LECTURES IN SOUTHERN- CITIES. 3 



May\\. This evening my course was finished, and I 

 touched the polemical question more to my own satisfaction 

 than at any time before. I gave full scope to time prece 

 dent to man, but omitted any discussion of the days 



At the conclusion, many persons pressed forward towards 

 me, and almost overwhelmed me with their affectionate 

 adieu, with their warm expression of approbation, and their 

 best wishes for my welfare. Many ladies came to bid me 

 farewell, and manifested strong emotion as they shook me 

 warmly by the hand. I was quite unmanned by such ex 

 pressions of grateful feeling, and wanted words adequately 

 to respond. I never ended any course of lectures with 

 such vivid demonstrations of kind and gratified feelings. 

 The gentlemen attending the course were not wanting in 

 similar demonstrations; and that evening has ever re 

 mained a bright spot in my reminiscences of life. 



May 27, Saturday. We arrived at our dear home to 

 dinner ; and, to our great joy, we found all well, especially 

 the beloved lady, and rejoicing in our safe return, and 

 grateful that, by the goodness of God, my tour of fifteen 

 hundred miles and forty-four days, by land and water, had 

 terminated prosperously, without accident, or hindrance, 

 or molestation. In my numerous journeys already made, 

 and in other travels and labors that remain to be recorded, 

 I ever committed my dear wife and family, myself and my 

 companions in travel, devoutly to the care of a kind, pro 

 tecting Providence, and never did I fail to experience it in 

 every vicissitude. Certainly I was not indifferent to the 

 acquisition of means for the education of my children, and 

 for their outfit in life, as well as to fulfil all my other pecu 

 niary obligations ; but I can truly say that it was my delight 

 to honor God by unfolding, in the most lucid form of which 

 I was capable, the wonderful illustrations of His power, wis 

 dom, and goodness, which science reveals ; and no depart 

 ments of science are more rich in such proofs than those 



