t brother, Rufus, into Christ.

In the meantime it was here I formed the acquaintance of the Johnson
family, Mrs. Emily Johnson, the aged mother and six noble sons, W. L.
David, W. H., J. E., J. C., and M. S. These were all good citizen
and Christians. The youngest of whom, M. S. whose wife I baptized,
became an able preacher of the Word, and is to this day, preaching
somewhere in the state of Oklahoma. The third son, W. H. was
widower, and, with my help to solemnize the contract, he took a
second wife. This wedding took place on the hill across the creek
from at Joseph McBride's residence (for the bride was his daughter),
and this was my first wedding in Kansas. Of the weddings that
followed this I will not attempt to tell you, for they are too many
to be enumerated in a short story of an old preacher's life.

These Johnsons all sold their possessions in Leavenworth County and
at the suggestion of Pardee Butler, moved north into Atchison Co. and
settled in a new community called Pardee Station. The Johnsons
earnestly solicited me to follow them to their new place and teach
and preach in a large new school house that had been erected at the
station. So in the spring, 1868, I visited Pardee Station, and
preached. It happened that this Sunday was the 15th day of March,
and consequently my thirtieth birthday anniversary.

This was the first time I ever preached in Atchison County. It was
here and at this time that I met Elder Pardee Butler for the first
time in life, and his family, consisting of his wife, two sons George
C. 15 years old and Charley P. 9 years old, and a little grown
daughter Rosetta, 23 years old of whom I will speak more fully later
on.

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C H A P T E R T W E L V E

South Cedar. An aged Methodist. A quick Irishman. Webster's
blue back spelling book. The world was not turned upside down,
but the door turned on its hinges.

The school board at Pardee Station was not ready to give me an answer
about school, so I left them, promising the Johnsons that I would
return in the fall. I had a call to go to South Cedar in Jackson
County and teach and preach. This I did during the spring and summer
and after the close of my school in July and August I called
Evangelist J. H. Bauserman to come and help in a protracted meeting.
He came and the meeting started off nicely, but on the second or
third day, Brother Bauserman was called home on account of his wife's
severe sickness. H