When father first came to Steuben, intoxicating wine was used here, as in other churches, for communion purposes. This was, to some, a severe temptation. One of the members said, publicly, that the very smell was sometimes maddening to his appetite. The two churches soon decided with father, that this cause of offense should no longer exist at the Lord's table, and since about 1840, unfermented wine has invariably been served.
We remember hearing father once state that, about the beginning of his ministry, he for a short time indulged in the habit of smoking. His deliverance from this snare, he attributed to the wise counsel of an aged minister, who took him aside and kindly advised him to abandon the practice. He said he was casting his influence in favor of the custom, with all the excesses to which it might be carried, and that he was wasting money, for which also he was accountable. Said he, "You might as well burn the bill with which you make the purchase, as burn the article itself." This one appeal to his conscience was sufficient. He yielded at once to his convictions, and ever remained faithful to them.
Mother had a vigorous mind, and was strong and decided in her convictions of duty. She knew no middle ground between right and wrong. If we sometimes rebelled at her strict discipline, further acquaintance with the world has convinced us that she was guided by wisdom and love. She was deeply devoted to her family, and always regarded the happiness of others in preference to her own. She considered it her mission to aid father in his life-work. For
