ecretary and for two, president. But, for leadership and
faithful, untiring service in this great work, the need of praise
must go to Issac Maris of the Seventh day lane. In all the work of
the Bible Schools of this country I have always felt, during these
four decades, that it was an honor t try to stand as a second to
Issac Maris is a friend. In all my life's labor as a Sunday School
worker I have associated with no one so long and pleasantly as a
coworker as Isaac Maris.

I must tell you just one instance of our lives. Mr. Maris is two
years older than I am, and two inches taller, he being 6 feet, 4
inches and I 6 feet and 2 inches. Well, brother Maris and I attended
together a district Sunday School Convention in the city of Horton.
The first evening was the children's hour. Many children were there,
seated on the front seats of the large hall. E. O. Excell was
leading the children in song. Brother Maris and I were seated just
behind the children when one little fellow was overhead to say to
another, referring to us, "Who am them two big fellows?" His
seat-mate replied, "Don't you know them fellows? They are two Sunday
School giants from Atchison country." We took that and still take it
as a great compliment.

In the fall of 1891 the sad intelligence came to me from Indiana that
my brother John A. Hastings was dead. At his death he was fifty-nine
years and fourteen days old. Brother was a good man, a devout
Christian. Of his family still living there are one daughter and
three sons, all noble, Christian citizens of Washington, Indiana.
One of the boys is a newspaper publisher, the other two are able
lawyers.

A few years later my oldest sister Nancy Elizabeth who lived in
Oregon, passed away at the age of 62 years, 2 months and 10 days. Of
her family only one son, Reuben Edgar Peyton is living. He lives at
Peyton, Oregon. At this writing I have only two brothers left. One,
Henry, about ten years my senior, the other, Rufus, about ten years
my junior.

In the fall of 1894 I was elected a trustee of the Atchison county
High School, and made secretary of the Board, and held this position
for six years being elected the second time. That same fall we sold
our farm, 130 acres just east of Farmington for $5,500 and bought a
farm 80 acres, just east of Effingham for $4600, and moved to it on
the 1st day of March, 1895. At this time only three of our children
were at home, Clara, Edith and Milo. Ha