Cross, Jonathan; Evangelists -- United States -- Biography; Missions -- Appalachian Region
As the granddaughter was sitting near me, completing her toilet, I
spoke to her about her soul, and offered her the Dairyman’s Daughter.
This roused the old woman again; and the old man, returning about the
same time, forbade her to touch the book. The girl cried bitterly,
and said it was such a pretty book she did want it, and there was not
a book except the old Bible in the house. The girl’s tears prevailed,
provided I would write a receipt in it that it was paid for, which was
done.
As soon as breakfast was over, and my horse ready, I asked for my bill.
“_One dollar_,” said the old man; “I make it a rule, when any of you
Yankees come this way, to fleece you as well as I can.” This man was
rich; had a great distillery, and I was credibly informed would take
a bottle of whiskey with him to the church, and at the close of his
services tell his people what a fine run of whiskey he had just had,
and to come and taste it.
About a month after, on my return home, I stopped to stay all night
some few miles from there, when lo, Parson W---- had stopped to stay
too; but as soon as he saw me, he ordered his horse, and left. I had
told about my lodging with him; and as the laws of Virginia at that
time imposed a fine of twenty dollars on any one who had no license
charging for lodging, some one had told the old man that I was going to
bring him before the court.
CHAPTER IX.
About this time an incident of peculiar interest took place. The Rev.
Mr. Q---- had invited me to visit the town of C----, and I had set a
day to be at his house. Late in the evening of the day appointed, I
arrived in the town; and while driving along the street, looking for
his house, I saw him standing on his portico, beckoning me to him.
As soon as I had alighted from my buggy, he gave me a cordial shake
of the hand, and said, “You have come just in time to see and hear
one of the greatest dignitaries in the state of Virginia.” I observed
that I was perhaps a little different from many others; that I would
not go a square to see a great man, unless he was a _great good man_.
“Well,” said he, “he ought to be a good man; he’s the bishop of the
Roman-catholic church for this state; and as he is the first live
bishop of the _Holy Catholic_ church who has ever been here, he is
attracting a great deal of attention. He preached in the court-house
this morning, and it was crowded; and he is going to preach here for
several days and nights. He has one or two priests with him, and they
have come to plant a church here. Will you go and hear him?” “Yes,”
said I; “if you go, I will go with you.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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