to get drunk and murder, if the law did not tell you so? How would you know it was right to pray, and if you did pray, that God would hear you and bless you, if the law did not tell you so? But suppose one steps out of the road to heaven and gets drunk, what must we do? Why this Discipline tells us what to do with him, and all others that sin against God. We must first try to get them to repent and forsake sin altogether, and if they will not, we must then turn them out, and let them go with their old companions.

I tried to show them the reasons of law, and that it was right, and the duty of a father to prevent his children from running into danger, and to prevent them from doing evil to others. And if they would not take his counsel, it was his duty, for their good, to correct them, and make them obey; and if they were disposed to do an injury to others, it was his duty to restrain them, and protect the innocent and weak from being injured by them; and that to feed a child, and to correct it properly, came alike from the same spirit of love: it was intended for good. Just so God governed us out of love. He forbade us to sin, but would punish us for it, if we committed it; and if we would not forsake it, he would banish us to hell for ever.

CHAPTER V.

Interesting examination of the leaders at the quarterly conference—Cleanliness promoted-Better treatment of women- -Wicked conduct of traders-Scruples of the chiefs respecting holding civil offices-The author removes their doubts-His reasoning on this topic-Interesting camp meeting on Delaware circuit-Profitable quarterly meeting at the mission-Meeting at the Big SpringConversion of an Indian woman on the way, while riding to itBaptisms and marriages-Organization of two small schools-Erection of the mission house-Dangerous illness of the author, occasioned by hard labor at the house-Illness of Mrs. Finley-Both recover slowly-Their great sufferings-Evil surmisings respecting Stewart-Bishop M'Kendree purchases a farm for him, and provides for his family-Ill health of the author-Unable to receive a re-appointment to the mission-Correspondence with Rev. J. Soule and Rev. S. G. Roszel-Speech of Between-the-logs at conferenceBishop M'Kendree's reply.

WHEN our official men became acquainted with their duty, they were very punctual, and strict in watching over one another I recollect well, that at the last quarterly meeting we held this year, in the examination of characters, I called the name of one of the chiefs, who was a leader, and asked if there was any thing against him. One rose and said "I heard that he cut wood on Sabbath evening." He answered, "Yes, I did on one occasion; but it was last winter, and it was exceedingly cold, and I thought I must freeze or cut wood, and I chose the latter. But I do not think there was much harm in that." I then asked him where he was the day before the Sabbath. He said he was abroad. I asked him if his business was not such that he could have been at home, if he had tried. "O yes," said he, "it was not very pressing." I then said, I think your neglect on Saturday made you break the Sabbath. You ought to recollect the Sabbath is the Lord's day entirely, and he has commanded us not to do

our own work. He then said, "I will remember this, and do so no more."

The next was accused with having sold a pound of sugar on the Sabbath. He confessed the charge to be true; but said that he had forgotten entirely that it was the Sabbath, and he would do so no more.

Another was accused of neglecting his class as leader; that he spent too much of his time in the woods hunting, and neglected his work; that he was too worldly to lead people in the way to God; that a leader ought always to keep his eyes fixed on God and the road to heaven, and walk in it, for if he stepped out of the way, his flock would all follow him-then he must look to his feet.

Another was accused of being too dirty in his clothing. "Look at his shirt," ," said his accuser, "it looks as if it had never been washed. Now, if I know any thing about religion, it is a clean thing. It certainly has made our women more particular, and nice in their persons. They now work, and clean themselves and their houses, and all looks as if religion had been at that house. And if religion cleanses the inside, will it not the outside? That brother is too dirty to be a leader of a clean religion. Look at his head-it has not been combed, nor his face washed. I give it as my opinion, if that brother does not mend in this, he must be no longer a leader. We must set some better example before our people." The accused arose and said, that he had no wife, and that he was a poor hand to wash, and could not get it done; but hoped to do some better. His accuser said, "Your want of a wife is no excuse. We have women enough in our nation that have no husbands, and feel themselves lost for want of a head. They would marry if asked, and will make wives good enough for any of us. But some of

our men are afraid to get wives now: they cannot throw them away when they please, but must now stick to them. Our women do not now cultivate our corn, cut our wood, and do all our work as they used to do. This falls on ourselves; and I am afraid there are some who are too lazy to provide for their wives, and would rather live dirty, and lounge about other people's houses, than to work a little." This was a word in season, and had the desired effect, for in a week or two I was called on to marry my old brother; and afterwards he appeared like a man that had a wife.

Through the spring our religious prospects improved ; the nation became much more attentive to hear the word; our leaders and exhorters grew in grace, and became better acquainted with the plan of salvation.

The heathen party made every exertion, however, to keep up their old Indian religion, and were much encouraged to do so by the counsel of the wicked traders and venders of spirituous liquors. Many things were circulated among them unfavorable to religion, the Bible, and to ministers. The heathen party were encouraged to drink, and all advantages were taken of their intoxication to cheat them out of their property. Great exertions were made by them to put down those chiefs, and their influence, that had embraced religion; but this was not easily done. At length they made use of stratagem for that purpose; and no doubt they were induced so to do by designing white men. It was stated to our chiefs that, as they had now become religious and preachers, it was wrong for them to hold civil offices; and that, as they had now engaged in a new business, of a holy nature, they ought to give them up.

Sometime in June, we went, and many of the Indians

with us, to a camp meeting on Delaware circuit, held by the Rev. G. R. Jones and others. On the second day of this meeting, the Indian chiefs, Between-the-logs, Mononcue, and Hicks, took me into the woods, and, by the interpreter, asked my advice on the subject: whether it was incompatible with a religious life and the life of an exhorter, to hold a civil office. I told them it was the good men who ought to hold office, for it was the man that feared God, only, that was likely to be governed by proper motives in this great work; that the greatest chief we ever had in America, (WASHINGTON,) was a good man; and that the first governor of our state, (Dr. Tiffin,) was a Methodist preacher; and the world had always done best under good kings and governors. They then asked me if it was right for them to be chiefs and exhorters too. I told them it was; and asked, "What will now become of this nation, and your school and mission, if you give up your authority into the hands of the savage party? Will not drunkenness abound, and your nation go into ruin? You have hard work, with all your authority and wisdom, to get along now; and what will it be if you give it up? Wicked white men will manage and govern your wicked Indians, for they will go together; and you will soon be driven from your homes.” They said they plainly saw it; but were told that as religious men, they must lay down the one when they took up the other. I told them it was a trick of some wicked men, to get the power out of their hands; that they must do as they pleased, but that they should by no means think of giving up their place as chiefs in the nation. After counseling with one another, they sent me word that they would hold on.

This camp meeting was a good one. Some of the