er to get as near
home as possible, we leave Sister Hyre's, stop a little with Isaac
Shobe's on Mill Creek, dine and feed at Isaac Dasher's, on the South
Fork, and stay all night at Jacob Whetzel's, in Brock's Gap, Rockingham
County, Virginia. Fine weather continues.

MONDAY, November 11. Home to-day. Find all well, but some sickness in
the neighborhood around. On the journey from which I have just
returned, I traveled 1,271 miles on horse-back, one beast carrying me
safely all of that distance. The roads we traveled were in many places
just as nature formed them, the hand of man having done but little
more than cut the timber out and remove impassable obstructions. We
crossed high and rugged mountains, and forded dangerous streams. But
in the West the people are waking up to the importance of improving
the public roads. The abundant natural wealth of that country, when
properly developed by wise industry, will respond in such lavish
abundance that there will be no lack of means to build the best of
roads, and in every respect to raise the country generally to that
state of beauty by high culture, which ministers to the comfort and
usefulness of its people.

The Baltimore & Ohio railroad will soon be completed to Wheeling, and
this road, in connection with other roads likely to be built and
connect with it, will open a very active traffic between that city and
the East. I feel like saying to the Brethren everywhere that now is
the time to sow the pure seeds of Gospel Truth in the West. If this be
not done, tares will be sure to grow and multiply where the wheat of
holy love should abound. Such fields of humanity, so full of life and
vigor, will never remain unproductive. Education and civil law may
help to control and keep in bounds the flood of moral and intellectual
power flowing from them; but if the hand of sanctified religion be not
put forth to give it proper direction, they will turn out to be a
moral wilderness of sin, filled with all the wild beasts of human
passion, "and every hateful bird."

In the time of my absence Eli Spitzer and wife, Polly Hindgardner,
and another woman were baptized. This was done September 18. On the
twenty-second there was a love feast at the Lost River meetinghouse;
and about that time Samuel Toppan and wife, and three other persons,
all on Stony Creek, were baptized. Thomas Lampkin and Polly Fridley,
and another sister were also baptized in my absence.

MONDAY, December 16. To-