USA > Indiana > Indiana miscellany : consisting of sketches of Indian life, the early settlement, customs, and hardships of the people, and the introduction of the gospel and of schools ; together with biographical notices of the pioneer Methodist preachers of the state > Part 12
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About one year after his marriage a Methodist
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camp meeting was held a few miles from N. For some reason Mr. H. attended, a thing very uncom- mon for him, as he seldom visited the place of wor- ship. While at the camp meeting he was observed to give special attention to the services. This was still further astonishing to those who knew him, and caused various conjectures as to what were his motives. None had known him to treat religious worship with so much respect. After the close of this camp meeting he frequently attended the Thursday night prayer meetings in town, always taking a seat in the rear of the congregation near the door. About the close of the prayer meeting he would retire, apparently desiring to be unnoticed. This unusual course was observed, and caused remark and anxiety. Some thought his object was to obtain something of which he could make sport in his at- tacks upon Christianity, but no one ventured to question him on the subject. He continued thus to attend the prayer meetings for some considerable length of time.
After months had passed, Mr. H. was called to a neighboring village on professional business. The suit in which he was engaged was one of great in- terest to the parties. Able counsel had been em- ployed on the opposite side. The contest was a severe one, and great forensic skill was displayed by the attorneys on both sides. Mr. H. became much enlisted and put forth his best effort, exhausting much of his physical strength.
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For some time an insidious disease had been lurk- ing in his system, though unknown to himself or his friends, and by the close of the trial he was taken violently ill. He returned home about night- fall, very sick, and took his bed to rise no more. A physician was immediately summoned who exercised all his medical skill, but to no avail. The next day he was much worse and seemed to be rapidly sinking into the arms of death. Several of the citizens called to see him. Among them was Mr. S., a Methodist class- leader. After all had retired or were retiring, save those who were nursing, Mr. H. fixed his eyes upon Mr. S. as he, too, was leaving, and with a look ex- pressive of the most intense anxiety and emotion said, "Mr. S., call again soon." Mr. S., promising compliance, left the room under a strong impression that the last moments of Mr. H. were near; that his sun of life was fast declining; that a few more hours, or days at most, would end his earthly career, and the realities of eternity would reveal his sys- tem of infidelity to be false, woefully false-pon- dering, too, in his own mind what that look, so expressive, which seemed to say there was a world of commotion within; that some powerful passions or principles were contending for the mastery, he could but inquire what it all meant; whether it could be possible his infidelity, upon which he had seemed to rely with so much confidence, was now failing him.
As Mr. S. walked slowly to his residence, rumi-
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nating upon the past, and contemplating the future, he breathed an earnest prayer to God that he would open the eyes of Mr. H., that he might, ere he left the world, renounce his infidelity.
After remaining at home for a short time, Mr. S. returned to the house of Mr. H. When he entered there were no persons present but a neighboring lady and Mrs. H., whose countenance plainly told the deep sorrow of her heart and her fearful appre- hension that a dark cloud was gathering over her that would soon break in overwhelming trouble. The night before her husband was taken ill she had been greatly disturbed in her slumber. She saw, in her sleep, "a lady clad in a long, flowing robe of black approaching the gate"-which was a little way in front of their house-"seated upon a white horse, richly caparisoned, leading by her side a black horse with his equipage all hung in mourn- ing. When she reached the front fence she alighted, fastened the steeds, and passing over the stile, came into the house. Addressing Mr. H. she informed him she had a summons for him-that he must go with her immediately. She told him to bid his wife and infant son farewell, for he would see them no more. Mr. H. begged for time to make prepara- tions, stating that 'he was not prepared to meet
such a summons.'
The lady informed him that the
summons would admit of no delay-that he had long since been warned that it would come, and that as he knew not the time, he should have made the
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necessary preparation, and should have held him- self in readiness. Mr. H., with great earnestness, besought her to grant him but a short time to pre- pare. Her answer was 'No.' He then refused to go. She with stern voice bade him follow her. He said 'he would not.' She took him by the arm and led him out of the house, he constantly saying, 'I can not go; I will not go.' When they reached the stile he attempted to get upon the white horse. The lady forbade him, commanding him to get upon the black horse. He obeyed. The lady seated her- self upon the white horse, and, leading the way, Mr. H. following, uttering the most mournful lamenta- tions, they soon disappeared in the distance."
This vision affected Mrs. H. so much that she awoke from her sleep. So clear was the whole scene to her view, and so deep the impression made upon her mind, she slept no more that night. Dreadfully apprehensive that some sore trial awaited her, and fearing that it would disturb Mr. H., she did not inform him of the vision she had seen. And now that he was so ill, fast sinking into death's cold em- brace, her vision stood before her as an awful reality. She had no hope of her husband's recovery.
Mr. S. having entered the room, Mr. H. beckoned him to his bedside and attempted to speak, but his heart was too full, his voice faltered, his tongue failed to articulate. Struggling to get the mastery of his feelings he made a second effort. Addressing Mr. S. he said, "Sir, death has come to summon me
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from time to eternity; how can I go?" Raising both his hands, with a steady upward gaze, he ex- claimed, "O, if"-his voice again failing-"if, if it did not seem so inconsistent-and I had almost rather die than be inconsistent-I would want you to pray for me." Mr. S. said, "If that is your desire it shall be granted. I trust there is mercy for you." "Do you think so?" he anxiously in- quired. Mr. S. answered, "Yes, I trust there is." "Then do, do pray for me!" There being some moments of delay in order that the two ladies present might join in prayer, he said, "Do not wait one moment; pray now. There is no time for delay. I must soon be gone. I shall soon be in eternity. The messenger is already here. Get right down upon your knees and pray for me." The two ladies and Mr. S. bowed at the bedside while he endeavored to pray. His feelings were so wrought upon by what was transpiring that it was difficult for him to utter a word. Here was a dying man, one who had boasted of his infidelity and ridiculed religion, denouncing the " Bible as a forgery, a bundle of lies," now that he was on the very threshold of eternity desiring to be prayed for; by one, too, he had so often tried to confound on the subject of man's accountability to God, the reality of a future state of being, and the necessity of a preparation for death. While prayer was being offered the feelings of Mr. H. became so ex- cited, and the agony of his mind so great that he
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cried aloud for mercy till much exhausted. The screams of the two ladies, mingled with his cries and the voice of prayer, brought several persons to the door, for it was considered exceedingly strange that prayer should be heard in the house of this infidel lawyer. After the close of the prayer, when all had become a little composed, Mr. H. said to Mr. S .: "Now, if you will raise me up and sit behind me I will try to talk a little before I die." His request was complied with. He commenced by saying, " You know I have been an avowed infidel. You know I have poured contempt upon Christian- ity-declared the Bible to be the production of priestcraft; but O, how sadly I have been mistaken ! How astonishing it is that I never saw myself be- fore! Often have I listened while death-bells were tolling; often have I looked upon the funeral pro- cession, moving with slow and measured steps to the tomb. Yes, I have again and again stood upon the verge of the grave, beheld the coffin lowered to its cold, damp vault, and heard the deep-drawn sigh and mournful cry of those whose hearts had been smitten by grief; and yet for myself, O thoughtless man that I have been, for myself I never took one serious thought. And now, here I am, racked by pain, borne rapidly down by disease, sinking fast into a gaping grave. My principles have failed me. I find my infidelity will not sustain me, now that I am dying. O, what shall I do? How can I die ? Must I go? Is there no delay ? Can I have no
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time to prepare ?" After a short pause he con- tinued : "How inconsistent this seems in me, when I have so long denounced every thing like religion ; but I can not help it. Soon I shall be beyond the boundaries of time, and must now be honest."
Addressing himself particularly to Mr. S. he said, "I thought some of uniting myself with your Church at your last camp meeting, but feared some would say I did it to gain professional business, and I deferred it. Now I must soon die; I must go without being prepared. Tell all your people, all the members of the Church, I want them to pray for me."
By this time a number of persons had gathered into the room, having heard the screams of Mrs. H., for she was now almost frantic with grief. Many of the expressions her husband had just uttered were precisely the same she had heard him make in the vision she saw two nights before. Among those who had just come into the room was a lady, who, hearing Mr. H.'s remarks, said to him, "You must be still; you must not talk so; you are injur- ing yourself; you are not going to die; you must lie down and keep composed." To this he replied : "Then lay me down and let me die."
At. the request of Mr. H., Mr. S. remained with him, he and Mr. M. nursing him "till life's last hour had fled." He continued to grow worse the remainder of that day, the following night, and the next day. Though several physicians had been in
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attendance, the disease baffled their skill. Mr. H. steadily sank.
As he tossed himself upon his bed, from hour to hour, he would exclaim, "O, God! I can not die! I will not die! I must not go!" then he would call upon his two attendants for help, begging them to not let him die. Truly, "the frantic soul raved round the walls of its clay tenement-ran to each avenue and shrieked for help, but shrieked in vain." He was not permitted to enjoy one moment com- posed, but,
" Like a reptile on a bed of embers, Turning, he languished ;"
pleading to be placed first in one position and then in another.
About midnight, the third night of his illness, he requested Mr. S. to go out and get upon his front stile and cry at the top of his voice, "O, yes! O, yes ! O, yes! J. H. is dying," and repeat it three times. When told that the people were asleep, and that it would disturb them, he replied, "That is the reason why I want you to do it. They are asleep- I am dying, and they don't know it. Do, do, Mr. S., grant a poor dying man this last request."
He would not be satisfied till Mr. S. retired, as if to comply with his request. About the dawn of day, he threw his arms around the neck of Mr. S. as he leaned over the bed, and expired. Among his last words were, "Must I die ? Is there no help?"
When it was discovered that the taper of life had
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burned out, his young wife, who was standing by his bed, fell backward, screaming, "He's gone ! he's gone! He was my god! and the only god I wor- shiped !" No wonder her heart was now riven, and she was overwhelmed with anguish, when her god, the "only god she worshiped," had expired.
In the afternoon of the next day, the lifeless re- mains of Mr. H. were followed by a large concourse of people to the grave, which had been prepared on the bank of the beautiful river that glided past the town of N., where they were laid to rest, till "all that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God and shall come forth; they that have done good, to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, to the resurrection of damnation." Thus passed away a young man of brilliant talents, of great energy of character, devotedly attached to his profession, cut down when his hopes were high of attaining an eminence as a lawyer. Unfortunately he had received the wrong training in his childhood and youth, and when he grew up to manhood he read infidel books-embraced their sentiments, and discarded Christianity. Though he renounced infi- delity in a dying hour, he died in despair.
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CHAPTER XXIX.
JAMES EPPERSON.
IN the Fall of 1840 the writer was appointed to Franklin circuit as preacher in charge. He was an entire stranger to the people to whom he was sent. The circuit was large, embracing all of Johnson, a large portion of Morgan, and parts of Marion, Bar- tholomew, and Brown counties.
Soon after the adjournment of Conference, the writer set out to explore his new circuit, and to procure a house in which he could place his family. The first night after entering the bounds of his cir- cuit he spent at the house of a local elder, of some years' standing, who gave him a general account of the circuit, and plied him pretty closely with ques- tions in theology and Church law, but could give him no information as to where he could obtain a house for his family, and did not seem to take much interest in that subject; he, however, warned the "new preacher " faithfully against " one James Epperson," who lived down toward the southern boundary of the circuit, telling me to have nothing to do with him, saying, "If he hears that you are in search of a house for your family, he will very likely offer you some accommodations, making great
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promises as to what he will do; but you need not rely upon any promise he makes, for he will not fulfill one of them."
The next morning the writer started on his way with a heavy heart. The account he had received of his circuit was by no means flattering, and the warning he had received in regard to "one James Epperson" weighed heavily on his mind. He took his course through the center of his circuit, travel- ing toward the southern portion. As he passed along he inquired of all the Methodists he found for a house wherein he could place his family, but no tidings of one could be obtained.
In the evening of the third day he arrived at Morgantown. Here he met his colleague, Rev. Jacob Myers. No house could be obtained in Mor- gantown. The next morning he and his colleague concluded to start regularly around the circuit, preaching where they could gather a congregation, leaving appointments for Mr. Myers, and perhaps they would hear of a house that could be obtained. On the third day thus spent, having collected a small congregation for preaching, during the de- livery of the sermon, an elderly man, low of stature, rather corpulent, dressed in homespun jeans of walnut-brown color, with a bald head on a short neck, made his appearance and took a seat. As soon as the services were closed, the congregation being dismissed, the elderly man dressed in home- spun, with a bald head, approached the writer, and
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inquired if he was the preacher in charge of the circuit. Being answered in the affirmative, he said, "I wish to speak to you a moment." They passed out of the house to a private place. The old man said, "I understand you are in search of a house for your family to live in this year. I have a house on my little farm, about ten miles distant from this, which you can have if you will accept it. The house in which I live is one of your preach- ing-places. If you will bring your family and occupy the vacant house on my place, you shall have it rent free, and your firewood shall cost you nothing."
He made sundry other promises as to what he would do if his offer was accepted. His name was asked for. He answered, "James Epperson." It flashed upon the writer's mind like lightning, "This is the very man of whom I was so faithfully warned by that local elder where I staid the first night I spent in the bounds of the circuit. He told me this man would make great promises as to what he would do, but he would not fulfill one of them." After a moment's pause, I told the old gentleman I would consider the matter, and let him know after dinner. I sought an interview with my colleague, Mr. Myers, and laid the whole case before him, telling him what the local elder had said in regard to Mr. Epperson. Mr. Myers advised me to go with the old man and see what the prospect was. After dinner we mounted our
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horses and set out for Mr. Epperson's residence. When we arrived darkness had closed in. On en- tering the cabin the writer found a family of seven or eight sons and daughters, from those pretty well grown up down to those of three or four years of age. The old lady was clad in homespun linsey- woolsey. The furniture was of the most primitive style, the whole family occupying the one room for cooking, eating, and sleeping.
Being weary in body and gloomy in mind I did not go to see what accommodations were afforded my faithful horse. Mrs. Epperson prepared a bountiful supper, which consisted of pork, bread, butter, milk, coffee, etc. The evening till " bed- time" was spent in hearing from Mr. Epperson an account of the circuit and the state of the Church, which was quite encouraging. In family prayer that night the writer felt that there was some gen- uine religion in that family, whatever else might be lacking. Mr. Epperson's cabin stood on the brow of a hill, the ground still gradually ascending for some distance above it.
After breakfast in the morning, the old gentleman proposed to go and "show the preacher " the house he had spoken of. Starting, they passed to the summit of the hill. There stood a comfortable stable, in which was the preacher's horse having plenty of hay and corn. As they drew near " Charlie" neighed to his master, as much as to say, " I have fared finely through the night; this is a
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good place for me." Seeing that Charlie was all right they passed into a field of ripe corn, the girdled forest trees standing thickly. About mid- way of the cornfield, they came to a low cabin, fifteen feet square, with one door, one window with- out glass or sash, a stick and clay chimney, which had partly fallen down, the cabin filled with corn fodder. Mr. Epperson said, "This is the house; rather a bad-looking chance, aint it?" I answered, "It is not very inviting in its appearance." "If you will come here and live I will repair the house and make it comfortable," responded Mr. Epperson ; "but if you will come with me I will show you where I want it." They returned to the summit of the hill near where the stable containing the preacher's horse stood. The old man said, "This is where I want the house placed; if you will come here and live I will move it to this spot, and make it warm and comfortable, and [pointing to the sta- ble] that shall be your stable; I built it to put preachers' horses in; no others have been in it, and never shall while I control it. You can bring your cow with you ; your corn and hay through the year shall cost you nothing." The writer turned aside that he might spend a few moments in reflection. He soliloquized thus : "What shall I do ? I have spent six days traveling through the circuit in search of a house for my family, and this is the only one offered me. This, too, is the man that local elder warned me to have nothing to do with,
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that he would not fulfill a promise that he made. What shall I do?" Something seemed to whisper in his ear, "This is the place; come here." I re- turned to the old man and told him I did not know what else to do than to accept his offer; there seemed to be no other opening for me to bring my family to the circuit, and Winter was rapidly setting in ; that if I brought my family there, I would pre- fer to have the cabin where we stood, but it would require so much labor to remove it and place it there. Mr. Epperson said, "That is none of your business ; if you say you will come here I will attend to all that." The writer said, "I will do it." Mr. Epperson in- quired what day he could be ready to start with his family and goods. Pausing a moment, I said I thought I could be ready by a certain day. "Then," said the old man, " get upon your horse and go to your family as soon as you can ; engage a team to bring part of your goods; get all things in readiness ; I will be there with my wagon and team the night before." The writer bade the old man and his family good-by, mounted his horse and started for his family." At the time appointed Mr. Epperson was promptly on hand with his wagon and team. The next morning the goods and family were care- fully stowed away in the two wagons. Bidding fare- well to friends the preacher and his family started for their cabin home, at "one James Epperson's."
Late in the evening of the second day, in the midst of a snow-storm, they arrived at the place of
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their destination. Sure enough, there the cabin stood in its place, all right, and a large quantity of good seasoned firewood ranked up near by. It being too late to unload the wagons, the preacher and his family were most kindly entertained for the night at the cabin of Mr. Epperson. The next morning he assisted in placing all things "to rights" in the preacher's house. That being done he went to work and erected a shed over the door of the cabin, and placed a number of shelves near the door on the outside. When all was completed, he called the preacher's wife and said to her: "These shelves are for your cooking utensils, but this one is for your water-bucket. I want you to keep it sitting on that shelf day and night." It was soon discovered why he directed that the water-bucket should be kept upon that shelf day and night. The spring, where water was to be obtained, was some distance from the cabin, and to reach it you had to descend the hill upon which Mr. E.'s cabin stood and cross a branch, which made it laborious obtaining the necessary supply of water. Every morning when the preacher was absent upon his large circuit, and before the family were up, Mr. Epperson would have a bucket of water, fresh from the spring, sit- ting in its place upon the shelf.
After he had prepared the little accommodation of the shed and shelves, he erected a "lumber- room" at the end of the cabin, leaving an open passage between it and the cabin. When he had
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finished this room, he went to the preacher's wife and told her he wished her to keep the meat-tub, flour-barrel, and meal-chest in that "lumber-room." Through that open passage he always passed in going from his house into his fields to labor. Every few mornings, as he would be passing through to his work, he would turn into the lumber-room and look into the meat-tub, flour-barrel, and meal-chest. If he saw the contents of either getting low, you would soon see him with a sack, mounted on "Old Roan," starting for some distant neighborhood, not having said a word to the preacher's family as to what he was going to do. After some hours he would return with his sack well filled with meat, flour, or meal, as the necessity might require, often bringing other necessaries, such as maple sugar, molasses, dried fruit, etc. He delighted to accom- pany the preacher to his appointments on the cir- cuit. On these occasions, wherever he went among the people, as there was but little money to be ob- tained for the preacher, he would ask them if they could not furnish him a ham of bacon, a sack of flour or meal. They often answered, "O yes; we would like to give brother S. a ham or two, or a sack of flour or meal "-whichever they could spare most conveniently-" but he lives so far away we don't know how to get it to him." Mr. Epper- son's invariable reply was, "Never mind that ; say he shall have it, and I will see that it is conveyed to him." Receiving a promise that whatever they
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proposed to furnish should be ready against a cer- tain time, he would charge them to keep it till he called for it. Thus he knew where to go to obtain any of those articles for the preacher's family. In this way he kept them bountifully supplied through- out the year with the substantials of life. All the corn, hay, and firewood necessary for the preacher he furnished himself. The writer's family had not long been situated at this place till he, when away upon his large circuit, absent from them two and three weeks at a time, felt that under Mr. Epper- son's care they would not be allowed to suffer.
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