
          Methodists. At this time I am boarding in such a family at this
 time waiting to recover from the effects of a fall with a horse -
 I have narrowly escaped with my life but strange to me, no bone
 was broken. The accident occurred ten days since & perhaps a week
 will elapse yet ere the immense loss of cuticle I have sustained
 will be wholly restored. It is more Sedious as the denuded
 spot is my left knee, on which the animal fell with great
 force. I never could have been better taken care of in my fathers
 house. The children save me every step possible. It is now near a
 forght-night & since the first three days I have lost no time


 Monday 30. Since [crossed out: so far] Friday there has been a protracted
 meeting at this house. Mine host has thrown open his house & has now twenty-five
 or thirty in his family. I have enjoyed myself highly - The ministers
 are unlettered but pious full of the scripture & very intelligent
 men. One's an aged man - deposed & expelled by the methodists in 178[1?]
 for negro-buying & 25 years deposed by the presbyterians for
 unethical conduct - both times with great show of justice
 He is now a local preacher & through the whole a devout servant
 of Christ but an eccentric man. Another brother was deposed for
 fighting but is still an active member of the Ch. Last night
 a number of our neighbors indulged a hope of change amidst
 an immense noise. I did not sit up during the meeting but lay on a high
 pile of beds ^ [inserted: on a bedsted] in a corner of the room. I have just promised to take a
 part in the meeting to day & must lay aside my letter to prepare.
 I fear it will delay my letter a mail (ie) a week) [OM?)]. I will try to
 finish this tonight. I don't know but they will make a methodist of me yet.
 If I had suffered a  word to escape my lips at a certain period of the exercises
 I know not where I should have stopped. Two of my uncle's children
 presented themselves among the anxious today. The meeting closes to-night.
 This is the second time I have spoke or preached in Ill. All this letter
 has been written while conversation was going on around in which I often
 shared & most of it written on my portfolio lying my lap. This may  
 account for divers incoherincies irratic scratches of the pen & other
 inaccuracies erasures corrections etc. I cannot say how much I wish to
 see you all, nor which of the dear children I must wish to see. I wish
 I could burn into the paper my feelings as I inscribe my thots upon it.
 but it remains for animal magnetism to teach the way. It remains
 for me to commend you all to God & the work of his grace etc.  I F Holton


 [crosswise in the left margin: 
 Dear Mrs. T. [?] has [sure?] not to let the Dr have the whole of my letter; he may write in answer
 to this - I had thoughts of making my lines on this letter, twice as thick but I concluded [crossed out: to [?]] it
 would be imposing too much on your patience [two words in Greek follow] - 
        