The Deacon of Dobbinsville / A Story Based on Actual Happenings

The narrative is set in a rural parish centered on Mount Olivet church and contrasts outward religious respectability with genuine spiritual conversion. It follows local figures such as the prosperous Deacon Gramps and the charismatic, rough-edged preacher Crookshank while depicting fervent arbor revival meetings where many experience conversion, sanctification, and healing. Scenes portray denominational pride, moral complacency, and habits tolerated by the congregation alongside attacks on nominal faith, culminating in a moral argument for heartfelt holiness, repentance, and a visible separation between true devotion and mere formality.