and at the end of the sermon that poor man
came to me and said, "I have been wrong. I want to confess Jesus and
be immersed." I baptized him. Some years after that I preached the
funerals of both. Their lives had not been perfect but in their
deaths there was hope. We live by hope. We are saved by hope. Let
us hope in God. Hope is one of a trio of the greatest principles in
the world.

---0---

C H A P T E R S I X T E E N

Politics. Topeka. A vote. A snow storm. Sister Lottie.
Whiting. Pleasant Grove. Atchison.

There are many pleasant things connected with preaching and sometimes
things are not so pleasant. Of course, the most pleasant of all to
the true, conscientious preacher, is turning many from wrong to
right, to salvation from sin and all its consequences. To know that
you have preached righteousness and lived a life worthy of imitation,
fills the cup of joy to overflowing.

While I have been teacher, farmer and preacher for years and years
and at one time was elected to a State office, I never was a
politician in the first sense of the word. Unfortunately the bad
sense of the word has become the first. There is a meaning in
politics in which all may be and should be politicians.

After I had taught and stood in the front rank of teachers, I thought
I was entitled to be superintendent of schools, but because I would
not stand as a politician in its bad sense I was turned down. Turned
down because while right prevailed, wrong did much more prevail at
that time. It was in the time of the saloons.

But they say it is a poor rule that does not work both ways. So
without my seeking or asking for it, in the fall 1875 I was nominated
and elected to the office of State Representative: and this because I
was a politician in the true and better sense of the word, a
Christian gentleman and pure statesman. And yet, it was the time of
saloons. And yet, again righteousness did abound but sin did much
more abound. I wondered why I was chosen, until a friend explained
it was because they wanted to give credibility to the ticket. To
this day, I do not know whether it was a compliment or not. But is
made no difference, it was at the State Capitol with over a hundred
other law-makers in the session of the centennial year, and enjoyed
it. For I found many good men and learned gentlemen not a few. And
was honored by being placed at the head of the education committee
and placed on two or t