LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI CAMP-MEETINGS.
By N. W. Allee
The Louisiana camp-meeting was held at Marthaville, in northwestern Louisiana, July 13-22, it being the first camp-meeting held by our people in that part of the field. The attendance of the brethren was all that could be expected reasonably. Although there are not many of our people in that section of the State, yet it was as large a camp-meeting as has been held in the State. It was the first camp-meeting ever attended by quite a proportion of the brethren, as they had accepted the message from the labor of the canvassers. I never before saw so large a per cent of those in attendance at a camp-meeting who had received present truth as the direct result of the canvassing work. I am sure the faithful canvasser will have fruit in the kingdom. This meeting had some encouraging features. There was a large number of children in attendance with their parents; and in all the camp-meetings I have ever attended, I have not seen so good deportment of the children as on the grounds there. Little boys and girls carried their Bibles regularly to the services, and their ringing testimonies in the early morning meetings were inspiring. Prompt attendance at all the services by all in the encampment was also another pleasing feature of the meeting. No meetings were late nor dragging in the beginning, and promptness was observed in closing. The attendance of the citizens of the village was good, and the interest shown in the truths presented was very encouraging. From the first of the meeting, revival work was continued. The meeting was a series of successive victories, and the brethren were much encouraged. All entered heartily into plans for enlarging the work in the State, and a spirit of personal sacrifice was shown in raising a fund for tent and camp-meeting purposes, as well as in the sale of a number of copies of the new book for the educational work. The outlook for the spread of the message is good in Louisiana. The camp-meeting for Mississippi was held at Columbus, a beautiful city in the eastern part of the State, July 24-31. The ground selected was not well adapted for the rainy weather that occurred there, being too low and level. The campers at one time were obliged to divest themselves of shoes and stockings in order to get from the large tent just after a heavy shower. The usual order of exercises was followed here, as in Louisiana, and the results were satisfactory. The preaching and Bible study were close and searching, and the response to the invitations to seek the Lord showed earnestness and willingness to surrender to the work of the Spirit. Here, as in Louisiana, the brethren manifested a willing spirit to contribute of their money to further the work in the State. A fund was provided for tent and camp-meeting purposes, and books were taken for the furtherance of Brother White's work in the State. This meeting was encouraging to the cause in Mississippi. We are glad to see the good results that are following the camp-meeting work in the Southern field. This work is meeting with favor, and is accomplishing much for the cause of God in getting the truth before many, and giving the brethren the opportunity of becoming acquainted with the breadth of the message and its work.