p. 264 | Danvers, Mass by Dudley Marvin Canright

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Aug 23, 1877

Danvers, Mass.

By Dudley Marvin Canright

In the good providence of God we have come to the right place for our tent-meeting this time. I believe we have the largest interest I have seen in all my labors. We thought we had a great interest at Rome (N. Y.) last year, and so we had; but thus far the interest is much better here, much more extensive.

Danvers is nineteen miles from Boston and four miles from Salem. It has a population of about five thousand. No Adventists have ever preached here. We have held six meetings, and not a single time have we been able to seat our audience. Last night we packed every seat, put in all our available chairs, seated them on the stand and on boxes, and yet hundreds had to stand up. A long time before the hour appointed our tent was packed full, and we commenced our meeting, though scores were still coming. Nor is the interest just local. We find they are coming from the villages and cities around, two, four, six, eight, and even ten miles, from every direction. This is remarkable, when we consider that we are right in the midst of a densely settled country. There are villages and cities every few miles. Looking all over the country, it appears like one continuous city. If we were in the West, on the borders, it would not be strange to see people come ten miles with teams, but here it is wholly unexpected.

All the leading Boston dailies, and other papers, in all this section, publish excellent reports of our meetings. The reporters come to us for facts and our arguments, and give them just as we state them. Everybody seems to be friendly.

When we came to inquire for a place for the tent, we told everybody just what we were—Seventh-day Adventists; and from the start we published in all the papers, and from the stand, what we believed, and what we expected to prove. Instead of hurting our interest, this is the very thing that draws the crowd. In the past, some have thought it good policy on going into a new place to keep all these things back, and never let people know who we are. I have fallen into that error myself, and have tried the same thing; but I have done it for the last time. Circumstances are changing. The position of our people is coming to be better known. People are anxious to learn more about us.

All our neighbors, instead of being afraid of us, welcome us most heartily, and urge upon us every accommodation their houses afford. Already, without any invitation, the people bring in food, and invite us to their homes. Last night we took up a collection, and received over $12.00.

One of the selectmen of the place, a gentleman of the highest reputation, one who has the control of all the police force, furnishes us two or three policemen every night, and takes as much interest in the meetings as ourselves. He helps seat the audience, looks after every little disturbance, etc. Books go off rapidly. We have distributed twelve hundred copies of our little tent tracts, “Can we Know?” and “Is the End Near?” They take copies of our small prophetic chart, at five cents apiece, faster than we can count them out.

Yesterday afternoon, Brother Stone spoke on Matt. 24, to a crowded tent. Scarcely a person moved for an hour and a quarter, though many stood up, and it was very warm.

Well, we thank God, and take courage. This looks as though something might be done in New England. We re-seat our tent to-day, so as to secure its utmost capacity.

D. M. CANRIGHT.