THURSDAY, August 12, the two brethren started on their journey. They
attended council meeting at the Flat Rock. Here they took leave of the
Brethren, and started on a journey that was to occupy about five
weeks. Brother Kline, as was his custom when his spirit stirred him to
go on a journey of this kind, had sent many appointments ahead; and
many were eagerly expecting and hopefully awaiting his arrival.
The imagination can find much pleasure in accompanying these two
brethren on this protracted visit to the churches. Both on horseback,
they had every opportunity to view the country as they passed along;
and many must have been the remarks and observations suggested by
things along the way. Brother Kline's mind was peculiarly active, and
his temper and social disposition genial in an eminent degree. It was
never my privilege to be with him on one of these protracted
excursions, but from the short ones I occasionally took with him in
later years, I feel sure that each day, all else favorable, was a sort
of heavenly delight.
Seeing a fine looking tree in the forest, whose leaves and branches
and general appearance showed that it was solid to the core, straight
grained, and deeply and firmly rooted in the soil, he would say: "That
tree is a fair representation of a good church member. He stands
upright. You see he does not lean to one side or the other. He holds
his head high in the perpendicular line of justice and truth. The
squirrels that run up and down on his trunk and over his Branches do
not annoy him: these are his little charities. They feed on his fruit,
to be sure; but a pleasant smile is all the account he takes of them.
You tap him with a mallet, and his trunk gives out a dull but certain
sound of solidity to the core. There is no wind-shake about him. His
thrifty appearance proves this. The storms, in the church and out of
the church, have never disturbed the solid texture of his faith and
Christian integrity. He is not twisty. The fibers that compose his
huge trunk are just like his principles; they all run straight up and
down. You always know how to take him, and what to depend on when you
have him.
"But there stands another tree of a very different character. Tap that
tree, and the drum-like sound tells you at once that it is hollow. You
can see, too, by the furrows in the bark not running up and down in
perpendicular lines, that it is twisty. It can hardly be said to be
wind-shaken, for there is not enough solid timber in it to be affected
in that way. The few nuts or acorns which it bears are worthless; for
there is not sufficient vitality about it to mature its fruit. It
would have been to the ground long ago but for the support given it by
that other tree on which it leans. I leave you to form your own
opinion of the church member represented by this tree. I hope there
are not many such, for if there were I fear we would not be able to
find enough solid material to build a house that would stand."
Brother Kline was gifted with that fortunate cast of mind which
enabled him to draw from nature themes for thought and conversation,
which added much to his happiness when alone, and to his geniality in
company; and not only so, but even in his preaching he drew largely
from the magazines of God's creation. I have not a doubt that if all
the items of interest that passed between himself and Brother Long, in
the way of conversations on this journey, could be collected and
presented in proper form they would make a most instructive and
entertaining volume. I sometimes fear that the world's best thought
escapes its hands. It may, however, so turn out that after awhile
stenography will set her delicate nets and catch these wild birds
which now flit by us on such active wing that we catch but a glimpse
of their forms and beauty.
FRIDAY, August 13, the two brethren got to Jonas Goughnour's, below
Woodstock, in Shenandoah County, Virginia. They had meeting in a
schoolhouse near by. Brother Isaac Long, at this early day, gave clear
indications of the ability and usefulness which have characterized his
ministry to the present time. Trained to correct business habits from
early youth, he carried them over into his church work; and judging by
his success, to plan and to perform, to design and to execute, with
him mean one and the same thing.
Between the fourteenth and twentieth of August the two brethren
visited John Rowland's, Emanuel Long's, Joseph Long's, Daniel
Reichert's, Daniel Long's, David Kinsey's and John Brandt's.
FRIDAY, August 20. The two brethren, in company with David Kinsey and
John Brandt, go to Brother Nussbaum's. They went through London, Path
Valley and Fennelsburg. They must have had a long ride this day; but
who could think the road long with such company? The next day they
went towards Huntingdon. Brother Kline says they crossed a tolerably
high mountain this day, and dined at Brother Jacob Berket's.
I wonder how they kept him from wandering off and hunting for
medicinal roots and herbs while crossing that mountain. You may be
sure that no patch of Lady's Slipper, Golden-Seal or Golden-Rod
escaped his eye. The absence of a hoe is all that saved them from a
deal of trouble with him. They went on through Shirleysburg, and got
to Brother Andrew Spanogle's about sunset.
Following Brother Kline on this and similar journeys, by means of the
Diary, enthuses my soul with an undefinable longing to have been with
him. The excitement, and danger, and hurry and bustle constantly
incident to travel at the present day were all unfelt and unfeared by
this company.
Brother Kline's habit was ever to rise early; and, especially on
excursions like the present, would he often rise before the family and
walk out to take the air, as he said, and see the sun rise. This he
did even when the days were at their longest. To get up with him and
take a walk before breakfast to some elevation not distant from his
lodging place, and hear him discourse upon the rising sun, the
balminess of the air, the clearness of the water, the songs of the
birds, the delicate tints and wonderful mechanism of the flowers of
fields and woods, was a treat of rare enjoyment.
SUNDAY, August 15. They all attended a meeting and love feast. John 15
was read. Five persons were baptized. The four brethren stayed all
night at Brother Umbenhaver's. On the twenty-third they dined at
Brother Seacrist's; then crossed the Juniata to Waynesboro and stayed
all night at Brother Kensel's. On the twenty-fourth they attended a
love feast near Brother Samuel Myers's. Hebrews 2 was read. One person
baptized. On the twenty-fifth they went to Brother Dolyman's. On the
twenty-sixth they went through Lewistown; then down the canal to
Mifflinburg, and on to Michael Basehore's, where they had meeting.
Acts 10 was read. From this place they went to David Myers's, where
they had night meeting. Mark 11 was read.
From some unknown cause, here is the first sermon outlined by Brother
Kline in all this journey. He may have been too busy, at times, to
give the outlines; and at other times may not have felt like doing it.
There is so much originality of thought in the outlines that I here
reproduce his discourse as nearly as possible.
_Sermon by Elder John Kline._
_Preached at David Myers's, in Pennsylvania,
August 26._