Thirty Years in the Itinerancy — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
Thirty Years in the Itinerancy
John Stuart Mill · en
At the close of the public services, a class meeting was held under the
charge of Father Abner, the leader. This brother was a man of age and
experience, well adapted to his position, and universally beloved. The
meeting was conducted in the usual manner, and was an occasion of
spiritual refreshing. The testimonies were direct and touchingly simple,
usually accompanied with weeping, and sometimes with the shout of
triumph. The singing, however, was the principal feature, both in
quantity and quality, for this highly susceptible people had given this
part of the services, in all their meetings, a leading place. Among the
most noted leading voices were those of mine host, Alonzo D. Dick,
Jeremiah Johnson, Orrin Johnson, and Thomas Cummock. My labors were now
fairly opened, and I soon found abundant opportunities for usefulness.
The regular meetings at the chapel were supplimented by others,
principally prayer meetings, in the more remote parts of the town. These
meetings were held on the week-day evenings, and in a short time became
occasions of great interest. I attended them usually, and found every
evening thus employed when not engaged at the chapel. In these
excursions through the settlement, I was almost always accompanied by
one, or all of the above named brethren, to lead the singing, as I found
myself, though belonging to a singing family for three generations,
unable to lead in this branch of the service. And in addition to these,
I was also favored with the company of a young man of great worth and
precious memory. I refer to Lewis Fowler, an Exhorter of great promise,
but who soon after fell under the withering touch of consumption, and
passed on to the better land.
As these side meetings, as I chose to call them, were multiplied, and
awakened general interest in their several localities, we found the
meetings at the chapel also gained in numbers and spiritual power. Soon
the people began to talk of a revival, and pray for its speedy coming.
Nor was it long delayed. The work began at one of the side meetings,
where an old backslider was led back to the cross. The next evening, in
another part of the settlement, there were three seekers at the altar.
The Sabbath now intervened, and it was deemed advisable to open meetings
in the chapel during the ensuing week. Here the meetings were held
nightly for four weeks. As a result, seventy-five persons professed
conversion.
The working force of the Mission was now put into a more thorough
organization. Several new classes were formed and the old ones carefully
organized, making six in all. A Sunday School was established, bringing
into its promising field the latent talent of the church.
But we had hardly got our home work fully in hand, when there came an
invitation from Stockbridge, several miles below, to extend our labors
into that settlement. There had been a Congregational Mission among the
Stockbridge nation for many years, but its condition was not very
promising.