Whatever may be said of ignorant worship, many of the early _preachers_ in Kentucky were men of sterling piety, and did much to elevate and improve the rude society of the backwoodsmen. What they lacked in learning they made up in earnestness and a strict devotion to the _Masters cause_; what they lacked in eloquence they made up in force. Some extracts from the sermons of these old men have been preserved. I quote from one handed me by a friend: “As Mo-ses lif-ted up the ser-pent in the wil-der-ness--ah! e-v-e-n so must the Son of M-a-n be lif-ted up--ah! That who so-e-v-e-r look up-on him--ah! m-a-y not p-e-r-i-s-h--ah! but h-a-ve e-v-e-r-l-a-sting l-i-f-e--ah!” Notwithstanding this halting delivery, these old men laid the foundation of the refined and elegant society now enjoyed in Kentucky. Tom Fairfield wished to improve his fortune and position in society--pay for preaching was small--but the many little needs of a family frequently fell to the lot of a preacher's wife. With this object in view, and waiting for the _call_, Tom and his wife attended all the meetings. A _wonderful phenomenon_ occurred about this time, that upset all of Tom's calculations--it was called the _jerks_. It was principally confined to the females--but men sometimes were victims of it. During the church service, and generally about the time the preacher's earnestness had warmed the congregation, the _jerks_ would set in. Some one in the congregation would commence throwing the head and upper part of the body backward and forward, the motion would gradually increase, assuming a spasmodic appearance, until all discretion would leave the person attacked, and they would continue to _jerk_ regardless of all modesty, until they _jerked_ themselves upon the floor. Tom and his wife one day attended the meeting of a _sect_, then called the “_New Lights._” During the service Tom's wife was attacked with the _jerks_; the motion slow at first became very rapid, her combs flew among the congregation, and her long black hair cracked like a wagon whip. Tom was very much frightened, but with the assistance of some friends the poor woman was taken home, and soon became quiet. Tom never attended meeting again. The old adage that _bad luck_ never comes single-handed, was now setting in with Tom. Soon after this event, Tom returned from his labor one cold, wet evening. _Mother_, as he always called his wife, was very dull and stupid. Tom had attended to all the duties of the little household, pulled in the latch-string of the cabin door, covered the coals on the hearth with ashes--as the old people used to say, to keep the _seed_ of fire. In the morning when he awakened, his faithful wife, dear mother, as he called her, was by his side, _cold and dead_. With three little daughters in the cabin and nothing else in the wide world, for the title to his land had been set aside. Disheartened with his misfortunes, Tom, with his little daughters, moved to the Ohio river.