Francis Lynde

The Quickening Francis Lynde

The revival in Paradise Valley, conducted by the Reverend Silas Crafts, of South Tredegar, was in the middle of its second week, and the field-to use Brother Crafts' own word-waswhite to the harvest. Little Zoar, the square, weather-tinged wooden church at the head of the valley, built uponland donated to the denomination in times long past by an impenitent but generous MajorDabney, stood a little way back from the pike in a grove of young pines. By half-past six ofthe June evening the revivalist's congregation had begun to assemble. Those who came farthest were first on the ground; and by the time twelve-year-oldThomas Jefferson, spatting barefooted up the dusty pike, had reached the church-housewith the key, there was a goodly sprinkling of unhitched teams in the grove, the horseschamping their feed noisily in the wagon-boxes, and the people gathering in littleneighborhood knots to discuss gravely the one topic uppermost in all minds-the presentoutpouring of grace on Paradise Valley and the region round-about