dead, her words of admonition followed me, and I wanted to meet her in heaven.

Sometimes I would read my bible and pray in secret, but I had no one to show me the way of salvation, and I failed to find the right way until I was eighteen years of age, when I attended a protracted meeting held by Robert Virtue in our schoolhouse. A goodly number of my comrades began to lead a new life. I saw my sinfulness, and desired greatly to find the peace others were rejoicing in, but found none. My burden became so great I could not sleep by night nor work by day. In this state of mind I went to the house of an old Christian lady by the name of Austin, to learn how to obtain the desire of my soul. Her two sons were rejoicing in the Saviour's love. I told them how I felt.

They said, "you desire above all things to serve God? You are willing to give up all for Christ?"

I replied, "Yes, I am."

"Only believe He does accept you, and you are accepted," they said.

I was enabled to let go of self, and to lay hold of Christ by faith; and his blessed peace came into my heart, and I went home rejoicing in God. The Lord had indeed put a new song in my mouth.

As I entered the house where I was staying, the people said, "William has found peace." They could see the change in my countenance.

We enjoyed ourselves greatly the winter of 1860- 61 in attending meetings, rejoicing in our new-found hope. Life seemed invested with something grander, nobler, than we had ever conceived of before. Those precious seasons I will never forget. O, why did we ever suffer our love to cool, or our light to wax dim!

Learning a Trade

My father ran a tannery and shoe shop, as well as a farm. When I was fifteen, I entered the shop to learn the shoemaker's trade. When I was sixteen, I went from house to house among the farmers, making boots and shoes for the family, a custom in vogue in those days.

At one place where I was working there were a number of young men preparing to go to the Michigan lumber woods. I got a great fever to