TRACT AND MISSIONARY INSTITUTE.
The great event of the past two weeks in Battle Creek, has been the Tract and Missionary Institute, which will have come to its close ere this paper reaches its readers. It commenced with a good attendance at the appointed time, Dec. 18. About eighty names were enrolled as members. The order of exercises suggested in the appointment of the meeting was substantially followed. One exercise each day, continuing one hour, was devoted to Parliamentary practice, and two each day, of two hours each, were given to tract and missionary work. All the duties of all the officers were elaborately explained, and practical drill was given to the class in each. The keeping of all the various accounts, making reports, letter writing, &c., received their due share of attention. Bro. Haskell, with his usual enthusiasm in this work, labored hard and incessantly for the interests of the Institute, and succeeded in imparting to the members some of his own inspiration. Dr. Huntley, the secretary of the General T. and M. Society, rendered constant assistance. The meeting has been a complete success so far as the carrying out of its immediate object is concerned, which was to impart instruction in this important branch of the work. A greater and more important success, we believe, will be seen in the more systematic, and consequently more efficient, workings of the society as these instructions shall be carried out. The exercises have been to not a few in the class a happy surprise. They did not realize that there was so much to this work, nor that there was the chance to carry out so much system, with such prospect of cheering results. We only wish that every person in the State who is to act in any one of the capacities of canvasser, librarian, treasurer, director, secretary, or president could have been present. We congratulate the missionary workers in those States in which Bro. Haskell intends holding Institutes like the one which has just closed so successfully here. We expect these meetings will beget a new interest, and mark a new era, in the tract and missionary work.