Let me say, right here and now, that never before nor since, neither do I ever expect to read anything with half the interest as I did this one volume

  Autobiography and reminiscences by John W. Carroll.

Sometime during these years I saw my first book-agent who called at my father's house to spend the night.  After supper he exhibited his books.  Among the number was Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress; after looking through it. I was very anxious to own it: but in this case, as in many others, I did not have the money and father never thought it right to charge a man for lodging and horse feed.  So after breakfast next morning the agent left and with him my hopes of obtaining a new book.  Though after the lapse of several months I found the much coveted volume in the library of a Baptist minister who kindly loaned it to me.  I sped home light of heart and footstep too, and gathered in my brush for a light that night; for remember this was before the time of Lucifer matches, sperm candles, or coal oil, at least in our part of the country.  For light we made tallow candles, when we had the beef tallow, which we could afford to use only on special occasions.  For all ordinary occasions we used a lamp made in the potter's shop, having a bowl that held about a pint into which we put hog's lard or any kind of grease.  Into this we put a strip of cotton cloth called a wick and lighted this wick at one end; thus we had a dim light, but this we could not always afford as was the case in this instance; hence the gathering of the sticks and limbs.  And now for the reading of the much prized book which began immediately, and let me say, right here and now, that never before nor since, neither do I ever expect to read anything with half the interest as I did this one volume; it held me spellbound until late hours at night.  Its stirring scenes passed through my dreams; it riveted my susceptible mind to its passing scenes as with rivets of steel from which I could not and did not want to free my mind, until I had read the last word.  Someone who may read this scrawl, will want to know why of such deep interest in such a work.  Reader, let me tell you—I had never been fifteen miles from home in my life; I had never read fiction; I had never seen a geography; I knew nothing of fiction and every word my father and mother said to me I believed with all my heart; they never deceived me about anything, hence I accepted as a literal fact everything heard or read; I verily believed that there were somewhere in the world just such roads, such country, as therein described, just such personages as Christian, Patience, Charity and others; such mountains with great gulches through which they had to pass; great lions lying beside the wayside looking for prey; and lo, when they approached nearer they found them with chains around their mouths.  Of course I learned later the true intent of the story, but the reader can see the cause of my intense interest in the book.

A fascinating point.  Much like the finches Darwin found in the Galapagos, unafraid of man because they had never encountered men before.  So to with J.W. Carroll - his fascination with a book he read as true because the entirety of his life was lived only in truth.