The Quickening

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