Tennessee my field of labors m the word was very
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uch circumscribed, and my manual labors took upmuch of my time in fixing for living comfortably. Let-ters from the churches and brethren in Kentucky werepouring in upon me, pressing me to return to them.Finding myself unable to repurchase my old farm, Iyielded to the strong solicitations of the brethren in Lex- ington and the neighborhood, to settle amongst them. | They immediately sent a carriage for my family, and awaggon to move us up. ‘They had rented me a housein Lexington, and promised to supply my family withevery necessary. But I then learned a lesson, and learn-ed it better afterwards, that good men often make prom-ises which they forget to perform. In Lexington I was compelled to teach a high school BARTON W. STONE. 69 for a support. I taught the English Grammar, Latin,Greek, and some of the sciences. ‘This school exceed-ed my highest anticipations. Gentlemen of the firstclass patronized it, and our institution became popularand respectable. ‘We far outnumbered the pupils ofthe University. I employed an assistant well qualified.In this time I had to visit once a month my old congre-gation at Caneridge, nearly thirty miles distant, and beback by school hour on Monday morning. I laboredin my school to satisfy my patrons, and profit my pupils,and it is believed that I succeeded. While teaching there, a Prussian doctor, a Jewof great learning, came to Lexington, and proposed toteach the Hebrew language im a short time. A classwas soon made up of a motley mixture of preachers,lawyers, and others. He taught by lectures; and inavery short time we understood the language so as withease to read, and translate by the assistance of a Lexi-con. This was a desideratum with me, and was of ad-vantage ever after in reading and understanding theScriptures. The Rittenhouse Academy in Georgetown becamevacant, and urgent solicitations were ‘made to me tobecome its principal. I consented, and moved there,and soon entered upon the duties of my appointment.The number of students soon became large, and manyfollowed me from Lexington. At that time Georgetownwas notorious for irreligion and wickedness. I beganto preach to them that they should repent, and turn tothe Lord. My congregation increased, and becameinterested on the subject of religion. Soon we consti-tuted a church of six or seven members, which quicklygrew to two or three hundred. Iwas every week bap-tizing, sometimes thirty at a time, of whom were anumber of my pupils, some of whom became useful‘preachers afterwards. The work of conversion spreada distance round, with but few preachers, and those notvery efficient. The harvest was truly great, but thelaborers were few. & 70 : BIOGRAPHY OF ~The churches, without my knowledge, met together, and determined that it was proper to engage all mytime and services in preaching the gospel; and in or-der to release me from the Academy, they agreed topay my debt, which I had contracted for a small farmnear the town, on which I had moved my family. Theonly way I had to pay this debt was by the profits of_ the Academy. They had also agreed to supply myselfand family with a comfortable support. A deputationof brethren was sent to inform me what was done, andto confer with me on the propriety of yielding to theirwishes, and to evangelize steadily among the churches.I yielded, and resigned the charge of the Academy,and gave up myself to the work of the ministry. Theremembrance of these days, and of the great and goodworks which were effected by my humble labors, willcause many to shout the praises of God to eternity. The time drew near when my debt must be paid. Ibecame uneasy lest I might fail, and named it to mybrethren. Fair promises kept up my spirits; but at last{ had to borrow a good part of the money and paythe debt myself. And to add to my trouble, themoney borrowed was to be repaid in specie, whichI had to buy with Commonwealth’s depreciated pa-per, two for one, yet had been by me received at parwith silver and gold. JI was compelled to desist fromevangelizing, and proposed to teach a private school inGeorgetown, (for the Academy was supplied.) I hadsoon as many pupils as I desired. By this means I wasenabled to pay the borrowed money and. the interest,and had something over. By such constant applicationto study, my health failed. I gave up teaching entirely,and turned to hard labor on my farm, in order to sup-port my family. | | I had an appointment of long standing in Meigscounty, Ohio, above the mouth of Kenhaway, in orderto preach, and to baptize a Presbyterian preacher livingthere, whose name was William Caldwell. The timedrew near, and I had no money to bear my expenses.
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