“I do not find, however, that, when I entered into this covenant seven years ago, I made any provision for my present predicament. Hence I must regard this covenant as prior, and not to be annulled by subsequent transactions. I am glad that I can see this view of the case very plainly, as I find great comfort in it. I shall now be relieved from one of the most onerous results of my pecuniary disaster—inability to join in the various contributions to the Lord’s cause. “During the Winter and Spring of 1859 I was traveling in Texas. The following Summer in Kentucky, and the Winter of 1860 in Georgia, Alabama and other Southern States, until April. All this time being under great pecuniary pressure and not having clearly arrived at the decision just above recorded, my contributions were neither frequent nor large. No regular account was kept and I can only recall two in addition to those recorded.” Then follows his ledger account with the various percentages charged against him, and showing that he had fallen considerably behind his scale. “In June, 1860, I removed my family to Covington, Ky., to be near my business headquarters in Cincinnati, and I trust that I may again fall into somewhat like regularity of habits, both in my business life and Christian experience....” April 5, 1861: “Hitherto this record has been kept in an old ‘Pass Book’, but from its semi-journal form it has assumed dimensions not anticipated nine years ago, when first begun. Hence I have purchased this book and copied out and set in order the whole thing from the beginning. “But I find that this long parade of figures and remarks is likely—unless I have a care—to prove a snare to me, as Gideon’s ephod did to him and his house. Truly man delighteth in vanity.” During the three years past his income had been gradually increased to $2,000 per annum, but “Sept. 1 (1862) my income was again decreased, on account of the stringency of war times, to $1,500”.... “This is the second year of the great civil war; times have been pretty hard for men with fixed incomes, but I have kept even, thanks to a kind Providence.” By July, 1864, he had nearly caught up in his giving to the amount with which he had debited himself. At this time he writes:—