p. 204 | Eastern Tour

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 12, 1871

Eastern Tour.

Our visit to Washington, N. H., Nov. 18, 19, was attended with exposure in reaching the place by a tedious route from which we have not yet recovered. But, notwithstanding, we had an excellent meeting. We were exceedingly gratified to meet old, tried friends, and to hear their cheerful and decided testimonies for the Lord and his truth.

We enjoyed an excellent visit to our very dear friends at Richmond, Me., Nov. 25 and 26. Some of their number were absent, so that the number present on the Sabbath was small; but we had an excellent meeting. Mrs. W. had a good hearing evening after the Sabbath, notwithstanding the rain.

First-day morning, the old Reed meeting-house was at least half full of attentive hearers, the most of whom had distinct recollections of our lectures in that place nearly twenty-nine years since. We were very happy to again stand before this people in the enjoyment of freedom, with no evidence of existing prejudice. Mrs. W. spoke in the afternoon and evening with freedom. Here, where all manner of evil has been said of us to cut off our influence, in the providence of God, we were treated with kindness and respect.

At this place we dwelt upon practical subjects, which seemed to take a strong hold of the hearts of the people. We were very glad to meet our old and much-esteemed friend Curtis, and several other gentlemen, who told us that they heard our lectures in 1842. Several of them invited us to their homes. We now design to spend much of 1872 in Maine, and hope to be able to visit many of the places of our former labors, and speak to the people again.

We were disappointed with the attendance at South Norridgewock, it being much larger than we expected. Notwithstanding the severe cold, quite a number came in from Kendall’s Mills, Fairfield, Skowhegan, Cornville, Athens, New Sharon, &c., so that our congregation on the Sabbath numbered more than one hundred. On first-day, the large house of worship was nearly full. We spoke twice, and Mrs. W. three times. The brethren seemed greatly encouraged.

Our proposition to spend much time in Maine the next year, where we can be free from the cares at Battle Creek, that we may write several books, and speak to the brethren in different places on the Sabbath, meets their hearty approval. We design to give appointments for Maine soon.

Mrs. W. is in the enjoyment of excellent health, and is in good spirits, and is making considerable progress on her second volume. This will be far the most interesting and important book she has written. We are having a jubilee. Our greatest embarrassment is our inability to comply with the many calls in different parts of New England, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, &c. Had our friends in New York written sooner we should have spent one Sabbath in that State on our way to General Conference, instead of Vermont. We can meet the brethren in New York at one or two points on our return immediately after Conference.