EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE.
For nearly two years I have lived as a lone Sabbath-keeper in this place. In every way I have tried to hold up the light of truth to my neighbors, and last month two sisters took a stand for the truth. I feel that a great responsibility rests upon me now, and I ask an interest in your prayers that my words and acts may be inspired by the Holy Spirit. I am glad the Lord has shown you your work, in the W. C. T. U. I felt from the first that he wanted you there to take the message to them for this time, and from them the Lord can take it to the world. Your work at the convention at Seattle reminded me of Luther before the Diet of Worms, and God only knows but the importance of the work was just as great as that of Luther. We must be willing to be used in God's own way and time. Our woman's work is steadily going on. We are invited to hold a meeting to-night with an Episcopal family. We found a family that was poor, and we asked the privilege of going to the house to help the mother fix up the clothing for the children. We did the best we could to make them comfortable for the winter, and the husband told one of our brethren that he was indeed glad we came, for there had been a great change in his wife. They now attend prayer-meetings, and say that they have erected a family altar, and are studying the Bible. The husband's father attended our prayer-meetings, and accepted the Saviour. He died a short time ago, but he said that he was ready to go. He was just on the point of accepting the Sabbath and kindred truths, although we had never said anything on the Sabbath question. I think we have much to praise God for. Others who belong to different churches are slowly being led into the truth. Two persons have given up the use of tobacco. Pray for us, that the Lord may give us wisdom. The Methodist minister of our neighborhood called on me this afternoon, and I loaned him a few books to read. We had a good missionary visit together. I hope to become better acquainted with him, and that the Lord will use me to help get this precious truth before him. Last week our society of Woman's Gospel Workers tacked three comfortables for our city mission. We do not have any regular time for meeting. Any member can call a meeting at any time she thinks best. We think time is too precious to be spent in having too many meetings, thus neglecting more important work; for there are many poor to feed and clothe. A few days ago a friend of mine received a letter from one of her friends whose husband has been killed by the cars, leaving a crippled wife, and children without a father. Knowing this, I went over this morning, taking a copy of the REVIEW AND HERALD with me which contained one of your articles, “Saved by Families,” and directed her mind to the comforting scriptures there quoted. I thought she might like to write to her bereaved friend, and comfort her with the word of God. I felt much impressed this beautiful preparation day morning to drop you a few lines of encouragement. For the last week I have felt more encouraged than ever before in my Christian experience. Last night we had a grand experience in the meeting that was held in our home. There were only a few persons present, but the Spirit of the Lord was manifested in a large measure. The promise of the Lord, that where two or three meet in his name there he will be in their midst, is sure. My husband has decided to take his stand with us. Oh, how I rejoice in the name of the Lord Jesus! My husband never made any profession. His work has been such as to cause him to have some very narrow escapes with his life; but I believe the Lord has spared him that he might receive the truth. YOUR answer to four sisters in some church, as found in the REVIEW AND HERALD of January 16, was just to the point. I have been looking for something to that effect. Besides my own family, I have in my home a grandpa, and his sister's son, who eat those things that the Lord has pronounced unclean; but I have not found it necessary to eat them myself, nor to give them to my children; and they never ask for them. I have had a roasted rabbit on the side of the table where grandpa and cousin sit, but the children never ask for it. I made them some extra dish that was healthful; and while I was preparing the food and the rabbit, I taught them about what the Lord said about these unclean things, and that he wishes us to put only clean things into his temple. For some time I have been wishing to write to you about these things, so you may be sure I was glad to find this in the REVIEW. I am indeed glad that the Lord has made you his co-worker to lead us weaker sisters into his paths. I have just read “A WOMAN-Ministry.” How thankful we should be for the light God is sending us! If we are truly willing to work in his vineyard, we can find plenty of places. Not long ago a sister and myself went to see an invalid who has been afflicted many years with nervous prostration. The daughter, a young woman of twenty-five, had raised the younger children, and nursed her mother. The husband and father has treated the family cruelly, never hiring help, although he is a man of means. The young woman has worked so faithfully with her mother, and has been deprived of rest so much, that her health has failed, and it is feared that she will lose her mind, or be prostrated with the same disease that her mother has. The neighbors are not willing to go and take the place of a nurse when the husband is able to hire one; but the Lord impressed me that we must not let this dear girl be sacrificed without an effort to save her life. So seven women were selected, each to spend a day with the sick woman, and let the girl go away to rest. The Lord has been working in a wonderful way here. Seven miles distant there lives a woman who professes holiness, but does not belong to any church. The Lord put it into my heart to visit her, so another sister and I went, and had a good visit. Soon she came to see us. We talked on Bible subjects all day, and I mentioned going to Sabbath-school fifteen miles away. She said she would like to go too, so we went, visiting several sick and lonely ones on the way. As we were returning, she said, “Now if you had waited until I received the Sabbath before coming to see me, perhaps we would not have been together yet; but now we can enjoy each other's company, and agree on so many things, and perhaps after a while we can agree on all things.” She is reading and praying for light. I mention this that others may see that we must get out of denominational lines to work. There are many all about us who are waiting to see us step over the church line to help them, and will be glad to have our help. This house-to-house work is a grand work. We can take “The Ladies' Guide” and point many a sick and nervous woman to the right way of living. And when they are taught this, and how to rely upon God, how quick the light comes to their eyes, and they exclaim, I am so glad you came!