Fifty-two years ago, just after coming out of Methodism, I held my first meeting in the Christian church house at Lockhart, Texas, assisted by W. H. D. Carrington.

At that time there was no division among us; but in 1886 the Christian church departed from the old land mark in Austin, and introduced human societies and instrumental music to capture the world. I was at that meeting, and I told Dick Kendrick and R. D. Smith who were leaders in that faction that I would live to see them practicing mourners bench system of getting religion, and endorsing sprinkling for baptism. Both have been literally fulfilled.

For years we have had a church of Christ at Lockhart. We have just closed a very interesting meeting there with a promise to return next year for a second meeting. Brethren there claimed that we had the largest attendance they had had for thirty years. Meeting did not continue long enough. Only three were baptized. The last night of the meeting we had baptizing and the Christian church invited me to preach in their house, which I did. Brother O. L. Hicks, a young preacher, a graduate of Abilene Christian College, helped me much in the meeting by leading songs. Brother Hicks is a young man of fine ability, and has a great future if he is not sidetracked in hunting for a located job to become a modern pastor. He will spend one or two months at Lockhart soon systematizing the work. We have some grand, godly members there, but a little short on leadership.

We made our home with Brother Tim Raney and wife while there. They treated me kindly. They have everything that life can give to make them happy, but their only son, a brilliant young man twenty-three years old was sacrificed for American greed in our war with Germany. Their only daughter twenty-three years old lies in the graveyard by the side of her brother and her baby. This takes all their happiness away, but it will be better on the other side. I am now booked for a meeting at Goldthwaite, where I planted the cause fifty years ago and helped the brethren to build a house.

Then I am called to Hope, New Mexico for a meeting the fourth and fifth Sundays in July. They have a good house there which I hear was built by the effects of J. D. Tant's work in the long ago--two meetings and one debate.

From there I go to Alamogordo, New Mexico, the first and second Sundays in August, where I planted the cause thirty-two years ago.

It is just a little out of the ordinary for a gospel preacher to be called back to a place where he planted the cause in the long, long ago. It may be that Lockhart, Goldthwaite, Hope, and Alamogordo are receding from up-to-date preachers and want to go back to the old time preaching that all did in the long ago.

I notice that my old time friend and brother, J. W. Chism, is making some complaint that the located minister does not go out and build up as he and I did, but are exchanging meetings all the time with other located ministers, and knocking the evangelist out.

A leading evangelist of Missouri who stands up in the class with Busby and Hardeman tells me he is not being supported to cover expenses, as only the poor churches call him. All the churches who are able have their located ministers and they exchange with other located ministers. In this arrangement I see much wisdom in the located ministers, for we now have about four preachers for each located job and most all located ministers wear out at one place and by exchanging with another located minister as each church gets tired of their located minister he can exchange with some other located minister and keep the work going. I am sure all these preachers are doing a fine work, and judging from their reports we should enlarge five hundred house in Texas this year for I notice each Sunday their crowds are larger than ever before. I am confident from a worldly standpoint the work of the evangelist is a thing of the past. The Bible says, "Go," but the modern demand says "stay," and I fear another warning like Chism has given will put him in the bad like J. D. Tant. Even the Firm Foundation has been instructed that they will do better if they will not let J. D. write in it, "For," the brother says, "He opposes us in all we do."

When J. R. Graves spent his life in preaching Baptist doctrine, and got so old he could not stand to preach, he was sent for by many leading Baptist churches throughout the South to deliver his five chair lectures and hundreds of Baptists heard him gladly and supported him well. But not so with the church of Christ.

It was J. D. Tant who held the first meeting at Houston, Waco, Hillsboro, West, Georgetown, Bartlett, Killeen, Ft. Worth, Chillicothe, Quanah and many other towns in Texas. Then Tant was an able preacher and in demand, but all these places now have strong churches and good houses, yet Tant would not be permitted to hold them a meeting free of charge. But Tant preaches the same gospel now he did then. I wonder what has brought about the change. Some claim it is because Tant does not have a college education. Does not hold a degree and is not refined. I beg to state the college I went to did not give degrees. I went to school at Jerusalem under Christ. Studied zeal and determination under Paul, and studied culture and refinement under Sampson who tied fire brands to foxes tails, and slew a thousand men with the jaw bone of an ass. So I am not lacking in Bible zeal, Bible knowledge, and Bible refinement. But I don't hold a degree and therefore am a back number.

Don't forget we are drifting.