=27.= Sabbath. Preached today from 2 Pet. 1:10 in the Cogswell Schoolhouse [near his father's home], where I made my first effort to preach the gospel, on Easter night, 1867. 'Twas in a Methodist Episcopal protracted meeting. The text was Acts 3:18. Never preached there since. In those six years I have preached all over northwest Ohio and some in two counties in Indiana, in all 1241 sermons. The number of converts 508, about the same number fellowshiped, some less baptized. Thanks be to God for his blessings and his presence! Though always of weak lungs, thought oft to be consumptive, yet my health has been better since in the ministry than ever before. Bless God for his goodness! I have never missed but one appointment on account of health. The years have swiftly passed, but, thank the Lord, I have enjoyed great peace and many rich blessings from the Lord. =May 13, 1873.= Visited Tamzen's grave. Disappointed in not finding the monument up. Visited D. W. Dustin, one of my scholars. Exhorted him to give his heart to Christ. =15.= Prepared a sermon on the evidence of the divine origin of the Bible. =16.= Argument with Mr. Butler on the soul. He attended, from the 21st to the 23rd, the meeting of the Board of Missions. He does not indicate where this meeting was held, but says in connection that he "preached in the Smithville Bethel" and "had very poor liberty, owing perhaps to the presence of many eastern ministers." It was at this meeting of the Board of Missions that he received his appointment to the mission in Nebraska, of which he thus speaks: =23.= Beautiful day. Business finished up at 5 P. M. Brother Small was appointed to Chicago, I to Seward mission, Nebraska. Again I lay all upon the altar of God. It is very hard for me to leave my dearly beloved brethren of West Ohio. Thank God, for the great Head of the church is with them and his cause is greatly prospering here, and I must go help the cause in the far West. We parted with tears and many farewells. =24.= Brother Small and I took train at 7:14 A. M., he for Marion, I for Larue, which I reached at 12 M. Received a letter from my beloved brother Sol. Kline. All our dear spiritual children are yet doing well on Seneca circuit. Wrote two letters. Preached at Windfall, 2 Pet. 1:13. Great row after meeting. =28.= These days I have been low spirited and much cast down. It is the first anniversary of the death and burial of my blessed companion. How lonely I feel! My bereavement comes with all its weight upon me. Lord, be thou my comforter in all my loneliness. In eve, preached in Larue on the Church of God. Text, Eph. 1:10. I treated it as follows: