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Show Letter from the south.<br><br> The following letter has courteously been handed to us for publication:<br><br> Elder Moses Thatcher: -Dear Brother:-I have been wishing to write to you for a long time, but have neglected it till now. Elder Pitkin and I are yoked up together, and we work even - no pulling or hauling from each other. Our headquarters are here in Springville, where my sister and her husband (J. Harvey McMullen) live with their family, and here we labor in the ministry, and west, north and east of here, mostly new fields of labor. Elders A.D. Thatcher and R.A. Ballantyne travel together. Their headquarters are Burks Garden, Tazewell Co.[County],Va [Virginia]. They labor there, and south and west of there. There are about 40 in the church in their field of labor, and about four members of the church in the section we occupy, so you see we give them the easiest place. They are both more experienced than Elder Pitkin, and so we thought the two pairs were more evenly divided as we are. Our headquarters are not more than 20? miles apart, and we may visit each other occasionally. The note from the elders of the Southern [unreadable line] a pretty good work, and prospects for the future are reasonably fair. We expect to get another company off for Colorado on the 18th of Nov [November]. President Morgan has set that date, for all that wish to emigrate this fall to be ready to leave on the train that will leave Chattanooga on that date. Elder Pitkin and I spent two days at a Methodist camp meeting not long since, not so much on my account as his, he never having attended one before. There were about 1,000 or more people in attendance at this meeting with some seven or eight priests, together with many "shoulder strikers" or "whippers in." You know how it is yourself. There were enough of those who were acquainted with us at the meeting, to tell all the others who we were, and we were the "observed of all observers," and commanded more attention than was pleasant. I have attended many of these meetings when a boy, and right here too, in this neighborhood, for here I was born and raised until 19 years of age, and it is very plain to me that the people are more wicked and corrupt now, than then. In fact there are but few indeed who go to these meetings with good desires or motives. There are, of course, some few honorable exceptions to the above showing, but they are few and far between. The negroes go to these meetings to wait on the white, would be aristocracy, to gather up a few pennies and to live well for a few days. There are all shades of color among these darkies. Not one in twenty of them is a full blooded negro. Bro. [Brother] Pitkin says they are half and quarter breed Methodist, and in a few decades from now, the full blooded negro, of this country will be a thing of the past.<br><br> Brother Moses, you know what a missionary's life is. It is not necessary for me to spend time to illustrate to you how we get along. We are doing the best we can, meeting the usual persecution, opposition and ignorance. But I know we are gaining ground on our enemies, and are bringing a few honest souls to a knowledge of the truth. Elder A. D. Thatcher, I think is gaining fast. The people think well of him, and like to hear him talk. He speaks with, and by the spirit, and you know it is the spirit that accompanies our words and carries conviction to the hearts of the people who hear us, and you know also, that all the eloquence and oratory in the world will do but very little without the spirit. The people treat us very kindly, and we have no cause to complain of our lot. I think sometimes, that it is hard to be so constantly absent from my family, and they are so numerous, and in such poor circumstances; but it is not often that I think so, and this is the first time I ever said it. But I have not so many days to spend yet in this probation, nor do I value those days so highly, as to care where or how they are spent, if it so be, that I spend them to please the Lord and His servants, whose duty it is to direct my labors.<br><br> Elder Pitkin joins me in love to you and family. Please remember me kindly to your mother, to Joseph and family, John and family, Aaron's family, George and family, Pres. [President] Preston and family, the Bro's. [Brother's} Hurst, and Bell and families, and all inquiring friends. Ever praying for your welfare and usefulness, and hoping to hear from you soon, receiving any word of counsel from you, you think is necessary to us. I am as ever your co-laborer and suffer in the gospel. Henry G. Boyle, SPRINGVILLE, Tazwell Co.[County], Va [Virginia], Sept. [September] 18th, 1880. |