A Fruitful Life
Subtitle: The Missionary Labors of Stephen Paxson
Publisher: Curiosmith
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Minneapolis, USA
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 132
ISBN-13: 9781935626183
Description: Missionary Stephen Paxson (1808–1881) worked for The American Sunday-School Union and spread Christianity by organizing over 1300 Sunday-schools on the American frontier. Remarkably, he overcame the h­­uge obstacles of poverty, stammering speech, a lame body, and no formal education.  The many anecdotes of unusual events can only be attributed to God's blessing. This biographical edition includes an introduction, contents and testimonies.
 
"That we desire to express our high appreciation of his life and work, believing that the grandeur of Christian labor in establishing 1,300 Sunday-schools and the gathering of 80,000 souls into the same is without parallel in the history of individual effort, and his example must stand as a great incentive to all Christians to personal endeavor in our Redeemer's kingdom."—The Congregational Sunday-School Superintendent's Union of Boston (1882).
Table of contents: title: INTRODUCTION by Rev. C. L. Goodell, D. D.
pagenum: 9; label: I.
pagenum: 13
title: BOYHOOD AND MARRIAGE. The Bright-colored Paper Treasure—Stephen Paxson’s Parents—The Quaker Grandmother—In the Home of Harman Fagan—Appearance at School—A Cripple—Stephen becomes a Hatter—His Love of Music—Meets Miss Pryor—His Marriage.; label: II.
pagenum: 20
title: BROUGHT INTO SUNDAY-SCHOOL. Mr. Paxson removes to Winchester—His Fondness for Dancing—The “Mississippi Valley Enterprise”—A Sunday-School at Winchester—Mr. Paxson’s First Day in Sunday-School—His Conversion—Becomes a Volunteer Missionary—Organizes a County Sunday-School Convention—Overcomes his Stammering.; label: III.
pagenum: 31
title: MISSIONARY WORK IN THE WILDERNESS.  John Adams—He Recommends Mr. Paxson as a Missionary—Removal to Hickory Hill—The Boy and the Book—The Sunday Scholar and the Man of Fifty.; label: IV.
pagenum: 39
title: SUNDAY-SCHOOLS ON THE FRONTIER. The Missionary at Work—Helpers on the Farm—The Waiting Wife at Home—Chasing a Superintendent Four Miles—A Fourth of July Speech—A Tobacco Story—The “Very Same Chap”—A Cloud over the Home—The Peach-Basket Story.; label: V.
pagenum: 50
title: ROBERT RAIKES, THE MISSIONARY HORSE. The Democratic Objector—The Offer of a Horse—In a Blacksmith’s Shop.; label: VI.
pagenum: 56
title: A MISSIONARY’S EXPERIENCES. Removal to Summer Hill—A Missionary Letter—A Talkative Lady—Might have a Methodist School—“Corn-bread on a Log.”; label: VII.
pagenum: 65
title: ROSES AND THORNS. Appeals in the East—Speeches in Boston, New York, Brooklyn, Bangor and Philadelphia—Returns to his Field—“Jowler” and the Missionary—The Dog Fight—The Yankee Trick—Panther Creek—Hazel Switch Dell—The Wealthy Widow’s Gift—Encouraging Teachers—The Secret of his Influence.; label: VIII.
pagenum: 80
title: MASS-MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS. The Bush-whackers—Robert Raikes, Jr.—The Antioch School—The Wigwam Convention—Indianapolis Convention—Convention in Canada—Qualifications of Teachers.; label: IX.
pagenum: 80
title: THE NEW WORK. Sunday-School Scholars in Active Life—St. Louis Depository—Results of Frontier Work—A Commentary for Fifteen Cents—Labors in Texas—At the Iowa Convention—The Missouri Convention—Work on the Cars—The Record of his work—Visit to the Centennial—Speech at Atlanta.; label: X.
pagenum: 101
title: CLOSING LABORS. A Debtor to Grace—His Golden Wedding—The Books he Studied—His Scrap-books—His Last Hours—Summary of his work and character—Boston resolutions.; label: XI.
pagenum: 113
title: TESTIMONY OF FRIENDS AND CO-LABORERS. From Rev. B. W. Chidlaw—Rev. S. B. S. Bissell—Prof. C. W. Jerome—Rev. Robert West—William Reynolds—B. F. Jacobs—Nelson Kingsbury—S. B. Pratt—Rev. H. Clay Trumbull, D. D—George H. Stuart.