The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1899-04-27
The Imaginary Holy Land.
Scioto, Tenn, April 10, 1899.

about twenty-five years, l was anxious
to visit this community again. 1 find
that this country has improved very
much in twenty-five years; the people
are farming much better, l find nice
oat stacks still standing in the field
which are kept for summer feeding;
plenty of corn and other feed at the
barn.
A new eighty dollar organ was set up
in the first home | visited the day l
came, by brother Yonce, of Bristol,
Tenn. The young man who bought
the organ can already play several
pieces exceedingly well for so short a
practice.
From what / could remember about
this country I thought it must be much
like that hill country where God the
Father found those four pure people
who were to be the parents of our
Lord and his forerunner; and I still
think that in many respects that it is
much like the holy land. AS | never
expect to see the holy land, and be-
lieve that the time is not far when no
stranger will pass that way, / had a de-
sire to come here ard see this place
that thought to be much like it.
/ have had a warm reception here,
much more so than l would be likely
to have in the holy land. This place
is quite romantic to me as while ]
kpeel for secret prayer at the trunk OF
a small oak amidst ivy, laurel, honey
suckle and other wild underbrush, o
ripling, laughing stream, as clear and
pure as the gospel and life L preach,
goes swiftly on, kissing flowers, slak-
ing thirsts and gladening other hearts
along its winding way. The bark of @
squirrel, the thump of pheasant and
the gobble of wild turkey may be
heard, all of which inspires my soul tc
continue my prayer in thanks to Him
who is the creator or all such things
which are to give us life, sport aud
food.
/ find to my establishment that ]
have lived to be fortynine years ole
without knowing the correct way tt
spell and pronounce this place. I have
always thought the name to be Sciothf
when it is spelt Scioto. 1t derives iti
name from man by the name of Holt
who moved from this country to SciotC
river, and that being vecy rich anC
fertile country and this a very pool
country, he gave this the same name.
But not only have / lived within
three miles of this place, only the lii
tie mountain dividing it from the Buf
falo valley, without knowing this fact
but 1 have lived almost as long with al
open Bible in my hands, mucl OF Va,
time without knowing that a man Cal
be whoIely sanctifed in this life, anC
that blessing just outside the door ant
knocking and waiting to come in.
Col. Chevis & Co. are mining man
ganese on the farm Of VIM. Brummit
find here an old loom with web o.
tow cloth now being woven which put
me more and more in mind of boyhood
mother and old time religion. [ an
trying now to weave into my Gf
threads as course and stfong as tow ye
as soft as satin.
ask theweaver what she would tax
yard for her cloth. but she refused tc
price it for fear / would leave her tow
less as to cloth.
What if / should step into the M. e
c., South, some bright Sunday morninI
with full suit of homemade tow OF
and commence preaching old time re
ligion. Me thinks / can see few cap
tains and angels going toward Mr.
Burrows pine grove like Nancy Hanks
But alas, such scare would not b,
half as bad as the one spoken of il
Revelation 6: 15-t7 will, if they don
get their eyes open.
One of the most wonderful freaks o
nature / have ever seen, is to be fount
within one hundred and seventy-fiv
yards from VIM. Brummit's house
Just across the branch in sandy fla
woods is q natural clear lake that i
evidently fed By never failing spring
and has a natural floating island in it
center that will sink with the weight o
common size man, and will rise to it
place when he gets off. The lake i
about one hundred and twenty-five
yards in circumference and the islant
is about twenty feet wide. IT now ha
bushes growing on it that bear red Der
ries, I suppose about the size of Indial
beads, and moss that they call sea
moss. 1t once had pine tree growini
on it, that died from some cause, tina
was about nine feet high.
But If you will not believe when
tell you Of earthly things that can an
may be seen with the naked eye, no,
can I expect you to believe when to
you that which must be seen with
spiritual eye. First Cor, 2; 1916.
They have q good boat at the lax
and enjoyed a good ride around Cd
lake and around the very mysteriou
island. 1t scenes to be very deep t.
ward the center and hundreds of sma
water-dogs may be seen in the cles
water. Squire Brummit intends 1