Placer, Nevada, and El Dorado Counties.
By Chas. C. Ramsey
ON the way from Fresno County to my appointments in the northeast, I stopped at Sacramento, Rocklin, Newcastle, and Auburn. With two or three exceptions, I visited every family of Sabbath-keepers in these places. I presented to them the interests of our College, and found them in hearty sympathy with an enterprise which gives so great promise of becoming a powerful auxiliary in the advancement of the truth. I also endeavored to encourage them to press forward with the whole armor on and endure faithfully to the end. A deep interest was manifested in the progress of the message and the prosperity of all the institutions of the cause. At some of these places, I met several whom I would like to see in attendance at our college, preparing themselves for greater usefulness in the cause of God. I trust that the way may open for them to come. Many of the Sabbath-keepers in these places are sisters, and labor under the disadvantage of strong opposition, but nearly all who have accepted the truth have held on firmly and are of good courage in the Lord. I earnestly hope that all of them may advance with the opening providence of God, keep abreast of the increasing light of truth, lay aside all worldliness and unbelief, and engage more actively in the spread of our solemn message of warning to a perishing world. Sabbath July 7, I filled my appointment for Grass Valley and Nevada City, holding two meetings at the former place. At the forenoon meeting, the solemn time in which we live and the important duties and grave responsibilities of the present hour were pointed out from the Scriptures. A good degree of interest in the word spoken was evinced by all present. The afternoon meeting was devoted to a consideration of the character and workings of Healdsburg College and its important relations to the cause of God. In the social meeting which followed, it was evident that our brethren and sisters here appreciate the efforts put forth in the establishment of the school. Deep love for the truth and an earnest desire for sanctification through it were expressed by all. The Lord has precious souls here, and I greatly enjoyed my short visit among them. The chief occupation of the people is mining, the business being carried on generally by wealthy companies who give employment to large numbers. Notwithstanding that this is their only source of obtaining a living, our brethren have bravely and firmly held on to the truth. The Lord will richly bless them if they thus continue faithfully to endure. During my visit at the homes of our brethren in Nevada City, the deep and heartfelt interest which they manifested in the College was truly gratifying. Their circumstances being such that they could not just then give ready money, gold watches and chains were taken from their persons and freely given to be sold for the benefit of the school. May God bless them in their cheerful sacrifices for his cause. Tuesday night, July 10, I met with our people at Placerville, El Dorado Co. The meeting was devoted exclusively to the interests of the College. I was glad to see so deep an interest in the school as was here manifested. In visiting the brethren and sisters at their homes, I found several who greatly desire to attend, and others who ought to be receiving the benefits of its instruction and training. I shall expect to see students from this place at no distant day. There are earnest souls in this company, those who expect to go through to the kingdom of God. I pray that they may all press together and become unitedly consecrated to God in his glorious cause. He has rich blessings in store for them if they put on the whole armor, fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life. This was my last visit among the churches. After an absence of six weeks, having met with seventeen companies of our brethren and sisters, and traveled a distance of thirteen hundred miles, I reached home July 13, rejoicing that God had so mercifully preserved my life throughout so long a journey. Whether good has been accomplished through the feeble efforts put forth, I feel that personally I have derived a great blessing in the labor performed, and am grateful to God that I am permitted to bear some humble part in his cause. Healdsburg College, Aug. 1.