Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary Part 48

It may interest the reader to be informed that the two brethren are now, and for some days have been, in a spa.r.s.ely settled region. High mountains separated the habitable valleys. Great progress has been made, and is still going on, in the upbuilding of the social state of these people, as well as the improvement of the country. Those living in the highly cultivated States of our Union can hardly bring their minds to realize the conditions in which these people lived at the time that Brother Kline and Brother Thomas were laboring so faithfully among them. Let me sketch a picture of the average house, its surroundings, and its occupants: It is a log house, built up by notching the ends of the logs so as to fit together at the corners, and rises high enough to make one full story below and a half story above. A huge chimney of stone is built up on the outside, with the wide fireplace inside. The c.h.i.n.ks between the logs are filled up with a mortar composed of clay and straw. The chimney is supplied with one extra small flue at the side of the large flue, and at the bottom of this small flue, about four feet above the hearth, is a small opening for light. This light is produced from the burning of small pieces of rich pine knots placed in the small opening, and as one piece burns out another is inserted, the smoke from the pine, the meanwhile, being all carried off through the small flue. Above the door of entrance antlers in pairs may be seen carefully fastened to the side of the house, as evidences of success in deer hunting. And more than once did the two brethren ministers feast on venison in the present journey, for it was the chosen season for deer hunting. When the house is approached by a stranger, the father, if present, stands near the door with a doubtful look, as much as to ask within himself: "Who can that be, and what is fetching him here?" He has, however, a kind heart under a rough exterior. His wife is diffident at first introduction, but gain her confidence by true Christian behavior, and you find the heart of the true woman in her. The children retire upon a stranger's first entering the house: but let him show a love for them; let him learn their names and ages as one by one they make their appearance, ranging in this respect according to the different degrees of backwardness and modesty with them; let him notice them with loving looks and gentle words, and they will soon play with his watch-chain, and ask him what it is for.

I have now given an outline sketch of many a family in these mountainous regions, in whose hearts Brother Kline never failed to find a welcome, and in whose house a home. He loved the people and the people loved him. But all this has pa.s.sed into history. The church has never had but one Johnny Kline, and it can never have another. Even if born, the conditions for his development, and the sphere for his labors, have both pa.s.sed away. The Editor is happy to feel that he, by a wonderful providence, has been made the humble instrument by which the life-work of a great and good man has been s.n.a.t.c.hed from the jaws of oblivion.

SUNDAY, September 11. Meeting at Brother Henry Wilson's. Luke 13 is read. Night meeting at Brother Jacob Nickolas's, in his house.

Subject, Rom. 13:11, 12. Stay there all night. Very pleasant weather.

MONDAY, September 12. Come to Philippa, in Barbour County. Stop at David Kline's. Dine at Peter Reid's. Afternoon meeting at Peck's Run meetinghouse. Acts 3 is read. Stay all night at Philip Dupoy's. Fine day.

TUESDAY, September 13. Come to Brother Joseph Houser's, two miles from Buckhannon. Meeting and love feast. Matthew 20 is read. Fine day and evening.

WEDNESDAY, September 14. Meeting. Subject, Acts 2:37, 38. One man baptized. In council Jacob Houser was elected speaker, and Brother Hess deacon.

THURSDAY, September 15. Come to Wilson Osborn's on Middle Fork river.

After dinner, cross the mountain to Valley river; stop and stay all night at William Kern's.

FRIDAY, September 16. Cross Cheat mountain, thirty-five miles, and get to Brother John Riley's, where we stay all night.

SAt.u.r.dAY, September 17. Wonderful rain last night. Waters higher than they have been in a long time. Meeting at Liberty meetinghouse.

Subject, Luke 24:46, 47. Stay all night at Adam Hevner's. Cloudy and misty, but waters partly run off.

SUNDAY, September 18. Sky almost clear this morning. Promise of a fair day. Meeting again at Liberty meetinghouse. Subject, "The Great Commission," Matt. 28:18, 19, 20. Come to John Riley's, where we stay all night. Clears up beautifully to-day. Our congregations have not been large, but they have appeared to pay attention to what has been said. A preacher of Brother Daniel Thomas's power cannot fail to impress an audience. He enjoys the rare ability of a.n.a.lyzing and arranging his subject matter in a way that makes its presentation easy to be understood. I have observed a very important truth, and I am learning its lessons more and more every day, that people can be interested only in what they understand. Uneducated people, and children even, will listen with attention to what they understand.

Paul perceived this truth. Hence he said: "I would rather speak five words with the understanding, than ten thousand in an unknown tongue."

Paul got at the very root of the truth, for his remarks imply that no man can make a thought clear to the mind of another unless it be first clear to his own mind. "If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch together."

MONDAY, September 19. Dine at Adam Hevner's; come to Greenbank, to Dunmore post office; then to Shenaberger's, but we cannot get across the river. We then go five miles down the river and cross on a bridge over to Knapp's Creek, and stay all night at William Harper's.

TUESDAY, September 20. Afternoon meeting near Harper's. Subject, Heb.

12:12. Stay all night at the widow Harper's.

WEDNESDAY, September 21. The widow Harper and Abraham Rankin are married this morning. Meeting at Andrew Harold's in Mt. Vernon.

Subject, Matt. 7:21. After dinner we cross the Alleghany mountain to Alexander Gilmore's, on Back Creek. Night meeting at Green Hill. John 1 is read. Stay all night at John Divner's. Much rain this morning.

THURSDAY, September 22. We return to Gilmore's and get our horses, having walked from there to Green Hill and back to Divner's. From Gilmore's we cross over to Jackson's river, and have meeting at Valley Chapel. Brother Daniel Thomas preached to-day. His subject was 1 Cor.

1:8. Go with James Terry and take dinner with him. Night meeting at Valley Chapel. Subject, "The Conversion of Saul." Stay all night at James Terry's.

FRIDAY, September 23. Come to new meetinghouse on Stony Run. Preach the funeral of Robert Gwynn. Subject, Heb. 9:28. Dine at David Stephenson's. Come to G.o.dlove Hindgartner's; night meeting; subject, Matthew 11, three last verses. Fine day.

SAt.u.r.dAY, September 24. Morning meeting at Hindgartner's. Subject, Matthew 7, last paragraph. After dinner preach the funeral of old man Robinson's wife. Subject, 1 Peter 1, last three verses.

SUNDAY, September 25. Meeting again at Hindgartner's. Subject, Heb.

12:14. I could wish that thousands could have heard Brother Daniel Thomas to-day. As he spoke of the holiness without which no man shall see the Lord, setting forth in strong and clear light what it is to live a holy life, tears of penitence fell from many eyes.

MONDAY, September 26. Come across to Liberty meetinghouse, on the Bull Pasture river in Highland County, Virginia. Subject, Luke 8:18. Dine at Dr. Pullen's; then come to Amos Deahl's on the Cow Pasture river in the same county and stay all night.

TUESDAY, September 27. Come by way of the Calf Pasture river, in Augusta County, to the pleasant home of Brother Daniel Thomas, who seems very well pleased to find himself at home again and all well, after an absence with me of four weeks to the day. In Isaiah 52:7 we read these words: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy G.o.d reigneth." These words prophetically set forth the Lord in the beauty of his holy life and good will toward men. His feet symbolize his outward life. This was beautiful in the highest degree. No angry word, no impure thought, no covetous feeling, no revengeful motive, no unholy desire ever found a place in his heart; but, instead of these, gentleness, goodness, meekness, kindness, temperance, mercy, forgiveness, and charity, or universal and unvarying good will toward men, characterized the whole of his good life as the outflow of his good heart. In respect to these graces of our Lord, Brother Daniel Thomas sets an example worthy of imitation. In the four weeks we have spent together I have not heard a word from his lips that I thought unwise, or seen an act of his body or hands that I thought not good.

This is my testimony of him in secret before G.o.d.

WEDNESDAY, September 28. Get home.

SUNDAY, October 2. Meeting and love feast at the Lost River meetinghouse. Acts 3 is read. Brother John Harshberger officiates at love feast. Stay all night at Jacob Mathias's. Pleasant day and evening. Brother Daniel Thomas and Brother John Harshberger in their relation to the work of the church remind me of the relation which the lead-horse bears to the off-wheel horse in a team of four. Each has his place: the one as much needed as the other; varied in talent and usefulness, yet working together, the load goes on beautifully, and the roughness of the way is forgotten.

WEDNESDAY, October 5. Meeting and love feast at our meetinghouse.

Great concourse of people present. Christian Keffer, of Maryland, and David Long are with us. Fine day and night.

SAt.u.r.dAY, October 15. Brother Kline and Brother John Harshberger started in company of each other to the Piedmont counties on the east side of the Blue Ridge mountain. How long they contemplated staying there, the Diary does not say. The first appointment they expected to fill was met without a congregation. It had either not been properly given out and circulated, or the people did not wish to come.

Brother Kline preached one sermon on this trip, at a place called Good Hope, in the county of Madison, Virginia. But from the spirit of the Diary more than from its direct letter the inference is clear that the name belied the character of the place, and that instead of Good Hope it should be Bad Despair. His subject was Rev. 14:6, "I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people."

The selection of this text shows a lofty sense of propriety in Brother Kline. He was here among a people largely opposed to the views and feelings of the Brethren on the slave question which was, at this particular time, fearfully agitating the public mind. But the above text was at once a pa.s.sport in his hand to go "with the everlasting gospel" in his mouth to preach to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. It showed at once that his mission was love, and the end peace. Many preachers in the South about this time adopted the following motto: "Keep politics out of religion; but put all the religion you can into politics." This means: Pour the pure water of Life into the cesspools of wickedness and deceit to cleanse them. This is worse, if possible, than giving what is holy to dogs, or casting pearls before swine. It is as "the sons of G.o.d going in unto the daughters of men, and bringing forth _giants_--" giants of iniquity.

If every man and every woman in our land were filled with G.o.dliness, politics, in its popular sense, would vanish. Governments would continue, it is true, but the spirit of their administration would make duty their joy, and love their law.

Finding little encouragement in these parts, the two brethren soon started homeward through Page County, stopping one night at Brother Hamilton Varner's, and one night at Brother Isaac Spitler's, where, at either place, they could again enjoy the breath of love and the heartbeat of peace.

SAt.u.r.dAY, December 31. At home. In this year I traveled 3,929 miles, mostly on Nell's back. Good, patient Nell!

WEDNESDAY, February 29, 1860. Up to this date there is nothing of special interest in the Diary. It is mainly a record of visits in the way of medical attendance upon the sick; matters relating to the church; meetings attended, and neighborhood items of business looked after and settled. Brother Kline a.s.sisted Brother John J. Bowman in surveying lands. He also wrote wills and deeds, making himself useful in almost every way in which an active man of eminently practical good sense can serve his neighborhood and country. I here give his entry in the Diary for this day exactly as it stands, word for word:

"WEDNESDAY, February 29. Go to Benjamin Miller's. Old Sister Miller is buried; seventy-four years, five months and ten days old; buried at Myers's graveyard. Preach at Green Mount; dine at Jacob Miller's; then come by Strine's home; rain in the afternoon."

The Editor was present at this funeral, and very well remembers some of Brother Kline's words. He said that instead of being distressed or grieved at the departure of one whose measure of life was so full of the good works of faith and love, thereby showing eminent fitness for heaven, we should rather rejoice. He spoke of the wisdom and fort.i.tude with which she had borne her separation from her husband, the dearly remembered Elder Daniel Miller, years before. It is true, said he, her children cared for her with all the tender a.s.siduities that love could suggest; they still could not completely fill the place of the one who she had fondly hoped would be the earthly comforter of her declining years. She lived and died with her youngest son, Benjamin Miller, who, at this time [1899], has the oversight of the Green Mount church. She was the mother of eighteen children. Sixteen of these grew up to manhood and womanhood. Six of her sons, viz, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Benjamin and Frederick, were put into the ministry, and all served the church acceptably. Most of these are now fallen asleep. But their children are filling their places; and how long this remarkable sister may continue to work in the vineyard of the Lord, through her children and children's children, time only can tell.

I well remember that Brother Kline, on this occasion, was the first to rise. After a few brief but appropriate remarks, he lined out that joyful old hymn:

"There is a land of pure delight; Where saints immortal reign...."

At the close of the singing he led in prayer, and the burden of his prayer was thanksgiving for the glorious hope set before us in the Gospel. He then delivered a brief but feeling address suited to the occasion; and Brother Benjamin Bowman, after giving some interesting facts connected with the Miller family, closed the church services.

THURSDAY, March 15. This day Brother Kline spends in Washington City.

He visits the Representatives' chamber, the Senate chamber, the Patent office, and other places of public interest. His business, however, is at Alexandria, in connection with the Mana.s.sas Gap Railroad Company.

He is in attendance at a meeting of the officers and stockholders of said company in the city of Alexandria to-night; makes his report of the amount of stock in said company which Rockingham County is willing to take; hears it accepted, and next day returns home. Brother Kline was deeply interested in this company's road. It is the same which now pa.s.ses close along by his place; but he did not live to see its completion.

THURSDAY, March 22. Council meeting at the old meetinghouse above Harrisonburg. Brother John Flory is elected to the Word, and Joseph Good to the deaconship. Dine at William Byrd's and at night attend a lecture on feet-washing in Dayton, Virginia. Stay all night at Brother Solomon Garber's.

FRIDAY, March 23. This day Brother Kline, in company of Brother Solomon Garber, starts up the Valley of Virginia, on horseback, to the District Conference appointed to meet at the Valley meetinghouse, in Botetourt County, on Friday, March 30; distant from Brother Kline's home somewhat over one hundred miles.

SAt.u.r.dAY, March 24. Dine and feed at Brother Samuel Zink's; then on to Brother James Sprous's, five miles beyond; and from there to meeting at Chestnut Grove, two miles distant. Subject, 1 Thess. 5:9.

Brother Daniel Brower, of Augusta County, joined company with them about this time. On

SUNDAY, March 25, they have meeting at Carr's Creek meetinghouse, and stay all night at Brother Danner's.

MONDAY, March 26. They stay at Brother William Runnell's.

TUESDAY, March 27. They have meeting in Hampton schoolhouse; dine at Jonas Hill's, and have night meeting at Rapp's church. They stay all night at Mathias Rapp's.

WEDNESDAY, March 28. Stay all night at John Pursley's.

THURSDAY, March 29. Dine at Sister Sarah Grabeil's, and stay at Brother Peter Nininger's.