and you can follow me, and you can preach in the morning and we will follow you." He preached from John 7:17, but showed profound ignorance as to the subject matter contained in that language. I followed with a short discourse upon the leading thought in the fore part of that language. He then announced that I would preach next morning at 10 o'clock. The hour was set without consulting me, so I did not get there till half-past ten. The preachers were very impatient and told me that the time had passed. I called for a song, and when the introductory services were concluded it was 11 o'clock. The disciples felt good over our success in managing the arrangements.
Old Father Walker, one of the two disciples to whom we were referred at the time of our first visit to Berryville, was an Israelite in whom there was no guile. He was full when we entered into our discourse. He was eighty-four years old, and just waiting for his summons to go to the other shore. We had the two old preachers to sit in the pulpit. I took as a subject, "What must I do to be saved?" I preached one hour, and, I suppose, as earnestly as I ever did. I made my talk chiefly to those preachers, and showed the erroneousness of the anxious seat system. I concluded with an invitation and had four candidates for baptism, prominent citizens. When the success was seen, Father Walker could hold in no longer. He began shouting, two old sisters joined in with their hallelujahs. We sat down and let them shout as long as they wanted to, then took the confession of the candidates, and announced baptism at four o'clock. It was then too late for them to preach. There were some there that did not feel like shouting, but, evidently, would have gone home like if someone had carried out Dr. Ellis' purpose.
The oldest of the preachers announced that they would preach at two o'clock. He made a tremendous effort to get up an excitement, but they were, evidently, nearer a religious chill, all were cool. The song having closed, and nobody moved, he said he had another proposition to make, he wanted everybody in the house that wanted to go to heaven to give him their hand while another song was being sung. It was nearing the time for the baptizing. I walked out, and as I did so I passed two of the candidates, and said to them, "It is time we were going to the water." It was but a short distance to where my clothes were. I got them and started for the water, and by that time the people had all left the meeting house for the place of baptizing. The preachers left for other parts, without any arrangements for their appointment at night.
Dr. Ellis had changed his tactics. He concluded that he could get a preacher to meet us in debate, that could literally annihilate us. He failed, however, to find any one that would undertake such a job. Failing to find a preacher that would undertake to meet us, the Doctor concluded he was, with a little preparation, sufficient for such an undertaking. He concluded, however, that he was not as well posted as he ought to be with what we taught in order to make the necessary preparation. He wanted some of my books to read but was too stubborn to ask for them. I called at his office one day,
