released from a Protestant purgatory.

But the work was not yet done. By rule of that excellent denomination,
of which I was then a member, the call of a church must be read and
approved before it can be lawfully accepted. The call from that dear old
church at Belleville was read, and in it I was provided with a month's
summer vacation. Dr. Hardman rose, and said that he thought that a month
was too long a vacation, and he proposed two weeks. Then Dr. Scott arose
and said, if any change were made he would have the vacation six weeks;
"For," said he, "that young man does not look very strong physically,
and I believe he should have a good long rest every summer." But the
call was left as it originally read, promising me a month of
recuperation each year.

At the close of that meeting of Classis, Dr. Scott came up to me, took
my right hand in both his hands, and said, "I congratulate you on the
opportunity that opens here. Do your best, and God will see you through;
and if some Saturday night you find yourself short of a sermon, send
down to Newark, only three miles, and I will come up and preach for
you." Can anyone imagine the difference of my appreciation of Dr.
Hardman and Dr. Scott?

Only a few weeks passed on, and the crisis that Dr. Scott foresaw in my
history occurred, and Saturday night saw me short of a sermon. So I sent
a messenger to Dr. Scott. He said to the messenger, "I am very tired;
have been holding a long series of special services in my church, but
that young Talmage must be helped, and I will preach for him to-morrow
night." He arrived in time, and preached a glowing and rousing sermon on
the text, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost?" As I sat behind him in the
pulpit and looked upon him I thought, "What a magnificent soul you are!