p. 20 | Victory After Hard-Fought Battles

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 28, 1908

Victory After Hard-Fought Battles

MANY of our canvassers who read these notes will recall how the writer in past years has frequently called attention to the fact that many canvassers who have attained the greatest success, have often passed through a very trying experience near the beginning of their work. One agent worked for two weeks without taking an order; and then after gaining a decisive victory upon his knees, he took orders for five books during the next half-day, and averaged large sales for many years following. Another canvasser worked six weeks without taking an order, and then after the victory which grew out of his experience, averaged seventy-five dollars’ worth of orders a week during the rest of the season. Such experiences are not uncommon, nor are they strange to the child of God. Men who undertake to sell books which “make manifest the wiles of Satan, and the means by which he may be successfully resisted,” may expect to meet in open conflict the wily foe whom they assail. A wonderful illustration of this familiar and very common experience is told in an interesting letter recently received from Brother R. L. Pierce, manager of the Western Branch of the Southern Publishing Association, at Fort Worth, Tex. Brother Pierce says:—

“By the way, Brother Palmer, I must tell you about a report which we received in the mail this morning. Last week a young man who is canvassing in Arkansas with the view of securing scholarships for himself and sister in Keene Academy next year, took eighty-three orders for the new edition of ‘Daniel and Revelation’ in forty-five hours, amounting to $356. Besides this he sold $2.50 worth of ‘helps’ and secured nine dollars’ worth of orders for Bibles. Last year the same young man worked three months before he secured his second order. However, he did not become discouraged, but kept writing that he was “of good courage in the work,” and stuck right to it. During the winter he attended Keene Academy. About the first of April he left school and attended a canvassers’ institute, and now he is having most wonderful success.

“In fact all of our workers seem to be having better success than they ever did before. To my mind it is an indication that the Lord is preparing to close the work up speedily, and he is blessing it in a special manner at this time. It gives us new courage, and we feel exceedingly thankful to him for the success that is attending the efforts of our canvassers this spring.”