MISSIONARY WORK AT ROCHESTER, INDIANA.
[The following is written by a deaf mute twenty-two years of age, who embraced the truth about nine years ago. From that time to the present she has felt a deep interest in the spread of the message; but being in poor health she was not able to distribute much reading matter outside her family circle. But when the “racks” were introduced she felt very anxious that her friend, Dr. Wm. Hill, should place one of them in each of the two depots in the city, that she might have reading matter in them. She not only keeps racks well filled, but pays for the reading matter from her own purse, sparing for that purpose every dollar she can. By the sign language she bears her testimony in nearly every social meeting she attends, which often affects to tears the entire congregation. Some are rejoicing in the truth through her efforts. May the Lord bless this earnest missionary worker. S. H. L. For the past fifteen months we have had a missionary rack in the Chicago and Atlantic depot, containing a “bird’s-eye view of the great prophecy;” also for the past year we have had one in the Wabash depot, containing the picture, “Christ the way of life,” and a penny in the left hand corner, in which three dollars have been deposited the past year. During the fifteen months there have been placed in the racks 975 periodicals—Signs, Sentinels, Instructor, Good Health—and 23,153 pages of tracts. There were ten copies of the Signs of the Times disposed of every week. The tracts embraced all points of present truth, including health and temperance. Periodicals and tracts were both largely taken and read by the traveling public, and some of the city and country people. Many have had their minds drawn to the great truths of the Bible this time by this means, and some have been interested. One traveler was so interested that he took papers and tracts from the racks and sent them to friends in Canada. One young man, a telegraphic operator, became interested, and improved his spare time in reading through the long hours of the night between telegraphic dispatches and the shrill whistle of the engines. Passing trains would sometimes be from six to ten hours late, on account of snow blockades, which would almost always increase the reading from missionary racks. The depots would fill up with people waiting for the trains, and many would thus embrace the opportunity to read, some taking tracts and papers with them to read on their journey. Sometimes it would be necessary to fill racks two or three times per week, in the cold weather. Other incidents which I have not space to mention might be related. Total expenses up to present time for racks, papers, and tracts, less receipts, $3; with papers and tracts enough on hand to supply the racks for six months to come, including ten copies of the Signs. I think depots can be supplied with tracts and papers about $30 per year, and this will include ten copies of the Signs of the Times to fill the racks weekly. May the Lord bless the seed sown, that it may bring forth some thirty, some sixty, some an hundred fold. OLIVE H. GENT