The American Missionary | Page 4

The details are truthful and are of value as showing the people in their
church, home, and business life.
* * * * *
DEER LODGE, TENN.
By Mrs. Ella Gill Sedgwick.
Deer Lodge, on the Cumberland Plateau in east Tennessee, is
delightfully located. The adjacent country is highly picturesque--rocky
cliffs, deep ravines, winding wooded streams, giving beauty to the
landscape. To the eastward, stretching far in undulating lines, are the
mountains, seen through a purple mist of great beauty. We often repeat
the words, "As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is
round about his people." We are nearly 2,000 feet above the level of the
sea, so the air is pure and healthful. A spicy fragrance fills the air,

blown down from the pines that crown the hills.
Deer Lodge has been settled mostly by Northern people. In a religious
point of view we are divided into Congregationalists, Methodists, and
Baptists, with a few Episcopalians. There is only one church building,
however, the Congregationalists'. This is a beautiful little edifice
worthy of the growing importance of this interesting field on the
Cumberland Plateau. The church has a choice location on Ross
Avenue.
On April 13, 1889, the corner-stone was laid, and on August 4 of the
same year the church was dedicated. The church has good officers and
earnest working members. The present membership is forty-one. No
hostility is shown toward our church by the members of other churches,
but all are united and recognize in every one who loves the Master a
fellow-worker in the vineyard of Christ.
The present pastor, Rev. G. Lusty, during his residence among us has
endeared himself to all. A promising work is being done in the
Sabbath-school, and we believe that from it constantly go forth many
little rills of influence that are entering the homes and bringing the
people a higher and purer life. The Christian Endeavor society is doing
a good work among the young people. The prayer-meetings held on
Thursday evenings are well attended. The growth of the church has not
been rapid, but is steady, and during its history has enjoyed some
revivals of religion.
Under the direction of the pastor's loyal wife the young people have
been gathered into a sewing-school at her home every Saturday
afternoon, and everything is done to encourage the little fingers in their
attempts to guide the needle; and we feel that here, too, is a work being
done that will bring forth fruit in the homes.
The barrels of supplies, sent to us by friends in other States, have
enabled us to assist many needy ones. While packing these missionary
boxes, if you could only see "the other end of the line" you would feel
rewarded for your gifts. The kindness done for Christ's sake will not be
forgotten.
The country around Deer Lodge is sparsely settled. One can travel
miles without meeting any one. The people are somewhere--where, we
are unable to tell; yet when they have an opportunity to hear preaching
you will always find many people gathered in the schoolhouse where

the "meeting" is to be held. In traveling through the surrounding
country you will see many rough log houses, with only one room and
often without windows, two doors opposite each other, one door always
kept open winter and summer. A huge fire-place is in one end of the
room. If you would have a view of humanity in its simplicity, visit one
of these mountain homes. You will find everything of the most
primitive kind. The hum of the spinning-wheel and the heavy thud of
the loom will greet your ears. In one room you will very often see
several beds, while the rest of the furniture will consist of a few
wooden chairs, a table and perhaps a cupboard, and into this one room
will be gathered the whole family, the women with old shawls over
their heads, sitting by the fire chewing tobacco, or with the invariable
snuff-stick in their mouth. But everywhere you will be treated with
kindness and invariable civility. "Come and see us," they say; "we are
mighty poor folks, but we will do the best we can." These mountaineers
take life in a slow and easy way; you cannot make them "step to
Yankee time."
Last Sabbath we attended one of the afternoon services. Our road
passed for several miles through a lovely forest, with its soft shadows
and calm repose. The only sound to break the stillness was the song of
the birds. After a while we heard ringing out through the pine woods
the echo of gospel hymns. Following the sound, and wending our way a
little farther through the woods, in a quiet glen we came to the school
house where the services were to