Tent Meeting in Barre, Mass.
By E. L. Barr
OUR Tent-meeting at Barre closed July 19th, it being the first effort made with the Tent since Bro. White was with us. Our Tent was pitched on the farm of Otis Grant, about a mile and a half from Barre Center, where we were kindly furnished with whatever we needed by paying for the same. The notice was not so extensively given as we intended, although we were glad to learn on our arrival at the place that the Editor of the public Journal published at Barre had aided us in the work by noticing a handbill posted up in another place. This was a new place, where the present truth had never been preached, and it soon became evident that the Devil designed that it never should be, excepting to those that he had already secured for himself. A goodly number of the saints were present, having traveled some twenty-five or thirty miles to reach the meeting. Our first prayer-meeting, Sabbath morn, was indeed a time of refreshing to many of the saints. The great Head of the church honored our meeting with his approving smiles. The gathering was not large, probably not near as large as it would have been had it not been for the lectures of two celebrated Spiritualists on First-day at the village, on the kingdoms of this world, and setting forth the Republic of the U. S. as eventually to become the kingdom of God. We were blessed with much freedom in presenting the truth, being sustained by the grace of God through the prayers of the faithful, self-sacrificing saints. Some listened attentively to the word spoken, while good order was observed by those in and near the Tent for which we would praise the name of our God who suffered no man to do us harm. After we closed our last 5 o'clock meeting, while we were striking our Tent and preparing to leave, we were a little annoyed by the conversation of a few fellows somewhat of the character of those that vexed the soul of the righteous just previous to the destruction of Sodom. Bro. Smith from N. H. was with us and helped us on First-day. On the whole we do not believe this effort will be labor lost. We therefore leave it with our heavenly Father with a fixed determination by his grace to toil on in unison with his people until the war is over.
E. L. BARR.