ling me of the alarm
felt at our not returning to supper, Alice said they sat fearing
something had befallen us, and that, if the night set in, we might be
lost and never be found alive, when suddenly they heard from the depths
of the woods the words

Then let our songs resound
And every heart be love;
We're marching through Emmanuel's ground
To fairer worlds above.

Distance mellowed the harshness of the voices and the words sounded like
a message from heaven. Their distress was that neither Allan's voice nor
my own was distinguishable. Glad they were when we emerged from the
trees and joined them round the fire that had been made to blaze as a
guide to us. Our visitors made themselves at home at once. 'Why do you
call your son Sal?' asked the mistress, 'that is a girl's name.' The
reply was, 'His Sunday came is Salvation Simmins; we call him Sal for
short.' 'And your husband addresses you as Jedu; what name is that?' 'I
was a girl of sixteen before I was baptised, and the preacher gave me
the name Jeduthan, because I was the chief musician.' 'Jeduthan was a
man, the friend of David.' 'Bible don't say he was a man, and for years
and years I was the chief musician at the campmeetings. Guess it was the
same in David's time as in ours--the women did the heft of the singing?'
Then she began singing, husband and son helping. 'Why don't you all
sing?' she asked, 'aint you got religion yet? My, if you heard Elder
Colver you would be on your knees and get converted right away.' The
mistress said they did not know the words of the hymns she sang, when
she became curious to hear us. Alice struck up Come, let us to the Lord
our God, and we all joined. 'Whew!' exclaimed Mrs Simmins, very pretty,
but that aint the stuff to bring sinners to the penitent-bench--you have
to be loud and strong. Ever hear a negro hymn? No, well we will give you
one, Whip the ole devil round the stump.' As they sang they acted the
words. We parted with mutual good wishes, the mistress remarking, after
they left, that God spoke in divers ways and their presentation of His
truths, though rude and wild to us, doubtless suited the frontier
population among whom they had lived and did good. 'The ax before the
plow, the ox-drag before the smoothing harrow,' added the master.

On Jabez appearing next morning he had six bags of potatoes on the
ox-sled, which were for seed as well as eating, and said he had left a
load of pine-boards t