the sound awakens the Christian sympathy of the infidel's wife. Nothing discourages him, nothing wearies him; he can preach three days and three nights if it is necessary; but he never leaves a place without success in the work of God. Of all the scenes in which he has figured, perhaps the most interesting is the following, which might be entitled "The Preacher at the Ball."

Saturday night came on, and found me in a strange region of country, and in the hills, knobs, and spurs of the Cumberland Mountains. I greatly desired to stop on the approaching Sabbath, and spend it with a Christian people; but I was now in a region of country where there was no Gospel minister for many miles around, and where, as I learned, many of the scattered population had never heard a Gospel sermon in all their lives, and where the inhabitants knew no Sabbath only to hunt and visit, drink and dance. Thus lonesome and pensive, late in the evening, I hailed at a tolerably decent house, and the landlord kept entertainment. I rode up and asked for quarters. The gentleman said I could stay, but he was afraid I would not enjoy myself very much as a traveler, inasmuch as they had a party meeting there that night to have a little dance. I inquired how far it was to a decent house of entertainment on the road; he said seven miles. I told him if he would treat me civilly and feed my horse well, by his leave I would stay. He assured me I should be treated civilly. I dismounted and went in. The people collected, a large company. I saw there was not much drinking going on.

I quietly took my seat in one corner of the house, and the dance commenced. I sat quietly musing, a total stranger, and greatly desired to preach to this people. Finally, I concluded to spend the next day (Sabbath) there, and ask the privilege to preach to them. I had hardly settled this point in my mind, when a beautiful, ruddy young lady walked very gracefully up to me, dropped a handsome courtesy, and pleasantly, with winning smiles, invited me out to take a dance with her. I can hardly describe my thoughts or feelings on that occasion. However, in a moment I resolved on a desperate experiment. I rose as gracefully as I could; I will not say with some emotion, but with many emotions. The young lady moved to my right side; I grasped her right hand with my right hand, while she leaned her left arm on mine. In this position we walked on the floor. The whole company seemed pleased at this act of politeness in the young lady, shown to a stranger. The colored man, who was the fiddler, began to put his fiddle in the best order. I then spoke to the fiddler to hold a moment, and added that for several years I had not undertaken any matter of importance without first asking the blessing of God upon it, and I desired now to ask the blessing of God upon this beautiful young lady and the

whole company, that had shown such an act of politeness to a total stranger.

Here I grasped the young lady's hand tightly, and said, "Let us all kneel down and pray," and then instantly dropped on my knees, and commenced praying with all the power of soul and body that I could command. The young lady tried to get loose from me, but I held her tight. Presently she fell on her knees. Some of the company kneeled, some stood, some fled, some sat still, all looked curious. The fiddler ran off into the kitchen, saying, Lord a marcy, what de matter? what is dat mean?"

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While I prayed some wept, and wept out aloud, and some cried for mercy. I rose from my knees and commenced an exhortation, after which I sang a hymn. The young lady who invited me on the floor lay prostrate, crying earnestly for mercy. I exhorted again, I sang and prayed nearly all night. About fifteen of that company professed religion, and our meeting lasted next day and next night, and as many more were powerfully converted.

It is a fine thing to see Cartwright contending for his converts with the preachers of other sects, especially the Baptists, who came to glean behind him, and who sought to gain a part of his flock. He had a thousand devices to bring these trespassers into all kinds of snares, and to cover them with confusion. When he takes the offensive he uses the same skill in attack as in defense. If he is unknown in the region he will play the rôle of a convert seeking instruction, and by question after question in the Socratic method he will come to show up the absurdity of his teachers' doctrine. These are the battles and victories in which he delights; but speak not to him of other conquests, nor think that he cares in the least for the great things of this world. One day as he was preaching in a brother's church on this text, "For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" he felt some one twitching his coat, and heard the brother minister whisper in his ear, "General Jackson has just come in." Cartwright was greatly vexed at this officious movement, and spoke out so that all could hear, "Who is General Jackson? If he is not converted God will damn him as surely as the lowest negro." Great was the trepidation of the minister, who took Cartwright to task after the service, and assured him that the general would not fail to chastise his insolence. "I don't believe it," said Cartwright; "the general will rather approve my conduct; but if he should undertake any thing like

chastisement, there would be two of us at that game, as the proverb runs."

Thereupon the minister goes of his own accord to excuse the matter with the general, who seems not to have been much pleased with the interference, for on meeting Cartwright afterward in the street he at once accosted him, saying, "Mr. Cartwright, you are a man after my own heart. I am much surprised that any one could have supposed me offended at you. I can only approve your independence; a minister of Jesus Christ ought to love every body and fear no mortal man. If I only had a few thousand officers as independent and fearless as you, and a good army, I could conquer England." Since human nature is always the same, Cartwright, after having reported this incident, so flattering to himself, could not help adding, "General Jackson is certainly a most extraordinary man."

It was at the camp-meeting that Cartwright found himself in his element; but here, especially, he needed all that resolution which General Jackson so much admired in him. These great multitudes inspired him, and the idea of the good to be accomplished transported and bore him up against all fatigue. All day long he preached, sang hymns, and exhorted the preachers who flocked around him; by night he watched and prayed, seemingly forgetful of all repose, although the campmeetings were prolonged for a week or more. And what holy indignation, what commanding power he displayed against those who sought to impede the work of God! Peddlers would establish themselves in the vicinity and offer spirituous liquors for sale. Cartwright sought out the magistrates, and by easy or importunate persuasion obtained orders for the removal of the sellers. If the silence of the law were pleaded, and liberty claimed for such nuisances, he would take the lead, and the people in force would carry off the liquor, putting it safely under lock and key till the breaking up of the camp. Families which came in a body to the camp often embraced some members, young people particularly, who, with little or no interest in religious matters, came simply out of curiosity and for the sake of amusement. There were others who declared open hostility to those meetings, and prided themselves upon making as much disturbance as possible. They would collect frogs

and throw them among the crowd at the most pathetic passages of the sermon; they would conspire to throw fire-crackers into the camp at night, to catch the preachers and toss them in blankets, or to draw a wagon occupied by sleepers into the quagmire

Cartwright happily kept good watch; he posted his sentinels, and he himself often went the rounds. Whoever came about for mischief at such times was only too glad to get away with all speed. A certain scapegrace, who had sworn to turn a preacher's wagon into the river, was about to accomplish his design, when he suddenly found himself seized by the collar. Cartwright, who, armed with a stout club, had caught the rogue, took him straight to the water and gave him, under threat of a drubbing, a forced bath. Sometimes Cartwright would come to an understanding with his enemies: he would transform some of them into allies; would bring them into a treaty to guarantee the tranquillity of his camp on condition of being allowed to carry on their diversions at a distance. One day when some rude fellows had in this manner become the defenders of order, there came a young fop, proud of his long hair, frizzed and curled in the latest fashion, who insisted upon sitting on the side reserved for the ladies. As no persuasion could induce him to move, Cartwright claimed the promised service, and the young fellow was seized by the preacher's new allies, taken beyond the circle and closely cropped. Sometimes, it is true, great animosity and passion were manifested; no peaceable agreement was possible, and force alone could secure quiet for the assembly. Cartwright never hesitated, was intimidated by no menace, and was the first to incur personal danger.

Our last quarterly meeting was a camp-meeting. We had a great many tents, and a large turn-out for a new country, and, perhaps, there never was a greater collection of rabble and rowdies. They came drunk, and armed with dirks, clubs, knives, and horse-whips, and swore they would break up the meeting. After interrupting us very much on Saturday night, they collected early on Sunday morning, determined on a general riot. At eight o'clock I was appointed to preach. About the time I was half through my discourse two very fine-dressed young men marched into the congregation with loaded whips, and hats on, and rose up and stood in the midst of the ladies, and began to laugh and talk. They were near the stand, and I requested

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them to desist and get off the seats; but they cursed me and told me to mind my own business, and said they would not get down. I stopped trying to preach, and called for a magistrate. There were two at hand, but I saw they were both afraid. ordered them to take these men into custody, but they said they could not do it. I told them, as I left the stand, to command me to take them, and I would do it at the risk of my life. I advanced toward them. They ordered me to stand off, but I advanced. One of them made a pass at my head with his whip, but I closed in with him and jerked him off the seat. A regular scuffle ensued. The congregation by this time were all in commotion. I heard the magistrates give general orders, commanding all friends of order to aid in suppressing the riot. In the scuffle I threw my prisoner down, and held him fast; he tried his best to get loose; I told him to be quiet, or I would pound his chest well. The mob rose and rushed to the rescue of the two prisoners, for they had taken the other young man also. An old and drunken magistrate came up to me, and ordered me to let my prisoner go. I told him I should not. He swore if I did not he would knock me down. I told him to crack away. Then one of my friends at my request took hold of my prisoner, and the drunken justice made a pass at me; but I parried the stroke, and seized him by the collar and the hair of the head, and fetching him a sudden jerk forward brought him to the ground and jumped on him. I told him to be quiet or I would pound him well. The mob then rushed to the scene; they knocked down seven magistrates and several preachers and others. I gave up my drunken prisoner to another, and threw myself in front of the friends of order. Just at this moment the ringleader of the mob and I met; he made three passes at me, intending to knock me down. The last time he struck at me, by the force of his own effort he threw the side of his face toward me. It seemed at that moment I had not power to resist temptation, and I struck a sudden blow in the burr of the ear and dropped him to the earth. Just at that moment the friends of order rushed by hundreds on the mob, knocking them down in every direction. In a few minutes the place became too strait for the mob, and they wheeled and fled in every direction; but we secured about thirty prisoners, marched them off to a vacant tent, and put them under guard till Monday morning, when they were tried, and every man was fined to the utmost limits of the law. The aggregate

amount of fines and costs was near three hundred dollars. They fined my old drunken magistrate twenty dollars, and returned him to court, and he was cashiered of his office.

It is easy to suppose that such a conflict would throw all minds into agitation, and it would seem impossible to restore calmness in a multitude so heated with the struggle; no preacher would undertake to speak. Cartwright alone, whose