{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_62648/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_62648","id":"gutenberg_62648","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/62648","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Newgent, Andrew Jackson, 1838-1913"],"text":"[Illustration: REV. ANDREW JACKSON NEWGENT\n\nLatest Photograph.]\n\n\n\n\n                           THE EXPERIENCES OF\n                               UNCLE JACK\n\n                          Being a Biography of\n                       REV. ANDREW JACKSON NEWGENT\n\n                                   BY\n                           REV. W. ED. SNYDER\n                a Minister in the United Brethren Church\n\n                             [Illustration]\n\n                      _Nineteen Hundred and Eleven_\n\n                    _United Brethren Publishing House\n                            W. R. Funk, Agent\n                              Dayton, Ohio_\n\n                               _Printed by\n                    United Brethren Publishing House\n                            W. R. Funk, Agent\n                              Dayton, Ohio_\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\n\nThat which requires an apology should be left undone. Hence, the author\nof this humble work offers no apology in sending it forth. If it finds\nfavor in the sight of those into whose hands it may fall, he will\nappreciate it. If not, it is confidently assumed that the world will\npursue its wonted course, and no one will be the worse, if not the wiser.\n\nNo special literary excellence is claimed for it. It is a feeble, though\nhonest, attempt to preserve from the cold, merciless realm of oblivion a\nlife story that is well worth preserving\u2014the life story of one for whom I\nhave come to have the profoundest reverence and affection. My only regret\nis that it has not been done better.\n\nIts chief value consists in the fact that it reveals the fundamental\nelements of true character and true success. The life of \u201cUncle Jack\u201d\nNewgent is a conspicuous illustration of the fact that each individual is\nthe architect of his own fate or fortune, that the conditions of success\nare internal and not external. This has been his life philosophy and has\nbeen abundantly vindicated by his life record. His right to a proper\nregard among his fellows rests upon his sterling qualities of manhood,\ndevotion to a great purpose, and personal achievements that have added to\nthe sum total of the world\u2019s weal and worth. He belongs to a worthy line\nof foundation builders whose work underlies the great superstructures of\nboth church and state of the present day.\n\nHence, two purposes have been kept in view in the writing of this\nsketch\u2014to acknowledge, if not to pay, a debt of honor and gratitude the\nChurch owes to a worthy man; and by giving special attention to those\npersonal qualities that make for success always and everywhere, and which\nwere so strikingly exemplified in his character, to preserve the lessons\nof his life to the present and future generations in the hope that they\nmay thus contribute to the further progress of righteousness. If in this\nunpretentious little volume these purposes are in any degree fulfilled, I\nshall be abundantly satisfied.\n\n                                                            W. E. SNYDER.\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\n\nThe pleasing task of writing an introduction to the life of my noble\nfriend, Rev. A. J. Newgent, has fallen upon me. The intimate association\nwhich I have had with him for many years gives me a peculiar pleasure in\nseeing the record of his splendid life placed before the Church.\n\nBiography is one of the most important departments of literature, and Mr.\nNewgent is eminently worthy of the permanent place in history which this\nvolume accords him. I feel that fitting tributes in historic sketches\nshould not only be paid the men of God who have planted the Church in\nthis nation, but posterity should come and say over their graves, as\nPericles did over the bodies of his fallen fellow soldiers: \u201cYou are\nlike the divinities above us: you are known only by the benefits you\nhave conferred.\u201d It is of such a man, though still living among us,\nthat Dr. W. E. Snyder gives the accurately drawn portraiture in the\nchapters of this well-written biography. The work has been prepared\nwith good judgment and much skill. The incidents of his life are given\nin sufficient detail, and make the volume exceedingly interesting and\ninstructive. Such a publication is of great value, not only to those\nwho enter the ministry, but to the whole Church, and especially to the\nyoung. To study the career of one, who, by fortitude and zeal, has\ncarved his way from humble surroundings to a high place of honor among\nhis fellow-men\u2014passing through varied and striking vicissitudes in the\nstruggle\u2014can but inspire and ennoble other lives.\n\nEntering the ministry before our pioneer style of life had passed away\nin the west, Mr. Newgent adapted himself to the humblest conditions of\nsociety. The fields of labor which he occupied in those early years\nof his pastorate were sufficient to remind him of the privation and\nhardships of those who had preceded him; but no condition was humble\nenough or severe enough to deter him from the work to which his young\nlife had been consecrated. He could lodge in the loft of the lowliest\ncabin and subsist upon the cheapest fare. In quest of souls he thought\nlittle of anything else. Living among the people, a very small salary\nwould suffice for him. He knew what it was to live on a moiety of one\nhundred dollars and less. There have been no dangers or hardships, no\ntoils or privations, no suffering or sorrow sufficient to daunt his\nheroic spirit. Fortunately, Mr. Newgent is so constructed as to see the\nbright side of every difficulty, and his inimitable humor has made his\nfamily and friends laugh in the darkest hours of his ministerial life.\n\nUnflinching loyalty to the Church has ever marked the career of Mr.\nNewgent. Though he has been peculiarly free from sectarian prejudices or\nbitterness, his attachment to his own people has been conscientious and\nunwavering. All his energies have been devoted to the advancement of the\nChurch of his choice. He has stood for the defense of its doctrines and\npolity, and those who have drawn him into debate over any feature of our\nsystem have not challenged him a second time. In the earlier days of his\nministry he was many times called in debate with the strongest men of\nother denominations, and has proved himself equal to any antagonist who\nhas met him in discussion. Many have gone down before his unanswerable\narguments, and not a few have been driven from the contest because they\ncould not stand before the torrent of his eloquence and the indescribable\npower of his wit. In all his ministerial work these qualities have\noften been of great advantage to him. Few men could possess such wit\nand eccentricities as Mr. Newgent commands, and use them to advantage\nwithout some objection by the people. But like all his other gifts, these\npeculiar qualities have been consecrated to the service of doing good,\nand in their use he has maintained his ministerial consecration and\ninfluence with never a breath of suspicion cast upon his good name.\n\nIt is gratifying to his many friends that Mr. Newgent, though retired\nfrom the active work of the ministry, is still in possession of all\nhis mental powers, and no doubt will live to read his own biography.\nFew men have been so fortunate. To have spent his long and useful life\nin the most interesting period of the history of the Church, and then\nremain to read the part he has played in the making of that history,\nis a privilege that most of Christ\u2019s embassadors have never enjoyed.\nBack when the Publishing House was struggling for existence, he loyally\nsupported the little plant, and never failed to circulate our books and\npush our periodicals in every charge he has filled. When our institutions\nof learning were in their infancy, and much opposition was brought\nagainst education, he was a friend of the schools, and again and again\nhas gone into the field to raise money for their support. He has seen the\ngreat benevolent boards of the Church and nearly all our connectional\ninstitutions come up from the smallest beginnings, and has never failed\nto espouse the cause of these important agencies for the promotion of\nChrist\u2019s kingdom. Even the conference in which he began his ministry has\ngrown in his day from a handful to a host, and no man has watched its\ngrowth with deeper pride or more anxious concern than himself.\n\nI could write much more in the line of these thoughts, but the chapters\nof this volume will give in clear light the characteristics which can\nonly be hinted at in the limits of an introduction. The skilled pen of\nthe biographer will bring out in forceful and charming manner the noble\ntraits of the gifted brother whose career he has studied with great care\nand painstaking interest. Let the book have a wide circulation, let the\nyouth read its inspiring sentiments, and the horizon of their thoughts\nwill be enlarged and the desire to be loyal to God and to every good work\nwill be stimulated and strengthened.\n\n                                                            T. C. CARTER.\n\nNovember 27, 1911.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\n                                                                      PAGE\n\n    Preface                                                              3\n\n    Introduction                                                         4\n\n                               CHAPTER ONE\n\n    Ancestry\u2014Picture of pioneer life\u2014Imprisonment and release\n    of Pompey Smash\u2014Little Jack\u2019s short-cut in the study of\n    astronomy\u2014The fate of his first pair of breeches                     9\n\n                               CHAPTER TWO\n\n    The tragic death of the father\u2014Removal to Parke County\u2014School\n    Days\u2014Conversion\u2014Change of church relationship\u2014A remarkable\n    providence                                                          23\n\n                              CHAPTER THREE\n\n    Call to the ministry\u2014First sermon\u2014The boy preacher\u2014Answering\n    a fool after his folly\u2014Turning a camp-meeting tide\u2014Quieting a\n    skirmish\u2014Takes a wife                                               39\n\n                              CHAPTER FOUR\n\n    Conference membership\u2014Brulitz Creek ministry\u2014The modern\n    knight and his steed\u2014Abrupt closing of family devotions by\n    a dog-on-the-preacher\u2014An original marriage ceremony\u2014A case\n    of mistaken identity\u2014A banner missionary collection\u2014Shawnee\n    Prairie pastorate\u2014A cold day in April\u2014The redemption of Hell\u2019s\n    Half Acre\u2014Baiting for a perverse fish\u2014An experience in the\n    whisky business                                                     51\n\n                              CHAPTER FIVE\n\n    Six months at Rainsville\u2014A hot-bed of Southern sympathizers\u2014A\n    mix-up with saloon men\u2014A sermon on slavery\u2014Fire and\n    brimstone\u2014An antagonist outwitted\u2014A sermon from the book of\n    Newgent\u2014Can any good thing come out of Rainsville?                  70\n\n                               CHAPTER SIX\n\n    The war spirit in Indiana\u2014Breaking up a traitorous plot\u2014Narrow\n    escape from enemies\u2014Assists in securing recruits\u2014Becomes\n    chaplain of his regiment\u2014Exchange of courtesies with a\n    Presbyterian minister\u2014An embarrassing predicament\u2014Saves his\n    regiment from capture\u2014Organizes military church\u2014Chased by\n    Johnnies\u2014An exciting homeward journey                               80\n\n                              CHAPTER SEVEN\n\n    Plants the United Brethren banner in Terre Haute\u2014Prairieton\n    pastorate\u2014Difficulty with the sons of Anak\u2014A prayer without an\n    \u201cAmen\u201d\u2014Another community redeemed\u2014Going to the wrong doctor\u2014A\n    perverse colt\u2014An unintentional immersion\u2014One sermon that was\n    not dry                                                             98\n\n                              CHAPTER EIGHT\n\n    The New Goshen pastorate\u2014An old grudge healed\u2014Dry bones\n    revived\u2014Memorable year at \u201cDogtown\u201d\u2014\u201cDeath in the pot\u201d\u2014The\n    Hittites captured\u2014The \u201cJerks\u201d\u2014Other remarkable demonstrations\u2014A\n    rooster in the missionary collection\u2014First debate\u2014Unpleasant\n    sequel to a horse trade                                            111\n\n                              CHAPTER NINE\n\n    Labors at Mattoon, Illinois\u2014A persistent campaign and a great\n    victory\u2014Second New Goshen pastorate\u2014A coincidence\u2014Success at\n    Prairieton\u2014Laboring in the shadow\u2014The death of Mrs. Newgent\u2014A\n    bishop\u2019s tribute to her character                                  131\n\n                               CHAPTER TEN\n\n    First great debate\u2014The debate as an institution\u2014The\n    challenge\u2014Opponents get weak-kneed\u2014Prolonging maneuvers\u2014A\n    hungry multitude unfed\u2014Battle begins\u2014Questions discussed\u2014An\n    improvised creed for his opponent\u2014A premature baptism\u2014An\n    opponent\u2019s tribute to his genius\u2014Crowning the victor               138\n\n                             CHAPTER ELEVEN\n\n    Subsequent debates\u2014The Owen contest\u2014He got his\n    \u201cTreat\u201d\u2014Opponent\u2019s confession\u2014Dressing \u201cStone\u201d\u2014A scared\n    Baptist\u2014Invades the Lutheran ranks\u2014Measures steel with Doctor\n    Ingram\u2014Dissertation on infant baptism\u2014Opponent\u2019s early\n    flight\u2014Concludes the debate alone\u2014The Haw debate                   155\n\n                             CHAPTER TWELVE\n\n    Perrysville and Centerpoint\u2014Industry rewarded from an\n    unsuspected source\u2014A \u201cslick wedding\u201d\u2014Fruitful labors at\n    Centerpoint\u2014A one-sided union meeting\u2014The doctrine of the\n    resurrection again demonstrated                                    171\n\n                            CHAPTER THIRTEEN\n\n    Becomes a missionary superintendent\u2014Second marriage\u2014An\n    unexpected welcome\u2014Forms a Quaker friendship\u2014The Spirit moves\n    in a Quaker meeting\u2014A Quaker\u2019s prayer answered\u2014Builds a\n    college\u2014Shows what to do for a dead church\u2014Another tilt on the\n    doctrine of baptism\u2014Conversion of a Dunkard preacher\u2014Turns a\n    great movement in the right direction                              180\n\n                            CHAPTER FOURTEEN\n\n    Autumn\u2014The fading leaf\u2014Fruit in old age\u2014His later\n    labors\u2014Present home                                                196\n\n                             CHAPTER FIFTEEN\n\n    A Character Sketch                                                 202\n\n                             CHAPTER SIXTEEN\n\n    \u201cLights out,\u201d a dirge of the war                                   219\n\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER ONE.\n\n    _Ancestry\u2014Picture of Pioneer Life\u2014Imprisonment and Release\n    of Pompey Smash\u2014Little Jack\u2019s Short Cut in the Study of\n    Astronomy\u2014The Fate of his First Pair of Breeches._\n\n\nOnce upon a time, so long ago that the chronology of it has become hidden\nin the mists of historical uncertainties, a man with his family emigrated\nfrom the hill section of northern Ireland to the vicinity of Dublin. What\nhis real name was also belongs to the realm of the unknown, but among\nthe unsophisticated rural inhabitants with whom he had cast his lot he\nwas characterized simply as the \u201cnew gentleman.\u201d In course of time, the\nsomewhat cumbersome title became abbreviated to \u201cnew gent,\u201d the original\nappellation finally passing from common usage entirely. That this new\ngentleman was a person of some force of character may be inferred from\nthe distinction he seems to have achieved among his new neighbors and the\nfact that the name has been honored by men of rank and eminence among his\ndescendants, a conspicuous example being Lord Robert Newgent (or Nugent),\nthe celebrated Irish scholar and statesman.\n\nAmong the later descendants were three brothers who decided to cast their\nfortunes with the land of dreams and fancies across the Atlantic. Their\nnames were Edward, William, and Thomas Newgent. On reaching America\nEdward directed his course toward the sunny South, William remained\nsomewhere in the East, while Thomas struck out toward the vast region of\nunbroken forests on the western slopes of the Alleghenies. His pilgrimage\nterminated somewhere in the bounds of Kentucky. He secured a tract of\nland near Cincinnati, and in process of time met, wooed, and won a\nwealthy daughter of Virginia. He was contemporary with the Boones in\nreclaiming this great region of possibilities for civilization; helped\nto survey the State; taught school on both sides of the Ohio River,\nwinning for himself the title of \u201cIrish Schoolmaster,\u201d which, in this\ncase, carried with it no small degree of distinction. He was a soldier in\nthree wars, that of the Revolution, of 1812, and the Blackhawk War, for\nwhich services he received a pension from the Government. He professed\nreligion at the ripe age of eighty, and was spared to redeem in part his\nlong neglected opportunities by spending almost a quarter of a century in\nactive Christian service, his long and eventful life closing, according\nto an uncertain tradition, in the 103d year of his age. He was the father\nof Charles Newgent, who was the father of Andrew Jackson Newgent, the\nhero of this simple narrative.\n\nIn Charles Newgent the elements of character peculiar to his race were\nexceptionally strong. A most marked propensity was his fondness for a\njoke. He would take more interest in concocting some new trick to be\nplayed on a neighbor or in devising a scheme for merrymaking than in a\ncritical study of the Sermon on the Mount, or in solving an intricate\ntheological problem. But while the religious faculty remained somewhat\ndormant, he was warm-hearted and generous, a good neighbor and citizen,\naccording to the simple requirements of the times. In educational\nattainments he was far above the average. He was a prominent figure\nin local political circles, being a Jeffersonian Democrat of a rather\nemphatic type. His ever ready wit and fluency of speech made him a\nmaster on the stump and a formidable antagonist in political debates.\nThe ability to give a humorous turn to any remark or incident served\nhim well upon such occasions. His peculiar temperament gave him special\naptitude as an auctioneer, in which capacity he had no superior. People\nwould attend his sales as much to be entertained by his witticisms as for\nthe bargains he might have to offer, and those who came to laugh often\nremained to settle a bill for something they had no thought of purchasing.\n\nAt the age of nineteen, in the year 1825, he was married to Mary Pugh,\nof Shelby County, Kentucky, his native county. Her parents had come from\nScotland and were substantial citizens.\n\nSoon after their marriage they moved to Parke County, Indiana, and\nsettled on a tract of land which the wife had received as a dower from\nher father.\n\nPioneer life in Indiana need not here be enlarged upon. A solitary\ndwelling in the interminable and trackless forest; the building\nconsisting of a single room built of unhewn logs, roofed with hand-split\nclapboards; the chimney covering one entire end of the building; the\nrough doors swung on wooden hinges; the small windows with greased paper\nor the tanned skins of animals through which a bit of daylight finds its\nway with difficulty; the huge fireplace used for both cooking and heating\npurposes; the few pieces of hand-made furniture\u2014these were some of the\noutward aspects of domestic life out on the ragged edge of civilization.\nThe cabin of the Newgents was typical of those of their neighbors, the\nnearest of whom lived some fifteen miles distant. The larger wild animals\nwere frequent visitors and the war whoop of the Indian had scarcely died\naway.\n\nAfter a brief residence at this place they moved to Sullivan County.\nHere, on Saturday, September 15, 1838, the subject of this sketch was\nborn. He was the youngest of seven sons. Subsequently the family circle\nwas enlarged by the addition of two daughters. The father\u2019s political\nbias was again asserted in the name, Andrew Jackson, assigned to this\nyoungest son, after the great hero of early Democracy. The name often has\ngiven occasion for humorous touches by the owner, especially in referring\nto his early life. By the neighbors and older members of the family, he\nsays, he was dubbed General Andrew Jackson. Later the military title was\ndropped and he became plain Andrew Jackson, and by successive stages the\nname was further abbreviated until the boy was doomed to answer to the\nsimple cognomen of \u201cJack.\u201d Whether this was a process of evolution or of\ndegeneration, he was destined to win for himself a title that would stand\nfor real worth and attainment; that would represent the love of little\nchildren, as well as the esteem of men and women, when the affectionate\nappellation of \u201cUncle Jack\u201d would become a household term in multitudes\nof homes.\n\nPerhaps it is to the Scotch blood of his mother that he owes the more\nsolid elements of his character. The Scotch character stands for thrift,\nenergy, and integrity, so that wherever the hardy Scotchman goes he\ncarries with him the best elements of citizenship. These combined with\nthe quick wit and genial temperament of the sons of Erin produced in our\nsubject a personality rich in depth and resourcefulness.\n\nThe emigration instinct, always strong in the pioneer, again became\nactive, and the family set out for a new destination. This time it was\nPaw Paw Bend in Knox County, Indiana, so named because of its location in\na bend of White River, and the prolific growth of paw paw trees for which\nthe fertile lands were especially adapted. Our subject was then about\neighteen months old. Here he spent the years of early childhood. Some\nincidents numbered among his earliest recollections and which serve to\nillustrate the home life and social conditions in which these years were\npassed, will not be out of place in this connection.\n\nDuring this period religious services were practically unknown in Paw\nPaw Bend. The chief diversions were such social functions as shooting\nmatches, wood choppings, log rollings, husking bees, and dances. The\nspelling bee was still of too intellectual a character to win popularity.\nAt all such gatherings the familiar demijohn of corn whiskey was\nconsidered an indispensable adjunct.\n\nHence, the announcement of a preaching service to be held at the Newgent\nhome on a following Sunday morning was hailed throughout the settlement\nas a new thing under the sun. Of course everybody would go. The preacher\nwas to be Rev. Nathan Hinkle, a Methodist itinerant. It was out of no\nparticular religious scruples that the host, Charles Newgent, volunteered\nto entertain the assemblage on this occasion, yet he had no aversion to\npreachers or churches, and in common with his neighbors, he was always\nready to encourage anything that would break the monotony and afford\nsocial diversion.\n\nIt so happened that on Saturday evening before this memorable day, Pompey\nSmash, a negro fiddler, was passing through the neighborhood and asked\nto stay over night at Mr. Newgent\u2019s. He was informed by the head of the\nhouse that he would be furnished lodging on condition that he dispense\nmusic for a family dance. The terms were accepted and there was a sound\nof revelry by night as the little company beat time on the puncheon floor\nto the droll tunes of their musical guest.\n\nEarly next morning the congregation began to assemble for worship. The\npresence of the fiddler led to the suggestion that the time spent in\nwaiting for the arrival of the preacher be used to the best possible\nadvantage. Accordingly the Ethiopian turned his fiddle\u2014for it was before\nthe violin was invented; the familiar demijohn was set in a conspicuous\nplace, and the gentlemen chose their partners. Lest the preacher\u2019s sudden\narrival in the midst of such hilarious scenes be the occasion of a shock\nor an offense to his ecclesiastical dignity, a member of the party was\ndispatched to do picket service. The watchman, having imbibed too freely\nof the contents of the jug, fell asleep at his post. The dance had gone\non merrily for some time in its rapturous excitement; the preacher and\nchurch service were utterly forgotten. When, lo! the alarm was sounded.\nThe faithless watchman had allowed the company to be taken by surprise.\nThe approach of the reverend was discovered in the nick of time; the\ndance came to an abrupt stop. To prevent the minister from \u201csmelling a\nrat,\u201d a puncheon was removed hastily from the floor, and the fiddler,\nthe fiddle, and the whiskey jug were thrust unceremoniously through the\nopening into the cellar excavation below. And the people put on their\nSunday faces for church.\n\nAfter the services a part of the congregation, including the shepherd\nof the flock, remained for dinner. This necessarily prolonged the\nimprisonment of the negro, but when it is recalled that the whiskey\njug was a prison companion, we may surmise that the hours were not\nso \u201ctedious and tasteless\u201d as otherwise they might have been. The\nsolemnities of the day came to an end with the departure of the minister;\nthe prison was then opened and the prisoner released. An \u201cafter service\u201d\nfollowed, which, it may be conjectured, was more in harmony with the\ntastes of the congregation.\n\nWhile unlimited resources lay at the very doors of these pioneer cabins,\nthe backwoodsmen lacked the facilities for developing them. Their tastes\nwere not so exacting as in later days, and beyond the sheer necessities\nand comforts of the household, ambition did not spur them on. While\nordinarily the family dined on homely fare, the industrious housewife\noften became so proficient in the culinary art as to be able to concoct\nmost tempting dishes with the raw products that nature placed in easy\nreach. The sap of the maple tree, wild grapes, paw paws, and persimmons,\nas well as the products of garden, orchard, and field were utilized\nin providing for their physical wants. Persimmons ripened with the\nearly frosts, and when put up in maple syrup, became a staple and most\ndelicious article of diet. By the addition of the proper quantity of\nwhiskey, the standard remedy for most of the ills the flesh is heir to,\nthe mixture afforded in addition to its other virtues, a sure cure for\nague, commonly called \u201cager.\u201d This led to an episode in which little\nJack and three older brothers were the leading figures, and which he\nfacetiously labeled \u201ca short cut in the study of astronomy.\u201d\n\nThe children were left alone one afternoon. The oldest of the quartet\nwas familiar with the process of preparing the common ague antidote. The\nnecessary ingredients were, as usual, within easy reach. So he proceeded\nto administer the remedy to his younger brothers on the principle that\n\u201cif a little did good, more would do better.\u201d The bearing of this\nprocedure upon the science of astronomy becomes apparent when we\nremember that among the unschooled of that day it was a mooted question\nas to whether or not the world is round and revolves upon its axis, as\nthe geographies teach. Jack declared that after taking a few doses it\nwas painfully evident to him that the world did turn round and turned at\nsuch a rapid rate that he found it difficult to keep from falling off.\nWhen the mother returned she found the three younger boys lying on the\nfloor unconscious, and the author of the mischief sitting astride a joist\noverhead the unceiled room in a hilarious condition. By the free use of\nsweet milk the younger boys were restored to consciousness, but a special\ntreatment was reserved for the one who led them into temptation. However,\nJack found this short course in astronomy sufficient for all practical\npurposes, and he has never had the occasion or inclination to extend it.\n\nHis early years were as happy and free from care amid these primitive\nsurroundings, as childhood life could well be, even in what might be\nconsidered more favorable circumstances. Life was simple in the extreme,\neven crude, but it was the best he knew. There was nothing in the lives\nof his associates calculated to excite envy or cause discontent with his\nown lot. But in this connection one incident stands out in bold relief to\nmar the picture of boyish contentment.\n\nA single garment of homespun, or \u201ctow linen,\u201d was all that was considered\nnecessary in the way of clothing under ordinary circumstances for a boy\nof that age. It marked a new era in his life when the loose garment which\ncovered the anatomy down to the knees was supplemented by a pair of\nbreeches of the same material. Upon one occasion as Jack stood watching\nhis mother as she was measuring the material for the older boys\u2019 winter\nsuits, he heard her remark that there would probably be enough scraps\nleft over to make him a pair of breeches. With emotions alternating\nbetween hope and fear, he waited impatiently for the outcome. His joy was\nunbounded when he found that his hopes were to be realized. His mother\nlaid him on the floor and thus marked the pattern. It was seen that the\nclosest economy had to be used to make the goods hold out; so instead of\nthe regulation number of two suspenders which were one piece with the\nbreeches, the material would only warrant the making of one. By extending\nit from one side on the back diagonally across the shoulder, making\nconnection on the opposite side in front, the new habiliment maintained\nits balance and no special inconvenience was suffered.\n\nBut alas! his rejoicing was soon to be turned into mourning. A few days\nlater, clad in his new outfit, he went with his brothers to the woods\nto gather pecans. It was a warm autumn afternoon, and in climbing and\nclubbing the trees and picking up the nuts, the boys found it convenient\nto cast off unnecessary articles of clothing. As Jack had scarcely become\naccustomed to more than one garment, he could easily dispense with the\nbreeches for the time. Accordingly they were removed and hung on a bush\nnear by, and for a time forgotten in the fascination of nut hunting. When\nthe party was ready to start home with the fruits of their toil, he was\nalarmed to find that his cherished breeches had disappeared. The boys\nsearched diligently but found them not. When about ready to give up in\ndespair, they chanced to observe, a short distance away, a mellow-eyed,\ncrinkly-horned, brindle cow making a meal off the lad\u2019s wearing apparel,\nor perhaps using it for dessert, as though it were a dainty morsel. And\nthe last Jack saw of his first pair of breeches was the lone suspender\ndangling from the innocent old brindle\u2019s mouth, the major part of them\nhaving been engulfed in her capacious maw. And to the sorrow of his\nheart, his wardrobe for another year was limited to the single piece of\nhomespun.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER TWO.\n\n    _The Tragic Death of the Father\u2014Removal to Parke County\u2014School\n    Days\u2014Conversion\u2014Change of Church Relationship\u2014A Remarkable\n    Providence._\n\n\nThus far our narrative has covered the childhood of our subject up to\nthe ninth year of his age. At this juncture occurred an event that cast\nthe first real shadow over his youthful pathway. It was the death of\nhis father, the tragic nature of which and the subsequent effect it\nwas to have upon his career, made the shadow all the deeper and more\nsignificant. Charles Newgent went with a company consisting of sixty\nadventurous spirits, upon an expedition to the West, the real object\nof which seems to be somewhat indefinite. The restless and venturesome\nspirit of the pioneer, a curious desire to penetrate the mysteries of the\ngreat western world, the dream of untold treasures that nature had in\nstore for those who dared to conquer the dragons that guarded them\u2014all\nmay have figured in this ill-fated enterprise. However that may have\nbeen, while crossing the western plains the company was attacked and\nmassacred by a band of hostile Indians. As in the calamities that befell\nJob\u2019s household, one of the number was left to tell the story. This one\nwas supposed by the savages to have shared the fate of all the rest,\nbeing left on the field for dead; but it so happened that in his case the\nweapon of death did not do complete work. He was picked up the next day\nby a party of hunters to whom he was able to give a vague account of the\npreceding day\u2019s terrible tragedy.\n\nAfter the father\u2019s death, the mother with her nine children moved back to\ntheir former home in Parke County. Life then took on a sterner aspect for\nthe boy. His tender hands must perform their part in the maintenance of\nthe family. Accordingly he hired out to Mr. Jesse Maddox, a neighboring\nfarmer. His wages the first year were to be a pair of shoes, ten bushels\nof corn, and the privilege of attending the district school. The market\nprice of corn was ten cents per bushel. Even at this modest stipend\nhe admits that he made money, \u201cthough not very much.\u201d While in after\nyears of fruitful labors in the ministry he often remarked that the\nquestion that most perplexed him was how to earn what he received, it\nis not probable that the question at this time had assumed very serious\nproportions.\n\nThe most important stipulation in the contract was the privilege\nof attending school. But even this is subject to shrinkage when we\nrecall that the school system of Indiana was then in its first stage\nof development. It afforded no royal path to learning, and the common\nthoroughfare was neither smooth nor flowery. We would scarcely expect to\nfind in the schoolroom comforts that the home itself was a stranger to.\nStrikingly suggestive of the interior aspect of those primitive seats of\nlearning are the lines from Whittier\u2019s \u201cIn School Days\u201d:\n\n    \u201cWithin, the master\u2019s desk is seen,\n      Deep scarred by raps official;\n    The battered seats, the warping floor,\n      The jack knife\u2019s carved initial.\n\n    \u201cThe charcoal frescoes on the wall,\n      The door\u2019s worn sill betraying\n    The feet that creeping late to school,\n      Went storming out to playing.\u201d\n\nTo fit the particular building in which our subject first tasted\nthe fruit of the tree of knowledge, the picture needs but slight\nmodification. If anything, it should be made even more simple and\nprimitive. The \u201cbattered\u201d seats were made of puncheon. Since this word\nis passing from common usage, it may be well to explain that puncheon\nis made by splitting a small log in two equal parts. The split edges\nare then trimmed down, and the pieces thus treated served as a rough\nsubstitute for sawed lumber. To make them into seats, two holes were\nbored near each end in the unhewn side. These being at proper angles,\nwooden pins were inserted into them for legs. The rude seat was then\nready for service. It is not to be taken for granted that these seats\nwere always made perfectly smooth. What was lacking to smooth them down\nby the workmen was expected to be completed by the pupils. They finished\nthe task, but often it was a long and painful process, with many a\nprotest from a new gown of homespun or a pair of \u201ctow-linen,\u201d home-grown\nbreeches. Thus, with no rest for the arms or the back, with one side\nscorched by the heat from the great fireplace and the other chilled by\nthe winter winds creeping through cracks in floor and walls and roof,\nthe children wore away the dreary hours. The floor, being composed\nof this same puncheon, did not easily warp. The recess recreation\nconsisted mainly in carrying fuel from the surrounding forest to feed the\nevery-hungry fireplace.\n\nWhatever dignity the schoolmaster may have possessed in the eyes of his\npupils, certain it is he was not the original of Goldsmith\u2019s creation in\nthe \u201cDeserted Village,\u201d of whom the wonder was \u201cthat one small head could\ncarry all he knew.\u201d Beyond the traditional essentials of scholarship,\nconsisting of reading, writing, and ciphering, with a specially intimate\nacquaintance with the spelling book, he did not pretend to lead. His\nchief business was to govern the school. He proved his divine right\nto his throne in the schoolroom by his ability to handle the most\nobstreperous cases the district could produce. The scholars were on hand\nas a challenge to his generalship. The hero of the school was the one who\nheld out longest against his despotic authority. To lick the teacher was\nthe height of his ambition. This realized, his place in the local hall of\nfame was secure. According to the philosophy of the times \u201clickin\u2019 and\nlarnin\u2019\u201d went hand in hand, lickin\u2019 being essential, while larnin\u2019 was\nincidental.\n\nThe school house was three miles from the Maddox home. The school was\nmaintained on the basis that \u201cwhosoever will may come.\u201d There was no\npenalty for tardiness or absence, but as young Newgent possessed a\nreal thirst for knowledge and was in the habit of making the most of\nwhatever he undertook, his attendance was more regular than the average.\nHowever, the sum total of his schooling was limited to three terms of\nabout three months each, an aggregate of nine months. Meager as were his\nschool advantages, they were well improved and furnished a foundation\nfor self-culture upon which he built as only a genius can. He learned\nto read in less than four weeks, and his progress was correspondingly\nrapid throughout. His real school was not bounded by the walls of the\nlog school house; it was rather the great school of life with its harsh\ndiscipline and inexhaustible curriculum; and in this he grew to be the\npeer of the ripest products of educational institutions. \u201cOpportunities,\u201d\nhe says, in his characteristic way, \u201cthe woods has always been full of\nopportunities. I had splendid opportunities when I was a boy, and so did\nmy companions; but many of them, like some young folks now, failed to see\nthem.\u201d He saw what many fail to see, that opportunities are not so much\nin our environment as in ourselves, and that success is not determined by\noutward circumstances, but by one\u2019s own will and energy.\n\nA habit early formed was that of turning everything to account in the\npursuit of knowledge. Mrs. Newgent, anxious to encourage her children\u2019s\npropensities for study, furnished the home with such reading matter as\nher means would permit. Though the family were separated most of the\ntime, they came together at frequent intervals. On these occasions the\ntime was well spent in reading and in discussing current topics. Whatever\nwas read became the subject of conversation. These conversations often\ntook the form of argument, in which the various sides of a subject were\npresented and zealously defended. Thus, he early displayed and developed\nan aptitude for argumentative discussion, which made him a master in\ndebate, and is a strong element in all his public discourses.\n\nHis conversion occurred when he was about ten years old, while still in\nthe service of Mr. Maddox, a benefit which was not considered in the\ncontract with his employer. This took place during a gracious revival\nat the Canaan Methodist church, of which his employer was a member and\nwas serving at the time as class leader and janitor. The meeting had\nbeen in progress for a number of days; many had found the Savior, and\nthe community was deeply stirred. He had been sent to open the church\nand build the fire for the evening service. While going quietly about\nhis duties, all alone, the impression came to him quite vividly that he\nought to be a Christian, and he resolved to go to the \u201cmourner\u2019s bench\u201d\nthat night. He was never long in making up his mind, and when a decision\nwas once made, it was as a law of the Medes and Persians. So he went to\nthe altar that night and each succeeding night for more than a week. One\nevening as he was listening to the sermon, conviction became so intense\nthat in his extremity he left the house. Though it was a cold night and\nthe ground was covered with snow, he stole out in the woods. Kneeling in\nthe snow, this youthful Jacob wrestled with God in prayer. How long he\ntarried, he could not tell, but faith triumphed, and the next he knew\nthe woods were resounding with his shouts of victory. Rushing into the\nchurch while the preacher was yet talking, he put an end to the sermon\nby his shouting and praising God. The congregation was electrified. Soon\nthe demonstration became general, and for a time pandemonium held sway;\nbut it was of a sort in which there were both method and meaning, for its\nsource was from above.\n\nLike God\u2019s servant of old, he could say, \u201cMy heart is fixed.\u201d He joined\nthe church and from that time never missed an opportunity to pray and\ntestify in public or private. At that time children did not receive much\nattention from the church. Churches were strong on saving souls from\ndamnation, but the idea of saving the entire life for service had not\ntaken deep root. As a result of the revival there was a large class of\n\u201cprobationers.\u201d When the period of probation had expired, according to\nthe church law, and they were to be admitted into full membership, his\nname was not on the list. He was not considered a member; at least that\nwas his version of it, and the only logical conclusion the case would\nwarrant. It was a sore disappointment, but of too delicate a nature to\nmention to his elders. So he kept his feelings to himself.\n\nThus matters stood for little more than a year, when he learned that\nthere was to be a quarterly meeting at the Otterbein United Brethren\nChurch a few miles away. This church belonged to the Rockville Circuit\nof the Wabash Conference. Rev. William Sherrill was the pastor. The\npresiding elder, who was to hold the quarterly conference, was Rev.\nSamuel Zuck. Both were strong and good men. Jack had never attended a\nUnited Brethren service. What knowledge he had of the Church was gained\nthrough conversations overheard in the Maddox home. Ministers being\nfrequently entertained there, conversation at such times naturally took\nto religious channels. As this was an age when churches did not entertain\nthe most fraternal feelings toward one another, these conversations were\nnot calculated, as a rule, to produce a favorable opinion of a rival\ndenomination. His interest in churches and religion was genuine, born of\na desire to know the truth. Hence, is was not mere curiosity that led him\nto obtain his employer\u2019s permission to spend Saturday and Sunday with a\nneighbor in the Otterbein community so that he might attend the services\nof the quarterly meeting.\n\nThe Church proved to be his affinity. Whatever misgivings he had,\nvanished one by one. The general atmosphere of the first service\nharmonized with his temperament. There was spirit in the singing. His\nheart burned within him as he listened to the eloquent sermon by the\npresiding elder; and when the pastor followed, as the custom was, with a\nwarm exhortation, he was enraptured. He resolved to join the Church. As\nusual, the decision was made without much preliminary. He knew where he\nstood, and stood there with both feet. When he returned, his employer, as\nwell as his own folks, was thunderstruck to learn that he had become a\nfull-fledged United Brethren. Having put his hand to the plow, he never\nturned back. \u201cI have been so busy,\u201d is a common saying with him, \u201cthat I\nhave never had time to backslide.\u201d\n\nIt should be said in justice to the church where he first joined, that\nhis name had been entered upon the book, but by mistake it was placed\nin the list with the full members. This accounts for his not being\nreceived with the probationers, to which class he belonged, and led to\nthe conclusion that he was not considered a member. Thus an apparently\ninsignificant thing may prove to be a matter of vital importance.\n\nAs a boy he possessed pronounced convictions and a keen sense of\nreligious obligation. This is demonstrated by an incident which occurred\nwhile he was in the employ of Mr. Jerry Rush, a short time after leaving\nthe service of Mr. Maddox. Mr. Rush was a well-to-do farmer and stock\ndealer. Neither he nor his wife made any profession of religion, though\ntheir lives were regarded as exemplary and above question in other\nrespects. Some of the men who worked on the farm, however, were of the\nbaser sort. It seemed strange to young Newgent that a man of Mr. Rush\u2019s\nhabits would surround himself with men who were utterly destitute of\nmoral scruples or of the commonest decencies. To him their vulgarity\nand profanity were a source of constant annoyance. At one time as their\ncoarse jests were grating on his sensitive ears, he was impressed with\nthe idea that this uncouth crowd afforded him a field for missionary\nwork. The impression was not long in taking definite shape. It came with\nthe force of a challenge, a bugle call to duty, a call that he never\nfailed to heed. His mind was made up that he would offer prayer with\nthese men before they retired that evening if Mr. Rush would grant him\nthe privilege.\n\nIt was a bold resolve, an ordeal from which a braver heart might well\nhave shrunk. Let eloquent tongues proclaim the praise of those who face\ndeath at the cannon\u2019s mouth, or the inspired pen immortalize the hero,\nwho, amid the applause of admiring multitudes, imperils his own life to\nsave another; but who would not count it a worthy act to place a laurel\nwreath upon the brow of a fourteen-year-old lad who dared to face, not\none Goliath, but a company of Goliaths, with the simple weapon of faith,\nand demand that they bow before their God while he offered a petition in\nbehalf of their needy souls? Yet this resolute purpose was to undergo\na severe test. The fiercest battles are fought in our own hearts. As\nthe time drew near, he felt his courage slipping away. He stole out to\nthe barn for a time of secret prayer, that he might be equal to the\nemergency. Feeling comforted and strengthened, he started to the house to\nexecute his plan. On reaching the yard gate his courage seemed to take\nflight, and he could go no farther. He went back to the place of prayer.\nOn the second venture he got as far as the door, when his strength again\nvanished. Not to be beaten, he went back to the barn to fight the battle\nto a finish. The third effort won the day. He hastened to the house,\ndetermined not to give the enemy a chance. The men were sitting about\nthe fire. Without a word by way of preliminary, he stepped up to Mr.\nRush and asked permission to kneel with them in prayer. The permission\nwas granted, and a solemn hush came over the startled company as they\nlistened while the boy, with trembling voice and stammering accents,\npoured out his soul to God. He then sought his bed with the consciousness\nthat he had done his duty. A sweet peace filled his soul and he lay for\nhours in ecstacy of joy.\n\nThe next evening the family devotions were repeated. But on the third\nevening the prayer was forestalled by a preconcerted plan on the part of\nthe men. As the time for prayer approached, one after another, they arose\nand stalked out of the room, and the victor in two hard-fought battles\nwas left alone\u2014defeated and dejected. His spirits dropped down to zero.\nThe fiery dart had pierced him through and through. In agony of soul he\nsought his bed, but not to rest. Out of the depth of his troubled heart\nhe called upon God for comfort. But the fury of the storm seemed only\nto increase. In his desperation he felt that something must be done.\nSo, about the hour of midnight, he arose, dressed himself, and left the\nhouse to go\u2014he knew not where. Through the remaining hours of the night\nhe wandered, directing his course toward the West. Daylight came, the\nsun rose above the horizon and pursued its course toward the zenith,\nbut his pilgrimage continued. At noon he found himself in the city of\nTerre Haute, then a mere village. Here he tarried for a time to seek\nemployment. Failing in this, he resumed his westward journey. He asked\nfor work at the various farm houses which he passed. While he found kind\nhearts who, touched by pity for the youthful pilgrim, gave him food and\ntemporary shelter, he found no man to hire him until he reached Mattoon,\nIllinois, nearly a hundred miles from whence he started. Work at that\nseason of the year was scarce, and his term of service at Mattoon was\nbrief. At the end of three days his employer gave him his wages with the\nintelligence that his services were no longer needed.\n\nHe now decided to go back to Indiana. With his three days\u2019 wages in his\npocket, with which he expected to pay for his transportation at least\npart of the way, he set out upon the return journey. Within the vicinity\nof Terre Haute he succeeded in finding steady employment and a congenial\nhome.\n\nThere were two sides to this story, and some months after Jack was\nsettled in his new home he learned the other side. It was glorious news\nto him. The sequel was that Mr. Rush was converted, joined the Baptist\nChurch, and became a zealous leader in religious work. It came about in\nthis way: When Mr. Rush found that Jack had disappeared and diligent\neffort failed to solve the mystery of his disappearance, a feeling of\nremorse over his unchristian conduct so possessed him that for days he\nwas almost in a state of frenzy. Remorse took the form of spiritual\nconviction and genuine repentance which led to a glorious conversion.\n\nOn learning of the whereabouts of his young benefactor, Mr. Rush at once\nwent to see him, and told him his side of the story. He confessed to\nJack that he was a guilty party to the scheme the men had used to defeat\nhim. The boy\u2019s awkward prayer together with their own antipathy for such\npious exercises was a source of embarrassment to the men, and they agreed\namong themselves to use the method described to rid themselves of further\nannoyance. Little did Mr. Rush realize that those awkward prayers were to\nbe the means of his salvation.\n\n    \u201cGod moves in a mysterious way,\n      His wonders to perform,\n    He plants his footsteps on the sea,\n      He rides upon the storm.\n\n    \u201cJudge not the Lord with feeble sense,\n      But trust him for his grace,\n    Behind a frowning providence\n      He hides a smiling face.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER THREE.\n\n    _Call to the Ministry\u2014First Sermon\u2014The Boy Preacher\u2014Answering\n    a Fool After his Folly\u2014Turning a Camp Meeting Tide\u2014Quieting a\n    Skirmish\u2014Takes a Wife._\n\n\nProvidence seemed to ordain that there should be one preacher in the\nNewgent family and that that one should be Jack. As has been observed,\nhis religious zeal from the time of his conversion at the age of ten,\nwas exceptional. Just when the first impression looking toward the\nministry came to him he could scarcely tell, such impressions having been\nassociated more or less with his religious experience from the beginning.\nBy the time he was thirteen the conviction that he had a \u201cdivine call\u201d to\npreach the gospel became clear and definite. And the conviction deepened\nwith the passing of time. Of course, no one dreamed of the emotions that\nwere stirring the boy\u2019s breast, and to him the ministry was so high and\nsacred a calling as to seem infinitely beyond his possibilities. Hence,\nhe dared not express his feelings to even his most intimate friends, and\nso received no sympathy or encouragement from any human source. He went\nabout his Father\u2019s business in his own way, rendering such service to\nthe cause of his Master as a boy of his years was capable of. His zeal\nknew no abatement, and such diligence is sure to lead to recognition and\nreward.\n\nThe minister who first took a special interest in him was Rev. Ira Mater,\nan able preacher and a sympathetic discerner of the thoughts and intents\nof the heart. Between the man and the lad there sprang up a beautiful\nfriendship, suggestive of that between Paul and Timothy. Rev. Mr. Mater\nfrequently invited his young friend to accompany him to his appointments,\nand by way of stirring up the gift that was in this prospective Timothy,\nsometimes called upon him to open the service, to exhort after the\nsermon, or perform such other public ministrations as were convenient.\nRev. Mr. Newgent has always gratefully acknowledged his indebtedness to\nthis spiritual father.\n\nThis association with Rev. Mr. Mater was during his sixteenth and\nseventeenth years. He was small and rather delicate for one of his age.\nHis entire youth was a continual conflict with disease, the entire\ncategory of which seemed to try their hand upon his slender frame.\nBut while his body was frail, his mind was strong and alert. That\nhis positive temperament and seeming disposition to never give up had\nsomewhat to do in staving off the grim monster, death, is not at all\nunlikely.\n\nHis first regular discourse was preached at the Stedd School House\nnear Fontanet, in Clay County, Indiana. The school house was used as a\npreaching point and weekly prayer meetings were maintained. He was a\nfrequent attendant at these services, and one evening, on entering the\nhouse, he was met by the leader who said, \u201cJack, the people are expecting\nyou to preach to-night.\u201d That he was to preach was simply a surmise, his\nassociation with Rev. Mr. Mater being the probable foundation of it.\nBut some one surmised out loud and the rumor gained currency. Observing\nhis surprise at this intelligence, the leader continued, \u201cYou had\njust as well begin here and now,\u201d in a manner that indicated that it\nwas a foregone conclusion that preaching was to be his life business.\nAnd Jack preached. At any rate, if the effort could not be classed as\npreaching, it was a splendid substitute for it. He announced as a text,\n\u201cIf the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the\nsinner appear?\u201d The congregation was visibly affected by his fervor and\nearnestness, some of the more demonstrative ones giving vent to their\nfeelings in shouts of praise. He was urged to preach the next night, and\nthe meetings were continued for more than a week, being held at various\nprivate homes, Newgent preaching at each service. The divine seal was\nthus placed upon his ministry, and the meeting marked the beginning of a\nnew epoch in his career.\n\nA few weeks later the Rockville quarterly conference granted him a\nlicense to preach. The action was taken in his absence. J. P. White\nwas the preacher in charge and Thomas M. Hamilton was the presiding\nelder. The action of the quarterly conference was almost a superfluous\nformality, as he was now so greatly in demand that he could not well\navoid preaching.\n\nThe boy preacher was a popular character. To see a man on the _ante\nmeridian_ of life in the pulpit was at that time quite unusual. The\npopular prejudice was in favor of men who had spent the major part of\ntheir lives on the farm or in business, thus acquiring a competence\nthat would enable them to proclaim that salvation is free without being\nembarrassed or embarrassing their congregations on the money question.\nHence, a diminutive lad of seventeen, weighing only about eighty pounds,\nexercising the ministerial function was in itself sufficient to attract\nthe multitudes. Wherever he preached he was greeted by immense audiences.\nBy many he was regarded as a prodigy, though he could not be classed as\nsuch, prodigies seldom accomplishing more than to afford amusement for\ncurious spectators. It is true, however, that he displayed qualities\nunusual for one of his years, though it must be admitted that the greater\npart of his power lay in his intense religious zeal and earnestness.\n\nSome characteristic incidents in this part of his ministry will not\nonly be of interest in themselves, but will at the same time serve to\nillustrate his unique individuality. He went on one occasion to fill\nan appointment at what was known as the Rough and Ready School House.\nThe name was justified by the prevailing social conditions. Like Paul\non Mars Hill, he found that at least some of the people were very\nreligious, though their religious energy was not always directed to the\nbest advantage. Not infrequently does it transpire that men will fight\nfor their religion even when they are utterly averse to the practice of\nit, a fact which had a forcible illustration in this particular service.\nHe preached with his usual energy. The house was crowded and the sermon\nseemed to be well received. There happened to be present a minister of\nwhat was designated as the Campbellite persuasion. Evidently the sermon\ndid not coincide with his theological bias. He asked permission to\nsay a few words as the speaker took his seat. The permission granted,\nhe sallied forth with a tirade of abuse and denunciation of the young\npreacher and his theology in which his passion played a larger part than\neither his judgment or his conscience. When he finally ran down, Newgent\narose in a calm manner and said, \u201cBrother, with your way of applying\nScripture, I can prove that Eve was the mother of a turkey buzzard.\u201d\n\u201cProve it, then,\u201d shouted back the irascible theologue. \u201cWell, the Bible\nsays that Eve was the mother of all living, and that includes turkey\nbuzzards. Let us be dismissed,\u201d and calling the audience to their feet,\nhe pronounced the benediction before his assailant had time to reply.\n\nAt another time, with his brother, John Newgent, he happened to drop\nin at a Methodist camp meeting in Sullivan County. They arrived just\nin time for the morning service. A number of ministers were seated on\nthe platform, among them being Rev. Hayden Hayes, the presiding elder.\nRev. Mr. Hayes had met Newgent on a former occasion, and as soon as he\nsaw him enter the camp, rushed back and taking him by the arm, led him\nto the platform. Hayes was a strong, portly man, and the delicate lad\nwas helpless in his grasp; thus he was led as a lamb to the slaughter,\nand was informed that he must preach. Though he vainly sought to be\nexcused, yet he was equal to the emergency. He had proceeded about ten\nminutes with his discourse, when a man sitting a few feet in front of the\nplatform was converted and began to shout. He continued, and four others\nin the congregation broke loose in like manner, all of them having been\nconverted through the effect of the sermon, and the discourse disappeared\nin a whirlwind of praise that completely drowned the speaker\u2019s voice. Up\nto that time there had been no move in the meeting.\n\nJohn Newgent was imbued with the old-school Baptist doctrine and had not\nsympathized with his brother\u2019s preaching propensities. After resuming\ntheir journey they rode for a time in silence. Finally the older brother\nsaid, \u201cJack, you know I have always opposed your preaching. But I want to\nsay that I have no further objection to it; but,\u201d he added with quivering\nlips, \u201cI want you to pray for me.\u201d The sermon had touched his heart.\n\nThough urgent demands were made upon the boy preacher to stay and assist\nin the meeting, he was unable to do so, and heard nothing further from\nit until after he had returned from the war, when by chance he again\npassed through the vicinity. He stopped at the home of a Mrs. Mayfield,\non whose farm the camp was located, to get his dinner and his horse fed.\nAs he was taking his leave, having paid his bill, he chanced to observe\nthe camp ground a short distance away. Up to that time he was not aware\nthat he was in the immediate vicinity of it. He inquired of his hostess\nconcerning the camp meetings. She told him that but one such meeting had\nbeen held, though the intention was to make it a permanent institution.\nThe unsettled condition of times during the Rebellion prevented the plan\nfrom being carried out.\n\n\u201cHow was that meeting?\u201d Newgent asked, as one who had a peculiar interest\nin it.\n\n\u201cOh, it was a grand success. There was a little Baptist preacher from\nnear Lafayette happened in and preached one morning, and just set things\non fire. From that time on the meetings were powerful.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat was the fellow\u2019s name?\u201d he asked, but she could not recall it.\n\n\u201cWas it Newgent?\u201d She said that sounded like it.\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d he said, \u201cI know him. He isn\u2019t considered much of a preacher up\nthere where he lives, but,\u201d he added, \u201cyou are mistaken about his being a\nBaptist. He is a United Brethren.\u201d\n\nShe looked at him curiously for an instant and said, \u201cI believe you are\nthe fellow.\u201d And his smile told that she had guessed aright.\n\nHis money was returned at once, and she insisted that he stay and preach\nat the Methodist church near the camp ground that night, assuring him\nthat he would have a good hearing as there had been much talk about the\nlittle preacher who had \u201cset the camp meeting afire.\u201d This he was unable\nto do, but promised to return at a later date.\n\nA short while after the camp meeting, he filled an appointment for his\npastor, Rev. J. F. Moore, at the Leatherwood church, which was a part\nof the Rockville charge. The pulpit arrangement of this church was in\nstrict harmony with the fashion of the times. It consisted of a sort of\nwall which shut the preacher in almost completely from the congregation,\nsuggesting a military fortification. Newgent, being small of stature,\ncould with difficulty peer over the top of the ramparts. He was led to\nbelieve, however, that the fortification was a necessary precaution,\nfor his artillery had been turned loose but a short time when it was\nevident that there was a hearty response. Bang! Some sort of a missile\nstruck the rampart just in front of him with a loud report. It was\nfollowed immediately by another, and the bombardment, continued until\nsix discharges were fired. The preacher withdrew within the breastworks\nthat small fraction of his anatomy that was exposed, and waited for\nhostilities to cease. The congregation was at once thrown into a\nstate of confusion and excitement. When the preacher finally surveyed\nthe situation after the heavy batteries were silenced, he saw that a\nhand-to-hand skirmish was on between two men in the rear of the room.\nOne was making a desperate effort to get the other to the door and out\nof the house. With the help of the congregation, he succeeded in putting\ndown the rebellion, and going back to his fortifications he finished\nthe discourse and the service was concluded in fairly good order. The\ndifficulty was only a side issue, the culmination of a grudge between\na couple of natives. The missiles were not aimed at the preacher, but\nwere fired from ambush through the open door; the man for whom they were\nintended happened to be sitting in range with the pulpit.\n\nRev. Mr. Moore resigned the Rockville charge during the year and Newgent\nwas appointed to serve the unexpired term. This was his first experience\nin the pastorate. His brief term of service here was characterized by a\nrevival of extraordinary results at Otterbein, his home church. Converts\nwere numbered by the scores and the community was shaken by such a\nspiritual upheaval as it had never known.\n\n[Illustration: REV. ANDREW JACKSON NEWGENT\n\nWhen he traveled his first circuit.]\n\nAnother adventure should be chronicled here. It has been said that there\nare but three real important events in a man\u2019s life, namely, his birth,\nhis marriage, and his death. The second of this great trio in the life\nof our subject occurred during the period embraced in this chapter. It\nis a common saying with him that he does not believe in early marriages,\nhence, he deferred this important step until he was eighteen years\nold. And on the seventh of January, 1857, he took to himself a wife in\nthe person of Miss Katharine Copeland. She proved to be a worthy and\nsympathetic companion, heroically assuming her part of the burdens and\nresponsibilities that belong to the family of an itinerant preacher.\nThat her lot was not an easy one may be readily assumed when we consider\nwhat the ministerial calling involved in that early day. Its peculiar\nhardships fell most heavily upon the wife, yet these she endured without\nprotest. Brave in heart, gentle in temper, and in heartiest accord with\nher husband\u2019s interests, she proved to him a real helpmeet, and an\ninspiration to his loftiest endeavors.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER FOUR.\n\n    _Conference Membership\u2014Brulitz Creek Ministry\u2014The Modern Knight\n    and his Steed\u2014Abrupt Closing of Family Devotions by a Dog on\n    the Preacher\u2014An Original Marriage Ceremony\u2014A Case of Mistaken\n    Identity\u2014A Banner Missionary Collection\u2014Shawnee Prairie\n    Pastorate\u2014A Cold Day in April\u2014The Redemption of Hell\u2019s Half\n    Acre\u2014Baiting for a Perverse Fish\u2014An Experience in the Whiskey\n    Business._\n\n\nRev. Mr. Newgent was received into the Upper Wabash Conference at\nMilford, Indiana, in the spring of 1859. Bishop David Edwards presided.\nThe Conference had been formed the preceding year by a division of the\nWabash Conference territory. As a matter of coincidence he was ordained\nfour years later at the Conference in session at the same place with the\nsame Bishop presiding. He was now in his twenty-first year, having been\nquite prominent in ministerial labors for about four years, and had a\nrecord for zeal, earnestness, and success in revival work that commended\nhim favorably to the Conference.\n\nHe was appointed by this Conference to the Brulitz Creek Circuit, which\ngave him an unlimited field for the exercise of his zeal and talents.\nThe circuit consisted of eighteen appointments, only two of which were\nat church-houses; the others were at school houses and in private homes.\nWith little or no competition, the circuit-rider was monarch of all\nhe surveyed, though in most cases when he received his appointment he\nfound enough already surveyed to tax his time and energy to the limit.\nPreaching services were not confined to the Sabbath, but would fall upon\nany day of the week, and even then the intervals between appointments,\nexcept during the periodic \u201cbig meeting,\u201d were usually not less than five\nor six weeks.\n\nThe standard mode of travel was by horseback, and the circuit-rider,\nin addition to his other qualifications, needed to be efficient in\nhorsemanship. This was scarcely necessary in Newgent\u2019s case, however. Not\nbeing able to own a horse at this time, he secured the loan of one from\nan accommodating neighbor. The horse was as accommodating as its owner.\nIt was quite well \u201cbroke,\u201d having endured the rigors of some nineteen\nwinters, and was experienced in the various departments of farm work.\nIt had sowed and reaped\u2014and eaten\u2014its wild oats, and was absolutely\nreliable, at least to the limit of its physical endurance. At any rate\nthe horse had many acknowledged good points, as a faithful portrait\nwould have demonstrated. While it may not have been in its real element\non dress parade, it served the more practical purpose of locomotion\u2014to a\nsomewhat limited extent.\n\nAs the rider weighed scarcely a hundred pounds, the horse had no cause to\ncomplain at his burden. And when it came to matters of appearance, the\nodds were not so unevenly balanced as might be supposed. The spare-built,\nsmooth-faced youth, clad in his suit of homespun, which was made with a\nreckless disregard of the lines and proportions of his anatomy, might\nwell have recalled the lines of Shakespeare:\n\n    \u201cWould that he were fatter, but I fear him not;\n    Yet if my name were liable to fear,\n    I know of no one whom I would so much avoid.\u201d\n\nThus, mounted upon his trusty steed, armed with all the weapons of\nspiritual warfare, this modern knight errant of the saddle-bags rode\nforth valiantly to the scenes of the year\u2019s conflicts and triumphs.\nEn-route to his first appointment, he found an opportunity to do some\npastoral work which led to an episode, without mention of which these\nchronicles would be incomplete. Passing by the home of one of his\nprominent members, he stopped for a brief call. The house stood on the\nside of a hill, some distance from the road. A flight of steps led up to\nthe front door. Ascending the steps, he rapped at the door and was kindly\nadmitted by the good housewife. All went merry as a marriage bell and the\ntime of his departure was at hand all too soon. He asked the privilege of\nbowing with the family in prayer before going, which was freely granted.\nThe weather was warm and it was not thought necessary to close the door,\nthough had it been done in this case, it would have prevented a bit\nof embarrassment and incidentally spoiled a good story. As all was so\ncongenial within, the pastor anticipated no molestation from without, and\nso injudiciously knelt with his back to the open door.\n\nAs he warmed up to his devotions, he aroused from his slumbers a large\nNewfoundland dog, that had evidently not noticed the approach of the\nstranger, and up to that time was unaware of his presence. The aroused\ncanine at once began an investigation, and when he saw what was going on,\nseemed much offended that he had not been consulted about the matter.\nHe bounded up the steps into the room, and, seizing the preacher by\nthe luxuriant growth of black hair that covered his dome of thought,\naffording an excellent hold for his teeth, he zealously set about the\ntask of removing the supposed intruder from the premises. The preacher\nwas taken unawares. Before he could assume a defensive attitude, he and\nthe dog were rolling pell-mell, higgledy-piggledy over each other, down\nthe steps, and landed in a confused heap on the ground. Devotions thus\ncame to an abrupt close; the family came to the preacher\u2019s rescue. All\nformalities were dispensed with for the time. By the united efforts of\nthe family, the dog and preacher were finally separated without either of\nthem being seriously damaged, and the new pastor of Brulitz Creek Circuit\nwent on his way to face new adversaries and new experiences.\n\n[Illustration: Family Devotions Interrupted.]\n\nHe reached the home of Mr. Jacob Wimsett, in Vermilion County, on\nSaturday evening as the sun was dropping below the horizon, and there\nput up for the night. This was in the vicinity of his Sunday morning\nappointment. It was an old-fashioned home even for that day; the home\natmosphere was more hospitable than conventional. As the preacher himself\nwas quite democratic in his temperament, no formalities were required.\nHe noticed among the various members of the household a young man and\na young woman who seemed as unobtrusive and as awkward as himself. No\nintroductions being given, he took it for granted that they both were\nmembers of the family and so gave them no particular thought until he was\nready to start to church the next morning. As he was about to take his\nleave, the young man approached him rather diffidently and requested him\nto wait a few minutes.\n\n\u201cMe an\u2019 the girl,\u201d he explained, pointing to the blushing lass on the\nopposite side of the room, \u201care a goin\u2019 to git married, an\u2019 we want you\nto say the words for us before you go.\u201d\n\n\u201cAll right,\u201d said Newgent, in a manner that left the impression that he\nunderstood the situation all the while, \u201cgive me your license.\u201d\n\nThe document was produced and the twain took their place in front of the\npreacher, while the rest of the company looked on. Up to this time he\nhad never served in that capacity and had not the slightest idea of a\nmarriage ceremony. Examining the document in a seemingly critical manner\nfor an instant as if to make sure that it conformed to all requirements,\nhe looked gravely at the trembling young couple. \u201cIf you are agreed\nto live together,\u201d he said so rapidly as to render his words scarcely\nintelligible, \u201caccording to the marriage covenant, join your right\nhands.\u201d Scarcely had they time to heed the injunction when he continued,\n\u201cIn the name of God I pronounce you man and wife.\u201d And the twain were\nmade one.\n\nHe then hastened to his morning appointment, reaching the church before\nthe people began to gather. This was one of the two church-houses on\nthe circuit, and was called Nicholls\u2019 Chapel. \u201cFather\u201d Nicholls, one of\nthe wheel-horses of the church, and in whose honor it was named, was\nsweeping the floor and putting the house in order. His task completed,\nhe went home to get ready for the morning service, without making the\nacquaintance of the young stranger. Ere long the people began to arrive.\nBy the time Sunday school commenced the house was quite well filled.\nNewgent took his seat in the rear of the house and received no particular\nattention. He was not even invited to a place in a Sunday-school class.\nHowever, his presence _incognito_ gave him a good opportunity for taking\nnotes. He overheard frequent remarks concerning the new preacher. The\npeople had heard nothing of him and were expressing doubts about his\nbeing in the neighborhood. And when Sunday school closed without his\npresence being made known, their doubts seemed to be confirmed.\n\nRev. William Jones, a retired preacher and a member of the local class,\ncame in just as Sunday school was closing and at once made inquiry\nconcerning the pastor.\n\n\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen or heard anything of him,\u201d was the information he\nreceived from Father Nicholls.\n\n\u201cWhy, there he is now,\u201d and Rev. Mr. Jones pointed to the diminutive lad\nnear the door.\n\n\u201cThat fellow?\u201d Father Nicholls was dumfounded. \u201cThat fellow has been here\nall morning. I supposed he was some hired hand in the neighborhood that\nhad just happened in.\u201d\n\nExplanations and apologies were freely indulged in, the supposed hired\nhand entering heartily into the joke. He was introduced to the astonished\ncongregation, and the service proceeded to their entire satisfaction\nand delight. Father Nicholls treated him kindly; he piloted him to the\nafternoon appointment, introducing him to all whom they chanced to meet,\ninvariably accompanying the introduction with the story of the forenoon\nexperience.\n\n\u201cIf I had been out hunting for preachers,\u201d he would say, in telling the\nstory, \u201cI would not have snapped a cap at him.\u201d\n\nThe year\u2019s work on this field was a most fruitful one. The membership was\ndoubled, and though the charge was not above the average in financial\nstrength, he received the largest salary of any member of the conference.\n\nLittle attention was given, at this time, to the cause of missions. Money\nwas not generally recognized as a vital factor in Christian service.\nSalaries were meager and often consisted in provisions rather than cash.\nIn many places a strong sentiment prevailed against a paid ministry.\nPoverty and ignorance were considered necessary prerequisites to\nministerial piety. The General Missionary Board was only about nine years\nold, and missionary sentiment had not taken deep root. But Newgent sowed\nmissionary seed with a lavish hand, and had the pleasure of reaping at\nleast part of the harvest. His ability to lead men to loosen their purse\nstrings even then began to be asserted in a marked degree. More than half\nof the missionary contributions of the entire conference that year was\nreported from Brulitz Creek Circuit.\n\nHis report attracted attention and won him considerable distinction\nat the annual conference. According to custom each pastor reported in\nperson in the open conference relative to the different interests of his\ncharge. When asked about his missionary offering, Newgent replied, \u201cHere\nit is,\u201d and taking a woolen bag, commonly called a sock, from his pocket\nhe emptied its contents on the table. The contents consisted of coins\nof various denominations just as he had gathered them to the amount of\n$33.40, the small change giving it the appearance of a larger sum than\nhe actually had. However, this was considered remarkable. Most of the\npastors reported nothing. Dr. D. K. Flickinger, the first missionary\nsecretary of the Church, was occupying a seat on the platform near the\nBishop, and joined heartily with him in applause at the splendid report\nand the unique manner of presenting it.\n\nThe year\u2019s work placed the \u201cboy preacher\u201d in a most favorable light, and\nled to his appointment to the Shawnee Prairie Circuit, the strongest\ncharge in the Conference. The charge had had the pastoral service of\nRev. Thomas H. Hamilton, a mighty man who stood high in the counsels of\nthe denomination. It was characterized by more than the usual amount of\nwealth and culture, and withal an air of aristocracy that led to demands\nupon a pastor that were most exacting. Rev. Mr. Hamilton was a favorite\non the circuit, and the people had no thought of losing him. His election\nto the office of presiding elder, however, necessitated the change, and\nwhen the awkward, and, as they thought, inexperienced lad came among\nthem, they felt that their aristocratic tastes were outraged. It was a\nwet, chilly day in April when he arrived, and the crestfallen spirits of\nthe people made it still more chilly for him. And when he learned that\nthe matter of rejecting him was being seriously considered, the situation\nwas anything but cheerful.\n\nHe told the people he would remain until the first quarterly meeting,\nwhen the presiding elder, Rev. Mr. Hamilton, would be present, and that\nhe would willingly abide by their decision at that time. This was a\njudicious step, as it gave him an opportunity to prove himself. So he\nwent to work with his usual zeal and by the time of the quarterly meeting\nhe had sixty conversions with about an equal number of additions to the\nchurch. All thought of rejecting the pastor had completely vanished. In\nfact they would not have swapped him off for the \u201cbiggest gun they had\never heard fired.\u201d Such success as the charge had never known crowned the\nlabors of that year\u2014great revivals at all the appointments, the circuit\nmore than doubled in strength, and enthusiasm at high tide. Thus their\nmourning was turned into laughing. A unanimous demand was made for his\nreturn for another year, but his restless spirit sought new worlds to\nconquer. His motto has always been that it is better to go to a needy\nfield and build it up than to go where further advancement is impossible.\nOn this ground he asked to be sent to a new field.\n\nOne experience on Shawnee Prairie Circuit is worthy of special mention.\nContiguous to the circuit, near Attica in Fountain County, was a section\nof country known as Hell\u2019s Half Acre. Its leading spirit was an infidel\ndoctor. His influence and teachings had so dominated the community that\nit was found impossible to maintain religious services there. Ministers\nwere considered proud, indolent, and altogether an undesirable lot.\nNewgent determined to do some missionary work in that benighted place,\nthough repeated efforts to that end had been made in vain.\n\nIn order to make a favorable impression and avoid the imprecation of\nbeing proud, he dressed in his everyday clothes and visited the district\nschool, which was the geographical and social center, and the only place\nwhere meetings could be held. He announced that there would be services\nat the school house that evening, to be continued indefinitely, and urged\nthe children to spread the news.\n\nThe announcement, however, did not produce satisfactory results. The\nattendance the first three or four evenings did not exceed a half-dozen.\nThe atmosphere was rather chilly and the spiritual barometer did not\nindicate an early change. It soon became apparent that the old doctor was\nthe key to the situation. If the people were to be reached, it must be\ndone mainly through him. How to capture this Goliath was now the problem,\nand this problem Newgent set about to solve.\n\nThe Sunday services having been no better attended than the preceding\nones, he decided upon a bold move. On Monday afternoon he called at the\ndoctor\u2019s home. The doctor answered his knock at the door in person. The\nold fellow\u2019s rough demeanor and uncouth appearance, his ancient cob pipe\nthat had long been entitled to a superannuated relation, the musty, dingy\nroom which the half-open door disclosed\u2014all seemed in striking harmony\nwith his attitude toward religion. The preacher introduced himself and\nexplained that he was holding a revival over at the school house. The\ngrizzled old sinner looked him over from head to foot, but said nothing,\nthough the expression on his sin-hardened face seemed to say more plainly\nthan words, \u201cWell, you little rascal, you had better be at home with your\nmother.\u201d\n\n\u201cI understand,\u201d persisted the preacher, ignoring the old gentleman\u2019s\ncontemptuous frown, \u201cthat you are a good singer and a prominent citizen,\nand I would like to consult you about the work and get you to help me.\u201d\n\n\u201cHelp in a revival? Why, don\u2019t you know that I don\u2019t believe in the Bible\nor churches, or religion of any sort?\u201d\n\n\u201cWell, that needn\u2019t stand in the way. The evenings are long and the young\npeople want somewhere to go. You can do the singing and I\u2019ll do the\npreaching.\u201d\n\n[Illustration: The Boy Preacher Visiting the Infidel.]\n\nThat put a different complexion on things. Here was a chance for some\nfun, and incidentally an outlet for his musical propensities, for he was\nwell versed in music. The idea seemed to take hold. The grim features\nbegan to relax. The boys were called and told to \u201cput up the preacher\u2019s\nhorse,\u201d and the preacher was invited into the house. The invitation was\nheartily accepted. Newgent understood fishing; he had fished before.\nThe hook was baited and he now perceived that he had got a nibble. The\nafternoon was spent to a good advantage. Conversation flowed in various\nchannels, but fought shy of religion\u2014no time for that yet. He waited for\nhis fish to take the cork under before pulling in. The doctor had a large\nfamily of children, and their appearance bore testimony to the fact that\nthey were strangers to church and Sunday school. The boys spread the\nstartling news that \u201cdad was goin\u2019 to help the boy preacher in the big\nmeetin\u2019.\u201d And such news traveled as it were with seven-leagued boots.\n\nThat was all the advertisement the meeting needed. The infidel\naccompanied the preacher to the meeting, taking his place up front, and\nled the singing after the droll manner then in vogue. An earthquake or a\nman from the dead would not have created more excitement or comment. From\nthat time the little school house did not accommodate the crowds.\n\nThe sermon that evening was not calculated to create a very profound\nimpression. It was more saturated with Irish humor than with real gospel\ntruth. The time for seriousness had not yet arrived. But the axe was\nlaid at the root of the tree, and the kingdom was nearer at hand than any\nof them supposed. As a fisher of men, the preacher was still baiting for\nthe fish.\n\nThe next night he took for his theme the Judgment. This was the occasion\nfor solemn and serious facts. He turned loose all the artillery at his\ncommand in storming the batteries of infidelity and sin, and felt the\npresence of the Spirit in directing the message. As he neared the close\nof his discourse, he turned to the doctor. The wind had been taken out\nof the old man\u2019s sails; his face was in his hands and he was weeping\nbitterly.\n\n\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, doctor?\u201d he shouted, in a strong, firm voice,\nstriving to make his words as impressive as possible.\n\nThe doctor did not answer.\n\n\u201cGet down on your knees,\u201d he commanded as one who spoke with authority.\n\nAnd the great exponent of infidelity went down, and his example was\nfollowed by a number of others. He wrestled in agony and prayer until\nnear midnight, when the light broke in upon his long benighted soul\u2014and\nthe fish was caught. Such demonstrations had never been seen in Hell\u2019s\nHalf Acre as took place in the rude school house that night. The tide\nhad surely turned and the redemption was at hand.\n\nAs he dismissed the service, Newgent announced that he was ready\nto go home with the first man who invited him. A tall, threadbare,\nweather-beaten fellow accepted the challenge. But when the preacher\nstarted to go, he explained that he didn\u2019t mean it. \u201cI can\u2019t take care of\nyou; I haven\u2019t any room,\u201d he protested.\n\n\u201cGo ahead,\u201d said the preacher, \u201cI can sleep on dry coon skins and eat\nroasted potatoes.\u201d And he went in spite of the protests of his host.\n\nThe man was surely honest in his protest. He dwelt in a hut built of\nround poles. In one corner was a badly cracked stove that had long\ndone service for both cooking and heating purposes. Two large box-like\narrangements partly filled with leaves gathered from the forest, together\nwith some ragged covering, served as feeble apologies for beds, and\nbetween these beds was a barrel of whisky. Though it was past midnight,\nthe wife was sitting up. She was scantily clad, yet her face, though\ncareworn, revealed a high degree of intelligence, bearing evidence that\nshe had seen better days. Two little girls whose appearance harmonized\nonly too well with their wretched surroundings, completed the family\ncircle. As Newgent entered this hovel his eyes rested upon such a picture\nof destitution as he had never seen. The whisky barrel, however, told the\nwhole story.\n\nNewgent soon had the entire family feeling perfectly at ease. He played\nwith the children and proved himself a most congenial guest. But he was\nthere for their spiritual good. That night the wretched home, for the\nfirst time, became a house of prayer. Before the light of a new day\ndawned the light from heaven broke in upon the sad heart of that wife and\nmother, and a new day dawned in her life. The next morning the husband\nlikewise found the Savior, and the whisky barrel, the cause of so much\nmisery and poverty, vacated its place in the home, for old things had\npassed away and all things had become new. Another stronghold was lost to\nthe enemy. A glorious night\u2019s work it was, and a mighty step toward the\nfinal conquest of this spiritual Canaan.\n\nThe man asked Newgent to roll the barrel of whisky into the river. But he\nsaid, \u201cNo; let us sell it to the druggist. We can use the money to a good\nadvantage.\u201d So he borrowed a team and wagon, and hauled the whisky to the\nnearest drug store, and received eighteen dollars for it. With the money\nhe bought some much needed clothing for the wife and children. It was his\nfirst and only experience in the whisky business.\n\nThe entire community was swept by the revival. Multitudes were converted,\na church was organized, and a church-house built. The whisky man and the\nex-infidel became pillars in the church, one serving as class leader\nand the other as steward. Never was a work of grace more complete,\nor the power of God more wonderfully or graciously displayed in the\ntransformation of a community than in the case of Hell\u2019s Half Acre.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER FIVE.\n\n    _Six Months at Rainsville\u2014A Hotbed of Southern Sympathizers\u2014A\n    Mix-up with Saloon Men\u2014A Sermon on Slavery\u2014Fire and\n    Brimstone\u2014An Antagonist Outwitted\u2014A Sermon from the Book of\n    Newgent\u2014Can Any Good Thing Come Out of Rainsville?_\n\n\nIn 1861, the time of holding the Upper Wabash Conference was changed\nfrom spring to fall. Hence, two sessions were held that year with an\ninterim of but six months between them. This period was spent by Rev.\nMr. Newgent on the Williamsport Circuit in Warren County, Indiana. He\nmoved with his family to Rainsville, a village of about one hundred and\nfifty inhabitants, located on Vermilion River. The town was still in the\nrough, its chief activities centering about two rival saloons. As it had\nno church and not a single inhabitant who professed religion, the saloons\nhad things pretty much their own way. The Newgents occupied part of a\nbuilding that formerly did service as the village inn; the rest of it was\noccupied by one of the saloon keepers. The two families, however, did\nnot have undisputed possession of the place, as it seemed to have been\npreempted by bed bugs and fleas, which were no inconspicuous feature of\nlife in Rainsville. While the saloon keeper and the preacher maintained\npeaceable relations with each other, these aboriginal neighbors\nmaintained an attitude of hostility with a persistence that was worthy of\na better cause than they represented.\n\nAnother thing that made life in Rainsville interesting during this period\nwas the war which was then in its first year of progress. The sympathies\nof the inhabitants were decidedly with the South. But one man could be\nfound who claimed to be loyal to the Union, and as might be expected\nunder such circumstances, he was not very enthusiastic about it. They\ncould safely be counted on the off side of any question or movement that\ninvolved a moral element. With the war agitation to stir their blood, the\nwell patronized saloons doing business seven days and nights in the week,\nand the absence of any religious institution or influence, Rainsville\nmight well have served as a basis for the doctrine of total depravity.\n\nThe Williamsport Circuit, like most of the country parishes of its day,\nafforded a man plenty of room to grow in. If a pastor rusted out it was\nhis own fault. But Newgent, with his active temperament and fondness for\nadventure, was not the man to rust out. Not only the Sabbath, but most\nof the evenings between Sabbaths were taken up with preaching services.\nEach alternate Sabbath during the Williamsport pastorate he preached four\ntimes, which entailed forty-two miles of travel by horseback. The day\u2019s\nprogram was as follows: Leaving home at daybreak, he rode twenty miles\nto a ten o\u2019clock appointment. After the service he would get a \u201chand\nout\u201d for dinner and reach the next appointment at two o\u2019clock, then to a\n4:30 service, and on home for meeting at night. Life was both simple and\nstrenuous in the extreme.\n\nThe first Sunday in this village was a memorable one. Leaving his plucky\nyoung wife to hold the fort, the new pastor made his forty-two-mile\nround, reaching home about sundown. No provision had been made for\npreaching in town, but Newgent resolved to give the inhabitants of this\ninferno a chance to hear the gospel. A rowdy mob was collected about\neach saloon. An air of general lawlessness, recklessness, and cussedness\nprevailed. Games and sports of various sorts were maintained on the\nstreets. Horseback riders were galloping here and there, firing pistols\nand performing various stunts in imitation of life among the untamed\ncowboys and Indians. Their boisterous talking and hollowing, with here\nand there a man staggering under his load of Rainsville\u2019s chief product,\nall combined, might well have led to the conclusion that the demons of\nthe lower regions had been liberated and were holding high carnival in\ncelebration of the event.\n\nWhen Newgent told his wife that he had decided to preach at the school\nhouse that night, she tried to dissuade him, fearing for his safety. And\nwell she might after what she had seen of life in Rainsville that day.\nBut he gloried in heroic tasks and heeded not her wise counsel. He at\nonce set about to publish the appointment. In order to find the people\nhe went to one of the saloons. The saloon was full of men, and the men\nwere full of the saloon. Stepping up to the bar-tender he told him that\nhe was going to hold a religious service at the school house at 7:30. \u201cAs\nthere are no church services in town,\u201d he said, \u201cI am sure you will be\nwilling to encourage such a movement by closing your place of business\nand attending.\u201d\n\n\u201cYou can preach all you d\u2014\u2014 please; I haven\u2019t been to church for twenty\nyears,\u201d answered the booze dispenser with a look that seemed to add,\n\u201cand I don\u2019t propose to commence now.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut I am a stranger here, and you don\u2019t know but I am the smartest man\nin the country, or may be the biggest fool. You had better come and find\nout for yourself.\u201d\n\nThe idea of a church service struck the saloon patrons as a desirable\ninnovation, and as they were in favor of anything that promised a\ndiversion, they began to take sides with the preacher. Their enthusiasm\nwaxed intense, due mainly to the reflex influence of tarrying long at the\ngrog shop. They were unanimous and emphatic in demanding that the saloon\nbe closed and that all go to church.\n\nThe proprietor finally said that he would consent on condition that his\ncompetitor would do likewise.\n\n\u201cAll right, I\u2019ll see him,\u201d and Newgent broke for the other saloon where a\nsimilar situation prevailed. Several of the men volunteered to accompany\nhim and assist in enforcing the demand, so that an ambassage that carried\nwith it no small authority presented itself before the high priest of\nGambrinus of the rival saloon. A delegation from one saloon to another,\nheaded by a preacher, was an uncommon sight, especially in Rainsville,\nbut it had the desired effect. For once the saloons were closed and\nthe center of interest transferred to the school house. News of the\nmeeting spread in short order. The new preacher made himself an object of\ncuriosity and comment by his establishing diplomatic relations with the\ngoverning bodies of the village, and everybody was anxious to see more of\nhim. So all Rainsville turned out to church\u2014men, women, boys, girls, and\ndogs\u2014all entering heartily into the novelty of a religious service with a\nreal, \u201csure enough\u201d preacher at the head of it.\n\nNewgent prudently made the service brief. The sermon was not as spiritual\nas it might have been under different conditions, as the congregation was\nquite sympathetic and responsive, and he considered it injudicious to\nencourage their emotions at that time. He was more especially concerned\nabout laying plans for the future. How to get them back was the question,\nwhich he sought to solve by a bit of strategy. So, in addition to giving\nthem a few morsels of wholesome advice, well sugarcoated with his native\ngood humor, he made the startling announcement that at the next meeting\nhe would preach on the subject of slavery. If anything were calculated to\nbring them back, surely that was.\n\nIt was taken for granted, of course, that he was an Abolitionist and\nwould denounce the South. The blood of those southern sympathizers at\nonce began to boil. Everybody anticipated a lively time, and interest\nbecame intense. All felt that the foolhardy young fellow did not realize\nthe danger to which he was exposing himself. An old gentleman, the\nvillage blacksmith, whose father had been a United Brethren preacher,\nfelt it his duty to warn the reverend gentleman and have him to call\noff the entire proceedings. As usual, Newgent was firm. He told the\ngentleman, however, that he wanted to be fair to both sides, so if those\nwho disagreed with him desired, they might get a man to follow him and\npresent the other side of the question.\n\nThis they were only too anxious to do. When the time came, they had their\nman. By the time Newgent and his wife arrived at the little school house\nthat evening it was completely packed and an immense crowd was gathered\non the outside. It was with the greatest difficulty that they forced\nthemselves through the anxious throng and made their way to the front of\nthe building. The opponent was on hand, ready to take his measure and\nsmash all of his arguments. As might be surmised, sympathy was plainly\nand emphatically with the southern advocate. If he could not demolish\nthe frail Abolitionist, there were enough present who were ready to lend\nall the assistance he needed. The smell of brimstone was in the air,\nindicating the presence of that commodity in unlimited quantities. All\nthat was lacking for a real conflagration was something to touch it off.\nAnd that something was momentarily expected.\n\nAfter a brief preliminary exercise, the preacher opened the discussion.\nLike the great apostle on Mars Hill, he complimented his hearers on their\nseeming interest in the subject at hand. \u201cAs the subject of slavery,\u201d\nhe said, \u201cis stirring our country from one end to the other, and as it\nis a subject of such vital importance, I take pleasure at this time in\npresenting one phase of it.\n\n\u201cI wish to observe in my remarks, First, the slave; Second, his master;\nThird, the law by which he is held in bondage; Fourth, how he is to be\nliberated; Fifth, where he is to be colonized.\u201d Thus far, well and good.\nThese were familiar topics, and had been discussed pro and con even\nby the school children. Hence, his opening remarks were according to\nexpectations, and breathlessly they awaited what was to follow.\n\nTheir consternation and chagrin can only be imagined when he proceeded\nto state that the slave is the sinner; his master is the devil; the law\nby which he is held in bondage is sinful lusts and habits; he is to be\nliberated through the blood of Christ; and heaven is the place of his\ncolonization. Around these propositions he built his discourse without\nany reference to slavery as a civil institution. It was strictly a gospel\nsermon, and his antagonist had no disposition to reply.\n\n\u201cWell, we are beat,\u201d said the old blacksmith after the service was\ndismissed, \u201cbut the boy is the sharpest fellow that ever struck this\ntown.\u201d And he was not alone in his conclusion.\n\nWith a view to holding the audience for the next appointment, he\nannounced that he would preach at that time from the Book of Newgent, the\ntwenty-eighth chapter and thirty-third verse, \u201cCan any good thing come\nout of Rainsville?\u201d\n\nA few days after this announcement, he received a call from an old\ngentleman. The unsuspecting brother had been having trouble over the Book\nof Newgent. He stated that he and the old woman had been searching the\nBible all week and were unable to find it. He was kindly urged to be\npresent at the preaching service and assured that his troubles would all\nbe cleared up. Presumably the matter was explained to his satisfaction,\nas he was not heard from again.\n\nThe Rainsville pastorate, though brief, was full of thrilling interest,\nand was not without substantial results for good. He won the respect and\nconfidence of this uncouth people, and had the satisfaction of seeing\nmany of the grosser evils disappear under his ministry. Before he left,\nthe signs of a brighter day were plainly discernible. His influence with\nthem was turned to good account, as will be seen in the next chapter.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER SIX.\n\n    _The War Spirit in Indiana\u2014Breaking up a Traitorous Plot\u2014Narrow\n    Escape from Enemies\u2014Assists in Securing Recruits\u2014Becomes\n    Chaplain of his Regiment\u2014Exchange of Courtesies with a\n    Presbyterian Minister\u2014An Embarrassing Predicament\u2014Saves\n    Regiment from Capture\u2014Organizes a Military Church\u2014Chased by\n    Johnnies\u2014An Exciting Homeward Journey._\n\n\nIndiana was a storm center during the Civil War. Her position was a\nstrategic one. She was regarded as the keystone of the North. With Oliver\nP. Morton, \u201cIndiana\u2019s great War Governor,\u201d at the head of affairs,\nshe was held firmly to her moorings, and furnished a larger number of\nsoldiers for the Union Army in proportion to population than any other\nState. Yet the State was constantly harassed by citizens who were\nunfriendly to the Union cause, and who secretly or openly sympathized\nwith the South. Secret organizations for the purpose of aiding the\nConfederacy were common. Conspicuous among these was the Knights of\nthe Golden Circle. Yet many not identified with these traitorous\norganizations were utterly disloyal. Hence, much bitterness and not\ninfrequently bloodshed prevailed. It was not unusual for men in official\nposition to use their influence against the Government, or even to join\nthe army with traitorous intent.\n\nRev. Mr. Newgent was serving as pastor for the second year on the Clark\u2019s\nHill charge, when in the fall of 1863, he was \u201cpersuaded,\u201d as he said,\n\u201cto go into the army for safety.\u201d With his wife he was paying a visit to\nhis father-in-law in Parke County. In the neighborhood lived a man who\nwas captain of Home Guards, but whose loyalty was strongly suspected. A\nsmall brother of Mrs. Newgent sometimes visited with his children, and on\nreturning from one such visit, incidentally mentioned having seen some\npretty guns in the barn where they had been playing. Newgent understood\nthe meaning of these guns secreted on the premises of this traitorous\nman, and telegraphed the news to Governor Morton. A squad of soldiers was\ndispatched to the place and some three hundred guns were found. They were\nconfiscated and a traitorous scheme was thus frustrated.\n\nNewgent at once became the object of a great deal of attention. That he\nwas responsible for the exposure, was generally surmised. A plan was\nformed to do away with him. On Sunday evening following the episode he\nwas to preach at the Oak Ridge United Brethren Church in the community.\nIn the midst of the service, by a preconcerted plan, the lights were\nsuddenly extinguished, and his adversaries were about to execute their\ndesign. He succeeded in making his escape in the darkness by the\nassistance of an uncle. The outlook seemed rather stormy, and he was\nconvinced that it was safer in the army than out of it. Leaving his wife\nin the care of her father, he hastened to Lafayette where a regiment, the\n116th Indiana Infantry, was being formed by Colonel William C. Kise.\n\nAt that period recruits were hard to get and the work proceeded slowly.\nNewgent asked the colonel what the chance would be for him to get the\nappointment of chaplain.\n\n\u201cWhat church do you belong to?\u201d the colonel asked.\n\n\u201cI am a United Brethren,\u201d was the answer.\n\n\u201cI am sorry,\u201d said the colonel, \u201cI like the United Brethren Church and\nwould like to give you the appointment; but this is to be a Methodist\nregiment; all the officers are to be Methodists, and it is understood\nthat the chaplainship is to be given to a Methodist preacher up in the\ncity.\u201d\n\n\u201cWill you take me, then, as a private?\u201d he asked.\n\n\u201cCertainly,\u201d was the eager reply, \u201cwe shall be glad to take you, for\nrecruits are coming in awfully slowly.\u201d There were then only seven\ncompanies started. None of them were complete. Newgent offered to assist\nin raising recruits.\n\n\u201cIf you will give me transportation papers,\u201d he said, \u201cI think I can get\nsome men over in Warren County.\u201d\n\n\u201cWarren County!\u201d exclaimed the colonel in disgust. \u201cIt\u2019s of no use to go\nthere for recruits. I have had a couple of good men over there for three\nweeks and they have got only four men.\u201d But Newgent insisted that he be\nallowed to try. He understood those people and felt that he knew how to\napproach them. The papers were finally given him, and he set out for\nRainsville in this doubtful territory.\n\nRainsville, it will be remembered, was a headquarters for southern\nsympathizers, where little more than a year before but one Union man\ncould be found. The task was a challenge to Newgent, the kind of a\ntask he delighted in. Taking a boy with a drum and flag, he went to\nthe village and nearby points, and soon had the inhabitants inoculated\nwith the war microbe. The prospects of a draft about this time proved\nan effective argument in favor of enlistment, which was used for all\nit was worth. After an absence of six days he returned to camp with 104\nmen, which was the first full company in the regiment, this, too, from\nterritory that was as completely southern in sentiment as though it had\nbeen in the very heart of the Confederacy.\n\nThe march to camp was a triumphal procession. The company of volunteers\nwas accompanied by several hundred men and boys who fell in on the way.\nAs they came into camp about twelve o\u2019clock on Saturday night with colors\nflying and giving vent to their enthusiasm by singing and hollowing, it\nhad the effect of a small army, not unlike that of Gideon\u2019s band, when\nthey multiplied the effect of numbers by noise and enthusiasm and scared\nthe Midianites out of their wits. The colonel met them with a drum corps\nand the company was welcomed amid the most extravagant expressions of\ndelight. The fact that recruits were coming in so slowly gave increased\ncause for demonstration. When the general hubbub had somewhat abated,\nthe crowd demanded a speech from Newgent, and the demand was imperative.\nThough worn by physical exertion and hoarse from much haranguing, he\ngave a brief talk, at the close of which, amid great applause, some one\nmoved that \u201cRev. Mr. Newgent be made chaplain of the regiment.\u201d It was\nheartily seconded, and shouts of approval burst from every section of the\ncamp. So, by general consent the rule to make it a Methodist regiment\nwas waived, insofar as it related to the chaplainship, much to the\nsatisfaction of Colonel Kise, and Newgent became their spiritual adviser.\n\nThe Methodist brother, who, it was understood, was to receive the\nappointment, came out the next afternoon (Sunday) to preach to the\nboys and get acquainted; but on being apprised of what had taken place\nthe night before, he quietly withdrew, leaving Newgent in undisputed\npossession of the honors which his tact and energy had won.\n\nThe regiment was finally completed and mustered in for a term of six\nmonths, though it served considerably over time. Its first service was\nrendered in guarding the U. S. Armory at Detroit, Michigan. The armory\nwas threatened by General Vallandigham, who had been banished from the\nUnited States because of treasonable expressions, and had placed himself\nat the head of a force in Canada with the purpose of threatening the\nUnion from the north. The regiment was later sent to re\u00ebnforce General\nBurnsides in east Tennessee.\n\nThis was during the terrible winter of \u201963 and \u201964, when Burnsides was\nbesieged by Confederate General Longstreet and was shut up in Knoxville.\nThe hardships suffered by the Union soldiers during that memorable siege\nare matters of history and need not be recounted in detail here. Among\nthe foremost of the sufferers was Newgent\u2019s regiment, the 116th Indiana.\nAll supplies having been cut off, the boys for many weeks had a hard\nstruggle to keep from succumbing to hunger and cold. For a time they each\nhad but one ear of corn a day; no tents, and not sufficient clothing\nfor protection even under favorable circumstances. In the midst of the\nseverest winter weather, over three hundred of the men were barefooted.\nNewgent was the best dressed man in his regiment, and it was with\ndifficulty that he got his dress coat to hang together at the collar;\nand he suffered no little uneasiness lest his trousers would dissolve\npartnership with him.\n\nA few characteristic army experiences will suffice in this connection and\noccupy the remainder of this chapter.\n\nOn reaching Tennessee, the regiment was stationed temporarily at\nGreenville. The care-free boys attended services the first Sunday\nmorning at the Presbyterian church in the city. The pastor, Rev. Samuel\nMcCorkle, treated them kindly. They were delighted with the reception\naccorded them, and on the following Sabbath a large part of the regiment,\nincluding the chaplain, turned out to worship at Rev. Mr. McCorkle\u2019s\nchurch. When Newgent appeared in his chaplain\u2019s uniform, McCorkle\nat once led him up to the pulpit and insisted that he preach. The\nchaplain was never averse to preaching whenever there was occasion for\nit, and so consented, under slight pressure. He observed the pastor\u2019s\nmanuscript neatly tied up with red ribbon, which told him he had barely\nescaped listening to a manuscript sermon. Newgent had little sympathy\nfor a written discourse and took advantage of the situation to indulge\nin some pleasantries at the learned parson\u2019s expense. He told the\ncongregation, the greater part of whom were soldiers, that he had no set\ndiscourse, and that he never tried to palm off a written sermon upon a\nhelpless congregation, as such a procedure was \u201clike a doctor writing a\nprescription before examining the patient.\u201d Rev. Mr. McCorkle accepted\nthe criticism good-naturedly and invited Newgent to take dinner with him\nafter the service. After several weeks of army rations, the dinner at\nRev. Mr. McCorkle\u2019s home was a most delightful change.\n\nHe returned the courtesy that had been accorded him by inviting his host\nto preach to his \u201cboys\u201d in the afternoon. The invitation was accepted.\nMcCorkle did not deem it judicious to use his manuscript after the\nepisode of the forenoon, and was visibly handicapped and embarrassed in\nhis attempt at extemporaneous delivery. He talked but a few minutes and\nturned the service over to the chaplain.\n\nAfter the service the two men had a heart-to-heart talk. McCorkle\nconfessed his chagrin at not being able to preach without his manuscript,\nand expressed a determination to cultivate the habit of extemporaneous\ndelivery. That the determination was carried out was seen in the fact\nthat he became a leader in this method of preaching. And the two\npreachers continued fast friends.\n\nAn incident more pleasing to relate than to undergo occurred at Tazewell,\nTennessee, where Newgent\u2019s regiment had been dispatched with twenty-four\nothers to check a Confederate force that was approaching from that\nquarter. They went into camp, building temporary fortifications with\nthe grave stones of a nearby cemetery. About midnight the army was\nsurprised by the sudden arrival of a force of Confederate cavalry that\ncaptured some of the outposts. Newgent, with some of his regiment, was\ngarrisoned in an old building that had been used for a granary. As the\nfire was opened he caught up his clothes in his arms, and, mounting\nhis horse, started down the hill for a more healthful location. The\nhorse stumbled over some rocks, throwing the rider to the ground and\nscattering his precious wearing apparel to the four winds. There was no\ntime for trifles, and the clothes were abandoned for the time. They were\nrecovered about nine o\u2019clock the next morning, much to the relief of the\nreverend, whose situation in the meantime was as embarrassing as it was\nuncomfortable.\n\nOn one occasion his coolness and ingenuity were the means of saving\nhis entire regiment from capture. The regiment had been ordered across\nthe Clinch River in east Tennessee to guard a narrow passage in the\nmountains at what was called Bean\u2019s Station. They had gotten across and\nwere camping in a bend of the river when news came that the rebels had\nsuperseded them, and three brigades were between them and the gap. They\nmight easily have retreated, but the river became swollen from heavy\nrains, and to cross a swift, mountain stream under such circumstances was\npractically out of the question.\n\nNewgent was sick at the time, being cared for at the colonel\u2019s\nheadquarters. During the early part of the night the colonel came to him,\ntrembling with fear, and said, \u201cChaplain, what on earth is to be done?\nThere is a strong rebel force on one side of us, and an unfordable stream\non the other. If we are not out of here by morning every one of us will\nbe captured.\u201d\n\nThe rebels were confident that they could not get away and so waited\nuntil morning to bag their game.\n\n\u201cBring six or seven of the boys here,\u201d said Newgent. The boys were\nbrought. He told them to go down to the river where they would find an\nold canoe partly filled with water. \u201cBuild a fire on the bank so that its\nlight will shine across the stream, bail the water out of the canoe, put\nit in as good shape as possible, and then report.\u201d\n\nThey followed his instructions, after which they came back to\nheadquarters, and the sick chaplain got out of his bed and went back with\nthem to the river. Though it was a perilous undertaking, the men got in\nthe water-soaked canoe, and by the uncertain light of the fire, made\ntheir way to the other side of the angry stream. They went to General\nCurtain\u2019s headquarters, related the situation, and procured a supply of\ncannon rope. With the rope they made a cable across the river. They thus\ndevised a rude ferry by means of an abandoned and partly submerged barge\nwhich they raised and repaired for the purpose. The barge would carry\nabout twelve men or one horse at a trip. It was propelled by the men\nholding to the cable and thus laboriously working their way from one side\nof the stream to the other. Through the dark, stormy night they toiled,\nand before daybreak the entire regiment with all appurtenances was out of\nreach of the enemy. When the rebels reached forth their hand next morning\nto bag their game, lo! it wasn\u2019t there!\n\nIt was a terrible night\u2019s work, however. The sick chaplain stayed with\nthe barge until the last man was saved. He was twice thrown into the\nwater, and ran a fearful risk in thus exposing himself at so critical\na time. After the excitement of the night, by which alone his physical\nstrength was sustained, he suffered a serious relapse. He was confined to\nhis bed at General Curtain\u2019s headquarters for about two weeks, when he\nagain reported for duty. The men regarded him as their deliverer, and the\nsatisfaction of having saved his comrades from the horrors of a southern\nprison compensated for all he suffered. For this heroic deed he was\ncomplimented on dress parade by a special order from the general.\n\nThe following reference to this incident is found in the \u201cOfficial\nRecords of the Army,\u201d Series I., Vol. XXXI.:\n\n                                  Tazewell, Tenn., December 14, 1863.\n\n    Major-General Foster, Knoxville:\n\n    General: I have the honor of reporting that I arrived here this\n    evening at about dark, having left Rutledge at 9:00 a. m., and\n    Bean\u2019s Station at 1:30 p. m.... At the crossing of the Clinch\n    River (Evan\u2019s Ford) I found a sufficient guard, under the\n    command of Colonel Kise. The river was rising quite rapidly,\n    but the guard had raised and repaired the ferry-boat, which was\n    crossing successfully, being pulled back and forth by hand upon\n    a cable stretched from one shore to another. I think that it\n    would be well, as a matter of security, to have another boat\n    built there, and will so notify Colonel Babcock....\n\n    I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,\n\n                                                         O. M. POE,\n                      Captain and Chief Engineer, Army of the Ohio.\n\nAs a means for the spiritual welfare of the \u201cboys,\u201d he conceived and\ncarried out the idea of organizing a military church. Though there were\nvarious religious organizations among the soldiers, and some doubtless\non similar lines, yet this was an entirely original conception with\nhim. His church took no denominational name, but was made up of all\nwho were willing to become members. It was completely officered, and\nmaintained prayer meetings and church services at stated intervals. Two\nspecial revival meetings were held in which about 250 of the \u201cboys\u201d were\nconverted.\n\nHis spiritual ministrations were not limited to the soldiers. Whenever an\nopportunity presented itself he would hold services at nearby churches\nand school houses. On one such occasion he incidentally, to use his own\nexpression, \u201cchased seven Johnnies for three and a half miles.\u201d It was\na merry race; like Jehu the entire party rode furiously. But as the\nchaplain had more at stake than his companions in the chase, he managed\nto maintain his position well in advance of the seven, and was quite\nwilling to abandon the chase by the time he reached camp.\n\nNot least among the interesting army \u201cexperiences\u201d was the homeward\njourney. As previously stated, the regiment served over the time\nfor which they enlisted. The men were impatient and homesick. Their\ndestitute condition rendered many of them almost desperate. Almost half\nof them were barefooted and all were weakened by hunger and exposure.\nThe morning on which they were to start home the colonel announced\nthat they would proceed to Barbersville, Kentucky, and that there they\nwould find a supply of much-needed clothing and provisions. This was a\ntwo-days\u2019 march, which, in itself, was no pleasing prospect under the\ncircumstances. The promise of food and clothing, however, nerved them for\nthe ordeal. It was midnight when Barbersville was reached, and to their\nutter consternation the promised supplies were not there.\n\nThings were looking blue. The colonel said to Newgent, \u201cYou have the\nbest horse in the regiment. Take a couple of the boys and get out and\nfind something to feed these men before morning.\u201d He started, not to\nforage, but to beg. At the first house he came to be was met by a woman\nto whom he stated his mission. She showed him a blood spot on the floor\nwhere her husband had been killed by the rebels, and said that all she\nhad was a half-bushel of meal, but she was willing to divide. It was all\nhe secured, though he continued the search until daylight. Returning\nto camp, he threw the bit of meal at the colonel\u2019s feet, and fell down\nexhausted, dropping at once into a deep sleep.\n\nWhat happened during the time he slept, when the real situation dawned\nupon the men, he could only surmise. The next he knew, the colonel had\nhim aroused and was ordering him to ride ahead of the regiment to a\nlittle water-mill about twelve miles distant to see what could be found\nthere, and to arrange if possible to feed the men when they arrived. He\nfound a few bushels of grain, most of it in a bad condition. When ground\ninto meal it made just one pint each for the men. After they had eaten\ntheir morsel, the colonel made them a little speech in which he told them\nthat the next objective point would be Camp Dick Robinson, and for every\nman to look out for himself until they reached the camp. This they were\nquite glad to do. And when in a few days they met at the camp, they were\nin better spirits, and were pretty well supplied for the rest of the\njourney.\n\nThe next way station was Camp Nelson. Here they were met by the Provost\nMarshal who declared the regiment under arrest for pillaging, and ordered\nthem to stack arms. While the authorities were arranging the details\nfor taking care of them, the colonel took advantage of the delay.\n\u201cAttention, Battalions,\u201d he shouted, \u201cShoulder arms\u2014forward march\u2014double\nquick!\u201d The order was eagerly obeyed. A \u201cdouble-quick\u201d march was made\nto Nicholasville. This was a railroad town. Here they ordered a train\nfor Cincinnati. The train steamed out of the station with its load of\nanimated freight just as the Marshal with his guard galloped in sight.\n\nThe authorities at Cincinnati were notified by wire to arrest the\nregiment on its arrival there, but this was anticipated. So they got off\nthe train at Covington, crossing the Ohio River by ferry to Cincinnati.\nThere they got a train for Indianapolis without being detected. The\ntrain was pressed into service to convey them on to Lafayette, the home\nof the regiment. They reached the city on Sunday evening, as the church\nbells were ringing for the evening services. Newgent, as his custom was,\nwent to church. Possibly he felt the need of it after what he had gone\nthrough. He went to the First Methodist Episcopal Church, and at the\nurgent request of the pastor, delivered the evening discourse to the\ndelight of the splendid audience.\n\nIt should be said in justice to Rev. Mr. Newgent that he was not a\nparty to any of the irregularities that almost brought his regiment\ninto disrepute after it had acquitted itself so well on the field. He\nremonstrated with the men and exhorted them to better conduct, but when\nthe pressure of army discipline was removed, the pent-up energies of\nthese raw backwoodsmen were turned loose along various channels and\ncould neither be suppressed nor regulated. The officers of the regiment,\nwith the exception of Newgent, were summoned before the proper military\ntribunal at Indianapolis, to answer for their depredations. They were\nacquitted, however, being ably defended by Lieutenant-Colonel G. O. Beam.\nWhether or not the verdict was a just one, is of no special concern to us\nhere. Suffice it to say that our subject, though a young man, so ordered\nhis life as not only to keep himself unspotted from the world, but at the\nsame time to win for himself the confidence of even the most hardened\nsinners. He was exonerated from all blame in advance, and his name was\nnot brought before the court.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER SEVEN.\n\n    _Plants the United Brethren Banner in Terre Haute\u2014Prairieton\n    Pastorate\u2014Difficulty with the Sons of Anak\u2014A Prayer Without an\n    \u201cAmen\u201d\u2014Another Community Redeemed\u2014Going to the Wrong Doctor\u2014A\n    Perverse Colt\u2014An Unintentional Immersion\u2014One Sermon That was\n    not Dry._\n\n\nIt was in April, 1864, when Rev. Mr. Newgent returned from the war.\nHis own conference did not meet until fall, but the Lower Wabash\nConference met in its annual session in Vermilion, Illinois, about\nthe time of his return. With the view to getting back on the firing\nline at once, he attended the latter conference, and was appointed to\nTerre Haute (Indiana) Mission. This was strictly prospective work, as\nthe mission was projected at this session. The conference at the same\nsession, following the example of the Upper Wabash Conference, decided\nto change the time of its annual meetings from spring to fall, hence\nthe appointment was made for a period of only six months. During this\ntime Rev. Mr. Newgent devoted himself with characteristic zeal to laying\nbroad and deep the foundations of his church in this new Macedonia. That\nhis labors were fruitful is seen in the fact that he reported to the\nfall conference an organized church on Second Street, with splendid\nprospects of a prosperous future\u2014prospects which subsequent history has\nabundantly fulfilled. To him belongs the credit of first planting the\nUnited Brethren banner in this thriving city, where the Church has since\nsteadily grown to a place of prestige and influence.\n\nThe Terre Haute pastorate was followed by a year at Prairieton, in Vigo\nCounty, Indiana. Some experiences on this field are worthy of note. A\nrevival meeting was held in an unevangelized community at what was known\nas the Battle Row School House, near the Wabash River. The school house\nwas a primitive log building with plenty of ventilation. The wide cracks\nbetween the logs in the walls not only admitted a sufficiency of fresh\nair, but were a source of temptation to the untamed sons of the natives\nwho were wont at critical times to inject missiles of various sorts\nthrough them into the midst of the congregation, causing more or less\nuneasiness and often confusion to the worshipers. It was not a place\nwhere one could worship under his own vine and fig tree with no one to\nmolest or make afraid. During the early stage of the meeting reapers were\nscarce, and to all appearances, were wholly inadequate to the demands\nof the great, over-ripe harvest. The sons of Anak seemed to have a\nperpetual title to the place, and showed no intention of evacuating it.\nAt one time, as Newgent was making an earnest plea for penitents to come\nto the altar, he observed a company of ruffians in the rear of the room\nin a rather impenitent condition, bantering one another to go forward to\nthe mourner\u2019s bench. The quick wit of the preacher frustrated their evil\ndesigns. Constant vigilance had to be exercised to prevent outbreaks and\ndemonstrations of a similar character. As the meeting proceeded converts\nmultiplied and the odds became more and more to the advantage of the\nfaithful.\n\nThere was one wheel-horse who was the pastor\u2019s right hand man in the\ngreat conflict with primitive elements. A splendid man he was, though his\ndroll manner was a subject of sport for the lewd fellows of the baser\npropensities. A characteristic attitude when he offered public prayer was\nto kneel facing the wall, with his back toward the congregation. Then\nwith his eyes closed and oblivious to all his surroundings, he would\nsoar to a high altitude in his eloquence and fervency of spirit. In such\nsurroundings, however, it would have been better had Father Scott, as he\nwas affectionately called, not forgotten his relation to this mundane\nsphere, for the situation surely demanded watching as well as praying.\nEspecially would it have prevented an awkward hitch in the services one\nevening when the interest and enthusiasm were at their greatest height.\nIntense conviction was capturing and humbling proud and defiant hearts,\nand victory was perching upon the banners of the loyal band.\n\nBut, as in the days of Job, when the sons of God went to worship, Satan\nwent also. Battle Row School House furnished a good demonstration of the\nfact that,\n\n    \u201cWherever God erects a house of prayer,\n    The devil\u2019s sure to build a chapel there;\n    And \u2019twill be found upon investigation,\n    The latter has by far the larger congregation.\u201d\n\nWhile the worshipers were in the midst of great rejoicing, Satan\u2019s hosts\nwere holding high carnival on the outside. Father Scott was called upon,\nas he frequently was, at the most critical stage in the meeting, to lead\nin prayer. As his custom was, he knelt with his face to the wall, and by\nchance his mouth was dangerously near a huge crack. While sailing away\nin the ether world, and the people were hanging breathlessly upon his\nearnest and eloquent words, all unexpectedly, for some strange reason,\nthe machinery stopped. It was unusual for a prayer to be terminated so\nabruptly without the conventional \u201camen.\u201d All eyes were fixed upon Father\nScott. What could have happened? It was painfully apparent that he was in\ndistress. He was making a desperate effort to clear some obstruction from\nhis throat, get his breath, and regain his equilibrium.\n\nThe proximity of Father Scott\u2019s mouth to the opening in the wall was too\ngreat a provocation for the unregenerates on the outside of the house\nto forego. One of them had prepared a ball of mud, and with accurate\naim, threw it through the crack into the brother\u2019s mouth, putting him\ntemporarily out of commission. There was, of course, confusion in the\nmidst of Zion, but Father Scott, whose battery had been silenced by this\nunexpected maneuver, was soon able to resume operations, and the battle\nwas pressed with increased vigor.\n\n[Illustration: A Prayer Without An Amen.]\n\nThere was another neglected community adjacent to this charge. It was\nentirely without church services or religious influences of any kind. In\nthe community lived a well-to-do gentleman of the name of Owen, whose\nwife was an invalid. Being of a religious turn of mind, and deprived of\nchurch privileges, she desired to have a meeting held at her home mainly\nfor her benefit. Rev. Mr. Newgent was invited to conduct the service.\nHis Sundays being taken up by his regular work, the meeting was held\nin a forenoon during the week. A goodly company of neighbors gathered\nout of respect to the dear sister, and she enjoyed the occasion so much\nthat she invited them all back for a service in the evening. The evening\nmeeting proved still more interesting, and it was decided to continue the\nservices indefinitely. It developed into a grand revival which resulted\nin many conversions, the organization of a church, and the building of\na church-house. Among the first to come to the mourner\u2019s bench was Mr.\nOwen, the generous host. He \u201ccame through\u201d shouting and became a strong,\nstaunch, and stormy defender of the faith.\n\nAmong attendants at the revival were two brothers, \u201cDave\u201d and \u201cJoe\u201d\nWalker, notable characters in a local way. Both were proficient in the\nuse of the violin, or, in the vernacular of the day, they were great\nfiddlers. Even if there was nothing else to place them under the ban\nof pious sentiment, this in itself would have been sufficient, for the\nfiddle had been so exclusively associated with bad company that it\nwas supposed to have absorbed something of the evil spirits of its\ncompanions, and in the superstitious imaginations of many it possessed\ninvisible hoofs and horns, and a strange, infernal power that was to be\nzealously avoided. Hence, Dave and Joe were regarded as typical \u201chard\nnuts,\u201d and it cannot be denied that they made an honest effort to live up\nto their reputations. They were more familiar with the conventionalities\nof the country \u201choe-down\u201d than with the atmosphere of a \u201cbig meetin\u2019.\u201d\nUntil the revival at the Owen home attracted their attention, they had\nnot been present at a church service since they were boys. They became\nfairly regular attendants at the meeting, and in consequence, both got\nsick. Their illness seemed to be of a peculiar character, as neither of\nthem could explain his symptoms or give any clue as to the seat of the\ntrouble.\n\nJoe became much worse one evening and by midnight he began to think he\nwas being beckoned across the border. Dave, whose condition was not so\ncritical, was dispatched to Prairieton for medical aid. While he was\ngone, Joe got religion. This proved to be all the treatment he needed.\nAll unfavorable symptoms disappeared, and he set out post haste to meet\nhis brother. Just before he reached the village, he met Dave on his way\nhome, when the following colloquy took place:\n\n\u201cOh, Dave, I\u2019ve got all the medicine I need. It ain\u2019t pills we need, but\nreligion.\u201d\n\n\u201cBless the Lord, I\u2019ve took the medicine, too,\u201d said Dave. He had also\nbeen converted on his return from the doctor\u2019s office. It thus became\napparent that their malady was spiritual rather than physical, but being\nunfamiliar with symptoms of that character, they were unable to diagnose\nthe case until the remedy had been applied. The two brothers were made\nevery whit whole, soul and body. They hung up \u201cthe fiddle and the bow,\u201d\nand their talents and energies were turned loose along more legitimate\nchannels.\n\nVermilion Circuit, in Illinois, was the scene of the next pastorate. Here\na memorable experience took place as he was making his second \u201cround\u201d\non the charge. Newgent, like other strong men, has always had some\nhobbies, legitimate hobbies in his case, however, that were elements of\nstrength in his ministry. One of these is punctuality. He has always\nbeen scrupulously punctual in meeting his engagements. He never misses\na train from the fact that he is far more likely to be at the station\nthree-quarters of an hour ahead of time than three-quarters of a minute\nlate. He is a strict believer in the maxim of the muse,\n\n    \u201cBetter be an hour early and stand and wait,\n    Than to be a moment behind the time.\u201d\n\nIn filling appointments he observes the same rule. He finds it helpful to\nbe on hand sufficiently early to meet and shake hands with the advance\nguards of the congregation. It affords a tonic for his wits and puts him\nin a mood to be at his best.\n\nOn his new charge was a church known as Prairie Chapel. As usual, in his\nintroductory services he exhorted his people to be punctual in their\nattendance, stating that he made it a point to be on time, and that if he\nat any time was not strictly \u201con the dot,\u201d they might know that something\nwas wrong. It so happened that at the very next service the scrupulously\npunctual preacher was behind time, and it also happened that something\nwas desperately wrong.\n\nAs a sort of background to the scene to be here presented, it would be\nwell to state that he was clad in a new suit, as preachers usually were\nat the beginning of the year. The new suit consisted of a complete outfit\nfrom boots to hat and gloves, including also that luxury which not every\ncircuit rider could afford, a fine shawl. It should further be explained\nthat he was riding a colt, not the nineteen-year-old variety with which\nhe traveled his first circuit, but a genuine three-year-old, with all the\nfire and perverseness of its kind. It might also be in order to add, by\nway of parenthesis, that the Illinois roads after the rains and frosts of\nSeptember began their maneuvers, were no respecters of new clothes.\n\nJust before reaching Prairie Chapel, the road crossed a slough some three\nhundred feet wide. At this point the road was covered by about three\nfeet of water, or perhaps, as it was difficult to tell just where the\nwater left off and the mud began, it would be more exact to say that\nit was three feet from the top of the water to the bottom of the mud.\nIt was covered with a thin coating of ice. Newgent, being the first to\npass that way on that Sunday morning, had to break the ice as he went.\nThe colt did not like the task to begin with, but as this was the only\nroad to the church and was fenced on either side with a picket fence, a\nstraightforward course was the only alternative.\n\nThe colt proceeded reluctantly until it reached the middle of the slough.\nThere it became possessed with the spirit of Balam\u2019s beast and refused\nto go farther. Its purpose seemed to be fixed as all the entreaties of\nthe rider were unavailing. The church was in plain view, and, like the\nwedding guest of Coleridge\u2019s immortal \u201cRime,\u201d the preacher could see\nand hear the people as they were assembling, while he was transfixed to\nthe spot. Finally giving up hope of going forward, he tried to turn the\ncolt\u2019s head in the opposite direction, when, lo, he found that it was as\naverse to turning back as it was to going forward. Just what the beast\u2019s\nplan for the future was, could not well be divined, for, to be in the\nmiddle of a lake with no purpose of going either forward or backward was,\nto say the least, a position difficult to explain or defend. The final\nbell rang for the morning service, and the preacher began to realize that\nhis reputation for punctuality was in danger of being water-soaked. A\nfinal desperate effort was made to induce locomotion, but to no avail.\n\nIt was a real Slough of Despond. The reverend\u2019s heart sank to the bottom\nof his new boots when he found that his only chance was to dismount. This\nhe proceeded to do, supposing that he could at least lead the beast out\nof the water. The water was by no means comfortable, the mud filled his\nboots, and apprehensive thoughts concerning the unpresentable appearance\nhe would make at church, and the damage being done to his new suit, and\nat the same time the humiliation of being beaten out by a perverse colt,\nall together did not tend to a devotional frame of mind.\n\n[Illustration: An Unintentional Immersion.]\n\nTaking the rein, he waded forward, expecting the colt to follow, but it\nhad no disposition to be led; he gave the rein a sharp pull, but the\nanimal also had scruples against being pulled. He then gave the rein\na jerk, putting all of his physical strength, and possibly a bit of\nhis temper into the jerk, when, lo! the rein broke, and the preacher,\nnot thinking of such a contingency, went splash into the water, being\ncompletely submerged. Things were rapidly going from bad to worse. It\nwas of no use under the circumstances, to try to maintain ministerial\ndignity. Gathering himself together, he made his way to the fence, and,\nloosing a picket, he got behind the animal, and with a few strokes where\nthey would do the most good, and unministerial maneuvers, he got it\nstarted, and by an aggressive follow-up campaign, they reached the shore\nwithout further ceremony or delay.\n\nHe hastened on to the church. The people were waiting for the belated\npastor, and when he arrived, they saw at once there had been a valid\nexcuse for his tardiness. There were four other ministers present,\nand Newgent tried to get one of them to preach in his stead, but all\ndeclined. So he went on with the regular program, and preached with his\nusual zeal while the water was still dripping from his new suit. It was\none time at least when the congregation was not bored with a dry preacher.\n\nAfter service he went home with one of his members, borrowed some dry\nclothes, and proceeded to fill his other appointments for the day.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER EIGHT.\n\n    _The New Goshen Pastorate\u2014An Old Grudge Healed\u2014Dry Bones\n    Revived\u2014Memorable Year at \u201cDogtown\u201d\u2014\u201cDeath in the Pot\u201d\u2014The\n    Hittites Captured\u2014The \u201cJerks\u201d\u2014Other Remarkable Demonstrations\u2014A\n    Rooster in the Missionary Collection\u2014First Debate\u2014Unpleasant\n    Sequel to a Horse Trade._\n\n\nFollowing the Vermilion pastorate, two years were spent on the New\nGoshen Circuit in Vigo County, Indiana. This circuit had ranked among\nthe best in the conference, but unfortunately had become weakened and\ndespoiled through internal dissension. A chronic grudge between two of\nthe most prominent members had leavened the whole lump with its unsavory\neffects. It was one of those situations that afford a pastor a splendid\nopportunity of losing his ecclesiastical scalp, the very thing that\nhappened to a number of former pastors who undertook to heal the sore.\nIt was not Newgent\u2019s policy to take a hand in neighborhood broils, or\nto break to the woods in the face of such contingencies, but rather to\n\u201cstand still and see the salvation of the Lord.\u201d\n\nHis presiding elder told him that his first duty on going to the circuit\nwould be to get the difficulty adjusted. It was suggested that as he\nwas a stranger to both parties, he would be the proper one to do it. He\nreplied that God had not called him to fix up old grudges between church\nmembers, but to save sinners.\n\n\u201cBut unless you get this done,\u201d he was told, \u201cyou had as well not go, for\nyou can never accomplish anything until the difficulty is removed. He\nsaid he would not bother the old grudge directly, and that if there were\nsinners who wanted salvation, he was sure God could save them in spite\nof old, grouchy church members. He proceeded at once to plan a revival\ncampaign. It is part of his philosophy that if a pastor\u2019s first revival\neffort is a success it begets confidence on the part of the people and\npaves the way for other victories. It is, therefore, the part of wisdom\nto choose the easiest place to begin with. Accordingly, he began a\nmeeting in the latter part of September at the Rose Hill class, where he\nthought there were the fewest hindrances. But the people were still busy\nwith their farm work, and with the old trouble still visible around the\nedges, producing a melancholy Indian summer effect, he had very little\nencouragement. Two weeks passed and only four persons could be mustered\nfor day services. He preached to this quartet of faithful souls, held\nprayer and class meetings with them, and encouraged them in every\npossible way.\n\n\u201cTell the people to come,\u201d he said to his little band one day, as if\nseized with a sudden revelation, \u201cfor we are going to have the biggest\nrevival they have ever seen. If you can\u2019t tell it on your own faith,\ntell them the preacher said so.\u201d They perhaps half-way believed what he\nsaid. At least they did as they were urged, and the crowd was slightly\nincreased the next day. And with that service the revival really did\nbegin. The prophecy was fulfilled. It was by far the greatest revival\nthe community had ever known, abundantly demonstrating the preacher\u2019s\nphilosophy that when folks want salvation, a few backslidden church\nmembers, even with their bristles up, cannot prevent them from getting it.\n\nNew Goshen Class was the head and heart of the circuit, likewise the seat\nof the trouble that had been its thorn in the flesh. Newgent proceeded\nto carry out his policy of capturing the outposts before storming this\nstronghold of opposition. The plan worked admirably. Three meetings were\nheld, each of which resulted in a sweeping revival. He was now ready for\nthe Herculean task, the final charge, New Goshen itself!\n\nHere it was seen how God moves in mysterious ways, using the weak things\nto confound the mighty. Some two miles from town lived a family, all of\nwhom were utterly irreligious. The father was a drunkard and a notably\nrough character. The oldest daughter was an invalid, but on learning\nof the meeting, she was taken with a keen desire to attend. So she\nwent to visit with a family who lived just across the street from the\nchurch, so that it would be convenient for her. In the first service she\nattended, she went to the altar, and was not there long until she fell\ninto a trance. This was repeated the second and third evenings. One of\nher brothers was present the third evening, and when he saw his sister\nso strangely affected, conviction seized upon him so intensely that he\nlikewise fell over in an unconscious condition. When he \u201ccame through\u201d he\nwas a new creature in Christ. One after another of this wicked family was\ntaken captive by the power of God until all were graciously saved.\n\nBy this time the church began to rub its eyes and take notice. The dry\nbones were surely beginning to shake and show signs of life. One evening\nas the power of God was moving upon the people, the two brethren who were\nresponsible for the old trouble on the circuit, were seen edging toward\neach other, and when they got together, they threw their arms around\neach other\u2019s necks and wept like children. The mother of one of the men\nwas present and when she saw what was taking place, she sent up a shout\nthat really did wake the dead\u2014the spiritually dead of the congregation.\nWalls of opposition suddenly gave way. The fire from heaven fell as it\nfell on Sodom and Gomorrah, not to destroy, but to wipe out old scores\nand to make men and women alive to God. The fortified city was taken. The\nvictory was complete.\n\nDuring this pastorate of two years, over four hundred persons were added\nto the church.\n\nOne of his most successful and memorable pastorates was that on the\nCharlestown Circuit, in Illinois. The circuit had a very unsavory\nreputation at the time. It was commonly known by the undignified and\nuncomplimentary name of \u201cDogtown.\u201d Newgent had asked to be sent to the\nworst charge the conference had, and the reputation of Dogtown made this\na matter easily determined. His predecessor had been egged and otherwise\nbadly handled.\n\nIt was a serious question with the conference as to whether a pastor\nshould be appointed to it, as it had proven itself so unworthy. Besides,\nit was a proposition that few men were willing to face, Newgent being the\nonly aspirant for the situation. The salary the preceding year was $180,\nand there was not a church paper taken on the entire charge.\n\nDogtown, the place which gave the name and largely the reputation\nto the circuit, was a straggling village noted only for its general\ncussedness. Newgent declared that it had never been named after a good\ndog, but more likely after the lowest bred cur in the country. The name,\nhowever, was partially a corruption of Diona, by which name the town\nhad been christened; but the appropriateness of the former name was so\nevident that it naturally stuck, and the original name was well nigh\nforgotten. Though the place was utterly fallen from righteousness\u2014if it\never possessed any\u2014and was inclined to evil and evil only, it had the\none advantage of being well churched. It had two church-houses, each\nserving as the home for two denominations. Thus, four denominations\nwere diligently casting their pearls into this swine-wallow only to\nhave them trampled under foot. The Methodists and Baptists occupied one\nhouse, and the Cumberland Presbyterians and United Brethren the other.\nThey suffered no inconvenience through lack of room, as the combined\nmembership of the four churches numbered only fourteen, seven of whom\nbelonged to the United Brethren.\n\nIt was one of those melancholy days, a Sunday afternoon in September,\nwhen the new circuit rider arrived to fill his first appointment at\nDogtown. Of course the seven members of his flock were present to take\nhis measure. The task was soon done. They were crestfallen when they\nsaw as their spiritual advisor an unpretentious, boyish-looking fellow,\nsomewhat below the standard size, and possessing little of the air and\ndignity and gravity of a ripe circuit rider, according to their staid\nnotions. The faithful seven, like the proverbial birds of a feather,\noccupied a portion of the house to themselves; their long faces turned\nfull upon the pastor, added to the melancholy of that autumn afternoon.\nNor did the small sprinkling of stray sheep throughout the plain old\nbuilding serve to any considerable extent as a counter-irritant.\n\nNewgent was keeping a \u201cstiff upper lip\u201d as he introduced the services.\nThe preliminary exercises were about finished, and he was about to begin\nthe sermon; the congregation was droning out a familiar tune when a raw,\nstrapping native came stalking in. He presented a unique appearance. He\nwas barefooted, his trousers were rolled up to his knees, he wore no\ncoat, and his checked shirt was unbuttoned at the collar. No sooner was\nhe seated than another in exactly similar manner and costume followed.\nOne after another followed until upwards in thirty came in, all dressed\nexactly alike, and so timing their movements as to give time for each\nto be seated before another followed, making the procession as long as\npossible\u2014to the amusement of the pastor and the stray sheep, and the\nutter consternation of the faithful seven.\n\nIt struck the witty Irishman at once that they were not trying to install\nhim as the Presbyterians do their pastors, but rather to forestall\nhim after the manner of Dogtown; and he made up his mind not to be\nforestalled. He was certain they did not want any religion and he had\nno religion to throw away. He had his subject in mind, but he thought\nit best to select a more appropriate one. Accordingly, he announced as\nhis text, \u201cOh, man of God, there is death in the pot.\u201d He talked about\ntwenty minutes, putting in the entire time telling his funniest stories,\nand pouring in one broadside after another of his Irish wit and humor.\nIt was a diplomatic move. All seemed heartily to enjoy the \u201csermon,\u201d\nexcept the seven members of his own congregation. The proceeding was\nmost too irregular for their conventional tastes. The members of his\nuniformed guard were especially delighted. Every witticism was greeted\nwith vociferous applause, by the stamping of their bare feet, clapping of\nhands, and unrestrained, boisterous laughter.\n\n\u201cI would not black my boots to hear a long, dry sermon,\u201d said the\npreacher by way of conclusion. \u201cYou are a fine looking set of fellows. I\nhave been sent by the conference to preach to you, and I am sure we will\nget along well together. Now, if you see me at any time looking hungry,\nor if it is near night, take me in. I am an Irishman and easily pleased.\nAnd if I see any of you near my home, I will treat you the same. But,\ngentlemen, I have the most beautiful little wife you ever set eyes on.\nNow, I expect to bring her with me the next time, and you must be sure to\nput your boots on and fix up a little.\u201d\n\nWhen he dismissed he went back among this raw element, shaking hands\nand talking freely with each one. Much of his time between that and the\nnext appointment was spent studying \u201cmischief\u201d\u2014loading up for the next\ndischarge. His second talk was even more humorous than the first, having\nbeen prepared especially for the crowd and the occasion. In the meantime\nhis fame had been spread broadcast, and an immense crowd was present to\nsee and hear the \u201cwild Irishman.\u201d A number were congregated at the door\nfor the purpose of greeting him upon his arrival at the church.\n\nAt the third appointment he had an overflow crowd. As he was walking down\nthe aisle to the pulpit, a brother whom he recognized as one of the true\nand blue seven of the first service, plucked him aside and whispered:\n\n\u201cParson, you\u2019ve got \u2019em. You\u2019re the smartest feller that ever struck this\nplace. These fellers say you\u2019ve got to have order if they have to fight\nfor it.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019ve been fishing for,\u201d said Newgent. He began a revival\nat this time. Ere long the great, rough fellows who laughed so heartily\nat his jokes were crowding to the mourner\u2019s bench, shedding tears\nof penitence, crying for mercy, and piercing the air with shouts of\nvictory as one after another emerged into the light and liberty of God\u2019s\nchildren. A marvelous work was wrought in that sin-polluted community.\nAs the lives of these hardy backwoodsmen were transformed by the power\nof Christ, they became as potent for righteousness as they had been for\nevil. Just how many were converted could not be definitely ascertained.\nOne hundred sixty-one members were added to the United Brethren Church,\nbesides those that joined the other churches of the town.\n\nThere was an appointment some few miles from Dogtown named Liberty. It\nwas practically dead as a church, there being but five names on the\nroll, and they represented very little in spiritual assets. He began a\nrevival campaign here immediately following the meeting in town, which\nproved even more far-reaching in its results. He has always regarded it\nas the most remarkable revival in his entire ministry. The power of God\nin the conviction of sinners was irresistible. Strong men and women were\nstricken unconscious in almost every service. As many as fifty persons\ncould be counted lying in an unconscious condition at one time.\n\nA peculiar feature of this revival was the presence of that strange,\nnervous phenomenon among the people, known as the \u201cjerks.\u201d This strange\nmanifestation prevailed in many of the early revivals where unusual\npower was displayed. It was especially prevalent in what is known as the\ngreat Cumberland revival which swept over the eastern part of Kentucky\nand Tennessee. Whatever the explanation of this phenomenon, it usually\naccompanied a deep emotional state, saints and sinners alike being\nsubject to it. The mystery of it and the fact that it often became\nquite violent, especially on persons who resisted the influence of the\nmeetings, gave it much weight in these early revivals. Peter Cartwright,\nin his well-known autobiography, describes the physical effects of the\njerks as follows:\n\n\u201cNo matter whether they were saints or sinners, they would be taken\nunder a warm song or sermon, and seized with a convulsive jerking all\nover, which they could not by any possibility avoid, and the more they\nresisted, the more they jerked. If they would not strive against it and\nwould pray in good earnest, the jerking would usually abate. I have\nseen more than five hundred persons jerking at one time in any large\ncongregation. Most usually persons taken with the jerks, to obtain\nrelief, would rise up and dance. Some would run but could not get away.\nSome would resist; on such the jerks were usually very severe.\u201d\n\nThe meeting was accompanied by a variety of spiritual demonstrations,\nremarkable both in their character and extent. It was entirely beyond\nhuman control. It continued four months, day and night. Most of the\ntime there was no preaching, for there was no opportunity for a sermon,\nand none was needed. The people would gather, singing and shouting\nas they came, and the singing, shouting, and praying would continue\nspontaneously. Penitents would go to the altar without an invitation,\noften as soon as they arrived.\n\nThe entire community was charged with a peculiar spiritual atmosphere,\nthe limit of which seemed distinctly drawn. It was termed the \u201cdead\nline.\u201d On reaching this line the individual, whether a Christian or not,\nwould at once be seized with intense religious emotion. On passing out of\nthis region the change was as distinctly felt as on entering it.\n\nSo great was the interest in the surrounding country that six schools\nwere closed. One teacher sent to the church for help. Some brethren went\nto see what was the matter, and found the entire school practically\nprostrate with conviction. School was turned into prayer meeting.\nA number, including the teacher, were converted, and school was\nindefinitely suspended.\n\nThe pulpit and platform were smashed into kindling wood at one of the\nservices. People performed physical feats utterly impossible under\nordinary circumstances, such as walking across the house on the backs of\nthe pews with their faces turned straight upward. Late one night after\nthe service had closed, a family in the neighborhood heard singing in the\ndirection of the church. Not knowing what it meant, they investigated.\nBut on approaching the church they noticed that the singing was overhead\nas if produced by an invisible choir in the upper air.\n\nWhatever question may enter the mind as to the nature of these phenomena,\nthere is no question as to the genuineness of the work of grace wrought\nin that section of country. It was swept as completely by the revival as\na prairie is swept by fire. And the effects were abiding, even the more\nextraordinary forms of spiritual fervor continuing indefinitely.\n\nThis was a season of strenuous physical activity on the part of Rev.\nMr. Newgent. This meeting lasted four months, and for three months in\naddition he was in revival meetings continuously.\n\nFrom being the worst circuit in the conference, Dogtown suddenly became\nthe best. It reported the largest salary. And that year it led the entire\ndenomination in the number of church papers taken. Prizes were offered\nby the publisher for the largest club in any conference, and also a\nsweepstakes prize for the largest club in the Church. Newgent won both\nthe conference and the sweepstakes prize, which was the more remarkable\nwhen we recall that there was not a paper taken on the charge when he was\nappointed to it.\n\nNear the close of his memorable meeting at Dogtown, he announced that\nhe would take a missionary offering the following Sunday, and urged the\npeople to come prepared. The missionary meeting was full of enthusiasm,\nas all his meetings were when a collection was involved. As he was\nexhorting the congregation to give freely to send the gospel to the\nheathen, the door opened and a boy bearing in his arms a large rooster\ncame walking down the aisle. As an evidence that the old-time Dogtown\nspirit was not wholly dead, some mischievous fellows planned to have some\nfun at the preacher\u2019s expense by putting a rooster in the missionary\ncollection. The bird was not only large, but also quite game, and was\nalmost too much for the lad who was to do the presentation act in behalf\nof the gang. As he proceeded toward the pulpit, his courage began to fail\nand he hesitated, possibly waiting to see what sort of effect he was\nproducing. The preacher took in the situation at a glance.\n\n\u201cCome on,\u201d he said to the half-frightened lad, \u201cI\u2019m the fellow who likes\nchicken.\u201d\n\nWith this encouragement the boy went forward and placed his gift in the\nhands of the preacher, who received it smilingly and thanked him for\nhis generous contribution to the missionary cause. He asked one of the\nbrethren in the \u201camen corner\u201d to care for his charge while he finished\nthe service. He kept the rooster until fall and took it to the annual\nconference. In presenting his report, he related the incident and asked\nin a jocular vein what should be done with the rooster. A dignified,\nsober-minded brother moved that the rooster be sold and the proceeds be\nreported to the missionary fund, and that the undignified proceedings be\nclosed. The motion carried.\n\n\u201cAll right,\u201d said the wiley Irishman, assuming the pose of an auctioneer,\n\u201chow much am I offered for the rooster? How much do I hear? How much?\u201d\nSome one ventured a bid. \u201cSold,\u201d said the preacher-auctioneer amid a\nroar of laughter, and the conference proceeded to more serious matters.\n\n[Illustration: A Unique Missionary Offering.]\n\nIt was on this charge that he had his first debate. His popularity\nand success in winning converts led to a challenge from a brother in\nthe Christian (Disciples) church, who was then serving as pastor at\nCharlestown, Illinois. The question discussed was the divinity of Christ.\nNewgent took the positive position, affirming that \u201cChrist is the very\nand eternal God apart from his human nature.\u201d The debate was held at\nSalisbury, Illinois, creating a great deal of interest and attracting a\nlarge crowd. That the contest resulted in an easy victory for our subject\nwas attested by the fact that he received an offer from the elders of\nhis opponent\u2019s church of fifteen hundred dollars a year to become their\npastor, which, at that time, was considered an enormous sum.\n\n\u201cI would not preach your doctrine for fifteen hundred dollars a year,\u201d he\nsaid, \u201cto say nothing of losing my time and self-respect.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are not asking you to preach the doctrine,\u201d they said, \u201call we ask\nis that you become our pastor; you are at liberty to preach your own\nconvictions.\u201d But he was not on the market.\n\nAnother interesting experience during this pastorate came as the sequel\nto a horse trade. One of his neighbors, a brother in the Church, coveted\nhis fine driving horse, and bantered him for a trade. \u201cI have the very\nhorse you need,\u201d he urged, and offered what seemed to be a fair bargain.\nAnd after the usual ceremonies and preliminaries, the deal was pulled off.\n\nThe next day being Sunday, the pastor hitched up his new horse early, and\ntaking his wife and babe, started for his appointment. The animal soon\nshowed signs of treachery, arousing the suspicions of its owner, but they\nwent on. They got on quite well until they came to a low swale in the\nroad over which the water stood several inches deep. When they were about\nhalf-way across, the horse stopped and looked back to see if they were\ncoming. But they had also stopped. Newgent, who had some knowledge of\n\u201chorseology,\u201d saw that they were in for it. It being a warm, summer day,\nan innumerable multitude of mosquitoes soon collected to express their\nsympathy and to divert the attention of the unfortunate family from their\ntroubles.\n\n\u201cHere\u2019s a chance to show that we can keep sweet,\u201d said the preacher to\nhis wife, \u201ceven under trying circumstances.\u201d\n\nThe circumstances were indeed trying, for he spent a couple of hours\ntrying to argue the horse out of his position, but the horse was not open\nto conviction. At the same time he was making a desperate effort to keep\nsweet, which, with the mosquitoes diligently plying their trade\u2014as it was\ntoo good a business opportunity for them to let pass\u2014and the hour for the\nmorning service passing, was not as easy a task as it would have been\nunder less trying circumstances.\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d he finally said to his wife, sweetly, \u201cwe are going out of here.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen?\u201d was her meek reply.\n\n\u201cJust as soon as possible.\u201d And removing his boots and some other parts\nof wearing apparel that could be temporarily dispensed with, he got out\nof the buggy and carried the baby to a dry place. He then removed his\nwife to the shore, after which he proceeded to unhitch the horse from\nthe buggy, or rather to unhitch the buggy from the horse, as the buggy\nwas movable and the horse was not. A strategic plan was then inaugurated\nby making a natural appeal to the animal\u2019s stubbornness. This was\ndone by hitching the horse to the rear axle-tree of the buggy, which\nproved a decided success, at least to the extent of getting both the\nhorse and buggy out of the water. Newgent then hitched up according to\nthe conventional style, and with his family started homeward in deep\nmeditation. He filled no appointment that day. He found it difficult to\nsee the point in his neighbor\u2019s argument that \u201cthis was the very horse\nhe needed,\u201d unless it was to stimulate the grace of patience, which is a\nmuch-needed quality in a preacher. Since then he has stoutly maintained\nthat it is a bad thing for a preacher to swap horses\u2014unless he is sure he\ncan make a better trade.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER NINE.\n\n    _Labors at Mattoon, Illinois\u2014A Persistent Campaign and a Great\n    Victory\u2014Second New Goshen Pastorate\u2014A Coincidence\u2014Success at\n    Prairieton\u2014Laboring in the Shadow\u2014The Death of Mrs. Newgent\u2014A\n    Bishop\u2019s Tribute to her Character._\n\n\nThe scene of his next labors was Mattoon, Illinois. This was a city of\nsome ten thousand inhabitants. It had been marked by a mushroom growth,\nhaving sprung from a small village within a few years. More attention,\nhowever, had been given to its material development than to its moral and\nreligious welfare. It had eleven churches, but what members they had,\nwere received mostly by letter. Like the city itself, the churches were\nmade up of a conglomeration of heterogeneous elements. All were lacking\nin efficient organization, stability, and vital godliness.\n\nRev. Mr. Newgent\u2019s church, the United Brethren, like most of the others,\nwas new in the city. It had but twelve members when he took charge. He at\nonce conceived the idea of enlisting the various churches in a great and\nmuch-needed revival campaign. He met the local pastors and proposed that\nall join in a concerted, evangelistic effort\u2014each to begin a meeting in\nhis own church on the same date and continue until victory was achieved.\nThe plan was unanimously agreed to, and on New Year\u2019s Day the campaign\nbegan.\n\nIt was a stubborn fight. The bombardment was kept up by all the churches\nthrough the entire month of January with no apparent results. One after\nanother of the pastors then became discouraged and hauled down his\ncolors. By the end of February all the batteries had ceased except two,\none of them being Newgent\u2019s. Some of his members, convinced of the utter\nfutility of the effort, counseled him to quit. But he was determined to\nfight it out on that line if it took all summer; and it looked as though\nit might take several summers. The largest congregation he had during\nthose two months numbered twenty-four.\n\nWith the beginning of the third month there were unmistakable evidences\nof a thaw. Interest was awakened, congregations increased, and on the\nfifth day of March the ice gave way completely. At the morning service\nthe altar was crowded with anxious penitents, and twenty-one were\ngraciously converted. The news was heralded throughout the city. It was\nas though a mighty miracle had been wrought. Newgent\u2019s church became the\ncenter of intense interest, the subject of conversation in the stores\nand shops and on the streets. At night it seemed as if all Mattoon was\nseized with a sudden impulse to go to church. The house was filled long\nbefore the appointed hour for worship, and the sexton reported that over\nfive hundred people were turned away. The few days following witnessed\nstirring scenes in that church. Multitudes were converted; no definite\naccount could be taken of their number. One hundred and twenty-eight\nmembers were added to the United Brethren Church, and other churches of\nthe city profited largely from the fruits of the meeting. It was the\nfirst genuine revival Mattoon had ever enjoyed.\n\n\u201cWhat I lacked in sense, I made up in holding on,\u201d was Rev. Mr. Newgent\u2019s\nmodest comment on the situation. But in this case holding on was only in\nkeeping with his usual good judgment. It was a case where not only prayer\nand fasting, but also perseverance were required. Perseverance, however,\nis one of his strong points. As a pastor he made it a rule to continue a\nmeeting until success was realized, a rule that seldom had to be waived.\n\nHis labors at Mattoon were followed by a pastorate of two years on the\nNew Goshen charge, making, with a former pastorate of the same length,\nan aggregate of four years of pastoral services on this field. During\nthese four years he received over six hundred members into the Church and\nbuilt two church-houses. His work here was also made memorable by what\nmight be termed his first great debate, the details of which are reserved\nfor the next chapter.\n\nThe year following was a dark year in his experience, made so by the\nfailure of his wife\u2019s health, which resulted in her death. He was\nserving the Prairieton charge, a charge he had served some years before.\nHis labors here were attended by the usual success\u2014gracious revivals,\nincreased spiritual life and activity, churches thrilled with new zeal\nand power. A coincidence worth noting in this connection is that his two\nterms of service on this field resulted in an equal number of accessions\nto the Church, 203 in each case. \u201cI do not think,\u201d he quaintly remarked\nconcerning his second pastorate, \u201cthat these were the same 203 that I\nreceived when I was there before.\u201d The sorry experiences of many pastors\nwith vacillating church members occasioned and justified the remark.\n\nA great meeting at Prairieton stirred up the congregation and led to\nthe rebuilding of their church. It was, however, a great struggle. The\nchurch was not strong financially, and the task almost overtaxed their\nresources. Rev. Mr. Newgent labored unceasingly to pull the enterprise\nthrough to a successful consummation, contributing of his own scanty\nmeans over three hundred dollars, which necessitated the selling of some\nof his household goods.\n\nAnd now, to add to his already heavy burdens, came that which for some\ntime had been recognized as inevitable, and under the deep shadow of\nwhich he had been laboring with a heavy heart\u2014the death of his companion.\n\u201cKitty\u201d Newgent, as she was affectionately called by her husband and\nintimate friends, was never strong in body, and for many months she had\nlingered near the land of shadows. On the day set for the dedication of\nthe church, for the success of which they both prayed and toiled and\nstruggled so heroically, she passed triumphantly to her heavenly home.\n\u201cHer sun went down while it was yet day.\u201d\n\nShe died about eight o\u2019clock in the morning. Bishop Jonathan Weaver,\nwho had been secured to dedicate the church, was on the ground for that\npurpose. When it was learned that the pastor\u2019s wife had passed away, the\nBishop and members of the church suggested that the dedicatory services\nbe postponed. But as she had helped to plan the day\u2019s program, and was so\nanxious for the success of the occasion, Rev. Mr. Newgent urged that the\nplans be carried out. So the program of the day was carried out tenderly\nand lovingly, the church set apart to the worship of Almighty God, while\nhe and his three motherless little ones remained in their sad home by the\nsilent form of the precious wife and mother. Bishop Weaver remained to\nconduct her funeral. The following account and worthy tribute from his\ngifted pen was published at the time in the _Religious Telescope_, the\nofficial organ of the United Brethren Church:\n\n\u201cSome time ago I arranged with Brother Newgent of the Prairieton Circuit,\nLower Wabash Conference, to attend the dedication of a church on his\nfield of labor. Accordingly I left home on Saturday, June 13, and reached\nPrairieton late in the evening. Upon my arrival there I learned that\nBrother Newgent\u2019s wife was very ill; yet I supposed she might recover.\nSunday morning the bell tolled and I knew that some one had passed away.\nI immediately started for Brother Newgent\u2019s home, and on reaching it\nlearned that his wife had just died. It was, indeed, a sad sight. For\nseventeen years they had shared the sacrifices and trials incident to\nthe life of an itinerant. Now he was left with the care of three little\nchildren to fight the battles of life alone. Brother Newgent, as he is\nwont to do, labored hard to get the church in readiness for dedication,\nanticipating a good time. But it was a sad day. We attended to the\nservice and dedicated the church with feelings of deep sympathy for the\npastor, who, with his little ones, sat beside the earthly remains of a\nbeloved wife.\n\n\u201cSister Newgent was a patient, kind-hearted Christian woman. She had\nbeen in delicate health for a number of years, but neither murmured nor\ncomplained. And when the end came, she quietly fell asleep in Jesus. On\naccount of her delicate health, Brother Newgent, for a number of years,\nseldom remained away from home over night. He would fill his appointment\nand ride home after services. But no matter how late at night he would\nreturn, he would always find a light burning, and usually she would sit\nup until he returned. But the light is gone out\u2014no, it is burning still.\n\u2018There\u2019s a light in the window for thee, brother.\u2019\u201d\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER TEN.\n\n    _First Great Debate\u2014The Debate as an Institution\u2014The\n    Challenge\u2014Opponents get Weak-Kneed, Prolonging Maneuvers\u2014A\n    Hungry Multitude Unfed\u2014Battle Begins\u2014Questions Discussed\u2014An\n    Improvised Creed for his Opponent\u2014A Premature Baptism\u2014An\n    Opponent\u2019s Tribute to his Genius\u2014Crowning the Victor._\n\n\nIn the earlier days of the church great stress was laid upon matters\nof doctrine. Mooted theological questions occasioned much controversy\namong the \u201cbrethren.\u201d Preachers gave special attention to the particular\ntenets of their respective churches, often decrying with heavy hearts the\ndoctrinal shortcomings of sister denominations. While this was a fault\nof the times which a broader Christian spirit is overcoming, yet it had\nits compensating features. In an age of controversy it became every man\nto have some knowledge, not only of his own church, but also of other\nchurches. It is a fact that people generally were better informed on\ndoctrinal lines than in these latter days when the church is swinging so\nnear the opposite extreme. The doctrinal sermon was then the order of the\nday, while now it is the rare exception.\n\nThe public debate was a popular means of testing the merits of rival\nreligious systems, though in reality it was more a test of the men\nengaged than of their theology. Nor was the debate confined to matters\nreligious. Its field was unlimited. In politics it was a favorite method\nof testing political issues and leaders, and of spreading political\ninformation. The great Lincoln-Douglas debate is a notable instance.\nHence, while it has lost prestige somewhat, the debate once was an\nhonorable and powerful institution. The victor in such a contest was\nregarded much as the ancient Greeks regarded the winners in the Olympian\ngames. And he was greatly in demand to defend the doctrines of his church\nagainst their adversaries. Every pastor needed to cultivate the debating\nfaculty to some extent, at least, for self-protection, just as it was\nnecessary for the early New Englanders to carry their guns with them to\nchurch.\n\nIt was during Rev. Mr. Newgent\u2019s second pastorate at New Goshen that he\nhad his first great debate, and was thrust by force of circumstances into\nthe debating arena. Among his numerous converts were a large number who\nheld the faith enunciated by the Rev. Alexander Campbell, and commonly\ndesignated as \u201cCampbellites.\u201d This stirred the controversial fires,\nand in consequence he received a challenge from members of that body\nto debate publicly certain questions on which the two churches were,\nperhaps, more content to differ than to agree.\n\nHe was quite content to promulgate his faith in the ordinary way, feeling\nthat the results of his work were sufficient proof of the genuineness\nof his theology. Hence, he sought to avoid being pressed into this sort\nof contest, even proposing to secure a man to represent his church. But\nthey regarded him as the high priest of his profession, and as they\nhad suffered at his hands, they demanded that he represent his side in\nperson. Seeing there was no honorable way of escape, he reluctantly\nconsented, and preliminaries were arranged.\n\nHis opponent was a Rev. Mr. Price. The place selected was a beautiful\ngrove near the village of West Liberty, Vigo County, Indiana. A vast\nthrong of people were present the day the debate was to open. But they\nwere doomed to disappointment. Just as they were getting ready to begin,\nrepresentatives from the opposition approached Rev. Mr. Newgent and asked\nif they might be permitted to let the Rev. William Holt, D.D., champion\ntheir side instead of Mr. Price. Doctor Holt was a recognized giant among\nthe Campbellites. He was a veteran of thirty-two battles in the debating\nfield, and was one of the foremost expounders of the tenets of his church.\n\nWhether or not it was the wish of Mr. Price to be relieved, it was quite\nevident that there was a lack of confidence somewhere. At any rate the\nopposition felt more secure with their cause committed to the hands of\ntheir great captain, armed, as he was, with education and eloquence, and\nskilled in the art and science of debate. All felt that it was to be a\ngreat contest, significant in its results, and that no chances should be\ntaken.\n\nRev. Mr. Newgent consented to the change on condition that the debate\nbe postponed a couple of months to afford time for further preparation.\nThe condition was accepted, and the multitudes were sent away hungry,\ndisappointed, and dejected. The responsibility was thrown upon the\nCampbellites, as their unwillingness to let Mr. Price champion their side\nwas the cause of the postponement. For the Irish circuit rider it was a\ndiplomatic stroke, a bloodless victory to begin with.\n\nThe two months were well spent by Rev. Mr. Newgent in preparation for\nthis greater contest. The delay only seemed to increase popular interest\nin the affair; and when they again met, the crowd was even larger than\nbefore. The discussions consumed eleven days. However, the time was\ndivided into two sections with an intervening period of four or five\nweeks. It was estimated that from eight thousand to ten thousand people\nattended daily throughout, among them being a large number of ministers\nof various denominations. Six boarding tents did a thriving business. In\nfact, the debate was the great event of the year. A political campaign\ncould not have created more interest and excitement.\n\nThe discussions covered six propositions, as follows:\n\n1. The church of which I, William Holt, am a member, is identical in\ndoctrine and practice with the Church of Christ, as revealed in the\nScriptures. Holt affirmed.\n\n2. Jesus Christ is the very and eternal God, separate and apart from his\nhuman nature. Newgent affirmed.\n\n3. Water baptism is for the remission of the past sins of the penitent\nbeliever. Holt affirmed.\n\n4. The Holy Spirit bears a direct, immediate, and personal testimony to\nthe believer of his pardon. Newgent affirmed.\n\n5. Immersion is the only act of Christian baptism. Holt affirmed.\n\n6. After a person is sufficiently instructed in the written Word, the\nHoly Spirit operates directly upon the heart in regeneration. Newgent\naffirmed.\n\nIn most respects the two men were well matched. Holt was a man of\nscholarship, a deep, logical thinker, and possessed oratorical ability of\na high order, which, with the practice afforded by thirty-two debating\nbouts, rendered him an antagonist not to be despised. Newgent, then in\nhis prime, possessed a splendid physique, a strong, musical voice that\nseemed never to tire, which was especially adapted for out-door speaking.\nThough not a product of the schools, as was his opponent, his mind was\nstrong, clear, and alert. He was ever a close student, not only of books,\nbut of human nature. He could readily analyze a proposition as much by\nintuition as by logic, and discern at a glance the weak places in his\nopponent\u2019s position. His wit and humor served him well in such matters.\nWhen he turned the shafts of ridicule upon a weak point in the position\nof an opponent, it was as though all the batteries, field pieces, grape\nand canister, and every other instrument of destructive warfare had been\nturned loose at once. As there were none of the scholastic or bookish\nelements in his style, he invariably had the sympathy of the masses.\n\nDoctor Holt made the opening address, affirming that his was the only\ntrue church\u2014\u201cidentical in doctrine and practice with the Church of Christ\nas revealed in the Scriptures.\u201d He referred to various doctrines held by\nhis church and supported them by Scriptural authority. In most cases they\nwere doctrines accepted by all evangelical churches, affording no ground\nfor controversy. The address was eloquent and logical.\n\nWhen Newgent arose to reply, he complimented the brother\u2019s address and\nexpressed his approval of much that was said. \u201cBut now, Mr. Moderator,\u201d\nhe continued, \u201cI would like to know what church my brother belongs to\nwhen he asserts that they believe thus and so. He frequently referred\nto \u2018My church.\u2019 If he belongs to a church, how are we to know, in the\nabsence of a written creed, what the doctrines of his church are? Shall\nwe take his statements? That would not be safe, for I find that they\ndiffer among themselves on various important points.\n\n\u201cAccording to Mr. Webster, he has no church. Webster says, \u2018The Church of\nChrist is the universal body of Christ.\u2019 Paul speaks of the \u2018whole family\nin heaven and earth.\u2019 All saints in heaven and on earth belong to the\nChurch of Christ. This includes the children. When the disciples asked\nJesus who was greatest in the kingdom of heaven, he \u2018called a little\nchild unto him and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily, I say\nunto you, except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall\nnot enter into the kingdom of heaven.\u2019\n\n\u201cHence, his church is not THE Church of Christ, neither is it A church\nof Christ. Again, according to Webster, \u2018A church of Christ is a body of\nChristian believers, observing the same rites and acknowledging the same\necclesiastical authority.\u2019 It denies all creeds and all ecclesiastical\nauthority. Hence, it cannot be A church of Christ.\u201d\n\nHe then appealed to the president, urging that, in the absence of a\nwritten creed, they should take the writings of their recognized church\nleaders to ascertain what the doctrines of his opponent\u2019s church\u2014granting\nthat it was a church\u2014were. The president so ruled. It then became the\nduty of Doctor Holt to show that the doctrines indicated were the\ndoctrines of his church according to the church authorities, and also\nthat they were Scripturally sound; and furthermore to prove that other\ndoctrines promulgated by the church leaders, which he had not mentioned,\nwere in strict harmony with the Word.\n\nThis opened up a bigger field than even the great high priest of\nCampbellism was prepared to occupy. Newgent was as familiar with the\nteachings of his opponent\u2019s church as Doctor Holt was himself, and had\nforeseen and prepared for this emergency.\n\n\u201cI knew you would not be prepared for this, so I thought I would be good\nto you,\u201d he said in a manner suggesting a cat\u2019s habit of playing with\na mouse just before crushing its bones, \u201cI have, therefore, prepared a\ncreed from the writings of Mr. Campbell and other leaders of your church,\nwhich will enable us to ascertain what your church teaches.\u201d\n\nHe then read the following improvised creed, the different items of\nwhich were based upon statements cited in the writings of recognized\nauthorities of the church Doctor Holt was so zealously defending:\n\nI. We profess before all men that we believe in water baptism by\nimmersion; that it is the great panacea for all spiritual maladies.\n\nII. Immersion is the line between the saved and the lost.\n\nIII. Immersion is regeneration, conversion, and the new birth.\n\nIV. Immersion is obeying the gospel; it alone is the act of turning to\nGod.\n\nV. Repentance, pardon, justification, sanctification, reconciliation,\nadoption, salvation, a good conscience, a pure heart, love to God, saving\nfaith, acceptable prayer, the reception of the Holy Spirit, and the\nintercession of Christ for us, all depend upon immersion.\n\nVI. Immersion is the converting act, and is the most important of all the\ncommandments.\n\nVII. The water is the mother of all Christians.\n\nVIII. We further believe that the Apostles set up the kingdom of Christ\non the Day of Pentecost.\n\nIX. That the gospel was first preached by Peter, that the first Christian\nbaptism was administered, and that the reign of grace began on the Day of\nPentecost.\n\nX. That the kingdom of Christ has apostatized and become totally corrupt.\n\nXI. That the meaning of the Christian institutions was lost in the Dark\nAges, and that no one pleaded the true cause of Christ from the great\napostasy until Mr. Campbell\u2019s day.\n\nXII. That the true foundation of the millennial church was lost, and that\nit was laid again in the present century.\n\nXIII. That we have restored the ancient gospel.\n\nXIV. That Mr. Campbell, with others, has from nothing reorganized and\nestablished the kingdom of Christ on earth.\n\nXV. That salvation is alone in the society to which we belong, and which\nwas established in the present century.\n\nXVI. We believe in a reformation produced without the Holy Spirit,\nwithout godly sorrow, or mourning, or prayer, or any act of devotion\nwhatever.\n\nXVII. That a mere persuasion that the gospel is true is all the faith\nrequired.\n\nXVIII. That even a believer is not pardoned, born of God, or in\npossession of spiritual life until after immersion.\n\nXIX. That no sinner has a right to pray before immersion.\n\nXX. That in regeneration there is no change of the moral powers or inward\nevidence of the same.\n\nXXI. That sinners are buried in the water in order to kill them to sin.\n\nXXII. That salvation is by works.\n\nXXIII. We deny the divine call to the work of the ministry.\n\nThe foregoing propositions had been carefully selected with proof\nstatements by Rev. Mr. Newgent. To square them by the Word of God was a\ntask that even a greater than Doctor Holt might well have shrunk from.\nAnd the opening battle which was to decide the question as to whether\nor not the church of Doctor Holt\u2019s choice was identical in doctrine and\npractice with the New Testament church resulted in a decided advantage in\nfavor of the Irishman.\n\nAmong the amusing incidents connected with the occasion was an attempt on\nthe part of the Holt allies to create a demonstration favorable to their\ncause. On the day when the subject of baptism was up, a rumor came to\nNewgent\u2019s ears that a pretended convert to his opponent\u2019s doctrine would\npresent himself for admission to the Campbellite Church at the evening\nservice. A baptismal service would then be held the following morning in\na nearby creek in the presence of the crowd, affording ocular evidence\nthat the champion of immersion was gaining ground. This, attended\nwith all the pomp and display necessary to make it impressive, it was\nexpected, would prove a staggering blow to Newgent, from which even his\nwit and humor would not enable him to rally.\n\nHe did not give much credence to the rumor, scarcely believing that any\none would resort to such tactics, but thought it best to keep at least\none eye open. The evening services were held in the churches, both\ndenominations being represented in the village. Each church would have\npreaching by a visiting minister of its own faith. Ordinarily those who\ncared to attend would go to their own church, the champions themselves\nremaining at home to rest and gird themselves for the next day. Newgent,\nhowever, curious to learn whether there was any foundation for the rumor,\non that particular evening attended the service at his opponent\u2019s church.\nTo his surprise, he saw Doctor Holt there. He then smelled a rat. At the\nclose of the sermon, Doctor Holt arose, delivered a brief exhortation and\nopened the doors of the church. And the rat smelled stronger.\n\nAll doubts were dispelled when an old, rusty-looking gentleman limped\nforward and gave the preacher his hand. This was the convert that the\neloquence of Doctor Holt had won to the standard of Campbellism\u2014an old,\ndecrepit man, by no means distinguished for learning or intelligence, who\nhad been imported from an adjoining county for the occasion!\n\n[Illustration: REV. ANDREW JACKSON NEWGENT\n\nAt age of forty.]\n\nThe doctor was, of course, glad that one penitent was making the \u201cgood\nconfession,\u201d and announced that on to-morrow morning at eight o\u2019clock,\njust before the day\u2019s exercises would begin, they would repair to the\ncreek and \u201cbaptize the brother into Christ.\u201d\n\nAt this juncture Rev. Mr. Newgent arose and asked if he might say a\nfew words. The permission was granted. \u201cDoctor,\u201d he said, \u201cI have been\ntaking it for granted that you were sincere in advocating that the\npenitent\u2019s sins were pardoned only in the act of baptism. Now, here is\na dear brother desiring to flee the wrath to come. Suppose he should\ndie before eight o\u2019clock to-morrow morning, and thus be lost. Who would\nbe responsible? He is getting old. Aren\u2019t you running an awful risk in\nexposing his soul to eternal death until to-morrow? Doctor, don\u2019t you\nthink it would be safer and more consistent to take this brother at once\nto the creek and baptize him into Christ?\u201d\n\nThe doctor admitted that he was right, and ordered the candidate to\nbe baptized immediately. A small bodyguard took him to the creek and\nreluctantly performed the task. Thus evaporated the scheme from which the\nopposition had hoped to reap so largely. They did reap largely, but not\nwhat they expected. In his opening remarks the next morning, Newgent\nrecited with dramatic effect the story of the exploded plot, taking\nample time to do it justice. The story was told with many a humorous and\noratorical flourish, producing roar after roar of laughter from the great\naudience. The house thus built upon the sand fell upon the heads of the\nunwise builders with most disastrous effect.\n\nAs an illustration of his peculiar power over the minds of his hearers,\nthe following tribute from a titled minister of the Campbell faith will\nserve well. He was taking his usual rest during the noon intermission,\nwhen the reverend gentleman who wore a D.D. and a silk hat, approached\nhim, and after introducing himself, said:\n\n\u201cRev. Mr. Newgent, they have told me that you attended school but three\nmonths in your life, and also that this is your first debate. I am\nconvinced that in this you have been misrepresented. I heard Doctor Holt\ndeliver his opening address to-day, and I thought no man on earth could\nanswer his argument. But when you got up to speak, you had not proceeded\nfive minutes until the people had forgotten all he had said. The same was\ntrue of the second address, and I saw at once that our man was beaten.\u201d\n\nNewgent told him that he had had but meager school advantages. In a\nformer chapter it is stated that he attended school three terms of three\nmonths each. But as school attendance then was very irregular at the\nbest, the gentleman\u2019s information was not far from the truth. He informed\nhis friend, however, that he had always been a hard student, and thus had\natoned in some measure for the meagerness of his school advantages.\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d said the doctor of divinity, \u201cI expected to remain until the\nclose of the debate; but I see that our man is fighting a losing battle,\nand I do not care to stay and see him defeated.\u201d And after a few further\nremarks, he bade Rev. Mr. Newgent a courteous good by and left the\ngrounds, not desiring to see the end of a contest that boded no good\nthing for his cause.\n\nThe gentleman\u2019s unwilling prophecy was fulfilled, no doubt, to a larger\ndegree than he himself anticipated. Newgent seemed to gain power and\nmomentum to the last. When the great contest closed, defeat was plainly\nwritten upon the countenance of every Holt sympathizer, while Newgent\nwas showered with compliments and congratulations from his admiring\nfriends. A delegation of Baptist brethren, headed by the pastor of\nthe First Baptist Church of Terre Haute, rushed forward and placed a\nten-dollar hat on his head in behalf of that denomination. Commendations\nand substantial tokens of approval came from representatives of a number\nof denominations. And the occasion ended pleasantly for all, except the\nnumber whose theological bias was plainly and painfully indicated by\ntheir crestfallen spirits.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER ELEVEN.\n\n    _Subsequent Debates\u2014The Owen Contest\u2014He Gets his\n    \u201cTreat\u201d\u2014Opponent\u2019s Confession\u2014Dressing \u201cStone\u201d\u2014A Scared\n    Baptist\u2014Invades the Lutheran Ranks\u2014Measures Steel with Doctor\n    Ingram\u2014Dissertation on Infant Baptism\u2014Opponent\u2019s Early\n    Flight\u2014Concludes the Debate Alone\u2014The Haw Debate._\n\n\nAs the preceding chapter has shown, our subject was not a debater from\nchoice. He was thrust into the debating arena by circumstances. His\nmemorable victory over Doctor Holt placed his name in big letters among\nthe leading debaters of the time, creating demands for his services in\nthis capacity that could not well be resisted. Besides being in constant\ndemand to expound and defend the doctrines for which he stood, by his\nown, and other denominations of a kindred faith, he figured in some\nthirteen debating bouts, a detailed account of which would of itself\nmake a good-sized volume. Hence, a few passing references to some of\nthese contests, with some characteristic incidents, is all that will be\nattempted here.\n\nShortly after the debate with Doctor Holt, he received an urgent appeal\nfrom Rev. James Griffiths of the United Brethren Church at Potomac,\nIllinois, to come over to his Macedonia and help him. Controversy between\nthe Christian and United Brethren churches of that section was at white\nheat. The Christian Church, under the leadership of a Rev. Mr. Owen,\nwas pressing the battle to the gates and making things unpleasantly\ninteresting for Rev. Mr. Griffiths, who was not of a controversial turn\nof mind. He felt, however, that the safety of his cause demanded that\nhis adversaries be met upon their own ground with their own weapons. His\npresiding elder, Rev. J. W. Nye, joined in the request that Rev. Mr.\nNewgent go to the rescue.\n\nAccordingly, a debate between Owen and Newgent, covering the usual mooted\nquestions between the two denominations, was arranged. Rev. Mr. Owen\nwas scholarly and serious, but utterly lacking in the humorous element.\nHis dry logic was no match for the fiery eloquence and quick wit of his\nIrish antagonist. Like the bridegroom at a wedding, he was a rather\ninconspicuous figure, except that his part was necessary to the carrying\nout of the program. It was an easy victory for the United Brethren and\ntheir allies, resulting in a cessation of hostilities and a reign of\npeace in that section of Zion.\n\nA more notable contest was that with Dr. W. B. F. Treat, then president\nof Indiana State University, at Bloomington. Doctor Treat, as his\nposition would indicate, was a man of fine scholarship. He was a minister\nin the Christian Church, zealous in the defense of its doctrines, and had\nwon many trophies as a debater.\n\nThe preliminary arrangements for this debate were made by a couple of\nministers, one a representative of the Christian Church, and the other a\nUnited Brethren. Newgent and Treat were secured by the two churches as\ntheir respective champions.\n\nAs the two champions were introduced on the occasion of the debate,\nthe following bit of repartee was indulged in by Newgent, who had been\nsuffering from some slight temporary ailment: \u201cI am sorry you are not in\ngood trim,\u201d said Doctor Treat, \u201cI had hoped to find a man who would be\nable to put up a good fight.\u201d\n\n\u201cOh,\u201d said Newgent, \u201cI think I\u2019ll feel better when I get my _Treat_.\u201d\n\nIn his opening remarks, Doctor Treat again indulged in some pleasantry\nat Newgent\u2019s expense. He referred to his opponent as having been born\nin Green County and cradled in a sugar trough. Newgent replied that he\nhad missed it four miles as to the place of his birth. The sugar trough\npart of it, however, he did not deny; but as the trough had served well\nto cradle the different members of his mother\u2019s small family of nine\nchildren, he was quite sure the rude cradle suffered no violence at his\nhands.\n\nThe learned doctor further tried to discount the scholarship of his\nopponent by referring to a postal card received from him on which\nthere were two words misspelled. To this Newgent also had an answer.\n\u201cGreat speakers,\u201d said he, \u201care usually deficient in other lines. I now\nunderstand why the doctor is short on debating; all his strength has gone\ninto his spelling.\u201d\n\nThe usual questions were discussed, six in number, the same as in\nthe great Holt debate. The arguments were listened to by thousands\nof interested and enthusiastic spectators, among them ministers and\ndignitaries of various denominations, and persons of prominence in\neducational, political, and professional circles. As to the result of the\ncontest, Doctor Treat\u2019s own confession, as brought out in the following\nincident, will suffice:\n\nA debate between Newgent and a Rev. Dr. J. W. Stone, of St. Louis,\nMissouri, also a minister of prominence in the Christian Church, was\nscheduled to take place a few weeks later. In the meantime Doctor\nStone, anxious to learn all he could concerning his opponent, sought\nan interview with Doctor Treat. He met him at a church dedication at\nwhich Treat was officiating. The two men, with others, were entertained\nfor dinner at the same home after the morning service. At an opportune\ntime, Doctor Stone introduced the subject in which he was especially\ninterested, and the following conversation between the two men took\nplace, being overheard and reported to Newgent by a gentleman who leaned\ntoward his side of the question:\n\n\u201cAre you acquainted with a United Brethren preacher in Indiana of the\nname of Newgent?\u201d Doctor Stone inquired.\n\n\u201cI am,\u201d was President Treat\u2019s answer.\n\n\u201cDid you not debate with him some time ago?\u201d\n\n\u201cI did.\u201d\n\n\u201cIs he a scholar?\u201d\n\n\u201cI do not know.\u201d\n\n\u201cIs he logical?\u201d\n\n\u201cI cannot tell. He claimed that he went to school only a few months.\u201d\n\n\u201cHow long did you debate with him?\u201d\n\n\u201cSix days.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat?\u201d said Doctor Stone in astonishment, \u201cYou debated with him six\ndays, and could not tell whether or not he is educated?\u201d\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d continued the university president, in a meditative mood, \u201cI will\nsay that he is\u2014_forceful_.\u201d\n\nDoctor Stone looked blank for a moment, and then ventured with a smile,\n\u201cMay be he whipped you?\u201d\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d was the guarded answer, \u201cbut I am inclined to believe\nthat my people thought he did.\u201d Observing that Stone was intensely\ninterested, Treat inquired:\n\n\u201cAre you thinking of debating with him?\u201d\n\nStone answered in the affirmative.\n\n\u201cCan\u2019t you get out of it in some honorable way?\u201d\n\nStone replied that he was not wanting \u201cout of it.\u201d\n\n\u201cBut you may want out of it,\u201d was Treat\u2019s not very assuring reply.\n\n\u201cWhy, is he not fair in debate? Is he not a gentleman?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d answered Treat, \u201cso much so that all your people who know him\nlove to be with him and hear him talk.\u201d And the conversation drifted\ninto other channels. But Doctor Stone, being from Missouri, waited to be\nshown. And the debate was held according to schedule.\n\nAbout this time Doctor Stone was enjoying no small degree of notoriety.\nHe had debated with a Methodist minister in southern Illinois, and so\ncompletely mastered him that he acknowledged his defeat in sack cloth and\nashes, and joined the Christian Church. Stone was taking advantage of his\nnewly-acquired popularity in waging a relentless war against the \u201csects,\u201d\nas he termed them, when some of the Pedo-Baptists secured Newgent to meet\nhim in debate. And the challenge was brought to the great, self-important\nDoctor Stone.\n\n\u201cNewgent!\u201d said this supposed Goliath with a contemptuous sneer. \u201cHe\ncan\u2019t debate. He\u2019s an Irish peddler who used to sell table-cloths in my\nfather\u2019s neighborhood.\u201d The committee informed him that they were willing\nto risk their case with the Irish peddler. However, Stone\u2019s visit to\nDoctor Treat to get information concerning the Irishman would indicate\nthat his contempt was more feigned than real.\n\nThe debate was held in a small town in southern Illinois, where the\ndoctor had been making havoc of the \u201csects.\u201d The table-cloth story became\ncurrent, and much speculation was indulged in concerning the supposed\nvender of household commodities. His coming to the village was awaited\nwith intense interest. When the train on which he was scheduled to\narrive pulled in at the station, a curious and enthusiastic crowd was\nwaiting to get a view of the man who dared to dispute the wisdom of\nDoctor Stone. As he stepped from the car, a gentleman who knew him said,\npointing him out, \u201cThere\u2019s the table-cloth peddler.\u201d\n\nA hearty salute was given by the crowd. Newgent, having been apprised of\nthe story, was equal to the occasion. As soon as the hubbub ceased, he\naddressed the crowd, turning the table-cloth story against his opponent\nin the following speech:\n\n\u201cGentlemen, if you have come here to buy table-cloths, you will be\ndisappointed. I have changed my occupation. I have been informed that\nthere is some fine stone in southern Illinois, so I have come down here\nto set up my shop and spend a few days dressing Stone.\u201d\n\nThe \u201cStone dressing\u201d joke superseded the table-cloth story and became a\ncatch phrase throughout the debate.\n\nIt is likely that Stone often called to mind the friendly advice of\nDoctor Treat, and regretted that he did not take it. He could cope\nneither with the argument, the quick wit, nor the physical endurance of\nhis opponent. His voice failed completely, and the last two addresses\nof Newgent were unanswered. The Stone-dressing business proved eminently\nsuccessful.\n\nAn amusing incident occurred in connection with a debate in Kentucky\nwith a Doctor Fairchilds, an eminent Baptist minister. A story came to\nthe ears of Doctor Fairchilds after he came on the ground, to the effect\nthat Newgent was a man of extraordinary scholarship, that he was master\nof some thirteen languages, etc. The doctor was visibly disconcerted by\nthe story, and after hearing Newgent\u2019s first address, was fully persuaded\nthat it was true, especially the part relating to the thirteen languages.\nHe was quite nervous, and utterly broke down about the middle of the\nprogram, leaving the supposed master of thirteen languages easily master\nof the situation.\n\nWhile on his official rounds as superintendent of the Tennessee\nMission Conference, he once chanced to invade a Lutheran community,\nwhich set in motion a train of influences that terminated in a debate\nwith a representative of that body. This was about eight miles from\nGreenville. He was visiting a United Brethren family that had moved into\nthe community, and in company with his host, called at the district\nschool, and made a talk to the pupils. Through the influence of his\nhost, the school house was secured for a preaching service that evening.\nOther influences then began to be felt, and the meeting was continued\nindefinitely, resulting in a sweeping revival, the organization of a\nUnited Brethren church, and the building and dedication of a church-house\nwithin two months from the close of the revival.\n\nThis occasioned great concern among the Lutherans who lost quite heavily\nas a result of the United Brethren invasion. To regain their lost ground,\nthey challenged Rev. Mr. Newgent to debate certain doctrinal questions\nwith a representative of their church. Newgent was then in his element,\nin the debate, and answered that he would be ready at any time to\naccommodate them.\n\nThe Lutheran champion was Dr. J. C. Miller, president of one of their\nchurch schools. The much-mooted question as to what body constituted\nthe true church was the first taken up, Doctor Miller posing as the\nrepresentative of a church whose doctrines and usages are identical with\nthose taught and exemplified in the New Testament.\n\nThis placed upon Miller the Herculean task of defending the various\ntenets and practices peculiar to his church. Among other specimens of\nLutheran creed, Newgent read the following: \u201cThe infant\u2019s heart is\ncorrupt, and it cannot be saved unless baptized by a Lutheran minister\nwith heavenly, gracious water.\u201d When asked if his church taught that,\nDoctor Miller admitted that it did.\n\nNewgent showed this bit of dogma up in a bad light by the use of an\nobject lesson. Borrowing a baby from a mother in the audience, he held\nit up before the crowd, stating that the \u201clittle rascal\u2019s\u201d heart is\ncorrupt and its only chance for salvation was by being baptized according\nto the Lutheran formula. \u201cNow,\u201d he continued, \u201cI want this brother to\ndemonstrate to this audience how a baby must be saved. I want him to\nchange this baby\u2019s heart from a state of corruption to a state of purity.\nI want to see how a baby is saved, for, according to his theology, I have\nthree babies in hell.\u201d\n\nThe brother winced under this outburst of sarcasm. He refused to baptize\nthe child, which, had he done so under the circumstances, would scarcely\nhave made his doctrine appear less obnoxious. Other peculiar Lutheran\ntenets appeared to the same disadvantage under similar treatment, and\nthe church\u2019s hope of gaining its lost ground completely vanished. The\ndebate popularized the United Brethren Church, giving it a strong hold\nin the community. Flag Branch, a flourishing rural church, stands as a\nmonument to Rev. Mr. Newgent\u2019s labors in that section.\n\nAnother contest worthy of special note was with a Baptist minister\nat Blue Springs, Tennessee, in 1882. The mode of baptism was a live\nquestion throughout that region. The battle line was drawn by the\nBaptists and Pedo-Baptists. They finally agreed to have the question\ndiscussed in a public debate, each side to furnish its champion. Three\nchurches were represented on the immersion side, and seven on the other.\nThe immersionists secured as their representative, Doctor Ingram, a\nprominent Baptist divine of Virginia. Newgent was selected by the\nanti-immersionists. The debate was to cover six propositions and to\ncontinue six days, one subject being slated for each day.\n\nThe Baptists were very desirous of including infant baptism in the list\nof subjects to be discussed. This was a question that Newgent had never\ndebated, and in which he had very little interest. But to accommodate\nthe Baptists, he consented to defend the practice of infant baptism. His\nopponent proposed the question, stating it as follows: \u201c_Resolved_, That\ninfants are fit subjects for baptism.\u201d Newgent consented to affirm it.\n\nIt was slated for the second day. In his opening remarks, Newgent said:\n\u201cMr. President, this is a peculiar question; but my brother wrote it and\ninsisted that I affirm it. It is peculiar from the fact that I am not\nto prove that the child needs baptism, or that there is any command for\ninfant baptism, or that there ever was an infant baptized. I am simply\nasked to prove that a child is a fit subject for baptism.\u201d\n\nAt these remarks a storm of protest arose from the immersionists. They\nexpected him to defend the vast array of teaching that the various\nPedo-Baptist bodies had put forward on the subject.\n\n\u201cKeep cool,\u201d he said to the immersionist part of the crowd as they\nwere clamoring for a hearing and creating no little confusion. \u201cDoctor\nIngram and I signed these papers, and we agreed to be governed by the\nboard of moderators. This question simply deals with the child\u2019s fitness\nfor baptism. I appeal to the moderators.\u201d The moderators sustained his\nposition.\n\nHe then asked his opponent whether or not the Baptist Church would\nbaptize a subject until he was converted and became as a little child.\nHis opponent stated that it would not. This gave him a splendid\nfoundation for his address, and, at the same time, removed the last\nfoundation stone from under his opponent, so far as infant baptism was\nconcerned. He made an earnest and eloquent address, showing that the\nchild is a type of the heavenly citizen, and as such possesses special\nfitness for all the sacraments of God\u2019s house.\n\nWhile he was talking, his attention was called to Doctor Ingram. The\ndoctor, grip in hand, was making rapid strides toward the railroad\nstation. His moderator and some friends were accompanying him, trying to\npersuade him to remain. But he could endure it no longer.\n\nThe doctor\u2019s retreat caused a great sensation, relished immensely by the\nPedo-Baptists, but a bitter dose to the immersionists. There were yet\nfour days of the program remaining. Newgent\u2019s side demanded, as they were\npaying him for his work, that he remain and carry out his part of the\nprogram. This he did, but as the debate had only one end to it during\nthose four days, it spoiled the excitement, though it served well the\npurpose of those who had employed him.\n\nAmong his later debates was one held in 1898 at Mechanicsville, Indiana.\nDr. J. W. Haw, of the Christian Church, was his opponent on this\noccasion. Doctor Haw had been holding revival meetings in that part of\nIndiana, and being dogmatic in style and controversially inclined, was\nunsparing in his denunciations of other denominations. His aggressions\nand criticisms were disturbing the equilibrium of some of the brethren\nwhose churches were being used as a target by this ecclesiastical\nNimrod. They wrote to Newgent, then in Tennessee, urging him to champion\ntheir side against Doctor Haw in debate, offering him fifty dollars\nper day and expenses for his time. He consented on condition that the\npropositions were fair and that the reverend gentleman in question was a\nrepresentative man in his church.\n\nHe was referred to a two-column article in a current number of\nthe _Christian Standard_ relating to Doctor Haw. The article was\nextravagant in the use of adjectives describing the doctor\u2019s ability and\nachievements, stating that he was the leading debater in the Christian\nChurch, having had more such battles than any other man in it at that\ntime. This was quite satisfactory to Newgent, as at that period he did\nnot care to waste any shot or shell on small game.\n\nIn this, as in all other such contests, Newgent abundantly sustained\nhis position and satisfied the expectations of his supporters. His\nexperience, self-control, complete mastery of the subjects in hand,\nhumor, and physical endurance made him an antagonist that even the\ngreatest debater in a debating church could illy cope with. The general\nverdict of even Doctor Haw\u2019s own sympathizers was that it was decidedly a\none-sided affair.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER TWELVE.\n\n    _Perrysville and Centerpoint\u2014Industry Rewarded from an\n    Unsuspected Source\u2014A \u201cSlick\u201d Wedding\u2014Fruitful Labors at\n    Centerpoint\u2014A One-Sided Union Meeting\u2014The Doctrine of the\n    Resurrection Again Demonstrated._\n\n\nA year on the Perrysville charge in the Upper Wabash Conference, followed\nby a year at Centerpoint, in his own conference, the Lower Wabash,\ncovering 1874 to 1876, closed Rev. Mr. Newgent\u2019s work in the pastorate\nfor a season. It was from the latter charge that he received his\nappointment from the Home, Frontier, and Foreign Missionary Society as\nSuperintendent of the Tennessee Mission Conference. From thenceforth he\nwas destined to serve the Church in a larger capacity, though there is no\nwork that he regards as more exalted or more vital to the progress of the\nkingdom than that of the pastor. And it is but just to say that there is\nno work in which he has been happier or more in his element. The pastor,\nhe regards, as the pivotal man in the church militant, around whose\npersonality must revolve all the machinery of its organized life. Hence,\nin whatever position he has been placed, he has ever been in fullest\nsympathy with the men on the firing line, and has sought in every way to\nencourage and magnify their work.\n\nHis going to Perrysville was in response to an urgent appeal from his\nintimate friend, Dr. J. W. Nye, then a popular presiding elder in the\nUpper Wabash Conference. His work here was fruitful and congenial, and\nmarked by some rich experiences, which he carries with him as refreshing\nmemories. One of these teaches a practical moral lesson, namely, that\nhonest industry has its reward in more ways than one.\n\nIt need not be explained here that industry is a part of his religion.\nHe believes with Paul that it does not injure, or lower the dignity of\na minister to labor with his hands. In this, as in other respects, he\nmade himself an example to the flock. Odd moments are always occupied\nin diversions of a practical character. The outward appearance of the\nparsonage never failed to testify to his thrift and good taste. A garden\nserved as an outlet to his surplus physical energies as well as a means\nof supplementing the usually modest income. Under his skillful hand it\ninvariably became a thing of beauty and an object of just pride.\n\nSome five miles from Perrysville lived a horny-handed son of the soil, a\nman who made industry not only the chief element in his religion, but\nthe sum total of it. He was an infidel in his belief\u2014or disbelief\u2014and\nregarded the church as an imposition, and preachers as an indolent,\nworthless lot. Passing through the village one day, he noticed Rev. Mr.\nNewgent\u2019s garden. It was by far the finest he had seen. His surprise can\nonly be imagined when, upon inquiry, he learned that the owner of it was\none of those lazy preachers.\n\nA few days later he drove up to the parsonage with a barrel of flour,\nwhich he unloaded and unceremoniously rolled upon the porch. This time\nthe surprise was on the preacher, as a reputation for benevolence was\na thing of which, up to that time, the infidel could not boast. He\nexplained that ordinarily he had no use for preachers, but as he had\nfound one that was not lazy, he \u201cwanted to help him.\u201d The donation was\nan expression of his regard for the minister who showed a willingness,\naccording to the infidel\u2019s conception of the term, to earn his bread in\nthe sweat of his face.\n\nAnother incident, picked up at random, occurred one cold day during the\nwinter of his stay at Perrysville. A couple whose appearance did not\nindicate a superabundance of worldly prosperity, came to the parsonage\nto be married. They had come from the adjoining county, the boundary\nbetween the two counties being the Wabash River, on the bank of which\nPerrysville was located. The river was frozen over. The couple traveled\nafoot, having crossed the river on the ice. The preacher explained\nthat they would have to recross the river before the ceremony could\nbe performed, as the law required that marriages be solemnized in the\ncounty in which the license was issued. So he conducted the matrimonial\ncandidates to the river.\n\nWhen the preacher was satisfied that they had proceeded beyond the\nhalf-way point on the river, he ordered the couple to halt and join\nhands. By this time their presence had attracted the attention of the\nyoung people who were out on the ice in large numbers enjoying the\nfine winter sport of skating. As the wedding was a public function, no\nrestrictions being placed on attendance, the ceremony was performed in\nthe presence of an enthusiastic multitude.\n\nThe service completed, the groom, who was unacquainted with ministerial\nusages, inquired as to the amount of the fee. To save him the\nresponsibility and further embarrassment of determining the sum to be\npaid for the service, the preacher suggested that a dollar would be\nsufficient, fearing lest he might set the price too high for his purse.\nEven at that it was painfully evident that the young man\u2019s financial\nrating was overestimated. After nervously fumbling through his pockets he\nwas able to produce but fifty cents. In his dilemma he found it necessary\nto call upon his bride for financial assistance. Happily she was equal to\nthe emergency, and supplied the deficit from her own purse.\n\n[Illustration: The Young Man\u2019s Financial Rating Was Over-estimated.]\n\n\u201cThis is the fairest wedding I have ever seen,\u201d said the preacher. \u201cIt\nhas always been my opinion that the lady ought to help pay the preacher,\nand she receives as much benefit from the ceremony as does the man. I\nhope you will always share each other\u2019s burdens in this way.\u201d And wishing\nthem happiness and prosperity, he sent them on their way rejoicing.\n\nThe local paper gave a flowery account of the wedding that took place\non the ice, stating that it was the \u201cslickest\u201d wedding that had ever\noccurred in that section. But the minister\u2019s fee and the manner of paying\nit was not allowed to become public, lest it should become a troublesome\nprecedent in matrimonial circles.\n\nThe following year, which was spent on the Centerpoint charge, was\na most fruitful one. Here, as in so many other places, he found a\nsplendid opportunity of demonstrating his favorite doctrine of the\nresurrection\u2014the resurrection of dead churches. The spiritual life\nof the churches at Centerpoint was at ebb tide, and had been for an\nindefinite time. Soon after his arrival the Methodist pastor, who was\nalso new in the town, called upon him to confer as to their plans for\nrevival work. As workers were scarce, it was thought best to plan their\nmeetings so that they would not conflict. Rev. Mr. Newgent, Abraham-like,\nlet his brother do the choosing, and the brother, perhaps as anxious\nas Lot to get in on the ground floor, decided to commence a revival at\nonce. Newgent began a meeting at the same time some few miles in the\ncountry. Newgent\u2019s meeting immediately developed into a revival of so\ngreat proportions that it became the one overshadowing event of the\nwhole country, drawing the Methodist pastor\u2019s congregation from him and\nrendering it impracticable for him to continue. His situation was a\nrather lonely one. In his extremity he sought another interview with his\nfellow pastor, proposing to close his meeting at once if Newgent would\njoin him later in a union revival effort.\n\nThis Newgent consented to do on three conditions, as follows:\n\n1. That the meetings be held in the United Brethren church.\n\n2. That the United Brethren pastor do all the preaching.\n\n3. That the United Brethren pastor do the managing.\n\nHard as the conditions seemed, the brother agreed to them. The\nconditions, in fact, look egotistical and perhaps selfish on the surface,\nbut when the United Brethren pastor explained his reasons for them they\nwere seen to be neither. On the contrary they were meant for the highest\ngood of both churches, and were abundantly vindicated by the outcome.\nHe was intensely anxious that Centerpoint have a genuine revival of\nreligion. To promote such a revival at any cost was his purpose. That\nthis purpose might be realized he would not permit modesty, formality, or\nany other creature to stand in the way.\n\nThe United Brethren Church was the more commodious and had the advantage\nin location. This was the reason for the first condition. The reason for\nthe second and third conditions was that Centerpoint had been preached\nto death. A change of methods was imperative if the people were to be\nreached. He wanted a meeting without preaching, without too much human\nagency, but where God himself might control to his own glory. Only by\nhaving the management left to him could he apply the remedy needed\naccording to his diagnosis of the case.\n\nHis plan was now to be put to the test\u2014a revival without preaching, the\nlaity to do the work as they felt divinely moved. The meeting began on\na Friday evening. But with no life there could be no real activity.\nThe chariot wheels dragged heavily at the first. On Sunday morning he\nannounced that at four o\u2019clock p. m., a children\u2019s meeting would be held.\nAside from selected helpers, only children within a certain age limit\nwould be admitted. Such meetings even at that date were quite uncommon.\nThe announcement, therefore, aroused a great deal of curiosity. But that\nwas one point in the announcement. Something must be done to stir the\npeople. There must be a new avenue of approach to their cold hearts.\n\nThe children\u2019s service produced the desired effect. At the appointed\nhour the house was filled to overflowing. There were three helpers,\nall ministers, present, who did their part according to Newgent\u2019s\ndirections. Songs were sung, prayers offered by the ministers as they\nwere called upon, a brief talk by the leader, some simple propositions,\nand the meeting closed in less than a half-hour from the time it began.\nBut that half-hour turned the tide in Centerpoint. The children became\nthe vanguard in a religious movement that was to shake the town from\ncenter to circumference. Many of them went home weeping to speak of the\nlonging of their tender hearts to fathers and mothers, who, in turn, were\nawakened to a consciousness of their own need.\n\nAt the evening service which followed, seventy-five persons came to the\naltar, most of whom professed conversion. The revival was no longer a\nproblem. It spread throughout the town and community like fire in dry\nstubble. The church arose from the grave of lethargy and formalism, cast\noff her grave clothes\u2014and the doctrine of the resurrection was again\nabundantly demonstrated.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER THIRTEEN.\n\n    _Becomes a Missionary Superintendent\u2014Second Marriage\u2014An\n    Unexpected Welcome\u2014Forms a Quaker Friendship\u2014The Spirit Moves\n    in a Quaker Meeting\u2014A Quaker\u2019s Prayer Answered\u2014Builds a\n    College\u2014Shows What to do for a Dead Church\u2014Another Tilt on the\n    Doctrine of Baptism\u2014Conversion of a Dunkard Preacher\u2014Turns a\n    Great Movement in the Right Direction._\n\n\nIn the fall of 1876, Rev. Mr. Newgent entered upon his duties as\nSuperintendent of the Tennessee Mission Conference, under appointment of\nthe Home, Frontier, and Foreign Missionary Association. In the meantime\nhe had married Miss Annie Crowther, of Terre Haute, Indiana, who, under\nthe divine blessing, abides as the companion of his joys and sorrows amid\nthe lengthening shadows. She is a woman of rare and excellent qualities,\nwhich especially fitted her for her position as the wife of an active\nand ambitious minister. She is in fullest accord with her husband\u2019s\nambitions and tastes, and has contributed her part toward the success\nof his career. He freely accords to her this credit. With this queenly\nwoman ordering its affairs, the Newgent home has ever been a haven of\nreal rest, a retreat for God\u2019s servants especially. It extends a welcome\nand hospitality\u2014a true home spirit\u2014that at once makes the wayworn pilgrim\nfeel at ease in body and mind, and charms the hearts of the young as well.\n\nAt the time of their removal to Tennessee, the United Brethren Church\nwas new in the South. Its attitude of open hostility to slavery largely\nshut it out of regions south of Mason and Dixon\u2019s line. The Tennessee\nConference then had less than four hundred members, with only six houses\nof worship. So a great field spread out before the new Superintendent,\ntaking him back to conditions in many respects similar to those in which\nhe began his ministerial labors. It was still a time of reconstruction\nin church affairs as well as in matters political. But his was a work of\nconstruction rather than of reconstruction.\n\nAside from the need of laborers and the vast opportunities afforded for\nbuilding up the church in this section, one reason he had for accepting\nthis appointment was the condition of his own and his wife\u2019s health. Both\nwere threatened with failing health, and a change of climate was advised,\nthe high altitude of eastern Tennessee being recommended as especially\nadapted to their physical needs.\n\nThey arrived at Limestone, Tennessee, on a Friday evening in September.\nHere was illustrated how his fame as a genial, good humored personality\nhad spread throughout the Church, so that the people felt that they were\nacquainted with \u201cJack\u201d Newgent (later Uncle Jack) even though they had\nnever met him personally. Arriving at the city some time after dark, worn\nby the long journey, the discomforts of which were aggravated by their\npoor health, they little dreamed of finding in that particular realm an\nacquaintance or anyone who had any concern for them.\n\nGreat indeed was Newgent\u2019s surprise when, as he alighted from the train,\na gentleman, a total stranger, with a lantern on his arm, stepped up and\nin a familiar manner accosted him, \u201cHello! Is this Jack Newgent?\u201d\n\nHe had been so familiarly known as \u201cJack,\u201d that he had resolved to be\nknown by the more grave and dignified appellation of Andrew J. Newgent\nwhen he came into his new kingdom. But his expectation perished, as it\nwould have done even had the circumstances been otherwise. A man\u2019s name,\nlike his clothes, is a part of him, and if it does not fit, his friends\nwill persist in trimming it until it does. The personality and the title\ncannot be unequally yoked together.\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d said the reverend gentleman from the Hoosier State, \u201cI suppose if\nI should land in the heart of Africa, some Hottentot would come rushing\nout of the jungle and say, \u2018Hello, Jack Newgent!\u2019 Who are you, anyway?\u201d\nThe stranger was Mr. W. C. Keezel, a prominent layman in the conference,\nwho had been advised of their coming by Dr. D. K. Flickinger, Secretary\nof the Missionary Society, and was there to take them to his hospitable\nhome. It was a pleasant surprise, and they felt at once that they were\namong friends whose hearts God had touched with his spirit of kindness\nand tenderness. Their anxieties were dispelled, and they felt as near\nheaven in Tennessee as in Indiana.\n\nNext day his host took him on a ten-mile ride by horseback over a\nmountain road to a quarterly conference, where he met a number of\nministers, and began to get acquainted with his new co-workers. His\npresence filled the little band of faithful toilers with new hope and\ncourage. He preached the following day (Sunday) at a neighboring church\nto an immense crowd. Here he met Rev. Eli Marshall, a minister of repute\nin the Quaker\u2014or Friends\u2014church, with whom he was destined to form a\nclose friendship, a friendship which revealed later to both of these\nservants of God how mysteriously God moves in answer to the earnest\nprayers of his faithful children.\n\nRev. Mr. Marshall was not only an able minister, but was also a\nsuccessful business man, being the owner of several plantations. He took\nNewgent to his home, and later showed him a congenial cottage on one of\nhis plantations. \u201cThis is at thy disposal,\u201d he said, \u201cif it suits thee.\u201d\nNewgent replied that it was just such a place as he was looking for,\nas it was but a short distance from town and the railroad station, and\ninquired as to the rental value.\n\n\u201cJust move in,\u201d said Marshall, \u201cwe will talk about that some other time.\u201d\n\nBut when Newgent insisted, he set a nominal price, which indicated\nthat he was not especially concerned about the financial side of the\ntransaction. He furthermore insisted on transporting Newgent\u2019s household\ngoods from the station, but this privilege he was compelled to share\nwith Mr. Keezel. While they were moving his goods from the train, his\nQuaker neighbors set to work and filled the smoke-house with provisions,\nand supplied sufficient fuel to last him through the winter. Such\nexpressions of kindness and generosity seldom had been seen.\n\nThe fourth week in October was the time for the Quakers\u2019 yearly meeting,\nto be held at Rev. Mr. Marshall\u2019s home church. He had issued an order\nto Newgent to have no engagement for that time, as his presence and\nhelp were desired at the meeting. Under the circumstances there was but\none thing to do, and that was to respect the order. These meetings were\nmatters of no small significance in that denomination. They usually\nlasted several days, and were great seasons of fellowship. They were very\nlargely attended so that the program sometimes had to be carried out in\nseveral sections. Newgent had never had the privilege of attending a\nQuaker meeting, but his appreciation of the Quakers by this time knew no\nbounds.\n\nHe first went to the meeting on Saturday morning and was surprised to\nfind more than a thousand people on the ground. His friend, Rev. Mr.\nMarshall, met him immediately and said, \u201cIf the Spirit moves thee to\npreach to-day, we want thee to preach in the church this morning.\u201d Some\none was to preach in the school house nearby. The Spirit moved, and\nNewgent preached.\n\nIn the afternoon he was \u201cmoved\u201d to preach again. He was urged to preach\nagain at night. This time the Spirit was not consulted, but his preaching\nhad touched a responsive chord in the Quaker heart, so it was taken for\ngranted that the Spirit would be favorable. An out-door service and a\nservice in the school house besides that in the church were required in\norder to accommodate the crowd. Newgent declined to preach at this time,\nnot wishing to usurp the honors that belonged to the Quaker preachers.\nBut the Quaker \u201cSpirit\u201d refused to let him off. He was even urged to\nsing a special song, which was a great departure from Quaker usage in\nthose days. While preaching with his usual power, it was evident to him\nthat great conviction prevailed in the congregation. As he had been\ninvited to depart from one of the Quaker usages, he now felt bold to\ndepart from another. Indeed he felt strongly moved by the Spirit to give\nan invitation for seekers to come to the altar. The invitation given,\nthe altar was soon crowded with anxious penitents. He then called upon\nthe Quakers to come forward and to sing and pray with the seekers. This\na considerable number did, casting aside all reserve, and the meeting\nbecame a typical United Brethren revival. It was one time when the\nSpirit \u201cmoved\u201d beyond question in a Quaker meeting.\n\nHe was given right of way in the church on Sunday morning, Sunday\nevening, and Monday evening. A new element was thus diffused into\nQuakerdom. He held a meeting in that same community a few weeks later,\nin which the Quakers took a leading part, and which resulted in about a\nhundred conversions.\n\nThe best part of the whole procedure came to light when Newgent called\nto pay his landlord the small pittance that was due on rent. Rev. Mr.\nMarshall refused to accept even the nominal amount that had been agreed\nupon.\n\n\u201cLet me explain,\u201d he said, \u201cI have never told anybody what I am going to\ntell thee\u2014not even my wife. Some three months ago I moved my foreman out\nof that house, and began to pray for the Lord to send us a good, live\npreacher from the North. I had got tired of these slow-going Southern\nfellows. But I forgot to tell the Lord to send a Quaker. So the Lord\nwas free to send whomsoever he pleased. And the first time I heard thee\npreach, I said, \u2018There is the answer to my prayer.\u2019 Now, it would not do\nfor me to charge rent of the man the Lord sent in answer to my prayer,\nwhen he is living in the property I vacated for him when I besought the\nLord to send him. That house is for thee as long as thee wants it.\u201d\n\nWhen this noble soul was called to heaven some years later, Rev. Mr.\nNewgent was called from a distant State to preach his funeral. Truly, he\nwas a man of God.\n\nWhen the conference projected a college enterprise at Greenville, Rev.\nMr. Newgent took up his residence at that place so as to give personal\nattention and encouragement to the institution. This college was\nafterwards moved to White Pine, Newgent being the leading spirit in the\nmatter of relocation. He served as financial agent and supervised the\nconstruction of the building. Through his personal efforts the building\nwas erected and paid for.\n\nThe evangelistic gift and executive faculty, both of which were prominent\nin our subject, peculiarly fitted him for the duties of Missionary\nSuperintendent amid such conditions as the Tennessee Conference\npresented. Much incipient work had to be done. The routine work of his\noffice required only a small portion of his time, leaving him free to do\nthe work of an evangelist, to encourage weak churches and to survey new\nterritory to conquer. This narrative has already afforded many examples\nof his constructive work along these lines. One more characteristic\nincident may not be out of place.\n\nNear Limestone, Tennessee, was a church which was so unpromising that the\nquarterly conference seriously considered abandoning it and disposing\nof the property. It was well located, but there were strong churches on\neither side, and the little church, overshadowed as it was by these older\norganizations, had never been able to gain a proper standing.\n\n\u201cLet us give it another chance,\u201d said Newgent, who was presiding at the\nmeeting. \u201cI will hold a meeting there at the first opportunity, and\nwe will see if it can be saved.\u201d He held the meeting accordingly and\nreceived ninety-seven members into the church, and the little, struggling\nchurch was lifted to such a position of prestige and prominence that it\novershadowed its rivals, becoming a strong center of religious influence.\n\nBut it was not enough to merely get people converted and brought into the\nchurch. They must be taught in the doctrines of the church, so as not to\nget their doctrinal ideas from other sources.\n\nOne of the strong churches of this community was of the Dunkard order,\nand mainly through its influence a strong immersion sentiment prevailed.\nAt the close of the revival there were a large number of applicants for\nbaptism. According to prevailing custom, all expected to be immersed.\nIt was in order on such occasions for the baptismal service to be\nprefaced by a sermon on baptism. Rev. Mr. Newgent took advantage of the\nopportunity to make some remarks on the mode of baptism, which was the\none live subject in religious circles. In his discourse he said:\n\n\u201cWe often hear people say, \u2018I want to be baptized as Jesus was.\u2019 I do not\nshare this sentiment. For in one essential respect Jesus\u2019 baptism was\ndifferent from ours. It was for a different purpose. He was baptized to\nfulfill the law; we, because we are sinners, either for the forgiveness\nof sins or because they are forgiven.\n\n\u201cBut we may be baptized in the same manner in which he was baptized, and\nif you wish, I will tell you what that was. Paul said, \u2018He was made a\npriest like unto his brethren.\u2019 Jesus said, \u2018I am come, not to destroy\nthe law or the prophets, but to fulfill.\u2019 He fulfilled every jot and\ntittle of the law. The law required a priest to have the water of\nconsecration sprinkled upon his head when he was thirty years of age.\nHence, if Christ was made a priest like his brethren, it is easy to see\nthat his baptism was the same as that of the priests, his brethren,\nand that the water was sprinkled upon his head at the age of thirty;\notherwise he would not have fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law.\u201d\n\nA prominent Dunkard preacher present made a public statement at the close\nof the discourse to the effect that, while he had always believed and\ntaught that Christ was baptized by immersion, he was now fully convinced\nthat he had been mistaken. When they came to the baptismal service,\nall the applicants chose the mode of sprinkling, though they had come\nprepared to be immersed.\n\nUnder his capable and aggressive leadership the conference maintained a\nsteady growth. At first its territory was confined to the eastern part\nof the State. But in the early nineties he, with some other ministers,\nadvanced to the central and western parts of the State on a sort of\nmissionary-evangelistic campaign. They held a number of meetings and\nwere successful in winning quite a sprinkling of converts. The work thus\naccomplished made possible the organization of what was then known as\nthe Tennessee River Conference in 1896.\n\nOne of the most important events in connection with the Tennessee\nConference, and which was brought about mainly through his influence,\noccurred in 1895. It is referred to as follows in Berger\u2019s History of the\nUnited Brethren Church, page 614:\n\n\u201cAbout two years ago a movement which had been for some time in process\nof development, began to take definite form, resulting in considerable\nadditions both of ministers and laymen to the United Brethren Church. The\ngreater number of these came from the Methodist Episcopal Church, some\nfrom the M. E. Church, South, and a few from other denominations. Those\ncoming from the Methodist churches were attracted chiefly by the milder\nform of episcopal government in the United Brethren Church. There was\nfor them no possible inducement in material or worldly considerations.\nThey could not look for larger salaries or easier fields of labor or\nlighter sacrifices, nor was the prospect of official promotion better\nthan in the churches from which they came. Nor could they bring with\nthem any of the church-houses or other property which they had aided in\nbuilding. No thought or hope of this kind was entertained; much less was\nany effort made to do so. Influenced by principle alone, and in the face\nof present loss, they chose to cast in their lot with us, and they have\naddressed themselves earnestly to the work in their new relations. About\ntwenty-five ministers in all, with a considerable number of members, have\nthus connected themselves with the United Brethren. Among the leading\nministers of the movement are: Dr. T. C. Carter, Rev. W. L. Richardson,\nJ. D. Droke, and others. They have been given a cordial welcome by\nthe United Brethren Church, not in any spirit of proselytism, for no\nproselyting was done, nor from any desire to reap where others have sown,\nbut with an open heart and door to receive any persons who love our\ncommon Lord and desire to cast their lot with us.\u201d\n\nIt seems a pity, however, that church history is so silent in regard to\nRev. Mr. Newgent\u2019s connection with this event, for it was he who turned\nthis movement toward the United Brethren Church. Those who refused to\ntolerate what they considered abuses of episcopal supervision in the two\ngreat Methodist bodies were in the very act of forming a new church. In\nthis movement Dr. T. C. Carter, now Bishop Carter, occupied a conspicuous\nplace of leadership, as he did in every great religious movement in that\npart of the country. His name was a household word in all that realm,\nand when he spoke, multitudes reverently listened. Rev. Mr. Newgent met\nhim, and showed him a Discipline of the United Brethren Church, believing\nthat it set forth the very principles of church government for which\nthese great souls were contending, and thus presented the alternative of\nconnecting themselves with a denomination that afforded what they wanted,\nor of adding to the number of denominational organizations which many\nbelieved were already too many. Doctor Carter suggested that Disciplines\nand other United Brethren literature be sent to the leading ministers of\nthe movement. This was accordingly done; and as a result they decided to\nconnect themselves with the United Brethren Church.\n\nThey were formally received in a special conference held in Knoxville. A\nnumber of the Bishops, general officers, and leading ministers and laymen\nthroughout the denomination attended this conference, which was presided\nover by Bishop Weaver. One of the leading ministers of the movement,\nin delivering the welcome address on that occasion, made use of the\nfollowing language:\n\n\u201cI am certain that one-half the membership of both churches (the\nMethodist bodies) heartily prefer a church government of the people, by\nthe people, and for the people, to their own.... In view of these things,\nI may venture to say that a strong church that will fill the valleys and\nmountains of this country with a religious paper devoted to Arminianism\nand liberty, and will follow up this plan with men and with churches may\nexpect a glorious welcome.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER FOURTEEN.\n\n    _Autumn\u2014The Fading Leaf\u2014Fruit in Old Age\u2014His Later\n    Labors\u2014Present Home._\n\n\n\u201cWe all do fade as a leaf,\u201d was the lamentation of an ancient prophet in\na melancholy mood. The fading leaf speaks in sad but beautiful language\nof waning vitality. It is the harbinger of autumn, telling us that nature\nis getting ready to close her books for the season. It brings with it a\ntinge of sadness mingled with sweetness; for there is compensation in\neven the saddest experiences. What would the year be without the pensive\ndays of autumn? They are the golden fringes of the bounteous summer\nseason. Sad, indeed, would they be if the summer has been ill spent. Then\nmight the melancholy wail arise from the forlorn heart, \u201cThe harvest is\npast, the summer is ended.\u201d\n\nBut when autumn looks back upon a springtime of bountiful seed-sowing,\nand a summer of bountiful reaping, it becomes the year\u2019s climax of joy,\nthe beneficiary of all its blessings. Enriched by the summer\u2019s heritage,\nit is beautiful and peaceful and happy.\n\n\u201cWe all do fade as a leaf.\u201d May it be said philosophically. The fading of\nthe leaf reveals more perfectly its innate qualities, and rounds out its\nbrief existence. The red or brown or yellow, in mute language, tells its\nlife history and closes the book.\n\nIt is said of the aged, sometimes, \u201cThey are set in their ways.\u201d That is\nbecause in them character has become a finished product. The incidentals\nand accidentals have become eliminated, and the accumulated results of\nyears of striving and hoping, sorrow and pain, defeats and victories are\nplainly discernible. Personal traits stand out in bold relief so that all\nmay fittingly say, \u201cBehold the man.\u201d\n\nThus, Uncle Jack\u2014for we may now use this affectionate designation, having\npassed his three score and ten, is now in the autumnal glory of a life\nbeautiful and bountiful in its fruitage. And so the autumn of his life is\nenriched and made fragrant by the year\u2019s benedictions. Blessed, indeed,\nis he to whom it is given to enjoy a long period of service, and who can\nthen gracefully let his mantle pass to others whom God has called and\nprepared to receive it. To grow old sweetly, to let the sun go down amid\nthe splendors of an unclouded evening sky, is the crowning glory of old\nage.\n\nBlessed, indeed, then, is Uncle Jack. He approaches this period in life,\nnot only in the spirit of a true philosopher, but in the spirit of a true\nChristian. He still lives in the sunshine, he keeps the windows open\nto the breezes that bring to him the fragrance of flowers, the song of\nbirds, and the \u201cmusic of the spheres.\u201d The world smiles upon him and he\nreturns its smile.\n\nHe has lived in an active, changing age, but has always kept up with the\nprocession. He performed a vital part in the changing order in which he\nlived and moved and had his being; and he who helps to fashion events,\nwho has a part in directing the movements of progress, is not likely to\nbe left behind or to be trampled under foot. He not only kept pace with\nthe world, but with a prophet\u2019s vision, he anticipated the course of\nhuman events. So, as great changes approached, he was ready to march out\nto meet them. Like a true prophet, he had a message for his own day and\ngeneration, but the message was more potent because he had a vision of\nthings yet to be.\n\nIn him is illustrated the Psalmist\u2019s observation concerning the children\nof God, \u201cThey shall bring forth fruit in old age.\u201d For him there is\nno \u201cdead line.\u201d The body may lose its agility; it may fail to do the\nbidding of the mind properly, but the mind and heart remain abreast of\nthe times. The dead line means more than physical infirmity, and it often\noccurs that the mind lingers near that dread spot while the body is in\nits prime. The dead line belongs to the mind and not to the body, and\nhence, taking that view of it, there is no dead line for Uncle Jack.\n\nIt is given to but few men to continue in the public ministry until they\npass their three score and ten. Uncle Jack had never been out of the\nactive connection in some form from the time he entered the ministry\nuntil his seventy-third year, giving more than a half-century of unbroken\nservice to the public work of the Church.\n\nIn the interest of accuracy and completeness, more specific mention\nshould be made of his later work. After spending eleven years as\npresiding elder in Tennessee Conference, he returned North for a\ntime, serving as pastor at Veedersburg, Indiana, as college pastor at\nWestfield, Illinois, as pastor at Olney, Illinois, and three years\nas presiding elder in Upper Wabash Conference. His work as pastor at\nVeedersburg included two periods, one of three years\u2019, and the other\nof four years\u2019 duration. This was one of the wealthiest and most\ninfluential churches in Upper Wabash Conference.\n\nReturning to Tennessee\u2014now East Tennessee\u2014Conference, he was again\nelected to the presiding eldership, serving five years in that relation.\nAltogether he spent twenty-one years in the Tennessee Conference, serving\nfive years in the pastorate besides sixteen years in the presiding\nelder\u2019s office.\n\nHis last work in the pastorate was at Clarinda, Iowa, being called from\nthere to the field agency for Indiana Central University at Indianapolis\nby the trustees of that institution. He has always been interested in the\neducational work of the Church. In his varied experience in religious\nwork he has seen demonstrated in so many ways the need of an educated\nministry. So he entered upon this latter work with a deep conviction of\nits importance, and with the earnestness and zeal which characterized his\nlabors all through life; but finding his physical strength insufficient\nfor its taxing demands, he was compelled to relinquish it.\n\nIn the fall of 1910 he again attended the East Tennessee Conference\nsession, desiring only to enjoy its fellowship. He had no thought of\nassuming again an active relation in the conference, but his brethren\nwere loath to let him escape. When the election of presiding elder was\ncalled, their minds once more centered upon him, and he lacked but four\nvotes of being the unanimous choice of the conference. This, however,\nbrought him to face a delicate matter which set a task for his tender\nconscience. Seeing that his election meant the crowding of a worthy young\nman out of an appointment, he very generously resigned the office with\ninstructions to the Bishop that this young man be given the place.\n\nHis present home is at Odon, Indiana. Here he finds himself among\nsympathetic friends, and is near the scenes of his early childhood.\nHe takes pleasure in doing what he can in the local church, setting a\nwholesome example to the membership by his faithful attendance at all\nthe services and by loyal and liberal support of all its interests. Here\nhe enjoys the hearty good will of old and young alike, and has frequent\ncalls for addresses at various functions, where he is always greeted with\nunfeigned delight.\n\nWhile not employed in a regular way by the Church, an appreciative\npublic will continue to recognize his worth, and keep ajar the door of\nopportunity for rendering valuable service to his fellow men.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER FIFTEEN.\n\n    _Character Sketch._\n\n\nThe analysis of a flower is the work, not of the florist, but of the\nbotanist. The florist sees in the combination of the various parts the\nbeauty of a perfected whole, while the botanist sees the parts separated\nand classified but loses sight of the flower itself. The florist\u2019s\nviewpoint is preferable to that of the botanist. This is no less true in\ndealing with human life than in the treatment of a flower. However, in\nthe interest of thoroughness, some attention should be given to a study\nof the particular elements of character which give to our subject his\npeculiar individuality and made possible that degree of eminence which\nhe has won for himself. The task is not an easy one. This is true in\nthe case of all men of superior strength. The sources of power are so\nembedded in the depths of one\u2019s personality as to make them difficult to\ntrace. In the presence of such men we are instinctively aware of their\nsuperiority, but if asked to give a reason for our impressions we would\nbe unable to do so. The power of a personality is to be felt rather than\nexplained or analyzed. It is this invisible, undefinable something\nthat lifts the man above the level of the commonplace and gives him a\ncommanding influence among his fellows.\n\nThe strength of some characters is due to one or two exceptionally strong\ntraits, while in other particulars they may be correspondingly weak. The\nworld sees only the mountain peaks of strength and upon them it builds\nits estimate of the man. To this rule Rev. A. J. Newgent is one of the\nrare exceptions. \u201cLike a tree planted by the rivers of water,\u201d the\ndistinctive feature of his life is rather in the full and symmetrical\ndevelopment of the various qualities of mature and well-rounded manhood.\nHence, he is essentially a man of the people\u2014not a man of one class, but\nof all classes, the embodiment of the true spirit of democracy. Like\nPaul, he can be all things to all men without sacrificing principle or\ndignity or losing the respect of any of them. His sympathies are broad\nand deep, and go out to all alike. There is no assumed or conscious\nsuperiority to create a barrier between himself and the humblest soul.\nHe observes no arbitrary distinctions. Whoever he chances to meet is\nat once a friend and brother. He possesses in a large degree the rare\nfaculty of making people feel at home in his presence. Fads and snobs\nand artificiality he hates as he hates sin. The glitter and tinsel show\nof life are counted as dross, but the pure gold of human character that\nneeds no outward adornment is his delight.\n\nHis well-balanced temperament enables him to so adjust himself to\ndifferent conditions, that he is invariably master of the situation\nin which he may be placed. In the home, whether marked by riches or\npoverty, culture or illiteracy, he is always the same genial guest. To\nthe children, young people, and old folks alike, the presence of \u201cUncle\nJack\u201d is always welcome. In his public ministry, whatever the demands of\nthe occasion, he is ready to meet them. Never is he at the mercy of his\nsurroundings. Not many months ago, while doing service as field secretary\nfor Indiana Central University, he was secured by the pastor of a country\nchurch to hold an all-day meeting. The morning program was interfered\nwith by a severe rainstorm, so that besides himself and the pastor,\nonly three persons were present. Yet, he preached to his small audience\nwith his wonted zeal and earnestness, the effort being pronounced by\nthose who heard it superior to the one in the afternoon, when he had the\ninspiration of a full house.\n\nHe never follows the beaten paths simply because others have walked\ntherein. The fact that some one else did a thing in a certain way is not\nsufficient reason why he should proceed upon the same plan. He imitates\nno one and it is safe to say no one imitates him, for the reason that he\nis so intensely original; the processes of his mind are so completely\nhis own that no one could well repeat them. Bishop Edwards once said,\n\u201cThere is one man whose sermons no one has ever tried to copy; that man\nis Newgent.\u201d This originality has been a valuable asset in debate. His\nopponent might come with his mind well furnished with all the laws of\nlogic, the tactics known to debaters, and the arguments on both sides\nof the question well in hand, only to find his materials practically\nuseless. Rev. Mr. Newgent\u2019s method being so unique, his approach to the\nsubject from such unexpected angles, and his presentation of unheard-of\narguments in defending his position, while transgressing no valid law\nof debate or of logic, made him a law unto himself. The opinions of\nother men rather than being accepted as authority, only serve to quicken\nhis thought and incite to investigation. In preaching he is purely\nextemporaneous, often deferring the selection of a text or theme until\nafter he enters the pulpit. But his resourceful mind, well stocked with\ninformation, the result of general reading and observation, and his\naptness at illustration, rendered safe for him what to some men would be\na hazardous undertaking.\n\nWhile original in his thinking, he never discredits the opinions of\nothers, no matter how widely they may differ from his own. Honesty and\nsincerity he regards as superior to articles of faith. \u201cIf no one gets to\nheaven except those who believe as I do,\u201d he often says, \u201cthe audience\nthere will be rather small.\u201d David said, in his haste, \u201cAll men are\nliars.\u201d If Rev. Mr. Newgent should err in his judgment of mankind, it\nwould more likely be in the opposite direction. A source of strength\nis his faith in men, their possibilities and aspirations for better\nthings. To be a leader of men, this faith is imperative. Beneath the\nsurface shale of human differences, selfishness and error, may be found\na sub-stratum of genuine manhood. And upon this the true builder must\nbuild. He must recognize that he is dealing with intelligent beings who\ncan think and feel, and who are possessed with a sense of honor and\nself-respect. The man who would inspire others to higher things must not\ndespise or ignore these vital factors of individual consciousness. There\nare sacred precincts in every life which the owner has a right to guard\nas with a flaming sword, and which should not be approached except with\nunsandaled feet and sanctified hands. That there is more real incentive\nto noble effort in a vision of the possibilities and beauty of a noble\nlife than in the lash, is a prominent article in Rev. Mr. Newgent\u2019s\nfaith. The spirit of \u201canti-ism\u201d and the methods used by a certain type of\nevangelists of pouring out the vials of their sarcastic and vituperative\nwrath upon men and things in general are offensive to him in the extreme.\nHence, the positive note is always dominant in his preaching.\n\nThe secret of getting on with men is in knowing what chord to strike to\nget the desired response. That he knows well the secret, the achievements\nof his career bear ample testimony. An incident in his boyhood may not\nbe out of place here, as it illustrates the principle by which he has\nbeen actuated throughout his entire life in his relations with men. He\nwas employed at a saw-mill. The logs were hauled from the forest to the\nmill with oxen. That an ox team is no friend to grace, is the general\nverdict of those who have experimental knowledge of ox-driving. One\nlarge, burly team in particular that was noted for obstinacy and general\ndegeneracy, had defied all the skill and whips and profanity the driver\ncould produce. He repeatedly had gone to the woods for his load and\nreturned with the empty wagon. At a critical point in the road the team\nwould balk and refuse to budge until the wagon was unloaded. It became a\nstanding challenge to the entire crowd, different ones of whom accepted\nthe challenge, with the same result. Finally Jack, as he was then called,\nasked permission to try. He was only a spindling lad of a hundred-weight\navoirdupois, and the very suggestion was met with jeers. \u201cHave you ever\ndriven oxen?\u201d he was asked. \u201cNo,\u201d was the reply, \u201cbut I think I have ox\nsense.\u201d They finally consented, but no one expected anything but another\nfailure. The driver offered him the whip. \u201cI don\u2019t need the whip,\u201d he\nsaid, and started for his charge. He made friends with his dumb servants,\nrubbed their ears, spoke to them coaxingly, and soon had them on the way\nto the woods. He took the precaution to provide himself with a small bag\nof corn. He succeeded in getting the log on the wagon and again patted\nthe oxen, and as a reward of merit, gave them each a nubbin, letting\nthem see that there was more in the bag that would be available if they\nproved worthy. Thus, as he said, he \u201csooked\u201d them along, and to the\nastonishment of the mill hands, arrived in an unusually short time with a\nlarge log. It was not only a lesson to the men, but to himself as well,\nby which he has profited throughout his entire life. He has verified the\nfact many times that \u201csooking\u201d will succeed with men as well as oxen when\nthe whip will fail.\n\nThere are two kinds of leadership among men. One is the arbitrary\nleadership of the boss; the other is natural, a true leadership, which\nhas for its basis personal strength and merit. The former is transient,\nhaving no real place among thinking and liberty-loving people. The other\nis abiding, for the true leader is ever in demand.\n\nThis latter type is quaintly set forth in Longfellow\u2019s \u201cSong of Hiawatha\u201d:\n\n    \u201cAs unto the bow the cord is,\n    So is unto man the woman;\n    While she bends him, she obeys him,\n    Though she leads him, yet she follows.\u201d\n\nIt is the woman\u2019s leadership\u2014controlling by obedience, leading by\nfollowing. A paradox, perhaps, but supported by the logic of actual\nachievements in every realm of human endeavor. The workman controls the\nforce of a stream by obeying that force. Should he plant his turbine\non the hilltop and command the water to flow up the hill and turn the\nwheel, the stream would only laugh at his impudence as it rippled on its\nway. But when he plants his wheel in the current, the stream at once\nbecomes his servant. It is the principle observed by the engineer, the\nsailor, the electrician, or the aviator in harnessing and utilizing the\nvarious forces of nature. The same principle lies at the basis of all\ntrue leadership in society, church, or state. The strict observance of\nit has enabled Rev. Mr. Newgent to touch the motive springs of character\nby means of which men are aroused to action. His close sympathy with\nmen ever gives him an unconscious, commanding influence. And this\ninfluence is always turned to account in their own uplifting and in the\nadvancement of righteousness. Out of over a half-century in the public\nministry, about one-half of his time has been spent as presiding elder.\nThis official relation does not afford the opportunity for evangelistic\nand other forms of direct church work as does the pastorate; so that\ndefinite, visible results cannot readily be computed. Yet, few men have\nbuilt for themselves greater or more enduring monuments in the line of\ntangible results. More than six thousand members have been gathered\ninto the denomination through his labors. Thirty church-houses stand to\nhis credit as a church builder. He has officiated at about one hundred\ndedicatory exercises, a recognition of his ability as a money-getter.\nOn Chautauqua platforms and special occasions of both a religious and\nsemi-religious character he has been a prominent figure. And his advice\nis always at a premium in the counsels of the denomination.\n\nIt has been well said, \u201cWhen God made wit, he pronounced it good.\u201d\nRev. Mr. Newgent has demonstrated the practical utility of sanctified\nwit and humor. It is possible, however, that his humor has led to\nmore misconception of his character than any other thing that could\nbe mentioned. The trait that touches the most popular chord is likely\nto be so magnified as to shut from view others of equal or greater\nsignificance. The fame of an author not infrequently rests upon a\nsingle production, and that by no means his best. Edward Eggleston did\nnot regard the \u201cHoosier Schoolmaster\u201d as the best of his works, but\nmultitudes who have been charmed by that simple story will never know\nthat he ever wrote anything else.\n\nThat Rev. Mr. Newgent has in some degree suffered in a similar manner\nis, therefore, nothing more than might be expected. Yet, if his humor,\nin the minds of some, would reduce him to the level of a mere jokesmith,\nto him it has been an invaluable asset. It has served to open the way\nfor the assertion of the more substantial and practical qualities; it\nhas enabled him to capture hostile and even riotous audiences; with it\nhe has battered down strongholds of opposition; it has been an effective\nweapon against false doctrine, hypocrisy, and deep-seated vice in its\nvarious forms; it has served as the sugar coating for truths that were\nunpleasant because of a perverted taste; he has found it a splendid tonic\nto dispense with more solid food to aid the digestion of mental and\nspiritual dyspeptics. His humor is of the spontaneous sort, ready to boil\nover whenever the lid is removed. It flows out through his discourses and\nconversations as naturally as the stream gushes from the fountain, and is\nalways mellowed by tenderness and a deep human sympathy.\n\n\u201cWhere dwellest thou?\u201d was asked of the Son of Man. The question was of\ngreater significance than the interrogator supposed, and the answer was\neven more significant. The Savior did not say, in Galilee or Palestine,\nor Nazareth, but simply, \u201cCome and see.\u201d A man\u2019s habitation is not a\nmatter of geographical boundary. Should the question be addressed to Rev.\nMr. Newgent, he would say, \u201cI live on the sunny side of the street.\u201d A\ncritic of Emerson said that because of his unorthodoxy he was doomed to\ngo to hell. A contemporary who was acquainted with Emerson\u2019s kindly and\ngenial disposition remarked that if he did, he would change the climate.\nRev. Mr. Newgent not only lives on the sunny side of the street, but\nhe carries sunshine with him. He has a knack of distilling sunshine\nfrom every circumstance of life. He changes the climate to suit his own\ntemperament. With Solomon, he believes in the medical virtues of a smile,\nthat \u201ca merry heart doeth good like a medicine.\u201d\n\nHe was once called to visit a woman in the mountains of east Tennessee,\nwhom he had never seen. She was supposed to be dying of consumption. It\nwas late at night when he arrived and the weather was inclement. The\nphysician was leaving the house as he approached. On learning who he was,\nthe physician told him he was too late; the lady was dying. He went at\nonce to her bedside, and found that the death sweat had begun to gather\nand the death rattle was in her throat. He lifted up her head gently\nand spoke to her. Her face brightened, and presently she began to talk.\nShe told him that she was glad he had come, that she must soon die, and\nfeared she would have to go without seeing him.\n\nBut in a voice tender but cheerful, he told her he was glad to do her any\nfavor, and added, \u201cBut don\u2019t be in a hurry about going. I wouldn\u2019t go\nto-night, if I were you. The night is dark and stormy, and you might get\nlost in these mountains. You had better wait until morning. It will be\nso much better to go in the day time.\u201d She smiled at the eccentricity of\nthe remarks, and seemed to make up her mind to take the advice. Morning\nfound her much improved, having apparently decided to postpone the matter\nindefinitely. And contrary to the predictions of her physician and\nfriends, she recovered to thank the preacher rather than the physician\nfor prolonging her days.\n\nTo him there are \u201csermons in stone, and books in the running brooks.\u201d He\nfinds in the commonest things and most commonplace occurrence of everyday\nlife, lessons of practical truth that enrich and adorn his discourses.\nOnce while in his company we were stopping at a hotel for dinner. While\nwe were seated at the table, some one dropped a coin in the slot of an\nautomatic music machine, at which it began to grind out a familiar tune.\nRev. Mr. Newgent on observing the operation, quoted the language of Job,\n\u201cI caused the widow\u2019s heart to sing for joy,\u201d and added, \u201cDon\u2019t you\nsuppose that was Job\u2019s way of making people sing for joy\u2014with a bit of\nmoney?\u201d And subsequently the illustration was used with fine effect in a\ndiscourse on benevolence.\n\nUnderlying all, and harmonizing all the elements of his personality is a\nfirm and abiding faith in God. It is doubtless easier for some persons to\nbe religious than for others. In this respect he has been favored. The\nnatural bent of his mind from earliest childhood was toward religion.\nConverted at the age of ten, his entire life has been controlled by a\nstrong and steady devotion to religious ideals. His faith is broad and\nwell balanced. Religious affectation and fads have no part with him.\nHis religious character was formed amid the strife and controversies of\nvarious creeds in a day when creed was everything. These controversies\ndrove him to a critical study of the various systems of theology in the\nlight of the Bible. He made the Word of God his sole authority in all\ndoctrinal matters. That which he recognized as supported by the Book, he\nmade his own. That he defended without apology or compromise. While he\nis dogmatic to a large degree, his dogmatism is of a practical sort. He\nbelieves that there is a vital relation between doctrine and Christian\ncharacter. A true life cannot be built upon erroneous or crooked\ntheology. He often deplores the fact that the church has swung away from\nthe strict, doctrinal teaching of the past, believing that in consequence\nit has suffered the loss of spiritual vitality and zeal.\n\nHis faith is as simple as it is broad and deep. The essentials of\nreligion are few and easily comprehended. The simplicity of gospel truth\nwhen properly presented is one of its strongest attractive elements.\nIn many instances the simple gospel has been complicated and obscured\nby a mass of theological rubbish heaped up by men more interested in a\ncreed than in the ultimate truth. If the rubbish is cleared away, the\ntruth will shine forth clear and distinct in its beauty, and men will\naccept it. To remove the rubbish and give a clear setting to the simple,\nvital elements of Christian faith seems to have been a large part of his\nappointed task. This is among his chief contributions to the cause of\npure and undefiled religion.\n\nTo the simplicity of his faith should be added another quality, perhaps\nbest described by the word \u201cpractical.\u201d With him faith is an intensely\npractical thing. The faith that expresses itself merely in stock phrases,\narticles of a creed or church membership is, to say the least, a base\ncounterfeit, a useless commodity. Nothing seems to him more irreligious\nthan the religion that begins and ends in noise. Genuine faith has a\npersonal, spiritual, and commercial value. Its highest expression is in\ndoing something that ought to be done. It crystallizes into character,\nand contributes to human welfare. It places its possessor upon the broad\nhighway of the world\u2019s need, bringing him into sympathetic touch with the\nthrobbing heart-life of humanity. Thus he maintains the sound Scriptural\nphilosophy that faith is to be tested by works.\n\nThe church has profited largely from his beneficence. A habit which he\nhas followed throughout his ministry is, as he says, \u201cto live like a\npoor man and give like a rich man\u201d\u2014that is, like a rich man ought to\ngive. He never turns down a worthy call for help. Even should there be a\nquestion as to the merit of the call, he usually gives it the benefit of\nthe doubt. \u201cHis house is known to all the vagrant train,\u201d and, to borrow\nanother quaint phrase from Goldsmith, \u201ceven his faults lean to virtue\u2019s\nside.\u201d The tramp that comes to his door gets with his dinner a genial\nsmile and wholesome words of admonition, even though the dinner, the\nsmile, and the admonition are lost upon a worthless subject.\n\nIn dedicating churches he has made it a general rule to give his own\nsubscription for an amount equal to the largest on the list. On a number\nof occasions, under pressure of a great need, he has pledged more than\nhe was worth, in the faith that God would open the way for meeting the\nobligation. And his faith in every such case has been vindicated. His\nlife illustrates the Bible doctrine of increasing by scattering. He\nsurely has scattered with a lavish hand. He has not only observed the\nLord\u2019s tithe in his benevolence, but has gone quite beyond it, even to\nthe giving, in some instances, of the greater part of his income to the\nLord\u2019s cause. Yet with it all, he has increased in temporal possessions.\nHe has honored God with his substance, and God has smiled graciously upon\nhim, so that with David he can well say, \u201cI once was young, but now am\nold, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging\nbread.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER SIXTEEN.\n\n    _\u201cLights Out\u201d\u2014A Dirge of the War._\n\n\nA marked characteristic of Uncle Jack, as these pages have shown, is\nhis peculiar ability to establish and maintain strong ties of personal\nfriendship. This has been evident even from his youth. He has gathered\nfriends from all walks of life, and their name is legion. The list\nhas always been characterized by names that were written large in\nthe annals of Church and State. Conspicuous among these is the late\nLieutenant-Colonel James T. Johnson, of Rockville, Indiana, a man\ndistinguished for talent and achievement in various fields. The twain\nwere boys together, and the friendship thus early formed continued until\nsevered by the death of Johnston in 1904. When Newgent was first winning\nlaurels as a boy preacher, Johnston often walked five miles to attend his\nservices. They were young men, mere youths, when the Civil War broke out.\nBoth heard and responded to their country\u2019s call at that dark time when\nnot only the country\u2019s honor, but her very existence was at stake. Both\nserved under General Burnsides, and both held official positions in the\narmy, Newgent as chaplain of his regiment, and Johnston as lieutenant,\nlater lieutenant-colonel. After the war was over, each won honors and\nserved well his generation in his chosen profession, the one as a\nminister of the gospel, the other as a lawyer and politician. Johnston\nfound room near the top in the legal profession, and at the same time\nrepresented his district three successive terms in Congress. He ranked\nhigh as an orator, and, like his clerical friend, was much in demand at\nreunions and other gatherings of the soldiers, the two men frequently\ndividing time upon such occasions. Had Newgent chosen politics as a\ncareer, he would doubtless have become a political leader. Had Johnston\nturned his attention to the ministry, he would have taken rank in all\nprobability among the leading preachers of his day.\n\nBut there was one sad difference between them\u2014Johnston was skeptically\ninclined. While the two men maintained the highest regard for each other,\nand frequently were associated together in their work, the subject\nof religion was one point on which, to the regret, possibly, of both\nparties, they were not in accord. Johnston\u2019s skepticism however, was not\nof the positive sort. He represented the honest doubter rather than\nthe avowed disbeliever. His wife was a devout Presbyterian, and while\nhe could not subscribe to the tenets of the church, he never disparaged\nthe church or its work. Every worthy cause found in him a sympathizer\nand liberal supporter. His honor and integrity were never questioned,\nand he enjoyed the full confidence and esteem of his fellows. It is a\nmatter of satisfaction that such a life was not permitted to go out in\nthe dark. And Newgent had the joy of finally leading him, just as his sun\nwas sinking below the horizon, to a simple faith in Christ and a blessed\nassurance of his acceptance with God.\n\nDuring his last illness, which covered a period of six months, the\ncolonel was visited frequently by local ministers, but owing to his\nreputed skepticism and his high professional standing, the subject of\nreligion was not pressed upon him. There is a tendency to fear big men\nin matters of religion not easily explained and not easily overcome,\nand it is quite probable that many a great life has ended without the\nconsolations of religion that, were it not for this tendency, might have\nbeen led into the light as readily as a little child. Oh, how Christians\nfear the logic of the world, and yet, the sword of the Spirit is a\ngreater weapon than all the world\u2019s artillery!\n\nNewgent visited him almost daily during this time, and on one occasion\ndetermined to broach the subject of religion. \u201cColonel,\u201d he said, in his\nusual tactful manner, \u201cwhile you are shut in here, would it not be a fine\nopportunity for you to read the Bible through?\u201d\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d he answered, \u201cLaura and I tried it; we took it up by books,\nbut we got stalled.\u201d It was, of course, the colonel himself who \u201cgot\nstalled.\u201d Laura, his wife, was a Christian, as has been noted, and her\nfaith was not shaken by Scriptural difficulties.\n\n\u201cWhat was your trouble?\u201d Newgent questioned, with a view to encouraging\nconversation along that channel.\n\n\u201cWell,\u201d he said, \u201cwe got to the book of Job. I could not reconcile the\nbook of Job with the idea that God is our Heavenly Father, full of love\nand mercy. If Job was God\u2019s child and a good man, as the Bible says he\nwas, how could a loving father allow a loving, obedient child to be so\nabused and tempted by the devil? I can\u2019t see through it.\u201d\n\nAfter he had delivered his speech on the difficulties of the book of Job,\nand unburdened his mind somewhat, Newgent drew near to him, and speaking\nvery simply but earnestly, said: \u201cColonel, you are a great lawyer, but\nyou are only a child in the Bible. Your trouble is that you commenced at\nthe wrong place. When, as a little child, you started to school, your\nteacher did not start you in the advanced studies. She put you in the A,\nB, C class. Now, don\u2019t be in too big a hurry to get out of your A, B, C\u2019s\nin the study of the Bible, for there is where you belong. I have been\nmaking a study of God\u2019s Word for many years, and I want you to listen to\nme a while. I think we can get over the rough places after a while. Do\nyou have any trouble with Jesus Christ? He was God\u2019s dear son, yet he\nhad to suffer more than any man, but his suffering was for others. So we\nlearn from Job\u2019s sufferings that he has helped millions to trust God in\nthe dark.\u201d\n\nThis was the colonel\u2019s A, B, C lesson in religion. The visits and\nconversations were continued day after day, until a couple of days before\nhis death, when the truths of the preceding lessons were clinched in the\nfollowing conversation:\n\n\u201cColonel,\u201d said the preacher, resuming their lessons, \u201cyou had one of the\nbest mothers in the world, did you not?\u201d He admitted that he had.\n\n\u201cShe taught you to say your little prayers?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes,\u201d said the great man, as the tears started from his eyes.\n\n\u201cAnd you never doubted her word?\u201d\n\n\u201cNo\u2014never.\u201d\n\n\u201cThat was simple faith in mother. Now, in your mind go back to mother,\nand though she is dead, look up into her face as when you were a child,\nand trust her as you did then. That will represent the soul looking up to\nJesus and trusting him for salvation. That is all Christ requires of a\nsinner.\u201d\n\nAs the preacher finished this little homily on faith, the colonel was\nweeping like a child. \u201cJack,\u201d he sobbed, \u201cis that all there is in coming\nto Christ to be saved?\u201d\n\n\u201cThat is all there is,\u201d and before the preacher could continue the\ndiscussion further, the light broke in upon the humble and contrite\nheart. \u201cI\u2019ve got it,\u201d he interrupted with much emotion, at the same\ntime grasping the preacher\u2019s hand with all the strength his six-months\u2019\nillness had left him. Thus, the man who all the years of his eventful\ncareer, by his own wisdom and logic and learning knew not God, was at the\nlast critical moment melted and transformed by the light from Calvary,\nand a great life was snatched as a brand from the eternal burning. The\nlawyer, the statesman, the scholar, the orator received the kingdom of\nheaven on the Savior\u2019s easy terms, \u201cas a little child,\u201d and two days\nlater his soul passed into the presence of Jehovah.\n\nRev. Mr. Newgent delivered the funeral oration. Men of prominence from\nvarious parts of the country helped to swell the vast throng that was\npresent at the funeral service. The story of the colonel\u2019s conversion\nfrom skepticism to simple, saving faith in Christ was related by the\nspeaker, and produced a profound impression.\n\nThe paper with which this chapter is concluded refers to the life-long\nassociation of the two men, Johnston, the \u201cyoung cavalryman of Indiana,\u201d\nand Newgent, the \u201cboy chaplain.\u201d It was read before a special meeting\nof the Steele Post G. A. R., and auxiliary orders of Rockville shortly\nafter Johnston\u2019s death by Mrs. White, the wife of Judge A. F. White of\nthat city. Judge White was also a soldier and a life-long friend of\nJohnston and Newgent. The doctor referred to in the paper had served as a\nphysician in the Confederate army, but afterward took up his residence in\nRockville, where he built up a large practice. The three men were present\nwith the wife when Colonel Johnston died, and helped to make up the\nscene in the death chamber so dramatically described in the paper.\n\n    \u201cLIGHTS OUT.\u201d\n\n    \u201cIt is midwinter in east Tennessee in 1863. The rivers are\n    flooded, the valleys desolate, the mountain gaps gorged with\n    snow. It is the home of mountain patriots; it must be held at\n    all hazards to the last. This is Lincoln\u2019s solemn wish; it is\n    a part of Grant\u2019s giant plan when Mission Ridge is stormed.\n    A young cavalryman of Indiana is one of the ten thousand who\n    keep freedom\u2019s vigils along the Clinch, the Holstein, and the\n    French Broad. He munches his meager rations of parched corn; he\n    rides the wild mountain roads night and day; he obeys to the\n    letter his orders to hold to the last man the ford of a remote\n    mountain stream. A buckshot buries itself in his wrist, making\n    a wound which heals long after the war and a scar which he\n    carries to his grave. The old flag stays in east Tennessee.\n\n    \u201cHe has a comrade from a neighboring county who shares with him\n    the suffering and sacrifice of that desperate campaign, he is\n    the \u201cboy chaplain\u201d of the brigade.\n\n    \u201cIt is the same winter along the Rappahannock and the Rappidan.\n    The snow, like a measureless shroud, covers the numberless\n    dead of the debatable land between the Potomac and the James.\n    There is another soldier, a mere boy, a young artilleryman from\n    the Shenandoah, who is one of the thousands who hold Lee\u2019s\n    unbroken lines. His battery long since won its title to glory.\n    It helped to clear the mountain gaps of the Blue Ridge; its\n    red guns helped feed the fires which lighted up the valley of\n    death for Pickett\u2019s dauntless charge. Ill fed, ragged, but\n    inbred with the chivalry of the South, he is in it all. There\n    is victory at Chancellorsville, but defeat at Gettysburg; but\n    St. Andrew\u2019s cross still gleams blood red on the breast of the\n    South, The Stars and Bars still flash defiance from Marye\u2019s\n    Hill.\n\n    \u201cThe young artilleryman also has a comrade from the valley, a\n    young trooper who rides with Ashby\u2019s cavaliers in all their\n    wild forays.\n\n    \u201cTwo flags, two oaths of allegiance, the culminating hates\n    of a hundred years, separate these two young soldiers of the\n    North and the South. But they are not alien in blood, they are\n    brothers of the same race, Anglo-Saxon from the first Americans\n    to the last. They speak the same tongue, their mothers read the\n    same Bible, prayed to the same God; their forefathers fought\n    for the same country\u2014Nathaniel Greene at Yorktown, Washington\n    on Cambridge Heights.\n\n    \u201cIt is midsummer of 1904. The cavalryman of \u201963 is dying;\n    not in the weary hospital of pain; not on the perilous edge\n    of battle. More than forty years have passed since the grim\n    midwinter of east Tennessee.\n\n    \u201cIt is the home he has made for his declining years. The rooms\n    are cool and sweet, a broad porch looks down a quiet street,\n    familiar books are everywhere; his escutcheon over the mantel\n    shows his soldier record from \u201962 to \u201965\u2014the old, old story\n    of duty and glory. A blue book on the table tells briefly\n    his struggle from the farm to the halls of Congress; the\n    faces of statesmen, kinsmen, and friends look down from their\n    appropriate places on the walls.\n\n    \u201cThe good right hand of the veteran lies in that of another;\n    grief-stricken she keeps her vows, \u2019till death do us part.\u2019\n\n    \u201cA grey-haired man holds the other. It is the soldier of\n    the Rappahannock. Lee\u2019s battery boy of \u201963 is the trusted\n    physician, the medical confidant, and ministrant of the Union\n    soldier. With all the knowledge of a learned and skillful\n    physician, he has fought the common enemy for the life of\n    his dying friend. But the odds are too great. Old pains, old\n    ailments, old wounds of \u201963 outmatch the medical arts of 1904.\n    But the doctor has known the grief of defeat before. Once a\n    long time ago he yielded to the inevitable in the orchards\n    of Appomattox. He lays his ear close over the failing heart\n    to catch, if he can, its last lingering drum-beats in the\n    battle of life. He places his fingers on the pulseless wrist,\n    searching for its last faint throb\u2014and they rest motionless for\n    a moment on the old scar of \u201963. \u2018It is over,\u2019 he says very\n    softly.\n\n    \u201cA low word of prayer for the widow and fatherless falls\n    from the lips of the grey-haired minister at the foot of\n    the bed. It is the \u2018boy chaplain\u2019 of the dead veteran\u2019s\n    old brigade\u2014youthful to the end. Another man beside him,\n    thin-visaged and bent. It is Ashby\u2019s old trooper, and his eyes\n    are full of tears as he walks slowly out of the room.\n\n    \u201c\u2018Lights out.\u2019 \u2018The bands in the pine woods cease. A robin\n    sings close by, as they will in summer evenings; the fragrance\n    of old-fashioned flowers steals in through the white window\n    curtains. The sun sinks behind the church across the street,\n    the shadow of its belfry coming in at the open door. And over\n    all, Lincoln\u2019s worn face looks down from its place among the\n    pictures on the wall. Even now with the hush of death upon us\n    all, we hear his plaintive prophecy of long ago: \u2018We are not\n    enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may\n    have strained, it cannot break the bonds of our affection. The\n    mystic chord of memory, stretching from every patriot grave and\n    battlefield to every living heart and hearthstone all over this\n    broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union when touched\n    again, as they surely will be, by the better angels of our\n    nature.\u2019\u201d","title":"The Experiences of Uncle Jack: Being a Biography of Rev. Andrew Jackson Newgent","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":46884}