Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-01-26
INTERESTING LETTER FROM FOR
MER IOWA MAN.


MER IOWA MAN.
Special to Bystander.
ChristianDurg, Va. Mr.. Editor: Please
allow me space in your esteemed pa
per to give an account of myself to
my many friends in all parts Of fair
Iowa. For my four years stay in
Muchakinock and my connection with
the work Of the Iowa Baptist assocla-
ton brought me in touch with a num-
Der of people, and permitted me to form
several endearing friendships. From
time to time it has occurred to me that
all these people have looked into the
columns of your paper for some word
from me and that they will follow my
work here with as much interest as
was manifested while I was there.
want to be one of your permanent SUBJ
scribers. and keep in touch with the
work Of our people throughout the
state. l have seen so much IN my
travel of nearly four thousand miles
that I might write a lengthy account
of what l have seen and experienced,
but as this would take too much time
and space I will devote myself to tell
ing Of my new field Of labor.
My stay in Richmond Was very short.
Application had been made from this
field to the president Of the university
there for some one to take charge here,
L
has suffered me to be there to become
| the fortunate one to receive the presi-
dents recommendation. l came here
! and began revival meetings November
/ 5, and in the course or three weeks
| thirty-three souls proposed conversion.
and seven backsliders were reclaimed.
| l left here to accept an invitation to
Ann Arbor, Mich, and while there re-
ceived the call to take charge here as
permanent pastor. During my stay in
Michigan l vas also called to that
| field, but could not somehow resist the
| impression that duty called me mere.
| So returned to Iowa to get my family,
Aa>e 1ing while there to See numbers OF
my old friends, especially at Mucha-
| KNOCK. How have regretted that the
| smallpox scare was so intense That II
was thought unwIse for me to meet
my old congregation, for the distance
is so great and the responsibilities are
so grave it may be many days before l
| may be SO near to them again. a
| large part Of the pleasure Of this life
is in meeting old friends.
| Now we are in the old state from
which many of lowa's old citizens have
gone. l confess that Virginia has some
charms for me, not because 1t was the
are so many of our people, that our
congregation may easily be counted by
| the hundreds, and because our people
| out Of their small earnings are buying
homes and farms, educating their chill
dren, looking for higher things and liv-
| ing in peace. AS to racial prejudlces.
| have so far been brought SO little In
contact with it as to be unable to speak
concerning it.
| I look out Of all the windows In our
dwelling upon scenery transcendantly
sublime. 1t defies description. When
on last Sunday our choir sang
1--WE are dwelling on the mountains,
Where the golden sunlight CLEANS,
In land whose Wondrous beauty
| Far exceeds my fondest Dreams
| they spoke my sentiments concerning
the scenery here. 1t is not the toll OF
art that has produced thfs beauty, bur
natures own wondrous hand that threw
up these mountains. kissing the dis
tant horizon and holding converse
with the clouds, that shaped those rug
ged hills and covered them with trees.
l am longing for the springtime to
clothe these hills in their drapery OF
| living green, and to give US the pure
i air, refreshing and invigorating.
| AS to our church. while there may be
larger ones in many places, there Is
none better. Our membership Is about
| five hundred. and If once some OF my
! old friends were in their Intelligent.
| spiritual meetings, they would not won
der that l am SO much pleased.--Con-
| tinueu.