CHAPTER XVII.
Removal to Lexington, Ky.-Bro. McDonald's Letter.-Pastoral Work in Lexington-Numerous Meetings.-Country Meetings.-Basket Dinner.-Meeting at Berea.-Tornado.
After a year's successful preaching in Missouri and adding many to the saved, January 1st, 1860, we moved from Missouri to Lexington, Ky. He felt that he must go where he could receive better remuneration for his services than he could in Missouri, or he would never be able to clear himself of the onerous burden bearing so heavily upon him.
Bro. McDonald, of Palmyra, in writing of that time, says:
"I wish I could give you an account of the Doctor's school enterprise, as I would like to do; of his struggle to build up a first-class institution of learning, and of his honorable, though lamented, failure. Two causes contributed to this sad result, one was the failure of others, and another was his unbounded generosity in assisting poor and worthy girls, giving them their schooling, and often books and clothing. In many instances their parents were able to pay him comparatively nothing. Then of his surrender of all he had to satisfy his creditors.
"When leaving Palmyra with a sad heart, on his way to the depot he met the Baptist minister, Mr. James S. Green. He said: `Good-bye, Green; I shall never be anything but a five hundred dollar a year preacher as long as I remain in Palmyra, and have to go where I can do better, and try and make the money to pay off my debts.' I would love to tell of his brave efforts and payments he made until he was arrested and imprisoned, sending all the money above his expenses to his creditors; then of his arrest and long imprisonment, after which he was
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sent South, where he was only able to support himself and wife, during all which time his debts were accumulating by ten per cent interest, which, by the close of the war, brought them up to their original amount, about $11,000; which amount, by leading a life of continuous active labor, preaching at his regular appointment and holding meetings as opportunity offered, and practicing the most rigid economy for several years, he manfully and honorably discharged every debt, to the satisfaction of all his creditors, but by this time to the detriment of his health; and he has been able to make but little headway, financially, since. I think his last payment was made in 1873 or '74, and Dr. Hopson was a free and honored man, beloved and respected in his church and by the world as an honest man."
The above was written by a dear friend and brother, whom the Doctor had the pleasure of baptizing not long after we moved to Palmyra.
A gentleman, not a member of any church, writes the following:
"You ask me to give you an estimate of Dr. Hopson's character as a citizen and Christian minister, from a worldly standpoint, or what those outside of the church think of him. I can simply say I have more confidence in him than in any preacher I ever knew or was acquainted with, as an honest, upright gentleman and Christian. Furthermore, nine-tenths of the men in this community who were not members of any church and were acquainted with the Doctor, give him that character.
"I was speaking to an old citizen-a prominent business man a few months ago, about the preachers who had lived here since his recollection and mine, and gone away in debt. His remark was that Dr. W. H. Hopson was the only one who had ever returned and paid in full, everything he owed, principal and interest-and, indeed, compound interest. He was a member of another church."
In January, 1860, Dr. Hopson bade his friends and adopted State a sad and reluctant farewell. The brethren on the Mississippi River made him promise that at the end of two years he would return and make his
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home in Missouri, provided they would give him a house and enough ground to support himself and family, outside of his preaching. He removed at once to Lexington, and commenced his labors there. He was welcomed by a good church, of noble brethren, who were ready and willing to aid their preacher in every possible way; a competent eldership and diaconate, who were always ready to give counsel and encouragement.
The following two years were delightfully spent in our new home. The Doctor had a source of pleasure he never before enjoyed-the society of his preaching brethren, who were continually passing through Lexington, and who always spent a few hours in the city in transitu.
The first few months we boarded a mile in the country with Elder Joseph Wasson and his dear, good wife. She was a mother, indeed, to us while we were under her roof.
We usually spent two days in the week visiting. We would walk in early and spend the morning making calls. We had five lunch houses-Brethren Van Pelt and Emmal Warner (their latch-string was always out for us at dinner time), and Sister Allen (Aunt Polly), and Sister Carty, (whose husband was not a member, but who was one of the noble Jasons we read of, and who afterwards became a member of the church).
During the time of the Doctor's first pastorate in Lexington-from January 1st, 1860, to May 1st, 1862, he had ninety-four additions to the church by baptism. Besides his labor for the church in the city, he held meetings at Old Union, Berea, Newtown, Leesburg, Clintonville, Richmond, Versailles, Georgetown, Paris, Nicholasville, Danville, Cynthiana, Louisville, Winchester, Mt. Sterling; also for the churches at Elkhorn,
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Macedonia, Providence, Keene and Sulphur Well. I think he held one at North Middletown, also. I have endeavored to ascertain the number of additions at these various meetings, but so far as I have made inquiry, I have been unable to find out anything about it. I suppose the church clerks think the Lord will know his own when he comes, and it is not necessary to keep a record. Bro. White, of Lexington, is the only clerk who has in his possession the required information.
I know he never held a meeting in which he did not meet with success in winning many souls to Christ-often from thirty to forty in a two weeks' meeting. Whenever he was near enough to do so, he would preach twice a day and drive into the city after preaching so as to be at his own prayer-meeting or officers' meeting. He would preach twice a day during the week, and leave the meeting and preach at home on Sunday, and return again Monday morning. All his country meetings were all-day basket-meetings. Those basket-meetings, as they were called, were grand things. The brethren and sisters gave themselves up to the enjoyment of the preaching; nothing else was thought of or talked of. The dinner-a Kentucky dinner-was cooked and brought to the church by servants, who took charge of it until church was over, then the snow-white cloth was spread on the grass or improvised table and a bountiful repast was laid out for the multitude.
The people came from all the towns around to attend these gatherings, and I have seen as many as two thousand people at one of those midsummer meetings at Old Union, in Bourbon county. Those were grand social gatherings, as well as religious meetings. They were always attended with an ingathering of souls, as well as
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an increase of brotherly love. It brought together the preachers, and made them take a deeper interest in each other and in the cause they loved. I wish I had space in my book to speak of them all-Bro. Gano, dear old Bro. Rogers, and Bro. John I. Rogers, brethren Ricketts, Walden, McGinn, Jarrott, King, John Smith, Bronson, Collins, Raines, Hardin, John A. Brooks, and others. These were among his co-workers during his first engagement in Lexington.
The Doctor would often say, " If we were only house-keeping, how much pleasure we should enjoy in entertaining our brethren!" but we were not able to afford it.
Those meetings-real love-feasts-and those brethren will never be forgotten by any old enough to enter into the spirit of them. Six of those brethren mentioned have "crossed over the river," and two of them are now waving their farewells to loved ones; the other five are fighting valiantly for the old paths. Often four or five preachers would be present at the meeting, and spend from three to five days in religious enjoyment. These were new experiences to the Doctor and seasons of intense pleasure.
I remember a meeting the Doctor held at Berea, at which Bro. Gano, Bro. John Smith, Bro. McGinn, and one other minister besides Dr. Hopson, assisted, whom I can not now call to mind. They were having meetings in the morning and at night, instead of basket-meetings. We all went to Bro. Joshua Smith's to dinner. Just as we rose from the table we heard a roaring sound, and, looking out of the window, saw a terrific storm approaching. Trees were being uprooted or broken off, fences flying in the air, cattle and horses running in all directions, maddened with fear; birds flying wildly
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about. It seemed as if in a moment we would be in the midst of it ourselves. Sister Smith was a great lover of flowers, and had a large number of beautiful hot-house potted plants on a stand in the back yard. She ran out to see if she could select one favorite and save it, but turned away in despair. She expected in another moment they would be crushed to pieces by the hail. We had all sought the back porch and awaited the shock all felt must come. A few moments went by; not a breath of air struck us, but a few hundred yards to the right and left of us the work of destruction was continued. Sister Smith said it was the presence of the five good men that saved her home from the awful storm and her beautiful flowers from destruction. We all felt it was indeed a special providence, whose protecting care is so often manifested in the lives of God's children.
On returning to church that evening, the road was blocked in two or three places by fallen trees, and the fences had to be taken down to enable us to ride through pastures.
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