At the age of twenty-one I went to an adjoining town and (worked for J. Bracket, at my trade, making barrels at thirty-six cents each, two was allowed to be a day's work, I often made three; paid one dollar and twenty-five cents per week for board), here I lived and toiled nearly three years; when in my twenty-fourth year, I was married to Mary Ann Slade of Hoosick, and finding her just with the key of my safe, I did her intrust. My wife, soon after we were married, joined the church, and in the spring we set up housekeeping in my father's house, and I worked for him at my trade that year, in the spring of 1837, my father gave up the coopering business for a time and I set up the trade for myself in the town of Pittstown. (This year I made 1000 flour barrels, sold them to Van Alstyne & Co., at Melville.) In the spring of 1838, moved to Hoosick near Potterhill, bought me a team, employed hands and carried on my business more extensively; by our industry, economy within doors and out, we added a little to our temporal wealth. Still holding our place in the church and attending to the ordinances of the Lord's house, nothing seemed to mar our peace and future prospects. Whilst we were living at this place our pastor visited one day and introduced to me the subject of preaching, and said he thought it was my duty to preach, I told him I had never made up my mind to that effect, but he insisted upon it, saying he would give out an appointment next Wednesday evening at brother Heart Philipses (convert a man against his will, he is the same unbeliever still), I consequently met the appointment, but it was not a self-will duty under the guidance of the holy spirit, and I knew but little better what to do than a thief would in an apothecary shop, I could pray and exhort; I think if I have any spiritual gift it is exhortation and prayer. A few weeks elapsed and I learned the Church had granted me license voluntarily without my request or knowledge. Now, I felt under obligations to do something, to go forward was a great work, to disobey the man-made call seemed then almost like denying my Lord, and thus I labored on; sometimes it seemed I pleased the Lord, sometimes men, and sometimes the devil. I was also advised by the preacher to suspend my little flourishing trade and go to study which I did, spending some hundred dollars for learning, which was almost impossible for a man of my constitution to obtain, having used all the money I had in my own hands--I could not get what I had loaned (for it was finally lost), I gave up my study and again went to work to support myself and family. Shortly after this my father died, leaving me more cares and difficulties to overcome.