The Quarterly Meeting at Lancaster.
The quarterly meeting at South Lancaster, Mass., was held according to appointment, Oct. 20 and 21. Elds. Haskell, Canright, Cottrell, Rodman, and the writer were present. There was the largest attendance from a distance that has ever been present at a meeting of this kind in this Conference. The rain Friday kept some away who live within a day's drive of this place; but all were not to be deterred on this account. One brother walked 12 miles in the rain to take the cars to get to the meeting. Another rode all day in the rain, and many others shorter distances. And none at the close regretted the pains they had taken to come. The company being too large to be convened in the little chapel here, a 40 ft. tent was erected to accommodate them. Over this the 60 ft. tent was pitched to make it more comfortable. The meeting was full of interest and encouragement. Five out of a company of seven in Providence, R. I., who, from the ranks of first-day Adventists, have just commenced to keep the Sabbath, were present. To these persons the SIGNS had been sent by some one unknown to them, and they had each, without the knowledge of the others, become convicted; and providentially meeting a Sabbath-keeper in that city, after a little discussion of the subject, they took their position. Sabbath, Oct. 20, they kept their first Sabbath. They decided the Sunday before. They were greatly blessed and encouraged by the meeting. The T. and M. Society held its annual meeting on Sunday at 9 a. m. All its business matters (with the exception of the election of officers) including the reading of the paper prepared by the members of this Society, called “The Missionary Worker,” reports, raising of means, &c., were finished in one session lasting only till 11:30. A large amount of business was harmoniously transacted; and in the meeting, and shortly after, about twenty-five hundred dollars were freely pledged to various enterprises in this Conference, fifteen hundred of which were made immediately available. The New England brethren have sacrificed freely in years past, and now Sabbath-keepers are springing up, almost as if from the ground, in different parts of the Conference. The work in Danvers shows what results may be expected from well-directed, prayerful efforts, even here in New England. In these things the brethren feel that they are beginning to see the results of their efforts, and the answers to their prayers, and are thereby stimulated to broader plans and more earnest labors.