IN STRICKEN BARBADOS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jan 21, 1903

IN STRICKEN BARBADOS.

[The following personal letter from Brother Sweany we take the liberty to print, believing that all our readers will find it of interest.]

THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES of October 29, containing your kind appeal for help for poor, suffering Barbados, and the letter from the office telling us of the gift of the Little Friend for three months, from the employees of the office, were indeed happy surprises to us, and cheered our hearts more than we can tell, or you can know. I do not see how we could conduct a Sabbath-school without the Little Friend. It would at least be greatly crippled. Our dear people donate as liberally as they can, but it takes it all, (and sometimes more) to pay for the necessary supplies. However, this quarter, owing to your kindness, we shall have something for missions, in which we are all interested as much, or more, than if we were in the home land.

Well, we are thankful to be able to say that the smallpox epidemic is slowly abating. There have now been over 1,400 cases. Over 100 have died; about 1,000 have been cured and discharged, and the rest are under treatment. New cases develop at the rate of from 1 to 12 a day—and sometimes there is a day that produces no new cases. Vaccination came to a standstill when about 60,000 had been vaccinated, altho it was free at government expense. For some weeks now the government has been giving sixpence (12 cts.) to every one who will submit to vaccination. This induces many to submit to it; for with many thousands here now, the obtaining of a sixpence is an utter impossibility. A compulsory vaccination bill was proposed, but popular prejudice against it was too strong and it was shelved. A section of the Press and medical fraternity, with a large following among the masses, oppose vaccination, and much bitterness is engendered by the controversy. The public vaccinators get sixpence from the government for every person they vaccinate, and the patient also gets a sixpence. This costs the government a shilling besides the lymph for each person vaccinated.

Conditions are not improving, altho the epidemic is abating. As long as there is a case in the island, the quarantine, with all its consequent suffering, will continue, and the epidemic is certain to drag its weary length far into the future. I do not see any reason to hope for release for a year at least, and God only knows what may happen before then. The forbearance and patience of the masses is simply wonderful, and highly commendable. With the exception of individual criminals, which class of course increases in a time like this, the people are law-abiding, altho pinched with the keenest poverty and hunger. There have, it is true, been threats and mutterings of the outbreak of the mob, incendiarism, etc., but it is hoped that such experiences will not be realized.

We have a membership of over 100, but only one has had the smallpox as yet, and she had it in a very mild form, and was soon well. This case was in a family that refused vaccination, or she need not have had it. The father (not a member) was daily handling scores of patients at the hospital, and ate and slept at home. The rest of the family were afterward vaccinated, and no more cases developed.

I fully believe that God has mercifully preserved our people from the plague. Many of their relatives have had it, and some have died. We have not only trusted in God, but have tried to do all in our power to safeguard our lives and health, by carefulness in eating, drinking, dressing, and living. Our people generally are of good courage, and faithful and true to God, altho many of them are enduring the most pinching poverty. More than one has cheerfully told us, after going two or three days without food, “The Lord is good; He either gives us food, or sufficient grace and strength to bear the hunger.” Such experience will open a person’s heart and pocketbook as nothing else will. Of course, there are here many lazy, improvident persons, who take advantage of conditions to impose on the charitably inclined. The great majority of the people (including, of course, our own) are willing and anxious to work; but there is nothing for them to do. This is especially true of Sabbath-keepers.

Our work, despite all these difficulties, is making advancement. In fact, the interest is deeper now than at any time since we came here. Our services are all well attended,—especially on Sunday nights, when the house is packed and surrounded. A goodly number of new ones attend our Sabbath services, as well as the prayer and missionary meetings. About a dozen are preparing for baptism at the next quarterly meeting, if I am able to instruct them fully and administer the rite. I am just getting up from a most drastic attack of fever, that has left me very weak and emaciated, altho it lasted only two weeks. It doesn’t take this tropical fever very long to burn the vitality out of a man, and the flesh off his bones. It is only because of the blessing of God on our knowledge of simple treatment, that I am alive to-day. So we thank God for the complete Gospel that He has given us, for it is life, both physical and spiritual, to those who believe it. Several families are deeply interested in the Present Truth, as a result of cottage meetings, and two or three individuals among them are now keeping the Sabbath. We hope and pray that they, and many more, may fully accept the truth as it is in Jesus. We are hoping and expecting that the dear friends in Dodge Center, Minn., who are paying for our club of ten Signs may be enabled and disposed to continue them, for they are doing a large amount of good. I wish we could have 100 to use. However, we must keep within our means, and it seems that the hungry must be fed first. As for ourselves, we would go without anything else, rather than give up the Signs and our other good papers, all of which we always take. We realize the importance of our literature so much that we would gladly supply all our poor people here with it, if our means would permit. Only a few of our people are at all able to take any of our papers, altho they love them. We kept them supplied, till we had to begin feeding so many. I don’t know how many we have had to refuse, to-day, several since I began writing. It is heart sickening to see so much want, but O what a joy to be able to help relieve it. That the Lord may greatly bless you and all connected with the Signs office, is our earnest prayer. Yours in sincerity,

W. A. SWEANY.

[Since this was received Brother Sweany must have received the whole amount we have sent forward, $243.83. He will in due time receipt for it all.]