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472 BIOGRAPHY AND REMINISCENCES<br />
told him their fears ; he said what he could to allay them, and aclvised<br />
them not to go to Peoria yet. He mould fetch Nancy (his wife) ~vho<br />
had a goocl deal of experience among sick folks.' And soon the good<br />
woman came, and then and there began a series of lninistmtions to tlie<br />
sick ancl suffering for which she 1las long been held in grateful rememnbmnce.<br />
Her knomleclge of simple remedies, her molacls of encouragement<br />
ancl kind attentions in times of affliction vTere r~ real boon to the<br />
infant settlement. This kind old lady yet lives, Ilaving entered her<br />
ninety-thircl year, ancl an honorecl old age is hers. ' Her children hare<br />
risen up to call her blessed,' ancl though her flesh is subject to inany<br />
infirmities, yet is her spirit tranquil, and her faith looks steclfastly<br />
towards that brighter country, 'where the inhabitants never say,<br />
I am sick.' But to resume our story. Mrs. Hall soon recovered under<br />
good and careful nursing, and preparations for building themselves<br />
a house went rapiclly forwarcl. First, of course, trees must be felled<br />
for the logs, andAthis was awkward ~iorlr for the Halls, as probably<br />
neither of them hid ever swung an axe before. at least not such an axe<br />
as is used by the American b~ck~vooclsmnn to such advantage. But<br />
they workecl with a mill ancl whacketl away at the trees all rouncl,<br />
until by the time they were ready to fall they were literally ~vhittled<br />
off to a point. This style of ~~~orli could be seen as long as the first<br />
cabin stoocl and was the butt of numberless jokes ninong the neighbors<br />
touching the capabilities of Englishmen as woodchoppers ! But the<br />
logs answered a goocl purpose, nevertheless ; a story-and-half house<br />
nTas ralsecl, a sawplt was dug in which a large two handled saw coulcl<br />
be worlcecl, and thus they macle their own boards; the tools were<br />
unpacked ancl as William had seine practical lcnowletlge of their use,<br />
they soon had floors ancl battened cloors, ancl minclows with glass in<br />
them, which aclvalltages mere almost enough to inalce them ' take<br />
airs' over their neighbors, in those times. This house becnine a, sort<br />
of heaclquarters for all incoming detachments, and if its half floored<br />
loft was soinetiines so cro~vded with beds and their occupants, that<br />
some luckless wight occasionally macle a sudden clescent to the next<br />
floor, he was pretty sure to find a bed ready to catch him there, so no<br />
serious results followed, only some slight re-acl j ustmen t to secure<br />
safety the balance of the night. Here the weary ' itinerant' always<br />
found a home, and the pious of every name a welcome. Within its<br />
malls mere assemblecl~soine of the first congregations that ever met for<br />
religious worship in the settlement. Often and again, have roof and<br />
rafters rang with the grand old hyinns learned across the sea. ' Den-<br />
mark ' and ' Coronation ,' ' Olcl E-Iundred ' and 'Silver Street,' were ' the<br />
familiar i~aths their souls oft trod towards God.' The clear, full<br />
treble of ihe sisters chorded well with the tleep bass of Williain's~voice<br />
and the tones of his great viol, ~nalring l~ar~nbn~ that wo~~lcl have befitted<br />
better surrounctings. In recalling this group, Mr. Cummings,<br />
the first missionary but ltltely saicl, ' They were right loyal Methodists<br />
of the true Wesleyan type.' And it T&,S William Hall \\rho let1 the<br />
first class, formed at Wall's by this ~nissionary (to which reference is<br />
made in another place) seven miles from his home, with an un bridged<br />
river intervening, and never missed an appointment in ten years!
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