“At last, I sent one evening for Miss H---- to come down, and I told her my troubles; for my proud heart was well-nigh broken. Said I, Miss H----, I feel so and so ever since I read those tracts of yours; and I related all that was passing in my mind; and, said I, do you think there is any mercy or hope for such a poor miserable sinner? The tears began to run down her cheeks; then she laughed; then she caught me by both hands, and looking up into my face, she said, ‘Oh, my dear friend, I am _so_ glad.’ ‘Why,’ said I, ‘are you glad because I am in trouble?’ ‘Oh, my dear sir,’ says she, ‘this is the Spirit of God operating on your heart.’ All at once a great light seemed to shine into my mind. All that I had been learning for so many weeks seemed now just as plain as A B C. Said I, ‘Come, Miss H----, kneel down then and pray for me;’ and she did pray for me, and I do bless God for his wonderful mercy to such a poor hardened sinner. I believe that God _did_ change my heart just while that _very prayer_ was going up. All at once it just came: I loved my Bible and I loved to pray, and I could not bear the company that I used to take so much delight in.
“On the next Sabbath, Miss H---- asked me to go along with her and the children to the school--which was, and had been a Sunday-school, though we never suspected it; and here came a trial. If I go, they will say I am getting religious; if I stay, it will be a sin, for I know I _ought_ to go; and then it will grieve Miss H----. These last considerations were the strongest; so I went. The room was crowded with children, all waiting for their teacher; I thought they all looked happy. After a little while, Miss H---- took the Bible, and coming to me, she said, ‘Mr. D----, will you read and pray with us this morning?’ I was startled; my very heart trembled. Said I, ‘Oh no; not now.’ Then she read a chapter and prayed herself. Oh, how I felt, to think that I was ashamed to pray before those children! Ah, thought I, this will never do; I will come here and pray next Sunday. That night I read and prayed with my family; and the next Sabbath I opened the school with prayer.
“The news spread soon all through the settlement. D---- has got religion and is praying in the Sunday-school! strange news this! Very soon the people began to drop into our Sunday-school. Then Miss H---- said to me, ‘You had better read us a sermon at the Sunday-school, after the other exercises are over.’ She selected the sermons, and I read them. Our meetings grew very solemn. Presently we sent word to a good man at B---- to send us a minister; he did so. The minister came and preached for us. The little school-house could not contain one half of the people who crowded to hear him. We held our meetings in the open air, under the trees.