LETTER FROM SCOTLAND by R. M. Lamie

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 25, 1901

LETTER FROM SCOTLAND.

By R. M. Lamie

It is now nearly three years since we came to Scotland, and we can truly say that the Lord has blessed us since leaving America and coming here to help give the message which we love. Our hearts have been stirred with the live messages that have come to us from the General Conference, through the Bulletin. As we read that sermon by Brother Jones, urging all who can to leave the United States, we felt thankful that we were here, and we pray that others will soon come. To those who are contemplating such a move, I would say, Come if your hearts are full of love for souls who need to know the truths of the Third Angel’s Message.

The larger portion of the religious people are seemingly in a satisfied condition, but there are some who are looking for truth, and are pained with the dead formalism of the churches. Some are zealous in religious work; in fact, the people are preached to death spiritually. In every town there are churches, and street meetings are also held. Evangelistic work of every kind is carried on by the different denominations, as well as by the larger churches; so the people are not without the form of the gospel. Yet, in spite of all this seemingly good work, drunkenness is rampant in every condition of life, especially among the working classes. They are almost entirely ignorant of the first principles of healthful living. The majority eat five or six times a day, and drink a great deal of tea. They need the saving truths of the gospel brought into their lives in a practical way, to lift them above themselves, and place them where they can see the King in His beauty, and be led to realize that only in Him is power to help them live right.

Our aim has been to live out the truths before the people, and help them where we see they need help. I have so far worked in the mines, and visited among the people in the evenings, holding Bible readings. My wife has been doing all she could to extend a knowledge of the principles of healthful living. She has done some nursing, also some work in a public way in the interests of healthful cookery. Her work has had a good influence, being an excellent way of opening the hearts of the people to receive the rest of the message. We are thankful to be able to scatter some literature, especially our good paper,—Present Truth, which is steadily growing in favor here. God has blessed us; some are taking hold of the truth, others are interested; so we press on, leaving the results with the Lord, praying that we may ever be humble instruments in His hands.

It is easy for coal miners here to keep the Sabbath, as most of the miners work only five days a week, and in this part of the country, Saturday is generally an idle day. Wages have been good for the last two years. Things now seem to be on a turn, but nevertheless there is no time here when people who know how to live right cannot make a living by working in the mines. Wages now average about two dollars a day. A house of one room rents for twenty dollars a year, one of two rooms for thirty-five or forty dollars a year. Most of the working people live in a large kitchen, or a room and a kitchen. The climate is of an even temperature, no extremes. The most disagreeable thing is a superabundance of rain, but people get accustomed to that, and go ahead with their business.

I intend soon to leave the mines, and engage in the canvassing work. There is a large field before us, and we hope God will put it into the hearts of

some to come here to help give the message to this needy people. We had a meeting of our own people, May 4. There were twenty-five present, including children. The Lord blessed us, and all seemed to see as never before the magnitude of the work before us, and the great need of consecration. There are a few engaged in selling Present Truth, principally in Glasgow. One brother sells five hundred copies each week. Many more could be engaged in this work, as the people buy the paper readily. In fact, a list of persons who will take the paper every week could be made up. All the other denominations have their following here, and we feel sad to see people accept what we know is error. The message for this time should have been started in Scotland ten years ago.

The most of the country is thickly settled, and, like England, is almost one large city. The towns are only a few miles apart, and it is a rare thing to see a book canvasser, although there are a great many peddlers for nearly everything that is used in a house. All these have to pay a license; but the book canvasser, who takes orders to be delivered some time in the future, has no license to pay, it being regarded a matter of business. One book canvasser is all we have seen since we came to Scotland,—that was a woman canvassing for the “Flying Roll,”—so it cannot be said that the field is overrun with book agents.

There are good roads everywhere. Railway train service is excellent, and fares cheap—less than two cents a mile. A few pence takes one into a populous district. We shall be glad to correspond with any who have a burden to come to Scotland as self-supporting missionaries. We know the Lord’s blessing is in this kind of work; for He has blessed us, and we have no desire to return to America, but intend to stay here until the Lord sends us elsewhere. We are sure He wants us here now, and does He not want some of you here also? —R. M. LAMIE.