14.
A MOST WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE
The Spirit of God spoke to me in a very audible voice, ‘‘Get your grips and get off this train.”
That was a most thrilling experience. When I was in the South Dakota mission and had been away from home for months, I wanted to go home and decided I d go. I was then at Springfield, South Dakota. I had money enough for the trip, bought my ticket. started home to Moorhead, Iowa, where I then lived. When we were nearing Sioux City, Iowa, just one more little station left in South Dakota, just when the train whistled for that station the Lord spoke to me by the voice of the Spirit. Get your grips and get off this train.’’ I grabbed my grips and got off. There was one other man got off. There was just a box car there for a shelter or depot. There was a little grocery store across the road. It was a fine farming country and a summer resort out by the lake. The place was called McCook. That other fellow that got off the train lived there. He went home and there I stood alone. I had a little conversation with myself. I said there only one thing for me to do. Get a place and go to preaching. I’m not getting home tonight. I walked across the road and asked that merchant if there was a place close around there that I could hold meetings. I’m a missionary from western Iowa. He said there’s the schoolhouse, but they are all
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Catholics, they won’t come to hear you. I said, I’m wanting a place to preach. Its my job to get them out, he told me to go and see the board of directors they all three live close here. I went to the first one. He said, ‘‘we are all Catholics, we won’t come to hear you. I said, “I want the house.” He said, “You can have my consent, but will not come to hear you.’’ I remarked, if I preach in that schoolhouse you’ll be there.’’ He said, ‘‘No, I wont.’’
I went to the second and third and they both gave their consent, but both said they are all Catholics and won’t come to hear you. I went back to the store and asked the merchant if there wasn’t one Protestant in the whole country. He said just one. His name is Jennings, and lives in a little green house around the lake on the south side. I said, I’m going to see if I can stay with him. I went and found him. Introduced myself and told him I was going to hold meetings in the school house and I wanted a place to stay. He said they we not fixed to keep anyone and any way, all the people in the whole neighborhood were Catholics and would not come. I told him it was my job to get them out, I was just wanting a place to stay. He said, I’ll go and see my wife. He came back and said they would keep me for $2.50 per week. I said 0. K. I’ll stay with you.
Next morning I started out, walked all day asking the people to come. We had five, next night six or seven, and on for five nights. I said to myself something is going to happen. The Lord would not have told me to get off that train for an interest like that. I went over to the store and asked the merchant if there was a ringleader among those Catholics telling them to stay at home. He said, yes there is. I said who is it? He said his name is Beauschenne. He lives in that big white house down by the bridge about
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two miles away. I said I’m going to see him. He said you’d better not. I said why? he said, he will curse you. I said, I don’t care if he does I’m going. He said. You’d better not, he’s mean. I said, I don’t care how mean he is. I went, and found Mr. and Mrs. Beauschenne in the living room when I got there. I knocked on the door. Mr. Beauschenne came to the door. (He vas a large man, black hair, and eyebrows about one inch long. stuck straight out). He said, ‘‘Vel, vat you want ‘‘‘ I said. ‘‘I just want to come in and talk to you.’’ He said. ‘‘Vat you want to talk about?’’ I said, ‘‘I want to tell you the story of the Restored Gospel.’’ He said, ‘Ye got all the Gospel ye want. Ve don’t want any more Gospel. I said, ‘‘I still want to talk to you.’’ He said, ‘‘Ve don’t want to talk.’’ I said, ‘‘I want to talk, and I want to come in.” He swore and said He did not want to talk. Mrs. Beauschenne stood back a little way and said to him, “Ah Beauschenne, let him in.” He said, ‘‘Vel, she wants you to come in. Come in.” I went in and just kept right on talking. He got mad. Mrs. Beausehenne went into the bedroom, I kept right on talking and he was mad. In about five minutes she came out of the bedroom crying. He said, ‘‘Vel, vat’s the matter?’’ She talked to him in French. He said. ‘‘Vel, vel, vel.’’ I said, ‘‘Beauschenne, what did she say He said, ‘‘You talk French?’’ I said, ‘‘No.’’ He said, ‘‘I no tell you.’’ I said, ‘‘she said something about me, and I want to know what it was.” He said, ‘‘You no talk French. I no tell you.’ I said, “I want to know what she said. “Mrs. Beausehenne was still crying and said, “Ah, Beauschenne tell him.’’ He said, ‘‘Vel, she wants me to tell you. I tell you. My wife, she said an angel appeared to her and told her a servant of God was in her home and she must listen to his story.” I said, Beausehenne, you sit down there.” He sat down. I said
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Mrs. Beausehenne you sit here and she did, and I sat be fore them and told them the story of the Restoration for an hour and when I got through he was crying and said, “Ve come to church.’’ ‘‘Ve be there tonight.’’ They told the whole neighborhood. The schoolhouse was full and five families of French Catholics come into the church.
O for a faith that will not shrink
Though pressed by every foe,
That will not tremble on the brink,
At some little woe.
That will not murmur nor complain
Beneath a chastening rod,
But in the hour of grief or pain,
Will lean upon our God.
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