THURSDAY, July 4.  Attend the burial of Peter Driver on the head of Muddy Creek, in Rockingham County.  His age was eighty-three years and eight months.  He was an honest member of our Brotherhood.  His children consisted of four sons and five daughters; and they are now all heads of families, doing well, and members of our order of Brethren.  Peter Driver was a blacksmith.  He once related a fact to me which I will here note.  “In my early days,” said he, “we knew nothing of binding wagon and carriage wheels with a heated tire.  I wonder,” continued he, “that our daily experience in working iron did not teach us that an iron band or tire is larger when it is hot than when cold.  Some may have thought of this,” he said, smiling, “but if they did, I guess they were afraid that if they would venture to put on the tire hot, the wheel might be burned up before they could get the tire cooled.”  He was very partial to the German language, and was never known to speak English from choice.  Some one once said to him, “Mr. Driver, English people have the same God that German people have.”  “I believe that; but he speaks to German people in a much plainer way in his Word than he does to English people.”  Of course he could understand German best.

SATURDAY, July 13.  Go to Page County.  Cross the Massanutton and Peaked mountains by what is known as Koontz’s Path.  Daniel Dovel and John Harsbarger are with me.  They are very pleasant and cheerful brethren.  We spend the night together at Brother William Dovel’s.

SUNDAY, July 14.  Meeting at Liberty schoolhouse.  Isaac N. Walter is there.  He is a well-known and very popular preacher in the Christian church.  This is the first time I have ever met with him.  He is very friendly and sociable, and will carry an influence wherever he goes.  He was at one time a very strong Adventist.  He professed to believe in our foreknowing the day of our Lord’s coming, and announced it as being very near at hand.  Brother Benjamin Bowman told me that on one occasion friend Walter announced that he would preach a sermon on the second advent of Christ, and therein tell the day on which we might confidently expect the Lord to appear in glory, and give the scripture evidences on which his proofs rested.  This sermon was announced for Antioch, a brick meetinghouse belonging to the Christian connection, and stood four miles north of Harrisonburg, and not far from where Brother Bowman lived.  He told me that a large concourse of people was present to hear, and he with the rest.  The discourse was eloquent, but with the thoughtful not very convincing.  But the day, which Mr. Walter had so confidently set for the appearing of the Lord in glory, passed by as all other days pass by, in harmony with all the other notes that make the music of the spheres.  Not long after this, the two met in the road.  Walter looked a little bashful, but spoke first, and said:  “Well, Brother Bowman, I was mistaken.”  “Yes,” Brother Bowman replied, “but I had discovered that before you told me.”