p. 101 | SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND by John Norton Loughborough

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Mar 4, 1880

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND.

By John Norton Loughborough

SINCE the organization of our National T. and M. Society the members are taking hold of the work in earnest, both in loaning tracts from house to house, and in sending Signs by post. We see so many cases where even a single copy of the paper has raised an interest, that we are encouraged, and stimulated to push on in the distribution of the SIGNS.

A few days since I received a letter from Scotland, from a lady there who wished books. This led to correspondence. She has already purchased Thoughts on Daniel, Thoughts on Revelation, the bound book on the Sanctuary, Spiritualism, Three Messages, Matt. 24, as well as various tracts. The way she first saw the paper or heard of us was as follows: Some missionary worker (either here or in America,) had sent copies of the Signs to a man in Scotland. He perused them himself, but kept them under lock and key "for fear his family might see them." He sent them to this lady for her perusal, and asking her opinion on them. She read and returned them as requested, but in one of them she saw a notice of our depository at Ravenswood. She now receives the paper from us and circulates it among her friends, and is intensely interested in reading our books. I was informed by Sr. Chapman, that Sr. Helen Morse had contributed ten dollars to be invested in tracts here for distribution. We are thankful for it, and the first 1,500 pages of the lot we have sent to the above mentioned lady in Scotland for distribution among her friends.

A brother who embraced the truth here, but who is now living in one of the northern counties is actively engaged in loaning and distributing tracts and papers. They were purchased and sent to him for this purpose by one of our interested English readers. So steadily, the way is opening.

The steward and his wife, mentioned in former reports, have joined our T. and M. Society, and now take a supply of tracts and papers with them each trip. With these they do missionary work on the steamer, and at the English and Scotch ports visited by their ship.

A Danish captain, whose vessel loaded at this port with railroad iron for Baltimore, U. S. A., met with us two evenings, became much interested, and bought a full set of all the Danish papers and books we had in our depository, saying he should peruse them carefully, and compare with his Bible, while crossing the Atlantic. Before he met us he had decided, by reading his Bible, that the end was near, and there was to be a specific message before the end, but just what the message was he did not know. His books and papers will give him the light required.

Another captain, who was here with the first named, and who has returned to Norway obtained also a full set of the papers and books which he took home with him.

The ship work at this port is especially interesting, so many nationalities are represented. How good it is to have reading for them in their various languages. Last week Bro. Ings went on the German steamer, bound to New York with its three hundred passengers, and sold papers and tracts in four different languages, besides documents distributed. On the same boat were some Norwegians going to Chicago. They had heard Bro. Jasperson at Skein. They obtained tracts and papers of Bro. Ings, and, as he left, the Scandinavians were in earnest conversation. He could hear them frequently mention the name Matteson, although he could not understand much they said.

To-day a supply of tracts and papers were furnished to the boats for the East and West Indies, and the Cape of Good Hope. The stewards report that the papers previously placed on these boats were read with eager interest by the passengers, and gladly received at all the ports on the routes.

The minister, Meadows, mentioned in my last, has had his trial, and was sentenced to imprisonment for three months, and to pay a fine of five hundred dollars for writing the book against Mr. Earle. Each Sunday evening since, a mob of about one thousand people or more have met Mr. Earle, at the close of his meeting, with groans, and hisses, and threats. Were it not that he has been strongly guarded by the police, he would probably have met with personal injury ere this. One of the mob has already been bound over to the court for his part in the work.

The whole proceeding of the Earle-Meadows affair has been a stigma on the cause of Christianity, and has caused some of the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme. Amid it all we seek God for wisdom and grace to do his will. Pray for us. We must have the Lord's help in the work or all our labor is in vain.

February 3. J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.