herto out of his deference to the feelings of
his wife, but of his own accord, averred that I should on no
consideration whatever, be permitted to enter his house, to hold a
conference with his daughter, providing said conference was to be
promotive of our marriage. Miss King was compelled, therefore, to make
an arrangement with Mr. Porter, by which our interviews should be held
in his house when I should arrive, as I was expected to do so in a few
days, from Boston. Strange to say, however, and paradoxical as it may
seem, on the day on which I was expected to arrive in Fulton, the Elder
himself took his daughter from Fulton to Phillipsville to meet me. I
reached Phillipsville, on Saturday afternoon, January 29th, and, of
course, was not advised of this altered state of things, until my
arrival there--the Elder's change having taken place within a very few
days previous.

The method which Elder King took to evince his hostility--his exclusion
of me from his house--was extremely injudicious; and I have no doubt
that he, himself, now sincerely regrets it. It excited to action the mob
spirit which had all along existed in the hearts of the people, and was
only awaiting the pretext which the Elder gave--the placing of me before
the community, as a marauder upon the peace of his family. The mob,
also, gave to the matter what the King family, evidently afterwards,
greatly deplored--extraordinary notoriety. Elder King would certainly
have displayed more worldly sagacity, to say nothing of Christian
propriety, to have admitted me into his house as usual, where we could,
all together, have reasoned the matter; and if prejudices could not have
been conciliated, the Elder, at all events, by his previous acquaintance
with my character, had every reason to suppose that I should have
conducted myself as became a gentleman and a Christian. But so it
is,--prejudice thus bewilders the faculties, and defeats the objects
which it aims most to accomplish.

CHAPTER IV.

THE MOB.

Hardly unlooked for by myself was this mob, especially after I had
learned of the direction which "the subject" had taken in the family of
Mr. King.

On Sabbath afternoon, January 30th, while Mr. and Mrs. Porter, Mrs.
Porter's sister, Miss King, and myself, were enjoying ourselves in
social conversation, a gentleman from the village of Fulton called at
the residence of Mr. Porter, to give an account of events as they were
transpiring in the village.