BOYHOOD CHARACTERISTICS

In his boyhood Daniel early displayed a gift of entertainment and of public speaking. The school in his district was ungraded. On occasions of entertainment, such as the last day of school, after the younger children had spoken their "pieces" and the program began to grow monotonous, a call would be made for Dan Warner. Then he would take the floor and soon would have them convulsing with merriment. Mischievousness and clownishness were traits. The trouble he sometimes caused the teacher was frequently such that the latter could not locate it nor determine just who was to blame. When he would be stood on the floor he would soon have others with him. On one occasion he did something for which he was sentenced to a scourging. When he appeared at school the next morning he was prepared for this contingency by having on two or three coats. He was, however, bright in his studies and in a general way sociable and well liked.

The community in which he lived was strongly democratic in politics. His father, a staunch democrat, actually had a degree of pride in his boy when the latter would make stump speeches during a campaign. It was natural for Dan to mount a storebox on the street or anywhere and address a crowd on the issues of the day. In later years, however, when he became a minister and his oratorical abilities were directed in the channel of preaching the gospel, his father was not pleased.

Among the sports in which he indulged was coon hunting. On finding a coon tree at night he and his companion would cover themselves with a coon robe and lie under the tree until morning. He got to be rather wild, and took particular delight in the dance, but never indulged in the lowest forms of sin.

These are but brevities of his boyhood career. It is difficult to prepare an account of this part of his life that would be to any considerable degree full. One accident, by which he was maimed for life, should here be noted. He attempted to remove a bunch of grass that had clogged the sickle of a mowing-machine. As he was in this act the team started and the ends of two of his fingers, the middle ones of the left hand, were suddenly clipped off. Fortunately the loss of these members did not hinder him in writing nor was it a disfigurement usually noticed in his preaching.

There was one more move for the David Warner family, and this was to Williams County, Ohio, the northwest corner of the State, where, in Bridgewater Township, about four miles north of the town of Montpelier, farm life was resumed. Here the parents spent the rest of their lives. The removal to this place was made in 1863, during the Civil War. Joseph Warner was drafted for the army. Being a man of a family, he desired to arrange for a substitute. For this Daniel offered himself, and accordingly became a private in Company C, 195th Regiment, Ohio Infantry. Little is known of his army experience. It is said that he found favor with the Captain and was made his clerk, or secretary. At the close of his term he was honorably discharged.

While living in Williams County, the occupation of teaching school appealed to him, and for several terms he was an instructor of the young in matters of common-school education. He was now in his early twenties. But here we shall close this chapter, and introduce him in our next in a different aspect.

[III]
CONVERSION, COLLEGE, AND CALLING

It is natural that the question of religion should present itself to a young man or woman when approaching maturity. It is then that life is full of prospects, when one plans and builds for the future. It is then that opinions are formed, and there is an inclination to reach some kind of decision, for the time being at least, regarding every issue. One reaches this parting of the ways and the question comes, "Which road shall I take?" The answer, so far as religion is concerned, depends to some extent on what one has observed in those who make a profession, though it is true that the influence of the Holy Spirit alone—that monitor who makes his appeal to the inner consciousness—sometimes decides the question.

The community at New Washington, where the Warner family lived, was strongly Catholic and Lutheran. There was too much whisky and tobacco and too little of genuine Christianity for a convincing testimony in favor of the latter. As for Dan Warner, he thought to decide the question of religion by trying to be an infidel. But of course he had not considered that God might speak to him and convince him against his will. He naturally possessed a tender conscience, a capacity to exalt righteousness and a susceptibility to right spiritual influence.

And so we find him on reaching the age of maturity trying to believe there was nothing in Christianity; but at this his success was poor. There were certain persons within his field of acquaintance whose Christian piety made its impression. Then again, there was the influence of song. He had a good voice and found enjoyment in engaging in song with the young people. On a Sunday afternoon, at a neighbor's, where a number were gathered and were singing gospel hymns, he became greatly affected. God spoke to his conscience. His conviction was so strong as to cause him for several months to lose his love for the dance and to reflect seriously on his course of life. It was his turning-point so far as infidelity was concerned.[1]

But after a few months, when the conviction had worn away somewhat, he began to renew his attendance at dances and apparently to be more reckless than ever regarding his spiritual well-being. His heart, however, was yet tender from the wound made by the spirit of conviction. One night during a severe illness of his sister he attended a dance. After he had returned home at two o'clock in the morning, his mother went to his room and expostulated with her boy regarding his sinful career. Here again is where a mother's part played effectively. As she reasoned with him on his wrong conduct, his going to a dance while his sister—his only sister—lay at the point of death, and his offence against a just God, before whom he must one day stand in judgment, the depths of his heart were broken up and he fell on his knees and called for mercy.

From that time he was deeply convicted though to his companions he gave no evidence of a changed life, as he had not received the new birth. With some young friends he began to attend a protracted meeting in a schoolhouse not far from his home. The meeting was one of power, and sinners were made to reflect on the question of their souls' salvation. On their way home one night his companions were expressing their opinions as to religion, what it was, etc. One of them, addressing Dan, said, "What do you think it is?" He replied, "I am going to find out." Knowing him to be prankish the others supposed he meant to play some trick, and as they separated wondered to themselves what Dan could have up his sleeve. Not until he had gone forward to the altar the next evening and they had seen him rise a changed young man with the peace of God in his countenance did they take his words and actions seriously.

The date of this, his conversion, was February, 1865. He refers to the event some years later as follows: "Passed once more the old schoolhouse where I gave my heart to God (February, 1865). Thank God for that step! Oh, how glad I am it was ever my lot to become a Christian!"

Another item of interest relating to this time was his engagement to Frances Stocking, reference to which in his diary for June 11, 1874, the reader will find on another page.

One quality that was manifest in Brother Warner's early religious life as well as throughout his entire career was earnestness. He was sincere and intense in his devotion and his Christian work. We shall find as we read the notes from his diary that his words breathe a spirit of love and devotion, evincing a deep spirituality. When he yielded to God, he meant it as the decision of his very soul, and his conversion was for him an actual change for time and eternity. Old things were passed away. New propositions and prospects arose to occupy his thoughts.


D. S. Warner a student at Oberlin College