About this time I held a Colporteur Convention in C----, in which
a number of colporteurs were present. The meeting was one of deep
interest. Many facts were brought out in relation to the wants of that
region, and the good resulting from the work, that were of the most
cheering character.
During the three days of our meetings, an old man was present who
was but little known to any that were there. When about to close the
convention, I said that if any one present wished to give us a word of
advice or exhortation we should be glad to hear it, when this old man
rose, trembling with diffidence, and said:
“As soon as I heard of this meeting I made up my mind to attend it; and
now I want to tell you what this Society has done for me. My name is
C----. Ten years ago I was considered the wickedest man in this county.
I was a profane drunkard. One day while at S----, about four miles
above this place, old Mr. R----, who was always distributing tracts,
handed me one with the word _Eternity_ in large letters at the head of
it. I was the worse for liquor at the time, and on my horse to go home,
which was about fifteen miles distant. On my way I took the tract out
of my hat to read it. My attention got fixed on the word _Eternity_,
and I became alarmed about my state as a sinner. By the time I got home
I was nearly sober. I read and reread the tract till I had it committed
to memory. For near two weeks I had no rest. At last my distress became
so great that I did not want to live. One day I was tempted to go away
to the woods and destroy myself. While there I thought of praying, for
the first time, and fell down on my knees and cried, ‘God be merciful
to me a sinner.’ In a moment I felt relief, and went home with a joyful
heart, and told my family all about the matter. I read the tract to
them, and began to pray with and for them. In six months I had a little
church built on my land, and a missionary there to preach once each
month, and myself, wife, and six of my children and eight servants were
members of it; and here is five dollars, all the money I have in the
world, to aid in giving good books to others.” All present were bathed
in tears at this recital.
As soon as he was seated, another man arose and said “he supposed
all present had heard of Father B----, who died a few weeks ago,
and many, no doubt, remember when he was a terror in the community.
He had remarkable bodily powers, and could whip any man in all the
country round. When the county of L---- was laid off, there was a
violent contest about where to build the court-house; and the two
parties agreed that B---- and another bully should decide the matter
by a fist-fight, and B---- gained the site where that court-house now
stands. He was often brought up at the court for assault and battery,
and had crippled some men for life. Judge S---- on one occasion, when
passing sentence on him, said, ‘B----, you have become too bad a man to
live, and if ever you come before me again convicted of crime, I will
make you suffer for it most severely. If you would improve the mind God
has given you, you might be a blessing to the world; but now you are
a disgrace. Here is a tract, ‘The Fool’s Pence;’ take and read it, and
may God lead you by it to be a better man.’ That tract was the means of
his conversion, and for the last fifteen years of his life he was one
of the most successful preachers in South-western Virginia.”
Another fact was brought out at this meeting by the Rev. Mr. W----,
who labored for some time as a colporteur in the county of W----. He
entered a large settlement where there never had been any preaching,
schools, or distribution of books. The Sabbath was the special day for
frolicking and dissipation. In the house where he lodged on Saturday
night, the family were busy preparing to go to a shooting-match the
next morning. All he could say had no effect on them. After praying
God to guide him in his duty, he determined to go with them. When they
came to the place, a large collection of all classes were present, with
a great number of articles to gamble for in different ways. He told
them, as it was the Lord’s day, he would unite with them in prayer
for God’s blessing. He prayed earnestly, and then told them that if
they would give him their attention he would preach to them. They
seemed confounded at this remark, and all remained silent as death. He
announced his text, and preached with unusual liberty. The attention
was solemn, and they looked at one another with amazement. He then
distributed among them his remaining stock of books and tracts, and as
he was very unwell, went home. Soon after the news spread that some
people in that region were concerned about their souls. A preacher
visited them, and soon had a good congregation gathered, and over
twenty converts. Sunday frolicking was abandoned, and many were led to
observe the Lord’s day.
The same man stated another fact, which occurred in J---- county.
While visiting in one of those sparsely populated regions, he came
to a very large farm. He found the family to consist of the father,
mother, and twelve children, the youngest about eight years old. The
man was wealthy in land and stock, but to his surprise no one knew a
letter in a book. After talking to them about their relations to God
and eternity, he asked the father why he did not have his children
taught to read. The old objection was raised at once, that they learned
enough of _bad_ without books; that he had got along very well without
reading, and so could his children.
He then began to read to them, showed them the pictures in the Alphabet
of Animals, and read them some account of them. Several of the children
said, “Oh, I wish I could read.” He then gave them one or two books and
some tracts. A few months after he was coming back the same way, and
called to pay another visit. “Well,” said the old man, “you have give
me a _purty lot of trouble by leaving them books here_. I had no peace
till I got a man to come and _larn_ them to read them.” So sure enough
the teacher was there, and now they bought more books freely.
In travelling through a wild mountain region, where I was a total
stranger, I came to a small village of about a dozen houses, with a
little store and tavern. Before I reached it, I heard men hallooing in
the most boisterous manner. When I drove up weary to the public-house,
I was surrounded with such a set of savage-looking men as I never had
seen before, and all intoxicated. Every man had on a hunting-shirt,
with a belt round him, to which hung a long butcher-knife. I felt
afraid of the men, I must confess, and would have been glad to have
been elsewhere, especially as my buggy and trunk seemed to attract
rather too much attention.
After I had got food for myself and horse, and laid round some tracts
as quietly as possible, I started, hoping to reach a point near twenty
miles distant that night. Some part of the way I was told the road was
very good, but mostly rough and mountainous.
As soon as I was out of sight, I drove rapidly, and made the first five
miles in an hour, when I began to breathe easier.
But all at once I heard the most unearthly yelling behind me that had
ever greeted my ears. My horse was frightened, and tried to run off. In
a few moments I heard the clatter of horses’ feet, and concluded all
was over with me. In a moment I was surrounded with some eight or ten
of the most desperate looking men, and told to stop; that they wanted
to know what I was loaded with. I told them I was loaded with good
religious books, which I was distributing among people that had none.
I was then ordered to give them all up to them, and they would scatter
them on the other side of the mountain, for there were no books over
there. I told them I knew they were too generous to take all that I had.
I then told them to listen to me, and I would tell them what the books
taught. So I began and preached them the most earnest sermon that I
ever preached. One of them said, “Give me your hand, sir, for I never
had a preacher by the hand in my life.” I held his hand firmly, and
preached on, although the muzzle of his gun was frequently in very
dangerous proximity to my person.
It was evident they began to feel uneasy under my wayside sermon, and
for fear they would leave me without tracts, I began the distribution,
and gave each one a number of the most suitable I could find. They
invited me to come over the mountains and preach, and I would get
plenty to come and hear me. Some of those tracts were found more than
a year after by one of our colporteurs, carefully preserved and highly
prized.