The friend who had delivered Brother Evans from the mob finally interrupted them by exclaiming, "Mr. Jenkins, you are no match for this young man in discussing from the Bible; you had better go to college again!"
Mr. Jenkins seemed considerably chagrined at this, and gave it up.
The next time Elder Evans met this preacher it was some months later, and, probably remembering the discussion, Mr. Jenkins then treated him with some degree of respect. It was that very night that he was stricken with the cholera, and knowing that Elder Evans was in the village he sent his brother to beg of him to come and cure him. Brother Evans, and a man named John Nicholas who was staying with him, got out of bed and went to the sick man, and found him, doubled up with the cholera and in great agony. The Elder informed him, in answer to his appeal for relief, that the blessings of the gospel were not for men of his class, who were determined to oppose the work of God, but for the Saints. He said, "I will administer to you on one condition only, and that is that you repent of your sins and covenant with the Lord to forsake them and embrace the gospel if He spares your life."
"But," said the preacher, writhing with pain, "I have an appointment out to preach for my own church."
"You must forego that," said Elder Evans, "and preach such doctrines no more, or I will not administer to you."
The sick man agreed, and the brethren placed their hands upon his head, rebuked the disease and prayed for his recovery, and he was immediately healed. The next day he was baptized, and afterwards became an efficient preacher of the true gospel, endured much persecution for his religion in that country, emigrated to Utah with a handcart company and finally apostatized when Johnson's army came here.
Brother Evans and a man named Thomas Harris were upon one occasion called on to administer to a young girl who was so convulsed with the cholera that she did not look like a human being, and so near dead that she was black. A number of Saints were present at the time, whose faith was centered on her recovery, and several unbelievers were also there. The Elders administered to her, and while their hands were upon her head all signs of the disease vanished, and she was immediately restored to health.
A rather curious circumstance occurred while Elder Evans was laboring in North Wales in company with Peter Davis. They were traveling as usual without purse or scrip, and had been two days without food, when they entered a village and applied at a store kept by a man named Jones to try to sell a few tracts with which to procure some food.
On learning what kind of tracts they were, the store-keeper refused to purchase, and they tramped on. The next place they entered was a shoe-maker's shop, where they asked the privilege of warming themselves by the fire, for they were almost frozen, it being extremely cold weather and the month of February. Some of the shoe-makers became interested in their conversation and one of them proffered to try and find a place for them to stay over night. He returned, however, after a while, to say that the Methodist preacher of that circuit was to occupy the spare bed which he expected to procure for them. He, therefore, recommended them to proceed some distance farther till they came to a farm house, to which he directed them, where he had no doubt they could get lodgings and food.
The Elders trudged along, but when they arrived at the farm house it was evident that the family had retired for the night, for there was no light to be seen. They noticed a barn, however, standing convenient to the roadside, which seemed to offer shelter for them at least, and they entered it and burrowed into a heap of straw they found there. They lay in that position for some time, shivering with the cold and trying in vain to go to sleep, when suddenly they heard some one outside call out, "Hello! you men; come out here!" Their first thought was that some one had detected them while in the act of seeking shelter in the barn and informed the police, who were about to arrest them as vagrants. They, therefore, remained as quiet as possible until the call had been repeated several times, when they concluded they might as well answer, whatever might be the consequences. As soon as they inquired what was wanted, the person informed them that he would find a place for them to stay if they would come out. Thinking some treachery might be meant, they declined with thanks, and told him they could get along where they were. He, however, urged them to go with him, saying he would take them to a place where they could have a good supper and a comfortable bed to sleep in. They accordingly came out and accompanied the stranger, whom they had never seen before, back to the village and to the very store where they had tried to sell the tracts. There they found a warm welcome, a good supper and a comfortable bed. But now for the sequel: