WORDS OF CHEER FROM THE FIELD by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Association

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 35.

WORDS OF CHEER FROM THE FIELD.

By Editor

(Continued.)

One of our contributors, Mr. S. H. Carnahan, writes to the SCIGNS:

'Dear Old Friend: Knowing you to be one of the stanchest advocates of truth and justice, I was made sad indeed when you had been made partaker with others in the sufferings from the great earthquake of April 18. In your more recent afflictions through fire we were also afflicted.'

Mr. Wilson S. Boone, of New Straitsville, Ohio, writes:

'The great loss which we have sustained in the destruction of the SIGNS office is not a local calamity; but should be felt and deplored more than can be expressed by each and every member of the denomination in the whole world.'

Mr. Edward Howard, St. Louis, Mo., writes:

'My sympathies are with you in your recent affliction, and I hope that in the providence of God the Pacific Press will soon be running again full-handed.'

Mr. John S. Wightman, Religious Liberty Secretary of New York, writes:

'No event occurring since I came into the truth, Jan. 29, 1895, has caused so much uneasiness and given such general sorrow in my mind as the loss of the SIGNS plant. May the pitying, gentle Shepherd give you help, spiritual and temporal, at this time, is my prayer. None will chide, no good man will find fault, all will hope for better, for grander things.'

Mr. W. B. Otwell, Editor of the Farm Boy, Carlinville, Ill., writes:

'Dear Friends, I am grieved at the great calamity that has overtaken you. I trust that you may rise greater and stronger than you have ever been before.'

Elder J. W. Boynton, of Ponoka, Alberta, Canada, writes:

It is needless to say that I was very much shocked and distressed to hear the sad news of the fire, for I count myself as one with you in this calamity, for 'all ye are brethren.' I am sure this is Satan's work, but for some good reason God has permitted it.'

Mrs. L. Flora Plummer, Secretary of the Sabbath-school Department of the General Conference, writes:

'Personally I was appalled to hear of the calamity to the Pacific Press. Certainly some of these things are past understanding. I want to assure you that the loss is personal with us all, and we do not feel that a calamity of this kind is local in its nature at all. I am glad that you were able to continue the publication of the papers. It would certainly be a very serious calamity were these to be discontinued even for a time.'

The Rev. T. B. Griffin, of Berkeley, Cal., writes:

'I am inexpressibly shocked, and earnestly pray that God may sustain you in this deep affliction.'

Mrs. Vesta J. Farnsworth, one of our valued missionaries and contributors to Our LITTLE FRIEND, writes:

'I can not tell or express the sympathy we feel in this great calamity that has come to the Pacific Press. Words are feeble in such a time as this to express the emotions of the soul. We feel that this great loss is our own, and yet we can not make it seem real. God knows the reason why such a thing should be permitted, and we wish to learn the lesson there is in it for us. We pray that our dear brethren there at Mountain View may learn the lesson there is in it for them. In some way even this will work for good, and His cause will go forward in spite of loss, and some day we shall know why it was permitted. Our

thoughts are with our institution in ashes, and our prayers go up in behalf of our brethren that they may have wisdom to deal with the situation, and that great good may result from this loss. Mr. Farnsworth joins with me in Christian love and sympathy to you and the brethren and sisters there.'

Mrs. Henrietta McAlexander, one of our old contributors, writes:

'We were all made very sad to hear of this temporary triumph of the enemy in hindering the work of God, yet God has permitted it for reasons we can not know, but we shall know hereafter. We know the enemy could do nothing at all except the Lord suffered him. We do not know what the accuser has said or how he has provoked the Lord to prove the faith and loyalty of His servants. Job 1:8-12. I did rejoice to see the faith and courage with which the SIGNS arose under the first blow and in the ruins of the office sent out a warning that had no 'uncertain sound' to the world. May God give you added grace to rise in the second blow, knowing that the Lord is able to multiply the means to carry on your appointed work.'

Another one of our contributors, Elder F. D. Starr, writes from Forest, Idaho:

'When I sent you my article on 1 Thessalonians I did not know that our beloved Publishing House was even then in ruins, as it seems was the case. I trust the Lord may abundantly bless and direct you in the matter of getting started again. I desire to extend to you my sympathy.'

One of our prized contributors, Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle, whose excellent and interesting book, "Making Home Peaceful" was burned, writes:

"We in this city have been inexpressibly pained to hear of your additional disaster. It is sorrow upon sorrow. Don't you think maybe Job 2:3 applies? I can not help thinking that God has something good in store for you and all of us. 'And the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning.'"