Earlier text: The Chief ResponsibilityALBERT F. PRIEGER
By Albert F. Prieger
At the request of the Mission Board we responded to the call to take charge of the work in Haiti. We left Alabama with great reluctance, as no one who could take up the work there had been secured. Much to our satisfaction, however, we hear that a worker is there, and that other members are being added to the church that we were privileged by the help of the Lord to build up. After spending a pleasant day with friends and relatives at Mobile, we left Alabama Oct. 19, 1912, for New Orleans, where we spent several days of pleasant association with the believers. Elder U. Bender, who was then in the States, met us in New Orleans and accompanied us to this field. We enjoyed a safe and pleasant voyage to Havana, Cuba, where we spent four days. While there we enjoyed a prayer-meeting in Spanish, being fortunate enough to have an interpreter. From there we went via the Cuban railroad to Camaguey, and were delighted to meet there Brethren Earl Shidler and Will Spicer, who were canvassing at that place. We then went on to Omaja, where we spent two days with our isolated Sabbath-keepers. While there I was privileged to preach in the Dunkard church on the coming of the Lord. Sister Gustafson, formerly of Sioux City, Iowa, who is a trained nurse, is doing a good work there. We accepted an invitation from Brother and Sister J. E. Anderson, of Las Tunas, to spend a few days with them, and it was a season of refreshing to all. The school which Brother and Sister Anderson are conducting is a potent factor in giving the message in Las Tunas and vicinity. From there we went by train to Santiago, where we spent two days at San Juan hill and the Peace Tree and other places of interest connected with the Spanish-American war. It was the last reminder of “home, sweet home.” On November 8 we embarked for Kingston. We reached there Sabbath morning, and went at once to the church, where we had the pleasure of meeting Elder and Mrs. D. E. Wellman and attending the services. We found a large church of very active members there. We enjoyed our visit at Elder Wellman’s home, and also at Riversdale, up in the mountains, where the headquarters of this union conference is located. The scenery in the mountains is indeed grand. We left there just when a hurricane was at its height. Returning to Kingston, we left for Port au Prince November 15. The first night at sea was terrible. The storm raged all night with terrific force, and the vessel was a mere plaything in its clutches. However, the next morning was clear and pleasant, and we landed in Port au Prince, Haiti, in safety, for which we were especially grateful to the Heavenly Father who ever watches over and cares for his own. Brother M. Nord Isaac, one of the native workers, welcomed us in Port au Prince, and rendered assistance in interpreting, etc., whenever necessary. We were kindly provided for by one of our dear sisters, a very charitable woman, who has a successful business there. We found there an earnest company of Seventh-day Adventists who are doing all they can to spread the message to the people of the city and vicinity. As a result of our special services the people were aroused to greater activity. On Sunday two persons were baptized in the bay, and from a recent report two others have since united with our people. As the believers had been left alone for nearly two years, it was found necessary for us to give instruction in church and Sabbath-school work, which was gladly received by all the brethren and sisters in Haiti. While the work has languished, the native brethren have done nobly in taking care of it as best they could. We left the little company at Port au Prince in good courage. Sailing from there November 24, we arrived at Cape Haitien the next day. The president of the republic, M. Tancredo Auguste, started on a tour of the country, and sailed on the same boat. Through Brother Isaac we were introduced to the president at his request, and he gave us a warm welcome to his republic. On arriving here we received a most cordial welcome from all our brethren. Many of them came from the interior, riding horseback from twenty to fifty miles, to welcome the new Pasteur and Madame Pasteur. We find ourselves handicapped greatly in not being able to speak to these people in their native tongue, and are now hard at work on the language. As our goods were delayed in the United States, we thought best to go to Grand Riviere to spend a few days. When we arrived there Mrs. Prieger became very ill with bilious fever, and we were compelled to return to Cape Haitien. We spent the Sabbath there and found a church of about one hundred members, and twenty awaiting baptism. On our return to Cape Haitien, we secured a comfortable house near the sea, and our goods arrived January 14, so we are now settled. An urgent appeal came from Port de Paix, about eighty miles west on the coast, and Brother Arioste Pean and I went to that place and spent two weeks. A wonderful revival took place, and nine were buried with their Lord in a watery grave to arise and walk in newness of life. After the baptism six others, witnessing it, decided to obey God, and will be baptized when I return about April 1, the Lord willing. A church of twenty-one members was organized, also a society of Young People’s Missionary Volunteers. About ten thousand tracts have been ordered from Gland, which we hope to receive soon. We expect to see a great work done here, for the people have the missionary spirit and are willing to work. About eight of our fine native young men have expressed an eager desire to go into the canvassing work as soon as possible. We hope to start them out very soon. At Cape Haitien we have organized a Young People’s Missionary Volunteer Society, and reorganized the Sabbath-school work in three of the churches and companies. I am just now recovering slowly from a three weeks’ illness with the tropical fever, and as soon as I am able I plan to visit the remaining churches and companies to bind up the work. Do not forget Haiti in your prayers. It has many perplexities and trials, but we intend to press the battle to the gates. — Found in the Bible of a deceased missionary
“WORDS are mighty, words are living,—
Serpents with their venomous stings.
Or bright angels crowding round us
With Heaven’s light upon their wings.
Every word has its own spirit
True or false that never dies;
Every word man’s lips have uttered
Echoes in God’s skies.” — Found in the Bible of a deceased missionary
Tea, Coffee, and Cocoa
By A. B. Olsen
A. B. OLSEN, M. D., D. P. H. It is a mere truism to state with Dr. Robert Hutchison that “tea and coffee are in no sense foods.” Although the same statement would not be strictly accurate of cocoa, still we may say, in the words of the same authority, that “the place of cocoa in the diet is not really very different from that of tea and coffee.” It is true that, theoretically, cocoa appears to be a nutritive food, but in practise the amount of nourishment that it affords is so small that it is quite negligible. If not food drinks, then what are they? The answer is, drugs, habit drugs, poisonous drugs, which are more or less closely related to alcohol, tobacco, opium, and cocain. The “coffee poison” is an alkaloid called caffein, just as morphin is the poisonous alkaloid of opium. The “tea poison” is thein, which is identical with caffein. Theobromin is the poisonous alkaloid of cocoa, and although not quite identical with caffein in chemical composition, still its influence upon the body and the nerves is the same. Dr. Gautier calls them all “nervines,” that is, nerve excitants; and Dr. Alexander Bryce writes, “Tea, coffee, and cocoa are nerve poisons, cardiac poisons, and cerebral excitants.” As regards the food value of tea and coffee, and, with the qualification above mentioned, cocoa, we may say emphatically that they are valuable just in proportion to the amount of cream, milk, and sugar they contain. We might add, in passing, that the addition of sugar does not neutralize the poisons of these drugs, but rather intensifies their disastrous influence, especially in the case of tea. Tea contains from two to four per cent of the alkaloidal poison, thein, and from seven to seventeen per cent of tannic acid, according to the variety and length of infusion. An ordinary cup of tea which has been briefly infused will, then, contain from one to two grains of thein, and approximately three grains of tannic acid. Raw coffee contains from one to two per cent of caffein, and eight to ten per cent of tannic acid, so that a tea-cupful of coffee will contain approximately the same amount of caffein (one to two grains, and tannic acid, about three grains) as a similar quantity of tea. One pound of ordinary coffee contains one hundred five grains of caffein, or probably sufficient to kill four men, the medicinal dose according to the British pharmacopoeia being from one to five grains. It is thus obvious that an average cup of tea or coffee contains a full medicinal dose of caffein. The composition of cocoa is much the same as that of coffee, the theobromin amounting to from one to two per cent, and the tannic acid about five or six per cent. It would be strange if the daily use of such drugs did not produce untoward physical effects, and we are not surprised to find that the digestive organs, as well as other organs, suffer. Dr. Hutchison tells us that “the influence of these beverages [tea, coffee, and cocoa] on salivary and gastric digestion is, on the whole, unfavorable.” Dr. Roberts experimented with tea and found that it has a marked effect in slowing salivary digestion, while the presence of five per cent of tea infusion stops it entirely. Another investigator, Dr. Fraser, tells us that both tea and coffee retard stomach digestion. Speaking of experiments with cocoa, Dr. Hutchison adds, “If more than ten teaspoonfuls were taken at a time, digestion was always upset.” Tea, coffee, and cocoa not only irritate the digestive organs, slow digestion, encourage fermentation and flatulence, and ultimately bring on atonic dyspepsia, but they also raise the arterial blood pressure, thus throwing increased work upon the heart and disturbing the cir culation. Furthermore, they have been shown by Dr. Haig and others to have a distinct and marked effect in encouraging various forms of neuralgia, rheumatic and gouty disorders. Persons suffering from arthritis or chronic Bright’s disease should be very strict about avoiding these drinks. No organs in the body suffer more from the poisonous effects of these habit drugs than the brain and nerves. The alkaloids, caffein and theobromin, are emphatically nerve excitants, for they increase the irritability of the nerves and excite both the brain and the nervous system. Their continued use soon puts the nerves on tension, makes them sensitive and “jumpy,” and, in the course of time, especially in the case of neurotic persons, may give rise to hallucinations. The unsteady condition of the nerves is manifested by trembling of the hands, and by what is aptly called “fidgets,” a “condition of nervous restlessness manifested by constant changes of position.” The patient gets languid, often has a sinking feeling, and giddiness and dizziness develop. The usual result is to produce wakefulness, cause palpitation of the heart, and bring on a serious condition of sleeplessness, which later on is followed by mental depression, hypochondria, or melancholia. Anxiety, worries, forebodings, and morbid fears are aggravated by the use of these narcotic stimulants. Many make the sad mistake of thinking that these drinks furnish nerve energy, but this is far from the truth. The fact is that instead of introducing any form of nerve energy to the body, they very quickly deplete and waste nerve energy by calling out the natural reserves of nerve force which are so essential to good health. Their effect is that of the blow of a whip upon an overworked and overtired horse. The free use of narcotic drinks is not unlikely to bring on a condition resembling drunkenness, a sort of tea or coffee drunkenness. Dr. Gautier tells us that “one may become caffeic, just as one can become alcoholic or a morphin maniac.” Why not? The difference between the alkaloidal poisons, caffein and morphin, is simply one of degree and not of kind. To the question which is sure to arise, “What then are we to drink?” we answer, Water. There is no drink which is so satisfactory in quenching thirst as plain, pure water. But in any case it is not a good custom to drink much with meals, for free drinking washes down the food before it is properly masticated, and also dilutes and attenuates the digestive juices. For those who are not prepared to break off the habit of drinking at meals entirely we offer an alternative. We must first state that there is no proper or real substitute for tea, coffee, and cocoa. The drink that we offer as an alternative is wholesome and refreshingly14 and possesses natural stimulating properties which leave no adverse effects behind. This drink, which has been aptly called “temperance tea,” also possesses a considerable amount of nutrition, and at the same time is easily digested. Another great advantage is the ease with which it is obtained almost anywhere, and under any circumstances. “Temperance tea” consists of equal parts of milk and water, hot, with or without the addition of sugar. It is most wholesome and refreshing when sipped slowly and without sugar. Blessed to Be Blessings
By N. W. VINCENT
God is waiting, my dear brother,
To be gracious to each one,
To bestow the Holy Spirit
In the name of Christ, his Son;
We are in our Lord abiding,
Victors over sin and lust,
Strong in faith, in hope rejoicing,
Filled with perfect love and trust. REFRAIN:
Are our habits right before him?
Are our tempers always sweet?
Are we ready now to greet him,
In his fulness all complete? O, what love will swell each bosom
Of that holy, ransomed throng,
As with Christ we meet the Father,
Unto whom we all belong!
Christ will welcome each dear servant
With the glad, the true “Well done!”
Then joint heir with him in glory,
In his kingdom sought and won! “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” “And the Lord turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends.” In suggesting the observance of the noon-hour prayer service several months ago, the design was that this should be observed by families and individuals as far as possible. We believe that such a plan as this would bring spiritual blessing and help into many lives. Some we know have regularly engaged in this season, and they write us of the blessed communion which they have enjoyed with the great Father above. We suggest that all our readers, as far as possible, form a practise of seeking God at the midday hour. Withdraw for a few moments from the busy affairs of life, read some blessed promise from the Word of God, take a moment for meditation and serious thought, and then kneel down and seek for divine blessing and guidance. It would be well on this occasion to remember the poor and needy and sick and suffering; also to hold up before Heaven those who have made special requests for prayer in this column. Morning, noon, and night is none too often to address our petitions to the throne of grace. 154. An aged sister desires prayer for the healing of her great-grandson in California. 155. A California sister asks us to pray that she may be restored to health. 156. A friend in the same State (California) requests prayer that her mother's eyesight may be strengthened, and that the health of her brother and herself may be restored. 157. A brother writes from Iowa in behalf of a girl fifteen years of age who is unable to talk. She is anxious to be healed, and desires us to join in prayer for her recovery. 158. An aged sister upon whom has fallen the care of two little grandchildren asks us to pray that she may have the physical strength and wisdom needed to train them for the Lord. 159. “Please pray for the restoration of my eyesight; also that I may be healed from throat trouble and a diseased ankle,” writes a Rhode Island sister. 160. A nurse in Washington requests that prayer be offered for the recovery of a patient. The Annual Meeting of the Review and Herald Publishing Association
By I. A. Ford
This meeting was held at the Foreign Mission Seminary in Takoma Park, Md., Feb. 12, 1913. The publishing house was closed the entire day, giving the employees the opportunity of attending the meeting. This they greatly appreciated. We were favored, also, with the presence of the presidents of conferences in the Columbia Union, several members of the General Conference Committee, and a number of other visiting brethren. While the constituency were gathering, the Review and Herald band played a number of selections, which were much enjoyed. Reports were presented from the various officers and heads of departments. These were all of an encouraging character. E. R. Palmer, the general manager, said in part:— “The Review and Herald Office has nearly completed its fifty-second year as an organized institution, the original association having been organized in Battle Creek, Mich., in May, 1861, two years before the organization of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.” “The objects of the association are at least threefold:— “1. To provide a literature that will faithfully represent this movement.
“2. To co-operate in all general features of the message.
“3. To train workers.” “In harmony with a recommendation passed at the previous annual meeting, efforts are being made to train missionary printers for the foreign fields. Young men of ability and promise are being given experience in several departments of our office, so as to be well prepared to take charge of small missionary printing plants when they are called upon by the Mission Board for such work.” “During the past year two of our workers have been sent to mission fields in response to calls from the Mission Board,—Brother Frank Mills to Korea and Brother William Kirstein to South America.” “The past year has, in many respects, been a good year for the association. The Lord’s protection has been over the work, and no serious loss nor injury has occurred either to the employees or to the plant.” “With all our hearts we join in thanking God for his blessing upon the work. We have been especially blessed in the faithfulness of our colporteurs, who, without salary and dependent largely upon the precarious hospitality of an unfriendly world, have sold from door to door a large proportion of the literature we have handled.” “It is cause of great satisfaction also to see the rank and file of our people, without financial reward but simply for the love of this work, distributing such large quantities of our books, periodicals, and tracts.” “Another cause of satisfaction also is derived from the privilege of submitting this report to an audience made up very largely of the employees of the Review and Herald Office, who by their faithful work and co-operation, have contributed much toward making possible this good report.” The manager spoke of numerous changes which had been made in the operation of the plant during the last year. A great economy of space had been effected, a cost system which gave promise of excellent results in more systematic and economical operation had been installed, a night-school for the employees had been conducted with excellent results, and improvements had been made in the purchase of necessary machinery and equipment. Of the outlook for the future of the work, he said:— “The work of this new year has been entered upon with good prospects of a busy, prosperous season. There is an abundance of work in hand to keep the office running at full capacity. The Lord has blessed us with strong leaders and303 faithful, self-sacrificing employees. Our field was never before so strongly organized as it is to-day. The work in each union and local conference is under the direction of a full corps of general agents, field agents, and tract society secretaries.” “The schools give promise of sending out a large number of student colporteurs this year. The people are offering themselves willingly for the service, both as regular colporteurs and as home workers.” “The Spirit of God is evidently moving upon the hearts of men and women to labor and sacrifice for the gospel message as never before. Our hearts are full of good cheer and courage. We greatly rejoice in the evidence that the work of the third angel’s message is being hastened on to a speedy triumph.” The treasurer, A. H. Mason, presented some interesting data for study. His report showed that the total assets of the institution amounted to $312,176.72. Of this amount $16,133.62 was represented in the New York Branch and $16,886.34 in the Western Branch. The earnings of the association for 1912 amounted to $18,945.79. In this the work of the home office was represented to the amount of $12,657.39, the Western Branch $4,423.72, and the New York Branch $1,864.68. From this net earnings various donations to the extent of over $3,000 had been made to different enterprises, and a two-per-cent reserve credited to the Sickness and Emergency Fund; also a tithe paid to the General Conference, leaving a net gain of $13,247.93. The net worth of the association Jan. 1, 1913, was $134,846.86. Report of the Superintendent
E. L. Richmond, the superintendent, reported as follows:— “During the year 1912 there were printed 826,727 copies of the REVIEW, using nearly three car-loads of paper.” “The printing orders on the Youth’s Instructor totaled 1,086,389 copies, of which 300,000 were the Temperance number containing 32 pages instead of 16 pages, and had a cover in two colors.” “The circulation of Life and Health has called for the printing of 525,000 copies for the year; Liberty, 158,000; Protestant, 150,000; Sabbath School Worker, 121,000; Education, 31,600; making a total output of periodicals and magazines of 2,899,154 copies.” “This is not all. During the same period there were printed 170,000 books, about 50,000 of them containing from 600 to 800 pages each; 265,000 tracts belonging to the Words of Truth Series and the Religious Liberty Library. Besides, a great many other tracts and pamphlets received their share of attention.” “The new books completed during the year were ‘History of the Sabbath,’ ‘Hydrotherapy for Nurses,’ ‘Capital and Labor,’ and ‘The Printing-Press and the Gospel.’” “‘Friends and Foes,’ by Vesta J. Farnsworth, and ‘Good Form and Social Ethics,’ by Fannie Dickerson Chase, have been put in type and are being prepared for electrotyping. The preparation of the copy and illustrations for ‘Bible Readings’ is going forward rapidly.” “‘Religious Liberty in America,’ by C. M. Snow, is about ready for the printer, and a good portion of the copy for illustrations is in hand. The author has the new ‘Denominational History’ nearly prepared. With the General Conference Bulletin, the Harvest Ingathering REVIEW, and the book work, in addition to our seven publications, we are expecting this to be a fairly busy year.” The Work of the Book Department
The manager of the book department, I. A. Ford, reported the following encouraging items:— “In looking over the records for the past three years, we are pleased to note an increase in the sales of our subscription books each year. During the year 1910, the retail value of subscription and home workers’ books sold was $132,745; during the year 1911 it amounted to $157,161; and during the year 1912 our sales of this class of books were $166,470, showing a steady development in that branch of the business. The total sales of the department for the year were $203,468.50.” “Our faithful general and field agents have labored hard during the year in training and encouraging a competent and faithful corps of colporteurs. A few of the conferences were badly crippled during the year in their colporteur work by not having field agents, but we believe at the close of the year all our conferences were supplied with leaders in this work.” “The Lord has most certainly blessed the efforts of our faithful colporteurs during the year. The reports from several of the conferences show that the average sales were about $1 an hour. This fact demonstrates the great possibility we have in the circulation of our literature. Our great need is more colporteurs—men and women of experience and thorough training.” Report From the Western Branch
J. W. Mace gave the following summary of the excellent work done by the Western Branch:— “Dec. 31, 1912, marked the close of seven years of branch business, three at our original location in Battle Creek, Mich., and four at South Bend, Ind. We have been blessed with a steady gain all the way along and especially since our move from Battle Creek, where the total value of the three years of business was only $145,271.95 as compared with $294,925.50 for the last four years in South Bend, in the first instance an average of $48,423.98 a year as compared with $73,731.37 a year in South Bend. Another advantage is the ability to do our business more economically, and hence a larger surplus each year, which is not affected by extra expenses or local conditions, but only contingent on the volume of business done by the branch. The number of subscription books sold in the territory was 38,862.” “One gratifying feature of our work is the individual home missionary spirit which is springing up among our constituency; this is especially noticeable in the sale of tracts and small books. The sale in both lines is on the increase in our territory, and we have only touched the proposition with the tips of our fingers, so to speak. A few years ago it was not possible to sell tracts to our people in any quantity, and we read the records of sale in the Western country by sister publishing houses and branches, with envious feelings, and wondered how it could be done; but we have seen a different spirit coming in this last year, and recently at a small conference meeting the writer saw fifteen or twenty dollar-tract packages sold in a few minutes. Our sale of tracts last year was over 300,000 copies.” “We start the 1913 battle with twenty-five good men on the firing line, a full corps of State agents, and enthusiastic tract society secretaries, with institutes well attended by a solid class of men and women, with policies well established and successfully demonstrated; and with God’s especial guidance and the continued earnest co-operation of conference and union workers, we hope to make the coming year the best in our history.” Report From the Eastern Branch
Of the gratifying gain made by the New York Branch and of some of the good results attending the circulation of literature from that center, L. W. Graham reported as follows:— “The prospering hand of God has been seen in our work to the extent that our sales during 1912 were $60,185.62. This is $9,869.16 greater than 1911, excluding ‘Ministry of Healing’ sales from both years. Last year we sold more than one third of a million tracts.” “While we are glad to see this increase in the sales of literature, it is a source of great joy to know that not a few persons have become interested in our truth from reading. A man and his wife in New York State, who were missionaries for another denomination in a Spanish-speaking field, after their return home secured some of our literature, read it, became interested, and as a result accepted the truth, and have offered themselves to our people to go as missionaries to Spain.” “Another incident: Last summer one of our canvassers sold a copy of ‘Great Controversy’ to a prominent woman. She was so pleased with the book that she sent for the canvasser and purchased another copy for a friend in New York City. This friend is a very prominent leader in her church society in this country, and her name is very familiar to every newspaper reader. She liked the book. A little later our canvasser received a letter asking him to call at a certain address in New York City. He did so, and found a large class of interested women who had organized themselves for the study of ‘Great Controversy.’ He took a number of orders from these people; in all about $200 worth of books was sold to them. Recently he has been visiting these same people with ‘Daniel and the Revelation,’ and is almost duplicating his former sale.” “Our financial statement is gratifying to us. Our net gain last year was $1,864.68, or $864.12 more than for the year 1911.” “Whatever success has been attained we attribute to the watchful care our Heavenly Father has had over his work, and whatever mistakes have been made we trust he will overrule that the progress of the work may not be retarded.” The Periodical Department
In behalf of the journals making up the periodical department D. W. Reavis rendered the following encouraging report:— “The periodical department handles the REVIEW, the Instructor, including the Temperance Annual, the Sabbath School Worker, and Christian Education. The304 total number of these papers sent out in various ways during the year was 2,057,542 copies. These represent, at the estimated retail price, a value of $119,265.90.” “The average subscription list of the REVIEW during 1912 was 14,953, an increase of 410 subscriptions over 1911. This increase has been made mostly during that part of the year since the price of the REVIEW was brought back to the old 1885 rate of $2 a year. As usual in such cases, some predicted that increasing the price of the REVIEW meant a decline in the subscription list; but the records show that during the three months following the raise in price the list gained over 500 subscriptions. The clubbing privilege in operation at this time doubtless had some influence upon this increase, but it could not possibly have been responsible for all of it.” “The average subscription list of the Instructor for the year 1912 was 14,098, while the average list in 1911 was 13,761, giving a gain of 337 subscriptions for 1912. But while we gained on the regular list during 1912 we lost on the circulation of the Temperance number. In 1911, 326,239 copies of the Temperance Instructor were circulated in addition to the regular list. In 1912 only 286,377 copies were circulated in addition to the regular list—a loss of 39,842 copies over the previous year. It is hoped that the lack of last year will be more than made up by the gain in the circulation of the excellent 1913 Temperance number.” “The average subscription list of the Worker during 1912 was 9,289. The average list during 1911 was 8,893, giving a gain of 396 subscriptions in 1912 over 1911. The amount received on subscriptions, and the estimated value of copies circulated in other ways during 1912, was $3,716.15.” “The average subscription list of Education during 1912 was 1,410, or a gain of 149 subscriptions over 1911. With so small a subscription list as Education has, or ever has had, and with the high-class work bestowed upon it in making it an educational journal that ranks well with the best college papers of the country, it could not be expected to yield a profit to its publishers. The loss on Education last year was less, however, than the loss during the previous year; yet, it is still far too great and should be entirely eliminated during 1913.” From the report presented by A. J. S. Bourdeau, for the magazine department, we give the following items:— “This year I have an encouraging report to present in behalf of Life and Health, Liberty, and the Protestant Magazine. Our total receipts on the three magazines for the year 1912 amounted to $33,538.33 as compared with $28,392.68 for 1911, or a gain of $5,145.65.” “During 1912 we have endeavored to economize to the utmost in both the cost of production and circulation of the three magazines. The number of pages in Life and Health and Protestant were reduced from sixty-four to forty-eight, the regular size of Liberty. Several Life and Health covers were printed in two instead of three colors, and the Protestant covers were printed in one instead of two. Considerable expense was also saved by saddle-stitching Life and Health instead of side-stitching.” “We are pleased to report a substantial increase in the number of subscriptions received for the three magazines. The combined average subscription lists for 1912 show a gain of 2,176 subscriptions over 1911 and 6,010 over 1910. The average subscription list for the Protestant was 11,852, a gain of 3,018; of Life and Health, 6,507, a loss of 184; of Liberty, 19,694, a loss of 658.” “During the year 1912 we circulated 825,948 copies of Life and Health, Liberty, and the Protestant as compared with 797,087 during 1911, a gain of 28,861 copies.” Plans were laid looking toward the reduction of the liabilities of the institution, and improving our equipment by the addition of some new machinery. There was placed in the by-laws an article authorizing the board of trustees to pay to the General Conference annually a tithe of the profits of the institution. Officers and Heads of Departments
Four trustees were elected to fill the offices made vacant by terms which expired at this meeting. The office force is now organized as follows: President, F. M. Wilcox; vice-president, W. T. Knox; secretary, I. A. Ford; treasurer, A. H. Mason; manager, E. R. Palmer; superintendent, E. L. Richmond; manager Western Branch, J. W. Mace; manager Eastern Branch, L. W. Graham. The managers of departments of circulation are: D. W. Reavis, periodical department; A. J. S. Bourdeau, magazine department; I. A. Ford, book department. The following editors were elected by the board: For REVIEW, F. M. Wilcox; associates, C. M. Snow and W. A. Spicer. Youth’s Instructor, Mrs. Fannie Dickerson Chase. Life and Health, Dr. George H. Heald. Protestant, W. W. Prescott; associate, W. A. Spicer. Liberty, C. S. Longacre; associates, C. M. Snow and W. W. Prescott. Sabbath School Worker, Mrs. L. Flora Plummer; associate, G. B. Thompson. Christian Education, H. R. Salisbury and W. E. Howell. One of the interesting features of the meeting was a generous dinner, which had been prepared by a number of the sisters, assisted by the Seminary. One could easily see that this was enjoyed quite as much as any other one feature of the meeting. During the dinner the Review and Herald orchestra favored us with numerous selections. Altogether, it was a day of gladness which will long be remembered.
I. A. FORD,
Secretary. “The Coming of the Lord Draweth Nigh”
By L. D. Santee
He is coming as the “lightning,”
All the world can not conceal it.
’Tis foretold by saints and sages
That his advent draweth nigh;
He is coming with his angels,
Thrilling prophecies reveal it;
There are omens of his coming,
In the earth, and sea, and sky. He is coming in the heavens,
’Tis not long till I shall meet him,
When the King to crown his children,
Shall in majesty descend.
Faith has longed for his appearing,
Soon then in the clouds I’ll greet him,
My dear Saviour and Redeemer,
Who will all my steps attend. He is coming in the heavens;
All the saints will rise immortal,
And will bid farewell forever
To the darkness of the tomb;
In the joy of life eternal,
They will cross the pearly portal,
To dwell for aye with Jesus,
Where the flowers of Eden bloom. O, I’m longing for his coming,
And the life that lasts forever,
Free for aye from every heartache
And from sorrow, sin, and pain!
In the radiance of heaven,
And where sickness cometh never,
Shall the bosom thrill with rapture
When the Lord shall come again. Florida
By Chas. P. Whitford
A SERIES of evangelistic services conducted by Brother Carlyle B. Haynes, assisted by Mrs. L. Whitgrove, Miss Mary L. Sladen, and the writer, began in Morocco Temple, Jacksonville, Fla., Sunday night, February 2. Morocco Temple is one of the largest and most popular halls in the city. Other places of less prominence were closed to religious meetings, so that at one time it began to look as if we should not be able to secure a suitable place for this effort. It seems quite providential to us now that this hall was secured, because of the fact that it is so well known and so favorably located, it being in the heart of the city. Indeed the building is an advertisement of itself. About five hundred persons attended the first service, and an interest was awakened during the week that brought out one thousand or more the second Sunday night. In the congregation may be seen ministers, doctors, lawyers, merchants, and many other prominent citizens of the place. Already some of these leading representative men have expressed themselves as being very much interested. Others have said, “These are the best meetings I have ever attended.” At this writing the interest is on the increase. From ten to twenty questions are asked at each service. The asking and the answering of these questions adds much to the interest of the meetings. Jacksonville is a city of about seventy thousand. Two large daily papers are publishing full synopses of the lectures, which are being eagerly read, not only in the city but throughout the entire Southland. It should truly be a source of encouragement to our people everywhere to learn that the closing message of the gospel—the truth in its purity—is reaching tens of thousands of people through the medium of the secular press. The expense of these meetings will be large, but let it be remembered that every dollar invested in the grand and glorious work of making known to the world the precious truth that God in his love and mercy has so freely given to us, will be placed to our credit in the ledger-books of heaven. The workers are all of good courage in the Lord. They feel that in a time like this and with this great interest on their hands, they need and must have the power of the highest to overshadow them. They meet together each day at 6 P. M. to talk over the day's experiences, and to seek God unitedly for his special help and blessing. Brethren everywhere, do not forget these faithful servants at the throne of divine grace. They need your prayers, your sympathy, your moral and financial support. CHAS. P. WHITFORD. SIX new believers were recently baptized at Davenport, Iowa. A CHURCH of twelve members was recently organized at Decatur, Ala. THE workers at Wadena, Minn., report that six have accepted the truth recently, and six others are deeply interested. A WORKER in the Northern California-Nevada Conference reports three new believers who will unite with the Atwater church. IN Bath, Maine, a family of four has begun the observance of the Sabbath. They gained a knowledge of this truth largely through our literature. A NOTE from Sawtell, Cal., reports that on a recent Sabbath fourteen persons were baptized by Elder D. A. Parsons. Ten others will go forward in this ordinance soon. Several weeks ago a church of sixteen members was organized at Reedley, and a German church has been organized at Dinuba by Elder H. F. Graf.