TO THOSE DISTRIBUTING SIGNS.
By Stephen N. Haskell
The Signs is much better than tracts to awaken an interest in present truth, as tracts treat upon one subject, but the reading in the Signs is varied. If the reader is not interested in one topic, another is before him, and by this means he will become interested in that in which at first he took no interest. I handed a copy of the Signs to a lady who sat in front of me in the cars. She glanced at the religious article on the first page, and passed it by. The second page the same, and so on throughout the paper. Finally the “News Miscellany” arrested her attention, then the story, afterward the article on the first page, and so on until she became interested in the paper, and we had a very pleasant, and I trust profitable, interview on the subject of present truth. It is thus in very many instances. There is no wider or better sphere of usefulness for sisters of good address, who cannot get away from home to labor in the cause, than to take a number of copies of the Signs and send them, for two or three successive weeks, to some selected address. Then write the individual a letter. If he is interested, send more; if not, drop that person and try others. When persons become interested in some doctrinal point, send a tract on the subject in which they are interested. HOW CAN ADDRESSES BE OBTAINED?
From political papers, from friends, from lists of county papers, and in every conceivable way. When an individual has become interested, ask him to send names. Some have supposed that they must have carefully selected names. After many years’ experience it has been seen that there will be no more interested readers found among fifty carefully selected names than among fifty names taken from various sources, of persons with whom you are wholly unacquainted. Could we read hearts it would make a difference. But the ones whom you might suppose would be the first interested often prove the last ones reached, and vice versa. “For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” 1 Sam. 16:7. THE NATURE OF THE LETTER WRITTEN.
Much depends upon the letter written. It is important that the thoughts should be well expressed, and the letter neatly executed, and these points should be considered; but there is something more important still. The words, warm with love, should come from a feeling heart, burdened with the desire of saving souls, and one that realizes its dependence upon God. Such letters will be effectual, even if the composition and style are not precise. But whatever may be the fluency of language, the Spirit of God must accompany the letter, in order that it may reach the heart. This should ever be realized by the writer. The best time to write a letter is after visiting the closet, where in brokenness of heart the aid of the Holy Spirit has been sought. Printed slips pasted on papers sent, amount to but little. Postal cards do better; but a letter written without any fixed form is the best. The letter should not be at all controversial. The papers and tracts should do that part of the work. In your first letter you can tell them that, if they are interested in the paper, you will send more. Say nothing about subscribing for it in the first letter, wait until they have become sufficiently interested. Our experience has been, thus far, that those who depend on more successful societies to furnish them selected names have never amounted to much. The experience gained in resorting to various means to procure addresses has qualified the individual to write understandingly and effectively. THE RESULT OF SUCH EFFORT.
The Judgment alone will reveal the result of patient, persistent labor in this branch of the missionary work. You cannot always decide that no interest is taken when a response is not made to the letter written. I have learned that upon the receipt of the first copy of the Signs, some have inclosed two dollars and sent directly to the Signs Office, and never replied to the letter. The difficulties experienced by some in writing are such that they do not reply. But it is reasonable to conclude, when they do not respond at all, that they are not sufficiently interested to be benefited by receiving papers. Only think of sending out weekly, from eight to five hundred copies of the Signs, from each of our five hundred different churches, to all places where the English language is spoken! I have found papers thus sent, in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, and Illinois, and I expect to meet them more and more frequently. While at Alabama, I received a letter from a man who had commenced preaching the Sabbath, having received it in the above manner. (The letter I unfortunately lost.) Bro. J. W. Heath, formerly a Presbyterian minister, an educator in the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, also in the higher branches of mathematics, has thus embraced the truth. I had the pleasure of baptizing him. I learned of four other ministers, two of whom have wholly embraced these views and two partially, who were preaching the truth in Alabama. While in Illinois, I learned of a lady who was surrounded by Sabbath-keepers, her own son taking twelve copies of the Signs; but she, being prejudiced, would not read them. She received three copies from the secretary of the Vigilant Missionary Society in Washington, N. H., and then a letter, which wrought a great change in her feelings. The thought that a stranger should take so much interest in her case, with the letter written with such warmth of feeling, greatly affected her heart. I do not know how her address was obtained, but I know that God made this means instrumental in reaching the heart. May God bless those who are taking the Signs and sending them out to others.