Finding the Bread by John Norton Loughborough

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D.C. · Jan 11, 1906

Finding the Bread

By John Norton Loughborough

J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH

“CAST thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” Eccl. 11:1.

The bread in this text is understood to mean the truth found in the Word of the Lord, which is to be scattered abroad, like the sowing of seed upon the running waters, which bear it away from sight, and apparently to the sower it is lost. But the seed lodges on the banks, takes root, and, springing up, bears fruit which may be found “after many days.”

Reading, in the REVIEW of December 14, Brother Tanner’s report of the work in Hayti, brought the Scripture already quoted forcibly to mind. Brother Tanner says that some one in Southampton, England, about twenty-four years ago, sent papers and tracts to the agent of the steamship company at Cape Haitien. It may be of interest to our readers to know by whom and how the papers happened to be sent to that port.

In the summer of 1879, when we held our first tent-meeting in England, on Shirley Road, Southampton, Brother J. N. Andrews came from America, and was with us at Southampton three months. He was accompanied by his niece, Edith Andrews, and Annie Oyer, who were going to Basel, Switzerland, to help in the mission work. Brother Andrews was in a delicate condition of health, and was therefore unable to assist in the meetings, and, in fact, was not able to complete the journey to Basel, so they tarried with us. The house we then occupied being quite small, we engaged lodgings for Edith and Sister Oyer at the home of Mr. Nippard, a near neighbor, with whom Elder Ings had formed a slight acquaintance in his tract distribution work.

Mr. Nippard’s family formed a very friendly acquaintance with these lodgers, and as Brother Ings studied the Bible with him, he readily drank in the truth, and expressed a desire to do all he could to help it along, although he did not then see his way clear to keep the Sabbath. He was what is called a “ship keeper” for the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company, which sailed its steamers from Southampton to some eighty seaports in the East and West Indies, Africa, and Central America.

When the steamer was made fast at the docks, the officers and crew of the vessel were released until the next sailing of the vessel, the discharging of the cargo and reloading of the vessel being placed in the hands of stevedores. The ship keeper had charge of the vessel, and lodged upon it nights. As Mr. Nippard became interested in the truth, he did much to aid Brother Ings in his ship-mission work.

Finally he said to Brother Ings, “I can help you send your papers and tracts to other ports if you will furnish them. I can do it on this wise: parcels are placed in my hands to give to the purser of the vessel, directed to the steamer agents at ports where the ship calls. You furnish a little roll of your papers and tracts directed to the agent at any of the ports you may select. Place in the roll a letter asking him to hand the papers and tracts to any who might be interested in them. In this manner you may do much to spread abroad the reading-matter.”

We heeded Mr. Nippard’s advice. At that time we were receiving one thousand copies weekly of The Signs of the Times from America. We would make a roll of a few Signs, tracts, and papers in other languages. On our papyrograph I prepared a carefully worded letter. In this the agent was not only asked to circulate the enclosed documents, but to reply, informing us whether more reading-matter was desired, and in what language.

It was among the packages thus sent that the roll of papers, tracts, and a letter went to Cape Haitien. From this venture on Hayti we received no reply, and Brother Tanner’s letter, “after many days,” is the first knowledge I have had concerning the result of that seed sowing.

In a similar manner we sent parcels to a large portion of the eighty seaports. We had responses from several of them, as Durban, Natal, East London, and Maritzburg, South Africa, and Georgetown, Demerara, British Guiana. From some of these places we had replies expressing a desire for more reading-matter, and to these we sent parcels several times.

In 1896, when I was in Southampton, England, I called upon Mr. Nippard. His companion was with the silent dead. He was settled on a pension from the steamship company. He was in feeble health, but was kindly cared for by his daughter. With tears he would speak of his association with Elder Ings. The reading that he most of all prized was the weekly visits of the Present Truth from London. In the year 1900, when I again visited Southampton, I inquired for Mr. Nippard. The dear old gentleman had passed away, probably living up to what light he had. I have given this brief rehearsal to encourage others to cast bread upon the waters.

Mountain View, Cal.