The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-24
Life and Ge.xessie.ireE-D-A
[Review Of Biography in Chicago 'Tribqne,] j,


Moody was born and reared. in: the; hard
school Of poverty. His mother, was left
a widow with seven little: children = de-
pendent upon her for ohread.su A1lfews
weeks after 81. the father s. DEATH the
mother gave birth to- twins, and two
mouths more were added to those that 4
her woman's hands must fill. The hum
bic home of the family-as cottage with
an acre or two! of land about ! it Il was
heavily mortgaged;: and the friends of
the burdened widow. advised her to give
away her children, and, void of their
weighty care; make shift for herself But
no; the blood that runs in the veins Of
heroes coursed in her own; and, by dint
of slavish toll, thrifty management, and
some little help won by her resolute in.
dependence, she contrived to keep her
little flock together, and bring them up
to man and womanhood, under the in
fuence of a mothers loving watchfulness.
1t is not strange that the son of such a
mother should have the spirit and force
of a Hercules. -. -:
Dwight Lyman grew to young man.
hood with a vigorous constitution, thews
aud sinews as. of steel, a sturdy spirit
ready wit, and an .indomitable will. he
had the advantage of twelve terms at the
village school; but he was not in any
way book-minded, and the last term was
half spent before he reused up to the
fact that learning was a useful thing. 1t
was then too late to redeem the lost time,
and Dwight parte'i with his school priv
ileges without having mastered we'll even
the art Of reading. AS for religion, the
only religion he yet protested was his
love for his mother, who was the one per-
son in the world that could control his
unframed spirit. The mother was Uni.
tartan by creed; but her sorrows and
trials had drawn her very near the
Father of her fatherless children. and
the genuineness and sufficiency of her
Christian faith need not be questioned.
Soon after Dwight had turned seven.
teen, he struck out from the home of his
boyhood, determined to make place for
himself in the world. His mother had
merchant in the boot and shoe
trade. OF him he was too proud to ask
a situation, feeling that it should be of.
fered him; but, after wandering fruit
lessly for days around the streets Of the
strange city in search of work,
his naughty spirit yielded,
and he sued for a place
with his uncle, which was Immediately
given him. His ambition, energy and
shrewdness qualified him for quick sue.
cess in the arts of trade; and it was not
long before Dwight surpassed every other
salesman in the establishment i'll the ex-
tent and profit of the business he accom-.
plished. This eminence he afterwards
maintained so long as he continued in
trade.
One of the conditions imposed upon
the lad, when he entered his uncle's
house, was, that he should regularly at
tend service and Sunday school at the
Mt. Vernon church. It was not long be.
fore the earnest labors of minister and
teacher resulted in the youths CONVEX
sion; ard his conversion, like everything
else in his experience, was very hearty
and demonstrative. When he applied for
admission into the church he was found
to be in possession Of abundance of sound
faith and purpose, but lamentably want
ing in doctrine. He was ready and
anxious to become soldier of Christ, but
as yet knew and thought nothing of the
orthodox methods by which religious
warfare was, in accordance with estab-
lished precedents, to be conducted. He
was put upon sort of probation for a
time, and in May, 1855. received into the
church: Here he speedily betrayed the
zeal ami energy that characterized him,
and straightway became conspicuously
and intentionally active. His great
fondness for speaking and praying in the
meetings had to be suppressed; for the
abrupt, direct young man did not regu'
late his speech and manner by conven-
tional customs. This, with other restric.
tons, fretted the ardent soul of the zeal.
Gus convert; and, before long, he turned
his face to the broad. free West, where
things, religious and otherwise, are less
refined and hampered than in Boston.
In September, 1855, Mr.. Moody, then
aged but 10, came to Chicago. A business
situation was soon secured, similar to the
one he had left. This absorbed his ener.
gies during the week days, leaving the
evenings and Sundays to be devoted to
his favorite work Of winning recruits for
the army Of the Lord. He Joined Ply
mouth Church, and, hiring four pews,
made it his first duty to keep them filled
with young men every Sunday. This &C.
complished, there was an immense reserve
of surplus force that must somehow be
expended in active religious service. Cast
ing about among the mission schools in
the city for something arduous to do, Mr..
Moody directly projected mission of his
own in the wretchcd, deserted Quarter
near the North Side market.
Here we pause in the transcript of his
life; for how the man built up, out of the
worst and most hopeless material, -four