that had been nearly washed away by
the floods, and commenced to climb the mountain side by a road that was
nearly as steep as a steeple and which wended around to nearly every
point of the compass, ever going up, over ruts and rocks, roots and
trunks of trees, now jumping across a ravine, and next climbing a fence.
At last among the thickets and brush there were some signs of life, and
we came to an opening among the trees where we saw a miserable-looking
old shanty. The first thought was, can it be possible that human beings
live in a shed like this? We drew near and saw two women sitting with
their knees up to the open fire on the hearth. They looked much
surprised to see us. We told them that we were going to hold a meeting
at a house a little farther on; will they go? No, they don't care to go,
expectorating the tobacco juice from their mouths into the fire at the
same time. We replied, "You would better go; it may be you will never
have a chance to hear an Englishman again;" to which we got a reply,
"Hear a w-h-a-a-t?" Whether they knew what an Englishman was, or not, or
even if they ever heard there was such a country as England I cannot
say; but I understand there are thousands of these people who know
nothing of the outside world, and many who were never five miles away
from their own door-step in their life. With a patch of ground for corn,
another for tobacco, with wood for the fire, they are as contented as
the President; alas, too contented!

We entered the cabin to which we were going by a door-way in which we
must needs bend our heads very low to get inside. The first thing that
struck us was the gloom and darkness. In each corner of the room was a
bed, with a smaller one pushed underneath, and two sick people suffering
from slow fever. It is no wonder, for eleven people occupied this one
room, about twelve feet square. Need we wonder that misery and squalor
are seen all around? An old soap box from the grocery formed a corner
cupboard. Two old chairs which perhaps belonged to their
great-grandmother, all frame and no seat, an empty box, and a bucket of
water with a tin scoop, formed the whole furniture of the mountain cabin.
Poor souls! I was told that I had done wonders when one day, during an
address, I got them to smile! It was quite a treat to see a smile upon
their faces. Joy seems to be outside their domain altogether, and the
worst feature appears to be that they have no desire for anything
diffe