receive some personal injury, or be put out of the house. A feeling of
weakness came over me for a short time, but I soon grew warm and
courageous in the Spirit. The man then said to me, "I was sent here to
break up your meeting. Complaint has been made to me that the people
round here cannot sleep for the racket." I replied, "a good racket is
better than a bad racket. How do they rest when the ungodly are
dancing and fiddling till midnight? Why are not they molested by the
watchmen? and why should we be for praising God, our Maker? Are we
worthy of greater punishment for praying to Him? and are we to be
prohibited from doing so, that sinners may remain slumbering in their
sins?" While speaking these few words I grew warm with _heavenly_
zeal, and laid my hand upon him and addressed him with gospel truth,
"how do sinners sleep in hell, after slumbering in their sins here,
and crying, 'let me rest, let me rest,' while sporting on the very
brink of hell? Is the cause of God to be destroyed for this purpose?"
Speaking several words more to this amount, he turned pale and
trembled, and begged my pardon, acknowledging that it was not his wish
to interrupt us, and that he would never disturb a religious assembly
again. He then took leave of me in a comely manner and wished us
success. After he was gone, I turned to the old sisters who by this
time were quite cheered up. You see, said I, if the sisters had not
fled, what a victory we might have had on the Lord's side; for the man
seemed ready to give up under conviction. If it had not been for their
cowardice, we might have all bowed in prayer, and a shout of victory
had been heard amongst us.

Our meeting gave great offence, and we were forbid holding any more
assemblies. Even the elders of our meeting joined with the wicked
people, and said such meetings must be stopped, and that woman
quieted. But I was not afraid of any of them, and continued to go, and