CHAPTER VIII.
Novel Experiences.—Life among a Primitive People.—How I became Popular.—Crowds Attending the Meetings, Coming sometimes from Fifty to One Hundred Miles.
The next three months opened up to me a new glimpse of life. Some would have said we were outside the pale of civilization; but we soon found we were in the midst of the highest type of civilization-Christian civilization. For nearly three months we never saw a newspaper, with the exception of one number of the Water Cure Journal, but plenty of Bibles and hymnbooks, and, better still, we found a Bible reading, Bible loving, Bible obeying people, primitive in dress, manner of living and worship. They had great Christian hearts ready to drink in the water of life freely.
For three months the Doctor held a succession of meetings, and at one meeting one hundred became obedient to the faith. The country was sparsely settled at that time, but men and women would follow from settlement to settlement to hear the precious word, some coming from fifty to one hundred miles and staying two or three weeks. They were hungering and thirsting for the preaching.
I never knew the Doctor to be as much "enthused." He seemed to feel that every word he uttered was seed sown in good ground, that would bring forth fruit to the glory, of God. We went from house to house, so as to visit all the people. Bro. Philip Mulkey was the only
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preacher in the county, if not in all that region. He was a faithful, good man.
The churches were nearly all built of logs, as were the houses. They were seated with slabs or planks with legs driven into them, and without any backs. The men came to church in their blue jeans clothes, often coatless; the ladies with calico dresses and sun-bonnets-the elder women often with their blue calico tobacco bags and pipes, so as to have a quiet smoke at recess. When they went to church it was for all day. A dinner that would tempt the appetite of an epicure was always spread on tables in a grove, and all were made welcome.
The singing notified the people that it was time to meet for preaching again. They did not have to sing two or three songs before the people would gather, but almost before the first stanza was concluded all would be in their places, and the most profound attention was given to the services.
I have often heard men and women complain of hard seats and long sermons on Sunday, who would go to a circus or theatre, sit on the hard seats from two to three hours, and never cry out once. But these dear people never complained once of hard seats or aching backs while listening to a sermon of one hour and a half to two hours, and two or three exhortations and songsand, indeed, would have felt badly treated if the exercises had been curtailed.
What a grand interchange of religious views we had while discussing those delightful dinners. There was nothing too good for the preacher and his wife.
One day I made my dinner off snowy light bread, golden butter, and the clearest honey, in the comb, supplemented by rich cream. I expressed my delight at the
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feast. After that enough honey was brought every day to tempt all the bees in Christendom.
When we first started on our tour I was a poor talker, but my husband told me I must learn to talk to the people, or he should have to send me home. He said that his popularity as a preacher depended greatly on me. This was something new to me. I had heard and known much of preachers, but had never heard much about preachers' wives. All that I had ever known, made me feel very sorry for them. I had never dreamed that it was possible for a preacher's wife to add to the popularity of her husband.
With this motive before me, I soon learned to discuss the wheel and loom, poultry, cheese-making, planting in the moon, curing bacon, etc., until I quite satisfied my husband, and came near becoming the more popular.
I was unfortunate in not remembering people's names, while he was famous for calling by name every one that he was introduced to, if he heard it properly. He always spoke to and shook hands with those whose acquaintance he had made. I did, too, but unfortunately I did not know whom I did or did not know, and for fear I should slight some one of the brethren or sisters, I shook hands with everybody that looked at me as if they knew me; so they concluded that the Doctor was the finest preacher they ever heard, but a little bit proud, but that wife of his was not a bit proud-it did not make any difference whether I had been introduced or not; I was just as friendly as if I had.
I enjoyed the situation, you may be sure, and got no more lectures about making my husband popular.
Wherever we went for the night the crowd went, and
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often as many as twenty or thirty people stayed at the same house with us. You may ask what disposition was made of them. There was usually two rooms and a hall and summer kitchen. The brethren would sit outdoors under the shade of the trees, and talk with the Doctor, while the sisters were cooking supper. Those not helping the hostess would honor me with their attention, while I told them what things I had learned of my husband. They were eager to learn, and would ask me questions with which they did not like to trouble the Doctor.
When retiring time came we were given the best bed, with a bedstead. My large double shawl hung from the joists, made our part of the room private. As soon as we had retired, comforts, blankets, etc., were called into requisition, and the floor was covered with the sisters, from whose gentle whispers we gained many useful lessons. By the time we were ready to rise, the ladies' toilets were made and they were out of the room. The other room was occupied by the men as a sleeping room. This was our manner of life for months. I write this to show the training of a preacher's wife thirtyfive years ago. When I look back I thank God for that experience, and that I had the privilege of knowing such God-loving and God-fearing people. I have met many good, earnest Christians since, but few as unworldly and fully devoted to the service of God as those. I hope to meet them all on the other shore, and renew the acquaintance of other days.
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