The Summary by W. W. Eastman

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 1, 1916

The Summary

By W. W. Eastman

ANOTHER month has quickly passed, and we are presenting to the readers of the REVIEW another report giving a glimpse of what is being done by our colporteurs in the sale of books and magazines.

This report of course shows only the hours of labor, and the value of sales represented in dollars and cents, but who can tell the number of souls being reached with the message by the thousands of pages represented by these figures? The judgment alone can reveal this.

We are thankful for the splendid increase in the sale of our subscription books as shown in these reports from month to month, in both home and foreign fields. It will be noted that while there is a slight falling off in some of the war-stricken fields, such as England and Germany, the sales are remarkably good in view of the situation existing in those countries.

Only three of the unions reporting in the North American Division show a falling off in sales this month, and in these the decrease is not large, with the exception of the Lake Union. Brother Blosser, the veteran leader in that union, assures us that with the one hundred and fifty students from the schools who will soon be in the field, we can expect a different report next month.

Never in the history of our work have the people seemed more anxious to purchase our literature. The following is only a sample of the many interesting experiences which reach us, illustrating this:—

One of our lady colporteurs had occasion to call on a woman to whom she had delivered a book a few days previously, and found she had begun keeping the Sabbath. The woman bought six more books, to distribute among those in whom she was especially interested.

Another woman, who lived in a hidden recess among the cañons, hearing that one of our colporteurs was in the neighborhood, and fearing he would not find her, sent to several of her neighbors to have him be sure to call. She gave her order for a book, and also for a Bible.

At another place, a man had just returned home from the hospital, and learning of the work of the colporteur, gathered the family about the bed while the book was being shown, and gratefully gave his order for a full morocco binding, and thanked the colporteur again and again for calling at his home.

Surely the harvest is ripe.

W. W. EASTMAN.