Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-08-09
THE SIMPLE LIFE OF A COMMONER
AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY


the same town. Whatever friction
had existed between the churches
was gradually removed and we all
worked together in the common
CANe. We were blessed with good
reTy, Is each winter, which greatly
strehy%, med the church and added
many TO. = membership. 1t was dur
ing the seNS,1 year at Wyoming that
our third So ,as born, August Srd,
1875. MotheISe d the children in
sisted on namins I'm Harry, after
his father, and forN .econd name it
was decided to callNhim Joseph, in
honor of Joseph Conway, my old
schoolmate and most intimate friend,
who it will be remembered was also
my First Lieutenant in the army.
In the spring of our third year at
Wyoming / made an appointment to
preach at a school house several
miles northeast Of town, holding SER
vices there every alternate Sunday
afternoon. found. however, that
this addition to my regular work was
too much for me, and was obliged to
give it up after my health had be-
come so impaired as to require lay
off for time.
Our people kindly gave me vaca-
tion, which / spent with the family
of Mr.. and Mrs. M. d. Fox, relatives,
who were living on farm in Sac
county. 1t was harvest time and
thought to help the folks what little
| could in the field. / don't think
Mr.. Fox had very much confidence in
my usefulness as field hand, and as
a matter of fact had very little my
self; however he thought / might be
able to drive the team on the reaper,
and | thought so too, so / mounted
the throne and we began the work
What with the use of the whip which
| ilourished good deal in the air
over the team, and by dint of much
shouting at the horses We managed to
get on fairly well. 1t was my mis-
Iortune however, TO do TOO much
shouting in the open air. Now forty
years ago when young minister was
received into an Annual Conference,
he was required to promise several
things, one of which was this: "Will
you endeavor not to speak too long,
nor too loud?" Had l remembered
that requirement amid the wheat
fields Of Sac county it would have
been we'll for me, but alas, l remem-
bered it not, and was punished for
my remissness in the loss of my
until | was finally unable to speak
above a whisper. Now forty or fifty
years ago a Methodist preacher with
out voice was not rated very high !;
indeed there were some ungodly per-
sons who went so far as to say that
the Methodist preachers Of the earlier
day were about all voice. That there
may have been some grounds for
these animadversions would appear
If we may Judge from a discussion
once heard between two preachers OF
our Conference, who were certainly
authorities upon the subject. No one
who ever heard either Richard
Swearengen or S. Y. Harmer, would
question for an instant their fitness
for such discussion 1t was at a min.
isterial meeting at Maquoketa, where
Brother Swearengen was pastor, the
subject under discussion was 'Tht
Preachers Voice." and Brother Har
mer replying to some remark made
by Brother Swearengen said: "Wher
he is preaching here in Maquokets
with the windows of his church open
and l am preaching with mine oper
at Sabula, our voices meet on tn,
top of Sumner HILL"