A feast like this in one of the thriving and finest cities of the state is hardly consistent with this benevolent and self-sacrificing purpose, and I have reason to fear for the consequences; we may fall from grace. At a recent session of the New York Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, it is said that the bishop had great difficulty in satisfying the preachers about their appointments. One of the elders gravely informed the bishop, that the preachers in his district had two ambitions; one was to get to heaven, and the other was to be stationed in the city of New York, and if they were to miss either, he thought they would prefer to go to New York! Now I know many of these self-sacrificing gentlemen I see around me have in the past of their lives been trying to do good, looking for their reward largely in the next world; but I fear in the future, when we come to fix the place of our next annual meeting, they will forget the spirit of self-sacrifice and the world to come, and say, "Let us go to Ottumwa!" [Great laughter.] I wish I could express to the citizens of Ottumwa the genuine appreciation that I know these my brethren feel for them. It could not be otherwise than that they should love you. You have appreciated us and we must ever appreciate you. Your example also may be valuable to us; others may hear of your good works and may be thereby moved to be equally mindful of our necessities. [Applause.] My first knowledge of Ottumwa was in the year 1851. It was then a straggling village of one street lined on either side with wooden shanties. It would have been impossible for me to have imagined then that in a few short years, whilst I am yet a young man [laughter], there should be built here a substantial city of fifteen thousand inhabitants. This goodly town is indeed a proud monument to the thrift, enterprise, intelligence, and taste of its inhabitants. Its commercial and manufacturing interests, and its tasteful architecture you may justly be proud of.