In  early  manhood  he  publicly  acknowledged  the
Saviour,  and  united  with  the -First  Presbyterian
( 'hurch  of  St.  Louis,  of  which  Dr.  W.  S.  Potts  was
the  n  ]iastor.  He  and  his  wife  were  among  the  origi-
nal nu-mbeis  of  the  Second  Church,  formed  under  the
pastorate  of  Dr.  Potts.  He  was  resident  within  the
bounds  of  these  churches  for  about  fourteen  years.
He  afterwards  removed  to  New  Madrid,  where  he
spent  most  of  his  remaining  life.
/  Mr.  Fontaine  valued  opportunities  for  doing  good
as  few  men  value  them,  and  with  ceaseless  ardor  did
he  follow  the  injunction,  "  AV-hatsoever  thy  hand
tindeth  to  do,  do  it  with  thy  might."  To  him  was
due  the  organizatiort  of  the  first  Sabbath  School  in
New  JIadrid,  and  tlie  establishment   of  th(^  Presby-


terian Church  there.  During  a  short  residence  in
Batesville,  Arkan.sas,  he  secured  the  organization  of  a
Presbyterian  Chvirch  in  that  place,  and  the  erection
of  a  hou.se  of  worship,,  in  which  he  was  a  ruling  elder.
New  Madrid  was  the  ])rincipal  scene  of  his  labors.
A\nien  the  church  was  organized  there,  in  ]8.">(),  he
was  made  an  elder  in  it,  and  he  was  for  a  number  of
years  its  only  ruling  elder.  There,  surrounded  by
the  artfulness  and  corruption  of  Romanism  and  the
vices  of  a  mammon-serving  world,  his  consecration  to
the  service  of  Christ  marked  him  as  a  peculiar  man.
He  was  by  nothing  daunted.  He  yearned  for  souls,
with  what  seemed  an  irresistible  pa.ssion,  hoping  and
believing  to  the  end.
