Monday, April 17. Council meeting in the Lost River meetinghouse. Jacob Pope is chosen speaker.
Friday, April 21. Council meeting in the Old Garber meetinghouse. Solomon Garber is advanced to the second degree in the ministry of the Word. Sarah Norman is reinstated to the fellowship of the church.
Wednesday, April 26. Attend the funeral of the widow Sister Cherryholms in the Gap. Age, fifty-nine years. Sister C. was a woman of real force of character. Her house was a welcome shelter for the Brethren and others who often visited her.
Monday, May 1. Attend the funeral of old Sister Evers, widow of John Evers. She died at John Hawse's. Age, seventy-two years, three months and three days.
Wednesday, May 3. Brother Benjamin Bowman, with Sister Catharine his wife, and Brother John Wine, with Anna and myself, start to Ohio. We go in two carriages. To such as are not used to traveling in this way a journey to Ohio and back in a two-horse carriage, over all kinds of roads, through all the changes of weather likely to occur at this season, and I may add, among all kinds of people, might look like an undesirable undertaking. But for myself I can say I do not dread making the start. I am best satisfied and most delighted when doing something for God and humanity. But the company I have on this visit makes the anticipation of it especially pleasant. Brother John Wine is a live man; cheerful, but ever earnest and sincere; lively, but never light or frivolous. His mind is always inquisitive, seeking for knowledge in every line of truth. Hence he asks many questions. If your answers involve any doubt as to their correctness, or fail of the clearness he thinks should appear in the instructions of a teacher to his pupil, he will dispute a whole day with you on a single question, rather than appear to be satisfied with your answer when he is not. With a mind hard and sharp as flint, he strikes fire out of everything he hits. But he has sense enough, and goodness enough, never to strike fire where he has reason to fear there may be danger of causing an explosion. He is the son of Samuel, in the Brush, and brother of Christian Wine. He married Elizabeth, daughter of John Zigler, in Timberville, Rockingham County, Virginia. He now resides on his farm about two miles away from where he was born and raised. He is an eminently good and useful brother.
Benjamin Bowman is the son of Benjamin Bowman, who settled in Rockingham County, Virginia, about or very soon after the breaking up of the war of the Revolution. This elder Benjamin Bowman had three sons,—Samuel, Benjamin and John,—all of whom married, raised highly respectable families, lived and died in the same county in which they were born. These all became members of our Brotherhood; and Benjamin is at this time a very active and acceptable preacher of the Word, and promises to be a very agreeable companion on the journey we have now undertaken together. He is no great talker in the way of conversation, but what he says is generally to the point. Very considerate in forming an opinion, and exceedingly careful in reaching a conclusion, he is not likely to be wrong in anything he asserts to be true. By means of these habits assiduously cultivated, he has built up a reputation for reliability which not only aids him in business, but stamps the seal of truth on his discourses from the ministerial stand. He will not readily debate a matter you may present to his mind, even if his views do not coincide with yours at the time; but after due consideration he will let you hear from him with arguments not to be refuted.
We stay first night at Celestine Whitmore's on Lost River.
Thursday, May 4. After we were on the way this morning Anna changed her mind and preferred going back to Brother Whitmore's. So we took her back, and they will convey her home. Travel thirty-three miles, and stay second night at Joseph Smith's.
Friday, May 5. Go through Romney, Virginia, and at the end of thirty-five miles stay third night at McNaer's.
Saturday, May 6. Go through Frostburg, and come to Jacob Lighty's. We have night meeting. I speak on Acts 17:30. Text.—"The times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent."