THE NEW YORK CAMP-MEETING.
By B. L. Whitney
This meeting was held in a beautiful grove near Carthage, Jefferson Co., N. Y.,—a fine location in all respects. The grove itself was all that could be desired for the purpose. It was located directly on the Utica and Black River Railroad, and all trains stopped at the ground. The Black River forms a bend a few rods from the camp, furnishing a convenient and beautiful baptismal ground. About thirty tents were pitched—less by twenty than at the Aurora meeting in June, but they were larger, and were well filled. By Friday109night there were toward four hundred brethren and sisters on the ground. We were rejoiced to see the faces of Bro. and Sr. White again, and especially so as it seemed an indication that the Lord was raising his worn servants from their enfeebled state of health. The presence of Bro. Haskell and Smith was an encouragement to all, and their faithful and earnest labors were, we trust, appreciated. The reports from different parts of the field were encouraging. The truth is evidently taking hold in this soil, heretofore considered so hard and unfertile. The time has evidently come when the ears of the people are open to the truth. As at Aurora, the outside interest was deep. Every train left visitors at the ground, and those who came, came evidently not only to see but to hear, and went away with a favorable impression. Some fifteen thousand pages of tracts were taken—mostly from the Distributor, which hung in an accessible place—besides a large number of papers. The freight trains would occasionally stop at the ground, all hands rush up to the tent, listen for a few minutes and off again; and the last morning after the meetings had closed and all were preparing to leave, the engineer of a freight train stopped his engine, and beckoning to one of our brethren called for some tracts on the Sabbath, and passed on with his train. Sabbath and Sunday the pavilion was full through all the services. No trains were running on Sunday, but people came on foot and with teams, bringing their lunch baskets, and though five sermons were delivered during the day and evening, there was very little strolling about the grounds, but the multitude of people under the canvas sat eagerly listening. One of the city papers, in Tuesday morning’s issue, gave the following favorable editorial comment:— “The sermon delivered by Rev. Mrs. White at Jefferson Park, Sunday afternoon, was one of the grandest efforts of a woman. She commenced by speaking on temperance, but afterward spoke on general topics, and in a manner so interesting that not one of the two thousand people assembled left the spot. She spoke for upwards of two hours, and at the close of the address every person wished her to continue. It was a remarkable address. Mrs. White is a remarkable woman; but the most remarkable of all is, that the auditors should sit for two hours, and then express a willingness to sit two hours more, and listen.” Sister White’s efforts were untiring. Bro. White’s feebleness forbade his taking his usually active part in the meetings, and she seemed to lift for both herself and him. That her efforts were appreciated by those who had never heard her before, the above paragraph witnesses, and we have been glad to see that some, at least, among our own people, are endeavoring to put in practice the lessons heard at the camp-meeting. We were sorry not to see a deeper feeling manifested among our people throughout the meeting. In view of this state of things, sister White was moved to give a pointed and searching testimony at the early meeting on Monday morning just before leaving the ground. At the nine o’clock meeting a deeper feeling seemed to prevail, and some were moved to confession of backsliding from God, and a covenant was entered into by most of those present to seek the Lord more fully. This was considered the best social meeting of the week, and the Spirit of the Lord seemed nearer than at any previous meeting. About one hundred and twenty-five brief, pointed testimonies were borne in forty-five minutes, evidently with deep feeling. The daily papers of Utica and Watertown, published a preliminary article, giving a sketch of our faith and the progress of our work, and full reports of the meetings daily. Monday, nine were baptized in Black river, five of whom were young men. Those who remained through to the close of the meeting felt that much would have been lost had they gone earlier. May God help us to keep the covenant we made to seek him, and devote ourselves more fully to his service. B. L. WHITNEY.