Page:About Mexico - Past and Present.djvu/405

Rh and became a pillar in the Protestant community. For five years the religious meetings were held free of charge in his large parlor. His wife, once a bigoted Romanist, was equally zealous after her change of heart, and taught her poor neighbors daily.

In time, Brother Rodriguez's quarters grew too strait for the people who flocked to hear a free gospel, and they began to build a church. Mr. Rodriguez gave a lot and six hundred and seventy-four dollars toward the building, besides superintending the work. The house, sixty feet by twenty-seven, cost twenty-six hundred dollars, of which ninety of the people gave ten hundred and ninety dollars. Four young brethren who are supporting themselves while they study for the ministry did the work on pulpit, tables, benches, etc. for their contribution, while the story of the sixty beams which support the roof is as interesting as though the scene had been laid where the old Sidonians hewed cedar trees out of Lebanon for the temple in Jerusalem: "When the walls of the church were complete, it became necessary to secure sixty stout beams thirty-six feet long. To have bought them in Junapeo would have cost ninety dollars. A good brother in Ahuacate, eighteen miles away, hearing of their need, sent them word that they were at perfect liberty to enter his pine forest and cut free of cost all the beams they needed. The offer was promptly accepted. All the oxen in the neighborhood belonging to the brethren or their friends were brought together, numbering thirty yoke, with two men to each yoke. On a Monday morning they started. Brethren along the road gave men and oxen their meals, and cared for them at night. Three days were necessary for the round trip, so that by Saturday night the thirty-six miles had