Two well-known singing teachers have recently testified that their girl pupils are ailing most of the time. Lessons are skipped, progress is impeded, voices are injured by such indisposition, life is demoralized generally. One of these teachers said that at least half his pupils were under the doctor’s care all the time.
“And then I am blamed for not developing their voices properly,” he complained. “Sick girls can not learn to sing, even if they could keep up their lessons regularly.”
A young college girl has just brought to New York the news that a large proportion13of her classmates are either in the hospital or their own rooms under the care of physicians. There is no epidemic in the institution. The girls are just “laid up” with that ordinary ailment generally called the grip.
“Of course they are sick,” commented the girl, nonchalantly. “Girls are always sick. They can’t stand the strain of college life like boys. It isn’t to be expected.”
Remarks of that sort are too common. It seems as if a large class of people take it for granted that women are naturally invalids, which sounds almost as if they accused their Maker of having done his work badly.
But we are persuaded better things of humanity. Reverently, we believe that the Creator meant girls and women to be strong, bright, merry, and useful, to possess health and all the glories and blessings which go with it.
In the first place, the singing teachers and the college girl probably took no account of the fact that most of the ailing maidens were wearing lingerie waists, coming down to breakfast in them on cold mornings; sitting in them through drafty lectures, concerts, plays; their bare necks and shoulders showing through the dainty embroideries, and their sleeves short. If our boys had been arrayed so foolishly, they, too, would have had “all kinds of the grip.”
Perhaps boys and girls are equally subjected to the strain of late hours, indigestible food, wet feet, and constant excitement. Quiet evenings at home are rare for either girls or boys over seventeen. Even in our colleges for girls there is a continual succession of class and society and general entertainments, which, coupled with their study, keep the nerves of the student in a steady quiver (a paradox, but true) from one week’s end to another.
The girls, too, have almost or quite as much outdoor exercise as boys do in these days. In fact, the only sanitary condition in which boys have the advantage would seem to be in this matter of clothing. The costume of men is not entirely hygienic; but it is far more comfortable and more conducive to health than that of girls and women.
Thin shoes are responsible for many ailments of girlhood; tight shoes, for many more. A long-continued course of tight shoes is enough to give even a strong person nervous prostration. The heavy hat is another source of ill-health among girls. The craze for becoming “picture hats,” some of them ridiculously large and cruelly heavy, must be modified if girls are to keep well.
Given a generous and healthful diet, plenty of outdoor exercise, nine hours of quiet sleep in each twenty-four, pleasant occupation, and, perhaps most important of all, loose and comfortable clothing, and our girls would be able to bear, without illness, all the noble and pressing duties which a wise Providence has appointed for the modern maiden, in her preparation for the important responsibilities of free and happy American womanhood.—Kate Upson Clark
“Our Own”
If I had known in the morning
How wearily all the day
The words unkind would trouble my mind.
That I said when you went away,
I had been more careful, darling,
Nor given you needless pain;
But we vex our own with look and tone
We may never take back again.
For though in the quiet evening
You may give me the kiss of peace,
Yet it well might be that never for me
The pain of the heart might cease.
How many go forth at morning
Who never come home at night!
And hearts have broken for harsh words spoken,
That sorrow can ne'er set right.
We have careful thought for the stranger,
And smiles for the sometime guest;
But oft for “our own” the bitter tone,
Though we love our own the best.
Ah, lips with the curve impatient,
Ah, brows with the shade of scorn,
'Twere a cruel fate, were the night too late,
To undo the work of the morn!
—Selected.
Are Your Children Drifting?
By John N. Quinn
JOHN N. QUINN
One very important feature of God's message of truth for the last days, is that dealing with the children of believing parents, and is expressed by the prophet as turning “the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers.” Should this work fail, the lamentable consequence will be the visitation of God's curse upon the earth.
Satan's determined purpose is to gain the hearts of the children, turning them away from the truth, and unto the beggarly elements of the world. His methods and instrumentalities are varied, chief among them being the Sunday edition of our leading newspapers. Have you noticed, my brother, how eagerly your children run for the Sunday edition, which you have ordered delivered each week, turning first to the comic section, then to the sporting page, then to the theatrical department, and on through the hotchpotch of social vice and political corruption? You call them together for worship, but how little interest they have in it, and how much behind the times seems the Word of God which you read. Satan smiles, for he notes how rapidly the hearts of the children are being drawn away from the things which the parents profess to love, and how rapidly a love for the world's tinsel and pleasures is being developed in them.
Angels mourn, and many parents to-day are mourning, wondering why their children are lost to the cause of God. I have come to the conclusion, from personal observation, that the Sunday newspapers as a class, although there is here and there an exception, should never enter the homes where the parents desire the children trained for the work and kingdom of God.
God's faithful messenger has spoken very clearly about the character of the literature which should be placed within the reach of our children, and to accept her instruction is to discard the Sunday newspaper, as at present conducted. Even men in the world, with no conception of the truth as revealed in this message, are convinced of the detriment to mind and morals caused by the Sunday paper, as witnesses the following extract from an article entitled “An Analysis of Modern Printing,” by Henry Turner Bailey, in The Printing Art, for May, 1907:—
“The Sunday edition presents one of the most serious problems of our time. It is not my purpose to discuss it here; but in passing, let me say that all we can do in the public schools to develop in children a love of truth, a respect for the aged and for law, a belief in virtue and honor, reverence for womanhood and for the great spiritual realities, an enjoyment of beauty, and a refined taste for literature and art, is opposed, vitiated, and sometimes, I am almost ready to say, nullified, by the Sunday papers. In the Sunday papers impudence is praised, the bad boy is fortunate, the police are outwitted, the foreigner, the old, the law-abiding, the virtuous, are held up to ridicule. The things we revere are made the butt of every coarse joke. The drawings are usually the grossest caricatures, and the colors are brutally crude. The incidents recorded are said to be ‘comic,’ ‘amusing,’ ‘funny.’ They are not; they rather tend to destroy the power to appreciate genuine wit and humor.”
“I lament chiefly the wretched stuff these papers provide for our children. It is simply vile. With all the wealth of modern literature; with the modern facilities for reproducing effectively views from nature, pictures of merit, charming sketches drawn by skilful artists; with all this to draw from on the one hand, and, on the other, with all the increasingly efficient graduates of our art schools, anxious for remunerative work, all, all at the disposal of newspaper syndicates, there seems to be absolutely no excuse for the stream of sewage in the Sunday papers.
“As the principal of one of our largest industrial art schools in the country recently said in my hearing, ‘The Sunday edition wastes enough good wood pulp to supply paper for a reasonable daily a whole week. Sunday editions are denuding our hillsides and endangering our water-supply, while they pour a perpetual flood of poison into the minds of the boys and girls of the country.’”
Literature which is “wretched stuff,” “simply vile,” “a stream of sewage,” and which pours “a perpetual flood of poison into the minds of the boys and girls of the country,” certainly has no claim upon those who desire their children to grow up into the matchless purity of our Lord and Master.
The influence of the public school upon our children is not healthful, nor calculated to inspire them with loyalty to our message. This came to me very forcibly recently by a conversation with a brother whose boys are in attendance at the public school. The father in teaching a recent Sabbath-school lesson, dwelt upon the fact that our government would one day persecute those who were faithful to the law of God. The boy questioned this very much; and why?—because in his school life he had been taught that this government was such an ideal one that persecution was an impossibility. The church-school is the place for our children, and when conducted by God-fearing teachers, will exert a mighty influence to lead the hearts of our children into the love of present truth. This I know from personal experience, having noted the effect upon my children of faithful work done by the teachers of the Battle Creek church-school. “Our children should be removed from the evil influences of the public schools, and placed where thoroughly converted teachers may educate them in the Holy Scriptures. The students in our schools should take the Word of God as the grand rule of their lives.”
It means to many financial sacrifice to give our children a Christian education, but what are dollars and cents in comparison to a soul saved in the kingdom of God? Let us bring our children in close touch with every means of grace, excluding everything detrimental. Then we can consistently invite the Holy Spirit to brood over their lives, and he will do so, transforming them in his own way and in his own time into the image of the divine.
China’s Call for Workers
By J. N. Anderson
J. N. ANDERSON
The readers of the Review have seen by the report of the general meeting that a call was made for ten new workers to take up work in this field. The coming of these new recruits will swell our force to twenty-five (excluding wives of missionaries) in a field whose inhabitants count fully one fourth of the entire planet. This call is so modest and so reasonable that it is sure to meet a most hearty and prompt response by all our people in the home land, who truly love this message, and have so faithfully borne the burdens of this work by their prayers and means. We have thus far made but a mere beginning, and the Lord calls on us to arise and carry it forward without delay. Already we have waited too long in laying hold of this work; and now that we are so belated, it becomes us to set about in a serious and earnest way to do what should have been done years ago. All things are ready; only God’s people wait.
These calls for new workers represent so many openings; they are emphatically emphasized by wide-open doors that urge us to enter at once. Viewed in a general way, this great field calls for scores, and even hundreds, of devoted workers, but our plan thus far has been to advance only as far and as fast as the manifest leadings of God indicated the way. This is the day of the Lord’s mighty preparation, and no one who seriously studies the missionary problems of the present day can fail to see that these great Oriental fields demand of the church of the living God the fullest consecration. Here are the unnumbered masses stalking in heathen ignorance and superstition, hopelessly fettered by a system of withering idolatry.
Our first call is for a man and his wife to connect with the work at Changsha, where Brother and Sister Laird are now opening up a new work. This is in the very heart of the province of Hunan, and thus it is a new field to us as a people. It was the last of the eighteen provinces to be opened up to missionary work about ten years ago. Changsha is the provincial capital and one of the great literary centers of the empire. Several missionary societies have entered this city and made it their headquarters, with mission stations in different parts of the province. Just now a college of Western learning is being founded at Changsha by Yale University. This is a strategic point, and we have great reason to be thankful that the message has gained a foothold there. But it is neither wise nor is it necessary to locate a worker in a center of such magnitude and leave him without support for any length of time. In a field like China the conditions are such that both the counsel and the strength of two workers are fully required. Changsha needs a second family to enter in at once, and so aid in building up the work that it can successfully radiate to other parts of that populous province. Where is the man, and who will help send and support him in this new work?
Our next call is for two men to enter the province of Fukien, and connect with the work so promisingly opened up at Amoy and adjoining sections. This field represents millions, a large number of whom are scattered in the island of Formosa and the Straits Settlements. We now have two men and their wives in this field, and a very hopeful and substantial beginning has been made in this province. A church has been organized at Amoy, and work is being carried on at three other stations, by native helpers under the direction of foreign workers. Let us arise and in the strength of the Lord reinforce this good work until the sound of the advent truth shall be heard in all that province.
Another man is called for to come to Canton and take up educational work. This city is a great commercial and intellectual center, and all our work in these parts is sure to look to this place as the natural center and head. Here the children of our converts must be educated and trained to become workers, and the time is already at hand for us to set ourselves to this task. Brother Wilbur and wife are preparing to move to Kong Mun, a city of some seventy-five thousand, distant about fifty miles; and with the writer largely occupied with the field in general, the coming of an additional man is a plain necessity. A native church has been organized in Canton, and the influence of the truth is steadily widening. This year we have two girls’ schools with an attendance of about sixty-five, and two boys’ schools with a membership of some twenty-five. Our Bible class (Hakka) has seven, and our Sabbath-school and Sabbath meetings are attended by eighty to one hundred. A good work is also being opened up in Fat Shan, ten miles away. The situation calls for a strong, well-trained young man. He should be an educational man. Here is an opening for our colleges to enter.
In company with Elders Prescott and Pilquist, it was my privilege to ride over a considerable portion of the vast plains of North China. Our route lay through the very heart of the metropolitan province of Pechili, and in the course of our trip we visited the two important cities, Tientsin and Peking, besides passing through several large prefectural cities inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people. Thus we passed over great stretches of Chinese territory, and yet14it was but a comparatively small part of North China. It was much like traveling over the western plains of America, and during this journey we were not oblivious of the melancholy fact that in all those parts there was not one representative of the last message. Is it to be wondered that we called for recruits to carry the standard to those unentered parts? Why indeed should we wait? Is not this the opportune time to march northward?
As our general meeting was held in the city of Shanghai, it afforded us a good opportunity of studying the situation in that great commercial center, which, on account of its importance and location, must have a depository that can serve the entire field, and as soon as our plans can be perfected, a central publishing plant will be located here. It is the natural center for such an interest. It goes without saying that workers must be sent to enter this, the first city of all China. And in this case too, we shall gain nothing by waiting; delay can mean only more difficulties and the retarding of the message.
Still another call is made for a man and his wife to connect with the work at Shang Tsai, Honan. This call is made to strengthen the work there, and later to push out to other surrounding cities in that section. A family is already contemplating coming out to locate here at their own charges, and in this way it is hoped this opening may be well filled.
A promising beginning has been made among the Hakkas, a class of Chinese scattered in this and adjoining provinces. A young man from Union College has entered upon this work, but here again a second man is needed. Five young men have already been baptized from this class of Chinese, and a good interest continues, so that this year we have a Bible class of seven, all of whom have had some previous religious instruction. Altogether, these Hakkas number about ten millions, scattered throughout various provinces. They are indeed Chinese, though looked upon as in a large measure alien, as the name Hakka (strange) implies. They speak a dialect that assimilates to the Mandarin, yet is so far removed as to be but little understood. We are persuaded that the Lord of the harvest has in readiness the right young man for this place.
Lastly we ask for a man of large experience and ability to enter China and assume the superintendency of this entire field. The work needs such a man greatly, and for the present the situation is such that he should spend practically all his time in visiting, and this in itself would make it quite impossible for him to acquire the language. On the other hand, the man who could properly lay hold of the work in this field, organizing and unifying it, would necessarily be advanced beyond that age when such a task as learning the Chinese language can successfully be undertaken. This field presents many difficulties and problems which are peculiar to this land, and in these days of beginnings it is very important that a strong foundation be laid on which to build. The work which is gradually ramifying into all the different provinces must be wisely built into one harmonious movement that shall quickly and successfully carry the truth of the soon-coming Saviour to this entire race. The situation calls for, and is justly entitled to, one of our strongest and most devoted men.
Hayti as a Mission Field
By W. Jay Tanner
W. JAY TANNER
A "BOCOR," OR VANDOUX PRIEST
Supposed to have power to work miracles
In the troubles that arose between France and the ex-slaves of Hayti in the closing days of the eighteenth century, it was not the intention of the latter to separate from French rule, and set up an independent government. Even the ambition of Toussaint Louverture does not seem to have included this idea; for he promptly rejected an offer from England to sustain him at sea, if he would break with France, and establish himself as king of St. Domingo.
Freedom from slavery, and a reasonable recognition of their civil rights, were all that was demanded by these sons of the soil. And had France been willing to grant these reasonable terms, without doubt the colony would have remained under her rule to the present day. But Providence thrust upon these ex-slaves more than they had asked for, and, perhaps, more than they were prepared for.
It is not surprising, under such circumstances, that Hayti has made failures; rather, it must be acknowledged that injustice has been done her by unkind criticisms, especially when the great and extraordinary difficulties of her career are fairly considered—difficulties that must have rendered independence for more than a century impossible, had there not been real stamina somewhere. And it must be remembered that not only was the responsibility of self-government thrust upon this people so recently emerged from the ignorance of slavery, but that the wheels of the chariot of state that they were compelled to construct were further hampered and clogged by the non-progressive influence of Roman Catholicism.
The shame of Roman Catholicism in Hayti is Vandouism, a superstition which was imported with slavery from Africa. “The disciples of this cult are generally found in organized and united societies which are bound by a solemn oath to secrecy. Vandoux, the presiding god, is represented by a snake, which the devotees worship in secret.” The immortality of the soul and the power of the bocors (priests of the cult) to work miracles are also important tenets of this creed. “The dance connected with this system is exceedingly weird and serpentine, and usually terminates in the greatest obscenities.”
It is impossible for a people to progress where such superstitions are practised. Rome professes to have the only remedy that can cure such ills of humanity. She has here been face to face with this degenerating African superstition for three centuries, and has been afforded every opportunity to demonstrate the efficacy of her claims. Yet to-day Vandouism continues to raise its vile head in all parts of the republic, swaying a remarkable and inexplicable influence over the minds of a large portion of the population; while in other countries where it was also carried with slavery, and where it came under the purer teachings and influences of Protestantism, it has almost, if not entirely, disappeared.
It is true that the government and the better classes have a laudable desire to exterminate Vandouism. But with the Catholic priests everywhere teaching the people doctrines which are the very foundation-stones of paganism, how can any progress be realized? Indeed, it often happens that the very ones who are most anxious to see this evil removed are themselves handicapped by false ideas that they have imbibed from Rome.
To enter into all the evils resulting from Catholicism in Hayti would be to repeat what is well known about the same things in other Catholic countries; and it would be also to record the fact that a reaction seems to be setting in, and that there is reasonable prospect that at a convenient date Hayti will refuse to renew her present concordat with the papacy.
Protestantism
Protestantism first made its appearance in Hayti in 1816, when two Wesleyan missionaries established a mission at Port au Prince. They were soon followed by the Baptists, and later, by a mission of the American Episcopal Church. These early missionaries experienced the usual troubles of those who would unfurl the banner of free salvation in a Catholic country. The senseless and enraged populace on one occasion wheeled stones by the barrow-load to convenient places, and then hurled them against the Wesleyan missions, thereby doing more or less damage to the buildings and worshipers. In the name of the law, many of the converts were imprisoned, and the government asked the missionaries15to leave, which they did.
The converts, who were thus bereft of their pastors, endured the persecution remarkably well, remaining loyal to their convictions, and continuing, in an unobtrusive manner, to hold their meetings in private residences. However, after several years, the missionaries were gradually allowed to return and resume their work, and in 1843 religious liberty was granted to Protestants.
At the present time the work of Protestant missions in the republic is not, generally speaking, in a very flourishing condition. For various reasons, the different home societies have withdrawn a large share of their support from the field, and as a result there are but six foreign missionaries in the French part of the island, two of whom are Seventh-day Adventists. There are about twice as many native missionaries, but only a portion of them have any regular salary. Some of these support themselves by teaching, the government giving them a small subvention; and at least one who has been a “self-supporting missionary for over thirty years” supports himself, in part, by the manufacture of rum. But then this latter fact does not seem to excite any astonishment here; for, generally speaking, it is to be feared that the cause of temperance has very few advocates among the Protestants of Hayti.
THE MARKET, PORT AU PRINCE, HAYTI
As to the numerical strength of Protestantism, it is doubtful if two thousand communicants could be found in the republic, and a large portion of these are British subjects from other West Indian islands. The spiritual life among these believers is practically dead. Undoubtedly there are some honest and conscientious pastors and members among the various missions; but it must be confessed that it is disappointing to the sincere newcomer to learn that professed Christians of the evangelical faiths sometimes employ sorcery and charms for the purpose of healing the sick, or that they should so mix the sacred and profane as to use a lottery ticket as a temporary Bible-mark. But the worst feature is that these and other evils do not seem to excite any criticism or surprise. That a Protestant predicateur (preacher) should buy a lottery ticket, seems to excite no comment whatever.
One of the first difficulties that the missionary to a strange land has to encounter and overcome is that of language. Nominally speaking, the language of Hayti is French, which at the best is usually difficult enough for an American to master on the points of accent and fluency. But what makes this work more than usually hard in Hayti is the prevalence of the patois or, as it is called here, the creole, which in reality is the dialect of not only the lower classes, but also of the upper classes and of business affairs; the pure French being reserved for society, legislative assemblies, and the church. And it must not be supposed that the creole is so very similar to the French. Some seem to have the idea that the difference is somewhat similar to that of the dialect of the negroes of the Southern States and the English. But this is a mistake; for the dialect of our Southern negroes is usually the result of bad pronunciation and bad grammar.
The French creole, on the other hand, has only a few words that are French, a few that are evidently corrupted French, and many that are totally different from the French, these latter being, it is said, a mixture of Spanish, English, and African.
In view of these facts, the missionary must, first of all, strive to be a master of the French; for in this language all his public work must be performed, in order to get the respect of the better classes. And he must, also, become familiar with the creole; for there are many who can be reached only by this means, they being unable to understand the French.
In conclusion, let it be impressed on the mind of the reader that now is the opportune time to give our message to Hayti. Never was a Catholic field in better condition to receive the truths of the gospel. The parable of the good Samaritan, which we have been told illustrates the work that needs to be done for our colored people of the South, also illustrates the case and needs of Hayti. This little republic has truly fallen among thieves, and has been stripped and left for dead. The other denominations nations have missed their day of opportunity, practically passing by “on the other side.”
It behooves those who know God’s will to act the generous part of the good Samaritan, and, by their prayers and means, help these poor people where they are.
Cape Haytien.
Efforts After the Earthquake
By J. A. Strickland
J. A. STRICKLAND
Six months have passed since the great earthquake disaster at Kingston, Jamaica. The city still presents a sad scene of destruction, although much has been done toward restoration. The business men of the community have been sorely hindered in their endeavors to resuscitate trade and commerce, because a majority of the insurance companies refuse to pay claims.
Two refuge camps are still maintained, but the number of campers has been reduced by several thousand who have repaired and entered homes. The British government has given Jamaica £150,000, in addition to a loan of £800,000.
The people generally are courageous, and full of hope for the future. A bigger, better, and more beautiful Kingston is the dream and determination of the citizens. Our own people are also seeking to regain their foothold. Every individual is doing his best in the work of rebuilding a church edifice, and earnestly and consistently proclaiming the last message of truth.
Since I penned the preceding sentence, a little eleven-year-old colored girl entered my study, and handed me an envelope containing a pair of silver bracelets, and said: “Elder, I haven’t any more money to give, but I’ve brought you these bangles. I used to wear them before mother and I began to keep the Sabbath. Won’t you take them, and sell them, and use the money for the new church building?” “God bless you, my child. You have done well. Your gift will be a real help in our work,” I said. This is but one of many instances that might be mentioned to show the spirit and fidelity of our people here.
We laid the corner-stone of the new edifice May 24. It was a never-to-be-forgotten, glorious day. The contribution on the occasion amounted to about two hundred dollars. We have the foundation finished, and have planned to complete the building and have the dedication January 14 of next year, which will be the anniversary of the awful disaster.
It may be well to add here a line or two of information concerning the growth and extent of our work in Kingston. The message was first proclaimed in this city about fifteen years ago. Since then we have grown from one lone Sabbath-keeper to a church of over four hundred members. Quite a number of our native young men have developed into successful workers. Some are now laboring in the States, one is in the Canal Zone, one in Costa Rica, one in Porto Rico, one in South America, and one on the little island of Grand Cayman.16Numbers of our young men and women have gone to our institutions in America, to be trained for doctors, and for business.
The Kingston church conducts a day-school, with over one hundred and sixty pupils enrolled. We have a Young People’s Society, with a membership of one hundred and eighty-seven. But our brethren in the home land must not think that because of our numbers, we are well off financially. Conditions in the tropics are entirely different from what they are in more northern climes. And now especially since the destruction of last January, we are having a hard struggle. Brethren, help us with our work of reconstruction. Work on our buildings will soon come to a standstill unless we receive some assistance from abroad. Shall we let the growing work here receive a setback? Send all donations to the Mission Board, Takoma Park, Washington, D. C., or to the treasurer of the Jamaica Conference, H. H. Cobban, Linstead, Jamaica, W. I.
Greater New York and New Jersey Camp-Meeting
By E. W. Farnsworth
The union camp-meeting held by the Greater New York and New Jersey Conferences at Elizabeth, N. J., will be long remembered by those who attended it as a season of great refreshing from the presence of the Lord. The meeting was a glorious success. From the first, the Holy Spirit was present in a marked manner. There was complete harmony of action between the brethren and sisters of the two conferences, and the testimony frequently heard was, “It is good to be here.” Many expressed the wish that the meeting might continue, and regretted that the time had come when they must leave the ground where they had received such great blessings.
The attendance was much larger than those having the meeting in charge had dared to hope, for the time from the circulation of the appointment until the meeting began was very brief. Ninety-two tents were pitched, and on Sabbath and Sundays there were about five hundred of our people on the ground. The number of campers who were present during the entire meeting was very encouraging. The weather was beautiful during the entire time.
Elder A. G. Daniells was present the first part of the meeting, and labored earnestly for the people. Elder G. B. Thompson was with us the last Sabbath and Sunday, and his help was greatly appreciated. Elder C. H. Edwards labored untiringly in preparing the ground for the meeting, and in behalf of its interests during the entire time. Profs. B. G. Wilkinson, R. F. Cottrell, and B. F. Machlan were present, and worked especially for the youth. The meetings held for them were very helpful and interesting. The young people were greatly blessed and benefited. Many gave their hearts to the Lord, and will prepare themselves for service in his cause.
It is seldom our privilege to see such careful attention given to the children as at this meeting. The services held for them twice each day were conducted by those who loved their work and felt their responsibility. The quiet, orderly behavior of the children all through the meeting was a source of pleasure to all encamped on the ground.
There being no business meetings, the entire time was devoted to instruction and Bible study. The Lord blessed his servants and his people as they sought him together. Many gained a new experience, some who had become discouraged renewed their consecration, and all were revived and encouraged. The Lord blessed the proclamation of his truth, and his servants gave the trumpet a certain sound. About thirty requested baptism, but as there was no convenient place for administering it, they were advised to wait till they returned home.
Workers’ meetings were held each day, and at one of these reports were given representing sixteen nationalities. The brethren who labor in the great centers of population in these two conferences must have special help to enable them to finish their work. They are toiling courageously, and they will surely succeed.
The expense of this meeting was quite heavy, but it was partly met by the collections, which amounted to one hundred and seventy-five dollars. Fifty dollars was taken as an offering to missions the first Sabbath of the meeting. One meeting was devoted to the $150,000 fund. At this time New Jersey raised the remainder of her quota, and the brethren in that conference are rejoicing in a finished work. We feel sure that the Greater New York brethren will soon have their share in hand.
There was a fair attendance of people from the city, and quite a number became interested in the truth, and prejudice was removed. Brethren Bell, Carroll, and Haynes, with several others, remained to develop the interest. We hope a number may be added to the little company at Elizabeth as a result of their labors.
As we review this meeting now past, we thank God for victories gained, and for the hope and courage renewed in many hearts. We expect to see prosperity attend both these conferences, and that there will be a large ingathering of souls before the next camp-meeting.
