Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary: Collated from his Diary by Benjamin FunkKline, John
Religion
Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary: Collated from his Diary by Benjamin Funk
Kline, John
Kline, John, 1797-1864
Brother Kline was gifted with that fortunate cast of mind which
enabled him to draw from nature themes for thought and conversation,
which added much to his happiness when alone, and to his geniality in
company; and not only so, but even in his preaching he drew largely
from the magazines of God's creation. I have not a doubt that if all
the items of interest that passed between himself and Brother Long, in
the way of conversations on this journey, could be collected and
presented in proper form they would make a most instructive and
entertaining volume. I sometimes fear that the world's best thought
escapes its hands. It may, however, so turn out that after awhile
stenography will set her delicate nets and catch these wild birds
which now flit by us on such active wing that we catch but a glimpse
of their forms and beauty.
FRIDAY, August 13, the two brethren got to Jonas Goughnour's, below
Woodstock, in Shenandoah County, Virginia. They had meeting in a
schoolhouse near by. Brother Isaac Long, at this early day, gave clear
indications of the ability and usefulness which have characterized his
ministry to the present time. Trained to correct business habits from
early youth, he carried them over into his church work; and judging by
his success, to plan and to perform, to design and to execute, with
him mean one and the same thing.
Between the fourteenth and twentieth of August the two brethren
visited John Rowland's, Emanuel Long's, Joseph Long's, Daniel
Reichert's, Daniel Long's, David Kinsey's and John Brandt's.
FRIDAY, August 20. The two brethren, in company with David Kinsey and
John Brandt, go to Brother Nussbaum's. They went through London, Path
Valley and Fennelsburg. They must have had a long ride this day; but
who could think the road long with such company? The next day they
went towards Huntingdon. Brother Kline says they crossed a tolerably
high mountain this day, and dined at Brother Jacob Berket's.
I wonder how they kept him from wandering off and hunting for
medicinal roots and herbs while crossing that mountain. You may be
sure that no patch of Lady's Slipper, Golden-Seal or Golden-Rod
escaped his eye. The absence of a hoe is all that saved them from a
deal of trouble with him. They went on through Shirleysburg, and got
to Brother Andrew Spanogle's about sunset.
Following Brother Kline on this and similar journeys, by means of the
Diary, enthuses my soul with an undefinable longing to have been with
him. The excitement, and danger, and hurry and bustle constantly
incident to travel at the present day were all unfelt and unfeared by
this company.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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