ClFE OF 
 
 REY.i.LKEPHART,D.D. 
 
tihraxy of Che tiveoloc[ical ^tminary 
 
 PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Ruius H. LeFevre 
 
 
 iX o 
 
Rev. Isaiah iMj'ayetic Kephart, D.D. 
 
% 
 
 m^i 
 
 iy52 
 
 LIFE of 
 
 ReY.yaliLKeplidrt,D.D, 
 
 ^ 
 
 REV. CYRUS J KEPHART. D.D. 
 
 and 
 
 REV. WILLIAM R. FUNK, D.D. 
 
 tV i t h an Introduction by 
 BISHOP G. M. MATHEWS. D.D. 
 
 Nineteen Hundred and Nine 
 
 United Brethren Publishing House 
 
 Dayton, Ohio 
 
Pkess of 
 
 United Brethren I'ublishino House 
 
 Dayton, Ohio 
 
 1909 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 chapter page 
 
 Introduction _..--- 
 
 I. Ancestry ------ 9 
 
 II. Boyhood Days - - - - - 33 
 
 III. Schoolboy and Lumberman - - - 53 
 
 IV. Student, Minister, Educator - - -77 
 V. Christian Patriot - - - - 99 
 
 VI. Editor ------ 133 
 
 VII. Special Traits of Character - - - 157 
 
 VIII. Relation to Society - - - - 173 
 
 IX. Religious Beliefs - - - - - 187 
 
 X. His Own Writings - - - - 203 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Rev. Isaiah Lafayette Kephart, D.D. 
 
 Rev. Henry and Sarah Kephart. 
 
 The Old-Fashioned Loom and Spinning- Wheel. 
 
 Dr. Kephart on his First Circuit, and while Pastor at Hum- 
 melstown, Pennsylvania. 
 
 Schoolhouse in Pennsylvania where Dr. Kephart Attended. 
 
 Chaplain and Mrs. L L. Kephart. 
 
 Photograph of Wife and Son Carried through Grant's Final 
 Campaigns. 
 
 While Actuary and Editor, 1881. 
 
 Dr. Kephart as an Army Chaplain. 
 
 While Professor in Western College, 1872. 
 
 Mrs. Kephart, Doctor Kephart, Belle (deceased), and Horace. 
 
 Dr. L L. Kephart and his Intimate Friend, John D. Gill. 
 
 Editor Kephart's Home in Dayton, 916 N. Main Street. 
 
 Dr. I. L. Kephart as he Appeared Daily at his Office Desk. 
 
 Rafting Scene, such as I. L. Kephart Participated In. 
 
 Arrival of Funeral Cortege at First United Brethren Church. 
 
 Scene at the Grave in Beautiful Woodland Cemetery Over- 
 looking Dayton. 
 
 Where Editor I. L. Kephart Lies Buried. 
 
 The Tomb of Dr. Kephart in Woodland Cemetery. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 A MOUNTAINOUS man is the world's greatest possession. In 
 him strength, elevation, and dignity are combined in striking 
 proportions. His massive character rests upon the rock 
 foundation of eternal truth, v^^hile its majestic browr towers 
 into the infinite. Civilization's story of every age, both in 
 church and state, is the charming record of mountain-minded 
 men. The strength and influence of their leadership command 
 the admiration of those who study their battles, triumphs, and 
 progress. Towering far above the lowlands, they have the 
 passion of achievement and the strength of influence, whole- 
 some and abiding. 
 
 Goodness is a treasure of inestimable value. It clothes 
 personality with a power that counts far more than all the 
 prized accidents of earth. This world possesses no abiding 
 wealth but that of personal integrity. The fruitage of a good 
 life is its joy and crown. "A good man is the ripe fruit earth 
 holds up to God." Life's great task is the making of manhood. 
 Its crowning issue is character, the only treasure that endures. 
 The clayey tenement house fades, fails, and crumbles, but in the 
 very crumbling the imprisoned tenant is liberated and unhin- 
 dered in its onward march to its eternal crowning. Personal 
 character thus becomes more luminous and consciously real 
 as the eternal ages flow on. The great and the good are 
 therefore immortal. They belong to two worlds. Akin to 
 God, heaven lays eternal claim upon them. Faithful tx> earth, 
 their toils and achievements leave an imprint upon their age 
 more enduring than the inscriptions upon painted canvas or 
 marble statue. 
 
 Human immortality of this kind allows no contingency. 
 Men live on forever, from choice and purpose. God has 
 ordained that the moral and spiritual investments which men 
 put into life shall not be lost out of it. Great characters. 
 
Irilroduction 
 
 strong in life, cannot be forgotten in death. The memory of 
 the righteous will not perish so long as this world needs the 
 inspiration of their illustrious lives. Some artist's hand, with 
 brush or pen, will be moved to portray the secret of their 
 greatness and tell the story of their goodness. Why should 
 the fragrant flower of a rich life be lost in the desert of 
 human forgetfulness? 
 
 Here memory performs a blessed function. Through its 
 voice yesterday greets to-day and pays rich tribute to to-mor- 
 row. Memory holds in its grasp the treasures of the past, 
 which it bequeaths to the future for the study and inspiration 
 of coming generations. All men are debtors one to another. 
 Generations, as they come and go, discharge their indebted- 
 ness to their predecessors by pouring their wealth into the 
 lap of their successors. 
 
 Biography thus has its wholesome uses. While the printed 
 record of a good and great life does not help the dead, yet 
 it inspires the living. Personal example is an impressive and 
 convincing teacher. Great truths and virtues embodied in a 
 noble character stir those who follow after to high ideals and 
 aspirations, and he who hands down the name and memory 
 of such a personality makes a rich contribution to the wealth 
 of the world's literature. 
 
 The authors of this volume have contributed such a service 
 to the Church, and even to the wider world, in furnishing 
 the biography of the princely life of Isaiah L. Kephart, D.D. 
 This volume is of special interest and value because of the 
 happy combination of its joint authorship. Perhaps among 
 all men in our Church, Cyrus J. Kephart, D.D., whose close 
 touch with his brother from childhood enabled him to be the 
 best interpreter of his life, and W. R. Funk, D.D., for many 
 years intimately associated with him in official relation and 
 personal friendship, are best qualified to furnish to the reading 
 public this true story of his long and eventful career. 
 
 In this service of love they have tenderly laid upon the 
 immortal brow of Dr. I. L. Kephart a beautiful garland, 
 fragrant with the graces and virtue of a noble character, in 
 language befitting a great soul. What else can be added? 
 And yet the writer of these preliminary words, speaking out 
 of a soul knit in true friendship and grateful blessings 
 received, craves to unite in keeping alive the memory of such 
 a hero. He ventures to add to that wreath already placed a 
 
Introduction 
 
 single flower, wet with the dewdrop of an affectionate tear 
 and fragrant with the perfume of a grateful, loving heart. 
 
 One could not be long in intimate association with Doctor 
 Kephart without discovering his worthy pride in the streams 
 of influence that enriched his early life. He knew that he 
 had inherited the rich birth-gift of ancestral blood, and with 
 that inheritance the spirit of personal honor, conscientious- 
 ness, and manliness. He rejoiced in the splendid home 
 environments which helped to mold his character and give 
 direction to his earlier years. With joyous pride he cherished 
 the memory of the experiences of his rugged pioneer life in 
 the mountains, where the fires of poverty and the discipline 
 of struggle cleansed and laid the foundation of a sturdy man- 
 hood. The very recital of those early experiences caused his 
 soul to reach up to heights of manliness and nobility. 
 
 Added to his broad culture, nature with lavish hand 
 bestowed upon him gifts that gave him marvelous versatility. 
 He was not a man of one idea. His furnishing had many 
 sides. Wit, humor, anecdote, repartee, invective, adulation 
 were weapons wielded at his own pleasure with telling effect. 
 His ability to write a leading editorial, preach an evangelical 
 sermon, deliver an educational lecture or memorial address, 
 or flash off his pen sparks of poetic genius was indeed unusual. 
 His genuine humor was charming, the sharp blade of his satire 
 cut deep, and his mellifluous words were as sweet as the 
 droppings of the honeycomb. 
 
 Doctor Kephart was a recognized leader, not self announced 
 or pronounced, but a real champion of the best thought and 
 advanced movement of the church and state. He was intensely 
 aggressive, and yet always conservatively sane and safe in his 
 leadership. Higher Christian education, moral reform, social 
 regeneration, civic righteousness, and religious progress 
 always received his able and vigorous support. In all these 
 things he adhered to principle and was courageous in the 
 advocacy of positive truth and sane measures. He never 
 trifled with a great cause. With deep convictions he was 
 loyal to his conceptions of right and dauntless in the face of 
 all opposition. God had made him true to the core of his 
 being. He wore not the soft raiment of the time-server. He 
 was no slender reed, swayed and broken by every wind that 
 blew against him. Everybody knew where he stood and 
 what he stood for. Men admired his conservative optimism 
 
[nlrojuition 
 
 and gladlj' followed his leadership. He believed with tremen- 
 dous conviction in the eternal law of the survival of the 
 fittest ; that all the forces of truth and righteousness, in the 
 past and present, move on, under God, toward a glorious 
 finality in the progress of his kingdom. He wrote and spoke 
 of this final outcome with the pen of a ready writer and the 
 strength of a spiritual giant. His face was set toward the 
 east. He waited patiently for the dawning sunrise of every 
 great moral movement and followed the sun to the zenith of 
 its power and glory. His heart, even in his older years, was 
 young with hope in the fiercest storm and darkest hour. In 
 this respect he was a rare man of God. But in all his leader- 
 ship he was a true Christian gentleman. Though strong in 
 his convictions, fearless in his defense and advocacy of what 
 he believed, he was uniformly tolerant and kind toward those 
 who differed from him. He threw the mantle of charity over 
 the frailties and infirmities of his opposing brethren. This 
 Christlike spirit enshrined him in the hearts of all who best 
 knew him. 
 
 Especially during the last half century of Doctor Kephart's 
 public career and official life was he associated with the his- 
 tory of our Church. This made him a molding factor and 
 determining force in its thought and life. Being in the fore- 
 front of the advance movements o.f his denomination in that 
 period of its progressive thought and transitional life, his 
 biography is especially valuable to those who are students 
 of the genius, history, and fortunes of our Church. 
 
 As a preacher, teacher, soldier, educator, and editor. Doctor 
 Kephart will live in the memory of all those whom he influ- 
 enced and blessed. But he was loved most and will be remem- 
 bered longest for the steady shining of his stalwart Christian 
 character. The light of his noble life was no meteoric display 
 that flashed out in the heavens and then vanished. He was 
 rather a fixed luminary in the galaxy of Church leaders. His 
 character not only guided others in the path of right and 
 duty, but being anchored to the eternal verities of God will 
 outshine and outlast the stars. How beautiful was his place- 
 fastness in Christ, the divine Son of God. The fires of over 
 a half century did not burn out his fidelity, nor the storms of 
 threescore years and ten sweep him from his anchorage. They 
 only made his character stronger and more enduring. 
 
 But how vain and futile are human words to express one's 
 
Introduction 
 
 appreciation of the solid virtues and qualities of a good man ! 
 Since Doctor Kephart, our beloved friend, has so recently 
 gone from us, one can scarcely realize that his pen is simply 
 engaged in the reminiscent portraiture of his princely char- 
 acter and life. The warm pressure of his hand-grasp, the 
 enlivening flash of his penetrating eyes, and the charm of his 
 living presence seem but yesterday. Our eyes are still moist 
 with the tears of parting. He seems still to touch our elbow 
 in conscious fellowship. The sound of his voice still Hngers 
 in our ears. However, we know that though his form has 
 vanished from us, his monumental influence remains and 
 abides. Surely the authors of this book have honored both 
 themselves and the whole Church in perpetuating the memory 
 of his noble life. Herein lies the value and mission of this 
 biography. AH who read it will prize more highly this inspir- 
 ing example of concrete Christianity, as they discover how a 
 true servant of God lived, loved, wrought, and triumphed. 
 
 (Bishop) G. M. Mathews. 
 
 Chicago, Illinois, December 25. 190S. 
 
ANCESTRY 
 
Jesus, Jesus, thou didst die on the cross to redeem my 
 soul from death ; thou didst rise from the dead and dost 
 live forever with the Father in heaven; and because thou 
 hast redeemed me and dost live, I shall live with thee forever 
 in the glory world. Praise the Lord. Amen. 
 
 I. L. K. 
 
 August 13, 1905. 
 
I. 
 
 ANCESTRY 
 
 The name "Kephart" is not an attempt to Anglicize 
 the German "Gebhard," but is an ancient dialectical 
 variant of it, probably Swiss. The pronunciation 
 of Gebhard (also written Gebhardt or Gebhart) is 
 properly indicated in English by spelling it Gep'hart. 
 
 Both Kephart and Gebhard are derived from the 
 Old High German Gebahard (pronounced Gay-bah- 
 hart, with the accent on the first syllable). As the 
 German language developed from Old through Mid- 
 dle to New High German, it followed the familiar 
 tendency to contraction, and thus the second vowel 
 of Gebaihard was dropped, making a word of two 
 syllables instead of three. 
 
 Gebahard was a highly-esteemed surname in the 
 Middle Ages, and afterwards became a common 
 family name. It was borne by bishops of Eichstedt, 
 Constance, and Regensberg, and by the archbishops 
 of Salzburg in the eleventh century. As for its 
 meaning, there is no question among etymologists. 
 The formative elements are (in Old High German) 
 geba, giver, and hard, which latter word signifies 
 not only hard, hars'h, rough, but also vehement, pas- 
 sionate, ardent, eager, zealous. The dictionary of 
 the brothers Grimm defines Gebhard as "a man's 
 
12 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 name with the signification, in accordance with 
 which it is undoubtedly formed, of one who gives 
 willingly." Various quotations from early German 
 authors are given by the Grimms to illustrate the 
 history of the name, among them being this from 
 Martin Luther: "Gott ist ein reicher Quellender born 
 aller Gnaden und Gaben, und billich derrcchte Gebhart 
 heiszen solt" ("God is a richly-fed fountain of grace 
 and of gifts, and justly should be called the truly 
 Generous One"). 
 
 Mediaeval spelling was not fixed by dictionaries 
 or by a widely-diffused literature. Every one who 
 could write at all spelled to suit himself, and it was 
 not uncommon for the same individual to spell his 
 own name in different ways at different times. In 
 German there is close affinity between g and k, 
 b and p, d and t, which often were used inter- 
 changeably by careless writers. It should also be 
 borne in mind that the literature of the Middle 
 Ages was chiefly Latin, and that when a German 
 or other modern name was introduced in a Latin 
 document, it suffered such change as the real or 
 supposed laws of the Latin language required. 
 Other causes, such as the degree of education pos- 
 sessed by scribes and the influence of dialectical 
 varieties of pronunciation, tended to multiply dif- 
 ferences in spelling. The early Kepharts were 
 Swiss, and in the Swiss-German dialect initial G 
 has a sound almost like English K. Eorstemann, 
 in his monumental work on ancient German names, 
 gives the following twenty-three different spellings 
 of the name, which have been copied from registers 
 
Ancestry 13 
 
 and other documents of the ninth to the eleventh 
 centuries : Gebahard, Gepahart, Kebahart, Kepa- 
 hart, Gebohard, Kebohard, Kebihart, Gebehard, 
 Gebehart, Kebehard, Kebehart, Kepehart, Geve- 
 hard, Geueherd, Ghebehard, Gebaard, Gebhard, 
 Gebhart, Gifard, Givard, Gevard, Gedebard, Ege- 
 baharttus (that is, ego Gebahartus).* The form 
 Kepahart occurs frequently in Karajan's "Das Vcr- 
 brnderungsbuch von St. Peter ru Salzburg," and 
 Kepehart in Goldast's "Rerum Alamannicarum Scrip- 
 tores." If Ave drop from either of these forms the 
 second vowel, as was done when Old High German 
 changed to the modern literary tongue, we have 
 left simply the name as spelled to-day — "Kephart." 
 
 Records are at hand, more or less extensive, of 
 the descendants of nine eighteenth-century Ameri- 
 can Kephart stocks, but which fail to verify positive 
 connection with each other. These nine stocks are 
 the following: 
 
 1. David Kephart, Sr. (1729-1792), of Frederick 
 
 (now Carroll) County, Maryland. 
 
 2. Nicholas Kephart (1733P-1829?), of Berks and 
 
 Center counties, Pennsylvania. Also his 
 brother Adam. 
 
 3. John Kephart (1751-1822), of Montgomery and 
 
 Bucks counties, Pennsylvania. 
 
 4. Henry Kephart (1750 ), of Bucks County, 
 
 Pennsylvania, and Virginia. 
 
 5. Henry Kephart (1750 ), of Maryland, Penn- 
 
 sylvania, and Iowa. 
 
 •Foi-stemann, Ernst. Altdeutsches Namesbuch. Nordhausen, 1856. 
 Vol. 1, col. 451-452. 
 
14 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 6. Daniel Kephart (1755?-1822), of New Jersey 
 
 and Northumberland County, Pennsylvania. 
 
 7. Jacob Kephart (1765 ), of Pennsylvania 
 
 (possibly Maryland) and Kentucky. Also 
 four of his brothers. 
 
 8. Caleb Kephart (or Kepheart) (1778-1833), of 
 
 Chester and Center counties, Pennsylvania. 
 
 9. John Kephart (1780-1847), of eastern Pennsyl- 
 
 vania and Huntingdon (now Blair) County, 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
 There is circumstantial evidence that numbers 
 2, 5, 6, 8, and 9 of the above list were kinsmen, and 
 that numbers 3 and 4 were brothers or first cousins, 
 but no legal proof of such relationship exists. 
 
 The spelling Gebhard or Gephart never occurs in 
 the known family records of any of the nine stocks 
 here named, with one possible exception (the father 
 of number 5). It may be accepted as fettled that 
 the Kephart family to which Dr. I. L. Kephart 
 belongs has no American connection with any one 
 who has used either of those spellings within the 
 past century. 
 
 Nicholas Kephart (number 2 on above list) was 
 the great-grandfather of Isaiah Lafayette Kephart. 
 Letters from Rev. William Penzer, son of Nicholas' 
 youngest child, Catherine, received in 1888 and in 
 1895, state that his mother told him that Nicholas 
 emigrated from Switzerland to America, and that 
 he was aged ninety-six when he died. Mrs. Nancy 
 Hughes, granddaughter of Nicholas Kephart, stated, 
 in 1904, that she distinctlv remembered the old 
 
Ancestry 15 
 
 gentleman, and that he died when she was not yet 
 seven years old. Mrs. Hughes was born May 4, 
 1823. From these data we may fix the date of 
 Nicholas' birth approximately at the year 1733, and 
 of his death at 1829. 
 
 The date of Nicholas' arrival in America is not 
 known ; but it must have been prior to 1772, because 
 not later than that date he married Mary Fry 
 (Frey), in Macungie Township, which at that time 
 was in Northampton County, but is now in Lehigh 
 County, Pennsylvania. According to family tradi- 
 tion, Nicholas first settled in Berks County, near 
 Reading. It is probable that he afterwards resided 
 for a time in Northampton County. 
 
 In the year 1801, or possibly earlier, Nicholas and 
 his son, Henry, Sr., moved to Center County, Penn- 
 sylvania. About 1803, Nicholas cleared a farm and 
 built a house near Philipsburg, in that part of Rush 
 Township, which is now in Clearfield County. 
 Among his neighbors was Abraham Goss, who will 
 be mentioned later. 
 
 By his wife Mary, Nicholas Kephart had five 
 sons, Daniel, Abraham, Henry (born about 1777, 
 died 1858), Andrew, George; also four daughters, 
 Christina, Mary, Elizabeth, and Catherine (born 
 1793, died 1883). Of Daniel, Abraham, Christina, 
 Mary, and Elizabeth we have no records. 
 
 Nicholas died in his own house, about half a mile 
 southeast of the old Center Schoolhouse, in Clear- 
 field County, and three miles from Philipsburg, 
 Pennsylvania. He was buried in the old "Abram 
 Goss Cemetery," on a hill one mile east of the 
 
16 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 present town of Osceola. His wife, who was born 
 about 1738, died about 1822, at the residence of her 
 daughter Catherine, a mile south of Nicholas' house, 
 and near the site of Osceola. 
 
 It is said that Nicholas Kephart was the eldest 
 of six brothers, the names of the others being Adam, 
 Jacob, Daniel, Caleb, and John. Adam is known to 
 have moved from Berks to Clearfield County, Penn- 
 sylvania, in 1815. He had at least two sons, Jona- 
 than (born 1797, died 1885) and Daniel ; also two 
 daughters, Rachel (born 1809, died 1882) and Sarah 
 (died 1852). Adam's grave in the Goss Cemetery 
 is annually decorated as that of a veteran of the 
 Revolution. Nothing is known about the other 
 brothers of Nicholas. Some of them may or may 
 not figure in the list of early American Kephart 
 stocks previously named. In the latter part of the 
 eighteenth century there were many Kepharts bear- 
 ing the names of Jacob, Daniel, Caleb, and John. 
 
 The third son of Nicholas Kephart was Henry 
 Kephart, Sr., who was born about 1777, probably 
 in what was then Northampton County, Pennsyl- 
 vania. He was the grandfather of Isaiah Lafayette 
 Kephart. On September 10, 1797, Henry Kep- 
 hart, Sr., married Catherine Smith and settled at 
 Center Furnace, Center County, Pennsylvania. His 
 wife was an orphan, the daughter of an English 
 man whose wife was German, thus constituting Henry 
 Kephart, Jr., three-fourths German and one-fourth 
 English blood. 
 
 The children of Henry Kephart, Sr., and his wife 
 Catherine were : 
 
2. 
 
 Margaret. 
 
 3. 
 
 Henry, Jr, 
 
 4. 
 
 5. 
 
 Ellen. 
 Andrew S 
 
 6. 
 7. 
 
 Mary. 
 Barbara. 
 
 Ancestry 17 
 
 1. David. Born April 7, 1800. Married Ann 
 
 Hoffman. Died June 19, 1871. 
 
 Married William Harner. Died 
 in 1833 or 1834. 
 
 Born January 5, 1802. Married 
 Sarah Goss. Died May 5, 1886. 
 
 Married Daniel Kephart. 
 
 Born April 10, 1807. Married 
 Rachel Kephart. Died Septem- 
 ber 13, 1882. 
 
 Married Andrew Nearhoff. 
 
 Born 1813. Married Simeon 
 Crane. Died June 18, 1892. 
 
 8. George. Born 1815. Married Mary Ann 
 
 Amy. Died March 25, 1865. 
 
 9. William. Born July 19, 1816. Married 
 
 Susannah Goss. Died October 
 17, 1890. 
 
 10. Charlotte. Born January 16, 1819. Married 
 
 John Grain. Died November 
 9, 1899. 
 
 11. Nancy S. Born May 4, 1823. Married Rich- 
 
 ard Hughes. Died December 
 21, 1904. 
 
 12. Stephen. Born 1827. Married Rebecca 
 
 Hoover. Died February 15, 
 1887. 
 
 Henry Kephart, Sr., was regis4:ered as an inhabi- 
 tant of Potter Township, Center County, Pennsyl- 
 vania, as early as 1801. In 1803, he removed from 
 Center Furnace and settled on a farm two and one- 
 
18 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 half miles north of what is now Osceola, formerly 
 Osceola Mills, Clearfield County. The Columbia 
 mine is on the old homestead site. Henry's land 
 warrant for one hundred and eight acres is dated 
 September 13, 1803 {Pennsylvania Archives, 3d 
 series, vol. 35, p. 730). This land was then in 
 Huntingdon County, the county of Clearfield not 
 being erected until March 26, 1804. 
 
 Here, in a perfect wilderness of pine, hemlock, 
 oak, chestnut, hickory, and laurel, he erected a cabin 
 and commenced to clear a farm. The great labor 
 necessary to the completion of such a task, few 
 of modern times can imagine. The crops were 
 meager, mills from twenty to thirty miles distant, 
 and no road but a mere path leading across the 
 rugged Alleghanies, where the pioneer was obliged 
 to go for his groceries and flour. This disadvantage 
 was, however, largely compensated by the great 
 abundance of game. 
 
 In this wilderness, Henry Kephart, Sr., and his 
 wife Catherine opened up quite a farm and reared 
 their family of twelve children. 
 
 In January, 1858, Henry Kephart, Sr., went east 
 of the mountains into Bald Eagle and Sinking Val- 
 leys, to visit his two daughters, Mary and Barbara. 
 On his return, about the first of February, he left 
 the stage at the Sandy Ridge Hotel, intending to 
 walk home from there by way of Osceola, but was 
 never seen or heard of after leaving the hotel. 
 When it became known that he was missing, search 
 was instituted, and for more than a week hundreds 
 of people traversed the mountains in every direc- 
 
Ancestry 19 
 
 tion in search of his body, but all to no purpose. 
 It is believed that he lost his way in the mountains 
 and perished in the snow. What was supposed to 
 be his skeleton was found long afterwards. 
 
 He was never connected with any church, but his 
 wife joined the United Brethren in Christ. Cath- 
 erine died in September, 1857, and left living eleven 
 children, ninety-five grandchildren, and sixty-one 
 great-grandchildren. 
 
 Henry Kephart, Sr., was a good-natured, easy- 
 going, jolly Pennsylvania German, and a man of 
 considerable influence in his neighborhood. He 
 supported his family by clearing land and farming, 
 making shingles and hauling them east of the 
 mountains, and teaming. Though he was not a 
 regular mechanic, yet he was naturally ingenious, 
 and kept a blacksmith shop at his house, where he 
 shod his own and his neighbors' horses, sharpened 
 plows, repaired wagons (doing both the iron and 
 wood work), built iron sleds and harrows. As a 
 neighbor, he was congenial and accommodating, 
 and was loved and respected by all. As a marks- 
 man, he was quite a champion, and with his trusty 
 rifle carried off many a prize from the sihooting- 
 matches of those rustic times. 
 
 Game being plenty, and he and his boys being 
 expert hunters, the family was seldom without meat. 
 Deer, bear, raccoon, and wild turkey were the 
 staples in game yielded by the surrounding wilder- 
 ness as table tributes to the pioneer skilled in gun- 
 ning. Henry Kephart, Jr., used to tell that when 
 he was about ten years old he went with his father 
 
20 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 on a certain fall evening to "Jo^"'" Shaw's buckwheat 
 field" to watch for deer, and about sundown the 
 deer commenced to arrive, and he counted till 
 twenty-four had leaped one after another into the 
 field. His father shot one; the remaining twenty- 
 three left pell-mell through the brush in great 
 haste, causing the very ground to tremble, while 
 he and his father carried their prey home to the 
 family. 
 
 In the little cabin-house that stood at the foot of 
 the hill. Rev. Henry Kephart, the father of Isaiah 
 Lafayette Kephart, was raised from childhood to 
 manbood, having been born at Center Furnace, 
 Center County, Pennsylvania, January 5, 1802. 
 Here, in Decatur Township, Clearfield County, 
 Pennsylvania, among his brothers and sisters, wear- 
 ing homespun made of flax and wool, spun and 
 woven by bis mother's hand, and eating hominy 
 cracked on the hominy block, boiled wheat, pota- 
 toes, buckwheat cakes, venison, wild turkey, bear 
 meat, and raccoon, pumpkin, artichokes, beans, 
 melons, cabbage, and cucumbers, maple sugar and 
 molasses, was Henry Kephart, Jr., brought up. 
 While this pioneer life subjected him and his par- 
 ents to many inconveniences and privations tbat in 
 these modern times would be considered intolerable, 
 yet at the same time they exempted them from 
 many of the vicious and demoralizing influences 
 that are so prevalent in cities and towns and drag- 
 so many young people down to ruin. 
 
 The opening up of a farm in this wilderness of 
 hemlock and pine springing from such an unproduc- 
 
Ancestry - 21 
 
 tive soil, and the maintaining of a large family, was 
 attended with no small amount of hard toil ; hence, 
 as soon as the boys were old enough to wield an ax, 
 pick brush, and hoe corn, their assistance was called 
 into requisition and their time from that on, during the 
 spring, summer, and autumn, was spent in hard work. 
 While this may have been considered a hardship, it 
 nevertheless was not without its benefits. Their time 
 being spent in this way, they were saved from the 
 demoralization to which many young people, from 
 want of employment, are constantly exposed. 
 
 During the winter-time, however, the boys had 
 but little to do save chop wood for the fire and feed 
 the few cattle, sheep, and pigs ; hence this was to 
 them a time of general recreation. There being no 
 schools for them to attend, they spent their time 
 mostly in hunting, cracking and eating hickory- 
 nuts, chestnuts, and butternuts which they had 
 gathered in the fall, and with shooting with bow 
 and arrow. Shooting at mark with "daddy's rifle" 
 would have been their favorite sport; ammunition 
 was too scarce and expensive, however, for them to 
 indulge in this propensity. It often happened that 
 deer would come within a few yards of the cabin in 
 mid-day, and the family would watch them through 
 the windows for hours, and not be able to shoot 
 one of them simply for want of ammunition, and 
 that sometimes when there was not a pound of meat 
 in the house. Next to the difficulty of keeping a 
 supply of ammunition on hand was the difficulty of 
 supplying the family with salt. It was often the 
 
22 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 case that for weeks and weeks there was not a 
 pound of this important article in the cabin. 
 
 If the winter was an open one, the boys spent 
 most of the time in "chopping a clearing." This 
 consisted of clearing away all the logs, underbrush,, 
 saplings, and small trees, girdling the large pine,, 
 oak, and chestnut-trees, and trimming the large 
 hemlocks. This latter feat was accomplished in 
 the following manner : One of the boys would strap 
 a small ax to his back and clamber to the very top 
 of the tree, sometimes to the height of sixty, sev- 
 enty, or even eighty feet, and commencing at the 
 top, would clip off all the limbs to the root, and thus, 
 leave the naked trunk stand. 
 
 In the above manner, Henry Kephart, Jr., spent 
 his boyhood and early manhood until he entered his 
 twenty-fifth year. Then, on the 23d of March,^ 
 1826, he was married by Abel Benton, Esq., to ]\Iiss 
 Sarah Goss, daughter of Abraham Goss. 
 
 Mr. Goss was the son of George Goss, a native 
 of Germany, who emigrated to America about the 
 year 1755 and settled in the Wyoming Valley, where 
 he resided with his wife, to whom were born three 
 sons, George, Jacob, and Abraham. At the time of 
 the celebrated Wyoming massacre, Abraham was 
 fourteen years old. His two older brothers were 
 killed in the massacre. He and his father and 
 mother barely escaped by secreting themselves in 
 the laurel. Immediately after this, the father and 
 son enlisted in General Washington's army, and 
 the wife and mother attached herself to the same 
 army as hospital nurse and cook. In this capacity 
 
Ancestry 23 
 
 they served (Abraham as a drummer boy in Cobea's 
 Company, Second Pennsylvania Regiment, Conti- 
 nental Line) until toward the close of the war, when 
 the husband and father was killed in battle. The 
 mother then repaired to General Washington's 
 headquarters in person, and kneeling before him, 
 besought him to release her only boy from further 
 service, piteously telling him that she had given up 
 two sons in the massacre at Wyoming and her hus- 
 band in battle. The humane general, with tears in 
 his eyes, granted her petition, and she and her son, 
 ragged and penniless, started out to seek a living 
 for themselves. Many were the hardships they 
 endured. They journeyed on, working by spells 
 wherever they could find work, until they finally 
 settled near the present site of Lock Haven, Penn- 
 sylvania. 
 
 Here, in the process of time, Abraham Goss married 
 Elizabeth Eimenheizer, who was in blood half German 
 and half Irish. Goss was in blood full German. Soon 
 after marrying, he, with his wife and mother, moved 
 west of the Alleghanies and settled three miles south- 
 west of the present site of Phillipsburg, one mile north- 
 west of the present site of Osceola and one and a half 
 miles northeast of where Henry Kephart, Sr., re- 
 sided. Here he opened up a large farm and raised a 
 family of thirteen children, named as follows : George, 
 Mary, Jacob, John, Elizabeth, Margaret, Sarah, Abra- 
 ham, Isaac, David, Siizanna, Joseph, and Solomon. 
 The last, however, died in his infancy, and the mother 
 and wife died when he was born. The father married 
 a second time. 
 
24 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 Abraham Goss was much more than an ordinary 
 man. He was progressive and enterprising, a leader 
 in his neighborhood in all matters of improvement. 
 He raised his family quite respectably and started his 
 boys on farms or, rather, wild land of their own. He 
 was a religious, conscientious man, a member of the 
 United Brethren Church, and died in April, 1849, in 
 the eighty-fifth year of his age. 
 
 After the Revolutionary War, when the United 
 States Government was firmly established and com- 
 menced to pay pensions to the soldiers of the Revolu- 
 tion, Abraham Goss found considerable difficulty in 
 establishing his claim to such a pension. He made 
 several attempts, spending time and money, but all to 
 no purpose. Finally he dreamed one night that if he 
 would go to Penn's Valley, east of the mountains, at a 
 certain place he would find living one of his old com- 
 rades in the army, a former member of the Company 
 in which he served as drummer boy, who would be 
 glad to identify him, and by his testimony secure for 
 him his pension. Though this was only a dream, the 
 impression was so forcible upon his mind that he re- 
 solved to go. and, strange as it may seem, it is never- 
 theless true that he found the man precisely according 
 to his dream, and through his testimony secured his 
 pension and drew it regularly until he died. 
 
 Sarah Goss, daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth 
 Goss, was born at the "Old Goss Homestead" in De- 
 catur Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, J"ly 
 6, 1808. During her girlhood she spent much of her 
 time in working on the farm, picking brush, cutting- 
 sprouts, and making hay and helping in the harvest 
 
Rev. Henry and Sarah Kephart, Parents of Dr. T. L. Kepharl 
 
Ancestry 25 
 
 field. She never went to school but two months, and 
 to do that she was obliged to walk to Phillipsburg and 
 back morning and evening, a distance of three miles, 
 and that, too, in the winter time. During these two 
 months she learned to spell and read in the New Testa- 
 ment, She also learned to spin wool and flax and to 
 weave on the loom, at which trade, during her married 
 life, she earned many a dollar and thus aided in feeding 
 and clothing her children and in paying for the home- 
 stead. 
 
 She never learned to write until she was in her fifty- 
 second year ; then, having moved to Mercer County, 
 Pennsylvania, she became anxious to write letters to 
 their old neighbors, and she had her youngest daughter 
 set her copies and give her instruction in writing, and 
 she was so persistent that in a remarkably short time 
 she could write quite a legible hand. 
 
 When in her twelfth year, one day she and her 
 brother Abraham were engaged in cutting sprouts in 
 the field, and, coming to a large stump, they halted to 
 take a rest. She placed her right hand upon the stump 
 just as her brother brought the ax-bit of his mattock 
 down upon it and cut the index finger of her right 
 hand off at the joint. 
 
 As stated before, Henry Kephart, Jr., and Sarah 
 Goss were married March 23, 1826. During the first 
 year of their married life they lived in one room of her 
 father's house, and her husband worked for his father- 
 in-law during the summer and fall, and during the fol- 
 lowing winter he chopped and ranked one hundred 
 cords of wood in thirty-three days, and each day 
 walked two miles to, and two miles from his work. 
 
26 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 In the spring of 1827 they removed to a place one 
 and one-half miles west of where Henry Kephart, Sr., 
 lived. Here a William Harner, who had married Mar- 
 garet Kephart, daughter of Henry Kephart, Sr., had 
 some years previous cleared several acres and erected 
 a story-and-a-half cabin. This improvement Henry 
 and Sarah Kephart purchased of Harner for fifty 
 dollars, and assumed the article of agreement into 
 which Harner -had entered with Hardman Phillips, 
 founder of the town of Phillipsburg and owner of this 
 land, which bound him to pay to the said Hardman 
 Phillips the sum of $300 for one hundred acres of 
 land, with interest at 6 per cent, from date of the 
 agreement until paid. Their diflficulty in paying this 
 small amount may be imagined when it is stated that 
 before the entire debt was canceled and the deed for 
 one hundred acres secured, they had paid to Mr. Phil- 
 lips, in principal and interest, nearly $700. 
 
 Their home was by no means a pretentious one — a 
 log cabin, sixteen by twenty feet in size, floored with 
 puncheon or slabs split out of pine or chestnut logs, 
 and covered with clapboards. These clapboards were 
 made three feet in length, about six- inches wide and 
 one-half inch thick, split out of pine timber, and were 
 held in place by what were called "weight poles," cut 
 nails being too dear to buy. The joists were pine poles 
 from which the bark was peeled. On these were placed 
 clapboards, forming the upper floor. This constituted 
 the "upstairs" or loft. The chinks between the logs 
 that formed the walls of the cabin were filled first with 
 small chunks of wood and chips and then "daubed" 
 with a mortar made of the native clay. 
 
Ancestry 27 
 
 In one corner of the cabin stood the "corner chim- 
 ney," constructed of undressed stone and clay mortar, 
 and large enough to take in logs of wood a foot in 
 diameter and five feet long. This chimney or fireplace 
 served both for cooking and for heating purposes. 
 Over it, by the use of a few links of a large chain and 
 a rough iron hook, was hung the "dinner pot," in 
 which were cooked the meat, hominy, corn meal, pota- 
 toes, or mush, as might be desired. There was also a 
 frying-pan for use in cooking and a Dutch oven for 
 baking bread. These cooking utensils, with a few 
 plain dishes, constituted the entire culinary outfit in the 
 early cabin home. 
 
 The lower floor was all in one room ; the ceiling was 
 low and it was lighted by two windows, each consisting 
 of six panes of glass, each pane eight by ten inches in 
 size. At night the house was lighted by a tallow 
 candle, oil lamps being a later invention. 
 
 The upstairs was reached by an ordinary ladder, 
 where, as the family increased, additional beds were 
 placed for their accommodation. 
 
 Here, in this little log cabin, in April, 1827, Henry 
 and Sarah Kephart set up housekeeping for them- 
 selves. The surrounding country was largely a wilder- 
 ness of timber, Jacob Baughman, one-fourth of a mile 
 distant, being the nearest neighbor. In this small room 
 they managed to have, in after years, two beds and a 
 trundle-bed for the smaller children, a ten-plate stove, 
 corner chimney or fireplace, table, a few home-made 
 chairs, a weaver's loom (a gift of the wife's father), 
 on which the wife and mother wove many hundreds of 
 yards of homespun — and all this on the first floor. 
 
28 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 There was a porch to the cabin on which father 
 Kephart at one time made marks to indicate the length, 
 from tip to tip, of a panther that he caught in a bear 
 pen about the year 1831. It measured, when stretched 
 out, eleven and one-half feet from the point of its nose 
 to the end of its tail. 
 
 Their entire stock of household goods consisted of 
 enough homespun bedding to fit up two beds, one 
 home-made bedstead, a frying-pan, a Dutch oven, an 
 old cracked but mended teakettle, a cast-iron dinner- 
 pot, a spinning-wheel, an ax, and the trusty rifle. 
 Their live stock consisted of two hens and a rooster, a 
 three-year-old heifer, then giving milk, and two three- 
 year-old steers (borrowed), of which they were to 
 have the use for three years as compensation for train- 
 ing them to work. These steers constituted their team. 
 They bought a shovel plowshare. The husband made 
 the woodwork of the plow, and made a harrow with 
 wooden teeth, and so they commenced to open up a 
 farm. 
 
 As it regarded money and book learning, they were 
 intensely poor ; but as it regarded brave, loving hearts, 
 strong, vigorous bodies, native genius, pioneer expe- 
 rience, and moral purity, they were millionaires. 
 
 While poor, they were industrious, and not only pro- 
 duced nearly all that was necessary for supplying the 
 table, but also for the clothing of the family. The table 
 supplies in those days were, while abundant, yet primi- 
 tive, consisting chiefly of boiled wheat, beans, hominy, 
 potatoes, venison, bear meat, wild turkey, etc. Wild 
 game was abimdant. There were panthers, wolves, 
 foxes, wild cats, bears, deer, wild turkeys, grouse, and 
 
Ancestry 29 
 
 the various kinds of fowl incident to a new country. 
 Bear, deer, and fowl furnished largely the supply of 
 meat, which was both abundant and palatable, dried or 
 jerked venison being quite a luxury. 
 
 The clothing was very largely produced and manu- 
 factured on the farm and in the home. Such articles 
 as muslin, calico, and woolen goods were scarcely in 
 the market, or, if so, too dear to buy ; consequently 
 home manufacture was a necessity. For this purpose 
 the loom and the spinning-wheel were in almost daily 
 use, spinning wool and flax and weaving the cloth 
 from which was manufactured nearly all of the cloth- 
 ing that the family required. 
 
 A few sheep were kept, from which there was 
 secured the necessary amount of wool. A small piece 
 of ground was each year sown in flax, and this was 
 pulled, threshed, broken, scutched, hackled, spun, and 
 woven into linsey-woolsey, and dyed according to 
 taste, by means of indigo, madder, and walnut bark. 
 
 The mother of Doctor Kephart was one of the skill- 
 ful weavers in the community in which she lived, and 
 day after day, in addition to caring for the family, she 
 threw the shuttle and swung the lathe of the corner 
 loom. Doctor Kephart used to take pleasure in recit- 
 ing the fact that the first piece of money he ever had 
 that he could call his own was a silver ten-cent piece 
 that his mother gave him as a special reward for serv- 
 ice in "winding the quills" for her through the entire 
 long winter, one of her patrons having paid for his 
 web of clothing in money, a very unusual thing then. 
 
 During the fall of 1825 they had both embraced re- 
 ligion and joined the Church of the United Brethren 
 
30 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 in Christ; hence the family altar was immediately 
 erected in their little log cabin, and all through their 
 long years of toil, care, and anxiety the fire on that 
 altar was kept constantly burning till their death. 
 
 They frequently had prayer-meetings and preaching 
 in this same cabin. As early as 1830 the itinerant 
 preachers of the United Brethren Church visited them 
 and established regular preaching in their cabin once 
 every four weeks. The neighbors (six or eight fam- 
 ilies) would gather in of a week-day evening for 
 preaching. They would bring with them long pieces 
 of "pitch-pine" wood, split fine, and, after meeting was 
 over, would light their fagots and proceed home. In 
 the cabin they would sit around on the few chairs and 
 benches, and the children would sit on the loom. 
 
 Soon after Henry Kephart, Jr., joined the Church, 
 he was made class-leader and then exhorter. He was 
 licensed to preach by Bishop William Brown at Green- 
 castle, Pennsylvania, in 1834, and was ordained by 
 Bishop Samuel Heistand at Shopp's Church, Cumber- 
 land County, in 1837. Although he never traveled a 
 circuit or had charge of a field of labor except one 
 year, yet he preached a great deal, attended many 
 quarterly and protracted meetings, and greatly aided 
 in conducting revivals. As a preacher, although he 
 was no scholar in the ordinary sense, his perfect 
 familiarity with the Scriptures enabled him to talk with 
 great clearness and force, always illustrating his ideas 
 with copious quotations from the sacred page. In 
 quoting from the Scriptures, he would always give the 
 book, chapter, and verse, and the exact language, and 
 was so expert at this that the members of his confer- 
 
Ancestry 
 
 31 
 
 ence dubbed him the "Allegheny Conference Concord- 
 ance." So thorough was his acquaintance with the 
 Scriptures and so very reliable his memory, that if the 
 language of any portion of scripture was repeated to 
 him, he could almost invariably and instantly name the 
 book, chapter, and verse in which the language was 
 recorded. 
 
 He moved to Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in 
 April, 1859, and to Shueyville, Iowa, in April, 1871. 
 He died at Shueyville, Iowa, May 5, 1886. His wife 
 died October 30, 1887. 
 
 To Henry and Sarah were born the following chil- 
 dren: 
 
 1. Elizabeth. Born December 24, 1826. Died 
 
 September 6, 1830. 
 
 2. Barbara. Born October 24, 1828. Mar- 
 
 ried Daniel Albert. 
 
 3. Mary. Born February 12, 1831. Mar- 
 
 ried Abraham Crowell. Died 
 March 14. 1905. 
 
 4. Isaiah Lafayette. Born December 10, 1832. Mar- 
 
 ried Mary Elizabeth Sowers. 
 Died October 28, 1908. 
 
 5. Ezekiel Boring. Born November 6, 1834. Mar- 
 
 ried Susan J. Trefts. Died 
 January 24, 1906. 
 
 6. Abraham Goss. Born April 18, 1836. Died 
 
 December 20, 1860. 
 
 7. Susannah A. Born June 7, 1838. Married 
 
 George W. Kline. Died 
 April 2, 1898. 
 
32 
 
 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 8, Isabella Jane. 
 
 9. William Snyder. 
 
 10. John Henry. 
 
 11. Sarah Ann. 
 
 12. Hiram. 
 
 13. Cyrus Jeffries. 
 
 Born April 24, 1840. Married 
 Lorenzo A. Jeffries. Died 
 April 14, 1907. 
 
 Born March 9, 1842. Killed 
 ill battle near Spottsylvania 
 Court House, Va., May 8, 
 1864. 
 
 Born July 7, 1844. Married 
 Clara Chatley. 
 
 Born January 14, 1847. Mar- 
 ried James H. McClintock. 
 Died April 25, 1895. 
 
 Born January 18, 1849. Died 
 November 14, 1851. 
 
 Born February 23, 1852. Mar- 
 ried Sarah Scott Perry. 
 
BOYHOOD DAYS 
 
Facing the Future 
 
 Pausing here and looking calmly, yet humbly, for that close 
 of my mortal career which I am sure cannot be very far 
 distant, I reverently thank God for the many blessings he has 
 vouchsafed me in the past; and with an awe that is not fear, 
 and a consciousness of demerit which, though great, is offset 
 by a well-founded trust in the merit of Jesus Christ, my 
 Lord and Savior, I await with devout composure, and even 
 joy, the opening of the schoolhouse door, out through which 
 I shall then pass into a higher, nobler, more active, and more 
 appreciative and joyful state of being, "zvashcd in the blood of 
 the Lamb," in his blessed name. 
 
 I. L. Kephart. 
 
 Aged 74 years, 1 month, and 9 days. 
 
II. 
 
 BOYHOOD DAYS 
 
 Rev. Isaiah Lafayette Kephart may very prop- 
 erly be pronounced a product of the pioneer days 
 in central Pennsylvania. 
 
 As stated in the preceding chapter, his parents, 
 Henry and Sarah Kephart, commenced in the spring 
 of 1827 to clear out a farm and earn a living for 
 themselves and family by tilling the soil. Under 
 the most favorable circumstances this is no easy 
 task ; much less is it so^ when it is undertaken, as it 
 was in this case, near the top of the Alleghany 
 Mountains, where the timber was heavy and the 
 soil exceedingly thin. This rendered their efforts 
 much more laborious and their labor much less 
 productive. It was often necessary for the good 
 wife to leave her housework, go out into the clear- 
 ing, and assist in rolling up logs into piles to be 
 burned, and in picking and burning brush. Hard 
 work on the farm during the summer, and during 
 the winter the threshing out of his grain with the 
 flail and carrying it to the mill and market, occupied 
 the time of the father. During the winter the 
 mother was occupied in spinning wool and flax, and 
 weaving it into clothing. 
 
 The difficulties and disadvantages under which 
 these early settlers labored will be appreciated more 
 
36 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 fully when it is remembered that even the ordinary 
 lucifer match of the present day was then wholly 
 unknown, and the matter of starting a fire was one 
 of great importance. 
 
 During the winter, when large quantities of hard 
 wood were burned in the fireplace, fire was 
 easily kept by covering it with plenty of ashes 
 before retiring for the night, or at other times. 
 During the summer and early fall and the later 
 spring, when so much fire was not desired, the 
 mountaineer would frequently wake up in the morn- 
 ing to find that his fire had gone out. Sometimes 
 the difficulty would be met by going to a near 
 neighbor and getting a ''chunk of fire." When that 
 was impracticable, as Doctor Kephart describes, 
 "they would fall back on their own resources, which 
 consisted of a flint, a pocket-knife or a bit of steel 
 used in striking fire out of the flint, and a bit of dry 
 touch-wood — that is, a bit of soft, decayed wood, 
 such as is found in the large knots of maple logs. 
 The flint would then be taken between the finger 
 and thumb of the left hand, with the touch-wood 
 placed under it, so that its front edge would be 
 about even with the front edge of the flint, the two 
 held firmly, and with the steel or the back of the 
 large blade of his jack-knife, the knife being closed, 
 the mountaineer would strike the flint till a spark 
 thus produced would ignite the touch-wood. To 
 this a handful of dead coals would be applied, which, 
 by means of blowing with breath from the mouth, 
 would soon be ignited, and thus a fire would be 
 produced. 
 
Boyhood Days Z7 
 
 "If, however, there were no touch- wood in the 
 cabin, resort was had to the ever-present 'powder- 
 horn.' P'rom this an ordinary rifle-charge of powder 
 was poured on a smooth spot on the hearth, and 
 near it was placed a bunch of skutching tow — the 
 rougher combings of flax — or a bunch of old cotton 
 or linen rags, and then taking the flint in one hand 
 and the steel or knife in the other, the denizen of 
 the cabin would hold his hand near the powder and 
 strike and strike until a large spark would drop into the 
 powder, ignite it, and the flash produced would ignite 
 the tow or rags. If the fire in the tow or rags was 
 very faint, the performer would quickly pour a little 
 powder from the horn into his hand and throw it 
 upon the lingering spark. This would produce an 
 additional flash and more thoroughly ignite the tow 
 or rags. 
 
 "In one such case, a man by the name of John 
 Low, instead of first pouring the powder into his 
 hand, poured it direct from the horn upon the fire. 
 The result was the fire followed the stream of 
 powder into the horn, burst it, flashed the flame 
 into his face, singed nearly all the hair ofif his head, 
 and burned him severely about the face and neck." 
 
 Life in those pioneer days was by no means 
 without danger. Wild animals frequently infested 
 the paths and roads through the woods and ren- 
 dered journeys by day or night quite unsafe. It 
 is related that at one time, George Goss, an uncle 
 of Doctor Kephart, came very near having an 
 encounter with a panther. "He was returning home 
 one Saturday night about midnight, from a visit to 
 
38 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 his sweetheart, and his way led through two miles 
 of a dense hemlock and pine forest. It was quite 
 dark, and he had neither lantern nor torch. Soon 
 he saw in the darkness the eyes of a large panther 
 approaching him. In a cat-like manner it drew 
 nearer and nearer, he closely eying it all the time 
 until it was within fifteen feet of him, when it 
 stopped, lay quietly down in the middle of the 
 road, rested its jaws upon its paw^s, kept its eyes 
 fixed upon his, and for some time lashed the ground 
 with its tail. There it lay and there he stood, each 
 eying the other closely until day had fairly dawned, 
 when it leaped away in the laurel, uttered two or three 
 screams, and its prisoner, with light feet, and a lighter 
 heart, skipped home." 
 
 Doctor Kephart's story of "Josey Earls and the 
 Cubs" gives quite a picturesque view of dangers 
 met with in those early times. Josey Earls was 
 quite a Nimrod in those days. He was a man of 
 about five feet, five inches, weighing about one 
 hundred and twenty pounds. His dress was a pair 
 of buckskin knee-breeches, buckskin leggins, shoes, 
 a buckskin tight jacket, and a large coonskin cap. 
 Thus dressed, with his knapsack on his back, and 
 his trusty rifle on his s'houlder, he would quite 
 readily have passed for a Daniel Boone or Davy 
 Crockett, but for his diminutive stature. 
 
 At a certain time, he started out determined to 
 capture some young bear cubs, his purpose being 
 both a little fun and the profit from their sale. The 
 description follows : 
 
 "His plan was perfected, and after an early break- 
 
Boyhood Days 39 
 
 fast of corn bread and broiled venison, with his 
 trusty rifle on his shoulder (dogs he never kept), he 
 set out in quest of young cubs. Leisurely he 
 strolled over hills, across ravines, through laurel 
 thickets, until the sun was rapidly sinking in the 
 west, when he resolved to return to his cabin and 
 hope for better luck another day. His steps being 
 now quickened by hunger and a desire to reach 
 camp before night set in, he was pursuing his way 
 through a deep ravine, which was completely roofed 
 over with pine and hemlock boughs, and across 
 which lay the prostrate trunk of a huge pine-tree. 
 Having climbed upon this, he was walking on it 
 to avoid the laurel thicket, and by chance he cast 
 a glance down to the side of the log, when there, 
 among the leaves and underbrush, in a huge nest, 
 he espied, to 'his great delight, a fine pair of cubs, 
 not more than eight or ten days old. The experi- 
 enced hunter knew that there was no time to be 
 lost. It was one thing to find so rare a prize, and 
 quite another thing to secure it. If nothing inter- 
 fered, it would be the easiest thing in the world to 
 convey the young prowlers of the forest to his 
 cabin, which was not more than a mile distant ; but 
 if Madam Bruin put in an appearance, she would 
 be very apt to object to the removal of her progeny 
 in a manner calculated to make things both warm 
 and lively for the hunter. 
 
 "In much less time than it takes to write it, he 
 leaped down to the edge of the nest, grasped the 
 cubs, thrust them into his large shot pouch, 
 scrambled to the other side of the ravine, and made 
 
40 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 off in the direction of his cabin as swiftly as pos- 
 sible, ever keeping a 'sharp lookout behind.' But 
 he had not proceeded twenty-five rods when the 
 crackling of the brush warned him of Bruin's being 
 in close pursuit with all the fury of a 'bear robbed 
 of her whelps.' He could easily have freed himself 
 of all danger by dropping the cubs, but that did not 
 suit his purpose. Quickly he took his stand behind 
 a huge hemlock-tree, lowered his rifle in position, 
 and when the bear, on a full run, was within ten 
 steps, he fired. But alas for his chances ! In his 
 haste and excitement his aim was not as sure as it 
 was wont to be, and the ball, while it did not dis- 
 able the brute, took sufficient effect to thoroughly 
 arouse all her latent fury. On she rushed like an 
 avalanche, uttering the most terrific growls ; and 
 dropping his rifle, the hunter grasped his knife, 
 and the monstrous, infuriated brute and the lithe 
 little old disciple of Nimrod closed in a life-and- 
 death struggle. The mere momentum of the bear 
 was so great that she at once bore the hunter to the 
 ground ; but fortunately he held on to the knife 
 and retained sufficient presence of mind in this 
 trying ordeal to use it with efficiency. For as much 
 as five minutes (it seemed an age to Earls) they 
 rolled and tumbled over each other, the hunter as 
 often as possible making thrusts at rhe bear with 
 such telling effect as to cause the blood to flow 
 freely. 
 
 "At last, when his breath and his strength were 
 rapidly failing, and Bruin, having flung him to the 
 ground apparently for the last time, was standing 
 
Dr. Kephart 07i his First Circuit, and 
 while the Pastor at Humtnelstoivfi, Pa. 
 
 Schoolhouse in Pennsylvania where Dr. Kephart Attended. 
 
 (As it appears here, used as a residence.) 
 
Chaplain and Mrs. I. L. Kephart, 
 
 {Taken during the II 'ur.) 
 
Boyhood Days 41 
 
 over him attempting to get hold of his breast with 
 her monstrous teeth, the hunter, mustering all his 
 strength, sent the trusty knife upward and forward 
 through the chest of the bear and pierced her heart, 
 and with a hideous growl she rolled off him dead. 
 For as much as ten minutes he could do nothing but 
 lie still and pant for breath. Having regained 
 strength, he gathered himself up, viewed for a 
 moment the dead body of his monster antagonist, 
 examined his shot pouch to find that the cubs were 
 still safe, and then, limp and bleeding, he set out for 
 his cabin, where he arrived just as twilight set in." 
 
 Speaking of his own experience. Doctor Kephart 
 says: 
 
 "The writer distinctly remembers the awful dread 
 he and his two elder sisters had of bears, that fear 
 being the result of the dreadful bear stories often told 
 in their presence. One Sunday afternoon, when he 
 was in his fourth year, bears being numerous that 
 summer, two dogs ran one of the black animals into 
 the field near his parents' cabin, and treed it on a large 
 oak-tree. It climbed to the first large limb, and, poising 
 itself thereon, looked down defiantly at the dogs. The 
 writer's father grasped his rifle, ran sufficiently near, 
 took deadly aim, the rifle "spoke," and Bruin tumbled 
 from the tree, mother and we children eagerly watch- 
 ing the entire performance. The skin was taken from 
 the carcass and hung in the barn to dry ; but such was 
 the dread of us children for bears that we could not be 
 induced to go to the barn while the bear's skin hung 
 there. 
 
 "Later in the fall of the same year, father and 
 
42 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 mother sat one Sunday afternoon on the porch, the 
 former reading the Bible and we children playing 
 around. Suddenly there came from the adjacent for- 
 est the piercing squeal of a hog. Father listened a 
 moment and exclaimed, 'A bear has that hog!' With 
 that he sprang to his feet, ran into the cabin, grasped 
 his rifle, ran across the meadow, and soon disappeared 
 in the timber. In less than ten minutes from the time 
 he started we heard the report of the rifle, and the 
 bear was killed. The hog, which belonged to our 
 nearest neighbor, Jacob Baughman, was so badly 
 crippled that it had to be killed also." 
 
 The first team that Henry and Sarah Kephart used 
 was a borrowed yoke of three-year-old steers. To 
 train them so as to render them tractable was no small 
 task, and "many an hour," says Doctor Kephart, "did 
 mother walk by their heads and lead them while father 
 held the shovel-plow that they drew." These steers 
 they had the use of for three years for training them 
 to work, and at the end of this time they returned 
 them to their owner, then a yoke of well-trained cattle. 
 For a team they now had a pair of three-year-old 
 steers of their own partially trained. This constituted 
 their team for about eight years. At the end of this 
 time they purchased a bald-faced mare called "Fly." 
 By herself she worked well, but when harnessed with 
 another she would sometimes become balky. 
 
 On the 24th day of December, 1826, their first child, 
 Elizabeth, was born. She died on the sixth day of 
 September, 1830. This w-as a heavy blow to the par- 
 ents, especially the mother, for Elizabeth was just old 
 enough to be great company for her in their wilderness 
 
Boyhood Days 43 
 
 home. On October 24, 1828, their second child, Bar- 
 bara, was born. She was named after one of her 
 father's sisters. On the 12th day of February, 1831, 
 their third child, Mary, was born, and on the 10th day 
 of December, 1832, their fourth child, Isaiah Lafayette, 
 the subject of this biography, was born. His first 
 name was given by his father, who was a great 
 admirer of the prophecies by Isaiah, and the name was 
 given in honor of him. The second name was given 
 by his mother's brother, Abraham, who, having heard 
 from his own father so much about General Lafayette 
 and what he had done to aid the Americans in gaining 
 their independence, had become a great admirer of the 
 patriotic, liberty-loving young Frenchman. 
 
 Doctor Kephart says : "Among my earliest recol- 
 lections were mother's cooking over the fire on the 
 corner chimney, baking bread in the Dutch oven, 
 spinning and weaving, and teaching me to kneel at the 
 trundle-bed and say, 'Now I lay me down to sleep,' etc., 
 and father's coming in from a day's hunt, having on 
 his 'coon-skin' cap, carrying his gun and shot-pouch 
 and the small deer he had killed. I also remember 
 (and I could not have been more than three or four 
 years old) that during a part of one winter Uncle 
 David Goss was employed by father to thrash out his 
 wheat with the flail. This uncle was then a young 
 man and very full of fun, and I would insist on sleep- 
 ing with him. He slept upstairs. This apartment was 
 very open. We could see out through the clapboards 
 and chinks, and consequently it was a cold place to 
 sleep ; but we slept comfortably under the feather tick. 
 The only way to ascend to this apartment was by 
 
44 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 means of a ladder that stood in one corner of the room. 
 On this I could ascend but could not descend, and I 
 well remember that one morning I awoke, crept out of 
 bed (Uncle 'Dave' was already downstairs), ran to the 
 stairway, and, lying and stretching my head down, 
 called for some one to come up and lift me down. My 
 mischievous uncle promptly came at my call, got me by 
 my two ears, and lifted me down. 
 
 "I also remember that one day, about this time, I 
 teased my mother to let me go out to the barn to see 
 Uncle 'Dave' thrash. Finally she consented. My 
 oldest sister put a cloak about my shoulders and I 
 started to the barn. When about half way there, an 
 old gander set upon me, threw me down, and com- 
 menced to pinch me with his beak and pound me with 
 his wings most unmercifully. Uncle heard my screams, 
 ran to my relief, knocked the pugilistic old gander to 
 one side, and carried me to the barn ; and when I 
 became cold he carried me into the house. These are 
 among my earliest recollections." 
 
 On the 6th day of November, 1834, the fifth child, 
 Ezekiel Boring, was born. He was named after Ezekiel 
 Boring, an eccentric old United Brethren presiding 
 elder, who had conducted some successful religious 
 meetings and preached quite powerfully in the neigh- 
 borhood during the year 1833-34. Doctor Kephart 
 says : "My earliest recollections of my 'black-headed' 
 brother (I was 'white-headed' when a boy) are as fol- 
 lows: On a warm summer's day my mother was 
 washing and had her tubs set in the shade of a great 
 gum-tree that stood about four rods from the spring. 
 The spring was large and deep and walled with stone. 
 
Boyhood Days 45 
 
 The water was nearly up to the top of the wall — so 
 near that it was conveniently dipped with a bucket. 
 While mother was busy with her washing and my two 
 sisters were at the house taking care of the baby, my 
 little brother and I were at the spring paddling in the 
 water with our hands. Several times mother called to 
 us to go away from the spring lest we fall in. Finally 
 my brother's foot slipped and in he went. He screamed 
 at once and mother came running, frightened almost 
 out of her wits, thrust in her arm, got him by the 
 shoulder, and drew him out very much strangled. A 
 thorough shaking and a little time restored him to con- 
 sciousness. Rest assured this bit of experience made 
 us thoroughly shy of the spring thereafter." 
 
 Speaking of the other members of the family born in 
 this second cabin home. Doctor Kephart says : "On 
 the 18th day of April, 1836, my second brother, Abra- 
 ham Goss, was born. He was named after his Grand- 
 father Goss. No important event marks my earliest 
 recollection of him. On the 17th day of June, 1838, 
 my fourth sister, Susannah A., was born. Of her birth 
 I have a distinct recollection. Well do I remember 
 how we stood around Grandmother Kephart and gazed 
 upon the little red baby while she told us how she 
 had found a little baby in a hollow tree and brought it 
 to be our little sister." 
 
 The following description of a barn-building indi- 
 cates some of the characteristics of Father Kephart. 
 The description is given in the words of Dr. I. L. Kep- 
 hart: 
 
 "During the summer of 1837 my father built a round 
 log double barn. It was called a double barn because 
 
46 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 it consisted of two bins, eighteen by twenty-four feet, 
 and fourteen feet high 'to the square,' with a space 
 between the two bins of about eighteen by twenty-four 
 feet for the thrashing-floor. 
 
 "The raising of this barn marked an epoch in the 
 history of Clearfield County. Prior to this time it was 
 deemed impossible to raise a small cabin or barn with- 
 out the aid of a gallon or two of whisky ; but several 
 years before he raised his new barn, Henry Kephart 
 had resolved on total abstinence. He felt that there 
 was a curse lurking in the bottle and was determined 
 not to incur the woe pronounced upon 'him that giveth 
 his neighbor drink.' 
 
 "He had been thoroughly convinced also that as a 
 help in accomplishing a great task, whisky was a fraud. 
 This conclusion he was brought to in this wise : He had 
 a clearing on hand and invited his neighbors to a log 
 rolling. Ten of them came. They had as help, two 
 yoke of oxen and one and a half gallons of whisky. 
 They worked all day and made ten log-heaps. The 
 next day he hired his neighbor (Mr. Jacob Baughman) 
 to assist him and they two made eleven log-heaps, and 
 with only one yoke of oxen and no whisky to assist 
 them. This satisfied him that whisky as a help was a 
 fraud, and he resolved from henceforth and forever to 
 have nothing to do with it. 
 
 "When he was ready to raise his new barn, he went 
 around and asked his neighbors to come on a certain 
 day and assist him. Many of them would ask, 'Are 
 you going to have whisky?' and he would frankly tell 
 them 'No.' 'Oh ! I am sorry for you ; you are sure not 
 to get your barn up without whisky.' But the day 
 
Boyhood Days 47 
 
 came, and with it came the neighbors in force. The 
 barn was raised by sundown, complete. Not a man 
 was injured and there was not even one fight — a cir- 
 cumstance that had not been known to occur in the 
 county before. 
 
 "The fall following, the barn being finished, a quar- 
 terly meeting was held in it. Rev. Harmon Ow was 
 the presiding elder and Rev. Adolphus Harnden the 
 preacher in charge. On the Sunday of the meeting 
 the presiding elder thought they would just have com- 
 munion and feet-washing in the evening and dispense 
 with preaching, but Harnden insisted on having 
 preaching and inviting mourners. He said there were 
 sinners attending the meeting who needed religion, and 
 that that barn had been raised without whisky (he was 
 a radical teetotaler), and he said, T am sure if we do 
 our duty the Lord will give us a revival.' The elder 
 yielded to his earnest solicitation and appointed him to 
 preach. He did so with his usual zeal, and the result 
 was that ten persons came forward as seekers. The 
 meeting was a powerful one and some fifteen joined 
 the Church before it closed. Harnden remarked in his 
 blunt way, T knew the Lord would give us a revival 
 because that barn was raised without whisky.' This 
 barn stood some eighty rods distant from the little log 
 cabin, and I well remember of my mother and Aunt 
 Susan Goss carrying me to the meeting." 
 
 During the summer of 1839 Henry Kephart built a 
 new house near to the new barn. This was a hewed 
 log structure twenty-four by thirty-two feet, two 
 stories, and covered with shingles, and, compared with 
 the little log cabin, was quite a pretentious mansion. In 
 
48 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 March, 1840, the family bade adieu to the Httle log 
 cabin and moved into the new house. That was an 
 event in the history of the family. The large, unfin- 
 ished new house was very different from the old. The 
 first and second floors were properly laid, but there was 
 not a partition in the house. The cracks on the first 
 story were chinked and filled with mortar, but those on 
 the second story were quite open. There were five 
 windows, each containing twelve (eight-by-ten-inch) 
 panes of glass on the first story, but none on the 
 second ; the large stone chimney that stood outside and 
 in the center of the south end of the house, was only 
 raised a little more than half way to the top of the 
 house with stone, and the remainder was made of pine 
 boards. This during the summer caught fire several 
 times, but during the following fall the boards were 
 taken down and the chimney finished up with stone. 
 
 The beds for the children were placed on the second 
 floor, and, the third or attic floor not being laid, it 
 made a most airy and romantic place to romp and 
 sleep. Before winter came the cracks were all filled 
 with chunks and plastered on the outside with mortar, 
 and several windows inserted and a partition put up, 
 separating the lower apartment into a kitchen and a 
 living-room. 
 
 Here, on the 24th of April, the eighth child. Tsabelle 
 Jane, was born, and in this house were born the re- 
 maining five children of the family. Doctor Kephart 
 says: "The first winter we spent in the new house, 
 our preacher. Rev. Isaac Kuhns, with his wife and son 
 Levi, a boy about my age, made his home with us. It 
 was a long, cold winter. The snow was deep most of 
 
Boyhood Days 49 
 
 the time and we had quite a time wading through it to 
 the old schoolhouse in the corner of Grandfather Kep- 
 hart's field, about two miles distant. Levi Kuhns went 
 with us most of the time, but, being a peevish, puny 
 boy, he gave us a great deal of trouble." 
 
 No more appropriate closing can be given this chap- 
 ter than two of Doctor Kephart's poems, in which he 
 expresses his memory of, and attachment to the scenes 
 of his boyhood days. 
 
 THE OLD GUM-TREE.* 
 [Written March 1, 1880.] 
 
 The stately gum-tree ! How it towers aloft ! 
 
 Its green, wavy branches, 'neath whose grateful shade 
 My brothers and sisters in youth scampered oft, — 
 
 How those branches spread out when 'neath them we 
 played. 
 
 It stands near the cot, not far from the spring, 
 
 That rustic old cabin in which I was born, — 
 How our joyous young voices oft caused it to ring, 
 
 While that sturdy old tree was lashed with the storm. 
 When the storm had subsided, then sallied we forth. 
 
 As the sun kissed the raindrops away from its leaves ; 
 And we swung in its branches, as wind from the north 
 
 Drove the rain-clouds away, and birds in the trees 
 Sung their anthems of praise for sunshine and showers — 
 
 For the pure, balmy air and the sweet-scented flowers. 
 
 Dear, stately old tree ! What memories twine 
 
 Round thy sturdy old form ! How I think, as I gaze, 
 Of the innocent pleasures of thoughtless youth-time. 
 
 And the rustic delights of those earlier days. 
 How, dressed out in "homespun," we scampered about, 
 
 And the mountains reechoed the songs that we sung. 
 Twice twenty long years have since sped away, — 
 
 Their freight of humanity's joys and sad tears 
 They have borne to eternity's shore, — there to lay, 
 
 While the days multiply into seasons and years. 
 
50 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 Once more I sit down 'neath thy shade, old gum-tree, 
 And my thoughts hurry back to the days so long past, — 
 
 Oh, the many reflections ! the wonders I see, 
 As I think of the time when we scampered here last. 
 
 Old friend, you 're the same ; but a little more frail, — 
 
 The sod 'neath thy boughs seems as soft and as green 
 As when with my brothers and sisters so hale 
 
 I sported in innocence under thy screen. 
 One brother is gone, who pla\'ed with us here, — f 
 
 The youngest of three, — for God took him home ; 
 And others are scattered, some far and some near, 
 
 While I on this spot once more, and alone. 
 Recline 'neath thy shade to think of the past. 
 
 And hope we may meet in the home of the blessed. 
 Dear father ! dear mother ! They, too, have removed. 
 
 And dwell on the prairies ; this home, how they loved ! 
 Here, here, in their youth they united for life. 
 
 And commenced first to live as husband and wife. 
 
 Old tree! 'neath thy shade their table they spread, 
 
 And gave to the host, who the Word came to hear, 
 From their own scanty store of butter and bread — 
 
 They gave as to Him whom they loved to revere. 
 But time has rolled onward, and forty years sped 
 
 Away to the past since that day ; and to think 
 Of the scores that have with it passed on to the dead, 
 
 And now tread the paths on eternity's brink. 
 
 I, too, speed along with the flight of old time, 
 
 Now stop but a moment, to think of the past, 
 But, as I move onward, those j'outh-sports of mine, 
 
 The sight of the gum-tree revives them at last. 
 Dear home of my childhood ! so rustic, so plain ! 
 
 Would thy innocent sports were mine to live o'er. 
 Dear parents! dear brothers! dear sisters! how fain 
 
 Would I nestle around you so fondly once more. 
 But may I not hope for a home by and by, 
 
 Where we shall all meet, — in the realms of the blest? 
 Oh, yes, for the Day-star illumines the sky, 
 
 And faith clearly points to a heavenly rest. 
 
 '■■This tree stood near the ori-^iniil round-log cabin lioino. 
 fAbraliiini Goss Kephart. William was also dead at time of this 
 writing, but he was not born in the cabin near the guiu-tree. 
 
Boyhood Days 51 
 
 A VISIT TO MY CHILDHOOD'S HOME. 
 [This visit was made during tbe summei- of 1907.] 
 
 I st(X)d upon the spot half-way between 
 Where once the house and barn had been ; 
 It was the garden spot where, oh, so oft, 
 I then had seen my mother weed the onion bed, 
 The cabbage hoe ; the beans and peas 
 And lettuce cultivate. 
 
 From there I strolled 
 Off to the big and little springs. How 
 Changed were all ! The gum-tree 's dead, 
 The spring-house gone ! No milk and 
 Cream and butter there as once they were, 
 So cool, refreshing, and with bread, 
 So hunger satisfying. 
 
 My heart was sad 
 As in my mind the loved ones of the 
 Years so long gone by I fresh recalled 
 To mind, and lived again with them 
 The happy days of that now long-gone 
 Time, and those ne'er-to-be-forgotten years. 
 
 Where are they now? Beyond that 
 Bourne whence traveler ne'er returns. 
 I sauntered then away among the apple-trees. 
 Trees which when but a child I saw 
 My father plant; then small and tender 
 Shoots ; now great strong trees with 
 Branches spreading wide and laden 
 Well with fruit. In years long gone I 'd 
 Seen my mother smile while looking 
 On the bloom of all those trees then very 
 Young, because the bloom to her discerning 
 Eye was prophecy of coming fruit. 
 
 I journeyed to and fro across those dear old 
 Mountain fields. To me the very stones and 
 Every clod was precious, for had 
 Not father dear with plow and hoe 
 And tread of his now hallowed feet 
 Stirred, tossed, and pressed each, every one 
 Of these in days so long agone? 
 
52 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 Ah ! rugged mountain farm, home 
 Of my childhood days, would that 
 I could go back to you just as you were 
 When father there and mother dear, my 
 Brothers and my sisters, too, all in one 
 Large family circle clustered there 
 And made it, of all spots on earth, 
 Most dear to me, because it was my 
 Childhood's homely, peaceful. 
 And contented home. But that can 
 Never be. They all are gone, and I 
 Alone am here. 
 
 So, sacred spot, fields cleared by father's 
 Sweat and toil, where once I romped 
 And played with brothers, sisters dear, 
 I 'm with you once again, and very 
 Likely for the last, last time I '11 ever be. 
 I hold to you my hand of cordial greeting 
 In token of my love for you. 
 The way of all my kin I go ; like them, 
 I, too, must bid you all adieu. 
 How soon I '11 sleep the sleep of death, 
 I do not know, but while my reason 
 Keeps its throne, and my memory holds 
 Good, I will not fail to cherish 
 Most tender, pleasant memories of you. 
 
SCHOOLBOY AND 
 LUMBERMAN 
 
I have tried to live a Christian life; I die the Christian's 
 death — a sinner saved by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, 
 the divine Son of God. 
 
 In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 
 
 I. L. Kephart. 
 
 September 18, 1908. 
 
III. 
 
 SCHOOLBOY AND LUMBERMAN 
 
 The early boyhood days of Doctor Kephart were 
 spent, as were those of other children in the vicinity, 
 about his home, he early showing a disposition to be 
 helpful in providing and caring for the family. When 
 he was six years old, he attended his first school. 
 Speaking of these early school-days, he says that his 
 parents paid four dollars for two months' tuition for 
 him and a sister who was four years his senior. Their 
 teacher was Abraham Goss, their uncle. Their text- 
 books were Webster's Spelling Book and the New 
 Testament. Through the assistance of her mother, his 
 sister had become quite an apt reader before she went 
 to school, and Isaiah, then in his seventh year, was 
 advanced from the alphabet to the "a-b-abs" the 
 afternoon of his first day's schooling, and he tells how 
 proud he was, upon reaching home, to inform his 
 mother and receive the welcome approbation, "That 's 
 a good boy." His description of the school exercises is 
 as follows : 
 
 "Soon after school was called, the pupils who were 
 trying to learn their letters and those who were begin- 
 ning to spell words of two and three letters would be 
 called to the teacher, who had his seat in one corner 
 of the room, one at a time. Those learning the alpha- 
 bet would say their letters over from a to z and then 
 backwards from z to a. after which the teacher would 
 
56 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 point to several different letters at random, asking the 
 pupil to name each and telling him the names if he did 
 not remember them. Not until the pupil could name 
 every letter at sight was he advanced beyond the 
 alphabet. 
 
 "The advanced pupils were given lessons in reading, 
 writing, and arithmetic. In reading, they would stand 
 up in a row, sometimes reaching two-thirds around the 
 room, and each in turn would read a verse from the 
 New Testament, the teacher pronouncing the difficult 
 words. Never did the class read in concert ; such a 
 thing was not known, and would have been considered 
 a dangerous innovation." 
 
 School was kept in a log cabin, which he himself 
 thus describes : 
 
 "Well do I remember the little, dingy, log cabin 
 schoolhouse. It stood in a corner of grandfather's 
 field, on the top of a hill. Close up to the northwest 
 swayed the tall pines and hemlocks, to the east and 
 south were the fields in which we played ball, and to 
 the north, among the timber, was the path to the 
 spring, leading down the steep hill, which afforded us 
 a sliding-place. But that old schoolhouse ! What a 
 spectacle it presented on a cold winter's day when 
 school was in session ! No plastered walls and ceiling, 
 no blackboards, no patent seats and writing-desks. 
 The walls were of round pine logs ; the chinks were 
 filled first with bits of wood and chips wedged in and 
 'daubed' with mortar made of yellow clay, without 
 sand or lime ; the floor was of rough pine boards, 
 having in it large cracks, and the joists on which the 
 'upper floor' rested were rough, round pine poles not 
 
Schoolboy and Lumherman 57 
 
 more than seven feet above the lower floor. The 
 'writing-benches' (desks) were constructed by boring 
 holes into the logs of the walls and driving large 
 wooden pins into these holes and placing rough pine 
 boards upon these pins, the holes being so bored as to 
 give the boards an inclination towards the wall of 
 about thirty degrees. 
 
 "In front of these rough writing-desks were placed 
 benches on which we sat when writing, so as to face 
 toward the wall and have our backs all turned toward 
 the inner part of the room. These benches, with those 
 occupying the interior of the room, were constructed 
 by taking straight pine or chestnut poles about eight 
 inches in diameter, splitting them in halves, smoothing 
 the flat side with a chopping-ax, and boring four holes 
 (two at either end) into them, and driving large 
 wooden pins into these holes, which answered as legs 
 on which the benches rested. 
 
 "The house had three windows, one of twelve panes 
 of glass (six by eight inches) on the south side, a 
 similar one on the north side, and on the east side a 
 long, narrow window having ten panes of glass in it, 
 so arranged as to make a window two feet high and 
 four feet wide. This window was constructed in this 
 way to give light all along the long writing-board that 
 graced the west side of the room. 
 
 "The apartment was heated by a large, old-fashioned 
 'ten-plate' stove, which occupied the center of the 
 room, and in which wood was used as fuel ; in the 
 southeast corner of the room was the remnant of an 
 old 'corner chimney' built of very rough stone, for this 
 cabin had been originally erected for a dwelling-house. 
 
58 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 ''The door was on the east side from the big road 
 which passed near by. Not a particle of paint of any 
 kind graced any portion of the schoolhouse or its fur- 
 niture, and as the 'clapboards' which formed the roof 
 were held in their place by 'weight poles' instead of 
 being nailed down, I am safe in saying that not five 
 pounds of nails were used in erecting the entire struc- 
 ture." 
 
 The humdrum of school-day life was relieved by 
 many an interesting episode, two of which are de- 
 scribed below in the language of Doctor Kephart 
 himself: 
 
 "John Hughes, an Englishman, was our teacher 
 (successor of Abraham Goss), and, being cross, made 
 us toe the mark closely. He was a young, single man 
 of hot English blood, and with him it was a 'word and 
 a blow,' and sometimes the blow came first. I remem- 
 ber one afternoon I was sitting studying my spelling 
 lesson very diligently. By reason of my feet not reach- 
 ing to the floor and having no support, they became 
 numb, and to relieve them I swung them to and fro, 
 and the toes of my shoes would occasionally, without 
 my noticing it, touch the floor. All of a sudden the 
 teacher's long rod (he kept a birch rod fully five feet 
 in length, and with it he could readily reach me with- 
 out rising from his seat) came crash! crash! across 
 my little shoulders. It brought me to my feet instanter, 
 very much surprised, for I was thinking that if there 
 was a pupil in school deserving of commendation just 
 then for diligently studying the lesson, it was myself. 
 I stared an inquiring stare at the teacher, as much as 
 to say, What have I done to merit such cruel treat- 
 
Schoolboy and Lumherman 59 
 
 ment? Imagine my surprise and chagrin when he 
 roared out, 'Keep your feet still !' Oh, how my little 
 heart did then ache with a sense of brutal and unjust 
 treatment. It was a long time before the wound in 
 my heart was healed. I carried my grievance home to 
 a sympathetic mother, who bemoaned my ill treat- 
 ment, but soothed my wounded feelings by assuring 
 me that it was better to be beaten innocent than 
 guilty, which up to that time in my life was the hardest 
 thing I had ever tried to see." 
 
 Doctor Kephart describes particularly a certain 
 "barring out the schoolmaster" which took place at 
 the old schoolhouse on the hill in "Granddaddy Kep- 
 hart's field." The teacher was Henry Platner, from 
 Blair County, about twenty-five years old. The school 
 was composed of between forty and fifty scholars of 
 both sexes. The "barring out" occurred at noon when 
 the teacher had gone to a neighboring house for his 
 dinner. The description in part follows : 
 
 "No sooner was he gone than all hands hastily par- 
 took of their dinners, and then, instead of going out to 
 play ball, 'ring-around-the-rosy,' 'see-saw,' and so 
 on, all remained within, fastened the door, and made 
 every possible preparation for 'keeping him out.' 
 One end of a bench was placed against the foot of the 
 stove and the other end was brought one-third the way 
 down from the top of the door and made to rest firmly 
 against this. On this, three small lads (Bill Shaw, 
 Ess. Kephart, and John Reece) were stationed to hold 
 it firm. It was deemed expedient to extinguish all the 
 fire in the stove lest the assaulting party, either by 
 throwing brimstone down the pipe, or by placing a 
 
60 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 board on top of it, smoke us out. John Green, a col- 
 ored boy of sixteen, and I were stationed aloft armed 
 with a piece of slab five feet in length to prevent his 
 coming in through the roof. 
 
 "At length, about ten minutes to one o'clock, we 
 saw his head gradually appearing over the hill. 
 Promptly the alarm was given to those below, and all 
 hands flew to their posts, Abe Goss, Hen. Kephart, 
 Dan. Crowell, and Henry Baughman had command. 
 They had already prepared, in writing, the conditions 
 of surrender ; namely, that on Christmas Day he should 
 treat the school to six pounds of candy, four pounds 
 of English walnuts, and two bushels of apples ; if not, 
 their worth in loaf sugar. 
 
 "On arriving at the door the teacher demanded, in 
 stentorian tones, that it be immediately opened, but 
 the answer from within was cool and defiant. Finally 
 he was induced to come around to the south window, 
 when the conditions of surrender were presented. He 
 then very indignantly pronounced them outrageous 
 and tore the paper into ribbons, declaring that he was 
 coming in if he had to pull the house down, and the 
 taunting reply was that he would not get in even if he 
 did pull the house down. The master started for his 
 boarding-place and soon reappeared with an ax on his 
 shoulder and vigorously assaulted the door, pounding 
 it with the ax until he split it in several places. This 
 availing him nothing, he climbed to the roof and com- 
 menced tearing away the clapboards, but my brave 
 colored boy and I were equal to the occasion, for no 
 sooner did we get a peep at him than we sent the end 
 of a slab through the roof with such force that, strik- 
 
Schoolboy and Lumberman 61 
 
 ing him in the breast, it sent him clear over the eaves to 
 the ground. True, he might have been killed by the 
 fall, but that was a secondary consideration with us." 
 
 From this he proceeds to narrate how the teacher 
 withdrew to visit another school. The schoolhouse 
 was guarded all night, a mock school kept the next 
 day, and the house guarded the next night, and mock 
 school kept still the second day. At this point he says : 
 "Between two and three o'clock, John Reece and 
 myself were sent down to Granddaddy Kephart's to 
 see what time it was. Grandmother took advantage of 
 our presence to give us a sharp lecture on the folly of 
 our keeping the teacher out and wasting our time ; but 
 grandfather — jolly old Pennsylvania Dutchman that 
 he was — encouraged us by laughing heartily and say- 
 ing, Ty faith, poys, 'ton't you let him in.' " The next 
 day, Saturday, the mock school was continued with the 
 result that the scholars concluded by noon that they 
 had shown their ability to keep the master out, and 
 hence decided to let him come in the next Monday and 
 proceed with the school. The treat, however, was not 
 given at Christmas, but at the close of the term a treat 
 of five pounds of loaf sugar was supplied. 
 
 Doctor Kephart describes this old-fashioned school 
 and schoolhouse in the following poetic form : 
 
 A peep in that homely old cabin 
 
 Some cold winter day's afternoon, 
 Revealed to the eye of the peeper 
 
 A sight not forgotten so soon. 
 There was seated the bald-headed teacher, 
 
 Cooped up in one corner so wise; 
 Graj'-headed and wrinkled "Old Osier,'' 
 
 With wonderful "specs" on his eyes. 
 
62 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 There were buxom }Oung girls dressed in homespun, 
 
 And strapping big boys dressed the same ; 
 There were meek little misses, so gentle. 
 
 And chubby young urchins who came, 
 Some wearing queer woolen knit skull caps, — 
 
 Seme caps made of coonskins were worn, — 
 Came breasting the stiff mountain breezes, 
 
 That belong to a cold winter's morn. 
 
 Some dressed in a spanking new linsey, — 
 
 Some ragged, and dirty, and patched, — 
 Some with faces and hands washed and pretty, — 
 
 Some filthy, and ugly, and scratched. 
 We were huddled along on the benches. 
 
 Some with feet dangling free from the floor ; 
 On their knees would oft rest their elbows. 
 
 And their heads on their hands — and then snore. 
 
 We came from all points of the compass; 
 
 Came wading the snow through the pines ; 
 Came two and three miles every morning. 
 
 Just to spell and to read a few lines. 
 And with us we 'd all bring our dinners 
 
 Of buckwheat, or rye, or wheat bread; 
 And with it, some few would have sausage, 
 
 And some would have nothing to spread. 
 
 In our studies that school was a picture ; 
 
 Such a buzzing, and squinting, and noise; 
 -Some three studied out of one speller. 
 
 And the girls often sat with the boys, 
 For the books were quite scarce and old-fashioned— 
 
 Cobb's Speller and Pike's 'rithmetic — 
 New Testament, Old English Reader, 
 
 Were all — and each had his pick. 
 
 When the school was dismissed for the evening. 
 
 At once, with a whoop and a roar, 
 Grabbing caps, hats, shawls, and bonnets, 
 
 All rushed to be first through the door; 
 Some boisterously shouted, ''Good-evening" ; 
 
 Some cried, 'cause the crowd threw them flat; 
 One shouted, "Bill Shaw has my bonnet," — 
 
 "Ess. Kephart, I '11 mind you for that." 
 
Schoolboy and Lumberman 63 
 
 We wended our way through the forests, — 
 
 Through snowdrifts we struggled along, 
 Reaching home, often late in the evening, 
 
 With appetites wondrously strong. 
 And there, I shall never forget it. 
 
 The thrice-welcome sight we would meet, 
 Dear mother, a booming bright fire. 
 
 And "mush-pot" our vision would greet. 
 
 Some time later there was built what was called the 
 Center Schoolhouse, of which he says : 
 
 "The little old cabin on the hill, so long used for 
 public and Sunday schools, was now quite too small 
 and dilapidated, and, owing to the increase of popula- 
 tion, the private houses were quite too small to accom- 
 modate the people who came to hear preaching. 
 
 "There being no public money with which to build a 
 schoolhouse, the settlers agreed to join hands and 
 erect a house for 'school and church purposes.' One 
 subscribed so many days' work; another so many 
 shingles ; another so many feet of boards ; another so 
 many pounds of nails ; another so many panes of glass ; 
 another so many days' hauling with a span of horses ; 
 another so many days' hauling with a yoke of oxen, 
 and so on. Mr. John Goss gave one-half acre of 
 ground for the site and the pine timber for the logs." 
 
 The logs were hewed by Doctor Kephart's father, 
 and by I. L. and a brother (Bishop Kephart) were the 
 floors laid, the door, the window-frames, the benches, 
 and the writing-desks made and placed in position. In 
 due time the house was completed and Henry Rufifner 
 installed as teacher. 
 
 That house still stands on the original site, two miles 
 west from Osceola Alills, now Osceola, and is occupied 
 
64 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 as a private residence. To Doctor Kephart this was a 
 sacred inclosure for more reasons than one, chiefly 
 because there, some months after his conversion, he 
 confessed his Lord in baptism. There he first attempted 
 to lead a prayer-meeting, and there he first attempted 
 pubhcly to preach the word. 
 
 It was in this new schoolhouse, too, that, during the 
 winter of 1855-56, after he and Bishop Kephart had 
 both attained their majority, they attended school 
 under the instruction of William Hooper, whose friend, 
 Mr. John D. Gill, taught in a neighboring school dis- 
 trict, for both of whom Doctor Kephart always ex- 
 pressed the highest appreciation, for the reason that 
 very largely they gave him the inspiration to his later 
 school work. 
 
 He, with his brother, the Bishop, and their younger 
 brothers, had worked at home all summer and had 
 assisted their father to provide an abundance of sup- 
 plies for the winter. One morning their father stated 
 that they had secured a teacher for the school who 
 could teach geography and grammar, and suggested 
 that they had better arrange to attend. Doctor Kep- 
 hart describes events leading up to this winter's school- 
 ing as follows : 
 
 "Father's suggestion was heartily sanctioned by the 
 good mother, and in due time Zeek (Ezekiel) was on 
 his way to see Mr. Shaw, the president of the school 
 board, and get permission for the two older brothers, 
 who were both of age, to attend the school for the 
 winter. On arriving at his home the object of his call 
 was stated, in reply to which the president said : 'Well, 
 now, see here. Do you boys mean business ? Do you 
 
Schoolboy and Lumberman 65 
 
 really wish to go to school to learn, or do you only 
 want to go there to kick up your heels, play ball, and 
 make trouble for the teacher ?' 
 
 ** 'Oh, Mr. Shaw, we are in earnest,' was the reply. 
 'We are too old now to fool away any time. We really 
 want to go to school to learn.' " 
 
 The result was that they agreed to assist in making 
 the schoolroom comfortable in consideration of tuition 
 for the winter term. The teacher arrived and the 
 work of the school passed on with great profit to these 
 and to others of the boys. Doctor Kephart in after 
 years naming thirteen different men who came out of 
 that school to enter upon lives of usefulness and profit. 
 
 During this winter the teacher organized a literary 
 society that held meetings on Thursday and Saturday 
 evenings for debate. Two weekly papers were pro- 
 duced and read each Friday afternoon, at which also 
 essays were read and declamations spoken. This term 
 of school, the last that he spent in public school, closed 
 on April 3, 1856, with an exhibition held in the meet- 
 ing-house that stood across the road from the school- 
 house, the exhibition occupying all of the afternoon, 
 and until midnight following. The house was hand- 
 somely decorated with hemlock and laurel, a large 
 rostrum was provided, and a program, consisting of 
 declamations, essays, and dialogues, was rendered to 
 the delight of all, closing with a pretended phrenological 
 lecture, in which Mr. John D. Gill took the place of the 
 lecturer. Speaking of the influence of this exhibition, 
 Doctor Kephart names it "the most surprisingly revo- 
 lutionizing event in the history of the settlement. Even 
 now there are those who remember and speak of it 
 
66 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 with enthusiasm and delight. Perhaps nowhere else 
 in the history of this country did the faithful work of 
 two young school-teachers accomplish so much for the 
 good of the community. It opened new visions for the 
 parents and set new ideals before the minds of the chil- 
 dren. Looking in upon that Center School as it was 
 constituted that winter, one saw then and there the 
 boys who became as follows : Thirteen Union soldiers 
 for the Civil War (three of whom were killed), four 
 girls who became the wives of soldiers, one bishop, 
 two college presidents, one superintendent of Schools, 
 two college professors, four ministers of the gospel, 
 two physicians, one lawyer, and a missionary to India." 
 
 Speaking of his teachers in the public school. Doctor 
 Kephart says : 
 
 "As a teacher, I liked 'Uncle Abe' (Abraham Goss. 
 who taught the first school he attended — 1838-39), as 
 we familiarly called him, very much, but when the 
 extra cold weather set in about Christmas, I was 
 obliged to stay at home. 
 
 "During the winter of 1839-40, Samuel Osier was 
 our teacher. He was an impulsive, white-haired old 
 man, very kind when in good humor, and very cross 
 and exacting when angry. I feared him very much 
 and managed to get through without being thrashed. 
 
 "After Hughes (the teacher who thrashed him for 
 dangling his feet), Jonathan R. Ames, an old, gray- 
 headed, good-natured man, who always liked us, but 
 never thrashed us for our misbehavior, taught for 
 three months. During his administration we had a 
 great time. Frequently would he fall asleep during 
 school hours, and just as frequently would we wake 
 
Schoolboy and Lumberman 67 
 
 him from his sleep by shooting him on the nose with 
 our "goose-quill pop-guns," all of which he took good- 
 naturedly. 
 
 "He was succeeded by Henry Platner, who was a 
 wide-awake teacher, far in advance of any we had had 
 before; good-natured and jolly, but who insisted on 
 maintaining good order during school hours, to do 
 which required some vigorous thrashing at the com- 
 mencement of his administration, which he was not 
 slow to perform. He was a success in every way, and 
 the progress made by the pupils indicates this. He 
 taught the last school in the little log cabin on 'Grand- 
 father Kephart's hill.' " 
 
 Henry Ruffner taught one term in the new school- 
 house, concerning which Doctor Kephart says : "This 
 was the last winter I attended public school before 
 attaining to my majority. During this term I advanced 
 in arithmetic to compound proportion, but could go no 
 farther because the teacher could go no farther." 
 
 At the age of fourteen, Isaiah was capable of taking 
 charge of, and driving a span of horses, and, being the 
 oldest boy in the family, his time during school months 
 was necessarily devoted to teaming across the moun- 
 tains and in the lumber forests ; consequently, so 
 meager was his schooling that he attained his twenty- 
 third year before he had ever looked into a text-book 
 on geography or grammar to study them. However, 
 by the aid of the "pine-knot" light, he had read with 
 care the few feooks in his father's cabin, which were 
 the Bible, English Reader, Pilgrim's Progress, Bax- 
 ter's "Saint's Rest," Fleetwood's "Life of Christ," and 
 Fravel's "Redemption," with a few other books that 
 
68 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 he borrowed, among which were Weem's "Life of 
 Washington" and "Life of Franklin." He also 
 attended through the summer the country Sabbath 
 school, and by committing verses of scripture to mem- 
 ory, purchased a New Testament and several other 
 small books. 
 
 His life as a teamster and lumberman covered the 
 period from his fourteenth to his twenty-fifth year, or 
 from 1846 to 1857. His own description of his lum- 
 bering experience cannot be improved. The lumber 
 industry was one of great importance and one furnish- 
 ing reasonably good remuneration. Pine timber was 
 cut into "saw logs" and hewed into "square timber" 
 intended for ship-masts. He, with his brother, who 
 afterward became Bishop Kephart, and others, built 
 cabins in the timber, where they boarded themselves 
 and would spend the entire season in preparing lum- 
 ber for rafting in the spring. He speaks of the ordi- 
 nary day's experience as follows: 
 
 "At 5 : 00 A.M. the one honored with being chief cook 
 would rise, start a fire in the cook-stove, and call the 
 others in the cabin while he fried meat, boiled potatoes, 
 made coflfee, and baked buckwheat cakes. The others 
 would prepare some wood for the day or feed and 
 harness the horses. Then all would sit down to the 
 table, on which the dishes had been arranged the night 
 before, and partake heartily of the morning meal. 
 Having finished their repast by six o'clock, each one 
 would turn his plate upside down over his knife and 
 fork and thus they would be ready for his own special 
 service at noon. Table linen was not in use at all. 
 Dishes were washed once a day. Breakfast over, the 
 
Schoolboy and Lwnherman 69 
 
 cook would wash and clean a quart of beans, place 
 them in a good-sized dinner-pot, add to them a piece of 
 pork and some salt, fill the pot with water, place it on 
 the stove, fill the stove with hard, green wood, and 
 then away all hands would go to the chopping, the 
 other men in the meantime having been engaged in 
 whetting the axes. 
 
 "At half-past eleven the cook would quit, return to 
 the cabin, find the beans and pork cooked most deli- 
 ciously, bake buckwheat cakes, and by twelve o'clock 
 the others would arrive and all would sit down and 
 most heartily enjoy their dinner. At one o'clock all 
 would return to their work and chop as long as they 
 could see; then they would return to the cabin, pre- 
 pare and eat their supper, wash the dishes, set things 
 in order in the cabin, chat, read, or play checkers for 
 an hour or so, and then retire to their rude, rough beds 
 and sleep the sleep made refreshing by hard, honest 
 toil and a clear conscience." 
 
 In the spring the lumber produced during the winter 
 was made into rafts, rafted out of Clearfield Creek, 
 and down the Susquehanna River to the market-places 
 at Marietta and elsewhere along its course. It was 
 while employed as a raftsman that Isaiah made his 
 first trip to Middletown, Pennsylvania, in 1851. Later, 
 he became a skilled pilot on the Susquehanna River, 
 his service in this relation being chiefly in the employ 
 of a lumberman, Mr. John M. Chase. 
 
 Doctor Kephart gives a description of his rafting 
 experience when his brother. Bishop Kephart, served 
 as steersman and himself as pilot. It is as follows : 
 
 "At the time in question, the pilot and his crew 
 
70 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 had stopped over night at Phimb Island, midway 
 between Irvin's and Bigler's dams. The next morn- 
 ing they set out for their first trip that spring (1856) 
 'through the mountains.' By referring to a good 
 map of Pennsylvania, and noting the points in 
 Clearfield County marked 'Lick Run' and 'Salt 
 Lick,' the reader w^ill see that this part of the river 
 passes through a portion of the Alleghany Moun- 
 tains. The roughest and the most dangerous places 
 'to run,' as the pilots would say, were the 'White 
 Brake,' the 'Big Pitch,' the 'Big Stepping Stones,' 
 the 'Ram's Horn,' the 'Big Moshannon Falls,' and 
 the 'Buttermilk Falls.' To take a full river raft 
 through this part of the channel required a crew of 
 six men, whereas to bring the same raft out of 
 Clearfield Creek required a crew of ten men. 
 
 "But, despite the crookedness, roughness, and 
 swiftness of the stream, for a skillful pilot and a 
 good crew, this was an exciting, delightful part of 
 the river 'to run.' The rapidity with which the raft 
 moved, the dashing, splashing, and roaring of the 
 water, and the romantic mountain scenery, — high 
 hills, immense gorges, wild canons, — all added 
 greatly to the interest of the 'trip,' and the writer 
 has often thought, if he can just feel as happy when 
 be comes to die as he felt the day above referred to 
 while sweeping 'through the mountains' on that 
 great raft, in command of that noble crew of young 
 men, he will be perfectly satisfied. 
 
 "On they went, leaping the little cascades, round- 
 ing the great bends, gliding through the smoother 
 portions of the stream, and by 1 : 00 p.m. they landed 
 
Schoolboy and Lumberman 71 
 
 at 'the foot of Buttermilk Falls' in safety. A 
 four-mile tramp up the river beach brought them 
 to 'Salt Lick,' w<here they ate their dinner, and then 
 they set out for a twenty-mile tramp over hills, 
 through hollows, and wading mud, and by 10:00 
 P.M. they arrived at Abraham Ream's well-kept rafts- 
 man's home, on the hill above Fulton's Dead Water. 
 There a hearty supper was enjoyed, and the tired 
 men stretched themselves on the floor of the dining- 
 room, taking their boots for pillows, and were soon 
 sleeping a sound, refreshing sleep. 
 
 "The next morning, in good season, they boarded 
 a big 'half-oak' raft and started on their final trip 
 through the mountains for that season. On they 
 swept in safety, nothing unusual occurring, save at the 
 'Ram's Horn' they overtook a raft of boards, which, 
 for the time, endangered the safety of both rafts. 
 However, with care, extra work, and a great deal 
 of unnecessary 'yelling' on the part of the badly- 
 scared pilot of the board raft, both passed the dan- 
 gerous point in safety, his raft only riding the rocks 
 a little in the bend below. 
 
 "About 5:00 p.m., they sailed down through the 
 roaring, dashing 'Buttermilk Falls,' only to see the 
 eddy below landed full of rafts, and nearly a hun- 
 dred raftsmen there, greatly excited over the fear 
 that a big raft, 'coming in head first,' would 'sweep 
 the eddy.' However, when they noticed the pilot 
 and crew beginning to 'cross pull,' so as to come in 
 somew<hat sidewise, their fears subsided, their feel- 
 ings became more friendly, and they said, one to 
 another, 'Let 's take hold and help them land.' 
 
72 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 "Havinj^ two good ropes on his raft, the pilot 
 succeeded in getting two of his men out in time to 
 'take a hitch' on a large oak-tree, quite at the head 
 of the eddy. This very measureably checked the 
 speed of the raft, and with that he picked up the 
 other rope, ordered one of his men to follow with a 
 handspike, and leaping upon an adjoining raft, they 
 commenced to 'snub.' Just then the owner of the 
 raft on which they were snubbing came running, 
 with an ax drawn, and yelling, 'You shan't snub on 
 my raft. I '11 cut your rope ! I '11 cut your rope !' 
 
 " 'Snub away, Andy ! snub away !' was the pilot's 
 somewhat excited reply; and just when the unrea- 
 sonable man was about to put his threat into exe- 
 cution, Mr. John M. Chase, who happened to be 
 in sight, seeing that the man with the ax was about 
 to prevent the landing of one of his rafts, rushed 
 upon the scene, caught the man by the shoulder, 
 whirled him around, jerked the ax out of his hands, 
 and 'preached' him a regular old-fashioned rafts- 
 man's sermon. Oh, but he did rake him for attempt- 
 ing to hinder other men from landing; but before 
 he was done 'preaching,' the pilot and crew had 
 safely landed their raft, without damaging any one ; 
 and in due time the excitement subsided, and the 
 unreasonable man slunk away, feeling heartily 
 ashamed of himself." 
 
 Another incident which occurred in the spring of 
 1856 will illustrate his experience as a pilot. Having 
 piloted four rafts out to "Fulton's Dead Water," as it 
 was called, he prepared to take one raft to Marietta on 
 the Susquehanna, This raft was 225 feet long, 26 feet 
 
Schoolboy and Lumberman 73 
 
 wide, and was composed of half oak and half pine 
 timber. They started hopefully, but when they came 
 in sight of "Salmon Hole" they saw an eddy landed 
 full of rafts and a hundred or more men there, some 
 of whom were throwing up their hats and shouting at 
 the top of their voices. "Tie up ! tie up ! tie up !" 
 
 On inquiring as to the trouble, he was informed that 
 some unskilled pilot had missed his calculations and 
 "saddle-bagged" his raft on the head of Spruce Island, 
 just a mile below ; that the hind platform lay across the 
 head of the island with at least ten feet of it projecting 
 into the channel in such a way as to render it impos- 
 sible for large rafts to go by. Here, then, was a 
 dilemma. Must this pilot and crew, whose hearts were 
 set on going down the river during this freshet, have 
 all their hopes blasted by the stupid blunder of an 
 incompetent pilot? Having spent some time studying 
 the situation, the pilot returned to his raft, where his 
 men were assembled trying, in various ways, to give 
 vent to their feelings of disappointment and chagrin. 
 On stepping on board the raft, his brother (Bishop 
 Kephart) approached and said to him: "Suppose you 
 go on board one of these small rafts that are going by 
 and ride down past Spruce Island and see how things 
 look. Perhaps you will see that we can go by." 
 
 "No," said the pilot, "it is not worth while. Call 
 the men here ; I have a proposition to make." The men 
 came and the pilot said : "Boys, we are in a desperate 
 box, but I believe there 's barely chance to get out. If 
 you will promise on your honor to stick to me and help 
 me to gather up the timber and raft it together again, 
 provided we tear the raft to pieces, I will try to go on." 
 
74 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 Every man was only too glad to give his pledge of 
 honor, and after giving a few words of instruction to 
 his steersman and cautioning the men to give heed to 
 no one and to nothing else save their duty on the raft, 
 he told his other brother, Abraham, to go ashore and 
 untie the rope. No sooner had the raft begun to drop 
 down through the eddy than the hundred men or more 
 became excited and gave utterance to such interroga- 
 tories as, "What are you going to do?" "Where are 
 yovi going?" "Why, man, you 're crazy. You can 
 never get through with that big raft. You '11 only 
 form a jam in the channel, so that even small rafts can- 
 not get through. Stop ! stop !" 
 
 "Turner's Riffle" and "Turner's Rock" were safely 
 passed, the turn at "Notched Rock" was handsomely 
 made, and in due time the great raft, sweeping with 
 great speed, struck the projecting platform on the head 
 of Spruce Island witli a crash that reverberated 
 through the hills like the roar of a cannon. The force 
 was so great that it completely knocked the platform 
 out of the channel upon the head of the island, without 
 damaging the big raft in the least, so substantially had 
 it been put together. 
 
 When the one hundred or more astonished men on 
 the shore saw that the hazardous venture was a suc- 
 cess, they threw their hats in the air and made the 
 welkin ring with cheer upon cheer. 
 
 The big raft, managed by its pilot and plucky crew, 
 had not only gone safely through itself, but had com- 
 pletely removed the obstruction and the channel was 
 open again for rafts, large as well as small. In the 
 dusk of the evening the pilot and his crew landed their 
 
Schoolboy and Lunihcrrnan 75 
 
 big raft safely in "Miller's Dam" above Clearfield 
 Bridge, where they received the hearty congratulations 
 of the owner, Mr. Chase, who was greatly rejoiced that 
 his large raft had passed Spruce Island in safety. 
 
 Thus, in the primitive school of the pioneers, in 
 the lumber-camp, as a teamster, a raftsman, and a 
 river pilot, Isaiah Lafa'yette Kephart learned many 
 of the lessons in the hard school of personal experi- 
 ence that gave him the eminent qualification for 
 life's later duties that his useful life showed he had 
 so well mastered. 
 
STUDENT, MINISTER, 
 EDUCATOR 
 
"Goodness by force is an unknown commodity in God's 
 universe. Goodness can only be by love, not by force." 
 
IV. 
 STUDENT, MINISTER, EDUCATOR 
 
 The religious training- of Doctor Kephart and the 
 influences that resulted in his marvelous career as 
 a Christian man had their origin primarily in the 
 cabin home of his father and mother. The family 
 devotions were regular, morning and evening, in 
 the mountain home, and here, under the influence 
 of a Christian father and a Christian mother, the 
 subject of our sketch was reared ; here the seeds 
 were early planted that later grew into the splendid 
 fruitage of his Christian life. 
 
 The cabin home was frequently used as a preach- 
 ing-place. Among the preachers who early visited 
 it and preached the gospel was Adolphus Harnden, 
 a native of the State of Maine and an itinerant of 
 the Allegheny Conference. He traveled the Clear- 
 field Circuit, and frequently made his home with the 
 family of Father Kephart. One of the services con- 
 ducted by Mr. Harnden is described in part as 
 follows by Doctor Kephart: 
 
 "After the sermon, he prayed, then sang, called 
 on some one else to pray, sang again, exhorted, got 
 happy, and began to shout. While shouting, swing- 
 ing his long arms and clapping his hands, he leaped 
 back and forth in the little aisle between the 
 benches leading to the door, exclaiming at the top 
 
80 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 of his voice, 'I hope to shout glory when the 
 world 's on fire,' and just then he touched his bushy 
 head of hair to the flame of the hog's-lard lamp 
 hanging from the joist above and set his hair on fire. 
 It sizzed and sputtered a little while, Harnden 
 shouting all the time, 'I hope to shout glory when 
 the world 's on fire.' The flame in his hair soon died 
 out, nor was he burned, but for some time thereafter 
 an odor of burnt hair pervaded the cabin. 
 
 "In due time the meeting closed, the mountain- 
 eers returned to their homes, guided through the 
 wilderness by the light of their torches, wonder- 
 fully impressed by the words and manner of the 
 new preacher. He, in due time, mounted the ladder 
 to the loft and was soon in the embrace of a sound 
 sleep in the spare bed which mother's hand had 
 prepared for such visitors." 
 
 Other preachers who served the home charge 
 while Isaiah was a boy were William Beigle, Isaac 
 Kuhns, George Schneider, C. F. Bowers, W. S. H. 
 Keyes, Cyrus Jeffries, Harvey Moor, Jephthah Potts, 
 J. Wells, and J. W. Bonewell ; but Isaiah made no 
 definite profession of the religious life until he was 
 nineteen years of age. 
 
 A very striking incident that occurred in the 
 November preceding his twentieth birthday made 
 a deep impression upon his mind. He had been 
 hauling lumber and coal to the market across the 
 mountains and bringing back loads of store goods 
 for the merchants. Thus being thrown into the 
 society of teamsters, he was compelled to lodge 
 at taverns, every one of which was a whisky shop. 
 
Student, Minister, Educator 81 
 
 Though cautioned frequently of the danger of 
 drinking, these evil influences at length acquired 
 the mastery, and he frequently yielded, and at last 
 acquired an appetite for alcoholic liquors. The 
 following is, in part, a description of the incident 
 that led to his conversion : In the month of Novem- 
 ber, 1850, he, with two other men, having been east 
 of the Alleghany Mountains, was returning home. 
 It was a beautiful autumn afternoon. His associates 
 were men of perhaps thirty years of age. Before 
 leaving "Warrior's Mark," one of the men with him 
 purchased a quart of whisky. As they journeyed 
 along, they drank several times until they were all 
 somewhat intoxicated, one of the number quite 
 drunk, Isaiah and the other just enough to be reck- 
 less. The front team had six horses and a wagon 
 with a large road-bed. When they commenced to 
 ascend the mountain, the three teamsters climbed 
 together into the front wagon-bed, and left their 
 teams to follow. The road was a narrow one, with 
 a high bank on the left side. One-third the distance 
 up the mountain there was a sharp turn in the road ; 
 the drivers, being engaged in romping, paid no 
 attention to the team, and the wagon ran over the 
 edge of the stone wall and overset off the road 
 down a perpendicular bank of about five feet. In 
 oversetting, the wagon turned upside down, threw 
 four of the horses off the road, and threw Isaiah 
 some thirty feet down the mountain among the 
 rocks and brush, but he sustained no injury. One 
 of the men was caught across the small of the back 
 by the lower edge of the wagon bed, and the other 
 
82 Life of Isaiah L. KepJiart 
 
 was caught by the left foot and held so firmly that 
 he could not possibly escape. Isaiah tried his best 
 to lift the box, but was not able, as the heavy wagon 
 lay on top of it. He took a horse and rode back two 
 miles and gave the alarm, and when he returned the 
 man caught by the small of the back was dead. 
 This made an ineflfaceable impression on Isaiah's 
 mind, and he then and there made two resolves : 
 First, that he would never drink another dram of 
 intoxicating liquor; and, second, that the first pro- 
 tracted meeting he attended he would embrace 
 religion and join the church. These resolves were 
 faithfully kept, and during the next March (1851), 
 at a meeting held in the Newcastle Schoolhouse, in 
 Decatur Township, Clearfield County, he was con- 
 verted and joined the United Brethren Church 
 under the labors of Rev. Cyrus Jefifries, then the 
 pastor of Clearfield Circuit. In August, 1857, he 
 was given quarterly conference license to preach, 
 and in January, 1859, at Altoona, Pennsylvania, 
 was received as a licensed preacher into the Alle- 
 gheny Conference, Bishop Glossbrenner presiding. 
 In January, 1863, he was ordained at a session of 
 the same conference held again in Altoona, Bishop 
 Edwards presiding. 
 
 It will be seen from this that he embraced reli- 
 gion previous to his work as a lumberman and 
 raftsman. In his accounts of his experiences as a 
 raftsman, he states that in the crew with which he 
 made the run to Marietta, previously described, 
 several were Christian young men, the others being 
 men of good morals, and that no profanity or drink- 
 
Student, Minister, Educator 83 
 
 ing intoxicants was practiced by any of them. Thus 
 early in his life did he yield himself to God, and 
 thus early in his Christian experience did he exhibit 
 the characteristics of devotion and Christian forti- 
 tude that were such marked elements in his later 
 life of active service for God and the Church. 
 
 We must return to look again upon the school life 
 of Doctor Kephart. 
 
 In an interview held with Dr. W. R. Funk, and 
 in answer to the question, ''Who influenced you to 
 go to school ?" Doctor Kephart said : "My first 
 knowledge of there being such a thing as a college 
 came to me in my father's barn one day when 
 he and I were thrashing seed wheat with the flail. 
 I was then about twelve years old. Rev. J. B. 
 Resler, of Allegheny Conference, came there and 
 hitched his horse to the fence, and climbed over the 
 fence onto the barn floor. He introduced himself 
 to father and commenced to talk in the interest of 
 Mt. Pleasant College. Father leaned on the staff 
 of his flail and listened to him. I remember well 
 that he used this argument: Other churches are 
 establishing colleges in which to educate their 
 children, and if we do not do so, our children will 
 grow up and go off to these other schools and will, 
 of course, join these other churches, and we cannot 
 succeed as a church in that way. Then he spoke 
 to father something about giving something to help 
 this college, and father said : 'W^ell, it is nearly 
 dinner-time now. I will go and put your horse in 
 the stable. Go into the house, and we will have 
 some dinner and talk the matter over with mother.* 
 
84 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 Father always honored mother as one of his special 
 counselors in all business affairs. We went to the 
 house, ate dinner, and turned around from the table, 
 and they commenced to talk. Resler explained to 
 mother what he had explained to father, and, as a 
 result of their interview, they gave their note for 
 $25 to help the college. Just how soon it was paid, 
 I do not know, but I know they paid it, and that 
 their giving that note raised quite a hubbub in the 
 neighborhood. The neighbors took it up and said 
 father and mother were giving money to help estab- 
 lish a school to make people proud, and one of the 
 school trustees walked two miles to see father and 
 lecture him for what he had done. Father took it 
 all good-naturedly, and did not say much. To make 
 an impression, the school trustee said : 'Why, the 
 neighbors are up in arms about it. They say you 
 are robbing and beggaring your children.' That 
 made mother a bit cross, and she turned 'round 
 and said: 'Well, I would just thank the neighbors 
 if they would mind their own business. Papa and 
 I gave that note, and we will pay it, and we will 
 not ask them for anything to keep our children 
 from being beggars.' This set me to thinking about 
 a college and what a college was. I could read and 
 write then a little." 
 
 The winter that he and his brother, Bishop Kep- 
 hart, spent in the school taught by Mr. Hooper, and 
 closing with the great exhibition already mentioned, 
 brought to them both some new ideas as to their 
 future life. This thought for better things was 
 quickened by some advice given to him by a friendly 
 
Student, Minister, Educator 85 
 
 neighbor, Mr. John Shaw. Doctor Kephart had 
 hired out to work for a Mr. Sterritt. Concerning 
 the awakening that led to his school life, he says, 
 referring to himself and his brother, "E. B." : 
 
 "We had not decided on going to school yet. I 
 hired out to a Mr. Sterritt, who was running a steam 
 sawmill, at $26 a month and board. 
 
 "One Saturday evening, when I was going home 
 from my week's work, I had to go right back of 
 Mr. John Shaw's place, and, 'way down the lane in 
 the direction I was going, I fell in with him and 
 walked back with him as far as his house. He 
 inquired what I was doing and what wages I was 
 getting, and said : 'That is first-rate ; better than 
 running around here kicking up your heels, and 
 hunting and fishing like some are doing; but, boy, 
 take my advice. Save up your money and go to 
 school. You can be more than a mill hand if you 
 will educate yourself ; but if you do not, you will 
 never be more than a mill hand.' 
 
 "I walked home two miles, and thought over 
 being nothing more than a mill hand. I liked the 
 Avork, but could not think that I must always be 
 that kind of a drudge. When I got home, 'E. B.' 
 was there. He had a letter from 'Billy' Shaw, John 
 Shaw's oldest son, who was in Dickinson Seminary, 
 at Williamsport, Pennsylvania. His letter urged 
 us to go to school. We were tired and did not talk 
 much. 
 
 "The next morning, Sunday, we dressed ourselves 
 to go to Sunday school. Had our breakfast too 
 early to go right away, so we went up to our room, 
 
86 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 sat on the bed, and commenced to talk. I told him 
 what John Shaw had said, and how I had been 
 thinking about it. Then he pulled out 'Bill' Shaw's 
 letter and read it. I said to him : 'I believe, "E. B.," 
 the time is here to say what we are going to do. 
 Shall we stick to this kind of mountaineer life, or 
 strike out and get a little more education?' He 
 said, 'Yes, the time is here.' I asked him what he 
 was going to do, and he replied that he was going 
 to Dickinson. I said I would go, too, and would 
 go down to Sterritt and tell him at such a time the 
 fall term Avould open, and that' he must secure a 
 man to take my place ; that I was going to leave and 
 go to school. 
 
 "When the time came to go, we were ready. We 
 gave Mr. and Mrs. Sterritt good-by, and borrowed 
 Uncle Joe Goss' spring wagon, took one of father's 
 horses, and put our trunk in that wagon. We drove 
 thirty-three miles across the mountains to Belle- 
 fonte, where we put up at the hotel, stayed all night, 
 and the next morning Brother Will, who was then 
 ten years old, (and was afterwards killed in the army,) 
 started back home with the wagon and horse. We 
 took the stage down to Lock Haven, and then the 
 canal boat to Williamsport. 'Bill' Shaw was there 
 and met us, and we started into school, the greenest 
 kind of mountain boys, but we had had experience. 
 
 "Dickinson Seminary stood right on the bank of 
 the Susquehanna River. We just buckled into it. 
 We did not try to conceal our ignorance, but let the 
 students know that we were there to try to learn. 
 
Student, Minister, Educator 87 
 
 The teachers kindly took hold and helped us. We 
 learned ; there is no mistake about it. 
 
 "Well, we got through that term of school and 
 came home. 'E. B.' and I walked ten miles to be 
 examined. The county superintendent, who deliv- 
 ered the address at the exhibition, gave us an 
 examination. He complimented us, saying: Tt is 
 a great satisfaction to me to have a class who are 
 capable of passing an examination as you boys have 
 passed. I want to give you all the encouragement 
 I can.' He gave us our dinner, and asked not a 
 cent. We walked ten miles back home. At nine 
 o'clock we got home. We each obtained a school in 
 which to teach, and then made some money rafting, 
 and used it as school money. 
 
 "When we came home from Dickinson Seminary, 
 Rev. Adolphus Harnden was at our place. He said, 
 'You boys are not doing right.' 'What have we 
 done wrong?' we asked. 'You have been going to 
 a Methodist sdhool.- Why don't you go to our own 
 school?' 'Where is our own school?' He then told t 
 us. The' next spring we went to Mt. Pleasant Col- . 
 lege — that is, the spring of 1857, and stayed there \ 
 until that school closed. At a session of the 
 trustees, in June, they united with Otterbein Uni- 
 versity, and eleven of us boys went there as stu- 
 dents, among whom were D. Eberly, E. C. Ebersole, 
 D. A. Tawney, S. J. Baker, H. M. Kreider, John 
 Erb, my brother 'E. B.,' and myself." 
 
 While a student at Otterbein, he assisted in the 
 organization of the Philophronean Literary Society 
 as a charter member. 
 
88 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 During his student life he entered actively into 
 the ministry of the gospel. His first charge was 
 Mahoning Circuit, Allegheny Conference, to which 
 he was assigned by the conference of 1859. The 
 circuit lay in three counties — Clearfield, Indiana, 
 and Cambria. His own account of this year's work 
 is interesting: 
 
 "The appointments were as follows : Kessler's 
 (in a church-house), two miles above the cherry- 
 tree, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.; Summerville (in a school- 
 house), distance five miles, same Sunday, 2:30 p.m.; 
 McKee's (in a church-house), same Sunday, dis- 
 tance four miles, 7:00 p.m.; Jos. Ow's (in Brother 
 Ow's private house), Wednesday evening, distance 
 ten miles; Levi Laymaster's (in 'his private house), 
 near Marion, Indiana County, distance about ten 
 miles, Thursday evening; John Laymaster's or John 
 Snyder's (in private house), Friday evening, dis- 
 tance about twelve miles; McGee's (schoolhouse), 
 distance eighteen miles, Sunday, 10:30 a.m.; Mount 
 Joy (church-house), Sunday, 2:30 p.m., distance 
 five miles; Simon Raudabaugh's (schoolhouse), 
 Sunday, 7:00 p.m., distance eight miles; Charley 
 Smith's (private house), Wednesday evening, dis- 
 tance three miles; Newburg (meeting-house), Sun- 
 day, 10:30 a.m., distance eight miles; Koozer's 
 (schoolhouse), Sunday, 2:30 p.m., distance seven 
 miles; Pleasant Hill (schoolhouse), 7: 00 p.m., dis- 
 tance six miles ; from thence returning to Kessler's, 
 distance twenty-five miles, to beginning of next 
 round. From the above it will be seen that I had 
 thirteen appointments ; that to fill them I preached 
 
Student, Minister, Educator 89 
 
 three times each Sunday and four times on week- 
 day evenings ; that I filled these appointments once 
 every three weeks, and in doing so I traveled (on 
 horseback) a distance of one hundred and twenty- 
 four miles. 
 
 ''I had no regular home — just boarded among the 
 members, all of whom were very kind and accorded 
 me a royal welcome to their homes. I carried my 
 books and linen in a pair of huge saddlebags. 
 
 "At my quarterly meeting, in June, held at the 
 Kessler appointment, I resigned my charge to take 
 effect September 1, for the purpose of returning to 
 Otterbein University. Rev. Adolphus Harnden 
 succeeded me on the charge. Rev. R. G. Rankin 
 was presiding elder. From a memorandum kept, I 
 find that up to my second quarterly meeting, held 
 June 6, 1859, I had received in salary and presents 
 (all cash except a vest valued at $3.25), a total of 
 $23.15. How much I received from that time until 
 the first of September, w^hen my resignation took 
 effect, I can now find no account of, but I suppose 
 it was in about the same proportion — perhaps not 
 quite so much, as that was the season of the year 
 when money among the lumbermen was scarce. 
 
 "The region of country in which my circuit lay 
 was mostly a wilderness of pine and hemlock forest, 
 steep hills, and deep ravines, and the roads were 
 stumpy, rooty, rocky, and often quite muddy." 
 
 The fall of 1859, he entered Otterbein University, 
 remaining there, stopping out as his financial needs 
 required, till the summer of 1861, when, his money 
 being exhausted, he returned to the Allegheny Con- 
 
90 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 ference, and was placed in charge of Brush Valley 
 Circuit. He continued in the active ministry till 
 1863, when he enlisted in the army, having served 
 Brush Valley, East Salem, and McVeytown charges. 
 
 During his pastorate on the Brush Valley charge, 
 he formed the acquaintance of Miss Mary E. 
 Sowers, the daug'hter of Michael Sowers and 
 Suzanna Grumbling Sowers, of Mechanicsville, 
 Pennsylvania, to whom he was married November 
 28, 1861. To them were born two children, Horace 
 Sowers, who was educated at Western College, 
 Lebanon Valley College, and Cornell University. 
 He served for a number of years as librarian of the 
 Mercantile Library at St. Louis, Missouri, and is 
 now residing at Ithaca, New York, engaged in 
 literary pursuits. 
 
 Elizabeth Belle was born February 18, 1871, and 
 died February 22, 1892. She was graduated from 
 Westfield College in June, 1890. 
 
 Following his services in the army, in 1865, he 
 taught school for several months, when he was 
 appointed pastor of the Hummelstown charge, in 
 the East Pennsylvania Conference, where he served 
 till the fall of 1867. 
 
 His ministry at Hummelstown was to himself a 
 source of great pleasure, and to the people a source of 
 great profit. It was here that he formed the acquaint- 
 ance of his life-long friend, Mr. D. S. Early. He was 
 the first pastor of the charge who could not speak or 
 understand the German language, which rendered his 
 ministry quite an innovation in this community that 
 was so thoroughly Pennsylvania German. Mrs. Kath- 
 
Student, Minister, Educator 91 
 
 erine L. Hummel, who was at the time of his ministry 
 there a child of seven or eight years of age, says : 
 
 "He was a great success, having, during the second 
 year of his pastorate, a large revival and afterward re- 
 ceiving many into the church, some of whom are still 
 here, faithful and true. He instilled into the young 
 people a desire for education and for Bible study, and 
 my childish impression of him was that he was an 
 ideal Christian minister and pastor, helpful to the old 
 and always mindful of the children — an impression 
 that increased as the years passed on. 
 
 "He spent considerable time in our home and was 
 always welcome there. My father (Christian Landis) 
 and D. S. Early were church officials at that time, but 
 are both gone." 
 
 Miss Minerva J. Early, daughter of Mr. D. S. Early, 
 above named, says of his ministry : 
 
 "I was so very young when Doctor Kephart was our 
 pastor that I can only give the impressions he made 
 upon my young life at that period, and repeat some of 
 the incidents that I often heard father relate, for father 
 was very closely allied with him while he was pastor 
 at Hummelstown. 
 
 "He was the first man to meet him when he arrived 
 with his family, and our home was their abode until a 
 suitable parsonage could be secured. I frequently 
 heard them say that they were instantly and mutually 
 attracted to each other, and the friendship formed 
 there endured while both lived. 
 
 "Mr. and Mrs. Kephart Avere often in our home 
 during those years, and every word and act of his im- 
 pressed upon my young mind thoughts of nobility and 
 
92 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 real greatness ; so that for years, whenever I was asked 
 to express my thought of what men should be, I would 
 always reply, 'Mr. Kephart is my ideal man.' 
 
 "My earliest recollection of him is when he laid his 
 hand in baptism upon the heads of five little girls — 
 ranging in age from two to twelve years — as they 
 stood in a row in the old parlor ; and of the way, after 
 it was all over, he said, oh, so seriously, but with a 
 twinkle in his eye, 'Now, girls, in a few more years 
 you will again need a minister to perform an important 
 ceremony, and you must remember that I can do that, 
 too.' And in all seriousness we all declared that he 
 should ever have right of way in all our planning. 
 
 "When he was sent to Hummelstown, his coming 
 was anticipated with trembling. The people had been 
 accustomed to German preaching, and not to be able 
 to preach German was regarded by many as a serious 
 fault, and a prophecy of failure. But there were a few 
 who recognized the tendency of the times, and gave 
 him a cordial welcome and all possible support. 
 
 "To one of his temperament and culture, the condi- 
 tion of affairs must have been very discouraging. The 
 church was heavily in debt and there was a woeful 
 lack both of reverence for God's house and respect for 
 his people. 
 
 "Many of the leading members were the real old- 
 fashioned shouting Christians, and the noisy and some- 
 times almost dramatic meetings attracted many who 
 came simply for amusement. While the shouting was 
 going on at the front, the young people in the rear 
 were having a social evening. This action had been 
 going on until Mr. Kephart could stand it no longer, 
 
Student, Minister, Educator 93 
 
 and, going to Mr. D. S. Early, who was ever his right- 
 hand man, he made known his distress. The latter, in 
 his characteristic earnestness, replied, 'I will break it 
 up for you, if you will stand by me in my methods.' 
 When he stated his rather heroic measures, Mr. Kep- 
 hart hesitated for a moment, and then replied, 'The 
 occasion demands something of that kind. Go ahead.' 
 
 "The following Sunday it was announced from the 
 pulpit that all such conduct must cease ; that the warn- 
 ing was positive, and that exposure would follow its 
 disregard. Thereafter Mr. Early was a secret detec- 
 tive in the rear of the room, and many an amusing 
 incident would he relate in after years of his expe- 
 rience in that work. 
 
 "When the meetings would grow noisy, those in the 
 rear seats seemed to think it a signal for action, but 
 were startled by a call to the front from the detective. 
 The pastor at once stayed all proceedings, and the 
 guilty ones were exposed and invited to leave. When 
 the coarser element found that the church was deter- 
 mined in its purpose, the trouble ceased and the pastor 
 commanded increased respect and love. 
 
 "The church debt, too, was canceled in a no less 
 unusual manner. The debt was of long standing, and 
 there was such 'slothfulness in business' that the inter- 
 est was unpaid from year to year. Mr. Kephart 
 appointed D. S. Early, Christian Landis, Simon 
 Fleisher, and Samuel Walmer a committee to collect 
 the debt, which amounted to fifteen hundred dollars. 
 When they met to talk over the situation, Mr. Early 
 remarked, 'We must each subscribe one hundred dol- 
 lars, and with that at the head of the subscription we 
 
94 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 can go out and get the rest of it this afternoon.' Mr. 
 Walmer replied, 'We can never do it, Brother Early; 
 but I will gladly give my hundred dollars, and will 
 tear my hat if we get the rest to-day.' The others of 
 the committee manfully followed in like manner, and 
 all together they started out on their mission. 
 
 "Their enthusiasm and earnestness was so intense 
 that they had but one refusal that day, and when they 
 returned home at night the debt was fully covered. 
 Mr. Walmer's joy was unbounded, and he actually 
 tore his hat into ribbons. 
 
 "Thus the dreaded English preacher set the church 
 upon a sure foundation, that has stood, and still is 
 standing, notwithstanding many a storm." 
 
 In the fall of 1867, on account of failing health, he 
 removed to what was then known as New Jefferson, 
 in Green County, Iowa, where he began farming in a 
 small way, and was soon elected principal of the Jeffer- 
 son schools. After teaching for some time, in 1869 he 
 was elected County Superintendent of Schools, which 
 position he occupied till 1871, when he was elected 
 Professor of Natural Science in Western College, 
 located at Western, Iowa, which position he filled with 
 eminent satisfaction to all concerned. In 1875 he served 
 as mayor of Western. While in the college he very 
 frequently corresponded with local papers and with 
 the Church periodicals, setting forth the claims of the 
 institution and the value of higher Christian education. 
 
 He resigned his position at Western in 1876, and 
 accepted the position of Actuary of the United Breth- 
 ren Mutual Aid Society at Lebanon, Pennsylvania, 
 and also that of editor of their journal. He held this 
 
Student, Minister, Educator 95 
 
 position until December, 1883, when he was elected 
 Professor of Mental and Moral Science at San Joaquin 
 College, Woodbridge, California, where he entered 
 upon his duties in the January following. 
 
 During his service as Actuary at Lebanon he wrote 
 extensively for both the religious, the secular, and the 
 scientific press. 
 
 Concerning his life and work during this period, Mr. 
 George B. Marquardt, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, an 
 intimate friend, says: 
 
 "I knew your brother 'L L.' well, having worked in 
 the same building with him for many years. I knew 
 him and loved him for the purity of his life, for his 
 kindly deeds, for his gentlemanly and courteous treat- 
 ment of friend and foe, for his humble, pious. Chris- 
 tian bearing, and for the good influences he exerted 
 while here in this city. 
 
 "While a member of Trinity Church he was actively 
 engaged in Christian work. Rarely did he miss a 
 service. He was a regular attendant at all the means 
 of grace ; very actively and deeply interested in every 
 department of church work, and regular at the prayer- 
 meeting, Sunday school, and church services. While 
 he was intellectually competent to speak to large and 
 cultured audiences, yet he consented, and for many 
 years taught in our Sabbath school a class of restless 
 boys of tender age, all of whom to-day hold him in 
 precious memory. While here engaged in secular 
 matters, he found time to do much preaching in filling 
 pulpits for sick or absent preachers. On Saturday he 
 would travel, at times, great distances to fill the pulpit 
 of some sick pastor on the following Sunday, and he 
 
96 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 would invariably refuse any compensation for his 
 service or for his traveling expenses. 
 
 ''He was also an ardent advocate of temperance and 
 did much to create public sentiment against the drink 
 habit. He was always outspoken on the subject of 
 intemperance and frequently spoke in public, as well 
 as in private, against the license system. He was a foe 
 to that system that would license one man to ruin 
 another. You cannot speak too strongly of these 
 qualities of his life while here in Lebanon. 
 
 "When absent from his own church he was doing 
 service for others. I never saw your brother out of 
 patience for anything in all of the many years that I 
 knew him." 
 
 It was during this period that he prepared an article 
 on "Soul Culture" that he was requested to permit to 
 be read before the Society of Science, Letters, and Art 
 of London, and that led to his having conferred upon 
 him, gratuitously, the degree of Fellow of the Society 
 of Science, Letters, and Art, in 1888. 
 
 At the General Conference that convened at Fos- 
 toria, Ohio, in May, 1885, Doctor Kephart was chosen 
 a member of the Church Commission for the revision 
 of the Constitution and the Confession of Faith of 
 the United Brethren Church. 
 
 He continued his work in San Joaquin College, 
 Woodbridge, California, till June, 1885, when he re- 
 signed his position to return East. 
 
 When it became known to the students at Wood- 
 bridge that Doctor Kephart had presented his resigna- 
 tion, a petition was prepared and signed by a very 
 large proportion of the students, expressing their high 
 
Student, Minister, Educator 97 
 
 appreciation of his work and urging him to reconsider 
 his action and remain with the institution. 
 
 On his way from California he received information 
 that he had been elected president of Westfield College, 
 Westfield, Illinois, where he served as president till 
 June, 1889, resigning the position to enter upon his 
 duties as editor of the Religious Telescope, to which 
 position he was elected by the General Conference that 
 met in May, 1889. 
 
 Following his resignation at Westfield, the Clark 
 County Herald said : "The college has prospered 
 greatly under President Kephart's wise rule, and his 
 resignation will be a severe blow to the institution." 
 
 In recognition of his attainments in scholarship and 
 letters and of his service in promoting the work of the 
 Church and of the kingdom of Christ, Doctor Kephart 
 was honored by the bestowal of the following degrees : 
 
 In June, 1872, Otterbein University conferred upon 
 him the degree of Master of Arts. In June, 1884, 
 Western College, now Leander Clark College, honored 
 him with the degree of Doctor of Divinity. On August 
 14, 1888, the Society of Science, Letters, and Art of 
 London elected him a Fellow of that society, and con- 
 ferred upon him, gratuitously, the degree of F. S. S. 
 L. A. and sent him a diploma to that efifect. 
 
 That these marks of honor and distinction were 
 worthily and appropriately bestowed is well attested 
 by the eminent attainments of Doctor Kephart in all 
 lines of literary, scientific, and theological investiga- 
 tion and by his long and eminent service in behalf of 
 everything that tends to the promotion of the well 
 being of human society. 
 
CHRISTIAN PATRIOT 
 
"Our God is a living God. He is the source whence flow 
 the living waters. He satisfies the longing soul." 
 
V. 
 CHRISTIAN PATRIOT 
 
 On February 18, 1862, in an article under the 
 heading, "The War, Its Cause, and the Results That 
 Must Follow," Rev. I. L, Kephart made the following- 
 remarkable prediction : 
 
 "Men may say what they please about the war — the 
 omnipotent God is in it and is wielding his power upon 
 the side of constitutional liberty. Politicians may talk 
 of the constitutionality of slavery — all this will not 
 alter the fiat of Jehovah. 
 
 "Slavery's days are numbered! I believe, and I will 
 not believe otherwise till I see otherwise, that this war 
 is its death blow, and the noise and excitement it 
 has produced are Slavery's dying groans and death 
 struggle. I hear in the roar of the cannon the dying 
 groans of oppression, and I see in the convulsed state 
 of the whole country the death struggle of the blackest 
 system of tyranny that has ever cursed the world. I 
 see in this war the mustering of all the forces opposed 
 to universal freedom — that they may 'confederate' and 
 be broken, that we and succeeding generations may 
 sing forever, 'Hail Columbia ! Happy Land !' 
 
 "This war may seem to be a calamity, and so it is at 
 present, but the good that must result from it to the 
 cause of humanity will far overbalance all its evils. 
 When once the rebellion is crushed, and it soon will be, 
 and the sin of slavery forever wiped from our nation, 
 
102 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 the political atmosphere will be purer, freemen will 
 breathe more freely, and the lovers of liberty will look 
 back upon the past and thank God that the fanatics of 
 the South became so foolhardy as to attempt to break 
 up the Union. Let no man, or set of men, lay to the 
 charge of any war-party or faction the origin of this 
 war. It was a necessity. The advocates of tyranny 
 thought to strengthen their cause by seceding, but, to 
 their dismay, will soon learn that it was the decree of 
 Jehovah — that by this unwise and rash act they should 
 work with the utmost dispatch, the final ruin of their 
 'peculiar' institution." 
 
 Such a prophecy is sufficient to show that Doctor 
 Kephart was an intense patriot, a fact fully established 
 by his devotion to his work in the army and by his 
 speeches and writings since the war. 
 
 In June, 1863, in answer to the call for troops for 
 the defense of Pennsylvania against the raid led by 
 General Robert E. Lee, while serving as pastor of 
 McVeytown charge, Allegheny Conference, he volun- 
 teered in the United States service, and was mus- 
 tered in as chaplain of the Twenty-first Pennsylvania 
 Cavalry, at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the enlistment 
 being for six months. Company "B" of his regiment 
 had been previously enlisted at Gettysburg, and par- 
 ticipated in the great battle there, and the first man 
 killed in that battle was John Sando, of that company. 
 
 The circumstances leading up to his being chosen 
 chaplain illustrate one of the characteristics of the 
 man. For this, and many more of the facts given in 
 this chapter, we are indebted to Rev. M. P. Doyle, an 
 intimate associate during his armv life. 
 
Christian Patriot 103 
 
 When he enlisted it was his intention to enter the 
 service in whatever relation he was directed. When he 
 reached Harrisburg he was tacitly promised a second 
 lieutenancy, but when it came to mustering in it was 
 found that there were not sufficient men in the group 
 with which he was associated to form a full company. 
 At this point he met Mr. H. B. Jeffries, with sixteen 
 men, who had been mustered out of a three months' 
 company of which Jeffries was captain, but who 
 wished to enter the United States service as cavalry- 
 men. Mr. Kephart induced Mr. Jeffries, with his men, 
 to join his company, offering him the opportunity, 
 which had been presented to himself, of becoming 
 second lieutenant. Mr. M. P. Doyle, first lieutenant, 
 being impressed with Mr. Kephart's self-denying spirit 
 in making this sacrifice for the service, conferred with 
 Col. William H. Boyd, and at his suggestion conferred 
 with the other officers of the regiment, and Mr. Kep- 
 hart was unanimously chosen chaplain. Mr. Doyle 
 says : "So the man who humbled himself was exalted 
 above us all in rank and pay, with the opportunity of 
 rendering better and more efficient service to his coun- 
 try than he could have done as a private soldier or a 
 company officer." 
 
 The hurry to get twelve hundred men and twelve 
 hundred horses uniformed and equipped left but little 
 time for religious meetings. The chaplain was left to 
 himself to use his office to the benefit of the men as 
 best possible, but on account of the hurry could do but 
 very little religious work. When the regiment was 
 filled and equipped, it was ordered to march to Cham- 
 bersburg, Pennsylvania, where it was divided into two 
 
104 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 battalions. The colonel, with several companies, went 
 into the Shenandoah Valley, and six companies were 
 ordered to the coal regions of Pennsylvania to subdue 
 uprisings among the disloyal there. The chaplain was 
 directed to go with this last detachment. They were 
 ordered to Pottsville and finally to Scranton, Pennsyl- 
 vania, from which place they were to control the entire 
 region. They remained there during the fall and most 
 of the winter. Mr. Doyle says : "This gave Chaplain 
 Kephart an excellent opportunity to exercise the func- 
 tions of his office. He preached every Sabbath ; gave 
 personal counsel to the men ; held prayer-meetings in 
 tents ; wrote letters, attended to mail, and rendered 
 himself useful in every possible way. He was greatly 
 assisted by the officers of Company 'E,' which was 
 composed mostly of members of the United Brethren 
 and Evangelical churches and officered by three minis- 
 ters. It was interesting to see this Company 'E' every 
 evening after roll-call conclude with prayer offered by 
 the chaplain or one of the company officers. 
 
 "As an illustration of the esteem in which Chaplain 
 Kephart was held by the colonel commanding, I will 
 give an incident of much significance. One of the cap- 
 tains of this detachment was very overbearing and 
 unreasonable. One day, while drilling his company, 
 his lieutenant executed the command and almost com- 
 pelled some of the horses and men to gallop into the 
 Lackawanna River for want of room. The captain 
 drew his revolver and threatened to shoot his lieuten- 
 ant. The case was presented to Lieutenant Colonel 
 Mosan, commanding, who plainly told the captain that 
 his conduct was unbecoming an officer and if he did not 
 

Dr. Ktpliart as an Army Chaplain. 
 
Christian Patriot 105 
 
 settle the difficulty to the satisfaction of his lieutenant 
 he would be court-martialed. The colonel sent an 
 orderly for the chaplain, stated the case to him, and 
 told him to use his best influence to have the case 
 amicably settled, as he was determined that no one of 
 his officers should impose upon another. The chaplain, 
 after talking over the affair with the offending captain, 
 took him and the two lieutenants into an adjoining 
 woods and asked all to kneel in prayer. I was present 
 at this prayer ; it was offered with feeling and humble 
 faith and made us all see the way of God. Then it was 
 ended. The captain and lieutenant shook hands with 
 kindly feeling. This was certainly a rare way of end- 
 ing trouble between military men, but it speaks highly 
 of the esteem in which our chaplain was held by the 
 colonel and the officers. Captain H. B. Jeffries, now 
 of the National Tribune, Washington, D. C, also wit- 
 nessed this incident." 
 
 In February, 1864, the regiment was reorganized for 
 three years' service, at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, 
 and joined the Army of the Potomac, June 1, 1864. 
 The regiment served in the first division of the Fifth 
 Army Corps, dismounted till October 6, 1864, and was 
 then remounted and served till the close of the war. 
 
 Concerning the reorganization at Chambersburg, 
 Pennsylvania, and the dismounting of the regiment. 
 Rev. M. P. Doyle says : 
 
 "On arriving at Chambersburg, all horses and equip- 
 ments were turned over to the Government and the 
 men were honorably discharged ; and those who re- 
 enlisted received furloughs for thirty days. Chaplain 
 Kephart and myself, for some reason, were not mus- 
 
106 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 tered out of the service. I was placed in charge of a 
 special detail of men to care for the horses, and he was 
 instructed to act among the new regiments. Of the 
 thirty-six officers who were mustered into the service 
 at the first formation of the regiment, Chaplain Kep- 
 hart and myself were the only ones retained in the 
 reorganization who did not recruit men. One day, 
 while the chaplain and myself were together, Colonel 
 William H. Boyd approached us and said : 'Gentle- 
 men, my regiment is now completely reorganized. It 
 is a splendid body of twelve hundred men, fully 
 equipped. I am expecting to be ordered to the front 
 at any moment. I want you gentlemen to accompany 
 me in the brilliant dash we shall make. Chaplain Kep- 
 hart, you have been an honorable and efficient officer 
 and a credit to the entire body of army chaplains. I 
 suppose you will be satisfied with your present rank 
 and position. You will have a more active service 
 than heretofore, and your service among the wounded 
 will be more useful than ever ; and you, Lieutenant 
 Doyle, must be satisfied with your present rank. You 
 are assigned to Company 'I,' which will need much 
 discipline. I regret that I cannot give you a captaincy, 
 for Captain McMillen has recruited the men of the 
 entire company and is elected captain.' 
 
 "To this the chaplain and myself assented with pleas- 
 ure and gratitude. On that day we were both mustered 
 out of the former service and mustered into the three- 
 year service with rank dating from our original muster. 
 
 "It was not until the middle of May that the Twenty- 
 first Pennsylvania Cavalry was ordered to the front. 
 During our stay in camp every hour was spent in drill- 
 
Christian Patriot 107 
 
 ing and saber exercises. During this interval the 
 chaplain was instant in season and out of season. He 
 went from company to company, from man to man. 
 In view of the near approach of the battle-field, there 
 was an inward consciousness of the danger and the 
 possibility of appearing in the presence of God. Let 
 no one think that our enlightened American soldiers 
 ignored these truths. Our faithful chaplain sought to 
 inculcate and impress these convictions upon their 
 minds, and when the order to march came, one of the 
 finest regiments that ever honored the great State of 
 Pennsylvania marched forth to do battle for their 
 country. 
 
 "One of the elements of strength was the deep con- 
 viction of religious truths impressed upon every man's 
 mind by the consecrated servant of Christ whose de- 
 voted personal efforts, backed by Christian life, read 
 and seen by every officer and man, gave the entire 
 force a strength of character, a finish in discipline and 
 manly bearing that distinguished the Twenty-first 
 Pennsylvania Cavalry among the many brave regi- 
 ments sent out by the State. It afterwards made the 
 record of never having been defeated, never compelled 
 to retreat, and lost more men in action than any other 
 cavalry regiment in the army, as proved by statistics 
 given at our first reunion at Gettysburg after the war. 
 
 "In this feeling of manly pride, this regiment of 
 twelve companies, well equipped and mounted, with 
 field and staff officers, marched through the city of 
 Washington to Camp Stoneman on the Maryland 
 Heights. Scarcely had they entered Camp Stoneman 
 before an order came to dismount the Twenty-first 
 
108 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 Pennsylvania Cavalry and forward the horses to the 
 front for artillery and send the regiment to Arlington, 
 Virginia, to be equipped as infantry. No one can 
 judge the dissatisfaction this worked in the hearts and 
 feelings of every member of the regiment, from the 
 highest in command to the lowest in the rear ranks. 
 The feeling was equal to rebellion ; consequently, no 
 one felt like obeying this order. It was executed, how- 
 ever, in a most effectual manner. The men were 
 ordered to march out of Camp Stoneman, leaving their 
 horses at the picket-line as if it were only for dis- 
 mounted drill, but the march entered Washington and 
 through the city toward the Virginia line. When it 
 was discovered that this was the final disposal of the 
 men, a scene occurred which beggars description. All 
 discipline was lost ; the men broke ranks, invaded the 
 sidewalks, whooped and yelled like Indians. Fortu- 
 nately no one attempted to improve the discipline. Any 
 such effort would have met with resistance, for the 
 men carried their carbines and sabers. There was not 
 an officer of the regiment who felt like attempting to 
 command. Colonel Wm. H. Boyd, who was active in 
 the valley, but ordered to Washington to command his 
 regiment in person, met us on the march through the 
 city to Arlington. When he appeared, the men rushed 
 toward him yelling like savages, without reason or 
 respect. The field and line officers gathered around 
 him in silent salute. The colonel spoke not a word, but 
 wept like a child. His first utterance was, 'Chaplain, I 
 did not think, when I invited you to the brilliant dash 
 in the enemy's field, that we should be treated in this 
 manner.' To this statement there was no answer. We 
 
Christian Patriot 109 
 
 marched through Washington, across the long bridge 
 into Virginia, and were quartered in sight of General 
 Robert E. Lee's residence. There was no effort made 
 to establish order in our rude camp. Boxes of muskets 
 were shipped to headquarters, but the men swore they 
 would not surrender their sabers or carbines, and 
 would not handle a musket. This state of affairs con- 
 tinued for several days, during which there was neither 
 reveille nor roll-call nor any command given, the men 
 wearying themselves out by inactivity. 
 
 "There was a regiment of colored cavalrymen en- 
 camped close by. They practiced the most perfect dis- 
 cipline. Our men, having nothing else to do, would 
 gather round their camp to see them mount guard and 
 practice those requirements necessary to camp rule. 
 Our chaplain, always friendly toward the injured race, 
 became friendly at once with the officers and men. It 
 was then that he performed the most valuable work of 
 his life in the service. He would return from that 
 colored camp, move about among the companies and 
 the men to show them how orderly and noble these 
 colored men acted, and how much better and wiser for 
 all concerned if they, too, would prove obedient and 
 worthy than act in a disorderly manner. 
 
 "In Jiis kind and unobtrusive manner he inculcated 
 the spirit of obedience, appealing to their patriotism 
 and sense of right ; he said that the dismount was 
 a necessity to help our men out of the swamps of the 
 wilderness, and that as soon as possible the regiment 
 would be mounted again. By such appeals to their 
 better reason and feelings, making no speeches or dem- 
 onstration, he quietly 'calmed the savage breast with 
 
110 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 peace,' and really led the men quietly to submit to the 
 orders of the Government. The officers, of course, 
 entered into the same spirit, and when the boxes of 
 muskets were opened there was not a man in the regi- 
 ment who did not step up when called, lay down his 
 saber and carbine, and shoulder a musket. 
 
 "The appeasing of the just wrath of the Twenty- 
 first Pennsylvania Cavalry on this trying occasion is 
 justly attributable to Chaplain I. L. Kephart. 
 
 "The sequel of this dismounting showed that in a 
 military sense it was the best thing that ever occurred 
 for the perfection of this regiment." 
 
 Concerning the remounting of the Twenty-first 
 Pennsylvania Cavalry, on October 6, Mr. Doyle 
 says: "The battles of August 18, 19, and 21 were 
 fought, and that of People's Farm, September 30. 
 In this campaign, being a continuous fight from June 
 2, 1864, to September 30, our regiment was very much 
 reduced in numbers, so we were ordered to City Point 
 to be remounted, and the new men which were re- 
 cruited were distributed among the different companies, 
 filling the Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry up to its 
 maximum number. There the men exchanged their 
 tattered uniforms for new garments, horses well 
 equipped were furnished the men, and once more the 
 gallant regiment marched to the front full of courage 
 and determination. P>ut one thing still remained old. 
 The regiment's banner, a fine silk flag made by the 
 ladies of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, and presented 
 through Colonel McClure and carried through every 
 battle, was now old and pierced with bullets, as were 
 the twelve guidons of the companies. In marching to 
 
Christian Patriot 111 
 
 the front, the soldiers who had been off duty stood 
 along the line to see this body of cavalry, looking brand 
 new, going to the front. Those old service-stained 
 soldiers first began to laugh and jolly the apparently 
 new and green regiment, saying, 'Well, boys, the John- 
 nies are just waiting to welcome you,' and such jocular 
 remarks. But when they noticed our bullet-shattered 
 banner and our company guidons, all pierced with bul- 
 lets, they saw they were jeering a veteran regiment, 
 and we received from them three of the most hearty 
 cheers. Our dear chaplain rode along the line of com- 
 panies as happy as a man could be, and was heartily 
 cheered by the boys as he said to them, 'Didn't I tell 
 you at Arlington the Government would do the right 
 thing and remount us as soon as possible ?' I feel that 
 this was the happiest day of his life." 
 
 From June 2, 1864, till April 9, 1865, the regiment 
 participated in nineteen engagements, losing 417 of its 
 men in killed and wounded, besides about 200 taken 
 prisoners. As chaplain of the regiment, Doctor Kep- 
 hart was present and under fire in every one of these 
 nineteen battles. 
 
 Speaking of his first experience in battle, he says, 
 in a letter written June 8, 1884 : "The morning of the 
 31st we heard the roar of cannon in battle. I must 
 admit, as it was the first music (?) of the kind I had 
 ever heard, that the effect upon my nerves was by no 
 means soothing." But he undoubtedly became more 
 accustomed very shortly after, for he says, speaking of 
 the battle that followed on the second of June : "Just 
 as the storm was subsiding, the rattle of musketry com- 
 menced in the timber but a short distance to the right 
 
112 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 of where our regiment lay and was interspersed with 
 cheer upon cheer, and soon shells began to fly, and the 
 fact that they came from two different directions made 
 it evident that the rebels had the 'cross fire' on us. 
 Then and there I first learned what it is to be where 
 the shells are bursting all around. . . . The position 
 the enemy held was strong and the fire galling, but the 
 Twenty-first, though not drilled a single bit as infantry, 
 went into it like veterans. The charge was made and 
 the enemy routed from their position, but our regiment 
 suffered severely." 
 
 Mr. Doyle furnishes an interesting description of 
 the battle before Petersburg, in 1864. On June 3, 
 he was shot through the forearm at the battle of 
 Cold Harbor, disabling him for thirty days, during 
 which time he and the chaplain did not meet. He 
 says of the battle at Petersburg : 
 
 "Again, in July, we met in front of Petersburg, 
 Virginia, where every day w^as fight, culminating in 
 the terrible affair so unfortunate to the Union — the 
 blowing up of the mine on July 30. All the previous 
 day and through the night of July 29, we were 
 expecting something desperate to occur, and were 
 preparing for the event in every possible way. The 
 morning of July 30 had just clearly dawmed when 
 the earth trembled and an eruption like an earth- 
 quake broke forth. The rebel fort on our right 
 burst up into the air, carrying with it the men 
 occupying the fort, some erect, others feet foremost, 
 arms and legs extended, and then all fell back into 
 the crater. At the first sound of the report, all 
 the cannons along the line opened as with one 
 
Christian Patriot 113 
 
 sound, and made a terrible uproar, the like of which 
 no one living ever heard before. The enemy were 
 overwhelmed with fear. They fled like ants from a 
 destroyed ant-hill. Everything was in consterna- 
 tion. We expected every moment to hear the com- 
 mand, 'Forward! Charge! March!' but it never 
 came. Only three regiments were massed and 
 ordered to possess the fort. 
 
 "The enemy soon recovered from the fright, and 
 their cannons opened from every direction, bearing 
 on the fort and the space in front, over which our 
 men were passing. They mowed our men down 
 like grass before the reaper. Those who reached 
 the fort did so to perish, and those who crossed the 
 breastworks did so never to return. For three days 
 all efforts to relieve our wounded failed. Every 
 flag of truce was rejected ; the wounded were left to 
 die upon the field in a July sun. Such was the 
 incensed feeling of the enemy that not until all were 
 still in death, the third day after the battle, did we 
 get permission to bury the dead. 
 
 "Chaplain Kephart and I passed over the field 
 where the three regiments of men lay slaughtered, 
 covering every foot of ground between the lines at 
 this place. It was a shocking sight; dead bodies 
 lying in every shape and manner, shattered, swollen, 
 lying on top and across each other. Well might 
 General Sherman have said, 'War is hell.' " 
 
 Doctor Kephart gives the following poetic 
 description of the blowing up of this fort : 
 
114 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 "Awake, brave boys ! we 're ordered out ; 
 'T is now just three, look well about, 
 'T is said, at four they '11 spring the mine 
 And open all along the line." 
 
 That awful day of sixty-four! 
 A hundred thousand men or more 
 Were all aroused, with bated breath, 
 To plunge into the work of death. 
 
 The morning quiet, deathly still, — 
 Silence supreme, from hill to hill. 
 Reigned all around; nor could one guess 
 Why men should fight instead of bless. 
 
 The dawn of day advancing fast. 
 
 Now gilded o'er the country vast ; 
 
 The sun began to shoot his rays 
 
 And light the camp with his morning blaze. 
 
 And still deep silence reigned around, 
 From fort to fort, from mound to mound ; 
 The army seemed to be asleep. 
 But, ah, 't was stirred with purpose deep. 
 
 Hark! thundering forth an earthquake sound! 
 A shock with trembling shakes the ground! 
 A fort goes heav'nward in the air ! 
 And cannon volley forth their blare. 
 
 Now, all along the extended line, 
 For miles on each side of the mine. 
 The cannon roar, the muskets rattle, 
 As rages forth the storm of battle. 
 
 The minies zip, the mortars thunder ! 
 The bomb-shells fly, the soldiers wonder! 
 And clouds on clouds of smoke up-curl. 
 Amid the battle's awful whirl! 
 
 Now, "Forward, boys!" the brave commander 
 Shouts to the colored troops off yonder ; 
 And up they ^spring and bravely dash 
 Amid the battle's awful crash. 
 
Christian Patriot 115 
 
 On, on they go, up through the breach ! 
 On, on, the blown-up fort they reach ! 
 On still they go 'mid rain of shell. 
 That tell upon their ranks too well! 
 
 They 've passed the fort, they 're through the lines ! 
 Oh, how their courage far outshines 
 The proudest hopes of Freedom's friends, 
 And to their race new luster lends! 
 
 Now, on the hill they halt to form, 
 But, ah, upon them falls a storm 
 Of shot and shell from distant forts — 
 The musketry of vast cohorts. 
 
 They stand ! they stagger, and they sway 
 From left to right, and thousands lay, 
 Of braves shot down; they strew the ground! 
 Smoke, roar, and death reign all around! 
 
 This carnival of death they brave 
 A moment, and then seek to save. 
 By sudden, panic-smitten flight, 
 The few that 's left, and with all might 
 
 They break and fly across the breach. 
 Nor stop until they cover reach, 
 Where, huddled like dog-frightened sheep. 
 They stand, too much amazed to speak. 
 
 Awhile resounds the cannon's blare ; 
 Awhile the shells their pathway tear 
 Through breastworks, forests, forts, and tents, 
 And then the dreadful strife relents. 
 
 The sun now settles in the west; 
 His golden rays in beauty rest 
 Upon a scene with horror rife — 
 This field of sanguinary strife ! 
 
 Five thousand lost to freedom's cause ! 
 Dead, wounded, prisoners ! Let us pause 
 And count, in blood and death, the cost 
 Of this great battle fought, and lost ! 
 
116 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 In a letter written August 24, 1864, he gives a 
 partial description of this terrible battle. He says : 
 "We now rest on the famous Weldon Railroad, and 
 I shall take advantage of this temporary halt to 
 drop a few lines. From the time I wrote you my 
 last letter, nothing of special interest occurred until 
 the 30th of July. Then came the blowing up of the 
 fort, the tremendous cannonading, and the repulse 
 of our forces, which some papers of the North and 
 of the South tried hard to magnify into complete 
 annihilation. It is gratifying to every lover of 
 liberty to know that this noble army still survives. 
 
 "Respecting the afifairs of the 30th ult., I will 
 only add that the cannonading was doubtless the 
 most grand and tremendous the world has ever wit- 
 nessed. Its effect upon an eye witness was inde- 
 scribable. The earth trembled ; the heavens were 
 black with smoke for miles, while crash upon crash, 
 and peal upon peal made the vast expanse of space 
 resound as if convulsed with some great, thundering 
 tornado." 
 
 Later, in describing the movements at Dinwiddie 
 Court House, 'he says: "There is a fascination, 
 excitement, and glory connected with war when it 
 is removed at a great distance ; but when it is 
 brought so near to you that you can hear the minies 
 whistle and sing 'bim,' 'zim,' 'chung,' close to your 
 own ears, and hear the murderous shells howl and 
 scream like death demons through the air, and see 
 them now and then knock over a horse or a man 
 at your side; and just then, in addition to the fact 
 that the enemy is pressing hard on the left flank 
 
Christian Patriot 117 
 
 and front, the somewhat serious intelligence reaches 
 you that the enemy is in the rear also, and visions 
 of prisons begin to flit across your brain, then the 
 'glory of the charge' and the 'grandeur of the battle- 
 field' lose all their fascinating brilliancy, and things 
 settle down to what they really are — stern, sober 
 realities." 
 
 On December 10, 1864, he recorded in his diary : 
 "I am thirty-two years old to-day ; had a miserable 
 night of it; a coat of ice half an inch thick covers 
 everything; had no shelter and slept but very little; 
 by far the most uncomfortable night of my life; but 
 still we cracked many a joke and took everything 
 in good humor, remembering that it is 'all for the 
 flag.' " In an article written describing that same 
 night's rest, he says : "We did not unsaddle our 
 horses, but built fires, around which we huddled, 
 while the merciless sleet and soaking rain pelted us 
 during the whole of that long, long night. I slept 
 but very little, and then lay on the wet ground, 
 using a black man's knee for a pillow. I always 
 knew I was an abolitionist, but never dreamed that 
 the force of circumstance would make me glad to 
 avail myself of the opportunity to use a black man's 
 knee for a pillow." 
 
 In his diary he gives the following brief descrip- 
 tion of the scene in the army leading to and follow- 
 ing the capture of Petersburg, 1865 : 
 
 "April 2nd, Sabbath. Tremendous cannonading 
 all last night in the direction of Petersburg, which 
 increased with tenfold fury as the morning dawned, 
 but ceased about 9:00 a.m. At 10:00 a.m., the joy- 
 
118 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 ful news came that Petersburg- was taken. Then a 
 scene was witnessed long to be remembered. Such 
 cheering! Hats were thrown twenty feet into the 
 air; the men made the heavens ring with cheer 
 upon cheer, while officers galloped to and fro, swing- 
 ing their hats, shaking each other's hands, laughing 
 and cheering, completely overcome with joy. Just 
 then General Sheridan rode along the lines, which 
 added greatly to the excitement. About noon it 
 became evident that the Rebel forces, which our 
 movement to the right of the Fifth Corps was 
 designed to check, had withdrawn, and the cavalry 
 again moved down to the extreme left and struck 
 the South Side Railroad at Ford's, moved along the 
 road in the direction of Petersburg for six miles, 
 and at night halted, well satisfied with our day's 
 work. 'The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice!'" 
 
 His description of the events immediately preced- 
 ing Lee's surrender is as follows : 
 
 "April 9th, Sabbath. Moved at 6:00 a.m. Struck 
 the Confederates, or rather they struck us one mile 
 beyond Appomattox Station. Had a sharp fight. 
 The Twenty-fourth and part of the Twenty-fifth 
 Corps came to our assistance. We held the road. 
 General Lee finally seeing that he is surrounded, 
 sends in a flag of truce and proposes to surrender 
 his army. Our cavalry moved out to the left, and 
 before the news of the truce reaches them, they 
 prepare to charge. The Twenty-first leads the 
 charge, and had just started when the news of the 
 truce reached the regiment that was to support 
 them. The Twent3'--first charged down the road. 
 
Christian Patriot 119 
 
 driving the Confederates, but finding their supports 
 were not coming up, returned much chagrined. Learn- 
 ing of the truce, they were well satisfied. Thus the 
 Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry makes the last 
 charge, as w^ell as the first charge of this great and 
 glorious campaign. General Lee surrenders his 
 army to General Grant ; the soldiers are to be 
 paroled, and permitted to return to their homes 
 unarmed. The news is given to our army. Uni- 
 versal joy ! This Lord's day virtually ends the war. 
 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, 
 good will toward men.' " 
 
 In his record of the 12th of April, he says : "Dur- 
 ing this campaign I have not had my boots ofif my 
 feet for fifteen days. Took them ofif to-day for the 
 first time since we broke camp." 
 
 On April 16, he records : "We changed camp, 
 fixed up quarters, and thus a beautiful Sabbath is 
 spent. The news of President Lincoln's assassina- 
 tion, which reached us late last night, is confirmed. 
 Good God ! what a national calamity ! How myste- 
 rious are the providences of God toward this nation ! 
 Why should such an act be permitted? God grant 
 that this terrible calamity may be overruled for the 
 nation's good." 
 
 Following the surrender of Lee, he returned to 
 Washington, and from thence to his family at 
 Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania, where he arrived on 
 April 28, at 4:00 p.m., and says, "I am once more 
 infinitely happy in the society of my dear little 
 family." On May 1, he says: "At home all day. 
 Oh, how happy the man that can enjoy without 
 
120 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 interruption the society of his loving, interesting 
 little family !" 
 
 During Doctor Kephart's service in the army, he 
 made the acquaintance of a negro who had the 
 symphonious name of "Ruffin Nathaniel Seeagen 
 Short," with the chief emphasis on the "Short," a 
 servant of Sergeant-Major Long, who was such an 
 interesting character that Doctor Kephart had fre- 
 quent conversations with him and, after the war, 
 wrote quite an extended account of his interviews. 
 We give one of them : 
 
 "Rufifin had entered my tent and taken a seat by 
 the fire. After rubbing his hands and passing the 
 compliments of the evening, he said, 'Chaplain, 
 dar 's a place in dat good Book where it says sumfin' 
 'bout dar bein' nuffin' dat can sep'rate us from de 
 Lo'd Jesus, isn't dar?' 
 
 " 'Yes,' I said to him, 'there is.' 
 
 " 'Well, would yer be so kind as ter jis' find dat 
 place an' read a little ter me. Dat passage has been 
 mighty comfortin' ter me many times. My ole 
 'oman often read hit ter me.' 
 
 "I took up my Bible and turned to Romans 8, 
 and read the whole chapter. He listened very atten- 
 tively, every now and then interposing a 'Bless de 
 Lo'd,' until I read, 'For I am persuaded that neither 
 death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor 
 powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor 
 height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be 
 able to separate us from the love of God which is 
 in Christ Jesus, our Lord.' As I pronounced the 
 last word, he brought liis hand down on his knee 
 
IV/ii/e Professor in Western College, 1872 
 
I I 
 
 warn 
 
 _Ji 
 
 m 
 
 Mrs. Kephnrt, Doctor Kephart, Belle {deceased), and Horace. 
 
 (As the funtily appeared about eighteen years ago.) 
 
Christian Patriot 121 
 
 with a great slap and exclaimed : 'Dar ! Bless de 
 Lo'd! dat kivers de whole groun' an' no mistake. 
 Hit 's jis' as I used to tell my ole massa ; de Baptis' 
 doc'rine am right, "onct in grace, allers in grace," 
 for nuffin' can sep'rate us from de lub ob God. 
 Isn't dat so, chaplain? De Book says so, fer yer 
 jis' read hit ter me dis blessed minute.' 
 
 " 'You are a Baptist, then,' I said, 'are you ?' 
 
 " 'Yes, sah, I is. When I got 'ligion, I felt dat I 
 war so great a sinner dat all de water in de Jameses 
 Ribber were not too much to wash my sins 'way ; 
 an' I says to de preacher, "Put me in 'fectually, an' 
 no little sprinklin' 'bout it; hit takes moah den 
 sprinklin' ter make me clean." ' 
 
 " 'Was your master a Baptist, too?' 
 
 " 'No, sah, he 'longed ter no church ; but missus 
 an' young missus 'longed ter de Meth'dis', an' massa 
 leaned dat way, too. He alius said dat de Baptist 
 doc'rin' ob "onct in grace, allers in grace," was 
 wrong, and dat de Meth'dis' doc'rin' of backslidin' was 
 right. An' me an' ole massa had many a hard 
 argument on dat berry p'int. But one day, I jis' 
 'eluded dat I 'd settle dat p'int onct for all wid 
 massa ; so I got ready and waited till de next time 
 he 'd tackle me. So, one day, we was shuckin' co'n, 
 an' massa com'd 'long in fine good humor, an' he 
 ag'in pokes a little fun at me 'bout de perseverin' ob 
 de saints. So I jis' say ter him, "Now, massa, if 
 yer '11 jis' gib me two minutes time, I convinces yer 
 onct for all dat de Baptis' am right an' de Meth'dis' 
 am "vvrong." "All right," says massa, lafifin', "go 
 'head." "Well," says I. "hit 's jis' dis way. I 's 
 
122 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 youh nigg-a, isn't I?" "Yes, you are." "You buyed 
 me?" "Yes." "You paid for me wid youah own 
 money?" "Yes." "Den I 's youahs sartin suah, 
 isn't I?" "Oh, yes." "Well, s'posin' I runs 'way 
 from yer, isn't I youah nigga still?" "Yes, indeed, 
 you are." "AVell, I now b'longs to de Lo'd Jesus, 
 'cause he bought me." "Yes." "He paid for me 
 wid his own blood." "Yes." "Den I 's his sartin 
 suah." "Yes." "Supposin' I runs 'way from him, 
 isn't I his still?"' 
 
 " 'And what did your master say to that?' I asked. 
 
 " 'He jis' looked at me kinder blank-like, an' he 
 says, "Ruffin, my boy, yer 's mighty sharp" ; an' 
 from dat on, ole massa nebber onct moah argied wid 
 me 'bout fallin' from grace.' 
 
 "The fact was, the wily slave-master saw that it 
 would not do to admit that if his slave ran away 
 from him he would be no longer his. This victory 
 over his master in argument seemed to afford the 
 simple-minded, honest-hearted slave so much satis- 
 faction that I could not find it in my heart to rob 
 him of his joy by pointing out to him the fallacy in 
 his argument. On the other hand, I could but 
 assure him that his victory over his master was 
 complete, even though the logic was false. 
 
 "Being much interested in his religious life, I 
 asked him to give me an account of his awakening 
 and conversion. 
 
 " 'Well,' he said, 'yer see I owes it all to de good 
 Lo'd an' dat blessed ole 'oman ob mine. I was 
 wild an' wicked jis' like udder young niggas, till 
 arter I married 'Nerva. But w'en I wanted ter 
 
Christian Patriot 123 
 
 marry, I didn't pick out a young gal ; I picked on 
 'Nerva, who b'long ter Cap'in Temples, an' she was 
 fifteen years older den me.' 
 
 " 'Why, Ruffin,' I said, 'what was your notion for 
 choosing a wife so much older than yourself?' 
 
 " 'Oh, I didn't want any ob dem young gals as 
 goes flirtin' 'round ; I wanted a good ole 'oman as 
 has got sense. So I picked on 'Nerva, an' we got 
 married, an' got 'long fust-rate. She nebber scold 
 me onct. She allers spoke kind ter me, called me 
 her boy, an' was allers glad to see me. Before de 
 wah commenced, I went ter see her regular, ebery 
 five or six weeks, on Sat'day night, an' stayed till 
 Sunday night. Had fifteen miles to walk arter a 
 doin' ob my week's work, but dat didn't seem much, 
 for I was allers so glad ter see 'Nerva. She was 
 Cap'in Temples' boss cook, an' de cap'in's wife 
 thought lots ob her an' allers 'lowed her ter gib me 
 somethin' good ter eat. De cap'in's plantation was 
 jis' two miles from City P'int. Dat is, de cap'in 
 lived on dat plantation for seberal years afore de 
 wah, but w'en we got married he lived on de plan- 
 tation jinin' my massa's, and dar I could be wid 
 'Nerva almost ebery night in our own little cabin. 
 Arter de wah commenced, I only got to go see 
 'Nerva onct in five or six months. 
 
 " 'Well, as I was goin' ter say, w'en we got mar- 
 ried, I was a wicked young nigga, but 'Nerva was 
 a good, true Christian, if ebber dar was one in dis 
 wo'ld. She read ter me outer der Testament and 
 she talked kind ter me 'bout how de blessed Jesus 
 was ter die for us all, and buy us back from de debil 
 
124 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 wid his own blood. But wen she saw I was 
 a gittin' worried, she jis' quit talkin' dat minit. 
 Well, ole massa would 'low us niggas to chop down 
 a cowcummer tree, an' at nights we would make 
 wooden bowls outer de wood, an' den on Sundays 
 we would carry dem off an' sell dem, an' in dat way 
 git a little spen'in' money ob our own. Dis I did for 
 quite a while arter we were married, but hit worried 
 'Nerva much, an' she talked kindly ter me 'bout hit 
 jis' as she saw I would stand her talk, an' told me 
 hit was wicked ter peddle bowls on de good Lo'd's 
 day. An' she did hit all so kind, too, dat I could 
 not find hit in my heart ter git cross at her. One 
 week, I had worked hard an' late each night, makin' 
 bowls, an' on Sunday mornin', as soon as breakfast 
 was ober, I got my lot ob bowls on my back, an' 
 jis' as I stood in de doah ob our cabin ready to 
 start, 'Nerva came ter me wid a nice clean white 
 hanckerchief on her neck, an', looking berry sad, 
 laid her hand on my shoulder an' said, so kind-like, 
 "Well, my boy, is yer goin' ag'in?" But somehow 
 dat kinder riled me, and I jis' said, short-like, "I 
 jis' wis'h y 'd mind yer own business." She nebber 
 said anudder wo'd, but jis' folded her arms 'cross 
 her breast, heaved a big sigh, an' said, "Lord, bless 
 him." At dat I started, an' a great big lump seemed 
 ter rise rite in my throat an' nearly choke me. I 
 walked out de road wid de bowls on my back, an' 
 as de road was straight for nearly a mile, ebery 
 now an' den I 'd look back an' I could see 'Nerva 
 standin' in de doah, leanin' 'gainst do doah cheekin', 
 an' de white hanckerchief on her neck ; an' I know'd 
 
Christian Patriot 125 
 
 she was prayin' for me all de time. Well, chaplain, 
 'pon my wo'd, ebery blessed time I looked back, 
 dat lump in my throat got bigger, and dem bowls 
 on my back got heabier. I know'd I ougtht ter go 
 back; somethin' kept a tellin' me dat I should go 
 back, dat I was a wicked, hard-hearted nigga ; but 
 on I went an' sold de bowls. But, oh, how I was 
 troubled ; I couldn't rest ; dat lump in my throat 
 kept a chokin' me all de while, an' somethin' kept 
 a tellin' me all de while dat de debil, he git me 
 suah. Well, I lit out for home as soon as possible, 
 an' got dar much sooner den usual. 'Nerva was 
 sittin' in de cabin readin' de Testament, but soon 
 as I come she says, "Oh, my boy, I 's so glad you 
 come," an' wid dat she quick gits somethin' on de 
 table an' tells me ter set up an' eat. I set up, but 
 dat lump was so big in my throat dat I could not, 
 for de life ob me, swoller a bite. 'Nerva notice dis 
 mighty quick, an' she says, so kind-like, "My poor 
 boy, is yer sick?" Den I could hole in no longer, 
 an' I says : "O 'Nerva, 'Nerva, pray for your poor 
 boy. I 's such a great sinner, de debil he gits me 
 suah" ; an' wid dat I falls on my knees by de stool, 
 de tears a streamin' down my cheeks. But den yer 
 should hab seen 'Nerva. Instead ob bein' skeered, 
 as I thought she 'd be, she jis' clapped her ban's 
 an' said, so gentle an' soothin'-like : "Bless de 
 Lo'd, bless de Lo'd ! My boy now sees dat he am 
 a sinner! Bless de Lo'd! Jesus come inter de 
 wo'ld to save sinners ! Bless de Lo'd !" 
 
 "'But says I, "O 'Nerva, I 's too great a sinner; 
 de Lo'd cannot save me." Den she jis' lafifed an' 
 
126 Life of Isaiah L. Kcpliart 
 
 said : "Oh, you poor, blind, foolish nigga, as if de 
 good Lo'd war weak ! Why, he made heaven an' 
 earth, an' you thinks he can't save one little nigga 
 like you. Why, he can save a whole world full ob 
 sinners like you, if dey only come ter him." 
 
 " 'Well, from dat time on till 'bout midnight, we 
 had a time. 'Nerva sung, an' prayed, an' shouted, 
 an' quoted Scripture ter me ; an' all de time I 
 seemed to be gittin' nearer an' nearer to de mouth 
 of hell; an' at last, when I jis' see de ole debil wid 
 his big pitchfork 'bout ter histe me right into de 
 lake ob fire, I cries wid all my soul, "Lo'd Jesus, 
 save me or I perish" ; an' hit seemed as if he leaped 
 right in between de debil an' me, an' wid a smile on 
 his blessed face, catched me in his arms an' hugged 
 me to his bussum ! Well, yer better b'lieve dat 
 war a change for me. Why, hit jis' 'peared as if I 
 war a new man all over. For onct I forgot I was a 
 slave. I shouted glory to God. I clasped 'Nerva in 
 my arms. Afore dat she war a good 'oman, I 
 thought, but now she war an angel. Her black face 
 jis' shined like de gold ob de New Jerusalem, an' 
 our little cabin seemed like heaben itself. Well, 
 from dat blessed day, I hab never b'lieved dat de 
 ole debil or anybody else could pluck me away from 
 my blessed Savior.' " 
 
 The work of Doctor Kephart as chaplain was 
 most highly appreciated by all his soldier friends, 
 as they testified in many ways. Rev. M. P. Doyle, 
 his intimate friend, in a personal letter written 
 December 18, 1907, says: "I feel proud and thank- 
 ful to say that the Church of the United Brethren 
 
Christian Patriot 127 
 
 in Christ was honored by the Christian record of 
 its minister ; and the officers and men of the 
 Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry were proud of 
 their chaplain. I was very glad because I had a 
 part in that selection, and we were all benefited by 
 the near presence of our chaplain in every battle 
 and every necessity, to instruct and cheer the men 
 in the battle for victory and in the struggle with 
 death. The record of many regimental chaplains 
 was not the most commendable, but such was not 
 the case with the chaplain of the Twenty-first Penn- 
 sylvania Cavalry, and the entire regiment, as well 
 as our brigade and its commander, realized and 
 appreciated it. I will mention, among the many 
 services rendered by our chaplain, this incident : 
 The soldiers w^ere at one time over five months 
 without receiving pay, because there was no money 
 to pay them in the treasury. When the paymaster 
 came along, our regiment was in the front line of 
 battle in front of Petersburg. The soldiers were 
 paid right on the firing-line by companies. No man 
 wanted to carry his money into the fight for evident 
 reasons. So our chaplain, Rev. I. L. Kephart, may 
 God bless him, came along with a big cofifee sack 
 and received the pay of the officers and men to 
 express to our home folks, and it is worthy of record 
 that never was there a man, or the representative of 
 any man, who ever complained of any delay in 
 having received the money. I bundled up my pay 
 of some five or six hundred dollars with my name 
 upon it, as my only security. The chaplain took 
 it, put it in an express envelope, expressed it to 
 
128 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 Bedford, Pennsylvania, to my wife, and word of its 
 reception was received by me, and the same was 
 the experience of every man in my company and of 
 the regiment." 
 
 Doctor Kephart mentions in his diary at least 
 six different times at which money was given him 
 to send home. At one time, $7,700; at another, 
 $33,029.55; at another, $51,000. The other times 
 the amount is not stated, except that on February 
 27, 1865, he received and expressed home 102 pack- 
 ages, the amount not given. This indicates, in a 
 very large degree, the confidence felt in him by the 
 men of his regiment. The following is a statement 
 in this relation from the officers of the regiment : 
 
 "Camp Cook, Pennsylvania. 
 "To All Whom it May Concern. 
 
 "We, the undersigned officers of this detachment of 
 the Twenty-first Pennsylvania Cavalry, take pleasure 
 in certifying that our chaplain, Rev. I. L. Kephart. has, 
 while identified with us, always conducted himself as 
 a true Christian, and that by the faithful performance 
 of all his duties as chaplain he has secured for himself 
 the esteem and confidence of the officers and men. 
 
 "R. F. MosAN, Lieut. Col. 
 
 "M. P. Doyle, First Lieut. Co. C. 
 
 "Howard B. Jeffries, Sec. Lieut. Co. E. 
 
 "E. McMullen, Adjutant. 
 
 "John Killinger, Lieut. Co. C. 
 
 "Geo. F. Cook, First Lieut. 
 
 "S. M. MuRPiiY, Assistant Surgeon. 
 
 "J. H. Hammon, Second Lieut. Co. L. 
 
Christian Patriot 129 
 
 "Warren Foster, Second Lieut. Co. M. 
 "F. D. French, First Lieut. Co. L. 
 "J. L A. Weller, Capt. 
 
 Member of Military Commission. 
 "D. B. Vondersmith, Captain Co. D. 
 "Geo. L. Stiles, Co. L." 
 
 In further attestation of their appreciation of his 
 services, the soldiers of Company G, October 11, 1864, 
 presented to him a splendid set of horse equipments 
 complete, which cost in all $65, and on March 24, 1865, 
 Company B presented him a fine quarto Bible which 
 bears the inscription : 
 
 "In Deo Fides Nostra." 
 
 Presented 
 
 By 
 
 Co. B, 21st Pa. Cavalry, 
 
 To 
 
 Rev. L L. Kephart, 
 
 as a 
 
 Mark of our esteem and kind regards. 
 
 The following- tribute to Chaplain Kephart is 
 from the pen of Lieutenant William Chandler, and 
 appeared in the "Home," of Strawsburg, Pennsyl- 
 vania, August 8, 1902 : "I wish to pay my respects 
 to our worthy chaplain. Rev. L L. Kephart, D.D. 
 He has studied men as well as theology. He was 
 ever our consistent spiritual adviser. On the march 
 and in camp he cared tenderly for the sick and 
 wounded. As a soldier for the great Master, he was 
 
130 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 always on duty. When occasion permitted on Sun- 
 days, he eloquently and forcibly upheld the standard 
 of the Lord, argumentative, sincere, persuasive, and 
 oratorical. Comrades in the camp flocked to hear 
 him, and went away better for the hearing. His 
 message was, to be ready to answer the roll-call in 
 the eternal world beyond. 'Be ye all ready.' " 
 
 Rev. M. P. Doyle says : "Chaplain Kephart was 
 a very cheerful and humorous man, and entirely 
 void of any gloomy, ascetic bearing. He was cheer- 
 ful, always ready to amuse with interesting stories 
 and jocular incidents. I have known him to pass 
 along the companies on the march and cheer them 
 up with some uplifting, laughable incident. It was 
 during the three days of fighting at the Weldon 
 Railroad that he passed the joke, here narrated, 
 
 upon an old political opponent, Ex-Governor . 
 
 He was putting the money the soldiers had given 
 him in large express envelopes to forward to the 
 different homes. There was circulated at this time 
 a small map showing the progress made in subduing 
 the rebellion. The States in rebellion were shown 
 in black, while the States in the Union were printed 
 in light red. Said he: T am going to play a joke 
 on the old copperhead ex-governor. I '11 send him 
 this map in one of these express envelopes and 
 promise to pay him $10,000 when the Northern 
 States turn black and the Rebels conquer the Union 
 army.' He was in a condition to pass a joke at this 
 time, and we both enjoyed this hugely. The map 
 was folded, placed in an official express envelope, 
 marked $10,000 on the outside, and forwarded with 
 
Christian Patriot 131 
 
 the other envelopes. 'This,' said he, 'will show him 
 how a soldier at the front argues politics.' " 
 
 He says, further: "On one occasion, while the 
 chaplain was preaching to the assembled regiment 
 on the Weldon Railroad just captured, the enemy 
 opened up on us with shot and shell, tearing up the 
 ground all around us and far beyond us into the 
 woods. The place was open, and we must be in 
 full view, as well as in range of the enemy. It is 
 a fact wihich is to be noted with pride that our 
 brave chaplain never faltered, but kept on preach- 
 ing, and not a man or officer ever quit his place. 
 Those on the outside nestled in closer, and the serv- 
 ice continued to the end. I am confident the enemy 
 regretted this s'helling a worshiping congregation, 
 for the fire was stopped before the service was over. 
 I do not know of any act that occurred in the entire 
 war that shows greater courage than the firmness 
 of the preacher who preached under this terrible 
 and unexpected fire, and the cool conduct of the 
 congregation that was not dispersed by cannon- 
 balls. 
 
 "It is not surprising that the officers gathered 
 around the chaplain and congratulated him on his 
 courage and firmness, but we all congratulated each 
 other and thanked God that no one was injured in 
 this service under fire." 
 
 At the battle of Boydtown Plank Road, Mr. 
 Doyle received a bullet wound in the knee and was 
 taken to the hospital. Speaking of this he says : 
 "The dear, good chaplain visited me for the last 
 time at the hospital in which I was placed ; gave 
 
132 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 me an account of the action and how my company 
 was literally wiped out with the exception of seven- 
 teen men. They entered the battle with seventy- 
 three men. This ended our military companionship. 
 "Chaplain Kephart was admitted by all the offi- 
 cers and men of the Twenty-first Pennsylvania 
 Cavalry to be a brave and fearless soldier, remain- 
 ing with his regiment in all its advances, a faithful 
 chaplain, ever present to give religious counsel, to 
 soothe the dying, to minister to the sick and 
 wounded, to cheer the homesick and drooping spirit, 
 and strengthen the soldier going into battle. He 
 was a close and true friend and a delightful 
 companion." 
 
EDITOR 
 
"He who would hear the whisperings of the 'still small 
 voice' must learn to listen for it in the quiet of his own soul 
 rather than in the noise and bustle of life." 
 
VI. 
 EDITOR 
 
 Doctor Kephart became editor of the Religious 
 Telescope by election to that position at the General 
 Conference held at York, Pennsylvania, in 1889, 
 and served the Church in that capacity until the 
 Lord translated him on the twenty-eighth day of 
 October, 1908, his term of service lasting almost 
 twenty years. 
 
 To set forth his real work as an editor is some- 
 thing which words cannot do. Knowing him and 
 feeling the impulse of his life, one would rather his 
 work be seen than to think of his personality, for his 
 constant desire in his work was that he might 
 influence his readers to that which was good and 
 pure, rather than to establish himself as an editor. 
 
 With this conception, we review in this chapter 
 the work of the last twenty years of his life. In 
 point of duration, it was the longest term of service 
 given by any of the editors of the Church ; the next 
 longest being that of J. W. Hott, D.D., whose term 
 was from 1877 to 1889. 
 
 Doctor Kephart came to this position when our 
 denomination was in great turmoil over the Com- 
 mission Act, which was approved by the General 
 Conference at which he was elected, and at which 
 the Radical brethren withdrew from the Church 
 
136 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 and organized the new denomination subsequently 
 known as the Radical United Brethren. 
 
 A new era was opening before our denomination 
 at this period, and he who was to assume the 
 responsible position of editor of the Religious Tele- 
 scope little knew what was in store for him in the 
 measure of exacting service that would be expected 
 in this new position, for the Telescope became the 
 medium for continued argument on the vexing 
 questions of the day. 
 
 The result of his years of toil in this position 
 prove the wisdom of the General Conference in his 
 selection. When the student of our Church history 
 studies this period analytically, he will be compelled 
 to accord to Isaiah L. Kephart, as editor of the 
 Religious Telescope, great credit for the statesman- 
 like manner in which he handled the official organ 
 of the Church. 
 
 Qualification is essential to any great work. The 
 results of Doctor Kephart's life are so pronounced 
 as to cause one to inquire as to the educational 
 advantages of one who was so earnest and careful 
 and successful in leading the hosts of God with 
 such triumph. 
 
 In answering" this question, we find that he was a 
 close student and had quick discernment and posi- 
 tive application of mind. These qualities were not 
 entirely the product of book learning, for he had a 
 special training in the early years of his life which 
 made lasting ini])rcssions upon his mind, and pre- 
 pared him for the best results in "^ pursuing his 
 studies in his school life. 
 
The Editor 137 
 
 It was this practical education that manifested 
 itself in all his toil, and which, to a great degree, 
 prepared him for his greatest life work in the edi- 
 torial chair. 
 
 The fact that he was forced to steer a raft down 
 the rapid streams of the Alleghanies compelled him 
 to early learn the lesson of close application to his 
 task, for a wrong move or a thoughtless moment 
 might have meant the loss of the entire raft, as well 
 as his own life. 
 
 In his school-days, as a student, he was direct in 
 his thinking. His work was not superficial, as he 
 nev€r rested on his task until he had done his best 
 to reach the root of the matter, whether it was in 
 mathematics, philosophy, science, or religion. His 
 qualification was greatly enhanced by a strong 
 memory, that enabled him to retain for future use the 
 information which he had gathered, and with his 
 analytical mind he associated everything he touched 
 in such a way as to be productive in his thinking; thus, 
 as a student, he touched every field of inquiry, some 
 fields technically, others in a more general way, but in 
 each case thoroughly to the extent of the inquiry made, 
 so that his conclusions were not artificially based on 
 assumption, for what Doctor Kephart knew, he knew 
 very well. 
 
 His specific educational qualifications have been 
 stated in another chapter, and only that which 
 relates to his preparation for the most responsible 
 position that he held in his life is here considered. 
 The impression grows, as we study the great service 
 he rendered to the Church, that he was espe- 
 
138 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 cially chosen of God to give direction to the thought 
 of the Church at this critical time. 
 
 It was no uncommon thing for Doctor Kephart 
 to turn aside from editorial work and write a poem, 
 which not only had the power of the Muses in it, 
 but which in sentiment and lesson was exceptional. 
 
 The leadings of his well-cultured mind caused 
 him often to write his opinion on such questions as 
 "The Relation of the Stars One to the Other," "To 
 the Air," "Waves of Sound," etc. Nor was he a 
 stranger to botany, as is manifested in many of his 
 editorials, where the lessons taught from this field 
 of science are amplified. His knowledge in these 
 lines of thought gave diversity to his editorial 
 writings. 
 
 As stated before, the Church was in turmoil at 
 the time he assumed the work of editor. He was 
 then president of Westfield College, and his election 
 came to him, he often said, as a great surprise, as 
 he did not know that any one was thinking of him 
 in that relation. 
 
 His debates in the Telescope in previous years, 
 as well as his work as a professor and president, 
 had attracted the attention of the more thoughtful 
 members of the General Conference, and their wis- 
 dom, divinely guided, caused them to make no 
 mistake in his selection, for he seemed in every way 
 fitted for his work, and especially on account of the 
 even temper of his spirit. A man of wonderful 
 poise, so that, in crucial moments, when great agita- 
 tions were about him, he seemed able to quietly do 
 that which was necessarv to be done without excite- 
 
The Editor 139 
 
 ment. Like a pilot on a great vessel in the storm, 
 when all the passengers on board are excited, he 
 remains calmly at his post, holding the old ship 
 against the billows that clash and threaten its very 
 existence. 
 
 Soon after his election the great legal conflict 
 began that threatened every general interest of the 
 Church, and affected the security of the property of 
 every local congregation. 
 
 It is interesting to read his first editorial on 
 assuming the responsibility of this position. The 
 following is his salutatory : 
 
 " 'Man proposes and God disposes.' Having been 
 called of Him, through the action of the General 
 Conference, to edit your paper, I desire, on entering 
 upon the work, to extend to you cordial, hearty 
 greetings, as well as to bespeak your aid and for- 
 bearance. Profoundly do I realize that mine is no 
 easy task. The Telescope occupies a high posi- 
 tion among the religious periodicals of the land. 
 It is the organ of the Church we all so tenderly love, 
 and for the prosperity and usefulness of which we 
 are so deeply solicitous. My predecessor has served 
 you with great efficiency. That the enterprise ma)'^ 
 not deteriorate, and that the great interests at stake 
 may be promoted, much work of a high order must 
 be done. 
 
 "To this work is brought a keen sense of the 
 great responsibility of the position and an abiding 
 confidence in the willingness of Almighty God to 
 aid all faithful workers who look to, and confide in 
 him. 
 
140 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 "The Religious Telescope is not my paper, but 
 yours. It belongs to, and must voice the sentiments 
 and conserve the interests of the Church of the 
 United Brethren in Christ. Its mission is not to 
 thrust upon the readers of its columns certain 
 peculiar or personal opinions, prejudices, or prefer- 
 ences, but to keep Christ before the people ; to warn 
 the sinner of his danger, and point him to Jesus as 
 his only hope; to comfort and edify believers; to 
 defend and foster the interests of the Christian 
 church in general, and of the United Brethren 
 Church in particular; to aid pastors in their great 
 work ; to bless the homes of its readers by bring- 
 ing into them the wholesome, cheering sunshine of 
 pure, instructive reading-matter; to strive to move 
 men up to a higher, holier plane of Christian activity 
 by showing them the beauty, the importance, the 
 reward of such a life, rather than by censuring them 
 for doing wrong ; to strive to lead the masses into 
 the right way by showing what the right way is, 
 and the nobility and grandeur of walking therein, 
 rather than by reproaching the wrong way ; to 
 respect the opinions and teachings of the religious 
 and secular press ; to treat with becoming courtesy 
 all branches of the Christian church, all professed 
 Christians ; as far as possible, consistent with self- 
 respect and the defense of vital interests, to avoid 
 assailing or seeking controversy with enemies ; to 
 be no 'striker,' but in the spirit of our divine Lord, 
 to be an ardent defender of 'the faith delivered unto 
 the saints.' 
 
 "The key-note of the gospel is, 'I'eace on earth, 
 
The Editor 141 
 
 good will to man' ; and now that the questions that 
 have agitated our beloved Zion have been settled 
 by the vote of the Church, it seems to me that the 
 time has come for controversy to cease. Therefore, 
 the sentiment of my heart is, 'Let us have peace.' 
 
 "There is now no need of, nor time for strife with 
 those who have seen fit to depart. The questions 
 that the vote of the Church has settled cannot be 
 changed by word-battles. Time and space can be 
 more profitably employed than to indulge in these. 
 Such important interests — the spirituality of the 
 Church, the salvation of souls, the cause of missions, 
 Christian education — demand special attention, and 
 must receive it, if the Church is to go forward in 
 her Heaven-appointed work. This leaves but little 
 time and less space for profitless disputation and 
 'last words.' 
 
 "Impressed with these thoughts, I say to you all, 
 and from the depths of my soul. Pray for the peace 
 of the United Brethren Church, and aid in speeding 
 the answer to this prayer by refusing to say or do 
 anything that will tend to provoke controversy, 
 abiding in the assurance that they shall prosper in 
 their soul-life who love her and labor for her 
 prosperity. 
 
 "As far as my part of the work is concerned, as 
 far as in me lieth, God being my helper, the Relig- 
 ious Telescope shall accomplish the true mission of 
 a Christian periodical ; shall be true to the highest 
 legislative and judicial authority of our Zion. The 
 Church, through its General Conference, selects the 
 editor of its organ ; and duty, loyalty requires that 
 
142 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 to the best of his ability he perform the work 
 allotted to him. Should a difference of opinion on 
 his part stand in the way of his carrying out the 
 will of the Church, honesty and manliness would 
 demand that he decline the position, or having 
 accepted it, resign. 
 
 "Having been born, reared, converted to God, and 
 educated in the Church of the United Brethren in 
 Christ, I am heartily in accord with all the cardinal 
 tenets of its faith and its church polity; and it shall 
 be- my care and my pleasure, as the editor of its 
 organ, to maintain its doctrines and promote its 
 prosperity. 
 
 "Having for my associate him who has so faith- 
 full}^ and efficiently served you as assistant editor 
 for the last eight years, will be of inestimable value 
 to me and to you. 
 
 "To both the religious and the secular press, I 
 extend cordial greetings, and bespeak for myself 
 their kind consideration, and for my work their 
 candid, generous criticism. 
 
 "And now, brethren, sisters, friends, devoutly 
 invoking God's blessing and guidance, and sincerely 
 requesting that your editor be remembered by you 
 in your daily devotions, and therein commended to 
 the gracious guidance of our Heavenly Father, I 
 say, 'Forgetting those things which are behind,' 
 that ought to be forgotten, let us go forward in 
 obedience to the command of Him who has said, 
 'Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the 
 world.' Before our Church there opens up a wide 
 field of usefulness. May the King of kings help 
 
The Editor 143 
 
 each to do his part in the occupying of this great 
 field to the glory of his matchless name." 
 
 No one can read these words without being con- 
 vinced that a sincere heart was earnestly assuming 
 the responsibility of the hour, and, as the years 
 passed, this sincerity manifested itself more and 
 more. 
 
 The special elements that entered into, and mani- 
 fested themselves in his work as editor, are : 
 
 1. Fruit fulness. His management of the Tele- 
 scope marks a new era in the life of our denomina- 
 tion. This is said without any reflection upon the 
 work of his predecessors. Conditions had changed 
 in the Church ; the issues which had been uncertain 
 were now distinctly drawn, and possibilities of the 
 Church as an organization appealed to his liberal 
 mind, and he at once planned his work with a view 
 of developing the latent power of the membership. 
 
 While not claiming leadership in this matter, for 
 at that time no one would have disputed the posi- 
 tion of leadership with that princely man, Bishop 
 J. Weaver, D.D., yet Doctor Kephart never failed 
 to second any onward movement that would create 
 greater activity in the Church. 
 
 It was the period of reconstruction and reorgani- 
 zation, and, on this account, the Church may have 
 erred in judgment in the methods used in some 
 things ; but those who will take the time to go back 
 through the files of the Religious Telescope will find 
 a clear ring of advancement in every expression of 
 the pen of this splendid thinker. 
 
 2. Courage. Prejudice and intense feeling were 
 
144 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 everywhere manifested during the beginning years 
 of his editorial work. Families were divided on the 
 question of secrecy. College classmates, friends 
 from childhood, members of the same local society 
 were arraigned against each other in the most lios- 
 tile manner. Charges and countercharges were 
 being made on every hand, and, as editor of the 
 Telescope, Doctor Kephart was in the center of the 
 battle, and the Publishing House, with its aggres- 
 sive and able agent, Dr. W. J. Shuey, whose ear- 
 nestness and skill manifested itself in all the legal 
 controversy that followed the division in 1889, 
 caused this institution, as Bishop Castle well put it, 
 to become "the storm-center of the entire Church." 
 
 Is it any wonder, then, with conditions as they 
 were, that the man who has to determine the edi- 
 torial policy of the Telescope, and thus lead the 
 thought of the denomination, would need courage? 
 One is led to say, in the words of Addison, "The 
 soul, secured in her existence, smiles at the drawn 
 dagger and defies its point." When one is face to 
 face with bitter charges that become personal in 
 many instances, as directed against the editor, it 
 requires courage to rise above these conditions and 
 do that which would prove a blessing, not only to 
 the Church, but to humanity. Doctor Kephart had 
 character back of his courage. Hence the shafts of 
 sarcasm and even of misrepresentation did not move 
 him from his position. 
 
 His courage was ever manifest, for he was not 
 afraid to use strong terms when he felt they were 
 needful in order to convey the facts. In 1890, when 
 
The Editor 145 
 
 the legal contest in our Church was being waged 
 with vigor by the seceders, he had an editorial note 
 under the heading, "More Falsifying," and, in his 
 own peculiar but drastic manner, he wrote the 
 following under that caption : 
 
 "As a sample of the falsehoods circulated through 
 the organ of the seceders, and by which some honest 
 men are being deceived by the few who head the 
 Church secession movement, we call attention to 
 their assertion that the General Conference of 1889 
 left the Bible out of the course of reading for 
 preachers. To see how utterly foundationless this 
 charge is, the reader need but refer to pages 80 and 
 81 of the new Discipline. On page 81, under 
 'Annual Conference Preachers,' we read as follows : 
 'Licentiates shall be examined, also, each year of 
 their probation, on the Bible, and on the doctrine 
 and government of the Church as taught in our 
 Book of Discipline.' 
 
 ^ :^ ^ i^ i:^ -i*^ ^ 
 
 "However, the editor, on being informed of this, 
 co^nes out in his last issue and says, 'We answer 
 that this criticism we made on the liberal General 
 Conference of 1889 is strictly true.' Thus, in the 
 face of the plainest facts to the contrary, he seeks 
 to make his readers believe that the General Con- 
 ference discarded the Bible. Is not this astonish- 
 ing? Surely the cause that its leaders seek to 
 sustain by such methods is doomed. Who can help 
 having a holy contempt for such a self-seeking 
 deceiver and falsifier? Should that man wince and 
 whine about the use of 'discourteous language' 
 
146 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 when he is told plainly that he is playing the part 
 of a deceiver, hypocrite, and fraud?" 
 
 IxK)king back through the years, this language is 
 certainly heroic, and shows the courage of the 
 writer. 
 
 In an editorial note later, under the title, "More 
 Twistification," Doctor Kephart shows his readi- 
 ness to meet with frankness the conditions obtain- 
 ing. He states in this editorial the position of the 
 Radicals in the testimony given, and continuing, 
 says: "Suppose their membership is 60,000. Then 
 it is five-seventeenths of the membership of the 
 Church as reported in the Year Book for 1889. If 
 this is true, then their accessions to the Church 
 should number five-seventeenths of the whole num- 
 ber received. The accessions reported to the Tele- 
 scope of the 22d and 29th of January aggregate 
 1,119, and the accessions to the seceders' church 
 reported in their organ of the same dates aggregate 
 sixty (we do not count any that are only reported 
 as converted in either case), which, instead of being 
 five-seventeenths of the total number received, as 
 it should be if they have 60,000 members, is only 
 about five-ninety-eighths of the number received. 
 In other words, if they (the Radicals) have 60,000 
 members, as they claim, granting that their minis- 
 ters are only as energetic and spiritual as ours, 
 they should have received 345, and we 1,119, during 
 the two weeks reported ; but the fact is, as published 
 in their organ, they have only sixty. Is not this 
 demonstrative proof that even their claim of 60,000 
 members is a gross deception and fraud?" 
 
The Editor 147 
 
 3. Sincerity. Even those who may have differed 
 with him on any question willingly grant to him 
 the fact that he was sincere in his belief. In his 
 great debate with Bishop Weaver, on the "Fore- 
 knowledge of God," he undertook to argue, first, 
 with a giant in debate; and second, chose the unpop- 
 ular side of the question, permitting himself to be 
 adjudged as lacking in orthodoxy in order that he 
 might present faithfully and earnestly his views 
 upon this great doctrine. Few men would have 
 undertaken to argue this case, but Doctor Kephart 
 went into it fearlessly, believing, as he did, that he 
 was doing a real service to humanity when he pre- 
 sented his advanced views on this subject. 
 
 No one can read his editorial on "God with Our 
 Church," or "Why Our Preachers Fail," or the one 
 on "Prayer for Colleges," without being impressed 
 that underneath the expressions found in these able 
 editorials was a sincere heart, beating in absolute 
 accord with the truth of God, thereby adding strength 
 to the words written. 
 
 I cannot but quote the words of Longfellow, who 
 says : 
 
 "You know I say 
 Just what I think; and nothing more nor less, 
 And when I pray, my heart is in my prayer. 
 I cannot say one thing and mean another; 
 If I can't pray, I will not make believe." 
 
 Who could read his last report to the Board of 
 Trustees, made in April of 1908, without feeling a 
 peculiar impression as to the sincerity of this man 
 
148 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 as he did his work in connection with his official 
 relation to the Church? 
 
 "In the good providence of God, I am permitted 
 to submit to you ni}^ nineteenth annual report as 
 editor of the Religious Telescope. In doing so, I 
 desire especially to acknowledge my gratitude to 
 our merciful Heavenly Father for his keeping and 
 sustaining grace through another year. Truly, 'the 
 mercy of the Lord endureth forever.' 
 
 ;l! * * * * >f: * 
 
 "My relations during the year with our publish- 
 ing agent, with my associate, with all the other 
 general officers in the House, and with all the 
 employees thereof have been most cordial and 
 pleasant. Their uniform kindness and courtesy 
 have been very marked, and highly esteemed and 
 appreciated. They all have my love, prayers, and 
 best wishes. 
 
 "But, brethren, the shadows lengthen. I am now 
 in my seventy-sixth year. My life has ever been 
 one of hard, earnest toil and self-sacrifice. God has 
 been very good to me. I have much for which to be 
 thankful, and nothing of which to complain. If I 
 live and fill my present position until a year from 
 the first of next July, I shall liave served in this 
 relation twenty years. It is a long time for a poor, 
 fallible editor to be under the critical eye of from 
 fifty to seventy thousand discerning, thinking 
 American readers. When that time comes, oh, how 
 sweet, pleasant, and refreshing will complete release 
 and rest be to a tired brain ! Then I shall lay down 
 my editorial pen to take it up no more. 
 
The Editor 149 
 
 "My present solicitude, so far as I am concerned 
 personally, is that God may give me wisdom and 
 grace so to round out this small remainder of my 
 fifth quadrennium as editor as to be able to retire 
 from the office with a conscience void of ofiFense 
 toward God and man ; and to this end I devoutly 
 solicit your sympathy and prayers." 
 
 4. Kindness. To deal with a manuscript sent in 
 for publication, determining the best thing for the 
 writer and for the reader, is often embarrassing for 
 the editor, for the writer may be a personal friend, 
 or the opposite condition may obtain. The subject- 
 matter of the article may be such as to preclude its 
 publication. To deal justly with such a case 
 requires an extra amount of human kindness. It 
 was not Doctor Kephart's policy to ruthlessly cast 
 aside articles as they came in, putting them in the 
 waste-basket without notice, but it was his uniform 
 rule to write a personal letter in case he could not 
 use the production, and, in the most frank and 
 kindly way, give his reasons for declining. This he 
 did, in many instances, with persons who were not 
 in accord with his conception of editorial duties, 
 yet he never failed to write to them kindly and give 
 the ground of his decision. His sensitive nature 
 saw the needs of the people, on the one hand, and of 
 our ministers, on the other; and, in going through 
 the files of the Religious Telescope, and noting the 
 editorials along that line, it is interesting to see 
 how, from the very beginning of his writings, he 
 dealt most earnestly with the conditions of the 
 Church. A series of editorials, under the title, 
 
150 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 "Epistle of Timeas," treated on the subject of 
 "Homes for the Pastors of Our Church" in such a 
 wa}^ as to show his great heart of sympathy for the 
 toiling ministry. In the second editorial under this 
 title, he argues with great earnestness in favor of 
 the erection of parsonages, and says : "My breth- 
 ren, have you no interest in the material comfort of 
 these homeless, wandering pilgrims (and in a very 
 practical sense, they are homeless — not houseless), 
 and that, too, for your sakes and the sakes of your 
 families and the good of the community in which 
 you live? Multitudes of you have your own homes. 
 Year by year you add to their beauty and adorn- 
 ment and truly enjoy them, sitting under, and eating 
 from your own vine and fruit-tree, none daring to 
 molest you or make you afraid of being driven out 
 at the end of the year. This an itinerant cannot 
 have, much as it is to be desired. The itinerant is 
 often compelled to rent an old, shabby house in a 
 very unpleasant location, with insufficient room, 
 dingy and poorly arranged, with dilapidated sur- 
 roundings, such as he regrets to take his family 
 and friends to — such as many of us members would 
 not live in as a gift. The remedy of this lies in 
 producing a suitable parsonage on every field where 
 it can be done." 
 
 From week to week there was found in his edi- 
 torials that which argued in favor of the care of the 
 needy and the uplifting of the oppressed. He stood 
 stanch and strong in the defense of the weak, and, 
 as a molder of public sentiment in our Church, he 
 was ready to assist in the strengthening of the weak 
 
The Editor 151 
 
 places in our organized life in order that more 
 people might be helped. Thus his kindness mani- 
 fested itself in large measure. I quote the words of 
 Wordsworth, which apply with great force to this 
 element in Doctor Kephart's work as an editor: 
 
 "That best portion of a good man's life is 
 Little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love." 
 
 5. Progressiveness. One only needs to study 
 carefully the movements of the Church in the 
 twenty years of service that he rendered to see how 
 true is this statement. If I were to illustrate, I 
 would go back to 1890, when, under the caption, 
 "Presiding Eldership," he gives a vision of what 
 the Church has approved in this day. He then 
 describes the work of the presiding elder in such a 
 way as to almost outline the duties and responsi- 
 bilities of that office under the superintendency as 
 now carried out in many conferences. The follow- 
 ing is his own statement : 
 
 "In another cokimn we publish what a layman 
 has to say on this subject. The position he takes is 
 an extreme one, in which he gives only one side of 
 a question most clearly two-sided. The true idea 
 of the presiding eldership is that of superintend- 
 ency. Only as this primary and distinctive idea is 
 departed from, or as there is no longer any place 
 for its application, can the eldership be deemed a 
 failure or unnecessary. It is true that in many 
 places the work of the presiding elder is no longer 
 needed, nor is it especially helpful. But this does 
 not prove that the offi.ce and work of the presiding 
 
152 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 elder conld be dispensed with. The charges where 
 the work of the presiding elder is not needed are 
 the exceptional ones. 
 
 "We understood our correspondent, Rev. T. D. 
 Adams, in the Telescope of November 27th last, 
 himself a presiding elder, to favor such a readjust- 
 ment of the office as will make it more effective in 
 promoting the varied interests of the Church. He 
 outlined his ideas of modifying existing practices 
 and making adjustments suited to these practical 
 times, in order to meet the demands for more wise 
 and aggressive work. Just such adjustments we 
 favor, but not dispensing with the office or work of 
 the presiding elder. 
 
 "We venture the assertion that there is not a con- 
 ference in the Church that can dispense with the 
 office of presiding elder without serious loss. It 
 may be that for purposes of superintendence, only 
 one presiding elder is needed in a conference ; or 
 when conferences are small, even the full time of 
 an elder may not be needed. In such a case the 
 extra time could be given to a charge. But cer- 
 tainly in every conference there is needed at least 
 one man, not merely to conduct communion serv- 
 ices, but to plan for opening up new missions, and 
 for strengthening missions already established. We 
 know presiding elders who so interpret their mis- 
 sion. Strong, well-organized charges receive but 
 little attention, while those having young and inex- 
 perienced ministers, or those having struggles from 
 debt or otherwise, are given special assistance. 
 This is our idea of the presiding eldership, and we 
 
Dr. I. L. Kephart as he Appeared Dail\ al lius Ojjiet Desk. 
 
.<. 
 
 5- 
 
 ^0 
 
The Editor 153 
 
 believe it is in entire harmony with its original idea 
 and appointment. 
 
 "These variations and adaptations to new conditions 
 and the growing demands of the Church are perfectly 
 compatible with the office. Let us discriminate wisely, 
 hold on to that which is good, and only put away from 
 us such features of the eldership as we have plainly 
 outgrown." 
 
 His strong stand on the revision question did much 
 to allay feeling and quiet conditions in our denomina- 
 tion, for he stood for the broadest view in relation to 
 conscience on the question of secret organizations, and 
 allowed the individual to reach his own conclusions in 
 reference to these matters. This progressive step aided 
 much toward bringing about a prosperous condition in 
 the life of the Church. 
 
 He never compromised with sin. as is well known. 
 His progressiveness did not lead him to tlie place 
 where he was ready to give up fundamentals in order 
 to obtain other desired results, but, if it were a matter 
 of individual conscience, he was ready to accord to 
 each person the right of making decision. This was 
 very helpful in the reorganization of our Church. 
 
 When it came to the time for special efforts in favor 
 of education — looking to greater things for our educa- 
 tional institutions — The Telescope, under Doctor Kep- 
 hart, always opened its columns for the freest dis- 
 cussion, and at the same time his own pen was in favor 
 of onward movements. 
 
 In the payment of all the debts resting upon our 
 general interests and upon the colleges, the editor was 
 ready to second all of these splendid undertakings. So. 
 
154 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 in the division of the work of "The Home, Frontier, 
 and Foreign Missionary Society, he saw the good 
 eflfect of such a move and gave earnest expression in 
 its favor. He stood not as a conservative brakeman 
 upon the wheels of progress, but as a man of vision, 
 ready for an upward movement on every line of service 
 in the kingdom. 
 
 As an editor, Doctor Kephart was an original worker 
 and thinker. He was not afraid to express his opinion 
 upon the questions that were not generally discussed, 
 showing a disposition to do primary thinking that is 
 not often manifested. It was no uncommon thing for 
 him to take up a subject that had not been discussed in 
 any of the religious papers and enter upon a vigorous 
 analysis of the theme, thus attracting to the work of 
 his paper the attention of thinkers, both in science and 
 philosophy, as well as in the religious field. His articles 
 under the subject, "Science and Religion," and kindred 
 themes, are strong in their original research, dealing, 
 it is true, with much that was common on the subject, 
 yet going beneath the ordinary discussion of the day, 
 dealing with the fundamentals, thus making his utter- 
 ances on these subjects of great worth. Some of them 
 will be found in the closing chapter, where his own 
 sayings are presented. 
 
 When one reads Doctor Kephart's original editorials 
 on great themes, he is led to think of the words of 
 Longfellow : 
 
 "Great men stand like solitary towers in the City of 
 God, and secret passages, running deep beneath eternal 
 nature, give their thoughts intercourse with higher in- 
 
The Editor 155 
 
 teiligence, which strengthens and consoles them, of 
 which the laborers on the surface do not even dream." 
 
 Of his style, it can be said that it was his own. 
 Strong and peculiar in expression were all his writings. 
 Clearness was evident everywhere in his declarations. 
 None could mistake his meaning, for he gave expres- 
 sion in simple language so there could be no misunder- 
 standing of his thought. Going direct to the point, he 
 presented it in such a way that the humblest mind could 
 accept it or reject it, as the case might be. No mystify- 
 ing of his sentences ; no labored effort to seem strong 
 in expression by long, complex statements. He was a 
 short-sentence man. 
 
 There were two other elements that entered into his 
 work as an editor that were very acceptable — one a 
 poetic turn in nearly everything that he said. It was 
 not a difficult thing for him to write poetry. Often, 
 when he was in the midst of a heavy discussion, 
 there would come such an adjustment of words that 
 it would seem that he was about to break forth in a 
 poetic strain. It added beauty and strength to his 
 utterances. This was also true of his native wit. Had 
 Doctor Kephart allowed himself to follow his inclina- 
 tions in this line, he could have been the editor of a 
 comic paper, for no one could tell an amusing story 
 better than he, and no one delighted more than he in 
 giving merriment to those about him by some witty 
 expression, or amusing incident. 
 
SPECIAL TRAITS OF 
 CHARACTER 
 
"Humility is a key which unlocks the door to many a favor, 
 both human and divine." 
 
VII. 
 SPECIAL TRAITS OF CHARACTER 
 
 The old Latin scholar said, "Things perfected by- 
 Nature are better than those furnished by art." This 
 is especially true when we study the character of Isaiah 
 L. Kephart, considering every element that entered into 
 his splendid life. 
 
 He has not left us any special motto that governed 
 him in his conduct, but one thing is certain, that his 
 control of body and mind, as well as soul development, 
 indicated a firmness of character akin to that which is 
 found in the great worthies of history. The mott© of 
 Viscount Hereford stands out in vivid brightness when 
 one studies his life, for he was wont always to say, 
 "Basis virtutum constantia est" ("Steadiness is the 
 foundation of all virtue"). This was certainly true as 
 applied to the life of Editor Kephart. 
 
 The whole of the pilgrimage of his life was spent in 
 earnest toil, being possessed of a fine physical constitu- 
 tion, a body that defied disease on the one hand, and 
 was so completely under control, on the other, that he 
 was permitted to do great service in whatever position 
 he was placed. As the body is the tenement in which 
 resides the soul, it is important that it be as nearly per- 
 fect as possible in order that the greatest results may 
 obtain in the spiritual life of the individual. 
 
160 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 Doctor Kephart stood as an example of physical 
 strength and endurance. Without a perfect body one 
 would not be able to pass through hardships where 
 physical endurance is demanded. In the early periods 
 of his life, roughing it in the lumber camp, and in sub- 
 sequent time passing through the ordeals of army life, 
 he came out of these seasons of special physical strain 
 without any abiding injury to the splendid body he 
 possessed. The reason for all this is found in two 
 things : First, he came from good parentage ; and, 
 second, he took extraordinary care of his body, 
 for he looked upon this as a necessity. He was 
 not ashamed to say that he could or could not 
 do a certain thing, nor did he pollute the temple 
 of the soul by the use of narcotics or intoxi- 
 cating liquors. He was careful in his mode of life, 
 plain, but a good liver, and in that particular developed 
 rather than destroyed the physical tissue that was to 
 serve him so well through the seventy-five or more 
 years of his life's journey. The attending physician 
 and the specialist who attended him in his last illness 
 spoke of his well-preserved body. At seventy-five 
 years there was no organic trouble. 
 
 Some one has said, so truthfully, that the soul is but 
 the body's guest, and the influence of the body upon 
 the soul life is so manifest in the case of Doctor Kep- 
 hart that one cannot but realize the importance of the 
 relationship existing between the two, the human and 
 the divine. 
 
 As an example in the care of his body, it would be 
 well for every minister to know something of his 
 methodical mode of life. He was unwilling to put his 
 
Special Traits of Character 161 
 
 body to an unnecessary strain unless it be an emer- 
 gency; otherwise he guarded carefully his physical 
 strength in order that he might endure continued serv- 
 ice and close life in a rounded-out old age in complete 
 enjoyment of health. This was true of him to a marked 
 degree. 
 
 Having the right conception of the relation of body 
 to soul, he made the body the servant to do the will of 
 the higher Nature within him, thus accomplishing the 
 greatest possible results in his life. 
 
 In the care of his body the words of the poet apply : 
 
 "For of the soul the body form doth take ; 
 For soul is form, and doth the body make." 
 
 In view of the wonderful control of his physical being, 
 it is natural that we should call attention to his clear- 
 mindedness in his work. His reasoning was always 
 without obstruction ; so pronounced were his views that 
 his thought stood out prominent in all that he wrote or 
 said. He was not in doubt on any proposition on which 
 he gave utterance. His mind seemed much like the 
 clear spring of water, without a trace of impurity. In 
 the mountains near his childhood home are found 
 springs of water into which you may look for many, 
 many feet without detecting even a shadow of impurity. 
 Doctor Kephart's mind seemed to be just that way, and 
 as he thought upon great themes there came forth clear 
 expressions, bringing out his ideas in such a manner 
 as to impress one with the beauty of a clear intellect. 
 
 Thus he was looked upon by all who knew him inti- 
 mately as a man of good judgment. He seldom reached 
 a conclusion suddenly, but was always ready to reason 
 
162 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 around the subject. It is certainly true that the purity 
 of his soul life affected the mental attainments which 
 he possessed, so free from everything that was hidden, 
 or dark, or mean, that his frankness was uninterrupted 
 by any evil thought or purpose. 
 
 How true the statement, " 'T is the mind that makes 
 the body rich, and as the sun breaks through the darkest 
 clouds, so honor peereth into the meanest habit." So 
 unobstructed was his intellectual vision that he could 
 see with undimmed eyes into problems that staggered 
 the intellectual strength of many of his associates. So 
 responsive was his intellectual hearing that he could 
 discern the whisperings of divine purposes when no one 
 else about him seemed to be conscious of coming 
 events. Thus he stood a prophet, predicting good 
 when others were in amazement and wonder as to the 
 outcome of conditions. 
 
 This was especially manifested when, as chaplain in 
 the army, he stood amid the crashing thunder of can- 
 non, declaring that the right would prevail, and that 
 the Union would be saved from disruption. 
 
 Another element in his character was the fact 
 that he had no unworthy ambition. Ambition he had, 
 for purpose cannot manifest itself without it, but it can 
 be said of Doctor Kephart that his ambition was to 
 advance his Master's kingdom, and while he had an 
 ambition for knowledge and swept the inner chambers 
 of research for information, yet his greatest desire was 
 to know Him who was his soul's Redeemer, and 
 find in his service the delight that would make for him 
 an everlasting salvation in the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 Doctor Kephart believed firmly in the statement of 
 
special Traits of Character 163 
 
 Channing, who said, "Every mind was made for 
 growth, for knowledge, and its nature is sinned against 
 when it is doomed to ignorance." The ambition of our 
 departed friend was to have an unHmited knowledge of 
 the truth of God, and he subjugated everything about 
 him to the attainment of that truth. His determined 
 purpose was to do well his work, and if in the doing of 
 that work there was brought to him certain emolu- 
 ments, such as position or honor, he was not uncon- 
 scious of the value of these things, nor was he cold in 
 appreciation of the good opinion of those who were 
 about him. It was his desire that men think well of 
 him, and his ambition was not wrong in this, for he 
 sought to strengthen himself in the service of truth by 
 avoiding antagonisms that would drive men away from 
 him, and from the Christ whom he especially delighted 
 to honor. There was a desire in his heart to make 
 advancement, and I believe that the statement of Car- 
 lisle, "No man is born without ambitious worldly 
 desires," was true in the life of Doctor Kephart; but 
 the best part, as it relates to his purposes and desires, 
 was that he sought advancement for himself under the 
 impulse of doing more and accomplishing more for the 
 development of the kingdom of Jesus Christ in the 
 world. Surely no one could contest his position in 
 that particular. A wrong ambition becomes a sail that 
 carries men into the WTong port or haven. "Wild am- 
 bition loves to slide, and fortune's ice prefers to nature's 
 land," but not so in the case of our subject. He pre- 
 ferred to find satisfaction in ambition's field by planting 
 his feet upon the adamantine rock of ages, and, stand- 
 ing amid opposition and trouble and care, holding up 
 
164 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 the beacon light of truth, that men everywhere might 
 know the power of a Christ that is able to control the 
 soul, filled with worthy ambition. 
 
 Doctor Kephart was full of determination. There 
 was in him that which enabled him to go straight 
 through to the goal ; it mattered not what intervened. 
 It is a wonderful thing to have a fixed purpose ; having 
 thought out the whole subject, to set about in a syste- 
 matic way to reach the end in view. Here determina- 
 tion does its work. Goethe says, "He who is firm in 
 will molds the world to himself." Like Jonathan of 
 old, when he determined with his own lone armor- 
 bearer to fight the Philistines, the crags and peaks that 
 were before him had no determent for him, but on 
 hands and knees, if necessary, he would reach the posi- 
 tion where God Almighty might manifest his power to 
 save by the many or the few. So Doctor Kephart 
 viewed the situation, w^hatever it may have been, and, 
 having reached a conclusion as to the place he ought 
 to occupy, at once proceeded to take his stand without 
 reference to the position of any one else. This made 
 him especially strong as a leader among men ; not out- 
 spoken, not self-assertive in his leadership, but one to 
 whom others would go for counsel and advice. One 
 cannot but admire the individual who with a deter- 
 mined will brings every energy and strength to bear 
 upon a given enterprise or service. Thus Napoleon, 
 Alexander, Wesley, and Luther each in their peculiar 
 positions determined and then wrought out in life their 
 purposes ; so Doctor Kephart, while in a different field, 
 yet in just as important a sense in his relation to 
 humanitv, willed in accordance with the purpose of 
 
special Traits of Character 165 
 
 God, and certainly terminated his life amid the glory of 
 a victorious triumph. "The general of a great army 
 may be defeated, but you cannot defeat the determined 
 mind of a peasant." 
 
 A special element characteristic in his life 
 was found in his supreme loyalty to the right and 
 to the eflforts of the right. The first question he 
 asked was, 'Ts it right, or is it wrong?" Upon 
 that proposition depended his attitude in any given 
 question that might arise, affecting his life or his 
 service in the position that he may have been occu- 
 pying. If he made a mistake, it was a mistake of 
 judgment as to what he thought was right. His 
 loyalty to the truth of God forced him out so far 
 on that side of every social and political and relig- 
 ious question that afifected the conduct of the people, 
 that some looked upon him as fanatical. This was 
 true in his relation to the institution of slavery, and 
 his awful hatred of the liquor trafifiic, and municipal 
 and State and National dishonesty. No word too 
 strong could be found that he would not utter at 
 any time and at any place against what he consid- 
 ered to be an evil, and the supporters of all things 
 righteous, whatever may have been their personal 
 weaknesses or imperfections, were considered by 
 him as friends, and he stood for them under all con- 
 ditions. Thus it was natural for him to sing the 
 praises of John Brown of slavery times, and of 
 Abraham Lincoln, the one great patriot who stood 
 for the liberty of men, and for every preacher of the 
 gospel of righteousness in civil and municipal 
 affairs, and for every agency and power and indi- 
 
166 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 vidual who was willing to put up a fight against the 
 accursed liquor traffic. Thus with voice and pen he 
 stood for every reform and every reformer, seeking 
 to make them his own personal friends, because of 
 their attitude toward the right. 
 
 Doctor Kephart realized that "truth is sensitive 
 and jealous of the least encroaching upon its sacred- 
 ness," and therefore he was ready to give earnest 
 support to the right under all circumstances. As a 
 result of this attitude on his part, he gained strength 
 from year to year as a defender of the right. How 
 true the words of Carlyle, who said, "A man pro- 
 testing against error is on the way toward uniting 
 himself with all men that believe in truth." Hence 
 Doctor Kephart emphasized the fact that he was 
 in accord with the great army of individuals who 
 were battling against error. 
 
 Another element in his character was the purity 
 of his personal life. It is true that conscience is 
 stronger than intellect, due to the fact that the spirit 
 of God makes its impression directly upon the con- 
 science, and the conscience discerns more quickly 
 than the intellect that which is good and pure and 
 right. All this has to do with the personal life of 
 the individual ; the innate conception ; the fountain 
 of action ; the determination to do the pure thing on 
 account of his own relation to it. Doctor Kephart 
 did this on all occasions, standing without question 
 in his relation to his own personal life, living it in 
 purity before man. As I saw him, he fulfilled that 
 wonderful statement of Froude, who declared, 
 "Morality, when vigorously alive, sees farther than 
 
Special Traits of Character 167 
 
 intellect and provides unconsciously for intellectual 
 difficulties." Thus we see this godly man standing in 
 the personal purity of his own life a tower of strength 
 for truth and righteousness. True to himself, he 
 went forth to lead others into the way of right 
 living. While Emerson did not manifest great 
 faith in religious things, yet he uttered a marvel- 
 ous and divine truth when he said, "When life 
 is true to the poles of nature, the streams of 
 truth will roll through us in song." This was espe- 
 cially true as a trait of character in the life of Dr. 
 Isaiah L. Kephart. His personal purity distin- 
 guished him from the common run of men. His life 
 was an open book, a piece of white paper on whicl? 
 he was writing the record of the years. He dis 
 dained a little thing; he would not do a mean act. 
 There was no occasion for apology on his part for 
 having discredited his own manhood. What a 
 splendid record in personal purity of life, stainless 
 in every particular. An example of what a man 
 can be, if he will, in his own conscious relation to 
 God and to the world about him. Like other men in 
 disposition, yet with absolute control of his own 
 life, he fashioned it in perfect accord with his 
 Father's will. 
 
 Another element is found in his character that is 
 kin to the one I have just described. He was very 
 strong in his family life. The ties that bound him 
 to his home were as bands of steel. No condition 
 could separate him or cause him to turn away from 
 his household. He was ever and again saying to 
 those with whom he was associated, "My home is 
 
168 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 my castle." He made his house in which his loved 
 ones dwelt a veritable fortress of defense against all 
 who might assail. It was his delight to open before 
 his children possibilities in development of character 
 and intellect, and son and daughter were given the 
 very best opportunities for culture. It was not a 
 question to him of accumulation of money, that they 
 might be financially independent of the world, but 
 rather that they should have knowledge, have it in 
 accord with the Word of God, in order that their 
 lives might be united to the very source of power, 
 which was above all material honor or wealth. His 
 home, therefore, was the place where he had fellow- 
 ship with his loved ones, and where he entered into 
 their lives in such a manner as to become a companion 
 for his children. This was marked in his life, and 
 when he entered the homes of his friends, the children 
 of the household would gather about him to hear him 
 give reminiscences of his eventful life, or to philoso- 
 phize on some phase of youthful experience manifested 
 in his own life, or which might be reckoned in the lives 
 of those who were about him. Thus he stood the 
 companion of childhood, an element in his life that 
 made him exceptionally strong. 
 
 He had written down among his papers, marked 
 in quotations, the following words: 
 
 "Home is the resort 
 Of life, of joy, of peace, and plenty; tliere, 
 Supporting and supported, polished friends 
 And dear relations mingle with bliss." 
 
 Doctor Kephart was a real wit. An element in 
 
Dr. I. L. Kephart and his Intimate Friend, John D. Gill 
 
Editor KepharVs Home in Dayton, ()i6 N. Main Street. 
 
special Traits of Character 169 
 
 his soul seemed to see the funny side of life. He 
 was able to turn away from the heaviest discussion, 
 or lay down his pen when he had just finished a 
 laborious editorial task, and in a moment's time be 
 in convulsions of laughter over the recital of some 
 funny incident, either real or imaginary. Cowper 
 says, "Wit now and then, struck smartly, shows a 
 spark." So in his case ; every now and then, at 
 unexpected moments, there would come such a keen 
 spark of wit as to almost surprise the listener. It 
 was not uncustomary for him to write many of 
 the amusing incidents which occurred in his early 
 school-days and army life. Doctor Kephart well un- 
 derstood that "wit is the salt of conversation, not 
 the food," and his imagination was so vivid, his 
 imagery so genuine, that he became a faultless story- 
 teller, and hence a most acceptable after-dinner 
 speaker. On one occasion, he used the quotation, 
 "Wit does not take the place of knowledge." It was 
 certainly true in his case that wit never took the 
 place of knowledge, but the combination of the two 
 — wit and knowledge — made him exceptionally 
 strong in the presentation of truth, for there was 
 always a moral connected with his wit, and any nar- 
 ration of an amusing story or incident had applica- 
 tion to some vital truth. 
 
 One of the strongest traits in the character of 
 Doctor Kephart was his patriotism. He could 
 truthfully quote the words of another, and say, "We 
 join ourselves to no party that does not carry the 
 flag and keep step to the music of the Union." His 
 heart and his very soul beat with emotions of 
 
170 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 patriotism and loyalty. When Lincoln, in that 
 memorable speech, said, "This nation, under God, 
 shall have a new birth of freedom, . . . and 
 that government of the people, by the people, 
 for the people shall not perish from the earth," his 
 words found a perfect echo in the heart of the young, 
 energetic chaplain of the regiment. He did not 
 hesitate to enlist in defense of his country, even in 
 the presence of bright prospects in his ministerial 
 life. If there was one thing that he desired above 
 another, it was that the Government at Washington 
 might stand forever, pure in its administration, the 
 defender of liberty, and the preserver of the homes 
 of the brave. 
 
 Doctor Kephart was an independent thinker, and 
 as such was free to express his own opinions upon 
 any subject that might present itself to him. He 
 was not biased by any preconceived notions of 
 education. If he found himself wrong in his pre- 
 vious conclusions, he was willing to make rigid 
 investigation to solve the mystery surrounding him. 
 "Men's thoughts are much according to their incli- 
 nations," and, in the case of Doctor Kephart, he was 
 ready to go over the field again and again, if there 
 was any shadow of a doubt in reference to the mat- 
 ter in hand. There was something peculiar about 
 him as he unfolded in mental attainment. His inde- 
 pendence in thought caused him to grow, and, as 
 has been said, growing thought makes growing 
 revelations. Thus he stood as one who had come 
 out of a valley into a clear and open plain, and 
 Emerson's words apply to him with special empha- 
 
special Traits of Character 171 
 
 sis, "Every thought which genius and piety throw 
 into the world alters the world." His character- 
 istics sparkle as diamonds of rare brilliancy, as 
 stars that never will grow dim, the light of which 
 shall shine down through the centuries, and on the 
 heaven side will be strong reflectors of the beauty 
 of the King. 
 
RELATION TO SOCIETY 
 
"The true moral hero is the man who, despite opposition 
 and abuse, goes quietly forward in the discharge of duty." 
 
VIII. 
 RELATION TO SOCIETY 
 
 No one defended the principle of the equality of all 
 men more earnestly than did Doctor Kephart. Birth 
 or position had little or no influence with him. He 
 stood squarely on the assumption that all men were 
 born free and each had a right to a chance in the de- 
 velopment of character. The following is a declara- 
 tion of his own position on the absolute freedom of 
 the individual to determine his own destiny. 
 
 "In one important particular God made man the 
 equal of himself. He made him a free moral agent — 
 free to obey the laws of his being and thereby be 
 happy, or to violate those laws and be miserable ; and 
 he made him thus free because it was not possible to 
 make the highest form of earthly intelligence without 
 giving him this freedom. Man's freedom is not a uni- 
 versal, but a limited freedom. He is not free to violate 
 the physical and moral laws of his being and remain 
 innocent or exempt from the penalties attached to these 
 laws, but is only free to choose between obeying and 
 being happy and disobeying and being miserable. 
 In this particular he must be perfectly free to choose 
 and act for himself or he is only a machine." 
 
 Doctor Kephart did not believe that one man should 
 control another, for he believed, as he said : "God him- 
 self does not coerce the human conscience, but allows, 
 as in religious or political tribunal, the right to do so. 
 
176 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 A man is rightly amenable to the law for his deeds, but 
 his opinions are his own." Continuing, he said: "Free- 
 dom of the will endows man with the power to form 
 and to carry any habit through life and through eter- 
 nity. He can load himself from the cradle to the 
 grave with all manner of meanness and then pass out 
 into the eternal world, all weighted down with it, or, 
 on the other hand, he can, aided by divine grace, cast 
 off the 'old man with his lust,' and put on a character 
 beautiful and glorious because of his loyalty to the 
 will of God, and carry it with him into the mansions 
 not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 
 
 It is true that Doctor Kephart stood firmly upon 
 law as a necessity to human society, to regulate human 
 conduct, but law was not an end, but a means to an 
 end. In giving a definition of "freedom," he said, 
 "Freedom alone affords man room to grow up into, 
 and become worthy of trust and honor." There can 
 be no doubt as to his stand on all sociological lines, 
 being in absolute accord with the teachings of the 
 Word of God. He believed in liberty, but he as sin- 
 cerely believed in the regulation of human conduct and 
 the placing of limitations about the word "liberty." 
 The following paragraphs show distinctively his belief 
 on that subject: 
 
 " 'Liberty' is a many-sided word. Liberty to steal is 
 quite different from liberty to serve God. Liberty to 
 serve my country is one kind of liberty ; liberty to 
 destroy it is another. Liberty to labor for and build 
 up the cause of Christ is a noble thing; liberty to 
 divide and destroy the church to gratify selfish ends 
 and unliolv ambitions is a kind of Hbertv that comes 
 
Relation to Society 177 
 
 from the devil. All men are entitled to liberty to do 
 right and to enjoy their rights. God gives no man 
 liberty to do wrong." 
 
 "Liberty does not mean merely the people's right to 
 strive with each other for material gain or intellectual 
 superiority, nor is it merely the protection of men from 
 each other in social antagonisms ; but it means, rather, 
 their right and their freedom to associate with each 
 other in social sacrifice for the good and happiness 
 of others. This is the liberty wherewith Christ makes 
 men free." 
 
 "He who pleases to do right has a right to do as 
 he pleases." 
 
 "Liberty is a prime condition of true conviction and 
 repentance. He who is not free cannot be guilty ; he 
 who is not guilty cannot stand convicted at the bar of 
 his own conscience ; he who cannot stand convicted at 
 the bar of his own conscience cannot repent." 
 
 While Doctor Kephart held tenaciously for the en- 
 forcement of law, no one was more ready to grant to 
 the erring one an opportunity to retrieve his lost estate 
 by turning away from his errors and following that 
 which was good. With him every man was given a 
 chance. Indeed, he was ready to accept the confession 
 of any one who had been a prodigal son and had re- 
 turned with earnest penitence and confessed his wrong- 
 doing. The following terse statement will show his 
 belief in the liberty of every man to succeed in life : 
 "Looking back at opportunities unimproved and for- 
 tunes squandered will not relieve present want nor 
 provide for future necessities. The brave thing to do 
 is to recognize the present, with all its needs and re- 
 
178 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 sponsibilities, and, with the face to the future, go to 
 work Hke a man and do the very best that can be done 
 under the circumstances, and trust God. Also, im- 
 proving opportunities works wonders in the direction 
 of improving the improver." 
 
 In keeping with what has just been said in connec- 
 tion with his belief in the eqviality of all men and his 
 strong position on law, are his utterances on the sub- 
 ject of slavery. In an article written in 1873, en- 
 titled, "The Nation Rushing to Its Red Sea," Doctor 
 Kephart gives a glowing contrast between conditions 
 under Pharaoh and the conditions then obtaining in 
 our Government. After recounting the slavery of the 
 Hebrews in Egypt, he turns to the condition in our 
 own country and says : 
 
 "I do not wish to assume the attitude of an alarmist, 
 nor do I wish to 'prophesy evil,' but inspiration says 
 that the blood of the people shall be required at the 
 hands of that watchman who, seeing the sword 
 approaching, fails to give the alarm. It was only when 
 the fathers of the republic had pledged themselves to 
 the grand principle that 'all men are created equal,' 
 that the Ruler of all crowned with success their efforts 
 to establish an independent nation. But shortly after 
 the recognition of the nation's individuality, it proved 
 false to its plighted faith. In an evil hour it yielded to 
 the entreaties and threatenings of Liliputian despots, 
 and there sprang into existence that strongest of all 
 anomalies, the toleration of the blackest system of des- 
 potism by a nation claiming to believe that all men 
 are by nature equal. This vile monster, then and there 
 enthroned, gradually increased in influence and power 
 
Relation to Society 179 
 
 until, at the end of three-quarters of a century, it had 
 almost complete control of the nation, and four mil- 
 lions of human beings groaned beneath the most crush- 
 ing and the most hopeless yoke of oppression the 
 world has ever seen. Every man was by the fugitive- 
 slave act constituted a slave-catcher, and all chances 
 of escape were completely cut off. It is not necessary 
 to say that under these circumstances the slaves 'cried 
 mightily to God.' This they did daily; and their 
 groanings ascended to heaven. Jehovah heard, and 
 witnessed the wrongs they suffered; and he com- 
 menced to say to the nation through such men as Gar- 
 rison, Lunday, Love joy, and others, 'Thus saith the 
 Lord, Let my people go.' Did the nation obey? Not 
 by any means. The oppressor waxed more abusive 
 and defiant. Not only was the slave more harshly 
 treated, 'compelled to make brick without straw,' but 
 those through whom God was saying, 'Let my people 
 go,' were proscribed, and in some instances, as in the 
 case of E. P. Lovejoy, their blood atoned for their 
 temerity. But the purpose of the Almighty, as in the 
 case of Israel, did not change. The more obstinate the 
 refusal to liberate the slave, the more loudly did the 
 Lord cry through the abolition society, 'Let my people 
 go !' and the positive refusal of the nation to listen to 
 the voice of Jehovah, uttered in this milder manner, 
 compelled him to cry out through the thundering voice 
 of war ! 
 
 "We all remember how His voice, when first thun- 
 dered from the guns of Fort Sumter, startled the 
 nation. But even then, instead of the republic consent- 
 ing at once to comply with God's requirement, instead 
 
180 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 of it at once, saying to the slave, 'You are now and 
 shall be forever free,' the great majority, even in the 
 North, said, 'Preserve the Union, but do not free the 
 slaves.' The masses, as if blinded to God's require- 
 ments and the nation's best interests, distinctly said, 
 time and again, 'Slavery shall not be aboHshed.' On 
 account of this obstinacy, what did the Almighty do? 
 As in the case of Pharaoh he sent one plague after 
 another, so with this nation ; he sent one defeat after 
 another to our armies, and in this manner brought the 
 nation, after a loss of three hundred thousand Hves and 
 three thousand millions of dollars, up to that point 
 where it was willing to say, 'The slaves shall be free.' " 
 
 It is interesting to study how his hatred for slavery 
 increased during the years of his life. In poem as well 
 as in prose he set forth his opposition to this evil insti- 
 tution, proclaiming, at every opportunity, his enmity 
 to it. 
 
 One of the great elements in his work for the uplift 
 of society was found in his uncompromising opposition 
 to the liquor trafific and his firm, unswerving appeal for 
 temperance. An interesting volume on this subject 
 could be produced from his writings. In an article 
 entitled, "The Yellow Fever and the Whisky Traffic," 
 he says : 
 
 "The statistics of the United States will convey to 
 after generations the dreadful fact that during the 
 year 1878 yellow fever killed from ten to twelve thou- 
 sand of the people of this country — a terrible fact ; but 
 they will also declare the fact that whisky in the same 
 year killed not less than sixty thousand of our people, 
 and, in addition to this, burdened the country with fifty 
 
Relation to Society 181 
 
 thousand paupers, thirty thousand lunatics and idiots, 
 fifty thousand orphan children, fifty thousand crim- 
 inals, and the waste of six hundred millions of dollars 
 in money." 
 
 His arraignment of the Christian forces of the world 
 is vigorous, for he said : "Now, it is certain that, if 
 all who claim to be Christians would do what is clearly 
 their duty respecting this matter of temperance, and 
 without doing which they have no more right to claim 
 to be Christ's followers than had Judas Iscariot after 
 he had betrayed his Master, this terrible traffic, with 
 all the misery, crime, and death that entails, would be 
 wiped out of existence in less than five years. Nay, 
 more. If all the ministers of the gospel would do their 
 duty in this matter, would regularly, in their pulpit 
 efforts and in private, lay these terrible facts before 
 their congregations ; regardless of consequences, would 
 clearly declare God's truth that no drunkard can in- 
 herit eternal life, and that all who make drunkards and 
 those who claim to be Christians and do not do all in 
 their power to prevent boys and men from becoming 
 drunkards ; who do not strive to hedge up their way to 
 this terrible fate ; who do not, by precept, by example, 
 and by seeking to unhitch this damnable traffic, exert 
 themselves to redeem the land from its bleeding curse, 
 are unworthy the name of Christians and are sure to 
 sink finally into a lower hell than that to which the 
 poor drunkard is doomed. Were the preachers of the 
 gospel to persist in declaring this great truth, the land 
 would be redeemed in less than five years." Is it any 
 wonder that, in the political contest that obtained dur- 
 ing the years of Doctor Kephart's career as editor of 
 
182 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 the Religious Telescope, he should become the cham- 
 pion, irrespective of poHtical affiliation, of the men who 
 stood square on the temperance question, who were 
 ready to support it in legislature, or in the office of 
 governor, or as representative in the House of Con- 
 gress ? 
 
 Doctor Kephart said that, at the surrender of Lee, 
 he vowed in the presence of the debauching conduct 
 of an officer, a solemn oath that he would never sup- 
 port any man who, directly or indirectly, favored the 
 liquor traffic or who was addicted to the use of intoxi- 
 cating liquors. This solemn oath he faithfully kept 
 until the day of his death. No one could read his own 
 sad experience, given in another chapter, where a com- 
 panion met death because of the use of liquor, and 
 wonder at his utter hatred of the traffic. 
 
 There could be no compromising on his part with 
 such a great evil. In an article on "Whisky, Murder, 
 and Life Insurance," he starts with the striking decla- 
 ration : 
 
 "Old Charley Drews declared that Brant's Whisky 
 brought him to the gallows. This is the same old story 
 repeated. Whisky brought Nimrod Spattinhuber to 
 the gallows in Lebanon last July, for he was drunk 
 when he killed Ivison. Whisky brought to the gallows 
 Drews, the once-honored, brave color-bearer of the 
 Pennsylvania Volunteers, and a comrade in crime, 
 young Frank Sticliler. Brant's whisky-shop and 
 dancing-floor were the head center where they met to 
 drink, carouse, concoct crimes of theft and robbery, 
 and from them each sallied forth to perpetrate the 
 crimes they had planned." 
 
Relation to Society 183 
 
 Even in this day, when the temperance sentiment 
 has wonderfully increased to the point of prohibition 
 in many States and the constantly-increasing sentiment 
 in others, it would be well for us to study the little 
 article published by Doctor Kephart many years ago 
 on the subject, "Temperance Work a Work of Faith" : 
 
 "All work in the direction of the overthrow of 
 national and social evils, and the lifting of htmian so- 
 ciety into a higher plane of life, morally, must neces- 
 sarily be, largely, a work of faith. Hence, the 
 temperance work is largely a work of faith. Encour- 
 agement to work and the assurance that the work must 
 be successful does not come from the smiles and assur- 
 ance of sympathy from the masses, but from a deep- 
 seated conviction that the work is in the direction of 
 the best interests of humanity ; that the work is needed 
 to relieve man of a great wrong, to lift from his shoul- 
 ders a grievous curse that is crushing his hopes, blight- 
 ing his prospects, and preventing his march to a higher 
 social, moral, and intellectual life — in a word, that it is 
 God's work. It is from this conviction that all earnest 
 temperance workers derive their inspiration and their 
 assurance of the final triumph of their cause. It was 
 from this conviction that the abolitionists derived 
 their inspiration all through the terrible anti-slavery 
 struggle. Their work was one of faith. They believed 
 that their work was in the interests of humanity, and, 
 consequently, God's work. That belief was a part — 
 a very important part — of their life. It cheered, stimu- 
 lated, and directed them in their darkest days ; and, 
 aided by its invincible inspiration, they pushed their 
 work to complete victory. 
 
184 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 "So it must and will be with the temperance workers. 
 The enemy they assail — the liquor traffic — is the enemy 
 of humanity, the enemy of God, and the most for- 
 midable ally of the devil. Of this they are assured by 
 a deep-seated conviction, and they devote themselves 
 to the work with the devotion of the martyrs of old, 
 assured by their faith that their cause must triumph, 
 though they do not live to see it. Like Garrison, they 
 are in earnest, and they will be heard ; and let not the 
 advocates of, and the apologists for the rum traffic 
 delude themselves with the hope that this 'freak of 
 fanaticism,' as they are pleased to style the temper- 
 ance movement, will soon blow over, for it will not. 
 The work is a work of faith ; it is God's work ; and the 
 omnipotent God is behind it, ready and pledged to 
 carry it to a triumphant issue, just as he is to carry all 
 great movements in the direction of the best interests 
 of humanity. 
 
 "This faith of the temperance workers all over this 
 land is the most hopeful feature of the work. Their 
 confidence is in God and active, intelligently-directed 
 work. They practically show their faith by their 
 works. They seek to do duty and leave the conse- 
 quences with God. With the earnest prayer of faith 
 from all over this country, they are besieging his 
 throne ; 'and will he not avenge his own elect, who cry 
 unto him day and night?' T tell you, he will avenge 
 them speedily.' The prayers for the overthrow of the 
 traffic, for the salvation of poor drunkards, and espe- 
 cially the agonizing prayers of poor wives and mothers 
 whose husbands and sons are being ruined by this 
 traffic — these prayers must and will be answered. The 
 
Relation to Society 185 
 
 slave power did totter and fall before the faith and 
 prayers, and earnest work of such men as Birney, Hop- 
 per, and Garrison ; and so must the liquor traffic fall 
 before the prayers, faith, and works of the earnest 
 temperance workers. What is needed is more faith, 
 more prayer, and more work. So many who would re- 
 joice at the overthrow of the traffic have no faith. 
 Their language is, 'You cannot overthrow it ; as long as 
 there is money in it, and men have appetites for it, it 
 will be made, sold, and drunk.' They forget that God 
 is pledged to its overthrow. Their arguments and 
 despondency were equally applicable to the slave 
 power; but it was overthrown. Let all friends of the 
 cause believe, pray, work, and vote for prohibition, and 
 it must and will come." 
 
 In the political contest that obtained in the State of 
 Ohio in 1906, when the temperance issue was so de- 
 cidedly drawn in the selection of a governor, Doctor 
 Kephart, while a Republican in politics, gave earnest 
 support to the Democratic nominee for governor, Hon. 
 J. M. Pattison, who was elected by a splendid majority 
 of sixty thousand. The Religious Telescope, under the 
 editorship of Doctor Kephart, was one of the great 
 factors in this splendid temperance victory. He urged 
 our people everywhere throughout the commonwealth 
 of Ohio to support the Democratic nominee. This he 
 did with so much vigor that some of the members of 
 the United Brethren Church, who were politically in- 
 clined to the Republican Party, found considerable 
 fault with him because of his radical stand at this time. 
 But his heart was so aglow with the thought of pro- 
 tecting the homes of the commonwealth of Ohio and 
 
186 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 closing the rumshops, so that the boys of our State 
 would not be lured into the ways of sin, that, disre- 
 garding his usual attitude of neutrality on political 
 questions, he plunged into the campaign with the 
 energy of a splendid leader, accomplishing much in 
 the winning of the great victory that obtained for the 
 cause of temperance that year. 
 
 The death of Governor Pattison seemed to him 
 always to be a calamity, but he accorded to his suc- 
 cessor. Governor Harris, who stood firmly by the tem- 
 perance cause, his undivided support. While his death 
 occurred only a few weeks before the election of 1908, 
 he was intensely interested in the reelection of Gover- 
 nor Harris, and even planned, in the last days of his 
 illness, that he might register in order that he could, if 
 living on election day and able, cast his vote in favor 
 of the man who had so faithfully taken the place of 
 Governor Pattison in the work of temperance in our 
 commonwealth. It was not a sentiment ; it was not a 
 fanaticism ; it was a principle that actuated Doctor 
 Kephart in his attitude toward the accursed and dam- 
 nable traffic. Words cannot portray the feeling of his 
 soul as he prayed for the temperance cause, and as he 
 labored for the overthrow of the liquor traffic. Thus 
 he stood, a strong defender of everything that is repre- 
 sented in purity and social life. So earnest was he in 
 his opposition to political impurity, municipal graft, 
 national treason, that his outspoken words on this sub- 
 ject are memorable. 
 
RELIGIOUS BELIEFS 
 
"Good humor is the snow on the hill that makes the coast- 
 ing sled of life slide glibly." 
 
IX. 
 RELIGIOUS BELIEFS 
 
 In beginning this chapter it is but fitting that Doc- 
 tor Kephart's own words give expression to his thought 
 in reference to his relation to God. He said : "God is 
 interested in everything that concerns us, just as the 
 mother is interested in everything that affects the wel- 
 fare of her children. Our God is a living God ; he is 
 the source and sustainer of life ; he is the source 
 whence flow the living waters ; he satisfies the longing 
 soul. An intense heart-longing for soul purity is one 
 of the conditions on which God grants the blessing of 
 perfect love, of holiness, of sanctification. Without 
 that longing that blessing cannot be secured." 
 
 He had reached the place in Christian experience 
 where he had no doubts. Standing as one who had 
 completed the circle of his reason in reference to his 
 soul life, he found refuge by faith in the atoning blood 
 of the Lamb of God, and was willing to rest everything 
 on him. He once said : 
 
 "Doubting God is believing the devil. Doubts are 
 dispelled by fixing the mind on Christ, the friend of 
 sinners. Doubts, if not driven away, develop into posi- 
 tive unbelief. 
 
 "To have doubts and fight against them is very dif- 
 ferent from having doubts and fighting for them. The 
 former experience and effort bring the doubter out into 
 the clear sunlight of a soul-satisfying belief ; the latter 
 
190 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 leads him down into the murky, misty gloom of a con- 
 firmed, soul-chilling unbelief. The honest man aban- 
 dons his doubt as soon as he reaches a point where he 
 sees that there exists no valid reason for his doubt. It 
 may take some time for him to reach that point, but he 
 earnestly fights against his doubt with a desire to reach 
 the point of belief until his doubts are swept away, or 
 until they are confirmed into honest belief." 
 
 Convinced of his position, he was willing to stand or 
 fall by his faith in the truths of Christianity. Is it any 
 wonder, then, that he should leave for record, to be 
 read after his death, that marvelous statement : "I 
 have tried to live a Christian life. I die the Christian's 
 death — a sinner saved by grace through faith in Jesus 
 Christ, the Divine Son of God" ? 
 
 He was logical in reference to all these things. His 
 religion was not a sentiment, but was based upon the 
 fundamental truths of God. He believed in God ; one 
 that he could not comprehend. He did not assume to 
 understand God, for he wrote : "Finite man with his 
 finite mind can no more comprehend God in all his 
 omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence than he 
 can put his finite arms around the world, pick it up, 
 and walk ofif with it." 
 
 He did not deal with puzzling problems. He dis- 
 missed them, as is seen by the following paragraph : 
 
 "Some want to perplex themselves with such ques- 
 tions as: 'How could God create something out of 
 nothing?' 'How long did God exist alone before he 
 created anything?' 'How can God be self-existent?' 
 'Would God continue to be our God if he were to 
 commit sin?' 'How could God become man and die on 
 
Religious Beliefs 191 
 
 the cross?' etc. All such questions are vain and un- 
 profitable, and those who ask them would do well to 
 remember that the finite mind can no more compre- 
 hend the infinite God than a man pick the earth up in 
 his hands, or reach out and grasp the moon and use it 
 for a football. In all such cases contented ignorance is 
 better than presumptuous knowledge." 
 
 It was his delight to say: "Honest thinking is a 
 necessary condition in order to arrive at the truth. All 
 other requisites will fail if this be wanting. Thoughts 
 not supported by honesty of purpose may be earnest, 
 skillful, and, to some, convincing, but the results are 
 only sophisms." So clear was his conception of the 
 value of truth that he wrote the following : 
 
 "Truth is a magnificent thing — so magnificent that 
 to die for it is a privilege. But a still more magnificent 
 thing is the fact that behind all truth there stands the 
 Infinite God, giving to all truth and grandeur, a value." 
 
 "Again: "Absolute truth exists, but all man's 
 attempts at expressing absolute truth are more or less 
 marred by that imperfection which attaches to all 
 human effort." 
 
 Doctor Kephart accepted the truth of the gospel and 
 made it a part of his life. His sermon on "The Authen- 
 ticity of the Scriptures," from the text (Romans 1 : 20), 
 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of 
 the world are clearly seen, being understood by the 
 things that are made, even his eternal power and God- 
 head, so that they are without excuse," is a masterful 
 presentation of his conception of the truth of the Word 
 of God. In this sermon he clearly sets forth the views 
 of many of the great men of the world in reference to 
 
192 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 the Bible. He thus emphasizes his position in refer- 
 ence to the Word. While this sermon was written in 
 1879, it was the fundamental belief of his entire life, 
 and in it he successfully refutes Huxley, Haeckel, and 
 Vogt in their materialistic beliefs in reference to the 
 Bible. Quoting his own words from this sermon, in 
 reference to the statements of the Bible, he said : "The 
 doctrine that they are a revelation of God's will to man 
 is not a chimera of the brain, but a truth founded upon 
 the facts of science ; a truth corroborated by the 
 phenomena of nature ; a truth in harmony with sound 
 philosophy, reason, and science, all united in declaring 
 that those sacred pages that reveal the man, the blessed 
 Christ, the divine Redeemer, are not cunningly-devised 
 fables, but that they are as much the preachers of the 
 God of nature as are the stars of the firmament, the 
 trees of the forest, the cattle on a thousand hills, and 
 even man himself." 
 
 Doctor Kephart did not quibble. He did not have 
 time to ask foolish questions. If there was a question 
 (and there often was) in his mind, it was a reasonable 
 question that affected the destiny of his soul and re- 
 lated to the conduct of his life, or he dismissed it at 
 once. This made him peculiar in relation to his sur- 
 roundings — unwilling to doubt unless there was reason 
 for doubting; and, in the presence of the doubt, he 
 would always set about to clear the mystery in order 
 that there might not be any uncertainty. He would not 
 tolerate the man who was simply asking questions for 
 questions' sake. He was ready sometimes to "answer 
 the fool according to his question," for he did not be- 
 lieve it was profitable to himself or to the questioner to 
 
Religions Beliefs 193 
 
 enter into an argument where there was lacking the 
 sincerity that would carry with it conviction as to con- 
 duct in the individual life. 
 
 He accepted the fact of mystery in everything about 
 him, but was ready to defend the doctrine of progress 
 in the constitution of man, believing that God had 
 created him in such a manner as to be capable of prog- 
 ress in unfolding in knowledge and truth. He readily 
 accepted in all of his teachings the words of Browne, 
 who said, "The whole creation is a mystery, and par- 
 ticularly that of man" ; and while he thus accepted this 
 peculiar mystery surrounding his own being, he never 
 failed to find a secure refuge in the revelation of God 
 as given in his Word ; and like Cowper : 
 
 " 'T is revelation that satisfies all doubts, 
 Explains all mysteries except her own, 
 And so illuminates the path of life 
 That fools discover it and stray no more." 
 
 As an evidence of his greatness of mind. Doctor 
 Kephart was ready to admit that there were many 
 things that he did not know, and upon these subjects 
 that were as yet still mysteries to him he did not pre- 
 sume to speak with authority, but considered them as 
 uncertain and unexplained things that were yet to have 
 investigation and revelation. 
 
 As he grew in knowledge, he gave expression on 
 lines of thought that were in his younger days mys- 
 teries to him. So careful and guarded was he in all 
 that he said on every line of thought where there was 
 not the fullest revelation, that one is impressed with 
 his constant desire not to offend the great Spirit of 
 revelation that is to lead us into all truth, even the 
 Spirit of God. 
 
194 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 It was Carlyle who wrote: "That great mystery of 
 Time, were there no other ; the iUimitable, silent, never- 
 resting thing called 'Time,' rolling, rushing on, swift 
 silent, like the all-embracing ocean tide on which we 
 and all the universe swim like exhalations, like appari- 
 tions, which are and then are not ; this is forever very 
 literally a miracle, a thing to strike us dumb — for we 
 have no word to speak about it." 
 
 Thus our hero, amid the struggles of human life, 
 when the unseen seemed to press in upon him, when 
 the unknown seemed to be present, stood ready to ex- 
 claim, in the words of scripture : "Now we see through 
 a glass, darkly ; but then face to face : now I know in 
 part ; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 
 
 Quoting Doctor Kephart's own words : "He who 
 is willing to receive each day what God would teach 
 him, stands every morning on the threshold of new 
 revelations in his spiritual life." So closely identified 
 with this truth just stated was his belief in the person- 
 ality of God and his uncompromising faith in the 
 Trinity, that I am led to again quote from Cowper : 
 
 "Acquaint thyself with God, if thou wouldst taste his works. 
 Admitted once to his embrace, 
 Thou shalt perceive that thou wast blind before; 
 Then thou shalt be instructed; and thine heart 
 Made pure shall relish, with divine delight 
 Till then unfclt, what hands divine have wrought." 
 
 Tn his declaration of belief, Doctor Kephart said : 
 "Philosophy and science can neither prove nor disprove 
 the personality of the deity ; but the sacred Scriptures 
 declare it, and the human soul recognizes the truth." 
 There is found in this utterance, his position in refer- 
 
Religious Beliefs 195 
 
 ence to the deity. In an editorial published in Octo- 
 ber, 1906, he says : "The oneness of God and of Christ 
 is to finite mind an unfathomable mystery. As such it 
 was recognized by the Apostle Paul. He wrote : 
 'Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness, 
 God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, 
 seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on 
 in the world, received up into glory.' But there are 
 many mysterious things that are not unbelievable. This 
 fact is universally recognized by scientists. The nature, 
 the 'what is it?' of electricity is as yet an unfathomable 
 mystery, but its existence and power are universally 
 believed, and it is being wonderfully utilized for the 
 benefit of man. Not to believe a thing because you can- 
 not understand it is to write yourself down as a stupid 
 ignoramus. Who understands the mysterious processes 
 of digestion and assimilation ? Who knows the how or 
 why of growth of hair on the ox, wool on the sheep, 
 and feathers on the goose, when all of them feed of the 
 same grass in the same pasture-field ? We do not know 
 the how or why of chemical affinity and cohesive attrac- 
 tion, yet we all believe in the existence of quartz, crys- 
 tal, and rocks. Just how Christ could be the God who 
 created all things and how he who from everlasting to 
 everlasting is God, could be the Babe of Bethlehem, we 
 do not know and we cannot understand, but true Chris- 
 tians all believe it. In this great mystery, the Rev. J. D. 
 Herron recently gave expression in an address in the 
 following wholesome words : 'A little girl whom I was 
 preparing for confirmation once asked me, "Jesus is 
 the same as God, isn't he?" The question could have 
 but one answer, and that in the affirmative, since we are 
 
196 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 taught to say of him that he is God of God, Light of 
 Light, Very God of Very God. How the Lord Jesus 
 Christ and the great Creator of the universe who sent 
 him into the world could be one, and not simply one in 
 thought and purpose, but one thing, as the neuter 
 gender of the Greek word expresses it, the early 
 Christians did not stop to inquire. As true scientists 
 they accepted a proved fact without attempting to 
 understand it. Do you doubt that this was the true 
 scientific position? Then let me prove it by pointing 
 out to you what was probably the greatest discovery 
 of the nineteenth century — the X-Ray. The great 
 scientist who discovered it was too modest to presume 
 upon an explanation and too busy to attempt one, so 
 he simply labeled the ray with the letter "X," using the 
 algebraic symbol of the unknown quantity, and as no 
 amount of incredulity can set aside a fact of science, 
 so no amount of infidelity can set aside the fact of the 
 redemption of the world by the death and resurrection 
 of the Son of man. There are persons who love dark- 
 ness rather than light. There are anarchists and out- 
 laws in God's kingdom as well as in the kingdom of 
 man.' In reference to the virgin birth. Doctor Herron 
 said : Tt was miraculous because it is beyond all 
 human power. To deny the miraculous is to deny 
 God, and I need not repeat what the psalmist calls the 
 man who says, "There is no God." ' " 
 
 I quote also from an editorial in the Telescope of 
 January 19, 1907, where, under the title, "Christ's 
 Divinity — Some Thoughts for Present-Day Considera- 
 tion," Doctor Kephart gives utterance to his position 
 on the divinity of Jesus Christ. In the presence of this 
 
Religious Beliefs 197 
 
 statement there can be no question as to his attitude 
 on this great doctrine of the Church : 
 
 "The divinity of Christ is a fundamental doctrine of 
 orthodox Christianity. It is devoutly believed and 
 taught by all the great branches of the Christian 
 church. Their superior activity in erecting church- 
 edifices, in organizing societies, and especially in send- 
 ing missionaries to all parts of heathendom, is chiefly 
 due to their profound belief that Jesus Christ was and 
 is really 'God manifest in the flesh.' If any dispute 
 this, let them cast about and see for themselves what 
 the church that denies Christ's divinity is doing in the 
 way of missionary work, either home or foreign. 
 
 "And yet it must be conceded that there are some 
 very able, candid men, men of rare culture and admir- 
 able intellectual ability, who believe and teach that 
 Jesus was only an extraordinary man, and not the 
 divine Son of God — not 'one with the Father.' Their 
 candor, moral integrity, and intellectual ability com- 
 mand respect, and consequently others, who take not 
 the trouble to investigate and test for themselves, fall 
 in with the same form of unbelief. Thi-s makes it all 
 the more important that some proofs of Christ's divin- 
 ity be set forth from time to time in current religious 
 publications. At this writing the purpose is to give, 
 without elaboration, a few of those proofs. 
 
 ''CHRIST DECLARED HIMSELF DIVINE. 
 
 "When Peter, in answer to the question, 'Whom do 
 men say that I, the Son of man, am?' replied, 'Thou 
 art the Christ, the Son of the living God,' Jesus en- 
 dorsed the statement as correct by pronouncing a 
 
198 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 blessing upon Peter, declaring, 'My Father who is in 
 heaven hath revealed it unto you.' Would or could 
 he have said that, had he been only a man? Would a 
 good man so cruelly deceive his few devout followers 
 by claiming to be what he was not? 
 
 "Then, too, look how he applies the personal pro- 
 noun to himself. In the Sermon on the !Mount he uses 
 the authoritative declaration, T say unto you,' thirteen 
 times. In addition to this we have the following: 'I 
 came not to call the righteous, but sinners' ; T came 
 not to send peace, but a sword' ; T will give you rest' ; 
 'I am meek and lowly in heart' ; 'I will give unto thee 
 the keys of the kingdom of heaven' ; 'Lo, I am with 
 you alway, even unto the end of the world' ; T and my 
 Father are one' ; T am the bread of life' ; 'I am the 
 way, the truth, and the life' ; T am the door of the 
 sheep' ; T am the Good Shepherd' ; T lay down my 
 life for my sheep'; 'I have power to lay it down, and 
 power to take it again' ; T am the vine, ye are the 
 branches' ; T give unto them eternal life' ; T am the 
 resurrection and the life'; T will give you rest'; 'I am 
 the light of the world' ; 'I go to prepare a place for 
 you' ; 'I will come again and receive you unto myself.' 
 
 "Think of any mere man, such as Luther or Calvin or 
 Wesley, thus using the pronoun T in declaring him- 
 self and his abilities ! How supremely, repulsively 
 egotistic it would sound ! Ah, it will not do. As 
 George H. S. Wendling, in a lecture, once said in our 
 hearing, 'Christ was either the divine Son of God, as 
 he himself claimed to be, or he was the greatest egotist 
 and the most successful deceiver that ever assumed to 
 teach.' 
 
Religions Beliefs 199 
 
 "Think, also, of a mere man saying, 'Come imto me 
 all ye that labor and I will give you rest,' or, Tf ye 
 shall ask anything in my name I will do it,' or, 'x\ll 
 power is given unto me in heaven and in earth,' or, 'Ye 
 believe in God, believe also in me,' or, 'He that hath 
 seen me hath seen the Father.' Could a mere self- 
 deceived man speak such words? Compare them with 
 the most notable expressions of the great philosophers 
 and the founders of false religions — Buddha, Con- 
 fucius, Zoroaster, Socrates, Plato, and Mahomet, and 
 how transcendently they loom up with a divine efful- 
 gence in the comparison." 
 
 In the Telescope of March, 1907, Doctor Kephart 
 quotes the words of Dr. T. DeWitt Talmage on, "The 
 Revelation That Jesus is the Christ of God," thus 
 making it his own as it relates to his faith in the aton- 
 ing power of the divine Christ as he wrought out sal- 
 vation for the race. 
 
 "Nor is Paul the only man who has had this revela- 
 tion of Jesus Christ. Scores and scores of eminent 
 Christians have had it. Luther had it, and Wesley had 
 it, and Finney had it, and Thomas Chalmers had it, 
 and John Bunyan had it, and John Newton had it. 
 They have had it in the same way as many of us have 
 had it. The greatest trouble with many of us in Chris- 
 tian work is that we are not obedient to the heavenly 
 vision. We do not say with Paul, 'God forbid that I 
 should glory, save in the cross of Jesus Christ.' We 
 are trying to teach men lessons for this life, but we do 
 not emphasize and keep reemphasizing the essential 
 doctrine that through the blood of Jesus and in no 
 other way can we be truly cleansed of our sins. We 
 
200 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 have had this revelation come to us, but we have been 
 pushing it more and more into the background of our 
 lives." 
 
 Naturally we turn away from the consideration of 
 the divinity of Christ to Doctor Kephart's idea of the 
 Fatherhood of God as being above and over all the 
 universe, and I quote his words in the following para- 
 graph : "The fatherhood of God and the sovereignty 
 of God are identical. God created man because of his 
 fatherhood, and he is man's rightful Lord and sover- 
 eign because of his fatherhood — that is, because of the 
 paternal relation he sustains to man. His rightful 
 sovereignty over man springs out of the fact that he is 
 man's Creator, his Father, his loving Parent, who 
 kindly rules man for man's own good, as a kind, 
 earthly father rules his children for their good — not 
 for his own personal gratification." 
 
 In this is clearly set forth his conception of God's 
 tenderness toward his children, and often in his edi- 
 torials he set forth the abounding love of God as a 
 Father willing to meet his erring children and lift 
 them up, for Doctor Kephart believed with another, 
 who said : 
 
 "To him no high, no low, no great, no small ; 
 He fills, he bounds, connects and equals all." 
 
 Thus he found the majesty and the mercy of God 
 as binding all mankind into one complete family, in 
 which each is connected to him through the atoning 
 blood of Jesus Christ by faith in his death and suffer- 
 ings, making each one who enters into this family 
 equal each with the other. God was not to him an 
 
5< 
 
 3 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 ^ 
 ^ 
 
 C 
 
 ^ 
 
 
Religions Beliefs 201 
 
 austere ruler, who would mete out justice simply, but 
 who would in tenderness and in love forgive and for- 
 get the waywardness of his children. But while this 
 was true, Doctor Kephart also believed in retribution 
 for sin, and in a strong article, written many years 
 ago, he set forth without qualification his faith in the 
 punishment of the evil-doer, for he laid special stress 
 upon the Word of God where it says, ''As a man 
 soweth, so shall he also reap." To him there was no 
 question but that the destiny of the soul was deter- 
 mined by conduct in its acceptance or rejection of sal- 
 vation through Jesus Christ. He never modified his 
 belief in the teaching of the Word that those who dis- 
 obey God shall be banished from his presence and 
 suffer in punishment. While he was progressive in 
 his thinking and a critic of language and style, and 
 ready to consider any suggestion as to a clearer inter- 
 pretation of the Word of God, yet he would never 
 allow a destructive critic to take from beneath his feet 
 the adamantine rock on which all of its religious belief 
 rested — the infallible truth of the Scriptures. 
 
 Because of his religious beliefs he was able in the 
 closing years of his life to look by faith into the future 
 and to forecast coming events in his own life. Those 
 who have read his utterances in the past few years 
 must have recognized the fact that he saw the shadows 
 gathering and recognized the setting of the sun of his 
 earthly pilgrimage, and as he came nearer the border- 
 land it was an easy task for him to arrange all of his 
 affairs as one about to take a journey. On the eartli 
 side he gave expression as to his wishes in connection 
 with his funeral and burial service, leaving' a written 
 
202 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 program with all the details for that last event of 
 respect to his memory. On the heaven side the vision 
 was so very clear and his desire to enter into that life 
 beyond was so pronounced that there was never a 
 cloud present to mar the spiritual vision as he looked 
 toward the city of God in which a mansion had already 
 been prepared for him. 
 
 What a fitting sequel to a life of faith in God the 
 Father, in Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit the Com- 
 forter. For in the Triune Deity he placed the destiny 
 of his soul, resting secure in the thought and in the 
 belief that death was but an exit from this life and. an 
 opening door into everlasting life with Jesus Christ. 
 
 This chapter can have no more fitting closing than 
 his poem, "My Rest" : 
 
 "I rest, O Ck>d, upon thy Word, 
 To it I go. Full well I know, 
 Though hell assail, it will not fail 
 The contrite soul. It maketh whole 
 The wounded heart, and doth impart 
 'Mid joy or strife, eternal life 
 To him whose trust — firm, faithful, just — 
 Is in that Word — Redeemer, Lord. 
 He is the Word, and its record 
 Once writ or spoken, cannot be broken. 
 So there I rest, comforted, blest. 
 Sure is my hope. I do not grope 
 In doubt and fear. That Word doth cheer 
 My life's pathway, by night and day. 
 'T will brighter grow, as on I go, 
 Till by and by, beyond the sky. 
 That hope will in fruition die." 
 
HIS OWN WRITINGS 
 
"Glory is grace come to perfection. The promise of the 
 Lord is that he 'will give grace and glory : and no good thing 
 will he withhold from them that walk uprighth-.' " 
 
X. 
 
 HIS OWN WRITINGS 
 
 POEMS 
 
 MY CHILDHOOD'S HOME. 
 
 Upon the mountain's western steep, 
 
 Far out among the pines, 
 Where winter's blast was wont to sweep 
 
 O'er hills and dark ravines; 
 
 Where rolls Moshannon's sparkling stream, 
 
 And Clearfield's waters glide ; 
 Where sylvan gods were wont to dream 
 
 Beneath the hemlock's shade ; 
 
 There, 'mong those wild, wild mountain glens 
 Where roamed the fox and deer. 
 
 Where wolf and bear within their dens 
 Were neither wild nor rare — 
 
 There, j'ears ago, my father reared 
 
 His cabin, rude and plain ; 
 And, toiling hard, he slowly cleared 
 
 The land, a home to gain. 
 
 That spot, where once my parents toiled, — 
 
 Where first I .saw the light, — 
 Than all besides on earth to me, 
 
 'T is precious in my sight. 
 
 True, it can't boast of mansions fine, 
 
 Nor fruitful, fertile fields; 
 No gardens rich with jassamine, — 
 
 No luscious fruit it yields. 
 
206 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 A plain old barren heath it seems, 
 Where weeds and cinquefoil grow ; 
 
 But, oh, old home of childhood's dreams, 
 I can but love you so ! 
 
 Thy every spot is dear to me, 
 
 For father's, mother's sake; 
 I would again return to thee, 
 
 And youth's fond pleasures seek. 
 
 Since there I bid them all adieu, 
 
 So many years gone by, 
 Dear mother, father, brothers, too. 
 
 Life's active ways to try. 
 
 I 've wandered far and much I 've learned 
 
 Of all this world can give 
 In pleasures, honor, toil, and pain — 
 
 Of what it is to live. 
 
 And this I 've learned — the happiest days 
 
 I 've seen on earth below 
 Were those I spent in childish plays 
 
 Before I 'd learned to know 
 
 What 't is to struggle with the world. 
 To brave its toil and strife,— 
 
 Ah, when a child, by mother's side. 
 How happy then was life. 
 
 A VOICE FROM THE GRAVE. 
 
 Out of the grave of silence 
 Wet with the rain of tears, 
 
 Cometh a voice to greet me — 
 The voice of love to my ears. 
 
 A voice that is not forgotten — 
 Yet over the bridge of time 
 
 It comes like the far-off sweetness 
 Of a distant church-bell's chime. 
 
His Own Writings 207 
 
 And I know as I hear its accents 
 
 Fall on my ear to-day, 
 That the love of the past is constant 
 
 In the soul that has flown away. 
 
 And with it there comes a comfort 
 
 That soothes the aching breast; 
 For Christ o'er death has triumphed, 
 
 And the dead in the Lord are blest. 
 
 And the voice breathes hope for the living — 
 
 It whispers of joys to come — 
 Of loved meeting loved up in heaven. 
 
 When tlie Lord calls the laborers home. 
 
 MY MA AN' ME. 
 
 My ma 's as sweet as sweet can be ; 
 She takes me right up on her knee, 
 An' hugs an' kisses me to death — 
 Or almost takes away my breath. 
 'Nen I kiss her an' hug her neck, 
 An' she pats me right on my cheek, 
 An' I pat her an' say, "Yum, yum," 
 An' she calls me her 'ittle chum; 
 
 An' so you see, 
 
 My ma an' me 
 Has jist the best est times, complete. 
 Because she is so very sweet. 
 
 'Nen I get tired an' sleepy, too. 
 An' ma she takes an' leads me through 
 The dinin'-room, an' up the stair. 
 An' hears me say my 'ittle prayer, — 
 "Dear Lord, bless me, an' pa, an' ma, 
 An' keep us safe as safe can be." 
 An' tucks me in my crib so neat. 
 An' says, "Good-night, my 'ittle sweet.' 
 
 An' nen, all night, 
 
 Till broad daylight. 
 
208 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 I sleep an' snore, and snore an' sleep, 
 While angels safely us do keep. 
 
 An' so you see. 
 
 My ma an' me 
 
 Is just as happy 
 
 As we can be. 
 
 WHEN I WAS A BOY. 
 
 Ah ! oft in my thoughts do I wander 
 
 Away to the dear forest home, 
 Far off in the pine-covered mountains. 
 
 Where the cabin stood silent and lone ; 
 And I think, with a heartache pathetic. 
 
 Of the home circle, rustic and fair. 
 That there, 'mid the wildest surroundings. 
 
 Dwelt cosy, contented, and poor. 
 
 'T was a paradise, now as I see it. 
 
 Compared with the city's uproar; 
 Its dearth of ambition and fashion, 
 
 At this distance, seems heaven — yea, more. 
 1 lumility, kindness, and courage. 
 
 Contentment, and industry, too ; 
 Hope, trust in the world's great Redeemer, 
 
 Thrilled each heart every morning anew. 
 
 To master the toils and privations 
 
 Which a pioneer's life then imposed. 
 While the health which the mountain breeze wafted 
 
 On the brow of each member reposed. 
 So in thought I go back to that cabin, 
 
 That clearing, that forest, that farm 
 Wlicre father and mother and children 
 
 Dwelt contented — oblivious of harm. 
 
 And as memory retouches the picture, 
 And contrasts it with life of to-day — 
 
 With the hurry, the rush, and the clatter. 
 On the road thus far down life's way. 
 
His Ozi'ii IVritiiii^s 209 
 
 My heart often yearns for the quiet. 
 The peace, the contentment, the joy 
 
 Of the life that I lived in that cabin 
 Back yonder when I was a boy. 
 September, 1899. 
 
 THE MODERN WOMAN. 
 
 The modern woman? Yes, I've seen ]ier. 
 In the summer, in the winter — 
 Found her solemn, found her cheerful. 
 Sometimes hopeful, sometimes fearful, 
 Sometimes sharing joys with glad ones. 
 Sometimes sorrowing with sad ones; 
 Now some needy one she 's soothing. 
 Now some greedy one reproving; 
 Now her humble home adorning 
 With her love each night and morning; 
 With her bright, sweet spirit cheering 
 The unfortunate and fearing; 
 Carefully her children training, 
 And their wayward steps restraining ; 
 Doing all without complaining; 
 From moroseness glad refraining. 
 This, this is the modern woman, 
 Noble, loving, and a true one ; 
 Not a daint}', helpless creature. 
 Wan in face and false in feature. 
 But, in truth, man's real helpmeet, 
 Stronge, courageous, gentle, sweet. 
 To her home God's greatest treasure, 
 Source of bliss, and joy forever. 
 Janiiarv, 1898. 
 
 WHERE DOES IslY LOVED ONE DWELL? 
 
 Speak, speak, ye twinkling stars of night, 
 Where does my loved one dwell ? 
 
 Help me to trace by faith her flight. 
 My heartaches now dispel. 
 
210 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 Her body lies within the tomb, 
 But where 's her thinking self 
 
 Which, once so mirthful, cheered our home- 
 A winsome, loving elf? 
 
 It beamed so loving from her eyes, 
 
 It spoke in sweetest tones ; 
 Dwells it with you beyond the skies. 
 
 Where sorrow never comes? 
 
 Oh, speak, ye clouds, ye winds, ye stars. 
 
 My question answer now. 
 Tell me how now my loved one fares; 
 
 Where dwells she now, and how? 
 
 Her personality, I know. 
 
 Forever must endure. 
 Made up of purity and love — 
 
 Gems of most brilliant hue. 
 
 But clouds, and winds, and stars speak not; 
 
 Their flights, and blasts, and light 
 In metaphor but seem to say, 
 
 "Wait ; day succeeds each night. 
 
 "For you will come, in God's good time, 
 
 An endless, glorious day ; 
 Then, swathed in joy and bliss sublime, 
 You '11 walk the golden way 
 
 "With her, of New Jerusalem — 
 With her converse and sing — 
 
 Then she God's mystery of love 
 To you will there explain. 
 
 "So cease thy questionings, nor fret; 
 
 Believe, hope, trust, and wait; 
 She'll meet you when life's sun has set 
 
 At the bright, golden gate." 
 
His Ozvn Writings 211 
 
 NOT REALLY POOR. 
 
 'T is not the little I possess 
 
 With poverty does me distress; 
 
 This everlasting wanting more — 
 
 This poverty I do deplore. 
 
 Oh, could I ever be content 
 
 With what I have, as Heaven sent — 
 
 Content to toil and to enjoy 
 
 What Fleaven sends; my time employ 
 
 In getting good and doing good ; 
 
 Nor worry, lest for want of food 
 
 A score or two of future years 
 
 Shall find me hungry and in tears ! 
 
 Why not my Heavenly Father trust, 
 
 The all-providing One and just? 
 
 Will he who notes the sparrow's fall 
 
 Heed not his helpless children's call? 
 
 Away, black doubt ! Away, distrust ! 
 
 The Lord 's my life ! I 'm rich ! I '11 tru^t ! 
 
 MY BOY, BE TRUE. 
 
 Come near, my dear boy, sit down by my side; 
 
 Let us talk a few moments — of my life you 're the pride, 
 
 Your face is so hopeful, you 're eye is so blue, 
 
 So heed what I say. To your conscience 
 
 Be true. 
 
 The world is before you. 'T is not a bad world 
 For some. They go smoothly with sails all unfurled 
 Adown their life's voyage. Whatever they do, 
 Just mind what I say. To your parents 
 
 Be true. 
 
 Your life will be sometimes uphill and then down ; 
 You may live in the country or live in the town — 
 No matter just where, what troubles go through. 
 This one thing will pay. To your neighbors 
 
 Be true. 
 
212 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 Perchance 3'ou may prosper — accumulate pcif, 
 Get married, grow famous, and roll in your wealth ; 
 But, despite earthly riches, this one thing I know, 
 To be happy you must to your own wife 
 
 Be true. 
 
 You may turn j-our attention to aflfairs of the state, 
 Receive the applause of the good and the great; 
 But mind what I tell you, 'mid all this ado. 
 Forget not your God ; to your Savior 
 
 Be true. 
 
 For the time is fast coming to all of us when 
 The judgment will sit, and I 'm very sure then 
 This one thing mOkSt comfort will be unto you — 
 To know that to God j-ou have ever 
 
 Been true. 
 
 "MY TIMES ARE IN HIS HAND." 
 
 The hours alone belong to God ; 
 A few he kindly lends to me ; 
 But lest I thoughtless, wasteful be. 
 Nor heed his guiding, gentle rod, 
 Only a minute at a lime. 
 In wisdom, wonderful, sublime, 
 Most patiently, and kind does he 
 Deal out my sojourn time to me. 
 
 Swiftly they flj', 't is true, I know, 
 y\nd life at longest here below 
 Is but a span, a breath, a sigh, 
 Compared with God's eternity. 
 But minutes, dealt one at a time, 
 Enough for years threescore and ten. 
 Run up to millions. How much, then, 
 Of time's swift flight should we complain? 
 
His Ozi'H Writings 213 
 
 Ah, God is good. Well does he choose 
 To deal out time for us to use 
 In portions small, so well he knows, 
 When goodness precious gifts bestows 
 In great abundance, men oft choose 
 His bounties reckless to abuse. 
 
 Hence, speed on, time. Your wildest flight 
 But speeds me on to heaven's delight, 
 That blest abode — perpetual light. 
 Where time 's no more in siglit or flight, 
 Where one eternity of love. 
 Peace, happiness, and joy above. 
 For the redeemed shall e'er prevail. 
 So, blest eternity, all hail ! 
 May, 1898. 
 
 $i 
 
 WE PLEAD FOR MEN TO LEAD. 
 
 O God, we plead 
 For men to lead 
 
 In these portentious times — 
 Men, noble and true, 
 L^nselfish, who 
 
 Have not been smirciied with crimes : 
 
 Men who won't heed 
 The voice of greed. 
 
 But true to duty stand, 
 Daring to be 
 Firm, honest, free, 
 
 Heeding but God's command ; 
 
 Men who won't truckle. 
 Nor cringe, nor knuckle. 
 
 To capital and pelf. 
 Nor right betray. 
 Nor justice slay 
 
 To serve and pamper self; 
 
214 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 '< Men who can see 
 
 / What ought to be, 
 
 And seeing, can advocate — 
 Who understand 
 The time's demand. 
 And then can legislate. 
 
 Lord, give such men 
 Just now^. And then, 
 
 If comes the worst, we 're sure 
 With thee as King, 
 We'll shout and sing 
 
 Our liberty 's secure. 
 
 ITS CAUSE. 
 
 The life of man is but a span — 
 A bird of night of swiftest flight, 
 A bird of day that sings its lay, 
 That greets its mate, then meets its fate — 
 Enjoying pleasure, hoarding treasure — 
 New ventures trying, then fading, dying! 
 But what's its cause? That gives us pause! 
 A thought so great compels debate. 
 Somehow, somewhere, here, yonder, there, 
 Beginning was, and had its cause. 
 A mighty Hand creation's wand, 
 In wisdom, grace, waved over space! 
 A sleepless Eye, since then, sees why 
 From pole to pole the seasons roll, 
 Knows very well the weary spell 
 Of human life — probation's strife. 
 Yes, why, He knows, life comes and goes — 
 Why man should be — ^his destiny — 
 All, all is known to the Existing One. 
 1S97. 
 
His Ozvn Writings 215 
 
 LIFE— WHAT IS IT? 
 
 A life on earth! What is it, tell me, pray? 
 A ding-dong hustle all the livelong day; 
 Care, toil, distraction, sorrow, joy; 
 Man, woman, baby, girl, or boy; 
 Necessities' perplexing, pressing claims ; 
 Fashion harassing grave and anxious dames. 
 Demands of business rushing busy men ; 
 The thirst for pleasure burning in your bosom when 
 Stern duty shouts imperative. Deny thyself! — 
 A tear, a pra3'er, a rush for sordid pelf; 
 A high resolve — a yielding to temptation's power ; 
 A fortune swept away in one short hour ; 
 Failing of strength, a funeral dirge, a grave, 
 From which no power on earth the rich or poor can save ! 
 And is this life on earth? It is, unless 
 You anchor high your hopes, and strive to bless 
 The world by living joyfully a life of self-denial, 
 Braving the world's cold scorn, enduring calmly sorest trial — 
 A life that looks to Christ for joys that are to be 
 In a blest home of human immortality ! 
 1897. 
 
 A HAPPY NEW YEAR! 
 
 A Happy New Year ! A Happy New Year ! 
 A year overflowing with health and good cheer; 
 
 With mercies all crowded, 
 
 With ills unbeclouded. 
 
 With life's path never drear, 
 
 But of sorrow swept clear ; 
 Yes, we wish to you all such a Happy New Year ! 
 
 A Happy New Year ! A Happy New Year ! 
 
 Would you have it, my friends ? Then be sure you steer clear 
 
 Of evil's infection. 
 
 Of the wine cup's seduction. 
 
 Of the infidel's sneer. 
 
 And the hypocrite's tear. 
 And to you this will be a Happy New Year 1 
 
216 Life of Isaiah L. Kepliart 
 
 A Happ.v New Year! A Happy New Year! 
 
 Would }OU have it throughout bright, full of good cheer? 
 
 Give your heart to the Lord, 
 
 Feast your soul on his Word, 
 
 Your conscience keep clear, 
 
 God, the Mighty One, fear. 
 And then yours will be a mo^t Happy New Year. 
 December _'<?, 1S98. 
 
 WORDS. 
 
 Words are but words. Yet if through them are In-eathed 
 A soul's pure, noble thought and love's supreme, 
 True blessing, then it is that words become 
 The richest, rarest jewels radiant 
 That can be set in mortal diadem. 
 
 With thoughtful care choose, then, your words. ?ilake them 
 The vehicles of wisdom, truth, and love 
 To be — of sentiments which turn the thoughts 
 Of all who hear or read to noble deeds — • 
 
 To contemplate God's kindly providence. 
 To hope for better, nobler things to come — 
 To high resolves and firm belief of what, 
 Within the reach of possibility. 
 There is of good for man to be attained. 
 So speak, so write ; nor in vain speech indulge. 
 Then shall thy words, like jewels in thy coronet 
 Of everlasting righteousness, shine forth 
 For evermore; nor thou, crestfallen, stand 
 Before the Lord account to give "for vain 
 And idle words," when he shall judge the world. 
 1897. 
 
 SAVE ]\IE NOW. 
 
 1 am thine, my dear Redeemer — 
 
 Thou hast bought me with thy blood ; 
 
 Safe within thy arms I 'd linger. 
 Sweetly trusting in thy love. 
 
^ s 
 
 ">3 »0 
 
 
 
 C^ 
 
 ■^ 
 
His Oivn Writings ' 2\\ 
 
 Chorus. 
 Save me now, save me now — 
 Jesus, Master, save me now ; 
 Safe within thy arms I 'd linger ; 
 Jesus, Master, save me now. 
 
 I have roamed, a homeless orphan, 
 
 Ragged, hungry, thirsty, poor. 
 With no friend my soul to comfort, 
 
 Begging, sad, from door to door. 
 
 Chorus. 
 Save me now, save me now — 
 Jesus, Master, save me now ; 
 With no friend my soul to comfort, 
 Jesus, Master, save me now. 
 
 Oh ! I lean upon thy bosom — 
 
 There alone I feel secure ; 
 Other refuge gives no comfort ; 
 
 In thy arms my peace is pure. 
 
 Chorus. 
 Save me now, save me now — 
 Jesus, Master, save me now ; 
 Other refuge gives no comfort ; 
 Jesus, Master, save me now. 
 September, 1895. 
 
 HUMOROUS 
 
 PAT BRADY'S COGITATIONS.— NO. I. 
 
 Mickey, Mickey, sure an' it 's nieself that has been cogi- 
 tatin'. Ye see, for the life o' me, I never could undershtand 
 why the horrens should grow on the cows' heads and on the 
 roosters' legs. Troth, an' it 's said that nater makes no mis- 
 takes ; and I thought sure an' here is one mistake for Mist'her 
 Nater, any way, till one day I caught a biddy, an' the ould 
 
218 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 rooster jumped right onto me back and struck two holes into 
 me shoulders as clane as ye could have done it wid a pitch- 
 fork. Thin, said I, sure an' nater is right ag'in ; for whin 
 the rooster leaped upon me back, his whole weight was there 
 to shove in the horrens. But, Mickey, did ye iver see one of 
 thim queer burreds they have in America, called a torkey-pin ? 
 Ye see, it is all the same as torkey, only they put "pin" to 
 his name, beca'se his feathers are all sharp at one end, and 
 are set wid tlie sharp end out, the same as pins. Well, would 
 ye belave me for a murderin' son o' ould Erin, but when 
 ye come near the crather, he will not run at all; but jist 
 double himself into a hape an' draw in his head as if he had 
 cramp colic, an' thin the divil himself couldn't touch him 
 widout havin' half a hundred or more of thim sharp feathers 
 run into his fingers. Now, sure as I 'm a born sinner, every 
 word I 'm a tellin' ye is as true as gospel ; and although I 've 
 bin a cogitatin' for 3'ears, I cannot, for the life o' me, see the 
 use sich feathers are to sich a burred, unless it is to jag 
 yer fingers if ye go to pick it up. 
 
 An' thin, Mickey, they have another queer burred in Amer- 
 ica. They call it the horrinet ; an' sure an' he can horn it, 
 for sartin', an' no mistake. He is not big, but he is mighty, 
 you better believe. He is only about the size o' yer thumb 
 nail, but whin he shtrikes ye, ye think he weighs a ton. 
 Unlike all other burreds I 've seen, he has one horren, an' 
 while the cow wears her horrens on her head, an' the rooster 
 his on his legs, this burred wears his right in the end o' his 
 tail, an' seems all the time to have it surcharged wid jusht 
 one drop o' the quintessence o' fire an' brimstone, which he 
 niver fails to leave wid ye if he strikes ye. Och, the Lored 
 pity me, but I shall niver forgit till the day o' me death, the 
 time I run into a flock o' these murderin' craters. It was 
 soon after I landid in America, an' I was a walkin' through 
 the bush a cogitatin', wid me shelalah in me hand, whin, 
 all of a sudden, I heard a humniin' noise about me head, an' 
 quick as thought I prepared to parry blows wid me shelalah, 
 •whin, holy Saint Patrick! if they didn't .shlrikc me wid their 
 horrins all around me head, in me face an' on me nose, an' I, 
 blind wid pain, dropped me shelalah an' rushed through the 
 bush into the road, an' run for dare life, until I met a kind 
 sort o' man, an' he fold me that I had shtirred up a horrinets' 
 nest, and I told him I thought so, too. He took me to his 
 
His Ozvn Writings 219 
 
 house, and was kind to me, an' for three days I niver seed 
 the sun in the heavens nor any other man, so tight were me 
 eyes shwelled up; an' for a whole week me nose was four 
 times as big as any Irishman's nose ought to be. 
 
 Well, Mickey, from that blessed day, I 've been a cogitatin', 
 an' for the life o' me, I cannot see what thim horrinet burreds 
 was made for, anyhow. They might do to help the divil to 
 punish heretics ; but, then, it seems to me their place would 
 be in purgatory an' not in this blessed wurrld. But sure, 
 Mickey, we cannot know everything; an' why bodder our 
 brains about such questions? It's meself what thinks as 
 how we 'd better take the horrinet burreds as a fact, and be 
 careful to keep out o' their way, rather than be a dramin' 
 over why they were made an' walk right in among them to 
 be shtung widin a inch o' our lives. 
 
 So, Mickey, after much experience an' deep cogitatin', I 
 conclude that it is better to look sharp about ye an' keep out 
 o' the way o' the divil's traps, rather thin, wid yer eyes shet, 
 and yer brain busy in tryin' to tell why he was allowed to 
 set thim traps, walk right into thim and be cotched. To 
 meself, it niver mattered mutch as to how or why the 
 praties grow'd; but I alius was mighty anxshus to be sartin' 
 they were a growin' ; an' consequentl}', I 'se alius had praties 
 enough to ate, an' a few to shpare. But there 's Tim O'Shan- 
 non, I 've seen him a shtandin' around for days at a time, 
 wid his hands in his pockets, a cogitatin' as to how and why 
 praties grow, an' niver doin' a blessid hand's turn to make 
 any grow, an' I 've niver know'd the day whin Tim had 
 praties enough of his own to ate. 
 
 So, Mickey, cogitatin' is good in its place; but for makin' 
 praties grow an' keepin' out o' the way o' horrinet burreds, 
 give me honest work an' a sharp lookout. 
 
 PAT BRADY'S COGITATIONS.— NO. II. 
 
 Mickey, me bye, now mind what I tell ye, an' don't ye 
 forgit it. There is some cogitatin' as is profitable, an' some 
 as is not worth a sint. Now, it is the wise man as can discern 
 between profitable and unprofitable cogitatin'. For meself, I 
 must confess I 've spent much time in unprofitable cogitatin' ; 
 
220 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 but I don't do it any more. For instance, it was for a long 
 time, a matter of great concern to me why ould Brindle 
 would niver kick till the pail was more 'n half full of milk; 
 but now I niver cogitates over that same thing at all, at all, 
 for it is sumthin' no mortal man can iver find out; an' what's 
 the use a botherin' about it. Only keep a sharp lookout that 
 Brindle don't upset the pail or git her foot into it. That 's 
 the p'int as needs watchin'. 
 
 An' thin, Mickey, fwhat 's the use in cogitatin' as to fwhat 
 yoiu 'd do wid one million dollars, if ye had thim, whin the 
 good Lorred himself knows as yez are no more likely to 
 iver have that much money thin ould Brindle is to climb 
 backwards up a tree and find her calf in a crow's nest. Better 
 be a shtirrin' of yerself and a fryin' to honestly earn one dol- 
 lar, thin be a dramin" over the nice things ye 'ud buy if ye 
 had a million. 
 
 But, Mickey, there are .some things in this blissed America 
 about which I can't for the life o' me help a cogitatin', even 
 whin I know very well that it won't do one bit o' good. For 
 instance: I cannot till this blissed day undershtand why the 
 court should license men of good moral character, like Mike 
 Malooney (but it 's meself as cannot see where the "good 
 moral character" is in Mike) to sell the manest rotgut whisky 
 ye iver drank, an' make poor divils like yerself drunk, an' 
 thin that same court send you to jail for bein' drunk! Surely, 
 if it's a crime to git drunk, men of good moral character 
 shouldn't be licensed to tempt poor divils, sich as we are, to 
 drink mane, rotgut whisky. An' thin, Mickey, why should 
 they tempt a poor bye, like yerself, to tell a lie to git a drink 
 o' whisky, an' thin sind him thirty days to jail for tellin' that 
 same lie. Sure an' they have some strange laws in this 
 blissed Amerike ! It 's meself that can't help a cogitatin' 
 over them. 
 
 A REJECTED LOVER'S SOLILOQUY. 
 
 I sot me down in thought profound. 
 
 This maxim wise I drew ; 
 It's easier fo.r to luv a gal 
 
 Than maik a gal luv you. 
 (That's what pains me now.) 
 
His Ozcn Writings 221 
 
 Now little Cupid, god of luv, 
 
 I 'm sorrowful, yea, sad ; 
 If I could maik that gal luv me, 
 
 I 'd be most mighty glad. 
 (You bet your life I would.) 
 
 I 've tried my smiles, I 've tried my cash, 
 
 But all to no avail ; 
 Last night she flung me all to smash, 
 
 Because I tramped her trail. 
 (An accident — the trail was so confounded 
 long — but she got madder 'n blazes.) 
 
 I give it up, 't is of no use ; 
 
 Gals are confounded nice. 
 But if you maik a small mistake, 
 
 They '11 fling you in a trice. 
 (That's the way she served me — she did.) 
 
 I loved that gal, indeed I did, 
 
 And felt so very glad ; 
 By accident I tramped her trail. 
 
 And she got ravin' mad. 
 (And she called me an oJd clod-hopper, and 
 said I might go to the dickens. That 
 curdled my blood. I sweat. I 've felt 
 bad ever since.) 
 
 A NEGRO'S EXPERIENCE WITH BEES AS GIVEN 
 BY HIMSELF. 
 
 In Camp Stevenson, front of Petersburg, Virginia, on a 
 certain evening in December, 1864, any one standing outside 
 the tent of the chaplain of the Twentj^-first Pennsylvania 
 Cavalry and listening, might have heard the following nar- 
 rated to the chaplain with pure negro enthusiasm by the 
 colonel's servant, who gave his age as forty-nine years and 
 his name as "Ruffin Nathaniel Seagen Short," with consid- 
 erable emphasis on "Short" : 
 
222 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 "My ole mistress lived on de ole plantation five miles sour 
 of Reams Station. When Massa Wilson's cavalry passed 
 through dar, de Yankees hitch dar hosses to de fence, hump 
 over in de ya'd, tu'n up de bee-boxes, put in dar hands, take 
 out de honey in big chunks, git on dar horses eatin' honey, 
 laffin' and talkin' all de time, and ride off, de bees a-f^yin' 
 all around and nevah stung um onst. 
 
 "When de Yankees war all done gone, t'inks I, if de Yanks 
 can git honey and de bees no sting um, dis nigga can do so, 
 too. So I jis' goes to de fence, jumps over it, walks rite up, 
 bold like, to de bee-boxes, all black wid bees, and stoops down 
 to put my hand in like the Yanks had done. Ungh ! Lo'd-a- 
 massa! jis' 'peared to me dat dat minute every last bee left 
 dat box and flewed rite into my face ; Lo'd ! I runned my 
 head into a little peach-tree an' shook um off; I tumbled 
 heels ovah head in de grass, an' I was suah dey kill dis nigga 
 afoa he ever git out of dat ya'd. Lo'd-a-massa ! nevah was 
 stung so in my life. Since den I no do much wid bees." 
 
 CONUNDRUM. 
 
 Take away my first and I am cold. 
 
 Take away my second and I am sold. 
 
 Take away my first and second and you make me old. 
 
 Take away my first and fourth and you make me a fish. 
 
 Take away my second and fourth and you make me a sod. 
 
 Take away my second and fifth and you make me a note in 
 music. 
 
 Now if my name I have not told. 
 You need not grumble, scowl, nor scold.' 
 And if my name you cannot guess, 
 I'll scold j'ou for your stupidness. 
 
 A LETTER ON HOUSE-CLEANING. 
 
 Dear Mr. and Mrs. D. : We have had an awful time, but 
 we still survive. We were struck by a hurricane, a cyclone, 
 and a tornado all at once. It conmienccd in the attic; it 
 
His Ozvn Writings 223 
 
 swept through the halls; it roared and raged through the 
 chambers, parlor, sitting-room, dining-room, and kitchen, and 
 ended in the cellar ! Furniture was flung on heaps in every 
 direction ! Carpets were torn up and whirled out into the 
 yard ! Clouds upon clouds of dust filled the air, and torrents 
 of soap-suds drenched every nook and corner in the entire 
 ranch ! Brooms, mops, and whitewash brushes swung in 
 every direction, and if ever a poor mortal felt that he had no 
 place to lay or poke his head for safety, it was your humble 
 servant at this time ! 
 
 My better one-half was ubiquitous. She seemed to be in 
 the attic, in the chambers, in the parlor, kitchen, and cellar 
 all at the same time, directing the hired help, doing a little 
 of everything, but especially bossing, praising, and scolding 
 me. Poor me ! I was the most frightened, forlorn, sub- 
 missive, not-knowing-what-to-do, God-forsaken man you ever 
 saw in all your life. Ordered, praised, directed, and made 
 fun of by three women at the same time, all of whom I was 
 vainly striving to please, and prominent among them was my 
 own better nine-tenths, is it any wonder that I felt like a stray 
 dog with a tin pan tied to his tail? 
 
 Did I swear? Not a bit of it. No amount of swearing 
 could have begun to do the subject justice. I shook carpet 
 till my shoulders ached; I whipped carpet till my arms were 
 sore for a week, only to be told by my better nineteen-twen- 
 tieths that it was half done ! I lifted beds, bureaus, book- 
 cases, sinks, cupboards, heaters, and stoves until my back 
 was almost broke! I was so long on my knees (not praying, 
 for prayer would not reach the case) tacking down carpet 
 that for nearly a week each knee felt as if it were afflicted with 
 one of Josh Billings' "biles." At night I would retire to my 
 couch (hastily and temporarily thrown together), not to sleep, 
 for I was to tired to do that, but to muse over the woes and 
 miseries to which we poor men are subjected at house-cleaning 
 time, and to thank a merciful Providence for having ordained 
 that the calamity shall not strike us oftener than twice a year. 
 
 Well, it is over, and my better forty-nine-fiftieths is as 
 happy as a cricket again. She says it was just a splendid 
 time ; that we had such good weather ; that the hired help 
 did so well; that the whitewashing is excellent, and that, in 
 spite of my awkwardness, I did almost as well as I had ever 
 done before. Of course, I am glad she is pleased and happy. 
 
224 Life of Isaiali L. Kcphart 
 
 but for three mortal days 1 have been vainly striving to ascer- 
 tain whether the bit of praise she gives me is really a com- 
 pliment or not. Can you tell? But I guess it is all right. 
 You know women have such a queer way of expressing them- 
 selves. But, in spite of myself, it does creep up my back that 
 she might have been a little more definite in saying that I 
 had done first rate. You know we men like to be praised, too. 
 Well, my chief consolation now is that there are at least 
 five long months between us and another house-cleaning ; and 
 if, when that time comes, I am not away from home for a 
 week on very important business, you may put me down for 
 an idiot. But come to see us now, soon, while the house is 
 clean. You will find my better ninety-nine-one-hundredths in 
 a splendid humor — provided you come before the house gets 
 dirtv. 
 
 A LITTLE DECEPTION AND HOW IT ENDED. 
 
 Years ago there lived, in rather affluent circumstances, an 
 aged pair, in o.ne of the rural districts of Pennsylvania. Their 
 only child, a lass of twenty-five summers, contributed greatly 
 to the peace and joy of their declining days. The father wa-. 
 content. He had an abundance of this world's goods, both 
 for himself, his wife, and daughter; and the assurance th;.t 
 he should leave his daughter an estate that would place her 
 quite bej'-ond the reach of want was to him a source of com- 
 plete satisfaction. Not so with the mother, however. In her 
 maternal eyes, lands and money were all well enough, and if, 
 in addition to these, she could see her Betsey Jane properly 
 married, then she would feel ready to close her eyes in peace 
 upon the vanities of this world. 
 
 Unfortunately, however, Betsey Jane was not very pre- 
 possessing in her personal appearance, and besides this, as if 
 to still further diminish her chances in the matrimon'al 
 market, she was "near-sighted." This being generally known, 
 it was sufficient to blight all prospects of her securing a beau 
 among the young men of the neighborhood in which she 
 lived. However, fortune seemed to favor the family at last, 
 by bringing to their district a young and apparently somewhat 
 susceptible pedagogue. 
 
His Ozvn Writings 225 
 
 Enoch Smith, learning that Betsey Jane was sole heir to 
 the valuable estate of Jonathan Burgundy, suddenly becam.^ 
 a great admirer of her, and although his days were occupied 
 in "wielding the birch and teaching the young idea how to 
 shoot," many of his evenings were spent at the house of Mr. 
 Burgundy, in company with that gentleman's daughter. Now 
 Enoch was a very proper j'-oung man. He wore a moustache, 
 flourished a cane, and smoked cigars; and besides this, he 
 was the schoolmaster, and quite a scholar at that. Hence it 
 is not at all surprising that both Mother Burgundy and 
 Betsey Jane were highly pleased with his attentions, and did 
 all they could, consistent with the rules of propriety, to encour- 
 age his visits. Things went on very prosperously and agree- 
 ably to all parties for a time; but, alas, "true love never did 
 run smooth," nor was it to do so in this case. Some of the 
 young misses of the district, envying Betsey Jane her good 
 luck, resolved to demolish at once all her air castles by 
 informing Enoch that she was near-sighted. The news was 
 stunning in its effect on him, and overwhelmed him with 
 perplexity. He did not like to miss such a grand prize as 
 was presented in the valuable estate of Jonathan Burgundy, 
 nor oould he brook the idea of being bound for life to a 
 near-sighted woman. In this state of perplexity, he, like an 
 honest lover, sought an early interview with his espoused, 
 and at once unburdened his mind to her. She, of course, 
 denied the charge outright, and assured him that it was all 
 the result of jealousy upon the part of the girls. This seemed 
 so reasonable that he was quite satisfied and left for school 
 with a light heart. That day Betsey Jane, like a dutiful child, 
 informed her mother of what had passed between her and 
 Enoch at their last interview. The far-seeing old lady, at 
 once comprehending the situation, said : "We can easily fix 
 that. You see this spot on the floor here, Betsey Jane. Now 
 the next evening that Enoch is here, you lay a pin on this 
 spot, and then when the candle is burning dim and Enoch 
 and the old man are busy talking, you say all at once, 'Why, 
 mother, there lies a pin,' and then jump up and bring it to 
 me, and he will then know to a certainty that your eyes are 
 good." Matters were all arranged. The candle was burning 
 dimly on the table. The old man and Enoch were discussing 
 the probabilities of an early spring. The old lady sat knit- 
 ting; her white cap and carefullj^-adjusted spectacles giving 
 
226 Life of Isaiah L. Kcpliart 
 
 her the very appearance of innocence and motherly kindness. 
 Betsey Jane, with blushing modesty, sat paring and snitting 
 apples. The fire was burning gently on the hearth, and kitty 
 was purring by the old lady's side. All at once, so naturally 
 and so unintentionally, Betsey Jane exclaims, "Why, mother, 
 there lays a pin." 
 
 "Where?" says the old lady. 
 
 "Why, over there by the wall. Don't you see it?" 
 
 "Why, no," exclaims the mother, "I can't see it." 
 
 "Why, I do," says Betsey, and with that she springs to her 
 feet, trips across the floor and brings the pin in triumph to 
 her mother. 
 
 It had worked like a charm, and all lingering doubts as to 
 the acuteness of Betsey's vision were now completely eradi- 
 cated from Enoch's mind. Now he was certain that it was a 
 false report, the product of the jealousy of those envious 
 schoolgirls. 
 
 The night wore away, and the hands of the mantel clock 
 now indicated the time when sensible old folks retire and 
 leave young folks to themselves. Enoch and the old man 
 closed their discussion. The old lady had laid aside her 
 knitting and turned her chair to the fire. Betsey Jane, slightly 
 embarrassed, as timid j^oung ladies will be at such a time, sat 
 gazing into the fire and wondering why "dad and mam" did 
 not go to bed. The candle was burning quite dimly on the 
 table, on which, unfortunately, had been left a large white 
 pitcher, which, at a distance and to a near-sighted person, 
 looked exactly like a large white torn cat that frequented the 
 apartments. Suddenly the keen eye of Betsey Jane caught 
 sight of the pitcher, and at once supposing it to be the cat, 
 and being shocked at the thought of Enoch seeing kitty so 
 much out of his place, stamped her foot and exclaimed, 
 "Scat! scat!" 
 
 The cat apparently paying no attention to her voice, she 
 sprang to her feet, and before her terrified mother could 
 interfere, ran to the table and struck the, as she supposed, 
 cat a violent blow with her open hand, which sent the large 
 pitcher into fragments to the farther side of the room. It is 
 sufficient to add that Enoch Smith did not marry Betsey Jane 
 Burgundy. 
 
His Ozvn Writings 227 
 
 TO CURE A BUNION. 
 
 Soak the bunion 
 
 In the juice of an onion, 
 And tuck yourself snug into bed; 
 
 Then rise at day dawn, 
 
 Walk forth on the lawn. 
 
 And bathe it anew 
 
 In the sparkling dew 
 Till it blushes a neat, pinky red. 
 
 Then tenderly dress it — 
 
 But never compress it — 
 Run barefoot the livelong day, 
 
 And treat that same bunion 
 
 With the juice of an onion 
 Each night, and each morn 
 
 With the dew of the lawn, 
 In exactly the selfsame way. 
 
 Then each night before sleeping, 
 Rub gently, repeating, 
 
 Onion, 
 
 Bunion, 
 
 Dewdrop, 
 
 Do stop 
 All this hurting; 
 
 And I promise 
 
 In the presence 
 
 Of high heaven, 
 
 You, my bunion, 
 
 With juice of onion 
 
 Ne'er to dress you. 
 
 Nor compress you. 
 
 PIOUS, ECCENTRIC, AND PUGILISTIC. 
 
 Forty years ago, in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, Dennis 
 C. and Benjamin L. lived neighbors to each other. They 
 were both enthusiastic members of the church. C. was a 
 
228 Life of Isaiali L. Kcphart 
 
 six-footer of powerful frame and muscle. L. was small and 
 lean, but wiry. C. was deliberate and positive in his manner. 
 L. was impulsive, fier}', and violent. Both were as original 
 and eccentric in their manners as it was possible for men to 
 be — genuine "backwoodsmen," and withal very faithful in 
 attending all the regular church meetings. Being neighbors 
 to each other, all those little neighborly courtesies common 
 among pioneers passed between them, unless the How of 
 "the milk oi human kindness" was interrupted by some 
 trifling misunderstanding. Unfortunately this was often the 
 case — in fact, it could not be otherwise. Two men so odd 
 and peculiar in their views and manners, so very jealous of 
 their rights and opinions, and associating together so fre- 
 quently, could not but disagree often. When thej- were on 
 friendly terms they could not be kind enough to each other, 
 and when they had a petty disagreement thej- were very 
 bitter. However, their wrath being intense, it soon consumed 
 itself, and Brother C. and Brother L. were soon reconciled 
 to each other again. 
 
 When the members oi the church of the neighborhood 
 assembled for prayer and experience meetings, these two 
 brothers were sure to be present, and C. was much given to 
 making long prayers. A peculiarity of his pra\'ers that 
 rendered them doubly interesting to gossipers was the fact 
 that he was always very particular to tell "the Lord" all 
 about his troubles. If he and neighbor L. had recently had 
 a little wrangle, in his prayer he would go through all the 
 particulars, presenting all to. "the Lord," and in that way 
 lay the whole matter before the neighbors. This peculiarity 
 of C.'s prayers often rendered them very annoying to L., 
 and had much to do in the way of restraining his impulsive 
 nature and causing him, as far as possible, to avoid a "set-to" 
 with C. He very much disliked having all the neighbors 
 know every time he and C. had a little quarrel. 
 
 One day C.'s hogs broke into L.'s buckwheat patch. L. 
 immediately set upon them with his two big dogs, which gave 
 the swine a severe shaking and set their ears to bleeding, 
 and sent them home at as high a rate of speed as that with 
 which the herd of Gadara ran down into the sea. When the 
 dignified, deliberate C. saw his five shoats walking around 
 holding their heads to one side and their ears all blood, he 
 "felt very much hurt," and concluded to walk over and see 
 
His Oz^ji Writings 21^) 
 
 Brother L. about it. He found him in his buckwheat patch, 
 trying to repair the damage done by the hogs, and in no 
 amiable mood. Each portrayed his grievance to the other, 
 C. dwelling with force upon the injury inflicted on the hogs, 
 and L. on the damage done to the buckwheat, and each assert- 
 ing to the other in loud, positive words that the man who 
 would do such a thing could not be a Christian, no matter 
 what his profession might be. In this way they parted, both 
 angry. 
 
 This was on Wednesday, and on the following Sabbath 
 the prayer- and class-meeting was to be held at the house of 
 Brother W. L. frequently thought of the trouble, and was 
 most annoyed at the assurance that in his prayer C. would 
 tell all his neighbors that they had had another quarrel, and 
 that he (L.) had "dogged" his (C.'s) hogs. The more he 
 thought oi this the more anxious he became to efifect a recon- 
 ciliation, and thereby avoid exposure. Hence, on Saturday 
 evening he concluded to act the part of a brother, walk over 
 to C.'s, and, if possible, be reconciled to him, and thereby 
 avoid exposure. He did so. C. at first was very stitY and 
 sullen, but as soon as he found that L. was in a friendly, 
 yielding mood and anxious to reconcile their difficulty, he 
 became ecstatic and began to "thank the good Lord" that 
 they could meet as "brethren," reconcile their troubles, and 
 thereby avoid bringing scandal on the church. The whole 
 difficulty was amicably settled and both were happy ; but L. 
 was very particular to insist upon it that there be nothing 
 said in any way or at any place by which the neighbors might 
 learn that they had had any trouble. This being distinctly 
 understood, L. went home feeling very thankful that the good 
 Lord had put it into his head to go and see Brother C, and 
 had enabled them to so completely settle their difficulty. 
 Sabbath morning came, and both went to prayer-meeting, 
 C. feeling happy that he and Brother L. had so completely 
 triumphed over the devil and settled their trouble, and L. 
 feeling so glad that the matter was not to be exposed in C.'s 
 long prayer. All went well for a time. The meeting was 
 well attended, and there was unusual good feeling. Finally 
 the leader called on C. to pray. He started in deliberately, 
 as was his wont, and with unusual unction. But he had not 
 proceeded far when he had to begin to praise the Lord for 
 enabling him and Brother L. to triumph over the devil and 
 
230 Life of Isaiali L. Kcphart 
 
 settle their recent difficult\', and from that proceeded to 
 enlarge, giving particulars. This was too much for the 
 impulsive L., and springing to his feet and throwing off his 
 coat, he ran out of the house yelling at the top of his voice : 
 "Fetch him out; fetch him out! I'll lick him like a hound 
 
 P"p!" 
 
 Of course this broke up the meeting, and it was some time 
 before the brethren succeeded in soothing the ruffled feelings 
 of Brother L. This, however, was accomplished at last, and 
 Brother C. ver}' humbly deplored having permitted his feel- 
 ings to run away with his memory as that he should make 
 such a grave mistake. Peace being restored, the meeting 
 dispersed, and C. walked home quite deliberately, thanking 
 "the good Lord" as he went that, in spite of it all, they had 
 completely whipped the devil and he and Brother L. were 
 still friends. 
 
 November 14, i8yp. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS 
 
 PROVERBS. 
 
 He who possesses a pure spirit and a grateful heart must 
 ever be happy, in defiance of place or circumstances. 
 
 The real man is a man of independent thought ; the wooden 
 man agrees with you in everything. 
 
 He who diligently elevates his aims, cultivates his tastes, 
 and associates with men of high endowments will be esteemed 
 and honored by the wise and virtuous. 
 
 Evil thoughts are man's worst enemies; they should be 
 sought for and expelled from the heart, just like pioneers 
 hunt and destroy noxious animals. 
 
 He who aims to make himself known and felt for good can 
 but be happy. 
 
 Expect not too much from gay associates ; they may show 
 favors, but the real advancement of your own interests 
 depends, and must ever depend, upon your own diligent, 
 personal efforts. 
 
 The energetic, the enterprising, and not the over-refined 
 are the successful in useful pursuits. 
 
His Ozvn Writings 231 
 
 Every man has a mind of his own, and is accountable for 
 his belief. 
 
 Prejudice and bigotry are prison bars to improvement, from 
 which every soul desirous of being known and felt for good 
 should ever keep free. 
 
 He who would accomplish the mighty work of living well 
 and truly must preserve a proper balance of the physical, 
 intellectual, and moral parts of his being. 
 
 A few words, the utterance of true and elevated feelings, 
 produce lasting emotions in the hearts of others; while 
 trifling expressions, the more their number are increased, the 
 more deep and lasting the disgust they excite. 
 
 It matters not how much we afifect to be true men, — how 
 many artificial airs we may put on, — our true character will 
 be known by others. The only successful course is to be a 
 true man. Let the actions be in harmony with the feelings 
 and sentiments. 
 
 There can be no perfect life without a due cultivation of 
 the spiritual nature. 
 
 THE END OF EDUCATION. 
 
 The end of education is the solution of the problem of 
 human life. The problem of human life is happiness. True 
 happiness — the complete satisfaction of mind and soul thirst — 
 is salvation. Salvation is character. Therefore, the end of 
 education is human character — true, clean, upright, intelligent 
 human beings. 
 
 Character is what a man is — what his education, his envi- 
 ronment, and his effort have made him. When the child is 
 born it knows nothing — has no character. It is only possessed 
 of a few of the instincts common to animal life. All else 
 has to be learned. Hence, it has to be, will be, must be edu- 
 cated ; and by its education, active and passive, the distinctive 
 quality of its character will be determined. Therefore, the 
 end of education is the formation of a correct — that is, the 
 best kind of character possible. When such is formed, the 
 individual is saved. Prior to this he may be pressing toward 
 that high mark, or he may be the passive creature of circum- 
 stances, or he may be sweeping in the direction of all that is 
 vile — that is, of hell. 
 
232 Life of Isaiah L. KcpJiart 
 
 Man is a triune being. His personality is made up of a 
 physical, an intellectual, and a moral nature — body, mind, 
 and spirit. His character can be the highest only when his 
 threefold being exists harmoniously — the body healthy ; the 
 mind active, strong, stored with knowledge ; the soul ac- 
 quainted with God and in cheerful submission to the divine 
 will. Such a state is salvation. To be in such a state is to be 
 in possession of a well-rounded character — to be happy in the 
 truest sense. James Russell Lowell, contemplating such a 
 state, wrote : 
 
 "For this true nobleness I seek in vain, 
 In woman and in man I find it not ; 
 I almost weary of my earthly lot, 
 My lifesprings were dried up with burning pain. 
 Thou find'st it not? I pray thee look again. 
 Look inward, through the depths of thine own soul. 
 How is it with thee? Art thou sound and whole? 
 Doth narrow search show thee no earthly stain ? 
 Be noble! and the nobleness that lies 
 In other men, sleeping, but never dead. 
 Will rise in majesty to meet thine own; 
 Then wilt thou see it gleam in many eyes. 
 Then will pure light around thy path be shed. 
 And thou wilt nevermore be sad and lone." 
 
 He who is the embodiment of such a character has attained 
 the end of education. By passing through the triune educa- 
 tional process, he has been lifted up out of the lower animal 
 life, and placed upon the higher plane of moral, spiritual 
 being. Thus elevated and ennobled, he can but be happy. 
 Like Paul and Silas, he can sing and be joyful in a dungeon. 
 You could not make him miserable if you were to shut him 
 up in perdition, for, in the language of John Milton : 
 
 "The mind is its own place. 
 And in itself can make a heaven of hell, 
 A iiell of heaven." 
 
 The road to this lofty end of education lies across deserts 
 and over mountain summits. To travel that road success- 
 fully, the body must be cared for. The ignorance and passion 
 that obstruct proper physical development and destroy health 
 of body must be avoided. The intellectual struggles essential 
 to mental growth and strength must be welcomed and prose- 
 
His Ozvn Writings 233 
 
 cuted to a finish. Above all, the voice of the divine Master- 
 Teacher must be heeded, for he only has marked out the path 
 that leads to the inestimable prize of true soul-culture, with- 
 out which there is no complete salvation — without which 
 character in its highest sense can never be attained. 
 
 To walk this highway through life requires eflfort. The 
 world's Redeemer has provided the facilities and aflfords the 
 opportunities; but each one for himself must act well his 
 part if he would attain to the high destiny placed within his 
 reach. This is at once conceded in matters pertaining to 
 material things. He who would reap must sow. It is as 
 readily granted in regard to the development of the mind. 
 He who would understand the higher mathematics must solve 
 the problems which lie in the path that leads up to that plane 
 of knowledge. 
 
 It is equally true in all that pertains to the culture of the 
 soul — to salvation in the highest sense. Effort, change in 
 character is essential to this. A mob may free a prisoner, 
 but no mob can make guilty men innocent. Only a true 
 knowledge of Jesus Christ as the Wiorld's Redeemer can 
 accomplish this supernatural feat. But he who would thus 
 know Christ and his salvation must seek him while he may 
 be found ; must call upon him while he is near ; must improve 
 his spiritual opportunity. 
 
 In short, in the whole of this threefold educational process, 
 leading up toi the highest character and perfect happiness, 
 there is involved opportunity, with the obligation to improve 
 the same. Success here, as in material things, hinges upon 
 aptness to perceive and alertness to improve opportunity; and 
 happy is that teacher who possesses the genius to inspire 
 his pupils intensely in this direction. And happy are those 
 young people, also, who are so fortunate as to have their 
 lots cast in Christian colleges — colleges which set before them 
 these high ideals of human existence, and in which the 
 instructors are wont to point them to the Man of Nazareth 
 as the infallible Teacher in all things that pertain to true 
 manhood, genuine soul-culture, and complete salvation. In 
 this regard, the students of United Brethren colleges can 
 point to their alnice matres with a just pride. 
 
 It is here freely admitted that the college course is not 
 alone in determining the student's character. There are 
 many other agencies and forces that affect them favorably 
 
234 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 or otherwise. But if we take two joung men who have grown 
 up under similar conditions, and subject the one to the 
 influence Orf a Christian college, and the other to the worldly 
 influence of a rationalistic university, the chances are nine 
 to ten that the one young man will come out equipped for 
 usefulness, and the other lacking in this direction, his char- 
 acter deficient in the things essential to true happiness. 
 
 I close, then, as I began : The end of education is the 
 solution of the problem of human life. The problem of human 
 life is happiness. True happiness is salvation. Salvation is 
 character. Therefore, the end of education is character, — true, 
 clean, upright, intellectual. Christlike, — and the Christian col- 
 lege is a potent factor in developing and perfecting such a 
 character. 
 
 BACCALAUREATE SERMON, WESTFIELD COLLEGE. 
 June 10, 1888. 
 
 Text, L Timothy 6 : 12. 
 
 "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, 
 whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good 
 profession before many witnesses." 
 
 Faith, effort — these are the forces that move the world. 
 It has been so in all the past, it is so now, it will be so in all 
 time to come. Vigorous effort, intelligently directed and 
 sustained by a firm faith, is more than a match for any foe. 
 This is the conclusion of reason, of observation, of philosophy. 
 No faith, no effort ; no effort, no success. Paul was both a 
 logician and a philosopher. As a logician, he had a keen 
 sense of the importance to Timothy (who was then a young 
 man) of vigorous effort, inspired by a firm laith ; and this 
 was intensified by his philosophic insight into the nature of 
 things. Hence his admonition, "fight the good fight of faith." 
 
 To fight signifies, primarily, either to assail a foe or to 
 repel an assault. It is to engage in, and carry on a conflict. 
 In its nature it may be merely physical, as when brutes con- 
 tend for file mastery; or it may be intellectual, as when 
 opponents measure their strength in a forensic encounter in 
 tlic forum ; or if may be both intellectual and moral, as when 
 
His Oii'ii Writings 235 
 
 the chanipion of truth and right, inspired by a firm faith in. 
 and an ardent love for these principles, risks his all in advo- 
 cating their claims or repelling their assailants. It is in this 
 last, this noblest sphere of conflict, that the world has exhib- 
 ited some of the most sublime examples of human daring and 
 fidelity — Socrates before his judges, Regulus in his reply to 
 the Carthaginian embassy, the apostles and Christian martyrs 
 dying ignominiously for their fidelity to Christ, Luther before 
 the Diet of Worms exclaiming, "Here I take my stand ; I 
 cannot do otherwise, and may God help." 
 
 Human battles, whether by armies or by individuals, 
 whether offensive or defensive, imply effort intelligently 
 directed, and are based upon a conviction that there is a 
 chance to win ; and in proportion as the combatant's faith 
 is strong, believes that his cause is just; that he of right 
 ought to succeed ; that his fight is, in the true sense, a good 
 one, in that proportion is his strength augmented and are his 
 chances to win increased. Hence the importance of faith. 
 
 In its most comprehensive sense, faith is credit given to a 
 declaration or promise, founded on the authority or reputa- 
 tion of the one who makes the promise. It is, also, confidence 
 or assurance of success, founded upon an intelligent compre- 
 hension of the plans adopted and our ability and determina- 
 tion tio execute them. "I propose to fight it out on this line 
 if it takes all summer," was but a laconic expression of the 
 great commander's faith. 
 
 But the faith referred to in the text is peculiar, special. It 
 is faith in Christ as the Savior, the Redeemer, the God-man. 
 As such it combines assent with reliance, belief with trust. 
 It is unwavering confidence in Christ as being all that he is 
 represented to be in the gospel — confidence in the gospel plan 
 as being the very best, the only plan for saving the world. 
 
 The apostle not only here recognizes faith as the essential 
 basis of successful effort in Christ's service, but throughout 
 his writings he invariably designates it as the chief element 
 in a well-rounded Christian character, that element which 
 ultimates in a complete surrender of the heart and mind to 
 the controling, molding power of the gospel, from a convic- 
 tion of its high claims and of its meeting the longings and 
 felt wants of the soul. 
 
 It is the heart's giving its complete consent to the terms of 
 salvation, and its readiness to meet all the conditions of 
 
236 Life of Isaiah L. Kcpliart 
 
 growth and service toward a complete transformation of the 
 affectiojis within and the life without. 
 
 In the absence of such a faith, there is no foundation on 
 which to build a character that will stand the test of trial. 
 He who would be successful in business must have confidence 
 in his plans and his ability to execute them. He who would 
 rise as a scholar must have confidence in his own abilities 
 and in the unerring certainty with which diligence leads to 
 success. He who would come to the front in his profession 
 must be inspired by a firm conviction that honest methods 
 and earnest, efficient toil are sure to win in the end. These 
 qualities of mind and soul impart to their possessor a strong, 
 manly, courageous character, because they give to him assur- 
 ance of that certainty and uniformity in the operations of 
 nature which conspire to make faithful toil satisfactory and 
 remunerative. 
 
 On the other hand, there is a certain lack of confidence — a 
 distrust springing naturally out of conscious lack of qualifi- 
 cation, out of idleness, carelessness, and dishonesty which 
 leads as unerringly to but partial success, and more fre- 
 quently to complete failure, as does gravity draw the plunging, 
 foaming waters over the precipice at Niagara. 
 
 In the trades and in the professions, courage and confidence 
 are essential to success ; and a consciousness of honest meth- 
 ods, intelligent plans, and energetic efforts are the necessary 
 foundations of this courage and confidence. This may not be 
 so evident when all is prosperous ; but let adversity set in, 
 let disaster and ruin threaten, and then he who lacks these 
 essentials will lose his courage and confidence, yield to the 
 surging tide and go down a wreck, while he whose assurance 
 has for its foundation these essential convictions will keep 
 his head above the storm and wrench victory out of the very 
 jaws of defeat. Hence, to all my young friends present here 
 this morning, I would say, impressively: Do you desire to 
 be successful in your worldly enterprises — in life? If so, 
 you must have faith; and you cannot have a persistent, 
 triumphant faith without a foundation for it to rest upon ; 
 and the solid rocks out of which such a foundation is con- 
 structed are, first, that thorough qualification which is only 
 secured by diligent preparation, hard study, earnest, persistent 
 work ; second, an intelligent comprehension of the work in 
 hand, a knowledge of the means necessary to succeed and a 
 
His Ozvn JVritings 237 
 
 diligent use of those means. You must recognize the fact 
 that, other things being equal, that worker succeeds best who 
 puts the most brains into his work ; third, honesty of purpose. 
 These are the great foundation-stones of a truly successful 
 earthly career. Remember that success in life is not a hap- 
 hazard affair. It obeys the law of cause and effect as truly 
 as does the rise of the tides and the whirling of the spheres, 
 and its essential element is a well-founded faith. Ah, there 
 is a strength and power of endurance in the conviction : My 
 plans are intelligently formed, my efforts are all that they 
 should be, my purposes are honest, and my motives are pure. 
 That possesses all the characteristics of omnipotence. We 
 find in these the original elements out of which the world's 
 triumphant heroes are made. 
 
 So in religious matters. That genuine faith which has 
 Christ for its foundation, lifts the soul above the discourage- 
 ments which, but for that faith, would overwhelm it. Faith 
 in God and the efficiency of divine grace ; faith in the cer- 
 tainty of the divine promises, such as "I will never leave thee 
 nor forsake thee," "My grace is sufficient for thee"; faith in 
 the better life which faith unfolds; faith in the final, com- 
 plete triumph of virtue; faith which says, "Right must win, 
 since God is God" — ^this faith is the vital element that gives 
 power and energy and consistency to all that goes to make 
 up a perfectly rounded and symmetrical Christian develop- 
 ment. 
 
 But in both Christian life and business pursuits the essen- 
 tials of a triumphant faith are philosophically the same; 
 namely, thorough investigation, thorough qualification, thor- 
 ough effect. In any and all worldly pursuits, — farming, mer- 
 chandising, the mechanic arts, the professions, — only he who 
 so gives his mind to his work as to know that he thoroughly 
 understands it, has so applied himself that he is sure that he 
 knows how to do the work, and then, at the proper time, 
 vigorously applies himself to the work, only such a one can 
 have a solid assurance of success. 
 
 The intelligent farmer believes that he shall succeed because 
 he knows that he is faithfully doing his work. The intelli- 
 gent mechanic expects to succeed because he has mastered 
 his trade and has the will to work at it. The professional 
 man — the physician, the lawyer, the teacher, the preacher — 
 believes that he shall succeed because he has thoroughly 
 
238 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 qualified liimself for his work; and his faith havyig this firm 
 foundation, this assurance of qualification, it is to him a 
 motive power that moves him incessantly, irresistibly for- 
 ward, and he fights the fight of faith and fights it success- 
 fully, for God is ever on the side of thorough qualification 
 and earnest, honest effort. Just as the steam in the loco- 
 motive not only propels the engine along the track, but 
 enables it to draw the ponderous train, so the faith which 
 rests on these foundation-stones drives its possessor through 
 life, enabling him to meet successfully life's responsibilities. 
 
 This is equally true in religion. Saving faith in the Lord 
 Jesus Christ cannot be attained without thought and effort. 
 If we would know God, we must inquire after him. If we 
 would know "the doctrine," so as to believe it, we must do 
 his will. Christ says, "If any man will do his will, he shall 
 know of the doctrine" (John 7:17). This is an invariable 
 law of acquiring knowledge. We learn to know by doing, 
 and knowing is believing. 
 
 The intelligent man looks around and sees all nature teem- 
 ing with life, and all life evincing intelligence and design. 
 He, reflecting, says to himself: "Surely this is not the result 
 of chance. Chance never made the eye and adapted it to 
 light ; chance never made the ear and adapted it to sound ; 
 chance never made the lungs and adapted them to air; 
 chance never could have made all nature so beautiful and 
 harmonious ; chance never could have made that most marvel- 
 ous of all existences, the human soul, and instilled in it its 
 undying longings for perfect bliss. No, there is a God." 
 
 From this conclusion he turns to the Bible and finds there 
 revealed just such a God as nature declares must exist. He 
 finds there revealed a perfectly reasonable plan by which all 
 the imperfections of his own nature may be provided for and 
 all the longings of his soul may be satisfied. His irresistible 
 conclusion is, the go.spcl is divine. He yields to it his assent, 
 believes it, and honestly sets himself to complying with all 
 it's requirements. Believing, he .seeks for spiritual enlighten- 
 ment, foir absolution from the guilt of sin, for freedom from 
 the love of sin, for a saving acquaintance with God. He 
 believes the Word, and the Word says, "Ye must be born 
 again." Impelled by this faith, he desires, he seeks, he 
 believes God's promises ; he trusts, and in response there 
 comes into his soul the true light, the assurance of sins for- 
 given, the joys of full salvation. 
 
His Ozvn Writings 239 
 
 Here, then, is the foundation for that irresistible, triumphant 
 faith which moves him forward through life a transformed 
 being. It has changed him from a hopeless, desponding child 
 of earth to a cheerful, joyous Christian; from a selfish, 
 grasping miser to. a generous philanthropist. It has put a 
 new song into his mouth and moves him on through life, his 
 countenance beaming with the joyous hope of a blissful 
 immortality. To him earth's ills are but trifles which he 
 overcomes with ease, for he is inspired with the assurance 
 that "these light afiflictions which are but for a moment work 
 for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 
 Blessed faith ! Glorious prospect ! Triumphant fight ! 
 
 I have said this much of faith, and the fight of faith in a 
 general waj^ but not without a purpose. This day is, to a 
 few of our number, an important day. It is toi mark an 
 epoch in the history of their earthly careers. There are to 
 go out from this morning's service those who, as students, 
 have often assembled here, but who, as such, meet here 
 to-day for the last time. To them it is a momentous period. 
 Behind them lie all the realities, pleasantries, struggles, joys 
 of childhood, youth, and student life. Before them is the 
 mysterious, hopeful, uncertain future. Upon this mysterious, 
 hopeful, uncertain future they are about to launch. In this 
 sense they are to leave us. And as when the young man — 
 the father's pride, the mother's joy — is about to leave the 
 parental roof to try his fortunes in a far-off, strange land, 
 and though the fond parents for months have been preparing 
 for his safety and success, they now endeavor to gi :ve him 
 a few special words of parting admonition — ^of serious, solici- 
 tous advice, so on this occasion do we seek to do the same. 
 
 Therefore, to you, members of the senior class, do I desire 
 to say as tenderly, as heroically, as impressively as possible, 
 "Fight the good iight of faith." Fight as those do who have 
 for the foundation oi all their hopes, aspirations, and inspira- 
 tions an intelligent, abiding faith in God, faith in the world's 
 Redeemer, faith in the final triumph of right. 
 
 You stand at the threshold of active life. For you the 
 period of preparation, of dependence on others, of the care- 
 less joyousness of youth is ended. The time for action, for 
 responsibility, for achievement, for the work of life to begin 
 is here. You are to encounter opportunities, dangers, difficul- 
 ties, opposition, temptation. Not all who embark, as you do 
 
240 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 to-day, upon life's voyage successfully weather the gale, 
 thread the channels, round the capes, and safely enter port. 
 Some are dashed upon the rocks of passion and appetite and 
 ruined soon after setting sail. Others have a prosperous, 
 triumphant voyage, and when nearing port are engulfed in 
 the maelstrom of ambition, wealth, and fashion, and go down 
 complete moral wrecks. Others, again, venturing far out 
 upon the unknown sea of metaphysical speculation, become 
 enveloped in the clouds of mysticism and agnosticism, throw 
 away their chart, and paralyze their compass, and from them 
 there never comes any intelligence that tends in the least to 
 permanently benefit the race. This is no picture of fancy. 
 It has been true of many who once set sail under even more 
 favorable circumstances than you do. Be admonished by 
 their fate. Avoid the mistakes that compassed their ruin. 
 Cherish and often consult your chart — God's Word. Do not 
 paralyze your compass — conscience — by yielding to the de- 
 mands of expediency in opposition to your sense of right. 
 
 But as this is a matter of vital importance, bear with me 
 while I particularize. In some respects you enter upon 
 active life at a most critical, dangerous time. As a nation 
 we are moving forward in material prosperity with a rapidity 
 that surpasses that of all other times. In a more compre- 
 hensive sense than ever before may it be truly said to-day 
 that money is king. Mammon numbers its votaries by the 
 million. Wealth commands and the millions obey. Haman 
 rides forth and the admirers of pelf and power bow to him. 
 Though we boast of our freedom, money and rum rule the 
 country. Three men, because they contral several hundred 
 millions of dollars, can control the election of the President 
 of these United States. None but millionaires enter the 
 United States Senate nowadays. No less an authority than 
 Ex-United States Senator Windom declares that we are 
 to-day actually and practically a rum-ruled nation because 
 of the money there is in the trafBc. 
 
 Now, young people of pluck, see this — sec the power of 
 money; and the danger is that they will conclude that the 
 only road to honorable positions is through the agency of 
 wealth, and bending all their energies in the direction of 
 mammon, will sacrifice principle and outrage their sense of 
 right to become rich and secure positions. 
 
 Make not this fatal mistake. Remember that there are 
 
His Ozvn Writings 241 
 
 treasures within your reach far more precious than gold or 
 office. Louis Agassiz said he had no time to make money. 
 In bringing to light the hidden truths of science he found 
 delight far surpassing that that is to be found in the posses- 
 sion of gold. And by his valuable contributions to science he 
 reared for himself a monument which for durability and 
 magnificence far exceeds those erected by Rameses or 
 Croesus. 
 
 To strive to become wealthy and secure honorable positions 
 is legitimate and laudable, provided the effort be in harmony 
 with the good fight of faith. See to it, then, that your desires 
 and efforts in this direction do not swerve you a hair's breadth 
 from your convictions of duty and honesty. Faith in the 
 final triumph of virtue declares that while a dishonest dollar 
 may add permanently to your bank account, it necessarily 
 bankrupts your conscience — your soul — and compels 3'ou to 
 write yourself down a villain. Engrave upon your souls and 
 take as your motto the inspired declaration uttered by Henry 
 Clay, "It is better to be right than to be President." Remem- 
 ber that, even if you could do it, you cannot afford to secure 
 a seat in the United States Senate by fraud, duplicity, and 
 the corrupt use of money; for such a seat so secured, in the 
 very nature of things, brands its possessor a thief, a knave, 
 and a hypocrite, and shuts him out of heaven. 
 
 Again, this national thirst for wealth is strongly tending 
 in the direction of neglecting the development of man's moral, 
 spiritual nature. The best and highest part of man is for- 
 gotten. The danger of the hour is that even the educated 
 classes will lose out of themselves the most ennobling ele- 
 ments of life, and will satisfy themselves with knowing the 
 seen, and not knowing the unseen God. That these are 
 among the evils and tendencies of the times all thoughtful 
 men must admit. Coming, as you will, in contact with this 
 tendency, I implore you to confront it manfully; and, sus- 
 tained by an abiding belief of the inspired declaration that 
 "the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are 
 unseen are eternal," fight it to the very death. The best 
 interests of the race demand of you true heroism at this 
 point. Deprive the race of its conviction that God exists, 
 and that man is accountable to him, and human society 
 becomes chaiotic and peace and prosperity an impossibility. 
 Hence, in this conflict of belief with unbelief, be not indif- 
 
242 Life of Isaiah L. Kephart 
 
 ferent spectators — be heroes. Inspired by faith, take your 
 stand, assert your convictions, fight. Truth and right demand 
 this of you ; your own soul's interests demand this of you. 
 You cannot have a strong, self-conscious respect for yourself 
 if you do less than this. 
 
 Again, in your individual lives live in accordance with the 
 gospel idea. Remember that it is our being, rather than our 
 doing, that requires our attention. We may do right without 
 being right ; but we cannot be right without doing right. 
 Doing right follows naturally out of being right. Hence, 
 carefully scrutinize and properly regulate your inner life. 
 Inspiration declares, "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is 
 he." 
 
 The world to-day is greatly given to deception. But a true 
 faith assures its possessor that, in the end, low cunning, 
 duplicity, and false show must go to the wall. "God looketh 
 on the heart." In proportion as you are right at heart will 
 be your influence in favor of right. Therefore, if you are to 
 be a power to raise men above the self-seeking and passion- 
 slavery of a carnal life, you must yourself, in your thoughts 
 and aspirations, be elevated to this higher moral plane. You 
 must show, by yourselves and in yourselves, that wealth is 
 not essential to happiness, and that there is in the soul what 
 no outward loss or gain can destroy or create. In j-our 
 college course you have acquired a certain amount of knowl- 
 edge, a certain strength of discipline of the mental faculties. 
 But, in addition to this, we have earnestly sought to lead you 
 into the inner, intellectual, spiritual life. By entering this 
 realm your lives are placed upon this highest plane, and you 
 are enabled, if you will, to know in yourselves the noblest 
 manhood. There is no one of you but has the consciousness 
 of this whenever he turns his most serious thought upon 
 himself, and has his deepest insight into what is best within 
 himself. Surely, then, if there is an inspiration breathing 
 itself into your souls from these past years, or a call of duty 
 as you go forth from this college, which speaks to you with 
 a clearer voice than any other, it is that you should carry 
 forward with you to the end this life of the mind and .soul, 
 the reality and value of which you have already been made 
 to appreciate. 
 
 But to do this you mu.st "fight." There will come times 
 when worldly interests and fidelity to the interests anil 
 
His Own Writings 243 
 
 promptings of this soul-life will conflict. It was so with 
 Timothy, with Paul ; it has been so with all the great and 
 good of earth; it will be so with you. Oh, then, "fight the 
 good fight of faith." 
 
 There may also come times when, entangled and bewildered 
 in the deceptive nets and blinding fogs of metaphysical 
 speculations and atheistic agnosticism, you will be tempted 
 to conclude that the very foundations of faith are giving 
 way; when, looking upon the world from a human stand- 
 point, you will see, or think you see that condition of things 
 prevalent in human affairs so graphically portrayed in the 
 Seventy-third Psalm — ^the wicked triumphant and the right- 
 eous cast down, fraud and deception successful and honesty 
 derided ; when you will be tempted to doubt everything, even 
 that God exists. This, in the language of Doctor Robertson, 
 is an awful hour to him who experiences it : "When this life 
 has lost its meaning, and seems shriveled intoi a span ; when 
 the grave appears to be the end of all, and human goodness 
 nothing but a name ; and the sky above this universe a dead 
 expanse, black with the void from which God himself has 
 disappeared. In that fearful loneliness of spirit, that seething 
 cauldron of doubt and dread, I know but one way in which 
 a man may come forth from his agony scatheless. It is by 
 holding fast to the foundations of his faith, to those things 
 that are certain still, the grand, simple, immovable landmarks 
 of Christianity. In the darkest hour through which a human 
 soul can pass, whatever else is doubtful, these at least are 
 certain. Even if there be no God and no future state, yet 
 even then it is better to be generoius than selfish, better to 
 be chaste than licentious, better to be true than false, better 
 to be brave than to be a coward. Blessed be3'ond all earthly 
 blessedness is the man who, in the tempestuous darkness of 
 the soul, has dared to hold fast to these venerable landmarks. 
 Thrice blessed is he who, when all is drear and cheerless 
 within and without, when his teachers terrify him and his 
 friends shrink from him, has obstinately clung to moral 
 good. Thrice blessed, because his night shall pass into clear, 
 bright day. Having passed through that hour of agony, lie 
 stands upon the rock at last, the surges stilled below him, 
 and the last cloud drifted from the sky above, with a faith 
 and hope and trust no longer traditional, but his own — a trust 
 which neither earth nor hell can shake henceforth forever." 
 He has fought "the good fight of faith." 
 
244 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 Again, be not timid doubters. Think your own thoughts; 
 come to your own conclusions; have the courage of your 
 convictions. The vi^orld needs to-day men and women who 
 not only have opinions on all the great moral, social issues of 
 the day, but who, inspired by faith in the triumph of right, 
 dare to declare and defend those opinions. Time-serving, 
 expediency, bigotry, narrow-minded partisanship are shackling 
 truth, obstructing justice, clogging the wheels of progress, and 
 prolonging the reign of fraud, monopoly, and rum. Open 
 your eyes to these facts, and, Samson-like, rend these cords 
 with which the partisan would bind you and assert your 
 liberty. Let j'our faith in God assure you that when you 
 conscientiously do your duty, as God gives you to see your 
 duty, that then, and then only will the Omnipotent justify 
 your act and, for you, take care of the consequences. The 
 thinking of this college, and of every Christian college, is an 
 independent thinking — a thinking that recognizes the right of 
 each honest. God-fearing man to his own opinions — a think- 
 ing that recognizes the fact that "every man shall give account 
 for himself to God." But it is not a thinking which ends in 
 negations. Human experience has demonstrated that it is 
 the possession of positive truth that gives energy and effect- 
 iveness and heroic enthusiasm and highest worth to all living. 
 All the moral heroes of the world have been men of positive 
 convictions. A negative faith may beget hesitancy — may 
 obstruct, but it never can lead to victory. 
 
 Again, remember that this "fight of faith" is a life of con- 
 flict. It is not for a few days. He who would win must not 
 enlist for a limited number of years, but for "during the war," 
 and the war ends only with death. "Be thou faithful until 
 death, and I will give thee a crown of life," is the divine 
 command and promise. Constant, unswerving fidelity all 
 through life is required. It requires but little courage or 
 self-denial to defend the right when the right is popular. 
 When the multitude shouted "Hosanna!" Peter marched 
 boldly in the procession, and doubtless shouted, too; but in 
 the judgment-hall, even the words of a timid maiden caused 
 him to deny with an oath. He who stands by his convictions 
 of duty defends his Master through evil report as well as 
 through good report, standing alone as well as with the 
 multitude even unto death. He is the moral hero. And it is 
 when the interests of truth demand that you stand alone in 
 
His Ozvii Writings 215 
 
 its defense that your true mettle will be put to the severest 
 test. Such times will come to you, and well will it be then, 
 inspired by loyalty to truth and right, you "fight the good fight 
 of faith." It is under such circumstances that the qualities 
 of the true hero manifest themselves. Well has the poet 
 said : 
 
 "Count me o'er earth's chosen heroes — 
 
 They were souls that stood alone, 
 While the men they agonized for 
 
 Hurled the contumelious stone; 
 Stood serene, and down the future 
 
 Saw the golden beam incline 
 To the side of perfect justice, 
 
 Mastered by their faith divine, 
 By one man's plain truth to manhood, 
 
 And to God's supreme design." 
 
 If, in the providence of God, some great reform in the 
 interests of humanity require that you stand alone, bravely 
 take your position. Garrison and Phillips were egged and 
 stoned, and Lovejoy was murdered, because they dared to 
 stand out conspicuously in oppOiSition to slavery. Think you 
 their names will ever perish? Haddock and Gambrel have 
 been assassinated because they dared to cry out against the 
 iniquitous rum traffic. Think you they died in vain? Just as 
 Leonidas and his Spartan band, by heroically dying at Ther- 
 mopylae, bequeathed the boon of liberty to Greece, so these 
 heroes and martyrs have bequeathed to their country the 
 inestimable example of noble daring in defense of truth and 
 right ; and their names will be cherished by the good and 
 great long after the names of their persecutors and murderers 
 have perished from the earth. 
 
 Again, I would warn you against a growing tendency 
 among educated men to abandon the Christian religion for a 
 secular theory based on science and culture. President 
 Porter, on retiring from Yale University, in June last, called 
 attention to this in the following apt, impressive manner : 
 "A vigorous Christianity is needed in our colleges and uni- 
 versities to counteract and overcome tendencies which are 
 active in science and culture of our time. These tendencies 
 are the natural tendencies of science and culture when pur- 
 sued for selfish ends and uncontrolled bv the higher aims of 
 
246 Life of Isaiah L. Kcphart 
 
 religion and the love of man. Science stimulates and rewards 
 the love of power. If takes individual effort and rewards it 
 with the pleasure of interpreting nature's secrets, of under- 
 standing her laws, and imitating or sympathizing with her 
 skill. So long as science recognizes these powers and laws 
 as the powers and actings of God, so long does she open the 
 gateway to worship and faith. So long as her devotee is 
 trained to the docility of a little child, it is almost the same 
 whether he knocks at the door of the hall of science or at the 
 door of the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 But as soon as the investigator begins to imagine himself 
 to be the Creator ; so soon as the interpretations of the 
 scientist are mistaken for the plan that was devised and the 
 agent which executes; so soon as the order and unfolding 
 of the plan sets aside both thinker and actor, then emerges 
 the scientific atheism of our day. But the fact that we are 
 students lays upon us the additional obligation to try our 
 faith by the light of reason and to justify and shape our 
 devotion by the tests of culture. If we think as philo.sophers, 
 we must ask and answer the question whether philosophy 
 of necessity accepts or denies the living, personal God. If 
 we answer this question in the negative, we must sadly and 
 sorrowfully turn cy.ir faces to the wall, blank and chilly 
 though it be, which shuts the living God forever out of our 
 light, and on which we write in vain some meaningless 
 formulas or paint a few brilliant pictures. If we answer "yes," 
 we rejoice as none but the believing philosopher can in the 
 ten thousand voices with which he hears the universe of 
 law and order reecho with the prai.ses of the Father of spirits. 
 
 My young friends, whenever and wherever you encounter 
 this specious modern culturism oppose it, and let j^our oppo- 
 sition be that which has for its foundation a firm belief of 
 the fact that when the advance of true intellectual, moral 
 culture has swept away all the rubbish of false theories, 
 Christianity will remain as it ever has been, the brilliant 
 star of Bethlehem, seen by the eye of faith and leading on 
 to the paradise of God. 
 
 Certain it is that the signs of the times point clearly to 
 the not distant future when even political science will discover 
 that it can neither state nor correctly solve its problems 
 witliout recognizing man as a moral, spiritual being and man's 
 
His Ozvu Writings 247 
 
 relations to God and duty and faith. Let the power of this 
 Christian faith be your perpetual inspiration to a faithful 
 Christian life. 
 
 Once more, let me inspire you with firmness and enthusiasm 
 in your determination to fight this good fight, by assuring you 
 that in it there is no danger, not even the possibility of defeat. 
 In it you can but win. In respect to worldly hopes and pros- 
 pects you may be disappointed. It often happens that when 
 the coveted earthly prize is about to be grasped it eludes 
 us. It was so with Webster, it was so with Claj^ it was so 
 with Tilden, it was so with Blaine. The pathway of life, 
 in so far as the pleasures and treasures of earth are concerned, 
 is strewn with blasted hopes and broken promises. At best 
 earth pleasures fade and decay and earth's joys are fleeting. 
 Wrecked fortunes, blasted hopes, and ruined reputations — 
 how full the world is of these 1 How terribly men have been 
 disappointed as to the outcome of their earthly struggles. 
 Not so, however, as to the result of the good fight of faith. 
 Our divine Master said, "Not as the world giveth give I unto 
 you ; let not j'our heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." 
 The ultimate result of this good fight is complete victory 
 in every case. Inspired by a living faith, the fighters zealously, 
 conscientiousl}' comply with all the conditions of triumph. 
 Each individual life may, and should contribute to the 
 advancement of righteousness in the world, and the life that 
 does this to the extent of its ability and circumstances 
 answers life's great end. The working of individual men 
 and women in their individual spheres bears the world on to 
 purity and truth. This you may all do. 
 
 Remember that the all-seeing Eye is upon you, that the 
 infinite God is pledged to attach the proper effects to the 
 causes you set in motion, and that an act honestly performed, 
 a ballot conscientiously cast is not forgotten by him. Years 
 ago in the cit}' of Cincinnati, when to befriend a negro, was 
 to socially ostracize him who had the temerity to do so, a 
 promising young lawyer dared to defend an escaped slave in 
 open court. Worldly-wise men thought he had ruined all his 
 future proispects. They knowingly winked at each other and 
 said, "What a pity a young man of so much promise should 
 blast all his prospects by stooping to secure a fair trial for 
 a nigger." But God was carefully looking down upon that 
 scene, and especially upon that yOung man's heart. That 
 noble act in behalf of God's oppressed was not forgotten. 
 
248 Life of Isaiah L. Kepliart 
 
 As a direct result of it, and in less than twenty-five years, 
 Salmon P. Chase (that same young man) was exalted to a 
 seat in the United States Senate. How wonderfully, in his 
 case, was verified the divine declaration, "He that humbleth 
 himself shall be exalted." 
 
 Lastly, you will encounter the political and social struggles 
 incident to our form of government. See to it, then, that no 
 personal or partisan considerations turn you a hair's breadth 
 from your honest conviction of duty. See to it that you 
 stand boldly on the side of law and against anarchy; on the 
 side of the Christian Sabbath and against the Parisian holiday 
 Sunday; on the side of the purity of the ballot-box and 
 against ballot-box stuffing; on the side of the home and 
 against the saloon; and having taken your stand, fight the 
 good fight of faith, even if you should stand alone. 
 
 In the coming ages, when this republic shall have been 
 purified ; when law shall be reverenced and obeyed by all ; 
 when by all the Christian Sabbath shall be observed in spirit ; 
 when the vote-buying, ballot-box stuffing, tally-sheet forging 
 politician shall have ceased to exist ; when there shall be no 
 saloon and no legalized rum traffic to make war upon the 
 home, the pure and the true of that day will look back upon 
 those who now boldly declare against these vicious enemies 
 of humanity with the same awe and reverence that the good 
 men and women of the entire nation now look back upon 
 Washington, Lincoln, Garrison, Sumner, and their illustrious 
 compeers. In their day they championed the right when the 
 right was in the minority, and posterity reveres their mem- 
 ory, because they "fought the good fight of faith." 
 
 Above all things, my young friends, be true to your divine 
 Master. Wherever he leads do not hesitate to follow. Soon 
 you will go out from this college to be associated with us no 
 more. Our friendly intercourse, hitherto so pleasant, so 
 endearing, must cease. In this world we shall never meet 
 again as now. The thought gives us pain. But for all who 
 follow in the Master's footsteps, by and by there will be a 
 joyful reunion. When, in a few short years, life's battles 
 are fought, life's tears are shed, life's victories are won, then, 
 in answer to the Master's tender call, 
 
 "We shall meet beyond the river. 
 Where the surges cease to roll. 
 Where in all the height forever 
 Sorrow ne'er shall press the soul." 
 
His Ozvii Writings 249 
 
 It is said that at the battle of Waterloo, Lord Wellington, 
 comprehending the importance to him of a certain position, 
 ordered a large division of his army to hold it at all hazards. 
 The commander responded, "Tell his lordship he '11 find us 
 there." After the battle was over, they were found at their 
 post — ^all dead. But they held the position, and so the victory 
 was won. 
 
 See to it, my young friends, that when life's great conflict 
 is ended you are all found at your posts. Equipped for this 
 conflict, then, with firmness in the right as God gives us to 
 see the right, "fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on 
 eternal life." Amen.