In connection with our camp-meetings in past years, God’s servants have improved many precious opportunities for instructing our people in practical methods of presenting the saving truths of the third angel’s message to their friends and acquaintances. Many have been taught how to labor as self-supporting missionaries in their home communities. Many have returned home from these annual gatherings, to labor with greater zeal and intelligence than hitherto.
It would be pleasing to God if far more of this practical instruction were given the church-members who attend our camp-meetings, than has usually been given in years past. Our general workers and our brethren and sisters in every conference should remember that one of the objects of our annual gatherings is that all may gain a knowledge of practical methods of personal missionary work. This phase of our camp-meetings is outlined in “Testimonies for the Church,” Volume VI, as follows:—
“God has committed to our hands a most sacred work, and we need to meet together to receive instruction, that we may be fitted to perform this work. We need to understand what part we shall individually be called upon to act in building up the cause of God in the earth, in vindicating God’s holy law, and in lifting up the Saviour as ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ John 1:29. We need to meet together and receive the divine touch to help us understand our work in the home. Parents need to understand how they may send forth from the sanctuary of the home their sons and daughters so trained and educated that they will be fitted to shine as lights in the world. We need to understand in regard to the division of labor, and how each part of the work is to be carried forward. Each one should understand the part he is to act, that there may be harmony of plan and of labor in the combined work of all.”— Pages 32, 33.
“Properly conducted, the camp-meeting is a school where pastors, elders, and deacons can learn to do more perfect work for the Master. It should be a school where the members of the church, old and young, are given opportunity to learn the way of the Lord more perfectly, a place where believers can receive an education that will help them to help others. . . .
“The best help that ministers can give the members of our churches is not sermonizing, but planning work for them. Give each one something to do for others. Help all to see that as receivers of the grace of Christ they are under obligation to work for him. And let all be taught how to work. Especially should those who are newly come to the faith be educated to become laborers together with God. If set to work, the despondent will soon forget their despondency; the weak will become strong, the ignorant intelligent, and all will be prepared to present the truth as it is in Jesus. They will find an unfailing helper in him who has promised to save all that come unto him.”— Pages 49, 50.
In some of our conferences, the leaders have hesitated to introduce these practical methods of instruction. Some are naturally inclined to sermonize rather than to teach. But on such occasions as our annual camp-meetings, we must never lose sight of the opportunities afforded for teaching the believers how to do practical missionary work in the place where they may live. In many instances it would be well to set apart certain men to carry the burden of different lines of educational work at these meetings. Let some help the people to learn how to give Bible readings and to conduct cottage meetings. Let others bear the burden of teaching the people how to practise the principles of health and temperance, and how to give treatments to the sick. Still others may labor in the interests of our periodical and book work. And let chosen workers take a special interest in teaching many how to handle “Christ’s Object Lessons” and “Ministry of Healing.”
Many have never learned how to sell the books dedicated to the advancement of our institutional work. But such should not excuse themselves. They should study diligently how they may do their part faithfully in connection with the circulation of these precious books. Our schools and sanitariums must be conducted on a high plane of efficiency, and a solemn responsibility rests upon us all to help place these institutions on vantage-ground by giving the relief books a wide circulation. God will be glorified by every one who takes an active interest in the work of placing these books in the hands of the multitudes who are in need of the saving truths of the gospel.
The opportunity we have of doing good by striving to carry out the Lord’s plan for the relief of our schools and sanitariums, has been presented to me over and over again in connection with the Southern California Conference. The conditions there are unusually favorable for a long-continued effort to push the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons” and “Ministry of Healing.” Our brethren and sisters in Southern California should never weary of this plan for raising money to meet the debts that have accumulated. The students of the Fernando School, and the nurses of the three sanitariums that have been established, can ill afford to lose the precious experiences in missionary work that come to those who handle the relief books. And the conference can ill afford to lose the results, spiritual as well as financial, that would accompany a continued effort of this sort.
But years have passed, and students who should have been gaining rich experiences in actual missionary work, have not been encouraged to launch out heartily in the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons.” Church-members in many places have daily met with strangers,—tourists, men and women of means and influence,—and yet such opportunities as these for circulating “Christ’s Object Lessons” and “Ministry of Healing” have been allowed to pass by unimproved. Many honest-hearted persons who could have been reached by diligent, wholehearted effort, have not been given the light of the third angel’s message. And all the while, money that was needed to found new institutions and to support laborers in mission fields, has been gathered for the benefit of one of our schools.
Had the Lord’s plan been followed, his name would have been glorified, and many spiritual victories would have been won. Those having means would have been more able and willing to come up to the help of the Lord when he was leading out in an extraordinary manner in the establishment of strong medical missionary centers in the vicinity of great thoroughfares of travel. Students would have received a training that would have greatly increased their efficiency as practical missionaries at home and abroad. Churches would have been revived with spiritual blessings. Many would have been won to the truth, and these would have brought into the cause their influence and their means.
In such places as Southern California, where thousands of tourists, many of them in search of health and strength, are constantly coming and going, special and continuous efforts should be put forth to scatter the bright rays of light and truth. The books, “Ministry of Healing” and “Christ’s Object Lessons,” are peculiarly adapted for use in tourist centers, and everything possible should be done to place copies of these8works in the hands of those who have leisure and inclination to read. Especially do those who are seeking for restoration of health, need the book, “Ministry of Healing.” Every favorable opportunity for reaching this class is to be improved.
My heart has rejoiced as I have learned of a revival of the relief work in Southern California during the past few months. At Loma Linda some of the nurses have been given a special training for the work of selling “Ministry of Healing;” and as they have visited homes in the neighboring cities and villages, the blessing of heaven has rested richly upon them, and favorable impressions have been made in behalf of our people and their work.
At the Fernando School, the teachers have recently led out in reviving an interest in the sale of “Christ’s Object Lessons.” Bands of students, after prayerful study of the book, have visited Los Angeles in company with their teachers, and have gained a sound, solid experience which they prize above silver and gold. This kind of work is, in fact, one of the means God has ordained for giving our youth a missionary training; and those who neglect to improve such opportunities lose out of their lives a chapter of experience of the highest value. By entering heartily into this work, students can learn how to approach with tact and discretion men and women in all walks of life, how to deal with them courteously, and how to lead them to give favorable consideration to the truths contained in the books that are sold.
Our greatest burden should be, not the raising of money, but the salvation of souls; and to this end we should do all in our power to teach students how to lead souls to a knowledge of the third angel’s message. When we are successful in the work of soul saving, those who are added to the faith will, in turn, use their ability in giving the truth to others. When we labor diligently for the salvation of our fellow men, God will prosper our every effort.
To the presidents of conferences, and to others in positions of leading responsibility, I would say: Let us do all in our power to impress upon the teachers connected with our educational institutions the great value of the blessings in store for those who seek diligently to make the best possible use of the gift, “Christ’s Object Lessons.” Let us encourage the teachers to unite with many of their students in a prayerful study of this book, preparatory to going out with them into active field work. Let us help the educators to understand their responsibility in this matter. Let us do all we can to revive the “Christ’s Object Lessons” work, and to inaugurate plans for an active campaign with “Ministry of Healing.”
As teachers and students engage heartily in this line of work, they will gain an experience that will fit them to do valuable service in connection with our camp-meetings. Through the instruction that they can give to the believers in attendance, and through the sale of many books in the places where such meetings are held, those who have been in the school will be able to do their part in reaching the multitudes who need to be given the third angel’s message. Let teachers and students nobly bear their share of the burden of showing our own people how to communicate the message to their friends and neighbors.
When we follow plans of the Lord’s devising, we are ‘laborers together with God.’ Whatever our position,—whether presidents of conferences, ministers, teachers, students, or lay-members,—we are held accountable by the Lord for making the most of our opportunities to enlighten those in need of present truth. And one of the principal agencies he has ordained for our use is the printed page. In our schools and sanitariums, in our home churches, and particularly in our annual camp-meetings, we must learn to make a wise use of this precious agency. With patient diligence, chosen workers must instruct our people how to approach unbelievers in a kindly, winning way, and how to place in their hands literature in which the truth for this time is presented with clearness and power.
My brethren and sisters, let us not become weary in well-doing. During his earthly ministry, Christ traveled on foot from place to place. Wearied, as he ofttimes was, his human nature taxed to the uttermost, yet he was ever ready to heal all who came unto him, and to teach them the way of life eternal. Though often physically exhausted, he left not his work. There was a world to be saved. He made every sacrifice possible, in order that light and truth might shine forth.
The Lord God of Israel desires us to link up in holy union with himself, and exercise the living faith that works by love and purifies the soul. He desires that we shall be a working corps of laborers endowed with adaptability for his service; and to such he promises power to win a glorious victory for him.
Idle in the Market-Place
By E. A. Sutherland
E. A. SUTHERLAND
“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” These were Christ’s words only a short time before his departure from the earth. Every kindred and every nation must hear the news of salvation through Christ, that it may be either a witness against them or a means of grace to them.
By whom is the gospel to be carried to the world? The record given in Matthew quotes Christ as saying, “Go ye.” If, then, we are to go, what manner of men ought we to be? Paul, writing to Timothy, when he was answering the call as a missionary, said he must be a soldier,—not a pleasure-lover, not a seeker after an easy life,—but a soldier, trained to hard service and able to endure.
Christ described by a parable the attitude of many who were called to take up this soldier life. He says they all began to make excuse. One had land that demanded attention, another had bought oxen and had to work them. A third claimed that his wife hindered him from getting into the work. All were willing to do a little if they could do it in their own way, but none wanted to give the whole-hearted service demanded of a soldier.
Now the Christians who make these excuses are said by Christ to be standing idle in the market-place. Why do they remain idle? Is there a padlock on the gate? or is the way guarded by some fierce dog, so they can not get into the field?—No, these people who are standing idle are simply waiting for some organization to set them to work, and to assure them support. We have reached the eleventh hour in this message, and yet great crowds throng the market-place, simply standing idle, waiting to be told what to do.
Why does not the man with the yoke of oxen hitch those oxen to an empty wagon, and help with the fruit of the vineyard? Why should not the man who has land turn it over to the Lord’s work, and make it a means of supporting some form of mission work, such as a school or a family of Bible workers? And the man whose wife objects to his leaving home to go into the work should make his home the center of a work, and his wife his helper in some form of gospel teaching.
There are some living on the earth to-day who are going to catch the spirit of reform, and the question of salary will not exert any great influence over them. they will realize that God is calling them to work, and when he calls, he will support.
There have been men and women of this stamp in the past. Such were the Moravian missionaries; such also were the early workers in the hard places in the South; and such were the pioneers to the Indians. Here and there such workers are to be found to-day. Miss Berry and her associates, Professor Ritchie and his co-laborers, and others who are working for Highland boys and girls, belong to this class, as do hundreds of others who might be mentioned by name. It is time to swell the list of salary-independent missionaries with hundreds and thousands of Seventh-day Adventists.
The school at Madison, Tenn., has been established to train men and women to bear responsibility. The spirit of prophecy says: “In the work being done at the training-school for home and foreign missionary teachers in Madison, Tenn., and in the small schools established by the teachers who have gone forth from Madison, we have an illustration of one way in which the message should be carried in many, many places.”
The school is a training station for9youth. Every Christian needs an experience in leading souls to Christ. You can not hire some one to eat your food for you. Neither can you maintain spiritual strength while hiring some one to do your soul-saving work. Men who go through to the end will be called men of wonder. Now is the time to enlist as soldiers.
We have been told through the spirit of prophecy that the South is now the most sorely in need of help. It has been long neglected. There is room here for hundreds, and here, too, is an excellent training field for work in foreign countries.
Madison, Tenn.
The Book of Daniel
By Editor
Nebuchadnezzar’s Acknowledgment of God
THE EDITOR
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and have yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; because there is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon. Dan. 3:28-30.
With most telling effect had the three Hebrew captives proclaimed in Babylon the gospel of salvation through faith in the power of God to deliver. Not in a mere form of words, as expounding texts from a book, with suitable introduction, logical divisions, and an appropriate appeal to the emotions, did they present their subject. A representative audience had gathered in obedience to the royal command, and these believers in the true God were summoned with the others to take part in the dedication of the great image, the personification of the religion of Babylon. In the face of threatened death, these three servants of the living God testified of their faith by refusing to do homage to any false god. On their hearts had been written that law which said: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” To the command of the king of Babylon they opposed the command of the King of heaven, and they staked their lives on the outcome.
The Gospel of Deliverance
It was the purpose of God that the gospel of the kingdom should be made known in Babylon, but according to the divine plan this must be done through human instrumentalities. Some one must be found who is willing to be used for this purpose. It would be altogether useless to proclaim the words of the prophets read from the sacred rolls, as they would be to the people of Babylon only on a par with the sayings of their own wise men. The message to Babylon must needs come with such authority and power as would witness to its super-human origin. The gospel of deliverance must be presented in fact and not in theory. The preachers of this gospel must themselves be lost and saved, not as in a play upon a stage, but in the actual fact of experience.
That implicit trust in God which led these three Hebrew captives to yield their bodies to be committed to the burning fiery furnace was not the result of any miraculous exhibition of the divine presence. They had chosen to be the servants of God because of the revelation which he had made of himself in his Word and his works; and having come to know him as one able to save their souls from death, they chose to remain loyal in the service of such a King, even though it might involve the destruction of their bodies. The circumstances were such that it would be to the glory of God and the extension of his kingdom if he should reveal to the multitude of heathen worshipers his power to save, by showing himself to be the ruler of the most destructive element. Through the visible he would speak to them of the invisible. By delivering the bodies of his servants from the power of the fire, he would proclaim his ability to deliver the souls of the Babylonians from the power of sin. By making himself known as above all other gods, he would summon the people to forsake the other gods and to serve him.
The Victory of Faith
In his description of the experience of the three worthies, Nebuchadnezzar seemed, like Caiaphas, to speak “not of himself.” It would be difficult to express more in fewer words. The deliverance of the believers through the ministry of an angel, their service of God maintained uninterrupted not by active opposition but by submission—all this is included in Nebuchadnezzar’s statement. What a remarkable turn of affairs! The word of the haughty king of Babylon is changed by the captives from Jerusalem. The king was conquered, and his word brought to naught, not by meeting him on his own ground and opposing force to force, but by transferring the conflict to the spiritual realm, and by thus uniting to their weakness infinite Power. This involved, however, the utter extinction of self, as if already consumed in the fiery furnace, and that complete submission to the will of God which enabled him to reveal his power to the glory of his own name. The victories of faith are gained through submission. True and faithful believers conquer by yielding.
“Not to the strong is the battle,
Not to the swift is the race,
But to the true and the faithful
Victory is promised through grace.”
The Continual Service
It is evident that the temple service at Jerusalem had been to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego more than a mere form. The continual service there carried on by the continual burnt-offering, the continual showbread, and the continual incense-offering, maintained by the continual priesthood, and the revelation of the divine presence in the cloud of glory over the mercy-seat, must have conveyed to their minds the gospel lesson of the true offering for sin, the true Bread from heaven, the everlasting righteousness, the forgiveness of sin, and the revelation of the glory of God in living temples; and as the service in the typical temple was a continual service, so must those who yield themselves to become temples of the living God, serve him continually and him alone. “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” So did these three men refuse to permit even Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon, to interrupt their loyal service by his command to fall down and worship a false god. The personal God who had revealed himself in the sanctuary was to them the only true and living God. An uninterrupted fellowship with him was to them the laying hold “on the life which is life indeed.” They could yield their bodies to the pleasure of the king, but their minds must be stayed on God alone.
Religion and the Government
The decree issued by Nebuchadnezzar indicates two things: First, that he recognized that the God of the Hebrews was superior in power; and, second, that he failed to comprehend the character of the true God. He recognizes the “God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego” simply as another god to be admitted to the pantheon, greater in might than the other gods, but not known as the one only God. Of this new deity, whose standing is thus assured, Nebuchadnezzar announces himself as a patron. As the other gods of Babylon have been under the protection of the state, so the same place is assigned to the God of the Hebrews, and the curse of a state religion, the loss of freedom of choice, is proclaimed ostensibly in behalf of the new religion.
Nebuchadnezzar’s law against blasphemy has in one form or another survived the wreck of kingdoms, and is now in force in many places, and advocated by many eminent expounders both of civil law and of the Christian religion. Among the laws established by the general court of Massachusetts in 1642 was the following: “If any persons shall blaspheme the name of God, the Father, Son, or Holy Ghost, with direct, express, presumptuous, or high-handed blasphemy, or shall curse God in a like manner, he shall be put to death.” Similar laws were in force in other colonies, and they have been retained in some States. In the District of Columbia there is a law, which was part of the Maryland law when the District was set off from that State, still nominally in force, according to which the penalty for blasphemy is for the first offense to have the tongue bored and to pay a fine of twenty pounds sterling. For the second offense to have the letter B (standing10for blasphemer) burned upon the forehead, and to pay a fine of forty pounds, or in lieu thereof to suffer twelve months in prison. For the third offense, “the offender being convict as aforesaid, shall suffer death without the benefit of the clergy.”
All such laws are contrary to the very spirit and essence of the divine government. A necessary prerogative of man made in the image of God is the freedom of choice, and what God has conferred by creation no man has the power to take away by legislation. All laws which attempt to enforce any of the duties which man owes to God, deprive of their freedom of choice even those who wish to serve God. This principle in its application to Sunday legislation has been clearly set forth in these words: “The fact that the Christian voluntarily keeps holy the first day of the week, does not authorize the legislature to make that observance compulsory. The legislature can not compel a citizen to do that which the constitution leaves him free to do or to omit at his election. The act violates as much the religious freedom of the Christian as of the Jew. Because the conscientious views of the Christian compel him to keep Sunday as a sabbath, he has the right to object when the legislature invades his freedom of religious worship, and assumes the power to compel him to do that which he has a right to omit if he pleases. The principle is the same, whether the act of the legislature compels us to do that which we wish to do or not to do.” The gospel of the kingdom does not need the support of the state, in the way of laws or decrees. Nay, more, any such attempted aid is a hindrance. The threat of temporal punishment does not transform the life, and at best only tends to hypocrisy. Religion is purer, and the state more prosperous, when there is no union between the two.
Conclusion
A new experience came into the life of the proud and boastful king of Babylon. He who had scornfully asked, “Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” now declares, “There is no other god that is able to deliver after this sort.” The statement is true in its fullest sense, although Nebuchadnezzar did not make a right application of it; and the deliverance of the three worthies which so impressed the king of Babylon, has been put on record for the benefit of all people, that they may have confidence in the God of heaven as being able to deliver from the power of darkness and to translate into the kingdom of the Son of his love. Unless this lesson is learned from the record, it will as much fail of its purpose now as did the experience itself in the days of Nebuchadnezzar.
The faithfulness of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego was rewarded with increasing temporal honors. Instead of losing both their lives and their positions as a result of their refusal to obey the royal mandate, they are now promoted in the province of Babylon.
The lesson of this third chapter of Daniel is applicable in the most literal way in the present generation. The time is drawing near when the whole earth will be a burning fiery furnace. “The heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.” The God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego is the only one able to deliver from this universal conflagration, but that deliverance must be first revealed as salvation from sin; and when the image to the beast is made, and “another beast” shall “cause that as many as should not worship the image of the beast should be killed,” then will the believers of this day be brought to face the same test which came to the three Hebrew captives. The difference will be in this: In the olden time those who did not worship were to be consigned to the burning fiery furnace; in this time, those who do worship will perish in the fires of the last day. Just now is the time to learn those lessons of faith and loyalty in continual service which will enable every professed servant of God to pass safely through the final crisis. For every such one there will be promotion in the kingdom of heaven.
The Collection for Work Among the Colored People
By C. N. WOODWARD
C. N. WOODWARD
ONLY a little more than a month remains before the date set for taking the collection for carrying on work among the colored people in the South. Recent Testimonies have told us that the work for this people will be cut short on account of prejudice, and that what we do for them must be done quickly.
I am sure that the millions of black people in this country are part of the “all nations” who are to hear the sound of the third angel’s message, and we are indebted to them to the extent of giving them the knowledge of the truth. The Lord has held back the prejudice which has existed in many places against white people working for the colored people until workers of their own color could be educated and trained for this work; but it is very evident that this restraining power will not long be exercised.
The Southern, the Southeastern, and Southwestern union conferences have in the past been the recipients of all this fund, save a small portion given to another conference; but with the exception of one year the amount received has never been at all sufficient to carry on the work which had been started, and which it seemed imperatively necessary to maintain. None of these conferences are strong financially; and they must have assistance in order to carry on this work.
It is quite plain that this assistance will have to come from other portions of this country, which have long been favored with a knowledge of the truth, and where strongly organized conferences now exist. It would seem to be a privilege for them to pass on to their brethren of the weaker conferences some of the means the Lord has so bountifully given them, so that this work shall not be retarded. Every dollar of the means thus given will be faithfully placed where it will accomplish the greatest possible good for this people.
I can not speak for the other union conferences, except to say, in a general way, that they are pushing the work as much as the means at their command will permit; but for our own union conference I can say that what we received last year was only sufficient to keep our work going for about six months, since which time we have had to provide otherwise.
At the last session of the Southwestern Union Conference last winter, the care of the work for the colored people, which had for several years been under the supervision of the union conference, was again given to the local State conferences. This was thought to be a good move, as the local conferences can handle the work at a much closer range than the union.
Next to the question of means in our union conference is the need for well-trained colored workers. But with the means in hand this can be largely removed, as we have some bright young colored people who love the truth, and with proper training will make good workers for their own people. We now have several attending the Oakwood Industrial School, whom we have been helping some, and it is their burden and purpose when they have finished their course there, to return to this field, and take up the work for their own people. All of these, we confidently expect, will make useful workers. One of them will finish his studies during the coming year, and we hope to be able to give him work as soon as he is ready.
While the hearts of our brethren having means are responding to the needs of other lands, we appeal to them to turn their eyes upon this needy and important work right at their doors, and by their liberal contributions enable those who are under the load in these union conferences to finish the work speedily, as the Lord directs.
Keene, Tex.
_Give!_
By Albert Carey
ALBERT CAREY
O GIVE, give, and gratefully give!
To the Fount of our receiving;
Give to the Giver the gifts he has given,
Give with hearts believing.
Give with bountiful hand and eye;
Pour into the stream of blessing;
Infinite pity and infinite love
Thus by gifts confessing.
Give! ’twill gladden your own soul first,
Then haste the cause of salvation.
To the giver who gives with faith, God
gives
The blessed new creation.
Hickory, N. C.
Our Neighbors
SOMEBODY near you is struggling alone
Over life's desert sand;
Faith, hope, and courage together are
gone;
Reach him a helping hand;
Turn on his darkness a beam of our light;
Kindle, to guide him, a beacon-fire
bright;
Cheer his discouragement, soothe his
affright,
Lovingly help him to stand.
Somebody near you is hungry and cold:
Send him some aid to-day;
Somebody near you is feeble and old,
Left without human stay.
Under his burdens put hands kind and
strong;
Speak to him tenderly, sing him a song;
Haste to do something to help him along
Over his weary way.
Dear one, be busy, for time flieth fast,
Soon it will all be gone;
Soon will our season of service be past,
Soon will our day be done.
Somebody near you needs now a kind
word;
Some one needs help, such as you can
afford;
Haste to assist in the name of the Lord;
There may be a soul to be won.
— Selected.
Aunt Mary's First Meeting
By MRS. EDITH E. BRUCE
MRS. EDITH E. BRUCE
THURSDAY afternoon came, a bright, sunshiny day. To Aunt Mary it was a day long to be remembered; for it was the beginning of a time for which she had longed and prayed. To help “the little ones” was to her a great privilege. Many times during the past few days had she sought the Lord for guidance and help. Although this was quite new work for her, she had some good ideas, and was thorough in her preparation. The question was, how to give these dear souls something practical. She realized that she must have something very simple, that each one could easily grasp and bring into every-day life. She was not sure but Mrs. Brown would be her only pupil, but she had prepared for several others who she thought might be present. In this she was not disappointed; for with Mrs. Brown came six other women, who were just as eager to learn as Aunt Mary was to impart. Each received a cordial greeting, and when they were comfortably seated, Aunt Mary began:
“My dear sisters, it is with many misgivings that I attempt to conduct a cooking- and housekeeping class; but if there are any methods that I have learned that will be helpful to you, I shall be glad to give them to you. The Lord has told us that whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, should be done to his glory. He has also said that Christians are his temple, and so how very necessary it is that we should do all we can to keep ourselves in good condition. It is a wonderful privilege God has given us women to keep the home and prepare the food for our loved ones; and a failure on our part to do our very best, is a failure in one of God's great plans.”
“There are so many things to consider in the subject of good housekeeping, or I might rather say, good home-making, which includes good cooking, that I wish we might begin at the very foundation. Before we take up the actual preparation of food in different dishes, we shall consider a few principles which may seem very simple, and yet which I consider of utmost importance.
“First of all there is everything in well-organized and systematic work in the home, as well as in the church, or any other place. Order is said to be one of heaven’s first laws, and I believe the reason for so many failures in housekeeping, and why so many women grow prematurely old and haggard, and have no time for missionary work, or for their own personal comfort, is because of lack of management. In the first place, they start out wrong: they think they must wait on the husband, and later, on the children. Burdens increase without increasing help. So let me say to you, dear sisters, plan your work in such a way that each member of the family may share in the duties and thus partake of the blessings. For instance, here is Sister Brown, with her three children. Let me see, how old is Irene, Sister Brown?”
“Ten years old, but dear me, Aunt Mary, she can't comb her own hair, and she never does any work. Would you expect such young children to do anything?”
“Yes, dear,” said Aunt Mary, “it is not cruel or unjust to teach the youngest child to help himself and to help others. Irene could easily be taught, not only to comb her own hair, but to assist Willie in getting ready for school. Now let us see what a ten-year-old girl could be taught to do without injury to her health or taking too much time from her school work and play time. First she could learn to wash and wipe dishes nicely; but I would not advise keeping a child at dishwashing. She can learn to iron plain things nicely, she can dust, clean silver, clean lamps, set the table, and at that age she should be taught to do simple cooking. These are only a few things that a ten-year-old girl can be taught to do; and what is true of the girl is true of the boy, provided you need his help. Teach the boy that it is a manly thing for him to help mother; that mother has to work for him, and that he ought to work for her. Much could be said on this subject, but I fear I am drifting, and I know that a few hints on this line will suffice. While we are speaking of order, I would like to say, Keep things hung up and in their places. ‘A place for everything, and everything in its place,’ is a good rule to follow. Much valuable time is often lost in searching for things that we should be able to find in the dark if necessary.”
“The kitchen is the place where the average woman spends much of her time, and it should be kept tidy and neat, convenient and comfortable. Cooking utensils are cheap, and the housewife should have plenty to use, so she will not have to stop in the midst of preparing a meal to wash dishes.
“While we are talking of things in general, I want to mention the dish-cloth. I don't suppose I need to mention this, for the benefit of any one here; but you will be able sometime to help others. Do you know that there is typhoid fever, not to mention other diseases, in a dirty, greasy dish-cloth? I am sure that every member of the Good Housekeeping Club will pride herself on having clean, sweet dish-cloths. This can only be done by washing and boiling each day, and spreading out in the sun.”
“But dear me,” said Aunt Mary, “we have hardly begun our little meeting, and here it is time to close. Let us see what points we have touched: First, to keep order in our homes, to regulate our work so that each member can help, to keep a good supply of cooking utensils, and to keep our dish-cloths clean. Next week I feel that we shall be ready to talk about what foods to cook, etc.”
Aunt Mary closed her first meeting with a little luncheon of egg sandwiches, made after the following recipe:—
A loaf of home-made bread, baked in a round tin, was sliced very thin, and spread lightly with butter. For the filling several eggs were boiled one hour, and put through a colander, with a little salt and lemon-juice added. A lettuce leaf was put between, with the mixture, making a very tempting sandwich.
The ladies pronounced them fine, and went home determined to make some for supper instead of cooking meat, as previously intended.