Prof Ficklin. Geometry. Bethany, Vir. Ordination. First
convert. First funeral. First wedding.
On the 15th day of March, 1859 I was asked how old I was. I replied
'Ego sum viginti unum.' You see at that very time I was attending
Prof. Ficklin's High School in Trenton, Missouri, and I tried to put
into practice my Latin. My studies at that school were Latin,
Astronomy and Geometry. Geometry was my favorite study and I was
happy to have Joseph Ficklin as my teacher, for he was one of the
best mathematicians in the world. The books in the library on
Mathematics alone covered all of one end of his study. He became the
author of a series of text books on mathematics from a book on mental
arithmetic to a book on Trigonometry and calculus.
As well as I loved geometry I had to leave school before I finished
it. Like many another poor boy, my money gave out. The hardest
practical geometrical problem that ever came to me in after life was
this: I wished to divide a piece of land which in shape was a
trapezoid. This trapezoid had two right angles, and the parallel
sides were respectively 170 and 120 rods in length. The shorter of
the other two sides was 160 rods in length. Now the question was, at
what point in the line of the side 160 rods in length should a line
start, running parallel with the parallel sides of the land to the
opposite side, so as to divide the land into two equal parts? I have
never been able to solve this problem, nor could the surveyor I had
employed, but two of my boys, before they were as old as I was when I
wanted to solve it, solved it. So you see each generation becomes
wiser than the preceding one. This is well, provided the wisdom is
such as to direct all knowledge into the ways of righteousness.
I had to quit school before I had finished all my studies, but had it
not been for the war which came in 1861, I perhaps would have been a
graduate of Bethany, Vir. University. For the good, rich brethren of
the country in which I commenced to preach had a habit of helping
young men to an education, who were called to preach, and who bode to
be a success. But the war coming on, spoiled all these plans for me.
But I will not express regrets for who would dare to complain when he
has placed himself to be lead by the hand of the Almighty. As it is
it may be far better than it might have been.
It was decided that I ought to be set apart to the work of an
Evangelist (preacher) in the church of God, and on the 6th day of Aug.
1861, during a district meeting of churches at Lindley, Grundy County
Missouri, I was ordained to the Christian ministry, by the laying on
hands, fasting and prayer. Brethren John R. Howard, David T. Wright,
Benjamin F. Smith, D. W. Stewart, and R. M. Sharp participating.
My first convert was a slave woman, who, hearing me preach, believed
and was baptized. She was accepted of God, for before him a poor
slave woman at her master's feet is as precious in his sight as the
queen on her throne. God is no respecter of persons.
My first funeral was on the occasion of the death of a dear little
child, only a few months old, the first born of young parents. But
the sermon was easy, for has not the Saviour said, "Of such is the
Kingdom of Heaven."
My first wedding was when, after I had finished a term of school, one
of my school boys, a young man, came to me and said he wanted me to
marry him to one of my school girls, a young lady. I said, all right
I will do that. The arrangements were made. Afterwards I got to
thinking about it, I did not know how it was done. I had been to but
very few weddings in my life, and I had not noticed particularly how
it was done. So, I went to an old preacher who, I knew, had married
many people, and asked him how it was done. He said it was easy,
just get the parties together and talk to them very solemnly a little
while about marriage and getting married and then tell them to join
their right hands and ask each a solemn leading question, and if each
said yes, then pronounce them husband and wife, and the thing is
done. So I went away and formulated in my mind the solemn words to
say and the solemn questions to ask. This ceremony proved to be very
acceptable and popular, and during all these fifty years or more I
have been using the same ceremony and asking the same questions, with
but very little variation.
But I must confess when the time came for this first wedding, and I
had arrived at the place and saw the many guests with their wedding
garments on, I began to feel that it was not so easy a job after all.
In fact, I felt a little scared. And then to add embarrassment to
fright, another one of my pupils, a young man both older and taller
than I, came to me while we were in the midst of the crowd, awaiting
the coming of the bride and groom. Stooping over he said in a
whisper to me, "Please stand up." I, thinking that he had some
message that I out to hear, quietly arose at once, (for he was one of
my best friends) when he began to unfold a large, long paper and read
aloud to me some lingo of my duties, responsibilities and procedures.
But just then the bride and groom were coming, and I said to my
friend, "Be seated, sir, you are a little too late with your lingo."
The joke had the effect of remove my embarrassment and fright, and I,
with ease proceeded with the marriage ceremony and the wedding was
most beautiful.
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