p. 12 | NOTES OF TRAVEL by S. M. I. Henry

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 2, 1900

NOTES OF TRAVEL.

By S. M. I. Henry

I ARRIVED in Ogden, Utah, on Thanksgiving day, which was especially observed by our people in the celebration of the first annual anniversary of the mission. The exercises were held in the court-house, and consisted of music, reports, and addresses. The part assigned me was to give a critical study of the poem entitled “The Man with the Hoe,” together with the reading of my poem upon the same subject. On Friday evening, and twice on Sabbath, I addressed our people in their place of worship, which is the mission hall.

The Thanksgiving festivities interfered with the arrangements for a meeting with the W. C. T. U., but word was sent to me that if I could give them the Sunday night a week later, the First M. E. church could be secured for us. This I could not do, however; so I spent all the time with our own people. I found an excellent spirit among them, earnestness and consecration, which has resulted in a genuine interest on the part of the people of the town.

The night after the Sabbath I went to Salt Lake City, where I had again the satisfaction of being at home with my son’s family, and of speaking for him, and also for the W. C. T. U.

Early Wednesday morning I took the train for Chicago, arriving in that city on Friday morning. I went directly to the mission at 1926 Wabash Avenue. I had just time to take off my wraps before going into the lecture room to conduct a Bible study.

Miss Durland preceded me to Battle Creek, so as to get a day’s start in the piled-up work. I remained until Sunday, giving a study each day to a most interesting company of young people, who are preparing for work by taking heartily hold of it in the very beginning of their training course.

I found a great contrast to the first day of this work, when the Conference presidents and laborers from all over the country came together to spend a week in consultation and study, and to dedicate this mission. Then, the mission workers were but a mere handful; now, I had before me an audience of actual laborers as large as had come together from the whole wide field. This is only one of many indications that the work is everywhere progressing, and that we have reason to take courage and go forward with faith and confidence.

On Sunday afternoon I completed the last stage of my long journey, arriving at Battle Creek in the evening. In accomplishing the commission upon which I was sent out, I was absent from home five months; traveled over nine thousand miles; have spoken two hundred and fourteen times; was subject to nearly all conditions of living and climate, which would test the strength of the most robust, and yet have returned in good working order. I would not hesitate to start at once on another tour if circumstances required. After one day of rest I have taken up the work which is waiting for me in my office, without any sense of especial weariness, and with a consciousness of strength and courage for all that is before me; for all of which I am profoundly thankful to Him who evidently planned the journey, and led me all the way; for I have received many tokens of the fact that each stage of it had been divinely ordered.

I am thankful for the opportunities that have been afforded to make the acquaintance of so many of my brethren and sisters, and to come to an understanding of what is involved in the message as viewed from the many different standpoints to which my work has led me. I have seen it from the standpoint of the camp-meeting, of the school, of the sanitarium, of the local church, of the home, of the individual laborer struggling against great odds in a hard field, and the isolated, who can know but little except what comes through the printed page and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; I saw it from the platform of the N. W. C. T. U. convention, set in a light, and surrounded with clouds, upon which hangs a bow of promise, and from which rolls a voice of warning. From these various standpoints I have taken observations, with which I close these notes of travel.

As laborers together, it seems wisest to study how to be practically helpful instead of laying needless burdens upon one another. There is no help in an evil report, or in a report of evil; nor in the exchange of evil surmisings, or of bitter criticisms. It is better to be able to present to those who have these things to exchange, a front which is like a blank wall, from which discouraging rumors will bound like a rubber ball.

It is unprofitable to furnish soil in which slander can grow and mature its poison fruit. Hence, let us covenant with one another that we will never pass one word from ear to lip, from lip to ear, that can hurt instead of heal. But if one can not avoid listening to things that can not help, one can avoid being himself poisoned or hurt by them, and refrain from passing them on to any other soul. It is a good thing to keep the eyes fixed upon the spiritual outlook, and to refuse to see those things that beget discouragement. Discouragement, when it is finished, brings forth despair.

I do not know how many times I have been asked, “What do you find to be the most discouraging features of the work?” to which many years ago I learned to answer, “I do not find the discouraging features, because I will not. I have ceased to look on that side of it. Discouragements are too heavy for human hands to carry. These are the burdens which we are invited, yea, commanded, to cast upon Him who alone is able to bear them.”

The reputation of any fellow laborer, or of his children, should be safe in the hands of our people. It is a serious thing to throw suspicion upon any man or woman, but especially on the youth who are growing up among us. Our boys and girls — and those of our brethren are ours — have a right to be protected, in their innocent heedlessness, from the stain of a bad reputation. To say that a boy or girl who has become a source of especial anxiety to parents or teachers is “fast,” “bad,” or “getting reckless,” is greatly to multiply the burden that must necessarily rest upon the hearts most interested, and to build up a barrier between the church and the youth, and interfere with the salvation of many souls. For any one to hear disparaging remarks concerning another, will cause him to lose confidence in the one who has uttered them. More than once I have heard some one say, “Is that the way he talks about folks? Then I shall be very careful what I have to do with him!”

As time shortens, and the importance of every word and opportunity increases, it behoves us as a people to see that we put away everything that can possibly be a hindrance, and cultivate most assiduously those qualities, habits, and methods of work which will carry the good news the most quickly and most effectively.

As a rule, I have found my brethren and sisters ready to listen when I have presented the claims of those who are considered “outside,” but I would like to make one more appeal to all who have been interested in my work, that they will cease to think that any one is outside. We are all needy and lost together, except as we receive the abundant grace by which we are saved. The only difference between one man and another in the sight of God is in the fact of the acceptance or rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every question of doctrine is swallowed up in this one, “What will you do with Christ?” This settled right, everything that is involved in eternal life and the blessed hope inevitably follows.

S. M. I. HENRY.