Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1915-05-07
A "Reminiscences

more Southern Methodist. The
writer is we'll known and highly
esteemed by older residents of the
county. His wife, referred to as a
Virginian, was Miss Mary Stephen
son, of Jackson's River
Mr.. Editor:
In the Book our mothers taught
us to we're, we read that the exied
Jew, far away from the land OF his
fathers, in calling to mind the city
IF Jerusalem. a name most dear to
him, wept when he Remembered
Zion" To him who has been long
from the place of his birth and The
old ancestral home, it becomes
matter of pleasing retlospection
Ahen he calls to remembrance the
thrilling incidents, cherished asso-
Citations, and familiar scenes where
he halcyon day of his early youth
were spent. Forty-fve years ago
n a class Of five l was admitted on
trial in the Baltimore Conference,
at session presided over by Bish-
% McTyeire. Of that class DR.. }.
W. Duffy and the wrters'lll survive.
Ny mother, when | knelt by her
side, had taught me the apostles
creed, and TO say "Our Father who
art in heaven" and | do not re-
member any period in nv life when
did not say my prayers on retir-
at night. But it was not until the
summer of 1864 in a prayer weet-
near Petersburg, Va, that | real
lied a sense of.pardoning love.
On July 3, 1866. at a quarterly
meeting occasion | united with the
church at Wards Chapel, which
was the first available on returning
from the army. In the early fall
of 1867, the presiding elder took
.inner at my fathers house, on his
return from Elk Garden, where he
had attended quarterly meeting.
Two years and six months before |
had witnessed the closing scenes.
at Appomattox Court House, OF
the army of Northern Virginia, and
81 ice that time | had assiduously
lpplied myself on the farm at hard
n,rk, eaking to aid my father in
repairing waste and desolation OF
.uel war. Slaves were freed, fences
,ucned, stock driven off, friend,
ships alienated, and the prospect
that greeted me seemed indeed
Il omy. From the nature of con
ditions, my education had been in
terrupted and | had decided to
seek employment in the West. as
so many Of my army comrades had
done. When dinner was over and
he venerable man of God was
about to resume his journey home
ward, | followed him to the fence,
where his hore was standing. A
conversation followed, kind words
were spoken in persuasive accents,
and hope inspiring suggestions were
made.
As a result of this conversation
few weeks later | enrolled as a
student of the Monterey Academy,
in Highland County Va, which
was conducted by Rev. W. T.
Price, assisted by his esteemed and
most cultured wife. During the
few months spent under their III
istruction before entering Randolph
Macon College, a friendship was
formed with them which has been
appreciated more and more with
the passing years.
In recurring to what has been
said, l have ever cherished with
grateful emotion the inspiration
impaired by that faithful servant
of the church, Rev. J. c. Dice.
who took my hand in his when
standing at The yard gate, when in
loving words of tender appeal be
filed my soul with an aspiration to
be of some service to my fellowmen
At the session-of the Baltimore
Conference, presided over by Bish-
op Marvin, March, 1875, and which
met in Washington, D. c., in an
swer to an earnest appeal from our
struggling church in Illinois, l was
transferred to that field and station
ed at Kinmunby, Marion County,
in that state. Shortly before my
transfer the place had been made
vacant by the death of the pastor.
In less than two weeks, with my
wife and little daughter, I was on
the ground and entered upon my
work, where | found splendid
people. Among my members wer=
a number of cultured families from
the South, who had left Alabama
and other southern states with a
hope of bettering thei, financial
prospects, and to get away from
The impoverised conditions that
desolatipg war had wrought. as
we'll as to escape the unsati factory
STATE of things incident to the re-
contraction period,
Hera in cordial co-operation with