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February 24, 1909. TH in Benton and Washington counties. Mr. Richards, however, did not live long enough to prosecute his labors. This church was founded on the ninth day of November, 1873, by a committee of Arkansas Presbytery, (for Washbourne Presbytery had not then been formed) consisting of Rev. W. A. Sample, of Fort Worth; Rev. D. C. Hoggs, who had succeeded Mr. Richards as pastor of the Bentonville church, and Ruling Elder A. W. Dinsmore, of the Bentonville church. The church began its existence with six teen members and one ruling elder. In June of 1874 Dr. Davies, then, however, plain Mr. Davies, visited the field and signified his willingness to accept the call in case the way was opened tor him to leave the work in which he was engaged in the eastern part of the state. In a way, he says, very wonderful and instructive to him, that way was opened up for him, and he undertook his duties here without any doubt that he was acting in obedience to the call of God. The self-sacrificing spirit that has marked the entire life of this "Prophet !n Israel" is shown by his giving up a good salary amid pleasant and congenial associations at Cotton Plant to come to this struggling little church at Fnyettoville, where he received a salary of just half the amount he had been getting. As the pastor said in his twenty-fifth anniversary sermon of the early members, "Most of them were raw recruits, just gathered into the church from the world, with no nrevioiis Prpshvtorinn training, with but meager knowledge of the doctrines, order, and usages of the nature of the service in which they had enlisted, or of the duties expected of them as Christians." As proof of this, there was not for more than a year after Dr. Davies began his pastorate a man among them who would pray tu public; and at the little prayer meetings held at the homes of the various members, the pastor had to do all the praying. But from their noble self-denial and successful achievements later, we are justified in inferring that they had earnest hearts if not ready tongues. Need I mention that these early members were poor? Why, the one old elder was so poor that the pastor had '.o help support him, instead of his helping to support the pastor. But the pastor eot enthusiastic over the "tithing system" fof paying church obligations and preached such a strong sermon upon it as to convince this poverty-stricken old elder, and he determined- to practice it. He now began to get work all the time, where before he had only got odd jobs, and in a year or two was paying $40 a year on the pastor's salary; and finally got well enough off to buy him a little farm. "Poor, but honest," the proverb runs, but the latter does not always follow. >fo sentences of mine can thrill with emotion like his as he recalls those struggling davs "The question of building began to be discussod by the churoh very soon after its organization. But nothing was done until the following spring, the spring of 1874. At that time an attempt was made to raise something for this object by E PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOUT Absolutely Pure jfiijr "le chief 11 ABr the active print 12322Sw an<^ healthfulnej IDAVAI I'YAKING \ POWDER ^/Sb^olut ^^Jnsures v/holes ^a^ciousfood fc in eveq No Pho. Em. Auu?lgv No AJ means of a festival, given by the ladies of ihe church, and a considerable amount was realized. At an informal meeting of aume ui iiiw icivuing memoers or the church, during the visit of the writer to the church in June, 1874, the first subscription was started, and quite a respectable sum was pledged. , "Early in 1875 a second subscription was started. But it progressed very slowly. The winter of 1874-5 followed the great drought of 1874, which was the most general, severe and disastrous, that has ever been experienced in the state. There was no rain of any consequence from April until August. The crops, with the exception of wheat, almost everywhere over the state, were hii enure raiiure, and multitudes that winter, had they not been feed by thosa who had wheat and corn left over from the preceding year, would have suffered for the necessaries of life. This, of course, made times very hard, and led most of our people to think that it was not only useless, but worse than useless to attempt at such a time to raise money for building a church. But a few were in favor of making a beginning, and getting what we could, and adding to the amount afterwards, as we were able and the way was open. The foundation was laid In January, 1876, and the bouse was completed, paid for, and dedicated to the service of God in Feb ruary, 1877. "The money was collected and paid to the mechanics from week to week, as the work went on. And from the day that the house was begun until it was completed, not a bill was ever presented to the building committee which was nut promptly paid. The entire cost of the work, including the lot, was $1,750. Of this amount, $200 was received from the Assembly's Church * 4 * H. 25 viy Mr u re A2J ome and deli>reveryday JBr r home iphmtcs J 1b? Erection Fund, and about $120 from other outside sources. The whole of the- remainder was raised in Fayetteville." Such devotion as these early members displayed did not arise of its own accord, but owed much to the spirit of ' their leader. With this beginning, Dr. Davies led thern on to lives of usefulness and influence. Steadilv thn num. bers increased and the church prospered, and this congregation with Dr. Davies at its head could always be relied upon to stand for pure and undefiled religion. More than 300 names were added to the church roll during the first pastorate. After a service continuing from December, 1874, to December, 1901, Dr. Davies voluntarily resigned. This is a record of a long pastorate and itself speaks eloquently for the character of the man. He is, as we know him, a man of unusual intellectual endowment, loving, kind, gentle, compassionate, spiritually minded, lovable; yet where can you find a man of stronger convictions than he? He did not hesitate to discipline his members, even to expulsion, wnen it was necessary, and he has stamped his very character upon this church. Two of the finest geniuses English literature has produced, have described the consecrated pastor of which Dr. Davies is the embodiment. Of all the Canterbury Pilgrims Chaucer gives the crown to "the poor parson of the town." and stims up his sympathetic treatment of him as follows: "Of Cristes loove and his Apostles twelve He taught, but first "Re folwed it himselve." And Goldsmith has immortalized such a life as this in the village preacher of { lift TTJ11 V..V, 4/VOCIICU V UlUge. In August, 1902, Rev. J. F. Lawson