Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1886-04-08
is 1T POSSIBLE?
Two Instances Where Death was not
Known-The Two Most Ignorant
sinners thesWorld ever Pro-

Several years ago colporteur was sent
into the mountain fastness Of Southeas.
tern Kentucky TO do missionary work
among the benighted denizens of that be-
nightcd section. In many instances he
found people who had never heard of the
Bible, and whose knowledge of a creator
and saviour was as limited as if they
lived in some far of Pacific isle. He was
not surprised at this, but one day he ran
across case which simply dumfounded
him. One afternoon he pulled his weary
steed up in front of small shanty. 1t
was the first habitaton he had seen all
day and had expected to sleep on the
leaves that night, which wasn't an unus-
ual experience with him. An old gray
haired man was plowing blind OK in
the little piece of cleared land near the
cabin He welcomed the colporteur with
an air of mingled surprise and good
feelings.
After the frugal supper had been dis
posed of the colportcur naturally began
to enquire after the spiritual welfare of
the old man and his aged wife, They
both appeared to be about 65 years of age
but neither Of them knew their age cx-
actly. They were densely ignorant.
They had never heard of the bible and
knew nothing of God. In fact they didn't
know where they lived and that there
was such country as the United States
or such State as Kentucky.
Finally the stranger suggested to them
that they ought to prepare themselves
for death and the life to follow death.
What does that mean?' inquired the
old gentleman.
Don't you know what dying is?'
"Never heerd O. that aforc.
Did you never see dead person."
mo- how do they lo0kY'
The colporteur then explained as best
he could, death its causes and that which
comes after it. 1t was impossible for
them TO understand it. He afterwards
learned enough of their history to show
that they had been married early in life
and moved to the mountains to live.
They had never seen death in either
one of their families, and neither one Of
them had ever been sick as much as 4
day, From the very fact that they had
never seen dead person, had never read
newspaper and had never met dozen
live people in their journey through life
they were led TO suppose, or rather not to
suppose, that man lived always. They
only knew that they were on the earth.
How they got there or how they would
leave was never thought of
This story, which is vouched for, was
recalled by reatfIhg of similar case dis
covered in North Georgia only short
time ago. 1t Is related that girl of 10
died and the father threw himself across
the corpse and with streaming eyes and
bleeding heart exclaimed, Poor child,
she didn't -klss, iic,a..lxas such a thing
as death. She had never seen dead
person; had never been told that she
must die. She knew nothing of the
shadowy land of heaven or hell and yet
thousands Of dollars are sent annually to
China and missionaries are yearly ox-
ported to the Fiji Islands TO make food
| for vicious cannibals. Within 100 miles
of Knoxville, with all its refinement and
christianity, and its painted spires, kissed
by the first rays Of the morning sun, peo.
pie live and die without the knowledge
of Christian God. They are harmless
wellmeaning people, and the soul of one
is worth all the vicious, british and in
human spirits the South sea islands may
contain. -RRornNe Chr0aicle.