History of the Prophet Joseph, by His Mother

LIFE OF STEPHEN MACK.

My brother Stephen, who was next in age to Jason, was born in the town of Marlow, June 15, 1766.

I shall pass his childhood in silence, and say nothing about him until he attained the age of fourteen, at which time he enlisted in the army, the circumstances of which were as follows:

A recruiting officer came into the neighborhood to draft soldiers for the Revolutionary war, and he called out a company of militia to which my brother belonged, in order to take therefrom such as were best qualified to do military duty. My brother, being very anxious to go into the army at this time, was so fearful that he would be passed by on account of his age, that the sweat stood in large drops on his face, and he shook like an aspen leaf. Fortunately the officer made choice of him among others, and he entered the army and continued in the service of his country until he was seventeen. During this time he was in many battles, both on land and sea, and several times narrowly escaped death by famine; but, according to his own account, whenever he was brought into a situation to fully realize his entire dependence upon God, the hand of Providence was always manifested in his deliverance.

Not long since I met with an intimate acquaintance of my brother Stephen, and requested him to furnish me such facts as were in his possession in relation to him; and he wrote the following brief, yet comprehensive account, for the gratification of my readers:

I, Horace Stanly, was born in Tunbridge, Orange county, Vermont, August 21, 1798. I have been personally acquainted with Major Mack and his family ever since I can remember, as I lived in the same township, within one mile and a half of the Major's farm, and two miles from his store, and eight miles from Chelsea, the county seat of Orange county, where he conducted the mercantile and tinning business.

My eldest brother went to learn the tinning business of the Major's workmen. The Major being a man of great enterprise, energetic in business, and possessed of a high degree of patriotism, launched forth on the frontiers of Detroit, in the year 1800 (if I recollect rightly), where he immediately commenced trading with the Indians.

He left his family in Tunbridge, on his farm, and while he was engaged in business at Detroit he visited them—sometimes once in a year, in eighteen months, or in two years, just as it happened.

I visited Detroit, November 1, 1820, where I found the Major merchandising upon quite an extensive scale, having six clerks in one store; besides this, he had many other stores in the territory of Michigan, as well as in various parts of Ohio.

His business at Pontiac was principally farming and building, but in order to facilitate these two branches of business, he set in operation a saw and flour mill, and afterwards added different branches of mechanism. He made the turnpike road from Detroit to Pontiac at his own expense. He also did considerable other public work, for the purpose of giving employment to the poor.

He never encouraged idleness, or the man above his business. In 1828, having been absent from Detroit a short time, I returned. The Major was then a member of the Council of the territory, and had acted a very conspicuous part in enhancing its prosperity and enlarging its settlement; and it was a common saying, that he had done much more for the territory than any other individual.

In short, the Major was a man of talents of the first order. He was energetic and untiring. He always encouraged industry, and was very cautious how he applied his acts of charity.

Respectfully by

Horace Stanly.

My brother was in the city of Detroit in 1812, the year in which Hull surrendered the territory to the British crown. My brother being somewhat celebrated for his prowess, was selected by General Hull to take the command of a company, as captain. After a short service in this office, he was ordered to surrender. At this his indignation was roused to the highest pitch. He broke his sword across his knee, and throwing it into the lake, exclaimed that he would never submit to such a disgraceful compromise while the blood of an American continued to run through his veins.

This drew the especial vengeance of the army upon his head; and his property, doubtless, would have been sacrificed to their resentment, had they known the situation of his affairs. But this they did not know, as his housekeeper deceived them by a stratagem, related by Mr. Stanly, as follows:

At the surrender of Detroit, not having as yet moved his family hither, Major Mack had an elderly lady, by the name of Trotwine, keeping house for him. The old lady took in some of the most distinguished British officers as boarders. She justified them in their course of conduct towards the Yankees, and, by her shrewdness and tact, she gained the esteem of the officers, and thus secured through them the good will of the soldiery, so far as to prevent their burning (what they supposed to be) her store and dwelling, both of which were splendid buildings.

The Major never forgot this service done him by the old lady, for he ever afterwards supported her handsomely.

Thus was a great amount of goods and money saved from the hands of his enemies. But this is not all: the news came to her ears that they were about to burn another trading establishment belonging to the Major, and, without waiting to consult him, she went immediately to the store, and took from the counting-room several thousand dollars, which she secreted until the British left the city. The building and goods were burned.

As soon as the English left the territory, he recommenced business, and removed his family from Tunbridge to Detroit. Here they remained but a short time, when he took them to Pontiac; and as soon as they were well established or settled in this place, he himself went to the city of Rochester, where he built a sawmill.

But, in the midst of his prosperity, he was called away to experience another state of existence, with barely a moment's warning, for he was sick only four days from the time he was first taken ill until he died, and even on the fourth day, and in the last hour of his illness, it was not supposed to be at all dangerous, until his son, who sat by his bedside, discovered he was dying.

He left his family with an estate of fifty thousand dollars, clear of encumbrance.

LYDIA MACK, THIRD DAUGHTER OF SOLOMON MACK.

Of my sister Lydia I shall say but little; not that I loved her less, or that she was less deserving of honorable mention; but she seemed to float more with the stream of common events than those who have occupied the foregoing pages; hence fewer incidents of a striking character are furnished for the mind to dwell upon.

She sought riches and obtained them; yet in the day of prosperity she remembered the poor, for she dealt out her substance to the needy, with a liberal hand, to the end of her days, and died the object of their affection. As she was beloved in life, so she was bewailed in death.

DANIEL MACK—HE RESCUES THREE MEN FROM A WATERY GRAVE.

Daniel comes next in order. He was rather worldly-minded, yet he was not vicious; and if he had any peculiar trait of character, it was this—he possessed a very daring and philanthropic spirit, which led him to reach forth his hand to the assistance of those whose lives were exposed to danger, even to the hazard of his own life. For instance: he in company with several others, was once standing on the bank of Miller's river, in the town of Montague, when one of the number proposed taking a swim. Daniel objected, saying it was a dangerous place to swim in, yet they were determined, and three went in; but, going out into the stream rather too far they were overpowered by the current, and a kind of eddy which they fell into, and they sank immediately.

At this, Daniel said, "Now, gentlemen, these men are drowning; who will assist them at the risk of his life?" No one answered. At this, he sprang into the water, and, diving to the bottom, found one of them fastened to some small roots. Daniel took hold of him, and tore up the roots to which he was clinging, and brought him out, and then told the by-standers to get a barrel, for the purpose of rolling him on it, in order to make him disgorge the water which he had taken. He then went in again, and found the other two in the same situation as the first, and saved them in like manner.

After rolling them a short time on the barrel, he took them to a house, and gave them every possible attention, until they had so far recovered as to be able to speak. As soon as they could talk, one of them fixing his eyes upon Daniel, said, "Mr. Mack, we have reason to look upon you as our savior, for you have delivered us from a watery tomb; and I would that I could always live near you. We are now assured that you have not only wisdom to counsel, but when men have spurned your advice, you still have that greatness of soul which leads you to risk your own life to save your fellow man. No, I will never leave you as long as I live, for I wish to convince you that I ever remember you, and that I will never slight your counsel again."

In this they were all agreed, and they carried out the same in their future lives.

SOLOMON MACK.

My youngest brother, Solomon, was born and married in the town of Gilsum, state of New Hampshire, where he is still living; and although he is now very aged, he has never traveled farther than Boston, to which place his business leads him twice a year.

He has gathered to himself in this rocky region, fields, flocks, and herds, which multiply and increase upon the mountains. He has been known at least twenty years, as Captain Solomon Mack, of Gilsum; but as he lives to speak for himself, and as I have to do chiefly with the dead, and not the living, I shall leave him, hoping that, as he has lived peaceably with all men, he may die happily.

I have now given a brief account of all my father's family, save myself; and what I have written has been done with the view of discharging an obligation which I considered resting upon me, inasmuch as they have all passed off this stage of action, except myself and youngest brother. And seldom do I meet with an individual with whom I was even acquainted in my early years, and I am constrained to exclaim—"The friends of my youth! where are they?" The tomb replies, "Here are they!" But, through my instrumentality,

    Safely truth to urge her claims, presumes
    On names now found alone on books and tombs.

EARLY LIFE OF LUCY MACK—HER MARRIAGE WITH JOSEPH SMITH.

I shall now introduce the history of my own life. I was born in the town of Gilsum, Cheshire county, state of New Hampshire, on the eighth of July, 1776.

When I arrived at the age of eight years, my mother had a severe fit of sickness. She was so low that she, as well as her friends, entirely despaired of her recovery. During this sickness she called her children around her bed, and, after exhorting them always to remember the instructions which she had given them—to fear God and walk uprightly before him, she gave me to my brother Stephen, requesting him to take care of me, and bring me up as his own child, then bade each of us farewell.

This my brother promised to do; but, as my mother shortly recovered, it was not necessary, and I consequently remained at my father's house until my sister Lovisa was married. Some time after this event I went to South Hadley, to pay Lovisa, who was living there, a visit.

I returned home to my parents in about six months, and remained with them in Gilsum until the death of Lovina. Soon after which, my brother Stephen, who was living at Tunbridge, Vermont, came to my father's on a visit; and he insisted so earnestly on my accompanying him home, that my parents consented. The grief occasioned by the death of Lovina was preying upon my health, and threatened my constitution with serious injury, and they hoped that to accompany my brother home might serve to divert my mind and thus prove a benefit to me. For I was pensive and melancholy, and often in my reflections I thought that life was not worth possessing.

In the midst of this anxiety of mind, I determined to obtain that which I had heard spoken so much of from the pulpit—a change of heart.

To accomplish this, I spent much of my time reading the Bible, and praying; but notwithstanding my great anxiety to experience a change of heart, another matter would always interpose in all my meditations—if I remain a member of no church, all religious people will say I am of the world; and if I join some one of the different denominations, all the rest will say I am in error. No church will admit that I am right, except the one with which I am associated. This makes them witnesses against each other; and how can I decide in such a case as this, seeing they are all unlike the Church of Christ, as it existed in former days!

While I remained at Tunbridge, I became acquainted with a young man by the name of Joseph Smith, to whom I was subsequently married.

I continued with my brother one year, then went home. I was at home but a short time, when my brother came after me again, and insisted so hard upon my returning with him, that I concluded to do so. And this time I remained with him until I was married, which took place the next January.

SEVEN GENERATIONS OF THE SMITH FAMILY—FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE MACK FAMILY.

Here, I would like to give the early history of my husband, for many facts might be mentioned, that doubtless would be highly interesting; but as I am not able to give them in order, I shall decline making the attempt, and in the place thereof shall insert a transcript from the record of his family, beginning with Samuel Smith, who was the son of Robert and Mary Smith, who came from England.

The above Samuel Smith was born January 26, 1666, in Toppsfield, Essex county, Massachusetts; and was married to Rebecca Curtis, daughter of John Chrtis, January 25, 1707.

Children of Samuel and Rebecca Smith.

Phebe, born Jan. 8, 1708; married to Stephen Averel.

First Mary, born Aug. 14, 1711; married to Amos Towne.

Second Samuel, born Jan. 26, 1714; married to Priscilla Gould; died Nov. 14, 1785.

Rebecca, born Oct. 1, 1715; married to John Balch.

Elizabeth, born July 8, 1718; married to Eliezer Gould; died March 15, 1753.

Hephzibah, born May 12, 1722; married to Wm. Gallop; died Nov. 15, 1774.

Robert, born April 25, 1724.

Susanna, born May 2, 1726; died May 5, 1741.

Hannah, born April 5, 1729; married to John Peabody; died Aug. 17, 1764.

First Samuel Smith died July 12, 1748.

His wife Rebecca Smith, March 2, 1753.

Children of second Samuel, and first Priscilla Smith, which Samuel was the son of first Samuel and Rebecca Smith.

Priscilla, born Sept. 26, 1735; married to Jacob Kimball, Sept. 15, 1755.

Third Samuel, born Oct. 28, 1737; married to Rebecca Towne, Jan. 2, 1760.

Vashti, born Oct. 5, 1739; married to Solomon Curtis, Sept. 15, 1763; married second time to Jacob Hobbs, 1767.

Susanna, born Jan. 24, 1742; married to Isaac Hobbs, 1767.

First Asael, born March 8, 1744; married to Mary Duty, Feb. 12, 1767.

Children of first Asael (died Oct. 31, 1830) and Mary Smith (died May 27, 1836); which Asael was the son of second Samuel and Priscilla Smith.

First Jesse, born April 20, 1768; married to Hannah Peabody, Jan. 20, 1792.

Priscilla, born Oct. 21, 1769; married to John C. Waller, Aug. 24, 1796.

First Joseph, born July 12, 1771; married to Lucy Mack, Jan. 24, 1796; died Sept. 14, 1840.

Second Asael, born May 21, 1773; married to Betsy Schellenger March 21, 1802.

Mary, born June 4, 1775; married to Isaac Pierce, Dec. 22, 1796.

Fourth Samuel, born Sept. 15, 1777; married Frances Wilcox, Feb., 1816; died April 1, 1830.

First Silas, born Oct. 1, 1779; married to Ruth Stevens, Jan 29, 1806; second time to Mary Aikens, March 4, 1828.

First John, born June 16, 1781; married to Clarissa Lyman, Sept. 11, 1815.

Third Susannah, born May 18, 1783.

Stephen, born April 23, 1785; died July 25, 1802.

Sarah, born May 16, 1789; married to Joseph Sanford, Oct. 15, 1809; died May 27, 1824.

Children of fourth Samuel and Frances Wilcox.

Children of first Jesse and Hannah Smith, which Jesse was the son of first Asael and Mary Smith.

Children of John C. and Priscilla Waller; which Priscilla was the daughter of first Asael Smith.

Children of first Joseph and Lucy Smith; which Joseph was the son of the first Asael and Mary Smith.

Alvin, born Feb. 11, 1798; died Nov. 19, 1824.

Hyrum, born Feb. 9, 1800, Tunbridge, Vermont; married to Jerusha Barden, Nov. 2, 1826, Manchester, N. Y.; to Mary Fielding, 1837; murdered by a mob, June 27, 1844, in Carthage jail, Hancock county, Illinois, while under the protection of Governor Thomas Ford.

Sophronia, born May 16, 1803, Tunbridge, Vermont; married to Calvin Stoddard, Dec. 2, 1827, Palmyra, N. Y.

Second Joseph, Dec. 23, 1805, Sharon, Windsor county, Vermont; married to Emma Hale, daughter of Isaac Hale, in South Bainbridge, Chenango county, N. Y., Jan. 18, 1827; murdered by a mob, June 27, 1844, in Carthage jail, Hancock county, Illinois, while under the protection of Governor Thomas Ford.

Fifth Samuel Harrison, born March 13, 1808, Tunbridge, Vermont; married to Mary Bailey, Aug. 13, 1834; later to Levira Clark; died July 30, 1844, of a fever, occasioned by overexertion in getting away from a mob, when his brothers were killed.

Ephraim, born March 13, 1810; died March 24, 1810.

William, born March 13, 1811, Royalton, Vermont; married to Caroline Grant, daughter of Joshua Grant, Feb. 14, 1833.

Catherine, born July 28, 1812, Lebanon, New Hampshire; married to Wilkins J. Salisbury, Jan. 8, 1831; died Feb. 1, 1900.

Don Carlos, born March 25, 1816; married to Agnes Coolbrith, July 30, 1835, Kirtland, Ohio; died Aug. 7, 1841.

Lucy, born July 18, 1821; married to Arthur Miliken, June 4, 1840, Nauvoo.

Children of second Asael (died July 21, 1844) and Betsy Smith; which Asael was the son of first Asael and Mary Smith.

Children of Isaac and Mary Pierce; which Mary was the daughter of first Asael and Mary Smith.

Children of first Silas (died Sept. 13, 1839) and Ruth Smith (died Mar. 14, 1826); which Silas was the son of first Asael and Mary Smith.

Children by his second wife Mary Aikens Smith (died Apr. 27, 1877).

Children of first John (died May 23, 1854) and Clarissa Smith (died Feb. 14,1854); which John was the son of first Asael and Mary Smith.

Children of Hyrum and Jerusha Smith; which Hyrum was the son of first Joseph and Lucy Smith.

Children of Hyrum Smith and Mary, his second wife.

Children of second Joseph, the Prophet, and Emma Smith; which Joseph was the son of first Joseph and Lucy Smith.

Children of fifth Samuel Smith and Mary, his first wife; which Samuel was the son of first Joseph and Lucy Smith.

Children of Samuel Smith and Levira, his second wife.

Children of William and Caroline Smith; which William was the son of first Joseph and Lucy Smith.

Children of Don Carlos and Agnes Smith; which Don Carlos was the son of first Joseph and Lucy Smith.

Children of Calvin and Sophronia Stoddard.

Children of Wilkins J. and Catherine Salisbury; which Catharine was the daughter of first Joseph Smith.

Children of George A. and Bathsheba W. Smith.

Having now given all the names belonging to the family of Smith, I shall take up another lineage, namely, that of the Mack family, commencing with my grandfather Ebenezer Mack. Ebenezer Mack had three sons, Elisha, Samuel and Solomon, and one daughter named Hypsebeth. His son Solomon was born in the town of Lyme, state of Connecticut, Sept. 26, 1735; was married to a young woman by the name of Lydia Gates, in the year 1759. This Lydia Gates was born in East Haddam, state of Connecticut, Sept. 3, 1735.

The following are the names of the children of first Solomon and Lydia Mack; which Solomon was the son of Ebenezer and Hannah Mack.

Jason, Stephen, Daniel, second Solomon, Lovisa, Lovina, Lydia, Lucy.

Children of second Solomon Mack; which Solomon was the son of first Solomon Mack.

A PRESENT OF ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS, FROM JOHN MUDGET AND STEPHEN MACK, TO THE AUTHOR.

Soon after I was married, I went with my husband to see my parents, and as we were about setting out on this visit, my brother Stephen, and his partner in business, John Mudget, were making some remarks in regard to my leaving them, and the conversation presently turned upon the subject of giving me a marriage present. "Well," said Mr. Mudget, "Lucy ought to have something worth naming, and I will give her just as much as you will."

"Done," said my brother, "I will give her five hundred dollars in cash."

"Good," said the other, "and I will give her five hundred dollars more."

So they wrote a check on their bankers for one thousand dollars, and presented me with the same. This check I laid aside, as I had other means by me sufficient to purchase my housekeeping furniture.

Having visited my father and mother, we returned again to Tunbridge, where my companion owned a handsome farm, upon which we settled ourselves, and began to cultivate the soil. We lived on this place about six years, tilling the earth for a livelihood.

In 1802, we rented our farm in Tunbridge, and moved to the town of Randolph, where we opened a mercantile establishment. When we came to this place we had two children, Alvin and Hyrum.

SICKNESS IN RANDOLPH.

We had lived in Randolph but six months when I took a heavy cold, which caused a severe cough. To relieve this, every possible exertion was made, but it was all in vain. A hectic fever set in, which threatened to prove fatal, and the physician pronounced my case to be confirmed consumption. During this sickness, my mother watched over me with much anxiety, sparing herself no pains in administering to my comfort, yet I continued to grow weaker and weaker, until I could scarcely endure even a foot-fall upon the floor, except in stocking-foot, and no one was allowed to speak in the room above a whisper.

While I was in this situation, a Methodist exhorter came to see me. On coming to the door, he knocked in his usual manner, and his knocking so agitated me that it was a considerable length of time before my nerves became altogether quieted again. My mother motioned him to a chair, and in a whisper informed him of my situation, which prevented his asking me any questions. He tarried some time, and while he sat he seemed deeply to meditate upon the uncertainty of my recovering; in the mean time, he showed a great desire to have conversation with me respecting my dying.

As he thus sat pondering, I fancied to myself that he was going to ask me if I was prepared to die, and I dreaded to have him speak to me, for then I did not consider myself ready for such an awful event, inasmuch as I knew not the ways of Christ; besides, there appeared to be a dark and lonesome chasm, between myself and the Savior, which I dared not attempt to pass.

I thought I strained my eyes, and by doing so I could discern a faint glimmer of the light that was beyond the gloom which lay immediately before me.

When I was meditating upon death, in this manner, my visitor left; soon after which my husband came to my bed, and took me by the hand, and said, "Oh, Lucy! my wife! my wife! you must die! The doctors have given you up; and all say you cannot live."

I then looked to the Lord, and begged and pleaded with him to spare my life, in order that I might bring up my children, and be a comfort to my husband. My mind was much agitated during the whole night. Sometimes I contemplated heaven and heavenly things; then my thoughts would turn upon those of earth—my babes and my companion.

During this night I made a solemn covenant with God, that, if he would let me live, I would endeavor to serve him according to the best of my abilities. Shortly after this, I heard a voice say to me, "Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Let your heart be comforted; ye believe in God, believe also in me."

In a few moments my mother came in, and, looking upon me she said, "Lucy, you are better."

I replied, as my speech returned just at that instant, "Yes, mother, the Lord will let me live, if I am faithful to the promise which I made to him, to be a comfort to my mother, my husband, and my children." I continued to gain strength, until I became quite well as to my bodily health; but my mind was considerably disquieted. It was wholly occupied upon the subject of religion. As soon as I was able, I made all diligence in endeavoring to find some one who was capable of instructing me more perfectly in the way of life and salvation.

As soon as I had strength sufficient, I visited one Deacon Davies, a man whom I regarded as exceedingly pious; and, as he was apprised of my sudden and miraculous recovery, I expected to hear about the same which I had heard from my mother—"The Lord has done a marvelous work; let his name have the praise thereof." But, no: from the time I arrived at his house until I left, I heard nothing, except, "Oh, Mrs. Smith has come—help her in—run, build a fire, make the room warm—fill the tea-kettle—get the great arm-chair," etc., etc. Their excessive anxiety concerning my physical convenience and comfort, without being seasoned with one word in relation to Christ or godliness, sickened and disgusted me, and I returned home very sorrowful and much disappointed.

From my anxiety of mind to abide the covenant which I had made with the Lord, I went from place to place, for the purpose of getting information, and finding, if it were possible, some congenial spirit who could enter into my feelings, and thus be able to strengthen and assist me in carrying out my resolutions.

I heard that a very devout man was to preach the next Sabbath in the Presbyterian church; I therefore went to meeting, in the full expectation of hearing that which my soul desired—the Word of Life.

When the minister commenced speaking, I fixed my mind with deep attention upon the spirit and matter of his discourse; but after hearing him through, I returned home, convinced that he neither understood nor appreciated the subject upon which he spoke, and I said in my heart that there was not then upon earth the religion which I sought. I therefore determined to examine my Bible, and, taking Jesus and his disciples for my guide, to endeavor to obtain from God that which man could neither give nor take away. Notwithstanding this, I would hear all that could be said, as well as read much that was written, on the subject of religion; but the Bible I intended should be my guide to life and salvation. This course I pursued a number of years.

At length, I considered it my duty to be baptized, and, finding a minister who was willing to baptize me, and leave me free in regard to joining any religious denomination, I stepped forward and yielded obedience to this ordinance; after which I continued to read the Bible as formerly, until my eldest son had attained his twenty-second year.

JOSEPH SMITH, SENIOR, LOSES HIS PROPERTY AND BECOMES POOR—RECEIVES A VISIT PROM JASON MACK—THE HISTORY OP THE LATTER CONCLUDED.

My husband, as before stated, followed merchandising for a short period in the town of Randolph. Soon after he commenced business in this place, he ascertained that crystalized ginseng root sold very high in China, being used as a remedy for the plague, which was then raging there.

He therefore concluded to embark in a traffic of this article, and consequently made an investment of all the means which he commanded, in that way and manner which was necessary to carry on a business of this kind, viz., crystalizing and exporting the root. When he had obtained a quantity of the same, a merchant by the name of Stevens, of Royalton, offered him three thousand dollars for what he had; but my husband refused his offer, as it was only about two-thirds of its real value, and told the gentleman that he would rather venture shipping it himself.

My husband, in a short time, went to the city of New York, with the view of shipping his ginseng, and finding a vessel in port which was soon to set sail, he made arrangements with the captain to this effect—that he was to sell the ginseng in China, and return the avails thereof to my husband; and this the captain bound himself to do, in a written obligation.

Mr. Stevens, hearing that Mr. Smith was making arrangements to ship his ginseng, repaired immediately to New York, and by taking some pains, he ascertained the vessel on board of which Mr. Smith had shipped his ginseng; and having some of the same article on hand himself, he made arrangements with the captain to take his also, and he was to send his son on board the vessel to take charge of it.

It appears, from circumstances that afterwards transpired, that the ginseng was taken to China, and sold there to good advantage, or at a high price, but not to much advantage to us, for we never received any thing, except a small chest of tea, of the avails arising from this adventure.

When the vessel returned, Stevens, the younger, also returned with it, and when my husband became apprized of his arrival, he went immediately to him and made inquiry respecting the success of the captain in selling his ginseng. Mr. Stevens told him quite a plausible tale, the particulars of which I have forgotten; but the amount of it was, that the sale had been a perfect failure, and the only thing which had been brought for Mr. Smith from China was a small chest of tea, which chest had been delivered into his care, for my husband.

In a short time after this, young Stevens hired a house of Major Mack, and employed eight or ten hands and commenced the business of crystalizing ginseng. Soon after engaging in this business, when he had got fairly at work, my brother, Major Mack, went to see him, and, as it happened, he found him considerably intoxicated. When my brother came into his presence, he spoke to him thus, "Well, Mr. Stevens, you are doing a fine business; you will soon be ready for another trip to China." Then observed again, in a quite indifferent manner, "Oh, Mr. Stevens, how much did Brother Smith's adventure bring?" Being under the influence of liquor, he was not on his guard, and took my brother by the hand and led him to a trunk; then opening it, he observed, "There, sir, are the proceeds of Mr. Smith's ginseng!" exhibiting a large amount of silver and gold.

My brother was much astounded at this; however, he disguised his feelings, and conversed with him a short time upon different subjects, then returned home, and about ten o'clock the same night he started for Randolph, to see my husband.

When Mr. Stevens had overcome his intoxication, he began to reflect upon what he had done, and making some inquiry concerning my brother, he ascertained that he had gone to Randolph. Mr. Stevens, conjecturing his business—that he had gone to see my husband respecting the ginseng adventure, went immediately to his establishment, dismissed his hands, called his carriage, and fled with his cash for Canada, and I have never heard anything concerning him since.

My husband pursued him a while, but finding pursuit vain, returned home much dispirited at the state of his affairs. He then went to work to overhaul his accounts, in order to see how he stood with the world; upon which he discovered that, in addition to the loss sustained by the China adventure, he had lost about two thousand dollars in bad debts. At the time he sent his venture to China he was owing eighteen hundred dollars in the city of Boston, for store goods, and he expected to discharge the debt at the return of the China expedition; but, having invested almost all his means in ginseng, the loss which he suffered in this article rendered it impossible for him to pay his debt with the property which remained in his hands. The principal dependence left him, in the shape of property, was the farm at Tunbridge, upon which we were then living, having moved back to this place immediately after his venture was sent to China. This farm, which was worth about fifteen hundred dollars, my husband sold for eight hundred dollars, in order to make a speedy payment on the Boston debt; and, as I had not used the check of one thousand dollars, which my brother and Mr. Mudget gave me, I added it to the eight hundred dollars obtained for the farm, and by this means the whole debt was liquidated.

While we were living on the Tunbridge farm, my brother Jason made us a visit. He brought with him a young man by the name of William Smith, a friendless orphan, whom he had adopted as his own son, and, previous to this time, had kept constantly with him; but he now thought best to leave him with us, for the purpose of having him go to school. He remained with us, however, only six months before my brother came again and took him to New Brunswick, which they afterwards made their home, and where my brother had gathered together some thirty families, on a tract of land which he had purchased for the purpose of assisting poor persons to the means of sustaining themselves. He planned their work for them, and when they raised anything which they wished to sell, he took it to market for them. Owning a schooner himself, he took their produce to Liverpool, as it was then the best market.

When Jason set out on the above-mentioned visit to Tunbridge, he purchased a quantity of goods, which he intended as presents for his friends, especially his mother and sisters; but, on his way thither, he found so many objects of charity, that he gave away not only the goods, but most of his money. On one occasion, he saw a woman who had just lost her husband, and who was very destitute; he gave her fifteen dollars in money, and a full suit of clothes for herself and each of her children, which were six in number.

This was the last interview I ever had with my brother Jason, but, twenty years later, he wrote the following letter to my brother Solomon, and that is about all the intelligence I have ever received from him since I saw him:

South Branch of Ormucto, Province of New Brunswick,

June 30, 1835.

My Dear Brother Solomon:

You will, no doubt, be surprised to hear that I am still alive, although in an absence of twenty years I have never written to you before. But I trust you will forgive me when I tell you that, for most of the twenty years, I have been so situated that I have had little or no communication with the lines, and have been holding meetings, day and night, from place to place; besides, my mind has been so taken up with the deplorable situation of the earth, the darkness in which it lies, that, when my labors did call me near the lines, I did not realize the opportunity which presented itself of letting you know where I was. And, again, I have designed visiting you long since, and annually have promised myself that the succeeding year I would certainly seek out my relatives, and enjoy the privilege of one pleasing interview with them before I passed into the valley and shadow of death. But last, though not least, let me not startle you when I say, that, according to my early adopted principles of the power of faith, the Lord has, in his exceeding kindness, bestowed upon me the gift of healing by the prayer of faith, and the use of such simple means as seem congenial to the human system; but my chief reliance is upon him who organized us at the first, and can restore at pleasure that which is disorganized.

The first of my peculiar successes in this way was twelve years since, and from nearly that date I have had little rest. In addition to the incessant calls which I, in a short time had, there was the most overwhelming torrent of opposition poured down upon me that I ever witnessed. But it pleased God to take the weak to confound the wisdom of the wise. I have in the last twelve years seen the greatest manifestations of the power of God in healing the sick, that, with all my sanguinity, I ever hoped or imagined. And when the learned infidel has declared with sober face, time and again, that disease had obtained such an ascendency that death could be resisted no longer, that the victim must wither beneath his potent arm, I have seen the almost lifeless clay slowly but surely resuscitated, and revive, till the pallid monster fled so far that the patient was left in the full bloom of vigorous health. But it is God that hath done it, and to him let all the praise be given.

I am now compelled to close this epistle, for I must start immediately on a journey of more than one hundred miles, to attend a heavy case of sickness; so God be with you all. Farewell!

Jason Mack.

The next intelligence we received concerning Jason, after his letter to Brother Solomon, was, that he, his wife, and oldest son, were dead, and this concludes my account of my brother Jason.