THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 PROF. CHARLES A. KOFOID AND 
 MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID 
 
i rom the ptage Coach 
 
 TO THE PULPIT. < 
 

 
 
 V 
 
FROM THE STAGE COACH 
 
 TO 
 
 THE PULPIT, 
 
 BEING AN AUTO-BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH, WITH INCIDENTS 
 AND ANECDOTES, OF 
 
 ELDER H. K. STIMSON, 
 
 THE VETERAN PIONEER OF WESTERN NEW YORK, 
 NOW OF KANSAS. 
 
 EDITED BY REV. T. W. GREENE, 
 
 OF KANSAS. 
 
 SAINT LOUIS: 
 
 R. A. CAMPBELL, PUBLISHER, 
 
 S. E. Cor. Fifth and Olive Sts. 
 1874. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1874, by 
 
 H. K. STIMSON, 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
 
 ST. LOUIS, MO., 
 BARNS & BEYNON, 
 
 Printers and Stereotyperfl, 
 215 Pine Street. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 AUTHOR S PREFACE, - 
 
 EDITOR S PREFACE, - 
 
 INTRODUCTION, - 
 
 POETRY, - - - - - 14 
 
 CHAPTEK I. 
 BIRTH. BOYHOOD, - - - 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME. STAGE DRIVING AND STAGE 
 DRIVERS, - - 27 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 RETURNING HOME. FIRST INTERVIEW WITH MY FATHER, 40 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. EARLY MARRIED LIFE, 64 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A TURNING POINT. VICTORY OVER WHISKY. A SHOOT 
 ING MATCH, ETC., - 65 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 A SEARCH FOR A CHURCH, - - - 86 
 
 CHAPTER VH. 
 
 THE CHURCH FOUND, - 92 
 
 CHAPTER Vm. 
 A YEAR OF JUBILEE, ----- 98 
 
 M3179G6 
 
6 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 SHALL I PREACH? FIRST PASTORATE, - - 106 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 LEAVING ALABAMA. PARMA, - 133 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 A TRIAL OF OPEN COMMUNION, - - - 162 
 
 CHAPTER XH. 
 
 AN OLD SORE. SECOND WIDOWHOOD, - 168 
 
 CHAPTER XIH. 
 EVANGELIZING. PASTORATE AT WARSAW, - 174 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 WHEATLAND, - - - 188 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ADRIAN, - ... 203 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 PENN YAN, - 212 
 
 CHAPTER XVH. 
 MARION, - - 227 
 
 CHAPTER XVIH. 
 RACINE, - - 236 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 RE-SETTLEMENT AT WARSAW, - - 240 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 LA GRANGE. THE WAR, ... 242 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 Ho FOR KANSAS, ----- 279 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XXTT. 
 A KANSAS FIELD, - ... 287 
 
 CHAPTER XXTTT. 
 CLOSING THE WAR IN MISSOURI, ... 295 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 "OTTAWA UNIVERSITY" AND LEAVENWORTH, - 808 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 THE BAPTIST TABERNACLE, ... 322 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 KlNDERHOOK. WHEATLAND, - - - 329 
 
 CHAPTER XXVH. 
 
 BURLINGTON, KANSAS, - 835 
 
 CHAPTER XXVTU. 
 OLD MEMORIES, - 841 
 
 CHAPTER XXTX. 
 ELDER WEAVER, - , - - 848 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 REFLECTIONS. HOME AGAIN, - 853 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 MISCELLANY, - - 864 
 
 CHAPTER XXXTT. 
 SERMONS, - 888 
 
 CHAPTER XXXTTT. 
 A NIGHT WITH THE RACKENSACKS AND PUKES, - 416 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 PERSONAL SKETCH BY THE EDITOR, - - 424 
 
THE AUTHOR S PREFACE. 
 
 IN PRESENTING this volume to the Christian Public and 
 "the rest of mankind," I know that I am liable to severe 
 criticism, to which I do not object if it is made in kind 
 ness. Such has always done me good. 
 
 I have had a maxim through life, I once invented in self- 
 defense, that a man that can t spell a word but one way, is 
 a literary fool. For the practical illustration my manuscript 
 affords that I am not a fool in this sense, if it appears on the 
 printed page, you can blame the editor, Rev. T. W. GREENE. 
 
 I make no claim to originality, except in memory. This 
 I have endeavored to use to the best advantage in applying 
 other men s thoughts and principles. I believe in the largest 
 liberty to all men in advocating their views and sentiments, 
 if not dogmatic and superstitious. I advocate a liberal edu 
 cation, a liberal contribution to all benevolent institutions, 
 and large donations to ministers. 
 
 I have no great enemies, except the devil. All others are 
 of small calibre and not worth a notice. I love all mankind, 
 and good horses. For the rest of the world I care but little, 
 as I am nearly through it. 
 
 I wish you to buy the book, pay for it and read it. Then 
 you will have a consciousness of two things : first, you own a 
 book and are independent. Second, you are helping an old 
 man and woman to a little support in the evening of life. 
 
 May God bless you. 
 
 H. K. S. 
 
 BURLINGTON, Kansas, 1 874. 
 
THE EDITOR S PREFACE. 
 
 I BELIEVE in preaching and like to preach. I also believe 
 in writing and like to write, especially when helping to 
 increase the acquaintance of the world with so genuine a 
 man, and one so wide-awake for CHRIST, evenin the even 
 ing years of life, as FATHER STIMSON. 
 
 I have enjoyed the work of preparing the manuscript of 
 this book for the press. As Dr. BUSHNELL would say, it 
 has been play for me. It was nearly done before I knew it. 
 Only a few weeks of an exceedingly hot season have been 
 spent by FATHER STIMSON in preparing the pencil notes good 
 and ample, and by myself in making them comply with the 
 exactions of the printer, and a little more fully represent the 
 Author ; and that, too, in the midst of uninterrupted pastoral 
 work on the part of both. 
 
 My only wish is that the book may be read by many 
 during his life here and after he has entered on the better 
 life, and with the same relish with which the labor of pre 
 paring it has been accomplished. Then I shall be sure it 
 will do more good than we both could have done in the 
 same time in any other way. 
 
 T. W. G. 
 
 JUNCTION CITY, Kansas. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 It was in the winter of 1843, I first saw Kev. H. K. 
 STDISON. It was in my native town in Western New York, 
 and at an age when my mind was very easily impressed by 
 the presence of men of mark. The occasion was the meeting 
 of an Ecclesiastical Council, which excited great interest in 
 that community. Mr. STIMSON was a delegate from a 
 neighboring church. He was then a young man, full of 
 point, soul and magnetism, which years have not lessened. 
 Because of his brilliancy, piquancy and quaintness, all eyes 
 admiringly centered upon him when he spoke. To my 
 youthful mind, he was the chief attraction of the Council. 
 I have ever remembered him as I saw and heard him there. 
 He then told a certain story, with such inimitable skill and 
 dramatic power a story having a patness and application 
 so hitting and ludicrous that I can never forget it or its 
 author. Who might this curious and strangely potent man 
 be? I wondered. It came out that he was a converted stage- 
 driver, of Irish descent, and the wittiest minister in the 
 Genesee country. 
 
 From that day to this I have known H. K. STIMSON, and 
 from the time I went into the ministry he has known me, I 
 think ; and if he has not loved me, I have had the sweet 
 retaliation of loving him. For more than thirty years in 
 Western New York, he held a prominent place as a preacher 
 and pastor. No man in that region stood higher as a 
 
12 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 faithful, able and useful minister of the Gospel than he. 
 This is saying much, for he was associated with such 
 men as Elon Galusha, Elisha Tucker, Pharcellus Church, 
 James Reed, Ichabod Clark, William Arthur, Charles 
 Van Loon, Daniel Eldridge, the Elliots, Harrison Daniels and 
 "Walter Brooks. In the learning of the schools, Mr. 
 STIMSON never professed to be a proficient, but the 
 Gospel and men he knows by heart. Wit, tact, knowledge 
 of human nature and ready ability to use current events, 
 superadded to a great and good heart, and to a naturally 
 strong and withy intellect, all consecrated to God, have 
 made him a most popular, devoted and efficient minister 
 of Christ for forty-five years. 
 
 His auto-biography is a book over which readers will 
 both laugh and cry. No person who has ever known this 
 remarkable man will fail to be interested in the work, and in 
 it thousands of others, in all Christian denominations, will 
 find entertainment and profit. In wit and drollery, this 
 book is keener than the works of professional humorists, in 
 its serious portions and theological utterances, it is as sound 
 as Jonathan Edwards; and in its touching passages and 
 pictures, it is as tender as anything which Pay son or 
 McChene ever wrote. 
 
 As the subject of this taking volume is a welcome guest 
 in all denominations and circles, because he is a Christian, a 
 gentleman, a genial companion, a helpful minister and a 
 man of the soundest common sense, so his auto-biography 
 will be welcomed by all classes, professions and ages. 
 The book is the man in portraiture, and this is its highest 
 commendation. Mr. STIMSON is now well on in life, but is 
 
INTRODUCTION. 13 
 
 as vivacious, as social, as generous and as companionable 
 as ever; and the book is just like him. When he leaves 
 your house, wife, husband and all the children say, " come 
 again." A book picturing such a character and life as his, 
 so full of telling incidents, of rich personal history, of hits, 
 of genius, of talent, of eloquence, of pathos, of piety, of 
 good sense, must be remarkable, a priori. Upon examina 
 tion, the work proves itself the satisfactory fulfillment of the 
 prophecy which such a character utters. 
 
 The Editor, Rev. Mr. GREENE, his neighbor in Kansas, 
 where Mr. STIMSON has lived for the last few years, has done 
 his work so well, as to richly deserve the thanks of the 
 thousands the land over who know and love the " Converted 
 Stage-Driver," and who pray that the evening of his life may 
 be as sunny as its noon ; and that, as from the stage coach 
 Christ transferred him to the pulpit, so from the pulpit, 
 though not for many years, He may transfer him to Himself 
 in glory, not only to be forever with his Lord, but with the 
 great multitude brought to Jesus by his labors. 
 
 A. H. BUBLINGHAM. 
 
 ST. Louis, January, 1874. 
 
FAREWELL TO THE COACH. 
 
 Farewell to the Coach that has carried us long 
 Through sunshine and storm with wheels rolling fast; 
 
 A kindly farewell in a brief, simple song, 
 And a smile and a tear for its far away past. 
 
 A smile for the memories pleasant and pure, 
 A tear for whatever unhallowed was there; 
 
 Let the first with all that is precious endure, 
 And the last be forgotten in praise and in prayer. 
 
 How strong was your frame and capacious each seat, 
 Old Coach, as you rolled on your track every day; 
 
 And how many good friends we then used to greet, 
 As they climbed into you, and we sped on our way. 
 
 How waited and watched for then was our load! 
 
 How welcome the letters we bore up and down! 
 How gaily our horses stepped out on the road, 
 
 Or dashed up the street full speed into town! 
 
 Now better enjoyment we thankfully find, 
 For our last whip and bottle were cracked long ago; 
 
 Though to crack a good joke we still feel inclined, 
 And we bear other news as we go to and fro. 
 
 Good tidings, great blessings we gladly proclaim, 
 Christ s life and His death, the epistles of Paul; 
 
 To those who will weep o er His sorrow and shame, 
 And rejoice in the news that can ransom us all. 
 
 We still hope to carry full many a soul 
 From evil to good, from sin to salvation; 
 
 For the chariot wheels of the Gospel must roll 
 Until the grand story is told to each nation. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 BIRTH AND BOYHOOD. 
 
 ~F WAS born so I have been told at Saratoga 
 JL Springs, October llth, 1804. My parents were 
 of Irish extraction, having descended from an ancient 
 stock in the North of Ireland. All I know of their 
 religious opinions is that they were of Presbyterian 
 proclivities, and, like most other adherents of the 
 Scotch "Kirk," strongly prejudiced against all other 
 denominations, especially Roman Catholics, and no 
 less, the Baptists. This prejudice my father never 
 overcame. My mother finally became more tolerant, 
 but it was not until the Baptists had become quite 
 numerous in Western New York that any of my fam 
 ily were immersed. 
 
 My father, who was a draper and tailor at Saratoga 
 Springs, moved from there to what was then called 
 the "Genesee Country," in the winter of 1811-12. 
 Our family at this time consisted of my parents and 
 their three children, I being seven years of age and the 
 oldest of my mother s children. At this time nearly 
 all west of Canandaigua was one vast wilderness, and 
 
18 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 I well remember the contrast between our pleasant 
 home at the Springs and the rude log hut in the dense 
 forest in the "town" of Mendon. With the excep 
 tion of an occasional visit to my uncle John Stimson, 
 who lived four miles distant, I was constantly in the 
 house Avith my mother, or with my father in the 
 woods where he was "clearing." To one thus situ 
 ated, any event which would enable him to see a com 
 pany of men gathered together, was indeed hailed 
 with joy. Such an event was the first town meet 
 ing of the "town" of Mendon, held at Deacon Eli 
 Ewer s in the spring of 1812. During the pre 
 vious winter the "town" of Bloomfield had been di 
 vided into four "towns," one of which was Mendon. 
 It was therefore necessary to have a " town meeting" 
 there, which was called at the house of Eli Ewer, a 
 deacon of the Presbyterian Church. I remember 
 feeling quite elated when I started with my father to 
 attend the meeting. I anticipated a good time, and 
 it seemed as though all there determined that my an 
 ticipations should be fulfilled. The deacon had the 
 day previous obtained a license to keep a public 
 house, and had laid in a good supply of rye whisky. 
 He also served up to his guests a dinner consisting 
 of baked pork and beans ; a dish that may have been 
 
BIRTH AND BOYHOOD. 19 
 
 heard of still further east. Although a plain repast, 
 and needing but little table furniture, his supply was 
 found totally inadequate to the demand. His plates 
 were of brown earthen-ware and wooden trenchers. 
 For forks there were short sticks tipped with prongs 
 of wire, the other part of the cutlery being supplied 
 with pieces of scythe points and jack-knives. Dur 
 ing the dinner hour everything was in confusion and 
 noise, but the utmost good feeling prevailed. After 
 dinner, games, business and drinking occupied the 
 time till sundown, when the majority started for 
 home, many very much intoxicated; for men got 
 drunk even in the good old times. A few of them 
 were beastly drunk. The beasts will please excuse 
 me. There is one consolation, however, the whisky 
 they drank was pure. But pure as it was, it operated 
 badly on the deacon s windows, doors and premises 
 generally. It had a very dilapidating effect upon 
 them. The next day Deacon Ewer gave up his li 
 cense and quit the rather expensive business of sell 
 ing whisky. 
 
 In the spring of 1814, my father moved from his 
 place in the woods to a public house on the road 
 leading from Irondequoit Bay to Lima, where he 
 kept tavern for the next four years. This was then 
 
20 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 the great Western thoroughfare, Buffalo being the 
 " far West." While residing here there was no 
 school which I could attend, and I was compelled 
 to spend my time around the bar-room, where I was 
 educated to all the vice and folly attendant upon 
 such a place, but making no advancement in intellect 
 and certainly none in moral education. 
 
 In the fall of 1818,1 left home and worked at 
 another tavern for my board, while I attended school 
 for the first time since I was a child. In the spring 
 of this year I had my first religious impressions, and 
 well do I remember the occasion. A young com 
 panion of mine, Napoleon B. Stickney, and myself, 
 attended a prayer meeting, conducted by the Kev. 
 John Taylor, of the Congregational Church, 
 and Deacon Eli Lyon, of the Baptist Church. 
 Stickney and myself, both vain and wicked youths, 
 had gone there out of mere curiosity. During the 
 evening, Deacon Lyon gave a short but very im 
 pressive history of his experience and conversion, 
 which, for the time, made a deep impression on my 
 mind. Stickney was also much affected, and, on 
 our way home, he said to me, " Hiram, I am a great 
 sinner, and I feel as though it was my duty to quit 
 the evil practices of Sabbath breaking, profane 
 
BIRTH AND BOYHOOD. 21 
 
 swearing and card playing." I at once told him of 
 my own convictions, of my guilt as a sinner, and 
 invited " Boney," as we called him, to stay with me 
 at the tavern that night. He accepted my invitation, 
 and we started for my room. The family had all 
 retired, and the house was still when we reached it. 
 We sat down in the bar-room where we had so often 
 joked and made merry, but this time to talk over 
 our deplorable condition as sinning against our God 
 and Saviour. We had talked but a short time when 
 " Boney" said, " Hiram, you go and get the Bible 
 and we will read it." I stole away into the room 
 where I knew the Bible was kept, a useless book to 
 all the family. I brought it and gave it to " Boney." 
 He opened at the fifty-fifth chapter of Isaiah, and 
 commenced reading. When he closed the book he 
 looked at me with a strange stare and said, " Hiram, 
 pray." And there we both knelt on the floor of the 
 dirty bar-room, filled with the fumes of whisky and 
 the odor of burnt tobacco, and prayed in broken 
 sentences and homely expressions, but with earnest 
 ness. What I said I know not. But after rising 
 we mutually promised to reform and lead a better 
 life. But how vain are most of our promises of 
 reformation. The very next Sabbath, Stickney and 
 
22 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 I went fishing all day. Thus may be seen how little 
 dependence is to be placed upon resolutions of a 
 better life when God is not really loved, and when 
 our dependence upon Him is not realized and 
 acknowledged with that acknowledgment that comes 
 from renewed hearts. 
 
 From this time till I was eighteen I worked at 
 the tavern, going to school three months each winter, 
 pursuing only such branches as were then taught, 
 imperfectly taught, and as imperfectly received and 
 applied. So that when at this age the importance of 
 an education first impressed itself upon my mind 
 and I received my advancement, I found I could 
 only read and write, knowing nothing or nearly 
 nothing of arithmetic and geography. As I thought 
 over these things, and as the value of an education 
 arose before my mental vision, I was compelled to 
 look about with a determination to lay hold of any 
 possible chance that would allow me to pursue a 
 course of study. But all was dark, dreary and dis 
 couraging. My parents were now too poor to help 
 me. There were no good schools in that part of the 
 country that I could attend, even by " choring" for 
 my board. And with no means nor any way of 
 obtaining them to pay my expenses away from home, 
 
BIRTH AND BOYHOOD. 23 
 
 and no kind friend to extend a benevolent hand or 
 speak an encouraging word by way of relief, I 
 settled down into the belief that there is such a 
 thing as toiling for knowledge under difficulties, and 
 that there are some lighter amusements than working 
 one s way through school. With these facts dogging 
 my heels, I saw that my hopes of obtaining an edu 
 cation at that time were vain. I soon dismissed the 
 idea of enjoying the advantages of attending school 
 where I was, and as to going East to attend one, 
 that could only be done by the sons of the wealthy. 
 This, in connection with my father s somewhat 
 intemperate habits, led me to the conclusion that I 
 must make the best of my poor condition in life, and 
 so I set myself to the work of whiling away my 
 youth in ignorance and vice. 
 
 Some time previous to this my father had given up 
 the tavern and opened a small whisky grocery, ob 
 taining his stock of one S , who kept a hotel and 
 
 store in the village of East Mendon. After continu 
 ing this grocery a little time, my father found him 
 self indebted to S , to the amount of eighty dol 
 lars, with no way to pay it. To settle the matter, 
 
 S proposed that I should come and work it out 
 
 at his hotel. A formal contract was at once drawn 
 
24 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 up, but I was to be kept iu ignorance of the fact that 
 I was working to pay for a " dead horse," or, what 
 was in fact much worse, for whisky long since swal 
 lowed. S came to me and said, "Hi, I want 
 
 you to work for me a year tending bar, and now and 
 then driving those black horses of mine, which I am 
 fitting for market. How much do you want a month ?" 
 The idea of being a kind of superintendent of a small 
 
 tavern and of driving as fine a team as S s blacks 
 
 was the height of all greatness to my mind, and we 
 struck a bargain at eight dollars a month. Mr. 
 
 S soon after started for New York City, leaving 
 
 me to take charge of the tavern, and a young man by 
 the name of Brace as clerk in his store. 
 
 My wardrobe at the time was somewhat scanty, 
 and as spring came on I had need of new and more 
 respectable clothing ; that is, my position as mixer 
 of whisk}^ sling, gin cocktails and brandy smashes, 
 -and retailer of "penny grab" cigars required that I 
 should appear in dignified attire. I went into the 
 store and told Brace that I wanted cloth for a new 
 suit of clothes, a new hat, boots, etc. What was my 
 surprise and chagrin when he told me I was at work 
 to pay the old debt of my father, and he was in 
 structed not to let me have anything out of the store 
 
BIRTH AND BOYHOOD. 25 
 
 during Mr. S s absence. At this I was indig 
 nant and not a little enraged, and I at once said, 
 "Well, then I shall leave ; you may take charge of 
 the hotel and the horses, for I am not the boy to 
 work for any old whisky debts, and go ragged while 
 doing so, into the bargain." I was about to leave the 
 store in a rage when Brace, who by the way was a 
 good friend of mine, and in deep sympathy with me, 
 said, "Well, Hiram, I will let you have what you 
 want on my account. I will take the responsibility 
 
 until Mr. S returns from New York, and then 
 
 you and he can settle the matter." I at once replied, 
 "No, I will not take a thing only on my own account 
 and for my own labor. If I cannot have what I want 
 on those conditions I will stay no longer, and as to 
 working out that old whisky debt, it is something I 
 will never do." At this decided declaration Brace 
 replied, "Very well, Hi, it is too bad, and I will let 
 you have what you want and you must settle it with 
 
 Mr. S when he returns from New York City." 
 
 Upon this condition cloth for a summer suit, cloth 
 for two shirts, a pair of shoes and a hat were se 
 cured. The cloth for my suit I carried home that 
 my father might cut them out, and my mother and 
 sister make them. That night after going to bed my 
 
26 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 reflections were something like the following : " Now, 
 
 when S gets home, we shall have a conflict 
 
 about this matter. He and my father will lay their 
 heads together, and compel me to work out this 
 eighty dollar debt at eight dollars a month ten long 
 months. This is not right and just, I have no heart 
 to stay and no determination to do it." 
 
RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME. 27 
 
 CHAPTER H. 
 
 RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME. STAGE DRIVING AND 
 
 STAGE DRIVERS. 
 
 VrdlOUGHTS like these soon induced me to form 
 -L plans for leaving my home, parents, brothers and 
 sisters, to seek my own livelihood among strangers. 
 The next morning I asked my mother to make my 
 shirts as soon as possible as I was in very great need 
 of them. She and my sister were not long in finishing 
 them ; and as soon as they were done I tied them in 
 a bundle with the rest of my new made clothes and 
 started apparently for the tavern, but really I knew 
 not where. I passed out of the little village unob 
 served by any one. Arriving at the road leading to 
 Bushnell s Basin on the Erie canal, I turned my steps 
 thitherward. 
 
 I did not take the main road, fearing that I might 
 meet some one who would detect and report me. 
 As I wended my lonely way among the by-roads I 
 had ample time for reflection, and my mind was 
 filled with thoughts like these: " Now, I am 
 
28 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 taking an important step, one that will tell for good 
 or evil on my whole after-life. I shall have no kind 
 mother to look after me, no sweet sister to caress 
 and respect me, no familiar friend to advise and 
 counsel me. I am all alone, without friends or 
 home, and now, after all, would I not gain by return 
 ing to Mendon, where I will be near my mother and 
 sisters, and where I will see and be with those who 
 are near and dear to me, even if I have to work 
 almost a year to cancel that old whisky bill." Then, 
 again, I thought: " If I do return, I must be a 
 poor, despised lackey in a miserable rum hole ; I 
 must be an associate and companion of those belong 
 ing to the lowest grades of society ; I must work 
 and thus spend a whole year of my life for nothing 
 that will do me any good ; for something that has 
 done no good in times past or present, and will 
 benefit no one in time to come." 
 
 With thoughts like these I arrived at the Basin, 
 and. took my stand upon the bridge to await the 
 arrival of the next boat. I cared not much from 
 which way it came, whether east or west, it mattered 
 not to me. All I cared for was to go somewhere, 
 anywhere, but back to Mendon. I longed to be 
 moving. I wanted to escape from the terrible dread 
 
RUNNING AWAY FKOM HOME. 29 
 
 of working out old rum bills. I hated the very 
 name of liquor, and despised all connected with it. 
 I was desperate, and growing more and more so 
 when a boat hove in sight, and I alighted upon its 
 deck, taking passage for the East at one and a half 
 cents a mile, board included. After a few miles 
 ride the captain approached me and said, "Young 
 man, do you wish to get employment?" I said, 
 " Yes, sir ;" and we soon closed a bargain, he agree 
 ing to pay me ten dollars a month as a hand upon 
 the boat. As we neared Syracuse, our steward was 
 taken ill, and had to leave the boat at that place. 
 As we had on board a number of passengers to be 
 cared for, a new steward must be found. After 
 some talking and calculating, I was established in 
 that office, or, as the phrase was, I was made " chief 
 cook and bottle-washer." In this position I gave 
 general satisfaction, so much so that Capt. Warren 
 and his passengers began to praise me as a first-rate 
 bar-tender and a number one cook. 
 
 After arriving at Albany and unloading our craft 
 and cleaning up our cabins, I strolled up into the 
 business part of town, and calling at a hotel, met 
 James Herriugton, an old stage driver with whom 
 I had been acquainted at Mendon. We were both 
 
30 FKOM THE STAGE COAOH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 taken by surprise ; and, in his rough and profane 
 way you don t want the profane part, and so I 
 will leave it out he said : " How come you here ? " 
 And then, introducing me to his companion, added : 
 "Here is Hi Stimson, one of the smartest boys I 
 ever knew. He can cut more tricks and make more 
 fun than any boy I ever saw. He can sing the best 
 songs, dance the best hornpipes, make the best flip, 
 sling or punch any of his age : and that aint all, he 
 is a tip-top reinsnian, and can drive four or six 
 horses to a nit s eye. Come, let s walk up and take 
 a little ; the least drop in the world won t hurt you, 
 if you wash it down with rum." After we had 
 drunk, James took me one side and said : " Hi, if 
 you wish me to assist you in any way, I will do it. 
 I think I can get you into a good berth here as a 
 driver, for I know you are a first rate reinsman." I 
 told him all my troubles ; how I came away from 
 Mendon, and what induced me to leave home. This 
 so affected him that he could not restrain his tears, 
 and, taking me by the hand, he said: "Well, 
 Hiram, I will stand by you as long as I have a clean 
 shirt and a shilling left." I informed him that I had 
 all my wages due in the hands of Capt. Warren, and 
 that I would settle with him and draw what was 
 
RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME. 31 
 
 corning to me, if there was a prospect of employ 
 ment at higher wages. He took me to the stage 
 office, where he introduced me to the proprietors of 
 the line, with whom I soon closed a bargain, they 
 agreeing to pay me sixteen dollars a month, with a 
 bonus of twenty-five dollars, provided I remained a 
 year. I then returned to the boat, settled with the 
 captain, and drew my balance. The captain was 
 sorry to have me leave, but expressed himself 
 pleased that I had found a better paying position. 
 
 I commenced work in my new vocation as stage 
 driver the next morning. The route was the great 
 road between Albany and Schenectady. Here my 
 
 only fear was that of meeting Mr. S , who would 
 
 probably return from New York by stage. I had 
 laid James H. under obligations to keep my where 
 abouts a secret, in case he should meet any one from 
 the West that knew me. 
 
 Thus passed the summer, from May till August. 
 Although I saw many whom I recognized, yet no 
 one I met knew me, until one morning, about the 
 first of September, as I drove up to the hotel in 
 Albany. Among those who came out to take stage 
 was one H. B., a young man of Mendon, who was 
 well acquainted in my father s family, and whom I 
 
32 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 knew to be conversant with all the facts about my 
 leaving home, I having met him on my way from 
 Mendon to Bushnell s Basin. I turned my face from 
 him, turned up my collar and drew my hat over my 
 eyes, to elude, if possible, his recognition of me. 
 He stood, smoking his cigar, till almost all the 
 others were in the stage, and then, turning to me, 
 he said: " Driver, can I ride on the box with 
 you?" I answered, "Yes, sir; certainly." After 
 we set out from the city, he continued to ask me ques 
 tions about trifling matters, and I answered in the 
 monosyllables " yes " and "no," until at length I 
 turned my face toward him and he caught a glimpse 
 of my features. With a loud expression of sur 
 prise, he exclaimed: "Oh! my , is this 
 
 you, Hi? Your mother has cried her eyes out for 
 you, and all Mendon is in wonder about what has 
 become of you ; but all agree that you have served 
 Mr. S. and your father just right. But it will kill 
 your mother, if she does not hear from you." 
 
 His conversation quite overcame me, and my hard 
 and obdurate heart yielded to the most filial and 
 affectionate emotions, and I found relief in tears. 
 I then laid B. under secrecy, he promising to say 
 nothing about our meeting to any one except my 
 
RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME. 33 
 
 mother, and only to her after she had promised not 
 to reveal my whereabouts to my father or to any of 
 my family. B. was as good as his word, for on 
 arriving at Mendon he called at my father s, and 
 taking my mother aside, and after she had promised 
 secrecy, told her all about our meeting and of my 
 whereabouts and circumstances. She immediately 
 sat down and wrote me the following kind and 
 motherly letter : 
 
 MENDON, August 27th, 1824. 
 
 My Dear Boy : I was made to rejoice yesterday 
 as Harry Benedict informed me that you are in 
 Albany. This summer has indeed been a long one 
 to me and your sisters, for we have been in constant 
 suspense concerning you, my dear absent boy. 
 Sally and Lucinda are not as yet in the secret of 
 your whereabouts, as Harry has made me promise 
 not to tell that which I have heard from you. My dear 
 Hiram, I hope you will conduct yourself in a manner 
 that will be creditable to yourself and your family. 
 Remember you have now no mother near you to 
 watch over you, no kind sisters to exert a reclaiming 
 influence upon your wandering habits. Therefore, 
 you must be doubly watchful over your actions and 
 thoughts, that you bring not your family to shame 
 and bury in grief the head of your sorrowing 
 mother. * * * * * * * * 
 
34 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 Your father and Mr. S. have been in a rage of 
 madness about your conduct in leaving as you did. 
 Write me at Pittsford, and Harry Benedict will get 
 the letter for me. 
 
 Your affectionate mother, 
 
 NANCY STIMSON. 
 
 I received this letter and read it with many con 
 flicting emotions, and then retired to my room, there 
 to give vent to a flood of tears, such as only an ab 
 sent and erring but affectionate son who has read his 
 first letter from a dear and loving mother can shed. 
 As I sat there alone pondering upon my condition, 
 thinking of my mother, sisters and home, of all the 
 pleasant hours I had spent there, 1 almost wished I 
 was in the presence of my parents even at the 
 
 expense of being at work for S tending bar ; but 
 
 again the thought of that old whisky debt was too 
 much for me, and made me resolve not to go back 
 again ; and my hatred of ruin and drunkenness was 
 stronger and tenfold deeper-seated than ever. 
 
 A call to duty in the coach-yard interrupted my 
 reflections, but I went about my duties feeling, as I 
 never had felt before, the influence, worth and con 
 stancy of a mother s love for an absent son. My 
 friend James Herringtou, who was at that time in the 
 
RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME. 35 
 
 yard, observed my sad look and downcast expression, 
 and stepped up to me and said in a bantering tone, 
 44 Well, Hi, what s the matter? Have you heard bad 
 news from your sweetheart? Is she going to jilt you, 
 or what is the trouble?" I begged him not to jeer 
 me, and taking him one side showed him my mother s 
 letter. He took it andjperused its contents. As he 
 read it I could see in his large, rough face the work 
 ings of the better man. As he finished reading, his 
 eyes filled with tears, and in a half-choked voice he 
 said, "God bless the old woman ! Hiram, it is a fact a 
 mother is about the only true friend that we poor 
 devils have. Your poor old mother will stand by 
 and comfort you when everybody else forsakes 
 you. That is just like a mother ; I know it from ex 
 perience." 
 
 Feeling incompetent to write a proper reply to my 
 mother s letter, I requested James to act as my 
 scribe, to which request he readily consented , and in a 
 short time he had finished the following letter, which 
 I directed to my mother at Pittsforcl, care of Henry 
 Benedict, who delivered it to its proper owner : 
 
 ALBANY, OCT. 4th, 1824. 
 
 My Dear Mother : Your kind and welcome letter 
 came to hand last week, and I improve the present 
 
36 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 moment in writing to you a few lines. I did not 
 leave Mcndon because I did not love you and all the 
 family, my mother and my sisters particularly. I 
 love you as I love my own eyes and life, but to stay 
 there and work out an old debt contracted for whisky 
 for the purpose of keeping in operation a little seven 
 by nine grocery, the only business of which is to fin 
 ish off a few miserable old drunkards that the hotels 
 cannot afford to do at so cheap a rate, is something I 
 could not do. In the second place, father and Mr. 
 S. deceived me by laying a plan to compel me to 
 work it out and to go ragged while I was at work, 
 thus obliging me to make a fool of myself, by being 
 a mere lackey for a bar-room, and a buffoon for the 
 devil. 
 
 I am now doing well and saving my wages, and 
 will send you and the girls something nice when I 
 get a chance. Keep it all dark about my being in 
 Albany or anywhere else, and believe me 
 Your affectionate son, 
 
 HIEAM K. STIMSON. 
 
 These two letters were the only communications 
 that passed between my mother and myself until I 
 returned home a space of eight months. 
 
 After this event I continued my "professional" 
 services as stage driver and general fun-maker among 
 the craft until about the middle of October, at which 
 
RUNNING AWAY FROM HOME. 37 
 
 time I was taken ill with a severe fever, being obliged 
 to give up my team and keep my bed. After 
 two weeks sickness the doctor informed me that I 
 was "a very sick man," adding that if I had any 
 friends they should be advised of my condition, for 
 I was in some danger. Soon after he left the room, 
 the hotel keeper came to me and inquired concern 
 ing my ability to pay for being taken care of. I sent 
 for the agent of the line to come and see me. He 
 and my friend James H. came in together. The 
 agent told Munger, the hotel keeper, that he need 
 give himself no trouble about the pay, as he would 
 attend to all that matter. James said he would find 
 a place where I could have better care than I was 
 then getting at Hunger s. He soon made arrange 
 ments for my removal to a private house, where I 
 received the best attention and care that could be 
 afforded, considering their scanty accommodations. 
 And although it was not a sister s care or a mother s 
 nursing, yet it was all I could expect. James, and 
 in fact all the drivers of the " old line," as it was 
 called, and the wives of as many as were married, 
 were constant in their attentions to me in my sick 
 ness. 
 
 And here let me correct a false impression. It is 
 
38 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 generally supposed that stage drivers are an unfeel 
 ing, worthless class of beings. It is true many of 
 them are exceedingly profane, and not a few are 
 intemperate in their habits ; but, with all their rough 
 and uncouth exterior, they are generous and frank 
 to a fault. I have known one to pull off his over 
 coat in a cold winter s day and give it to a sick 
 passenger inside, while, at the same time, a " broad 
 cloth gentleman " of the legal profession would not 
 even give the sick man the hind seat of the coach, 
 thus compelling him to ride on the middle seat, 
 rather than give up an iota of his own comfort. I 
 have known them to contribute their last dollar to a 
 poor, unfortunate fellow-driver. The steam engine 
 is fast monopolizing the place of the old stage coach. 
 The engineer is now the hero of the road, and not 
 the old-time stage driver. The stage coach has 
 considerable country to the west of us to subdue to 
 the empire of the engine ; but the time is coming 
 when the last coach will make its last run, and the 
 final stage driver will crack his whip and dismount 
 for the last time. And having been one of the craft 
 in the childhood of the stage coach in this country, 
 I want to record my testimony to the noble-hearted- 
 ness of the professional stage driver a character 
 
RUNNING AWAY FKOM HOME. 39 
 
 that many young people who read this book will 
 never meet. They have received the curses of 
 many polite gentlemen ; they deserve the blessings 
 of thousands. The modern omnibus driver is not 
 to be put alongside of the stage driver. He is a 
 denizen of the city. The stage driver is a child of 
 nature. The omnibus driver knows streets and 
 avenues, and is often selfish and very vicious, con 
 tracting the habits of the metropolis. The stage 
 driver has a few feelings for all men, especially his 
 comrades and needy people, and can drive his load 
 of precious freight from one point to another, with 
 no human habitation to mark the road, the darkest 
 night that ever was, with all the certainty of instinct. 
 Of course, the time is coming, also, when the 
 balloon pilot will take the place of the close- 
 mouthed, keen -eyed, steady -handed, generous- 
 hearted engine driver. But, as that time will not 
 fall within the evening of my day, I leave it to some 
 abler pen to record the virtues of the noble army of 
 engineers. But, as the stage driver, like poor 
 "Lo" will the former excuse the reference? is 
 being driven from civilized society and his services 
 dispensed with, I want to say to the palace coach 
 grandee thnt the old historical stage driver is 
 worthy of a little corner in American biography. 
 
40 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER m. 
 
 RETURNING HOME FIRST INTERVIEW WITH MY 
 
 FATHER. 
 
 (i)UT I must return to my narrative. After a 
 JL-J stay of about two weeks at the house where 
 James H. took me, the doctor informed me I had 
 better take the canal boat for home, as I would be 
 unable to resume my place as driver during that 
 winter. I immediately made preparations for leav 
 ing, and bade an affectionate farewell to the family 
 at whose hands I had received such attention and 
 care. Accompanied as far as the boat by my friend 
 James Herrington, I started for Mendon, over three 
 hundred miles distant, where I arrived in the stage 
 from Pittsford shortly after sunrise. I was hailed 
 by my mother and sisters with joy and surprise 
 joy at my return, to know that I was once more 
 among them ; with surprise at my emaciated condi 
 tion, reduced as I was with a long and severe 
 sickness. 
 
 My father was not at home when I arrived, and 
 my mother was fearful of the consequences of the 
 
RETURNING HOME. 41 
 
 meeting between us. For she knew Mr. S. had done 
 all in his power to enrage my father against me for 
 leaving him in the manner I did. I sent for Jere 
 miah S. Stone, an old friend of mine from boyhood, 
 who kept a hotel and store just opposite the estab 
 lishment of Mr. S. He advised me what to do, as 
 suring me that I should be protected at all hazards. 
 
 While on ray way home I had sewed my money, 
 amounting to some sixty dollars, into my vest lining, 
 to keep it away from my father and his whisky cred 
 itor. This money I now concluded to deposit with 
 Stone for safe-keeping. 
 
 The day wore away. My father returned in the 
 evening. I was in bed when he came in ; but one 
 of my little brothers said, " Father, Hiram s got 
 home." He made little or no reply. I got up and 
 came down stairs. As I entered the room he arose 
 and gazing at me exclaimed, " What in the devil is 
 the matter with you? You look like a ghost." I 
 replied that I had been sick. " Sick ha ! you have 
 been to sea I suppose. What s the news in Europe ? " 
 "Nothing of importance," I replied, "except that 
 the Dutch have taken Holland." At this he set up 
 a hearty laugh, and thus ended the matter for the 
 present. 
 
42 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 In a little time I was able to walk about, and went 
 over to Stone s hotel, being made welcome to con 
 sider it my home until I was able to go to work 
 again, which invitation I accepted. One day shortly 
 after this, as I was passing along in front of Mr. S. s 
 premises, he standing in the door hailed me in some 
 thing like the following language : That s the run 
 away. Walk up here and let us see how you look." 
 As I stopped at the platform, one Hollister, an old 
 man, took me by the hand to help me up the steps 
 and offered me a chair ; but Mr. S. exclaimed, "No" 
 with an oath "he shan t sit here. I have called 
 him up here to horsewhip him." And suiting the 
 action to the word, reaching his hand towards the 
 post, he took up a large black whip and came towards 
 me in a rage. Hollister interposed, saying: Mr. S., 
 you shan t strike a sick boy ; if you do I ll make a 
 corpse of you in two minutes ; I ll make your wife a 
 widow and your children orphans before sundown." 
 
 When my father heard of the manner in which S. 
 had attempted to horsewhip me, he was very much 
 enraged; so much so that he went over to see S., 
 saying to him, among other things more forcible than 
 elegant, " If you had struck the boy, I would have 
 made Irish hash of you and fed you out to the devil s 
 
RETURNING HOME. 43 
 
 boarders for breakfast this morning." This caused 
 a breach between Mr. S. and my father, which in a 
 measure worked a reconciliation between my father 
 and myself. 
 
 I remained with the Stone family during the bal 
 ance of that winter, doing such chores about the hotel 
 as my delicate health would permit. 
 
 My father had found out that I had on deposit with 
 Stone the sixty dollars I had left with him the fall I 
 came home from Albany, and was about to make a 
 demand for it, when we compromised the matter by 
 a contract as follows : I was to give him sixty dollars 
 a year for my time until I was of age, paying thirty 
 dollars in advance, and thirty dollars every six 
 months, Mr. Stone being security for me. 
 
 Early in the spring, I engaged with Orrie Adams, 
 of Rochester, to drive stage between that place and 
 Avon, commencing work during the month of March. 
 During the next July I was changed to the route 
 from Rochester to Bergen, on the Buffalo road. I 
 continued on this route for two years and a half, and 
 during this time I became acquainted with a large 
 circle of young friends who were much given to frol 
 icking and dancing, the latter a recreation to which 
 I was much attached from childhood. 
 
44 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 During this time I induced my old and tried friend, 
 James Herrington, to come on from Albany to West 
 ern New York, as an increase of the business in the 
 West made a demand for drivers. In him I always 
 found a true man ; with all his rough exterior he was 
 one of "nature s noblemen." 
 
 I will here introduce an incident that occurred thir 
 teen years later. In 183 7, while I was. pastor at 
 Bethany, in Genesee County, I took a journey to 
 Michigan/ On my return to Buffalo I took the stage 
 for Batavia, the country being innocent of railroads. 
 Coming out of the hotel, I saw upon the box of the 
 stage, my old friend James Herrington. He had 
 changed, but I knew him. I resolved at once to get 
 the liberty of a seat on the box with him. So I said 
 to him in as polite a way as I could, "Well, captain, 
 can I ride with you on the box this fine morning?" 
 He replied, "I am no captain, nor corporal, but you 
 arc welcome to a seat with me, as no other one has 
 spoken for it." So up I climbed, and away we went 
 out of the city. 
 
 I made every effort for him to recognize me, with 
 out telling him who I was. I asked him a multitude 
 of small questions about driving, if it was not a hard 
 life, exposed to sun and storms, what wages he got, 
 
RETURNING HOME. 45 
 
 etc., etc. To all of which he gave prompt and civil 
 answers. 
 
 As he stopped at Williamsville, ten miles out of 
 Buffalo, to change the mails and water the horses, I 
 volunteered to hold the reins. " Think ye can hold 
 em? You look a little too white-livered to manage 
 these old snorters; but you may try yer hand at it, 
 stranger." So I took the reins, and while he was 
 watering he looked up and saw that I had adjusted 
 the < ribbons" according to the rules of the knights 
 of the order of Jehu." As he got up on the box he 
 remarked, "Well, I think you have bandied four 
 ribbons before to-day, hain t ye?" and looked me 
 full in the face. I smiled and returned the look. 
 He exclaimed with solemnity, and not in a spirit of 
 profanity, "My God ! if this ain t you, Hi. Stimson." 
 At once the tears stole down from his large eyes, 
 over his rough, brown cheeks, as he caught me by 
 the hand, and after a moment s convulsion said, 
 "Well, well, if this don t beat all, that I should ride 
 all the way from Buffalo with you and not know Hi 
 ram Stimson. How glad I am to see you ! Now, tell 
 me about yourself, and is your old mother living yet ? 
 I have heard of you a number of times in all these 
 years, and could hardly believe the yarns told about 
 
46 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 you, that you had become a Christian and a minister 
 and was much respected, and looked up to. Well, 
 well, if this ain t as strange as a dream ! How do ye 
 s pose I came to know ye ? It s just this : as I stood 
 there watering my team, and saw you holding them 
 4 ribbons something seemed to crawl into my head, 
 I have seen him somewhere ; and then when you 
 smiled I knew you, because you always laughed out 
 of the corners of your eyes. Well, Hiram, we must 
 talk last, for its near the end of my road." I told 
 him all : how the Lord had led me to see myself as 
 a sinner, and to embrace Jesus as my only hope of 
 salvation from sin, from intemperance, and a drunk 
 ard s undone eternity. And we parted with a prom 
 ise and a hope to meet again. 
 
 James Herrington after this became a humble and 
 useful Christian, the deacon of a Freewill Baptist 
 church in the city of Buffalo, and died respected and 
 beloved by all that knew him. The reader will for 
 give this episode. I must return to my narrative of 
 thirteen years previous 
 
 At my boarding house in Bergen I became ac 
 quainted with a young friend, James Davis. He had 
 been apprenticed to the wagon-making business in 
 the shop of Mr. Carver. James and myself lodged 
 
RETURNING HOME. 47 
 
 together at BuePs hotel, and at night he would tell 
 over to me all his troubles, which were simply these : 
 His mother was a pious Baptist lady, as was also his 
 sister Sally. His oldest brothers, Lymaii and George, 
 were also members of the Baptist Church. His fam 
 ily were opposed to his attending places of amuse 
 ment, and dancing, and these being the order of 
 the day in Bergen, it was almost impossible to re 
 strain him. He soon became restive and dissatisfied 
 with his place and occupation, and decided to leave 
 home and seek his fortune among strangers. 
 
 I in turn gave him a history of my adventures on 
 leaving home. And I have reason to think that it 
 was mostly through my influence that he was in 
 duced to leave home. Hence, how true it is that 
 " one sinner destroyeth much good." He obtained 
 permission from Carver to spend a week at home with 
 his mother, but instead of going home he started for 
 Troy, in the eastern part of the State, where he had 
 wealthy relatives, I being the only one cognizant of 
 his real destination. Thus he had a fair start, his 
 mother supposing him to be in the shop at Bergen 
 Corners, and Mr. Carver supposing him to be with 
 his mother. When they discovered that he was 
 gone, his mother came to me and said, by way of in- 
 
48 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 troducing the conversation, " Young man, have you 
 a mother?" To which I replied in the affirmative. 
 " Well, if you had left your mother and home and 
 gone where she knew not and a friend in the 
 neighborhood did know, would it not be a mercy to 
 your mother for that friend to inform her of your 
 whereabouts?" This appeal to my feelings quite 
 overpowered me, and with choked utterance and 
 tearful eyes I answered, "I will tell you all about 
 your son. He is in Troy and here is a letter from 
 him," at the same time handing her one which I had 
 just received. The good old woman took it and 
 said, " God bless you for this relief to my afflicted 
 heart ! The death of my husband was indeed a sad 
 bereavement, but the wandering of my dear James 
 and the suspense I have been in to hear from him is 
 taking my life by inches ! " I then as I never had 
 before, realized the pain and anguish I had given 
 my own dear mother in leaving home as I did some 
 two years before. Although I had some show of rea 
 son for doing so at the time. I now felt that I was 
 guilty of a great outrage upon parental affection and 
 a mother s care. As I shall have occasion to allude 
 to this subject again, I will now dismiss it and pro 
 ceed with my narrative! 
 
RETURNING HOME. 49 
 
 I continued on in my wild and reckless career, at 
 times keeping the whole community in a state of 
 excitement about some practical joke. For instance, 
 while at Kochester, on one of my trips, there came 
 a young man into the " Eagle Hotel," of a pompous 
 and boastful bearing, telling about his money and 
 his ability to carry on business. He said he wanted 
 to purchase a good mill site for manufacturing flour. 
 I saw at once that he was a " greenhorn." So I 
 entered into conversation with him, telling him of a 
 grand mill privilege at Bergen, near the village, 
 where, with a moderate dam, a twenty-foot fall could 
 be obtained. He made inquiries about wheat, the 
 probability of the owner selling the property, etc., 
 to all of which I of course answered favorably. The 
 next morning he paid his fare to Bergen, treating 
 his new friend the driver " at every stopping 
 place. We arrived at Bergen about noon, and as 
 soon as he had swallowed his dinner, off we started 
 for the proposed mill site. Just west of Bergen is 
 a deep gully, with banks twenty or thirty feet high. 
 As we approached the spot, I began discussing the 
 best place for the dam and the position for the mill. 
 By this time we were at the top of the steep bank, 
 when the speculator turned, and, looking me full in 
 
50 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 the face, said : " Well, but look here, driver, there 
 
 is not a drop of water in the whole concern." 
 
 To which I answered, in deep sympathy : " Well, 
 that is a pity ; but I can t help it." This dry joke 
 cured the young fellow of Bergen and its water 
 power. He returned forthwith to Rochester, not to 
 hear the last of his Bergen speculation for many a 
 day. 
 
 During all these exhibitions of youthful blood, I 
 was not without a deep and pungent sense of my 
 lost condition as a sinner against God, and most 
 cons-cious that I was fast hastening my soul to an 
 utter state of ruin. And at times I would go alone 
 into the forest, and sit down and weep myself sick 
 over my profanity and Sabbath-breaking and the 
 premonitory symptoms of disease from my habits of 
 intemperance, which, if continued in, would, I 
 knew, result in my Tuin for tune and eternity, only 
 to return again to the hotel, or some circle of vain 
 and frivolous associates, and enter with more zeal 
 and apparent thoughtlessness upon my career of 
 sin. My pride and sense of propriety in the com 
 pany of ladies exercised a restraint upon me, keeping 
 me from appearing outlandish and vulgar in their 
 presence. In fact, this was about my only passport 
 
RETURNING HOME. 51 
 
 to respectable society, and constituted ail my capital 
 as a decent sinner. And yet I would, when out of 
 such restraining society, reduce myself to a common 
 blackguard and billingsgate rough. 
 
 From early childhood I had a strong prejudice 
 against people of color. I believe the Irish gene 
 rally are not very fond of their African relatives. 
 On one occasion, as I came up to the door of the 
 " Eagle Hotel," to start on my drive to Bergen, the 
 only passenger to take the stage was a large, fleshy 
 colored woman, about forty-five years of age. 
 Colored dames of that age have a habit of becoming 
 fleshy very frequently. With her large bundle 
 they often carry large bundles also she seated 
 herself in the coach. As Mr. Blinn handed me the 
 way-bill, he said, in an undertone and with a mis 
 chievous look, " I hope, Hiram, you will not get 
 love-smitten with this fair lach 7 and come back a 
 married man." At which all the bystanders raised a 
 hearty laugh, and I cracked my whip and bounded 
 up Buffalo street at full speed. At each stopping 
 place my passenger and I were the objects of some 
 laughing joke. It was much funnier to laugh at 
 colored people then than now. Why? When I 
 got to Riga Corners, within four miles of the end of 
 
52 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 my road, while the postmaster was changing the 
 mail, I buttoned down all the curtains of the coach 
 and lit my lamps, though it was about noon, and 
 drove on to the vicinity of Bergen, when I held up 
 into a slow funeral walk, blowing my stage horn 
 with a plaintive-toning sound, so that it attracted all 
 the village. Taking a long circuitous turn up to 
 the hotel door, everybody came gazing with wonder 
 at my lighted lamps, closed curtains and slow, 
 funeral gait. As I halted, Mr. Buell stepped up, us 
 he was accustomed to, and opened the coach door, 
 when out sprung her ladyship, as though she would 
 enjoy a breath of fresh air. As she passed in with 
 Mr. B. to the dining hall, a boisterous laugh followed. 
 It so happened that I was acquainted with this 
 woman, and knew her to be a pious, respectable 
 Methodist member. As I lay down at night, this 
 indignity to the simple-hearted, innocent old woman 
 haunted me. All effort to sleep was vain. She 
 was black and I was white. She was a good Chris 
 tian, a child of God ; I was a sinner, a child of the 
 devil. She was despised by some low characters on 
 account of her color, but honored of God as one 
 redeemed by Jesus. I was despised, I thought, by 
 all good beings, and loved by none. If ever any 
 
 
RETURNING HOME. 53, 
 
 poor wretch was in torment, present and in anticipa 
 tion, I was the most of that long night. 
 
 But how soon do all such superficial emotions 
 evaporate in mere momentary regrets, and leave the 
 blinded and hardened to return to their accustomed 
 folly and vicious pursuits ! On I went, involving my 
 self in sin more and more, and as I look back upon 
 this dreary and dark pathway of my youth, I wonder 
 at the long-suffering of God in sparing me, a reckless 
 sinner indeed. 
 
54 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER iv. 
 
 COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. EARLY MARRIED LIFE. 
 
 MONG the many youth of Bergen who congre- 
 gated for the purpose of dancing and other 
 amusements, was Miss Almedia Gifford, with whom I 
 had become acquainted. She was exceeding fond of 
 dancing. She was a great singer, and seemed to be 
 in her element when in the associations of her young 
 companions. At all public parties she was first on 
 the floor to lead the dance, and the last to leave the 
 room. Between Miss G. and myself there was a 
 growing intimacy ; that is, on all or nearly all these 
 occasions I waited on her, until the common gossip 
 of the place among the knowing ones was, that an 
 engagement was entered into. Some said one thing 
 and some another. Some expressed regrets that Al 
 media should throw herself away on such a reckless, 
 rattleheaded fellow as Hi Stimson. But during all 
 this tittle-tattle of the gossip-makers, not a word or 
 intimation had been exchanged between us about any 
 
COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 55 
 
 permanent relations of after life. But the thing was 
 a fixed fact in the judgment of these all wise persons. 
 So much so that some of her near relatives said, "I 
 had rather see her dressed for her grave than for 
 the bridal chamber." All this coming to our ears 
 had a slight tendency to irritate us, and so I left that 
 place and went to Palmyra for a short time, our stage 
 route now being from Rochester to Palmyra. Things 
 passed on till all was quiet at Bergen, but not so 
 quiet about the regions of certain hearts. 
 
 On the llth of October, 1825, my twenty-first 
 birth-day, I sat down in a by-place and soon found 
 myself in a reflecting mood. My thoughts took a 
 direction something like this : 4 1 am now twenty- 
 one years of age. If I am ever to reform in my hab 
 its, now is my time. The past has only revealed the 
 fact that I am growing worse and worse. I am pro 
 fane ; habits of intemperance are getting a fast hold 
 upon me ; a large share of my companions are not the 
 most desirable in their conduct and character. What 
 the friends say in Bergen is too true. I am confident 
 though, that I possess the ability to be a man and a 
 gentleman." And I then and there resolved to go 
 back to Bergen and conduct myself with a little more 
 reserve and propriety. So when I got into Roches- 
 
56 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 ter, I effected an exchange with a young brother of 
 mine who had now become the driver to Bergen. 
 The same day that I returned to Bergen was Thanks 
 giving day, and the youth of the place were cele 
 brating it with a ball. Strange as it may appear, this 
 was our understanding of gratitude to the Giver of 
 all good, and our expression of it was by dancing. 
 
 Here I met again Miss Gifford, and soon improved 
 an opportunity to have a little close conversation 
 with her about the matter of our previous intimacy, 
 and the common talk that had been going the rounds. 
 She frankly informed me that much had been said to 
 her about me, and her friends had prohibited her 
 associating with me. I then suggested an interview 
 to which she consented, and a time was appointed, at 
 which time we negotiated the matter, and on the 
 llth of January, 1827, we were united in marriage 
 at Bergen. 
 
 In the autumn and winter previous to our marriage, 
 there was in the Presbyterian Church at Bergen, a 
 considerable religious awakening. I believe not many 
 conversions were the result, but the church was much 
 improved in its religious condition, and among those 
 who were affected by Divine influence, was a young 
 man by the name of Harry Everett. One evening I 
 
COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 57 
 
 attended their social meeting ; and this young man 
 arose, and in a very feeling manner addressed himself 
 to the youth present. I returned from that meeting 
 to my boarding place with deep and pungent convic 
 tions, I realized myself a sinner against God ; and 
 now believe if some Christian friend had just com 
 menced a course of conversation and instruction and 
 prayer with me, it would have saved me at least a 
 long and severe career of open rebellion against God s 
 truth. I was made sensible of the depravity of my 
 nature, and how utterly vain it was for me to hope 
 for reform while I was without a good hope in Christ, 
 and my heart unrenewed by the Spirit of God. So 
 I again procrastinated the all-important matter of my 
 soul, to w r hat I considered a convenient season, which 
 never came. I still persisted in my course of sin, 
 with but little restraint, all the while growing harder 
 in heart, and more confirmed in my bad habits. 
 
 In my connection for life with the woman of my 
 choice, I had a most congenial spirit as a lover of 
 mirth and amusement, but differing from me in this 
 particular : She detested anything like vulgarity 
 and profanity, and utterly detested all habits of 
 intemperance. Poor girl ! she little knew then that 
 the very man she had forsaken all fof was hastening, 
 
58 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 with rapid strides, to a full and complete inebriate, 
 and in a few years, if left to go on, would fill a 
 drunkard s grave and a drunkard s undone eternity. 
 The fact is, I was already a confirmed drunkard, in 
 all the essential particulars. True, I did not get so 
 intoxicated as to stagger on the streets, or to fall 
 into the gutter. But I was under the power of a 
 confirmed and unrelenting habit of the constant use 
 of strong drink, though often disguised. During 
 the first two years of our marriage, she had the 
 worst evidence that her fate was that of a drunkard s 
 wife. 
 
 She possessed two important elements of character, 
 viz : kindness of heart and resolution of purpose. 
 When she saw the sad evidences of her husband s 
 ruin, she manifested the spirit of an angel in manner 
 and in conversation. Yes, I have still in vivid 
 remembrance her benignant look, as she spoke to 
 me about my wayward course. Her resolution to 
 endure all the privation and grief, growing out of 
 her connection with the fallen and prospectively 
 ruined companion of her youth, who, day by day, 
 was perfecting himself for unutterable shame and 
 sorrow, was worthy of a saint. 
 
 As an illustration of the desperation and rapidity 
 
COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 59 
 
 of my ruin, I will sketch to the reader the following : 
 Soon after the birth of our first child, I removed to 
 Mendon, the place of my early childhood and where 
 I had experienced, only a few years previous, such 
 
 a conflict with my father and Mr. S , as to induce 
 
 me to leave my home and the care and counsel of 
 my mother. I came back to Mendon with the osten 
 sible purpose of carrying on the cabinet business. 
 Here I found a large group of young men who had 
 been raised up with me in childhood, now matured 
 into vigorous manhood ; and many of them had 
 made fearful advance in habits and practices of vice, 
 especially intemperance. As a matter of course, we 
 were congenial spirits; and "birds of a feather" will 
 "flock together." Every leisure hour was spent in 
 some place of amusement, at card playing or dancing, 
 or, what was still more degrading, drinking and 
 carousing. 
 
 It so happened during this summer, 1828, that 
 the scarlet fever prevailed in the community to an 
 alarming and fatal extent in many families. A large 
 share of my time was occupied in my shop, making 
 coffins for the dead ; and soon my own family was 
 visited with this terrible scourge. Our little boy, 
 then eight or ten months old, was stricken. My 
 
60 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 wife was assisted by my kind-hearted mother and 
 sister in caring for the sick infant, while I was occu 
 pied in my shop as stated, preparing those last 
 conveniences for the dead. I came in one evening 
 from my workshop and found my child in no better 
 condition, and with the sad evidence that but little 
 hope could be relied on of its recovery. My wife 
 had so long applied her energies by night and day 
 in a mother s care and love for her suffering babe, 
 that I saw she was unwell and nearly exhausted. I 
 said, " Al media, I will step over to the hotel a few 
 minutes, and then I will sit up a part of the night, 
 while you get rest." So out I went, and soon fell 
 into the company of my companions, who suggested 
 a drink and short hand at " Loo." I consented, and 
 down we sat at the gambler s table. The excitement 
 of the game and the fumes of the liquor soon 
 effaced from my mind my obligation to my weary 
 wife and sick and suffering child. And so the 
 whole night I remained away, or until one of the 
 comrades said : w Boys, it s time to quit ; it s plump 
 three." I started from the place with amazement, 
 and, with a hurried pace, arrived at my house, 
 where a dim light was burning. And then fell upon 
 my mind, like a thunder-burst, my neglect of wife, 
 
COURTSHIP AND MAEKIAGE. 61 
 
 of my sick child, and my own debased condition. 
 As I looked through the window, and there saw my 
 pale and weary Almedia swinging the fan over her 
 babe, that was scorched and writhing with a burning 
 fever, oh ! what a mountain-load of guilt and self- 
 reproach crushed my conscience ! I was half inclined 
 to go and conceal myself in some unknown place ; 
 but I advanced to the door and silently turned the 
 latch ; but it was fast. I then went to the back door, 
 but that was fast also. I then knocked for admit 
 tance. She came softly and opened the door. As 
 I came into the room, I said : " How is the child?" 
 She replied, with a stifled voice, " No better." 
 There was a solemn pause. I said, "Almedia, 
 come, you go and lie down, and I will take care of 
 him until daylight." To which she replied, " Hiram, 
 you are in no condition to take care of this dying 
 child. You are not able to take care of yourself. 
 You are under the influence of liquor. It does 
 seem to me, if you loved your wife and child as a 
 husband and father should, you would not have 
 remained away till this late hour. Come, go and 
 lie down, and when you are yourself I will talk 
 with you about it." Oh ! if a thousand thunders 
 had uttered their voices of condemnation and death, 
 
62 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 they would not have struck greater consternation to 
 my withering soul ! I felt my way up stairs and 
 there lay me down, but not to sleep, not to rest. 
 And as the dawn of day and a bright August sun 
 came into the east window, as I was recovering from 
 the effect of my intoxication, all seemed to join 
 with the admonition of Almedia and the groans of 
 my suffering babe , to say : rt Wretch ! wretch ! 
 wretch ! You are, indeed. You are now only fitted 
 for ruin. How can you ever look your kind-hearted 
 wife in the face again ? Is this fulfilling the solemn 
 vow you made to her when, against the advice of 
 friends, she gave you her hand and heart, and who 
 has done all in her power to make you and your 
 home happy? Is this the example you are setting 
 before your child, if God should spare its life?" 
 It was a number of days before I fully recovered 
 from the dreadful sense of my outrage upon the 
 relationships of our home life. 
 
 In my temptation to engage in drinking and card 
 playing, while my child was so near death and niy 
 dear wife so nearly exhausted, I now recognize most 
 clearly the influence of a personal devil. My utter 
 neglect and forgetfulness cannot be accounted for 
 even by drinking and the excitements of gaming alone. 
 
COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. 63 
 
 I believe the devil had possession of me, and oblite 
 rated for the time, home and wife and child. Young 
 man, you had better keep clear of the devil s church, 
 the drinking and gaming room. He always is on 
 hand where his disciples congregate. To keep out of 
 his clutches you d better keep out of his places of 
 meeting with the children of men. If Satan comes 
 also when the sons of God meet together, you may 
 be sure be does so when the sons of Belial come to 
 gether. 
 
 One of the principal means that facilitated my deg 
 radation on this occasion, was a barrel of cider brandy 
 that my partner in business and myself had bought, 
 and kept on tap in the shop. You may be sure we 
 had plenty of company while the brandy lasted, and 
 we were expected to drink with each one who called 
 for the brandy s sake. This wholesale provision for 
 drinking, in connection with the horrible night s 
 debauch and gambling, led to a little sober reflection, 
 which resulted in a secret resolution to stop drinking 
 for the short period of four days. I made the reso 
 lution during the night, went into the shop in the 
 morning, and worked until breakfast was ready, and 
 drank nothing. Then felt a strange want of some 
 thing, but could eat no breakfast. So by the time 
 
64 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 the fourth day came, I was all lassitude, and gene 
 rally wanting in energy. I had kept my secret pledge 
 all of four days, and then returned again to old habits, 
 but with a deep, penetrating conviction : "This you 
 ought to have continued. It is your only hope of 
 salvation from all the dreadful consequences of in 
 temperance." 
 
A TURNING POINT. 65 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A TURNING POINT VICTORY OVER WHISKY A 
 
 SHOOTING MATCH ETC. 
 
 MATTERS thus passed on until Christmas, 1828. 
 There was to be a shooting match in the village 
 that day. As I awoke in the morning these thoughts 
 were suggested to my mind : "Now it s Christmas, and 
 I shall go out with my associates to-day, to join in the 
 sports and dissipations of the holiday. The result 
 will be, I shall add another pang to my distracted 
 and aching heart. I made one half-hearted effort to 
 abstain from drink ; it failed for the want of deter 
 mined, uncompromising resolution, a will to conquer 
 or die. I have fallen into the same sin and shame 
 that I have abhorred in others. Here I have a beau 
 tiful and kind-hearted wife ; I have a child that Heaven 
 has spared to us, while others have been taken all 
 around us . My dear mother and sisters are yet spared 
 to me, but I fear only to be brought to anguish and 
 shame by my reckless conduct. And now before I get 
 up, I must decide this all-important question. And I 
 
66 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 WILL. I WILL NOT DRINK NOR TASTE OF IT. I WILL 
 NOT GIVE IT TO OTHERS, OR PROCURE IT FOR THEM." 
 
 This was at four o clock on the morning of Christmas. 
 It was an awful moment. I arose and went about 
 my morning duties, and at the time of the gathering 
 at the shooting-match grounds, I put in my appear 
 ance. 
 
 My first shot drew a turkey. And as the custom 
 was on such occasions, the successful one was 
 expected to bring out his bottle ; and so a number 
 cried out, "Come, Hiram, bring on your clear 
 ance, " as was the phrase. But I said, "No. If 
 you don t get anything to drink until you get it from 
 me, you will never drink." Then I made my second 
 shot, and drew another turkey. At this they were 
 more clamorous than before, and one cried out, 
 " There are cobwebs in our throats ! " I replied, 
 " If they are not washed out except by liquor that I 
 buy, young spiders will hatch out by hundreds." 
 
 It was enough. My companions knew by the look 
 of my eye and tone of my voice, that I was not to 
 be trifled with. 
 
A TURNING POINT. 67 
 
 EDITOR S REMARKS. 
 
 [When a man steps out of his former self, and turns 
 the scale in which his past life is in one balance and 
 his future life in the other, there is something about 
 him that forbids vulgar familiarity. Such a passage 
 in life is of too supreme importance to leave its hero 
 at the sport of common-going souls. They at once 
 shrink back. They do not comprehend the solemnity 
 of the situation, nor the new new to them mani 
 festation of human nature. For it is within the 
 compass of our strange organism to change the whole 
 bent and issue of our lives in a moment. Those who 
 think that moral changes in man must be wrought 
 slowly like the changes in man s physical nature, 
 have never thoroughly comprehended the problem 
 of human life. All souls are not capable of the 
 sudden transition from a state of aimlessness to one 
 of unswerving purpose ; from a state of servitude to 
 any vice, or habit not commonly called vicious but 
 destructive of true development, to a condition of 
 victorious self-reliance, and of course they are inca 
 pable of comprehending the idea. But a live man, 
 whose instincts are keen, whose glance can compre 
 hend a complicated situation, and whose resolution 
 shrinks from no hazard and no mountain weight of 
 eflbrt, can in a moment s time become a totally dif 
 ferent man from what he was, even mentally. It is 
 not one in a thousand who has the courage to grasp 
 this reversing lever and pull it down at a stroke, 
 even with the bright prospect of a total change for 
 the better immediately before him. The latent 
 ability is lodged in many, perhaps all men, but prac 
 tically it is used by the very few. But this does not 
 invalidate the truth that men some men can in a 
 
68 FEOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 pulse-beat, forever bid adieu to the character they 
 have been years in slowly building up, and as sud 
 denly begin a career on a different plan and accord 
 ing to different principles, resulting in the growth of 
 a character as different from the former one as Jacob 
 was different from Esau, as Abel was from Cain. 
 Here is a man of passionate nature, cultivated by 
 years of indulgence, and worse, inherited. His 
 speech continually betrays him. He has the most 
 intense loves and hatreds, the latter not entirely free 
 from prejudice. And yet he has no patience with 
 prejudice. His soul abhors mush and milk men. 
 He has no patience with living antediluvians. He 
 thinks the only place they are entitled to is in the 
 ground. Contact with them, or more properly, 
 against them, stirs his whole vehement nature, his 
 tongue included. He has no thoughts, feelings or 
 words of excuse for their last century modes. If it 
 wasn t wrong, he would banish the whole tribe to 
 some island, or perpetual "sleepy hollow," or more 
 likely to the ground. This man stops. Some one 
 in whom he has unbounded confidence may stop him. 
 He says, "I see this fiery temper and tongue are the 
 bane of my life. I could augment my influence five 
 fold were I to part company with them for good." 
 The resolution js formed. The will has reversed 
 the whole mechanism of the man. Henceforth he 
 is patient. He can think out an apology for old 
 fogy ism, if need be, or for sly, plausible devils, 
 under some circumstances. He can associate with 
 those whose ideas in many respects are antagonistic 
 to his own, and yet not chafe himself. He can speak 
 peaceably to and of those who stand on the other 
 side of a great dividing line. He is as impetuous 
 
A TUKNING POINT. 69 
 
 against wrong as ever, but he is tolerant of slow 
 ness and feebleness. He burns against intelligent, 
 deliberate wrong-doing as hotly as ever. But 
 towards those who are to be pitied rather than 
 blamed, even if their presence is oppressive, he has 
 forgiveness and tolerance of heart and tongue. He 
 is a self-controlled, care-taking man. He is a new 
 man. His life is keyed on a different note. The 
 course and issue of his existence are totally different. 
 What is true in this respect holds good when it comes 
 to the conquering of a dominant habit that has gath 
 ered to itself all the power of the will. The "awful 
 moment," as Father Stimson calls it, comes when 
 the man may liberate himself. The will summons 
 its energies and offers itself as champion of the 
 enfeebled nature, before making a final surrender of 
 itself. . The issue is met and passed in a moment. 
 The die is cast, and the man goes forth, forever con 
 firmed in his slavery to the habit, or forever free 
 from it. In such a struggle, brief as it is fierce, one 
 wants no aid from friends. He must be alone. It 
 is purely a self-conquest. It is an " awful moment." 
 And why is it that men will admit this marvelous 
 capability of human nature over itself, and yet 
 stagger at the truth of Revelation, that the eternal 
 God can suddenly change the currents of a man s 
 moral nature ; can in a moment conquer the opposi 
 tion of his selfish will? If we admit the miracle as 
 within the scope of man s own power, why deny a 
 similar though greater miracle, perhaps, as within 
 the compass of Divine power ? And as to its fact, 
 there are personal, experimental proofs of it in every 
 community. ED. 
 
70 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 On the evening of the day of the shooting-match, 
 we all repaired to the hotel to raffle for the turkeys 
 and other prizes, among which was a fat beef, just 
 slaughtered. As the evening passed, strong efforts 
 were made to induce me to drink or treat, as I was 
 considered a lucky man in shooting and raffling, and 
 I now had, in addition to turkeys, etc., a hind 
 quarter of the beef. But I refused as persistently 
 as I had in the day time. Then a friend, who had 
 observed the conversation and who was acquainted 
 with me from a child, knowing all my reckless 
 habits, spoke up: "Boys, Hi is right; I have a 
 mind to see how many will join in kegging up for 
 a month? All that will, step this way, and I will 
 take your names ; and a month from to-night all 
 meet at my house, to talk over the matter and see 
 how we can stand it." Twelve put their names to a 
 simple pledge not to drink for thirty days, at the 
 end of which time we were to meet at the residence 
 of Gen. Cady, a man of wealth and highly respected, 
 though he had long carried on the distilling business 
 in that town. This was the first temperance effort 
 in East Mendon. 
 
 At the expiration of the thirty days we met at 
 the General s house. The community had in the 
 
A TURNING POINT. 71 
 
 meantime become not a little excited on what they 
 called the "cold water question." That unhistorical, 
 but not altogether uninteresting group, is worthy of 
 a moment s scrutiny. There were old men who 
 had " followed strong drink " from childhood blear- 
 eyed and red-nosed. There was the temperate 
 drinker, expressing his opinion that "a little was for 
 health." There were the young men and youth of 
 the place, looking on curiously to see what would 
 be the upshot of the "cold water movement." One 
 man said he put his name down on Christmas and 
 had kept his pledge until that last day, but would 
 not suffer again as he had during the month for the 
 best farm in Mendon ; and he had stopped on his 
 way there and improved his liberty by taking a 
 drink. He felt better. This man died a drunkard 
 in Mendon. I was called upon to express my 
 views. I said I had been in a commingled state of 
 mind and feeling during the last thirty days. The 
 first ten days, everything went like dragging a cat 
 by the tail, hard pulling, with much squalling. But 
 for the last twenty days everything was changed for 
 the better. Wife was better ; little boy was better ; 
 neighbors were all changed for the better ; and the 
 world seemed to be made on purpose to make me 
 
72 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPI1. 
 
 and everybody else happy. I knew of but one 
 thing as a drawback to keep ns from all being 
 happy the devil in the shape of whisky. Forty 
 more added their names that evening, some for 
 a month, others for a year. Ethan Allen, a 
 young man about my own age, joined for "ninety- 
 nine years." I was not to be outdone by him, and 
 put my name down for one hundred. 
 
 This move was the foundation of subsequent events 
 not looked for by me, or remotely anticipated by 
 others. My attention was soon arrested by an un 
 common concern of spirit about myself as a sinner in 
 the sight of God. My mind was never before so 
 directed to the great fact. It followed me by day and 
 night. I resorted to every expedient to dissipate 
 these unwelcome and melancholy impressions. I had 
 no inclination to attend the meetings in the commu 
 nity, and still I felt a kind of compelling power to 
 attend, that I could not resist. I assumed the office 
 of critic, making remarks about Christians and their 
 manner of praying, speaking and singing. Some 
 times I would attend the Baptist meeting, and then 
 pretend that I was disgusted with their order of con 
 ducting worship ; and especially disgusted with Rev. 
 E. Weaver, the pastor of that church. 
 
A TURNING POINT. 73 
 
 I would mimic him, by getting a crowd together 
 and haranguing them in a mocking manner, and by 
 paraphrasing the hymns sung at the Baptist meeting. 
 Thus I went on from bad to worse, until one Sunday 
 I went to hear Mr. Weaver, when his text was "Who 
 for a morsel of meat, sold his birthright." (Heb., 
 xii. 16.) The very announcement of the text meant 
 me ; all the illustrations meant me ; and when he 
 made the application, I was quite positive that he 
 meant to insult me, and that some one had told him 
 all about me, and my conduct was all known to him. 
 I went out of the house quite in a rage, and expressed 
 to one of the members my hatred of the man that 
 would single me out before a large congregation, in 
 the way he had that morning. The friend replied 
 that he presumed that Mr. Weaver knew nothing 
 about me and that no one had told him a lisp about 
 me. The same friend came to me in a few days and 
 said : "I spoke to the Elder about that sermon, and 
 he says he did not know you were in the congrega 
 tion, and had no knowledge of you, only that you 
 were like other young men in the village, a common 
 sinner on the devil s common/ " 
 
 All this while my distress of mind continued, and 
 every shift I made for relief only increased my horror 
 
74 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 of soul, until at last this thought impressed me, that 
 I had committed the unpardonable sin, and I had 
 now better give myself up to sin and the enjoyment 
 of life the best I could ; I had gone beyond all 
 reasonable expectation of deliverance from sin. The 
 Spirit s influences had left me forever, and I was just 
 as much damned as if I was already in hell ; and if I 
 would only go back to my cups and old associates 
 again, I might enjoy life for a while at least. But 
 damned I must be, damned in the end to all eternity. 
 
 The effect of this temptation was, that instead of 
 being led back to my old companions, their company 
 and presence were made all the more disgusting to 
 me ; so that I resolved to keep out of their way, 
 and seek seclusion from all society. I had made 
 two or three efforts to pray, but it seemed like 
 solemn mockery, and only aggravated my distress. 
 
 One evening as I came from my work, my wife 
 said we needed something from the store, and I at 
 once started to obtain it. As I came near the store, 
 the thought of my resolve not to put myself in the 
 way of my old associates, came to me, and so I 
 passed by the store to see if any of them were in. 
 If so, I would return without the article. I saw 
 the store was empty, and went in. But no sooner 
 
A TURNING POINT. 75 
 
 had I got into the room than in came Mr. U. T. 
 James, the hotel keeper. I at once turned my face 
 from him, determined I would not sin any more by 
 joining with him in ridicule of sacred things. I had 
 no sooner thought it than he came up to me, saying 
 in a bantering, sneering, devilish tone, "Well, 
 Hiram, I understand you are crying Abba Father. " 
 My first impression was to deny it by cursing and 
 swearing. The next impression, as quick as thought, 
 was, "Confess it and confess Christ." I replied, 
 " Mr. James, it is time I cried for mercy and relief 
 from sin. You and all of us as sinners need to cry 
 to God to be merciful to us." He at once turned 
 as pale as ashes and trembled in every muscle, while 
 George Allen, the clerk in the store, looked at me 
 with blank astonishment. 
 
 Then something seemed to say in a superhuman 
 whisper, "Now go and pray, and you shall be heard 
 in heaven, and Jesus will relieve you of all your 
 burden and apply His blood to cleanse your pollu 
 tion and make you whole." Away I went to my 
 home, only stopping long enough to leave the article 
 on the table, and hurried to the barn, behind which 
 I kneeled and opened my mouth in confession and 
 prayer to God. And O, such relief! O, such joy ! 
 
76 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 O, such views of Christ and of the plan of salva 
 tion ! And what a debasing sense of myself, of my 
 misspent life, of my awful sins against God and His 
 holy law ! 
 
 I at once went into the house and exclaimed, 
 " Almedia, God for Christ s sake has had mercy upon 
 your poor, miserable husband." And to my mother 
 I said, " Your son that was dead, is alive ; was lost, 
 is found." Soon the Christian neighbors came rush 
 ing into my humble cottage, and expressed their 
 gratitude to God in hymns of praise, and the prayer 
 of thanksgiving to Jesus the Savior of sinners. At 
 midnight, we closed the delightful exercise by singing 
 that old hymn, now found only in books that are out 
 of print : 
 
 " Away my unbelieving fears ; 
 Fear shall no more in me have place. 
 My Savior doth not yet appear ; 
 He hides the brightness of His face. 
 And shall I therefore let him go, 
 And basely to the tempter yield? 
 No ! in the strength of Jesus, No ! 
 I never will give up my shield." 
 
 That was my birth night. The Kingdom of God 
 
 had come down to me. I was a new man in Christ. 
 
 After this first morning, I had an opportunity to 
 
A TUKNING POINT. 77 
 
 receive the congratulations and advice of not a few 
 veteran Christians of the different denominations in 
 the place, among them, Dea. Barrett and DeWolf, 
 of the Baptist, and Hon. Timothy Barnard and 
 Deacon Ezra Sheldon, of the Presbyterian Church, 
 and a large company of young converts, who had, 
 within a year or two, been brought to a knowledge 
 of the truth. I commenced attending the social 
 gatherings of the new company, who assembled for 
 the purpose of mutual conference and prayer that 
 is, the company was new to me, and I found myself 
 astonished at the perfect contrast between what I 
 heard, what I saw, and, more than all, what I felt 
 now and only a few days before in the society of my 
 old cronies. Only a short time before, I hated 
 these men, now I loved them ; once I could not 
 endure to listen to their addresses in such meetings, 
 but now I was interested like a charm in all they 
 said, in every hymn sung. And, although I felt 
 weak and insufficient, yet I desired to bear some 
 part, though humble, in the worship of God. I 
 felt it was a special obligation resting on me to 
 confess Christ in public and in private. Wherever 
 I went, whoever I saw, Christian or not, I either 
 expressed my new love for Christ, or rather His old 
 
78 PROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 for me, or I invited some poor fellow-sinner to go 
 with me to "Mount Zion." 
 
 Although I expected to join the Presbyterian 
 Church, yet I knew no difference in my love 
 between that and the Baptist Church. Christian 
 men and women were now the excellent ones of the 
 earth to me ; and I was just as much at home in one 
 meeting as the other. I soon discovered, however, 
 that Almedia had no relish for the Baptists ; and, 
 joined as she was by my relatives in this opposition 
 to them, it became a source of great irritation to 
 her and my sisters whenever I attended one of the 
 Baptist meetings. And they commenced paying me 
 off in the same coin, with compound interest, for 
 my ridicule of the Baptists. They would put 
 themselves energetically at work to invent some 
 caustic joke at my expense : calling me, for instance, 
 "the Weaver sprout of the last growth;" "the 
 second edition of Elder Weaver, abridged and bound 
 in calf;" "my dear Elder Hiram-" "Brother 
 Stimson ;" "Our Elder," etc. 
 
 But they soon found that this was all useless, for 
 the same grace manifested to turn the current of 
 my affections from error to truth, from hatred to 
 love, from sin to holiness, could not be moved by 
 
A TURNING POINT. 79 
 
 any mere scoffing and silly laughing ridicule. I had 
 been too well schooled in that kind of appliance, 
 and too perfectly understood its powerless effect 
 against the spirit of Jesus and the love of God 
 tilling my heart. I had tested it in the times of 
 ignorance and opposition to Christ, "whereof I was 
 now ashamed." 
 
 This was soon changed for more stern opposition 
 against not only the Baptists, but against all vital 
 godliness and zealous Christians of every name. But 
 in the midst of it all I came to the conclusion : "This 
 is all right in the Divine economy of salvation. The 
 Master means to show me how cruel I have been in 
 pouring contempt on Christians, in ridiculing them 
 to their faces, and how wicked I have been in my 
 profane conduct and open opposition to Him and His 
 anointed ones." 
 
 After a few weeks had passed, my attention was 
 called to the duty of connecting myself with some 
 church. I need church-fellowship for my own wel 
 fare, and in order to increase my influence over my 
 fellow men. But above all, I saw it was a positive 
 command of the great Head of the Church. 
 
80 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A SEARCH FOR A CHURCH. 
 
 "~\ |O one had said a word to me, however, con- 
 I * cerning the matter, but I knew that I needed 
 the advice of intelligent Christians. So when on the 
 Sabbath, the pastor of the Presbyterian church gave 
 notice of the preparatory lecture on the following 
 Friday, and also stated the session would meet imme 
 diately after the lecture, to receive applications for 
 membership, and also stated that on the next Sabbath 
 the ordinance of baptism would be administered to 
 infants and adults, I immediately said to myself: "I 
 will improve this opportunity and offer myself as a 
 candidate for membership ;" not for baptism, for I 
 supposed that I had been baptized. "I will also 
 bring my children we now had two forward for 
 baptism." This I expected to do, as much as I 
 expected to live till the next Friday and Sabbath. 
 On Monday morning the pastor of the Presbyterian 
 church called upon me at my shop, and after making 
 a few inquiries about my hope in Christ, he asked if 
 
A SEARCH FOR A CHURCH. 81 
 
 my children had ever been baptized and if I intended 
 to present them at the administration of the ordi 
 nance ? I replied that they had never been baptized, 
 and said I would present them, if I could get the 
 consent of my wife. After a few more remarks upon 
 the subject, the minister went out. 
 
 There was at work in the same shop, John 
 Woodbury, before named in this narrative, a 
 staunch Baptist. He heard my conversation with 
 Mr. Anderson, the minister; so, when he had gone, 
 Mr. Woodbury came to me and said : " Brother 
 Hiram, did I hear you say that you intended to have 
 your children baptized next Sunday?" I replied 
 that such was my intention. He continued : "Do 
 you think it to be your duty?" "Certainly, I do." 
 "Well, Brother Stimson, if it is your duty, it must 
 also be my duty, must it not?" I replied : "Of 
 course it is ; and here is where I think you Baptists 
 are in error, in not having your children consecrated 
 to God in baptism." He said: "If this is com 
 manded in the Bible, we are in error, indeed." I at 
 once replied: "Well, it is commanded in the 
 Bible ; I can show it to you in ten minutes, or 
 could if I had the Bible here. I will look it up 
 when I go home to dinner, and show it to you this 
 
82 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 afternoon." "Very well, when you do so I will 
 have all my children baptized." "But," said I, 
 "Elder Weaver will not baptize them." He replied : 
 "Well, then, I will join the Presbyterian Church, 
 and have Mr. Anderson do it." I now thought, "I 
 have caught him ; " for I supposed that I could find 
 it, or rather that my mother could, and I knew that 
 the Presbyterian Church would be glad to receive so 
 good and worthy a man as John Woodbury. When 
 I went home to dinner, I took up the Bible, at the 
 same time relating to mother, who was then present 
 at my house, the conversation with Brother Wood- 
 bury and the proposition he had made, adding, "and 
 now, mother, let us find it and see if he will stancl 
 to his proposal." Upon which, she adjusted her 
 glasses to her eyes, saying at the same time : "Well, 
 the Bible is all full of it." So we sat down together 
 to find this very easy and common command upon 
 all parents. I of course depended on her, as I was 
 ignorant of the Bible on all questions. She looked 
 here and then there first in the Old, then in the 
 New Testament. Soon dinner was ready. "Come," 
 said I, "let us sit down to the table, and after dinner 
 we will find it." She replied, "No, you sit down 
 and eat your dinner, and I will find it, so that you 
 
A SEAKCH FOB A CHTJRCH. 83 
 
 can carry it back to Mr. Woodbury." But at the 
 conclusion of our meal, the said precept or example 
 either was not forthcoming ; and still the dear old 
 lady was confident the good Book was full of it, 
 and she could find it by the time I came back to 
 my tea. 
 
 I went to the shop feeling a little puzzled what to 
 say to my dear friend Woodbury, if he should ask 
 for it ; but not a word was said by him, and I was 
 sure I should not say anything if he did not, and so 
 the afternoon passed away. At the tea hour, I 
 hastened home to get the required evidence on infant 
 baptism. As I came in. I saw the Bible was put 
 away, and mother was employed knitting as usual. 
 "Well, mother, said I, "have you found the pas 
 sage on infant baptism, yet?" She replied, "No; I 
 can t find it. I thought it was in Ezekiel or Jere 
 miah. I have forgotten just where it is, but I know 
 well enough it is in the Bible. But, Hiram, let me 
 say to you, you had better keep away from those 
 Baptists ; they are always dogging converts about 
 baptism." The manner and spirit in which it was 
 said at once indicated to me a little distrust about 
 the existence, in fact, of the thing I was in pursuit 
 of. But I replied, "Mother, John Woodbury is a 
 
84 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 candid and pious Christian man, and the request he 
 has made of me is a reasonable one ; he has used no 
 influence to proselyte me, nor has any other Baptist, 
 to anything but the truth and the salvation of my 
 poor soul to Christ. And now, mother, I am not 
 going blindfold one single step. I have been a 
 miserable, deluded sinner all my life, and my eyes 
 begin to be opened, and my prayer is for more light. 
 I shall search the Bible for myself, and what that 
 requires of me I shall do \\ith Divine assistance. 
 Without it I shall fail and stumble ; with it I am 
 confident of ultimate success and correct direction." 
 She said I d better go and see Mr. Anderson ; he 
 would tell me all about it and find the passage for 
 me. I replied, "It will be a pleasure for me to do 
 so, and I will this evening." So off I started to 
 converse with the Pastor of the Presbyterian church. 
 He received me very kindly, and made many valua 
 ble suggestions about my future prospects, and the 
 delight it gave him to know that I had seen my folly 
 and turned to God, exhorting me to fidelity irrmy 
 Christian course. I then said to him that I was in 
 perplexity about infant baptism, and informed him 
 what had taken place that day, since I saw him in 
 the morning at the shop. After a minute s pause, 
 
A SEARCH FOR A CHURCH. 85 
 
 he said, and with some hesitation, "Mr. Stimson, 
 that is a subject you had better leave to take care of 
 itself. You come right along and put yourself 
 within the church, and this whole subject will adjust 
 itself to your mind without any perplexity, in a 
 little time." So back I trudged through the dark, 
 made doubly so to me since I had not got the pas 
 sages on infant baptism, with which to meet Brother 
 Woodbury. When I arrived at home, I told mother 
 of my ill success with the pastor in my search after 
 light, and sat down with my Testament to see what 
 I could gain from that to help me out of my trouble. 
 In the morning, as I resumed my employment in the 
 shop, Brother Woodbury came along to my bench 
 and said, " Well, Hiram, I have waited twenty-four 
 hours for that Scripture on infant baptism ; have 
 you found it yet?" My reply was in the negative, 
 of course, but qualified by the remark that " mother 
 had been looking in the Old Testament for it, and 
 that I was looking in the New, and if it was there, 
 we should find it." I saw a slight smile irradiate 
 from his face as he said, " Well, you have got the 
 best part of it. Your mother will look in vain in 
 the Old Testament for baptism, but you will find 
 it is a very plain subject in the New Testament. 
 There s not a word of it in the Old." 
 
86 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 Here the conversation ceased, and during the day 
 I resolved on two things ; first, I will not join any 
 church until I see my duty made plain from the Bible 
 on the subject of baptism. Second, I will take the 
 New Testament as my only guide and counsel in all 
 religious faith and practices. When I had made 
 these two resolves, I felt such a confidence in Christ 
 and His blessed Spirit as I had never experienced 
 before, and from that day I commenced the study of 
 the Bible, with an intensity and determination to 
 know all the truth, but without the least expectation 
 of ever being a Baptist, or thinking them correct in 
 faith or practice ; no more than I had of supposing 
 Mahomrned was right. I really expected to find 
 sprinkling and pouring as the common, if not the 
 only act for the ordinance. But three short weeks 
 revealed to me, and to my utter surprise, that I was 
 mistaken. My investigation was carried on in this 
 manner without any assistance from Baptists or Pedo- 
 baptists : I commenced at Matthew, first chapter, 
 and first verse, and continued through by course, to 
 the last chapter and verse of Revelation, marking 
 every passage on baptism, pouring and sprinkling. 
 When I had finished I reviewed the whole, to find 
 the results. I found the words baptism, baptizing 
 
A SEARCH FOR A CHURCH. 87 
 
 and baptized eighty-one times ; pour, pouring and 
 poured, seventeen times ; sprinkle, sprinkling and 
 sprinkled, seven times. Where the subject of bap 
 tism was alluded to, if qualified at all, it was by 
 "going into the water," "coming up out of the water," 
 "being buried with Christ in baptism," "baptized 
 into Christ," etc., etc. The word pour was quali 
 fied, but had no connection with baptism whatever ; 
 and the same held true in regard to the word 
 sprinkling. 
 
 Just as I had closed this investigation in my own 
 simple and private way, the Rev. Mr. Anderson 
 preached a sermon on baptism, taking for his text, 
 Acts viii. 38 : "And they went down both into the 
 water, both Phillip and the eunuch, and he baptized 
 him." The first sentence of the sermon was : "This 
 refers to the apostolic mode of baptism by immer 
 sion," and he went on to say, "No reasonable doubt 
 can be entertained but that Jesus of Nazareth was 
 thus baptized in the river Jordan ;" but he undertook, 
 with a great show of words, to prove that other modes 
 were equally as well. It was indeed a Godsend to 
 me. My duty was now becoming plain. This first 
 remark of the preacher, and my own silent investi 
 gations, left but little doubt as to what was the true 
 
88 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 course for me to pursue. All this while nothing had 
 been said to me on the subject by any one. So the 
 Monday evening following this discourse of Mr. 
 Anderson, I walked over to see him unbeknown to 
 any one. 
 
 I have so far neglected to state one important fact 
 in my early history, which is this : While my 
 parents resided at Saratoga Springs, and while I was 
 an infant, I was taken seriously ill, and my parents, 
 fearing I was about to die, called in a Presbyterian 
 minister, who sprinkled me for baptism. I had 
 always depended on this as sufficient until within 
 the past three weeks, but now all my dependence 
 on my infant sprinkling was gone. I found Mr. 
 Anderson in his study, and he gave me a hearty 
 welcome and at once inquired: "Well, Brother 
 Stimson, did you get any new light on the subject 
 of baptism? " I readily answered, "Yes ; I am glad 
 to know that your sermon and my investigations of 
 the New Testament convince me that the apostles 
 immersed, and that the Savior was baptized by 
 immersion in the river Jordan ; and my business 
 here to-night is to see if you will immerse me." " I 
 will do so," he replied, "if you cannot be satisfied 
 with anything but immersion and you have never 
 
A SEARCH FOR A CHURCH. 89 
 
 been baptized by any other mode." I replied, "I 
 must confess to you the truth ; " and I proceeded to 
 give him the history of my being sprinkled when an 
 infant. He then said to me, "Such being the facts, 
 I cannot immerse you, as I would consider it sacri 
 lege so to do." " What can I do then? " I inquired. 
 " You can join the Baptists ; they will immerse you 
 on profession of your faith, notwithstanding your 
 previous baptism." To this I objected : "I cannot 
 do that ; they are close-communion." " Close-com 
 munion ! Pooh ! They are no more close-com 
 munion than we are. We take no one into the 
 Church until he has been baptized, neither do the 
 Baptists ; the only difference being in what we 
 consider baptism." This opened the matter in an 
 entirely new light to my mind and completely 
 changed my views upon the question, and I said to 
 him : " I ll go home and think upon this matter." 
 As I walked along, I could but admire the man for 
 his magnanimity and generosity. The next morning, 
 I called upon Deacon Woodbury, a brother to John, 
 and asked him a few questions about the Baptist 
 Church policy, of their faith and practice ; and 
 after getting a candid exposition of the matter, I 
 informed him of what I had been doing the past 
 
90 FHOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULFIT. 
 
 three weeks, to which he made a remark of com 
 mendation and said : " Move on, Brother Stimson, 
 with caution; you are taking the right direction, 
 and if you keep near the Cross, all will result for 
 your advancement in the Divine life." 
 
 But now the most trying point in all this conflict 
 was yet to come. The opposition of my wife, 
 connected as it was with that of my other relatives 
 and friends, against the Baptist denomination, would 
 be no surface agitation, I was satisfied; and how to 
 broach the matter in such a way as to evince a 
 Christian spirit and not excite a disposition to 
 contend, was a question of the first moment to me. 
 I had ample time for reflection. From Tuesday 
 morning to Friday evening, this subject was con 
 stantly on my mind. After supper on Friday 
 evening, I said to Almedia, my wife, "Come, go 
 along with me to the Baptist covenant meeting 
 to-morrow afternoon." "Not I!" was her prompt 
 reply. "Why not?" I inquired. "What do you 
 desire to go there for?" she asked. "I am going 
 to join the Baptist Church, if they will accept me," 
 was my quiet answer. " You join the Baptists ! 
 Well, you will go alone, then." At this moment 
 my mother came in, and Almedia saved me the 
 
A SEARCH FOR A CHURCH. 91 
 
 trouble of informing her. My mother commenced 
 weeping and talking at the same time. "Well, 
 Hiram, you are the only child of mine that has 
 experienced religion, and I was in hopes you would 
 feel it your duty to join the Presbyterian Church, 
 and I think you are hasty in the matter, and have 
 been influenced by Elder Weaver and the Wood- 
 burys." "Not so," said I; "I have not exchanged 
 a word with Elder Weaver on the subject of 
 baptism ; and as to the Woodburys, all that has 
 been communicated to me is this : John Woodbury 
 asked me to find infant baptism in the Bible, and 
 you and I have made an effort and could not 
 produce it. You then sent me to Mr. Anderson, 
 and he could not produce it; and last Monday 
 evening, I told him my convictions, and he says I 
 am a Baptist, and as an honest Christian minister 
 has advised me to join them, and the Lord Jesus 
 helping me, I shall do it. I want to do right, and 
 I am confident the Bible directs in this way." This 
 last remark put an end to the conversation for the 
 present. 
 
92 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE CHURCH FOUND. 
 
 /TV HE next day, in the afternoon, the covenant 
 JL meeting convened, and a large concourse of 
 people assembled. Among the number, were Heber 
 C. Kimball and Brigham Young. Brigham spoke. At 
 that time he had left the Methodists, and belonged 
 to what were called the Giffordites. He was quite 
 fervent, and spoke with much feeling and effect. He 
 was regarded as stronger in heart than in head. His 
 faith and piety were counted of more force than his 
 intellect. Heber C. Kimball, on the other hand, was 
 respected as a man of much more mental power, but 
 not of great devotion in comparison with his asso 
 ciate, Young. 
 
 [A recent interview with Brigham Young, on the 
 part of the editor, in company with Rev. E. P. Ham 
 mond, letters of introduction being given us by 
 Father Stimson, satisfied him that this estimate of 
 him by Father Stimson at the time of his conversion 
 would require modification, and much of it, to be 
 
THE CHURCH FOUND. 93 
 
 applicable to him now. His piety can hardly be 
 spoken of as dominant. His will can. His ambition 
 can. His selfism can. His power overmen can. His 
 early simplicity of heart and devotion have certainly 
 deserted him. A more Jesuitical, autocratic ruler 
 of men, cannot be found on the globe. Men change. 
 Brigham is a puzzle ; and Mormonism is puzzling. 
 The latter because of the former. Men who have 
 known him longest, acknowledge that they know the 
 least about him. He is fearfully and wonderfully 
 made ; especially the former. And yet he will talk 
 to you with the greatest apparent relish, of pure and 
 undefiled religion. Abandonment of principle is 
 followed by either open wickedness, or habitual 
 hypocrisy. Brigham is an exception : in his case 
 it has been followed by both. ED.] 
 
 At the meeting referred to, thirty-one converts 
 related their experience to the church, and the next 
 day (the Sabbath) they were immersed in the 
 likeness of Christ s death and resurrection, and 
 among them was myself. A day never to be for 
 gotten by me. The Baptist church in Mendon then 
 numbered about four hundred, a united and happy 
 people. Their zeal and devotion were known in all 
 the land. God was with them in the power of the 
 Spirit. My new relation to the Baptist church I found 
 a very pleasant one. A large number of ardent 
 Christians and warm-hearted friends, both old and 
 
94 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 young, stood ready to counsel and^ncourage in every 
 good word and work, and the summer and autumn 
 of eighteen hundred and twenty-nine was enjoyed by 
 me as no former season of my life had been. In fact, 
 this was the only drawback to the gliding days and 
 months : my dear companion had no good hope in 
 Christ, and no sympathy with the people with whom 
 I was identified, and in whose society I found such 
 delight and Christian fellowship. I could, however, 
 see most plainly that she at times made great efforts 
 to render herself agreeable to those with whom I 
 came in contact, but it was also as plain that their 
 society was not agreeable to her. She was unwilling 
 to attend the Baptist meeting, and would refuse to 
 interchange visits with persons of that society, only 
 in such cases as would be a breach of good manners, 
 and sometimes she was not so careful even about 
 that. All this grew out of one fact, a want of a 
 change of heart and love to Jesus, as the sequel will 
 show by her own confession in a subsequent work of 
 grace, and as was manifested in a life altogether short 
 of consistent devotion and application to the duties 
 of a wife and mother in the Christian sense. 
 
 It gives me pain to refer again to the opposition 
 evinced by her during eighteen long months after I 
 
THE CHURCH FOUND. 95 
 
 had hoped in the pardoning mercy of the great 
 Redeemer ; and I have only consented to do it since 
 her conversion to Christ magnifies the grace of 
 God. "Where sin abounded, grace did much more 
 abound." As I have before stated, she was 
 possessed of a nature of kindness and a very 
 benevolent disposition. Nothing was wanting to 
 make home all that could be desired, except the 
 one thing needful on her part. She opposed prayer 
 in the family, and would absent herself from it, if 
 possible, and often would resort to extra efforts to 
 disconcert its order. She was unwilling that the 
 pastor, or any of the Baptist society, should 
 interchange visits with the family. 
 
 All this rendered necessary, at the commence 
 ment of my discipleship, the very important grace 
 of patience. In all that I have named, I saw in 
 miniature what I was when in a state of alienation, 
 fighting against God and resisting the truth of the 
 Holy One of Israel. 
 
 My own soul was in deep agony for sinners. I 
 constantly felt a weeping solicitude that they might 
 be brought to th*e Saviour, and I envied the talent 
 and ability of any one that was qualified to expostu 
 late with and win souls to Jesus. But what could 
 
96 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 / do ? All my childhood and youth had been spent 
 in sin and folly, and now I had come to the years 
 of mature manhood, involved in the darkness of 
 ignorance. Religion don t educate a man, though 
 it often makes him feel his need of education and 
 gives him fixedness of purpose in acquiring it. No 
 education ! no character ! and in no condition to 
 obtain the one or strengthen the other, and with no 
 hope of either, at least without the interposition of 
 God s sovereign grace. 
 
 To say a word to any living creature about my 
 feelings and anxieties, I could not. If I should, I 
 would be laughed at as visionary, or rebuked as 
 ostentatious. In this state of mind, I resolved to 
 make such improvement as I could under the 
 circumstances. So I obtained a dictionary, and 
 stented myself to study six columns a day, by 
 spelling the words and committing the definitions. 
 
 A dictionary is the first thing instinctively sought 
 by every ignorant person who is bent on educating 
 himself. Without knowing why, they all feel that 
 a knowledge of words lies at the foundation of all 
 that needs to be known, or can belmown. Here is 
 a good point for philologists. 
 
 My wife heard my lessons at night. This she did 
 
THE CHURCH FOUND. 97 
 
 with cheerfulness, little knowing what use I intended 
 to make of my knowledge. During the day I would 
 fix the dictionary before me on the bench, and would 
 repeat the spelling and definition of the words to 
 myself while I was busy at work with my hands. 
 Every evening found me a little further on, till in 
 this way 1 went through the entire book. I have 
 found this systematic study of the dictionary of 
 invaluable benefit to me during all my public life. 
 Having had so few school privileges in early life, 
 and having spent so large a portion of my time in 
 the society of those whose language was as imperfect 
 as it was impure, my knowledge of the spelling and 
 meaning of words was very limited. I was at this 
 time furnished with a few religious books and the 
 Neiv York Baptist Register. The books were, 
 Baxter s "Call to the Unconverted," his "Saints 
 Rest," "The Evidences of Christianity," and "But- 
 terworth s Concordance." These, with the Bible, 
 constituted my library. But I made good use of 
 them. 
 
FBOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER VHI. 
 
 A YEAR OF JUBILEE. 
 
 00: 
 
 i BOUT the first of June, 1830, a powerful 
 -^- ^revival of religion began in the Baptist church 
 of Mendon, but extending to adjacent towns, and 
 continuing into the autumn of the year ; and then 
 increased in power as the winter set in. A year, 
 blessed be God! never to be forgotten by me, nor 
 by a multitude of others, redeemed as the purchase 
 of Christ s precious blood. Among the number was 
 my dear companion. This fact makes it the year of 
 jubilee to me. She had not been to the Baptist 
 church for months previous to the evening of her 
 surrender to Jesus. She was induced to go by some 
 means, I knew not what ; and although we had had 
 no preaching for weeks on account of the illness of 
 the pastor, the meetings were continued from day to 
 day and from evening to evening by the members 
 of the Church, in a manner to interest and profit all. 
 This evening the pastor thought it his duty to preach, 
 as a large congregation had come out, and though 
 
A YEAR OF JUBILEE. 99 
 
 quite feeble, he held the audience spell-bound, from 
 the text, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands 
 of the living God." During the whole delivery of 
 the sermon my soul was weighed down with such a 
 spirit of prayer for my wife as I had never before 
 experienced, for her salvation. It seemed to me 
 that all I had ever felt for her before was merely the 
 result of sheer selfishness, a desire to make me and 
 my home, in a domestic point of view, more com 
 fortable. God never answers selfish prayers. He 
 cannot consistently. But now I saw, independent 
 of my interest in her as a companion, or as the 
 mother of our children, that she had a soul to save, 
 for which Christ died, and which, if saved, would 
 be a star in His crown of rejoicing ; but if lost, would 
 be lost in unutterable despair for eternity. And oh ! 
 what a sense was impressed on me of that word, 
 eternity ! " Oh ! will she submit to-night to the 
 Spirit s blessed influence ? " As the preacher closed 
 his discourse, he said, "If any poor sinners will now 
 yield to the Lord Jesus, let them manifest it." And 
 while he was yet speaking, before any one had 
 moved, she left her seat and came down the aisle, and 
 as she came, said, "O, my dear Christian friends! 
 will you pray for me a sinner? O, my husband! 
 
100 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 can you forgive and pray for me?" And then 
 bowed herself, burying her face in the lap of the 
 pastor s wife. Others came forward for prayer, and 
 found peace in believing, almost immediately. But 
 Almedia remained in her kneeling posture for a long 
 time, under great agony of spirit, but at length 
 arose with a countenance beaming with a heavenly 
 smile, and broke the silence of the moment by 
 saying, " Can such a sinner as I am hope for mercy 
 at the hands of an insulted Savior? Yet I have 
 insulted His Spirit, I have insulted His children, 
 and," turning to me, "I have been angry at God for 
 converting my dear husband. But with all this 
 aggravated sin, my heart says I will believe in Jesus 
 and I Avill follow Him by His assisting grace." 
 
 Perhaps it will not interest others to relate all 
 that transpired for the next two years after her 
 conversion to Christ. I will simply state the fact, 
 that at the first covenant meeting she offered herself 
 to the Baptist Church for membership. And 
 although the day of her baptism was one of intense 
 cold, she, with others, followed the Savior with a 
 joyful heart into the liquid tomb ; and from that 
 day, was a practical illustration of the Scripture : 
 "Even so we also should walk in newness of life." 
 
A YEAR OF JUBILEE. 101 
 
 The next spring, we found it for our interest to 
 move to a place called Sibleyville, near West 
 Mendon, and so changed our church membership to 
 Rush. In Sibleyville was a large business carried 
 on in the manufacture of carding and agricultural 
 implements. 
 
 The factory was under the proprietorship of 
 Hiram Sibley & Watson. The former of these 
 gentlemen has since become wealthy, and, with a 
 wise generosity, has given a large sum of money to 
 the Rochester University, with which " Sibley Hall " 
 has been erected, one of the first educational build 
 ings in the land. Though not a member of the 
 Baptist Church, his sagacious eye has seen the 
 immense advantage to a city and commonwealth, 
 for all time to come, of the establishment of such 
 an institution of liberal learning on the most per 
 manent basis, and his hand has given accordingly. 
 
 In my new employment, I was connected with a 
 class of hands numbering some eighty in all, and 
 not one of them a Christian, except an old man by 
 the name of Kimble, a Methodist, pious and godly. 
 The whole company, with this single exception, was 
 given to drinking, profanity and Sabbath desecration. 
 I proposed to Kimble to start a meeting in the 
 
102 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 place ; but he thought it useless, as our associates 
 were so irreligious, the most of them being drunk 
 ards and scoffers at sacred things. "Well, then," 
 said I, " let us get up a temperance meeting, and see 
 if some of them can t be reformed." But he said, 
 "No; we can t do anything for them." "Well, I 
 shall make an appointment, and you must come out 
 and act as chairman of the meeting." He finally 
 consented, if I would take the responsibility of the 
 result. "I will assume that," I replied. So I made 
 an appointment at the school house, giving a written 
 notice. It so happened, without any design on my 
 part, that it would occur on "town meeting" day. 
 I went to East Rush and selected a young medical 
 student to come up and be secretary. His name 
 was Howard. The evening of the meeting came, 
 and the whole crew in and about the shops had been 
 to the "town meeting," and were well liquored up. 
 Kimble saw the cases we had to deal with, and 
 regretted that we had hit upon that evening. But 
 in we went, and found the school-house jammed 
 with all classes. Many were respectable young 
 men and women, while a host were hard cases, 
 highly fired up with "town meeting" whisky. As 
 we came in with our associates, all manner of 
 
A YEAli OF JUBILEE. 103 
 
 remarks were made : "There come the cold water 
 devils;" "hold your breath, Jake you will take 
 fire from that caudle," etc. Then followed a loud 
 laugh. Kimble looked as pale as ashes. I arose 
 and said : "It is time to organize the meeting, and 
 I will nominate Mr. Kimble as chairman and Dr. 
 Howard as secretary." The Doctor seconded the 
 motion. "All in favor of the motion, will say, aye." 
 "I;" "I;" "I will;" "I won t;" "I shan t;" "I 
 can t," went up on all sides. "Contrary-minded, say 
 no." "No no no no, not I;" "No, not you, 
 old Kib." The whole scene was not the most 
 orderly imaginable, nor calculated to quiet delicate 
 nerves. Kimble took the chair, with about as much 
 grace as a dog gets over the fence after he has been 
 caught stealing sheep. He called on me to pray, 
 which I did as well as I knew how under the unde- 
 votional circumstances, when they began hooting 
 and jeering again. But I at once arose and com 
 menced addressing the meeting something as 
 follows : 
 
 "My dear neighbors of Sibleyville, I rejoice to see 
 so many of the respectable inhabitants of this place 
 out to this meeting to-night. It argues well for 
 your respect to the cause of sobriety and the cause 
 of humanity. The occasion is most auspicious, for 
 
104 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 more than one reason : It is town-meeting day, or 
 the evening of onr town election, in which a few 
 have not only exercised their right to the elective 
 franchise, but to improve the right of drinking 
 egg-nog well seasoned with bad whisky, and such 
 other drinks as men indulge in to make fools of 
 themselves, and to disgust all good and honest- 
 thinking people ; and as we have a few specimens 
 of that disgusting and degrading class present 
 this evening, I propose to talk to you about 
 Temperance" 
 
 As soon as I had pronounced the word "temper 
 ance ,"-a pettifogging lawyer of the town rose in his 
 place and interrupted me by asking : " What is the 
 definition of the word temperance ? " 
 
 I saw at once that it was all done to disturb the 
 meeting and get up a row, and, if possible, break 
 up the meeting by disorder and drunken slang. I 
 knew him to be a man of some education, in fact 
 he had been a school-teacher in the town, and was 
 in repute as a man of intelligence. So I replied, 
 "I presume every person in the congregation is 
 quite familiar with the definition of the term, except 
 Mr. Townsand ; and as he has been so long accus 
 tomed to the other side of this important word, 
 and has now nearly finished his course of intemperate 
 
A YEAR OF JUBILEE. 105 
 
 education, I propose, now, that we buy him a 
 Webster s spelling-book and send him to a good 
 school, to some woman teacher for three months ; 
 and at the end of his time, if he has not learned 
 the signification of the term temperance, that we 
 then put him on a course of simple diet of buck 
 wheat cakes and cold water for three months more. 
 And if that don t effect his knowledge of the word, 
 at the next town-meeting we will turn him over to 
 old Aunt Cloe, the goddess of his passions." 
 
 At the conclusion of this reply, the entire 
 congregation were in a perfect storm of laughter at 
 poor Townsand s expense. 
 
 I then made an appeal to the young men, sighting 
 them to the class present who had given us, there 
 and then, such a demonstration of the effect of a 
 drunkard s life and character, and asked them to 
 decide that night which side they would take ; and 
 every man and woman present, who was not iden 
 tified with that company of the baser sort, came 
 up and signed the pledge among the number, Hon. 
 Hiram Sibley and his partner in business, Mr. 
 Watson. After this, temperance was the order of 
 the community. 
 
 Poor Mr. Townsand never heard the last of the 
 proposition to send him to a woman s school. 
 
106 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 SHALL I PREACH? FIRST PASTORATE. 
 
 IN my new relation with the church at Rush, I 
 found a more ample field in which to develop the 
 ardent desire of my heart. The church was small 
 in comparison with the one at Mendon, which at 
 the time numbered some four hundred. At Rush 
 the numerical strength was one hundred all told, 
 mostly poor and not well-trained in Christian work. 
 In fact, many of them did not believe in the 
 benevolent efforts made for the extension of the 
 Messiah s kingdom, while a few believed in every 
 good word and work. The pastor was a young man 
 from the Mendou church. Partly owing to this, I 
 was at once put forward by the working members 
 of the little church, and encouraged by the young 
 pastor to enter every open door of usefulness the 
 Sunday school, prayer meeting, the conference 
 meeting. In a short time we established a number 
 
 o 
 
 of out-stations, some in considerable-sized towns 
 near by. 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 107 
 
 My effort at the temperance meeting had created 
 quite a stir among the better class of the commu 
 nity, and not a little rage among the baser sort. 
 Thus I was called upon to address gatherings at 
 Sunday school meetings and temperance societies. 
 I was at home with all classes of working Christians : 
 Methodist, Presbyterian and Baptist. 
 
 Long before I left Mendou, I was impressed with 
 the duty of preaching Christ to all my fellow- 
 sinners, but was always met with the depressing fact 
 of my unfitness for a work of such magnitude and 
 responsibility. No expectation of even a common 
 education, I yet had an insatiable thirst for 
 knowledge, that I might tell the story of Christ s 
 love to a world of lost sinners, what He had done 
 and was doing for their salvation. 
 
 Many dear friends said and did much to encourage 
 me to enter just as I was upon the work, while 
 others suggested that I might perhaps go to Hamilton 
 and take what was called the "short course." But 
 this looked well-nigh impossible, for two reasons : 
 First. In that case, my wife and children would be 
 without any visible means of support, while I was 
 twenty-six years of age and not instructed in even 
 the common branches. What little knowledge I 
 
108 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 did possess, was in a crude and disconnected state. 
 Second. The church in Rush was quite divided on 
 the question of licensing me to improve my gifts in 
 preaching. Something was the matter, first of all, 
 with my doctrinal views. A part thought I was not 
 exactly sound on the election phase of the Gospel, 
 whatever that is ; while others thought that if this 
 was true, it might not work great -mischief to let 
 me try and do all the good I could in the name of 
 my newly-adopted Master, Christ the Lord. As to 
 my own views, I did not know which I was, or on 
 which side of these questions I properly belonged. 
 But this one thing I did know, that Jesus Christ 
 came into the world to save sinners, and the Crospel 
 was the power of God unto salvation to every one 
 that belie veth. 
 
 I continued to hold meetings in such communities 
 as opened a door to my poor efforts, so that all my 
 Sabbaths were occupied. At length the pastor 
 pressed the church to give me a regular license to 
 preach wherever God should cast my lot. The 
 " hypers " opposed and the " lowpers " pressed it to 
 decision. The vote was finally decided with six 
 majority in my favor, out of about fifty votes. The 
 clerk refused to make a record of the action, because 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 109 
 
 the sisters voted. The pastor and friends asked 
 him to give a certificate of the vote, which he also 
 declined to do. The devil shows his ingenuity in 
 inventing such men and getting them into the 
 Church. He generally only loans them to the Church, 
 for in nine cases out of ten, he receives them back 
 again. This man was not an exception. He con 
 tinued to show his pious zeal for having all things 
 work according to "Gunther" in the church. When 
 I received a call to the little church in the "town" of 
 Alabama, Genesee County, and decided to accept it, 
 the question of my receiving the license came up 
 again ; but he, with the- same holy love of meanness 
 as ever, stoutly refused it. He was shortly deposed 
 from the clerkship, excluded from the church, and 
 imprisoned on being found guilty of theft. His name 
 was Murray. 
 
 During the pendency of this certificate business, I 
 kept still, having very little confidence in paper 
 credentials, paper creeds, paper religion or paper 
 sermons. (Skip the last word, or read it in a 
 whisper.) 
 
 I soon moved to my new field, where I found my 
 hands and heart full. I was shortly ordained by a 
 council of churches, represented by the following 
 
110 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 pastors : Elijah Weaver, G. B. Davis, Roswell 
 Kimble, Martin Coleman, Samuel Gilbert, Horace 
 Griswell, Stephen A. Weaver, and Wm. Barrett. 
 I think all these have passed away to their rewards, 
 except the last named, who left the Baptist Church 
 and joined himself with the Methodists. 
 
 The church in Alabama was organized in 1831, 
 with twenty-one members. The following year they 
 reported to the Association one hundred and ninety- 
 two. I remained with them until 1835, when I 
 accepted a call from the church in Parma. 
 
 This was a very trying year to me. During it my 
 dear Almedia sickened and died, leaving me with 
 four small children, and myself with impaired health. 
 
 I have had misgivings about the right of leaving 
 Alabama at the time I did ; yet I then thought it 
 duty. Certain after developments have led me to 
 question the correctness of the step. The whole 
 time of my connection with the Alabama church 
 was one of uninterrupted prosperity. 
 
 Many incidents occurred in this country church, 
 which are worth remembering. In one portion of 
 the "town" was a community of Universalists, who 
 controlled the school house in that district. There 
 was then but one pious family in the neighborhood, 
 
FIRST PASTOEATE. Ill 
 
 the man a deacon in my church. He was quite 
 desirous that an effort should be made for the refor 
 mation of his neighbors. But many of the church 
 thought it impossible (at least inexpedient,) for so 
 young and inexperienced a person as myself to be 
 brought into contact with these semi-skeptics with 
 any advantage to the cause. But I told the deacon 
 that if he would get the right of the house, and he 
 and his wife and little Adney would stand by the 
 cross and pray for salvation, I would come over and 
 in the name of Jesus I would "strike for liberty and 
 salvation." 
 
 He and "Aunt Eliza" gave the best of assurance 
 of fidelity to the work at whatever cost. So we gave 
 out the appointment for Wednesday evening, and the 
 meetings to be continued day and night, for time 
 indefinite. It was early in March, and farmers had 
 not much to do. Wednesday evening came, and with 
 it, a crowd that filled the house in every part. A 
 murmur was heard in a certain corner, with such 
 remarks as : "I smell brimstone ;" "the devil will get 
 you ;" "look out for the bottomless pit ;" "hell will be 
 your portion ;" "now for a gospel storm of hail and 
 hot damnation, mixed." 
 
 While this was going on, I called on the deacon, 
 
112 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. . 
 
 his wife and little boy to pray. Such pleading with 
 God it seemed to me I had never listened to before ; 
 and soon all was still as the hour of death. At this 
 moment came in Mr. McC. and wife, carrying a light 
 stand and two candles, also a chair apiece. As the 
 Squire, for such he was, took his seat in front of the 
 desk and fixed his writing apparatus, an audible smile 
 arose from all over the room. I arose, called on all 
 to sing the fifty-fifth Psalm, in Watts old book, 
 
 " Let sinners take their choice, and choose the road to death," 
 
 and announced as my text, when they had finished 
 singing ; "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, 
 for it is the power of God unto salvation to every 
 one that belie veth." 
 
 As I was about to proceed with my sermon, Squire 
 McC. interrupted me by saying, "Will you repeat 
 your text again?" I did so, calmly, and then went 
 on. In a short time, "Will you wait a minute till I 
 take that down?" I waited. And so he continued 
 to interrupt me at almost every step for about 
 twenty minutes, all this time the congregation 
 evincing more or less merriment at the sharpness of 
 Squire McC. 
 
 All this time, the Deacon and "Aunt Eliza" were 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 113 
 
 groaning in spirit for Divine help for the stripling 
 of a minister. When it came in point, I quoted 
 from Mark iii. 28-29 : 
 
 "Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven 
 unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith 
 soever they shall blaspheme : 
 
 "But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy 
 Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of 
 eternal damnation." 
 
 "Put that down, Squire McC.," said I; "and 
 don t forget the chapter and verse." I went on : 
 " Our Universalist friends say that there is no eternal 
 damnation. Jesus says there is. Whom shall we 
 believe?" The Squire pushed back his chair and 
 paper, and that was the last of his note-taking that 
 evening. He sat the rest of the time with bowed 
 head and downcast looks. The next morning, he 
 and his wife called at the Deacon s and requested 
 prayer, and confessed their skepticism and sin. 
 They were both converted. 
 
 Major Richards lived in this community, and a 
 day or two before the meeting, he thought to 
 nullify all the effect of the meeting by alluding to 
 it in something like the following : " Stimson is to 
 hold a protracted meeting in our school-house next 
 
114 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 week." "So I hear," would be the response. 
 "Well, I will tell you what I have been thinking 
 about," he would continue; "and it is this: you, 
 Mr. A., (or B., as the case was,) will be among the 
 converts." "Not I not I," would be the natural 
 reply. "Well, I will bet two shillings on it, 
 anyhow." And, "I will take that bet," his friend 
 would say. Then the Major would go to the next, 
 and make the same wager. In his round he came 
 upon Capt. H., who refused to bet money, but 
 would bet a bushel of potatoes against twenty-five 
 cents. 
 
 The meeting continued a number of days, when 
 one evening a lady came and invited me to go and 
 stay with her family that night. I consented. She 
 had come to the meeting on horseback, and her 
 husband left the house first to go on* and start the 
 fires at home. On the way she told me that her 
 husband was under deep conviction, but he had 
 made a bet with the Major of a bushel of potatoes 
 against twenty-five cents. He did not know what 
 to do. Not that he cared for the potatoes, but the 
 bet was a sin in his view now. 
 
 When we arrived at their log house, we found the 
 captain quite depressed in spirit. I at once com- 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 115 
 
 menced conversation with him about his state of 
 mind as a sinner, and put to him this question, 
 " Capt. , are you willing to do any and everything 
 you can for salvation in Christ?" "Yes; all I can 
 do." " Will you pray in your family and begin here 
 now, to-night ? " He hesitated. " Well, now Capt. ," 
 I continued, "this is the turning point." He still 
 hesitated. " Come, Capt., now resolve to pray, and 
 ask God to forgive your sin of trifling with sacred 
 things ; and to-morrow morning go to the Major 
 and pay the potatoes, and tell him you have lost the 
 bet, fair play." And I quoted Ecclesiastes v. 4-5 : 
 " When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to 
 pay it ; for he hath no pleasure in fools ; pay that 
 which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou 
 shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow a nd 
 not pay." He hesitated no longer, but cried out, 
 " O, Elder, do pray for me ! " We all bowed, and 
 God delivered his poor soul that night from con 
 demnation. The next morning he went, paid the 
 potatoes like a man, and confessed to the Major, and 
 warned him to flee from the coming wrath. 
 
 Thus the work went on against the deep laid plans 
 and open opposition of the enemy. The third Lord s 
 day after the meeting began, twenty-three were bap- 
 
116 FROM THE STAGE COAOH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 tized ; Capt. H. and wife, C. McC., Esq., and wife, 
 among the number. In all, eighteen heads of families 
 and five youths. And we continued to sing, 
 
 " O, careless sinner, come, 
 
 Pray now attend ; 
 This world is not your home, 
 
 It soon will end. 
 Jehovah calls aloud, 
 Forsake the thoughtless crowd, 
 Pursue the road to God, 
 
 And happy be. 
 
 During this year a squad of blacklegs came to 
 town, and as usual, made an onset upon the morality 
 of the community. They secured a large field 
 adjoining the house in which we worshiped, and 
 fitted it up for the races. I trembled for our youth 
 in view of this moral pest. Horse-racing, like 
 circuses, may be all right per se, only they are never 
 found per se; per contra is the attitude in which 
 they stand to all morality. 
 
 The Sabbath before this devil s protracted meeting 
 began, we held forth the word of life from the text 
 in Psalms xvi. 9 : " Gather not my soul with sinners 
 nor my life with bloody men." It had the desired 
 effect. Not a Christian of any denomination at 
 tended, with a single exception; and he was 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 117 
 
 disciplined, and confessed his wrong doing. The 
 Lord s day following the races, we preached from the 
 text, John viii. 44 : "Ye are of your father the devil, 
 and the lusts of your father ye will do ; he was a 
 murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the 
 truth, because there is no truth in him. When he 
 speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own ; for he is a 
 liar, and the father of it." The chief man among 
 the gamblers was present, and listened with marked 
 attention to all the scathing utterances of the young 
 preacher, with all the decorum of a saint. He had 
 won a thousand dollars at the races the week previ 
 ous. As the congregation was dismissed he took 
 his position near the door, and as I came out, he 
 reached me his hand, and with a smile, said, " I am 
 happy to hear you to-day, and should be pleased to 
 make your acquaintance, Mr. Stimson. Good day, 
 sir," and he passed off among the crowd. In shaking 
 hands he had left a five dollar note in my hand. 
 
 On my way home I commenced the following close 
 conversation between myself and this son of Belial, 
 now absent in body but present in spirit; "Well, 
 Mr. Devil Jr. , you think you have caught me in a 
 trap, but I will let you know that I don t bite at any 
 such poison-bait. If you have paid this to buy your 
 
118 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 conscience ease, it will only increase your pains four 
 fold." I thus went to my home and told my wife 
 what had occurred, and showed her the note. She 
 smiled, and remarked, " Quite a nice donation." I 
 replied, "Not so nice for me. This is hush money. 
 And I will make the devil s children wish they had 
 kept it out of my hands." 
 
 The next morning I went to the hotel, and asked 
 the clerk for Mr. R. He directed me to his room, 
 where he greeted me with all the suavity of Lord 
 Chesterfield. Mr. R. with his companions, were 
 surrounding a table loaded with liquors of different 
 brands in fine cut glasses. I walked up to the 
 table and laid down the bill, saying: "Here, Mr. 
 R., is the bill you left in my hand yesterday. I 
 now return it to you as "base gain," illy gotten by 
 you, and probably given to a poor minister to ease 
 your guilty spirit, or as a pretext for scandalizing 
 the servants of God, by saying they will preach 
 against our profession, but are as eager as other men 
 to get the avails. Gentlemen, I cannot take a bribe. 
 You are young men that appear well in exterior, but 
 inwardly are corrupt. You have brought to our 
 town, and have caused to congregate here during 
 these days of races, the vilest prostitutes, to poison 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 119 
 
 and pollute our young men. The worst forms of 
 intemperance follow in your wake, as a besom of 
 death and destruction to all that come within your 
 power. May the Spirit of God follow you, and 
 hedge up your way to despair. Good morning, 
 gentlemen." 
 
 During this little speech each man sat as still as if 
 made of marble. In a few days it was ascertained 
 from the landlady, that it was a plot designed to 
 bring scandal on the minister ; that he would as soon 
 take money from gamblers as from any other source. 
 But it failed this time. I was gratified in after years 
 to learn from J. H. Green, the reformed gambler, 
 that this same Mr. R. became a reformed man and a 
 Christian, and related to Mr. Green the circum 
 stances of the foregoing plot, and requested him if 
 he ever came North, to find me out, and if living to 
 extend to me his grateful emotions for kind and plain 
 dealing. 
 
 The following winter was a time of general refresh 
 ing in all the churches in Western New York. Our 
 dear church in Alabama had a divine portion meted 
 out to them, but not as extensive as that of a year or 
 two previous. The church was well united, and 
 quite happy in their covenant relation with each 
 
120 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 other. There remained, however, not a few in the 
 community who had not been personally brought to 
 accept Jesus. Among others there were three young 
 men, whose names we shall not mention, whose 
 enmity to the truth had increased in the same propor 
 tion as they had resisted Christ and grieved the 
 Spirit. 
 
 Among others that they didn t like, was the pastor 
 of the Baptist church. I had a young and spirited 
 horse which needed a vigilant eye, and careful hand 
 ling. My carriage was a rude sort of concern, 
 mostly manufactured by my own hands, but answer 
 ing all the purposes of a poor minister in a new 
 country. It was early in March, when I had an 
 appointment at an out-station where these young men 
 resided. My appointment was on the evening of 
 Sabbath. I arrived at the usual time, and as a light 
 snow was falling, I covered my animal up snugly 
 with the blanket, and went into the school-house. All 
 were waiting for the minister. In the course of the 
 evening, in came these three young men, and quietly 
 waited till the meeting closed. I got into my buggy, 
 if it could be dignified by such a name, and drove 
 carefully home as usual, not mistrusting the least 
 harm to myself or property. There had been a 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 121 
 
 February thaw, and as the ground froze up again it 
 left deep ruts, which I let the buggy follow ; got 
 home between ten and eleven o clock, put up the 
 horse and went to bed, unconscious of any danger to 
 which I had been exposed. As I went to the barn 
 in the morning, in passing the vehicle I noticed a 
 linen-pin was missing, and on examination found that 
 all were gone. On going into the barn, I found that 
 the harness was cut in a number of places, and only 
 held together by mere strings ; if any part had given 
 way, or a wheel had run off, a shipwreck would have 
 taken place, and life or limb would have been in 
 jeopardy in the darkness of the night. 
 
 I went into the house with a deep sense of God s 
 preserving care impressed on my heart, and with a 
 strange wonder as to who could be our enemy. At 
 family devotions I rendered thanksgiving to God 
 for protection, and then prayed for those who had 
 sought our hurt, but failed in their malice. After 
 prayer, wife said : " Why, husband, what has 
 happened that you should be so exercised at prayer 
 this morning?" I tried to evade her inquiry, as I 
 was unwilling she should know what peril I had 
 been in, or that she should think I had an enemy so 
 malicious. But all my attempts at concealment only 
 
122 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 made her the more inquisitive for some women, 
 even, are inquisitive and earnest to know the facts. 
 I told her, and showed her the buggy and harness ; 
 and we mutually agreed to keep it a secret and let 
 time develop the mystery, as I had all the time aD 
 impression that it would. 
 
 This occurred the first of March. Things moved 
 on for a month or more, not a word coming to our 
 ears from any source by way of explanation of the 
 affair. As we were going to the same school house 
 one Sabbath morning to fill an appointment, I saw in 
 the distance a young man, sitting on a log by the 
 roadside, and at once recognized him. What can it 
 mean, I thought, that he should be out here Sab 
 bath morning, a mile and a half from home ? As I 
 neared the spot, he arose and came directly to the 
 carriage by using different words to designate what 
 I rode in, I may hit it and after saying " Good 
 morning," asked if he could ride with me to the 
 meeting. I stopped, and as he got in he looked over 
 the dash board of the ark at the harness, first one 
 side and then the other. The place where the tugs 
 were mended was visible to the naked eye. He then 
 hung his head, as if in a deep study, and with a woe 
 begone countenance. There was perfect silence for 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 123 
 
 a few moments. At length he said : "Mr. Stimson, 
 I have come out to meet you this morning to confess 
 an awful crime of which I am guilty." At this he 
 choked up, and became convulsed beyond utterance. 
 After a moment s pause, he said: "Will you stop 
 here in the woods?" It was a dense forest. By this 
 time he had so far got the control of his emotions as 
 to speak distinctly. He proceeded, "I am one of 
 the men who cut your harness and took out the 
 linch-pins of your buggy. I do not want you to 
 ask me who were with me and are equally guilty 
 as myself. I told them last evening that I was 
 going to confess to you the whole matter, so far as 
 I am concerned. Now, Elder, can you and will 
 you forgive me, and pray God to pardon me for 
 this awful, malicious sin?" He went on to say: 
 "The night we committed the act I did not close 
 my eyes, and all the next day I dreaded to hear 
 from the Lewiston road lest the news should be, 
 Elder Stimson s horse ran away with him and killed 
 or hurt him ; and when I understood you were 
 about as common, I went into the stable and wept 
 like a child. The entire six or eisfht weeks since 
 
 o 
 
 has been a constant hell of torment to me, day and 
 night. Now, Elder, tell me what I must do to 
 
124 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 satisfy you, and then what I must do to find peace 
 with God and my almost distracted mind." "Well, 
 my friend, you have nothing to do to satisfy me. 
 As far as I am concerned, it s all cancelled. As to 
 your relations to your Maker and Savior, all I have 
 to say is, in the words of Paul to the jailer, Believe 
 on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. 
 Go into the meeting this morning and confess 
 yourself a sinner, and ask Christians to pray for 
 you. Now, will you do it?" To which he replied, 
 in a subdued tone : "I will, God helping me." 
 And we drove on to the meeting. The young man 
 was as good as his word. At the close of the 
 meeting, he got up and confessed his sins and asked 
 Christians to pray for him. His sister, who was a 
 godly woman, shouted out, "Praise God!" While 
 this young man was speaking, the whole church 
 was in tears, and two other young men were noticed 
 to be quite restive in the back part of the room. 
 I at once called on others who felt the need of 
 prayer and salvation to express it by rising and 
 speaking, and seven or eight at once improved the 
 moment ; but the two restive young men did not 
 leave their seats. We closed with a solemn season 
 of prayer, and two found peace in believing. But 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 125 
 
 the young man was left in a state almost bordering 
 on despair. The next day he called at my house 
 to pay the damage to buggy and harness, but I 
 declined to receive anything whatever. 
 
 This was the opening of a new refreshing for the 
 church. In the course of one or two weeks, two 
 other young men called at my residence, and wished 
 a private interview. We went into an adjoining 
 room, and as soon as seated, one of them commenced 
 
 by asking me if a Mr had in any way implicated 
 
 them in a certain transaction quite disreputable ? I 
 answered, " No." " Did he implicate himself in the 
 matter ? " " What matter ? " I inquired. " Any matter 
 of injury to yourself or property?" I answered, 
 "Gentlemen, any matter confided to me of a per 
 sonal nature, not affecting the public interest, I am 
 bound by the laws of Christian honesty to keep ; 
 and as a minister of Christ, I am protected by the 
 law of the land from divulging it even in a court of 
 justice. (The only good law for which we are 
 indebted to the Catholics.) So I hope you will not 
 press me to answer any questions in regard to 
 
 Mr ." "Well, Mr. Stimson, we are involved in 
 
 all the guilt of that malicious act in exposing your 
 life on that night you came from the school- 
 
126 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 house, and have come here to-night to settle the 
 matter, if we can." 
 
 " So far as I am concerned in this aifair, I have no 
 price to set, no sum to ask. Have you arranged 
 the matter with your God and King? Your sin 
 against Him is vastly of more importance to you than 
 ail my interest. Do you feel that your acts in this 
 case are a great sin against God? and that unre- 
 pented of and unforgiven, they will peril your 
 interests in eternity? I hope, young gentlemen, 
 you will consider this matter in its true light, and 
 bestow on it the thought its importance demands." 
 " We called, Mr. Stimson, to adjust the damages to 
 your property, and we are willing to satisfy you for 
 all the inconvenience and loss you may have sus 
 tained. If had kept still and not acted the 
 
 fool by exposing the matter, nothing would have 
 come of it. It will teach us after this to know what 
 company we keep. Will you tell us how much we 
 must pay you for your damages ? We are willing, 
 Elder, to give you a good round price to settle it." 
 I said sternly, " Why, dear young men, no money 
 consideration could tempt me to expose my life as it 
 was exposed on that night. Sitting in a conveyance 
 behind such a spirited horse as that of mine, if one 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 127 
 
 of the reins or tugs had given way, or a wheel had 
 run off, the human probability is, I should have been 
 severely injured, if not killed outright. I appeal 
 to you, as common-sense men, what is the price ? " 
 " Oh, well, we only meant the damage to the carriage 
 and harness. We are willing to pay a good round 
 price for our folly. Now, tell us how much and we 
 will pay it if we can." "I shall take nothing. The 
 mere expense of repairing buggy and harness is 
 trifling. I shall take nothing from you. I would 
 like to see you in the same deep exercise of mind 
 about your sins and lost condition, as your friend 
 was a week ago last Sunday. It would be worth 
 more to me than money counted by hundreds." 
 "Oh, well, Elder, he believes in a judgment day, 
 and in hell, and eternal punishment, and all that 
 kind of thing. We do not. We believe God loves 
 and will be merciful to His erring creatures, and 
 will not be as exacting as men are to their fellow- 
 men. It s getting late, and we have a long way to 
 go, and if you won t take anything for your expenses 
 and trouble, we will be going home." "Be pleased 
 to wait a moment. I will call Mrs. Stirnson in, and 
 we will have a season of prayer before we separate." 
 To which they reluctantly consented. After worship 
 
128 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 they departed, saying at the door, " We hope, Elder, 
 you won t make this matter public." I replied, "It 
 will be public enough at the judgment day, and I 
 fear, to your everlasting regret." 
 
 The next Saturday, at our covenant meeting, the 
 first-named of the three young men applied for 
 membership, relating his experience to the church, 
 and the day following, "obeyed from the heart the 
 form of doctrine he had received." On the Sabbath, 
 I preached from these words Luke xvii. 17 : "And 
 Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? 
 but where are the nine?" The effect upon the 
 congregation was subduing. Many wept aloud and 
 others shouted for joy. It was a good day to the 
 people of God. The two young men were not 
 present, but had gone to hear the Rev. Mr. Hiscox, 
 who preached in another part of the "town," where 
 they heard hell spoken of as an "old heathen fable." 
 
 The end of the two young men they both became 
 confirmed Universalists. One descended to a 
 country tavern-keeper of the lowest grade, and 
 died a drunkard in Michigan. The other became a 
 poor, wandering vagabond, and died a few years 
 since near Battle Creek, in the same State. The 
 first of the trio sustained a good character from the 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 129 
 
 time of his uniting with the Church, respected and 
 loved by all who knew him. He often expressed 
 his joy and wonder at the amazing grace of God in 
 his salvation, and would sing : 
 
 " Why was I made to hear thy voice, 
 
 And enter while there s room ? 
 When thousands make a wretched choice, 
 And rather starve than come. 
 
 4 Twas the same love that spread the feast 
 
 That sweetly drew us in; 
 Else we had still refused to taste, 
 And perished in our sin." 
 
 During this summer I had more appointments up 
 in the town of Koyalton, then quite destitute of 
 religious privileges, given to Sabbath desecration 
 and trifling amusements. The place of holding 
 meeting was a new log school-house, surrounded 
 with a settlement composed mainly of Mohawk 
 Dutch. They thought they were Christians by 
 birth-right. They had the vaguest idea of what the 
 latter term means. Of course, there is no such 
 thing now ; so that for being ignorant of an obsolete 
 idea, we could hardly blame them. But, to think 
 and call themselves Christians, when they were 
 destitute of the first principles of practical Chris- 
 
130 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 tianity, was hardly as excusable. Still, they had 
 all been sprinkled in infancy so they learned from 
 their parents or near friends, if they ever took the 
 trouble to inquire and of course this made them 
 Christians. If such a method of entrance in the 
 Kingdom of Heaven involved any conflict and the 
 Bible speaks about a conflict it must be the 
 physical conflict of the infant in resisting the 
 performance of the rite. 
 
 After the second or third meeting, I was informed, 
 as I came into the place, that I could not have the 
 school-house any more, as I had offended one of the 
 trustees by what I had said about whisky-drinking, 
 Sabbath-breaking, dancing, etc. I was further told 
 that the said "Christian" trustee had locked the 
 school-house, and had the key in his pocket. But, 
 if I said so, the house should be opened, if they 
 had to have a fight for it. "O, no ! O, no !" said I ; 
 "we can have meeting as well out-doors as in a log 
 school-house. God is not confined to temples made 
 with hands." So I drove up to the place, and there 
 sat the trustee on the door-sill, with eight or ten of 
 his friends surrounding him as a kind of body-guard, 
 for they evidently expected a conflict of "Yankee 
 snap with Dutch muscle." All about the house 
 
FIRST PASTORATE. 131 
 
 were men, women and children in waiting for 
 meeting to open, or the battle to begin, as the case 
 might turn. The old two-huudred-and-twenty-five- 
 pound avoirdupois trustee looked daggers at me, 
 and knit his brow in true Mohawk style. He evi 
 dently was carrying a heavy cargo of whisky. 
 
 I at once said, "Brethren and friends, make some 
 seats out of rails and billets of wood, and back up 
 your wagons, and we will extemporize a meeting 
 house." And I struck up singing : 
 
 " Religion is a glorious treasure ; 
 It fills our hearts with joy and love." 
 
 Soon all were in a comfortable situation to hear 
 the Gospel of Jesus. 
 
 I announced as my subject, "Love ;" text, Romans 
 xiii. 10: "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; 
 therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law." I 
 arranged it thus: 1. What is "Love?" 2. Who 
 is in possession of it? 3. Its effects. As I pro 
 ceeded, the audience increased till there was no 
 more sitting room rails and wagons all full. I 
 stood in my carryall for a pulpit. When the noise 
 of carriages and wagons coming up interrupted, 
 I would sing a moment, and then go on again. 
 
132 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 At length my big Dutch trustee friend arose from 
 the door-sill and cried out: "Holdt on, Domina. 
 I ll unshet de schule-house, un de vimmin and little 
 schildren may go in, and de mans and pigger poys 
 may stay as dey am." I said, "Thank you, Mr. B. 
 I knew you were a good neighbor, if we could 
 only get it out of you, and here it comes." So 
 we sang : 
 
 " From whence does this union arise, 
 That hatred is conquered by love ! " 
 
 In closing up my sermon I did not fail to 
 "improve" the circumstance in hand, making a 
 strong point of my stout Dutchman. This was the 
 last of any trouble in that place as long as we held 
 meetings there. 
 
PARMA. 133 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 LEAVING ALABAMA PARMA. 
 
 / I \HE Church in Parma extended me a call to 
 -L become their pastor, in the fall of 1835. The 
 first thought of such a move did not impress me 
 favorably. It was here in Alabama I commenced 
 my ministry, and was ordained to the sacred work 
 of preaching Christ. I had enjoyed the confidence 
 of a noble young church. Many of its members I 
 had baptized and introduced into the body. I then 
 thought there was not another such church on the 
 face of the earth. 
 
 On the other hand, the church in Parma wis 
 smaller and more compact. As a consequence, 
 they would not require as much pastoral work and 
 out-station preaching, giving me more time for 
 study ; which I much needed and could not easily 
 get in Alabama, with a field twelve miles square 
 and six out-stations. Parma had a good meeting 
 house, and was considered a strong church. They 
 would give me a better support. I accepted the 
 invitation, and moved into the field in December. 
 
134 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 But it took only a few weeks to prove to me that 
 I had not found the paradise I had anticipated. 
 I hope I shall not be misunderstood, or seem to 
 complain. By no means. There were excellent 
 men and women, not a few whose memory is 
 blessed. Refreshing is it to call them up as they 
 appeared to us then, and if it were not that it 
 might appear invidious, we would give their names. 
 A number of things made the contrast between the 
 two churches plainly visible, especially to a pastor: 
 first, the church at Parma was slow to move 
 out of the deep-worn ruts of bad habits one 
 was to have but one meeting on the Sabbath. A 
 previous pastor had produced this custom, by 
 preaching one good, long, doctrinal, sound, orthodox, 
 Calvinistic, Baptistic sermon. The adjective "long" 
 meant, when practically translated, two hours. 
 Two hours of monotonous voice are equal to a dose 
 of opium. 
 
 My first effort was to break in upon this custom, 
 by having a second service in the school-house in a 
 central place. This would be Sabbath evening. 
 But as soon as I suggested it, I met opposition. 
 The main reason was, "We once tried it, and a class 
 of roughs came in, and so disturbed the meeting that 
 
PARMA. 135 
 
 we had to give it up." "Well, will you come and 
 sustain the pastor by your presence and prayers ? I 
 think I can manage any rude and disorderly per 
 sons." They finally consented that I should make 
 the appointment. I did so, and the next Sabbath 
 
 had the meeting at the L school-house. 
 
 Just as I had announced my subject, the door 
 opened, and in came about a dozen men and large 
 boys, with fantastic dress and most indescribable 
 faces and general appearance, for a civilized commu 
 nity. Every seat being taken, they stood up around 
 the stove. Of course a general snicker, and then a 
 burst of laughter, arose through all the house. I 
 stopped and stood silent and still for a minute or 
 more, looking at these sons of the lost tribe of the 
 devil, for I could think of nothing else but some 
 infernal prison-house, and these as the product of 
 its general jail delivery. Some of the men were 
 dressed in women s clothing; others had broad 
 shirts over their outer garments. Others still had 
 small baskets on their heads instead of caps. Some 
 had leather and some rude tin spectacles. One had 
 a kitten for a handkerchief. He would take it from 
 his pocket and wipe his nose on it; then pass it to 
 the next. One had a large sheepskin with the wool 
 
136 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 on, through which he had a hole cut in the middle. 
 Thrusting his head through the hole, it came over 
 the upper part of his person like a shirt. 
 
 I said to some small boys in front, "Will you 
 please to give these friends your seats ? " They at 
 once complied and the group started forward and 
 occupied them. When quiet was restored, I 
 attempted to proceed with my discourse, but had gone 
 on only a very short time when one took the basket 
 from his head, put a few biscuits into it from his 
 pocket, then taking out a bottle, began passing it 
 around to his crew. I stopped and looked at them 
 with a steady gaze for a moment, and then addressed 
 the audience as follows: "Well, friends, I have 
 seen something of the w T orld in its worst forms, and 
 humanity in its most forlorn and depraved condition. 
 I have been among stage drivers and sailors, among 
 lumbermen and raftsmen ; I have been among Indians 
 and plantation negroes, among drunkards and des 
 peradoes. But what I have seen to-night caps the 
 climax. Here in Parma can be seen babboons and 
 monkeys, jackalls and ourang-outangs, and all walk 
 upright, just as the individuals of the human species 
 walk, and come to a Christian meeting to show that 
 they are not far removed from some idea of "human 
 
PARMA. 137 
 
 intelligence. It may be they have come here to 
 night for the noble purpose of seeking an interest 
 in the salvation of sinners. If so, let us pray that 
 God will enlighten them." 
 
 By this time deep silence pervaded the congrega 
 tion. All was as still as a grave-yard. Each rowdy 
 looked at his fellow rowdy with blank astonishment, 
 when the leader got up and began saying, "I am 
 ashamed of myself and of my conduct, and now, 
 boys, let s behave like human beings, and I promise 
 this community and this minister that I will never 
 do the like again. And if you will not believe it 
 and take my word for it, I will give good security 
 for my behavior hereafter." This man J. H. was 
 outwardly a moral fellow, and his wife was a member 
 of the church ; yet he had let himself down to the 
 idea that it was smart to act like a fool. And the 
 boys thought it a privilege to act the fool under such 
 a leader. But this w^as the last disturbance at the 
 L. school house. 
 
 During this winter and spring I enjoyed a precious 
 revival, and was assisted for a number of days by 
 that able preacher, the Rev. Ichabod Clark, D. D., 
 of sweet memory, and Rev. Zenas Case, of Ogden, 
 whose praise was in all the churches as a man of 
 God. 
 
138 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 In the spring, I organized our Sunday School under 
 a new management, and made a change also in the 
 order of our worship, having two sermons at the meet 
 ing-house instead of one. But the old settled habit 
 of the church was a wet blanket on the enterprise. 
 They would have opposed a second service of any 
 kind, a prayer and praise meeting much more than 
 a preaching service. As soon as the sermon was 
 well under way, the next thing in order was sleep. 
 This was bad habit number two. As soon as the 
 morning service was over, there was a general start 
 for home, parents taking the children. So the Sab 
 bath School service was small comparatively, and the 
 afternoon was sparsely attended, plenty of empty 
 slips at a discount. 
 
 But I prayed for patience to endure all things for 
 the elect s sake. And we had many sympathizing 
 friends in the church who stayed up our hands in the 
 day of battle. Among the number was the widow 
 of the late pastor, Rev. Stephen H. Weaver. 
 
 Here let it be remarked, that if a church is so 
 fortunate as to have such a widow of- a pastor as a 
 member, every effort ought to be made to render 
 her stay in the church and her widowhood as 
 protracted as possible. For, of all helpers to a 
 
PARMA. 139 
 
 pastor, if he is married, the widow of a former 
 pastor may be the most helpful. There is a 
 difference in widows ; I wish to have it understood. 
 A widow of a pastor, she being a widow indeed, and 
 moreover, an unselfish Christian, is a bright jewel in 
 any church. Such know more than any one else 
 about the real character of the different members, 
 and they get at the very gist of the difficulties in the 
 way of the cause. They have gone through the 
 whole round of the life of the church, and are now 
 living in an exalted sort of existence, where their 
 vision is unclouded with personal feeling. Such 
 widows of former pastors are a sort of presiding 
 angel band to the churches. Very occasionally there 
 is a slight deviation from this angelic rule. Once in 
 a great while there is a great deviation. 
 
 But Mrs. Weaver was one of the desirable kind. 
 She said : "Brother Stimson, don t let these things 
 trouble you so. It will injure your health and unfit 
 you for labor in the future. I think it affected Mr. 
 Weaver so, and was one of the causes of his early 
 death." This was a sort of "bittersweet" consolation 
 to my restive spirit, and I tried to make the applica 
 tion as best I could. That word was a godsend 
 to me. 
 
140 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 As I remarked, the unholy custom of sleeping in 
 church had been brought on imperceptibly, by long, 
 monotonous sermons of a previous age, and had been 
 imbibed by the younger people by force of example. 
 One sinner destroyeth much good, was illustrated in 
 this case. I resolved on a reform by mild means, 
 such as short sermons, brief reading, singing two to 
 four stanzas some of the hymns had twenty short 
 prayers, and then a sudden start right off with the 
 discourse no apologies. Apologies are bad, espe 
 cially in the pulpit. But all this strategy failed, and 
 I was irritated like a hornet in a spider s web : plenty 
 of fluttering and buzzing and trying to sting, but 
 nothing accomplished. "Caught," I thought, "and 
 how to get away is the question." 
 
 At length we hit upon a new expedient. The 
 chorister of the church, a brother S., was a grand 
 singer; his two daughters sang like nightingales, and 
 his son was capital on the bass viol. I called on him 
 one Saturday, and made this request : that the next 
 day at the morning service, he and his daughters 
 should arise at any time during the sermon that I 
 should think best, and sing the hymn : 
 
 "Awake, my soul, in joyful lays," 
 
PAEMA. 141 
 
 There must be no pitching of the key, no bass viol, 
 but a prompt start, right off, like a steamboat. He 
 consented, and I retired to the study, to arrange for 
 the new tack on the sleepers. I arranged two ser 
 mons. One from Isaiah lii. 1, "Awake, awake, put 
 on thy strength, O Zimi." The second was from 
 Matt. xxvi. 45, "Sleep on now, and take your rest." 
 So after the preliminary exercises of the morning, 
 I started out on the former text, "Awake, awake," 
 etc., quite moderately, in a measured tone, making 
 a statement of the importance of the church being 
 awake, in an active state of spiritual enjoyment, etc. 
 I had proceeded only about ten minutes, when in all 
 parts of the house, in the galleries and below, could 
 be seen heads thrown back and eyes closed, others 
 nodding, and still others with heads too devoutly 
 bowed on the railing in front of them. I stopped 
 short : "Will brother S. sing two or three verses of 
 a hymn while we look up another text, as we see 
 the one we have is not appropriate this morning?" 
 And off the singing went : "Awake, my soul," in a 
 good, lively manner. 
 
 The whole congregation was like a miniature 
 resurrection; men snatching up their hats, women 
 adjusting their shawls, others rubbing their eyes as 
 
142 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 if to discover the situation, and some taking out their 
 watches to see what time it was. And still the sing 
 ing went on to the fourth stanza : 
 
 " Soon shall I pass the gloomy vale, 
 Soon all my mortal powers shall fail." 
 
 When the singing ceased, I called their attention 
 to the other text: "Sleep on now, and take your 
 rest." The most of them had thought meeting was 
 out, and were very reluctant about sitting down 
 again, and still were unwilling to leave without the 
 benediction; and so, quietly and deliberately took 
 their seats, while I explained the reason for the 
 second subject, and announced the following order : 
 
 1. Why this liberty? 2. The bad influence of 
 sleepy Christians. 3. The application of the subject 
 to our present condition. 
 
 I have always felt somewhat gratified with the 
 reflection that at least one discourse of mine in Parma 
 was listened to without a sleepy Christian in the 
 house. Twenty years after, I went back to assist 
 their pastor in a meeting, and many referred to that 
 sermon as the cause of then* resolving never to sleep 
 again in the house of worship 
 
 It is now a sweet reflection, after nearly forty years 
 
PARMA. 143 
 
 are passed, that many of them have "fallen asleep in 
 Jesus," waiting for that delightful morning of the 
 resurrection of the just, which God will hasten in His 
 time. Then, blessed thought, there will be no more 
 slumbering. 
 
 The following tenth day of November, I buried 
 the wife of my youth. 
 
 OBITUARY. 
 
 DIED at Parma, New York, on the tenth day of November, eighteen 
 hundred and thirty-six, Mrs. Almedia Stimson, wife of Rev. H. K. 
 Stimson, aged twenty-eight years. 
 
 Mrs. Stimson first embraced religion and united with the Baptist 
 church at East Mendon, Morris Co., N. Y., in the fall of eighteen 
 hundred and thirty. During her short and unostentatious career, she 
 honored her Christian profession by a consistent walk, a cheerful con 
 secration of herself to the service of the saints and a ready co-operation 
 in the various measures connected with the advancement of the 
 Kingdom of Christ. 
 
 During a protracted illness she bore her sufferings with Christian 
 meekness and patience, and the latter part of her time, with confidence 
 of hope, often observing that death would be a welcome messenger. 
 When the period of her dissolution approached, and her exhausted 
 frame sunk under the chilling dews of death, she requested her hus 
 band to bid her friends farewell for her, and as if longing to depart, 
 exclaimed : " Come, Lord Jesus ; come quickly 1 " and with these 
 words fell asleep. 
 
 Thus another servant is dismissed from the field of toil, and gone to 
 rest. A husband with four small children survives to mourn his early 
 loss. May he have the sympathies of his brethren, and what is 
 infinitely more, the favor of Him whose grace can irradiate the darkest 
 scenes, and make us joyful even in tribulation. 
 
 WELLARD JUDD. 
 
144 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 The same month, I received a call to become 
 pastor of the church in Bethany, Genesee County, 
 New York. The Baptist church in Bethany was 
 then one of the strong churches in the Genesee 
 Association, with one of the best church edifices in 
 Western New York. Its membership was composed 
 of the best and the most respected portion of the 
 community. Its congregation was large, and made 
 up mostly of the young people of the town, with a 
 complete choir of singers led by James Prescott, for 
 years a man of blessed memory. 
 
 After an acquaintance of a few weeks, I accepted 
 their call, and at once felt at home among them. 
 There was but one drawback to produce discontent 
 ment. My family was broken up, my dear children 
 were scattered in three different families, all in 
 Parma. I was fortunate in getting them good 
 places, where I was confident they would receive all 
 the care dear friends could render. Still they were 
 motherless and homeless, and absent from father; 
 and I felt my separation from them. Still, every 
 thing was done by the congregation to make my 
 situation pleasant and my ministry effective, as 
 results will show. 
 
 There were evidences at once of a Divine work 
 
PARMA. 145 
 
 all over the town. The three congregations of the 
 place joined in a series of meetings, commencing 
 with the Baptist church, and holding there twenty- 
 eight days; and then at the Presbyterian as long. 
 All winter there was a continued refreshing of the 
 Spirit, in which large numbers of the youth, and 
 many of the aged, were hopefully led to embrace 
 Jesus as their Prophet, Priest and King. Just a 
 little unpleasantness was felt because so many of 
 the converts joined the Baptist church. Out of one 
 hundred, about eighty were baptized in the likeness 
 of Christ s death and resurrection, and joined our 
 church. 
 
 For all this I was not to blame. I never prose 
 lyted. Only I could not turn those away who 
 voluntarily offered themselves. This was a prosper 
 ous year to the church, in more than one sense. 
 It was a year of numerical growth among the mem 
 bers, and it paved the way for subsequent advance 
 ment upon the powers of darkness, and made the 
 people ready in every way for greater things to 
 come. 
 
 Late in the fall, I began to be depressed in spirit 
 about the condition of sinners who were without 
 hope and out of Christ. So deep and constant was 
 
146 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 the distress, that I could not sleep or enjoy my 
 daily food. And, what added to the acuteness of 
 this state of mind, was the fact that the church did 
 not seem to realize its responsibility. After receiving 
 the tokens of God s matchless goodness during the 
 year now passed, there was a singular lack of deep 
 anxiety for sinners. There were no divisions among 
 us ; no heart-burnings between brethren ; congrega 
 tions large and attentive to the Word and Ordinances 
 of God; still, sinners, unmoved by the truth, 
 perished. 
 
 Thus things went on until the last of November 
 or first of December, when my depression in spirit 
 became almost intolerable, and it was with great 
 effort that I could get my consent to preach ; and 
 when I did, it seemed like speaking against a strong 
 wind, only to be blown back upon me. I thought 
 the time had come to close my connection with the 
 church at Bethany, if not to close my ministry 
 altogether. While in this state of mind, I had an 
 appointment at an out-station called "White s 
 school-house" for Sabbath evening. The night was 
 dark, and a drizzling rain set in just as I started 
 from home. This, added to my already darkened 
 and dampened spirits, made everything appear beyond 
 
PARMA. 147 
 
 endurance, and I was wholly unhappy and unfit to 
 preach. 
 
 As I had gone along, I concluded that, as it was 
 rainy and dark, there would be few or none 
 at meeting, and I should be relieved of the duty of 
 trying to address the people. But as I got within 
 hearing distance, the voice of singing greeted my 
 ears, and as I neared the house, I saw that it was 
 jammed full. I exclaimed, in the bitterness of my 
 soul, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 
 me?" As quick as thought, "There, that is a good 
 text to preach from ; try it, try it to-night." I 
 thought to myself, "Where is it? No matter where 
 it is, try it. They are the dying words of Jesus on 
 the cross." I hitched my horse and went in, to 
 find the large congregation composed mostly of 
 youth. I called on Brother Russell Morley, who 
 was a man of power with God, to pray. But I got 
 no light or relief, only a constant ringing in my 
 ears, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 
 me?" 
 
 I asked them to sing the hymn beginning : 
 
 " >Tis a point I long to know, 
 
 Oft it causes anxious thought ; 
 Do I love the Lord, or no? 
 Am I his, or am 1 not? 
 
148 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 (There may be special occasions when the singing 
 of these lines is of some benefit to some one.) 
 They sang it through, many with subdued voices. 
 I could not sing at all. All was dark as midnight 
 with me. An awful dread weighed upon me as the 
 time drew near. As I arose and repeated the 
 words of the dying Son of God, I made these 
 impromptu divisions : 1st. Why God forsook His 
 beloved Son. 2d. Why He will forsake impenitent 
 sinners. And on I went in the dark. Oh, that 
 darkness I shall never forget ! Perhaps I talked 
 thirty minutes or more, and closed the meeting as 
 though it had been a funeral, and went home, all 
 but determined not to preach any more. 
 
 The next Thursday was the dedication of the 
 Presbyterian meeting-house, in which services I 
 was invited to take a part. If I could have declined 
 I would ; but could not without giving offense. So 
 I went as the ox is led to the slaughter, and 
 remained in great distress of mind. As the meeting 
 closed, I hastened out to go to my home, but while 
 on the steps of the house, a young lady touched 
 my elbow in the crowd, and as I turned about to 
 see just who it was, I discovered a Miss Evaline T., 
 who said : "I would like to talk with you a few 
 
PARMA. 149 
 
 minutes, Elder, if it would be convenient." I 
 replied, "Certainly." She then went on to say: 
 " Your sermon last Sunday night has brought me to 
 see myself as a lost sinner, and this morning I 
 found peace in believing in Jesus ; and I wished to 
 see and tell you and everybody that God, for 
 Christ s sake, has forgiven my sins." I at once felt 
 light breaking in upon my mind like a sunburst in a 
 dark day. I said, "Well, Miss T., I rejoice with 
 you ; come, go to my house, and tell Mrs. Stimson 
 of it. She will be glad to hear of your joy and 
 conversion to Jesus." As we came into the parlor, 
 I said : "Wife, here is Miss T., who has good 
 tidings of great joy to tell you ;" and she went on 
 and repeated the simple story of her conviction and 
 conversion. "Now," I said, "I have one request to 
 make of you. Next Lord s day, at the close of my 
 discourse in the morning, I want you to tell the 
 congregation what Christ the Lord has done for 
 you." She replied, "O, I shall be most happy to 
 do so." 
 
 I well knew the effect it would have, for she was 
 a proud and giddy girl. All her family were of a 
 like stripe. Her father prided himself on their 
 pleasure-seeking habits. The father and daughters, 
 
150 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 being good singers, generally sat in the gallery. 
 Sabbath came, and a large congregation filled the 
 house. As I entered, I thought it was like Israel s 
 Bethel, "None other than the house of God and 
 gate of Heaven." " God is here." The text was 
 Isaiah li. 3 : "And he will make her wilderness 
 like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the 
 Lord ; joy and gladness shall be found therein, 
 thanksgiving and the voice of melody." 
 
 I felt like another man, and all the church seemed 
 transformed into a better state of religious life. As 
 soon as I closed my talk, Miss T. rose up in her 
 place in the gallery, and poured out a full soul of 
 joy, and then of invitation to her young associates 
 in sin to come to Jesus and be saved. It was like a 
 shock of electricity on saints and sinners. In a few 
 days I baptized the father, mother, Evaline, Emily, 
 Roscoe, Clarence and Dell. 
 
 Now, our work had assumed such proportions 
 that I felt the need of aid. So I resolved to get an 
 early start for LeRoy, nine miles off, and get Brother 
 Ichabod Clark to come over and help us. I arrived 
 before any of the family was up. As he opened the 
 door, he exclaimed : "Why, Brother Stimson, 
 what brought you here so early in the morning?" 
 
PARMA. 151 
 
 "The Lord," I replied. "Well, then, lam glad to 
 have you come. Take a seat, and I will stir up a 
 fire." "I have come after you, Brother Clark, and 
 you must go with me to Bethany, for the Lord hath 
 need of thee. " I went on to tell him what the 
 Master was doing among us, and he replied, "We 
 will see after breakfast." 
 
 So, after the meal and devotions, we went to his 
 study. He began by saying: "Now, Brother 
 H. K., I could go to Bethany if it was duty to do 
 so. But God has manifested himself to your 
 people by his Spirit in a most wonderfuUway, and 
 you and your church, under His guiding hand and 
 Spirit s influence, are all the help you need. Now, 
 go home and hold on to Jesus by prayer, and do 
 not go after any minister or man. I will pray for 
 you, but can t go." Anybody that ever knew 
 Ichabod Clark can imagine with what decision he 
 said this. 
 
 I thought it a "bitter pill," and went home to my 
 work with less confidence in self or any man, but 
 with stronger confidence in God and the Spirit s 
 power to carry on the revival. 
 
 During the progress of the gracious work, there 
 was not a little agitation in some quarters on the 
 
152 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 subject of baptism. A Dr. J. K. B. was quite 
 zealous in opposing the ordinance as we administer 
 it, and, as they admit, is Scriptural. Whenever 
 a chance occurred, he would improve it. He had 
 been a "head-center" in one of the churches in 
 town for a number of years, and was chagrined to 
 see the Baptists prospering, while his own denomi 
 nation had run down to such an extent that the 
 meeting-house was sold for a school-house. He 
 was one day called on to attend a family profession 
 ally, for he was an M. D. There were a number 
 of ladies from the neighborhood present, but none 
 of them Baptists, except one old lady from New 
 England, a Mrs. P. She was seated quietly in the 
 corner. Some of the women asked the Doctor how 
 the revival was progressing in the "Center." He 
 replied, "Oh, they are going on as watery as ever. 
 I expect we shall have a great time of sickness this 
 spring, as that pale-faced Stimson is dipping them 
 every Sunday in the creek, cutting the ice and 
 wading through the deep snow, enough to kill an 
 Indian. Half of them will have the consumption in 
 less than a year. As for Stimson, he won t live till 
 April, the way he is going on. I wish there was 
 some law to stop this foolish waste of human life." 
 
PARMA. 153 
 
 Mother P., who had heard it all, conceived that 
 he had spoken disrespectfully of her pastor, and 
 interrupted him in his tirade by saying : "Doctor, 
 I don t like to hear you talk so about our dear 
 minister. We all think he is a good man, and the 
 Lord is manifestly blessing his labors here in 
 Bethany and all around us." The Doctor interrupted 
 her with : "Oh, Mrs. P., I did not think you were a 
 Baptist when I spoke. Beg your pardon, madam. 
 I have not a word to say against Elder Stimson. 
 He is a good neighbor, and as social, friendly a man 
 as we have at the Center/ I was only saying, 
 Mother P., that I thought it imprudent for him to 
 be going into the water this cold weather in the 
 winter, exposing himself and others." She replied : 
 "Well, Doctor, we Baptists believe this to be the 
 right way, as Jesus went into the water and the 
 eunuch went into the water to be baptized; and 
 then young converts are always so happy when they 
 come up out of the water. I know I was when I 
 was baptized, and it was a cold day too, and it 
 never hurt me a bit." "Oh, nonsense," says the 
 Doctor; "I was happy when I was baptized, and I 
 was not immersed, either." 
 
 "Well, doctor, du tell me your experience about 
 
154 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 that, for in Connecticut I have seen a great many 
 sprinkled, grown-up people and babies too, and I 
 never heard any express a bit of joy no more than 
 they would at a funeral. Come, now, du jest tell 
 us all about it." "Well, mother P., it was on this 
 wise : My parents had neglected to have me bap 
 tized when a child. I was a young man when I 
 thought I d better join the church. So we all went 
 down to the little brook, one bright June morning, 
 and / went down into the water, mother P., and 
 kneeled down, and the minister dipped up some 
 water in his hand and poured it on my head, saying, 
 Jonathan K. B., I baptize you in the name of the 
 Father, and my heart dilated with joy ; and then he 
 dipped his hand in again and poured the water on 
 my head, and said, and in the name of the Son, 
 and I was so happy I thought the very heavens 
 would open ; and then the minister dipped his hand 
 the third time in the water, and poured it on my 
 head, and said, * in the name of the Holy Ghost ; and 
 I was so filled with joy that I felt that I should go 
 up through the clouds." "Why, du tell, doctor," 
 the old lady was looking him full in the face " du 
 tell, doctor; if you had gone in all over as we 
 Baptists do, what would have become of you?" 
 
PAKMA. 155 
 
 All joined in a hearty laugh at the doctor s ex 
 pense. The old lady s logical conclusion was more 
 than equal to his trumped up wit. As soon as I 
 heard of it, I called on the doctor to know about 
 how much he had made off mother. His reply was : 
 "Not much." 
 
 The revival went on in grand majesty, clear into 
 August of that year. The church was edified, and 
 much people was added to the Lord. 
 
 The Genesee Baptist Association was then among 
 the largest in Western New York, and had as effi 
 cient a class of ministers as could be found in any 
 part of the land. But few of them had what is called 
 a liberal education, but they were men of great 
 common sense, and of deep piety. And those among 
 them that had enjoyed the advantages of a classical 
 and theological training, did not assume that they 
 knew all; that their brethren of less advantages knew 
 little or nothing. But there was a mutual disposi 
 tion to help, among the two classes of the precious 
 brotherhood. The learned always gladly and frater 
 nally instructed and advised the younger and less 
 learned. Criticism was not given in an officious, 
 offensive way, but always with a kindliness that 
 
156 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 evinced the spirit of love and good will. It was also 
 received in the same spirit of fraternal affection. 
 
 So in their labors. If the interests in one part 
 of the Association demanded help from outside, the 
 field brethren would go and stay one, two and four 
 weeks at a time. Thus a familiar and happy state 
 of feeling was kept up. Our associational conferences 
 were great sources of instruction and help to the 
 youthful ministers. As for myself, they were a real 
 theological school in which I received lessons of 
 great usefulness in our practical pastoral work, and 
 in preaching the Gospel to my people. 
 
 In many cases they were also sources of spiritual 
 profit to the churches where they were held. The 
 members would come out and fill the house day and 
 night. They were not cold, formal convocations, 
 presided over by the spirit of ministerial etiquette 
 and dead formality. We had no "D. D." among us 
 then as we knew of. And yet we had, if it means 
 teacher of Divine Truth. If it ever had any mean 
 ing, that s it. We were not slaves of technical, 
 parliamentary rules. We were constrained chiefly 
 by the loyal law of love. The motto of all seemed 
 to be, "Work much; love much." 
 
 The decay of the old fashioned Associational 
 
PARMA. 157 
 
 meeting is certainly to be regretted. Whatever 
 may have led to this decay, I do not pretend to say ; 
 but of its fact and calamity, there can be no ques 
 tion. Even young men can remember the time 
 when the "Association" meant much more than it 
 does to-day, and they deplore it at least some of 
 them as well as we whose steps are Hearing our 
 resting place. I am told by some apologists of the 
 change, that this is an age of steam and electricity, 
 and that everything is changed in consequence. 
 That may be the cause ; if it is, the fact is just as 
 much to be regretted. For we cannot love each 
 other by steam and electricity. They may be good 
 in their places, but they can never take the place of 
 fraternity. As a substitute for the old methods of 
 conveyance, and intelligence even, they do not work 
 to the increase of our religious gatherings. When 
 the travel was by wagon and horseback, the breth 
 ren would come together from a wider circle of 
 country than now, and the place would be filled 
 with the people and with the presence of the Master. 
 It may be we have outgrown the necessity for such 
 religious gatherings. It may be that they belong 
 to a past age, and cannot be revived in their primi 
 tive power. If so, I am glad that I, too, belong to 
 
158 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 a former generation. All these inventions having in 
 view quicker transit and more general intelligence, 
 are good and to be sought for, provided they are 
 used for God and His Truth. But if they are not 
 used by us for this noble end, their materialistic 
 influence will creep into our spirits and deaden them 
 to higher spiritual things. "The earth" must be 
 made to help "the woman." 
 
 Perhaps I should give a list of these ministers 
 then in the Genesee Association. Many of them 
 have passed away. I will mark such with a * : 
 
 Joseph Elliott,* of Wyoming ; Ichabod Clark,* of 
 LeKoy; W. W. Smith, of Batavia; William 
 Arthur, of Perry; Abraham Annis,* of Warsaw; 
 Jesse Elliott, of LaGrange ; James Read,* of 
 Castile; O. D. Taylor, of Attica; Leonard Anson,* 
 of Pine Hill; Martain Coleman,* of Byron ; Elon 
 Galusha,* of Perry ; B. N. Leach,* of Middlebury ; 
 Harrison Daniels, of LeRoy ; H. B. Ewell, of 
 Pavillion ; R. C. Palmer, of Wyoming ; Bela 
 Wilcox,* of Darien; I. H. Roscoe, of Pembrok; 
 David Taylor, of York ; C. M. Fuller,* of Pike ; 
 John Trowbridge, of Wethersfield Springs ; S. M. 
 Stimson, of Batavia ; Augustus Warren, of Alabama ; 
 W. I. Crane, of Middlebury; Emery Curtis, of 
 
PARMA. 159 
 
 Morganville ; S. A. Esty,* of Batavia, and James 
 Mallory. 
 
 There may be others whom I have failed to 
 recollect. Here are twenty-six, and just one-half 
 have gone to the better land. Thirteen, besides 
 myself, remain. The most of them are younger 
 than myself, three or four are older. Those of the 
 above number, who enjoyed a partial or a full course 
 of study, also number thirteen. Only three, I 
 believe, had received a full course at college. 
 
 At our ministerial conferences, we had the custom 
 of giving out subjects for essays, exegeses and 
 sketches of sermons, purely for the sake of mutual 
 improvement a good plan, wherever it is practiced. 
 The young ministers were recommended to write 
 sermons and deliver them to their congregations, 
 and then bring them to the conference for criticism. 
 Among other young men to whom was assigned this 
 part was myself. I begged to be excused, as I was 
 not in the habit of writing sermons. But no excuse 
 was allowed, and it was urged it would improve me 
 in composition and the arrangement of sermons. 
 And, then, I would have three long months in 
 which to prepare. So I reluctantly accepted the 
 situation, and as soon as I got home I set myself 
 about my task. 
 
160 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 First, I got me a quantity of sermon paper. 
 Second, I had to find a text. I chose Jonah iii. 2 : 
 "Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach 
 unto it the preaching that I bid thee." Third, I 
 commenced writing. I went on awhile, and then 
 tore it up and put it in the fire ; began again, and 
 then quit ; and after a month s work on it, had got a 
 short introduction that I was not willing even my 
 wife should read, and did not like to look at it 
 myself a great while at a time. Went on again at 
 odd spells, and the second month was nearly out 
 and I had not finished up "firstly." I tried to hurry 
 up, and the more I hurried the slower the thing 
 went. I began to be worried. Time was short, 
 and I was a slow writer, that was evident. I now 
 resolved to double my diligence and put the thing 
 through by daylight and lamplight. The Saturday 
 night before the conference, about midnight, I 
 wrote that expressive word, "Amen." As the rule 
 was to read it, or preach it, to my own congregation 
 before I presented it to the body for whom it was 
 principally prepared, I hid the precious thing in my 
 overcoat and started for the meeting-house. While 
 the choir was singing the first hymn, I removed the 
 document from my coat pocket to the Bible. I got 
 
PAKMA. 161 
 
 a deacon to pray, for I dare not. The choir sang 
 the hymn : 
 
 " Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing 
 My dear Redeemer s praise." 
 
 I read my text, and just at that moment a tall 
 brother up in the gallery stretched up his long neck 
 to see what I was about, and I lost my place by 
 turning over two leaves at once. By that time fifty 
 eyes were gazing from each side of the gallery, with 
 a silent wonder, "what is the matter with the 
 minister?" I then re-read the text; but, "no go." 
 I got out of my fix by saying : "If the Lord had 
 called me to preach, He never had intimated in the 
 call that I should read my sermons." On which I 
 laid the precious effusion one side, went about 
 preaching as usual, from the same text, and had a 
 good time. I related the facts to the Association, 
 and the brethren very kindly excused us, and never 
 appointed us to read a sermon again. We make no 
 war on written sermons, but, as they say out West, 
 they are not our "best holt." 
 
162 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 A TRIAL OF OPEN COMMUNION. 
 
 IN the town of Bethany was a "Free Will Baptist 
 church," of quite a large membership. This 
 same great revival had extended into their families 
 extensively. Their children had a strong prefer 
 ence for our services. Already a few adults had 
 joined with us recently from the F. W. church, as 
 our chorister and his family, and one of our deacons, 
 had joined us from them some years before. But 
 still the objection existed in the minds of many of 
 these youth to that great bug-bear, close communion. 
 For some cause, they had become alienated from the 
 "Free Church," as it was called, and did not want 
 to join there. So here they stood. The subject 
 was discussed in private circulars, and ministers 
 were imported into town who encompassed (if not 
 sea and land) every school district at least, and the 
 "war-whoop" was heard on every hand, "close 
 communion." 
 
A TRIAL OF OPEN COMMUNION. 163 
 
 I kept about the Master s work, taking no con 
 spicuous part in this side issue, as we were quite 
 confident the Baptist church in Bethany could live 
 with Divine help, if these persons did not unite with 
 us. Still, the door was open the doors of a true 
 church are always open. No minister has the power 
 to open them. Jesus Christ openeth, and no man 
 shutteth ; and shutteh, and no man openeth. And 
 they could come in if they would. 
 
 At a covenant meeting with a full attendance, and 
 when many were presenting themselves as candi 
 dates for baptism, and all were in a high state of 
 religious enjoyment, a prominent member of the 
 church arose and moved "that the pastor be 
 instructed to invite to the Lord s table, all such 
 Christians as had been immersed on a profession of 
 their faith, and were in good standing in evangelical 
 churches." His motion was at once seconded. All 
 was as still as a dark cellar. The old men and 
 women of the church appeared to be "dumfounded." 
 The brother who made the motion was a man of 
 large influence in the community and in the church, 
 as was the brother who sustained the motion. I 
 suggested, "Brethren, this is an important step. 
 Let us move cautiously in the matter. If any 
 
164 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 brother or sister has any remarks to make, use your 
 liberty and speak freely. Due deference will be 
 paid to your views and feelings." Not a word was 
 spoken. All silent. " Brethren, what will you 
 do?" "Question," "Question," from a number. 
 "Are you ready for the motion?" "The question 
 is called for." And the vote was carried without a 
 single negative. Eighty voted for it. 
 
 The result was, these "Free Will" friends came 
 into the church like a flock of sheep over a stone 
 wall, scared by wolves on the other side. "The 
 after clap " : The church was like the boy who 
 drew the elephant : no hay to feed him on no stable 
 to put him in. Decidedly a big thing on our hands. 
 The next day we baptized thirty-three, and at the 
 communion, followed the instructions given by the 
 church in Bethany (not so strictly those in our 
 commission from the Lord) . 
 
 Eighty-four came to the Supper from the Presby 
 terian, Methodist, and Free Will Baptist congre 
 gations, and two from the Universalists. They said 
 "they had been dipped; and thought the Univer 
 salists were evangelical." (Our elephant began to 
 bellow for food, and not a lock of hay to give him.) 
 The next month at the Lord s Supper, there came 
 
A TRIAL OF OPEN COMMUNION. 165 
 
 thirty-one. At the third, thirteen of the invited 
 guests. At the fourth, five. (Our big animal gave 
 signs of falling into a decline.) At the end of eight 
 mouths, none of our invited guests cared to take 
 the trouble to commune with us. (He had died a 
 natural death.) 
 
 The church soon rescinded the motion by an 
 overwhelming majority, and voted to give letters to 
 all discontents. Five took letters. Three of them 
 went to the "Free Wills," and two to the devil. 
 (The elephant was buried.) 
 
 [A few Pedobaptists, like Dr. John Hall of New 
 York, have the magnanimity to accept the statement 
 of the communion question as w^e Baptists put it. 
 Which is the more bigoted? The "bigotry" to hold 
 conscientiously to a valid principle, if it is unpopular, 
 or the practice of ignoring the issue we make, and 
 raising an issue wholly foreign to the question, that 
 we do not make ? If it isn t bigotry or dishonesty to 
 talk as many Pedobaptists talk on this communion 
 question, as related to the Baptist practice, it is great 
 ignorance and stupidity. ("We use great plainness 
 of speech.") In no sense is the communion a test 
 of Christianity. To say that by our practice we 
 " unchristianize " other denominations, is most absurd. 
 It is too puerile to deserve refutation, especially as 
 it has been refuted from time immemorial. But 
 Pedobaptists, we are inclined to believe, feel the 
 real point of our protest against their practice much 
 
166 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE 
 
 oftener than they are ready to admit. The issue is 
 the baptismal question, and they must know it, if 
 they stop to think a moment. They are not confi 
 dent generally, in their practice of sprinkling and 
 pouring for baptism. Our protest against this dis 
 turbs them. If we admitted their practice as Scrip 
 tural on the question of baptism, they wouldn t care 
 enough about our communion to say a word on the 
 subject. ED.] 
 
 Dr. Hall says in his recent book, entitled, 
 Questions of the 
 
 1 Close communion, that is, the restriction of the Lord s table to 
 those who have been baptized in the way held by the denomination, 
 is being assailed by many in the interests of catholicity. Whether the 
 assailants act wisely or kindly in that matter, or not, is an open 
 question. It is a course of doubtful catholicity to raise a popular cry 
 against a most valuable body of people, who honestly defend and 
 consistently go through with, what they deem an important principle ; 
 and more particularly when they have some little internal embarrass 
 ment on the subject. Our love for the brethren should include, surely, 
 the Baptist brethren. 
 
 * Charity suffereth long and is kind. And it is doubtful if, consid 
 ering the lengths to which liberal ideas have been carried in the 
 country, there be not some gain to the community as a whole from a 
 large denomination making a stand at a particular point, and reminding 
 their brethren that there are church matters which we are not bound, 
 are not even at liberty to settle according to the popular demand, as 
 we should settle the route of a railroad. 
 
 Equally candid and unusual are the remarks of 
 the Interior, of Chicago, one of the ablest 
 Presbyterian papers of the country : 
 
 We ask at the hands of our sister denominations the liberty to 
 execute our own laws, to know our own theology, and to manage our 
 
A TRIAL OF OPEN COMMUNION. 167 
 
 affairs, without being made the subjects of ungenerous criticism. And 
 this which we ask for ourselves, we very freely accord to others. The 
 difference between our Baptist brethren and ourselves is an important 
 difference. We agree with them, however, in saying that unbaptized 
 persons should not partake of the Lord s Supper. Their views compel 
 them to believe that we are not baptized, and shut them up to close 
 communion. Close communion, in our judgment, is a more defensible 
 position than open communion, which is justified on the ground that 
 baptism is not pre-requisite to the partaking of the Lord s Supper. 
 
 To chide Baptists with bigotry because they abide by the logical 
 consequences of their system is absurd. We think that they are wrong 
 hi reference to the mode and subjects of baptism, and should not hesi 
 tate to take ground against their interpretation, but we would not be 
 silent about the interpretation, and then charge them with bigotry for 
 a consistent adherence to their interpretation. 
 
168 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 AN OLD SORE SECOND WIDOWHOOD. 
 
 ON opposite sides of a narrow street in Bethany, 
 lived two neighbors, who were also brethren in 
 the Baptist church. They were also wealthy, one of 
 them the richest man in the church. They had never 
 lived in peace with each other. Their chief quarrel, 
 which became chronic, was about "line fences," and 
 where the water should flow, that the Lord sent in 
 showers on their large landed estates. And then, 
 on all the matters of common dealing, and they are 
 numerous in a rural neighborhood as was ours, there 
 was no real agreement. But the influence of the 
 almost continued revival for four years, had kept the 
 thing in check, so that no serious eruption was visible 
 until 1839-40, when the thing assumed such an aggra 
 vated form that " catnip tea " or " poppy-blow leaves 
 made into a poultice," would not cure or even ease 
 the pain. (Both the patients suffered terribly. So 
 did the patience of those who had anything to do 
 with them.) The whole community was cognizant 
 
AN OLD SORE. 169 
 
 of the unhappy state of affairs in the Baptist church : 
 so much so that it was talked of in all circles. Men 
 of the world would throw it in our teeth on the 
 street and in public places. The church had made 
 a number of efforts to conciliate them, and in some 
 way settle their difficulty permanently. But all in 
 vain. 
 
 A medical council was held. Dr. Discipline and 
 Dr. Chairman of the Committee reported the case 
 incurable, and the moral constitution so impaired 
 that amputation had become necessary, to arrest the 
 spread of gangrene through the whole body. Mr. 
 Outside said, if we did cut off these excrescences, 
 we should be prosecuted for malpractice. Mr. 
 World said, we cannot take them into our infirmary 
 without bonds well-secured for good behavior. That 
 of course we could not give, knowing the cases in 
 hand. 
 
 Thus the thing stood for months, and we were 
 afraid the disease would become a contagion ; and 
 so we proposed to leave the situation to other 
 parties, if something was not done speedily, to save 
 the body by prompt surgical operation. So a day 
 was appointed, and the doctors and the nurses, with 
 their bandages and lint and bottles of lotions and 
 
170 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 all-healing ointments, came together. The patients 
 came, and the operating table was brought out. As 
 Man-order-qf-the-day , I tried to magnify my office 
 and not give offense to either the body in health or 
 the affected members. The doctors had decided to 
 operate on one at a time, meantime giving the other 
 an opium pill. After cutting awhile and bandaging 
 the dullness of the instruments having much to do 
 with his flouncing the amputation was safely 
 effected; and the night coming on, the other case 
 was postponed indefinitely. 
 
 A singular sort of delirium set in, during which 
 the patient made me the sole object of his spleen, 
 turning away altogether from the one with whom he 
 had had such frequent and unholy conflicts. The 
 church had peace as a consequence of this necessary 
 action ; but I had none. Wealth and family rela 
 tions did all that could be done to make my situation 
 uncomfortable, and to hinder my usefulness. 
 
 Here it might be remarked, that the devil is more 
 devilish in a Baptist church than anywhere else. 
 The freedom given the individual in this Church 
 fosters both the growth of the graces in true 
 Christians, and develops the satanic traits in the 
 human devils who creep into the fold. The most 
 
AN OLD SORE. 171 
 
 execrable specimens, most filled with unadulterated, 
 cunning devilishness, of the genus Christian that we 
 ever met with or heard of in an evangelical church, 
 we have "seen and handled" in a Baptist church. 
 The only principle on which you can account for 
 the continued presence of such satanic hirelings in 
 an otherwise good and peaceful and devoted church, 
 even against repeated protests, sometimes formally 
 made, is this from Holy Writ, that "whom the 
 Lord loveth He chasteneth." 
 
 [No Eoman Inquisition is equal in diabolical inge 
 nuity of torture to these "sons of Belial" in some of 
 their practices, especially invented for the destruc 
 tion of the peace and usefulness of pastor and church. 
 Get rid of such characters, if they own half the king 
 dom ; and when out once, keep them out. ED.] 
 
 It is said that trouble never comes single-handed. 
 Just at this juncture, when this man was trying me 
 with all the arts of wicked cunning, my dear wife 
 sickened and died of consumption, leaving me the 
 second time in sad widowhood. We had been 
 married less than three years. My children were 
 yet small, and, in addition to the four left by my 
 first wife, my second wife left a daughter eleven 
 months old, 
 
172 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 In 1837, I was married to Miss Loretta M., 
 daughter of Dr. Isaac Olney.* She was at this time 
 a teacher in a select school at Sodus, Wayne 
 county, New York. 
 
 The following obituary was written on her death : 
 
 DIED On the 22d day of May, 1840, at Bethany, Genesee county, 
 New York, Sister LORETTA M. STIMSON, wife of Elder H. K. Stimson, 
 in the 28th year of her age. 
 
 In her death, Zion has lost one of her warmest friends, her husband 
 an affectionate wife, and her children a careful and tender mother. 
 In her case, there was a most striking exemplification of the power 
 and efficacy of Divine grace, in causing the soul to triumph in the 
 prospect and pangs of death. It may truly be said of her, that in 
 health she was amiable and devout, in sickness patient and submissive, 
 and in death peaceful and triumphant. The funeral was attended by 
 a numerous concourse of people, all of whom seemed to feel that in 
 the departure of the deceased they had sustained a great loss. 
 
 The occasion was improved by Elder I. Clark, D. D., of LeRoy, in 
 an appropriate and impressive discourse from Phil. i. 21 : " For to 
 me to live is Christ, but to die is gain." 
 
 This is the second time that Brother Stimson has been thus bereaved, 
 and he is now left with five small children and other dear relatives to 
 mourn the loss. 
 
 While thus sorely and repeatedly afflicted, we would bespeak the 
 prayers and sympathy of the Christian community in his behalf. 
 
 * Dr. Olney was a graduate of the medical college at Fairfield, New 
 York. In the war of 1812 he was a surgeon in the United States 
 army, under the command of Gen. Brown, and stationed at Sackett s 
 Harbor. Soon after the close of the war, he moved to Parma, New 
 York, and commenced the practice of his profession, which he followed 
 until his death, which occurred in 1832, leaving his family of six 
 children, five daughters and one son, to the care of his widow. Dr. 
 Olney was a Christian gentleman and highly respected by all who 
 knew him, and esteemed as a physician and surgeon of great skill. 
 All his children became teachers. 
 
AN OLD SORE. 173 
 
 Ah I dear LORETTA, whither art thou gone? 
 
 And what thy state, and who thy partner now? 
 Ah 1 tell me, dost thou dwell alone ? 
 
 Or with the heavenly myriads bow? 
 
 My dearest husband, Heaven s now my resting place ; 
 
 Joy is my state and Christ my partner here ; 
 He takes me in His near embrace, 
 
 And makes me His peculiar care. 
 
 O. D. TAYLOR. 
 
 The following lines were composed by Mrs. 
 LORETTA STIMSON, May 13th, 1840 : 
 
 How glorious is our God, 
 
 Who sent His Son to die, 
 That we, His creatures, full of sin, 
 
 Might reign above the sky. 
 
 He sends His love to me, 
 
 In times of sorest need 
 He will His good bestow on thee, 
 
 If it of Him thou plead. 
 
 In the autumn of 1840, by the advice of the 
 ministers and others of our Association, I devoted 
 the winter to labor among the churches in holding 
 meetings with the pastors, and supplying destitute 
 churches for a longer or shorter time. There were 
 great revivals at Batavia, Attica and West Mid- 
 dlebury. 
 
174 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 EVANGELIZING. PASTORATE AT WARSAW. 
 
 SAVING resigned my pastorate at Bethany, I 
 accepted a call from the church at Warsaw, 
 Wyoming County, New York, and in April, 1841, 
 began my pastoral work under the most forbidding 
 circumstances I had ever experienced in eleven 
 years as a pastor. They had been a large and 
 efficient body, but divisions and bad management 
 had reduced them in numbers and spirituality. The 
 singular, unpardonable whim of having their house 
 of worship a full half mile from where it ought to 
 be, for the mere sake of having it on a hill, also 
 operated most injuriously, as might be known on 
 general principles. What with distance and bad 
 sidewalks, the congregations were of course small. 
 Talnieige or Spurgeon couldn t have made them very 
 large. The house, after you had reached it, was as 
 uninviting as the walk was unwelcome, even in hot 
 or cold weather. Though it had been built fourteen 
 
PASTORATE AT WARSAW. 175 
 
 or fifteen years, the interior of it had never been 
 painted. When will the children of light be as wise 
 in their generation as the children of this world ? 
 
 . The church had enjoyed the ministrations of some 
 of the best talent in the denomination : Peter 
 Freeman*, Walling, Joseph Elliott, Daniel Barnard*, 
 B. Wilcox, and Abraham Annis, all good men and 
 true. Two or three of my predecessors had made 
 efforts to move the meeting-house into the village. 
 But they always ended in bad feelings, and were the 
 cause of separation between pastors and people ; 
 the south portion of the church contending for the 
 old situation "on the hill where it could be seen." 
 
 With this state of things existing, I entered the 
 field. It had but one redeeming feature, so far as 
 external appearances were concerned, viz : the town 
 had become the county seat of the new county 
 of Wyoming. In my engagement with the church, 
 I suggested a new house of worship, or one in the 
 village. "I am not going to talk about it, but when 
 the time comes, I want you all to lift until you 
 can see stars, and no flinching." 
 
 Things soon changed "on the hill," and in the 
 village. We had secured a good choir. In the 
 village we had organized a first-class Sabbath school, 
 
176 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 and secured a good room in which to hold it and 
 evening prayer meetings. And things went on that 
 summer with a good degree of zeal and harmony. 
 The next winter we had a pleasant revival, in which 
 the church was strengthened in spirit, and an 
 addition of twenty-eight new converts made to the 
 membership ; and all with the disadvantage of " the 
 old house on the hill where it could be seen." 
 
 In the course of this year we had learned that one 
 man stood in the way of moving the house, he claim 
 ing a moneyed interest in it to the amount of five 
 hundred dollars. In a pleasant conversation I had 
 with him, I got his consent to a removal of the house, 
 but when the time came for him to sign the contract 
 for the removal, he declined, saying that : "there was 
 no need of a Baptist church in town." He had once 
 been a member, but was excluded for immoral con 
 duct. In the majority of cases, it is a safe rule to 
 have but little to do with excluded members of Bap 
 tist churches. They are not to be trusted.- They 
 are fit for "stratagems and spoils." 
 
 A subscription was started the very hour he 
 declined, nine o clock A. M., and at ten o clock p. M. 
 we had on it two thousand eight hundred and 
 twenty-five dollars for a new church edifice in the 
 
PASTORATE AT WARSAW. 177 
 
 village, and in less than one year the house was 
 dedicated; the best then in the town. And the 
 crowning glory of all was, the church was permitted 
 to enter it in a full blaze of revival work. On the 
 first Lord s day after we entered our new house, six 
 were baptized ; the next, fifteen, and so on for eleven 
 Sabbaths in succession. 
 
 But no sooner than it became quite certain that 
 the Baptists were going to have a house in the 
 village, than a different manner was evinced towards 
 the church and pastor. We were all right when up 
 on the hill, but now things were changed. The 
 sweet treatment of the pastor by the other ministers 
 had changed to "cold shoulder," and that without 
 "bread or mustard." Our sentiments were not 
 orthodox, as we did not believe in the good old New 
 England practice of infant church membership, and 
 sprinkling for baptism. That was a change. When 
 we were up "on the hill" where we could be "seen" 
 we exchanged pulpits with those in the village, but 
 now it was not desirable to exchange with us. The 
 Baptists had but a small congregation when they were 
 worshiping on the lofty "hill." Now they had a 
 large congregation, and as large a Sabbath school as 
 any in the place, and composed of a class of people 
 
178 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 as "good as the best of mankind." All that was a 
 change. 
 
 Then there were many who had met with a change 
 of heart, and not a few had changed their views in 
 regard to baptism and had been immersed, in obedi 
 ence to the command of Jesus. This last change 
 was the provocation of a wordy war. The pulpits 
 in town were like so many batteries turned upon the 
 Baptist church, for changing their location and 
 coming into the village. As though they had a 
 religious pre-emption right to the territory of the 
 town! "Up on the hill where they could be seen" 
 they were permitted to enjoy uninterrupted peace. 
 Some of our brethren thought we ought to respond 
 to these broadside attacks of the big guns, lest it 
 should be implied that we were a little cowardly. 
 But we replied, "No, by no means ; God has more 
 important work for us, and we ought to be contented 
 as long as souls are being converted to Christ every 
 day, and every Lord s day we are going to the stream 
 to baptize. God is blessing us in a wonderful 
 manner, and we will not be guilty of stopping the 
 work by engaging in controversy. If it shall ever 
 seem necessary to expose their false and unscrip- 
 tural attacks, and I am not equal to the emergency, 
 
PASTORATE AT WARSAW. 179 
 
 the church will be at liberty to dismiss me, and get 
 a man who is equal to the task." 
 
 This quieted the disposition to reply to the 
 attacks made upon us, and the work continued 
 under the reigning power of the Spirit until about 
 June. But the war against baptism did not abate, 
 for a lawyer* in the place, a man of influence, who 
 had been educated for the Episcopal ministry, had 
 the independence to ignore his infant sprinkling and 
 former connection with that church, and had 
 requested baptism as a believer in Christ and salva 
 tion by faith. The church had received him as a 
 candidate for baptism, and had requested him to 
 give his reasons for this change in his views. He 
 consented, and the next Sunday was appointed for 
 his doctrinal experience, and baptism. In the 
 morning, he occupied the pulpit an hour and a half 
 with a clear and searching history of sprinkling as a 
 substitute for the ordinance of immersion, and his 
 reasons for change of belief and church membership. 
 It was a complete vindication of the Baptist 
 practice. 
 
 Soon after this, I was informed that one of the 
 ministers of the place had an appointment on a 
 
 * Hon. J. E. Doolittle, now Tresitleiit of Chicago University. 
 
180 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 week day to preach at East Orangeville on the 
 subject of baptism ; and a convert invited me to 
 attend and listen to an expose of the Baptist fallacy 
 of immersion. He had been induced to join the 
 Methodist class, and had been sprinkled by this 
 Rev. Mr. Judd, with the assurance that it was 
 Scriptural baptism, and he would prove it to him 
 at this Thursday s meeting at East Orangeville. I 
 consented to attend. 
 
 It so happened that I went into the house in time 
 of prayer and was unobserved, taking a seat in the 
 back part of the room, and the reverend gentleman 
 being near-sighted, did not discover that I was 
 among his hearers. So he commenced his tirade 
 of misrepresentation of the Baptists, with a plentiful 
 quantity of abuse heaped on Elder H. K. Stimson. 
 He tried to be sarcastic, but his points were too 
 clumsily made and too stale to have any power. I 
 sat quiet and took notes. (I have them yet.) He 
 held the congregation an hour-and-a-half (not 
 spell-bound, but by the "button"). At the close 
 of this "sermon," he called upon a brother H. M. to 
 pray. Now, this brother was a Methodist exhorter 
 and a warm friend of mine. He knew I was present, 
 and made special mention of me in a prayer, saying 
 
PASTORATE AT WARSAW. 181 
 
 he " blessed God that Brother Stimson had been sent 
 into that valley, and had been so successful in winning 
 souls to Christ." 
 
 All this time, Rev. Mr. Judd was peeking about 
 the house to see where I was. He then called upon 
 the congregation to sing : 
 
 " A charge to keep I have." 
 
 At the conclusion of the song, I arose from my 
 corner and said to Mr. Judd, "Can I give out an 
 appointment?" To which he replied, "Certainly." 
 I then gave notice that the next Lord s day, at one 
 o clock P. M., I would discuss the following propo 
 sitions : 
 
 1st. That infant church membership, with 
 sprinkling for the ordinance of baptism, was a 
 tradition of man and without Scripture proof. 
 
 2d. That the "Methodist Episcopal Church" was 
 a human institution and without Divine authority. 
 
 3d. That believers are the only proper subjects 
 of baptism, and immersion the only valid act. 
 
 4th. That Mr. Judd had told six lies. 
 
 If you have ever seen a hornet s nest disturbed 
 
 .by throwing stones at it, you can have some correct 
 
 idea of the situation within those four walls. One 
 
182 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 good large sister approached me, saying : "Well, 
 I think you are a pretty man to come here and 
 charge our minister with lying." To which I 
 calmly replied : " Then, my good sister, you should 
 have a minister that won t lie about his neighbors 
 and brethren." I also invited all to attend and 
 bring their Bibles with them. I returned home and 
 set to work preparing for our next Sunday s 
 meeting. 
 
 The excitement all over the country spread like 
 the fire in the Philistines corn, with Samson s foxes 
 on the full run. I had made such preparation as 
 the short time would afford. At one o clock in the 
 afternoon of the Sabbath, not only the house, but 
 the streets and vacant places about the house, were 
 alive with human beings. As I went in, I found in 
 the doorway five clergymen : three Methodists, one 
 Presbyterian and one Congregationalist. I found 
 that they had no seats, so I arranged to accommo 
 date them with comfortable places. I also took in, 
 with help, a two-bushel basket full of books, many 
 of them I had sent miles to obtain for this occasion. 
 The ministers looked a little wild at the books. 
 
 After the opening song, I called on one of them 
 (not Judd) to pray. I then made the following 
 
PASTORATE AT WARSAW. 183 
 
 statement : "If in this discussion to-day I make 
 any misrepresentation, or false quotation of the 
 Pedobaptist authors, or misstatements of any min 
 ister s words, I shall be obliged to any clergyman or 
 other gentleman to call my attention to my mistake, 
 and I will stand corrected, if found in an error." I 
 stated the why of my appearing in a discussion. 
 I had called upon a friend to read from the authors 
 the quotations that I might make. 
 
 We will not detain the reader to rehearse the 
 arguments by which we sustained our first three 
 propositions. Suffice it to say, we were not called 
 to order by any one present, and so we concluded 
 we did not misrepresent their position or misquote 
 their authors. We came to the fourth proposition, 
 and sustained it to the satisfaction of every candid 
 hearer; and "Brother" Judd, then and there, 
 "swallowed" three out of the six falsehoods he had 
 told in the pulpit. The only apology he oflered 
 was, he "was told so." 
 
 We occupied three hours and fifteen minutes in 
 this talk, without intermission. And thus ended 
 this "bloodless, wordy and watery war." About the 
 only reference, to the subject afterwards, was made 
 the next year by Mr. Judd s successor, and by the 
 
184 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 way, a very clever Christian gentleman, and on this 
 wise : My garden lay beside the walk on the main 
 street. This brother and his wife came walking 
 along one evening, just as I was watering my 
 cabbages with a common watering pot. "Ah !" says 
 he, "then you do believe in sprinkling, I see, Brother 
 Stimson?" "Oh, yes," I replied; "for cabbage- 
 heads it may do them good." He and his good 
 wife laughed and walked on. 
 
 During the following winter, the community was 
 a good deal exercised upon the subject of "Miller- 
 ism," or the speedy coming of Christ (time set to a 
 minute), and the destruction of the world and- the 
 wicked. Two prominent lecturers came into the 
 place, Rev. Mr. Beach and Rev. Elon Galusha. 
 The public attention was taxed with this exciting 
 subject, until nothing else could gain the popular 
 mind. So, I only sat as a looker-on, occasionally 
 witnessing a demonstration of the subject on charts. 
 We thought then, and think now, that we had no 
 objections to the Lord s coming ; but we did not see 
 that their figuring was exact authority, according to 
 "Dayball s." We had always heard that "figures 
 would not lie," and our confidence in their veracity, 
 up to that time, was unbounded; but we thought 
 
PASTOKATE AT WARSAW. 185 
 
 then we saw them tying at least, the only excuse 
 we can discover for the behavior of the figures in 
 this particular case is, that they were very unfor 
 tunate in being thrown together with such guess 
 work, by which even a cypher would change the 
 whole tenor of Revelation on the subject. To say 
 the least, the "exact mathematics," as applied to the 
 doctrine of the "second advent," after a continuous 
 effort for a generation, and the most repeated and 
 signal failures, better withdraw from the field. 
 Before the time for the event is fixed again, we 
 suggest to those having the matter in charge to fix 
 upon a "standard of time ;" and then apply their 
 mathematics to the calculation of the variation for 
 different localities, owing to the difference of 
 latitude and longitude. The devil must fear this 
 doctrine, or he wouldn t have set such "minute- 
 men" to preaching it, and so brought it into such 
 deserved contempt. The Bible just as plainly 
 teaches that Christ is coming the second time, 
 bodily and personally and visibly, as that He came 
 and was crucified, "dead and buried," and rose 
 again and ascended up on high. If He ever came 
 once, He is coming again. But He as expressly 
 says that no man knoweth when, "no, not the angels 
 of Heaven, but my Father only." To what order 
 
FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 of beings do these mathematical, "second-advents" 
 belong ? 
 
 But no harm came of it to our church. Not a 
 single member went off with it, and not a soul was 
 converted to Christ in all these efforts. As soon as 
 the excitement had subsided, I called the attention 
 of my people to the fact that sinners were dying all 
 around us, and that whether Christ came at once, or 
 a great while in the future, they must be saved by 
 Him, or lost forever. God revived us again, and 
 that spring I baptized a goodly number of youth 
 some of them exceedingly interesting cases and 
 the church was replenished with the Spirit s influence 
 "to the edification of itself in love." 
 
 The year 1844 witnessed the great Presidential 
 campaign contest between Clay and Polk, and little 
 could be done for religion, except simply to maintain 
 the ground. The church and congregation had 
 become deeply imbedded in my heart. Many of the 
 church had been received by myself through the 
 significant ordinance of initiation into the household 
 of God, instituted and submitted to by Christ. But 
 "God s ways are not as our ways, nor His thoughts 
 as our thoughts." 
 
 At the close of my vacation, which I had 
 employed in traveling through the country in that 
 
PASTORATE AT WARSAW. 187 
 
 part of the State, on returning home, the brother 
 who had "supplied" for me intimated that he would 
 like my position, saying that "a number of the 
 brethren had suggested that a change of pastor was 
 desirable ; that I had been there quite a while, and 
 might be more useful somewhere else." 
 
 I said, "Very well, I will accommodate them." 
 The next week was Covenant meeting. I wrote out 
 my resignation, and at the meeting handed it to the 
 clerk, with the request for him to read it at the 
 close, for special action of the church at that 
 meeting. He complied. There was some agitation 
 in consequence. "Why, what can it mean?" One 
 of the deacons moved to lay it on the table, to 
 which, of course, I objected ; but all in vain. On to 
 the table it went without a negative. The truth 
 is, one man was a little excited on account of my 
 "abolition" proclivities. For I was what they called 
 a "hair-brained, fanatical, one-idea abolitionist." 
 
 He had fooled the poor, dear, little minister into 
 the belief that he could get the place, if I was only 
 out of it. I was willing, if the church so wished. 
 But they were so incensed they would not hear 
 him again. Six weeks after, at a special meeting, 
 my resignation was accepted, and I out on the open 
 road to seek a new field. 
 
188 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 S 
 
 WHEATLAND. 
 
 )r\HE church in Wheatland, hearing that I had 
 -*- resigned at Warsaw, invited me to visit them 
 at my earliest convenience. This invitation I 
 accepted, and was settled as their pastor in January, 
 1845. In leaving Warsaw as I did, I was liable to 
 the charge of undue haste a charge that might 
 frequently be set to my account. I have been 
 addicted to hasty action, more or less, all through 
 my life. In some instances, doubtless, great harm- 
 came to churches in consequence of my haste in 
 leaving them. If I had not stayed with them any 
 longer to speak of, but had given them a little more 
 warning in case of my leaving, some injury, 
 doubtless, might have been prevented. 
 
 But, on the other hand, some of the best moves 
 I ever made, I think, were impromptu and this 
 move to Wheatland was certainly one of them. I 
 never had any regrets in the case, as I had in leaving 
 Alabama. As soon as my family were comfortably 
 
WHEATLAND. 189 
 
 settled, I began exploring my field. The church 
 then covered a large extent of country, parts of four 
 "towns," besides all of Wheatland, with small 
 villages, Scottsville, Mumford, Churchville and 
 Clifton. In each of these, I had an appointment 
 regularly. The church was mostly composed of 
 farmers, men of integrity, intelligence and wealth, 
 and a large circle of youth who had been brought 
 up to revere religion and attend the services of the 
 church. A number of them were already members, 
 and examples of Christian deportment. 
 
 All these facts impressed me with the belief that, 
 with God s blessing on the joint labors of pastor 
 and people, a work could be accomplished to the 
 honor of the Gospel and the enlargement of Zion. 
 There was one thing only that acted as a hindrance 
 to immediate advancement. The church edifice was 
 one of the first built west of the Genesee river, and 
 time had made its marks upon it ; and its architec 
 tural construction was not in keeping with modern 
 ideas. To many of the members, as well as to the 
 society, it was distasteful high, deep galleries ; 
 seats with high, straight backs, with a sharp rib 
 called a railing, and a lofty pulpit, with a long 
 stairway coming up both sides into a little box with 
 
190 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 a board seat, the whole as large as a common bureau 
 when the doors were shut. Two common-sized 
 ministers would fill it full. 
 
 The church was organized in 1811, and had been 
 under the pastoral instruction of some of the ablest 
 men in the denomination. Elder Solomon Brown, 
 the first pastor, died in 1813. E. Stone was with 
 them four years. Aristarchus Willey, Horace 
 Griswell, John Middleton, Daniel Elbriclge, Gibbon 
 Williams, who was my immediate predecessor, 
 completed the list of their pastors choice men and 
 gifted, and some of them highly educated. 
 
 One fact is w r orthy of notice. This church had a 
 practical system of management by which they 
 conducted all their finances. They were never 
 perplexed with any old, long arrearage. Their 
 church book was as complete as any business man s 
 ledger. At the end of each year they knew to a 
 cent what they had paid out, not only for home 
 expenses, but to the different benevolent objects of 
 the day. It was under the supervision of the 
 deacons of the church. All moneys passed through 
 their hands. I was surprised, at the close of my 
 first year, when the deacons called to settle with 
 me, to find that every cent paid to me was on their 
 
WHEATLAND. 191 
 
 book, and the exact amount due, which was two 
 hundred and sixty-three dollars and twenty-seven 
 cents, was on hand with which to pay me. A thing 
 that had never happened to me before in fifteen years 
 of ministerial life. 
 
 Everything was done by equality. One was not 
 eased and another burdened, as in too many of our 
 churches. The two acting deacons worked together 
 in perfect harmony. Deacon Jirah Blackmer was 
 church clerk, and had been from the beginning, 
 more than thirty-five years. Deacon Charles 
 Tenney was collector, always heading the list in 
 every good work. The senior deacon, Eawsom 
 Harmon, had become aged and had retired from 
 active responsibilities. He was a man of great 
 natural force of character. His bugle-voice was 
 yet heard in prayer and exhortation. A few, that 
 spring, were converted and added to the church. 
 
 In June, after a long consultation and mutual 
 agreement, we entered into a remodeling of the 
 church-house, at an expense of seventeen hundred 
 dollars. The contract was let. The work was 
 nearly completed, and we were in anticipation of 
 entering the house in a few days, when, one morning 
 about three o clock, while all in the neighborhood 
 
192 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 were sleeping, the cry of "Fire! fire!" was 
 heard ; and lo ! our new place or worship was all 
 in flames, and before daylight, all in ashes. The 
 evening of that day had been appointed for a 
 donation visit at the parsonage. It was a sad 
 gathering of all the church and society. In spite 
 of the depressing circumstance, they brought 
 generous offerings to their pastor, amounting in all 
 to one hundred and ninety dollars? 
 
 At this donation visit, a society and church 
 meeting was arranged for the next evening, to take 
 measures for rebuilding. There was perfect unity. 
 Their motto was, "The God of Heaven, He will 
 help us ; therefore, we His servants will arise and 
 build." The next Lord s day, I preached from 
 Isaiah Ixiv. 11 : "Our holy and our beautiful house, 
 where our fathers praised Thee, is burned up with 
 fire, and all our pleasant things are laid waste." 
 The money was soon raised to construct and 
 complete a new house. 
 
 This year we were quite disconcerted in our 
 Sunday school and congregational meetings, for a 
 convenient place in which to meet. But God was 
 in it all, disciplining the church for greater work 
 yet to come. The eighteenth of the next November 
 
WHEATLAND. 193 
 
 the new house was entered, the Rev. Whitman 
 Metcalf, of Brockport, preaching the sermon. In 
 the evening, the Rev. N. Murdock, D. D., of 
 Albion, preached. There were already manifes 
 tations of the Divine presence, as the church held 
 days of fasting and prayer prior to the opening of 
 the new edifice ; and yet there were no conversions. 
 
 That winter, I was engaged, with others, in the 
 Monroe Association, to raise a large amount to help 
 meet the deficit of forty-three thousand dollars in the 
 treasury of the A. B. M. Union. We had three 
 meetings one in Rochester, one in Wheatland and 
 one in Mendon. Rev. Alfred Bennett was invited to 
 be present and preach at the meeting in our church. 
 After the sermon a collection was taken up, 
 amounting to five hundred and sixty-six dollars. 
 I felt relieved ; and I believe the work of replen 
 ishing the treasury that year was finally accomplished. 
 
 The tenth day of March following, light from 
 above broke in upon us. Sinners became alarmed, 
 and the cry was heard, "What must we do?" Men 
 and women of age and standing, youth and children, 
 were seen flocking to Zion s gates, "as clouds and 
 doves to windows." Our meetings continued day 
 and evening from the tenth of March to July. For 
 
194 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 thirteen Sabbaths we visited the pools of Zion to 
 baptize rejoicing converts to Jesus, their new-found 
 King. The Spirit of reclamation went over the 
 land like sunlight and shower in May. Old hopes 
 were renewed in the Spirit, and persons who had 
 grown gray in neglect of God and salvation had 
 now a family altar. Young men would call me up 
 at midnight, to pray for them and direct them what 
 to do. There was not a dog to move his tongue, 
 except one. The Kev. Mr. Ashman, of Riga, 
 pastor of the Congregational church, became quite 
 incensed because a number of his people had called 
 for letters, in order to be baptized and join our 
 church. He said, on one occasion, that "Nobody 
 but the rabble would go to see these Sabbath- 
 breaking immersicns ; and I feel it to be a grievous 
 wrong to grant letters to any member of our church 
 to join a church that will not admit us to the Lord s 
 table." This so offended the better portion of his 
 church that he was summarily dismissed. He went 
 back to New England to get refreshed. In the 
 course of the work we received fifteen from the 
 Pedobaptists ; and I could not feel myself to blame. 
 Thus the year 1847 closed, with the church 
 greatly enlarged in spirit and in numbers, having 
 
WHEATLAND. 195 
 
 doubled its membership and also its ability. It was 
 their custom to increase in ability in proportion to 
 numerical increase ; if not in giving ability, in doing 
 ability. A donation visit was made to the parsonage 
 every winter by members of the church and congre 
 gation. The time for it had come and the day was 
 set. The invitations had been sent out. The usual 
 order was for the older folks to come in the afternoon, 
 and the younger to come in the evening. But, on 
 this occasion, it seems it was a concerted plan 
 among the younger people to come in the day also, 
 and then make the older people stay in the evening ; 
 and it worked like a charm. Each district in the 
 parish tried to outdo the others. On one four-horse 
 load of hay that drove up, were, besides ten or 
 twelve men and women, the following articles, good 
 to read over : four barrels of apples, two barrels of 
 flour, ten bushels of oats, fifty pounds of dried 
 meat and butter, in addition to turkeys, chickens, 
 cakes and pies by the dozen. It is needless to 
 mention that it took four horses to draw this load. 
 It came from "Palmer street." One woman threw 
 up her hands as it approached, saying: "There 
 comes all Palmer street, and it has outdone us all." 
 Our donation receipts footed up on this occasion to 
 
196 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 the considerable sum of two hundred and sixty-five 
 dollars. Donation visits are not very bad things to 
 receive occasionally. 
 
 The next spring I held a meeting of days in 
 an out-station called "Harman s Burgh," now 
 Clifton. The Rev. J. B. Olcott and the Rev. H. 
 Daniels came to our assistance, and rendered most 
 valuable service. In that neighborhood, twenty- 
 eight were added to the company of the disciples in 
 that village. 
 
 This year I attended commencement at Hamilton. 
 I had attended before when it was a simple seminary ; 
 but now it had become a "University." This was 
 the first occasion on which they had ever conferred 
 honorary degrees, a ceremony I had never witnessed. 
 The first man to receive this was our warm friend, 
 Rev. Pharcellus Church, then pastor of the First 
 church in Rochester. The duties of conferring the 
 weighty aflair devolved upon Dr. A. C. Keudrick, 
 then one of the Hamilton faculty. I supposed he 
 would converse about the matter in English ; but 
 when he began, I soon saw it was all "ash dod" to 
 me. (I was told that he chose to converse in 
 Latin.) As soon as all was over, I started off in 
 the stage for home. Arriving in Rochester before 
 
WHEATLAND. 19? 
 
 daylight, I proceeded at once to Church s residence, 
 and rung the bell. He came to the door in his 
 night dress, and asked, "Who s there?" "It s me," 
 I replied. He opened the door, and I caught him 
 by the hand, muttering, " Juck, dio postate pulanto 
 dignite, fortunate vis to dogme ito Pharcellum 
 Churchum." "Why, Stimsou, what is the matter 
 
 with you? Are you crazy, or are you dr ?" a 
 
 condition I had not been in for twenty years and 
 more. I replied, "I have made you a doctor of 
 divinity " The daily paper was just ready to go to 
 press, and I slipped down to the Democrat office and 
 had the fact inserted in the news column. When he 
 saw it in print, he regarded it as official. 
 
 The Monroe Association was one of the most 
 efficient religious bodies in the western part of New 
 York. It was composed of a class of ministers 
 godly and efficient Rev. P. Church, of the First 
 church, Rochester; Rev. H. Davis, Second church, 
 Rochester; Rev. Z. Case, Ogden ; Rev. Jonas 
 Woodward, Webster ; Rev. A. C. Kingsley, Parma ; 
 Rev. Martain Coleman, Bergen ; Rev. Whitman 
 Medcalf, Brockport; Rev. J. B. Olcott, Grece ; 
 Rev. A. Annis, East Mendon; Rev. H. Stanwood, 
 Rush. A number of the above are still living, 
 
198 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 some at an advanced age, while others still have 
 "gone up higher." 
 
 About this time some dissatisfaction began to be 
 manifest about the management of our educational 
 matters at Hamilton. Friends in the East and West 
 were beginning to make an effort for its removal to 
 Rochester. In all good faith I joined in the general 
 movement, and spent much of my time and exerted 
 all my influence to secure that end. Bad blood was 
 stirred up on both sides, and many things said and 
 done that we have repented of. I hope God has 
 forgiven all concerned. I think He has one poor 
 sinner at least. I went into it as I go into every 
 thing else : to conquer. The result has been greatly 
 favorable to the denomination at large. Rochester 
 University is a verity and a power, with a theological 
 seminary that no denomination need be ashamed of; 
 and Hamilton in all its departments is a better 
 institution than it would have been, had it not been 
 stirred up with the "long pole" of rivalry. It is 
 my constant prayer God fill our land with educated 
 ministers. I value education as a poor man does 
 money : I feel the want of it. I sincerely pity any 
 young man who attempts to preach the sublime 
 truths of the Gospel of Jesus without at least a 
 
WHEATLAND. 199 
 
 common English education. He ought to have, in 
 this day of advance in all the sciences, a complete 
 course in the best schools of the land. 
 
 When I look back over forty years of work, and 
 reflect what I have gone through by way of self- 
 mortification, and then how I have shamed the dear 
 Church of God by my bad pronunciation and worse 
 grammar, I have said, "If I were to spend my life 
 over again, I would give at least five years of that 
 time, no matter how old I might be to begin with, 
 to securing the best preparation for my work within 
 my reach." I think the council that ordained me 
 would have done a far better thing in resolving 
 themselves into an educational conference, and then 
 called on the church, or churches, to have sustained 
 my family and let me go to school ; or set me at 
 work at my trade to secure the means to support 
 them, and then started me on my course of study. 
 
 I saw my need of education the first time I ever 
 went into a pulpit to preach. While I lived in 
 Rush, and had only just begun to talk in neigh 
 borhood gatherings, the pastor at Penfield wished to 
 be absent a Sabbath, and sent for me to supply his 
 place. I foolishly consented. Penfield was one of 
 the most intelligent congregations in the Monroe 
 
200 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 Association. So Sunday morning I took my horse 
 and drove over fourteen miles ; got there just in 
 time for the morning service. The brethren met 
 me kindly, as they all knew me, and some had 
 known me before my conversion. I went \ip into 
 the pulpit as I imagine a man would ascend the 
 gallows, and took my text in Psalms xxxiii. 4 : "For 
 the Word of the Lord is right ; and all His works 
 are done in truth." I had given the subject some 
 little thought, in my way of thinking, and got 
 through better than I expected to when I began. 
 So the devil suggested, "Hiram, you can beat that." 
 So in the afternoon I took my text from Hosea x. 12 : 
 "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy. 1 
 I had not proceeded far, when I used a common 
 word among stage drivers to express nothing, so I 
 said, "You can t get a hooter out of them." There 
 was a Dr. C. in the congregation, who was looking 
 me full in the face with interest, and I have no doubt 
 now, with anxiety. As the word hooter came out, 
 he buried his face in his handkerchief, and laughed 
 till he shook all over. I stopped, ashamed and 
 confounded, and holding up my hands, said, "Be 
 dismissed," and pronounced the benediction. I went 
 straight to the barn, got out my horse and started 
 for Rush. 
 
WHEATLAND. 201 
 
 Fourteen years afterwards, when I was pastor at 
 Warsaw and Rev. Daniel Barnard was pastor at 
 Penfield, he proposed an exchange. I arrived at 
 Penfield on Saturday, and called on Joseph Case, 
 with whom I was to lodge. While he was in the 
 
 o 
 
 barn, taking care of my horse, the deacon said : 
 "Well, Brother Stimson, I am glad to see you. I 
 hear good things about you. They say you have 
 got to be quite a preacher, and are doing a wonderful 
 sight of good. I suppose you won t say "hooter" 
 to-morrow, will you?" I was half a mind to 
 hitch up my horse and go straight home. The 
 "hooter" was still after me. Fourteen years had 
 not obliterated the little word "hooter." 
 
 Pardon this digression, and I will return to the 
 narrative of my experience at Wheatland. 
 
 While the controversy was going on in regard to 
 the University, and the prospect grew brighter of 
 having it established at Rochester, a proposition 
 was made to raise an endowment fund of one 
 hundred and thirty thousand dollars ; and after an 
 effort had been made in the city, the next place that 
 was expected to "lift" was Wheatland. Rev. Dr. 
 Church, Deacon O. Sage and John N. Wilder, by 
 my invitation came up, and in less than two days 
 
202 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 they raised over seven thousand dollars. I think 
 this was the largest subscription from any country 
 church in the State. While they had the wealth, 
 they also had the disposition a consideration still 
 more important. They believed in education. 
 They sent their children to the best schools the 
 country afforded. 
 
ADRIAN. 203 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ADRIAN. 
 
 IN 1849, the church in Adrian, Michigan, sent me 
 an invitation to visit them. I went and spent a 
 mouth or more, and gave them encouragement that 
 I might accept their call to the pastorate. I came 
 home with that expectation, and did resign ; but my 
 church delayed action in regard to it until the 
 small-pox had broken out in town, and my own 
 family were afflicted with it. And for six long 
 weeks all communication was closed. No meetings, 
 except those occasioned by the funerals. Indeed, 
 every day seemed like a constant funeral. As soon 
 as we came together as a church, a memorial was 
 handed me asking me to withdraw my resignation, 
 signed by a long list of the best members of the 
 church and society. I complied, and went to work 
 as before. But, in the spring following, the church 
 in Adrian renewed their call, and I accepted. In 
 July, 1850, I moved to Michigan. 
 
204 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 This was a sorrowful year to the family. One 
 of our dear children sickened and died, in less than 
 a month after our arrival, of a disease superinduced 
 by the small-pox while at Wheatland. Soon, the 
 other children were attacked with the chills and 
 fever common to that climate. And then came my 
 turn. I was seized as if by an armed force. So, 
 out of the fifty-two Sundays of the year, I was only 
 able to attend church thirty-three, and then with 
 more shakes than Gospel. 
 
 The church had just closed a long series of 
 meetings, under the supervision of that extraordinary 
 man of God, Morgan Edwards. Already about 
 two hundred had been baptized into the fellowship 
 of the church, and the first Sabbath after I arrived 
 I baptized twenty-four more. Thus the church had 
 a mushroom growth from about one hundred to 
 about two hundred and fifty ; and the man who had 
 led the vanguard had left the forces scattered and 
 without a leader. All classes were thus gathered 
 into the church, without much system or unity of 
 belief. Of course, we do not blame Brother 
 Edwards. It was not his place to systematize and 
 educate. Some of the converts had not been near 
 the church after being baptized, and did not intend 
 
ADRIAN. 205 
 
 to come. All they wanted was to be baptized. 
 One man, who had been received, came to me and 
 wanted me to sprinkle his children ! He intended 
 to have it done before he left "Hingland," but had 
 neglected it. "But," I said, "your children are not 
 believers, are they?" "No, indeed they are not; 
 and that is why I want them christened. Me and 
 my Bettie, ye know, were christened hinto the 
 Church of Hingland, ye know, and then we were 
 come to Hamerica, and have been baptized by 
 Brother Hed wards. Now, we s want our children in 
 has good standing as we are." It was with great 
 difficulty that I could make him understand the 
 nature of the ordinance of Christ s house in fact, I 
 did not explain it to his entire satisfaction, for he 
 and his "Bettie" went and joined the Methodists, 
 who would accommodate them to almost anything 
 they wanted in a so-called religious way. They 
 doubtless felt far more "at home" among the 
 Methodists. We felt relieved. This was an extra 
 ordinary case ; but many were singularly, if not 
 similarly, affected. 
 
 It was here the story was started that I ran horses 
 at a State fair. It grew out of the fact that I had a 
 good horse and carriage at the time the State fair 
 
206 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 was held at Adrian, that I had brought with me 
 from Wheatland. The animal was well broken and 
 thought to be the best of any in the community, 
 and I was invited to "enter" him for a prize. I 
 agreed to, and before the fair came off I trained my 
 little boy, fourteen years old, to drive. The horse 
 needed no training. I told the boy to just sit up 
 straight and mind his own business, and pay no 
 attention to others. I thought he was trained all 
 right, and I could trust him to enter the ground 
 with the horse and carriage. The time came to 
 exhibit this sort of property, and the boy drove into 
 the grounds with a long list of others. But the 
 cracking of whips and the rattle of wheels scared 
 the boy, not the horse, for it hardly knew what 
 a whip meant. The fear he was under caused him 
 to drive over the chains, and I saw that something 
 must be done to redeem this mishap, or I should 
 lose the premium. So, a friend, Mr. S. W. W., 
 said: "Elder, you go, drive your own horse." I 
 did so, and of course took the first premium for the 
 best-trained horse in a single carriage. 
 
 In a few days, one of our Adrian merchants went 
 East and fell in company with two clergymen of 
 niy own denomination, who inquired very curiously 
 
ADRIAN. 207 
 
 about me. He replied: "Oh, yes; I know him 
 very well, and a very clever fellow he is, too. He 
 has just had a streak of good luck." "Oh, indeed !" 
 says one of the ministers; "in what way?" "Oh, 
 he won five hundred dollars at a horse race !" "At 
 a horse-race?" inquired my dumb-founded friends. 
 "Yes, at a horse-race. I was there, and saw it 
 myself." The story went all over the land as on 
 the wings of the wind. The merchant has had 
 many a hearty laugh over it at my expense. This 
 is my first and last experience with agricultural 
 horse trots. If it was so then, it is certainly so 
 now, that one can t participate in them with horses, 
 in any way, and not run great risks of losing his 
 good moral reputation. 
 
 I saw that the condition of things was such in the 
 church at Adrian that it would take years to get all 
 into good running order. Careful discrimination was 
 necessary between the "chaff and the wheat." Many 
 that had been brought into the church under the 
 great religious awakening, were genuine Christians, 
 and evinced an earnest disposition to live godly 
 lives, but they needed instruction, and constant 
 watching for a time. Others, of whom we stood in 
 some doubt, might in time be saved to the church, 
 
208 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 and be made of some value to the cause. Others 
 still, if saved at all, would have to be saved "so as 
 by fire." So all the next winter the pastor and 
 church tdiled to effect a healthful "circulation" in 
 the extremities of the patient s system. But there 
 was an organic disease that neither "cholagogue nor 
 quinine" could reach intermittent chills and fever, 
 day chills and night sweats. These bid fair to bring 
 on quick consumption. To individualize the figure 
 a little, many had become so prostrated already, that 
 they could not say "Shiboleth," one of the last words 
 given up. A patient is very sick that can t speak 
 this ; and very well, that won t speak it. Some of 
 the members had become ritualists. They didn t 
 read off their part in the covenant meeting, but 
 committed and repeated it. "I hope you will pray 
 for me, that I may hold out faithful, and when I die, 
 that I may meet you all in heaven" about as much 
 evidence that a man is a disciple of Jesus, as looking 
 out of the east window in the morning is, that he is 
 a Persian fire-worshiper. 
 
 But, there were some old staunch men and 
 women, and a number of young people, who, like 
 Caleb and Joshua, were bound to stand by the 
 truth ; who loved the Church and its ordinances, and 
 
ADRIAN. 209 
 
 felt themselves bound to see the body restored to 
 its former health and efficiency. Among this 
 number was a Mrs. M., a very intelligent and useful 
 body, the wife of a lawyer who had been a man of 
 some importance in the State. But he had become 
 so dissipated and lost to respect that he had lost 
 place and power as a politician, and was a kind of 
 "hanger-on around town," getting his liquor where 
 he could sponge it. One of our brethren said to 
 him one day, "Squire M., why don t you go to 
 meeting with your wife and hear our minister?" He 
 straightened himself up, and in a pompous manner 
 said, "Well, Mr. W., I will tell you. When I 
 go to church I want to hear a man preach who has 
 not been a stage driver, and never was drunk," and 
 then set up a hearty laugh at Mr. W. s expense. 
 Some one who heard this conversation and was quite 
 indignant at it, came and told me about it. A few 
 months after, one Lord s day morning, there came 
 into the house of God, this same Squire M. and his 
 wife, his face all radiant with poor whisky. His 
 eyes looked like worn out button holes. I was 
 discoursing that morning from the words : "As ye 
 go, preach." I was enforcing the importance of all 
 preaching, and preaching everywhere, by example, 
 
210 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 character, and conversation. "It isn t all in all that 
 you should be learned or eloquent. The first dis 
 ciples were poor, and mostly illiterate, but they 
 preached pretty effectually. Suppose a man has 
 been a shoemaker, a poor sailor, or a stage driver ; 
 when he is sober and in his right mind, can t he 
 preach, and do as much good as a miserable, drunken 
 lawyer?" 
 
 The sensation all over the house was apparent. 
 All eyes turned involuntarily towards Squire M. 
 The next day he met brother W., and said: "W., 
 that was a home thrust your Elder gave me yester 
 day, and my wife thinks it is good enough for me. 
 I kind of like the fellow. I believe I ll come and 
 hear him again. He is not afraid to speak what he 
 thinks." 
 
 The continued sickness in our family, and my 
 own imperfect state of health, with the vast amount 
 of pastoral care demanded in this church, induced 
 me to consider a call I had received from the church 
 at Penn Yan. Our "anniversaries" met that spring 
 in Boston, and I was advised to take a trip East, in 
 company with my physician, John Cadman, and 
 attend the Boston meetings. On my way home, I 
 called at Penn Yan, and spent two Sundays. The 
 
ADRIAN. 211 
 
 church had been without a pastor some months, and 
 were quite desirous of the speedy settlement of a 
 pastor. 
 
 After my return home, I laid the matter before 
 the church at Adrian, and resigned, after a short and 
 trying pastorate of one year. But little had been 
 done for the conversion of souls, most of our efforts 
 having been put forth in behalf of those who were 
 in need of greatest care and nursing, and to save the 
 church from shipwreck ; all under the distressing 
 influence of chills and fever. 
 
212 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 PENN YAN. 
 
 /T\HE Baptist church in Penn Yan stood high 
 -L among the churches in that part of the State as 
 an old and efficient body of Christians, numbering 
 at the time three hundred and twenty-eight. They 
 had not enjoyed a revival for a long time, and had 
 now been destitute of a pastor altogether too long. 
 Formalism had eaten out some of the joy of salvation 
 from their hearts. But they were a united people, 
 and believed in every good work, and in love to all 
 mankind. If the temperance reform was to be 
 pushed, they were ready. If "abolition" was to 
 be agitated, they were found in the front rank. 
 They believed in the largest liberty, and in the 
 highest state of religious life. God was with them, 
 and in them. During the first summer, about all I 
 could do was to encourage the young, comfort the 
 aged, and marshal the forces for a future onset upon 
 the powers of darkness. This latter work, we 
 
PENN YAN. 213 
 
 think, by divine grace we succeeded in accom 
 plishing. 
 
 Many ministers make a failure on this point. In 
 time of declension they talk and preach depressingly, 
 and so make depression more oppressive. What 
 would we think of a man in dark and cloudy weather, 
 who should come out upon his door-steps and begin 
 to lament in this manner : "Dark day ! a very 
 d-a-r-k d-a-y, r-a-i-n-y and c-o-l-d. We are 
 g-o-i-u-g to h-a-v-e a s-t-o-r-m-y n-i-g-h-t. We 
 s-h-a-n-t r-a-i-s-e o-u-r b-r-e-a-d t-h-i-s y-e-a-r. 
 I n-e-v-e-r s-a-w t-h-e 1-i-k-e in all my e-x- 
 t-e-n-d-e-d e-x-p-e-r-i-e-n-c-e . T-h-e-r-e- -s n-o 
 u-s-e of t-r-y-i-n-g." Any common-sense person 
 would say he was sick with the blues. So far as he 
 had any influence over his neighbors, it would be 
 injurious. 
 
 I consider this continual croaking in the church, 
 and the fault-finding spirit, productive of the very 
 evil which it is intended to overcome. Come out 
 with a good sermon on "Hope thou in God." Get 
 the people 4o look away from themselves, and exalt 
 the Lord in their hearts. Get them into the habit 
 of taking cheerful views. In a covenant meeting, 
 where croaking and mourning were the ordl of the 
 
214 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 day, an old lady, the last one to speak, arose and 
 said. "Why, brethren and sisters, you distress me. 
 Jesus is the same yesterday, to-day and forever. 
 His promises will not fail. Don t let us any more 
 entertain each other with this kind of cold victuals. 
 I always set the best I have in, my house before my 
 company, and when I am alone, I eat the crusts in 
 silence, thanking God for the warm meals I have 
 enjoyed." This little talk of the aged sister entirely 
 changed the tone of the church ; the minister felt 
 relieved, and he and his people changed all their 
 social religious habits, so that God renewed them. 
 Early in September, I began to apply the truths 
 I had been preaching during the summer, and to 
 increase the number of our prayer meetings from 
 one to two, and then to three a week. Instead of a 
 sermon on Sabbath afternoon, we often turned it 
 into a conference talk, the meeting taking this turn 
 naturally, and not by previous notice. Never 
 advertise any such change, nor be afraid of taking 
 the liberty of making it. This was like the "nine 
 and twenty knives," spoken of in tha Scripture. 
 By October the church was in a good working con 
 dition, and it was plainly to be seen that a change 
 had come over the spirit of their dreams. Family 
 
PENN YAN. 215 
 
 altars were reconstructed. Old heart-burnings were 
 healed. The frivolity of the youth had given place 
 to sober thinking and prayer. Men of the world 
 were becoming more attentive in the house of God. 
 By November, we were "protracting" our meetings, 
 and hardly knew how or when the extra interest 
 began. I think it often gives the devil a favorable 
 chance to rally his forces and oppose, to advertise 
 long beforehand the intention of the church to hold 
 extra meetings. Things went on in glorious majesty 
 for ninety-seven days and nights, and there was not 
 a dog to yelp against it. Sinners were constantly 
 pressing to the inquiry meetings for advice and 
 prayer, and the outlet of the beautiful lake was 
 visited every Sabbath to introduce the new-born 
 souls into the visible kingdom of the Captain of 
 their salvation. 
 
 And now came the tug of war. A number of the 
 youth that had been in the habit of attending the 
 Congregational church, and some of the members of 
 that church, came into this work. Some were 
 converted, some were revived, as the case might 
 be. As soon as they felt the need of a higher stand 
 in religious living, in the simplicity of their hearts 
 they went to their pastor, the Rev. Mr. C. for 
 
216 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 instruction. He inquired of them where they first 
 began to be exercised on the subject. They tol d 
 him, "in the meetings at the Baptist church." 
 "Well," said he, "my advice to you, my young 
 friends, is to keep away from those meetings. We 
 never had any such meetings down in Stockbridge, 
 in Massachusetts, where I came from. And I 
 understand that Elder Stimson has been a stage 
 driver and a hard case, and used to get intoxicated 
 and turn over the stage ; and my impression is, that 
 he will upset the Baptist church, and have them all 
 in the mud before spring. Your best way is to 
 come to our regular meetings, and let Stimson and 
 the Baptists quiet be." 
 
 This was a poser to the unsophisticated youth. 
 These young folks came into our next young 
 people s meeting, and one of them, my son, a lad 
 sixteen or seventeen years of age being present, 
 asked a Baptist friend, with surprise: "Was Mr. 
 Stimson ever a stage driver?" To which he replied : 
 "I suppose he was." He told what Rev. Mr. C. 
 had said. When seeing my son, they begged his 
 pardon and the interview closed. But my boy could 
 not forget what he had heard. He came home and 
 inquired : "Father, have you ever been i 
 
PENN YAN. 217 
 
 stage driver ? " Yes . Why ? W hat of it ? " He 
 related the conversation at the meeting. 
 
 The next Sabbath, I gave the reasons for coming 
 to that place to baptize, instead of administering the 
 ordinance with a little water in the house. And 
 this was all I said. The next Tuesday, I met Mr. 
 C. in the street, and after recognizing me, he said : 
 "Mr. Stimson, the clergymen of the village held a 
 meeting at my study this morning, and having 
 heard what you said at the water last Sabbath, w r e 
 have concluded not to extend to you the courtesies 
 of the ministry any longer, and I was appointed a 
 committee to inform you of our decision." "Indeed," 
 I replied ; " What have I said, and who is your 
 informant?" "Well," he said, "it is on the street, 
 and I will not extend our conversation any further. 
 Good day, sir." He wouldn t tell, nor hear me tell, 
 what I said, and passed along. 
 
 In the afternoon, I met the Methodist minister, 
 and asked him to explain the affair. "Oh ! Mr. C.," 
 said he, "wanted a resolution he had written against 
 yourself passed by our little meeting ; and to show 
 you, Brother Stimson, that I do not have any such 
 feelings, I wish to exchange with you next Sabbath." 
 I consented. The thing went over town like a 
 
218 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 prairie fire. I soon baptized five of his members 
 and as many more from his congregation, taking the 
 three best singers out of his choir. Mr. C. s people 
 asked him to resign. He refused to do it, and they 
 closed the meeting-house on Sundays until his year 
 was out, when he left for the West. The revival 
 continued, and extended into the churches at Milo 
 and Benton. 
 
 During this summer, I received an accident that 
 came near costing me my life. I had been invited 
 to deliver a fourth of July oration at Bethel. When 
 in the middle of my talk the platform broke, 
 carrying down thirty men some eight feet. I lay 
 for nine long weeks a great sufferer, not expecting 
 ever to preach again. After I was able to be about, 
 I visited my old field of pleasant toil at Wheatland. 
 Rev. Dr. W. W. Everts had succeeded me in the 
 pastorate, and radical changes had taken place. The 
 church had extended her enterprise in meeting-house 
 building. A new house had been erected at Clifton, 
 two-and-a-half miles to the east, and one at 
 Mumford, two-and-a-half miles to the south. 
 Churchville had already become an independent 
 body and also had a meeting-house, making in all 
 four congregations. The pet plan of Dr. Everts 
 
PENN YAN. 219 
 
 was to have them all one church, but four congre 
 gations, he to be the pastor, and the churches to 
 employ the young men from the seminary at 
 Rochester to supply them alternately, in his absence 
 in going from one to the other. 
 
 To some the enterprise looked feasible, to others 
 objectionable. About the time the new house was 
 completed in Clifton and the one in Mumford in an 
 advanced state, a decided opposition to the plan was 
 manifested. He had warm supporters of his ideas, 
 but on the other hand he had hearty opposers. The 
 opposing sides were about equally represented by 
 the leading men in the church. The determination 
 to carry the opposing plans was about equally 
 divided. Each side engaged in the contest to win. 
 Church meeting after church meeting had been held, 
 and yet the matter was unsettled. 
 
 The Clifton portion of the church had invited me 
 to be present at the dedication of their house, and 
 preach the sermon. A friendly conference was also 
 held at the house of Gen. R. Harman, to consider 
 what means were expedient in order to conciliate 
 brethren who for years had lived and worked 
 together in the unity of the Spirit, many of them 
 from childhood. It was then advised to organize 
 
220 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 two churches, one at Clifton and one at Mumford, 
 as it was evident these three parties could not work 
 and walk together harmoniously in the old church 
 at Wheatland. 
 
 Acting on this informal advice, these branches 
 resolved themselves into independent churches and 
 called a council for their recognition. The church 
 at Clifton extended me a call to become their pastor, 
 which I accepted. The same council which met for 
 the recognition of the church, also recognized me 
 as pastor. Rev. Dr. G. W. Howard, of Rochester, 
 preached the sermon. This was in December. The 
 next day the same council met at Mumford, and 
 recognized that little band of disciples as a church. 
 Sermon by Rev. H. K. Stimson, and hand of 
 fellowship by Rev. Zenas Case, of Ogden. 
 
 Thus the old hive had, within the space of a little 
 over three years, produced three swarms, and all 
 of them comfortably hived Clifton, Churchville 
 and Mumford. And the mother hive was no less 
 determined than ever, though somewhat enfeebled, 
 to gather honey, to live and let live. 
 
 Dr. Everts soon resigned, and was succeeded by 
 Rev. S. M. Baiubridge as pastor at Wheatland. At 
 Churchville, Rev. J. C. Drake was elected pastor; 
 
PENN YAN. 221 
 
 at Mumford, Rev. Chaiicy Wardner, and at Clifton, 
 Rev. H. K. Stimson. The old church at Wheatland 
 had given letters to all who requested, to join any 
 one of the three without regard to location. One or 
 two families living at Wheatland went to Mumford, 
 but all the rest were within convenient distance of 
 the church of their choice. 
 
 The Wheatland church still retained some of the 
 best material in the community, Deacon Tirah 
 Blackmer and his family, Ira Harman and family, 
 Gen. T. Brown and family, Ariel Harman and family, 
 Hon. Elisha Harman and family, Sylvester Harman 
 and family, Martin Sage and family, the daughter 
 and sons of Capt. E. Blackmer, and a very 
 respectable poftion of the outside society in and 
 about the town. But things did not appear as they 
 used to in the days of her prosperity. The dear 
 old church had lost much of its former glory. The 
 large congregation that used to fill the commodious 
 house, had dwindled down to a small one. The 
 ample contributions often made to benevolent 
 objects, were now scanty in comparison. 
 
 Here are some figures showing the Christian 
 liberality of the old church in 1847-48 : For 
 foreign missions, $565 ; for home missions, $127 ; 
 
222 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 for publication cause, $112 ; education, $150; Bible 
 cause, $85; other objects, $111 total, $1,150. 
 And a year or two afterwards, they gave, while Dr. 
 Everts was pastor, to the Bible Union alone, $1,000. 
 The four churches altogether have not come up to 
 it by one half any year since. We have not intro 
 duced these figures for the sake of invidious com 
 parison. It was the community in which we spent 
 the happiest portion of our ministry. Dr. Everts 
 and myself were, and are, personal friends. But 
 aside from all personal considerations, the figures 
 ought to convey a lesson. 
 
 The church at Clifton numbered but fifty-two at 
 the organization. But the Lord was with us, so that 
 by the time the Association met, we reported a 
 membership of eighty-three. This was the strongest 
 of the new organizations, both numerically and in 
 personal ability. It was composed of men of sound 
 judgment, and good business habits. A number of 
 them had long been steadfast workers in the mother 
 church. And their children, brought up by such 
 nursing fathers and mothers as were these true 
 Christian men and women, became, at least many of 
 them, similar ornaments to the Church of Christ. A 
 large number of these I had welcomed into the fold, 
 
PENN YAN. 223 
 
 during my pastoral care of the undivided body. This 
 made it very pleasant to resume pastoral relations 
 with them. I knew them, and had perfect confidence 
 in their piety and integrity. 
 
 In the winter and spring of 1853-54, the church 
 of which I was then pastor was blessed with a 
 powerful work of the Spirit. It had been manifest 
 ing itself all the autumn and winter by an uncommon 
 spirit of prayer, especially on the part of the older 
 members. My health was yet feeble from my fall, 
 and not being able to endure as much hardship as 
 formerly, I sent for Rev. R. C. Palmer the, pastor 
 has the right to send off for an assistant, without 
 submiting the matter to a vote of the church, though 
 it may generally be expedient to take formal action 
 first who was a workman that needeth not to be 
 ashamed. His coming was like the "coming of 
 Titus." God was with him in the power of His 
 great Spirit. He resorted to no claptrap. He got 
 up no furor of passion. He was not known for 
 making it "easy" for sinners to become Christians. 
 He poured forth the living truth of God s Word, 
 showing man s lost condition, and his only hope to 
 be found in Christ. A large number believed, and 
 gladly followed Jesus in baptism. They were of all 
 
224 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 ages, from the child of tender years to men of gray 
 hairs ; some of them long accustomed to overt acts 
 of sin. It was a godsend to this young church, the 
 stay of brother Palmer with us for five weeks, and 
 the conversion of such a goodly number. 
 
 My health had become so impaired that physicians 
 advised me to submit to a surgical operation. 
 Accordingly, I went to New York, and after six 
 weeks, the most of the time passed in severe 
 suffering, I was relieved and came home much 
 better, and renewed in my spirit. While in the 
 city, I was made the welcome guest of a brother 
 and sister Hoskins, who nursed and cared for me 
 as for an own brother. This was the result of a 
 simple incident in Providence. A number of years 
 before, while up in the Alleghany country, I wished 
 to find a place to pass the night, and called at the 
 shanty of a lumberman, who could not entertain 
 me, but directed me to a Mr. Hoskins, who lived 
 down the creek about a mile, "close to the saw-mill." 
 I hastened on, and found a snug little cottage, where 
 I was hospitably welcomed and entertained. I 
 found them to be earnest, humble, devout members 
 of the Baptist Church. They were poor in goods, 
 but rich in faith. Twenty years had elapsed. His 
 
PENN YAN. 225 
 
 pastor in New York I had baptized fourteen or 
 fifteen years before. While they were in consul 
 tation one day, my name was mentioned. "I know 
 him," said Hoskins ; "he spent a night at my house 
 in Alleghany, and if you ever see him tell him 
 where I am, and if he ever comes to the city I 
 wish him to call on me." They were now rich, but 
 the same simple, unostentatious Christians. They 
 have long since entered upon their bright reward 
 in the Spirit land. Of course, my stay with them 
 was as pleasant as it could be made in the midst 
 of continual suffering. Drs. Mott and Parker, who 
 performed the operation, charged nothing, as I was 
 a minister of the Gospel. Their bill would have 
 been a hundred dollars. There are some advantages 
 in being a poor minister after all. 
 
 The next winter, I helped in special meetings 
 with a number of churches. I was at Marion, 
 assisting Pastor J. W. Osborn ; at Webster, 
 assisting Pastor Holt; then at Dansville, with 
 Pastor Ho well Smith ; at Parma, with Pastor T. H. 
 Green, and at Rochester, with Pastor Howard. 
 
 It was quite convenient to have the seminary so 
 near as it was at Rochester. One of the students, 
 Rev. J. C. Stevens, belonged to our church, and he 
 
226 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 helped supply my pulpit. He was a choice spirit. 
 He is now with God. The four years spent at 
 Clifton were not all sunshine. Death had his work 
 to do. He entered our circle at the parsonage home 
 and took a dear boy, who sleeps in the new cemetery 
 among the sugar maples. In the church and 
 congregation, too, death came. The young wife 
 of Mr. Hosmer, a lovely Christian lady, was taken. 
 Miss Phidelia Harmon, a blooming girl, who had 
 just graduated from the seminary at Albion, was 
 called upon to take her place among the white-robed 
 above. Sidney C. Hosmer, a young man of mm-h 
 promise to the church and his dear family, left us 
 for scenes of higher activity in God s great home. 
 We could illy afford to lose any of these or of the 
 others whom we might mention who were translated 
 from the Church below to the Church triumphant. 
 But the Master had need of them, and we had need 
 of the discipline. It taught the younger portion 
 of the church many good lessons to lose for time 
 so many of their associates. 
 
MARION. 227 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 MAKION. 
 
 (J\URING the fall of this year, 1855, the church 
 -J-^ at Marion, Wayne county, New York, had 
 parted with their pastor, Rev. J. W. Osborn, with 
 whom I had held a meeting two years before. They 
 at once desired me to consider a call to the pastorate. 
 I had misgivings about settling with a church for 
 whom I had previously labored in a protracted 
 meeting, for the reasons that the sermons preached 
 during such efforts are generally on a higher key 
 than ordinary pastoral preaching. I intimated this 
 to the committee. But they said it had already 
 been taken into the account by the church. So 
 I accepted, and as soon as I could resign and make 
 due arrangements, I left my Clifton field and settled 
 among them. 
 
 I found them a warm-hearted people, liberal and 
 zealous in every good word and work, and, more~ 
 over, quite careful about their pastor s necessities. 
 
228 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 "We had come into the place late in the fall, and saw 
 at once that little aggressive work could be done 
 that season for the souls of the impenitent. The 
 Congregational and Methodist churches had united 
 and sent for an evangelist to conduct their union 
 meetings. I was invited to come in and do the 
 "police" work in the camp, while the brother 
 evangelist should have command of the rank and 
 file. Just at this time, I received a telegraphic 
 dispatch telegrams had not come into fashion 
 then from the Rev. C. C. Norton, pastor of the 
 Sixth-street Baptist church in New York City, to 
 come to his assistance at once, as a great work of 
 the Spirit had begun in his church. I started that 
 day. "The King s business requires haste." I was 
 absent in the city seven weeks, and on my return 
 found the union meeting yet in progress, but not a 
 soul had been converted. The evangelist had 
 become discouraged and left the place. The two 
 pastors were still trying to push the battle to the 
 gates of the enemy. But in their onsets, they spent 
 most of their ammunition in attacking the Baptist 
 stronghold. So apparent was this, that my people 
 had retired from the field in good order. I called 
 the day of my return at a store, and there met the 
 
MARION. 229 
 
 two co-laboring, co-fighting pastors. The merchant, 
 an old man, was an infidel. He had lived in the 
 town about forty years, and had been acquainted 
 with its history from the beginning. As we three 
 stood by the stove, he said : "Well, gents, I am 
 glad to see you all here together. I want to give 
 you my advice it s free ; and it s this : give up 
 your meetings to the Baptists. I have been here 
 forty years, and in all that time all the revivals have 
 been held by them. Others have tried, but have 
 come out just as you have. The Elder has got 
 home, and he s an old war-horse. Let the Baptists 
 have the field. That s all; now do as you please, 
 gents." 
 
 That afternoon, the two ministers called at my 
 study, and wished to hold the meetings in the three 
 churches, including the Baptist, rotating from one 
 to the other. I replied that I did not think it best 
 for me to go into any such arrangement. "But," I 
 added, "when you get through with your effort, if 
 my people think it best, we may hold a few extra 
 meetings." They then proposed that our church 
 take the meeting on Sunday night. To this I 
 consented, on condition that I was to have the 
 control of it without "let or hindrance." They 
 
230 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 consented. So, on Sunday evening all came to the 
 Baptist church. I had asked the Methodist 
 Episcopal minister to preach. He took for his 
 text II Samuel iv. 4, and went on for awhile like 
 the man in the Bible, lame in both his feet, not 
 forgetting to make a few thrusts at the Baptists, 
 and then said AMEN ; and we all said amen and 
 amen. 
 
 Monday evening, Rev. E. F. Crane, my successor 
 at Clifton, came to my help. As he entered the 
 meeting-house he commenced to sing, a thing he 
 could do as few can. In the course of a few weeks, 
 over one hundred were saved in Christ. Brother 
 Crane staid with me in all five weeks. When he 
 left for home, eighty-four had united with the 
 church. As soon as the converts began to follow 
 Jesus in the first ordinance of His house, these two 
 loving, "liberal" clergymen were attacked with 
 sectarian "fits," or rather hydrophobia madness at 
 the sight of "much water." The Congregational 
 minister had to employ the "Christian" minister to 
 baptize a lady who wished to join his church, but 
 insisted on being baptized and not sprinkled, the 
 follower of Jesus declaring that he would not "go 
 into the water." It was suggested by some one 
 
MARION. 231 
 
 "that it would bring on a spasm." It would seem 
 as though Christ must have made a great mistake 
 in one of His ordinances ! 
 
 The church in Marion, with all their good habits, 
 had one bad one. They would come late to 
 meeting. The morning services were at half-past 
 ten o clock. They had a good bell, and it was 
 punctual in its bland tones in calling them to the 
 house of prayer. Most of the congregation were 
 punctual enough ; but there were a few who were 
 forever dropping in all through the worship. I 
 expostulated. No good. Late attendance was a 
 part of their practical piety. At length I tried this 
 expedient : I took a text from Ezekiel ix. 3 : "And 
 he called to the man clothed with linen which had 
 the writer s ink horn by his side." I had gone on 
 for five or ten minutes, and in came Brother E. 
 and his wife and two daughters. I stopped until 
 they had taken their seats and then quoted the text, 
 "And he called to the man clothed with linen which 
 had the writer s ink horn by his side ;" and added, 
 "We have proceeded some way in our subject, and 
 have repeated the text for the benefit of brother E. 
 and his family." All looked at them, but they looked 
 down. On \ve went again, and in a few minutes 
 
232 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 more, in came brother S. and his wife. We stood 
 still till all was quiet, and then repeated the text : 
 "And he called to the man clothed with linen, which 
 had the writer s ink horn by his side," and then said : 
 "For the instruction of brother S. and his wife, we 
 will say that the subject is thus far advanced, and we 
 will repeat what we have gone over for your benefit." 
 Again we proceeded, when in came brother J., who 
 heard all about the "ink horn" and all the preceding 
 part of the sermon. We persevered up to the 
 seventh or eighth straggler, emptying the ink hoin 
 upon the head of each. It was an effectual antidote. 
 
 One thing to the credit of this town : they have 
 had no grog shop in it for over thirty years ; those 
 who would get drunk had to go so far for the stuff, 
 that as a rule, they got sober before reaching home. 
 In the village is a fine collegiate institute of high 
 order, under Baptist control, and largely patronized. 
 The church has sent out a goodly number of minis 
 ters who were converted and reared there. Rev. 
 J. H. Morrison, and Rev. H. J. Eddy, D. D., are 
 among the number. 
 
 During this year, I visited my children and other 
 relatives in Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minne 
 sota. While on my journey, I fell in with an old 
 
MAKION. 233 
 
 friend who perpetrated a sell on me and others in the 
 cars. It is generally a religious duty to tell a good 
 joke. It was about the time that Blondin, the rope 
 walker, was exciting the country with his exploits at 
 Niagara. This friend and companion told the pass 
 engers, while I was absent in another car, that I was 
 Blondin. When I returned, I was much annoyed by 
 people flocking about my seat, and staring at me 
 with an uncommon gaze. I was so much annoyed 
 by it that I went into another car. But in a few 
 minutes in they came like so many harpies, filling 
 up every vacant seat and even the passage-way, 
 gaping at me in the same unaccountable way. At 
 length an old couple came in and took a seat in front 
 of me. No sooner were they seated than the old 
 lady, turning around and raising her spectacles, 
 peered into my face and said : "Where are you going 
 to perform next?" "I am going to Chicago, madam," 
 I replied. "Is you going to walk the rope there? 
 If ye du, we am bound to see ye du it." " Walk a 
 rope? Why, what do you suppose I am? I do not 
 understand you." "Why, ain t you that feller 
 what s bin crossing Niagara river on a rope so many 
 times?" "No! Who said I was?" "Why, we 
 heard of it all along back in these ere cars ever so 
 
234 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 many times, and we kind o wanted to see you, ef 
 you was the feller. Hope you arn t ashamed of it?" 
 I saw the sell, and went back to my old seat in the 
 other car, where I found my friend shaking like a 
 man with the palsy, his face covered with a 
 newspaper. 
 
 We stopped that night at Detroit. The next 
 day, taking an early train for Chicago, while my 
 friend was in the smoking car, I asked a young 
 gentleman near me if the Hon. Stephen A. Douglas 
 would make a speech anywhere on the way to 
 Chicago? "Is he on the train?" asked a number of 
 voices at once. "Well, that gentleman in the 
 smoking car looks like him," I intimated. Off to 
 the smoking car went two or three in hot haste, and 
 soon returned, scattering the news like wild-fire that 
 Hon. S. A. Douglas was on board, returning from 
 the Senate. Others went and looked. One or two 
 said it was not Douglas, but others were quite 
 confident that it was ; they knew him like a book. 
 The resemblance was quite striking. 
 
 We were to take dinner at Marshal, and arrange 
 ments had been made among the passengers to call 
 him out for a speech. Lest I should be identified 
 in the matter, I had gone and laid down in a vacant 
 
MARION. 235 
 
 seat, getting up just in time to be prepared for the 
 dinner. As the train neared the station, a big lusty 
 fellow jumped out upon the platform, as soon as 
 the train slackened up, and cried out at the top of 
 his big voice, "Fellow-citizens, ladies and gentle 
 men, I propose three cheers for Hon. Stephen A. 
 Douglas, of Illinois. Hip, hip, hurrah ! " Our stout, 
 short friend pressed his way to the wash-room, 
 followed by the multitude, crying, "A speech ! a 
 .speech ! Come, now, give us a five minutes 
 speech." He rushed into the wash-room and 
 looked at me, shaking his head in a significant 
 manner, "Sold out, Blondin ; I will pay for the 
 dinner." His Chicago friends heard of it, and used 
 to address him as "Honorable." 
 
236 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 RACINE. 
 
 ~T~ ATE in the fall of 1857, I received an invi- 
 -L( tation to visit the church at Racine, Wisconsin; 
 having the year previous spent a Lord s day there 
 while on a visit among friends in that city. Having 
 consented to do so, I closed my connection with the 
 church at Marion, and on Christmas day arrived in 
 Racine. After a few weeks stay among them, they 
 extended me a call to the pastorate. I had already 
 found out that the church and society were in quite 
 a divided state. The previous pastor was a resident 
 in the city, and had a large social influence in the 
 church and community. He had been pastor there 
 about six years, and as in all cases, he had his 
 special admirers ; also those who were not well 
 pleased with him, his administration and manner of 
 preaching. This being the condition of things, he 
 had resigned. I saw chat a new pastor would have 
 
RACINE. 237 
 
 a hard time of it, and so deferred an answer to their 
 invitation. But I consented to stay two or three 
 months as a supply, giving the church a fair oppor 
 tunity to become acquainted with me, and me an 
 equal opportunity of finding them out, and of 
 satisfying myself as to my duty in the case. 
 
 After the holidays were over, there were evident 
 tokens of good manifest in the church, by the 
 Spirit s reviving the members to a closer attachment 
 to the Master. Mutual concessions were made, and 
 the impenitent were being stirred up to think upon 
 their ways. Soon the city was paying more atten 
 tion to religious matters than had been the case for a 
 long time. I began to think that the old animosities 
 and scandal had been absorbed in the precious 
 revival tide that seemed about to sweep over the 
 city. It looked as if we should have a free coast 
 and a fair breeze. But in this we were sadly mis 
 taken. The time we had set for deciding the 
 question of the call had come, and that right in the 
 bloom of the revival interest. So by the earnest 
 solicitation of friends we gave an affirmative answer, 
 and in April went East for my family, Rev. N. F. 
 Ravlin supplying the pulpit. On my return I went 
 to work in all good faith, supposing that everything 
 
238 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 was amicably settled. But as soon as the ardent 
 spirit that manifested itself in the winter began to 
 subside, the old scandals were revived and circulated 
 with more vim than ever, if possible. I thought it 
 my duty to have some of the common reports about 
 prominent members investigated. But others 
 thought the better way was to let it all alone, and 
 it would cure itself in time. I have not changed 
 my mind on the subject since. 
 
 At a "packed meeting," the question was agitated 
 whether the pastor should be sustained in his puri 
 fying process in the church, and a small majority 
 voted that the scandals should be let alone. The 
 next evening I was informed of the decision, and at 
 once resigned. A large number of the church were 
 dissatisfied, and in a few clays called for letters to 
 organize a new church, to be called the "Harmony 
 Baptist Church of Racine." It was organized with 
 fifty-two members, and procured a hall in which to 
 worship. The Rev. N. Barrel was chosen pastor. 
 
 I was at this time really unable to preach, owing 
 to loss of voice occasioned by the lake winds. I 
 was advised by the physicians to remove from the 
 lake shore. Accordingly I went to Sparta, a small 
 village between bluffs, in the western part of the 
 
RACINE. 239 
 
 State. Here I found a small Baptist church des 
 titute of a pastor , and much depressed in spirit. 
 The landlady at the hotel informed me where one 
 of the deacons lived, and I called on him. He 
 proved to be an old acquaintance of mine from New 
 York. He at once suggested the appointment of a 
 meeting. I tried to plead oft* on account of my 
 health, but he insisted, and the appointment was 
 made. Without going into all the details, I staid in 
 Sparta seven weeks, and preached every day and 
 evening ! The Lord worked wonders in the midst 
 of the people. I baptized eighty-two, making a 
 clean sweep in some families merchants, mechanics, 
 farmers, aged and youth. I returned at the end of 
 seven weeks, much improved by my residence away 
 from the lake shore. 
 
 About this time, Mr. Goble, the missionary to 
 Japan, returned to this country, and I volunteered 
 to assist him and the Free Mission Society in 
 raising a fund for his outfit, that he might return to 
 that needy missionary field. In Wisconsin, and in 
 spite of my feebleness of health, I raised nearly 
 fifteen hundred dollars ; and then went to New York 
 State, to present the same cause to the churches. 
 
24:0 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTEK XIX. 
 
 RE-SETTLEMENT AT WARSAW. 
 
 IN the course of my rounds, I stopped at Warsaw, 
 where I had labored with such delightful harmony 
 seventeen years before. As a result of this transient 
 visit, the church gave me a call to re-settle with 
 them as pastor. After duly considering the 
 question for a re-settlement is a more difficult 
 question to decide than a first settlement I 
 consented. This was in 1859. 
 
 I found the church in an altogether different state 
 from the one they were in when I left them for 
 Wheat land, in 1844. But few of the old members 
 remaine^ , and the church was rent with unhappy 
 dissensions, that had greatly weakened their 
 strength and disheartened their spirit. Yet there 
 were a number of old, staunch friends of the cause, 
 who were unmoved by the adverse influences about 
 them. All the ministers in the Association had 
 been removed, either by death or settlement 
 
RE-SETTLEMENT AT WARSAW. 241 
 
 elsewhere, except Rev. H. B. Ewell, of Pavilion. 
 He still "staid by the stuff;" though as pastor of 
 that church, but little could be done, except to 
 "strengthen the things that remained." 
 
 The year following was one of alternate fear and 
 hope. I spent the winter in laboring with the 
 pastors at Wyoming, at Elmira, at Brockport, at 
 LaGrange. At Wyoming, Brother A. A. Russell 
 was pastor. This church had often received and 
 enjoyed the Divine Presence in the salvation of 
 souls. At Elmira, Rev. E. F. Crane was pastor; 
 at Brockport, Brother E. Nisbet; and at LaGrange, 
 Brother L. Brasted. 
 
 In the midst of these revival influences, the 
 mutterings of civil war were heard in the distance, 
 which turned the attention of the whole community 
 in a new channel. My second pastorate at Warsaw 
 was not long, and was much broken into by the 
 evangelistic labors mentioned. Still, I trust 
 something was done in the year I was with them 
 at this time. 
 
242 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT, 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 LAGRANGE THE WAR. 
 
 / I \HE church at LaGrange had invited me to 
 J- become their pastor, and in April I was settled 
 with them in that capacity. No sooner had I got 
 fairly at work, than the call of President Lincoln 
 came over the wires for seventy-five thousand men 
 to defend the country in its hour of peril. I at 
 once wrote to two sons we had living in Minnesota 
 to enlist in their country s service, urging upon 
 them the importance of the sacrifice, and stirring 
 their patriotism by reminding them of the Revolu 
 tionary heroes. The younger son had already 
 enlisted, and was at Fort Snelling when the letter 
 reached him. The elder had a family, and hesitated 
 for a time, but afterwards entered the service, and 
 was with Gen. Sherman in his march to the sea. 
 He received a wound and came home to die shortly 
 afterwards, leaving a widow with three little 
 children. I expected my younger son had fallen 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 243 
 
 with the multitude of others in the Bull Kun 
 blunder and disaster ; and, although I was then at 
 the somewhat advanced age of fifty-seven, I had 
 resolved to take the place of my fallen boy, if the 
 Government would accept my poor person. I 
 wrote to the Hon. Mr. Rice, M. C. from Minnesota, 
 asking if it was a fact that my son was killed, and 
 telling him my determination in case he was. He 
 showed the letter to some friend, and the War Depart 
 ment at once sent me recruiting orders to raise a 
 company of cavalry in Wyoming and Genesee 
 counties. I laid this proposition before the church 
 where I had so recently settled. They gave their 
 consent with a hearty good will, voting to let my 
 family remain in the parsonage and to furnish them 
 with a living the remainder of the year. Twenty- 
 seven in the community enlisted in one week, many 
 of them my own members and personal friends ; and 
 in fifteen days I had enrolled over three hundred. 
 
 We went into camp at Westfield, where the 
 regiment was completed and afterwards mustered 
 into the service. My men were divided up into 
 one full company, of which I was elected captain, 
 and part of two companies, of one of which W. O. 
 Bentley was elected captain, and the rest went into 
 
244 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 a company of which Capt. Tozer had command. 
 In a few days we were transferred to Washington, 
 where we went into winter quarters. On our way 
 to the seat of war, our regiment stopped for one or 
 two weeks in Albany. While there, Rev. E. L. 
 Magoon, D. D., presented me with a cavalry sabre, 
 supposed to be of genuine Damascus steel, that 
 had been in service in Oliver Cromwell s day. Its 
 scabbard had long since been lost. It was presented 
 on Sabbath evening in the First church, of which 
 he was then pastor. The large audience-room was 
 crowded in every part, my company occupying the 
 front center pews. The Doctor made a thrilling 
 speech, as he very well knows how to. I wish it 
 was in print. The next Sunday evening, I made an 
 address ia the Pearl-street church, on the subject 
 of Bible Distribution, at a meeting of the A. and 
 F. B. Society. The Baptists of Albany were 
 sound to the core on the war question. 
 
 We left the next Tuesday for the front, having 
 received our commissions, uniforms for the men, 
 and for the first time we went into camp in tents in 
 Washington. To sleep on the ground under canvas, 
 to eat without a table, made a few hang then* lips 
 and look a little watery about the eyes. It began 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 245 
 
 to look a little like war, and yet we had not seen 
 blood, nor smelt gunpowder. This first night in 
 Washington was an exception during our stay, for 
 we soon had things in comfortable shape ; our tents 
 were pitched in order and looked like a village ; we 
 extemporized tables and chairs, and had little sheet- 
 iron stoves. Our provision was abundant, and, as a 
 general rule, good: beef, pork, sugar, coffee, tea, 
 rice and potatoes twice a week, and first-class bread 
 all the time. We were a happy family of men for 
 being away from home. 
 
 Our chaplain had not yet come, so I occupied his 
 place by the request of the officers of the staff. 
 Respect and reverence, at least outward, were 
 shown for religion by officers and men. In a mouth 
 or six weeks our chaplain arrived, and I went to his 
 tent at my earliest convenience to bid him a hearty 
 welcome, and to say that I had acted as volunteer 
 chaplain in his absence. I found him quite pleasant, 
 and assured him that anything I could do to keep 
 him in his position would be a pleasure for me. 
 The next day was inspection. Out he came, 
 mounted on a fine horse, with his orderly carrying 
 his Bible and hymn book. The boys thought this 
 was preparing rather loftily to preach the Gospel. 
 
246 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 Inspection was about ten o clock in the morning. 
 At eleven, the religious services would occur. We 
 had a full band, the most of them being Christian 
 men, and had up to this time done honor to them 
 selves in aiding the worship. At the time appointed, 
 they were in their places and played "Old Hundred" 
 in fine strains, and then out came the chaplain, 
 mounted, and with his orderly bringing his Bible. 
 The congregation, rank and file, was about four 
 hundred, including the colonel, lieutenant-colonel 
 and, I think, all the line officers. His text was, 
 "Endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ;" 
 and than gave the officers what the boys called 
 "Hail Columbia;" expressed what he should expect 
 of them, and what they might expect of him. He 
 then talked to the men as though they were a mean, 
 profane set of rowdies, closing up his introductory 
 sermon by calling on me to pray. I felt like saying : 
 "Good Lord, deliver us!" but I didn t, out loud. 
 The colonel in going to his quarters, said : "Well, if 
 ever I hear him again, it will be because he can run 
 faster than I can." The next Sabbath was a fine day, 
 and all at service, of rank and file and all, was about 
 eighty; the next Sabbath, only fifteen. This was 
 the last gathering of the regiment to hear him. The 
 men would not come out. 
 
LAGRAXGE THE WAR. 247 
 
 In March 1862, we were ordered to inarch to 
 Yorktowii. We left camp in the midst of a rain 
 and snow storm. By order of the colonel, I was 
 to have command of the camp and the sick of the 
 regiment, he also leaving in my care the commissary 
 stores. We then had about two hundred disabled 
 men, the measles having had quite a march through 
 our camp. I was ordered to muster out of service 
 all disabled men, pronounced unfit for service by 
 the surgeon, and to return to the Department all 
 stores on hand. I found I had a job on my hands. 
 Every man who had the ear-ache or a sore toe 
 wanted to go home. Some were really sick, and 
 would be of no service. Others were home-sick, 
 and nothing could cure them but the sight of 
 mother, wife or sweetheart. So, we took them in 
 squads, day after day, to the War Department to be 
 examined, and if really unfit for the service, to be 
 discharged. It was amusing, not to say anything 
 else, to see how lame some of them were as we 
 started for the city, about two miles and-a-half off. 
 Some of them had provided themselves with 
 crutches for the occasion, who the day before could 
 run and jump. If mustered out, they would send 
 back their crutches to camp for the next squad. 
 
248 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 In about four weeks I was relieved of this 
 disagreeable command, and took such of the number 
 as were considered able-bodied, and started for 
 Yorktown, down the Potomac. There were many 
 amusing incidents in the mustering-out business, 
 previous to our departure. In the office, the mus 
 tering-out officer was a strong Catholic, a Captain 
 
 , a most profane swearer, and always indulging 
 
 his profane tongue. On one or two occasions I had 
 gently reproved him, citing him to the regulations 
 of the army on the subject, being positively for 
 bidden by war-department law. During one of 
 these little interviews, a gentleman of my acquaint 
 ance came in and addressed me as "Elder Stimson." 
 "Why," said the captain, "what are you Elder of?" 
 My friend replied, "He is a minister of the Baptist 
 Church, and highly thought of. I have known him 
 as such for twenty-five years." To which the captain 
 replied : "Oh, what a pity ! you ought to be a good 
 Catholic, and have your sins pardoned every day, as 
 we do." "Yes," said I, "and then swear all the rest 
 of the time, and get drunk and fight, mixing up in 
 all the brawls in the whisky shops." He never tried 
 again to convert me to the "holy Catholic Church. 
 As we were ready to march to Yorktown, a young 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 249 
 
 Captain Doolittle, son of Hon. J. R. Doolittle of 
 Wisconsin, was standing with me at the door of the 
 mansion where we had taken breakfast, when his 
 father said to him: "Well, my son, be faithful to 
 your duty and your country. If you fall at York- 
 town, be buried there. It s sacred ground ; made so 
 by the army of the Revolution and by the presence 
 of Washington who defeated the British." Old 
 Senator Preston King was standing by, and with a 
 twinkle of the eye, said : "Yes, Henry, if you find 
 yourself dead, tell them your father wanted you 
 buried there." This remark changed all the faces of 
 the bystanders. 
 
 This son of Senator Doolittle was a noble specimen 
 of a young man. A graduate of a New England 
 college, he had given some attention to military 
 drill, and had been commissioned captain of cavalry 
 by President Lincoln, by special order. He had 
 just been appointed on Gen. Schuyler Hamilton s 
 staff, and was going down to take his place. Gen. 
 Hamilton and his staff were ordered to the "Army 
 of the Cumberland," where Capt. Doolittle was 
 taken sick, and from which he came home to die, 
 respected and beloved by all who knew him. 
 
 While we were encamped at Washington, during 
 
250 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 the winter of 1861-1862, the greater part of our 
 time was spent in drill in the cavalry tactics. Our 
 colonel was detailed on a long and difficult case of 
 court martial, so that the command devolved on the 
 lieutenant colonel, an ambitious and austere upstart 
 who had only a smattering of military science, and 
 was very severely afflicted with the disease prevalent 
 sometimes out of camp as well as in, known as 
 "big-head." In his case it assumed a malignant 
 type. I had been for a long time detailed on 
 another branch of duty, and had not been as much 
 drilled in marching as I thought I ought to be. So I 
 got excused by the colonel and went into the drill of 
 marching with the other officers of the regiment, under 
 the instruction of our young lieutenant colonel, 
 who "magnified" his office as much as ever a "onct- 
 a-month" preacher did by "holding on" two mortal 
 hours at a time ; or ever a new-fledged deacon did 
 by giving his elderly pastor advice as to the best 
 method of preaching, showing him a more excellent 
 way. As I came out of my tent one day to fall into 
 line, with my cavalry boots all polished up, one of 
 the officers said, "Well, Captain, you look as nice 
 as a new pin boots all shining and white gloves on. 
 The gloves may possibly come back all right, but 
 
LAGKANGE THE WAK. 251 
 
 those boots won t, after Lieut. H nas marched 
 
 you through a few puddles, as he marches us every 
 day. I ll bet you will be willing to make an affi 
 davit, when we come back, that the boots are made 
 of Maryland clay, and that you will never put them 
 on again." Our parade ground was ornamented 
 with a number of little sink holes. I replied, 
 "Perhaps he will march me through mud holes, but 
 I think not, if I can get around them, and I think 
 I can. On we went to the parade ground, marching 
 and counter-marching for an hour or two. Finally 
 we were all formed into line in the form of a pla 
 toon, and after "front dress," "guide right," the 
 command came, "march." After we had marched 
 twenty or thirty rods, I saw right in front of me, 
 one of those puddles. I said to the captain at my 
 side, "File to your left when we get to that mud- 
 hole." When we came to it we filed off to right 
 and left. Just as we were in this harmless act of self- 
 defense at least boot defense the lieutenant saw 
 us being a little out of order, and cried out, "Steady, 
 steady, there ! Close up, close up ! What kind of 
 a movement is that?" Our line was again soon 
 formed, and on we marched to our quarters. We 
 were halted at his tent and formed into a semi-circle, 
 
252 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 as was his formal custom, to be dismissed, when he 
 complimented the officers for the improvement they 
 were making in marching. He also added, "As to 
 Captain Stimson, if at any time he comes to a mud- 
 hole and thinks he can t go through it, if he will 
 just speak to me, I will take him on my back and 
 carry him over." I doffed my hat and said, smiling, 
 "Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel, I have one objec 
 tion to that. We were promised horses to ride, when 
 we enlisted, and I should be ashamed to be seen 
 mounted on a jackass." All the officers threw up 
 their caps and cheered most lustily for the "old 
 captain." Did I say all the officers? I think the 
 lieutenant did not. In 1869 I met the colonel in 
 Troy, New York. After making a few customary 
 inquiries, and finding that I was then living in 
 Kansas, he asked, "Do you ride a jackass out in 
 that country?" I replied, "Not much." 
 
 But to return to our embarking at Washington 
 for Yorktown. We embarked at Alexandria on 
 board the old "North River" boat the "Knicker 
 bocker." It was crowded to its utmost capacity. 
 We stopped opposite Mount Vernon, and had an 
 opportunity to visit the tomb of Washington. The 
 next morning we found ourselves at anchor at a 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 253 
 
 place called Saint Mary s, the wind blowing a gale. 
 The commander of the boat dare not enter Chesa 
 peake Bay at the. time, as the vessel was not equal 
 to a heavy sea. So we practiced patience forty- 
 eight hours, waiting for the wind to go down. The 
 first day passed pleasantly enough, especially as the 
 colored people brought fresh plump oysters aboard 
 and sold them for twenty-five cents a bushel. But 
 the next day the bread and butter part of our 
 rations was almost minus. The darkies did the 
 best they could to relieve our wants by peddling 
 "hoe cakes." But cold "hoe cakes" and no butter 
 were hardly atoned for by oysters at twenty-five 
 cents a bushel. The decks and walks of that old 
 boat were covered from stem to stern with oyster 
 shells, and still we were not satisfied. The Captain 
 was better contented, as the Government was paying 
 him seven hundred dollars a day for his boat. He 
 looked as though he didn t care how long we lay 
 there. It s astonishing how patient some men are, 
 and also what an intimate connection there is 
 between money and the exercise of this virtue of 
 patience ! Job is certainly deserving of the dis 
 tinction of the "patientest man," in view of the 
 sudden loss of his great property. It s a crowning 
 
254 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 virtue to "take joyfully the spoiling of our goods." 
 This loss tests the nerves that connect with patience, 
 sooner than does the loss of friends. Poor people, 
 who have conquered themselves so as to be habit 
 ually patient, have attained to the distinction of 
 sainthood in the true sense. 
 
 On this trip, no one officer had command of all 
 the men. They were in squads of from twenty to 
 one hundred. Some were new recruits from New 
 York and Brooklyn, and belonged to the class of 
 "hard cases" in a metropolitan sense. A young 
 man in command of them would have about as 
 much control over them as a child would have in 
 conducting a tribe of Comanche Indians on a buffalo 
 hunt. Sunday morning came and found us in this 
 sad plight : card playing, the singing of vulgar 
 songs, dancing, swearing everything that was 
 disgraceful and mean in the eyes of an American 
 citizen. The few officers there were of us called a 
 meeting in a side place, and proposed to have order 
 on board in some shape. It was then proposed to 
 appoint an officer of the day, whose duty it should 
 be to see that things were set to rights and order 
 restored. A suggestion was also made to have 
 religious services at eleven o clock. Captain 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAB. 255 
 
 H. Doolittle was appointed "officer of the day," with 
 two assistants ; and we agreed to sustain the captain 
 in his command. The captain put on the red sash 
 prescribed in the army regulations, and putting on 
 his sword walked out on the deck, and in a loud 
 and commanding voice said : "Attention, soldiers !" 
 All eyes were turned to see where the voice came 
 from and who it was who spoke with accustomed 
 authority. "It is ordered and commanded that all 
 loud talking and all playing now cease, and that this 
 boat now be cleaned up. At eleven o clock we will 
 have chapel services conducted by Captain H. K. 
 Stimson, of the Ninth New York Cavalry ; and for 
 this purpose, I appoint Lieutenant F. and Lieutenant 
 B. to take charge of the upper deck, and Captain M. 
 and Sergeant V. to take command of the cabin. 
 These officers will detail a force sufficient to see this 
 order carried out." The appointment of these 
 subordinate officers was all arranged beforehand, 
 they being present at the council meeting in the 
 corner. Soon, men were busy at work clearing up 
 the ship, and Captain Doolittle walked the deck and 
 through the cabin with as much dignity as General 
 Winfield Scott. A few of the New York roughs 
 attempted to let off some of tbeir extra steam by 
 
256 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 making a noise, but a prompt intimation from Captain 
 Doolittle that the first man who disobeyed the order 
 would be put in irons, made them as still as mice. 
 At eleven o clock, as many as wished came into the 
 main cabin, and I talked to them a little while from 
 the words, "Contend earnestly for the faith once 
 delivered to the saints." The day passed off with 
 less turmoil than we had anticipated in the morning. 
 When we got to "Shipping Point," where we 
 disembarked, the green lieutenant from Brooklyn 
 was much disturbed when he found out about the 
 authority we had been assuming for the sake of 
 order on board the boat. But it was too late to 
 make any fuss about it. We justified ourselves on 
 the ground of military necessity ! The next 
 Tuesday, we joined our several commands at 
 Yorktown. 
 
 After we landed at "Shipping Point," we were 
 invited on board the "K. S. Spaulding," an iron 
 Government steamer, the head-quarters of Gen. 
 Slocum. Here we remained two days, waiting for 
 an escort to protect us in marching to the Union 
 army, as the rebel scouts infested the wilderness 
 between this landing and Yorktown. While staying 
 here, I had a good chance of seeing the workings 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 257 
 
 of the war system. Professing to have some 
 regard to honesty and fair dealing, I was not a 
 little shocked at some things I witnessed. 
 
 Near by where we lay at anchor, was a cove made 
 from the river, in which was a large bed of oysters, 
 containing about four acres, owned by a rebel 
 farmer, the main source of his support for a 
 numerous family. Our troops had waded into the 
 water, and by feeling with the bare feet, had robbed 
 the poor rebel of all his oysters next to the shore ; 
 and when these were all exhausted, had gone to the 
 old man, hearing that he had two or three oyster 
 boats hid away in his garret, and proposed to buy 
 them at a very high price. The purchase money 
 was some counterfeit rebel currency that a Yankee, 
 indeed, had manufactured for such emergencies, and 
 which could be bought at wholesale for about 
 twenty-five cents a ten-dollar bill. It was well 
 executed, and none but an expert could tell the 
 difference between the two counterfeits the coun 
 terfeit proper and the "counterfeit" of which this 
 was a counterfeit. There was quite a trade carried 
 on by way of disposing of this false scrip. With 
 this worthless imitation of a worthless currency, 
 the poor farmer was paid for his boats. In these, 
 
258 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 the soldiers launched out into the deep portions 
 of the cove, and "hooked" all the rest of the 
 oysters, stripping the old man of all his dependence 
 for a living, and robbing him of his boats besides. 
 We called at his house and heard his story, and 
 saw the counterfeit currency with which he had 
 been plundered. It was sad to sit and listen to 
 his tale of sorrow. His wife was from one of 
 the "F. F. V. s," and was wrought up to good 
 fighting condition while the old gentleman related 
 the facts of the swindle and pillage. She wished 
 all sorts of ills on the "confounded Yankees." 
 If she had the power, she would "poison the 
 whole race of them, and let them lie on top of the 
 ground to feed the turkey buzzards." I said I 
 hoped she wouldn t do it. That this act was 
 contrary to General McClellan s order I assured her ; 
 and that they ought to have taken a receipt for 
 the oysters, and at some future day the United 
 States Government would have paid the bill. 
 This so exasperated the old lady, that I acted at 
 once on the maxim that prudence is the better 
 part of valor, and left the house, bidding them 
 good-day. We found that that system of "pro 
 tection" did not work to suit the rebels, or to 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 259 
 
 the securing of obedience on the part of the 
 federal army. 
 
 We had a similar case at Yorktown, within two 
 miles of Gen. McClellan s head-quarters. Near 
 our camp was the large plantation of an old 
 Virginia gentleman, who owned some twenty-five 
 slaves, all connected by blood or marriage. The 
 old man was a staunch Confederate, and had two 
 sons in the Southern service as officers. Being 
 only three miles from Yorktown, he had applied 
 for protection from "vandalism" by our men. A 
 guard was detailed every day for that purpose, 
 consisting of six men. The thing was looked upon 
 as a very desirable duty on the part of the soldiers. 
 So that, at nine o clock in the morning, when the 
 detail left for the plantation, there was quite a 
 strife to see who should be selected. I had a 
 boy who acted as cook and table waiter. When 
 it came my turn to be officer of the day, he came 
 and said he desired to be detailed to serve on the 
 guard at the plantation. I consented, and Orderly 
 Sergeant Strong so appointed him. As he was 
 leaving for his post, I asked him why he wished 
 to be appointed to go and stay there twenty-four 
 hours. "Well, Captain, we can get hoe cake and 
 
260 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 milk and other nice things there, and then we can 
 instruct them darkies in some useful lessons for 
 their benefit." He at once fell into line and 
 marched off. 
 
 The next morning, the old planter came into 
 camp with a sorry face, and made complaint to the 
 colonel that eight of his slaves had run away the 
 night before ; and he wanted the colonel to order a 
 larger guard for that day. It so happened that 
 our colonel did not think very highly of "abolition." 
 He did not come into the army to fight for "niggers," 
 but for the "Constitution." But he was willing to 
 fight for the "niggers" in the sense of their appre 
 hension and return to slave-owners. So, he ordered 
 the guard doubled. But the next day, back came 
 the old planter, with the complaint that nine more 
 of his "chattels" had departed, leaving only an old 
 man and woman, the parents and grandparents of 
 six little children, on his hands to be supported. 
 The colonel heard his doleful complaint, and sent 
 for me. As I came into his tent, he said : "Captain, 
 what does this mean? This gentleman says his 
 servants have run away. Do you know anything 
 about it?" I replied: "I am not officer of the 
 day. I was yesterday. How should I know 
 
LAGKANGE THE WAK. 261 
 
 anything about it?" The colonel, turning to the 
 planter, said : "Well, old man, we can t keep 
 niggers from running away, as long as General 
 Wool is harboring them at Fortress Monroe. 
 
 the black cusses : the sooner you are rid 
 
 of them, the better it will be for you." "Oh, no !" 
 said the planter; "they are my main dependence. 
 Who can ever do our labor for us?" "Set your 
 rebel sons at work. It will do them good, and be 
 much better for them than to be in the fort at 
 
 Yorktown in this rebellion." The old 
 
 "F. F. V." planter left the camp without saying, 
 "Good morning, sir." The colonel ordered the 
 officer of the day to recall the guard, and let the 
 "rebs" take care of themselves and their "niggers." 
 It remains to be said that, in less than eight-and- 
 forty hours the old man s barn couldn t boast a 
 board or his fence a picket. And it was said by 
 the boys, that his hen-roost was as silent as a 
 graveyard. This closed up our guarding of rebel 
 property. 
 
 The whole talk was that a great and terrible fight 
 was about to come off, and that at least 30,000 lives 
 must be sacrificed on our side, not to speak of the 
 rebel loss. The wide circulation and deepening of 
 
262 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT 
 
 this horrible expectation, and the prevalence of 
 typhoid fever, which was carrying off the men 
 by hundreds and thousands, had then a most 
 depressing effect on the courage of our troops. 
 Everything looked dark and threatening to them. 
 
 General McClellan was the "Napoleon," the chief 
 captain of the American army. To lisp a word 
 against McClellan, was a high crime and misde 
 meanor. The officer who dared breathe a breath of 
 suspicion that he was not the greatest of generals, 
 was ordered to report at the War Department at 
 Washington, as was the case with Gen. Hamilton, 
 and others. This idolization of Gen. McClellan, for 
 a time was an American mama, and will form an 
 interesting, as well as sad chapter in the future 
 reliable history of the great conflict, that will not be 
 written while the generation of men now living 
 remains. In our opinion, he attained a greater and 
 more sudden reputation, and on a smaller capital, 
 than any other man ever has on the American conti 
 nent. The point of space he will occupy on the 
 page of permanent history will be exceedingly fine. 
 
 The order was for us to keep at work building 
 causeways, so as to make an easy way for retreat, in 
 case of battle. Thus things went on fora long time, 
 
LAGKANGE THE WAR. 263 
 
 till one day Mr. Lowe went up in his balloon, accom 
 panied with Gen. Stoneman, to take an observation 
 of the fort at Yorktown. They had ascended about 
 five hundred feet, when the rebels threw a small 
 shell in nearly a line shot at the balloon, bursting 
 within a short distance of it. This was on Friday, 
 about four o clock, p. M. Sunday morning at sun 
 rise, the news was in circulation that Gen. Magruder 
 was vacating the fort at Yorktown, and all must be 
 in preparation for marching orders at the shortest 
 notice. We need not detain the reader in describing 
 what followed. Two days afterwards, a part of Joe 
 Johnson s division of the rebel forces were overtaken 
 at Williamsburgh, Va., and another small conflict 
 occurred at West Point. These were only preludes 
 to the great "Retreat" of McClellan to Harrison s 
 Lauding ; a military maneuver that well entitles its 
 author to the distinction of the "Great Retreater." 
 If he had only turned "right about face," and made 
 provision as rapidly for backing down into the rebel 
 country, he might have anticipated Sherman in his 
 march to the sea, by at least two years. He never 
 ought to have fought with his face to the enemy. 
 Those in front of him had nothing to fear. He was 
 
 O 
 
 dangerous only to those in his rear, as the Union 
 
264 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 cause can abundantly testify. What a pity that the 
 Government did not understand his tactics, and insist 
 on his setting out on a march to the North ! But 
 then it s the fate of great men to be misunderstood. 
 Where is General George B. McClellan? 
 
 The fact was that the Ninth New York Calvary 
 had not, up to this time, been fully mounted or 
 equipped. An effort had been made the winter 
 previous to disorganize all the mounted troops in the 
 army. Senator Nesmith, of California, had made a 
 long and discouraging speech ou mounted soldiers, 
 including more ridicule than argument. Senator 
 Sprague of Rhode Island, wanted a larger amount of 
 artillery. These mere politicians desired to give 
 shape to the warfare according to their "parlor" 
 ideas. As though they knew anything of how the 
 campaign ought to be waged! That our cause 
 succeeded in spite of such advocates and some such 
 generals, is a proof beyond qttestiou that it was on 
 the side of humanity and right. The leading, prac 
 tical men wanted a larger force of mounted soldiers. 
 
 But at this early day of the war, politicians not 
 only constantly interfered with, but positively 
 controlled the military movements of the men who 
 were tiredly waiting to redeem their country from 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 265 
 
 its tbralldom. It was not a little amusing, as well 
 as a good deal provoking, to sit in the galleries of 
 the Senate and see what strategy and prowess these 
 brave political heroes evinced, and with what dis 
 patch they were going to subdue the rebellion and 
 make ff secession" bite the dust. It often made me 
 think of that brave command that "marched up the 
 hill, and then marched down again." These would- 
 be "leaders" had more to do with keeping the cavalry 
 from being mounted, and with depriving the country 
 for a long time of the valuable aid this important arm 
 of the service could render, than all other persons 
 and causes put together. Of course they had in the 
 field certain officers who were their tools. Thus the 
 military field and the political field were co-operative 
 in a very ridiculous, if it were not so sad a sense. 
 The purpose of some of these "loyal" men may be 
 discovered yet, now that the discovery will do no 
 good. 
 
 Efforts were continually made to induce the 
 cavalry regiment to disband and enter the infantry 
 service. I knew of one fine cavalry regiment, the 
 Seventh New York, called the "Black Horse Cavalry," 
 from Troy, that was disbanded at the beginning of 
 the war. But our men disdained to be disbanded, 
 
266 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 and insisted on being mounted and equipped. They 
 found out that they could not be forced into any 
 other arm of the service against their will. Another 
 fact most patent and injurious in its influence on the 
 spirits and discipline of the men, was the compar 
 ative ignorance of both the colonel and lieutenant- 
 colonel, of cavalry tactics. They cut a ridiculous 
 figure on horseback. Of course they owed their 
 promotions to political wire-pulling. So, when we 
 went down to Yorktown, our men consented to be 
 armed with Austrian rifles and go as an escort to 
 Gen. Hunter s park of artillery. When we arrived 
 at Yorktowu, the men concluded that they had 
 finished their mission as an escort., and laid down 
 their arms, fully resolved not to take them up, but 
 to hold themselves ready any moment to be mounted 
 and equipped as cavalry. In this condition of things 
 they remained at Yorktown without drill, the 
 most of the staff officers using all their influence and 
 intrigue to induce the men to be transferred to the 
 infantry. 
 
 At this juncture, I was sent to Baltimore with the 
 wounded and prisoners from the battle of Williams- 
 burgh, with liberty to go to Washington on a sick 
 leave of absence for two weeks. It was also sug- 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 267 
 
 gested by all the line officers and a few of the staff, 
 that while in Washington I should see Secretary 
 Stanton about our regiment, if something couldn t be 
 done to relieve us of the embarrassment in which 
 we found ourselves in consequence of the deadening 
 delay. After disposing of the wounded and pris 
 oners at Baltimore, I hastened to Washington. On 
 reaching the War Department, Mr. Stanton informed 
 me that at General McClellan s request, the Ninth 
 New York Cavalry were ordered to Albany to be 
 mustered out of service for insubordination ! I was 
 surprised, mortified, indignant, and righteously 
 wrathy. I denied the charge then and there as 
 utterly false. I told the honorable Secretary that 
 the Ninth regiment was made up of the best class of 
 volunteers the State of New York could boast. 
 And I added, "If the country and its officials think 
 we are not needed, we can well afford to go home. 
 But if it is on the charge of insubordination that we 
 are relieved, we can never go home to look in the. 
 face our wives, our children and our fellow-citizens. 
 We enlisted as cavalry, and as such, we are willing 
 to remain in the service of the Government, and 
 "fight it out to the bitter end," but we do protest 
 against being transferred into the infantry, and thus 
 break up our organization as cavalry." 
 
268 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 "Well, Captain Sliuison, you better go to Albany 
 and see Governor E. D. Morgan. I will give you 
 leave of absence, and a pass to Albany. If you 
 start this evening, you can reach Albany to-morrow 
 by noon." "Thank you, Mr. Secretary." He 
 ordered my pass made out, and I called on two of 
 our members of Congress, Hon. A. Frank and 
 Hon. K. E. Fenton, who gave me letters of intro 
 duction to Governor Morgan. The next day at 
 ten o clock A. M., I was in Albany and obtained an 
 introduction to the Governor personally by an old 
 friend, George Dawson, editor of the Evening 
 Journal. I presented my pass and leave of absence, 
 and at once made known the object of my business. 
 He appeared as much surprised as I was on hearing 
 it, and said, "I will telegraph at once to Mr. Lincoln. 
 You call to-morrow morning at eleven and I will let 
 you know the result." At the appointed hour I 
 was admitted to the Governor s room, when he read 
 me a copy of his telegram to Mr. Lincoln. It was 
 as follows : 
 
 "Mr. Lincoln, President of the United States: 
 
 " SIR : I am informed by an officer of the Ninth 
 regiment of New York cavalry that an order has 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 269 
 
 been issued by the War Department to muster out of 
 the service said regiment. I hope and earnestly 
 request that said order may be countermanded, and 
 if the Government cannot mount and equip said 
 troops, call on the State of New York, through its 
 proper executive, and it shall be done. 
 
 (Signed), E. D. MORGAN, 
 
 Governor of New York." 
 
 Mr. Lincoln replied by telegram : 
 
 "JE. D. Morgan, Governor of the State of New 
 
 York: 
 
 "SiR : The order to muster out the Ninth regiment 
 of New York cavalry is countermanded, and the 
 regiment will be here soon, to be equipped and 
 mounted at the earliest possible moment. 
 
 (Signed), A. LINCOLN." 
 
 Characteristic. No red tape. Direct. Inde 
 pendent. Eminently sensible. Hearty. Lincoln 
 had a clear head ; but he had also what, in the old 
 Bible language, is called "bowels," a quality just as 
 important as judgment, or justice. He was no 
 petrified piece of last century s wisdom, having no 
 interest in "personal matters," as Sumner once 
 imperiously said of himself. Lincoln had a per 
 sonal interest in "personal matters," and did not 
 
270 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 try to put himself above the Almighty, who cer 
 tainly interests Himself in "personal matters." 
 
 My health at this time was much impaired, 
 having had an attack of the typhoid fever while at 
 Yorktown ; and having a leave of absence of six 
 weeks from duty, from the Secretary of War, I 
 went home to see my family, then residing at 
 LaGrange, New York. It was evident to my 
 physician, at the end of my furlough, that I was 
 not fit for active service. So he sent on to the 
 Department a certificate of the facts, and I was 
 granted a leave of absence for an indefinite time. 
 Soon after this I was taken worse, and so continued 
 for the next eighteen months. During the time, I 
 suffered ^a shock of paralysis in my entire right side, 
 so disabling me as to prostrate my energies for the 
 next two years, not permitting me to leave my 
 house for that length of time, with one exception, 
 and that to vote. I was taken in a carriage on a 
 mattress to the polls, and returned to my dwelling 
 to remain there all winter. The longest sickness 
 in all my life. 
 
 During this confinement and severe suffering, 
 a few discontented persons, who had not been 
 personally enriched or honored by the war as they 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 271 
 
 had desired, commenced a series of mean acts, 
 accompanied with meaner invective against me, the 
 whole amounting to the cruelest persecution, being 
 at a time when I was wholly unable to defend 
 myself or rebuke them. In making up my 
 accounts in the enlistment of my company, I had 
 intrusted the keeping of the books to two men 
 who had joined the company, who were evidently 
 prompted by the lofty purpose of enriching them 
 selves out of the spoils of the war. It is believed 
 by some that there were other individuals of the 
 same tribe of human jackalls "in the service of 
 their country." These two men, in company with 
 a hotel-keeper who had quartered some of my men 
 and the band of musicians I had employed during 
 the time of enlistment, had conspired to have me 
 indicted before the grand jury of the United 
 States Court holding its session at Buffalo. 
 
 The deputy marshal called and made a service 
 of the warrant on me. But I was unable to be 
 moved, and so let the matter rest. These pretended 
 patriotic gentlemen were not well suited with the 
 leniency of the marshal who had served the 
 warrant ; and so sent off to a distant part of the 
 State and got their man, a perfect Nero, to do 
 
272 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 their dirty, cruel work. He came into the place 
 and stopped at the hotel above mentioned ; and 
 after getting well whiskyed-up, he got an old coop 
 of a hack, and two rowdy assistants to help him 
 secure his prey. Up they came to my residence, 
 and bolted in with all the courage of grenadiers, 
 as if to arrest some monster guilty of sedition 
 and murder. With great pomp and show of 
 authority, he made known the object of his visi 
 tation. I was in bed, where I had been for months. 
 I was not dressed, and had not been for a long time. 
 My wife and children were all amazement at this 
 strange manner of address to a sick and, as they 
 supposed, dying husband and father. They of 
 course knew not what to say or do. I politely 
 suggested that I would be glad to send into the 
 village for friends to assist me. "No," he replied; 
 "I can give you all the assistance you need. I will 
 have you in Albany to-morrow." My wife said : 
 "Why, sir, the man is not able to be moved; he 
 has not been out of his room for weeks. I would 
 as soon think of moving a dead man." "Can t help 
 it, madam ; he must go alive if he can, and if not, 
 dead." So I was dressed and hurried into his 
 rickety old hack, and driven to the depot. 
 
LAGKANGE THE WAK. 273 
 
 At Batavia, we were obliged to wait three or 
 four hours to make connection. The news was 
 soon circulated that I was at the depot under 
 arrest by the United States Marshal, and the 
 people flocked in to see me and proposed to become 
 bail for my appearance at Court. He said he did 
 not know what the bail would be, and that he 
 could not and would not consent. Neither would 
 he allow me to go to a friend s house, near the 
 depot, and stay while we were waiting for the 
 train. "No, sir." A friend then asked him if he 
 would furnish me with a sleeping-car berth? He 
 said he could not do it. The friend then handed 
 him the money to pay for a berth, and he took it in 
 my presence. As soon as the train arrived, I was 
 hurried into a crowded car, and seated with the 
 marshal and two miserable drunken rowdies of the 
 baser sort. I said, "Marshal, can t you get me a 
 sleeping-car?" "When we get to Eochester, I may, 
 possibly ; but I can t now." It was now past ten 
 o clock at night, and I was much exhausted by 
 the fatigue of waiting so long and the excitement. 
 
 At Eochester, he secured the berth. The night 
 
 was cold, and I suffered all the way from the 
 
 \ 
 
 constant opening and shutting of the doors. A 
 
274 FliOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 little after daylight, we arrived at Albany. He 
 procured a carriage, and then asked me if I would 
 like breakfast before he took me to prison. "Yes," 
 I replied; "and I have friends in the city whom I 
 
 would like to see." "Friends! Who in are 
 
 your friends here?" I replied, "All my friends 
 are not in that bad place." "Well, I will take you 
 to a hotel to get breakfast, and then we will see 
 about friends. 91 We halted at a low, third-class 
 house, and I was helped up stairs and laid on a 
 sofa. I asked the porter to have the clerk call up 
 where I was. He soon came, and I asked him to 
 write a couple of short notes for me, as I was 
 unable to write for myself. He wrote the following : 
 
 "Hon. George Dawson: 
 
 "DEAR SIR : I am here at the Hotel, under 
 
 an arrest by the United States Marshal. Will you 
 call on me soon, and oblige, 
 
 "Yours in bonds, 
 
 H. K. STIMSON." 
 
 A similar one was also sent to Rev. J. D. Fulton, 
 D.D. A boy was dispatched to carry them to their 
 respective addresses. While I was sipping my coffee, 
 and attempting to swallow a little breakfast brought 
 up by a waiter, in came the "friends" addressed. 
 
LAGKANGE THE WAR. 275 
 
 They both exclaimed as they entered: "Why 
 Stimson, what has brought you here? we supposed 
 you were dead, or near to it." I replied : "Not 
 dead, and the way I came here, was by the force of 
 the United States Marshal." At this moment he 
 came in, and seeing Mr. Dawson sitting in front of 
 me and holding my hand, doffed his hat and stam 
 mered out: "Good m-orn-ing, Mr. Dawson." Mr. 
 Dawson at this arose from his seat, and said to the 
 marshal : "Why, what in the name of common sense 
 have you brought this sick and dying man here for? 
 I would like to know." Mr. Fulton began by asking 
 him : "Are you human?" 
 
 The marshal apologized, and appealed to me if 
 he had not treated me well, and like a gentleman ? 
 If he had not secured a, sleeping-car and a carriage ? 
 To which I answered : "As to the sleeping-car, a 
 friend of mine in Batavia gave you the money with 
 which to pay for it ; as to the f carriage/ I wish these 
 gentlemen could see it, I think somebody in the hen 
 business would like to have it." The fact was, he 
 had secured his appointment through the influence 
 of Mr. Dawson, and now began to realize that his 
 poor, sick prisoner had friends away here in Albany 
 three hundred miles from home, whom he wished he 
 
276 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 did not know at all. He became exceeding clever to 
 me, and would do anything for me. 
 
 Mr. Dawson said to him : "Well, go and find out 
 what the bail will be and see that it is forthcoming." 
 and Fulton said (how characteristic) : "I will take 
 him to my house, and if he isn t there when you 
 come, then take myself and wife." He ordered a 
 carriage, and soon I was in his pleasant home, under 
 the kind, Christian nursing of his family. Soon a 
 physician was sent for, and I was safely out of the 
 protecting power of this specimen of a human brute, 
 called a marshal. Mr. Dawson and his partner in 
 business became my bail, and after a two weeks rest, 
 I was sent home in company with kind friends who 
 volunteered their gratefully received services. 
 
 Two of the first lawyers in Western New York 
 volunteered to defend me Hon. L. W. Thayer of 
 Warsaw, and the Hon. Sanford Church, of Albion, 
 ex-Lieutenant-Go vernor of New York. At the next 
 term of the United States Court at Rochester, the 
 case was called up. Mr. Church addressed the 
 Court by saying, among other similar things, that, 
 "this case was an unheard-of transaction in civilized 
 prosecution, legal or military." Hon. Mr. Thayer 
 followed, by characterizing the whole affair, from 
 
LAGRANGE THE WAR. 277 
 
 beginning to end, as "unworthy of the cognizance 
 of any Court," and moved that the Court enter a 
 nolle prosequi. The Court so ordered. 
 
 The two men who had instituted these proceedings 
 against me, were men to whom I had shown especial 
 favor, and had them detailed for less severe service 
 than the common soldiers. Yet they were the first 
 to stimulate insubordination, and to embarrass me in 
 my control of the company. They were clamorous 
 for their dis charge ; but I was not able to relieve 
 them from the obligations that they had voluntarily 
 assumed hence their venom. One of them, who 
 had acted as my company clerk, and plotted my ruin, 
 has since been found guilty of forgery. I am not 
 able to say what has become of him. I still live to 
 pity him, and those that so cruelly conspired with 
 him against me. 
 
 Conscious of my innocence, I did not fear the 
 result ; yet, I was greatly distressed that I should be 
 even charged with wrong doing ; and being dragged 
 away to prison is not very agreeable. There was, 
 however, one pleasant feature in it, for it discovered 
 to me friends whose sympathy and friendship is, and 
 will be so long as I shall live, very sweet to me ; 
 and I want just here to leave this testimony of my 
 
278 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 gratitude to my comrades and brother officers in the 
 Ninth New York Cavalry. Their letters came pour 
 ing in to the officers of the court, assuring them of 
 my innocence, and were of great service to me. 
 Through it all the Lord led me ; surely "He that is 
 for me is more than they that be against me." 
 
 During my long sickness, I had no way of making 
 money, and I soon consumed what I had. I could 
 not relieve my mind of anxiety concerning food and 
 raiment, the means of providing which for my family 
 I had none, except what was furnished by liberal 
 friends of all denominations, added to what little my 
 daughter could make by teaching a small district 
 school. But we did not come to want. The church 
 at LaGrange, nine miles off, time and again came 
 down in force, and brought us supplies of provisions 
 and money, and, what was worth more than these, 
 showed a deep, fraternal love for us which greatly 
 relieved the tedium of painful and protracted sick 
 ness. 
 
 I have read the manuscript of Captain Stimson, concerning his con 
 nection with the Ninth New York Cavalry, and the facts, as he states 
 them, are known to me to be true. W. G. BENTLEY. 
 
 ST. Louis, February 7, 1874. 
 
HO, FOR KANSAS ! 279 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 HO, FOR KANSAS ! 
 
 MRS. STIMSON had a brother residing in 
 Kansas, who solicited us to come to this new 
 State, where he thought there would be more 
 advantages for our children in the way of securing 
 positions in life, than in the older States. My 
 physician s advice to seek some milder climate as 
 the last hope of recovery, had already prepared us 
 to listen favorably to the Kansas call not church, 
 but individual. We had a small place on which we 
 were living, but there was an iucuinbrance on it 
 that certainly we had no very bright hope of ever 
 removing, under the circumstances of protracted 
 illness and no income. After weighing the pros and 
 cons, we concluded to join the army of emigrants 
 for the far-off West, I expecting to find a grave in 
 a short time among strangers. We left New York 
 in April, 1864. I could not walk at the time 
 without the aid of crutches. 
 
280 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 We stopped in Kinderhook, Michigan, to visit a 
 dear daughter, with whom we spent two weeks. 
 Here I attempted to preach for the first time in 
 nearly two years. This duty, if such it could be 
 called, I discharged sitting in a chair. I could not 
 stand in one position long enough to read the Scrip 
 ture. We bade adieu to the dear ones in Michigan, 
 and after a long and tedious journey through 
 Missouri the war at the time still raging and 
 keeping all passengers in a state of constant fear 
 we at length arrived at Leaven worth, where our 
 youngest son was taken sick, detaining us a week at 
 the hotel, the landlord showing us the kindest 
 attention. Here I had my first lesson of Kansas 
 business matters. 
 
 I had found out that there was no way of going 
 to the Neosho valley but by the round-about one of 
 staging it to Topeka, and then across the country 
 in a little two-horse hack, over a trackless prairie to 
 Burlington, and at exorbitant prices all the way. 
 While we were waiting for the recovery of the boy, 
 some one suggested that our cheapest way would 
 be to purchase an outfit of our own ; that a pony 
 team and a light wagon could take us and baggage 
 with ease, and that the concern would sell at any 
 
HO, FOR KANSAS ! 281 
 
 time for about what it cost. So I began to look 
 about for a bargain of the kind. While sitting in 
 the office of the hotel one day, a decently dressed 
 young man stepped up to me (wholly accidental 
 so many interesting things are accidental in Kansas) 
 and asked me if I didn t wish to procure a team to 
 go into the country? I told him I did, if I could 
 get one at a reasonable price. He said he had a 
 good span of ponies and a light wagon, and invited 
 me to go with him to the feed stable and see them. 
 So I took my crutch and limped off with him to the 
 stable, some three or four blocks. He brought 
 them out and hitched them to his wagon. I saw 
 that they were larger and better than the average^ 
 run of ponies. After we had driven around town 
 for a while, mostly on the back streets, I suggested 
 that he drive down one of the main business streets, 
 and to the hotel. He said the "ponies were afraid 
 of stages and covered wagons, not being used to 
 them, and that we had gone far enough for me to 
 judge." "Well, I like their movement; what is 
 your price for the outfit?" "Well, I will tell you, 
 stranger : I am in a hurry to go back to Illinois ; 
 my father is not expected to live ; I will take two 
 hundred dollars for the whole shebang. The 
 
282 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 wagon is a little worn, but the harness is new. I 
 paid forty dollars for it last week." I saw it was 
 a bargain, and just what I wanted. "Well, young 
 man, you drive it to the Michigan House, and I 
 will take it." "Stranger, as I have told you, I don t 
 like to drive them on the main streets ; they are a 
 little skeery" "Let me have the reins, then. I ll 
 risk them. I never saw a horse yet I couldn t 
 manage some way." But he objected, and put the 
 team in the stable, and I hobbled back to the hotel, 
 thinking what strange customs they had in Leaven- 
 worth, and what a singular breed of ponies. 
 
 He had not forgotten to say, however, that he 
 would be around in the evening and close the trade, 
 if I said so. I told my landlord what a fine rig I 
 had found, and that the ponies were shy of the main 
 streets. He replied, "Mr. Stimson, you will have 
 to be on your guard against thieves. If that team 
 and wagon are as you describe them, and can 
 be had for two hundred dollars, you may be sure 
 the fellow has not come honestly by them. I will 
 go over and look at them." In less than thirty 
 minutes he came back, saying, "Your team has just 
 been called for by two men from Missouri. They 
 have been after the fellow the last ten days. They 
 
HO, FOR KANSAS! 283 
 
 were stolen in Clay County, Missouri. They have 
 got the team, but the thief is minus." The ponies 
 had got over their front-street fright. There are 
 many plausible thieves in Kansas. The climate, or 
 soil, or both or something seems to promote this 
 quality of plausibility in all the somewhat numerous 
 tribes of thieves in this promising, ambitious and 
 destined commonwealth. From what high or low 
 source they may have caught the contagion, the 
 deponent saith not. But a smoother set of pioneer 
 thieves never existed. They are so smooth that 
 they can t be caught ; and if they are caught, they 
 are so smooth they can t be hung. But, thank God, 
 they are dying out. That s the only hope. 
 
 We took stage for Topeka, and after a long 
 day s ride, we were set down in that capital of the 
 new commonwealth. The next morning, at three 
 o clock, all five of us were crammed into the little 
 seven -by -nine hack, without having had any 
 breakfast. The old rickety concern, we felt, might 
 fly to pieces any moment. At eleven o clock, we 
 were set down to our breakfast of beans and flies, 
 and it was hard telling which outnumbered the 
 other. But we found good fare where we stopped 
 for the night, at least it seemed so then. The next 
 
284 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 morning, we arrived at the county seat of Coffey 
 County, the humdrum of a place we had had such 
 glowing accounts of, destined to be a live, wealthy, 
 business, manufacturing, commercial, literary, 
 political and religious center. Kansas is a very 
 prolific State in great towns. Cities germinate and 
 grow, prospectively at least (a very slight qualifi 
 cation), with the utmost spontaneity and rapidity 
 on Kansas soil. In some instances, the wild grass 
 is not killed out of the avenues before the city 
 attains its greatest dimensions. There is much in 
 a name sometimes, as well as in the soil and 
 climate. There are no villages or towns in Kansas. 
 The use of the more expansive name of "city" 
 may account in part for the marvelous dimensions 
 of some of our places. This and the broad-gauged 
 term "avenue," confer a metropolitan flavor most 
 conducive to growth, prospectively at least. The 
 name "Prairie City" may serve to elucidate our idea 
 to some of our Kansas readers. 
 
 I wish I could describe my first impressions, and 
 those of my family as we peered out of the woods, 
 after crossing the Whistler s ford. "There," said the 
 stage driver, "is the town of Hampdeu. That box 
 house is where the printer lives, and that is the office 
 on the high ground ; and that long low building is 
 
HO, FOR KANSAS ! 285 
 
 the court house, and those logs piled up there is a 
 blacksmith shop, and that is the carriage maker s 
 place of business." It consisted of a shanty for 
 hens, and a small barn. I believe I have catalogued 
 the town ; if not, Colonel F. "W. Potter will correct 
 me. As the girls put their heads out of the stage 
 and took a view of their new home, I thought I 
 heard something like a sigh. I don t think it was a 
 laugh. They were speechless. 
 
 I stopped at the printer s, and found our relatives 
 glad to see us, that is, they said so. And we settled 
 in the city of Hampden, county seat of Coffey, 
 Neosho Valley, Kansas. The valley, as a valley, is 
 all right. That still remains, and is a rich farming 
 country, destined some day to be highly cultivated ; 
 but all independent of Hampden as a county seat. 
 I soon saw that the political cast of the place was 
 democratic, and that nothing but pure democracy 
 would be tolerated as a general thing. Negers were 
 to have no sympathy, and abolitionists must keep 
 mum. The war was a failure, Lincoln was a 
 babboon, George B. McClellan was to be the next 
 president, and the man who denied it was a fool and 
 a knave. Such was the political and moral com 
 plexion for the two are similar in such a case of 
 the city of Hampden. 
 
286 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 I did once venture cautiously to express my 
 humble opinion on certain great questions of human 
 ity and national policy, and was at once chided as 
 being out of order at the centre of business ; " it 
 would not do at the county seat." If a man wanted 
 to talk that way, he could cross "Whistler s ford" 
 and relieve his mind, but he could not do so and remain 
 in "Hampden, county seat of Coffey." 
 
 There was one slight drawback, Hampden was a 
 very dry place. Water could be had by going to the 
 river, or at Denicke s well. It seldom came down 
 from above, and it could not be obtained every time 
 by any means, by digging. Water was worth 
 something at the "city of Hampden, county seat of 
 Coffey." Water being an important element in my 
 religious, moral and sanitary creed, and free-thinking 
 and free-speaking a cardinal right in my political 
 creed, I concluded it was best for me to leave 
 "Hampden, county seat of Coffey." Some thought 
 we had "missed it." They were correct. We 
 "missed" about four hundred dollars, all of our 
 this-world s property, which we had spent in the 
 flourishing city of "Hampden, county seat of Coffey." 
 Good-by, "Hampden!" may there never be your 
 equal this side the millennium. I am sure there will 
 not be afterwards, 
 
287 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 A KANSAS "FIELD." 
 
 /T\HE A. B. H. M. Society had sent me a 
 -*- commission as their missionary for the Neosho 
 Valley, with our head-quarters at Humboldt, Allen 
 County. Our instructions were to explore the 
 whole valley from Council Grove to the Indian 
 country. In October, we moved to Humboldt. 
 
 My health had so far improved that I was able 
 to preach once a day on the Sabbath, and occa 
 sionally twice, and ride in a buggy from twenty 
 to forty miles a day. There were then no bridges. 
 The people had not at that early day invented 
 county bonds. The accommodation for travelers 
 was not equal to what I had seen in some parts 
 of the United States. I can t speak for Europe. 
 Altogether, including the extent of my field, 
 brought to mind past infirmities and the permanent 
 hold disease had on me, by exposure to storms, 
 by fording of the streams, and often by swimming 
 
288 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 the ponies and carriage, and by the exactions of 
 the Society calling for just so much labor, whether 
 it was entirely practicable or not, I was soon 
 brought nearly down to my sick self again. I 
 must say, too, that the compensation I received for 
 these labors was not such as to keep a man s spirit 
 in an undue state of exhilaration, taking into 
 account the fact of a large family and also the fact 
 of Avar prices. For example, I paid ten dollars 
 for a hundred weight of flour, thirty-five cents a 
 pound for bacon, fifty cents a pound for coffee, two 
 dollars and fifty cents a pound for tea, and for other 
 things in the same proportion. We had lived all 
 winter in a room eight-by-fourteen feet. AVe were 
 compelled to set our table and chairs out of doors 
 to make room to go to bed. For this, including 
 the out-door room, I paid fourteen dollars a month 
 rent. These every-day facts were looked at in the 
 light of wealthy Eastern churches, with good 
 comfortable parsonages, the members there not 
 taking the deepest interest in the pioneer work 
 and workers. 
 
 [Talk about heroism ! If you can find those who 
 endured hardships more manfully, who crucified the 
 
89 
 
 flesh more heroically or who labored more abun 
 dantly and with a more Christly spirit than some 
 we do not say all of these early pioneers in the 
 employ of the Home Mission Society, you may 
 deny the propriety of our language when we call 
 them heroes, who belonged to an heroic age. Their 
 fields were sometimes as extensive as half a dozen 
 Methodist "circuits." They were often away from 
 home twice as long at a time as the ordinary 
 "circuit rider." The Methodist system is substan 
 tially one of "circuits," even the pastors staying in 
 a place but for a limited time. So that the early 
 "circuit rider" was not cut off from the sympathy 
 of the Church at its great centers of influence. Of 
 course he endured hardships. Let no one under 
 value his work or his personal character. But 
 much depends on how hardships are encountered. 
 He encountered them backed up by the whole 
 influence of a powerful organization that was 
 making and had always made a chief glory of 
 abounding in his very kind of labor ; that considered 
 itself especially called of God to a pioneer work. 
 And then his work was personally reviewed every 
 year by his bishop, and his promotion was in pro 
 portion to his self-denial and labors. It is difficult 
 to conceive of a more congenial atmosphere in 
 which to perform early missionary labor, than that 
 which continually surrounded the pioneer Methodist 
 "circuit rider." The case of the appointee of the 
 Home Mission Society of the Baptist Church was 
 quite different. He was, in a measure and to a 
 greater degree, isolated. His work could not be 
 adequately represented to "those in authority" who 
 seldom or never visited the field in person, and 
 
290 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 often it was uncharitably compared with work done 
 far away and under totally different circumstances. 
 The spirit of the Church then and now is more 
 properly spoken of as a foreign missionary spirit. 
 The home missionary servant was often well-nigh 
 forgotten, and his toils were comparatively unap 
 preciated, while the appointee of the Missionary 
 Union was kept in the warmest remembrance and 
 his work most highly prized. The sympathy felt 
 for him was active, practical and cordial. So that 
 we believe the statement correct, that of all men 
 who helped and are helping to subdue this Great 
 West to the sway of Messiah, the comparatively 
 isolated appointees of the A. B. H. M. Society 
 are worthiest of the name of heroes. ED.] 
 
 I think, if I had my life to live over, I would do 
 more for the home missions than ever I have done. 
 I would labor more to bring the wealthy men and 
 churches of the denomination into deeper sympathy 
 with the men and families on the frontier who are 
 enduring well-nigh all things, in some cases, for the 
 Master s sake. But, thank God, these inconven 
 iences and privations did not deprive us of His 
 power at Humboldt. Amidst the clangor of war 
 and the constant fear of the cruel "bushwhacker," 
 which was only another name for murderer and 
 plunderer, and whose foul deeds were being 
 perpetrated nearly every day all about us, the Spirit 
 was given and souls were converted to Jesus and 
 
291 
 
 became obedient to the faith. The place had been 
 sacked twice and burned once by rebel Missourians. 
 It was now a military post, with altogether too 
 small a protection to the remaining citizens, what 
 few there were of soldiers being much given to 
 drinking. With two saloons in full blast every 
 day, Sunday not excepted, and the click of the 
 billiard-balls to be heard at all hours of the day 
 and night, I made an attempt to preach a free and 
 full Gospel to the few who came and listened. The 
 larger part of the congregation was made up of 
 troops from the post. Among them, I found a 
 young man who was a Christian and took part in 
 the devotions. He made no special claim of talents, 
 but I soon saw that he had them; and I learned 
 from the officers that he had been ordained, and 
 preached yet occasionally. 
 
 Coming to Kansas with his father s family, 
 consisting of two or three brothers, he told them 
 on the breaking out of the war that they ought to 
 have a representative in the army of the country, 
 and if no one of the others would be that repre 
 sentative, he should be himself. He enlisted in 
 the cavalry service. I at once encouraged him to 
 engage again in the ministry, but he declined, as 
 he said he did not intend to preach until he had 
 
292 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 secured an education. I made an effort to get him 
 
 o 
 
 a discharge from the army for that purpose ; but 
 soon peace was declared, and he arranged his affairs 
 and spent some time at our State University at 
 Lawrence, and then completed his course in the 
 Theological Seminary at Chicago, with great credit 
 to himself and instructors. He is now one of the 
 honored and beloved ministers of the State. No 
 church need be ashamed of the Rev. R. P. Evans, 
 pastor at Olathe. 
 
 God poured out His Spirit at Humboldt in the 
 midst of all the depressing and distracting influences 
 at work. The place was very wicked. No sooner 
 were backsliders reclaimed and sinners alarmed, 
 than it seemed as if all the emissaries of the pit of 
 perdition were sent there on a special embassy 
 of ruin. But truth triumphed, and our Jesus 
 conquered as He rode on "mighty to save." No 
 opposition could stop the work. Profane swearing, 
 drunkenness, lewdness, lying, thieving all had to 
 give way to the Spirit s work and the power of 
 God in answer to prayer f The place we held our 
 meetings in was crowded every evening, and in the 
 day-time Christians of all denominations would 
 come together for supplication and exhortation. 
 God was with us in mighty power. 
 
293 
 
 Soon, there was a disposition on the part of a 
 number of the converts to follow the Master in the 
 ordinance of baptism. The officers at the post gave 
 us the use of a tent which was spread at the water s 
 edge for the accommodation of the female candi 
 dates. On the Lord s day, I baptized fourteen all 
 adults. Thus the work went on to the praise of 
 Christ. 
 
 The man who kept the main saloon and billiard- 
 tables of the place, was the son of a "hard-shell" 
 Baptist of southern Illinois ; and among the officers 
 who frequented his place, was Capt. Kendall, who 
 had been well brought up, a ntan of fine abilities 
 and education, but who had given himself over to 
 drinking and gambling. A young man, not a 
 Christian, had conceived the idea of making a 
 donation to the "poor missionary;" and in carrying 
 out his idea, he called at the different places of 
 resort, as well as business. This saloon was visited, 
 among the other places. There he found Captain 
 Kendall, playing billiards. The young man stepped 
 up to the bar, and handed his paper to Mr. Saloon 
 keeper. He at once rejected it, with an oath ! 
 
 "No, not a cent. My father is a Baptist 
 
 minister, and has preached these forty years and 
 never received a dollar for it, and is* a man well off, 
 
294 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE TULFIT 
 
 with a good farm; and I don t believe in these 
 missionary Baptists, nor their protracted meetings. 
 I won t give f nary red. Let them go to work, like 
 honest folks." Captain Kendall, hearing this reply 
 of Mr. Saloon-keeper, said: "Well, your father 
 
 must have been a old fool, and his son is a 
 
 chip off of the old block. Here, John, put me 
 down for fifty dollars ; and call at my tent 
 to-morrow, and I will pay it." 
 
 A donation day was appointed. The largest place 
 in town was jammed, all the officers and boys in blue 
 vieing with each other to see who should do the 
 most. I received over two hundred dollars. It 
 was a timely gift, as all things were at war prices. 
 Spring had come, and we were obliged to get out 
 of our little "seven-by-nine" room where we had 
 wintered and suffered. As there was no vacant 
 house in Humboldt, a kind-hearted brother at Tola 
 offered us a part of his house as a gratuity, and as 
 this was in our field, we of course took with delight 
 his offer and moved. We have all felt ourselves 
 under great obligations to Brother and Sister 
 Weller, of lola, for their Christian sympathy and 
 generosity. 
 
CLOSING THE WAR IN MISSOURI. 295 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 CLOSING THE WAR IN MISSOURI. 
 
 (l) CURING this spring the war came nominally to 
 J-^a close, and yet all along the borders of Kansas 
 and Missouri the skulking "bushwhackers" were 
 committing fearful depredations. Men ran great 
 hazards in venturing out to any distance from the 
 settlements. An old gentleman, with his wife- 
 friends and neighbors of ours from New York had 
 come into the country to visit his children, and was 
 taken sick and died. The widow requested me to 
 accompany her with the corpse back to her old home 
 in New York. I consented, and we had got as far 
 as St. Louis and there I met our brother Jesse Stone, 
 of Topeka, on his way to Boston. He was going 
 through Rochester, and would take my place, giving 
 me the privilege of attending our Anniversaries at 
 St. Louis, which were then in progress. At the 
 close of the meeting, the Missouri Pacific road had 
 tendered free passes to all members of the conven- 
 
296 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 tion to the end of the line, then at Warrensburgh, 
 Missouri. A large number of the Eastern brethren 
 accepted the proffer, among them Rev. William 
 Michels, D.D., of New York City, U. D. Ward, 
 Esq., of New York City, Rev. S. Graves, D.D., of 
 Norwich, Connecticut. Some of the number were 
 going through to Kansas. As soon as we were well 
 under way, stories were put in circulation about the 
 sad havoc the guerrillas were making in Missouri, so 
 that at Warrensburgh they all concluded to return 
 by the next train. But as my home was in Kansas, 
 I must go on. We arrived in Warrensburgh about 
 nine in the evening. The stage left at ten. An old 
 man and myself were all the passengers to take the 
 stage for Independence, Mo., about one hundred 
 miles. The driver had a bottle of whisky, and was 
 quite "tight" to begin with. The night was exceed 
 ingly dark. The road ran most of the way through 
 the prairie. 
 
 As the stage moved out of town, the driver halted 
 and took on a boon companion, of like disposition 
 and condition with himself, being under the delusive 
 influence of bad whisky. They sang bad songs, and 
 used bad language without stint. After traveling 
 five or six miles, we met the incoming stage with a 
 
CLOSING THE WAK IN MISSOURI. 297 
 
 full load of passengers. It stopped long enough to 
 convey the news of the massacre at Holden. of several 
 of its citizens. We were to change horses at Holden. 
 I saw this sad tale excited my aged companion in 
 travel, now almost travail, and he suggested for us 
 to return to Warrensburgh, and get a conveyance to 
 take us through by daylight. But I said; "No, that 
 will not benefit us by way of protection from guer 
 rillas." So on we went in the dark. 
 
 Between midnight and one o clock, the coach 
 stopped, and I heard the driver say: "We are out 
 of the road ; here, you hold the lines, while I get off 
 and look for it." After a long reconnoissance he 
 came back, and reported he could not find it. The 
 old gentleman and myself had got out of the coach, 
 and observed that the man he had left to hold the 
 team, was sound asleep on the box. I asked of the 
 driver : "Where did you leave the road-track?" He 
 replied, with an oath, that he didn t know. I asked 
 him to let me have the coach lamp and I would go 
 and see if I could discover it. As I took the lamp, 
 the old gentleman opened the stage door and took 
 his satchel out. So we started off together. And a 
 fruitless search it was. We came back to find both 
 men in a drunken sleep in the stage, occupying the 
 
298 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULriT. 
 
 seats, one of them having taken my satchel and 
 shawl for pillow and covering. I went to the boot 
 of the coach, and got the bottle of whisky and 
 emptied it on the ground, and then threw the bottle 
 as far as I could out on the prairie. I set the lamp 
 in its socket, and waited for day. Nothing could be 
 seen but the dim horizon in the distance. Not a star 
 shone through the thick clouds that made the night 
 so densely dark. 
 
 I saw all this time that my aged friend was much 
 excited, though he said but little. As daylight 
 broke the spell of darkness, I could discover in the 
 distance, men walking back and forthwith glistening 
 muskets. It was not light enough for me to see the 
 dress of the men. The question that arose to me, 
 and well nigh choked me was : "Is the color grey or 
 blue?" I soon saw that four of them were approach 
 ing us, and I called up the boys and told them to 
 hitch up, as we wanted to be moving. As the men 
 neared us, I saw that they were soldiers in BLUE ! 
 How blessed was that blue ! I felt better, as well as 
 I can remember. The fact was, this drunken driver 
 had been out on a waste prairie four or five miles, 
 and these were the United States troops on the look 
 out for the raiders on Holden. They saw us by our 
 
CLOSING THE WAR IN MISSOURI. 299 
 
 stage light, and bad kept us in view for hours, 
 expecting that the bushwhackers would make their 
 appearance, and pounce upon us as their prey. The 
 sergeant of the guard directed us to the main road, 
 and at eight o clock we arrived at Holden. We were 
 due there at four o clock, A. M. The town was panic 
 struck. Six of her citizens had been murdered in 
 open daylight, and in cold blood, by a band of law 
 less devils in human shape, who, although the war 
 was closed, were pushing their fiendish work of 
 death for plunder s sake. 
 
 I informed the stage agent of the conduct of his 
 driver, and went before a notary public and made 
 affidavit to the facts as above related. The hotel 
 was demoralized and broken up by the murders and 
 subsequent panic, so that no breakfast could be 
 obtained there. A stranger informed us that just 
 out of town, on the stage road, was a boarding 
 house where we could get something to eat. So my 
 old companion and myself asked the stage agent if 
 he would have it stop for us at the place. "Well," 
 said he, "I am not certain that the stage will go 
 to-day, as the military will not furnish any guard. 
 You do not want to go without protection, do you?" 
 There were some railroad contractors that had been 
 
300 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 waiting for the stage ever since it was due in the 
 very early morning, and were very anxious to get 
 to their men on the job, six or eight miles ahead. 
 They said they "must go" Railroads are generally 
 built \)y men who talk in that way. They could 
 defend themselves "a little." One of them, turning 
 to me, said, "Stranger, have you any revolver?" 
 and to my companion: "Old man, have?" I told 
 them I had none. "Well, here is one I will 
 lend you as long as we are together." I thanked 
 him and took it. The old gentleman said, "I should 
 not know how to use one if I had it ; I never shot a 
 gun in my life." "Well, said I, "call for us at the 
 small house on the hill, and we will walk along." 
 The lady gave us corn cake and bacon, and bitter 
 coffee, made worse with sorghum. I saw the old 
 gentleman kept his satchel in his hand all the time, 
 and after our meal he said, "I will walk along and 
 get in when you come up." 
 
 An overgrown specimen of a "puke," who seemed 
 to be general hanger-on about the house, said, "If 
 you have got anything valuable with you, you had 
 better leave it with me, for I doubt if you ever get 
 to Pleasant Hill alive, if you don t have any escort 
 there. Them bushwhackers are in the bush 
 
CLOSING THE WAR IN MISSOURI. 301 
 
 between here and that place." I saw this excited 
 the old man afresh. As we walked along, and as 
 soon as we were out of hearing of this individual, 
 who had all the latent symptoms of a bushwhacker 
 himself, my companion said, "I suppose you are a 
 good, honest man, and I will tell you my condition. 
 It is this. I am going to Kansas to see my sons at 
 Emporia, or near there, and I am carrying them 
 money to buy land with. I have got twenty 
 thousand dollars in this satchel. I live in Pennsyl 
 vania, in Crawford County. I am a member of the 
 Presbyterian church, and I hope, a Christian. I had 
 no thoughts of any such trouble as this. If I had, 
 I never would have started. I have never been 
 away from home much. I thought I would hide 
 the money somewhere in the woods, and then if I 
 could, go to see my children." The tears came in 
 the old man s eyes as he spoke. I said, "Now, 
 this is your best policy. Keep quiet. Act careless 
 about your money. Treat your valise as though 
 there was nothing in it. Throw it down anywhere. 
 Keep your eye on it, but appear unconcerned about 
 it. Don t get excited when men talk. That man 
 saw you were anxious about something, where we 
 took breakfast." 
 
302 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 Up came the stage with the railroad contractors 
 and one lady aboard. The old man threw in his 
 rubber cloth satchel, and on we went. One of the 
 passengers informed us that our greatest danger was 
 about five miles on. Then we would be out of 
 harm s way until at the Osage River, a few miles 
 this side of Independence ; but the probabilities 
 were that we should have an escort of cavalry from 
 Pleasant Hill to Independence. We arrived at the 
 former place about two p. M., and found that the 
 troops stationed there had just returned from a long 
 and weary scout for bushwhackers. They were 
 wearied out, horses and all. The captain of the 
 guard said he could not send a protection until the 
 next day ; but finally said, "If the men will vol 
 unteer, I will consent." And the old man said, "I 
 will pay them something." So the bugle sounded a 
 "call," and up came the men. He made known to 
 the soldiers the facts, and added that some of the 
 gentlemen had promised them a present if they 
 would go to the crossing of the Osage River. The 
 old gentleman said, "Yes, I will give each man a 
 dollar that will go," and twelve volunteered. We 
 were safely escorted to the river, and before dark, 
 we were in the city of Independence. The railroad 
 
CLOSING THE WAR IN MISSOURI. 303 
 
 was completed from there to Kansas City. On this 
 of course we gratefully, and. with much relief, rode 
 into the "village at the mouth of the Kaw." Here 
 my old Peunite concluded to stay until the next 
 Monday morning. He proposed to give me twenty 
 dollars for aiding him. I thanked him No, I didn t 
 wish to be compensated for doing right and using 
 my wits. I went on to Lawrence to spend the 
 Lord s day. 
 
 Soon after returning home, the Kansas State 
 Convention of Baptists was to hold its third annual 
 meeting in Paola, June, 1865. Paola had been a 
 military post during the war, and long barracks had 
 been constructed for the quartering of the troops. 
 The commanding officer of the post had given the 
 use of these buildings to the Convention, and had 
 arranged them as well as he could for the holding of 
 the meetings. There was a good representation 
 of officers and men in the meetings. The delegates 
 of ministers and others from the State were fully as 
 numerous as could be expected. Rev. J. B. Taylor, 
 appointed to preach the opening sermon, was con 
 sidered, doctrinally speaking, of the "hard-shell" 
 stamp. If there were ever any doubts entertained 
 before of the propriety of the epithet as applied o 
 
304 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 him, they were all effectually scattered by this 
 sermon. It was antinomian "hard-shellism" hard 
 ened. The Association received it kindly, chari 
 tably, and in a way that spoke volumes for their 
 common sense, by letting it pass without note or 
 comment. That brother s effort was destined oi 
 course from all eternity to fall upon ears that were 
 dull of hearing, and so to drop into well-earned 
 oblivion. Inconsistency is woven into the very 
 texture of the lives of men, individually as well as 
 into that more complex life of associated men 
 mankind. That in this day of steam and electricity 
 and personal achievement, any one could hold to 
 such ideas as those mildly called "hard-shell," 
 belonging only to the "sleepy hollow" age of the 
 world, if to any, is one of those phenomena that 
 prove beyond controversy that the "fall" made men 
 liable to become fools as well as knaves. 
 
 All was moving on with the best of feeling, until 
 the last day of Convention, when the committee 
 on the state of the country reported a scries of 
 resolutions, among which was one on the death 
 of President Lincoln, expressed in terms of lamen 
 tation, and adulation of him as a Christian President, 
 etc. The room was crowded with United States 
 
CLOSING THE WAR IN MISSOURI. 305 
 
 officers and soldiers, as well as of "citizens." No 
 sooner had the resolutions been read, than the 
 "hyper" brother arose and moved that "so much 
 of the resolutions as referred to Mr. Lincoln as a 
 Christian President be stricken out ;" and then went 
 on to make a most violent speech, denouncing the 
 President for being in a theatre when he was 
 assassinated. He ought to have taken it into 
 account that he was "foreordained" to have gone 
 there ! You might as well undertake to put out 
 powder when it is once ignited, as to have kept that 
 audience, so largely made up of the "boys in 
 blue," still. I being in the chair, called, "Order! 
 Order ! " But more than a dozen men were 
 making efforts to get their hands on him. One 
 had his bowie-knife drawn, to kill him on the spot. 
 But two brethren, Major H. A. Dean and Sergeant 
 R. P. Evans,* interfered, and saved the man from 
 sudden death at the hands of United States soldiers. 
 He was spirited away and secreted until night, 
 when he left for his home in Lyon County. The 
 resolutions were passed without opposition, except 
 as above noted. 
 
 *Now, Rev. R. P. Evans, of Olathe. 
 
306 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 I have related this unhappy affair, simply because 
 great injustice has been done the brethren who 
 were prominent in the Convention, by charging 
 them with being the instigators of intended violence 
 to the person of Rev. J. B. Taylor. To me, it 
 was said, in the city of New York, that "I, as the 
 presiding officer of the body, and others connected 
 with me, put the officers and men up to it." All 
 present at the time know that I tried to keep the 
 meeting in order. I but speak for the brethren 
 of the convention, when I say that the charge is 
 false. 
 
 We then had a noble band of brethren in this 
 new State. We were far from each other. Our 
 ministerial meetings were few and far between. 
 The churches were small and poor. There were 
 but one or two finished Baptist meeting-houses in 
 the State one at Atchison and one at Manhattan, 
 I believe. There was a frame up at Neosho Rapids. 
 Leaven worth, Lawrence, Topeka, Junction City, 
 Paola, Fort Scott, Ottawa, Emporia not a Baptist 
 church edifice in any of them, and all growing; 
 towns of importance in anticipation, with all the 
 elements to make them fulfill the expectation. 
 
 I am astonished at the advance made by us, in 
 
CLOSING THE WAR IN MISSOURI. 307 
 
 every respect. Our Sunday school system was in a 
 disorganized condition. The schools were feeble, 
 poorly organized and irregular in attendance. We 
 had a few young ministers of education and ability. 
 Now, we have them by scores ; and the above-named 
 towns are supplied with able men, and with church 
 buildings that are ornaments to their respective 
 cities. The summer and autumn of 1865 marks a 
 new era in the history of the churches in Kansas. 
 The war having come to a close, Christian men 
 began to think of doing something for the Master. 
 Quite a number of the men who had gone into the 
 war and a few of the ministers returned to their 
 homes, to preach Christ and serve the churches. 
 While they thanked Him for victories in the field, 
 they thanked Him still more for the victories of the 
 Cross over sin and depravity. Immigration came 
 in like a flood, and towns that had been in a stand 
 still condition during the nation s conflict, sprang 
 into new life. God was in Kansas, notwithstanding 
 some "jayhawking" citizens. 
 
308 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 AND LEAVENWORTH. 
 
 IN October, 1865, the trustees of the Ottawa 
 "University" Rochester and Harvard forgive 
 the mark ! invited me to move to that new "city," 
 and take an agency of the institution, on a salary 
 of one thousand dollars per year, and traveling 
 expenses paid. I consented to do so, and at an 
 early day moved my family to the place, and 
 commenced my work as I was directed by the 
 chairman and secretary of the board. The Baptist 
 church at Leavenworth had begun to build an 
 edifice, and the pastor, Reverend Winfield Scott, 
 invited me to be present at the laying of the corner 
 stone ; and, by the consent of the board, I went. 
 Soon after, Mr. Scott wrote the board, asking them 
 to permit me to enter their service as agent to 
 collect funds for the carrying on of their great 
 project. Consent was given ; and I went East for 
 that object, and spent the spring and summer of 
 
1866 in the New England States and New York. 
 I first stopped in Quincy, Illinois, collecting about 
 two hundred dollars. Next, in Chicago, I raised 
 the same amount. In Coldwater, Michigan, I raised 
 one hundred and thirty-four dollars. I then went 
 to New York, Boston, Hartford, Providence and 
 the lesser towns and cities, and returned to Ottawa, 
 having been absent from my family from the ninth 
 of February to the eighth of October. During 
 this time I was sick in New York City six weeks, 
 but able a part of the time to supply some of the 
 vacant pulpits, the pastors being away on their 
 summer vacations, the compensation for such 
 services to be applied to the church in Leavenworth 
 towards their building fund. I went to New 
 London, Connecticut, and spent ten days with an 
 old fellow-laborer, Rev. Jabez Swan, whom I had 
 not seen in thirty years, and with him went to 
 the Stonington Union Association, and heard him 
 preach to the hosts of New England Baptists. It 
 was "a feast of fat things" to hear him expound the 
 Word of God and describe the revivals he had 
 witnessed in that old Association, and what he had 
 accomplished in his early pastoral work in New 
 York and other States. I saw that a few of the 
 
310 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 younger brethren in the ministry thought he was a 
 little too rough in his manner of address. But the 
 large majority of these representatives of the New 
 England churches had the greatest faith in his 
 integrity and piety. Thousands upon thousands 
 all over the land were his epistles known and read 
 of all men. Many of them were present in this 
 meeting. In his first pastorate in New London he 
 had, by his plain, truthful dealing with error, so 
 exasperated the Universalists that they, in their hot 
 zeal, had gone on and built an expensive church, 
 going far beyond their means, hoping blindly to be 
 able to meet their coming liabilities. When this 
 new and elegant house was dedicated, many of 
 Swan s brethren said, if he had been a little more 
 mild, that society would never have built such an 
 edifice ; it grew up into form and beauty out of 
 his imprudent and rash course towards them. 
 Brother Swan hearing this a number of times, 
 replied : "Brethren, the day will come when you 
 or your children will see that meeting-house dedi 
 cated and owned by the Baptists in the city of New 
 London. Now, mark my words." Brother Swan 
 was soon called as pastor of the State-street church, 
 in Albany, New York. During the two or three 
 
311 
 
 years of his settlement in Albany, the debts on the 
 fine Universalist house in New London began to 
 press upon them. Sixteen thousand dollars must 
 be raised, or the house would be sold under the 
 sheriff s hammer. No relief came. Three or four 
 of the wealthier Baptists went to Albany, and said 
 to Brother Swan : "If you will come back to New 
 London, we will buy the new Universalist meeting 
 house, and have you installed as pastor in it. He 
 consented ; and in a few weeks a sheriff s deed was 
 made out to the Baptist church and society, and 
 Jabez Swan installed as its pastor. There he 
 remained, enjoying the fulfillment of his prophecy, 
 until age had disqualified him for active labor as a 
 pastor in the place. 
 
 Rev. Jabez Swan was an outspoken man in a l his 
 private and public ministrations. As a man in 
 social life, he was as mild and quiet as a child, and 
 as tender in dealing with inquirers after truth as the 
 beloved John. In the pulpit, he was like Paul 
 logical and truthful. In prayer, he was a power 
 with God. He could prevail. While pastor in 
 Albany, he was called upon, as the custom was in 
 that State at the time for the resident ministers in 
 Albany, to act in turn as chaplain of the House of 
 
312 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 Representatives and Senate. The Speaker of the 
 House at the time, Hon. E. Litchfield, was a 
 Baptist. When Swan s morning came to officiate, 
 Litchfield called the House to order and said : "The 
 Reverend Jabez Swan will address the Throne of 
 Grace." Swan commenced in the usual way 
 of formality, but soon introduced the practical 
 matter of supplication, making time and place and 
 subjects as pointed and personal as possible 
 something like the following: "Oh, thou Almighty 
 Savior of sinners, here in this congregation are such 
 as need salvation, and of every imaginable class. 
 Here, O Lord, are men steeped in iniquity, in 
 bribery, in drunkenness, lies, licentiousness and 
 debauchery ; 1 old blasphemers, men who fear not 
 God nor regard the interests of man men who are 
 reprobate to all that is holy and good. Now, Lord 
 God, make known Thy mercy in saving them from 
 the power of the second death, and sustain Thy 
 servant who is called to preside over them, that he 
 be not contaminated by this herd of thieves and 
 robbers. In Thy name we ask it. Amen and 
 amen." Honorable Mike Walsh, of New York City 
 notoriety, an eccentric fellow, arose in his place at 
 the conclusion of the prayer, and moved a question 
 
"OTTAWA UNIVERSITY" LEAVEN WOKTH. 313 
 
 of privilege. When the chair had announced his 
 name as having the floor, he continued : "I move 
 that a copy of this prayer be spread upon the 
 journal of the House, for it s the most appropriate 
 prayer I have ever heard in this place." 
 
 While thus acting as agent of the church at Leav- 
 enworth, I was permitted to witness the Spirit s 
 power in the salvation of sinners, in a number of 
 places where it would have been delightful to have 
 remained and assist the different pastors, had duty 
 permitted me to do so. But I had a special object 
 in pursuit. And I have always acted on this prin 
 ciple : never to do two things at once. "This one 
 thing I do," said Paul. I did depart from this rule 
 for a short time at Coldwater, Michigan, where I 
 found the church in a divided state, and where it 
 seemed to be duty to remain a few days and assist 
 in the Christian work of reconciling brethren. 
 After a week s stay, not without its good results, I 
 trust, I went on, stopping at Detroit over one night. 
 In this city, the churches were at the time embar 
 rassed with debt ; and so I hastened on to New 
 York State, where I was born and where my youth 
 had been spent in folly and sin : where the Spirit 
 first revealed to me the deep depravity of my nature ; 
 
814 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 where God, for Christ s sake, forgave my sins arid 
 led me to the cross for hope of eternal life. As I 
 came to some of the places where I had lived as a 
 sinner, I could not suppress my tears of mingled 
 grief and joy grief, when I remembered the 
 blindness and hardness of my heart when a youth ; 
 joy, when I considered my great deliverance from 
 the power of sin. 
 
 One sad reflection came upon me like an armed 
 force. It was this : Many of the old ministers, 
 and those who were my companions in the labor 
 of the Gospel, had gone to the Better Land to rest, 
 and were waiting for the resurrection of the just. 
 The time was when I knew nearly every Baptist 
 minister in the State from Lake Erie to the east 
 end of Long Island; from 1840 to 1857, I had 
 commingled much with those in the western and 
 southern portions of the State. Among them, 
 were men of choice spirit. But now, their places 
 were vacant or filled with the young men who 
 had been raised up in the churches and educated 
 in our schools, nearly all of them strangers to me. 
 It was, however, a cheering reflection that upon 
 many of these sons of the Gospel the mantles of 
 their ascended fathers had fallen, and the Elishas of 
 
w OTTAWA UNIVERSITY" LEAVENWORTH. 315 
 
 to-day were doing the very work of the Elijahs of 
 yesterday. It is a source of joy and pride to see 
 what the schools of the prophets have accomplished 
 for the Baptist churches and their ministers in the 
 last quarter of a century. Forty years ago we had 
 in all Western New York, but few educated min 
 isters, and now nearly every church in the State is 
 supplied with a pastor whom no church would be 
 ashamed to have stand before any audience as the 
 ambassador of Christ. I could but exclaim, "God 
 bless these dear young men with the power of the 
 Spirit ! " The most of them gave the best of evi 
 dence that they were taught of God, as well as in 
 the Seminary. 
 
 I found only one exception, and perhaps what I 
 criticized in him was a mistake more than a fault. A 
 young brother was to preach the opening sermon at 
 an Association. His text was Isaiah Ixiv. 6 : "We do 
 all fade as a leaf." After an introduction by way 
 of urging upon the assembly the importance of a 
 chemical, agricultural and scientific understanding 
 of the processes of nature in the growth of vegeta 
 tion, he announced his theme, "The Fading Leaf," 
 and then set forth the doctrine of the text, (he said 
 it was the doctrine) First, "The process of fading 
 
316 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 and falling;" Second, "The use the leaf is put to 
 by nature, after it fades and falls." The sermon 
 had one grand feature. It was just twenty-seven 
 minutes long. At the conclusion, all said Amen. I 
 was invited home to dinner with an old friend who 
 asked me, with a twinkle of the eye, as we walked 
 along, "What agricultural society did that young 
 man say he belonged to ? " There was not a good 
 round sentence in it, from beginning to end, for 
 Christ and the salvation of lost men. But this case 
 was an exception to the young men generally. He 
 had more learning than good Gospel sense. 
 
 I have given my views in a previous chapter on 
 the subject of an educated ministry, so that I will 
 not trespass again upon the time of the reader to 
 enlarge upon the subject at this point. Everywhere 
 I went I was hailed with a most hearty welcome by 
 old and young, friends and strangers. After the 
 meeting of the anniversaries in Boston, I came to 
 Connecticut and spent the time till their annual 
 State meeting in the city of Hartford a meeting 
 long to be remembered. It was a grand sight to 
 see those New England Baptists who had contended 
 so earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints 
 against ecclesiastical domination and the authority 
 
317 
 
 of a law of persecution, and to hear the reports 
 from the churches they represented, showing how 
 much material and spiritual prosperity attended 
 them in all their religious enterprises. Such devoted 
 men, laymen and ministers ! Such liberality as was 
 evinced for every good object ! Such fraternal 
 respect for each other, and for the opinions of 
 others ! There was no great "/" and little "yow," 
 as I had witnessed in some places. The doctors of 
 Divinity did not put on airs, or betray any symptoms 
 of having that bane of human greatness, "the big- 
 head." Every man s hat fitted his own head. One 
 evening of the session was given to a social and 
 simple supper in the large edifice of the First 
 Baptist church. At this supper a number of gentle 
 men, not members of the denomination, were called 
 upon for speeches, among them Hon. Mr. Hawley, 
 Governor of the State, and son of a Baptist minister 
 in the State, who had toiled when Baptists every 
 where in New England received "cold-shoulder" 
 and Baptist ministers small salaries in addition. I 
 was called upon to represent Kansas and the needs 
 of the Baptist church at Leavenworth, and in 
 response to my plea for the latter, received nearly 
 seven hundred and fifty dollars. All the pulpits of 
 
318 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 that State were open for the presentation of the 
 wants of the needy. Well, Connecticut is a grand 
 old State ! It s a good State to be in. It s easy 
 work to praise it. 
 
 At Danbury I found a noble band of Christian 
 men and women. Here I was invited by the pastor, 
 Kev. D. M. Stone, D. D., now of Milwaukee, 
 Wisconsin, to present the claims of my object. 
 Also at Norwalk I received the same invitation from 
 Rev. C. N. Swan, son of Jabez Swan, of New 
 London. The church at Stamford is a grand spec 
 imen of what a church ought to be. This church, 
 Rev. Edward Lathrop, D. D., pastor, good and 
 true, treated me with New Testament consideration 
 and liberality. I then came back to New York and 
 took the line of churches up the Harlem road to 
 Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties, and 
 attended the two Associations composed of the 
 churches in that wealthy region of hills and dales 
 which well nigh flows with milk, the farmers fur 
 nishing this article in the greatest quantities for the 
 New York market. From these hills the water also 
 for that mighty city is furnished. The Croton River 
 is here turned into two or three reservoirs, from 
 which it flows in underground acqueducts about 
 
eighty miles to the city, costing millions of dollars. 
 I did not wonder that so many of the people in that 
 country were of Baptist proclivities, water being 
 so valuable an article, and so highly prized. I 
 heard no complaints that it was "dangerous to 
 health," as we hear out West. 
 
 While in Rhode Island I received a telegram 
 requesting me to go to Washington, D. C., to meet 
 a friend, and to attend to business relating to the 
 "University" at Ottawa. Having complied with 
 this, I returned to New York, where I resigned my 
 position in connection with that enterprise, and then 
 hastened to my home in Ottawa, Kansas. As their 
 pastor, Rev. I. Sawyer, D. D., had resigned, the 
 church invited me to supply their pulpit until they 
 could obtain another pastor. Mrs. Stimson was 
 acting as matron of the Indian Department of the 
 school. I accepted the position of supply until the 
 next autumn. I then went to Lawrence, and com 
 menced a meeting in connection with the pastor of 
 the Baptist church in that place, Rev. E. D. Bentley. 
 This was about Christinas. I only expected to 
 remain a few days, and then return to Burlington to 
 spend the winter with my daughter and her family. 
 
 Perhaps it will be of sufficient interest to the 
 
320 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 reader to detail somewhat the precious work of 
 grace in Lawrence during the winter of 1867-1868. 
 It was Wednesday evening, the time for the regular 
 prayer meeting of the church. Pains had been 
 taken by the pastor and others, to give notice that 
 there would be preaching in the lecture room. At 
 the hour appointed there were seventeen present, 
 all told. I talked to this handful from the Word of 
 the Lord in Nehemiah iv. 6, "For the people had a 
 mind to work," introducing two simple thoughts : 
 First, The magnitude of our work ; Second, What 
 is our individual work as Christians ? At the con 
 clusion, I suggested this as a test of our willingness 
 to enter at once upon the work, that each one bring 
 a friend with him, or her, at the meeting the next 
 night, and that would make thirty-four. Thursday 
 night came, and there were over one hundred 
 present, and soon we had to go into what was the 
 main audience room at the time, and before January 
 was out, all the churches in the city were in a full 
 blaze of revival spirit, and multitudes of the impeni 
 tent were heard to inquire, "What must we do to be 
 saved?" It was estimated that in all, four hundred 
 had submitted to Jesus, and hoped in his saving 
 power. 
 
I remained in Lawrence until June, and then went 
 to Atchison, to supply the desk until Dr. Sawyer, 
 pastor elect, should assume his position in the 
 church. I spent the remainder of the year in 
 preaching in destitute communities and in asssisting 
 pastors in protracted efforts, as opportunities offered. 
 During the time of holding these meetings, we 
 experienced great inconvenience for the want of 
 proper places in which to hold them, and the suffering 
 to the people was great from what are called "basket 
 meetings" held in the woods. These annoyances 
 or sufferings proper were two : First, The chills 
 and fever attacked the people, because of the 
 miasma that arises from all unsubdued lands in the 
 Western States, especially from low- wooded lands. 
 Second, The flies, of which we have large swarms 
 in this country, annoyed the horses and mules so 
 badly that it was almost impossible to keep the 
 animals in camp. Besides these, the heavy rains, 
 so common in the forepart of the season, might be 
 mentioned. 
 
322 FKOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 one of these out-door, afflicted gatherings at 
 LaNape, Brother Winfield Scott and myself 
 suggested the idea of a large tent, such as we had 
 both seen in the army, and the practical utility of 
 which we both knew. If we only had this, we 
 could go on to the open prairie, where it would be 
 healthier and pleasanter, and could also be protected 
 against the hot sun and the dews, the rains and the 
 flies. When the thing was named to the multitude, 
 it was hailed as the very thing needed, and a reso 
 lution was passed that if possible one be obtained, 
 and that Brother H. K. Stimson be requested to 
 solicit subscriptions for the purpose the tent to be 
 called the "Baptist Tabernacle for Kansas." Early 
 in this winter, I started out on this mission for a 
 temporary meeting-house that could be easily moved 
 from place to place, as circumstances should demand. 
 I found the Northern winters in the sections of 
 
323 
 
 country I wanted to visit for the purpose so severe, 
 and my health so feeble, that but little could be 
 accomplished until the spring should open. Mean 
 time, I had gone on East and made a few collections. 
 In April, I left New York for the West. At 
 Chicago, I had the tent constructed, seats and all; 
 and, by the advice of brethren, set it up in that 
 city, the friends there contributing towards the 
 expense. We held meetings in it for four or five 
 days and nights, with large audiences filling it to its 
 utmost capacity. It would hold, comfortably seated, 
 about sixteen hundred persons, and by crowding 
 it, twenty-five hundred could be got inside of it. 
 
 When we were ready to move it, the Chicago, 
 Burlington and Quincy Railroad Company, and the 
 Hannibal and St. Joe Company, volunteered to 
 convey it to Leavenworth, free. The Eeverend 
 L. P. Judson, of Stillwater, New York, accom 
 panied us and took charge of the tent as far as 
 Leavenworth ; and there, with the assistance of 
 that ever-ready and industrious Reverend Winfield 
 Scott, we pitched the Tabernacle for dedication. 
 Large crowds assembled from day to day and from 
 night to night. We next moved it to Ottawa, 
 where there was to be a Sunday school celebration, 
 
324 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 and where we were persuaded to erect it for the 
 accommodation of the large meeting. From there, 
 we went to LeRoy, Cofley County. At this place, 
 the small church gave us the best accommodation in 
 their power, under the circumstances. At this 
 place, my health gave out, and I was obliged to 
 desist from further personal labor during the season. 
 The brethren at Burlingame, Osage County, had 
 proposed to send teams for the tent, in which to 
 hold the meetings of their Association. But failing 
 to come to time, we put the Tabernacle into winter 
 quarters at Burlington. 
 
 This tent enterprise aroused a good deal of oppo 
 sition from the enemies of religion, and, I regret to 
 say, a few of the professed friends of the Master in 
 Kansas. Why they should oppose it, I could never 
 know. It was suggested that it grew out of the 
 fact that they did not get it up, and that there was 
 no money to be made out of it for their pockets. 
 
 [This somewhat famous tent might have been as 
 successful, practically, as it was bold and original 
 in conception, if it had not been for two mistakes 
 one of which Father Stimson was not responsible 
 for, under any circumstances ; and the other was 
 a most natural mistake to make for a man ambitious 
 
325 
 
 of doing the most good. Too much cannot be said 
 in praise of the idea of such a tent. It showed a 
 more thorough comprehension of the situation than 
 anything ever devised in a religious way, even in 
 prolific Kansas. The first mistake was in making 
 the tent too large. It was not too roomy for some 
 places where it would be advisable to erect it. 
 But it was designed for pioneer work, for towns 
 and communities where there were no church 
 buildings or public halls, and where one-half the 
 room would accommodate all the people that could 
 be induced to attend public worship, even in so 
 novel and inviting a place as a tent. The canvas, 
 seats and poles were a full load for four horses. It 
 was a great job to move it from place to place. If 
 it had been half as large, an ordinary wagon and 
 span of horses would have been all the equipage 
 necessary for its removal. The work of erecting it 
 would not have been half as much ; and in every 
 place it would have been entirely full and others, 
 besides public speakers, know the inspiring effect 
 of a full audience. The second mistake was in 
 erecting it in places where it wasn t really needed. 
 In Chicago, where it was gotten up, it was well 
 enough to spread it for an opening meeting. But, 
 even there, it ought to have been with the square 
 promise on the part of responsible ones that every 
 cent of indebtedness on it should be paid off at the 
 time. It never should have been erected iii 
 Leavenworth or Ottawa. These towns had certainly 
 passed beyond the tent period. If a tent that 
 would comfortably seat five or six hundred had 
 been kept in the infant towns of Kansas from the 
 time this monster canvas first made its appearance 
 
326 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 at Leavenworth, and had been manned by Brethren 
 Stimson and Scott, it is safe to say that the number 
 of conversions in the State during the time would 
 have been at least five thousand greater. 
 
 I would rather be the author of a grand failure, 
 than to live forever like some old parchment-skinned 
 conservative, whose main characteristic consists in 
 equivocating so as to avoid every square, vital issue, 
 and whose religion consists in not doing anything 
 that will have the least appearance of being out of 
 the ordinary beat. Such men, howerer much they 
 may cry "Lord, Lord," hardly belong to the race of 
 heroes smitten with the power of the Spirit until 
 wherever they go the cry is : "These that have turned 
 the world upside down, have come hither also." 
 If they ever keep company with the apostles and 
 their spiritual successors, the Lord will surely have to 
 shake the easy-going, damnable conservatism out of 
 them. I would rather be Sir John Franklin, though 
 the unknown region of the Pole is never pierced by 
 the prow of any human navigator, than to be old 
 Sir Parchment Conservative, with my money bags 
 and blessings, the fruitage of other people s enter 
 prise, and for whose daring and skill I had only 
 sneers. I would rather be the child of the man 
 who devised for God and humanity this tent, though 
 it was too large, and though it was set up at first 
 where it was not needed, than to be obliged to call 
 any of the full-favored persons, or those afflicted 
 with the dry rot of conservatism, who ridiculed the 
 enterprise, my father. 
 
 It was my good fortune to be present a short time 
 at Fort Scott, during Brother E. P. Hammond s 
 stay in that enterprising city, when the old tent 
 
327 
 
 vindicated the wisdom of its originator. It was 
 during his great religious campaign in Kansas, in 
 the year 1872, when God so signally blessed Atchi- 
 son, Leaven worth, Topeka, Ottawa, Paola, Fort 
 Scott, and last, but chiefly, Lawrence, with His 
 saving grace, and the name of Hammond became a 
 household word with thousands who previously 
 cared for none of God s fellow-laborers. All these 
 places except Fort Scott, had church buildings, or 
 halls large enough to accommodate the multitudes 
 that crowded the meetings of this wonderful man of 
 God. Here there was no place that would hold the 
 half of them, until the active ones thought of the 
 tent, and brother Hammond with his quick insight 
 for expedients urged the brethren there to secure it. 
 I went as a special messenger in behalf of the church 
 at Ottawa. I arrived at Fort Scott after ten o clock 
 at night. I hurried up town ; delegates from other 
 places and for the same purpose being aboard the 
 same train. I found the tent jammed with human 
 beings, and the backless seats in the open, chill air 
 outside, all full. It was estimated that from five 
 hundred to a thousand were outside the tent each 
 night. People had come from long distances in 
 covered wagons to attend the meetings. If it had 
 not been for the big tent, Fort Scott would not have 
 enjoyed the labors of the great evangelist, which 
 resulted in such "showers of blessings." If the tent 
 had never served any useful purpose before, and 
 never shall again, its service in the great meetings 
 at Fort Scott has vindicated its making many fold. 
 ED.] 
 
328 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 At LeRoy, after we had got the meeting in opera 
 tion, one of the lawyers of the place, an old acquain 
 tance of mine, met me in the street with the remark : 
 "Ha ! Elder, I understand you have gone into the 
 circus business, and are now performing in our 
 city." This was said with a leer in the expression 
 of his face, that expressed his hatred of religion. I 
 replied: "O, yes, Squire J., and I am out now to 
 look up a babboon to put into the concern, and you 
 are the very one for the place ; come right along, I 
 will do well by you." He turned on his heel and 
 left. As a general thing, our efforts with the tent 
 were treated with due respect by all classes. 
 
KINDERHOOK WHEATLAND. 329 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 KINDERHOOK WHEATLAND . 
 
 MY feeble and failing health demanded rest and 
 quiet. So I went East to Michigan, to stay 
 a while with a daughter in that State and recruit 
 for the spring campaign. But I was advised by 
 physicians and friends not to think of exposing 
 myself to the fatigue and hardship of such exhausting 
 work, especially at my time of life. At Kinderhook, 
 Michigan, where my daughter resided, was a Baptist 
 church without a pastor. In fact they had never 
 enjoyed the regular, consecutive labor of a pastor ; 
 preaching "oiict" a month, or "twict" at best, being 
 the rule with them. The church numbered about 
 thirty or thirty-five. They had built a snug little 
 meeting-house, and had a good congregation. An 
 invitation was extended me to become their pastor, 
 which I accepted. I at once moved my family there, 
 and found them a good, common sense people, quite 
 consistent in their daily walk, and willing to do what 
 
330 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 they could to sustain the cause of Christ, and hold 
 up the hands of the pastor and make his position 
 secure and comfortable. So the first year passed 
 off agreeably, and with evident tokens of good in 
 prospect. 
 
 Our Sunday school was a union school. No 
 sectarian sentiments were to be taught in it, as is 
 the common rule in such cases. Not even a book 
 was admitted that had a tendency in that direction. 
 In the year 1S70- 71, we had quite a religious 
 awakening, and a number of hopeful conversions to 
 Jesus. On one Lord s day, a regular teacher in 
 the school was absent, and her place was supplied 
 by the wife of the Methodist clergyman of the place. 
 In the lesson the subject of baptism occurred. A 
 young lady in the class asked a question on the 
 subject. The teacher at once protested that baptism 
 was not by immersion, and that Jesus was not 
 baptized as an example, but as an introduction into 
 the priest s office. When I returned home, I found 
 quite a fermentation working on the subject, and 
 thought, as it was a union school, these things ought 
 not so to be. The next Sabbath, the said Methodist 
 lady came with her husband to frown me down, and 
 to choke off all utterances by way of protest on my 
 
KINDERHOOK WHEATLAND. 331 
 
 part. "Wishing to counteract the mutually inter 
 dicted inlluence then and there, in my own house of 
 worship, as it was manifesting itself in the pew 
 
 away in one corner, I said, "If you wish, Mr. H , 
 
 to discuss these questions at a proper time and in a 
 proper spirit, I hold myself ready to engage in the 
 discussion. But just here and now, I am not ready 
 to enter upon it, and for the present, I protest." 
 
 But the spirit of war was diffusing itself like 
 leaven in the meal. In June, Brother A. P. Graves 
 came and labored four or five days with the church, 
 and the revival spirit of the previous winter was 
 renewed and increased to a large extent. .The 
 meeting closing on Friday, the next day was our 
 covenant meeting. I gave notice of the same, and 
 
 Mr. gave notice that he should be there and 
 
 preach at five p. M., and if any wished to join his 
 class, an opportunity would be afforded. Saturday 
 came, and to my surprise nearly every convert was 
 there. And as they presented themselves, one after 
 another, for baptism, a number of the Methodist 
 brethren and sisters made the request to be 
 admitted, and among the number was the man who 
 had been a class leader, and a strong supporter of 
 that church for years. He arose and said : "You 
 all know me and my course of life. I want to be 
 
332 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 immersed, and become a member of this Baptist 
 church." Ten or twelve united and were baptized 
 the next day in Silver Lake. It was a grand day for 
 converts and the church, and the old pastor never 
 felt better in his life. 
 
 The Methodist minister lived opposite my house, 
 and as he returned home to attend his five-o clock 
 appointment, his good wife sat in the doorway, 
 waiting for him, and I sat in my door. As he drove 
 up to the gate, his wife rose, and walking with 
 rapid strides, threw up her hands and exclaimed in 
 upper tones, "John, they have all gone, George 
 
 and all, into the Baptist church !" Mr. H 
 
 hung his head, and sat silent for awhile. He then 
 went and put out his horse. This broke up the 
 sweet union, so much talked of by certain ones 
 union as long as they can have their say and way. 
 
 Just in the midst of this revival, the old Wheat- 
 land church extended me a call to visit them, and 
 re-settle with them as pastor. I went down to New 
 York and spent two weeks with them, and gave 
 them encouragement of accepting their invitation. 
 They expressed a great desire that I should, and 
 offered me many inducements, pecuniary and other. 
 But when I returned to Kinderhook, and found 
 what the Spirit was doing, and the state the church 
 
KINDEKHOOK WHEATLAND. 333 
 
 was in, and how much the young converts needed 
 the fostering care and counsel of a pastor, I wrote 
 to the friends in Wheatland that it would be impos 
 sible for me to leave at the particular juncture. 
 For some unaccountable reason my letter and other 
 letters did not reach them, nor their communications 
 reach me. So the negotiations between us ended. 
 Perhaps it was all for the best. In a human view, 
 it did look as though something might have been 
 accomplished for that old wealthy church and 
 people. I can imagine that an effort at that time 
 would have resuscitated the cause in that once very 
 flourishing field of religious power. 
 
 On the other hand there would have been many 
 things against such a success. The two young 
 churches on either side of them were anxious to 
 secure the wealthy and active members still remain 
 ing in the mother church. Mumford and Clifton 
 were like the "daughters of the horse leech." And 
 then again, I was much older, and somewhat 
 impaired in health. As I said to an old friend, 
 H. K. Stimson of 1850 was not the same man in 
 1871. A large majority of the members remaining 
 knew me only when they were children, and the 
 elderly ones would say, "Well, we heard that 
 clattering voice a long time ago, but now it has lost 
 
334 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 its ring and vim." It may all have been for the 
 best as it was. I meant to do right. The other 
 too churches had good, reliable pastors, and are 
 working in harmony serving God. I wish we had 
 more such here in Kansas, and more such meeting 
 houses with their bells in many of our new and 
 rising towns. 
 
 The old cemetery in Wheatland is a sacred city 
 of the dead to me. There are the remains of a 
 multitude of dear old friends, in whose names and 
 memories there is a sweet fragrance. They were, 
 many of them, my counselors and supporters, in 
 the days of my residence among them.. These 
 hands helped to smooth the dying pillows of some 
 of them, and over the cold bodies of many I said, 
 "Dust to dust." And, a dearer tie than these a 
 large number of them I buried^ with Christ in the 
 baptismal tomb. One little cherub lies in the 
 sacred enclosure of that cemetery whom we depos 
 ited there during the first year of our residence in 
 Wheatland. Oh, what a glorious day that will be 
 when the graves shall give up their dead, and we 
 shall greet each other in the Celestial City ! God 
 hasten it in His time ; and let us be prepared to 
 meet Him and each other with joy, and not with 
 grief. 
 
BURLINGTON, KANSAS. 335 
 
 CHAPTER XXVH. 
 
 BURLINGTON, KANSAS. 
 
 IT was a strange Providence that brought us back 
 to Kansas again. But I can now see that it was 
 a Providence fraught with the weightiest consid 
 erations, as all His dealings are. Our children who 
 remained here were constantly writing, urging us to 
 return to Burlington ; and the remnant of the 
 Baptist church here held out inducements to me, 
 pleading that something might be done to resuscitate 
 the fallen cause of the church in the place. Their 
 late pastor had deserted them and joined another 
 denomination, and left the church in a distracted 
 state. He had gone off largely in debt, to his own 
 disgrace and their shame ; and if something was not 
 soon done, all would go to ruin. Through his 
 mismanagement, a small dwelling-house had been 
 purchased with a tax-title against it and a mortgage 
 of two hundred dollars. They hud already paid 
 more than the property was worth or would bring 
 
336 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 in market. On arrival, I found things even worse 
 than represented, and the church few in numbers 
 and poor. I did not expect to settle as pastor with 
 any church, but to rest with our children and do 
 such missionary work as might present itself, espe 
 cially among the poor and destitute communities in 
 this county. But soon the church extended me a 
 call to become pastor ; and although they could not 
 promise a competent support, they would do all 
 that in their poverty they could to sustain a pastor. 
 Under these circumstances, I accepted the position 
 and set myself at work. We had no place in which 
 to hold our meetings, only an old dilapidated school 
 room in an upper loft dirty, dingy, inconvenient, 
 uninviting. The Sunday school was about the only 
 redeeming feature of the concern, and that greatly 
 retarded for the want of an attractive place in 
 which to collect the children. Many of the parents 
 did not wish their children to go up into the old 
 stone building. The school had been kept together 
 by Brother I. Mickel, who was doubtless the best 
 superintendent in the city. In the course of the 
 winter, the Episcopal chapel was vacant, and the 
 wardens of the church invited us to occupy the 
 house until they should be supplied with a rector. 
 
BURLINGTON, KANSAS. 337 
 
 We accepted their kind offer, and at once entered 
 the chapel with our Sunday school and congre 
 gation. Both were soon largely increased, and 
 things moved on for awhile with a degree of pros 
 perity. But soon some of the feminine members 
 of that church began to put on "high church" airs, 
 and thought it an outrage on the sacred place for an 
 "unconsecrated and unordained" man to preach 
 there, polluting their "sacred and holy sanctuary." 
 And then, "if this old Baptist Elder and his little 
 church can get up a Sunday school of seventy-five 
 or eighty children and a decent congregation, why 
 can t we?" who are the regular succession. The 
 good brother, the rector who had preached to the 
 church and was expected to return in the spring, 
 was a true, evangelical, Christian gentleman, and 
 had suggested the matter of our occupying their 
 house in his absence. Soon, however, we were 
 notified to vacate the premises, and were again 
 turned out upon the "cold charities" of the world. 
 Some of the most lovely and devout Christians I 
 have ever seen, were members of the Episcopal 
 communion. They were "low church," though, 
 you ma}- be sure. Such cared much more for 
 Christ than for "church," and for his true members 
 
338 FllOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE 1 ULPIT. 
 
 than for mummeries. As for "high church" people, 
 Simon-pure, I have the same feelings and respect 
 for them I have for the high-priests and Pharisees 
 mentioned in the account of the murder of Christ. 
 They belong to the same category. They have 
 great regard for the "outside of the cup and platter." 
 They have much more respect for the vestments 
 than the character of the men (or men and boys) 
 who "minister" before them. They never could 
 have endured John the Baptist. His "vestments" 
 would have been shockingly Avanting in length and 
 in all regard for the sacred proprieties. They would 
 prefer to do without the Messiah, rather than 
 receive Him at the hands of such a "Forerunner." 
 A Gospel that could be preached in the wilderness, 
 or on a lake in a fisherman s dirty boat, and that 
 was glad news to tax-gatherers and harlots, is alto 
 gether too rough a thing for them in their soft silks. 
 How such "high church" grandees are ever to 
 endure a heaven of equality, to keep company with 
 redeemed Magdalenes and poor people with bad 
 antecedents, and to worship Him who "exchanged 
 visits" when here on earth with families that did 
 their own work, is a matter of strange interest to 
 me. Women seem to have a "fatal facility" for 
 
BURLINGTON, KANSAS. 339 
 
 soaring (or sinking) into this hyperion of double- 
 rectified religion. It must have been invented to 
 suit their superlative notions. There is something 
 so select about it. It doesn t bring them into 
 contact with females who presume to worship God 
 with last year s bonnets on their plebeian heads, and 
 who manipulate the "prayer-book" with ungloved 
 hands. It s the nobbiest thing out, this genteel, 
 gilt-edged, high-toned, Fifth-avenue, carriage-and- 
 four, F. F. V., superlatively refined improvement 
 on the religion of the homeless, wandering Son of 
 the Nazarene carpenter. 
 
 Notwithstanding we had no place in which to 
 meet except an old dingy Court-room, our Sunday 
 school kept up its interest. We were very kindly 
 offered the use of such meeting-houses as were not 
 used by the respective churches worshiping in 
 them a kindness appreciated by us all. At this 
 time, the mortgage on the property of the church 
 became due, and the parties holding it were pressing 
 its payment. An effort was made to cancel the 
 claim ; but the old patrons of the enterprise were 
 unwilling to contribute any more, and there the 
 matter was likely to hang. Just before this, a 
 brother and sister had come among us from the 
 
340 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 Second church of Rochester, New York. They 
 proposed to assist in the payment of the mortgage, 
 on condition that an effort be made to build a house 
 of worship ; in which case, they would also purchase 
 a lot on which to build it. After much pleading 
 and a little ill-feeling on the part of some, the 
 mortgage was paid, by Mrs. Stimson giving fifty 
 dollars of money especially belonging to her. This 
 offering did not come out of our two hundred-dollar 
 salary, not yet all paid. We shan t cry if it s never 
 paid. This Brother Wigston, from Rochester, New 
 York, procured a suitable lot ; and it was decided 
 by the trustees and church that I should go and 
 solicit assistance in erecting a suitable house of 
 worship. Accordingly, on the ninth of April I 
 started out on my mission ; and after spending a few 
 weeks in Michigan, where I received a cordial 
 greeting and material contributions to my object 
 from both pastor and people, I hastened on to 
 Western New York. Many of these Michigan 
 people will be held in refreshing memory, and will 
 have the lasting gratitude o the little church in 
 Burlington, for their liberal, practical sympathy, 
 manifested to them in their poverty. I have often 
 said when alone, "God bless the pastors and churches 
 in Michigan." 
 
OLD MEMORIES. 341 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIH. 
 
 OLD MEMORIES. 
 
 I ARRIVED in New York just in time to wit 
 ness the proceedings of the Niagara Baptist 
 Association at Akron. It was in this Associa 
 tion that I was ordained, and in which many of my 
 youthful ministrations were bestowed. Here I met 
 a few of the veterans of the Master s cause, but not 
 one of the old ministers. All were at rest. Hon. 
 Burt Van Home was a child when we labored in this 
 Association. I remembered well the house and 
 home of his devoted father and mother, who were 
 pillars in Zion ; and the day he was baptized in one 
 of those precious revivals in Newfane. He was 
 moderator of the Association, a position he has held 
 for a number of years consecutively. And a capital 
 presiding officer he makes. I spent the next Lord s 
 day in Lockport, and the next week in attending the 
 Orleans Association at Shelby. Here I met a large 
 number of old friends, but not a minister that I knew 
 
342 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 when I was young. I was led to ask : "The fathers, 
 where are they? and the prophets, do they live 
 forever?" Here, I met the widow and family of 
 one of the Wheatland members I baptized in 1847, 
 and was made the guest of the family during my 
 stay there. I was offered a collection, and was 
 invited to visit their churches in the Association. 
 
 I then went on to Eochester, and spent a long 
 time with old friends and with the churches in and 
 about that goodly city. The land-marks in many 
 places had been moved, and in not a few respects 
 radical changes had taken place some for the 
 better and some not for the better. Eochester is a 
 grand little city, in which I, in common with the 
 whole Baptist brotherhood, feel a degree of pride. 
 How different now from the first time I saw it in 
 1819 ! Fifty-four years had changed it from a 
 little village to a prosperous, literary, religious city 
 of eighty thousand inhabitants the influence of 
 which is* felt to the ends of the earth through the 
 educated sons of its institutions of learning. I 
 went there to live in 1824. Then its streets were 
 not paved, except with black mud. I remember 
 that in Buffalo street, between State and Sophia, I 
 got "stalled" with an empty coach in 1826, and had 
 
OLD MEMORIES. 343 
 
 to send back to the hotel for help to get out. 
 There were some things I remembered as I revisited 
 the localities, that I wished I could forget. I will 
 not enumerate them ; "of which I am now ashamed." 
 They bring a blush to my temples as I think of 
 them. I will allude to only this one, of the lighter 
 sort. This is hardly a specimen of many that were 
 much more disgraceful. The village had then just 
 organized a police force, and had for a place in which 
 to confine violators of the public peace, the basement 
 of the then new court-house, long since given place 
 to the stately edifice that now graces the city. In 
 this room they had just put new cricket-bedsteads, 
 and nice rose blankets, so that the city criminals 
 .could have rest of body, if not of conscience. These 
 sleeping accommodations had not been used. I 
 knew the man on duty that night ; only one at a time 
 was required. His name was "Constable Beach," as 
 we called him. It was court week, and every bed 
 in the Eagle Hotel" and "Mansion House" and 
 "Clinton Hotel" was full. Mr. Ainsworth, the 
 keeper of the "Eagle" had given the beds in the 
 attic story, that were usually occupied by the stage 
 drivers, to some of his court guests. So we were 
 called to He on the floor in the bar-room, or sit up, 
 
344 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 just as would suit our tastes best. After ya wiring 
 out our stories and getting tired of our entertain 
 ment, and feeling the need of rest, I saw Constable 
 Beach pass along the street, on his round of 
 duty. At once I thought of the new beds under the 
 court-house, and suggested to the boys a plan for 
 lodging for the remaining short hours of the night. 
 The plan was this : we would go into the street and 
 get up a sham fight among ourselves ; Beach would 
 come along, arrest us and put us into the new rooms 
 and clean beds of the city "boarding house." Out 
 we all went, five or six of us, and began our row, 
 then clinched. Up came Beach in great haste, 
 arrested all of us, and hurried us over to the court 
 house bed rooms. "There, boys, you can lie down 
 there if you choose. In the morning I shall take 
 you before Squire Warner," and he locked us in. In 
 the morning he came in and said : "You will all want 
 your breakfast. I will go over with you to the 
 Eagle. I suppose you all board there." He saw 
 us laughing as we were straightening up, and asked : 
 "What was the fuss among you last night, boys?" 
 So we told him a plain, unvarnished tale. "Well, 
 go and get your breakfast, I will let you off this 
 time, but you must not do it any more, boys." I 
 
OLD MEMORIES. 345 
 
 told him if there was any damage done, he must get 
 it out of Russ Ains worth, and put it into the public 
 fund as "lodging money." Thurlow Weed was then 
 publishing in the village a small weekly paper, and 
 made a note of the affair, under the caption of: W A 
 Joke on Constable Beach ; Cheap Lodgings at Cor 
 poration Expense." 
 
 During my stay in the region, I visited the town 
 of Mendon, where my childhood and youth were 
 mostly spent. An old friend invited me to make 
 my home at his house while I remained there. And 
 a brother in Rochester, formerly a resident of that 
 place, Mr. S. F. Kiinball, accompanied me, having 
 sent on an appointment for the Sabbath. We were 
 met at the depot by Mr. Daniel Allen, who con 
 veyed us to the village of East Mendon. This little 
 village has been left out by the railroad some three 
 miles to one side, which slighting has appeared to 
 dry up all the sources of business enterprise in this 
 once enterprising little burg. In our days of 
 staging, it was what we call out West a "right 
 smart place." Two or three daily lines of stages 
 changed horses, and breakfasted and dined here, so 
 that a ready market was found for the hay, grain 
 and hotel provision the fanners of the region had to 
 
346 FROM THE STiAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 dispose of. It contained four stores and two good 
 Iwtels ; now, only one little store and one third or 
 fourth-class hotel. But this was .not the most dis 
 heartening change visible. The religious decline was 
 more depressing to me than all else. The two meet 
 ing houses were standing nearly empty every Sabbath. 
 The Baptist house, where crowded congregations 
 used to meet, was now sparsely filled, and the same 
 was true of the Presbyterian. I met but few that I 
 recognized, and less, far less, that were members of 
 either of these churches in 1828-1831. What few 
 there were that remembered me in my youth, had 
 some romantic story or frivolous trick of mine to 
 relate, to my chagrin. Some of them were false, 
 only made up to perpetuate a bad record of youthful 
 folly and nonsense. Some of them told me of my 
 pranks in youth, that their fathers and mothers had 
 been cognizant of. 
 
 On Sunday my congregation was composed of 
 Baptists, Presbyterians and Methodists, who had 
 come out to hear "the man who once- was the fun- 
 making boy of Mendon," now an old Baptist 
 minister. They gave me a fair collection for the 
 object of my mission, and seemed to do it heartily, 
 as to the Lord. On Monday, I called on a number 
 
OLD MEMORIES 347 
 
 of old friends, and then returned to Rochester. My 
 temporary home while in the city, was in the families 
 of A. and J. A. Hibbard, where I experienced as 
 much kindness and attention as I could expect from 
 my own children in sickness. No better nursing and 
 care could be bestowed on an own father. Long 
 shall I cherish a deep sense of gratitude to God for 
 these dear friends, and many others in the "Flour 
 City." 
 
 My stay in Mendon, though brief, brought to 
 mind frequently the person and character of one 
 who "being dead, yet speaketh;" one who occupied 
 a large place in the hearts and thoughts of the 
 people, and who waged so successful a warfare 
 against sin and the devil, in this and adjoining 
 places. I refer to Elder Weaver. 
 
348 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 ELDER WEAVER. 
 
 JTTVLDER, Weaver "Elder" was the much more 
 -L-{ common designation of ministers then, specially 
 Baptist ministers was a power wherever he 
 preached. He was a farmer when he began preach 
 ing, and was, strictly speaking, self-educated. 
 What he acquired was acquired from few books, and 
 without all the aids of the modern school system. 
 He had very noticeable peculiarities. He was a 
 large, bony, angular, rough-looking man. He was 
 what we boys used to call "cock-eyed," not exactly 
 cross-eyed, but the opposite of that, so that while he 
 seemed to be looking in one direction he would really 
 be looking in another. His complexion was exceed 
 ingly dark, and his bushy whiskers as black as a 
 raven. These chin appendages were a source of 
 complaint on the part of his friends. Whiskers on 
 a ministerial face were not as orthodox then as now. 
 His heavy black hair he used to wear quite long. 
 He often preached with his coat off. 
 
ELDER WEAVEB. 349 
 
 His praise was in all the churches. He was 
 eleven years pastor of the Mendon church. When 
 he settled there the church numbered twenty-one, 
 and worshiped in an old school-house, called the 
 "boiling spring," because they always had such 
 powerful devotional meetings. What temporary 
 place of worship receives any such epithet now, on 
 account of the meetings in it? This "boiling 
 spring" fact is as high praise, well-nigh, as could 
 be bestowed on a church. Brother Weaver was a 
 young man when he came to Mendon. He was 
 their second pastor, and this was his second 
 pastorate. The first was Jesse Brayman, who 
 afterwards apostatized to the Universalists, and met 
 his end by going into a well which caved in on him. 
 Elder Weaver was ordained at Lysander, Onon- 
 dagua County, near Syracuse, a much larger place 
 than Syracuse at that time. He was settled there 
 as pastor a couple of years. 
 
 There were seven years of continuous revival 
 during his eleven years pastorate at Mendon. 
 There were five years in which additions were made 
 to the church by baptism at every communion. 
 This was stated in his farewell sermon, which 
 I went seven miles from Rush, to hear. I shall 
 never forget the opening hymn, on that day : 
 
350 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 " Lord, what a wretched land is this, 
 
 That yields us no supply. 
 No cheering fruits, nor wholesome trees 
 
 Nor streams of living joy." 
 
 He was a great singer. Description would utterly 
 fail to give an adequate idea of him as a singer. 
 They used to say he sang everybody into the 
 church. His singing might not have been called 
 "fine" by the musical critics, but it was fairly 
 weighed down with soul. Negatively it was not 
 faulty, but positively it was heavenly to every devo 
 tional soul. 
 
 He went down to New York to help the pastor 
 of the Broome-street church, Israel Koborcls, in a 
 protracted meeting ; and pulled off his coat like a 
 workman in fact. During the series of meetings, 
 the young men would say to one another : "Come, 
 let s go down to Broome street to meeting. There 
 is a man there who preaches like a man a-mowing. 
 He pulls off his coat." 
 
 He used to indulge at times in flights of real 
 eloquence. One instance : The galleries of his 
 church were crowded with young people one 
 evening, when a number of them kept up a constant 
 whispering and tittering. Turning towards them, 
 
REFLECTIONS HOME AGAIN. 353 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 REFLECTIONS HOME AGAIN. 
 
 HE friends and churches in Rochester responded 
 cheerfully to the wants of the West. The 
 new interest, called the East avenue church, did a 
 noble thing, also the Lake avenue church. Both 
 of these had but recently been organized. The 
 pastors of the First and Second churches were 
 absent, but promised to help in the future. At a 
 prayer-meeting of the latter church, I took up a 
 collection of thirty dollars, and a brother from 
 Richmond, Virginia, gave me twenty-five dollars. 
 I attended the Monroe Association, and then left 
 for my Western home, expecting to make short 
 stops on the way. 
 
 Tn looking over this tour and visit, it is one of 
 the most gratifying to me personally of any I ever 
 made as I was permitted to have more time in the 
 immediate communities where I had labored most 
 and longest, and as I went over the same ground 
 
352 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 All his associates loved and respected him, 
 though they were not blind to his faults and did 
 not indorse all his methods. The following are 
 among his cotemporaries : O. C. Comstock, father 
 of the missionary ; Robert Powell, Philander 
 Kelsey, Norman Bentley, I. Roberts, Marvin Allen, 
 Ichabod Clark, David and Jesse Cor win, Alfred 
 Bennett, John Peck, cousin of J. M. Peck ; Horace 
 Griswold, Aristarchus Willey, Joseph and Jesse 
 Elliott, Zenas Case and Martin Coleman. These 
 men, all ministers, and mostly self-educated, were 
 raised up by God to meet the then-existing state of 
 things. They did their pioneer duty faithfully. 
 Their fragrant memory is a rich heritage to the 
 Church. Let their names forever be embalmed in 
 grateful hearts among them, let Weaver be 
 remembered gratefully as long as any. He was 
 their equal. 
 
REFLECTIONS HOME AGAIN. 353 
 
 CHAPTEK XXX. 
 
 REFLECTIONS HOME AGAIN. 
 
 HE friends and churches in Rochester responded 
 cheerfully to the wants of the West. The 
 new interest, called the East avenue church, did a 
 noble thing, also the Lake avenue church. Both 
 of these had but recently been organized. The 
 pastors of the First and Second churches were 
 absent, but promised to help in the future. At a 
 prayer-meeting of the latter church, I took up a 
 collection of thirty dollars, and a brother from 
 Richmond, Virginia, gave me twenty-five dollars. 
 I attended the Monroe Association, and then left 
 for my Western home, expecting to make short 
 stops on the way. 
 
 In looking over this tour and visit, it is one of 
 the most gratifying to me personally of any I ever 
 made as I was permitted to have more time in the 
 immediate communities where I had labored most 
 and longest, and as I went over the same ground 
 
354 FllOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 where I had spent the days of my youth and the 
 vigor of my manhood, and where I had a degree of 
 success under the good Master s guiding hand and 
 the influence of the Spirit. 
 
 This reflection constantly impressed itself upon 
 me, "What Divine goodness has followed you all the 
 way in your life, even in the days of your guilt as 
 an openly profane sinner and thoughtless wanderer 
 from, a despiser of Jesus and His love to a lost 
 world!" The only regret was, that I had made 
 such poor improvement of the unnumbered blessings 
 showered upon my pathway for over forty years of 
 Christian life and public ministry. I had no good 
 reason to complain in other respects. I had been 
 kindly cared for, as a general rule. The brethren 
 had always treated me with the greatest kindness 
 and, in many instances, with needed leniency and 
 Christian liberality. As I passed out of New York, 
 I thought that, in all human probability, I should 
 never see this land of my nativity again, until I 
 should see it in its renovated condition, when 
 "purified by fire" and our Jesus shall have come 
 "the second time without sin unto salvation." I 
 am now an old man, and cannot expect to come 
 back again to this goodly old State, I thought, that 
 
REFLECTIONS HOME AGAIN. 355 
 
 gave me birth and a field to labor in ; and so I said 
 "Farewell," as I gazed on her green hills to enter 
 Pennsylvania on my homeward-bound journey to 
 Kansas. 
 
 I spent one Sabbath at Cold water and at 
 Kinderhook, and arrived safely in Burlington in 
 time to vote for Ulyssus S. Grant. The contract 
 for building the church edifice was made and the 
 work commenced, to be completed in the February 
 following, but the severity of the winter prevented. 
 
 The first week of January, 1873, was observed, 
 as is often the case, by a union of all the churches 
 in the place in a meeting for special prayer in 
 behalf of sinners. Some indications of the Divine 
 presence were manifested and the meetings con 
 tinued. About this time, I went to Junction City 
 to attend a public religious meeting ; and being 
 earnestly solicited by Brother Greene and his 
 church to remain and assist in conducting some 
 special services, with a view of awakening an 
 interest in the things of salvation among the impeni 
 tent, I consented. The meetings were protracted, 
 day and night, for three or four weeks, with good 
 results to many of the church and to a few 
 impenitent persons, when my health became quite 
 impaired, and I felt it my duty to return home. 
 
356 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 [The preaching was most faithful and spiritual, 
 and yet the results were not what we all had 
 expected to see. There were some visible causes 
 to prevent the accomplishment of the greatest good. 
 The weather was, most of the time, severely cold. 
 The house could not be made comfortable. Many, 
 who would otherwise have been glad to come, 
 remained away in consequence. The hidden causes 
 of defeat in the case were undoubtedly still more 
 potent, if possible at least, it was not for lack 
 of able, faithful preaching and personal effort at 
 the time, that scores were not converted. May 
 the seed sown in that inclement time yet bring 
 forth a rich harvest. ED.] 
 
 On my return home, I found the union meeting 
 quite disturbed by a spirit of sectarian selfishness, 
 quite out of character with the loud professions 
 of love of "union" when the protracted effort was 
 begun. One element of discord grew out of the 
 views of one class of Christians in regard to the 
 doctrine of personal holiness, this being made the 
 "all in all;" and another bone of contention was 
 the control of the meeting, which was assumed by 
 one denomination. This had alienated the other 
 churches till it was thought best to separate, and 
 let those work together who could in the spirit of 
 the Gospel of peace. The work then took a new 
 
REFLECTIONS HOME AGAIN. 357 
 
 impetus, and continued till late in the spring. A 
 large number were reclaimed who had become very 
 remiss in religious duty, and a number of the 
 impenitent converted to Jesus. 
 
 Just as the meeting was at its height, I received a 
 telegram from Central City, Colorado, urging me 
 to come to the assistance of Eeverend D. S. 
 Bowker, up in the mountains of gold and silver. 
 I responded in person. The great meeting in 
 Denver, under the management of Eeverend E. P. 
 Hammond, had been in progress some time when 
 I arrived there, on my way up to Central. I 
 stopped only long enough to take the next train, 
 but long enough to see that God was in the place 
 in very deed, doing great things, whereof all 
 Christians were glad. Denver had not entirely 
 recovered from the "hardness" it had acquired 
 during the early gold fever days ; so that a pro 
 tracted meeting could not be expected to have such 
 sway as it would in a more moral and church-going 
 town. 
 
 However, in proportion to the organized religious 
 forces in the city, undoubtedly as much was accom 
 plished in Denver during the weeks of Mr. 
 Hammond s stay as in Keokuk, Iowa, in Blooming- 
 
358 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 ton, Illinois, or Lawrence, Kansas. The city was 
 shaken from center to circumference. The largest 
 hall in the place was hardly sufficient to hold the 
 crowds that pressed to hear the Word of Life 
 preached and sung. The meeting held by special 
 request of the proprietor in the most spacious and 
 notorious dance-hall in the place one Sunday after 
 noon, when it was estimated that of the thousand 
 present fully nine-tenths arose in response to the 
 different invitations for prayer, is one never to be 
 forgotten by those who had the privilege of being 
 present. Mr. Hammond himself regarded it as 
 one of the most solemn and powerful meetings he 
 ever attended. He was in the best of spirit for 
 conducting such a strange meeting, being fresh 
 bodily and being sustained by many earnest, praying 
 Christians. The out-dbor meetings in Denver also 
 were remarkable, many of them especially so in 
 point of numbers and interest. Being present at 
 nearly every meeting of the whole series during 
 Mr. Hammond s stay, having been invited by 
 Bro. Scott to assist in the meetings, I know that, 
 under the circumstances, speculation and gambling 
 being rife in the city and a general spirit of world- 
 liness pervading society, the revival of 1873 was a 
 
REFLECTIONS HOME AGAIN. 359 
 
 great success. Hundreds were renewed in spirit, 
 and became new men and women in Christ. 
 
 [The revival spirit extended to Georgetown, 
 Central and Golden, high up in the mountains, and 
 to Boulder, Evans, Greeley, Colorado Springs and 
 Pueblo, on the lower level. When we went to 
 Central, we found Brother Stimson hard at work, 
 with all the elasticity of spirit and hopefulness of a 
 young man, in a series of meetings at the new 
 chapel of the Baptist church, Brother Bowker 
 pastor. Whoever has labored, even for a short 
 time, in a mining town, knows something of the 
 hardness of the field. A mining town differs from 
 all others. Of all difficult places to impress 
 religiously, such a town is the most difficult ; so 
 conceded by those of wide experience. Anything 
 for the greatest good, that is lawful and right, being 
 Father Stimson s motto, he consented to the plan 
 proposed of discontinuing his meetings in the 
 Baptist house, and going in, for the time of his stay 
 at least, with Brother Hammond. So, although the 
 field didn t seem entirely clear, he took his place 
 as a "high-private," and worked with all the sim 
 plicity and earnestness of a young convert. 
 
 After Brother Hammond s short stay in Central 
 was over, Father Stimson had so endeared himself 
 to the people and commended himself to the leaders, 
 that he was invited to remain and conduct the union 
 meetings. This he did as long as they continued 
 "union" meetings proper, much to the satisfaction 
 of those responsible in the conduct of the effort, 
 
360 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 and to the awakening of sinners and the edification 
 of the saints. The number of the latter in pro 
 portion to the population was not very great, and 
 consequently their edification not a very long work. 
 The awakening of the sinners was a much more 
 tedious process. At the conclusion of the union 
 effort, Brother Stimson began meetings again in 
 Brother Bowker s chapel, which he conducted for a 
 number of days, accomplishing no little good, and 
 leaving a memory most fragrant among all good 
 people. Mr. Hammond spoke to us in the highest 
 terms of Father Stimson, whom he met for the first 
 time during this winter s campaign in Colorado. 
 He liked his spirit and admired his ability. It was 
 on his strongly expressed advice on the subject of a 
 suitable leader for the meeting in Central, as he was 
 about to go, that Father Stimson was unanimously 
 selected. 
 
 From this lofty mountain town Father Stimson 
 descended to the plain, and again found himself in 
 Denver, where he was at once comfortably housed 
 in Brother Scott s hospitable home, and where he 
 found a most congenial atmosphere in which to work, 
 side by side, with his young co -laborer of other 
 days in Leaven worth and Kansas. The great union 
 meetings in the evening at "Governor s Guard" Hall, 
 had been discontinued on Mr. Hammond s departure 
 for the mountain region of Central ; but Brother 
 Stimson found a good state of revival interest in the 
 meetings conducted by Brother Scott in his new 
 lecture room just opened for worship. Here he 
 remained and labored with great acceptance, pleas 
 ure and profit, for more than a week. The interest 
 in the meeting increased during his stay. To the 
 fact of this experienced help from Brother Stimson, 
 
REFLECTIONS HOME AGAIN. 361 
 
 both timely and cordially rendered whoever saw 
 him when he wasn t ready .to work in a revival? 
 and to the fact of the Christian shrewdness of 
 Brother Scott as a leader, is largely due the great 
 additional strength acquired by the Baptist cause in 
 Denver during the winter and spring of 1873. His 
 coming to Brother Scott at the time he descended 
 from Central, was like "the coming of Titus." 
 
 Afier staying some days, and helping most 
 efficiently in gathering up the crumbs that nothing 
 might be lost, Father Stimson returned home with 
 the consciousness of having helped the Denver 
 pastor do successfully that most difficult work, 
 close a long and deeply interesting protracted meet 
 ing, in a way to counteract none of the good 
 accomplished, and bearing with him the blessings of 
 hundreds who had met him for the first time during 
 this working visit. He began at once to complete 
 the meeting house at Burlington, and to make the 
 arrangements for dedication. A few months were 
 
 O 
 
 sufficient, and the neat little structure was added to 
 the monuments of Father Stimson s zeal, enterprise 
 and faith. To build a little house in a little place is 
 often more of an undertaking than to build a large 
 edifice in a large place. There is so little capital 
 to work with there are so few really independent 
 workers the pastor has often to create and sustain 
 all the enthusiasm, besides doing three-fourths of 
 the planning and engineering, not to mention the 
 actual manual labor. The enterprise at Burlington 
 was no exception. It s no reflection on the one or 
 two male workers and the six or seven poor widows 
 in the church, to say that if it had not been for 
 Brother Stimson, or if his place had not been 
 supplied by some equally hopeful and courageous 
 
362 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 pastor, the church would not now have a house of 
 worship or any immediate prospect of one. And in 
 the midst of hard times the outlook would not be 
 very cheering. A fitting close of an earnest, practi 
 cal life, is the beautiful little chapel at Burlington, 
 an account of the dedication of which we copy from 
 the Kansas Evangel, a paper which in its infancy 
 has done much for the cause in Kansas, and which 
 is one of the brightest stars of hope for the future. 
 ED.] 
 
 The new Baptist meeting house at Burlington was dedicated on 
 Sabbath, July 20th. It was a lovely day, and every arrangement was 
 complete. No apologies for faiiure had to be made. A novel plan was 
 hit upon, which we will charge up against Brother Stimson, pastor, 
 for conducting the services. We will say to begin with, it was a 
 success. It was understood by all the denominations in the place (and 
 they have as many as any tawn-4n Kansas,) that the Baptists would 
 monopolize the whole Sabbath services of the town. Accordingly, 
 appointments were made for two services at the same hour, both 
 morning and evening, one at the Methodist Episcopal church, and the 
 ministers to alternate in the services. Brother Gunn, of Atchison, and 
 the Topeka pastor were the preachers. The congregations were large, 
 and Brother Gunn s sermons, at least, were good. 
 
 The new church is a fine, proud structure, 32x55 feet in size, with 
 arched ceiling and well furnished and located. A new organ, chande 
 liers, a cosy orchestra, fine pulpit, baptistry, and carpets for the aisles, 
 make up some of the furniture. It is, in brief, the neatest church in 
 the place. The church membership is only about twenty, and none of 
 them wealthy ; the most of them poor. As we listened to the story of 
 their struggles to build this house for the Lord, we could but thank 
 God that He had given to His cause there such noble representatives. 
 
 Brother Stimson, though having reached his three score years and 
 ten, is still brave as a warrior, and is hardly conscious of his failing 
 strength. Through his efforts, principally, the work has been done. 
 What he could not get others to do, he did himself. The high esteem 
 in which he is held by the community gave him courage, and enabled 
 him to succeed. 
 
REFLECTIONS HOME AGAIN. 303 
 
 We must mention in particular, among other faithful workers, 
 Brother William Wigston, a mason by trade, who was Brother Stim- 
 son s right hand man. Before he came to Burlington, he took the 
 contract to build the abutments of a bridge across the Ohio river. He 
 then promised the Lord that whatever he made out of the contract, 
 above common wages, he would give to Him. The Lord blessed him. 
 After finishing the job, he decided to come to Burlington. Before 
 reaching there, he sent forward a beautiful Bible, hymn book and 
 communion set. True to his promise, when he arrived he at once put 
 $500 cash into this meeting house, besides building the foundation and 
 putting in the baptistry. He is now sexton, and delights in giving 
 much of his time to the service of the Lord. Would that our churches 
 had more of such men. 
 
 At the close of the morning service, the pastor read a statement rela 
 tive to the financial condition of the church. It was found that the 
 house had cost $2,800, and that a balance of f 800 remained unprovided 
 for. Collections and pledges were taken sufficient to reduce this 
 amount to $500. 
 
 We left this little band hopeful, having received a fresh inspiration 
 to work from the example set by the Burlington Church. 
 
364 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 MY VIEWS OF THE INDIANS - MISCELLANY. 
 
 I came to Kansas, I had an exalted 
 idea of the character of the American Indian 
 as a noble specimen of human nature. In some 
 respects he really is so ; as for instance, in his native 
 condition, as a muscular and well built animal, 
 capable of great endurance, and a "good feeder." He 
 has intellect sufficient to be cunning, and to make a 
 first-class tyrant in any situation where he has the 
 chance. With an Indian, "might is right." Hence 
 all the females, in every tribe I have seen or heard 
 of, the mothers, wives and daughters are the most 
 abject slaves, compelled to do all the drudgery in 
 the wigwam and on the hunt ; see to all the ponies, 
 bring all the wood and water, dress all the game, 
 tan all the buffalo hides, and take care of the 
 papooses besides. A professed Christian Indian acts 
 like all the rest in these respects. The Osage 
 Indians are doubtless the best developed specimens 
 
MY VIEWS OF THE INDIANS. 365 
 
 in a physical point of view, of all the tribes in Kan 
 sas. And they are an unrelenting, revengeful set of 
 savages, never forgiving a real or supposed injury. 
 
 I once had occasion to be among them three or 
 four days, and got perfectly cured of all my notions 
 of Indian superiority, Fenimore Cooper and the 
 Quaker peace agents to the contrary notwithstand 
 ing. I shall waste but few more tears over their 
 condition, at my time of life. I hope they will all 
 inherit "happy hunting grounds" when they are 
 through with the chase here. Only I am thankful 
 that I am not called to labor to prepare them for 
 the enjoyment of those grounds. I don t, think I 
 ever had the faith to work forty years and see no 
 fruit of my labor. The Modocs are no exception to 
 the general Indian rule. 
 
 A gentlemanly Indian agent had invited a number 
 of friends to go with him and his escort to the 
 Osage Reserve, as he was going to pay the annuities. 
 So, several ladies and gentlemen of us started on a 
 pleasure trip. Probably none of them will ever 
 want to go on a similar pleasure excursion, espe 
 cially the ladies. If you refuse to eat with an 
 Indian when he has made a feast, he won t forgive 
 the insult without a large present of some kind. 
 
366 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 The feast on this occasion was dried buffalo meat, 
 strong coffee, and biscuits made of the best of flour 
 and baked before the fire on sheet-iron pans. These 
 biscuits were the only thing we relished, and we 
 ceased to relish them after we saw. the squaws mix 
 them up. We never took a second meal with as 
 much appetite as the first. The dried meat is cut 
 into fine pieces, put into a kettle and then boiled in 
 water, thickened with flour till it is of the consis 
 tency of soup. This is turned into a large pan, 
 around which all the company sit on the grass, and 
 help themselves by dishing out the mixture with 
 their spoons. No plates. Indians, white men and 
 women, compose the company. No squaws. The 
 coffee is dipped off as you need it in little tin cups. 
 After the Indians (squaws are simply squaws) and 
 the guests are served, the squaws and papooses have 
 their meal, if there is any left and by eating all, 
 including coffee-grounds, no matter how much is 
 left. Then the dogs come up and wash the dishes, 
 and all is ready for the next meal. 
 
 I wished to post the ladies of the company on all 
 the facts of Indian life, and told them of the assis 
 tance the dogs rendered at each meal. They at 
 once begged to be excused from appearing at table 
 
MY VIEWS OF THE INDIANS. 367 
 
 a second time. We excused them ; but if the 
 Indians did, we never knew it. They inquired for 
 the "Can a mah popo" the pretty women. One 
 of the party told a lie by saying that they were sick 
 in the wagons. At which the chief said : "Eat 
 too much, ha?" Our friend nodded "yes." I 
 forgave the lie, and that was just as well as if 
 Father Schoemaker, the Catholic priest, had done 
 it. The women certainly were sick at their 
 stomachs whenever they thought of eating with 
 the Indians. 
 
 This Father Schoemaker has been among them 
 over forty years. He is a quaint character, old but 
 vigorous. He belongs to the Jesuits. He has 
 given names to streams and other natural objects 
 in the region of the Mission, and has built some 
 very substantial buildings for the uses of his church ; 
 but, although the Mission has been established 
 forty-eight years, and every possible appliance has 
 been used to civilize and educate and Jesuitize this 
 tribe, yet, up to this time, not the first son or 
 daughter of the Osages has been converted to 
 Christianity, or even to Catholicism ! I mean a 
 full-blooded Osage. A few French traders have 
 been adopted into the tribe, and have married Osage 
 
368 FiiOM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 women. Their children have become Catholics, but 
 not civilized. If the gray-haired monk of a priest 
 who hums his Catholic songs about his secluded 
 home in the forest, takes any comfort at the retro 
 spect of a long life spent among the Indian tribe 
 with the results such as I have indicated, he is not 
 begrudged it by me. I wouldn t disturb his dream. 
 The Government has been induced to give this old 
 man a section of land for his services at the Osage 
 Mission, now in Neosho County ! It is understood 
 he began his labors among the tribe by telling them 
 that Jesus was a great war Chief, and his apostles 
 "braves," who accomplished great exploits in the 
 slaughter of their enemies. The results have been 
 little or no more cheering where the Gospel has 
 been preached to them, I am compelled to say. 
 
 Efforts have been made to educate them in the 
 rudiments reading, writing and arithmetic; and 
 yet, not one in five hundred can do the simplest 
 example in addition or subtraction. Still, this old 
 Jesuit must be made a beneficiary of the Govern 
 ment to the amount of several hundred thousand 
 dollars in all ! I blush to say that the effects of 
 the Protestant labors among the Indians have not 
 been much more encouraging. The mission among 
 
MY VIEWS OF THE INDIANS. 369 
 
 the Sacs and Fox tribes by the Methodists, and 
 the Delawares by the Baptists, have been a little 
 more successful than such efforts generally. Kev. 
 G. W. Pratt, now of Leaven worth, accomplished a 
 good work in the latter tribe, as long as he remained 
 among them. The same is true of the Ottawas, for 
 whom Father Meeker, a godly man, labored for 
 thirty years.* But, as the white man came in with 
 whisky and its fore-runner, beer, the whole tribe 
 apostatized to drunkenness and a life of laziness ; 
 and, although the Baptist denomination and the 
 United States Government expended great sums of 
 money to civilize and Christianize them, all that 
 remains is the remnant of the school property at 
 Ottawa and a little quarter-blood Indian girl, who 
 hears her voice echo through those halls of "lite 
 rature and science." 
 
 If the missionaries now in Kansas, working 
 industriously and s elf-deny ingly among the enter 
 prising immigrants in our new cities and settlements 
 which will soon be an honor to the nation and 
 humanity, were to make no more permanent, prac- 
 
 * The press that S. S. Prouty used in printing the Neosho Valley 
 Register, in 1859, was brought to this country by Father Meeker, 
 forty years ago 
 
370 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 tical impression on the white inhabitants, the 
 societies they represent would withhold all support. 
 They don t come far short of it, in some cases, now. 
 
 The philosophy of the Indian nature, I do not 
 attempt to explain. I do know this much : 
 
 First, The Indian has no relish for intellectual 
 improvement or moral advancement. He loves 
 whisky, tobacco and all such vile stimulants. 
 
 Second, He will not work, under any circum 
 stances. Even those who have been claimed as 
 partially civilized, will not labor. 
 
 Third, The large majority of the Government 
 agencies among them have only tended to increase 
 their savage, hopeless life. 
 
 Fourth, The exceptions found to the above esti 
 mate of Indian character are persons who have some 
 white blood in their veins, like Eli S. Parker, a 
 noble man. Show me an exception among pure- 
 bloods ! In view of all I have seen and learned of 
 the Indian, I am half inclined to believe in Darwin : 
 at least I should not have blamed him much if he 
 had come into personal contact with the Indian 
 before bringing out his "development theory." 
 
 Fifth, Gratitude is not found in the Indian s 
 vocabulary, n6r is it an element of his nature. An 
 
MISCELLANY. 371 
 
 Indian never considers himself under obligations to 
 any one. 
 
 I have entertained Indians in the most hospitable 
 manner I was capable of under the circumstances, 
 giving him the best my home afforded, and then in 
 a few days called on him and remained over night, 
 and in the morning have paid a bill of two dollars 
 and fifty cents for the entertainment. 
 
 THE MAN WHO FOUND OUT THAT HE COULD 
 ANSWER HIS OWN PRAYERS. 
 
 Deacon W , of B , in Western New York, 
 
 a good Christian man, but somewhat formal and 
 prolix in his family devotions, was more orthodox 
 than practical in his Christianity. One morning while 
 at family prayer, there came to the door a poor man 
 with a bag under his arm, to get from the deacon a 
 small grist of wheat for his needy family. It was 
 a time of great scarcity in breadstuffs. While 
 listening to the deacon s supplication, which included 
 among other good things, a request that the Lord 
 would remember the poor in the place that were in 
 want of bread, his courage and confidence grew 
 apace. His soul was filled with gratitude and hope, 
 
372 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 as he stood and listened to the words of the deacon : 
 "Now, O Lord, open thy hand, and in thy ever 
 liberal Providence, supply the wants of the needy, 
 feed the hungry and clothe the naked. Thou canst 
 do it, Almighty Father, as giving dost not impov 
 erish Thee. There are many in our community 
 sick, and many poor that are suffering for bread. 
 O, Lord, supply them in the riches of thy fullness, 
 for Christ s sake. Amen." 
 
 Poor Mr. J , who had stood at the door all 
 
 this time, could but weep as he heard the words of 
 the deacon, a member with him of the same church, 
 and he said to himself, "I shall get the wheat;" at 
 the same time thanking God that he belonged to a 
 church that had such a sympathizing deacon. He 
 rapped on the door and was admitted. After 
 answering kind inquiries about his sick wife and 
 little ones, he made known the object of his visit 
 he wished to get a grist of wheat. "Well, well, 
 
 Brother J , I should like to accommodate you, 
 
 but wheat is two dollars a bushel in Rochester, and 
 I think I must raise some money in a few days. I 
 am sorry I can t help you in your time of great 
 want while your family is sick ; but I wish you 
 could get it somewhere else." Mr. J went 
 
MISCELLANY. 373 
 
 away with a heavy heart, having suddenly lost his 
 confidence in the deacon s sincerity. 
 
 A little fair-haired, black-eyed grandson that had 
 been kneeling with his grand-parent and heard him 
 pray for the poor, looked up in his face and said, 
 "Well, Grandpa, if I could have answered my 
 prayer this morning as easy as you could, I would 
 
 have given Mr. J a bag full of wheat." 
 
 "Would you, Charley? 5 inquired the old man. 
 "Yes, I would, because that is what you asked the 
 
 Lord to do." Call him back, Charley." Mr. J 
 
 returned, and the deacon handed him the granary 
 key and said, "Go to the barn and fill your bag, 
 
 Brother J , and if you want anything while your 
 
 family is sick, come here and get it. I have just 
 found out that I can answer my own prayers, and 
 shall endeavor to do it the remainder of my short 
 life." 
 
 On Sabbath he arose in his place in the meeting 
 house, after sermon, and asked the pastor if he 
 could have the privilege of speaking. Of course 
 consent was given, and he related the facts as above 
 stated, and concluded by saying, "I have just learned 
 by this incident that God has so arranged His divine 
 economy as to enable me and others to answer our 
 own prayers in five cases out of eight." 
 
374 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 A SHORT WAY WITH A SKEPTIC. 
 
 An old infidel asked me once to explain the 
 reason why God made the children of Israel travel 
 forty years in the wilderness, when they could have 
 crossed to the promised land in four days and a half ? 
 I told him I would think the matter over, and call 
 on him with a solution of the matter hi a few days, 
 and then, turning on my heel, said I would also 
 give him a question to answer at the same time, or 
 now. "It is this : Anatomical professors tell us 
 that the canals in the human body are about nine 
 yards in length. Now, I want you to explain to me 
 why they should be crossing backward and for 
 ward through the chest and abdomen to twenty- 
 seven feet in length, when one straight canal about 
 twenty-two inches long would have answered?" 
 "Well, Elder, you have got me. I will quit if you 
 will." 
 
 THE EFFECT OF A PERSONAL APPLICATION OF THE 
 TRUTH. 
 
 I went to assist a Brother S in Western New 
 
 York, where a deacon had struck a neighbor s hog 
 and killed it ; but he would not confess it or pay 
 the damage. The pastor and best members of the 
 
MlsPELLAXY. 375 
 
 church were greatly grieved, all being confident that 
 he was guilty. But it could not he proved, as two 
 trials had been held one by the church and one by 
 a legal court all to no purpose. The deacon was 
 quite officious, always in the front seat, ready to 
 exhort, to sing or pray ; and every time he would 
 begin to speak or pray, the man whose hog the 
 deacon had killed would get up and go out, along 
 with a number of personal friends who sympathized 
 with him in his hatred of the deacon. By and by, 
 when the deacon was through, they would all come 
 back and take their seats. I had heard of these 
 movements before from a minister who had been 
 there on a visit, and gone away mortified at the 
 ill success of the effort made, and indignant at the 
 obstinate deacon. 
 
 I got there on Saturday afternoon, and took a 
 survey of the situation at the evening meeting. I 
 was satisfied from what I saw, who the man, Deacon 
 
 S , was. That night I found the pastor and his 
 
 wife all weighed down like a cart with sheaves, on 
 account of the state of things in the church. 
 Sabbath came and passed, with about the same 
 results. The evening was approaching, and the 
 thought of having one man block up the way of 
 
376 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 salvation to a church, while sinners were looking on 
 with a degree of triumph over the inconsistency and 
 open wickedness of one of the members, pressed 
 upon me with great weight. The question had 
 become a serious one with me, "Can I do or say 
 anything to make this faulty brother do right, and 
 remove this awful stone of stumbling? What shall 
 I preach about ? " I finally fixed upon this passage 
 in the fifty-first Psalm, verses 10, 11,12 and 13 : 
 "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew 
 a right spirit within me. Cast me, not from thy 
 presence ; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 
 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation ; and 
 uphold me with thy free Spirit. Then will I teach 
 trangressors thy ways ; and sinners shall be con 
 verted unto thee." I went on to show what a 
 wicked man David was on one occasion, even after 
 God had called him "a man after His own heart." 
 I was about to close and saw that the deacon was as 
 unmoved as a stone, although the rest of the con 
 gregation were manifesting the deepest interest. 
 "Is it possible," I thought, "that I must close this 
 sermon and meeting this evening and the deacon 
 remain impenitent for his wrong, and the man he 
 had injured go to hell over his obstinate conduct?" 
 
MISCELLANY. 377 
 
 I leaned over the high desk and addressed myself 
 personally to the deacon thus: "Now, Deacon 
 
 S , as you love the salvation of your neighbor 
 
 A from eternal perdition, and as you killed his 
 
 hog, and you know that all your brethren believe 
 you did, go this minute to him and confess your sin, 
 and ask his forgiveness. Don t let one miserable 
 swine keep you from the smiles of Jesus, and 
 
 Mr. A out of the blessed Kingdom." And 
 
 while I was yet speaking, he arose and went to 
 A , took him by the hand and made a full con 
 fession of all, saying, "Neighbor A , I killed 
 
 your hog and I am sorry for it. I hope you will 
 forgive me. And if you will come to my house 
 to-morrow, I will pay you the full worth of the hog 
 
 and the cost of the suit." A broke down, 
 
 acknowledged himself a sinner, and was soon believ 
 ing in Jesus as his Savior. This was the starting 
 point of a great work. I staid and preached day 
 and night for five weeks. The pastor baptized more 
 than eighty who were converted during the meeting ; 
 and the church was restored to harmony. 
 
378 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT 
 TAKING A MAN AT HIS WORD. 
 
 When I had returned to reside in Warsaw the 
 second time, there was still living in that community 
 an old friend, who was addicted to coming jokes on 
 the ministers, if practical jokes, all the better. I 
 met him in the village one day, and asked him if I 
 could get some hay of him, it being haying time. 
 "Well, yes, Elder, you come up with your wife and 
 make us a visit, and I will put in all the hay you can 
 carry home in your buggy. I don t expect to get 
 anything out of ministers for hay, as they hardly 
 ever pay for anything of the kind, even if they agree 
 to." "Well, Mr. B.," I said, "I hardly think Mrs. 
 Stimsou would be willing to ride with a bundle of 
 hay, but I will come up with a one-horse wagon and 
 get a "bundle" when it is cut. When shall I come?" 
 "Next Monday, if it don t rain." 
 
 So I went and got a large one-horse lumber 
 wagon, and put on a common two horse hay rack. 
 I had a heavy, stout horse that weighed about twelve 
 hundred. So off I started with a boy to help me 
 load. The hay was all put up in the nicest order ic 
 the meadow. I had loaded on eleven big bunches 
 when Mr. B. came up, and after surveying the whole 
 establishment, said : "That s what you call a buggy, 
 
MISCELLANY. 379 
 
 is it?" "It s a one-horse wagon, Mr. B., and that s 
 what I told you I should come with." So he took 
 hold and helped me. We turned to the next row of 
 bunches, and put on eleven more, making twenty- 
 two in all. "There," said he, "go ahead; but you 
 will never get home with it, and if you don t, you 
 shall pay for it." When I got to the village, I had 
 it weighed. It made just twenty-two hundred and 
 fifty weight. Mr. B. has not yet heard the last of 
 the "bundle" of hay in a one-horse wagon, and has 
 concluded to "come" no more dry jokes on poor 
 ministers. 
 
 I HAVE OBSERVED that there are two things about 
 which the mass of mankind are determined to be 
 humbugged, Religion and Medicine. 
 
 A religion of fanatical incantations, Mormonism, 
 Spiritualism, Universalism, Heathenism and Devil- 
 ism, all cater to the vitiated tastes and depraved 
 desires of poor human nature. And men naturally 
 appear to prefer any one of these to a knowledge of 
 the "Truth as it is in Jesus," that is pure and unde- 
 filed, and that is consistent with good common sense 
 and sound judgment. 
 
380 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 The same is true in regard to Medicine. Men 
 will employ quack physicians, and take quack nos 
 trums, much sooner than take really useful remedies. 
 I heard a doctor of the quack school tell a family 
 that had a sick daughter, that her complaint was of 
 the heart, i. e. "the heart-string had become so 
 relaxed and elongated, that the heart had fallen 
 down below its proper place, and as it swung back 
 and forth like a clock-pendulum, it struck on the 
 sides of her chest and produced a soreness ; " and 
 as a remedy he prescribed what he called "pucker 
 root" and alum, sweetened with honey, to contract 
 the heart-string. The dear family thought he under 
 stood the case exactly. The next week the poor 
 sufferer died, and I attended her funeral. I thought 
 he ought to be classed with "Dr. Terrible," who, it 
 is said, bled the devil, using a pickaxe for a lancet. 
 
 I HAVE OBSERVED, and am convinced, that rich 
 ministers are, as a general thing, a drug upon the 
 church and congregation. If they are able to preach 
 to the church for nothing, they become indolent, 
 penurious and sleepy. I never knew of a church 
 that paid their minister up promptly, that was not 
 
MISCELLANY. 381 
 
 happy aiid prosperous. A church that is always 
 pleading as an excuse for not giving to charitable 
 objects, that they must pay their minister first, but 
 that are constantly in debt to him and the sexton, is 
 a church the poor in which are obliged to take care 
 of themselves, or go to the poor-house. 
 
 Persons that come late to church are the first to 
 complain of long sermons ; and those that sleep in 
 sermon time are the first to detect the defects in the 
 discourse. 
 
 ELDER JACOB KNAPP IN ROCHESTER. 
 
 I was present in the meeting at the First Baptist 
 church in Rochester, New York, that Brother Knapp 
 was conducting, and as many have regarded the 
 "lightning" story as an exaggeration, I feel called 
 upon to confirm the facts as related in his autobiog 
 raphy, edited by Dr. R. Jeffery. It is true in all its 
 particulars. The first volley of brickbats had been 
 thrown at the church. The pulpit then stood in the 
 end next to the street, with a large window behind 
 it ; so that the mob had a fair chance at the person 
 of the preacher, whom they hated with a cruel 
 hatred. The most blinding lightning that I ever 
 
382 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 remember to have seen, flashed at the very moment, 
 flooding the whole of Fitzhugh and Buffalo streets 
 with a blaze of light, accompanied with the most 
 stunning thunder-burst. The mob fled in such haste 
 that not ten of them were left in the street in five 
 minutes time. To saint and sinner it was evident 
 that God had interposed to defend His truth, and 
 the preacher from violence. 
 
 PASTORATES. 
 
 I have been pastor of fourteen churches in forty- 
 three years, and have had a salary all the way from 
 one hundred and fifty dollars to sixteen hundred 
 dollars per year. I have never been able to discover 
 the difference between a small one and a large one. 
 Each would come out about the same. Perhaps the 
 large one was a little more gratifying to my family. 
 
 WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR ME AND BY ME IN 
 FORTY YEARS. 
 
 I have preached over ten thousand sermons, such 
 as they have been. I have baptized eighteen hun 
 dred and eighty-seven professed believers in Jesus, 
 
MISCELLANY. 383 
 
 the Savior of sinners ; among that number, fifteen 
 ministers, three of them Pedobaptists, two Meth 
 odists, and one Presbyterian. I have attended six 
 hundred and thirty-four funerals. I have solemnized 
 four hundred and twenty-eight marriages. I have 
 been present at one hundred and fifty-four ordina 
 tions and organizations of Baptist churches. I have 
 voted for President of the United States from Gen 
 eral Andrew Jackson to Grant, nine in all. I didn t 
 vote for all that were elected ! I am thankful for 
 that. My sins are so many less, as there have been 
 worthless men among the nine. I have assisted more 
 than three hundred poor fleeing fugitives, from the 
 house of bondage of Southern slavery into Canada, 
 and in many instances at the risk of being imprisoned 
 for the violation of the fugitive slave law, for which 
 a wicked, pro-slavery congress was guilty. And I 
 would do the same thing to-morrow, under the same 
 circumstances. So much for repentance on that 
 subject. 
 
 I HAVE TRAVELED in twenty-two of the States 
 of the Union, in both the Canadas and in "New 
 Jersey" in all, miles enough to girdle the earth 
 four times. I have preached in them all, except 
 
384 FROM TILE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 Texas and there I was not permitted to remain 
 long enough, as the rebel "bushwhackers" cared 
 more for our horses and watches than for our 
 Gospel. We thought, as the lame captain expressed 
 it, "Doubtless there is to be a great battle, and as 
 we shall have to retreat in the end, therefore, as I 
 am lame, I will go now." So we left Texas as soon 
 as good horses would convey us out safely into 
 Kansas. What I saw of it, convinced me that it was 
 then not a good State to be in, except for cattle 
 and horse-thieves. And I have had no special 
 desire to return. 
 
 A MODERN ZACCHEUS. 
 
 In one of our precious revivals in Western New 
 York, a time when all the community were spell 
 bound by the Spirit of God, a case occurred similar 
 to the one when Jesus was on earth, recorded in 
 Luke xix. 5-6 : 
 
 "And when Jesus came to the place, He looked 
 up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zaccheus, 
 make haste, and come down; for to-day I must 
 abide at thy house." 
 
 "And he made haste, and eame down, and 
 received Hun joyfully. 
 
MISCELLANY. 385 
 
 A young gentleman, of high standing among his 
 friends and the wealthy, was an attendant upon the 
 meeting in progress. He became quite affected and 
 solemn, but for a long time made no effort to come 
 out boldly and confess Christ. One afternoon, just 
 after the meeting had opened, he sent up to the desk 
 a short notice r requesting the pastor to go with him 
 to the study, as he wished to see him on important 
 business at once. I left the meeting in charge of a 
 deacon, and retired to the study, as requested. He 
 commenced by saying, as soon as we took our seats : 
 "Mr. Stimson, the facts I am about to divulge will 
 ruin me for this life and perhaps for the life to come. 
 It is this : I was a clerk in a store in the city 
 
 of , State of Michigan ; and while there 
 
 employed, I was guilty of purloining some very 
 costly silks and satins, which I have now in my 
 trunk, as I have never had an opportunity of 
 disposing of them ; being, too, under the constant 
 impression that I should be detected if I offered 
 them for sale. Now, God, by His Spirit and the 
 truth, has arrested me, and four long weeks I have 
 been like a man on coals of fire. Now, I ask you, 
 as my pastor, what to do ; and I will do it, if it 
 disgraces me and my family, and I have to lie in 
 
386 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 the State s prison for years, I will do it ; for to live 
 under this burden of mind, I cannot any longer. 
 To me it is a living death, by day and by night." 
 I was overwhelmed and amazed at the confession 
 of the young merchant, as he was then a partner 
 in a thriving business in the village. I locked the 
 door, and then engaged in a moment of prayer with 
 him. When we arose from our knees, I said : 
 "Now, my young friend, you go and get your trunk, 
 with the goods in it, and start for Michigan at once ; 
 and when you arrive at the place, call the firm 
 together, and, without gloss or guile, confess your 
 sin, and throw yourself upon their clemency, and 
 be prepared to take what follows." He at once 
 said, "I will do it." At his request, I wrote a letter 
 to the parties wronged, stating the circumstances 
 of his confession and of his relations in life and 
 business standing. I then sent him with a boy to 
 drive my buggy to the depot, four miles away. 
 The next day he arrived at the place of his destina 
 tion, restored the goods and made an unvarnished 
 confession, and received a full pardon from the 
 parties. These Christian gentlemen, for such they 
 were, wrote me a most cordial and Christian letter, 
 in which they expressed confidence in the deep 
 
MISCELLANY. 387 
 
 repentance of the young man ; and said that they 
 had not missed the goods, and never should have 
 known of his thieving, if he had not confessed it. 
 He soon came before the church, related his expe 
 rience, expressing himself as a great sinner against 
 God. To this day, he is an exemplary, honorable 
 Christian man in one of the Eastern cities. How 
 milch better and wiser the course of this young 
 man, than that pursued by many, who, rather than 
 expose themselves and their fellow-men, go on with 
 a canker constantly eating away at their souls ; 
 feeling every moment that God is against them, 
 being cognizant of all the facts of their wickedness, 
 and Jesus continually inviting to come down and 
 give them entertainment in the homes of their 
 hearts. Those who comply, find pardon and peace. 
 Near twenty years have passed, and no one 
 has ever known the above facts but the parties 
 concerned. I can keep a secret, if I never have 
 joined a secret lodge. 
 
388 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXH. 
 
 SERMONS ALMOST A CHRISTIAN. 
 
 " Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a 
 Christian. 
 
 " And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all 
 that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, 
 except these bonds." ACTS xxvi. 28-29. 
 
 \ 
 
 MAN is a religious being. Religion is an 
 inherent principle in his nature, raising him 
 above all other animal tribes. His instincts and 
 aspirations place him on an altitude above all the 
 residents of earth. Being a religious intelligence, 
 he is possessed of all the endowments of immor 
 tality. He is responsible for his conduct to the 
 remotest limit of its influence. If it were not for 
 his upward instincts, his degradation would be 
 hopeless. If he didn t care for immortality, he 
 would be beyond moral reach. 
 
 Men are compelled unwittingly to pay tribute and 
 respect to the Christian religion, even when they 
 
SERMONS. 389 
 
 know nothing by experience of its real merits. 
 Thus, Agrippa, his heathen conscience stirred by 
 Paul s masterly defense of its great fundamental 
 truths, cried out: "Almost thou persuadest me to 
 be a Christian." Men have only to let go their 
 hold on sin and let their principles, which are at 
 best but little better than sins, fly to the winds, and 
 multitudes would be led to make the same excla 
 mation, and to look at the cross by faith, which 
 would result in making them Christians altogether. 
 Let us proceed to notice : 
 
 I. What constitutes a Christian in reality. 
 
 II. What is it to become almost a Christian, and 
 yet fail. 
 
 m. Persuasion for all men to become Christians 
 in fact. 
 
 1. A Christian is a regenerated sinner. The 
 Holy Spirit regenerated him. There can be no 
 substitute for regeneration. Yery many are deceived 
 by human substitutes. As one says : "I am a 
 Christian by birthright. My parents had me bap 
 tized in my infancy. I have learned the catechism 
 and keep the law of our church, and have been 
 confirmed as a true child of God by the bishop or 
 priest." All this gives no claim to being a Christian, 
 
390 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT 
 
 and is a trap of Satan to deceive and ruin the souls 
 of men. There must be a radical change of his 
 entire moral nature. He must be born again, as 
 John says, i. 12, 13 : 
 
 "But as many as received Him, to them gave He 
 power to become the sons of God, even to them that 
 believe on His name : 
 
 "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will 
 of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God/ 
 
 Jesus taught the same doctrine to Nicodemus 
 (John iii. 3, 4, 5) : 
 
 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Yerily, verily, 
 I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he 
 cannot see the kingdom of God. 
 
 "Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be 
 born when he is old ? Can he enter the second time 
 into his mother s womb, and be born? 
 
 "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 
 Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, 
 he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." 
 
 This, beloved, is the only way of making a 
 Christian in reality. This work of the Spirit will 
 manifest itself in repentance of sin, by faith in the 
 Son of God, and in obedience to the law of His 
 Gospel. This will make a man a Christian in fact. 
 
SERMONS. 391 
 
 He will be a new creature. "Therefore, if any man 
 be in Christ, he is a new creature : old things 
 are passed away ; behold, all things are become 
 new." (II Cor. v. 17.) He will be a Christian in 
 reality, and not by any mummery of human 
 invention. 
 
 2. A Christian is controlled in his conduct by 
 principle and not by emotion. Multitudes act from 
 the emotional part of their nature, and deceive 
 themselves by thinking that this emotion is a 
 ground of belief that they are Christians. Nothing 
 is more delusive and destructive of their present 
 and eternal interest in Christ. Religion is a 
 principle, and all the duties of a religious life 
 must have their base in it. Emotional religion is 
 a prolific source of apostacy from Christ and the 
 Church. Man} 7 ministers of Christ contribute to 
 this state of things seen so often in the declension 
 of those who "did run well," by saying, in sub 
 stance, "get up your feelings, and then go to work 
 for God." Thus, many are waiting for the tide 
 of their emotion to rise and their zeal to be inflated, 
 so that they can float into religious enjoyment ; 
 when the great effort should be to get down upon 
 the solid rock of pure Christian principle, of 
 "Christ in you the hope of glory." 
 
392 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 Far be it from me to say anything against emotion. 
 It acts upon the Christian as a fair breeze does upon 
 the ship ; it helps it into port. With a favoring 
 wind he sings : 
 
 " Homeward bound, Homeward bound. * 
 
 But if his ship is unsound in the hull, every increas 
 ing breeze only makes her creak, and hastens its 
 destruction. It is a sorry case to have the wind 
 blow fair and to be constantly crying to the men at 
 the pumps : "Heave ho ! boys, heave ho ! boys, we 
 shall all go to the bottom if you don t work the 
 pumps." So it is with your sentimental professor, 
 who is void of true principle, based on Christ s 
 finished work of atonement. 
 
 3. A true Christian applies himself to the work 
 of Christ in doing something and all he can to 
 extend His Kingdom among men. He will seek out 
 opportunities to develop the power of the Gospel. 
 To him the world is the field, and while he is in it 
 he will find something to do in the private interview, 
 in the family, in the Sunday school, in the prayer- 
 meeting, sowing beside all waters. He will get 
 good by doing good. The best proof of one s 
 Christianity, consists in applying one s self to 
 Christ s work. 
 
SEKMONS. 393 
 
 We have now seen what a Christian is in reality. 
 Let us ask, 
 
 II. What it is to be almost a Christian, and yet 
 fail? 
 
 A person, having his birth and being in a country 
 where the Gospel is proclaimed in all its fullness, 
 and where he has enjoyed the constant means of 
 salvation, being still without hope in Christ, the 
 Savior of sinners, may be said to be "almost a 
 Christian." A stranger to human depravity and to 
 the obstinate state of mind to which the sinner is 
 habituated, would say, in looking at the sweet, 
 heavenly influences by which they are surrounded : 
 these, who hear oft-repeated invitations to embrace 
 Christ, who are the objects of the wooings of the 
 Spirit of God, surely are all Christians. But, 
 what is the fact? Only almost, not quite yet 
 possessed of a good hope, not quite yet destitute 
 of a good hope. They can say, the land that gave 
 me birth is denominated a " Christian " country ; and 
 yet, the truth remains they are "without God and 
 without hope in the world" almost Christians, but 
 making the sad failure of neglecting the one thing 
 needful in the very midst of the richest privileges. 
 A T ot to be able to say, "I know that my Redeemer 
 
394 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 liveth," is to make the fatal mistake of all time, is 
 to come short of the end of creation. 
 
 2. There are very many who acknowledge the 
 cardinal truths of the Bible, the reality of heaven, 
 the awful existence of hell and the propriety of a 
 coming judgment day, in which all the world are to 
 be judged ; they attend upon the ordinary and even 
 extraordinary means of grace, and yet have never 
 yielded to the claims of the Gospel, and are only 
 almost Christians. "His Spirit has striven with me 
 by day and by night, His people have prayed for 
 me, and companions that loved Him have invited 
 me, my Christian parents have wept over me, I have 
 had my foot on the very threshold of the Kingdom 
 of the blessed Church of Christ, and yet I have 
 no abiding evidence that I have been regenerated 
 by the Spirit of God ; no comforting assurance 
 of connection with Jesus ; I am only almost a 
 Christian. I have only desired heaven as a refuge 
 into which to escape from the storm of indignant 
 wrath that will one day overtake me ; a retreat to 
 keep me out of perdition. I have no relish for the 
 society of the pure in heart that surround the throne 
 of God and the Lamb. I was almost a Christian 
 once, but I have-.made a sad failure, an eternal fail- 
 
SERMONS. 395 
 
 ure. n This, doubtless, will be the regret of many. 
 They will have to appropriate the language of one of 
 old, The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and 
 I am not saved. Procrastination and the love of 
 sin have kept me in the state of being almost a 
 Christian. 
 
 Pauline Colburn was a young lady brought up 
 under the most sweet influences of a kind and relig 
 ious family, and often the subject of deep impres 
 sions of her condition as a sinner out of Christ. 
 Constant in her place in the house of God ; every 
 Sabbath joining her voice in the songs of worship ; 
 she often told me as her pastor, that she meant to 
 yield to the claims of the blessed Jesus. So tender 
 were her feelings, that one would think she was not 
 far from the kingdom of God, only not quite ready 
 to offer herself up unto the Master then and there. 
 She was in the gallery on Sunday, and sang as 
 sweetly as ever. She wept while in conversation, 
 but hesitated, and went home. On Monday morning 
 she arose from the breakfast table, and retired to her 
 room, exclaiming: "I have been almost a Christian, 
 but never loved Christ ; now I am dying," and in 
 five minutes she was a corpse. Almost a Christian I 
 Poor girl ! Almost a Christian ! 
 
 But let us conclude by noticing : 
 
396 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 III. The Persuasions presented for all men to 
 become Christians. 
 
 1. Sin in its very nature and tendency is destruc 
 tive of all human happiness, present and prospective. 
 God hath said: "There is no peace to the wicked." 
 How true this is in all the history of sin and sinners ! 
 We have a way of graduating sin. "Small sins," 
 "little sins," are every day spoken of among men. 
 It is well to remember that : " Sin is the transgres 
 sion of the Law," and the Law is a transcript of the 
 perfections of Deity. Sin, then, is the violation of 
 God s own rights as our King, Law-giver, Father and 
 Redeemer. So then, he that sins is contending 
 against the Almighty. Beloved, do not let us talk 
 about "little sins." No one ever became an outra 
 geous sinner at once. It is sinning by degrees that 
 augments us into incorrigible sinners. 
 
 In the British navy a ship was ordered so con 
 structed that every timber in it should undergo a 
 strict inspection, and no stick should be used in this 
 war structure that was the least defective. A car 
 penter was at work on a huge oak beam, into 
 which he thrust the point of his scratch-awl. He at 
 once called the attention of the inspector to the 
 defect. He came and examined it, and turned 
 
SERMONS. 397 
 
 away, saying, "It is nothing but a little worm hole. 
 It never can do any damage." The noble ship was 
 completed, rigged and furnished with every appoint 
 ment for a long voyage, with a noble staff of officers 
 and seamen. But when far out on old ocean, she 
 was found to be weak in an important place. Search 
 was made, and to the astonishment of all, it was 
 found out that the timber with a little worm hole 
 was now perforated through and through with worm 
 holes, and was but little better than a stick of sand. 
 It was so placed as to receive the greatest strain. 
 Orders were given to steer for the nearest port. 
 But soon a storm came on, and the two combined 
 forces of wind and wave grappled with it, and the 
 new ship, staunch and strong as all supposed, was 
 conquered. It became the victim of the sea. It 
 went to the bottom, carrying all on board but three, 
 to tell the sad tale of the disaster caused by the 
 little worm hole. Precious lives and costly freight 
 go to the bottom continually in the great world 
 from just such insignificant causes. 
 
 Sin that may at the time be but little, if not 
 repented of will bring destruction like a whirlwind, 
 and send the sinner to the bottom of the great abyss 
 beyond the hope of recovery. Little sins and 
 
398 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 great sins are of the same family. One has grown 
 to great proportions. The other is growing. Then 
 be persuaded to break off your sins by turning to 
 Jesus, in whom alone all true happiness and all 
 safety are found. 
 
 2. All men are persuaded to become Chris 
 tians by the consideration of what Christ has 
 accomplished. The love of God in giving the 
 Son of His love, is an incentive of the highest 
 order. It not only claims your attention, but 
 it demands your admiration and homage. God 
 so loved the world of sinners. "$0" that little 
 word "so/" Oh, sinner, I wish you and I under 
 stood it ! So loved the sinner as to give His only 
 begotten Son, that whosoever belie veth in Him might 
 not perish but have everlasting life. And then, in 
 addition to all this, consider the appliances and 
 influences set at work to persuade you to yield to 
 the claims of the Gospel : " For the love of Christ 
 constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one 
 died for all, then were all dead." The love of Christ 
 urges you to stop and think how much Jesus has 
 suffered for you. Were there ever love like His? 
 "For God is love." ( i. John iv. 8.) All His per 
 fections and procedure? are but so many modifica- 
 
SERMONS. 399 
 
 tions of his love. What is His omnipotence but 
 the arm of His love? What is His omniscience 
 but the medium through which he contemplates the 
 objects of His love ? What is His wisdom but the 
 scheme of His love? What are the offers of 
 the Gospel but the invitations of His love ? What 
 the threatenings of the law but the warnings of His 
 love? They are the hoarse voice of His love, say 
 ing, "Man, do thyself no harm." They are a fence 
 thrown around the pit of destruction, to prevent 
 rash men from rushing into ruin. What was the 
 incarnation of the Savior but the richest illustration 
 of His love? What were the miracles of Christ 
 but the condescensions of His love? What were 
 the prayers of Christ but the pleadings of His love ? 
 What were the tears of Christ but the dew-drops of 
 His love ? What is this earth but the theater for a 
 display of His love ? What is heaven but the Alps 
 of His mercy, from whose summits His blessings, 
 flowing down in a thousand streams, descend to 
 water and refresh His Church, situated at its base ? 
 Stop a moment, and consider what the Spirit is 
 doing for your enlightenment to make you see the 
 depravity of your nature. Unnumbered influences 
 at work to lead you in a way you know not ! Pray- 
 
400 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 ing friends are daily and nightly weeping at a mercy 
 seat, saying, "Spare, O Lord, O spare my son or 
 my daughter from going down to the pit ! " 
 
 And then think of what s only a little in advance 
 for you to meet one of two vast considerations : 
 a heaven of light and uncreated glory, where 
 Beauty and Purity, Holiness, Goodness, in fact 
 everything to increase one s happiness with the good 
 of all ages ; and the consideration of being without 
 any interest in Jesus, without one assurance that 
 you have accepted the proffered pardon. You will 
 have to say, "I must be deprived of the associations 
 of all Christian friends, and never see the face of 
 the Crucified One." 
 
 3. The vast future in which all your interests are 
 concealed. Eternity ! Eternity ! There your best 
 friends have taken up their abode. Perhaps your 
 dear old mother, or your father, has long been 
 employed with the sainted hosts of God s dear chil 
 dren, and with celestial voice and fingers skilled in 
 divine art, has been swelling the song uninterrupted, 
 
 " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain for us." 
 
 Do you not desire to join in that song? or do you still 
 choose to vacillate and hesitate and turn a deaf ear 
 
SERMONS. 401 
 
 to the Sweetest Charmer? Hear Him : "Unto you, 
 O men, I call ; and my voice is to the sons of man. 
 O ye simple, understand wisdom; and ye fools, be 
 ye of an understanding heart." 
 Two inferences : 
 
 (a) Is it not wisdom for you to be a Christian in 
 reality, at whatever cost ? Do you not feel that it 
 would be highest attainment of wisdom to be able to 
 say, 
 
 Jesus, I my cross have taken, 
 
 All to leave and follow thee. 
 Naked, poor, despised, forsaken, 
 
 Thou from hence my all shalt be." 
 
 (b) Do not be contented in being almost a Chris 
 tian. Contentment while in this state is as fatal as 
 contentment in the most open and rebellious con 
 dition. Contentment in any condition short of 
 personal union and fellowship with God through 
 Christ, is a trick of the devil. Contentment in 
 being almost a Christian is the stupor that leads to 
 eternal death. Arouse yourself from it. Shake off 
 the fatal spell, and not debar yourself from all that s 
 good in time and eternity. 
 
402 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT., 
 
 n. 
 
 THE DISPLEASURE OF GOD WITH THE INDOLENT. 
 
 " Curse ye Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse ye bitterly the 
 inhabitants thereof, because they came not up to the help of the Lord, 
 to the help of the Lord against the mighty." JUDGES v : 23. 
 
 It is evident that Meroz was so situated that it 
 could have rendered important and essential aid to 
 the cause of Israel, in their conflict with the enemy, 
 if it had been so disposed. But Meroz, assuming 
 the same sentiment and position of very many of 
 the present time, thought it prudent to be neutral in 
 this conflict for right and for liberty. How many 
 there are who study the devil s dictionary to find 
 a comfortable definition of the word prudence, and 
 they and their friends laud them to the skies for 
 their wise forecast and "prudent" conduct, in not 
 being identified with the radical and revolutionary 
 Spirit that is stirring perhaps the entire nation to the 
 depths, in the interests of humanity and justice ! It 
 was so a few years since in the agitation against 
 American slavery for over forty years. The same 
 has been true in the temperance reform. Men and 
 ministers have stood and looked on with stoic indif- 
 
SERMONS. 403 
 
 ference, while drunkards have been made by law, 
 and thousands have gone down to drunkards graves 
 within their personal knowledge. 
 
 They see these friends and acquaintances go down 
 to a drunkard s undone eternity, and then with a 
 linen handkerchief they wipe their mouths with as 
 smooth grace as if they had been to a banquet. If 
 prompted to speak, it has been to say, "Well, these 
 hot-headed cold water men are responsible for this. 
 Moderation would have been far better. By their 
 hot haste they have driven men to sell it, and men 
 that love it will drink it, if they can get it." This 
 is morality with a vengeance, taking the side of 
 Belial against Christ and humanity. These are your 
 men who pride themselves on their great prudence ; 
 conservative souls that are not fit for the Kingdom 
 
 o 
 
 of heaven. Christ has no need of men who think 
 more of how to retreat than advance ; who wait to 
 see which way the wind blows before they start ; 
 who have no idea of standing for the right till the 
 right is popular. God wants revolutionists. 
 
 This ode of Deborah was chanted at the celebra 
 tion of the victory, and while honorable mention 
 was made of such as had distinguished themselves 
 by deeds of valor, Meroz is referred to in terms of 
 
404 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 execration, and burning, blistering reproach. There 
 is another day of celebration yet to come, and an 
 ode to be sung by far excelling all that was ever 
 heard on earth. The question is, What mention 
 shall be made of you in that last day ? Shall it be 
 "Curse ye me those that have stood neutral, while 
 virtue and sound religion and humanity have been 
 calling for help?" Or shall it be in approval, like 
 that of Deborah and Barak, and those with them 
 in the conflict ? 
 
 In this discourse we propose to notice : 
 
 I. The Conflict going on. 
 
 II. The Help Demanded. 
 
 III. The evident Results of the Conflict. 
 I. The Conflict now in Progress. 
 
 1. Error has waged a war against Truth, and has 
 aroused all her minions to overthrow it, by every 
 possible strategy known to a barbarous and savage 
 warfare. Its most common attacks, are to assume 
 the garb of Truth. But it is Truth perverted for the 
 sake of advantage. "For the wrath of God is 
 revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and 
 unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in 
 unrighteousness." (Romans, i. 18.) 
 
 A few specifications. "All men will be saved, no 
 
SERMONS. 405 
 
 matter what their sins or character may be. Salva 
 tion is sure." "Jesus was a good man, but not 
 divine, nor equal with God." Carnal will substi 
 tuted for divine obedience and submission to the 
 Gospel of Christ ; human merit for Christ s suffering 
 and atonement. These all hold the Truth in 
 unrighteousness, and are the scouting parties sent 
 out by the devil to reconnoiter the outworks of 
 Zion s fortress, while Truth stands in her white uni 
 form, bidding defiance to these sons of Belial, and 
 near by her, within bugle-sound, are encamped 
 these "wise," "discreet," cowardly, chicken-hearted 
 professed friends of both parties, with their field- 
 glasses taking observations. Many of them members 
 of the church, and at the last election voting for the 
 captain of this same squad to sell strychnine whisky, 
 or are renting some low dance-house, or gambling- 
 hell, or its twin sister, a gay shop where drunkards 
 are finished up in the latest style for perdition. 
 This is Meroz, that takes no part in the conflict now 
 going on against Zion. No marvel that God s angel 
 should say : "Curse ye Meroz." 
 
 2. The conflict is waged with superhuman effort 
 to make the avowed friends of Jesus subserve the 
 wicked purposes of the enemy. 
 
406 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 The young convert of Christ is attacked in his 
 weakest point. With blandest smiles the enemy 
 says : "Let all your religious actions be with the 
 greatest moderation. Keep cool, quite cool, on all 
 matters of a spiritual nature. Join with the world 
 in its social recreations. No harm for a Christian 
 to play billiards ; why, our minister keeps a bil 
 liard table in his house, right adjoining the study ; 
 and his wife said she would dance, if it were not 
 for the speech of some of the members of his 
 church who think it not right. Why, you look 
 fatigued ; won t you take a glass of wine ? it will 
 not hurt you? Our minister drinks it at his table 
 every day. Oh, how I wish you could have been at 
 Mrs. Snodinglove s party, the other evening. We 
 had a very pleasant time indeed. You know she is 
 a member of our church, and she thinks it no harm 
 for Christians to go to the theatre or circus. She 
 is very fond of dancing too." 
 
 Thus, by the time this gabbling daughter of 
 Jezebel has finished her tittle-tattle to a convert 
 just espoused to Jesus, if he is not well on his 
 guard, ten chances to one if he is not taken captive 
 at the will of the devil, so that when sister Light- 
 minded has her "levee," he is there to subserve the 
 
SERMONS. 407 
 
 cause and machinations of these enemies of God and 
 His anointed. Joined in affinity with the world, 
 his religion has become cool indeed. No more deep 
 solicitude for their young companions to come to 
 the cross. No more singing in the spirit, and with 
 the understanding : 
 
 " Nearer, my God, to Thee, 
 
 Nearer to Thee ; 
 E en though it be a cross 
 
 That raiseth me. 
 Still all my song shall be, 
 Nearer, my God, to Thee, 
 
 Nearer to Thee." 
 
 " Ye did run well ; who did hinder you that ye 
 should not obey the truth?" (Gal. v. 7.) 
 
 "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the 
 Lord, so walk ye in Him." (Col. ii. 6.) 
 
 Thus they have joined the neutrality party ; and 
 they too think our religious sentiments and convic 
 tions should be expressed with great "coolness." 
 "Coolness" means coldness toward Christ when 
 rightly interpreted. 
 
 n. The help demanded in this crisis of the 
 conflict. 
 
 To help the Lord "against the mighty," is the 
 key note of the conflict. 
 
408 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 1. The duty of the ministers of Jesus to expose 
 the falsehood and sophistry of every lying spirit. 
 Not only is it the duty of the servants of Christ to 
 defend the Truth and Zion in her possession of it, 
 but to carry the war into the enemy s camp, showing 
 no quarter to a rebellious foe. Throw everything 
 at the devil ; like Luther, throw your inkstand at 
 him, if you have nothing else ; or like Whitefield 
 at the Moorfields, preach Christ and Him crucified, 
 to the surging mob ; or like John Knox at Saint 
 Mary s, in the face of armed soldiers threatening 
 him, "stand up for Jesus," and proclaim "the 
 acceptable year of the Lord," and "the day of ven 
 geance of our God." Christ, Paul, Peter, John the 
 Baptist, all set the ministers of after generations a 
 good example in this line of ministerial duty. We 
 venture the assertion that full one-half of the 
 declension in our churches is caused by the cringing, 
 sycophantic, cowardly conduct of the professed 
 ambassadors of Christ, mere men-pleasers ; God- 
 dishonoring representatives of the highest calling on 
 earth. "I use great plainness of speech." 
 
 If all the evangelical ministers professing the 
 doctrine of salvation by faith in Jesus, were to come 
 out in the spirit of the Gospel, and make an on- 
 
SERMONS. 409 
 
 slaught on the powers of darkness, as they now 
 array themselves in the land, Romanism with all its 
 idol mummery and anti-Christ priestcraft, Universal- 
 ism, Unitarianism, and polished skepticism would all 
 evaporate like the rank vapors before the rising sun. 
 We have a few who have the moral courage to enter 
 the lists, and declare the whole counsel of God, to a 
 lost and depraved world of sinners. We have a 
 superabundance of lectures and essays and pretty 
 nonsensical gibberish, without point and effect upon 
 man s moral and religious being. Some think these 
 efforts have warmth. But the vitality is only gal 
 vanic, and the heat that of a corpse warmed by 
 lying in the sun. No vital connection with Christ 
 and the Spirit, and consequently no stir of the soul ! 
 The demand is for God-fearing, Ckrist-loving, and 
 sinner-reclaiming, reformation preachers, of a free 
 and full Gospel, and that now come "to the help of 
 the Lord against the mighty." 
 
 2. The demand is also for all the people of God 
 to "come to the help of the Lord." 
 
 All, both male and female, can find something to 
 do, and that to good advantage, if they only had 
 the disposition. The women of our churches have 
 always been more efficient, according to their sphere, 
 
410 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 than the men. Here, in this contest, "Jael, the wife 
 of Heber," struck the final blow : 
 
 "Then Jael, Heber s wife, took a nail of the tent, 
 and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly 
 unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and 
 fastened it into the ground : for he was fast asleep 
 and weary. So he died. 
 
 "And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael 
 came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, 
 and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. 
 And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay 
 dead, and the nail was in his temples. 
 
 "So God subdued on that day Jabin, the king of 
 Canaan, before the children of Israel. 
 
 "And the hand of the children of Israel pros 
 pered, and prevailed against Jabin, the king of 
 Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin, king 
 of Canaan." (Judges iv. 21-24.) 
 
 We are glad to say here that the movement now 
 being made by the women of our churches is accom 
 plishing much for missions abroad and at home. An 
 evangelical power is being felt that will save the 
 churches from the dead calm of a stupid formality. 
 Deborah was compelled to be in the vanguard, 
 taking the place of the man who should have been 
 
SERMONS. 411 
 
 first. (See Judges iv. 4-9.) Let it be the prayer 
 of the church for the Lord to raise up Deborahs all 
 over the land. Let every man in Zion do something 
 to advance the cause of our common Christianity. 
 We need not wait for the colleges and theological 
 schools to send them out. If the laymen of the 
 churches would only take this thing in hand, under 
 the all-controlling influence of the Spirit of God, 
 our whole land would resound with the voice of 
 singing and victory, from Maine to California, from 
 Florida to the Canadas. "We need Sunday school 
 men and women who have vim and religious 
 vivacity. We need more life and spiritual power 
 in our prayer and social meetings of the church. 
 Exhortation that is stirring in its appeals to the 
 impenitent, when do we hear? The world is God s 
 workshop, in which He demands help of every kind 
 to carry on the work of saving sinners, and to bring 
 this conflict to a successful close. We need another 
 Ehud in our camp. (See Judges iii. 14-22.) 
 
 " Soldiers of Christ, arise and gird your armor on, 
 
 Strong in the strength which God supplies 
 Through His eternal Son." 
 
 Let us call your attention, 
 
 III. To the evident Results of this Contest. 
 
412 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 1. It will lead each individual disciple of Jesus to 
 examine his motives for enlisting in this campaign 
 against sin. Quite a number have gone into the 
 conflict for the spoils, as their fruits do show 
 loaves and fish followers of Christ ! They have 
 joined the church to be made comfortable and to be 
 pleased with the "brilliant discourses" of some 
 minister who has the reputation of being an eloquent 
 pulpit orator, who was never so vulgar as to 
 pronounce that awful category of words, "hell," 
 "perdition," "damnation," "lost souls," "judgment 
 day," "day of wrath." ( See Ezekiel xxxiii. 31, 32.) 
 
 "And they come unto Thee as the people cometh, 
 and they sit before Thee as my people, and they 
 hear Thy words, but they will not do them : for 
 with their mouth they show much love, but their 
 heart goeth after their covetousness. 
 
 "And, lo, Thou art unto them as a very lovely 
 song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play 
 well on an instrument : for they hear Thy words, 
 but they do them not." 
 
 This scene is acted over in our day, to all intents. 
 You take away this kind of bread and butter, these 
 sweet meals of human relish, and they will join a 
 club of infidels : from the simple fact that their 
 
SERMONS. 413 
 
 motives were not pure when they enlisted. But if 
 they joined the cause for the love of Christ, then 
 they will stand by in storm and sunshine, in battle 
 and in peace, in life and in death. 
 
 2. Another result will be that error will yield 
 to the truth when wielded in the name of Jehovah. 
 It is irresistible : "For the Word of God is quick, 
 and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 
 sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of 
 soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and 
 is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the 
 heart." (Heb. iv. 12.) I do not believe that one 
 instance can be found where a church or a minister 
 commenced under the guiding and controlling influ 
 ences of the Truth as it is in Jesus, but sooner or 
 later was victorious over error, and made the 
 infidelity and skepticism of the place bite the dust, 
 and many of the strongest opposers come over to 
 the side of Truth, and say, in the deep simplicity 
 of their natures : 
 
 " I yield, I yield; 
 I can hold out no longer." 
 
 3. It must result in uniting the people of God in 
 a permanent and healthy fellowship for each other, 
 
414 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 Old jealousies and heart-burnings will cease and 
 give place to the song : 
 
 "From whence doth this union arise, 
 
 That hatred is conquered by love ? 
 It fastens our souls in such ties 
 As distance and time can t remove." 
 
 "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for 
 brethren to dwell together in unity : 
 
 "It is like the precious ointment upon the head, 
 that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron s beard ; 
 that went down to the skirts of his garments ; 
 
 "As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that 
 descended upon the mountains of ^lon : for there 
 the LORD commanded the blessing, even for life 
 evermore." (Psalm cxxxiii. 1-3.) 
 
 Pastor and people will not only work in harmony 
 together, but a growing respect for each other will 
 be manifested in their several spheres of labor. It 
 is only in this sense that a church is edified in the 
 Truth in the highest acceptation of that term, 
 "edified in love." Oh, blessed result to be the 
 people enjoying such a state ! 
 
 KEMARKS. 1. Brethren, are we identified in this 
 conflict, and doing good battle for the Master on 
 Zion s side? God has said : "Woe to them that are 
 
SERMONS. 415 
 
 at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of 
 Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to 
 whom the house of Israel came !" (Amos vi. 1.) 
 
 2. The day of final celebration of all the victories 
 achieved for Christ is soon to come. What honor 
 able mention shall be made of you and of me in that 
 day? Shall it be like that of Deborah and Barak? 
 or like that of Meroz, Jael and Sisera? God forbid 
 the latter ! 
 
 3. Victory is sure to all those who enlist under 
 the Captain of our Salvation, and the triumph of 
 the saints is the defeat of the sinner. Our God has 
 said that no weapon formed against Zion shall 
 prosper. He is not wanting in means to carry on 
 the conflict. He can save by many or by few : 
 
 "And Jonathan said to the young man that bare 
 his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the 
 garrison of these uncircumcised : it may be that the 
 LORD will work for us : for there is no restraint to 
 the LORD to save by many or by few. 
 
 "And his armour-bearer said unto him, Do all 
 that is in thy heart : turn thee ; behold, I am with 
 thee according to thy heart." (I Sam. xiv. 6.) 
 
 God will hasten the victory in His time. See 
 that ye be not found fighting against God and the 
 Truth. Amen. 
 
416 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 All Western people will understand what is meant 
 by the above names. But, for the instruction of 
 our friends in the East, we "rise to explain." 
 
 A Rackensack is a dweller in Arkansas, of the 
 loafer order ; and a Puke is a rough of Missouri, or 
 a "border ruffian." 
 
 I was called to visit the south-eastern portion of 
 Kansas, in connection with a young minister of our 
 denomination. As we proceeded on our journey, 
 towards evening we discovered that a storm was 
 rising in the north, and that it would overtake us 
 before we could cross Sugar Creek to a settlement, 
 where we expected to find entertainment for the 
 night among friends. So we were obliged to stop 
 at a place called the "Three Stone Houses," lying 
 between Fort Scott and Ottawa. 
 
 These three houses were rude structures of stone, 
 laid up without mortar or any visible design. One 
 was a barn, and one of the two houses proper was 
 
PUKES." 417 
 
 unoccupied. The third was occupied by an old 
 woman and her son, the husband and father having 
 been killed in the border ruffian war of 1855-56. 
 
 We asked for entertainment, and the old lady told 
 us we could stay ; but as her son was not at home, 
 we would have to take care of our horses ourselves, 
 at least until her son came. He was expected soon, 
 if he was not delayed by the storm. We complied 
 with the conditions, and went in to wait for supper. 
 While she was making ready our coffee and bacon 
 and corn cake, she looked out of the window and 
 exclaimed : 
 
 "Good Lord, have mercy; there comes them 
 devils of Missouri and Arkansas. The Lord only 
 knows what I shall do if Davey don t come." I 
 inquired: "Why, what s the matter with them? 
 They won t hurt you, I think." 
 
 In they came, and addressed the old matron : 
 "Wall, old woman, have you got any whisky in 
 these diggins? If you have, draw et out quicker 
 than a badger can hunt his hole." The old lady 
 replied by saying : "We don t keep it for anybody. 
 Dave did have a little he got for snake bites ; but 
 I don t know where he keeps it, if he has got any." 
 At this one of the Pukes said: "Wall, he haint 
 
418 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 got any now we sucked out the last of that air 
 stuff when we were here last week ;" and continued 
 by asking, "Where is your Davey?" "He has been 
 gone all day at Mapleton, and will be at home, if he 
 can get here, before the storm comes." "Wall, 
 there ll be a storm if he don t bring some of the 
 
 critter, for we want to liquidate as bad as ." 
 
 At which all set up a coarse and vulgar laugh. 
 
 A Rackensack bawled out, "Come, old gal, stir 
 your dancing pegs and get us something to eat, for 
 we are as hungry as five wolves, and can eat all 
 there is in this shanty as quick as lightning can 
 strike a dry cottonwood." 
 
 She replied : " I have no more coffee until Dave 
 gets here, as I have just made all I have for these 
 strangers, and a scant mite for them. I reckon it 
 
 o 
 
 will be mighty weak too, but it s all I had in the 
 house until Dave gets home. There, strangers, set 
 up and take such as it is." Poor coffee, rusty bacon, 
 and corn-cake baked on the stove, as griddle-cakes 
 are baked, only it was about an inch thick, browned 
 on both sides, and looked about as much like a 
 No. 7 griddle to a stove, as a cake. 
 
 As we sat down to the table, I said to my young 
 Reverend companion : "Ask a blessing/ He shook 
 
419 
 
 his head, and said : "I will join with you." So 1 
 gave thanks in words something like the following : 
 "Ever blessed Father of all our mercies, sanctify 
 this sweet portion of Thy bounty, to our nourish 
 ment and comfort, and may we consider the heart 
 and hand that supply us, for Christ s sake, Amen." 
 And the old woman said : "Amen ; bless the Lord." 
 
 At that moment, a voice at the door called out : 
 "mam, come and take the things in quick." Dave 
 had come. Soon she returned with a paper of 
 coffee, a dozen of candles, and three boxes of 
 matches. As she laid them on the bed in the corner 
 of the room, one of the Pukes said: "Wall, hain t 
 Dave brought any whisky, old gal?" She answered : 
 "Not as I can see, if he has, it is in his saddle-bags." 
 
 Up jumped three of them and they went to the 
 stone shed to find Dave, or what they most desired, 
 the whisky. Soon the storm of wind and rain burst 
 upon the house with great fury and force, and in 
 came Dave and the hunters after whisky, in great 
 haste, but no whisky had come. 
 
 The old lady at once set herself to get supper for 
 her son and the roughs. 
 
 As we closed our frugal meal, the young Domine 
 said to me in a whisper: "Brother Stimson, I wish 
 we had gone on, I don t feel safe here. These are a 
 
420 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 bad set of roughs, and there is no knowing what 
 they may do before morning." I replied in a low 
 whisper: "Well, now hold up your head and stop 
 your looking so much like a coward. Be a man. It 
 will only make the matter worse if they see your 
 timidity." 
 
 I sat down by the stove and stirred the coffee for 
 the old woman, and then ground it for her and her 
 guests, while she baked the second installment of 
 corn-cake, and fried the second batch of bacon, fill 
 ing the whole house with an odor similar to what I 
 have enjoyed in a soap-chandler s establishment, only 
 more so. As soon as I had finished my task in the 
 cooking department, I commenced singing a hymn 
 that my young friend could have joined in if he 
 would : 
 
 " Hark, my soul, it is the Lord, 
 
 >Tis the Savior, hear his Word ; 
 Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee : 
 Say, poor sinner, lovest thou me." 
 
 All was as still and quiet as a funeral, the moment 
 the singing commenced. When we came to the 
 third stanza : 
 
 " Can a woman s tender care 
 
 Cease towards the child she bare? 
 Yes, she may forgetful be; 
 Yet will I remember thee." 
 
421 
 
 One large, brawny fellow took his coat-tail up 
 and wiped his eyes, turning his face away from the 
 light. By this time supper was ready, and they 
 gathered around the table to supply their needs. 
 They sat and ate their meal in quietness, speaking 
 in respectful terms to the old lady. 
 
 The storm had now so abated that my companion 
 and myself stepped out of the door, and going a 
 little way from the house, I said : "I shall call on 
 you to read the Bible, and I want you to read the 
 xviiith chapter of Luke, and then we will sing again 
 and have prayers. The old lady is a Christian, I am 
 quite confident, and one of these roughs has a tender 
 spot in his heart. So we went in again. I spoke to 
 the old lady : "Well, madam, shall we spend a little 
 time in devotion, before we lie down to rest? We 
 all need protection, and it is well for us to commit 
 ourselves to God as our Father and Protector." 
 
 "Oh yes, I reckon it would be so nice ; I have not 
 heard a man pray since my poor husband was shot 
 in 1856. We then had a man here to help bury him 
 out on the prairie, and he prayed." 
 
 "Was your husband shot, madam?" we asked. 
 w Yes, he was shot while we were milking our cows. 
 It was in the time of our troubles here on the bor- 
 
422 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 der. Dave was then a little boy, and we had a 
 pretty little girl, next younger than Dave, and she 
 never got over the fright of that awful time. If we 
 could a got back to Injiana, we should a gone, but 
 we had no money, and all our oxen had been stolen, 
 and here Dave and I have stayed ever since." 
 
 I called on the young brother, and we sang again, 
 and then I asked them all to kneel down with us 
 while I made supplication to the Almighty Father 
 for protecting care during the watches of the night. 
 There was no more loud talking or profanity there 
 that night. As we stepped out of the door while 
 the young man covered the floor with blankets for 
 our beds, I heard one of them say to his companion, 
 as they stood around in the dark : "Wall, Buck, I 
 should think that old feller was John Brown, if he 
 wan t hung by them Virginians." His friend replied : 
 w It may be him arter all. He was a slippery old 
 cuss, and it may be he gave them the dodge, or got 
 somebody hung in his place." 
 
 There was no more said about whisky, no more 
 swearing, no more impertinent talk to the old lady 
 of the house. All was as quiet as a first-class hotel, 
 except the loud snoring. At daylight my young 
 brother and myself started off on our journey again, 
 driving twelve miles before breakfast. 
 
THE IRISHMAN S STORY. 423 
 
 THE IRISHMAN S MIRACLE OF THE LOAVES AND 
 FISHES. 
 
 An Irishman in his travels found a New Testa 
 ment, and, having a moment s leisure, sat down and 
 read the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, after 
 which he went on his journey, and, meeting a coun 
 tryman, said, " Pat, I have just read a curious book 
 to-day." " An pfat book have ye read, Mike?" 
 " Well, it s about the Lord Jesus, ye know; it tells 
 all about the twelve Apostles, ye know, Pat. How, 
 wanst upon a time they were all out in the woods 
 together, and the Apostles got farefully hungry, ye 
 know : and the Lord Jesus took five hundred fishes 
 and seven thousand loaves of bread and blessed 
 them an the twelve Apostles ate them all up, 
 sure." "But Mike," said Pat, "I don t see any 
 miracle." " Hunch me Honey, isn t it a miracle they 
 didn t all bust afther aitin so many ? " 
 
 The above story has served Father Stimson so 
 well on such a variety of occasions, it well deserves 
 a place among those in which he has been a personal 
 actor. The story itself, if not the application he 
 made of it, will be remembered a long time by 
 those who laughed over his inimitable telling of it 
 at the General Association, held at Topeka, Kansas, 
 October 1873. 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 A PERSONAL SKETCH, BY THE EDITOR. 
 
 Father STIMSON is a character ; every man is not. 
 He isn t just like anybody else. When in his 
 presence, you are at once satisfied that he has opin 
 ions. When you have heard him talk, either in 
 conversation or public discourse, you are more 
 convinced that his ideas are his own, and that he 
 would sacrifice everything rather than yield them. 
 He is not obstinate. Mere human opinions on 
 which men have a right to differ, he is as ready to 
 change or give up as any man need to be. Reli 
 gious principles he holds as inviolably sacred. No 
 one who has ever heard him preach, can forget the 
 solemnity with which he speaks of these. Rather 
 than yield one of them, he would suffer the loss of 
 all things. Bred according to the Scotch-Irish 
 Presbyterian rule, and educated in the high school 
 of Baptist faith and practice, it is not to be won 
 dered at that he has the grit of a reformer. He has 
 preached the gospel the Master has bidden him, 
 asking no questions, and neither daring nor wishing 
 to make the least modification. He couldn t have 
 been anything else but a Baptist. His impatience of 
 human authority in matters of conscience, his radical 
 nature, his disregard of what is simply time-honored, 
 his scorn of the double-edged weapons of ridicule 
 and custom, his loyalty to the truth, and his supreme 
 love of his Divine Master, have qualified him for 
 the enjoyment of the fellowship and service of the 
 church for a place in which he made such a struggle 
 in early life. Certainly in these qualities he is a 
 representative Baptist. 
 
PERSONAL SKETCH. 425 
 
 If Father STIMSON should find a weak Baptist 
 church in a place, with little or no "social standing," 
 he would go to work at once to make it stronger. 
 He would do the same thing if he were not a min 
 ister. If there were no church in the place, he 
 would set himself to the delightful task of prepar 
 ing a people, by Divine help, for church fellowship. 
 
 All must respect the man who, without the 
 advantages of an education, rises superior to the 
 majority the great majority of those who are 
 educated. College-bred men often leave school so 
 conscious of their advantages over uneducated men 
 as to make no habitual efforts afterwards to main 
 tain their advantages. Those not so favored in 
 youth, often go through life with the spur of con 
 scious disadvantage. By this they are stimulated to 
 great and constant effort for self improvement, and 
 soon outstrip those who were far in advance to begin 
 with hare and tortoise. Father STIMSON has accom 
 plished more in the world for God and humanity 
 than is the average work of a College and Seminary 
 educated minister. 
 
 Two or three of the natural qualities that have 
 helped him in his otherwise unassisted work deserve 
 special mention. First, his memory. This is 
 remarkable. It s not a memory for one class of 
 subjects alone, but for facts and principles, dates, 
 names and words, and for one as much as for 
 another. Memory is as distinguishing a faculty as 
 man possesses. It gives a man more aid in public 
 life than any other faculty, unless it be the gift of 
 superior speech. It has helped him more than any 
 one knows, except himself, in all his public work. 
 It has given him a great command of Scripture and 
 
426 FROM THE STAGE COACH TO THE PULPIT. 
 
 hymn quotations in the .pulpit and prayer-meeting. 
 It has given him the apt story in public addresses 
 and private conversation. It has given him great 
 advantage in argument, supplying him with the 
 needed quotations from authors. It has been abso 
 lutely indispensable in the preparation of this 
 auto-biography. With the previously -prepared 
 manuscript all lost in Chicago, he had to begin 
 again, and after two years had passed. The facil 
 ity with which he remembered dates and facts and 
 names and conversations, and dashed them down 
 with his pencil, is known to at least one other 
 person. I shall always have one proof that I am 
 hot lazy in the speed with which my pen followed 
 his pencil. 
 
 His tact in reply to grave argument or witty 
 personal assault, is another trait of mind that will 
 be remembered as long as he is remembered. An 
 Irishman by parentage, he is never wanting in quick 
 repartee and apt anecdote most forcibly told. He 
 has an almost exhaustless fund of humor and anec 
 dote. If argument would not serve his purpose 
 when attacked or making a point, some quaint 
 saying of somebody s or some resistless story would 
 always come in at the right moment, and he would 
 carry off the laurels. He is the soul of any company 
 in which he feels at home. As to others, his wit 
 makes them feel at home. No sketch of him would 
 have been complete without a chapter of stories and 
 jokes. 
 
 He is a man of large practical common sense. 
 He despises shams. He sees the best way out of a 
 tight place as soon as he is in it. His advice to 
 people similarly situated is of great value. His 
 
PERSONAL SKETCH. 427 
 
 common sense doesn t desert him when he comes to 
 matters of religion. He reasons upon Christianity 
 as he would on any subject requiring the use of 
 reason, but never without making the broad distinc 
 tion that exists between it and all other forms of 
 religion. 
 
 He has a fair share of originality of thought and 
 expression. His imagination, too, is more than 
 ordinary. The happy combination of these qualities 
 and others, and the conscientious use of them through 
 public life, have made him a power in the denom 
 ination. 
 
 He belongs to a race of men that is rapidly passing 
 away. The places that now know them will soon 
 know them no more. The need of pioneer men 
 especially of the angular, eccentric, original, self- 
 made stamp to which he belongs is fast ceasing to 
 exist. They have nobly done a great work, a work 
 smoother men could not have done. Peace to 
 their ashes. Peaceful years to those who remain 
 among us. 
 

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