CORRESPONDENCE 137 would recommend his appointment as soon as I could learn that he had taken the requisite steps. I have received no answer and have not learned since what he was doing, but presume he is preaching the Word as far as he can. Br. Read is a modest, studious, prudent, amiable, pious young brother, in my opinion, better adapted to take the charge of a well organized church than to perform the pioneer work of an entirely frontier portion of a country. Yet he seemed determined on his course and I hope the hand of the Lord was in the work. I conversed freely with him relative to his pecu- liarities in this respect before I gave my consent that he should go alone into a field which seemed to me to call loudly for an offhand, business-like pioneer. Had we anticipated with cer- tainty that Brother Chandler would leave Oregon City, I think we should have thought it advisable, under all circumstances, to have kept Br. Read with us. But you know full well that in- stability is impressed in indelible marks on many of our most sanguine hopes in a frontier country. May God in His infi- nite mercy give us grace to meet every emergency like men richly furnished from the Gospel treasury till Christ shall be honored in Oregon. Br. Read did not preach so much as other ministers in Oregon while he taught. This was his excuse, that he could not preach without some previous preparation and the breth- ren, as they became acquainted with him, appreciated his apology. But no young man sustains a more unblemished character. I shall soon write him and encourage him to give himself to the work of the ministry as far as is consistent with his support. May the wisdom of the Most High direct you and us, is the sincere prayer of your unworthy brother. EZRA FISHER. Received March 19, 1853.
