The Vermont Camp-Meeting
By Arthur G. Daniells
THE Vermont camp-meeting was held in Randolph, a city of about two thousand inhabitants. The camp was located within a few blocks of the principal street, in the midst of the residences of the place. The weather was cool, so that camping was pleasant without shade trees. The surroundings of the ground were very pleasant. The view across the valley to the hills that rose one above another in the distance, and which were covered with a beautiful verdure, was exceedingly pleasing. There were about two hundred and fifty of our brethren and sisters in attendance. This was about one half of the conference membership. The attendance this year was a little lighter than usual, owing to the backwardness of the season. Many of the farmers had not gathered their hay nor harvested crops that needed attention just at the time of the meeting, but which in an ordinary season would have been gathered before the meeting began. For some reason, the citizens of the town did not turn out well to the meetings. Every reasonable effort was made to advertise the meetings, and invite the people to come. The few who came were quite regular in their attendance, and seemed much interested. It is hoped that the good seed that was sown will spring up and bear fruit to the glory of God and the salvation of some precious souls. This was my first visit to Vermont. I greatly enjoyed meeting these brethren and sisters, many of whom have been in the truth a long time, and have proved themselves loyal to every phase of the third angel’s message. A sweet Christian spirit pervaded the camp from the beginning to the close. The people seemed hungry for the Word. This made the preaching a great pleasure. I do not think that it was necessary to send out a special invitation during the entire meeting to press people to leave their tents and their visiting to come to the preaching. Although the meetings were numerous, the whole camp seemed to be on hand at every appointment, and entered heartily into the service, whether it was a Bible study, a sermon, or a business meeting. The blessing of God has rested upon the Vermont Conference in a special manner during the last year. One year ago at the annual conference the people responded to the call from Great Britain for help. Although they had but few laborers and a light tithe, they decided to share what they had with a more needy field. They released Elder W. A. Westworth for Scotland, with the understanding that they would pay his traveling expenses to the field, and support him there. This seemed to be a large sacrifice for this small conference; but it has turned out to be a gain. The annual tithe during the conference year just closed amounted to $5,079.54, an increase over the preceding year of $672.22. During the past year the conference has had the largest number of laborers at work in the field that it has had for several years. It has supported one laborer in the South Lancaster Academy, besides supporting Elder Westworth in Scotland. The total amount of tithe paid to laborers outside of the conference amounted to $1,048. The donations received during the year amounted to $3,356.44. The amount sent out of the State for missionary purposes was $2,016.32. This experience has greatly encouraged the brethren and sisters. They feel that God has come to their help, and placed the seal of his approval upon their effort to assist a needy field. The Vermont brethren were much interested in the removal of our headquarters to Washington. Their hearts were deeply impressed with the account we gave of the providences of God that attended our efforts to make this change. All present signified their unbounded confidence that God had led in this move, and they all expressed a determination to do all in their power to assist in the development of the work in Washington. Although they were called upon to raise considerable means for their tent and camp-meeting fund, they raised in donations and pledges five hundred and seventeen dollars for the work in Washington. Under all the circumstances, this was a good donation; but the better part of all was the deep interest felt by the people in the work itself. This interest is such as to lead the brethren to duplicate this donation, and even to do more, when another call is made for help. I have never seen campers leave for their homes with more good cheer and excellent courage than these brethren manifested. I shall always remember the good meeting of Randolph, Vt., and I most earnestly desire that the signal blessing of God shall rest upon that conference during the coming year. At the close of the conference I visited Burlington and Rutland, two of the largest cities in Vermont. Two of the largest churches of the conference are located in these cities. At the latter12place I had the privilege of meeting some of the church-members and speaking to them in their neat little house of worship. On this trip I passed through two towns of interest to me: one was Waterbury, the birthplace of Elder Geo. I. Butler, and the other was Rutland, the birthplace of my father. This was my first visit to my father’s native town, and I spent the day in learning what I could regarding my father’s people. About all that remains of the family are the mute marble slabs that mark their resting places. I found that the finest white marble produced in the world is now being taken from a large quarry located on the land that my grandfather owned one hundred years ago, and which was sold by his children about fifty years ago for three hundred dollars. It is now worth millions. Time has wrought striking changes in these Eastern States. As far as I was able to trace providences, it was the removal of my father to Iowa that brought the truth to his family, and thus gave me the inestimable blessings I have received from this glorious message. I could not change its imperishable riches for all the wealth that has been found on the old homestead. This message fills the hearts of believers with a hope and a joy that the world can not give.