sir10 said he1 8,i am a new beginner at it1 and you have given me one of the best lessons that ,i have ever learned4 ,i thank you for it2 it needs no apology1 and ,i hope ,god will give me grace always to do likewise40 ,our journey as we continued it to ,pittsburg was pleasant and profitable4 ,in the evening ,i reached the hospitable home of the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,j---- in the village of ,t----1 near to the city4 ,it had been arranged for his house to be my headquarters1 and ,i shall never forget the nights ,i spent with him and his devoted companion4 ,i thought him as nigh ,christian perfection as man is ever raised in this world4 ,had it not been for their wise ,christian counsel and earnest prayers1 my faith and courage would have yielded when ,i came to look on my field of labor4 ,my new work1 to which everybody was a stranger1 and to be done among strangers in the bustle of business and worldly excitements1 seemed to be too formidable an undertaking4 ,all nations seemed to be represented2 scores intoxicated1 and blaspheming ,god's holy name4 ,and what added to the difficulty was1 that my books did not come to hand for three days1 leaving me that time to magnify molehills into mountains of difficulty4 ,but this delay was the most important part of my training4 ,those were days of most earnest searchings of heart1 while such passages of ,scripture as1 8,he that is ashamed of me and my words1 of him will ,i be ashamed before my ,father and his holy angels10 were constantly ringing in my ears4 ,on the evening of the third day the box of books came4 ,i had engaged a class-leader in the ,methodist church to go with me the first day2 but the sight of the box made me tremble1 and so great was the dread of beginning the work that evening1 that ,i resolved that if ,god did not give me strength by the next morning1 ,i would start home and give it up4 ,the night was spent without sleep4 ,i can truly say ,i was in an agony till four o'clock in the morning4 ,then in a moment of time all my fears were gone1 and ,i longed for the morning to come that ,i might begin my work4 ,by eight o'clock in the morning ,i called on ,mr4 ,s---- who was to accompany me1 with my basket filled with good books and tracts4 ,in a few minutes we entered the first house4 ,they were ,germans2 very irreligious4 ,we talked and prayed with them1 and sold some books4 ,they seemed pleased with the visit1 and thanked us for it4 ,the next house we entered bore the brand of intemperance4 ,the husband was sitting by the fire with a sore hand and red eyes4 ,we preached to him 8righteousness1 temperance1 and a judgment to come10 till he trembled and wept like a child4 ,he promised to drink no more1 joined a temperance society that night1 became a church-going man1 provided for his family1 and as far as ,i know has turned out well4 ,during that day we visited twenty-seven families1 talked and prayed with all of them1 and distributed near twenty dollars' worth of books4 ,many shed tears while we talked with them of ,christ and salvation1 and promised to attend to the 8one thing needful40 ,mr4 ,s----1 my fellow-laborer1 was so stirred in soul with the day's work1 that he said he must let his business stand and go the next day4 ,the next morning we started1 full of zeal and hope4 ,we met with many of the most wicked and degraded people that ,i had ever seen4 ,some listened to us with attention1 while others treated us with contempt4 ,late in the evening1 while we were visiting a row of board shanties1 occupied by coal diggers1 ,i was told not to venture into one of the shanties2 that the man was almost a giant in size and strength1 and a very dangerous man2 that he was a terror to the neighborhood1 and had beaten his wife very badly the day before4 ,i replied there was the more need to see him1 and ,i would go in4 ,my friend would not even come to the door of the shanty1 for fear of him4 ,the shanty was sixteen feet square1 no floor but the earth2 neither chair1 table1 nor bed except a bundle of straw in one corner4 ,he was seated on a large block of coal at one side of the fire1 and his wife on another block at the other side1 while the children were lying on the ground playing between them4 ,the woman's face bore testimony of the beating she had gotten the day before4 ,he was one of the most fiendish-looking men ,i ever saw4 ,he was of enormous size1 was clothed with rags1 and did not appear as if he had been washed for months4 ,he was as black as coal-dust could make him4 ,i must confess it required all the courage ,i could summon to speak to him4 ,i approached him1 and extended my hand1 and said to him1 8,i have come to supply you with some good books to comfort you and point you to heaven4 ,have you a ,bible80 8,no10 said he4 8,can you read80 8,yes1 a little40 8,do you love ,jesus ,christ80 8,i fear not1 sir40 ,i then urged him by every thing sacred to attend to his soul's salvation without delay2 that death1 judgment1 and eternity were hastening on1 and pictured to him as well as ,i could the awful consequences of dying in his sins4 ,the tears ran down his blackened cheeks till the coal-dust was washed away below his eyes4 ,i gave him a book1 and prayed with him4 ,he begged me to call again1 and said1 8,you are the first man that ever spoke to me about my soul40 ,during this day we visited twenty-two families1 and had religious conversation and prayer with each of them4 ,mr4 ,s---- had become so deeply interested1 that he said he must go another day4 ,the next day we concluded to visit a coal digger's boarding-house1 said to be the wickedest den that was to be found in the whole district4 ,i will not attempt to describe its character4 ,we entered late in the evening1 as this was the only time we could find the men in4 ,the house was kept by an old woman and her sons1 who worked in the mines and were notorious for their daring profanity4 ,when we entered the house several men were playing cards1 others were lying on benches about the room in various stages of intoxication4 ,my colaborer was a small1 timid man1 and seemed somewhat alarmed4 ,i introduced our errand by proposing to sell them some good books1 which they declined even to look at4 ,i then commenced a general exhortation1 which had no effect more than pouring water on a rock4 ,i then called on my friend to pray1 as it was his turn1 and we had agreed to lead in turns4 ,this he did with great fervor1 and was responded to by the men with vulgar songs1 and such other behavior as ,i have never seen before or since4 ,at the close of his prayer ,i turned to the old woman and told her ,i was astonished at the mercy of ,god that permitted such a family to live1 and portrayed the awful consequences of her meeting her household in hell4 ,i drew every alarming picture ,i could summon from the ,bible or the resources of my own mind4 ,after some time the old woman began to weep1 and she promised to attend the mission chapel the next ,sabbath4 ,after supplying them with a copy of ,baxter's ,call1 and a number of suitable tracts1 we left them4 ,the next ,sabbath the old woman was at the chapel4 ,a series of religious meetings began that day1 and before its close1 as my friend informed me1 who was a worshipper there1 the old woman and one of her sons professed religion4 ,one day we entered a room where a man was lying sick4 ,we introduced the subject of religion to him4 ,he ground his teeth with rage1 and swore he did not want to hear any thing on that subject4 ,i then began to inquire about his complaints1 and to prescribe some simple remedies1 and he soon became calm4 ,after some time ,i remarked that afflictions did not come by chance1 neither did trouble spring out of the ground1 but they were all sent of ,god for some wise purpose4 8,do you think so80 said he4 8,yes10 said ,i1 8and for our good40 ,he then listened attentively1 and soon shed tears4 ,though he was very poor1 he bought some books4 ,i prayed with him1 and left him1 but not without many thanks and entreaties to come and see him as often as ,i could4 ,this closed the work of three days1 in which time we had visited eighty-five families4 ,these three days were the most interesting days that ,i had ever spent4 ,by the next morning ,i found my voice almost gone1 and all my limbs trembling4 ,the excitement of the work and intensity of feeling had prostrated me before ,i was aware of it4 ,after a day or two of rest ,i resumed my labors for three weeks1 when ,i went home a few days4 ,i then returned to the same place1 and spent a month in visiting new families and revisiting old ones2 and ,i shall never forget the cordial shake of the hand that ,i got almost every day1 when ,i would meet some one in the house or on the street whom ,i had before conversed with and supplied with a book or tract4 ,special services had been held in several churches1 and quite a number had professed religion4 ,one minister told me he had taken into his church forty1 many of whom dated their first religious impressions to reading the books and tracts ,i had sold or given them1 others referred to the visits as the means of their awakening4 ,there was one thing in the work which struck me with great force--the effect on ,christian people4 ,i tried as far as possible to get some good man to go with me in my visits4 ,it was a great help to me and added to my success1 and at the same time it stirred up many to work for ,christ that had never done any thing before4 ,one instance ,i will name of a ,miss ,l----1 though she had been a worker4 ,she was a lady of large wealth1 and had a number of poor tenants living on her property4 ,she heard of my work1 and came to see me4 ,at her request ,i went to visit her 8parish10 as she called it4 ,i went at the set time1 and she was ready to go with me1 basket in hand4 ,during the day we visited thirty families1 and talked and prayed in every house4 ,when my strength failed she took it up1 and such entreaties to sinners ,i have seldom heard1 and such prayers are seldom offered4 ,during that day ,i found eleven persons that attributed their conversion to her efforts with books and tracts4 ,she said she was a colporteur before1 but did not know it till that day4 ,reader1 go and do likewise4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,i now add a number of facts and incidents that occurred during these two months of labor4 ,there was a ,mr4 ,g----1 a coal-digger1 of desperate character1 that ,i had been warned not to visit4 ,i was told that he was such an abandoned character that he was hopeless2 that he spent the most of every night in a miserable doggery1 drinking and fighting4 ,i had passed his house every day for some time1 but did not feel satisfied with myself for neglecting it4 ,at last ,i felt constrained to call one evening2 but he had not returned from his work4 ,i had a long1 earnest talk with his wife1 who seemed very careless and wicked4 ,all ,i could say made no impression on her4 ,i gave her a copy of ,baxter's ,call1 with the earnest request that she and her husband would read it4 ,what followed ,i will relate as near as ,i can in his own words in a prayer-meeting in his own house about two weeks after4 8,while eating my supper1 my wife told me some man had been here and left a book1 which he was very desirous she and ,i should read4 ,i got the book to look at it1 and read a few pages without much interest2 but as ,i was very tired1 ,i concluded not to go to the grog-shop that night4 ,in the morning1 which was ,sunday morning1 ,i felt inclined to go and get my bitters2 but seeing the book1 ,i concluded to read till breakfast1 and then go4 ,by the time breakfast was ready ,i felt pretty serious1 and asked my wife if she would not like to go to church--a place we had not been in for eight years4 ,she said she had no objections4 ,i read till it was time to go1 and began to feel somewhat anxious about my soul4 ,i listened to the preaching with intense interest4 ,i read the book nearly through that evening1 went back to the church that night1 and when those who desired to have an interest in ,christ were called for1 ,i came forward4 ,a week after1 ,i found peace40 ,he then added1 8,if it had not been for that book1 ,i think myself and wife would have been in hell to-night4 ,that gun was loaded10 pointing to an old gun in the corner1 8with a view of killing myself and wife near a month ago1 and if ,god had not saved me1 it would likely have been done before this time4 ,i was a miserable man2 life was a burden2 but now ,i am happy40 ,this narrative brought tears to all our eyes1 and joy to our hearts4 ,i visited some of the grog-shops around the village every day to supply their customers with temperance tracts4 ,in the village proper1 no liquor could be sold1 as in all the deeds for lots there was a temperance clause that forfeited the property if liquor was sold2 but all round the village the grog was abundant1 and customers plenty4 ,passing one of these drinking places one day ,i saw several customers in1 and entered the bar-room with my tracts4 ,the liquor-sellers had got to know me1 and often looked daggers at me4 ,a good-looking man1 well dressed1 and about half drunk1 was approaching the counter to get a six-cent drink4 ,said ,i1 8,my friend1 ,i can give you something for six cents that will do you much more good1 and no harm40 ,he asked me what it was1 when ,i presented to him ,baxter's ,call4 ,i told him the liquor might kill him1 and if he would read that book with prayerful attention1 it might save his soul4 ,he said he would buy the book if he had the money1 but that he had only six cents to pay for that glass of liquor1 which by this time was standing on the counter4 ,we both came up to the counter1 when ,i laid the book beside the glass1 saying1 8,here is life or death for six cents40 ,the grog-seller said ,i had no business to come there annoying his customers1 and injuring his business4 ,i urged the man at the risk of losing his soul to buy and read the book4 ,the struggle seemed to be between life and death4 ,at last he handed me the money1 took the book1 and went out of the room4 ,i then handed the landlord a book worth more than the whiskey1 and told him to read it1 and then sell it to make up the loss4 ,this is only a sample of every day occurrences in village and city colportage4 ,eternity only will reveal the results4 ,at the request of the proprietors of a large rolling-mill1 ,i visited those in their employ4 ,among them was a man that professed to be a kind of ,universalist preacher4 ,he was a boss over a number of hands1 and ,i was told was shrewd and fond of argument1 and was doing much injury in propagating his opinions4 ,late one evening ,i called at his rooms4 ,there was no one in but his wife4 ,i conversed with her some time1 and found her a pious ,christian woman4 ,i asked her about her husband4 ,she burst into tears1 and said he was a kind husband1 but a wicked man2 that he preached sometimes1 and was a ,universalist4 ,while ,i was urging her to labor and pray for his salvation1 a fine-looking man1 of a haughty mien and deportment1 came in4 ,i arose and introduced myself1 and asked if he was ,mr4 ,v----1 the gentleman of the house4 ,he replied that he was4 ,i then told him ,i was a colporteur visiting from house to house1 selling and giving books1 and talking and praying with the people4 8,oh1 ,i have heard of you about here for two or three days4 ,i am a ,universalist1 sir2 ,i don't believe there is any such place as hell40 ,i replied that it would be well for many of us if that doctrine was true1 and asked him how long he had been a ,universalist4 ,he said about eight years2 that his mother had belonged to the orthodox1 and taught him in his early years about a terrible place called hell1 and that he knew no better till about eight years ago4 ,that for three or four years after he heard the true doctrine of the salvation of all men1 he was troubled with those foolish prejudices2 but for the last four years he had never had a solitary pang on that subject4 ,i replied that it was often hard to get rid of a mother's instructions and prayers2 that it had taken the devil four years to silence his conscience1 and get them put to sleep4 8,do you feel confident10 ,i said1 8that you are this moment prepared to enter heaven if you were to die80 8,yes10 said he1 8as certain as ,i am that the sun rises and sets40 8,well10 said ,i1 8is not this rather a toilsome world to live in80 8,yes10 said he1 8it is1 and ,i have a full share of it40 8,then10 said ,i1 8why not cut your throat1 and go right to heaven this evening80 8,oh10 said he1 8,i have my wife to provide for40 8,oh10 said ,i1 8cut her throat1 and take her along40 8,oh10 said he1 8that would be wrong40 8,no10 said ,i1 8if your creed is right1 it cannot be wrong2 and even if it should1 you would be done with all the consequences of the wrong as soon as you were dead40 ,he hung his head1 and made no further reply4 ,i told him ,i hoped that he had seen the fallacy of his belief1 and would at once abandon such soul-destroying opinions4 ,i sold him several books1 and left him4 ,as the men worked by turns all night in the rolling-mills1 and it was difficult to gain access to them1 one of the proprietors proposed that he would join me to visit them all the next ,sabbath1 when they often gathered in groups to play cards and drink4 ,accordingly the next ,sabbath morning we were joined by a theological student1 and commenced going round the houses and rooms1 near one hundred in number4 ,late in the evening we entered the apartments of ,mr4 ,v---- and his wife4 ,they were sitting reading new books1 which ,i think were those ,i had sold them4 ,i said1 8,good evening1 ,mr4 ,v----4 ,i have come to talk with you again1 and ,i am glad to see you reading those books4 ,i hope you have changed your mind on religious subjects40 8,no10 said he1 8,i am more convinced than ever that ,i am right40 8,well10 said ,i1 8,i want to ask you a few questions by the way of information1 as you profess to have a near cut to heaven40 ,said he1 8,i am not going to answer any more of your questions4 ,i don't like to be criticized40 ,i told him ,i would only ask him easy questions2 that ,i wanted to know what that scripture meant which speaks of a class of men who 8shall not be forgiven1 neither in this world1 nor in the world to come40 ,said he1 8,i am not going to answer any more questions40 ,mr4 ,r---- said he would like to ask him one question4 8,there were two thieves crucified with ,christ4 ,he said to the one1 #8,this day shalt thou be with me in paradise2' where did the other go80 ,he made no answer4 ,we all three united in urging him to repent and believe in ,christ1 but he made no answer4 ,at last ,i said1 8,brethren1 unless ,god will hear and answer prayer in this man's behalf1 he is a lost man40 ,his wife was weeping as if her heart would break4 ,we knelt in prayer1 and ,i think there were four earnest hearts lifted up to ,god4 ,he sat still some minutes1 but at last he knelt4 ,when we rose from our knees the tears were running down his cheeks4 ,i said1 8,do you feel no #8pangs' now80 ,with a sob that seemed to come from his heart1 he said1 8,i don't know what has come over me40 ,we then pointed him to the ,saviour1 and told him we believed his feelings were produced by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,of all the penitents that ,i have ever seen1 ,i hardly remember one who seemed so deeply moved as this man4 ,during the time he remained in that place he seemed to be an entirely changed man4 ,one day1 accompanied by the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,j----1 we called at the office of a very fine-looking gentleman1 and introduced the subject of religion to him4 ,he was rather surly and sceptical4 ,i proposed to sell him a book1 but he declined1 saying that he seldom read such books4 ,at last ,i proposed to give him a copy of ,nelson on ,infidelity1 and went on to say that it equalled any romance in interest4 ,at last he said1 8,i have money plenty to buy books1 and as you are so urgent about it1 ,i will buy it1 and read it2 and if it is not as good as you say it is1 ,i will give you a thrashing the first time ,i catch you40 ,i told him ,i would run the risk of that if he would read the book carefully4 ,about ten days after we were passing again1 and called on him4 ,he met us in the most cordial manner4 ,i told him ,i had called to see whether he would thrash me or not for the book ,i had sold him4 8,oh10 said he1 8it is the best book ,i ever read4 ,i would not take five dollars for it1 if ,i could not get another like it40 ,we found him deeply anxious about his soul4 ,after a long talk with him1 ,i told him ,i was about to close my labors there1 and never expected to meet him again in this world1 and urged him to meet me in heaven4 ,with tears running down his cheeks1 he said to ,mr4 ,j----1 8,will you not come and see me again80 ,mr4 ,j---- said with tears that he would1 and he no doubt did very frequently4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,calling one day at a fine country-house in ,western ,pennsylvania1 ,i found a prosperous ,irish family of more than ordinary intelligence4 ,i inquired if they wanted some good religious books4 ,the father replied1 8,what kind of relagin do you teach80 ,i replied1 8,the holy catholic religion40 8,ah1 it's not the ,roman-catholic relagin4 ,what objection have you to the ,roman-catholic relagin80 ,i replied that all that ,i desired was1 to teach the people to repent and believe in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ and to lead holy lives1 and that ,i was not going about to argue with people about their churches4 ,still he insisted on my telling him what objections ,i had to the ,roman-catholic church4 ,at last ,i told him they violated the second commandment by the use of images in the worship of ,god4 ,but this he denied4 ,i asked him to get his ,bible and compare it with mine4 ,he brought out the ,douay ,catechism to prove he was right1 and told me that was his ,bible4 ,i got mine2 but he forbade my reading it1 as it was a heretic's ,bible4 ,i insisted on having ,bible authority for the use of images in ,god's worship4 ,as the old man seemed to be at a loss to defend his position1 one of his daughters1 a beautiful girl1 presented herself before me1 and said1 8,i can give you ,bible plenty for the use of images1 and the good resulting from the use of them4 ,what was it that ,moses put up on the pole for the ,israelites to look at when the fiery serpents bit them80 ,i explained to her that the brazen serpent was set up1 not to be worshipped1 but simply looked at as a type of ,christ1 to whom dying sinners may look and live4 ,but all my efforts were in vain4 ,as ,i left them1 she was still asking me to repent1 and come over to the true ,roman-catholic church as the only place of safety4 ,a few days after1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,j---- requested me to visit the town of ,s----1 where he occasionally preached1 and had made an appointment for me to address the people at night1 preparatory to visiting all the families4 ,he gave me a letter of introduction to one of his members1 who lived a mile from the village1 and who he expected would go with me4 ,i came to his house near dark1 almost frozen4 ,he received me very coldly1 and neither offered me food or company4 ,i inquired the way to town1 and soon left4 ,the night was dark1 the snow deep1 the cold intense1 and ,i was an entire stranger in the place4 ,as ,i rode along the street1 every door and window was shut1 till ,i came to a store4 ,i tied my horse and stepped in1 and found a large1 fine-looking man sitting by the stove alone4 ,by asking a few questions1 ,i learned it was ,mr4 ,s----1 the proprietor of the town4 ,i told him ,i was glad to make his acquaintance4 ,that ,i had come there at the request of the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,j----1 to hold a meeting that night1 and to spend a few days visiting his people and supplying them with good religious books1 and ,i would be glad to have his counsel and advice as to the best way to do it4 ,said he1 8,it depends very much1 sir1 on the kind of religious books you want to circulate here4 ,i suppose you have the ,confession of ,faith of the ,presbyterian church among them1 and ,i can prove that it is full of falsehoods2 and more than that1 ,i want you to know1 sir1 that ,i have made a promise to kick out of my house every man that comes in it that has graduated at ,jefferson ,college1 and studied theology at the ,western ,seminary40 ,as he closed the sentence1 he stood up before me1 as if he was going to make good his promise4 ,i requested him to wait till ,i should explain my object4 ,i told him ,i had no ,confessions of ,faith1 nor any denominational books2 that they were all the books of the ,american ,tract ,society1 and approved by nearly all evangelical ,christians1 and consequently not sectarian4 ,and as to the other objection1 ,i had never graduated either at ,jefferson ,college or the ,western ,theological ,seminary1 consequently he was barking up the wrong tree4 8,why10 said he1 8are you not a ,presbyterian preacher80 8,no1 sir10 said ,i1 8,i have not the honor to be a preacher40 ,he turned instantly and walked out1 leaving me alone4 ,i stepped to the door1 and asked a little boy who was passing if there was a ,mr4 ,g---- living in the town4 8,yes10 said he1 8he lives in the adjoining house40 ,i stepped to the door1 and was cordially greeted by an old acquaintance4 ,in a few minutes ,i was seated at a sumptuously supplied table1 which ,i very much needed2 and an hour after was in a school-house1 holding forth to the people1 with my belligerent friend for one of my hearers4 ,i visited all the town2 but ,mr4 ,s---- carefully avoided meeting me1 always turning away to shun me2 but ,i supplied his family with a good stock of books4 99 99 99 99 99 ,at the close of my labors in that town1 ,i entered a very hilly region of country1 and stopped over night with a ,mr4 ,w----1 an aged1 infirm man1 who sent his son with me the next day to hunt up the cabins of the poor4 ,the son had spent some years in a roving life1 and seemed totally indifferent about religion4 ,in the first cabin we called at1 we found a young woman in the last stages of a decline4 ,i have seldom seen any soul so full of joy and peace4 ,she talked more like an inhabitant of heaven than of earth4 ,while we spoke of ,christ's love1 and what he had done for her1 ,i saw the tears course down my companion's cheeks4 ,when we left her he said1 8,religion is a reality40 ,after visiting a few more families1 we came in sight of a beautiful farm1 which lay in a valley4 ,mr4 ,w---- said to me1 8,i will not go with you to that man's house4 ,he is an unbeliever1 and a shrewd fellow1 and if you talk to him on religion as you have done to others1 he will get mad1 and insult you4 ,his wife is pious2 but ,i have heard him say that when the preacher came to visit his family he kept out of the way1 because he did not wish to insult him2 and he will certainly insult you1 if you speak to him on that subject40 ,said ,i1 8,he has the more need to be visited4 ,such persons are the very ones ,i am sent to hunt up2 but as he may take offence at you for leading me to his house1 you may fall behind1 and come up after me10 which he concluded to do4 ,as ,i approached the house1 ,i got off my horse1 and took my big saddle-bags1 filled with books1 on my arm1 and stepped into the house4 ,in a few minutes all the children were in4 ,they were fine1 intelligent children2 and to my surprise1 ,i recognized their mother as a once dashing young lady ,i had known well fifteen years before2 but she had entirely forgotten me4 ,in a few minutes in came my travelling companion and ,mr4 ,c---- with him2 ,mr4 ,c----'s face indicating great determination and firmness4 ,i immediately began to hunt for a text to begin with1 and chose a little girl of three or four years old1 whom ,i called to my side4 ,i began to tell her about ,jesus1 and what he did to save sinners1 and how deeply praying fathers and mothers felt for their dear children1 whom they would soon meet at the bar of ,god4 ,i asked her if father and mother did not pray for her4 ,by this time the mother and the oldest daughter were weeping freely4 ,i asked the mother if she would not rather see her children converted to ,god than any thing else4 8,oh1 yes10 she exclaimed1 8it burdens my heart40 ,i cast my eye round towards ,mr4 ,c---- and ,mr4 ,w----1 and both were weeping4 8,mr4 ,c----10 said ,i1 8don't you feel concerned about the souls of this interesting group of children which ,god has given you to train up for ,him80 8,not as much as ,i ought to do40 ,his heart was so full he could scarcely utter one word4 ,said ,i1 8,are you not a professor of religion80 8,no1 ,i am not4 ,i have been a very careless man on that subject4 ,when ,i was a young man ,i was very much concerned for a while1 but ,i fell in with wicked young men1 and read bad books1 and ,i have entirely neglected religion ever since4 ,but ,i don't know what has come over me now40 8,i trust10 said ,i1 8it is the ,spirit of ,god that has touched your heart1 and ,i beseech you now to yield to his divine solicitations2 not to delay for one moment4 ,if you resist the ,holy ,ghost now1 he may leave you for ever1 and then your doom will be sealed2 but if you now give up all for ,christ1 you will find peace1 and there may be joy in heaven among the angels this moment40 ,he cried out in the agony of his soul1 8,what shall ,i do to be saved80 ,i urged him to enter that night on all the duties that ,god had enjoined on him2 to read his ,bible1 and pray for himself and family4 ,he pledged his word to me to do it4 ,he kept that pledge4 ,i prayed with him1 sold him eighteen volumes of good books1 and left the whole family in tears4 ,he soon after joined the church2 and ,mr4 ,w----1 ,i was told1 professed religion soon after1 and attributed his conversion to a day's travel with a colporteur4 ,i held a prayer-meeting that night at the house of ,mr4 ,h----1 a man of remarkable piety and benevolence4 ,he told me of an incident that marked his whole life1 and made him what he was4 ,said he1 8,i served my time with a hard master to learn the wagon-making business4 ,i had engaged to go1 the day ,i was free1 some forty miles to work as a journeyman4 ,the evening before ,i was to start1 a good man gave me his advice1 and at the close asked me if ,i had money to pay my way4 ,i told him ,i had no money1 but could get there1 as ,i was going to walk4 ,he handed me fifty cents1 all he had1 as a present4 ,while on my way ,i met a poor miserable man begging4 ,he told me he was starving4 ,i gave him the fifty cents1 as ,i had no way to divide it4 ,before ,i had gone many rods ,i found a silver dollar lying on the road1 over which he had stepped4 ,i said to myself1 #8,god sent this1' and ,i determined to serve him all the days of my life2 and he has blessed me ever since40 99 99 99 99 99 ,in a few days ,i commenced labor along the line between ,western ,pennsylvania and ,western ,virginia4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,r---- took a deep interest in my work1 and travelled more than a week with me4 ,our work made quite a stir among the people4 ,the news spread that we were entering every house1 talking and praying4 ,we set a day to visit a neighborhood that was noted for its wickedness4 ,there were several families owning fine farms who never entered a church4 ,on the day set1 we took an early start4 ,as we approached the first house1 we saw all the inmates running to the barn4 ,we knocked at the door1 but no answer4 ,we went to the barn2 but before we reached it they were running across the adjoining field4 ,we understood the cause1 and came back to the house1 and put in at the window ,baxter's ,call and a few suitable tracts1 with the earnest prayer for ,god's blessing to attend the reading of them4 ,we went on to the next house1 but it was closed1 and no one to be found4 ,we here also installed ,baxter and several other preachers through the window2 and so on till we had visited six families4 ,at every one of these houses the people either fled or concealed themselves at our approach4 ,mr4 ,r---- pleasantly observed1 as we were poor men1 he thought the best thing we could do for our worldly interests would be to take possession of the property1 for he supposed they would never come to dispossess us4 ,great fear fell upon sinners at our approach4 ,a few miles distant ,i held a prayer-meeting one night1 and had a large crowd4 ,at the close1 ,i laid my books on the table1 and told them that ,i would sell to any that wanted to buy4 ,in a little time the man of the house told me that a man had stolen his pocket full2 that he was a very bad man1 and we should have a fight if we attempted to take them from him4 ,among them was a fine pocket ,bible4 ,so ,i concluded to let them go1 and pray that ,god would overrule his wickedness for good4 ,some weeks after1 while visiting along the ,ohio river hills among the wood-choppers near the same place1 ,i called at a cabin1 and found a woman in deep distress about her soul4 ,she told me she had got a book that was the cause4 ,that a man had sold it to a neighbor4 ,they were the fourth family that had read it1 and all were concerned about their souls4 ,i found all the families she named1 and the book thus blessed was a copy of ,baxter's ,call which that man stole from me and sold to one of these families4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,during my labors in this region ,i was frequently requested to visit ,g----1 a town that had been laid out about the close of the ,revolutionary war1 and is noticed in the history of the ,indian wars as being near the scene of some bloody struggles4 ,it contained over three hundred inhabitants1 but never had a church in it4 ,a good man built one near by4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,r---- sent a notice that he and ,i would be there on a certain evening to hold a meeting4 ,a few came4 ,he preached1 and ,i made a statement about my work1 and told them ,i was going to visit the town to talk and pray with each family1 and supply them with religious books4 ,i had engaged a class-leader in the ,methodist church1 who lived a few miles distant1 to go with me4 ,we entered the village the next morning soon after breakfast4 ,the first four or five houses we stopped at we could find no one at home1 and we soon found they were hiding from us4 ,we could see heads out at the doors and windows as we approached the house2 but when we would knock there was no answer4 ,as soon as we understood the matter1 ,i told my colaborer they should not foil us in this way2 that ,i would install preachers in every house before ,i left the place4 ,i immediately commenced pushing in the old hats that were stuck in the broken windows1 and threw into the houses a ,baxter's ,call1 ,alleine's ,alarm1 or a ,sabbath ,manual1 and some of the most awakening tracts4 ,we spent two days in this work4 ,with all the skill we could use1 we did not get into one third of the houses2 but we put good books into every one4 ,some few months after1 a minister who was preaching near by found many interested about their souls4 ,he held daily meetings for some time1 and more than fifty professed faith in ,christ2 many dating their first religious impressions to the silent preachers thrown into their houses at the time of our visit4 ,in #ahfa1 on the railroad1 ,i passed in sight of this town lying across the ,ohio river1 and instead of the old dilapidated village it was seventeen years before1 it looked to be new and flourishing4 ,at the close of my labors in that community ,i went to ,b---- county1 ,va41 at the request of ,rev4 ,mr4 ,w----1 who had a large country charge and was laid up by bad health4 ,he requested me1 in addition to visiting all the families1 to hold prayer-meetings among his people every night4 ,this ,i did for one month1 and ,god's ,spirit seemed to be present at every meeting4 ,every one ,i talked with seemed to be moved by the ,spirit4 ,i sold more than #bjj worth of books2 and a few months after1 more than one hundred persons were added to the churches4 ,mr4 ,w---- afterwards stated that a large portion of them had been led to consideration by reading the books we scattered among them4 ,he often gave me directions where to go1 and what kind of people ,i should find them to be4 ,on one occasion he directed me to a neighborhood where he had four or five families living some miles from the church4 ,the parents all professors1 with large irreligious families1 and no family altars4 ,the first family of them ,i called on1 ,i soon found to be but little interested about religion4 ,i spoke with the father as if he were a devout praying man2 but told him ,i had no doubt there were some prayerless families in that neighborhood2 and that ,god had declared that he would 8pour out his fury on the families that call not on his name40 ,i spoke of the sad effect of such ungodly living on children1 and urged him to try and talk with all his neighbors about it1 and to go with me a day or two till we should try to wake up such professors of religion4 ,his family were present4 ,i saw his very soul was pierced4 ,i visited all the families the same way4 ,god's ,spirit seemed to stir every soul4 ,in a few months after1 the pastor was able to visit them1 and found that each had established the family altar4 ,each one resolved that he would begin to pray in his own family1 and then he could go and urge others to do the same4 ,neither of them supposed that ,i suspected them of living without prayer till they began to compare notes2 and then they found ,i had talked to all the same way4 ,they sent me their thanks by their pastor for 8catching them with guile40 ,in another neighborhood1 ,i was urged by a very good man to visit his brother-in-law1 who he told me was a wicked man1 and raising a large family like heathen4 ,he told me that he was a gentleman in his behavior to strangers1 and would treat me kindly2 but to secure for me a kind reception1 he sent with me a young man who was a nephew both of himself and of the gentleman4 ,the day was extremely cold1 and the distance some four or five miles4 ,we visited several cabins along the river hills1 and expected to reach his house about noon1 and remain there till the next day4 ,about one o'clock we came to the place4 ,it seemed to be the abode of plenty4 ,we tied our horses1 and entered a large front room4 ,mr4 ,c----1 the head of the family1 was in it alone1 shelling corn on a machine1 keeping up a hot fire by burning the cobs4 ,his nephew introduced me to him1 but he scarce looked at me1 spoke very little1 and went on with his work1 without asking me even to sit down4 ,we both sat some time without a word being spoken1 when the young man passed through into another room1 where the family were talking4 ,as soon as ,i got warm1 ,i concluded to try and do my work and leave the house1 as every thing looked rather gloomy4 ,he was a big1 fierce-looking man4 ,his countenance indicated that he was a very wicked man1 which proved to be the fact4 ,i sometimes thought it would be best to leave him without saying any thing1 but my conscience would not let me do that4 ,at last ,i said1 8,mr4 ,c----1 ,i am engaged in distributing good religious books1 published by the ,american ,tract ,society1 and ,i have called to supply you and your family with them40 ,i had scarcely got the words spoken1 when he sprang right before me1 with his fist clinched1 and called me a horse-thief and robber1 and every vile name that a vile tongue could use1 interspersed with the most awful oaths ,i ever heard4 ,he rubbed his fist under my nose1 and swore he would smash my face into a jelly4 ,i sat still for some time without speaking1 in the hope that he would stop1 that ,i might reason with him2 but it was in vain4 ,at last ,i thought1 if ,i am the cause of this man's sinning so much1 ,i will leave him4 ,i rose to my feet and said1 8,mr4 ,c----1 if you will stop a moment till ,i speak1 ,i will leave your house4 ,i came here at the special request of ,mr4 ,e----1 your brother-in-law1 to try to do good to you and your family4 ,and now1 sir1 ,i warn you1 that if you do not repent you will perish4 ,i leave a message from ,god to you on this table10 placing there ,baxter's ,call and a number of tracts2 8and if you reject them1 they will meet you as witnesses on the judgment-day40 ,the wicked man quailed1 and tried to make apologies for his abuse of me2 but ,i told him to ask ,god for pardon1 and not me1 for ,i was not in the least injured4 ,i never saw the place or the man afterwards2 but ,i heard he soon went to ruin4 ,none of the family showed their faces during the interview4 ,eighteen years have now passed since these labors were performed1 and sufficient time has elapsed for all the dust and excitement to pass away2 and on a calm review of that period of my life and labors1 ,i look on it as the most important of any through which ,i ever passed3 not in actual results1 but in the development of a great system of evangelization1 which has carried salvation to thousands who had never been reached by saving truth4 ,a few had previously entered this field of ,christian effort for the destitute1 and done much1 north and west2 but this was the beginning of the work in the middle and southern states1 which has reached millions of all classes and conditions1 both bond and free4 ,as to myself1 ,i found it the best school ,i ever entered for spiritual and intellectual improvement1 and if ,i have since been the instrument of any good to my fellow-men1 the labors of the little time referred to prepared me for it4 ,at the close of this month's work1 two gentlemen called on me one evening1 and requested me to take a walk in the village of ,p----4 ,i was soon led into a tailor's shop1 and had my measure taken2 and then from one store to another1 till a fine new suit1 from head to foot1 was selected1 costing near fifty dollars4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,april #a1 #ahde1 ,i commenced my labors in the town of ,f----1 in ,western ,virginia4 ,as soon as the object of my visit to that region was known1 ,i received a cordial welcome from a large majority of the people1 who did all they could to aid me in my work4 ,mr4 ,p----1 a young lawyer at that time1 and since governor of ,western ,virginia1 volunteered to go with me to every house in the town4 ,his high position and universal popularity made the work pleasant and successful4 ,in three days my buggy load of books were circulated in the village4 ,i immediately replenished my stock1 and commenced my work in the country among the mountains4 ,it was like a translation from sunlight into darkness--from a high civilization into one of ignorance and superstition1 with here and there a family of wealth and refinement4 ,the very broken1 rugged state of the country1 with a sparse population1 rendered it impossible for the people to support either schools or churches4 ,consequently in many isolated communities whole families grew up without any one knowing the alphabet1 and very few places had preaching more than once in a month1 and that on a week-day in some log cabin to a few women4 ,i have visited as many as ten families in succession1 in one case fourteen1 without finding a ,bible4 ,it will hardly be thought strange that youth of both sexes were often found who could not tell who is the ,saviour of sinners1 and that when they were told of ,christ dying for sinners1 they would look incredulous and say1 we live so much out of the way that we never hear any news4 ,they often lived in small cabins1 without any furniture but such as they made with an axe and an auger4 ,all they raised to eat was corn and potatoes1 with a few hogs2 most of their meat being that of the various wild animals which abounded in the mountains4 ,they were mostly kind and hospitable1 and seemed to be sorry that they could not accommodate me better4 ,i shall endeavor faithfully to describe one journey1 which will represent many more4 ,about the time ,i went into that region1 a new missionary circuit had been laid out by the ,methodist ,protestant church through a broken mountain country1 where the gospel had never been preached2 and the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,c---- was appointed to go round it once in each month1 which required a ride of more than one hundred miles1 most of the way by mere bridle paths4 ,he had been once or twice round the circuit before ,i became acquainted with him4 ,as soon as he learned my business he invited me to go with him4 ,he told me the people were without books of any kind1 that very few could read1 and that many of them were not half civilized2 that at one house1 where he spent the night1 they cut off the skirts of his saddle to sole their moccasins1 and at another the woman cut off the tail of his overcoat to make a pair of pants for a little boy4 ,i agreed to go1 and at the set time we filled each of our saddle-bags with little books and tracts1 and our pockets with lunch4 ,the first appointment was some twenty miles distant1 and we had to start the evening before4 ,we stopped over night with a wealthy ,christian family1 and fared sumptuously4 ,the next day we rode twelve miles to the place where he was to preach4 ,they had a church built of round logs4 ,it had no floor but the ground1 and was neither chinked nor daubed1 consequently it was only used in warm weather4 ,the house was full at the appointed hour4 ,more than half of the congregation were barefooted1 and but few had on them more than two garments4 ,most of the men came in with their guns in their hands1 and a good supply of small game they had killed by the way4 ,the guns were all set up in the corner of the church1 and the game laid beside them4 ,at the request of ,mr4 ,c---- ,i conducted the service4 ,the constant responses and loud amens indicated the deep interest they seemed to feel4 ,at the close of the service ,i requested them to keep their seats1 and told them ,i would go round and give each a tract or little book4 ,more than half the families represented were destitute of the ,bible4 ,the tracts and books were received with very great joy1 though few could read a word in them4 ,at the close we had to ride some miles to a stopping place for the night4 ,we found the cabin small and destitute of any seats except stools4 ,the beds were poles put through the corners1 covered with the skins of deers and bears4 ,many of the spaces between the logs were wide enough for the dogs and cats to pass out and in at pleasure4 ,the food was bread made of corn ground in a hand mill1 or pounded in a hominy block4 ,the meat was coon or opossum1 and the coffee made of chestnuts4 ,the night was spent in self-defence against unseen foes1 and in dread of snakes4 ,after partaking of a breakfast similar to the dinner and supper just described1 and praying with the family1 we left them4 ,our appointment for that day was about twelve miles distant1 with a constant succession of mountains to cross4 ,we stopped at all the cabins by the way1 which were about like that just referred to1 with one exception2 and as the house and family were different from any that ,i have ever seen1 ,i shall try to describe them4 ,the cabin was about eighteen feet square2 had been the birthplace of a large family2 had neither floor--except the earth--upper story1 chimney1 chair1 table1 or bed1 except a pile of straw in one corner1 and an old spinning wheel and loom4 ,the family we saw consisted of the father1 mother1 and five daughters1 no one of which1 we supposed1 would weigh less than one hundred and fifty pounds4 ,each of the females had on a single garment made of coarse linen1 held on by a drawing-string round the neck1 all fleshy and hearty1 while we could not see any thing for them to live upon4 ,no one of them knew a letter in the alphabet1 or who was the ,saviour of sinners4 ,they were children of nature isolated from the world1 equally ignorant of both its vices and its virtues4 ,we spent more than an hour trying to teach them the alphabet of ,christianity1 and then commended them to ,god4 ,they seemed amazed at what we said2 ,god only knows the results4 ,we reached the place where our evening meeting was to be held after one o'clock1 exhausted with hunger and heat4 ,the cabin was but little better than the one just described2 it contained some kind of table and a few stools1 but had neither door nor floor1 and cattle and hogs ran into it to avoid the flies when they chose4 ,mr4 ,c----1 whose patience was nearly exhausted1 told the woman that we were almost starved1 and to hurry and get us something to eat1 and to make it as clean and as good as she could4 ,the children were sent to borrow tools2 a fire was soon blazing under an arbor made of bushes near the house2 a pail of meal set beside it1 waiting for the skillet to heat1 out of which the hens helped themselves every time she turned her back to them4 ,the children soon returned with a little coffee-pot minus the handle1 and with a knife and a fork one prong lacking4 ,we were soon invited in to our dinner from under the shade of a tree where we had observed the whole process4 ,the table was a block of wood1 with four legs to hold it up1 and a stool at each side for us to sit on4 ,some pet pigs were under it waiting for the crumbs3 they tramped on our toes1 which led us to kick them2 but our kind hostess soon made the children catch them and confine them behind my back in a big gumm1 a tub sawn off a hollow log1 which treatment1 from their noise1 they seemed to dislike very much4 ,soon after our meal was finished the people began to gather in to hear the gospel4 ,the cabin was more than full1 with the same appearance of the congregation as last described4 ,we supplied all with books and tracts--in most cases with the first book they ever had4 ,the night was spent much like the previous one1 food and lodging about the same4 ,the next morning we rode nine miles to meet another appointment at eleven o'clock4 ,by the time we reached the place ,i was so sick that ,i had to lie down1 while brother ,c---- preached to the people from ,jeremiah #f3af4 ,at the close we supplied all with little books and tracts1 and received many thanks4 ,the dinner was set under a shed outside of the house1 but the sight of it sent me out to the shade of a tree so sick that ,i could not stand on my feet4 ,i then told brother ,c---- that ,i should be compelled to make my escape to some place where ,i could get something to eat and take some rest2 and asked him to take all the books and give them away at each appointment to the best advantage he could4 ,at two o'clock ,i was on my horse1 which1 happily for me1 had been along the road before1 and was suffering from hunger as much as his rider4 ,in six hours he was standing at the steps of ,mr4 ,s----'s house1 two miles from the town of ,f----1 from which we started three days before4 ,i was well acquainted with ,mr4 ,s---- and his family1 having been frequently there2 but fever had dethroned my reason1 which did not return till ,i was taken in and my head bathed with cold water1 and ,i had drank a cup of coffee4 ,it was three days before ,i was sufficiently recovered to resume my work4 ,we had visited twenty-seven families1 talked and prayed with them all1 given them books and tracts1 and held three meetings4 ,one half of the people were without any part of a ,bible4 ,as for other books they had none1 and not one in ten could read a word4 ,i have detailed this one journey of three days not only to show the condition of this portion of our country1 but as little more than a fair representation of destitute parts of many states in the ,union4 ,if each colporteur of the ,tract ,society who has visited these dark1 broken1 isolated regions of our country for the last eighteen years1 had kept a journal of all the ignorance and wretchedness he met1 it would have been the most interesting missionary journal the world ever saw4 ,their reports would differ as widely as the reports of those whom ,joshua sent out to visit the promised land4 ,while some would bring in the rich clusters of ,eshcol1 others1 with equal truthfulness1 could say that the land was inhabited by giants1 whose walls were ignorance and superstition4 ,i was often reminded in my journeys of the early pioneers of our country who went through the forests1 tomahawk in hand1 blazing the trees as a signal of their intended occupancy of the land at some future time4 ,these visits were the ,christian pioneer's way-marks1 not blazed on the trees with axe or tomahawk1 but blazed on the hearts of men in a state of nature by kind ,christian words1 and sealed with earnest prayer2 while the books and tracts1 including many ,bibles and ,testaments1 were deeds of trust to those that faithfully used them2 and many by them have secured a title to eternal life4 ,the books were like ,jacob's well--the digger was gone--but they have quenched the thirst of many a weary traveller on life's journey1 and their smoked pages are still crying1 8,ho1 every one that thirsteth10 come and partake of the waters of life 8without money and without price40 ,a poor woman who had a small tract given her1 on her death-bed had it brought to her1 when she kissed it1 and said1 8,this led me to my dear ,saviour40 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,i visited an old woman1 who told me that soon after she was married some one lent her ,doddridge's ,rise and ,progress of ,religion in the ,soul1 and that it was the means of the conversion of herself and her husband2 that he had died happily some years ago1 but she had never been able to get a copy of the book since4 ,i then presented her with one1 and she wept for joy4 ,i asked her if she had a ,bible2 she said1 8,no20 that they had a ,bible when her husband died1 but some time after a little school was opened in the neighborhood1 and she wanted her four little boys taught to read1 but had no books nor any way to get them1 and she had to cut her ,bible into four parts to make each of them a book1 and they soon went to pieces1 and she lost her ,bible4 ,i then gave her a ,bible1 and her joy seemed complete4 ,on another occasion ,i sent a notice that ,i would be at a little church in a certain neighborhood to aid them in organizing a ,sabbath-school1 and to supply the destitute with books4 ,after exhorting for some time1 and arranging for the ,sabbath-school1 ,i distributed all my stock1 and was about to leave4 ,a young woman came up to me1 having just reached the place1 and asked me for a book4 ,i told her ,i had given away all that ,i had brought with me4 ,she burst into tears1 and said1 8,i left my babe1 three weeks old1 in the field where my husband was hoeing corn1 and walked five miles in my bare feet to get a book2 and now ,i am disappointed40 ,in a few minutes an old woman who had seen seventy winters came to me with a crutch under one arm1 and a cane in the other hand1 and told me she had come two miles to get books for her sons1 who were raising large families over the mountains1 that were as wild as the deers4 ,i returned soon1 and gave the necessary supply4 ,one day a man entered my room wearing a hunting-shirt and moccasins1 with a gun in his hand and a long knife hanging to a belt at his side1 and asked me if ,i was the man that gave books to the poor people in the mountains4 ,i told him ,i was engaged in that business4 8,well10 said he1 8we live in an out of the way place1 where we have neither schools nor preaching2 and we met together last ,sunday to see if we could not raise a ,sunday-school1 and teach our children to read1 but all the books we could find was one ,new ,testament2 and some one said there was a man in ,f---- that was giving books to the poor1 and so ,i have come to see you about it40 ,i gave him all the light ,i could as to forming and conducting a ,sunday-school1 and added twenty ,testaments1 with fifty small volumes of ,tract ,society books1 and some tracts4 ,he soon had them all in the bosom of his hunting shirt1 and ,i have seldom seen a happier man4 ,the next ,sabbath the school was started4 ,in six months a church was organized1 and soon after a little church built1 and a man of ,god was preaching to them once each month4 ,that bosom full of books was the means ,god blessed to this result4 ,on another occasion ,i stopped over night with a good man1 who related to me the following fact4 8,a few years ago a minister came to my house late on ,saturday night on his way to preach at ,l----1 about thirty miles distant4 ,finding he could not reach the place in time to meet his appointment1 he told me if ,i would gather in my neighbors1 he would preach for us4 ,there were but a few families in all this valley1 and so far as ,i knew1 he was the first preacher that ever had been in it1 at least he preached the first sermon4 ,i sent my boys out and gathered in my neighbors4 ,at the close of his sermon he gave every one a tract4 ,among the rest he gave one to a poor widow with a large family1 but neither she nor any one of her children knew a letter4 ,she took it home with her without any knowledge of its contents4 8,the next morning she returned and requested my wife to read it to her1 which she did4 #8,well1' said she1 #8it is a nice thing to read2 ,i do wish ,i could do it4' ,she took the tract home1 and returned the next day to have it read again2 and during the reading1 the tears ran down her cheeks4 #8,oh1' said she to my wife1 #8do you think ,i could learn to read8' #8,yes1' she said to her1 #8no doubt you can4' ,so my wife got a ,new ,england primer we had1 and went over the letters a few times with her4 ,she took home both the primer and the tract4 ,the next morning she returned again1 and while the tract was reading1 her face was lit up with joy1 and peace came into her soul4 ,in a few hours she was able to repeat the alphabet4 #8,and now1' said she1 #8if you will only learn me how to put two of them together1 and give them a name1 ,i can learn myself4' ,this was soon done2 and as soon as she went home1 she taught her children all she had learned4 ,in a few months she and her children could read all that was in the primer4 ,we have now a good church here1 and she and most of her children are members of it4 ,she seldom sees a tract but with tears of joy she exclaims1 #8,if it had not been for one of these little tracts1 ,i and my children might have remained in ignorance and sin4'0 ,one of the great difficulties ,i had to encounter was the large number of families that could not read4 ,these ,i found every day4 ,when ,i would show my books and urge them to buy1 the reply was1 8,oh1 none of us can't read40 ,i soon saw the necessity of planning some means to remedy this evil1 and began to establish little ,sunday-schools in each neighborhood4 ,i would hunt up the best reader ,i could find for a teacher1 furnish them with a small library of books1 give them the best direction ,i could how to conduct it1 and set them to work4 ,although some of these schools were very superficially conducted1 and in many cases there was nothing done in them but teaching young and old to read1 still they had the effect of rousing the mind to the acquisition of knowledge1 and preparing the way of the ,lord4 ,many of these schools accomplished great things1 and resulted in the establishing of little churches4 ,others seemed to fail1 except so far as they woke in the minds of some a thirst for knowledge4 ,some families ,i could not prevail on to take a book as a gift1 for fear there was some trick about it4 ,clock pedlars had been through some portions of the country a while before1 sold the cheap clocks at thirty dollars apiece1 and took notes for the pay1 which had been collected in many cases by distress-sales4 ,they would tell me how they had been treated1 and that they were afraid ,i should send some one for the pay4 ,i often avoided this objection by lending the book1 and writing on it1 8,loaned till ,i call for it40 ,another great difficulty we had to encounter with these unlettered masses was their prejudice against education4 ,almost every day ,i had to meet this objection3 8,oh1 ,i don't want my children learned to read2 it will spoil them4 ,i have got along very well without reading1 and so can they40 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,i had now been about ten months in the colporteur work1 and seeing the great necessity for scores of men to engage in it1 ,i thought ,i could raise the salaries1 and employ one or two others to carry it on4 ,i soon raised #aej to pay a man for a year1 and ,providence directed me to a good man to do the work4 ,i then succeeded in finding another good man1 and raising his salary2 and in one month1 by the ,divine blessing1 ,i raised and paid over for the support of colportage #gej1 and these efforts were continued till the colporteur work was extended throughout the more destitute regions in all ,western ,virginia4 ,i had made an arrangement to visit ,r---- county1 some forty miles distant1 and spend a month in colporteur labor4 ,on my way ,i had to cross a river by a ferry-boat4 ,two travellers crossed with me4 ,when we mounted our horses on the opposite side of the river1 one of them asked me if ,i was going on a long journey with such a heavy load on my horse over that mountain country4 ,i told him ,i had my horse loaded with religious books1 and some ,bibles1 and that ,i was engaged in supplying destitute regions with the word of life1 and would soon lighten my load4 8,why10 said he1 8are there any families to be found without the ,bible80 ,yes1 ,i told him1 there were many in all parts of our country4 8,well10 said he1 8,i don't believe there is a family in my county without a ,bible40 ,said ,i1 8,what part are you from80 8,from ,green county1 ,penn40 8,how far10 said ,i1 8from the town of ,c----80 8,five miles10 said he4 ,four weeks ago1 ,i replied1 ,i was there1 and made an address before one of the ,presbyteries of the ,cumberland church1 in which ,i spoke of the destitutions of our country and our mode of supplying them1 when the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,h---- followed me with a speech in which he said 8he believed one third of the families in ,c----1 in which we were then assembled1 were without the ,bible40 ,another minister present doubted it4 ,i told them ,i was there to visit the town1 and would begin the next morning4 ,a good man volunteered to go with me4 ,we spent three days at the work1 and found that out of one hundred and fifty-seven families1 fifty-four had no ,bible4 ,on my way to ,r----1 late in the evening ,i began to inquire for some place where ,i could spend the night1 as the indications seemed to be that a hard night's lodging was before me4 ,as ,i inquired at each little cabin1 they told me that 8,parson ,w----10 a few miles ahead1 kept lodgers4 ,as these mountain miles are slowly measured by a tired man and horse1 ,i did not reach 8,parson ,w----'s0 till near nine o'clock at night4 ,when ,i entered his little cabin1 he and his wife and granddaughter were at a supper of corn-bread and buttermilk4 ,i asked for lodging1 which was granted1 and was at once invited to supper4 ,as soon as the parson was done eating1 he went and put up my horse4 ,on his return1 ,i asked him if he had any pastoral charge4 8,yes10 said he1 8,i built a church on my own land close by1 and preach there every other ,sunday40 ,we were soon engaged in a religious conversation1 and my views of truth were soon tested4 8,well10 said the old parson1 8,i thought you was a ,methodist preacher1 but ,i find ,i was mistaken2 but ,i guess you are a ,presbyterian1 which is no better40 ,finding the old man belonged to what was called the ,ironsides1 or rigid ,antinomians1 ,i thought it quite useless to talk to him4 ,before ,i could get rid of him he made me tell my business4 8,well10 said he1 8you are going about plundering the country4 ,it was the ,bible1 ,tract1 and ,missionary ,societies that broke up the country in #ahcg and '#ch40 ,as ,i was tired1 and proposed to go to bed1 8,well10 said he1 8there is a bed in that corner for you40 8,as you are a preacher10 said ,i1 8of course you have family prayer1 and ,i would prefer waiting to join you in it40 8,ah10 said he1 8every one does their own praying here40 8,is it possible10 said ,i1 8that you are a preacher1 and have no family prayer1 when ,god has said he will pour out his fury on the families that call not on his name80 8,oh10 said he1 8you may pray if you please40 ,seeing an old family ,bible on a shelf1 ,i took it down1 and read a part of the seventh of ,matthew4 ,i commented on the verse1 8,strive to enter in at the strait gate10 etc4 ,the moment prayer was over1 he said1 8,i don't believe a word you said40 ,i was soon in bed and asleep1 being tired4 ,when ,i awoke there was a good fire1 and the old man sitting beside it4 ,i was up in a few minutes4 8,i am glad you are up10 said he1 8as there is another point ,i must discuss with you40 ,in a few minutes ,i quoted proofs from the ,bible too clear to be resisted2 when the old woman1 who was of huge dimensions1 sprang out of bed in her night-dress1 and presenting herself before me1 said1 8,don't talk to that fellow2 he is a ,yankee1 and he is setting traps to catch you40 ,the old man soon disappeared to attend to his still-house and cattle1 and the old woman and granddaughter occupied the whole front of the fire1 making their toilets2 the old lady1 in her earnest conversation1 frequently using a long wooden fire-poker in close proximity to my head4 ,as the granddaughter was sitting near me1 completing her toilet1 ,i spoke to her about her soul1 and offered her the ,dairyman's ,daughter4 ,this roused the old woman again2 and the old man1 returning about the same time1 forbade her to touch the book4 ,the girl cried bitterly1 and said it was such a pretty book she did want it1 and there was not a book except the old ,bible in the house4 ,the girl's tears prevailed1 provided ,i would write a receipt in it that it was paid for1 which was done4 ,as soon as breakfast was over1 and my horse ready1 ,i asked for my bill4 8,one dollar10 said the old man2 8,i make it a rule1 when any of you ,yankees come this way1 to fleece you as well as ,i can40 ,this man was rich2 had a great distillery1 and ,i was credibly informed would take a bottle of whiskey with him to the church1 and at the close of his services tell his people what a fine run of whiskey he had just had1 and to come and taste it4 ,about a month after1 on my return home1 ,i stopped to stay all night some few miles from there1 when lo1 ,parson ,w---- had stopped to stay too2 but as soon as he saw me1 he ordered his horse1 and left4 ,i had told about my lodging with him2 and as the laws of ,virginia at that time imposed a fine of twenty dollars on any one who had no license charging for lodging1 some one had told the old man that ,i was going to bring him before the court4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,about this time an incident of peculiar interest took place4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,q---- had invited me to visit the town of ,c----1 and ,i had set a day to be at his house4 ,late in the evening of the day appointed1 ,i arrived in the town2 and while driving along the street1 looking for his house1 ,i saw him standing on his portico1 beckoning me to him4 ,as soon as ,i had alighted from my buggy1 he gave me a cordial shake of the hand1 and said1 8,you have come just in time to see and hear one of the greatest dignitaries in the state of ,virginia40 ,i observed that ,i was perhaps a little different from many others2 that ,i would not go a square to see a great man1 unless he was a great good man4 8,well10 said he1 8he ought to be a good man2 he's the bishop of the ,roman-catholic church for this state2 and as he is the first live bishop of the ,holy ,catholic church who has ever been here1 he is attracting a great deal of attention4 ,he preached in the court-house this morning1 and it was crowded2 and he is going to preach here for several days and nights4 ,he has one or two priests with him1 and they have come to plant a church here4 ,will you go and hear him80 8,yes10 said ,i2 8if you go1 ,i will go with you40 ,as soon as tea was over1 we went to the court-house1 and it was crowded4 ,in a little time the bishop arose1 and without any introductory services1 gave out his text3 8,thou art ,peter1 and upon this rock ,i will build my church2 and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it40 ,he went on to define 8the gates of hell0 as the various ,protestant sects1 and wound up by trying to prove that ,peter was the first pope1 and got the keys1 and that the successors of ,peter still held the keys1 and no one could enter heaven without going through the ,catholic church4 ,his sermon was delivered with earnestness and eloquence1 and made a deep impression1 as very few of all present were well informed on those matters4 ,he made much for his cause out of the denominational strifes with which that region had been afflicted1 and ,i heard many say 8,amen0 to some of his thrusts4 ,he announced that he would preach the next morning from the text1 8,search the scriptures1 for in them ye think ye have eternal life1 and they are they which testify of me40 ,we returned to brother ,q----'s1 and sat to a late hour consulting what we had better do4 ,here was a man of ,jesuitical cunning1 misrepresenting ,protestantism before a community ill qualified to form correct opinions4 ,i urged ,mr4 ,q---- to contradict some of his false statements2 and after praying over the matter1 we retired4 ,the next morning1 at the appointed hour1 the house was crowded1 though there were not one dozen ,roman-catholics in the community4 ,owing to the crowd1 ,mr4 ,q---- and ,i got separated4 ,i lost sight of him1 and for want of a seat elsewhere1 got up into a window4 ,in a little while the bishop announced the text1 8,search the scriptures10 and also announced that he would preach at night from the text1 8,these were more noble than those in ,thessalonica1 in that they searched the scriptures daily40 ,the ground taken in this sermon was1 that searching the scriptures by the common people had led to all the religious heresies in the world1 and had raised up more sects than there were chapters in the ,bible4 ,that there was but one true church1 and out of all only one could be right4 ,that ,protestants called ,luther a great reformer1 and he was told there were no ,lutherans in that town2 consequently1 if ,luther was right they were all wrong2 and if they were right1 ,luther was wrong1 and could not be a great reformer4 ,he said the ,catholic church could not be wrong2 that she was infallible2 she was 8the pillar and ground of the truth40 ,he pictured the quarrels among ,protestants in the most hideous manner1 and described a heaven full of such uncongenial characters1 till the picture was ridiculous2 and ,i saw that many present were delighted with it4 ,at the close of his sermon1 or tirade against the ,protestant religion1 he sat down4 ,i rose up in the window1 much excited1 to see if the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,q---- would not call him to an account1 when ,i was much gratified to see the meek and gentle form of ,mr4 ,q---- slowly rising about the middle of the house4 ,said he3 8,bishop1 you said in your sermon last night that there were now two hundred millions of faithful ,catholic children in the world1 against which the gates of hell could not prevail4 ,will you be kind enough to tell us where they are80 ,the bishop rose with a half-courteous and half-disdainful smile1 and said1 8,you need not ask me such a question as that2 the regions they occupy are all marked on your own ,protestant geographies2 your little boys in the streets can point you to them1 where they have been marked in black lines10 and took his seat4 8,well10 said ,mr4 ,q----1 8,i would prefer you would name the countries to which they belong40 ,he rose again with a most indignant frown4 ,said he1 8,i suppose it would be rather humbling to one who calls himself a preacher to go to the little boys for information1 so ,i will name some1 at least1 of the countries that are ,catholic3 ,france1 ,austria1 most of ,germany1 ,hungary1 and ,poland2 and we shall soon have ,england1 as part of the church there is only separated from us now by name2 and ,spain and ,mexico are ours entirely20 and he took his seat again4 8,well10 said ,mr4 ,q----1 8do you think we should gain any thing as a nation by changing our ,protestant religion for that of ,mexico and ,spain80 and he took his seat4 ,the bishop arose still more indignant in manner1 and said1 8,i really cannot understand what you mean1 sir1 unless you refer to your boasted liberties in this country2 but if that is what you mean1 sir1 ,i can tell you ,i would rather go to heaven from ,mexico or ,spain1 than to hell from the midst of all your boasted liberties40 ,by this time the audience had become intensely interested4 ,said ,i1 8,mr4 ,bishop1 ,i want to ask you a few questions by way of gaining information4 ,if ,i understood you right last night1 you said your church was infallible2 that it never had erred1 and never could err40 ,he replied very indignantly1 8,i said1 sir1 that the ,catholic church never had erred1 and never could err40 8,well1 sir10 said ,i1 8it was once right to put ,protestants to death for their religion1 and of course it is still right40 ,he replied1 8,that is a ,protestant falsehood1 sir2 the church never put any one to death40 ,said ,i1 8,sir1 ,i can prove what ,i say by the faithful records of history40 8,protestant authority--we could not admit such testimony1 sir40 8,well10 said ,i1 8whether you admit it or not1 the blood of martyred millions is crying for vengeance1 and the day of divine recompense will erelong come40 ,after a number of questions from ,mr4 ,q---- and myself of similar import1 ,mr4 ,q---- said1 8,the general opinion is that ,general ,washington and ,general ,jackson died good men and went to heaven4 ,what is your opinion1 bishop80 ,he replied contemptuously1 8,why1 sir1 we don't pretend to know whether they are in heaven or not2 those are the secret things that belong to ,god40 8,stop1 bishop10 said ,i1 8you said last night that you held the keys of the kingdom of heaven in your church1 and that to you it was given to open and shut the door2 and ,i now demand of you as one of these door-keepers1 to tell us whether you have let in the immortal ,washington or not40 ,in a few moments the call was coming from every part of the house1 8,tell us whether you have let ,washington into heaven or not40 ,the bishop tore his surplice off in a rage1 and put out of the house with one or two priests after him--the crowd following him1 and calling out1 8,come back and answer the question about our beloved ,washington40 ,but he went on1 ordered his horse1 pronounced a curse on the place1 closed his meetings1 and left the town4 ,the excitement of the crowd was most intense4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,i had now been in my second year of labor for some months1 during which ,i had made some long journeys1 and seen some hard service4 ,i made an arrangement with ,mr4 ,m----1 a very intelligent gentleman whom ,i had employed a few months before as a colporteur1 to accompany me4 ,the whole tour required us to travel near four hundred miles4 ,more than two thirds of the way the country was wild and romantic1 the population sparse and rude4 ,few thought it safe to go unarmed4 ,on the day set ,i met ,mr4 ,m---- at ,c----1 where he resided4 ,to my surprise he had provided a pistol for each of us4 ,with some persuasion ,i took one1 but soon got it to the bottom of my saddle-bags4 ,the first day we reached ,w----1 where we found a young preacher who had been waiting there some days for an escort over the same route1 fearing to travel the road alone4 ,we all started in company early the next morning1 with the understanding that we had to reach ,g----1 a new county-town thirty miles distant1 or lodge in the woods4 ,nothing special occurred that day1 except that an enormous rattlesnake crossed the road before us and frightened our horses4 ,we called at the door of all the cabins we saw1 and preached ,christ to the people1 and gave them books4 ,we reached ,g---- late in the evening1 and found a pious lawyer who had just moved there1 and owned the only ,bible in the place4 ,there were not a dozen families in it4 ,by breakfast-time the next morning we had supplied him with a neat ,sunday-school library1 which he used to great advantage4 ,we were told we must ride thirty-five miles the next day1 over mountain paths1 to reach a place of lodging--that there was one house at thirty miles1 but by all means to avoid that house4 ,the reasons ,i cannot give2 nor an account of the dinner we tried to eat that day4 ,as the weather was excessively hot1 we left ,g---- by six in the morning4 ,we soon overtook a young man who was going some miles our way1 and agreed to be our guide as far as we went together4 ,we found him totally ignorant of sin1 or a future state4 ,he did not know whether he had ever seen a ,bible or not4 ,though he had heard men preach1 and seen them with a book in their hand1 he could not tell what book it was4 ,he told us his father was a county surveyor1 and1 he thought1 a member of the church4 ,i gave him a ,testament and some tracts1 which he looked at with amazement4 ,about ten o'clock we came to a number of men at work cutting timber out of the road1 that had been blown down by a storm4 ,on inquiry1 we found eleven families represented1 only one of which had a ,bible4 ,one or two others had lost their ,bibles by having their cabins burnt4 ,we supplied all with books1 and left one or two reading for all the rest4 ,the want of dinner and the excessive heat of the sun brought on me sick headache1 and by four or five o'clock ,i could scarcely sit on my horse4 ,i told my companions it would be impossible for me to reach the house we were directed to1 and let the consequence be what it would1 ,i should be compelled either to lie out1 or lodge in the vile den of which we had been warned4 ,the brethren seemed much alarmed1 but said they would not leave me4 ,several times ,i had to alight1 to prevent falling from my horse4 ,being thus detained1 we only reached this dreaded place about sunset4 ,there was a very large grazing farm1 and a large double log-cabin about the centre1 with every appearance of plenty4 ,as we drew near the house we saw quite a number of men at work haying in a large meadow4 ,every one seemed to be drunk4 ,such swearing and hallooing ,i had never heard4 ,our prospects looked gloomy4 ,we rode up to the door1 and found the landlord under the same influence as those in the field4 ,when we asked for lodging he seemed glad to have customers1 and soon had our horses cared for4 ,in a little time all the drunken rabble on the place were gathered to the house1 but such a set of men ,i have never seen before or since4 ,supper was soon ready1 and all invited in4 ,the food was very rough1 but abundant4 ,i was too sick to partake of it4 ,after supper ,i told the landlord that ,i was very sick1 and must go to bed2 but as we were all religious men1 and accustomed to pray in our families night and morning1 if he was willing1 we would have prayers4 ,the very announcement produced silence in a moment1 as if some strange thing was about to happen4 ,i requested him to bring all into the house that would come1 and in a few minutes the house was well filled4 ,i called on one of the brethren to read and pray2 and soon after ,i was in bed1 unconscious of all around me till morning1 when ,i awoke as well as usual4 ,as soon as we were dressed ,i called on the old man to get our horses4 8,oh no1 you must stay for breakfast1 and pray again10 said he4 8,well10 said ,i1 8if you will bring all in to prayers now1 we will attend to worship with pleasure40 ,in a little time the whole household was present4 ,i read a portion of ,scripture1 and made the most earnest exhortation ,i could possibly do1 and prayed4 ,a more solemn audience ,i never addressed4 ,as soon as breakfast was over1 our horses were ready1 when ,i asked the old man for our bill4 8,not one cent1 sir10 said he2 8you have prayed plenty to pay for every thing you got4 ,every time you come this way stop and get all you want1 and pray1 and it sha'n't cost you a cent40 ,we supplied all present with a book or tract1 and left well pleased on the whole with our visit4 ,during the day we called at all the cabins on our way4 ,at one ,i found a man who told me he was seventy years old1 had seldom heard a sermon1 but that he had felt much concern about where he would be in the next world1 if there was one4 ,he said he never had a ,bible1 but would like to get one very much4 ,i gave him a ,testament and tracts4 ,he seemed very thankful1 and listened with great attention to all ,i had time to say4 ,at another house the woman told me they had a ,bible1 and plenty of religious books4 ,i asked to see what kind of books they were4 ,when she presented the stock1 it consisted of an old copy of the history of ,george ,washington4 ,she believed it to be a ,bible1 as no one about the house knew a letter4 ,the same day we met a very aged man riding on a poor little pony1 with a small bag of meal under him4 ,i handed him some tracts1 for which he was very thankful1 when the following dialogue occurred4 8,have you any preaching in this mountain country80 8,sometimes we have40 8,are you a professor of religion80 8,yes1 ,i have been a member of the church forty years40 8,how are you supplied with religious books80 8,well1 we haven't got none but two or three spelling-books that ,i sent for many years ago to teach my children how to read40 8,have you no ,bible in your house80 8,no1 ,i never had one4 ,i have been trying to get a ,testament for some time at the store2 but it costs seventy-five cents1 and ,i am not able to raise the money40 ,this was the regular price of a small ,testament in that region at that time1 and seldom to be got even at that price4 ,said ,i1 8,is it not hard to live the life of a ,christian without the ,bible80 8,yes10 said he1 8but ,i can't help it2 for even if ,i was able to buy one1 it could not be got nearer than ,c----1 which is forty miles distant4 ,i never expect to be rich enough to buy a whole ,bible40 ,my soul was stirred within me1 and ,i drew out my pocket ,bible1 a fine copy which ,i had received as a present1 and gave it to him4 ,he looked for a moment at me with surprise1 when the tears gushed from his eyes1 and he exclaimed1 8,i am now rich and happy40 ,this man was seventy-five years old1 and trembling on the brink of the grave4 ,this is a true picture of many cases found by colporteurs4 ,i never felt so well paid or so happy as when ,i gave that man my only ,bible4 ,during this whole tour of five weeks' travel1 many a scene similar to those described occurred2 while1 on the other hand1 ,i visited villages and towns where ,i found fine churches and able ministers1 with highly cultivated pious congregations4 ,in this tour ,i raised over #ejj in donations1 and employed three excellent colporteurs1 one of whom labored nine years4 ,i met the most cordial coperation from ,christians and philanthropists everywhere ,i went4 ,all said1 8,this is just what we need in this sparsely populated mountain country40 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,while on this tour ,i visited the town of ,l----1 near the centre of ,western ,virginia1 and made arrangements to remove there in a few weeks4 ,there are few towns of the size which ,i have ever visited where ,i have met with a more noble people4 ,there was wealth1 intelligence1 and the highest degree of refinement4 ,this town became the centre of my operations for three years4 ,the distance we had to go in moving there was about one hundred and fifty miles1 up and down mountains most of the way1 with scarce any thing like a road in many places3 a family of five1 two of them children1 in a one-horse carriage1 with the necessary equipage for such a journey4 ,on the afternoon of the third day we began to ascend the ,cheat mountain1 which required nine miles travelling to reach its summit1 and eight miles down the other side to its base1 with only one house all the way1 and that on the top of the mountain1 called at that time 8the mountain house of entertainment40 ,it was a large rude log-house1 without comfort4 ,by the time we reached the top of it ,i found my horse very much fatigued1 and the sun about setting4 ,we concluded we could not descend the mountain that night with safety1 as there was no moon1 and the whole way was through a dense pine forest4 ,when we came to this house on the very top of the mountain1 we found a number of covered wagons that belonged to families moving westward1 and a crowd of people of all colors about the house4 ,i asked for lodging4 8,yes10 said the landlord1 8lodging plenty60 ,my family went into the house1 and ,i went to see my horse taken care of4 ,on my return ,i found them without any place to sit down4 ,after looking through the house1 and finding but two or three apartments1 and such a crowd of people1 ,i asked the landlord how he would lodge us all4 8,oh10 said he1 8you can lie down a few at a time1 and soon as you get asleep ,i can stand you up against the wall40 ,though it was in ,september1 and very warm in the valleys1 yet it was cold on the top of this mountain1 and we were all shivering4 ,i asked the landlord1 who by this time was playing the violin for our entertainment1 to make us a little fire4 ,but there was neither wood nor supper4 ,the females were stowed away in one room for the night1 and the rest lay on the floor or sat by turns till the morning came4 ,as we had no toilet to make in the morning1 we were on the way down the mountain at an early hour4 ,the first house we reached was a log-house1 where they kept entertainment4 ,all was neat and clean4 ,we called for breakfast2 and while it was preparing1 we had our morning devotions1 which had been noticed by the landlady4 ,when we came to our excellent breakfast1 she asked me to christen her children1 of which she had quite a number4 ,i told her ,i was not a preacher1 and had no authority to administer ordinances4 ,she insisted most earnestly that ,i must do it2 that no one had ever prayed there before1 and she did not see any reason why any praying man could not christen children2 that they had been living there for years1 and never heard a sermon or seen a preacher as they knew of2 and if ,i would only do it1 they would not charge me one cent for breakfast4 ,after preaching them the best sermon ,i could1 and giving a good supply of little books1 we went on our way4 ,in two more days we reached ,l----1 our place of destination1 in safety1 and in a few hours had a house rented and were living in it4 ,for three years ,i travelled almost constantly2 sometimes in a buggy1 but mostly on horseback1 making from six to eight thousand miles each year1 distributing tracts and books in cabins and mansions1 collecting money1 and employing men1 till ,i had the cooperation of over fifty colporteurs4 ,the many interesting facts and incidents which occurred during these years would fill a large volume4 ,a very few of them ,i shall attempt to relate4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,mr4 ,w----1 whom we had employed for some years1 a man of much more than ordinary piety and qualifications for the work1 while visiting in the mountains1 came to a poor cabin occupied by a man1 his wife1 and an only son4 ,they were very poor4 ,the father made his living by grubbing1 and took the boy with him to pick the brush1 he being at this time about sixteen years old4 ,they carried home their wages on their backs1 mostly in some kind of food4 ,the mother made what she earned by her spinning-wheel2 and while at that1 had taught her son to read the ,testament1 though she was not religious4 ,mr4 ,w----1 after talking and praying with them1 gave this boy a copy of ,baxter's ,call1 which was the means of his conversion4 ,before he could join the church1 the neighbors aided in getting him a suit of clothes4 ,he immediately set about to improve himself in every possible way4 ,there was no school near2 and if there had been1 he had no means to go4 ,his first efforts in learning to write were1 by copying the letters out of a book with his finger in the snow4 ,he borrowed and read all the books he could get1 and attended a little church where there was preaching once each month4 ,about two years afterwards ,i received a letter by some private way from this same boy1 ,d4 ,w4 ,s----4 ,on opening it1 ,i made out its contents with some difficulty4 ,it was an application to become a colporteur4 ,in the letter he referred me to the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,r----1 who lived in town4 ,i went to him1 showed him the letter1 and asked him if he knew the writer4 ,he laughed3 8,yes1 very well2 ,i received him into the church4 ,d---- is a good boy1 but he is without education1 and knows nothing of the world2 he has never been ten miles from home in his life40 ,i wrote the young man a kind letter1 saying ,i hoped he would make a colporteur some day1 and advised him to go to school a while4 ,the next thing ,i heard from him was a rap at my door4 ,when ,i opened the door1 an awkward-looking youth near six feet high stood before me1 with the same suit of clothes on him he had got over two years before4 ,the pants were several inches too short1 and the coat-sleeves as deficient2 indeed1 the coat was little more than a big patch on his back4 ,said he1 8,i am the fellow that wrote you a letter about wanting to colport1 and ,i have come to see about it40 ,i invited him into the house4 ,he was all in a tremor of excitement4 ,when ,i opened the parlor door he looked in with amazement1 and in walking to a seat avoided stepping on the white spots in the carpet1 which was the first one he ever saw4 ,he was so embarrassed he could scarcely speak4 ,after talking a little while about crops1 etc41 he became composed4 ,he then told me his desires to do good1 and all about his conversion1 which was entirely satisfactory4 ,as it was late in the evening1 ,i invited him to stay for the night2 and by the time we got his poor old pony of a horse1 not worth five dollars1 put away1 tea was ready4 ,when he sat down he looked confused4 ,i had much conversation with him that evening4 ,at length ,i invited him up stairs to bed4 ,on the way up he held by the railing to avoid treading on the narrow carpet in the centre4 ,in the morning he was up whistling psalm tunes bright and early4 ,as soon as ,i was dressed ,i called him and told him ,i had reflected over the matter very carefully1 and had come to the conclusion that his want of education and knowledge of the world would not justify me in employing him4 ,i saw his countenance change in a moment and the tears start in his eyes4 8,oh10 said he1 8,i do want you to give me work1 for ,i do feel that all ,i want to live for is to work for ,christ40 ,i cannot describe my feelings as he uttered these words4 ,here was a depth of devotion beyond any thing ,i had met4 ,after some minutes' silence ,i said to him1 8,there is a region of country on the head-waters of the ,elk river where there never has been any preaching2 if you will go there a month without any commission1 ,i will see you are paid40 ,his countenance was changed in a moment1 and lit up with joy4 ,in less than two hours ,i had a pair of colporteur's saddle-bags filled with books and tracts1 and he was on his journey to that destitute region1 some forty miles distant4 ,soon after1 some stock raisers who had been in that region buying cattle1 told me they heard that the ,tract ,society had a great man out there2 that the people were wonderfully pleased with him2 that he was giving them books1 and teaching them to read them4 ,at the end of the month he returned1 all his stock had passed into the hands of the people1 and he gave me a glowing account of the people's wants and his success4 ,he said it would take another month to get over that region1 and he wanted to go back4 ,after aiding him to dispense with his boy clothes1 ,i started him with another load of books1 cautioning him to avoid showing off his new suit as much as possible4 ,another month's work was done with great success1 when he returned almost a new boy in his whole appearance4 ,he had gained confidence by being constantly among people that did not know as much as he did4 ,i then had him commissioned for ,p---- county1 a very mountainous region1 and very destitute of the means of moral improvement4 ,in a few months he had visited every family in the county4 ,in many families the bare mention of his name will start tears in the eyes of the people1 and the tracts that he distributed have been sewed together and covered with deerskin as remembrances of the man that left them4 ,often through the day when he would come in sight of a cabin1 he would alight from his horse and kneel in the woods and plead with ,god for success in his visit4 ,he next visited the counties of ,m---- and ,r----1 two large counties1 with remarkable success4 ,by this time he became a fine-looking young man1 and by his constant application to reading the books as he rode along1 he had become an intelligent1 spiritual ,christian4 ,we then sent him to the large county of ,p----1 where there was in portions of it a high degree of intelligence and refinement4 ,in a few months he was licensed to preach the gospel4 ,he married a lady of high moral worth1 and settled in the county of ,h---- over four weak churches4 ,in two and a half years he received over two hundred persons into the church on profession of their faith2 then took typhoid fever1 with which he soon died in the triumphs of a living faith4 ,since his death ,i have met with five young men1 who are now ministers of the gospel1 who had been led to ,christ by his labors1 all of whom speak of him as an extraordinary man in point of piety and usefulness4 ,here was a boy that in all probability would have lived and died in ignorance and sin if he had not been found by a colporteur4 ,he has often put his hand on my shoulder1 and said with tears in his eyes1 8,brother ,c----1 if it had not been for the ,tract ,society1 ,i should have been a poor grubber to-day1 on the way to death and ruin40 ,the great secret of his success was his untiring zeal and industry4 ,he read and studied on his saddle2 the shades of the forest were his closet in the summer1 and the cleft of some mountain rock in the winter4 ,his congregations were mostly ignorant families1 and his rostrum a three-legged stool in the corner4 ,all his talents were put to use in the ,lord's work1 and no doubt he has his reward4 ,reader1 go thou and do likewise1 and receive a like gracious reward4 ,on a ,saturday evening while on my way to meet a ,sabbath appointment1 while descending a mountain1 ,i met a man on his way home from mill1 and offered him some tracts4 8,oh10 said he1 8they are of no use to me1 for ,i can't read1 and ,i have no one about me that can40 ,i asked him if he had a family4 8,yes1 ,i have a wife and seven children40 8,it is a great sin10 said ,i1 8for you to raise a family in such ignorance40 8,oh10 said he1 8there is so much harm in books1 they are better without them40 ,i handed him two or three tracts1 and told him to get some one to read them to him4 ,one of them was1 ,fifty ,reasons for ,attending ,public ,worship4 ,he took them1 and when he got home showed them to his wife4 8,oh10 said she1 8we will be ruined now4 ,i'll bet that is a warrant that ,middleton has got the sheriff to serve on you1 and we will lose our land40 ,they spent a sleepless night1 and early next morning they went to the nearest neighbor and told him they had got into sad trouble about their land2 that ,middleton had served a warrant on them1 and here it was4 ,the tracts were presented to a man who was a class-leader in the ,methodist church1 and was my informer near a year after this occurrence4 ,he took the first one1 8,fifty ,reasons for ,attending ,public ,worship40 8,well10 said he1 8this is a warrant1 but not sent by ,middleton1 but from the court of heaven4 ,god has sent you this1 as you never go to church2 and now you see how you have exposed your ignorance by not being able to read1 not knowing the difference between a sheriff's writ and a religious tract2 and ,i do hope you will now attend church1 and have your children taught to read40 8,now10 said my informer1 8this man and his wife are both members of the church1 and they are sending their children to school as the result of the influence of those tracts40 ,on one occasion ,i left home by a stage-coach before daylight on a long journey4 ,we stopped after ten miles to take other passengers4 ,as usual1 the way-bill was taken into the stage-office to enter their names4 ,a man was in the office who had travelled near one hundred miles to see me at ,l----4 ,seeing my name on the way-bill1 he asked if that was the man that was the tract agent4 ,about that time ,i stepped in to warm myself and distribute tracts1 when some one acquainted with me told him ,i was the agent4 ,he then told me how far he had come to see me1 and how near he was to miss me1 all the time interlarding his conversation with oaths1 to the great amazement of all present who knew the nature of my work4 ,when he was through1 ,i told him ,i would tell him the nature of the work in a few words3 that he must get a good horse and a large pair of saddle-bags1 fill them with books1 and ride over these rugged mountains1 and live on hard fare4 ,with an awful oath he said he could stand all that with any fellow about the diggins4 ,in addition to that1 said ,i1 you must read the ,bible1 and pray at every house4 ,i never saw a man so utterly confounded1 while those present were convulsed with laughter4 ,i gave him a few tracts1 and talked to him till he wept like a child4 ,although ,i never heard of the man again1 ,i have hope that the conversation was not in vain4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,about this time ,i held a ,colporteur ,convention in ,c----1 in which a number of colporteurs were present4 ,the meeting was one of deep interest4 ,many facts were brought out in relation to the wants of that region1 and the good resulting from the work1 that were of the most cheering character4 ,during the three days of our meetings1 an old man was present who was but little known to any that were there4 ,when about to close the convention1 ,i said that if any one present wished to give us a word of advice or exhortation we should be glad to hear it1 when this old man rose1 trembling with diffidence1 and said3 8,as soon as ,i heard of this meeting ,i made up my mind to attend it2 and now ,i want to tell you what this ,society has done for me4 ,my name is ,c----4 ,ten years ago ,i was considered the wickedest man in this county4 ,i was a profane drunkard4 ,one day while at ,s----1 about four miles above this place1 old ,mr4 ,r----1 who was always distributing tracts1 handed me one with the word ,eternity in large letters at the head of it4 ,i was the worse for liquor at the time1 and on my horse to go home1 which was about fifteen miles distant4 ,on my way ,i took the tract out of my hat to read it4 ,my attention got fixed on the word ,eternity1 and ,i became alarmed about my state as a sinner4 ,by the time ,i got home ,i was nearly sober4 ,i read and reread the tract till ,i had it committed to memory4 ,for near two weeks ,i had no rest4 ,at last my distress became so great that ,i did not want to live4 ,one day ,i was tempted to go away to the woods and destroy myself4 ,while there ,i thought of praying1 for the first time1 and fell down on my knees and cried1 #8,god be merciful to me a sinner4' ,in a moment ,i felt relief1 and went home with a joyful heart1 and told my family all about the matter4 ,i read the tract to them1 and began to pray with and for them4 ,in six months ,i had a little church built on my land1 and a missionary there to preach once each month1 and myself1 wife1 and six of my children and eight servants were members of it2 and here is five dollars1 all the money ,i have in the world1 to aid in giving good books to others40 ,all present were bathed in tears at this recital4 ,as soon as he was seated1 another man arose and said 8he supposed all present had heard of ,father ,b----1 who died a few weeks ago1 and many1 no doubt1 remember when he was a terror in the community4 ,he had remarkable bodily powers1 and could whip any man in all the country round4 ,when the county of ,l---- was laid off1 there was a violent contest about where to build the court-house2 and the two parties agreed that ,b---- and another bully should decide the matter by a fist-fight1 and ,b---- gained the site where that court-house now stands4 ,he was often brought up at the court for assault and battery1 and had crippled some men for life4 ,judge ,s---- on one occasion1 when passing sentence on him1 said1 #8,b----1 you have become too bad a man to live1 and if ever you come before me again convicted of crime1 ,i will make you suffer for it most severely4 ,if you would improve the mind ,god has given you1 you might be a blessing to the world2 but now you are a disgrace4 ,here is a tract1 #8,the ,fool's ,pence2' take and read it1 and may ,god lead you by it to be a better man4' ,that tract was the means of his conversion1 and for the last fifteen years of his life he was one of the most successful preachers in ,south-western ,virginia40 ,another fact was brought out at this meeting by the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,w----1 who labored for some time as a colporteur in the county of ,w----4 ,he entered a large settlement where there never had been any preaching1 schools1 or distribution of books4 ,the ,sabbath was the special day for frolicking and dissipation4 ,in the house where he lodged on ,saturday night1 the family were busy preparing to go to a shooting-match the next morning4 ,all he could say had no effect on them4 ,after praying ,god to guide him in his duty1 he determined to go with them4 ,when they came to the place1 a large collection of all classes were present1 with a great number of articles to gamble for in different ways4 ,he told them1 as it was the ,lord's day1 he would unite with them in prayer for ,god's blessing4 ,he prayed earnestly1 and then told them that if they would give him their attention he would preach to them4 ,they seemed confounded at this remark1 and all remained silent as death4 ,he announced his text1 and preached with unusual liberty4 ,the attention was solemn1 and they looked at one another with amazement4 ,he then distributed among them his remaining stock of books and tracts1 and as he was very unwell1 went home4 ,soon after the news spread that some people in that region were concerned about their souls4 ,a preacher visited them1 and soon had a good congregation gathered1 and over twenty converts4 ,sunday frolicking was abandoned1 and many were led to observe the ,lord's day4 ,the same man stated another fact1 which occurred in ,j---- county4 ,while visiting in one of those sparsely populated regions1 he came to a very large farm4 ,he found the family to consist of the father1 mother1 and twelve children1 the youngest about eight years old4 ,the man was wealthy in land and stock1 but to his surprise no one knew a letter in a book4 ,after talking to them about their relations to ,god and eternity1 he asked the father why he did not have his children taught to read4 ,the old objection was raised at once1 that they learned enough of bad without books2 that he had got along very well without reading1 and so could his children4 ,he then began to read to them1 showed them the pictures in the ,alphabet of ,animals1 and read them some account of them4 ,several of the children said1 8,oh1 ,i wish ,i could read40 ,he then gave them one or two books and some tracts4 ,a few months after he was coming back the same way1 and called to pay another visit4 8,well10 said the old man1 8you have give me a purty lot of trouble by leaving them books here4 ,i had no peace till ,i got a man to come and larn them to read them40 ,so sure enough the teacher was there1 and now they bought more books freely4 ,in travelling through a wild mountain region1 where ,i was a total stranger1 ,i came to a small village of about a dozen houses1 with a little store and tavern4 ,before ,i reached it1 ,i heard men hallooing in the most boisterous manner4 ,when ,i drove up weary to the public-house1 ,i was surrounded with such a set of savage-looking men as ,i never had seen before1 and all intoxicated4 ,every man had on a hunting-shirt1 with a belt round him1 to which hung a long butcher-knife4 ,i felt afraid of the men1 ,i must confess1 and would have been glad to have been elsewhere1 especially as my buggy and trunk seemed to attract rather too much attention4 ,after ,i had got food for myself and horse1 and laid round some tracts as quietly as possible1 ,i started1 hoping to reach a point near twenty miles distant that night4 ,some part of the way ,i was told the road was very good1 but mostly rough and mountainous4 ,as soon as ,i was out of sight1 ,i drove rapidly1 and made the first five miles in an hour1 when ,i began to breathe easier4 ,but all at once ,i heard the most unearthly yelling behind me that had ever greeted my ears4 ,my horse was frightened1 and tried to run off4 ,in a few moments ,i heard the clatter of horses' feet1 and concluded all was over with me4 ,in a moment ,i was surrounded with some eight or ten of the most desperate looking men1 and told to stop2 that they wanted to know what ,i was loaded with4 ,i told them ,i was loaded with good religious books1 which ,i was distributing among people that had none4 ,i was then ordered to give them all up to them1 and they would scatter them on the other side of the mountain1 for there were no books over there4 ,i told them ,i knew they were too generous to take all that ,i had4 ,i then told them to listen to me1 and ,i would tell them what the books taught4 ,so ,i began and preached them the most earnest sermon that ,i ever preached4 ,one of them said1 8,give me your hand1 sir1 for ,i never had a preacher by the hand in my life40 ,i held his hand firmly1 and preached on1 although the muzzle of his gun was frequently in very dangerous proximity to my person4 ,it was evident they began to feel uneasy under my wayside sermon1 and for fear they would leave me without tracts1 ,i began the distribution1 and gave each one a number of the most suitable ,i could find4 ,they invited me to come over the mountains and preach1 and ,i would get plenty to come and hear me4 ,some of those tracts were found more than a year after by one of our colporteurs1 carefully preserved and highly prized4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,another case that seemed more threatening than the last mentioned1 occurred soon after in the county of ,g----4 ,i was on my way to meet a ,sabbath appointment4 ,about two o'clock ,i came to a river which was much swollen by the late rains4 ,the man who kept the ferry-boat lived on the opposite side of the river1 where some four or five men were pitching quoits and making a great noise4 ,i called a number of times before they even condescended to answer me2 and when they did answer1 it was with curses1 telling me they would come when they were ready4 ,i had then sixteen miles to go to ,b----1 the place where ,i expected to lodge4 ,they kept me waiting two hours before they came with the boat1 consequently it was late when ,i got over4 ,they were drunk and very profane1 charged me four prices1 and cursed me for troubling them4 ,i gave them some tracts1 and the best advice ,i could4 ,soon after ,i met two women3 one seemed to be about thirty1 and the other sixty years old4 ,i offered them some tracts1 which they at first declined1 for fear ,i might be the sheriff4 ,neither knew a letter1 or could tell who was the ,saviour of sinners4 ,soon after ,i passed them a terrible rain came on1 and the roads were so deep my horse could scarcely draw my buggy4 ,i saw night would soon overtake me1 and the prospect of lodging looked unfavorable4 ,i stopped at a cabin by the roadside to inquire the way1 and leave some tracts4 ,a man came out who looked as if he was ready for any crime1 and came right up to my buggy1 and began to look in with a scrutinizing eye4 ,he either could not or would not give me any satisfaction about the road4 ,after an earnest exhortation about his soul1 ,i gave him ,baxter's ,call4 ,all the conduct of the man was of a very suspicious character4 ,it was now late1 and raining hard1 and in a little time would be very dark4 ,i drove on as fast as possible1 until it began to get quite dark1 when ,i met a man on the road walking2 whether he was a white man or not1 ,i could not tell4 ,i stopped him to inquire if there was any place near where ,i could lodge4 ,he immediately began to examine the inside of my buggy as fully as the darkness would permit4 ,he told me there was a man on the other bank of the creek1 about half a mile ahead of me1 who kept lodgers1 and that it was a good place to stop4 ,i handed him a book and thanked him1 and drove on1 he following a short distance1 asking me questions which were not calculated to allay my anxiety4 ,i soon reached the creek1 which seemed to be very high and rapid1 and it was so dark ,i could see no object on the other side of it4 ,the road entered by a narrow ravine1 and there was no way to back out4 ,i lifted my heart to ,god for protection1 and drove in4 ,in a moment the water was up in my buggy1 but thanks to ,god1 ,i got through safely1 and in a few moments my horse was standing by the door of a miserable cabin4 ,i called1 and a man came out with a torch of pine-knots in his hand4 ,he was both dirty and ragged4 ,i asked him where the man lived that kept lodgers4 8,oh10 said he1 8,i am the man that keeps tavern here40 ,my prospects were bad1 but ,i could get no further4 ,i asked him to put up my tired horse and feed him4 ,he had no stable but a rail-pen1 no feed but some sheaves of green wheat4 ,he took me to another cabin about fifty yards distant1 that was as dark as a dungeon1 except so far as his torch gave us light4 ,although it was warm1 ,i requested him to make me a fire1 which he did with reluctance4 ,after some time ,i was invited to the first cabin to supper4 ,the man and his wife and children1 as well as the supper1 were all dirty in the extreme4 ,i attempted to eat1 but in vain4 ,as soon as the man finished his meal1 we returned to the other cabin1 where ,i conversed with him4 ,he was a total stranger to the simplest truths of the ,bible4 ,i asked him if he knew any thing of the celebrated ,lucas family of that county4 8,oh yes10 said he1 8they live all round here4 ,did you not meet a man as you came along to-night about the top of the hill over the creek80 ,i said yes4 8,well1 that was one of them1 and ,i wonder they let you pass so late in the evening4 ,that one1 and the one that lived in the house you last passed were the two implicated in killing the man for which one of their uncles was hung at ,giles court-house1 and if ,i had given in my testimony1 they would have been hung too2 and ,i am afraid they will kill me1 because ,i know all about it40 ,by this time ,i was considerably alarmed4 ,the conclusion ,i came to was that they were all linked together1 and that ,i was in the slaughter-house4 ,i then inquired all about old ,randal ,lucas1 who was the father of two that had been hung1 and some others that were in prison1 and was the grandfather of the two he had just been telling me about4 ,he gave me a full history of the old man1 much of which cannot be told4 8,but10 said he1 8such a man you never saw4 ,he is ninety years old4 ,when he puts on a suit of clothes1 he never takes it off till it is worn out4 ,in the winter he lies in the ashes1 and in the summer he lies down in the mire like a hog40 ,this is confirmed in ,howe's ,history of ,virginia1 which relates how he sat under the gallows eating gingerbread while his sons were hung4 ,i refer the reader to that history for an account of this wonderful man and his family4 ,the manner in which he told the whole story was any thing but pleasant to me4 ,he began to get sleepy1 and told me he would hold the pine-light while ,i got into bed up on the loft1 as he called it4 ,the only way to get up was by a ladder made of a pole split in two1 with rounds put into it4 ,i climbed up1 and he followed me with the torch4 ,as soon as ,i got to the bed over the loose boards that covered the floor1 and found an old split-bottom chair1 which ,i expected to use in self-defence before morning1 ,i told him to withdraw4 ,i lay down without undressing1 after committing my soul1 family1 and all my interests to ,god1 without much hope of seeing the light of another day4 ,no one occupied the house but myself as a bedroom4 ,i kept watch till morning1 and when any unpleasant sound was heard1 ,i made noise enough to let any one approaching know that ,i was awake4 ,as soon as it was light ,i was up to see to my poor horse1 which was standing in mud and water six inches deep1 without food4 ,after getting him some more green wheat in the sheaf1 and a little corn bread for myself1 and talking and praying with the family1 ,i left them4 ,i cannot say whether there was any intention to rob me or take my life4 ,i hope there was not4 ,when ,i was about two miles on my way1 and was rising a mountain where the road was scarcely six inches wider than my buggy1 a man met me1 riding a poor old horse without a saddle1 all in rags and dirt1 with nothing on him but remnants of a torn shirt and pants1 with a rope tied round his waist1 and a bottle of whiskey in his bosom4 ,such a looking piece of humanity ,i had never seen before4 ,in a moment ,i concluded this is certainly old ,randal ,lucas4 ,i saw he could not pass me on that narrow road1 and ,i determined to have a full talk with him4 ,when we met he tried to keep the upper side of the road1 and get between my horse and the steep bank4 8,good morning1 sir10 said ,i4 8,good morning10 said he1 in a very unnatural tone of voice4 8,don't you want some good books to read this morning80 8,no1 ,i don't want any2 ,i can't read40 8,do you go to church80 8,no1 ,i don't care about church40 8,well1 sir10 said ,i1 8you are an old man and must soon go to the other world40 8,yes1 ,i am ninety years old40 8,is it possible10 said ,i1 8you are so old80 8,yes1 ,i can prove it40 8,you would find but few witnesses to prove that by40 8,well1 ,i can swear it then40 8,well1 sir10 said ,i1 8what do you think will become of you when you die80 8,o well1 ,i doesn't care any thing about that40 8,can you tell me who is the ,saviour of sinners80 8,i don't know any thing of them things40 8,well1 sir1 who made you80 8,why1 ,i suppose it was ,god ,almighty40 8,what is your name1 sir80 8,randal ,lucas40 8,well10 said ,i1 8,i thought so10 straightening myself with a determined look4 8,well1 sir1 you say you don't go to church1 and ,i must tell you in the name of my ,master1 that if you don't repent you will soon be in hell4 ,i have read and heard of you1 sir1 for years1 and you stand on the brink of eternal burnings1 and your soul stained with every crime that a man could commit40 ,he began to look frightened1 and tried to pass me2 but ,i kept my position1 and for some minutes laid down the terrors of the law in the strongest language ,i could use1 and then gave him some little books and tracts4 ,he trembled like an aspen leaf4 ,a few weeks afterwards he took up the idea that he was soon to die1 got a coffin made1 tried it to see if it would fit1 paid for it1 and set it up in his cabin--sent for a preacher1 told him he was going to die and did not know what would become of him1 and asked him to pray for him2 offered him fifty cents1 and said1 8,pray on till my money is done40 ,the money was of course refused4 ,in a few days the poor wretch died as he had lived1 leaving a host of children the descendants of unnatural and brutal connection4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,travelling in a mountainous region at nightfall of a tempestuous day1 and having lost my road1 ,i was directed for a lodging to 8,squire ,d----'s1 who keeps the ferry40 ,after supper1 ,i had a pleasant talk with the father of ,squire ,d----1 on whose head the snows of eighty winters had fallen1 and soon the family were gathered round us1 engaged in delightful converse4 ,i inquired as to the high-handed wickedness of a neighborhood not far off1 where ,i had heard that meetings were frequently held in mockery of religious worship3 8,yes1 yes10 said the squire1 with just enough of the ,welsh accent to betray his origin1 8and our neighborhood here was just as bad ten years ago2 we were all alike3 no church1 no preacher1 no ,sunday-school1 no day-school4 ,one evening a minister and a young lady stopped at my house for the night2 ,i thought them very inquisitive people4 ,they asked if we had any preaching4 #8,no4' ,any schools8 #8,no2 we have had several teachers1 but no one will stay more than a quarter with us4' ,the young lady said she would come and take a school among us1 if we would employ her4 ,after some further conversation1 ,i told her ,i would see what could be done1 and write her the result4 ,next morning they left for the minister's home at ,m----1 some fifty miles distant4 8,in a short time ,i had a school made up and board engaged for the new teacher1 and wrote her to that effect4 ,she came and commenced her school at the time appointed4 ,but soon there was complaint that the new teacher read the ,bible and prayed in her school4 ,and her troubles did not cease here4 ,the man at whose house she boarded insisted that she should leave1 because she prayed1 sung hymns1 and would keep talking about religion all the time4 ,miss ,h---- then set out to look up another home for herself2 but she met the same reply from all3 #8,we cannot receive you unless you leave off praying and singing4' 8,when she applied to me1 ,i objected on the same grounds4 ,finally1 ,i told her if she would come on my own terms1 ,i would take her into my family4 ,she inquired what those terms were4 #8,why1' said ,i1 #8you shall have such a room to yourself2 there you are to stay from the time you return from school until you start to go back1 only when you come to your meals3 you must not sing hymns2 you may pray as much as you please1 but mind you don't let us hear you at it2 and remember1 the first time you infringe this contract1 you leave the premises4' ,to all this she agreed1 with as much meekness as if my terms had been reasonable and right4 ,that evening she took up her abode under my roof2 and little did ,i think what a blessing ,god was sending me in that frail1 delicate girl4 8,the children all loved the new teacher very much4 ,so one day she told them to ask their parents' permission1 and if they were agreed1 she would teach them on ,sunday too4 ,this proposal pleased us all4 ,if she taught on ,sunday1 that was so much clear gain to us4 8,i soon observed that my children took to staying in the teacher's room much of their time4 ,at length1 one ,sunday morning1 they came down with some tracts2 ,i looked over them1 and found they were on the subject of religion4 ,ah1 said ,i1 my lady1 ,i've caught you now4 ,i called her down1 told her she had violated her contract1 and must be off4 ,the poor girl began to weep2 ,i felt ashamed4 #8,dear sir1' said she1 #8will you read those tracts8 ,if you do1 and still continue in your present mind1 ,i will leave your house immediately4' 8,here was a pretty fix2 the children were all crying1 and begging me not to send ,miss ,h---- away2 and the books1 ,oh1 they could not part with the books4 ,i was mightily perplexed2 at last ,i gave in4 ,said ,i1 #8,miss ,h----1 you may go back to your room2 ,i will consider the matter4' ,i shall never forget the smile that passed over her face as she thanked me and went back to her room4 ,thanked me1 indeed6 ,well1 ,i set to work1 read one of the tracts1 felt self-condemned2 read it again1 felt dreadfully troubled4 ,then ,i read them all1 and felt that ,i was a great sinner4 ,i said nothing more to ,miss ,h---- about leaving my house4 ,each day my convictions became deeper4 ,at last1 ,i could bear it no longer4 ,thought ,i1 this won't do2 ,i must talk with ,miss ,h----4 ,so ,i invited her to come and sit with us in the family4 ,she cheerfully complied4 ,i asked her a great many questions about the doctrines of the ,bible1 not meaning to let her know any thing about my concern4 ,but all would not do2 my distress continued1 or rather my agony1 for ,i thought ,i was the greatest sinner on earth4 8,at last1 ,i sent one evening for ,miss ,h---- to come down1 and ,i told her my troubles2 for my proud heart was well-nigh broken4 ,said ,i1 ,miss ,h----1 ,i feel so and so ever since ,i read those tracts of yours2 and ,i related all that was passing in my mind2 and1 said ,i1 do you think there is any mercy or hope for such a poor miserable sinner8 ,the tears began to run down her cheeks2 then she laughed2 then she caught me by both hands1 and looking up into my face1 she said1 #8,oh1 my dear friend1 ,i am so glad4' #8,why1' said ,i1 #8are you glad because ,i am in trouble8' #8,oh1 my dear sir1' says she1 #8this is the ,spirit of ,god operating on your heart4' ,all at once a great light seemed to shine into my mind4 ,all that ,i had been learning for so many weeks seemed now just as plain as ,a ,b ,c4 ,said ,i1 #8,come1 ,miss ,h----1 kneel down then and pray for me2' and she did pray for me1 and ,i do bless ,god for his wonderful mercy to such a poor hardened sinner4 ,i believe that ,god did change my heart just while that very prayer was going up4 ,all at once it just came3 ,i loved my ,bible and ,i loved to pray1 and ,i could not bear the company that ,i used to take so much delight in4 8,on the next ,sabbath1 ,miss ,h---- asked me to go along with her and the children to the school--which was1 and had been a ,sunday-school1 though we never suspected it2 and here came a trial4 ,if ,i go1 they will say ,i am getting religious2 if ,i stay1 it will be a sin1 for ,i know ,i ought to go2 and then it will grieve ,miss ,h----4 ,these last considerations were the strongest2 so ,i went4 ,the room was crowded with children1 all waiting for their teacher2 ,i thought they all looked happy4 ,after a little while1 ,miss ,h---- took the ,bible1 and coming to me1 she said1 #8,mr4 ,d----1 will you read and pray with us this morning8' ,i was startled2 my very heart trembled4 ,said ,i1 #8,oh no2 not now4' ,then she read a chapter and prayed herself4 ,oh1 how ,i felt1 to think that ,i was ashamed to pray before those children6 ,ah1 thought ,i1 this will never do2 ,i will come here and pray next ,sunday4 ,that night ,i read and prayed with my family2 and the next ,sabbath ,i opened the school with prayer4 8,the news spread soon all through the settlement4 ,d---- has got religion and is praying in the ,sunday-school6 strange news this6 ,very soon the people began to drop into our ,sunday-school4 ,then ,miss ,h---- said to me1 #8,you had better read us a sermon at the ,sunday-school1 after the other exercises are over4' ,she selected the sermons1 and ,i read them4 ,our meetings grew very solemn4 ,presently we sent word to a good man at ,b---- to send us a minister2 he did so4 ,the minister came and preached for us4 ,the little school-house could not contain one half of the people who crowded to hear him4 ,we held our meetings in the open air1 under the trees4 8,ah1 that was a wonderful time2 the cry of the anxious sinner went up from every house4 ,the ,spirit of ,god was moving mightily upon the hearts of the people1 and many were born into the kingdom of ,christ4 ,all this brought a great change in our settlement4 ,instead of the dance1 and the gaming-table1 and the foolish song1 we had meetings for prayer and praise2 and the tavern and still-house were exchanged for the temple of ,god4 8,the ,sabbath became a day of holy rest among a people who used to spend it in revelry or idleness4 ,houses of worship were built1 where our population flocked every ,sabbath to hear the preached word from the living minister2 and in the course of two or three years1 hundreds professed faith in ,christ1 and joined the church4 ,we have had a flourishing church here ever since4 ,ah10 said the good man1 in his peculiarly emphatic way1 8see what ,god hath wrought for us40 ,how often have ,i reproached myself1 when ,i contrasted the heroic conduct of this devoted female with my own man-fearing spirit6 ,she has gone to her reward2 her memory will be cherished for a few more years in the hearts of those to whom her humble efforts were of such immense value1 and then pass away and be forgotten4 ,but her influence will pass on1 an ever-increasing current1 down the long tracts of time1 and throughout the endless ages of eternity4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,the latter part of the year #ahdh was spent laboring in ,south-western ,virginia4 ,i visited several towns as a colporteur1 taking with me some applicant for this service1 to give him a favorable introduction to his labors4 ,i reached the beautiful town of ,a---- late in the evening1 an entire stranger1 and stopped at a hotel1 wet1 cold1 and hungry4 ,about the same time the stage arrived with a number of passengers1 and we all asked for rooms with fire in them4 ,while this was preparing ,i stepped into the bar-room1 the only place where ,i could find a fire2 but it had been election day1 and such a company of intoxicated men ,i had never seen in one room4 ,several of them were lying on the floor1 unable to rise2 and the swearing was awful4 ,i immediately began the distribution of tracts and little paper-covered books2 and among them ,i laid down a copy of 8,universalism not of ,god40 ,as ,i passed round1 laying them down on chairs and tables1 as well as handing them to the men1 ,i observed a very fine-looking man who had come in the stage1 following me1 and looking at them4 ,as ,i laid down 8,universalism not of ,god10 he took it up1 and said to me very abruptly that the book was a libel on the ,universalists4 8,oh10 said ,i1 8,i understand the cause of your objection to the book4 ,you are one of those who believe that thieves1 murderers1 and liars all go to heaven2 that there is no such place as hell40 8,yes10 said he1 8,i have too good an opinion of ,god's mercy to believe there is any such place as hell40 ,when he made that remark1 one of the fellows who was lying drunk on the floor raised his head and said1 8,you are a liar20 while another said he 8wished that was true1 but there was no such good news40 ,said ,i1 8,sir1 ,i will hand you over to these men1 and you and they may settle the controversy40 ,he immediately disappeared from the room4 ,during my stay of three weeks in this beautiful town1 ,i visited every family in it1 and either sold or gave books4 ,one day ,i stepped into the office of a lawyer1 who was one of the first men in the state in his profession4 ,i offered him a copy of ,nelson on ,infidelity4 ,said he1 8,i could not take time to read a book of that size1 except on law1 for less than five hundred dollars40 ,i then offered him ,baxter's ,call4 ,said he1 8,that is too big a dose for me too40 ,i then presented him the tract1 8,the ,great ,alternative40 8,well10 said he1 8as you are so anxious for me to read some of your books1 ,i will read that right off40 ,he commenced1 and ,i left him4 ,an hour or two after ,i was passing his door1 and he was sitting in a thoughtful mood4 ,said ,i1 8,have you read the tract80 8,yes10 said he1 8and if ,i would read a few more like it ,i think ,i might become a ,christian40 ,said ,i1 8,too busy to be saved40 8,yes10 said he1 8,i fear that is my case2 ,i have not a moment to spare from my business40 ,alas1 how many will have to say1 ,i was too busy to be saved4 ,in the same town there was a man who had once been a minister of some prominence in an evangelical church1 but had left it1 and embraced the doctrines of ,swedenborg1 for which he was very zealous4 ,i did not wish to encounter him2 but as ,i stepped into a store one night to scatter tracts1 he was present4 ,he immediately made an attack on me1 and said that he could not imagine how any wise man could believe in the doctrine of the ,trinity2 that it was so absurd that nothing in heaven or earth could illustrate it4 ,i saw the eyes of all present were turned to me1 and felt in a tight place4 ,i lifted my heart to ,god for help to vindicate his truth4 ,a candle was burning between us4 ,said ,i1 pointing to the candle1 8,sir1 there is a trinity giving us light4 ,there is tallow1 wick1 and fire1 three in one40 ,he acknowledged he was beat1 and took his leave1 to the amusement of those present1 and to my great satisfaction4 ,after two months' labor in ,south-western ,virginia1 ,i returned to my home in ,l----1 near two hundred miles distant from ,a----1 and devoted a month to correspondence and adjusting accounts with over fifty colporteurs ,i had now employed4 ,though ,l---- had been my home for over two years1 ,i had never had time to visit all the families with our books and tracts4 ,i had often determined to do it1 but other labors had prevented4 ,the number of warm friends and liberal contributors in and around the town seemed to lay special claims on me to do the work1 and ,i resolved to spend the months of ,january and ,february laboring in the town and vicinity4 ,at this time it was remarked by the ministers and praying people of ,god1 that they had not felt such a spiritual dearth there for many years4 ,the ball-room was better attended than the churches1 and the young seemed to be rushing into sin with greediness4 ,my own soul too was in darkness1 and my strength nearly prostrated4 ,my devotions1 public and private1 were heartless4 ,i was even tempted to leave my work and engage in some secular business4 ,at last ,i told a few of the most pious whom ,i knew about the desire ,i had to visit the families1 and that the state of my own heart was such that ,i was prevented from doing it4 ,they urged me forward1 and promised to pray for me4 ,i set day after day to begin2 but when the day and hour came for me to start1 my heart would fail1 and ,satan seemed to have some excuse always ready4 ,at last ,i entered into covenant with ,god to begin the next day2 but when the morning came my hard1 cowardly heart failed me4 ,i tried to pray again and again4 ,i put it off till the afternoon1 with a hope of getting strength4 ,a carpet-bag had been standing full of books and tracts for some days waiting1 and they seemed to rebuke my cowardice4 ,at last ,i thought that if ,moses had not stepped into the ,red sea1 the waters would never have receded4 ,the next morning still found me at home4 ,as soon as my breakfast was over ,i took the carpet-bag and books to a room and earnestly prayed over them1 and then started4 ,the next neighbor to me was a ,mr4 ,h----4 ,his wife and mother-in-law were devoted ,christians1 but he was careless about religion1 and so was his brother1 a young man that had his home there4 ,i dealt faithfully with them1 and prayed with them4 ,each of them bought a book1 and ,i left them in tears4 ,soon after the young man professed religion1 and the other remained serious as long as ,i knew him4 ,all my fears were now gone4 ,a few minutes before ,i was ashamed to own ,christ before a kitchen-maid2 now ,i could face the world1 and the promise was realized1 8,my strength is made perfect in weakness40 ,i next went to ,mr4 ,p----'s and had a long talk with his daughter1 a very intelligent girl of twelve summers4 ,in a short time she professed religion4 ,i next entered the house of ,mr4 ,r----4 ,he and his wife were two of the friends to whom ,i had told my difficulties1 and who had engaged to pray for me4 ,they had two very interesting daughters that moved in the most fashionable circles of society4 ,as soon as ,i entered the house they knew my errand4 ,i was directed to the parlor1 and told by the father1 8,i will send the girls in1 and wife and ,i will go into our own room and pray while you talk40 ,i felt ,god was there while ,i talked and prayed4 ,one received ,pike's ,persuasives to ,early ,piety1 the reading of which led her to the ,saviour soon after2 the other got ,baxter's ,call1 and was an inquirer during all the time ,i remained there4 ,i cannot find words to express the joy ,i felt in my own soul at the close of this day's work4 ,all nature seemed to rejoice with me1 and ,i fully realized the promise1 8,he that watereth shall be watered40 ,the next day ,i visited eleven families1 talked and prayed and sold and gave books and tracts in every house4 ,in almost every house some feeling was manifested1 and soon after several professed religion4 ,among them was a ,mrs4 ,m----1 who told me it was the ,anxious ,inquirer that led her to ,christ4 ,i visited half the town in a week1 and sold and gave away many books and tracts4 ,quite a number of those visited showed much feeling while ,i talked with them4 ,at this time special religious services were held in one of the churches that had but little sympathy at that time with the ,tract ,society1 or any thing else that was not under their own exclusive control2 and ,i was advised to stop my work till their meeting closed1 for fear they might say ,i was proselyting4 ,i attended all their meetings1 and prayed and exhorted when called on4 ,their meetings continued two weeks1 during which time twenty professed religion1 most of whom ,i had previously visited4 ,at the close of these meetings1 ,i told the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,mc,e---- that now was the time for him to have meetings in his church4 ,he said he was not able to do any extra work1 and did not know where he could get any preacher4 ,i proposed to get the ,rev4 ,r4 ,n4 ,d----1 who was then laboring as a colporteur of the ,tract ,society some fifty miles distant1 to which he agreed1 and ,i wrote to ,mr4 ,d---- to come on a certain day4 ,during the intervening time of ten days ,i visited all the balance of the town and held prayer-meetings every night4 ,the meetings became more and more interesting1 and religion became the theme of conversation in every circle4 ,when ,mr4 ,d---- came public preaching was held every night1 and the word was attended with the power of ,god4 ,every morning we had a prayer-meeting1 and through the day visited the inquirers from house to house1 and scattered tracts4 ,by the end of four days thirty-five were attending the meeting for inquiry1 and at the close of the first week thirty-three had professed hope in ,christ1 most of them the most influential people in the town4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,v---- then came and aided another week1 at the close of which forty-two were added to the church4 ,thus did ,god carry on his work with the humble instruments he had chosen4 ,one young lady who had been an inquirer for two weeks1 told us at last she did not care about being converted then1 and left the meetings4 ,in three weeks she died4 ,her last words were1 8,i could have been saved1 but ,i rejected ,god's ,spirit1 and now ,i am lost40 ,another came sometimes to the inquiry meetings1 but owing to the fact that she was soon to marry an irreligious man1 put off her day of grace4 ,in a few weeks the day of her intended marriage came4 ,she rose in the morning in usual health to prepare for the ceremony1 but before night her costly bridal dress was her winding-sheet4 ,four miles from town ,mr4 ,w----1 a colporteur1 was at work during the time of this meeting in the town1 and ten were there added to a little church4 ,i have been thus particular in stating the facts in relation to this work1 as it was the starting point of one of the most powerful revivals that ,i have ever witnessed4 ,it extended over one hundred miles square of a sparsely populated country1 in which near one thousand souls were converted to ,god within about four months4 ,the fidelity and perseverance in the service of ,christ of those thus brought in1 is the best evidence that this was truly the work of ,god's ,spirit4 ,at the close of these cheering labors in ,l----1 ,i went to the town of ,u---- to be with ,mr4 ,h---- at a sacramental meeting1 and take a collection for the ,tract ,society4 ,he is one of ,god's ministers that does his work faithfully4 ,the meeting began on ,friday night4 ,mr4 ,h---- requested me to occupy the time in giving an account of the great work at ,l----1 which ,i did4 ,although but few were present1 and they mostly pupils in the academy he taught1 the bare relation of the facts of the revival at ,l---- made a deep impression1 and resulted in the conversion of his son1 who is now a minister4 ,the next morning at nine1 we had a meeting for prayer and exhortation1 at which there was still more interest4 ,at eleven ,mr4 ,h---- preached4 ,at night ,i conducted the service by exhortation and prayer4 ,the solemnity was still increased4 ,at each meeting we gave each one present a suitable tract1 with a word of earnest counsel4 ,at nine1 ,sabbath morning1 ,i conducted another prayer-meeting4 ,at eleven1 ,mr4 ,h---- preached and administered the communion4 ,god was truly there in great power4 ,at three we had a meeting for prayer again4 ,at night the church was full4 ,i based my remarks on the words1 8,i will arise and go to my father40 ,i saw that every heart was moved1 and but few cheeks were dry4 ,at the close of my remarks1 ,i turned to ,mr4 ,h----1 and said to him1 8,if you will ask them1 some anxious souls will remain for instruction and prayer40 ,the result was1 seven inquirers took a stand on the ,lord's side that night4 ,this seemed to rouse the great soul of ,mr4 ,h---- to an extraordinary pitch of fervor1 and led to the appointment of a meeting the next morning4 ,on ,monday morning we both exhorted1 and the interest was deep4 ,at three we held an inquiry-meeting1 and nine attended4 ,at night ,i spoke again2 the meeting was deeply interesting4 ,tuesday morning the prayer-meeting was crowded1 and in the afternoon there were seventeen inquirers4 ,we had three services each day1 the one at three only for inquirers2 and each day there was an increase of interest4 ,on ,saturday morning ,mr4 ,h---- had to go some miles to another preaching-place1 and ,i was left alone on ,saturday and the ,sabbath4 ,sabbath1 at three1 there were twenty-seven inquirers1 and ten were indulging a hope in ,christ4 ,during the next week forty-two professed faith in ,christ4 ,in the whole course of these meetings we kept the very choicest of our books and tracts in the hands of the people4 ,one observing ,christian said to me1 8,there has been more reading here on the subject of religion in the past eighteen days1 than there had been in three years before40 ,quite a number of the inquirers told me they were first awakened by reading a book or tract1 and others that they were greatly aided by them in coming to ,christ4 ,their interest in these publications was shown by their contributing one hundred dollars on one of the ,sabbaths to aid the tract and colporteur work4 ,this town was one of the wickedest in ,western ,virginia1 and had for years been a centre of infidelity4 ,a worthy farmer who lived near told me1 at the close of our meetings1 that for years he had never passed through that town without hearing oaths and vulgar songs2 8but now10 said he1 8that is all stopped1 and ,i hear them singing hymns of praise to ,god40 ,this town will now compare favorably with any other within my knowledge for piety and sobriety4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,at the earnest request of ,mr4 ,h----1 ,i promised to meet him on the next ,sabbath at one of his country churches1 about six miles from town1 in one of the most densely populated and wealthy communities in all ,western ,virginia1 called ,mount ,p----4 ,it was only fourteen miles from my home at ,l----4 ,i reached the church a little before the hour of service1 a stranger to all except a few who had met me at the meetings in town4 ,the house1 although large1 was crowded1 and ,i took a seat in the back part of the house4 ,in a few minutes ,mr4 ,h---- came in and walked up into the pulpit4 ,he looked sick and feeble1 and while glancing his eye over the house1 saw me1 and beckoned me to him4 ,he was unable to speak louder than a whisper4 ,said he1 8,i am attacked with bronchitis and unable to preach1 and you must preach40 ,this ,i refused1 on the ground that ,i had no authority4 ,said he1 8,i will give you the authority here1 and stand between you and danger40 ,he arose1 and with great exertion told the people that he had never had such a desire to preach as he had that day1 but the ,lord had shut his mouth1 and sent me to do the preaching1 for which he was very thankful4 ,i at once opened with singing and prayer1 and announced my text1 8,behold1 ,i stand at the door and knock40 ,i felt that the thoughts and words were not mine1 but dictated by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,i spoke for an hour4 ,the audience was still as the grave4 ,after an interval of thirty minutes1 as was the custom1 we resumed the service4 ,my text in the afternoon was1 8,remember now thy ,creator in the days of thy youth40 ,the feeling was deep4 ,i asked the anxious to remain for instruction1 and twelve remained4 ,at night ,i had a meeting at a private house1 where great interest was manifested4 ,at the earnest request of many1 services similar to those of the ,sabbath were continued on ,monday and for several days afterwards4 ,on ,monday morning1 when ,i came to the church1 there was a crowd1 and much to my joy and relief1 ,mr4 ,w----1 one of our best colporteurs1 was there4 ,he had labored faithfully over all that ground but a few weeks before1 and knew almost every one in that region4 ,although very diffident1 he conducted the morning meeting with great acceptance4 ,i spoke at eleven1 and at two2 and at the close of the last service we had eighteen inquirers4 ,god seemed to come down as on the day of ,pentecost4 ,ten of the number indulged hope1 and their countenances were lit up with joy4 ,at night we had a meeting at ,mr4 ,d----'s4 ,one half could not get into the house4 ,he had a son that was desperately wicked1 and had done all in his power to oppose the work of ,god4 ,during the time of the service he went out of the house in an agony of conviction for sin4 ,the next morning1 at family prayers1 he cried out in the bitterness of his anguish1 8,god be merciful to me a sinner40 ,a sister of his1 that had been a very thoughtless girl1 also cried out in great distress4 ,this seemed instantly to electrify the whole family4 ,the place seemed awful with the majesty of ,god4 ,i felt as much of the divine glory as ,i could bear4 ,such a scene ,i had never witnessed4 ,soon the whole family were embraced in each other's arms1 rejoicing in hope of eternal life4 ,we seemed to be in the inner sanctuary and the most holy place4 ,although near fourteen years have since passed1 while ,i describe this scene it fires my own soul afresh4 ,though it was a hurried season of the year with farmers1 work was suspended1 ploughs were stopped1 white and black were in the church1 or as near in as they could get1 as the church would not hold more than half that came4 ,the ,tuesday morning prayer-meeting was one of the best ,i ever attended4 ,at eleven the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,h---- returned1 and preached one of the best of sermons4 ,in the afternoon ,i spoke again4 ,there were thirty-six more inquirers1 and twelve more were indulging hope4 ,on ,friday night ,i held a meeting at the house of a ,dr4 ,n----1 who was a man of the world4 ,i spoke on the broad road and wide gate4 ,the doctor was awakened that night1 and has ever since dated his first impressions on religious subjects to that time2 and two young men1 one of them since educated for the ministry1 likewise dated their conversion the same night4 ,at eleven the next morning ,rev4 ,mr4 ,h---- preached1 and in the afternoon ,dr4 ,mc,e----4 ,at the close of this service1 sixty-two were added to the church on profession of their faith4 ,when the hour for public worship arrived on ,sabbath morning1 one half could not enter the church4 ,it was arranged that ,i should invite those who could not get in to assemble out of hearing of the church and preach to them4 ,i selected the graveyard1 where most of the graves had enclosures of rails around and over them4 ,the circumstance suggested my text3 8,man dieth1 and wasteth away2 yea1 man giveth up the ghost1 and where is he80 ,i felt as ,i never did before1 standing among the dead and the living1 and spoke as ,i never did before or since4 ,some of the wickedest men in all the country were before me4 ,one gray-headed sinner seventy years old1 who sat on the rails which were around the graves of his wife and children1 shook as if he had the ague4 ,a year after1 he died2 and often1 when he was on his death-bed1 spoke with deep sorrow of resisting ,god's ,spirit at that time4 ,at the close of the services in the church a collection of #abj was taken up for the ,tract ,society1 which was five times as much as could have been obtained a week before4 ,books and tracts were circulated every day in these meetings1 and read with interest4 ,twenty persons told me that books or tracts were the means of either awakening them1 or directing them to ,christ4 ,in addition to the sixty-two added to the church as above1 twenty-four who obtained a hope at these meetings joined a church of another denomination a mile distant4 ,only two miles from the above meetings1 was the church of a large congregation of ,seceders4 ,till this time they had not gone to hear any preacher but their own1 nor admitted any other denomination to preach in their church4 ,but so great was this work that some of their young people had been drawn away1 and gained a hope in ,christ1 but kept it secret4 ,their pastor1 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,mc,g----1 came himself on ,saturday1 and became deeply moved with what he saw and heard4 ,in the evening ,rev4 ,mr4 ,h---- told him there were many still anxious about their souls1 and not a few of them were among his own people2 8and now10 said he1 8this harvest must be gathered1 and if you will go on with a meeting next week ,i will close my meetings to-morrow40 ,this arrangement was made1 and it was agreed that ,i should go and assist ,mr4 ,mc,g---- on the afternoon of the next day1 after the services in that church should be closed4 ,at four o'clock the ,seceder church was crowded1 and all the ardor of feeling seemed to come along with the people4 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,mc,g---- was very feeble in health1 but was a devoted servant of ,god2 and it was arranged that he was to take a text and speak ten minutes1 and ,i was then to fill up the hour4 ,after that service we held another in a private house at night4 ,the next morning at nine1 we had the house full at the prayer-meeting4 ,at eleven1 ,mr4 ,mc,g---- preached ten minutes1 and ,i followed2 and after the service all were supplied with tracts4 ,during the afternoon service the presence of ,god seemed to move every heart4 ,and as ,i believe that when ,god moves on men's hearts1 they ought to move too as the prodigal did1 when ,i had ceased speaking1 and the congregation were singing the eighty-fourth ,psalm1 ,rouse's version1 ,i said to ,mr4 ,mc,g---- that ,i had no doubt but if an invitation was given some would remain for instruction4 ,he feared it would not be acceptable to the officers of the church1 all of whom had come from ,scotland1 and had been accustomed to hear preaching only from ,seceders1 and considered occasional hearing an offence4 ,but he said he would not interfere with what ,i thought was duty4 ,as soon as the song was sung1 ,i arose and told them that a piece of old ,scotch history had just come into my mind4 ,that over one hundred years ago1 previous to their communion occasions1 the minister at the close of his services for some days would invite all that intended to commune for the first time to remain for instruction in regard to their duties2 and that for want of that many came to the ,lord's table who were ignorant of the nature of the ordinance4 ,and as ,i believed there were a number who contemplated joining the church and going to the communion table on the next ,sabbath for the first time1 ,i would ask all such to remain after the congregation was dismissed1 to receive such instruction as should be given4 ,after some agitation all was quiet1 and ,i told them the first point of inquiry for them was1 to know if they were born again1 and spoke some twenty minutes on the nature and evidences of regeneration4 ,the old elders sobbed aloud2 and as soon as the services were closed1 they had me by the hand1 and said1 8,that is just what our young people need40 ,the oldest elder1 whose daughter was among the inquirers1 came up leaning on his staff1 and said1 8,that did my soul good40 ,we had an appointment that night five miles distant1 and this old man went all the way with me on horseback4 ,the house was crowded4 ,many were awakened1 and among them ,mr4 ,b---- the proprietor1 who was a hardened sinner of fifty years4 ,he soon professed his faith in ,christ4 ,the next morning this old elder1 ,mr4 ,m----1 said to me1 8,oh1 ,mr4 ,c----1 ,i slept none last night4 ,i have had a foretaste of heaven1 and long to be there4 ,i have never experienced religious joy till last night2 and now ,i have one request to make1 and deny me not1 that is1 that you commune with me next ,sabbath40 ,the next day we had similar services1 and at the close of the last service ,i told them as all the congregation seemed desirous to hear what was said to those wishing to consider their duty to join the church1 such would come forward while we sung the twenty-third ,psalm4 ,sixteen thus presented themselves1 and ,rev4 ,mr4 ,mc,g---- spoke to them with a heavenly unction4 ,the next day there were twenty-eight inquirers1 and the next day thirty-nine1 of whom twenty-two appeared to be indulging a good hope in ,christ4 ,all the business of the field was suspended1 and many were saying it was the dawn of the day of glory to the church4 ,as the time had arrived for me to visit another place fifty miles distant1 to engage in similar labors1 the pastor told them he wanted them to make a thank-offering to the ,tract ,society1 and in a few minutes #hj was on the table1 and a present of #bj to me4 ,on the ,sabbath fifty-six were added to the church1 and more than thirty to a ,methodist church near by4 ,fourteen months after1 ,i visited this church again4 ,the presence of ,god was still there1 and many said they felt as if they were ready to begin again where they had left off fourteen months before4 ,the strong prejudices against worshipping with other ,christians were among the things that had been4 ,during my brief stay many incidents were related to me4 ,one young man told me it was 8,advice to a ,married ,couple0 that awakened him1 as he was soon to be married4 ,three of the anxious got relief by reading the tract 8,what is it to ,believe in ,christ80 ,a man well acquainted in the community told me thirty family altars were reared on one ,sabbath night4 ,in one instance two families lived in one house1 and both the men and their wives had joined the church4 ,they felt that they must have family worship1 but neither was willing to pray4 ,one said he could do the singing1 and the other said he would read the ,bible4 ,at last they united in asking a lame negro man that was pious1 and he led in prayer4 ,there is probably no region of our country1 when all the difficulties are considered1 where the ,tract ,society and colporteurs have done as much real good as in ,western ,virginia4 ,some of the most godly men we ever employed had visited every house again and again1 and most of the books to be found in the houses were the ,society's publications4 ,in some of the poorer districts they were even the only school-books4 ,i have heard of schools in those mountains where one had ,bunyan1 another ,baxter's ,call1 or ,saints' ,rest1 and so on all through the school4 ,we can say that in many places the work has made the wilderness and the solitary place rejoice and blossom as the rose4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,after one night's rest at home1 ,i left the next morning for ,c----1 thirty miles distant1 to meet my friend ,rev4 ,mr4 ,d----1 who was with us at the commencement of the meetings at ,l----1 and engage in another meeting4 ,the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,p----1 who was pastor at that place1 was likewise a colporteur of the ,tract ,society1 and had five little churches in as many different communities in the county4 ,so he left us to hold a meeting in ,c----1 while he was laboring in other portions of his field4 ,i had on several occasions passed through this town1 which1 in a religious view1 was one of the darkest ,i have ever visited4 ,i saw the men1 most of them young men1 while ,mr4 ,p---- was preaching to a few1 mostly women1 standing all round the church with their heads in the windows1 talking aloud1 and even swearing profanely1 till the preacher's voice could scarcely be heard4 ,as ,mr4 ,d---- was a stranger there1 ,i informed him that we might expect open opposition4 ,the meetings were to be conducted in the same way as those to which ,i have already alluded4 ,after warning the people of the impropriety of such conduct1 and insisting that if they attended the services1 they should come into the church1 ,mr4 ,d---- preached1 and ,i followed by telling of the ,lord's work in the places where ,i had been4 ,a deep solemnity seemed to fall on every soul1 and we felt ,god was there4 ,all present were well supplied with tracts4 ,the next day our meetings were very solemn1 and still more so at night1 when there were five anxiously inquiring for salvation4 ,by the next night most of the females began to feel very deeply1 and some young men began to interrupt by their talking2 but ,i rebuked them most solemnly1 and we had no more interruptions during that meeting1 and ,i am happy to say there have been none since in that place4 ,this meeting began on ,thursday night1 and by ,monday twenty-two had professed hope in ,christ4 ,among the number was one man sixty years old4 ,he had been intemperate forty years4 ,though he was then so ignorant that he did not know who was the ,saviour of sinners1 and did not know one letter of the alphabet1 he still lives a monument of grace4 ,one young lady of fortune1 who was there at school1 and whose anxiety about her soul bordered on despair1 gained a hope on ,saturday4 ,on the next ,saturday she joined the church1 and then told her companions1 8,i will go to the ,lord's table to-morrow2 it may be my last ,sabbath on earth40 ,on ,monday morning she came to school apparently in her usual health1 and seemed deeply affected by the opening prayer2 but soon complained of being unwell1 went to her boarding-house1 and in forty-eight hours she was numbered with the dead4 ,grace and glory came very near together4 ,after a few days of rest1 at the request of the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,h----1 to whom ,i have alluded at the town of ,u----1 ,i met him in an old log-church on ,wolf ,creek1 one of his preaching-places4 ,i left home in the morning1 rode twenty-four miles1 and reached the place at one4 ,mr4 ,h---- was preaching to a small congregation1 as it was now the beginning of harvest4 ,after an interval of thirty minutes1 ,i addressed the people4 ,the next day was ,saturday4 ,the house was full2 and in the evening we had five inquirers4 ,sabbath morning ,mr4 ,h---- preached with great power1 and then left for another appointment1 with the expectation of returning on ,monday4 ,in the mean time ,i was to go on with the services4 ,in the evening ,i had thirteen inquirers2 and among them was ,colonel ,h----1 fifty years old1 and ,major ,b----1 sixty-eight1 two men of the largest wealth and highest standing in that community1 who had been remarkable instances of grieving the ,spirit of ,god4 ,i related in their hearing the fact of what an aged man had told me about his grieving the ,spirit4 ,i saw it affected them both very deeply4 ,they told me they had felt all that that man did whose case ,i had described1 and that they had now made up their minds to seek ,christ4 ,in a few days both were hoping in ,christ2 and two years ago they had continued active ,christians4 ,becoming exhausted1 almost as if ,i was at death's door1 ,i left for home2 but ,rev4 ,mr4 ,h---- continued the meetings4 ,such was the interest awakened1 that daily labor in the harvest-field was entirely suspended4 ,masters and servants were all at the same mercy-seat4 ,god was there2 the world was lost sight of1 and eternal things took its place4 ,everybody had a tract in hand4 ,you could see them reading on their way home2 some in carriages1 some on horseback1 and others on foot4 ,the result was1 thirty-six were added to that little church1 and many others to the other churches in that region of country4 ,i soon learned that one wild1 thoughtless young woman was awakened by reading a tract1 and she is now one of the mothers in ,israel4 ,i had received several letters from the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,c----1 an aged man who had moved to ,fayette county1 to preach in a very destitute region1 near the celebrated ,hawk's ,nest1 or ,marshall's ,pillar1 a cliff or precipice of about one thousand feet perpendicular height1 hanging over ,new ,river1 ten miles from its junction with the ,gauley4 ,after a day of rest1 ,i took the stage1 and at the end of fifty miles reached the place4 ,on ,friday morning the meeting began in the woods4 ,no church was near2 but an arbor was made by putting up poles and covering them with green bushes4 ,when ,i came it rained1 and only about thirty were present2 but ,god was there with his gracious power4 ,we had a meeting in the evening at one of the neighboring cabins1 and a crowd was collected4 ,the next morning we met at the arbor4 ,the day was fair and beautiful1 and the crowd great4 ,the ,lord helped me greatly in the service4 ,at the interval ,i scattered tracts freely1 and set all to reading who could read4 ,at the close of the afternoon service there were eleven anxious inquirers4 ,on ,sabbath morning we met at nine for prayer4 ,by eleven o'clock a thousand people had assembled2 and after the evening service1 seventeen came out for instruction4 ,on ,monday the communion was to be administered1 and seventeen were added to the ,lord's people4 ,the ,lord was there in his mercy4 ,after the afternoon service nineteen more came out as inquirers1 among them men of sixty years and from that down to boys1 most of whom professed religion soon after4 ,a church was soon after organized1 which still lives4 ,the blessed influence spread for miles around1 and all denominations shared in the glorious work4 ,i shall ever believe the way was prepared by a faithful colporteur1 who had been over the ground a few months before4 ,mr4 ,p----1 an elder in a vacant church called ,locust ,bottom1 had applied to the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,p---- to come and administer the communion in that church1 and to bring me with him4 ,the meeting was to begin on the ,friday before the third ,sabbath in ,august4 ,i left home on ,thursday morning1 and reached the place1 fifty-four miles distant1 at noon the next day4 ,in the afternoon ,i addressed the audience by telling them what the ,lord had done in so many other places1 and that ,i felt assured if they would seek him with their whole hearts he would bless them too4 ,the next morning we were assembled at nine for prayer and exhortation4 ,at eleven ,mr4 ,c----1 a student of divinity1 spoke with much fervor4 ,after recess ,i spoke with much liberty1 and five came out as inquirers4 ,we held meetings at night in two places2 both well attended1 and several were awakened4 ,the ,sabbath morning prayer-meeting was crowded4 ,the communion was administered by ,mr4 ,p----2 and after recess ,i spoke again1 and we had nine inquirers4 ,the next morning we had a crowd1 and there were clear indications of the presence of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,some weeks previous1 ,mr4 ,w----1 a colporteur to whom ,i have alluded1 had been all through this region1 and circulated books4 ,a daughter of ,colonel ,s----1 one of the elders1 became awakened by reading one of them1 and her state of mind had aroused some of her friends and companions1 who were among those most deeply concerned2 and it was agreed to hold the evening meeting at the colonel's1 though four miles distant4 ,in addition to the colonel's large family1 a number of others were present1 all seeking peace with ,god4 ,after tea was over we were all seated in a large parlor1 to the number of at least twenty4 ,as ,mr4 ,c---- expected soon to leave1 ,i asked him to lead us in prayer1 and especially to remember the anxious souls in the room4 ,at the close of the prayer1 one of the colonel's daughters was sobbing as if she would break her heart4 ,i sat down beside her1 and pointed her to ,jesus who died for sinners4 ,she looked at me a moment1 and then sprang into her mother's arms1 and said1 8,oh1 mother1 ,i have found ,jesus40 ,but a short time had elapsed1 when a daughter-in-law of ,mrs4 ,s---- went to her and said1 8,oh1 mother1 ,i have found the ,saviour too40 ,soon the wife of one of the elders who was there cried1 8,oh1 ,mrs4 ,s----1 the ,saviour has blessed me too4 ,oh1 what a ,saviour ,i have found40 ,this woman had been so opposed to religion that her husband could not have family prayers4 ,all these three had been awakened by reading tracts4 ,during all this time the old grandmother1 ninety years old1 and for over seventy years a follower of ,christ1 was walking through the house saying1 8,oh1 ,mr4 ,c----1 is not this heaven8 my poor soul can bear no more of the divine glory40 ,in a short time ,colonel ,s----1 who had been absent1 returned4 ,as soon as his daughter saw him she was in his arms1 saying1 8,oh1 my dear father1 your prayers are answered2 ,i have found ,jesus40 ,by this time the news had spread all over the farm1 and more than fifty blacks of all ages were in and round the house4 ,the old mother of ,col4 ,s---- said to me1 8,oh1 ,mr4 ,c----1 won't you preach to these poor souls80 8,certainly10 said ,i2 and in a few minutes a large room was crowded with them4 ,i stood in the door1 with the old mother holding me by the arm1 and announced the words1 8,behold1 ,i bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people40 ,the negroes soon became so excited they could hardly contain themselves4 ,some were on their knees praying1 and others clapping their hands4 ,the old lady undertook to keep them in order2 but her own heart became so deeply impressed1 that her bodily strength sunk under it4 ,the scene was one that neither tongue nor pen can describe4 ,no doubt some who have never seen or felt any thing like this1 will call it enthusiasm2 but if it was1 ,i would wish to live and die in the midst of such enthusiasm4 ,this was one of the most intelligent families in that community--all educated and refined1 and strict ,presbyterians4 ,i have found but few such families4 ,the next morning we all repaired to the church1 where ,i was met by ,mr4 ,w----1 the colporteur whom ,i have mentioned4 ,before that day's meeting closed eight more professed hope4 ,that night ,i had a meeting at a ,mr4 ,c----'s1 who was a professed atheist1 but within a few days after1 was numbered among ,god's people4 ,the next day the house was crowded below with whites1 and the gallery with blacks4 ,the presence of ,god seemed to be with every soul4 ,there were in the house two men1 brothers1 of large wealth and much intelligence1 both unmarried and somewhat dissipated4 ,for two days they had been deeply concerned1 and their pious friends were earnest in prayer for them4 ,just as ,i was closing my last discourse in the evening1 when there was scarce a dry cheek in the house1 a negro who was subject to fits1 fell in a fit in the gallery1 and made the most unearthly noise ,i ever heard4 ,all fled from the house with fright1 thinking the house was falling4 ,these two brothers1 when they went out1 said they were glad at what had happened1 for if they had remained any longer they would have been compelled to yield to the ,spirit of ,god4 ,they both went away1 and never returned2 and said often afterwards that they sealed their damnation that day4 ,each of them died a horrible death with delirium tremens4 ,i exhorted three or four times each day throughout all the week1 and brother ,w---- scattered books and tracts1 and talked and prayed4 ,twenty-two were added to that church1 and as many more joined other churches4 ,before this meeting began1 that church was nearly broken up1 and in six months after1 the student to whom ,i have alluded was the pastor4 ,ten years after1 as ,i was passing through this region in a stage1 one of my travelling companions told me he was one of the converts at a place where ,i had labored4 ,we were alone in the stage when we reached the place of crossing a river near this church4 ,the driver stopped to water his horses1 and ,i handed tracts to two men that were working at the edge of the river4 ,they looked at me a moment1 and then caught my hands3 8,oh1 this is ,mr4 ,c----4 ,it was your tracts and labors that ,god blessed to save our souls40 ,the stage-driver dropped his bucket and rushed to me3 8,oh1 is it possible ,i have been hauling ,mr4 ,c---- and did not know it8 ,it was your tracts and labors which you began in the rain in ,fayette county that ,god blessed to my soul40 ,here were four men who had been led to ,christ at different places1 and now had met the one whom they called the instrument of their salvation4 ,to ,god alone be all the glory4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,as1 in the providence of ,god1 ,i have been brought into contact with thousands of persons who have told me with much candor the history of their own minds1 and conversed freely in reference to the all-important subject of their salvation1 ,i have thought it to be my duty to record some of the facts ,i have met1 for the benefit and warning of others4 ,that there is a point when the ,holy ,spirit1 if wilfully and perseveringly resisted1 ceases to strive with man1 no one doubts who believes in his renewing and sanctifying agency2 but too many take it for granted that this point is not reached till the close of life1 and neglect or resist the strivings of the ,spirit till he gives them up to hardness of heart and blindness of mind1 perhaps many years before their earthly existence has terminated4 ,the first case ,i shall mention is that of a woman about thirty years of age1 with whom ,i conversed in the presence of her mother4 ,i inquired if she was a member of any church4 ,she answered1 8,no40 ,i asked if she had not at some time felt concern for her salvation4 8,yes10 she said1 8,i think but few have been more anxious on the subject than ,i was once40 ,i asked at what period of her life this occurred1 when she gave me the following account of ,god's dealings with her4 8,when ,i was about fifteen years old1 ,i felt that ,i was a great sinner in the sight of ,god4 ,often my distress was so great that ,i could not sleep2 and for three years ,i seldom had peace for a week at a time4 ,i knew that the ,holy ,spirit was striving with me1 and that ,i ought to yield my heart to his influence2 but ,i thought it would cut off my pleasures in the midst of youth4 ,i tried to banish the thoughts of eternity2 but they would still return and interrupt my pleasure4 ,i tried reading novels and romances2 they gave me relief for a while1 but my distress returned4 ,at last ,i went to the ballroom--and ,i have never since had such feelings as before40 8,and have you no fears10 said ,i1 8that you have grieved away the ,spirit of ,god for ever80 8,yes10 she replied1 8,i have no doubt of that1 and that ,i shall be lost40 ,i proceeded to describe the state and misery of the lost1 and appealed to her1 by the prayers of her mother and the tears which were then falling from her sunken eyes1 by the danger of an eternal separation from pious friends1 by the glories of heaven and the agonies of the ,son of ,god1 now to make her peace with him and be saved4 8,all this10 she calmly replied1 8has been tried upon me before4 ,nothing that you or any other man can say on that subject1 can move me now4 ,my doom is fixed40 ,another case was that of ,mr4 ,b----1 who was over seventy years old1 and living an ungodly life4 ,i approached him with kindness1 and at length he conversed freely4 ,i spoke of the goodness of ,god to him in his advanced years1 and asked if he hoped he had an interest in ,christ4 ,he replied1 8,no40 ,i asked if he received the ,bible as the word of ,god4 ,he answered1 8,yes40 ,i said1 8,the ,bible teaches that a man must be born again before he can enter the kingdom of ,god2 do you think you have experienced that change80 8,no10 said he1 8,i never have40 ,i saw that he was intelligent1 and inquired if no 8still small voice0 had ever whispered to him1 8,son1 give me thy heart80 8,yes10 said he1 8often4 ,i used to feel1 but for many years ,i have not felt as ,i did when ,i was young4 ,i then had some very serious times40 ,i asked at what period he had felt most deeply the importance of religion4 ,he replied1 8,when ,i was seventeen ,i began to feel deeply at times1 and this continued for two or three years2 but ,i determined to put it off till ,i should be settled in life4 ,after ,i was married1 ,i reflected that the time had come when ,i had promised to attend to religion2 but ,i had bought this farm1 and ,i thought it would not suit me to become religious till it was paid for1 as some time would have to be devoted to attend church1 and also some expense4 ,i then resolved to put it off ten years2 but when the ten years came round1 ,i thought no more about it4 ,i often try to think1 but ,i cannot keep my mind on the subject one moment40 ,i urged him by all the terrors of dying an enemy of ,god1 to set about the work of repentance4 8,it is too late10 said he1 8,i believe my doom is sealed2 and it is just that it should be so1 for the ,spirit strove long with me1 but ,i refused40 ,i then turned to his children1 young men and young women who were around him1 and entreated them not to put off the subject of religion1 or grieve the ,spirit of ,god in their youthful days4 ,the old man added1 8,mind that4 ,if ,i had attended to it then1 it would have been well with me to-day2 but now it is too late40 ,on conversing with a man in middle life1 he informed me that his father was a devoted ,christian1 that he was faithfully instructed and his mind was early impressed with the importance of religion4 ,in his youth1 there was a period of six months in which he was in distress1 day and night2 and a voice within seemed to be continually saying1 8,forsake your sins and come unto me1 and ,i will give you peace40 8,but10 he added1 8,i did not wish to be a ,christian then2 ,i thought it would ruin my pleasures4 ,i visited a part of the country where dancing and balls were frequent2 in a little time my serious thoughts were gone1 and ,i have never had any since40 ,i asked if he did not fear that ,god had given him up4 8,yes10 said he1 8,i am afraid he has4 ,i go to church and read the ,bible1 and try to feel1 but ,i cannot40 ,i strove to arouse his fears1 but it was in vain4 ,i afterwards learned that he was pursuing his worldly business on the ,sabbath4 ,it is not for me to pronounce that ,god had said of all these persons1 they are 8joined to their idols1 let them alone20 8woe to them when ,i depart from them20 but the state of all such is unspeakably alarming4 ,if the eye of such a one falls upon these lines--if you have persisted in saying1 8,go thy way for this time2 let me alone1 that ,i may have the pleasures of this life10 and have quenched the ,spirit by resorting to amusements1 the novel1 the ballroom1 or the theatre1 ,god may have given you what you desired2 but what have you now of all these pleasures8 ,can you look back upon them with an approving conscience8 ,will they bring you consolation in a dying hour8 ,have you not even now in your own soul1 if you would make the confession1 the gnawings of the worm that never dies1 the burning of the fire that is never quenched8 ,if the ,spirit of ,god is now striving with you1 it is the most momentous period of your existence4 ,it is perhaps the turning-point between heaven and hell--the songs of angels1 or the wailings of the finally lost4 ,beware of stifling the ,spirit4 ,multitudes have told me the dreadful tale1 8,i went to scenes of amusement1 or turned to the exciting romance1 and ,i have felt no anxiety since40 ,while the ,spirit strives it is the seed-time of eternal life1 the embryo of a happy immortality4 ,sit not down to count the loss of sinful pleasures2 receive the ,saviour into your heart1 and you will have pleasures lasting as eternity--pleasures that leave no sting behind--pleasures that will sustain the soul when on your dying pillow1 when the last trumpet shall sound1 and the congregated world stand before ,god4 99 99 99 99 99 ,many facts of a more cheering character might be given4 ,the ,rev4 ,n4 ,c----1 who had a pastoral charge in ,m---- county1 said to me1 8,a colporteur had left a copy of the ,anxious ,inquirer in the house of a wealthy man in ,m---- county4 ,after some time he became interested for his salvation4 ,one day while there on a visit ,i pointed him to a chapter in this book1 and requested him to read it4 ,he read it1 and soon found peace4 ,like every real ,christian1 he desired the salvation of his relations4 ,he sent the book to his brother1 a physician1 who1 together with a sister1 were led to ,christ by reading it4 ,the book is kept in the family as an heir-loom40 ,on another occasion ,rev4 ,mr4 ,c---- said he was sent for to go some distance to see a sick woman4 ,his custom was always to carry with him a few select books to give or loan4 ,he gave her a copy of the ,anxious ,inquirer1 and requested her husband to read it to her4 ,both were irreligious2 but by ,god's blessing on reading this book1 both were led to the ,saviour4 ,a colporteur sold a copy of the same book to a man who sent it to an absent son4 ,it led him and two of his companions to ,christ4 ,a colporteur gave a copy of ,baxter's ,call to a very wicked family1 who never went to church4 ,within ten months he found the reading of it had been blessed to three of the household4 ,a tract put into a wagoner's feed-trough while driving his team on the ,sabbath1 was the means of stopping him from travelling on the ,sabbath1 and led him to repentance4 ,he became eminent for his piety and usefulness in the church4 ,a missionary who preached once a month in a wild region1 and gave part of his time to colporteur work1 often told me of a family that lived just beside his little mountain church1 but never entered it4 ,when he began the colporteur work he made them a visit4 ,the man told him he did not wish him to say any thing to him on the subject of religion2 that if he wanted to hear him1 he could go to the church4 ,all the time he talked and prayed1 the man was muttering1 and his wife increased the speed of her wheel to drown his voice4 ,finding all his efforts to get their attention in vain1 he laid down a copy of ,baxter's ,call and a few tracts1 and left them4 ,on his return to fill his next appointment at the little church1 to his surprise this man and his wife were in the church near the pulpit4 ,during service they were deeply exercised4 ,at the close he spoke to them about their souls4 ,they told him that after he left their house they began to think about the way they had treated him1 and had read his little books1 and found they were great sinners4 ,at his next communion they both joined his church1 and they were among the most consistent and useful of its members4 ,one morning ,i took the stage to go to the railroad1 some sixteen miles distant4 ,there were two gentlemen in the stage4 ,both knew me1 but ,i did not know them4 ,one was a preacher1 with whom ,i talked all the way to the dpt4 ,while waiting for the cars1 the other passenger1 a fine-looking young man1 said1 8,i can't let this opportunity pass without making myself known to you4 ,do you remember laying your hand on the shoulder of a youth in the town of ,b---- six years ago1 and urging him to seek the favor of ,god1 and handing him a little book80 ,i said ,i had no recollection of it1 as ,i was doing something of that sort almost every day4 8,well10 said he1 8that talk and book were the means1 ,i trust1 of my salvation4 ,i have since that time gone through college1 and hope soon to preach the gospel40 ,he was the son of a poor widow4 ,he is now an able minister of the ,new ,testament4 ,one day while on a journey1 ,i came to a very small cabin on the top of a high mountain4 ,a poor widow was by the door in very homely apparel4 ,i asked her if she had a ,bible4 8,no10 said she1 8but ,i have a part of a ,testament1 and a number of little tracts40 ,seeing a number of clean but poorly clad children1 ,i began to ask them questions4 ,the answers they gave would have done credit to most of our ,sunday-school children4 ,i asked her if she had a church or ,sunday-school near4 8,no2 there is no church or ,sunday-school anywhere in reach4 ,my children have never been in either1 and ,i have not been at church for eight years40 8,why10 said ,i1 8madam1 how have you got your children so well instructed80 ,she ran into her cabin and brought her whole library1 which consisted of a part of a ,testament1 and several little books and tracts sewed together1 which ,i learned had been given her by colporteurs in their visits4 ,said she1 8,i read these to my children every ,sunday1 and teach them to read them1 till they know all that is in them40 ,i added to her supply little books till the countenances of herself and her children were radiant with joy1 and ,i felt it was truly 8more blessed to give than to receive40 ,a few miles further on ,i stopped at another cabin4 ,the woman looked at me a moment4 8,oh1 ,i know you4 ,you are the man that preached and gave us tracts at the church down on the river4 ,i trust ,i was converted there4 ,can't you give me some tracts to give away8 ,i am living now among very wicked people40 ,i gave her a package1 and passed on4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,on the invitation of several leading men1 ,i visited ,l----1 east of the mountains4 ,the evening ,i got there the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,n---- called on me to 8hold forth the word of life0 for him that night4 ,he stated that there was some interest in his church1 and that he was unable to make any special effort1 on account of his health4 ,although ,i had travelled forty miles that day by stage1 in an hour ,i was addressing the people2 and for eight days meetings were continued by exhorting and scattering tracts2 at the close of which time twenty-two had professed faith in ,christ1 some of them among the most influential men in the city4 ,on the first ,sabbath morning ,i was there1 a lady of earnest piety prevailed on her husband1 who was a ,universalist and had been raised in that faith1 and a young ,german whom he had employed as a clerk1 to accompany her to the church4 ,this ,german had been a tutor in one of the colleges in ,germany1 a man of fine education2 but he was connected with a rebellion against the government1 and had to fly in the night1 and made an almost miraculous escape in disguise4 ,he was an infidel4 ,my subject was1 8the worth of the soul20 and ,god truly gave me what ,i said4 ,they both became awakened2 and seven years after1 ,mr4 ,h---- the husband of the lady joined the church1 and is now an elder4 ,he says he was never without conviction from that ,sabbath morning till he yielded to ,christ4 ,the ,german1 ,mr4 ,s----1 became intensely exercised4 ,he attended all the inquiry meetings1 and often called on the pastor1 ,mr4 ,n----4 ,his agony of mind bordered on despair4 ,he was told again and again that whenever he could give up all for ,christ he would find peace4 ,after spending a whole night in prayer1 he came to ,mr4 ,n---- in the morning1 woke him out of sleep1 and said1 8,mr4 ,n----1 ,i have nothing on earth ,i care for but this box of rings and jewels1 which my mother and sisters took from their ears and fingers the night ,i fled from ,germany2 these ,i have held as sacred mementos of their love4 ,take them1 sell them1 and give to the poor40 ,mr4 ,n---- said1 8,mr4 ,s----1 you are not far from the kingdom of ,god2 let us pray40 ,in a few moments he threw his arms around ,mr4 ,n----'s neck1 saying1 8,oh1 ,i have found ,jesus40 ,mr4 ,n---- handed him back the box1 and said1 8,mr4 ,s----1 the ,lord does not need the jewels4 ,all he required was1 that feeling of heart you manifested in giving them up40 ,this man is now a missionary in some of the islands of the sea4 ,his talents are all consecrated to ,god4 ,a young lady1 ,miss ,l----1 very wealthy and proud1 became awakened1 and continued for many days on the verge of despair4 ,she hardly ate or slept4 ,she even became desperate3 said ,god was not as good as his word2 that she was willing to give up all for ,christ1 but he would not save her4 ,we talked and prayed with her several times each day1 but all in vain4 ,at last ,i said to her1 8,miss ,l----1 you say you are willing to give up all for ,christ80 8,yes10 said she1 8even life itself40 8,well10 said ,i1 8in the name of my ,master ,i ask you1 out of your large wealth1 to give me a donation for the ,tract ,society40 ,she replied sternly1 8,i am not going to buy my salvation40 ,said ,i1 8,the ,lord can do without your money2 but ,i have asked this to show you the deceitfulness of your own heart4 ,you said a moment ago that you would give even life itself4 ,now10 said ,i1 8,i shall leave you to reflect40 ,in a few days she sent for me to rejoice with her1 and the donation was heartily made4 ,i then labored for three weeks in other churches in the city1 and a large number professed religion4 ,among other services1 ,i was a week with ,rev4 ,mr4 ,w----1 who has been for some years president of one of our auxiliary tract societies4 ,at the close of his meeting one day1 he said he would tell them what one tract had done4 ,he gave the tract1 8,have you the ,wedding ,garment80 to a young lady1 with the request that she would go and read it over three times4 ,she did so1 and the next day she came to him as an inquirer4 ,he then gave it to her sister1 making the same request1 and the next day she was an inquirer4 ,he then gave it to a young man1 and he has been led to ,christ by it4 8,and here before you10 said he1 8are all three of them now rejoicing in hope40 ,the last month of the year #ahej1 ,i was invited by the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,c---- to visit ,m---- county1 and spend a week with him at each of his charges1 as he had two4 ,the distance was ninety miles2 the roads almost impassable4 ,i shrunk from the journey2 but a voice seemed to say1 8,you must go40 ,when ,i reached the town they were holding a temperance convention1 which ,i addressed on two occasions4 ,on ,sunday morning ,i spoke first on the tract cause1 and raised a collection of #aej4 ,the night service was well attended4 ,we continued meeting twice each day1 and visited families and distributed books and tracts all the rest of the time till ,wednesday1 but with no very marked results4 ,notice had been given that meetings would begin at ,b----1 ,mr4 ,c----'s other charge1 nine miles distant1 on ,thursday morning at eleven4 ,we reached there at the hour1 and had only eleven hearers4 ,at the close of the service we were invited to a ,mr4 ,b----'s to dine4 ,he was a backslider1 rich and eccentric4 ,we had determined to visit families1 talk1 pray1 and circulate tracts1 till the time for the night service4 ,when we came to ,mr4 ,b----'s1 the old man invited us into the parlor1 and in a few minutes one of his daughters came in1 a very beautiful girl1 and highly educated4 ,after a little time ,i introduced the subject of religion to her kindly and politely4 ,she gave me one of the most scornful looks ,i ever got1 and rose to leave me4 ,i was holding in my hand the tract 8,don't be ,offended20 and just as she was passing me ,i presented it before her4 ,i saw the father was offended too4 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,c---- and ,i both felt unhappy2 but in a few minutes we were called to dinner1 and ,mr4 ,c---- introduced me to two other daughters1 which made all the family4 ,when we were nearly through dinner1 the offended one came to the table4 ,her eyes indicated that she had been weeping1 but nothing was said4 ,after dinner we went to another house1 and met a young lady who was teacher in the female academy and also in a dancing-school4 ,she made very light of religion1 and said she preferred the ballroom to the church4 ,i spoke to her the truth very plainly1 and gave her a tract on dancing2 and she turned away offended1 and said she had no respect for such ,puritanical religion4 ,at night we had a tolerably good congregation1 and the ,lord was there indeed4 ,such was the state of things1 that we invited all that were concerned about their souls to remain2 and to our utter astonishment1 the two offended ones were among them1 weeping bitterly4 ,the exhibition they had made of their wickedness had so overwhelmed them that they could scarcely wait till night to confess their sins4 ,the next morning we resumed our visits4 ,the first visit was to ,mr4 ,t----'s1 an elder in the church4 ,in conversation with a daughter of his she manifested much feeling4 ,i gave a tract to one of his sons1 who1 after reading it1 came to his mother1 and said1 8,oh1 mother1 if ,i was to die as ,i am1 my soul would be lost40 ,that day and night the congregation was large4 ,by this time the pious people in the church had awoke1 and all were at work with books and tracts4 ,business was almost suspended in the village1 and religion was the only theme4 ,almost all were inquiring the way to ,zion1 with the exception of half a dozen men1 who threw every obstacle they could in the way4 ,one of the worst of them went away to get out of the influence of the meetings1 and was dead in three days4 ,another left his business and went to the country to avoid the presence of ,god1 and has since died without hope4 ,the interest had become intense4 ,on the way home from church three young ladies obtained hope almost simultaneously1 and were all embraced in each other's arms4 ,a short time after1 a number of the anxious were assembled at ,mr4 ,t----'s1 where ,i was stopping4 ,all were pleading for mercy1 but soon they began to sing praises to ,god4 ,they were heard by people around1 and in a short time many assembled4 ,the new-born souls were rushing into the arms of each other1 and of their fathers and mothers1 and thanking them for their prayers4 ,this joy was no doubt much like that of the day of ,pentecost4 ,one hundred and twenty-five professed their faith in ,christ1 and were soon after added to the churches2 and so far as ,i have been able to learn1 there was no case of backsliding4 ,where ,god does the work1 the work is well done2 but where it is done by mere human machinery1 the results are very unsatisfactory4 ,the town was revolutionized by this outpouring of the ,spirit4 ,the ballroom gave way to the prayer-meeting1 and the drunkard's songs to those of ,zion4 ,i gave ,baxter's ,call to a youth during this meeting1 who told me1 eight years afterwards when ,i met him a preacher1 that that book was the means of his salvation1 and had it not been for it1 he never should have entered the ministry4 ,at another meeting some months afterwards in ,c----1 there was a powerful work of grace1 in every respect like those to which ,i have alluded4 ,one old man professed faith in ,christ1 who was the third unbeliever in the family who had been led to ,christ by the same copy of ,james' ,anxious ,inquirer4 ,i visited ,j4 ,c4 ,c----1 a highly distinguished civilian of threescore years and ten1 who had filled many important stations in life1 and who now felt that his days were nearly ended4 ,he took me by the hand very kindly1 his countenance expressive of deep emotion1 and said1 8,i am an inquirer on the subject of religion2 ,i have attended to every thing but my soul40 ,i directed him very briefly to the ,saviour1 and at the close told him ,i would send him a little book in the morning1 that would direct him more fully4 ,he thanked me kindly for the interest ,i felt in him1 and urged me to call again4 ,the next morning ,i sent him ,james' ,anxious ,inquirer4 ,in four days after ,i called again4 ,his health had improved4 ,he rose to his feet1 his countenance bespoke peace within1 and giving me a cordial shake by the hand1 he said1 8,i have read that little book through twice2 the great question is answered4 ,i think ,i understand what is meant by faith in ,jesus ,christ40 ,i then explained to him as fully as ,i could the nature of the new birth--the evidences by which we might decide for ourselves the reality of the change4 ,his very appearance was entirely changed--the deep anxiety that sat on his countenance had passed away1 and happiness was expressed in every feature4 ,in a few days he was able to walk1 and called to see me4 ,he said he had read the book through again2 that it was 8a great book2 but the writer had omitted one important point--he did not inform the reader how long the work of sanctification must be continued after a man was justified2 that justification was an act instantaneous1 but sanctification was a work40 ,i replied1 8,our ,saviour said to the thief on the cross1 #8,this day thou shalt be with me in paradise2' here sanctification was completed in a few hours40 8,i thank you1 sir1 that is enough3 here is a check for #cj1 for the ,tract ,society2 it is doing a great work40 ,for six years he remained steadfast in the great doctrines of salvation by faith in ,christ1 and in a blameless ,christian life1 though ever distrustful of himself4 ,soon after his death in ,february1 #ahef1 at the age of seventy-seven1 the ,rev4 ,mr4 ,m---- justly said of him1 8,well-deserved tributes have been paid by the governor of the commonwealth1 and by the legislature and other public bodies to the distinguished public worth and private virtues of this eminent citizen4 ,his views of salvation by faith in the crucified ,redeemer were clear and scriptural1 and showed that the powers of a vigorous and highly cultivated mind had been brought to bear upon the all-important subject4 ,he often expressed surprise that any one could read the holy ,scriptures in the proper spirit1 and not be convinced of the reality of religion1 the divinity of the ,saviour1 and the atoning efficacy of his precious blood4 ,his faith was simple and childlike4 ,no dependence whatever was placed in his own merits or righteousness4 ,the atonement of the ,son of ,god was #8the anchor of his soul1' the basis of his hopes of heaven40 ,,conclusion4 ,most of the facts and incidents in these sketches were committed to writing about the time of their occurrence1 and may be relied on as simple verities4 ,much of deep inherent interest1 which met my eye1 or fell upon my ear1 might have been added1 but for its inappropriateness to the character of this work1 or unduly swelling the narrative4 ,those enjoying the calm refinements of social life in our favored cities and villages1 who have never entered the abodes of ignorance and poverty in the moral wastes of the land1 may be unwilling to credit even the facts related2 but in a matter of such infinite importance as the enlightenment and salvation of perishing souls1 could the real facts have been consistently withheld8 ,in the providence of ,god ,i was sent out as a watchman1 not upon the walls of ,zion1 but outside of those walls2 and ought ,i to conceal the facts1 and report1 8,all's well10 when hundreds of thousands are dying in sin and ignorance of the great salvation8 ,would not such unfaithfulness be criminal in the sight of ,god8 ,and when the ,holy ,spirit was poured out in marvellous effusions1 almost as in the day of ,pentecost1 should not the facts be recorded to the praise of divine grace in ,jesus ,christ8 ,reared as ,i was from infancy under religious privileges1 ,i had no idea that any part of our land was in the sad moral condition which ,i found actually to exist2 or that the distribution of printed truth and personal labors 8publicly and from house to house10 were ever so richly blessed4 ,and such erroneous and defective impressions as to the wants of our fellow-men1 and the encouragements to labor for their good1 ,i believe are very prevalent4 ,i remember the day when ,i was confident that all around me were well supplied with the ,bible1 but on examination ,i found eight families1 and among them my next door neighbor1 who had no ,bible2 and a pastor who regarded ,bible efforts in his congregation as quite unnecessary1 on investigation received from family after family the report1 8,no ,bible10 the family of his own sexton being among the number4 ,an excellent young man1 now a missionary in a distant land1 on faithfully exploring a wealthy county1 stated what he had seen to ,mr4 ,w----1 a distinguished ,christian citizen4 8,i have heard of you10 said the gentleman4 8,i don't believe the statements you are making about the moral destitutions of this county4 ,i have made up my mind to go with you and see for myself40 ,the young man welcomed his company4 ,in the first dwelling they entered the family had no books1 not even a ,bible4 ,said ,mr4 ,w----1 8,give them #b #ej worth1 and ,i will pay for them40 ,in the next they entered1 and in the third1 they found equal destitution2 and in each case ,mr4 ,w---- said1 8,give them #b #ej worth1 and ,i will foot the bill40 ,they went further1 but soon ,mr4 ,w---- said1 8,my young friend1 the half is not told2 take this #bj and go on with this heaven-directed work40 ,as to the rich blessing that has attended the reading of books and tracts1 it is well for those reared in the midst of church privileges and good libraries to consider how different the influence of a good book may be on such as have few books1 or none at all4 ,take1 if you please1 a prosperous family in the interior of the country1 far from any book-store1 who may have an old family ,bible1 a few school-books1 or perhaps some other old books moral and religious4 ,a colporteur enters with his saddle-bags of beautiful books4 ,the children are almost frantic with joy4 ,each member of the family gets a book4 ,it is devoured with greediness--not by a gospel-hardened sinner1 but by one who has few or no gospel privileges4 ,is it strange that such a one1 on reading the ,pilgrim's ,progress1 the ,anxious ,inquirer1 or ,come to ,jesus1 is immediately awakened to seek for pardon and salvation8 ,is it not rather more strange1 that every one who attentively and solemnly reads such a book is not led to ,christ8 ,and when we come down to those who are wholly destitute of books1 who rarely hear a sermon1 and yet are able to read1 the effect is often still more powerful for good4 ,notwithstanding all that has been done1 ,i believe one half of all the families in our land now belong to one of these two classes4 ,hence the necessity of this system of evangelization4 ,we fear the time is far distant when our country will be so well supplied with churches and pastors as to reach the surging masses of all languages that are crowding our vast territories1 seeking homes for themselves and families4 ,let each one ask himself1 in view of the final account he must give to ,god1 8,what can ,i do for these perishing thousands80 ,here a way is pointed out by which every one can do something1 either by laboring1 praying1 or giving4 ,an old lady unable to move about1 with an income of #fjj per annum1 gave #aej each year as the salary of a colporteur1 and she had a few other ladies to meet her once each week to pray for ,god's blessing on his labors4 ,few men in latter days have done as much good as this colporteur1 ,mr4 ,c----r4 ,she thus labored by proxy4 ,the man is still living who at first paid #aej for my support1 and was thus instrumental in whatever good ,i have done4 ,hundreds would be ready to go and work in this department of ,christian effort if means were provided4 ,this system of labor developes the dormant power of the church4 ,hundreds whose influence for good was never felt outside of their own family circle1 have become successful laborers in this heaven-born work4 ,many of them are now able ministers of the ,new ,testament1 who would have remained 8hewers of wood and drawers of water0 had it not been for this system of doing good4 ,i call to mind the names of a score of men who have been brought into the work of the ministry either directly or indirectly by this system of colportage4 ,shall a work of so much power for good1 and so much needed1 be unsupported8 ,the price of one ocean steamer would support it efficiently over the whole land for one year4 ,the issuing of this history is what the writer never intended to do1 or allow others to do while he lived4 ,he has prepared it1 if he knows his own heart1 purely with the hope it may do good4 ,he trusts it may suggest to some whose supreme desire is to honor ,christ in the salvation of men1 a way by which they may gain the blessing of those who 8turn many to righteousness10 and who shall shine1 above the brightness of the firmament1 8as the stars for ever and ever40 ,that this may be the gracious reward of him who writes1 and of all who read this book1 is the fervent prayer of ,,the ,,pioneer ,,colporteur ,,in ,,the ,,alleghany ,,mountains4 ,,note4--,the labors of this single-hearted1 devoted1 and fearless servant of ,christ were at first secured for one year to explore some of these wild mountain gorges4 ,having been continued five years as above1 they were extended southward in the ,alleghany range1 and at length over the whole states of ,virginia and ,north ,carolina1 till he had had the coperation of three hundred colporteurs1 and their visits had reached five hundred thousand families1 over forty thousand of whom attended no place of evangelical worship4 ,usually they read the ,scriptures1 conversed1 and prayed in each family2 and they gathered into ,sabbath-schools seventy thousand children1 many of whom received their first book and learned their first lesson through this agency4 ,such wonderful effusions of the ,holy ,spirit as in some instances above recorded1 were rarely witnessed1 but these continued labors were evidently owned in the conversion of multitudes of souls4 ,as the writer of the above sketches1 now a commissioned minister of ,christ1 has well said1 8,it must have been the work of ,god1 who causes weak things to confound the mighty4 ,it was ,god who led the way1 and raised up men and means1 and guided his servants1 and blessed them with his presence2 and to him be all the glory40 ,w4 ,a4 ,h4 ,,sec',y4 ,,new ,,york1 ,december1 #ahfc4 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber's note3 ,inconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original4