Book Review: The Circuit Rider (by Edward Eggleston)

Set in a bygone era of second generation pioneers, The Circuit Rider commemorates a little remembered group of heroic men—early Methodist preachers who gave up comfort, convenience, and sometimes even their lives in order to ride their preaching circuits and establish their church on the very borders of civilization.

The Circuit Rider is not a very long book—it’s around the length of Anne of Green Gables or Northanger Abbey.  I’m having a bit of trouble estimating its age range—the plot is not super complex and might be interesting to some young readers, but it’s historical side and just Eggleston’s writing tone in general is aimed for a slightly older audience, say 15+.

You can jump straight to the end if you’d like to read my brief conclusion on the book and find a link to the ebook—or read on through for all the details!

The Plot [spoiler alert!]

It’s hard to know how much of the plot of The Circuit Rider needs to be included in a summary in order to do the book justice.  At its core it’s a romance set in frontier Ohio in the days of the early Methodist revivals.  Morton Goodwin, a somewhat wild and rather poor young man, has always loved Patty Lumsden, the daughter of one of the wealthiest landowners in the settlement and a remote connection of the “old Virginia” families.  Patty is rather partial to Morton herself, but her father certainly isn’t.  However, Morton is popular enough among the settlers that Captain Lumsden (a proud and ruthless man) decides to be nice long enough to secure his influence in an upcoming election.  This gives Morton some hope… but it also puts pressure on him to take Captain Lumsden’s side, not just in the election, but also in his anti-Methodist sentiments—and even worse, in his feud with his feisty nephew Hezekiah “Kike.”

When Captain Lumsden threatens to take advantage of legal technicalities and sell some of Kike’s land, Morton’s sympathies are all on Kike’s side, but he hardly dares to risk Captain Lumsden’s anger.  Then when to top that off Kike becomes a Methodist, repenting of his fury towards his uncle, Morton is torn—wanting to be anti-Methodist and stay on Captain Lumsden and Patty’s good side, but feeling like a coward as Kike braves sneers and physical hardships in order to become a Methodist pastor.  (Captain Lumsden’s brand of anti-Methodism, be it mentioned, is rather violent—and while Morton is plenty willing to mock and disturb meetings by noise and revelry, he disapproves of the Captain’s more brutal method of beating up the pastor.)  Caught between these cross fires, Morton goes a little wild, gambles away everything he has, nearly commits suicide, and even almost gets lynched.  But after being rescued from that fate, and now on his way back home, he lodges at a house where a Methodist meeting is being held.  Already pretty well convinced of his sinfulness and need for a changed heart, he becomes converted under the preaching and resolves to do right—which includes boldly avowing his new faith, though it will certainly cost him Captain Lumsden’s favor, and probably Patty’s as well.  For Patty, though not irreligious in her father’s way, looks down on Methodism as vulgar and fanatical.

So when Morton avows his Methodism, Patty orders him to abandon it.  Seeing how powerfully this affects him, she is sure a little sternness on her part will be effectual.  But in this she is wrong.  Morton, though devastated, stands by his new convictions and leaves.

Leaves to join Kike in becoming a Methodist pastor—a “circuit rider”, so called because their preaching appointments were arranged by circuits and they traveled by horseback between them.  Morton’s bold and courageous bearing gains him a reputation and he eventually gets assigned the district with some of the most troublesome “rowdies.”  Besides rowdies, he also makes the acquaintance of the apparently devout Ann Eliza Meacham.  Ann Eliza needs help in a lawsuit, and Morton undertakes to give it—finding afterwards with great dismay that everyone now expects him to marry her—herself included.  Morton has never overcome his preference for Patty, but he feels bad over breaking Ann Eliza’s heart and is perplexed as to what to do.

Meanwhile back in Morton’s hometown a grand Methodist meeting is being held, and Patty, who has already heard the rumors about Morton’s engagement to Ann Eliza, decides to attend the meeting just to break her monotonous routine.  But although she goes determined not to be converted, she changes her mind in the course of the sermon, and as the preacher preached he “won her famished hear to Christ.  For such a Master she could live or die; in such a life there was what Patty needed most—a purpose…”

Now a Methodist, Patty is turned out of doors by her father, and goes to make her own living by teaching at a school.  Here she is particularly befriended by the doctor of the town, who soon finds her cheerful helpfulness invaluable.  Thus it happens that when a suspicious looking wounded character is laid up in another suspicious character’s house, Patty visits every morning to look after him.

Said suspicious character knows a certain something that turns out to be deeply interesting to Patty—namely, he knows of a planned attack on Morton’s life.  For reasons yet to be revealed, “Pinkey” (as the suspicious character is known) does not want Morton killed, but he’s still too weak to warn him himself.  But of course, Patty is more than willing to brave anything for the sake of warning Morton—which she does.  This, as Pinkey later taunts her with, has no doubt earned Morton’s gratitude, and possibly to something more.  But Patty promptly quenches him with the information that Morton is by now engaged to Ann Eliza.  This information shocks Pinkey, who happens to have known Ann Eliza long ago and knows that she’s playing the hypocrite now—a bit of a self-deceived hypocrite, but hypocrite none the less.  He promises to spoil her game.  Not long afterwards, he disappears.

Meanwhile Morton, on a visit home, is surprised to learn that his older brother, long since supposed dead, has returned home.  Lewis Goodwin had been quite the prodigal son, but like the prodigal son, he finds everyone ready to forgive him.  But he’s more than just any prodigal son—in fact, he’s “Pinkey,” highwayman and robber, but also responsible for saving Morton’s life.  And, too, he has fulfilled his promise to Patty—he’s extorted a letter from Ann Eliza—on pain of himself telling Morton all he knows about her unflattering past—and in that letter he forced her to break her engagement.

Of course that quickly wraps up the scene as there’s nothing left but for Morton and Patty to be reunited.  Incidentally I must mention Kike, who has died sometime past, a sacrifice to his heroic endurance of the hard life of a circuit rider.

All things considered, the plot of The Circuit Rider is not a stunning one, but it’s solid, especially with the twist of Pinkey’s identity.  Morton and Patty are both enjoyable if not brilliant characters and despite Kike’s sad death, the story comes to a satisfactory conclusion.

7/10

The Point

Eggleston’s main intention in The Circuit Rider seems to have been to commemorate a calling (for lack of a better word) that he knew well from his own early experience but that had nearly if not quite disappeared by the time he wrote—and is gone almost out of memory by now.  I knew what a circuit rider was before I picked up the book—but I expect I’m the exception.  Eggleston’s treatment is fair and thoughtful; he’s no blind admirer of early Methodism, but he’s sympathetic to the sincerity and heroism of these preachers.  Some of Eggleston’s critiques are particularly insightful—such as, “It seems to have been a favorite delusion of pietism, in all ages, that God could direct an inanimate object, guide a dumb brute, or impress a blind impulse upon the human mind, but could not enlighten or guide the judgment itself.”

Making an understudied corner of history come alive is a worthy goal for any book, and Eggleston does an effective job.

9/10

The Style

Edward Eggleston’s writing style is casual, almost conversational.  It’s agreeable and occasionally humorous, without being especially polished or witty.  On occasions I think it feels a little slow, but it’s not tedious.

7/10

Conclusion

7/10

With a solid plot and a pleasant style, The Circuit Rider makes for an enjoyable read.  Despite being a book about preachers, it’s not preachy—it presents the early Methodist circuit riders from a sympathetic but not partisan point of view.  In doing so, the book brings to life a bygone era of heroic pioneers and settlers.  I doubt The Circuit Rider is anyone’s favorite ever book—but it’s a great read, particularly if you’re interested in American religious history.

Unfortunately no edited ebook version of The Circuit Rider has been prepared, but you can get a digitalized version at: https://archive.org/details/the-circuit-rider  Be warned, there are plenty of errors!

You might also enjoy these other book reviews I’ve written:

Book Review: Cranford (by Elizabeth Gaskell)Book Review: Three Men in a Boat (by Jerome K. Jerome)Book Review: A Little Princess (by Frances Burnett)Book Review: What Katy Did (by Susan Coolidge)Book Review: Lorna Doone (by R. D. Blackmore)