of Philip and the apostles who baptized after his ascension; and to my
young and limited understanding I accepted the water baptism as an
outward acknowledgment of the saving baptism of the Holy Ghost. I
fully believed I had received the spiritual baptism, but I greatly
desired to follow the Lord Jesus wherever he might lead. I read
"Barclay's Apology" on that subject; yet my childhood mind dwelt much
on what I read in these Bible examples. But to no human being did I
present these impressions. And I also found the example of singing,
that I believed was _vocal_, as I read, "And they sang a hymn and
went out." And it seemed right, for the present, for me to unite with
the Methodists, were it not for the opposition of my parents, that I
felt sure would not exist could they but understand me. It also seemed
clearly impressed upon my mind that, if my mind should become clear to
unite with that branch of the Christian Church, it would be for
eighteen or twenty years at longest. But why not always be my place,
if it is my duty now? was a query that I much dwelt upon. I earnestly
prayed that God would send Caleb McComber to us, an intimate friend of
my parents, and a noted minister among Friends.

Within a week my heart leaped for joy at the announcement by my father
that Caleb McComber was in the neighborhood.

"What has brought him here at this time? His brother (Dr. Smith) is
all right; he has made no trouble of late in drinking," responded
mother.

"I do not know, I am sure, what has induced him to come here at this
time, as there is no meeting of business on hand, for him to take this
journey of nearly a hundred miles to attend," rejoined father.