Elijah Pierson, Parts 5 through 7 Summary and Analysis

Part 5: Elijah's power continued to grow. The Retrenchment Society built a school for poor children, and organized a mission to the Jews. A sister church was formed, the First Free Presbyterian of New York, and Elijah and Sarah started a mission to help prostitutes from the notorious slum neighborhood the Five Points. The couple soon after formed the Female Asylum Society to take younger prostitutes off the streets. They appointed a reformed prostitute named Mrs. Bolton to be matron of the society. Another woman joined the fold, Isabella Van Wagenen, a black servant who claimed to have spoken with God since childhood.

Part 6: By the middle of June 1830, Sarah was gravely ill. The diagnosis was consumption: she had literally worked and fasted herself near to death. Around this time, Elijah heard the voice of God...