THE WORK IN VICKSBURG, MISS.
By James Edson White
This Sabbath (February 15) has been a good day for the little company at Vicksburg. Our Sabbath attendance has nearly doubled since our return from the north in December, and several new ones have taken their stand for the truth. At this meeting there was an excellent attendance, and after a short discourse we all joined in a praise meeting. The testimonies were short, intelligent, and right to the point. Five new ones took their stand, and signed the covenant to “keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” Dr. Kynett joined us in the work January 3, and his daughter came a month later. Their coming has been a great addition to our strength in council, in our meetings, in the schools, and especially in the medical missionary work. At the time of the arrival of Dr. Kynett it seemed that the enemy had completely hedged up all avenues for reaching the people. Many colored ministers had boycotted our work, and had forbidden their members to attend our meetings or to allow Bible readings in their houses, threatening expulsion from the church if they disobeyed. Notwithstanding this we decided to begin a course of Sunday afternoon lectures, and to start a night school according to previous plan. At the first Sunday lecture but few attended outside our own people, and the first night school numbered only 35, and these almost entirely from our own company. The outlook was not encouraging, and we felt that the Lord must especially work or the enemy would triumph. We therefore instituted a workers’ council and prayer meeting, to be held daily, at the noon hour, at our rooms. We are thankful to say that in this the Lord turned our captivity, and the work has opened up in so many ways that we have been unable, at times, to attend to all the openings that have come to us. For the use of our school we attached folding desks to the backs of the seats in the church, which easily converts it into a comfortable schoolroom. Our night school work is a pronounced success. The first night our attendance was 33; the second, 57; the third, 57; the fourth, 58; the fifth, 83; the sixth, 93; the seventh, 107; the eighth, 90; the ninth, 103; the tenth, 112; and the last, 133, which so crowds our room that it is scarcely possible to do any good work. As the school increased, we made more benches, and crowded the scholars in as closely as possible. On seats which should have no more than four we seated from six to eight, and yet every12available spot is occupied, even to the pulpit and singers’ seats. The whole school is especially interested in the lessons in penmanship. We pass paper and pencils around, and then give the lesson to the whole school from the blackboard, teaching them the principles of letters first, and then combining them to make the different letters. The children’s classes are so crowded that they can hardly move, and on the front seats, where there can be no desk arranged, some sit on the floor and use the seat for a desk, and at the last school several of the boys took their papers on their books and lay flat on the pulpit floor, like young alligators, and in this position did their best to learn to write. The school is an assured success, but we are perplexed to know what to do when the weather becomes settled and the rest turn out. Already we have employed three teachers from the public schools, as we have eleven classes, each one of which must have a separate teacher. Even then several classes should be divided, and we ought to have fifteen or sixteen classes. The school proper holds from 7:30 to 9 o’clock on Monday and Thursday nights, and reading, spelling, penmanship, arithmetic, and grammar are taught. The scholars range from small children to old men and women, and nearly all who attend are anxious to learn, and are making good progress. At the third session several young men, members of the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, all but one of whom were trying to fit themselves for the ministry, requested that a Bible class might be started in the school, because they wanted to make that a special study. I arranged to take this class myself, teaching them grammar and arithmetic and penmanship with the rest of the school, and at the close of the school devote another hour with them to the study of the Bible. Our lessons have been on the word, obedience, and the importance of sound doctrine. And, altho the Sabbath has not been touched as a separate study, they have been able in our six lessons to grasp the trend of the matter, and to-day all but one of my class have taken their stand intelligently on obedience to God’s law, and have signed the covenant. Some of these young men wish to attend the Huntsville school as soon as it opens, that they may fit themselves to carry the truth to others. Another night school has been opened in another part of Vicksburg, about a mile from our church school. Already the interest in this school is good, and there is every prospect of its growing as the one we are now conducting in the church has grown. As soon as the interest develops sufficiently, we expect to begin a course of lectures there. This new school is held in the house of Brother Grimes, who has recently taken his stand for the truth. He has placed at our disposal two large rooms that connect by folding doors, and which will accommodate nearly as many as our little church. Our Sunday afternoon lectures are also well attended. On our steamboat we have a printing press and type, and before each lecture we issue nearly one thousand handbills, which are scattered by our people in many parts of the city. Our recent meetings have been well attended, but last Sunday the house was filled. About one hundred and forty were present, and we could not have seated two more if they had come. The best class of colored people of Vicksburg were present. All gave the closest attention, and I never spoke to a more orderly and intelligent congregation. We are thankful to God that he has heard our prayer, and we are crying to him daily for wisdom that we may move aright in this work, which is opening so wonderfully before us. But what shall we do? This interest has developed during the inclement and most unfavorable season of the year. With the beginning of pleasant spring weather our church can not accommodate the people. It is probable that a temporary addition must be made to our present church, so that we may be able to accommodate those who come to us for the word of God.