Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1860-06-06
For the Spirit of the Age
Colportage in North Carolina.

Since the first of March | have been great
ly blessed of God in my humble efforts to
spread gospel light among the poor and per-
ishing. During the quarter | labored in six
teen counties made 4S3 religious family
visits found 100 families neglecting evan
gelical preaching, 81 destitute of all religious
books, % who never owned a Bible, and
2O3 who never had a religious visit and prayer
at their houses before. / have also aided in
holding 81 public meetings. Ministers of
different denominations have opened my way
both publicly and privately.
j have visited and labored with several of
our Colporteurs on their fields, where Ihave
seen and heard much of the fruits of their
daily labors from house to house. One fami-
ly seemed not even to care for religious books,
but desired to buy novels. The Colporteur
exhibited his books, and sold "Persuasives
to Early Piety" to this family, which was
the means Of the conversion of a grown son
and daughter, who have since been active in
getting their associates to buy and read this
excellent book, instead of throwing away
their time and souls by novels.
In another county the Colporteur found 70
families in one section who never had a re-
ligious visit before. After catechising and
encouraging them at their homes by several
visits, he got them to unite in a Sabbath
School and prayer meeting, in which there is
deep interest. A wealthy gentleman told
me that he spent a day riding through this
neighborhood to satisfy himself as to the effect
Of Colportage, which resulted in impressing
him hat it was the best system for effectual-
ly reaching all classes and conditions, be-
cause it united the social influence with the
power of Gods truth at the Preside, on the
strong ground, simply, of Christian love free
of s~ectarianism. This gentleman says that
he shall feel it to be both a duty and privi-
lege to support a Colporteur annually, even
if he knew it would do no other good than to
improve society, for safety and happiness
here.
In another county the Colporteur visited a
similar neighborhood which also resulted in
the formation of a Sabbath School, under a
board shelter in the woods, where parents
and children are being taught the alphabet,
to spell, and read. | met with some of the
; pious, intelligent friends who go six or eight
miles to aid in teaching this school. This
Colporteur has found whole families entirely
neglecting church and school, with no books
at all, having children fourteen years old who
5 never heard a sermon. Reliable persons in
E this county told me that it was six or eight
miles to the nearest place of preaching, and
! they, though members of the church, had
not been able to hear a sermon in two years,
e and that some of their %neighbors had not
, heard a sermon in more than twenty years.
= The many intelligent and piOus of that coun-
I ty are heartily cooperating with our Col
p~orteur by their personal efforts and liberal
q donations in supplying the wants.
, In another county, a minister says he went
!" with our Colporteur a week through q
swampy section, where it was thought to be
q dangerous to go, and because of the poverty
= they could scarcely get necessary food fol
themselves and horses while visiting them
= Suitable books and instruction, with prayer
were given at every house. Since that week
q labor they have continued to improve, and fol
a year or two they have had four SUNDAY
= Schools and this minister has just ordered
l. of the Colporteur $50 worth of books to re
re plenish these schools. In a recent letter tn,
minister says: "Of the many converted il
these schools there are three men, now SUI
lie perintendents, holding prayer meetings, Wis
n iting and praying with their neighbors a
n their homes, who, when he and the Colpor
teur first visited them, were ~drunkardS AM
great diSturbers of the neighborhood.
During the quarter. | have visited, or beer
informed of, rs Sabbath Schools which ar
rt believed to have resulted, more or less, iron
ne our Colporteur labors in the families.
of A few Sabbaths ago | walked eight mile
to visit one of these Sabbath Schools, nov
numbering about go scholars, and such il
,e. t%erest, good order and improvement | hav
i'll seldom before seen; and l have never befor
ur seen happier faces than after | there ~scattere
ID the "Childs Paper" among them-the frs
ad religious paper some of them ever owned
mr. and this they owned by q donation from
- pious lady, who has since more than double
y, her donation to make other young hearts glaG
| trust that others will follow her exampl
ob- in sending to needy children this beautifl
ise and instructive little paper-10 copies a yea
iu- for one dollar.
Ihaye also heard of 142 persons hopeful
I. converted by Gods blessing upon printe
truth and personal religious conversation
.ng Two persons told me that the tract, "I
nay Must Be Born Again." by Rev. DR.. Cutie
43w |. had been made a great blessing to their soul
re- An active, christian gentleman, writing f
tracts to give to persons calling at his ofic
and especially to seamen, says, "Send me
good supply of the tract Come to Jesu
&c know it has done and will do much goo
'uid We have a valuable member in our chur
leir now, "a sea Captain, who dates his return
no God from reading this tract which | got frc