Moral and religious sketches and collections , with incidents of ten years' itinerancy in the West.

Preface

We have written and collected the following pages to preserve what otherwise might be lost, and we give the reader the incidents that occurred under our notice for the first ten years of our itinerancy. Additionally, we furnish him collections of the best and purest literary and moral extracts, in a greater variety than is in most of books published in this^ or any other country.

We intend, Providence permitting, to succeed the present volume with two others. Hence, we wish here to say, that brief sketches of ministers and others shall be inserted, if obtained in time.

It is a nice matter to combine elegance and depth, beauty and taste, in a work of such variety. We have followed nature in her unclassified variety, rather than systematic precision, in our gatherings.

To use the sentiment of another, it is "safer

to think what we say, than to say what we

4 PREFACE.

think," — to think more than one has read, and to read more than one has written, and write more than one publishes, is wise.

Every writer ought to consider, that for six thousand years men have been "cold in their gratitude and ardent in their revenge." The first is of brief existence, the second seldom dies. However —

"Virtue alone outbuilds the pyramids, Her monuments shall last, when Egypt's fall."

The writer and compiler cherishes sweetly the memory of many laborers in our Master's vineyard, as well as many Christian friends; some of whom we may meet again, others not till we meet with palms in our hands and crowns on our heads.

In our opinion, every publication should have intrinsic merit enough to justify one to read it. We abhor sickly sentimentalism, that which neither enlightens the mind, or, in the true moral sense, expands and purines the heart.

It is due to state, that a few of the incidents in the following pages, are here presented without credit to the respective writers. The only reason for this is, those pieces have been

PREFACE. 5

gathered, not with the intention to republish them, so they have been cut out hurriedly from respective publications without the author's name, and in other instances, they had no name.

We wish to say, here, to all concerned, when we find the proper authors we will, in due time, give them credit.

We will call the reader's attention, in particular, to the chronology as herein presented. This, likely, is worth the price of the volume itself.

A, C.

Deoembee, 1856.

Chapter I. Incidents Connected With The Early Life Of The Whiter

The writer lands in America May 25, 1829 — The City of Quebec — By whom discovered — The English fleet, commanded by Gen. Wolfe — He effects a landing on the Hights of Abraham — Wolfe's Cove — His victory over the brave Montcalm — The family of the writer removes to Bellville, Canada West — In 1832 removes again to Plainfield, Coshocton county, Ohio— The writer returns to Canada — True happiness not found in traveling — The writer crosses the Atlantic Ocean in the ship Sir Watkin, commanded by Mr. Sanderson — Romanist ruffians break into Mr. Francis Carroll's house in Quebec — A Providential protection from their assault — The battle with supposed bears^ — Conversion of the writer — His father dies on the 17th of May, 1834 — In 1834 the writer commences exhorting — This year the cholera visits the country, the second time — In the fall of 1835 the writer commences itinerant preaching, with Rev. Henry S. Fernandes — His tarrying places on the circuit — Rev. David Young our presiding elder — Attends a camp meeting — The sermons of Revs. Hamline and Christie — The writer's first acquaintance with the Rev. William Swazye, at a camp meeting Page 15

Chapter II. Our First Tear's Itinerancy

Our first sermon — The burning of the Methodist Book Room in New York — Books read — Membership of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the bounds of the Ohio conference — Camp meeting at Honald's — Revs. Simmons, Monroe, and others present — The Greek Scriptures — Ohio a territory — Gov. Arthur St. Clair — The Constitution adopted in 1802 — Governors of the State — The second Constitution adopted on June 17, 1851 25

O CONTENTS.

Chapter III. Incidents Connected With Our Second Teae's Itineeancy

Cambridge circuit— Rev. B. F. Myers— Log cabins and fine houses— Quarterly meeting at Senecaville, Summerfield circuit— Ministers present- Great meeting— Birth-day— Remarks on it— Protracted meeting at Salem, Cambridge circuit — First intimation of rheumatism— Our presiding elder — The first class meeting in the new meeting-house — Advised to keep a journal — Wesley's Sermons — St. Paul's Prayer, a sketch — In 1835-36 preached about four hundred times — Sermons of Whitefield — Mr. Castle, near the village of Cumberland — Visit to Norwich — Conversion of Kelly, a professed skeptic — Saluted by his lady — We attend a camp meeting near Putnam, Rev. D. Young and others present — Plea for camp meetings — A brief description of such — Conference at Xenia — Somerset, Zanesville, Lancaster — Journey to conference — Examiners — Bishop Roberts — Ordination, etc. — Our third year's appointment to Newark circuit — Mr. Richard Harrison — Invited to his house — File our intention for naturalization Page 27

Chapter IV Our Thied Teae's Itinerancy

Newark, Chatham, etc.— Irville — Brother Brush's — Jacob Bonham's a preaching-place — Surprised by a maniac at brother Wilson's — Swam my horse through the Muskingum river — An unexpected revival in Chatham, commenced through the instrumentality of a lady — Protracted meeting in Chatham — Receive license to celebrate matrimony — Books read — The condition of a poor colored woman — Putnam camp meeting — Revs. Simmons, Brown, Baird, M'Cracken, etc. — Life of Summerfield — Mr. Brady and lady — Marries a colored couple — A farewell meeting at Squire Frost's new barn — A most glorious meeting — Our horse dies — A collection made to obtain another — W. M.D. Ryan licensed to exhort, and J. White to preach — Conference at Columbus, Bishop Waugh presiding — Our appointment to Germantown circuit — Waterman and Felton died this year — The Dutchman's experience — Awful death of a young gamester— Battle of Waterloo ■•••■• •■•■ 40

Chapter V

THE NAERATIVE OF OUE FOURTH YEAE. jEsop's commonwealth of ants— Likely we read too much and think too little — Germantown circuit — Rev. James B. Finley and family — Miamisburg, a village on the river — Our home at Peter Housel's, in Winchester— Heber's Sermons — Rev. Moses Crume, an old itinerant — Micajah

CONTENTS. 9

Elliott's, the preacher's home. — Richmond's a preaching-place — Darrtown — Cotton Run — Alexanderville — Germantown— Protracted attack of rheumatism — Boleslau's picture of his father — A visit to the village of Frankliit— Mr. Gunkle, of Germantown — Tormented with a blister — Helped the child to call for its parents — Subscription at Brown's, in a class meeting — First President of the American Congress — Charlemagne a man of great mental vigor — Alfred the Great, great in mind and superior in piety — Virtue rewarded and vice punished hereafter — The executioner's trumpet — Mr. Housel and the physicians of Winchester — Jay's Lectures, etc. — Rode with Rev. Joseph M'Dowell to Cincinnati — Examined the Book Concern, through the politeness of the Agents — Dr. Bascom's Address to the Miami Union Literary Society — Rev. Adam Miller — Dr. Waters, of Oxford — Camp meeting near Oxford — Arrive in Cincinnati, the seat of the conference — Ordained elder in the Ninth- Street Church — The Bishop reads my appointment to Fulton station — The past conference year was one of great affliction — Will it tend to the glory of God? — The man of truth is like the peak of Teneriffe — Calpurnia, wife of Julius Caesar — Her dream — All should review their conduct — Bright talents like Julia Agusta, or the Spartan fox- -Page 58

Chapter VI. Oue Fifth Teae In The Itinerancy

A running visit to our former field of labor — Introduced to Rev. J. N. Maffitt — There are four single men stationed in the city this year — Prospects are encouraging — Rev. William B. Christie is our presiding elder — Great beneficence of Jeejeebhoy, a heathen — Charity should have wings and fly — Wesley and Wesleyanism — Asbury crossed the Alleghanies eighteen times — Garrettson, George, M'Kendree, Whatcoat, Roberts, Hedding, etc. — Those admitted on trial in the Ohio conference in 1839 — Those ordained elders in 1839— The duelist the dupe of false) honor — A Sketch of Venice — Medical lectures — Rev. John N. Maffitt preaches four or five times a week in Wesley Chapel — His works — Rev. E. W. Sehon— M. P. Gaddis— Great meeting at Mr. Thomas Sharp's house — Celebration of the centenary of Methodism — Rev. J. M. Trimble gave us an address — Revival in Wesley Chapel — Gen. Harrison in tho altar with the preachers — Introduced to J. C. St. — Twenty-two hundred persons admitted on trial in the city and suburbs in the few months past 75

Chapter VII

OUR FIFTH YEAR C O N T I N V E D .

Taken by Rev. W. B. Christie to Madisonville — Preached and returned — Hardy an imposter — Dr. Bascom at Wesley Chapel — The writer married

CONTENTS.

at Monroe's — We preached at Johnson's meeting-house at Plainfield — Memoir of Thomas Johnson— A brief sketch of Bishop Hamline— Quarterly meeting at Asbury Chapel, Cincinnati — Bishop Morris takes us from Fulton to Olive Branch camp meeting, etc.— Sketch of Christie, by Morris— Ohio conference at Zanesville, etc.— The writer visits Plainfield— Memoir of Bevs. F. B. Butler, Woodbridge, and Crume- -Page 103

Chapter VIII. Otje Sixth Year's Itinerancy

Milford circuit — Preaching-places — Incidents — The citizens present a horse to the writer — Campbellites and Universalists oppose the truth — Joseph Gatch recommended to preach — Bev. Messrs. Cobler, Burke, and others visit Milford — Conference at Urbana — The pet distillery at Milford 121

Chapter IX. Ocr Seventh Year As An Itinerant Minister

Sent to Rushville circuit, in company with Bev. Jacob Young — Bev. B. 0. Spencer, presiding elder — Various Incidents 130

CHAPTEE X.

OUR EIGHTH YEAR IN THE TRAVELING CONNECTION.

Hebron circuit — Our colleague, Rev. E. V. Bing — Preaching places — The comet and Millerism — Professor Maffitt in Zanesville — The writer lectures on Education — A pair of pantaloons offered to out-preach brother H. — Attack of bilious cholic in Bushville, etc 135

Chapter XI. Our Ninth Year In The Itinerancy

October, 1843, we are sent to Somerset station — Infidels oppose true Christians — Wilson, a Eomish priest, attacks us — Attacked by Mr. Eaton, a Universalist preacher — Mr. Layman's attack on us — Strictures for him — In company with Hon. J. Bitchey, visits Lancaster — Bev. W. P. Strickland — Addresses the Institute in Lancaster — Oration in Baltimore, O. — Great pie — Conference at Marietta — Sent to Piketon circuit

Bishop Waugh presides 139

Chapter XII. Our Tenth Itinerant Year

Preaching-places — "Deity of Christ" commenced this year, 1844 Difficulty between Scioto Chapel and one called Wesley Chapel — We attend

CONTENTS. 11

a quarterly meeting in Chillicothe— Camp meeting on Piketon circuit- Conference in Cincinnati — Bishop Soule introduced to the chair, but repulsed—Our defense of Z.Wharton Page 147

CHAPTEE XIII.

CHRONOLOGY OF METHODISM.

Chronology of Methodism, from the birth of John Wesley, June 3, 1703, down to the year 1839, a period of one hundred and thirty-six years 150

CHAPTEE XIV.

MOEAL AND RELIGIOUS.

Think — The Bible — The covetous are lost — Missionaries in China — Love for the Savior — Vegetable instinct — Thunder and lightning — The Island of Madeira — Good results from evil designs— Charles Blliott,D. D. — The periodical press — Methodist Book Concern— The Methodist Quarterly Review — National Magazine — Character of Dr. Johnson — 111 effects of rapid variations of light on the eyes — Solitude — Repentance — A mouse in the Church — The land of Beulah — Witnesses to the Savior — The sacrifice— Our own tongue — Columbus and Luther — Paraphrase of Psalm xliv, 12 — -Beautiful extract from " Tecumseh " — On the witness of the Spirit — On the motto of a seal — Believe! love! obey — The pleasures of knowledge — Twenty-five rules which should characterize the life of a Christian — The Redeemer's tears — Anecdote of William -Burkitt — The law of love — Swimming — God — Self-praising — The treasure and the heart — The man of business— The professional man — The poor man — The ambitious statesman — The military hero — The general scholar— The young, gay, and blooming girl — The sensualist — The ripe drunkard— The memorial of Walsh — The algebraist — Hon. R. Boyle — Conscience— Prayer — Christ all in all — Dr. Franklin — The nobility of labor— Look well to your fires — Thoughts and sentiments — Unity — Study Christ — Memorandum for the time of conference — Prayers in convention 232

CHAPTER XV.

MINISTERIAL MISCELLANIES.

Successful preaching — Sayings of Christian ministers — How to preach so as to be remembered — Signs of good minds — Ministers should pray — Effectual preaching — Short address of a minister to himself— Matter and manner in preaching — Characteristics of Jeremy Taylor— Rev. R. Watson — John Wesley on Temperance — M. Bridaine — Portrait of Summerfield — Late Rev. John Summerfield— Letter of— Rev. R. Newton—

12 CONTENTS.

Expository discourses—" Watchmen unto Israel "—Ministerial faithfulness—Laborious ministers — The charge to the junior ministers of the Wesleyan conference, by Dr. Hannah— Another charge, delivered by Dr. B. Newton Page su

SKETCHES AND COLLECTIONS.

SKETCHES AND COLLECTIONS.

Chapter I. Incidents Connected With The Early Life Op The "writer

In company with father, mother, and two brothers, and one sister, the writer landed from Ireland, in the city of Quebec, in British America, on the 25th of May, 1829.

Quebec is an ancient city, discovered and founded by the French. Canada was discovered by Jacques Cartier, of St. Malo, in France. He sailed from this place with two ships of only about twenty tuns each, on the 20th of April, 1534. On the 13th of July, 1608, the celebrated navigator, Samuel Champlain, advanced still farther into the interior, and founded Quebec on a most commanding promontory, on the north side of the river St. Lawrence, formerly called by the Indians, Great Hochelaga, as Quebec likely comes from Quilibec, which means a bold and lofty promontory, originating from the first view in sailing up the river. At this time sundry Indian tribes occupied the country, who were hostile against their new neighbors — the French — who occupied the country till 1759, a period of about one hundred and fifty years.

In 1755 a war broke out between England and France, and in 1759 the English fleet reached the island of Orleans with an army of eight thousand men, commanded by General Wolfe, a brave young officer of about thirty-five years of age. The French had an army at the same time of ten thousand men, beside the garrison at Quebec, consisting of about two thousand.

Wolfe effected a landing on the hights of Abraham, above Quebec ; this daring act was done on the 12th of September, 1759, with surprising intrepidity. His ships of war sailed nine up the river, but dropped down silently to Wolfe's Cove. This feint deceived M. Bourngainville, who, with a division of the French army, had sailed before him to hinder the British from debarking. At eight o'clock they commenced ascending the high plains of Abraham; Marquis de Montcalm, the brave French commander, contended against Wolfe valiantly, with rather a scattered condition of his army; but the most extraordinary bravery was displayed on both sides. Wolfe expired victoriously; and Montcalm, of equal bravery, died of his wounds a few days after the battle. So often it goes with the great and the brave.

In the fall of 1829, the writer, in connection with the family, sallied from the above-mentioned city for parts unknown to them ; but, finally, after a passage of some hundreds of miles up the St. Lawrence, etc., we landed at Bellville, on Bay Quinte. Here we got along as we could for about three years. The country was superior to that around Quebec, in point of both soil and climate. The society was better suited to us than that in Quebec; but hardships and deprivations we faced on every side.

In the autumn of 1832 we removed to the farfamed United States, and located near Plainfield, Coshocton county, Ohio. Here the frank spirit of the citizens appeared more congenial than elsewhere in our journeyings. Some attention was paid to religious matters and education. The writer soon became engaged in school-teaching for nearly one year and a half without losing a single day. When he came to Ohio he was in the twenty-first year of his age. In the autumn of 1834 he visited Canada West, and tarried till the following spring. It appeared to us that there was a golden region somewhere, though it appeared still ahead, proving that the more one travels for happiness in gold, or honor, or pleasure, the more will they be disappointed. True happiness will not be found in the things of earth.

After having traveled from Quebec to the neighborhood of Lake Huron, we saw and realized many things. We had crossed the Atlantic in the ship Sir Watkin ; the captain's name was Sanderson, a clever, wicked sort of a man, but who, on the whole, was deemed a clever commander. Father was a sort of a Methodist exhorter; and, having favor in the eyes of the Captain, was permitted to hold religious service in the ship, particularly on Sabbath; this gave some offense to the Papists, who numbered about equal with the Protestants — in all about two hundred passengers. The baser ones of the Romanists said they would be revenged on P. Carroll for his heretic preaching. The night after we landed, those ruffians broke into the house we were occupying for the present, and threatened destruction to all of us;

but apprehending that we had fire-arms with us, the

o

18 SKETCHES AND COLLECTIOXS.

contents of which they dreaded," they soon -withdrew, without molesting any of us. In the mean time, wo had only a single pistol with us. We appeared to be providentially protected from assault from those malicious men.

The following is a correct narrative of an occurrence, near the city of Quebec, soon after we landed. There were three of us engaged in it; namely, Andrew, John, and Francis.

A SUPPOSED BATTLE WITH BEAKS.

Three small Irish boys prepared their guns, etc., to have a hunt in the forest adjoining the city. On their way thither, A. espied a small, blackish snake, the first he had ever seen, he immediately fired on the creature, but without drawing blood, or ever seeing it again. It was soon announced to the brothers the great discovery and danger which might befall them from snakes amid the long grass of that marshy vale.

This was but a memento of future danger, for as those three, not very heroic hunters, proceeded, they met with a most alarming occurrence. Hearing so much, when in the Emerald Isle, of bears in the new world, they were greatly on the look-out for these animals. And as snakes and bears made up the sum total of their terror on this occasion, their guns were reprimed, and all things put in order. They had learned that companies of bears came out of the woods, together at certain seasons, and, for all they knew, this might be the time, though it was only about the first of June.

As they wearily passed along, one heard a terrible groan from the throat of some awful animal, a halt was called — the hour of battle had come, and since the days of the Norman conquest, a period of seven hundred and seventy years, up till the reign of Victoria, wherein thirty-five persons held kingly office, amid all its history of terror, nothing like the present crisis had happened to those poor fellows. They wished themselves billions of miles away. They stood in silent halt, waiting to see the bears, but none as yet appeared; but now another hoarse croak, and again another, the alarm increases: "J." says A., "What shall we do ?" The latter being the oldest, instinctively took the command. His orders were, "Stand still; and if they come out, fire on them; try to hit them on the head !" But another roar, and another, and yet another: mercy, mercy, there are hundreds of them! The youngest of the three began to express doubts of life. "They will surround and kill us all. What will we do? Let us run." J. says, "How can we run? we are surrounded; we must fire on them, live or die !" A pause from the uproar of the growling animals ensues. The boys sneaked away to the top of a fence near by, thinking they would be more defensible. Guns were kept in readiness; all eyes were in search to see the first bear, that his blood might be shed, as a terror to others. A council was held — yet not in due form — and it was concluded, from the present position, a retreat might be obtained, though it was deemed dangerous to run, yet from the apparent number of the bears, it was thought unsafe to fight them. The boys made the best of their heels, like girls in the dance, and after a distance of two miles, made their way to the city. Deeming it unsafe to stop even then, lest the bears were after them in their rage, so they continued on the full race, covered with perspiration and dust, etc., till they arrived at home.

The citizens wondering at the strange affair, seeing three boys, well armed, running for life, said, "What caused all this? Are the officers of the peace after them? Something must be the cause of this." Breathless, or nearly so, and terribly alarmed at last, they got home. Some of the neighbors came running to learn the cause of the conflict. These three hunters, in much trembling and broken enunciation, got out the words, "We have escaped from being surrounded by bears ; we have saved our lives, and that is all !"

Immediately a few young gentlemen prepared their guns to have a real battle. In the mean time, one asked the boys, if they had seen the bears, they answered, "No; but we all heard them!" "What sort of a noise did they make?" "Why, they croaked and roared tremendously!" "Why!" said one of the company, while preparing their guns, "A., it was nothing under the heavens but bull-frogs, which now in spring, after a severe winter, are raising their greeting notes to every passer-by." "Bull-frogs! What are they? Could they make such a terrible noise? No; never! What are they like? How do they roar?"

After some subsequent remarks touching the genius of those creatures, the whole company agreed that it was the poor frogs and not the bears, which had so alarmed our forensic hunters. Laugh succeeded laugh, and still outbursts of laughter at the nobleness of the rencounter, the bloodless warfare, and the happy escape.

These three young gentlemen will never forget this sad, yet consoling rencounter, with the croaking tribes of Lower Canada. From the dreadful battle of Waterloo, to the more recent battle and triumphs of these United States over fallen Mexico, none, to those boys, ever equaled the battle in the vicinity of Quebec.

The writer, on the 15th of November, 1830, sought religion by reading the Holy Scriptures; confession of sins to the Lord only; and, especially, by prayer and believing in Christ. On Sabbath evening having attended a Methodist prayer meeting, he fully determined to forsake the ways of sin; in the evening he sought faithfully, and obtained pardon through the blood of Christ. On the Sabbath following, he met, for the first time, of his own accord, in a Methodist class meeting, which was the commencement of his union with the Methodist Episcopal Church.

On the 17th of May, 1834, our venerable parent, Francis C, departed this life, after an illness of about six weeks, occasioned by dyspepsia. He died in peace, after having received the sacrament of our Lord's supper. He had been a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Society in Ireland; and, finally, of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He had not been a good, temporal economist, yet he left enough to pay all his debts, and a little over.

The writer of this work, in the beginning of 1833, commenced exhorting in the Methodist Episcopal Church; and the 27th of April, the year following, he preached his first sermon in Johnson's school-house, so called in the neighborhood of Plainfield.

This year we traveled considerably. The following year — 1834 — the cholera visited sundry parts of the country, where we traveled; namely, Cleveland, Detroit, Amertsburg, and St. Thomas; the last two places are in Upper Canada; or, as it is called, Canada West. We took the rounds of a very large circuit this year. We returned from Canada in May, 1835; and the quarterly meeting conference of Roscoe circuit, Zanesville district, Ohio conference, recommended us to the Ohio annual conference the following September 19th. We were accordingly admitted on trial at the conference held this year at Springfield.

Rev. John Ferree was the presiding elder at the time on the Zanesville district; being admitted, our name was placed on the Minutes of the conference accordingly; and we were sent as junior preacher with Rev. Henry S. Fernandes, on Norwich circuit. A more honest, careful, and prudent administrator of Discipline could not be. He was truly a father to us in the commencement of our traveling career. His good lady was truly a helper in the labors of the Gospel, and a mother to young preachers. Our beloved friend, Fernandes, is now dead in body, but his soul is beaming with those in white robes, and palms in their hands in endless life.

We shall never forget the courtesy, sweetness, and religious devotion of our venerable Fernandes. May the rich and variegated blessing of Heaven constantly abide with his precious family, till their reunion in the better land! Our home on this circuit was with Fernandes, Carr, Honald, Roe, Tompson, Spry, Bower and a number of other persons, all of which are to this day fragrant to our memory. May the blessings of the God of Israel, the prosperity of Joseph, and the honor of Judah abide with our friends !

We must not forget to mention our beloved presiding elder, this year, Rev. David Young, to us of precious jpemory. We deem him now as then, a true friend in every sense; and he ranged in our mind one among the chief of great men — a clear, true, and terse preacher of the everlasting Gospel.

Our venerable, but now widowed mother, lives about fifteen or twenty miles from our first circuit; we went home about every six weeks to see her, and a junior brother, and a sister, who lived with her. We had an older brother, who left home unknown to his parents, and remained away till after our father's death, which absence caused the heart of his parents many a sigh. On his return, his manners were considerably corrupted. When we heard last from him he was • in the south.

We attended some time previous to this a Methodist camp meeting in Coshocton county, on Stafford's camp-ground, so called, in company with cousins Mrs. R. Johnson, J. M. Johnson, Miss Jane Johnson, and others. This was the first meeting of the kind we ever attended. What a multitude of people collected to one place in the forest. Among other ministers present, were Rev. L. L. Hamline and Rev. William B. Christie, then in the full bloom of their glory. On Sabbath they both preached in immediate succession at eleven o'clock. Seldom, if ever, have we heard such a grand display of Christian eloquence, such divine power, or superhuman glory. Such sermons are nondescript. To the writer and his company a dark cloud was close by: on our leaving the place,

Johnson's horses ran off, and dragged him under the "wheels, breaking his limbs. This occurrence saddened us much, and left us to return home as best we could. Some time after this we attended another meeting of the same sort, a few miles from Newcomers^own ; here we made our first acquaintance with the venerable Rev. William Swayze, who has since been taken to Abraham's bosom. Here, too, we saw, for the first time, Rev. W. R. Davis, then an exhorter in the Church. It rained considerably during this meeting, particularly on Sabbath, on the afternoon of which it -was deemed better, after the prayer meetings in the tents, to have the mourners gathered into a meeting-house near at hand. Brother S. had charge of the meeting: he placed door-keepers to the doors to let none in, save seekers of religion, and some to sing and pray with them. The writer was present, and witnessed the occurrences of the evening, or rather the whole night. Fifty-three were knelt, praying with sighs and tears for the pardon of sin, the greater part of whom, before morning, embraced religion. 0, what a night of praying and praising! Some of those, who then wept and sighed, have returned " to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads."

" There is my house and portion fair, My treasure and my heart are there,

And my abiding home ; For me my elder brethren stay, And angels beckon me away,