where we had lived some years before, right among my husband's people. It was a cross for me to talk to those people; but I said, in the name of God, and by his sustaining grace, I will try and leave the result with him. As I rose to speak, this text came to my mind: "Set thy house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live."
When I began to talk upon the subject the man-fearing spirit left me, and the words came to me faster than I could give them utterance. My sister-in-law broke down and left the house. We continued the meeting a few days, and twenty claimed to be converted. People were converted all through the neighborhood. One who came to this meeting afterward became my son-in-law. I continued to keep house, and spent as much time in holding meetings as I could, to give my husband a chance to attend his work. I was anxious to raise money for us to go West. I would ride seven miles and hold meeting on Saturday evening, and three meetings on Sabbath—sometimes in different churches—and then ride home over a hilly and rough road. By this time I would be nearly exhausted and hardly able to walk around to do my work. But the last of the week I would go again; and often through the week I held meetings in the towns around where I was born and raised, where we had lived since we were married.
It was a cross for me to speak before my own folks, and the people whom I had always known. But God wonderfully blessed my labors in every place. Wherever I went the house was crowded. I did not write my sermons or have sketches of sermons. I would take a text and trust God to lead me in His own way. I was holding meeting for a few days where I was raised, and the house was crowded every night. One night I could not get a text. The people came pouring in until the house was packed. I began to get frightened. A brother said to me, "The Disciples are turning out to-night." There I was, with several hundred people before me and no text—nothing to talk about. Everything was empty. I began to plead with Jesus. I told him he had called me to preach; that here was this starving multitude and I had no bread to give them. To verify his promise and to glorify himself in manifesting his power to this people, the words came to me, "What are you going to do with Jesus, that is called the Christ?" and also the place to find the text. Jesus seemed to whisper in my ear, "I am with you; be not afraid." I opened the meeting
