The Vermont Camp-meeting.
By George I. Butler
ELDER Haskell and myself reached the Wolcott camp-ground Thursday noon. We found the people there waiting. Bro. A. C. Bourdeau had spoken to them in the morning. The preparations had been mostly completed. We found a good attendance for this small Conference, the largest we think in the last two years. At the outset, we had to face a very great disappointment on the part of the people. They felt certain of the presence of Bro. and sister White, and had advertised their coming in many of the newspapers. I have no doubt that hundreds of dollars could have been raised in a few minutes, if money would have procured their presence. It is not particularly pleasant to take the place of other public laborers so much preferred and so much more acceptable. But we did the best we could to call the attention of the people to the consideration of matters of greater importance than the personal ministrations of any one. But I really felt that the effect of this disappointment was not overcome till the meetings were nearly through. It seemed very hard to rouse up the attention of the people to the great issues most important for our consideration. We felt that God gave special liberty in speaking plain truths adapted to the condition of the people. Gradually the interest rose toward the close of the meeting, and the people began to feel more the importance of the work in which we are engaged, and apparently consecrated themselves more to it. Hearty confessions were made. I could not help seeing that the cause has not been making very much advancement in Vermont of late, and that a discouraging state of things existed. The tent has not been running the past season. Bro. D. T. Bourdeau is in the West. Bro. A. C. Bourdeau has been hindered by the sickness of his father and the peculiar circumstances of his pecuniary matters. And should these brethren labor, their work would doubtless be largely among the French. Young men who might, by thorough consecration to God, be doing a good work, are busy in other things, and so the cause is not moving forward, and some did not seem to realize that there was much importance to the work. We labored to make the people feel on these points that there was something higher to be attended to than worldly business, and that we must arouse. The tract and missionary work had not been properly supported during the year. The people had not taken hold of this important enterprise, means were lacking, and, in short, everything was dragging. But they came up nobly in these things before the meeting closed. Six men pledged each one hundred dollars for the establishment of the press on the Pacific Coast. Sixteen hundred dollars were pledged to the two book funds, and twelve hundred were pledged for the tract and missionary work, one hundred of which is to go to the General Tract Society treasury. In all there was about $3500 pledged for the cause of God in Vermont. The brethren in no other Conference have been more liberal. This noble public spirit did not make the brethren feel discouraged, but it had just the opposite effect. I have rarely seen our people go away from any meeting in better spirits. They generally feel that there must be a change of base in old Vermont, and are determined that the truth shall rise. Faithful labor is much needed in this State, and the present time is when it could profitably be bestowed. There are young men in this State who might be useful if they felt the burden of the work, and I am satisfied that there are many who would receive the truth, could the right kind of labor be expended here. There were individuals making no profession of faith in this message who came many miles, and stayed days upon the ground. Their hearts were touched with the spirit of the meeting, and from some of them I received the most earnest invitations to come to their neighborhood and hold meetings. Some of these things touched my heart very much. They show that the people outside are ready to receive the truth, when we come up to the right position. They must have some interest when they will leave home cares and come many miles to attend meeting when they make no profession of religion. On Monday we had a good move among the people. Many came forward almost spontaneously, asking for prayers. Several took a firm stand for the truth. Eight were baptized by Bro. Bourdeau in Lamoille River. We trust this has been a profitable meeting for the cause in Vermont. At this writing, I find myself in Walpole, N. H. Learning that there was an interest here, resulting from the labors of Bro. Wm. C. Gage, with a tent, we stopped over two nights and a day to render any assistance we could. This is a very quiet, old-fashioned New-England village, very pleasant, and somewhat aristocratic. The tent is located on the beautiful grassy common in the center of the town. The lectures have stirred the people mightily and twelve have already voted to keep God’s Sabbath. I had the privilege of speaking to a candid audience of sensible-looking people, last evening. I can but hope there will be a good church brought out here, to honor God by keeping his commandments. I speak again to-night, and then start for the New-England meeting. Walpole, N. H., Aug. 26, 1874.