“God blessed you with great strength,” said the latter.  “Are you a Christian?”

“I am.”

They rode on in silence.  Presently Samson observed that the preacher was actually asleep and snoring in the saddle.  They proceeded for an hour or more in this manner.  When the horses were wallowing through a swale the preacher awoke.

“Glory be to God!” he shouted.  “I am better.  I shall be able to preach to-night.  A little farther on is the cabin of Brother Cawkins.  He has been terribly pecked up by a stiff-necked, rebellious wife.  We’ll stop there for a cup of tea and if she raises a rumpus you’ll see me take her by the horns.”

Mrs. Cawkins was a lean, sallow, stern-eyed woman of some forty years with a face like bitter herbs; her husband a mild mannered, shiftless man who, encouraged by Mr. Cartwright, had taken to riding through the upper counties as a preacher—­a course of conduct of which his wife heartily disapproved.  Solicited by her husband she sullenly made tea for the travelers.  When it had been drunk the two preachers knelt in a corner of the room and Mr. Cartwright began to pray in a loud voice.  Mrs. Cawkins shoved the table about and tipped over the chairs and dropped the rolling-pin as a counter demonstration.  The famous circuit rider, being in no way put out by this, she dashed a dipper of cold water on the head of her husband.  The praying stopped.  Mr. Cartwright rose from his knees and commanded her to desist.  On her declaration that she would not he laid hold of the woman and forced her out of the door and closed and bolted it and resumed his praying.

Having recorded this remarkable incident in his diary Samson writes: 

* * * * *

“Many of these ignorant people in the lonely, prairie cabins are like children.  Cartwright leads them on like a father and sometimes with the strong hand.  If any of them deserve a spanking they get it.  He and others like him have helped to keep the cabin people clean and going up hill instead of down.  They have established schools and missions and scattered good books and comforted sorrows and kindled good desire in the hearts of the humble.”

* * * * *

As they were leaving Mr. Cawkins told them that the plague had broken out in the settlement on Honey Creek, where the quarterly meeting was to be held, and that the people had been rapidly “dyin’ off.”  Samson knew from this that the smallpox—­a dreaded and terrible scourge of pioneer days had come again.

“It’s dangerous to go there,” said Cawkins.

“Where is sorrow there is my proper place,” Cartwright answered.  “Those people need comfort and the help of God.”

“But are you not afraid of the plague?” Samson asked.

“I fear only the wrath of my Master.”

“I got a letter from a lady there,” Cawkins went on.  “As nigh as I can make out they need a minister.  I can read print handy but writin’ bothers me.  You read it, brother.”