The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-16
HOWE AN EVANGELIST.
Atchison Editor Relates an Interesting
Period of His Life.

When 1 write anything about religion
people Eneer and say:
What does he know about it?"
l ought tc know good deal about it:
I used to be an evangelist
My father was preacher and when
was eight or nine years old, he used
to take me to his meetings. He was a
great singer, and taught me IA sing
never heard since. These were pre-
served in a little book, and know most
of them 'by heart" My father could
read notes. and during the winter,
used to teach singing school, in a school
house and church built on one corner
of our farm. The only musical instru-
ment in the neighborhood was a tuning
fork; this gave the leader a basis in
pitching keys. I remember that a neigh
Dor of ours once made a musical instru-
ment by drawing wires over a box, and
this he pounded with little hammers.
We had never heard of a piano or or
gan, or brass band, and I cannot recall
that there was SO much as a fiddle or
ACCORDION in our section.
Father a Good Singer.
Father was counted a good singer,
and was famous for it. His voice was
a baritone, and my childish tenor went
very well with his voice IN singing
duets. All of them were of a religious
character; I never knew any other I'M
til we moved to town, and was ruined
1t has been more than forty years since
/ sang those songs, but 1 can recall
most of the words now, One OF them
was the first hymn in the book, but we
sang it to an air I have never heard
since. Another began, Behold Paul a
Prisoner, at Felix's Bar" Another re-
lated how Pharaoh's daughter went
down to the water to battle at the close
of day, and found little Moses in the
bullrushes. Greatly to the regreT Of
father, mother could not sing, SO he
took me with him on his preaching trips
and our singing was one of the features
OF the meetings. Sometimes he would
stand me on the pulpit beside him, and,
after the songs, I would curl up in a
seat and go to sleep while he preached.
For our meetings were usually night
meetings, except on Sunday, father had
been a circuit rider before I was born,
but when I remember him, ne worked
his farm, and preached for nothing,
because the people were toe IGOR to
hire a preacher.
All the people in our neighborhood
were religious; they didn't like it, but
literal hell; that after death, the wicked
would burn in literal fire forever, and
never be able to die. No wonder we
were afraid of it.
Rode Double to Church.
When father went on his preaching
trips, he rode a certain big fat pony
belonging on the farm, ami when ]
saw this pony tied in front of the house,
1 Fnew father was insioe. shaving and
changing his clothes so / made my
preparations to accompany him. By the
| time he was ready to start, mother had
me ready. and we rode away l rode
behind, and as nv father was quiet
man. while I was very tal<ativs. L
didn't like the trips very well. / sup
pose he thought ont his sermons rs he
rode along; anyway, he didn't talk
much to me. I remember on one &C.
casion that rain storm came up. and
we got off the pony. Father protected
me from the rain as we'll as ne could,
with his coat and he said to me: How
do you like being an evangelist! J" had
never heard the wo-d before, and re-
meTnbered it; afterwards my Uncle Joe
| told me what l. meant. For some kea-
son remember that incident with
great distinetness: Inremember the ex-
| act place where we alighted and tied
The pony.
People Were Poor e.
| The people in that country were
poor, and most of them lived in log
houses of two rooms; one a small one
used as kitchen. On one side of the
largest room would be three big beds,
with painted posts. Under each bed
was a trundle bed; a stubby bed that
could be pulled out, and used at night.
1 usually slept with father in one of
the big beds, and it was always a
problem with me to get my clothes off
decently in the presence of the family.
The people were too polite to look at
me while / was undressing, but 1
didn't know what moment some of the
girls might change their minds.
| In the big rooms with the big beds,
we occasionally held our meetings, the
neigh bors coming in for miles around.
When there was school house, that
was used. AT the home meetings.
father didn't preach much; we would
sing the songs we knew, and then the
people present would relate their ex-
| periences. When a woman would tell
her experience in choking voice, and
then sit down crying, father would
start an appropriate song, and would
| join him. Then he would talk in an
encouraging way about the crosses
religious people were compelled to
bear, and advise them to hold out, till
the end. After this talk, another
would arise, and say few words; so
it would continue until all had spoken.
At stated intervals. at the school
| houses, we would throw open the doors
| of the church, and take in new mem
bers. on probation, and we had certain
songs for these occasions. One of
them began: st will arise and go to
Jesus; he will embrace me in his arms;
in the arms of my dear Savior, o, there
are ten thousand charms" We had
another SONG in which the line occur
red: 'HThat sweet comfort was mine"
was so young when l was an evan
gelist that I thought bed comfort
was referred to.
often Church QuarreIs.
over in the woods near one of the
places we visited, lived a Campbellite
named Bondurant. We Methodists
didn't think a Campbellite would GO
to heaven, and as Mr.. Bondurant was
a pretty good man, there was good
deal of talk of converting him. The
Campbellites were the only opposition
1--we had, as no other church was repre-
Isented in our community. So one
night fifteen or twenty of US walked
over to Bondurant's place, as mysteri-
| ously as a surprise party, and entered
the house. The Bondurants were sur
Iprised. of course. when we began sing
ling and praying for them Young as
I was, I could see that the Bondurants
were very mad, and regarded us as i'm