Nimes, France by D. T. Bourdeau

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 12, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 31.

Nimes, France.

By D. T. Bourdeau

OUR tent was pitched in this city June 30, Elder B. L. Whitney rendering valuable assistance. My vitality had been sorely taxed in searching three weeks for rooms and a tent ground, then in settling my family, and finally in doing heavy work in the hot sun to prepare the tent ground. The extreme heat of this southern climate, together with the sting of poisonous flies, also produced swellings and burnings on my person causing sleep to depart and making additional help an urgent necessity. Also, the re-enforcement of Brethren Ertzenberger and Albert Vuilleumier, which soon followed, was appreciated.

The first discourse was given by the writer the evening of July 3, before a large audience, the first number of our Journal de la Tente Evangélique (Journal of the Evangelical Tent), a neat eight-paged paper, filled with spicy, appropriate matter, and published at Basel, having been quite thoroughly distributed in the Protestant part of Nimes. The novelty of such a style of meetings, together with a report which had just appeared in a daily, stating that we outdid Salvationists by a special costume, and by our singing, brought in quite a number of turbulent persons, who made it very difficult to speak. I could not deliver more than two-thirds of my discourse, and what I did say could not make a full impression on minds because of the noise. I appealed to the honor of the disturbers, but all in vain. The night following, Brother Ertzenberger met the same difficulty. The next night was characterized by the same disturbances, but I felt sensibly that God braced me up so as to drown the voices of the disturbers, and I spoke with greater satisfaction, though with the conviction that order must be secured, or our effort would be in vain. Some candid hearers were being disheartened and resolved not to attend under such circumstances, but other new ones replaced them through curiosity.

At this point, the central commissioner of the police said that the surest way for us to secure order, was to take down our tent and leave. I called on him, and found that some had received the impression that we were Prussian spies in disguise. I corrected this, making use of the fact of my being an American, and appealed to the good feeling existing between the two nations. This had a good effect, and secured us a stronger corps of policemen. Notwithstanding this, the next meeting was more noisy, and more disorderly. Polished collegians mixed with the disturbers. Our tent was pitched inside of a stone wall nine feet high for

safety; but a breach was made in this wall, and the rabble were determined not to leave the tent, though it was late in the night.

I saw mere kindness would not do. It seemed to me that God had gone before us in France, causing laws to be enacted of which we must take advantage. I hastened to three policemen, who soon stepped in and cleared the tent, the roughs fleeing in every direction. The next night, two more breaches were made in the wall; but two of the aggressors were taken, shut up, and punished. Since then we have had pretty good order, though our position has been very similar to that of Nehemiah,—that of praying, building, and keeping the enemies at bay. Two men are at the door; one, with the aid of policemen, secures order in the tent and watches the wall within; the other walks around the wall without. I take my turn in watching the wall. It is understood that we are at home, and that the first man who comes in over the wall, or disturbs the audience, will be seized and delivered to the authorities to be locked up in prison for three months, or to be fined.

We are thankful to the authorities for their protection thus far. Several times each week duty calls us to either write to, or call on, the authorities on business matters, and to correct false rumors published by newspapers. Thus we have had pleasant interviews at the Prefecture (capital buildings of the department) with men who would gather around us from different rooms to hear our statements, showing true respect.

Thus far we have held nine meetings, and have shut singing out of our exercises so as not to be mistaken for those who have abused singing. We have also introduced the use of a card of invitation to enlist the services of our true friends in securing order, and to keep out unworthy and tumultuous persons.

God has a people in France, and our hope is in God, who can turn the hearts of men in power to favor us, and who can overrule events which would seem disastrous to the cause, and have them result in victory to his truth and people. I have been thus particular and minute that our brethren might be in a better condition to pray for the cause in France, and partly to meet the minds of my numerous correspondents, to whom I cannot write as formerly without doing great injustice to the work which God and my brethren have assigned me.

Cheer us by your letters, and let your earnest prayers follow us, that the mission in France may prove a success.

D. T. BOURDEAU.