Preparation for the Michigan Camp Meeting
By S. P. S. Edwards
As I read the announcement of our annual camp meeting and the words of caution offered by Brother Gowell in regard to our preparation for that event, there floated before my mind visions of wailing infants, of distressed and woebegone children, and of agonizing and careworn parents, that have been so indelibly fixed upon my mind by the experiences of past years, not only at our own meetings, but also in other States; and this wailing and distress was not the result of the convicting power of the Spirit, leading old and young to a deep experience in the putting away of sin, but rather the cry because of, or an appeal for relief from, physical suffering, which had come as the direct result of neglect on the part of the individuals themselves or those responsible for them. It is true that all this suffering may not have come as the result of willful violation, ignorance in many cases being at the root of the trouble; but since “the health is as sacred as the character,” is it not time for all to become intelligent in these matters? Indeed, “ignorance in these things is sin.” How many parents who have been praying for weeks for the conversion of their children at the camp meeting, will spend several days before starting to the meeting, in cooking up a good supply of cookies and cakes and pies, upon which to feed and stimulate their passions, and will allow them to eat between meals of candy, peanuts, fruit, etc., thus doing everything in their power to prevent the working of the Spirit of God upon their hearts? How much better it would be for the parent to prepare a good supply of plain food, as good bread and zwieback, rolls or sticks, plain crackers, good fruit without much sugar, and a good supply of nuts, as walnuts, hickory nuts, and butternuts, and thus impress upon the children the fact that they are going, not to a picnic to give free rein to appetite, but to meet with God, to a holy place where the body must be pure, the mind clear, and where nothing that can grieve away the Lord’s Spirit can be permitted. Let the days before the camp meeting be a time of preparation not merely for the bodily needs, but let the necessary preparations for the physical well-being be the means of impressing the true object of the meeting upon the young hearts as well as upon our own. How many mothers will spend many weary days, and perhaps nights, preparing new dresses and hats for their daughters, which may not be really needed, but which will be nice to “dress up” in? and who will be to blame if, when they get to camp meeting, these daughters prefer to “dress up” in these things and roam around the camp or elsewhere, instead of attending the meetings where they will learn of the garments which Christ is preparing for them, and of which they stand so much in need? Having spoken thus generally, may I not offer a few suggestions on several specific points as to our preparations for camp meeting? Above all things do not bring dresses with very long skirts. While trains or anything approaching them are objectionable17at all times, they are abominable at camp meeting. On the other hand, let every sister have at least one short walking or bicycle skirt. This skirt should come just to or a very little below the shoe tops, and may be worn mornings and evenings when the ground is damp, or on rainy days. Bring different weights of underclothes, so they can be changed to suit the weather. Especially should this be done for the children. Make special provision for keeping their bowels warm, as many bowel troubles come from neglect of this matter. It should not be necessary to emphasize the necessity of keeping the feet dry. Bring plenty of wraps, as they are needed mornings and evenings; also bring your rain coats or mackintoshes. Bring your most comfortable walking shoes, so you can take a good walk each day. Do not bring a store of cookies and cakes and pies and rich preserves and jellies. These things are injurious at any time, and especially so when our digestive systems are deranged by change of surroundings and water, and lack of exercise. Bring plenty of good bread and zwieback. The latter can be prepared nice and crisp by making the bread of dough as soft as can be kneaded, and cutting it into thick slices and baking in a slow oven while it is fresh. Graham rolls are much liked by nearly every one, and they can take the place of the sweet cakes. They may be made by taking a cup of very cold milk, and, after salting a little, stirring in slowly three cups of graham flour, beating in as much air as possible, and when as stiff as can be stirred, kneading into rolls three fourths of an inch in diameter, and cutting into four-inch lengths. Place in a shallow pan, and bake in a quick oven. A good supply of canned fruit without too much sugar will, with a variety of nuts, furnish the necessary elements of nutrition without taxing the digestive organs excessively. These may be supplemented by such health foods as may be purchased at the camp, and by fresh, ripe fruit, and a few vegetables if they are especially desired. Remember that the digestive organs will not be able to handle as much food as normally, and so we should eat less heartily than at other times. It should not be necessary to caution against such things as cheese, pickles, bologna, and similar abominations, but past experience has proved that a word on this subject would not come amiss. Every one should come prepared to boil his drinking water. This cannot be emphasized too strongly. Every family should bring a syringe and a hot-water bag, also material suitable for giving fomentations. For the latter purpose pieces of old mixed cotton and wool blanket, a yard square, answer the purpose very nicely. If you have canned blackberries or blackberry juice, bring it, as it will prove very useful in bowel troubles. Bring a bottle of ammonia, as it will be useful in treating ivy poison also mosquito bites. Oil of pennyroyal will be found useful in keeping the mosquitoes away if it is rubbed on the face and hands. Begin at once to emphasize the evil of eating between meals. Let every parent who contemplates bringing a baby under one year of age to the camp meeting, stop and consider carefully if it is not her duty to stay at home this year with the little one, and not expose it to the dangers of camping out. If it is clear to you that you should attend the meeting, then ask the Lord to give you special wisdom in caring for the little one so that it will not have to suffer because you thus expose it. The conference officers will, as far as possible, take every precaution to have the camp in a perfect condition hygienically, and will not permit temptations to be placed in the way of the young people publicly. Shall we not as an entire conference work together to make the camp meeting a model one? Let every church elder see that his flock is fully instructed in this matter, if necessary devoting a special service to the subject, and let our yearly gathering be such that when the Lord walks through the camp, he will not be grieved by finding the abominable thing in our midst, but will find clean grounds, clean tents, clean bodies, and clear minds to hear him speak, and ready hearts to respond to his call.