Then it was empty pocketbooks, empty stomachs and sore feet, but that did
not stop the preaching. Yes, in those days it was souls we were after, and
not money and honor.

* * * * *

I did not have a new suit for sixteen years; wife had only one new dress in
eighteen years. Although we lived on a farm we could not eat butter. We had
to sell that in order to be able to buy more necessary things.

One year wife and the children were raising twenty-two hogs while I was out
preaching in the gospel field, and we had a payment of $500 to make on our
home, or move. When I arrived home in the fall wife met me with tears in
her eyes as she told me that the hogs were all ready for the market when
the price dropped from $6.00 per hundred weight to $2.75. "And," she
continued, "the only reason I can find for it is that we have not given
enough." "But," I replied, "I feel that we have given enough: Our gross
income has been a little over $500.00." She then brought two pencils and
two pieces of paper and said to me, "Come on." We knelt down and asked the
Lord to bring to our minds what we had given, and in our check-up we found
we had given $252.50. Then, almost scaring me, my wife, with tears
streaming down her face, lifted her hand toward heaven, and said, "Lord, we
have done our duty and you will have to pay our bills."

Two days later the cattle buyer came back and said that if he could get our
hogs he would have enough for two railroad carloads. I told him he could
not have them at that price. He said, "They are the nicest looking hogs I
ever saw and if I can get them to mix in with the others I may get top
price for all." "And," he added, "I will give you the old price: Six