I went into my room and prostrated myself with my face on the floor, and thanked God for the gift of the Holy Ghost, for I had most surely talked by inspiration. I asked forgiveness for my unbelief, and from that time I was wholly contented to go to England.
CHAPTER II.
SET SAIL FROM NEW YORK—ARRIVE IN LIVERPOOL—SENT TO LABOR AS A TRAVELING ELDER—PRAYERS ANSWERED—CALLED TO PRESIDE OVER A CONFERENCE—BLESSED ABUNDANTLY WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT—PROCURE A HALL TO PREACH IN—MOBBED—EFFECTS OF MY PREACHING—TREATED WITH COURTESY—ORGANIZE A BRANCH OF THE CHURCH IN THE TOWN WHERE I WAS MOBBED—MAKE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO PREACH IN A DIFFERENT TOWN—SEND FOR HELP—SPEAKERS INTERRUPTED—AUDIENCE QUIETED BY ME SINGING A COMIC SONG—PREJUDICE ALLAYED—A LESSON LEARNED.
Having rejoined my fellow-missionaries in New York, we sailed from that port August 15th, on the ship Lady Franklin, passage, $10 per head, we having to board and cook for ourselves. After a fair voyage we arrived in Liverpool on the 14th of September, 1850. I spent a few days in that city, and was most kindly treated by Apostle Orson Pratt, then President of the British Mission.
I was sent from there to London, and Brother Pratt intended me to have a few weeks to rest, and learn the "ropes" among the branches, and Saints of that city. But the president of that conference sent me to Colchester, fifty miles from London. It was a hard place and in order to have raised any life there in relation to "Mormonism," one would have required the power to resurrect the dead.
I suffered very much in spirit as well as in body. I finally said to myself, "you were sent to this land by God's highest authority to preach the gospel, and it is your duty to do it." The next morning, after thus commenting to myself, I started for a town twenty miles distant. The roads were wet and heavy and, with my carpet-bag, the walk was a hard one.
I came in sight of the place, on the top of a long hill, and noticed a woman crossing the road with two pails. She filled them with water and started back, but as she saw me walking towards her, she dropped both pails and came to me, saying, "I knew you would come: I saw you in a dream. Come into my house; I have a room all fixed nice and clean for you."
Here I baptized my first fruits of the gospel, and accomplished a good work. In a few weeks Bro. Pratt sent me to travel with Bro. Jacob Gates, who was really like a father to me. When with him, we would take tracts with us and go from house to house, and shop to shop in Leicester and, in distributing them, try to get a chance to talk with the people.
One day we had been working very hard in the rain and mud, but with little success. As we were on our way home, at dusk, we passed the shop of an herbalist, and I told Bro. Gates I would like to go into this one place before going home. I bought something for a penny and, at the same time, commenced talking "Mormonism" to a stranger. This man's name is now very familiar to the Latter-day Saints, it being none other than George Goddard. Previous to my visit, he had never heard of our religion, but, as he was an honest and brave man, it was not long before he and his family were baptized and, in a little time, gathered to Zion.