--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was a preacher, and now I am thirsting…" description: "\"“I was a preacher, and now I am thirsting for vengeance,” answered Christy, his face clouding darkly. “Wait until you learn what frontier life means. Y..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/zane-grey-8315_two-years_i-was-a-preacher-and-now-i-am-thirsting_56523.jpg" --- # I was a preacher, and now I am thirsting for vengeance,”… ![“I was a preacher, and now I am thirsting for vengeance,” answered Christy, his face clouding darkly. “Wait until you learn what frontier life means. You are young here yet; you are flushed with the success of your teaching; you have lived a short time in this quiet village, where, until the last…” quote by Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/zane-grey-8315_two-years_i-was-a-preacher-and-now-i-am-thirsting_56523.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/zane-grey-8315_two-years_i-was-a-preacher-and-now-i-am-thirsting_56523.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/979/zane-grey-8315_two-years_i-was-a-preacher-and-now-i-am-thirsting_56523.jpg) > ““I was a preacher, and now I am thirsting for vengeance,” answered Christy, his face clouding darkly. “Wait until you learn what frontier life means. You are young here yet; you are flushed with the success of your teaching; you have lived a short time in this quiet village, where, until the last few days, all has been serene. You know nothing of the strife, of the necessity of fighting, of the cruelty which makes up this border existence. Only two years have hardened me so that I actually pant for the blood of the renegade who has robbed me. A frontiersman must take his choice of succumbing or cutting his way through flesh and bone. Blood will be spilled; if not yours, then your foe’s. The pioneers run from the plow to the fight; they halt in the cutting of corn to defend themselves, and in winter must battle against cold and hardship, which would be less cruel if there was time in summer to prepare for winter, for the savages leave them hardly an opportunity to plant crops. How many pioneers have given up, and gone back east? Find me any who would not return home to-morrow, if they could. All that brings them out here is the chance for a home, and all that keeps them out here is the poor hope of finally attaining their object. Always there is a possibility of future prosperity. But this generation, if it survives, will never see prosperity and happiness. What does this border life engender in a pioneer who holds his own in it? Of all things, not Christianity. He becomes a fighter, keen as the redskin who steals through the coverts.”” [Zane Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zane-grey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A frontier pioneer, once a preacher, now driven by vengeance, reflects on the harsh, violent reality of border life, where survival demands relentless fighting and sacrifice, leaving little room for spiritual solace. **In simple terms:** Frontier life forces brutal survival over faith. Key Takeaway Violence reshapes identity. Themes survival violence frontier hardship identity transformation religious disillusionment Mood grim determined desolate Type narrative philosophical historical When to use this quote - settling new territories - defending homesteads - enduring harsh winters - facing hostile raids - confronting personal loss Key Concepts frontier existence moral erosion human resilience cultural clash Practical Applications - historical novels - character studies Questions to Reflect On - How does constant conflict affect personal belief systems? - Can prosperity ever emerge from such relentless struggle? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [The lawlessness of frontier life in America has been pictured as a remarkable phenomenon. 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As such, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clinton-heylin/if-the-early-english-and-la-punk-bands-shared-a-common-sound-the-new/) Clinton Heylin > [“She’d passed sentence on God two years ago, and she fed her doubts of Him daily, taking care they didn’t shrivel and die.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-kaufman/she-d-passed-sentence-on-god-two-years-ago-and-she-fed-her-doubts-of/) Karin Kaufman Browse all 2,532 Two years quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I was a preacher, and now I am thirsting for vengeance,” answered Christy, his face clouding darkly. “Wait until you learn what frontier life means. You are young here yet; you are flushed with the success of your teaching; you have lived a short time in this quiet village, where, until the last few days, all has been serene. You know nothing of the strife, of the necessity of fighting, of the cruelty which makes up this border existence. Only two years have hardened me so that I actually pant for the blood of the renegade who has robbed me. A frontiersman must take his choice of succumbing or cutting his way through flesh and bone. Blood will be spilled; if not yours, then your foe’s. The pioneers run from the plow to the fight; they halt in the cutting of corn to defend themselves, and in winter must battle against cold and hardship, which would be less cruel if there was time in summer to prepare for winter, for the savages leave them hardly an opportunity to plant crops. How many pioneers have given up, and gone back east? Find me any who would not return home to-morrow, if they could. All that brings them out here is the chance for a home, and all that keeps them out here is the poor hope of finally attaining their object. Always there is a possibility of future prosperity. But this generation, if it survives, will never see prosperity and happiness. 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