In the brush : $b or, Old-time social, political, and religious life in the southwestPierson, Hamilton W. (Hamilton Wilcox)
History
In the brush : $b or, Old-time social, political, and religious life in the southwest
Pierson, Hamilton W. (Hamilton Wilcox)
Missions -- Southwest, Old; Southwest, Old -- Social life and customs
This region of country was exceedingly wild, broken, and inaccessible,
there being no main public road leading to it. The hills were high
and steep, the valleys narrow, and the people were scattered along
the creeks and over the hill-sides, with no other roads leading to
them than neighborhood paths. Mr. K---- told me that he never could
have found all these families had not a young man who was born in the
vicinity (who had since become a Methodist preacher) volunteered to
accompany him as a guide. He had hunted deer, foxes, wildcats, and
other game over these hills until he knew every locality and path.
Entering these rude, humble cabins, they explained the nature of their
work, supplied the families with the Word of God by sale or gift, and
then, after kindly and earnestly urging upon them the worth of the soul
and the importance of securing at once an interest in Christ, they
bowed with them in prayer, and humbly and earnestly besought God's
blessing upon them. There was a strange interest in these visits. The
voice of prayer had never before been heard in many of these dwellings.
Though their visits were so strange and unusual in their nature, they
were everywhere kindly received, the mild, benignant face of the
venerable distributor making him everywhere a welcome visitor. Where
will not a face full of geniality and sunshine secure a welcome for its
possessor?
As he was concluding his prayer at one of these cabins, the old man,
who had been absent, returned, and hearing the strange sound in his
house, cried out, in astonishment, "_Wake, snakes!_" But, on going into
the house when the prayer was concluded, our visitor received him with
a smile, explained to him the nature of his visit, and at once made a
personal religious appeal to him. The old man treated his visitor very
kindly, though he seemed to be in a very jocular mood, and replied to
most of his remarks with some playful speech. But when his visitor left
he went out with him, and assisted him in getting on to his horse,
and invited him to call again whenever he should pass that way. But
generally their exhortations were listened to with deep solemnity and
awe, and their visits evidently made a deep religious impression upon
the neighborhood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account