have related to him the obstacles that appeared in the way of duty
with me. But at that hour my feelings were too deep for utterance.
Instead of remaining longer, as was my impression, I returned home
with my parents, with the view of returning for a more private
interview when I could better command my feelings.

When about to return, I began to reason over the propriety of going
back. Certainly that good man had said all I could ask, both in his
sermon and in the religious opportunity in the family. And now there
might be danger of going too far. And there are those two young women,
who made sport of me in that prayer-meeting, where I knelt while
others led in prayer. Now they would make more sport than ever, as
there are so many there I could not speak to him without their knowing
it, and I shrank from going. I feared John Bunyan's "lions in the
way;" but if I had been faithful I would have found them chained, as
were his. For it was hard for me to give up the more private
interview, as I was very anxious to secure an interview between that
minister and my dear parents, as I was sure he understood me much
better than they. But I neglected my duty in this. O, how weak was
human nature!

I had previously thought I would never again offend my loving Savior,
but would follow him through evil as well as good report. O, how
precious his cleansing blood appeared to me! It seemed as if the drops
that fell in his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane possessed power to
cleanse a world of sin and pollution. Yet I was not faithful in the
little. Although my parents never after forbade my going to a
Methodist or any other meeting, yet I saw it grieved them as I
frequently attended those prayer-meetings, but never to the neglect of
our own, and was often impressed to speak or offer prayer, but did not