ALMA, MICHIGAN, CAMP-MEETING.
By James White
THE camp-meeting held at Alma, Gratiot county, Mich., August 5-10, has been one of the best ever held in the State. There were thirty-six tents on the ground, including the large chapel tent, 50x76, the one partitioned for families, the book-stand, the provision stand, and the dining hall. On the Sabbath, the large tent was crowded with brethren and sisters gathered mostly from Gratiot and adjacent counties. The services were solemn and profitable. At the close of Mrs. White's discourse Sabbath afternoon, two rows of seats, running the entire length of the tent, were vacated to receive penitents. And while these seats were being filled by backsliders and those who had made no profession of faith in Christ, the time was also occupied with testimonies of deep interest from those who were seeking the Lord. This service continued with unabating interest till 5 P. M., when more than an hour was spent in social meetings in the tents. And at 6 o'clock the large congregation was seated in order, the seekers occupying the center seats; but this division of the congregation was now greatly increased, showing that the good work had enlarged in the family tent meetings. Sunday forenoon the audience listened with the closest attention to the writer on the subject of Christ in the Old and New Testaments. The order was excellent. We never spoke to a more orderly, intelligent, and earnestly interested people. This meeting has favorably tested the candid people of Alma and vicinity. The railroads failed to fulfill their promises to run excursion trains, for which the managers of the meeting, and the speakers, felt grateful, as there were no seats, and no need of those who might come on the Sunday trains to have a good time in their way. Mrs. W. spoke to a crowd in the afternoon, nearly half of whom stood upon their feet in the heat and dust for more than an hour. She had been upon the slow train from California nine days when she reached Battle Creek. There she stopped off one train, and we passed on to Jackson the evening of the 4th, and Thursday, the 5th, we reached the Alma camp-ground. To-day, the 9th, Mrs. W. is prostrated with exhaustion and fever. As we write, at 7 P. M., she is improving, and we are preparing to take the train to-morrow at 6 A. M. Before us are the camp-meetings for Canada, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Indiana, and Battle Creek, Mich. May the Lord go before us to prepare the way, and go with us in this work.
J. W.