NEARLY forty years ago a preacher in one of our Eastern conferences yielded to Satan’s temptations and fell into sin. For some time this man traveled extensively through that conference, living in secret sin. Finally this corrupt course was brought to light, and he gave up preaching, moved to Michigan, and engaged in farming in a county adjoining the one in which I was living. Although a man of very pleasing address, he was never again recognized as a minister nor granted credentials.
Soon after his fall into sin, we were told by the servant of the Lord: “God designed that this case of hypocrisy and villainy should be brought to light in the manner it has been, that it might prove a warning to others. Here is a man who is acquainted with the teachings of the Bible, and who had listened to testimonies borne by me in his presence against the very sins which he was practising. More than once he has heard me speak decidedly in regard to the prevailing sins of this generation, that corruption was teeming everywhere.
“The Lord reproves the sins of one, that others may take warning and fear. Warnings and reproofs are not given to the erring among Seventh-day Adventists because their lives are more blameworthy than are the lives of professed Christians of the nominal churches.”
This counsel was given our people many years ago, with much more of the same nature, which we do well to study and heed.
It was nearly fifty years ago that one of the ministers in Michigan was reproved for using tobacco, and instead of reforming he rejected the light, and started out independently. I held a series of meetings about twenty-two years ago near a company of people raised up by this man, and found many of them using tobacco, tea, and coffee. About the only points they seemed to be united upon was in keeping the Sabbath (which they kept about as many keep Sunday) and in opposing the Testimonies. I lived near this people for over a year, and many times I was impressed with the words, “So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.”
It is a sad surprise that comes to us when those in whom we have had such confidence go into sin; and yet if the counsel that has been constantly coming to this people had been heeded, these sorrowful losses in our ranks need not occur.
Nearly every week important counsel is given showing the terribly corrupt age in which we live, and pointing out our dangers, and yet many do not heed this counsel. We are living in an age of the world when in order to be kept from these corrupt influences we must live very near the Lord, and heed the timely counsel that God is constantly sending us.
We are told that before the flood “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” The Bible positively states that “so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”
From all the counsel given in the Bible and Testimonies we do well to study along these lines, and to heed the counsel given; for as surely as we do not, we shall be overtaken in the snares that Satan has prepared for this people. Satan is especially working against the remnant people, and his energy increases as he realizes that he has less time to work. We must firmly stand on the Word, and follow man only as he follows Christ, and in so doing we shall be simply following the perfect pattern.
All along through our history different ones have fallen out by the way, and our only safety from going in the same way is to heed the timely counsel the Lord is sending.
Cedaredge, Colo.
The Cross
IN our days there are many who would leave the cross out of Christianity. They want an unsuffering Christ, a teacher, an example, a friend, yet not an atoning Saviour. But the cross is at the heart of the gospel. We can be saved only by the One who suffered for us. Without shedding of blood there is no remission. Then in our lives, too, we must accept the law of the cross. We must die if we wish to live. We must lose if we would gain. We must suffer if we would reign. We can help others only through self-denial and cost.—Selected.
Breakfast Foods
FROM the Scientific American of November 17 we take the following editorial upon the comparative food value of variously prepared breakfast cereals:—
“There is such a bewildering variety of cereal breakfast foods on the market, with such differences in appearance, taste, and claims to nutritive value, that it is hard to make an intelligent choice between them. For that reason the bulletin by Dr. Charles D. Woods and Prof. Harry Snyder recently issued by the Department of Agriculture should prove of interest. True economy here, as with other kinds of food, depends upon the amount of digestible nutrients which can be obtained for a given sum of money.
“Of the five cereals most commonly used for breakfast foods, oats contain perhaps the largest quantities of the important nutrients, with a fairly low proportion of crude fiber. Wheat ranks close to oats in all respects, however, and even when prepared with the bran is freer from crude fiber. Many persons consider that the bran contains so much protein and desirable mineral matters that it should be retained in spite of the crude fiber which it contains. Digestion experiments indicate, however, that the crude fiber makes the whole material so much less digestible that more protein is actually available to the body when the bran is excluded. Moreover, the ordinary mixed diet probably furnishes all the mineral matter which the healthy body needs, so bran is not needed for this purpose. The bran-containing preparations should be avoided by persons of weak digestion, but are often useful in cases of constipation. Such differences are, however, too small to be of importance to normal, healthy persons, and all the ordinary varieties of breakfast cereals are wholesome. Individual taste must determine which are most palatable. Appearance, palatability, and relative cost will always and rightly be important features in the selection of all these cereal breakfast foods. Corn and its preparations are rich in carbohydrates and fat, but are slightly less digestible than the other cereals. Rice is poor in protein, but remarkably free from crude fiber, and consequently furnishes a large proportion of digestible carbohydrates. Barley contains a fair proportion of nutrients, and is moderately digestible. All these differences in composition and digestibility are comparatively slight, and may be disregarded by healthy persons living on the ordinary mixed diet.
“Thoroughness of cooking is a factor which has a bearing upon digestibility. It not only makes the cereals more palatable, but also breaks down the walls of indigestible cellulose which surround the starch granules and other nutrients, and produces other changes, so that the digestive juices can work on the nutritive ingredients more effectively. Poorly cooked cereals are less palatable than the same dishes well cooked, and may cause indigestion and be really harmful. When the partially cooked preparations are used, care should be taken to insure sufficient recooking before serving. The majority of the ready-to-eat brands are apparently thoroughly cooked.
“In choosing between the various breakfast foods it must be remembered that a novel appearance and a quasi-scientific name do not necessarily represent any unusual food value. Unless something is added during the process of manufacture, all brands must have just about the same composition as the cereals from which they are made, as manipulation can not increase the amount of food material, though it may modify its appearance and flavor. As far as the claims to predigestion are concerned, it is safest to assume that in at least the majority of cases the goods do not contain a much larger proportion of soluble—that is, partially digested—starch than any thoroughly cooked cereal. Fortunately, the matter is of little importance to healthy persons, since they are probably better off for doing their own normal work of digestion. If any one is so ill as to need predigested food, he should depend upon the professional advice of a competent physician in selecting it. The predigested and malted cereals should be judged by the same standards as the others.
“It seems fair to conclude that the chemical composition, considered in connection with digestibility and cost, furnishes a satisfactory guide for selection, due attention being paid to palatability and individual preferences.
“All things considered, the cereal breakfast foods as a class are nutritious, convenient, and reasonably economical foods, and worthy of an important place in the diet when judiciously combined with other foods.”
ELIZA H. MORTON
By Eliza H. Morton
Sweetness
ELIZA H. MORTON
'Tis sweet to feel at eventide,
When tasks are done,
There's One who knows our weariness
At set of sun.
O God, our God, our hearts to thee
We lift in prayer;
No words thy sweetness and thy love
Can e'er declare.
'Tis sweet to tell thee all our grief
When lone and sad,
For thou dost send the Comforter
To make us glad.
O God, our God, we love thy Word,
Our all is thine.
We know our strength is found in Christ,
The living Vine.
'Tis sweet to say, with confidence,
Our Jesus lives;
To feel the current of the life
He freely gives.
O God, our God, forsake us not;
We need thy care,
For woe and wickedness and want
Are everywhere.
'Tis sweet to think that down the years
So far away
The truth of all the ages comes
To us to-day.
O God, our God, help us that truth
Now to proclaim;
Give power to keep thy law by faith
In thy dear name.
North Deering, Maine.
The Matter of Punishment
CHILDREN are quick to detect injustice, and soon take advantage of the weakness of the parent who indulges them irrespective of their behavior. They will obey, through fear, the oversevere parent only until their fear has been outgrown, then cast to the winds his advice. The flight of years, however, will only enhance their admiration for that parent who can inflict just punishment when needed, as well as overlook slight faults, and who is quicker to see the good deed than the evil.
Much of a mother’s police duty could be avoided if she would provide legitimate work for each child, a lawful playroom in which each should have his separate shelf or box, and foster among them the spirit of honor. To develop this, and a sense of responsibility for the welfare of the home, mothers should early train each child to work about the house. Manual labor and skill in all its branches ought to be glorified, not despised. Children naturally love to work. It is our own fault if our sons and daughters grow up prouder of idleness and white, soft hands than of honest labor. Let the children sweep and dust, and feed the chickens, and tinker at the hen-coops. Teach them to sew on buttons and do simple cooking.—Selected.
Principles of Child Discipline
I TRY to make the child fully understand why he is punished; to punish when perfectly cool myself; to fit the punishment to the offense, and to vary its form as often as possible. And I try to treat my children as courteously as I expect them to treat me.
I have always taught them to come to me with any question which puzzles them, and as far as possible, I answer them. But I am not afraid to say, sometimes, “I do not know,” and at other times, “When you are older, I will tell you that.”—The Interior.
In France and Spain
By L. R. Conradi
L. R. CONRADI
After our good sessions of the union conferences at Gland, Switzerland; Friedensau, Germany; and London, England, our European summer gatherings closed with a small camp-meeting at Nîmes, southern France, August 21-26. Nîmes is a city of about eighty-one thousand people; it is the center of French Protestantism. Tent-meetings were held in this place years ago, and a small company was raised up; but in the course of time some moved away, others died, and only a few were left.
It was planned to hold our French meeting here, and in connection with it conduct a course of lectures. The tent was pitched near the edge of town, and about ten minutes' distant from the main railway station. At first the boys disturbed the evening meetings, and the brethren then held the services in the afternoon, securing a good attendance; and by the time our regular camp-meeting was to begin, we could resume the evening sessions unmolested.
I was much pleased to see such a good representation from all parts of southern and central France at this meeting. Our church in Paris, however, sent no delegates, as it is quite a ways north.
The work in France is making good progress, and there are now nearly two hundred believers in that country. We had an excellent meeting at Nîmes. Brother John Vuilleumier assisted in the services, besides the local workers. Sabbath was a good day for the camp; six were baptized, and Brother T. Nussbaum was ordained to the gospel ministry.
Recently quite a number of young people who have attended our schools at Gland or in London have entered the field as workers — either as Bible workers or as canvassers. The accompanying picture shows all the laborers, save Brother U. Augsbourger, who is laboring in Paris. We start out now with three ordained ministers, four licentiates, six Bible workers, and two colporteurs.
GROUP OF BELIEVERS AT THE NIMES (FRANCE) CAMP-MEETING
During the meeting the group of believers at Montpellier was received. Forty-six have been baptized and received in France during the year.
The educational work was given special attention, and the brethren readily subscribed one hundred and sixty dollars toward that branch of the cause. They also gave liberally to their Sabbath-school and First-day offering funds. Elder Dexter was again unanimously chosen director of the field for the coming year.
When we remember that France alone has about forty million people, and only two hundred Sabbath-keepers, with a tithe of about fifteen hundred dollars annually, we surely can see the need of our assisting the brethren there in carrying the light to their countrymen.
A night's run on the train brought me to Barcelona, commercially the leading city of Spain, where I spent several days in counsel with the Brethren Bond. Although our meeting there was held on a week-day, I was pleased to see nearly fifty present at the evening meeting in Barcelona, and about thirty in the meeting held at Sabadell, an adjoining town, the following evening. The Lord has blessed the work of Brethren Bond. Several were recently baptized there, so at present we have nearly twenty Sabbath-keepers in Spain.
During our council it was decided that Brother Walter Bond remain in Barcelona, and follow up the interest in that neighborhood, while Brother Frank Bond go to Valencia (population two hundred and fourteen thousand), a little farther down the coast; this is the third city in Spain. Some of our brethren are moving there with Brother F. Bond, so there will be a small nucleus of believers from the start.
We also gave permission to several brethren to take up the work of circulating our publications. One brother who has been in service as a coachman for the past twenty-one years, lost his position because he accepted the truth. His employer gave him one hundred dollars when he left, because of his faithfulness in service; and as this happened last New-year, and the brother had no other income save the percentage on the small publications he had been able to sell, he had just about spent the little surplus he had had. Seemingly, he had not expected anything from us, and when we told him that we had considered his faithfulness and would allow him fifty dollars for the past, and assist him in the future, tears of gratitude began to roll down his cheeks, and one could easily see that this reward had come altogether unexpectedly. One of his sons is now in Gland; and another hopes to find a place somewhere among our people. The brother had been able to sell about four hundred Bibles, and the few canvassers have sold about twenty thousand of our small tracts. While we have a few books in the Spanish, yet it is impossible to import them without their first being presented at the censor's office, and there stamped. We are now getting out “Glorious Appearing” in Spanish, at Hamburg, and shall try14to secure the necessary stamp, and thus provide our workers in Spain with better facilities.
We are glad that the prospects seem to be brightening, and that we have laborers in two places in Spain, and also that in Portugal there are two laborers, one, Brother Rentfro, in Lisbon, and the other, Elder E. Schwantes, formerly of Brazil, at Oporto. Three have just been baptized in Lisbon, and the first little company in Portugal has been organized.
As the work is thus opening in the Latin Union field, we surely believe that our brethren in the States will be disposed to grant our request for an appropriation of seven thousand five hundred dollars for this field, with its one hundred and ten million people, and that they will assist us in every way they can to develop this field that it may keep step with the work in the other parts of Europe.
Linger Not
By Horatius Bonar
The time is short!
If thou would’st work for God, it must be now;
If thou would’st win the garland for thy brow,
Redeem the time.
Shake off earth’s sloth!
Go forth with staff in hand while yet ’tis day;
Set out with girded loins upon the way:
Up! linger not!
Fold not thy hands!
What has the pilgrim of the cross and crown
To do with luxury or couch of down?
On, pilgrim, on!
With His reward
He comes; he tarries not; his day is near:
When men least look for him will he be here.
Prepare for him!
Let not the flood
Sweep the firm feet from the eternal rock;
Face calmly, solemnly, the billow’s shock,
Nor fear the storm.
Withstand the foe;
Die daily, that thou mayest forever live;
Be faithful unto death; thy Lord will give
The crown of life.
— Horatius Bonar.
In Bonacca
By J. Garfield Smalley
J. GARFIELD SMALLEY
“To come to Bonacca is like going into a new world. Our island is about twelve miles long, and from three to five miles in width, separated into three distinct divisions, as you will see by the map. A number of the inhabitants live on keys, situated to the south of the island. A few of the keys are large, and of some value, while others are small and insignificant, except as they serve to enhance the general interest of the scenery.”
To reach the Tranquila Industrial School, we must ascend about twelve hundred feet above sea-level, in a distance of two miles, over a narrow, winding path. I think we have learned the experience of the hare and the tortoise, so we do not use all our energy at the beginning.
One who has not climbed our mountains knows little of the beauties of this island. The cloud, the silence, the gloom; the visitations of heaven’s lightning, darkness, thunder; the rainbow of promise bordering the side of the mountain, right at one’s feet; spicy odors of flowers and shrubs; fresh, spirit-elating breezes sounding through the dark pine wood and cocoanut walks; parrots, humming-birds “with their long bills, suspended in the air as if set there to fan the flowers”—all this is an expression of God’s creative handiwork for the enjoyment of his children, who can see his power reflected everywhere on sea, sky, and land. When I look at these heaven-built mountain walls, I think of the refuge just such places have been for the rich and poor, the feeble, and the little child all through the ages, in the Eastern hemisphere, when worldly power and thus cruelty were ready to swallow them up.
One of the interesting scenes of the island is Bonacca Falls. About one hundred yards below the junction of the two mountain streams, the water leaps over a chasm beneath overarching vines,—sparkling, eternal freshness upon all around,—and then sinks, foaming, into a rocky basin, only to fall again some thirty feet in foam and spray. On the other side of the stream a rocky crag rises from two hundred to three hundred feet, sparingly covered with tropical shrubs and vines. One afternoon I explored the path of the stream for perhaps one-half mile below the falls last mentioned. I succeeded in passing two more falls, about thirty feet in height, but before me was one I dared not undertake. At this place the water falls more than one hundred and twenty-five feet.
In taking such a journey, it is necessary for one to provide himself with a machete (this is the agricultural implement serving as ax, bush-hook, scythe, and sword), to cut his path through the jungle and tall grass. And then, too, he may run across a “yowler,” a serpent from six to eight feet long, for which his machete will come into good play.
FIRST HOME OF BROTHER WILLIAM EVANS IN BONACCA
Sometimes during the rainy season it rains for weeks, at night or during the day. However, I enjoy the sound of the water on the roof of my pole-elevated cottage as much as when in early boyhood I slept at home beneath the rafters.
Perhaps you think I have entered Eden, in all of its Edenic beauty as it stood on earth before the fall of man; and perhaps to the minds who do associate divine truth with the things around them, this may be true. To my mind “we have as fine a mixture of paradise and purgatory,” as one expressed it, as one might ask for. It all lies within one’s self as to what it shall be made. But when the planter sees armies upon armies of ants, destroying tree after tree that he has so patiently cared for; the serpents, as large as the rim of one’s hat, stealing the fowls that have been so long protected from the vermin that was ready to devour them as soon as they were hatched; tarantulas and scorpions in places that would make one shudder to recall, then it is that one sees something less attractive, unless, like the seer Job, one is able to rejoice even amid affliction.
Bibles and books must be scattered like the leaves of autumn. God has a people here that must be gathered in. This Satan knows; and although he will try his best to stop the power of God, yet when God is with us, Satan is powerless. Now is the time to work, that the Israel of God may be gathered out; for it will not be long until his kingdom will come.
Standing on the Word
ONE of our little churches in Jamaica had had a minister with them for some weeks. When the time came for him to leave, the people of the village prophesied that the church would not stand alone. But they did stand, and only one or two apostatized. The reason why they stood is shown by what a little boy of the church said. The little fellow—about seven or eight years of age—had a more than ordinarily bright mind. He could argue with people very well for a little fellow, upon the different points of our faith, and consequently people would induce him to do this, for the sake of hearing him. One day he was sent out to the shop by his mother, to make a purchase. Some men standing there began to chide him, saying, “What are you going to do now that the elder is going away? You will have to come back to our church. You will all go to pieces now.” “O, no!” he said. “But you can not stand when the elder goes away; you just came in because you had a white elder up there, and when he goes away, you are going to pieces. Just see if you do not.” The little fellow replied, “We have an old elder that is going to stay with us.” That was news to them, and they wanted to know his name. When they asked him, he said, “It is the Bible.” The brethren and sisters in the church heard about the answer of the child, and it seemed to inspire them; and whenever any of them are tempted to complain because an elder does not come along very often, they remind one another of what the little boy said—that their elder is the Bible.
Mission Notes
A SISTER from Singapore has recently gone to Sourabaya, Java, and organized a family Sabbath-school.
THREE persons have begun Sabbath observance in Parana, Brazil. The interest in the truth in that place was only slight at first. But an attack on our worker there, by a minister, in the presence of some of his own members, resulted in inquiry concerning the truth.
Argentina, South America
By R. H. Habenicht
It has been some time since I have reported to the Review. The interval of silence, however, has not been one of inactivity. I have spent some time in trying to re-validate my medical diploma in this country, but for the present have had to give up the idea of receiving national recognition because of the prejudice against North Americans, especially those who are professionals. One of the secretaries told me that it was useless to try, as they would not allow me to pass; but this was not till I had spent three months and had visited the offices more than fifty times to get the privilege to try the examination.
The final result was a great disappointment, yet not a discouragement. It gave me a chance to go out into the field again. I have just returned from a trip in the northern part of Argentina, where I visited some brethren whom I had the privilege of leading into the truth and baptizing about eighteen months ago. This was near the city of Empedrado, in the province of Corrientes. One of the families moved down the Parana River to the next city below, in the same province, called Bella Vista. The name means “beautiful view,” and it is truly beautiful, for great orange orchards line the shore for some miles.
This family, although unable to read a word, began to work for those whom they met, and in their simple way to tell the truth. Some became much interested, and procuring Bibles, began to read, although their teacher could not cite them to a single text. Later some brethren passed through the place en route to the South American Union meeting in Parana last March. Having to wait two days for their boat in this place, they improved their time visiting those who were interested. During the first part of last month these same two brethren came back and spent several days in the city, holding Bible studies and visiting from house to house. Thus the interest deepened, and some had begun in a formal way to lay aside their work on the Sabbath.
The two brethren had promised them that a minister would come and visit them, and they were anxiously waiting for the promise to be fulfilled; so when I came, they were as ready to hear as was the house of Cornelius when Peter arrived. I visited from house to house, treating the sick and holding Bible studies. Each evening we had a public meeting, presenting the prophecies and special truths for this time. The Lord greatly blessed the work, and the interest was much greater when I had to leave than when I came. The priest announced his warnings against us in the public school, but the influence of the word still grew. My work for the sick especially opened the door in many places. Before leaving, I had the privilege of baptizing fifteen, and there are ten others who hope to be baptized soon. A Sabbath-school of about thirty members was organized, and those baptized united with a church on the other side of the river, of which the two brethren before mentioned are elder and deacon.
It inspires one to see the readiness with which many of these Catholic people receive the truth for this time. Surely the Lord has many jewels among the millions of Spanish Catholics; but where are the workers to go and hunt them out? We are praying that the Lord of the harvest may send forth laborers into his harvest. Will not some of the strong young people who may read this report volunteer to come and help us? There are in these fields more millions of souls than there are missionaries to take the message to them. May the Lord roll upon us the burden of the message. R. H. HABENICHT, M. D.
Diamante, Entre Rios.
Work in New York City
By C. H. Edwards
ONE of the greatest problems which has confronted the brethren of New York City has been that of reaching the great mass of people who have come from the countries of southern Europe. This has been especially true concerning those who speak both the Italian and Spanish languages.
When we consider that there are over thirty-five thousand more Italians in New York City than in the city of Rome itself, we get some idea of the vast work which must be done for that people.
While there are not so many Spanish-speaking people as there are Italians, yet the great problem before us is how to reach them with this message. Figures mean so little that we may be pardoned for using some comparisons. Imagine the following cities in several of our conferences as having never been entered by workers with this great message of mercy: Columbus, Ohio, with its 126,000; Fall River, Mass., with its 104,000; Denver, Colo., with its 134,000; Memphis, Tenn., with its 103,000; Los Angeles, Cal., with its 103,000, and we get a faint idea of the 135,000 Spanish people who have never so much as received a tract in their own mother tongue.
Here these people are found with all the superstition and ignorance which characterizes them in the Old World. Only recently they had a gathering of thousands of their countrymen, and offered the sacrifice of a calf in the streets to one of their patron saints. This ceremony was carried out under the direction of their priests amid a ceremony of pomp and splendor that was truly amazing.
While this dark picture is before us, we are truly grateful for the fact that the dear Lord is watching over the poor, benighted foreigner, and his hand is being outstretched to them also. About three years ago Brother Louis Zecchetto, an educated Italian, embraced the truths of the third angel's message. It was my privilege to be connected with him in tent and hall work for about two years. He became burdened for his own people, and in a self-supporting way began to labor for the Italians. The work so enlarged that it demanded his entire time. This he was unable to give, and the conference was unable financially to support him. We laid the matter before our brethren at the late General Conference, and the Kansas Conference consented to support this brother in his work. At first the work moved slowly, and at times it seemed as if it must be given up as a failure, but the cloud had a silver lining, and last Sabbath, November 17, ten Italians were baptized, and we organized the first Italian Seventh-day Adventist church ever organized in America. It was a blessed day for us all, and we could but exclaim, “What hath God wrought.” There are several others who are waiting for baptism. Circumstances forbade them at this time, but they will soon follow the others.
We believe this will be good news to our brethren in Kansas who have so nobly helped forward this foreign missionary work in Greater New York.
This report would not be complete without a few words concerning those who have embraced the message. One is an educated man. For years he has been in the Methodist ministry. For two or more years he was a missionary for that denomination in Mexico, but they felt the call from New York to be so urgent that he was recalled, and given the pastorate of one of their churches in this city. Upon his acceptance of the truth as held by this people he was at once dismissed from that denomination. He has publicly united with us, and feels burdened to labor for the Spanish people for whom he has previously worked.
We have carefully considered the man, and we are confident that he ought to be connected with the work. We can but believe that the Lord has called him to work among his own people. At this point we feel that we would be remiss in our duty did we not lay this matter16clearly before our people who have been praying for years for the Lord of the harvest to raise up workers for the thousands upon thousands of these poor, benighted people.
We are face to face with the problem of supporting such a worker as this brother. We have repeatedly appealed to the General Conference and to the union conference, and while both are heart and soul with us in this work, they are unable financially to assist us.
We wish it to be distinctly understood that this is not any side issue, and that we have no desire to even appear as being in the least irregular in our work, but we believe that the Lord does not raise up workers to do a work unless he has the means of supporting them. We do not know where the means may be, so we take this way of trying to find out. Here are more Spanish people than there are people in each of the cities mentioned above, and yet not one person to give them the bread of life; and now that the dear Lord raises up a man for the work, and we can not get the money, we believe that the money must be somewhere, and it may be that the Lord will impress some one to donate to this work. If you are impressed to help this work, send any remittance to your conference treasurer, and let the money come in the regular channel. C. H. EDWARDS.
THOMAS MURPHY
By Thomas Murphy
Mississippi
PALMER.—I came to this place Oct. 9, 1906, and found a company of nine Sabbath-keepers, the result of the labors of Brethren A. C. Chatman and N. B. King during the summer. Some of these had not yet accepted the light regarding the use of narcotics and stimulants. All having agreed to put away these, we arranged for baptism. Early Sabbath morning, November 3, four were baptized. On the following Sabbath four others were baptized, making in all, eight. We also had the first quarterly meeting in this place. This was a spiritual refreshing to all present.
Our little church-school was opened Oct. 31, 1906, with six pupils, but we have the promise of a number of other pupils in the near future.
Brother Rolland William, from the West Indies, is teaching. This brother has made a great sacrifice for his people in Palmer. He is receiving no salary for his labor here, though he has charge of both the church work and the school. We certainly feel that this brother’s sacrifice and labors are commendable, and trust that through them much good may result to the cause here.
THOMAS MURPHY
E. W. SNYDER
By E. W. Snyder
Cuba
ALL who are interested in the progress of the work in this field will be glad to learn that at last we have succeeded in securing in one of the main suburbs of Havana a suitable place for public meetings where we may preach the truths of this message.
As houses are scarce, especially since the coming of the United States army, it was not easy to secure a place at a reasonable rent. However, the Lord favored us, and now we are located in a good neighborhood and on a quiet street. Another favorable feature is the fact that the people of whom we rent are very favorably disposed toward the truth, the lady of the house even going out to invite the neighbors in to the meetings.
Up to the present the attendance has been small, but other Protestant missionaries tell us we have no reason to be discouraged from this fact, as it always requires some time to become acquainted with the people and gain their confidence. The latter is quite necessary from the fact that the falsehoods of the Catholic clergy would naturally lead the people to regard all Protestant work with suspicion. Besides, the fact that the people generally depend on the church for matrimonial ceremonies as well as for the burial of the dead, and the threat that these will be denied them if they attend a Protestant service, rather tends to deter them from coming out. It will no doubt require a patient, persistent effort to get the truth before this neighborhood.
The value of music as an auxiliary in a public effort is generally recognized, and especially is it effective among the Cubans. It serves as an attraction. What is needed at present is an organ for our first public meeting place in Cuba, and we believe that some one will feel it a privilege to help us in this regard. If there is any one who could donate a second-hand organ for this purpose, will he please correspond with the undersigned, giving description of organ and present condition?
