Earlier text: Yet Once MoreAmong the Churches.
By W. M. Healey
I SPENT one week at Placerville, and held ten meetings with the company there, which now numbers thirteen that have signed the covenant. One of these was added while I was with them. Seven were added to the T. and M. Society. We had some very interesting meetings there, and regretted the necessity of closing them so soon. At Sacramento we held eight meetings, with the appearance of some good. March 10, 11, we held four meetings at Vacaville, and one person signed the covenant. Monday, the 12th, we gave a temperance lecture at Binghamton, and on the 13th gave one in the Baptist Church in Dixon, which was well attended. Last Sabbath and first-day we spent at St. Helena, preaching four times; and here, as in all the places we have visited, there seemed to be a demand for further meetings, as there have been at least a few whose interest has increased as the meetings have progressed. Petaluma, March 22, 1883. W. M. HEALEY. The St. Louis Republican in a recent reference to the Hon. J. B. Grinnell, of Iowa, states that that gentleman was the young man to whom Horace Greeley gave the oft-quoted advice, “Go West, young man, go West.” The Republican gives a very interesting sketch of Mr. Grinnell's career, from the time when he purchased a tract of land in Iowa and founded the city of Grinnell. He has been a preacher, a farmer, a lawyer, a railroad receiver, a college president, a State Senator, a college trustee and a member of Congress. He said of himself: “When I took Horace Greeley's advice—by the way I am having his famous letter photographed—I had purchased a large tract of land, but not from mercenary motives. My first business was to lay out a town; and I determined that no intoxicating liquors should be sold there, and up to this time I may say that not one drop of ardent spirits has ever been sold upon that tract of land. I began three miles away from any house, and three years ago, when we had our quarter-centennial celebration, no fire had desolated a human habitation, no man had found his way to the poor-house, not one had gone to the jail, and not one to the State Prison. And happening to be Mayor of the city for the past two years, I will say there was only one person brought before me and fined for drunkenness.” Why Smart Boys Do Not Learn Trades.
By Editor
Under the above heading, a New York paper speaks as follows concerning an evil that is too common. We commend it especially to the careful perusal of the young:— The question of the hour with parents is, What shall we do with the boys? "Give them trades," the judicious family adviser says—there is always a judicious adviser inside or outside of every family, who suggests impossible things, but who never goes farther than that. "A trade," the judicious adviser continues, "is always something to fall back upon. It is a crutch or a staff, as you please. You can lean wholly on it or use it only occasionally when other means fail. Every boy ought to have a trade." The judicious adviser stops there. If the boy is consulted, as he generally is, he will object to the drudgery of a trade. He has been "educated," and he wants to head-work, not hand-work. The American parent, trembling before the lad's stern aspect, timidly remarks that even with the inestimable benefit of a public-school education, the youthful book-keeper does not always succeed in marrying his employer's daughter—and succeeding to the business. There are not heiresses enough to supply the demand; and, though the young American may be able to "bound" Alaska with his eyes shut, and explain the properties of protoplasm, he will find himself no better off than the thousands of "educated" clerks who every year valiantly take their pens in hand to seek the rare heiress in her native lair. American boys are disinclined to learn trades; and employers do not want them. A vicious system of education has induced our young men to hold that it is best for a man to live by his wits. Their intolerable conceit is beaten down only when they find that serviceable wits are as rare as the illusive heiress. The dignity of labor of which religion gives us the knowledge, is little felt in this country. The example of St. Joseph, toiling serenely at his bench, helped by our blessed Lord, does not lead the handcrafts-men of our day to feel that the yoke of labor is sweet and easy to bear. Labor, with Christian contentment, is not a curse; it is a consolation. The American boy—of course there are exceptions to this rule—does not know the meaning of contentment. "Excelsior" is his motto; he wants to climb on somebody else's ladder. He does not think of constructing a ladder for himself. That would not be "smart." And, of all detestable qualities, American "smartness," "cute-ness," "crookedness," is the most detestable. Yet the judicious adviser and the family consider it a trait to be cultivated. Little Jack Horner, who sat in a corner and pulled a plum out of his own Christmas pie, was not a smart boy at all. He was a stupid English boy. Our Jack Horner would have pulled the plum out of his brother's pie, and would have been applauded by an admiring family for his "smartness." The ordinary boy is too "smart" to learn a trade. When he has found an employer who is not prevented by a trades' union from taking him, he begins his voluntary apprenticeship by spoiling as much work as he can. When he has learned the rudiments of the trade and become of use to his employer, he determines to go it alone. Hence we have plumbers who are ruinous, cabinet-makers who are competent to make the showy furniture which adorns the auction-rooms, shoemakers who cannot compete with machinery, printers whose "proofs" are temptations of the devil to the patient editor, book-binders who are capable of putting mottled paper on a black-letter tome—and a crew of muddled, half-taught craftsmen, masters of no craft, and without one spark of interest or pride in their work. Who mends your watch? A German. Who makes shoes that will not let in water? A German. And so on. If you want a table made after the solid fashion of a hundred years ago, will you easily find any man to do it? A dozen men will offer to make "one that will look just as well." If you pay them for doing this you will lose your money. The carpenter bred in this country can make doors or fit in sashes already made by machinery, but show him an original plan and ask him to do any task which requires nicety of judgment and complete skill, he will smile at you in his superior way and "guess" that you will not find a man to do it. To get a simple book-shelf made after a model that you have seen, is a difficult matter and a costly one. The carpenter who will do it at last will prove to have been trained abroad. The reasons why we have few skilled artisans are that our boys are too impatient of restraint and too anxious to use a superficial knowledge; that manual labor is not considered "genteel"; that neither parents nor children will submit to a long term of apprenticeship, and that employers cannot take the risk of giving work to boys who will leave them almost as soon as they can drive a nail or put a rivet in with neatness. The employer does not care to give his assistants the attention he gave them under the old patriarchal system of apprenticeship, which was the means of turning out American mechanics worthy of the name. It was a rough old system, capable of abuses, but it helped to make men. The apprentice of those days did not smoke as many cigars or wear such heavy watch chains as the youthful autocrat who condescends to work does now. He had not so much time for displays of "hoodlumism" on street-corners. He was not always well fed, and sometimes he ran away, and his master offered a shilling reward for him in one of the prints of the day. Nevertheless, he knew his trade thoroughly, and when the term was over, acquired a home and throve exceedingly. "There was no machinery then." No. But who will buy machine-made shoes to-day, if he has a skilled workman to make shoes for him? If it is a toss-up between a high-priced and unskillful workman and a low-priced and fairly skillful machine, it is "heads" for the machine every time. Skill pays. Any work will produce just as much as you put into it—no more; and machinery can never drive the disciplined hand out of employment. The omnipresent chromo did not fill the place of the picture made by hands. The sewing-machine has its limitations; and the seamstress who is especially deft with her needle need not fear that it will take away her occupation. The buisness of the world will never be run by automata. He who performs the work of each moment with his whole might need not fear that the world will have no use for him. SQUIRE JOHNSON was a model lawyer, as the anecdote will show. Jones once rushed into the squire's office in a great passion, and said: "That scoundrel of a cobbler, Smith, has sued me for five dollars for a pair of boots." "Then you owe him five dollars." "To be sure I do, but he's gone and sued me—sued me!" "Then why don't you pay him, if you owe him?" "Because he sued me; when a man does that I'll never pay him till it costs him more than he gets. I want you to make it cost him all you can." "But it will cost you something too." "I don't care for that. What do you charge to begin with?" "Ten dollars, and more if there is much extra trouble." "All right. There's the X. Now go ahead." No sooner was the client gone than Squire Johnson stepped across to his neighbor, Smith, and offered to pay the bill on condition that the suit was withdrawn. The shoemaker gladly accepted—all he wanted was his pay. The lawyer retained the other five for his fee, and as the case was not troublesome, he made no demand upon his client. Ten days after, Jones came to see how his case was getting on. "All right," said the lawyer; "you won't have any trouble about that. I put it to Smith so strongly that he was glad to withdraw the suit altogether." "Capital!" cried out the exulting Jones. "You have done it brown! You shall have all my business hereafter." LIVE for something, be not idle,
Look about thee for employ,
Sit not down to empty dreaming;
Labor is the sweetest joy.
Folded hands are ever weary,
Selfish hearts are never gay;
Life for thee hath many duties—
Active be, then, while you may. Scatter blessings in thy pathway.
Gentle words and cheering smiles
Better are than gold or silver,
With their grief-dispelling wiles.
As a pleasant sunshine falleth
Ever on the grateful earth,
So let sympathy and kindness
Gladden well the darkened hearth. Hearts there are oppressed and weary,
Drop the tear of sympathy;
Whisper words of hope and comfort;
Give and thy reward shall be
Joy unto thy soul returning
From the perfect Fountain-head;
Freely as thou freely givest
Shall the grateful light be shed. Frightening Children to Sleep.
A LADY overheard her nurse-girl the other night talking to the little child she was putting to sleep, and among other legends of the nursery in which she indulged was this:— "If you don't go right to sleep this very minute, a big, awful black bear, with eyes like coals of fire, and sharp, white, cruel teeth, will come out from under the bed and e-a-t y-o-u a-l-l u-p!" The poor little thing nestled down under the clothes, and after a long season of terror fell asleep to dream frightful dreams of horrid bears eating her up. That night when the stolid nurse had composed herself in her own comfortable bed and put the light out, there came a sudden rap at the door, and the voice of the mistress called loudly through the panels:— "Maggie! Maggie! for mercy sake get up as quick as you can! There's a fearful burglar under your bed, and as soon as you get asleep he's coming out to rob and murder you!" At the word burglar she sprang screaming from the bed, tore open the door and fell in hysterics into the hall. The lesson was even more instructive than the mistress had designed; but when the girl's fear was calmed she said to her:— "You did not hesitate to tell my little delicate child, who could not possibly know that it was a lie, a cruel story of a bear under her bed; now, when I treat you to the same kind of slumber-story, you are nearly frightened to death. Tomorrow you can go into the kitchen and work—you are not fit to care for little children." How many children are there who, every night of their lives, are frightened to sleep?—Selected. A SERPENT AMONG THE BOOKS.
A gentleman in India went into his library one day, and took a book from the shelves. As he did so, he felt a slight pain in his finger like the prick of a pin. He thought that a pin had been stuck by some careless person in the cover of the book. But soon his finger began to swell, then his arm, then his whole body, and in a few days he died. It was not a pin among the books, but a small and deadly serpent. There are many serpents among the books nowadays. They nestle in the foliage of some of our most fascinating literature; they coil around the flowers whose perfume intoxicates the senses. We read, we are charmed by the plot of the story, by the skill with which the characters are sculptured or grouped, by the gorgeousness of the word painting—we hardly feel the pin-prick of the evil that is insinuated. But it stings and poisons us. Even “Daniel Deronda,” the most brilliant work of the most brilliant lady writer of the day, is full of little serpents. When the record of ruined souls is made up, on what multitudes will be inscribed: “Poisoned by the serpents among the books.”—Ex. Good manners is an art of making those people easy with whom we converse; whoever makes the fewest persons weary is the best-bred man in company. A QUIET conscience causes a quiet sleep. Religious Notes.
By Editor
- The corner-stone of a new American church has just been laid in Dresden, Germany.
- English newspapers report that the Emperor of China has ordered the closing of the Buddhist temples in that country, on account of the immorality and superstition which they encourage.
- It is reported that the English Society for the Suppression of Blasphemous Literature proposes to prosecute Tyndall, Huxley, Spencer, and others, who are alleged to have disseminated unbelief.
- The Boston Journal says: "The formula for making a popular preacher is, one-third voice and personal presence, one-third sensational selection of topics, and one-third heresy. These proportions may be a little varied to suit different communities."
- The Baltimore Conference of the M. E. Church has adopted resolutions condemning the carrying of the mails on Sunday, the running of cars, the publishing and reading of secular newspapers, and all camp-meeting associations that receive rebate from Sunday railroad travel.
- A member of the English company of revisers of the Old Testament says that the work is delayed by the cropping up of a number of little questions which cannot be settled at once, and are reserved for further consideration. One of these is whether the name of God shall be rendered "Jehovah" or "Lord."
- The Methodist Episcopal Church South, reports an increase in every item of its statistics save one, for the past year. Traveling preachers, 3,736; increase, 32. White members, 861,244; increase, 16,887. Colored members, 1,030; increase, 37. Indian members, 5,111; decrease, 340. Infants baptized, 27,205; adults baptized, 38,832. Sunday-school scholars, 483,426; increase, 21,105. Collections for missions, $207,759; increase, $43,272.
- A new religious movement has started in Russia, which is spreading very rapidly. It is stated that the new religion is very simple, the gospels being taken as its foundation; that the movement in its fervor, and the vehement earnestness is much like that of the sweep of Methodism in this country. The national authorities are not unfavorable to it, as it is opposed in everything to the doctrine of destruction preached by the nihilists. It is already a recognized force in national development.
- A missionary of the American Sunday-school Union in Kentucky, reports 35 new schools organized by him in ten months with 192 teachers and 1,519 scholars. As an illustration of this work he mentions a place in a mountain county which had no Sunday-school or other public religious service until he went there and organized a school, when they built a cheap school-house, and in less than six months they had preaching; then a church of 23 members was organized, and now they have a beautiful church building.
- There are all sorts of churches nowadays. One is soon to be organized in New York on the basis of pure Theism, as it is called. The leader of the movement has been at work for several years on what he terms "The Sacred Scriptures of the World," which he describes as "an expurgated edition of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, to which are added characteristic selections from the other bibles or sacred writings of the world." The rite of baptism (sprinkling, probably) is to be retained as a "symbol of purity," and the Lord's Supper is to be replaced by a "memorial supper," participation in which is to symbolize communion with the pure souls of history, Jesus being chief. We should term it a Semi-infidel club.
- The Christian at Work, speaking of the New Criticism, utters the following truth: "But the real need of the church is not scholarship, but a revival of the Spirit in the hearts and lives of men. That is the need of to-day, the crying need of the hour. And without underrating what is being done in the field of Higher Criticism or in the prevalent discussion of various problems in religion, whoever shall show the church how best to extend its work, and how most surely to revive true religion through the length and breadth of the land, will be doing more than the critics are doing, and surpass the best efforts of the lecture platform."
- The Christian at Work, speaking of the work of Rev. Jacob Freshman among the Jews of New York, many of whom have accepted Christianity, says: "It is often a matter of astonishment how much more clearly than others, oftentimes, those converts from Judaism see the connection between the old and the new dispensation, and the identity of Jesus with the Messiah expected by the Jews, and the clearness with which they can trace him as the Shiloh of whom Jacob prophesied, the Christ of the prophets." To us it is no matter of astonishment at all. But it is a matter of astonishment that, acquainted as they are with the work of the sanctuary, they do not, in accepting Christianity, see the application of some things which their Christian brethren have not yet thought of.
- Just before Easter the Occident said: "Next Sabbath [Sunday] Christians will celebrate the resurrection of our Saviour. There is no doubt that this is the true anniversary of that great and joyous event. He was crucified on Friday of the Jewish passion week. That fell upon the full month of the vernal equinox. During the Sabbath after the full moon, our Saturday, Jesus lay in the tomb. On the first day of the week our Sunday, he rose from the dead; just 1850 years ago according to the chronology in the margins of our Bibles." We quote this in order that all may have it to paste in some convenient place to refer to when the Occident or some other religious journal, shall claim, as they all do, that "there has been so much time lost that we can't tell when the Sabbath comes, anyway." There is no day so hard to locate as the seventh day of the week.
- Charles S. Robinson, D. D., in an article in the S. S. Times on "Want of Genuineness," says: "We have made manifest progress in some things, but the ordinary gatherings of the various communities on the Lord's day have degenerated much from the elevated practice of our fathers. We have greatly lost in reverence, and it is to be feared that we have not gained in spirituality. There is a demand for entertainments of music, eloquence, and ritual, which does not even pretend to spare the old forms of simplicity in devotion. Some churches have fallen into the habit of discussing whether it is not as essential for the success of a congregation that it should have an edifice showy in architecture as it is for an insurance company; for what attracts customers would win pew-holders too. In a few places and neighborhoods, which might be discovered in many of our large towns, it is likely there is more lying unto God done on the first day of the week than in all the rest of it put together—if ungenuineness is lying."
- Do "orthodox" ministers and popular religious journals generally believe that all poetry is false, and not to be depended upon? The reason we ask is this: In the Psalms and Proverbs, and the book of Job, we find it stated very plainly that man is mortal, that the dead know not anything, are asleep, unconscious, etc. To our mind this testimony is conclusive; but when we quote it, we are met with the remark, "Oh, yes, but those books are poetical." Now the Christian Union, in answer to a question as to the results of Adam's transgression, says that "the interpretation of the first chapters of Genesis is an unsolved problem in Biblical theology." In short, they are poetry, and nothing definite can be known as to what they mean. Now we do not profess to be a critic, but they do not read like poetry, and even if they are, may they not be true? Were Bryant and Longfellow unreliable men? Is Whittier a writer of falsehoods? Did Moses make wild, incoherent statements when he wrote poetry, and tell sober truth when he wrote prose? Or taking the Christian Union theory of the "unsolved problem," why is it not solved? Men spend many years in the study of literature, that they may understand what great minds have produced. Would it not be well to apply a little common sense to the solution of the first chapters of Genesis? But after all, we are of the opinion that it is not common sense that is lacking in this case. What is it?
-Two thousand infantry have been ordered to protect the public buildings of London. -Postmaster-General Howe died at Kenosha, Wis., on the 25th inst., of a sudden attack of pneumonia. -A party of Cree Indians in Montana are on a marauding expedition, stampeding and murdering stock. -The loss to those dependent on the fisheries at Gloucester, Mass., by the Wiggins' storm scare will reach $125,000. -In Chicago "incompatibility of temper" is a legal ground of divorce, and the proportion of divorces to marriages is 5 per cent. -The body of John Howard Payne, author of "Home, Sweet Home," has arrived in New York, and is to be interred in Washington. -VIENNA, March 25.—Volcanic ashes have been falling at Drontheim, Norway. It is supposed an eruption of Mount Hecla has occurred. -The immigration from Germany to the United States has fallen off 16,860 for last year. In 1881 there came over 210,547, against 193,687 in 1882. -All the members of the Armagh Assassination Society, thirteen in all, on trial at Belfast, Ireland, for conspiracy to murder, have been convicted. -The commander of the U. S. steamer Ashuelot, which was recently lost at sea with most of her crew, has been court martialed for neglect of duty. -Several localities at the foot of Mount Ararat have been destroyed by snow avalanches. It is stated that 150 persons have been killed and 100 injured. -The greatest flood ever known there is prevailing in Nova Scotia. Railroad communication is interrupted, and much property has been destroyed. -An eruption of Mt. Etna, accompanied by an earthquake, has caused quite a panic in the vicinity of the mountains. Several houses were shaken down. -Frauds have been discovered in the Russian Postal Department to the amount of 400,000 roubles. We do not believe that the defaulters will receive so much favor as is shown our star-route thieyes. -Patton, the brakeman on the train that was wrecked at Tehachepi, has been acquitted of all responsibility for the disaster. The blame is placed upon the managers of the road, who neglected to provide sufficient help. -Donations to the Irish Agitation Fund are increasing since the London explosion. O'Donovan Roosa, of New York says that a gentleman has offered him $10,000, on condition that it should be used in blowing up the houses of Parliament. -Car wheels have already been made of paper, and it is announced that a western road is about to make a trial of paper rails. It is claimed that these rails are not subject to atmospheric changes, are more durable than steel, and can be made at one-third less cost. -The Mormon delegates to Congress are now at home, boasting of the success with which they retarded legislation so as to defeat Edmond's anti-polygamy measures. Cannon said that the Lord was now with the saints, and they would continue to grow and spread over the country. -The Apaches are again on the war-path, murdering and pillaging according to their custom. Their outrages as yet have been mostly over the border, in Mexico; but as they care little whom they kill, the people of Arizona are becoming alarmed, and are preparing to defend themselves. -A telegram last week from the South said: "A Presiding Elder of the Mormon Church is in Chattanooga, Tenn., arranging for the emigration of converts to Utah. There are now ninety missionaries at work in the South, and he says the annual number of converts is 700; 150 will emigrate next week." -Business at Erzeroum is at a stand-still, consequent on the movement of Russians in the Caucasus. The growing opinion is that a Russo-Turkish conflict is imminent. The Armenians are tired of the indifference shown by Great Britain to their wrongs, and would welcome Russian occupation. The Russians along the frontier number 100,000. -The long-delayed rain has at last come, and California farmers are rejoicing. The rain was quite general throughout the State. Although it came too late to insure a full crop of wheat, it will help it much, and the amount harvested will probably be not much less than usual, owing to the increased acreage; a larger crop of fruit is expected than ever before. -The Governor of Moscow has received a letter warning him that the Kremlin, where the Czar is to be crowned, will be blown up during the coronation ceremony if the Czar refuses to grant a Constitution. Two dynamite mines have been discovered in St. Petersburg, and forty persons arrested. The number of arrests in one week was 200. The Government has resolved to expel all Italians without permanent occupation. -It has been thought a wonderful thing that from 2,000 to 3,000 persons would assemble in Boston to hear Joseph Cook lecture on subjects relating to religion. It was thought that the mass of the people were really interested in religion. But the following telegram tells the other side of the story: "The largest crowd ever brought together by any exhibition of the kind in this city attended the benefit to-night of John L. Sullivan in the Charitable Mechanics' Fair Building. There were 18,000 people present. The street before the entrance to the building was densely packed and thousands were turned away, it being impossible to gain admittance. The crowd in the main, though impulsive, was quiet, and the police had little labor in preserving order." Joseph Cook and religion are not to be mentioned in the same day with Sullivan and a Prize fight. Cook is entirely eclipsed. -The Alta California makes the case of a young ruffian of San Francisco, who was recently arrested for a desperate assault with intent to rob, and who has, within ten years, been convicted on seven different charges, a text for an article on the "Rights of Society," in which the following just sentiments are expressed: "A penal system which punishes professional criminals by a few months or years of imprisonment and then turns them loose, until they are detected in fresh offenses against the laws and the peace of the State, fails in the first essential of justice. It does not protect society. It sacrifices the good of the many for that of a few criminals who have forfeited their safe passport and placed themselves on the same level, in respect to rights, with wild animals and poisonous serpents. We have no patience with a system which, on the precarious chance of the repentance of one professional criminal, jeopardizes the safety of a hundred thousand people. Professional criminals should be treated as are other evils that afflict society—such as small-pox, malaria, and leprosy. Absolute removal is the only remedy, and not temporary abatement." BICE.—Alice, daughter of S. C. and A. Bice, died in Potter Valley, Mendocino County, of brain fever, March 2, aged three years, four months, and sixteen days. Brother J. S. Hunter, leader of the Potter Valley Sabbath-keepers, took charge of the brief funeral cermony, and loving hands laid the dear little sleeper away. Brother and Sister Bice, who have been walking in the light of present truth only a few months, are comforted in their sore affliction by anticipations of that bright day when the sleeping children of God's people shall be restored to them in the land where there are no more tears. Return to California.
By W. C. White
SATURDAY night, February 17, I left Battle Creek on my way towards home. I stopped four days in Chicago, where I was joined by Bro. H. W. Kellogg, who rendered valuable assistance in the selection of carpets for our Healdsburg College boarding-house, and the purchase of some new and improved machinery for the Pacific Press bindery. Thursday, on the way to Omaha, I stopped at Davenport to see Sister Lizzie Hornby, Secretary of the Iowa Tract Society. This society has arisen during the last four years from being one of the most discouraged, to one of the strongest and most active. It has taken the lead in some branches of work during the last two years. But this winter less has been done than formerly, probably because no State meeting has been held since the General Conference. Sister Hornby does not have the encouragement and assistance which many State Secretaries enjoy who live where there is a large church and a strong Vigilant Society. Sabbath, February 24, I spent with Eld. Cudney at Fremont, Neb. In many respects this is a prosperous Conference. The people of this State are industrious, economical, and thrifty. Our brethren seem earnest, and determined not to lack in any good work. They are now planning the establishment of a denominational school. The brethren in this State seem to have some opportunities which older States do not offer, and if they move cautiously, I believe they will be prospered. In this I do not refer to financial success, for I am very doubtful whether any of these State schools can pay their way without help from the Conference, or donations from the brethren who prize the value of education. At Omaha I met Bro. Wilton Smith, who will labor a year at the Pacific Press as stenographer. We purchased third-class tickets by way of Denver, Pueblo, Deming, and Los Angeles, for we wished to stop at Denver and Los Angeles. Thursday I spent at the home of Eld. E. R. Jones, Boulder, Colorado. This new Conference is composed of some earnest souls who embraced the truth in Colorado, and a larger number of brethren who have moved in from the East. It is not an easy field to labor in. Many of the people are transient, being tourists, prospectors, or speculators, and a smaller proportion seem to be interested in religious truths than in some other new States. I believe the work will be most rapidly advanced in this State by the thorough organization and renewed efforts of the missionary forces. Our long, tiresome journey from Denver to Oakland was made as pleasant as possible. We had the best of company in our car, and received much more courteous treatment from the railroad employees than on a similar trip one year ago. I reached home the morning of March 10, and found my family and friends in good health. The three and a half months of my absence have been a very busy time at the Pacific Press. The SIGNS is more widely circulated than ever before, and our subscription books have been meeting with a favorable reception. We hope to see much good done by our colporteurs and canvassers. Of course my absence has thrown additional labor upon others, especially C. H. Jones and W. K. Vickery, but aside from the injustice done them by this additional burden, I cannot see that the work has suffered from my absence. It is a pleasure to be connected with the faithful workers at the Pacific Press. At Healdsburg we find the school just commencing the spring term. All of the teachers are of good courage, and are doing faithful work. Professor Brownsberger is in much better health than last fast. It was a pleasant surprise to see several brethren at the school who have felt that they should fit themselves for usefulness in missionary work, but who have been hindered heretofore by unfavorable circumstances. The boarding-house is nearly plastered, and the work of finishing is well under way. We are very much pleased with the building and the way it has been constructed. It is plain in appearance, but commodious and substantial. It will be finished in time to furnish during the summer vacation, and will be opened at the commencement of the fall term in July. We find that the industrious sisters of the Healdsburg church, and some of the students, have anticipated the wants of the boarding-house, and at no small sacrifice to themselves, have met each Sunday in the large new attic to make bedding for the house, and comfortables, sheets, and pillows have multiplied rapidly under their hands. The Sabbath-school and church have outgrown the measure of the Healdsburg meeting-house and occupy at present the college chapel. To-morrow we return to Oakland to resume our work at the Pacific Press, and to prepare for the annual meeting in April. W. C. WHITE. Healdsburg, March 25, 1883. No Danger from Drouth.
By Editor
JUST as people were getting very uneasy over the long-continued dry weather, a prominent gentleman of California gave his opinion to a reporter, and relieves the situation as follows:— “The grape, of course, thrives well in just the kind of weather prevailing, and a good crop is assured. Wine and brandy are getting to be great staples. We look for better business from this source. I do not apprehend any shortage this year in the aggregate crops. The crops of wines and brandies will more than make up for the shortage of the grain crop.” To be sure. What have we been worrying about? As long as our “staples” are assured, we ought to be willing to dispense with the luxuries. Hereafter when dry weather threatens the grain crop, the California laborer can console himself with the thought that if bread and potatoes are excessively dear, he can get all the brandy he wants at reasonable rates. THE drouth, so long continued, and which was already having a depressing effect on business in California, was broken on Sunday night. Much wheat that looked badly will no doubt recover. In the soil and climate of California wheat will bear almost as much hardship as weeds, and we now look for a fair crop. Reports of the fruit prospect are favorable, business will now revive generally. In Oakland there is more building being done this season than at any other time for several years. The principal improvements noticeable in San Francisco are in the line of laying cables for street cars. The work on these is fast progressing on Market, Mc-Allister, and some other streets. Babylonian Church Work.
By Editor
A DAILY of San Francisco has the following:— "Under the auspices of the young people of the Howard-street M. E. Church a 'lunch-basket social' will be given in the lecture-rooms of the church on the 30th inst. A unique feature will be an auction sale of lunch baskets. Each lady who attends is expected to bring a basket, with a lunch sufficient for two, and deposit it, with her name inclosed, in the ante-room. At the time signified the auctioneer will dispose of each basket to the highest bidder, the gentleman purchasing a basket being obliged to invite the owner to assist him to demolish the contents." Such sociables have been tried in churches in other places with much success, having been productive of—lots of fun, and brought funds into the treasury of the Lord! The incongruous mixing of partners makes the affair ludicrous, which is supposed to greatly promote devotional feelings, and add to the interest of the next prayer-meeting. The Methodist is a great denomination. The reputation of Wesley and Fletcher and plenty of mirth-provoking sociables are enough to give "standing" to any body of Christians. Valuable for Writers.
By S. N. Haskell
Persons who write much appreciate nothing more than a good pen; and this we are confident can ever be found in Purdy’s “Ever Ready Pen.” About three months ago, Eld. Whitney and myself called on Mr. Purdy, of New York City, and each of us purchased one of his pens for trial. I had previously tried the stylographic, and other fountain pens, until I had become much prejudiced against anything of the kind. After using Mr. Purdy’s pen a while, we called the attention of some of our leading brethren to it, and the result has been the purchase of over two hundred pens. In every instance, so far as we know, they have proved satisfactory to those who have purchased; and persons using them are unwilling to part with them for much more than their cost. First, it is made of a superior quality of gold, sixteen carats fine, and by a man who has had twenty-seven years experience in the business, six years of which he was employed in perfecting this particular pen. Second, the arrangement for feeding the pen with ink is such that by removing the cap from the point it is, as its name implies, “ever ready” for writing. Third, it can be carried in the pocket without the slightest danger of inking the clothes. Fourth, it will write for ten consecutive hours without re-filling; and the arrangement for re-filling is very simple. Fifth, each pen is warranted. The pen is now for sale at the Pacific Press, Oakland, Cal., Review and Herald, Battle Creek, Mich., and the New England T. and M. Depository at South Lancaster, Mass. The price of the pen is $4.00; with case, $4.25. It will be sent, post-paid, by mail from Pacific Press, or South Lancaster, Mass.
S. N. HASKELL. We cannot state the definite time that this meeting will be held, or the exact locality, but can say that it will commence either the 4th or 10th of May, and will be held in Tulare County. Brethren Harvey Gray, Peter Scatzghini, and W. R. Smith, have been appointed a camp-meeting committee, and as soon as they can decide on the locality more definite notice will be given. We hope all the brethren and sisters of Fresno and Tulare Counties will arrange to be there, and quite a number from Los Angeles. We expect Elders Haskell, Waggoner, and Sister White, will be on the list of speakers that will attend. S. N. HASKELL,
I. D. VAN HORN,
M. C. ISRAEL, } Cal. Conf. Committee. Oakland Church Annual Meeting
By William N. Glenn
PURSUANT to the statutes of the State of California, and the by-laws of the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Oakland, the annual meeting of the members of said church will be held at the church building, corner of 13th and Clay Streets, on Wednesday evening, April 4, 1883, at 7 o’clock P. M., for the purpose of electing a board of five trustees to serve for the ensuing year; and for the transaction of such other business as may be properly brought before the meeting. The attendance of all members in the city will be necessary, in order that business may be legally transacted.