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Review and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 51.

The Better Way
Earlier text: Questions and Answers on God's Sabbath

The Aymaran and Quichuan Indians

By F. W. Stahl

F. W. STAHL
We rejoice to see the growing interest for the high and noble things of life among these Indians. There are nearly four million of them. Naturally, they are a strong, healthy, and happy people, but the universal use of alcohol and coca is creating terrible havoc among them.
The ruinous effects of alcohol are well known; we do not have to travel far to see its baleful results. The effects of coca (cocaine) are terrible in the extreme. It robs man of his intelligence, of his comprehension. He loses all desire for cleanliness, and its use brings him lower than any beast. Couple with the coca the use of alcohol, and you have human wrecks of the most miserable and hopeless kind.
As the Indians are being enlightened, and taught the truth about these evils and their inevitable results, the large majority are giving up their use. Many times, as we are teaching them, we hear them exclaim, “Oh, would that I had known this before!”
Now in the localities where these people have been taught, instead of the bacchanalian feasts and dances, there is an air of quiet industry. Instead of the wild curses, there is praise to God; and there are far fewer fatherless and motherless homes. To God be all the glory for this change.
The encouraging part is that these people want to do right. Not a week passes but persons come to us from great distances, seeking the way of truth. Today as I was writing this letter, a man and his wife came from afar, andwanted to learn God’s way. Last week a man came with his whole family, and wanted us to pray with him that they might be enabled to live clean lives. He asked if it is a sin for them to sell alcohol or coca. Of course we had to tell him that it is. They came four days’ journey.
Many calls have come in and are still coming in, that teachers should go to the villages and teach the way of salvation. We are so few here that we cannot begin to answer these pleas for help. We send in calls for help to our Mission Board, but the answer comes back, “There is no money in the treasury to support more workers in the field.” Oh, that God will touch the hearts of some to help with their money, so that messengers of truth can be sent to these needy, pleading people!
Think what a blessed thing it will be to meet some one in the kingdom of God who is there because of the money that you gave so that it was made possible to send a teacher who taught him the better life that is in Christ Jesus. Jesus says, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
Puno, Peru.

Gospel Work Among the Kafirs of South Africa

By I. B. BURTON

I. B. BURTON
“Woe to the land shadowing with wings, in the which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: . . . a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!”
TRULY the prophet here describes Africa in a few brief words, for whether we read the text or margin both are literally true of this great country.
“Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.”
These words are a great source of encouragement to those who are laboring in this field to lead poor, lost souls to the Saviour. Of all lands this seems to be shrouded in a darkness that can truly be felt. Sin has cast its dark pall over it, and it can truly be said of this people that they love darkness rather than light. And yet, thank God, he will gather out a remnant from every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; and when the great gathering day comes, many from Africa will be there to help swell the glorious throng who will finally stand redeemed in the future kingdom. Ethiopia is stretching out her hands to God, and little lights are peering through the gross darkness, which indicates that the gospel is surely making its way among this people who are sitting in the shadow of death.
The work among the African people began in the year 1799, when Dr. Van der Kemp visited Chief Gika and secured from him the privilege of dwelling among his people. Soon after, a site for a school was obtained about twenty-two miles from King William’s Town, known as Deba Merala. This is in Kafirland, of the Cape province. This good man, who had been sent out by the London Missionary Society, was the first white missionary to visit and labor for this people.
Dr. Van der Kemp’s Kafir name is very significant, denoting the manner in which he arrived among the Kafirs. It is Nyengana, and it is derived from a verb meaning to put down secretly. The natives looked on him as a man who had secretly stolen away from his own people to bring to them the light from above. The spirit that actuated this missionary in his life and work, is well illustrated by a remark that he once made, “I should not fear to offer my life for the least child among them.”
His preaching was of a conversational nature, and the natives say that he told them that there is a God in heaven; that he created all things, the sun, moon, and the stars. Then he told them there is one — Sifuba-Silanzi (the broad-breasted one) — who is the light of all men. His birth was heralded by a star; his feet were wounded for us; his hands were pierced for us; his blood was shed for us. To-day many in Kafirland are rejoicing in the knowledge of that Saviour who in those early days was thus proclaimed to them by this faithful missionary.
Some traces of Dr. Van der Kemp’s home can still be seen, although it is over one hundred years since his decease. He died in Cape Town in 1811, and is buried in the Strand Street Cemetery.
The work he so nobly began was sadly neglected until the year 1816, when the Rev. Joseph Williams settled among this people near what is now Fort Beaufort. He died in 1818, and he, therefore, was the first missionary to labor and die among the Kafirs.
In August this faithful man of God took to his bed. There was no white man nearer than Mr. Hart, of Somerset, East. All the men were at the front, owing to a Kafir war which was then raging, and there were only a few old men left about the station. On the seventeenth of August, 1818, Mr. Williams died, while his faithful wife watched by his bedside.
Then a perplexity arose, as it was a law among the Kafirs that no white man could be buried unless some friend of his was present. They arranged, therefore, to send a messenger to Somerset, East, to call Mr. Hart. On the third day he arrived on horseback, and found Mrs. Williams digging the grave herself, which she had almost completed. “Now,” said these Kafir men, “we can assist in the burial of the missionary, for now a white man has seen that he died a natural death; otherwise we should have been punished by our chief.”
(Concluded next week)

Brazil

By F. W. SPIES

F. W. SPIES
AFTER having concluded the work at Juiz de Fora, as related in my last report, I went to Rio de Janeiro, and on the eighteenth of May embarked for Bahia. At this city, the fortress of Catholicism in Brazil, I arrived May 21, and it was my privilege to spend Sabbath and Sunday here with the brethren. Elder Manoel Kuempel, who has for some time been stationed at this place, has been sick during a large part of the past year, having contracted, while visiting the interior, a stubborn malaria which for months refused to leave him. I am glad, however, to report that he recovered and is now enjoying excellent health.
Although we have been working at Bahia for five years, the work has gone hard, and little is to be seen as a result of the work done. Still there is probably not another city in Brazil, except, perhaps, Rio de Janeiro, where so much of our literature has been circulated. Also much house-to-house and Bible work has been done, but with little apparent result. No doubt the tent work will be the means of reaching the people of Bahia, as it was proving to be in other cities. I was glad, however, to find at Bahia several promising young men who will accompany me on my trip back to Sao Paulo to enter the canvassing work, seeing there is no one in Bahia to instruct and direct them.
On Monday, May 24, Elder Kuempel and I embarked for Maceio, the capital of Alagoas, where we arrived the next day. I was glad to find Elder Ricardo Wilfart, from Pernambuco, already at Maceio, as he had been invited by telegram to join us there. At Maceio we labored together ten days, and at the end of this time organized a good, promising company, with a membership of twenty-seven. At a former time we had a good work started at Maceio, but several ambitious natives succeeded in drawing away a number of the brethren, and the others moved away from the city, so during about two years there was only one sister here. In August of last year Brother Zacharias M. Rodrigues, a Bible worker, was sent to Maceio, and by careful work succeeded in winning back a number of those who had been misled, and also gained about ten new souls. It was a great privilege to organize this company, four of whom had just been baptized, and to celebrate the Lord's Supper with them. This was indeed a blessed occasion. Five others who are keeping the Sabbath expect to be baptized at a future time. Elder Kuempel will move his family to Maceio to continue this promising work, as Brother Rodrigues goes to Sao Paulo to attend the course of instruction for Bible workers to be held there in October.
We are certainly encouraged to see the Lord's work again well established in Maceio. May the Lord richly bless the work at this place is our prayer.
Pernambuco.

Perseverance Brings Success

If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius. — Addison.

Conducted by Mrs. I. H. Evans, Takoma Park, Washington D. C

By Mrs. I. H. Evans; Miss Lora E. Clement

Assisted by Miss Lora E. Clement
Through the columns of this department, hints will be given on all matters pertaining to the home life. Short articles and letters are solicited from home makers, telling of their everyday experiences,—their joys and sorrows, their failures and successes.

Present Blessings

By MRS. I. H. E.

It is natural for the human heart to hope. When things go hard, we look forward to a time when they will be better; we long for the hour that will see the task completed, the dream realized, the goal reached. The forward look! it means endeavor and progress and attainment; its eager vision sees the fair results of present toil, the laurels won, the heart’s desire gained.
The hope that is defined as “cheerful expectancy,” “a confident looking for a future event,” “to trust confidently that good will come,” is a blessing to mankind. It has its roots in faith; its possession leads to purity of heart and life; and its fulfillment is not found in this world, but in the better country. “Happy is he,” says the psalmist, “whose hope is in the Lord.” Such hope gives assurance and confidence for the future, and brings happiness and contentment in the present.
But there is another kind of hope—“delusive hope” it is called. Discontent, ambition, and unrest mark its possessors, who— “Look before and after, And sigh for what is not.”
To such a one attainment itself brings no lasting satisfaction; the vista broadens, the desires increase. Either he renews the struggle, pressing on with feverish haste, or he comes to the place where, realizing that earthly success can never satisfy the heart, he gives up in discouragement, and yields to despair.
How easy it is for us to allow some “delusive hope” to exert a vital influence in the life! The hope of a legacy, even of some vague, unformed, unnamed good fortune, has kept many from the effort that would have resulted in real benefit.
Mothers often look forward to some time in the future when their children’s presence will bring greater joy, when they will be less care, or more thoughtful, or a greater help, or more companionable. It has been said that “what every mother thinks” is this:— “When the baby comes— When baby can sit up— When baby is in short clothes— When he can walk— When he is through teething— When he starts to kindergarten— When he is ready for high school— When he is going to college— When he is a man among men— When he was a baby!”
The danger in all this dreaming and retrospect lies in the tendency to neglect the present, with its joys and its opportunities,—joys in watching the unfolding and developing life of the child, opportunity of molding and guiding it in its most impressionable years.
It is a mistake to allow the machinery of life—the business of sleeping and eating and dressing—to absorb all the mother’s time and drain all her energy. Not that these necessary and essential things are to be neglected, but rather that certain “weightier matters”—answering the child’s questions, taking time to enter into his interests and obtain his point of view, listening to his small secrets and encouraging his precious confidences—shall not be overlooked. Do you wish your children to enjoy your society, to love their home, and fashion their lives according to its standards? There is no surer way to make the wish reality than that through all their days you shall find real happiness and pleasure in their company, and live those ideals before them. This is one thing that was meant by the wise old man who said, “Come, let us live with our children;” and we may rest assured that no other living yields richer or more enduring returns.
Then, with hope for the future, confidence in its good, and firm faith in our Heavenly Father’s purpose toward us, let us not forget that it is his pleasure that we obtain the blessing and joy of the moments and hours and days into which our lives are broken.
“The present, the present is all thou hast For thy sure possessing; Like the patriarch’s angel, hold it fast, Till it yield its blessing.”
MRS. I. H. E.

A Strike

THE snow was deep in the paths, the barn door hard to open, and the ax was dull on the morning when Phil and Harold decided to strike.
“I’m tired of chores,” said Harold. “Bill and Jack Lee never have anything to do out of school.”
“But isn’t that because they live upstairs in a flat, and there’s nothing to do?”
“I don’t care why ’tis. I only know I’ve had enough of chores. Lessons out of school are enough for any boy. Sam Dunn could just as well do them all the time. Let’s strike,” said Harold. “Father’s away. It would be a good time.”
“Strikes are all the go,” admitted Phil.
“Let’s do it,” said Harold. “We can see how it works anyway, and declare it off if it doesn’t work well.”
So on the following morning, as the boys left for school, a placard was posted outside the kitchen door with the words: “A strike is on. No more chores for boys. Phil and Harold.”
Nora, the maid in the kitchen, called Mrs. Allen to see it, and the two in some amusement made arrangements which seemed to involve something like a strike of their own.
So when the young strikers returned at noon, they found the house quiet, the key of the back door under the mat, as always understood at times when there was nobody at home. It was easy to guess that mother had gone on a visit to her parents, who lived at the other end of the town; but there appeared no reason for the absence of Nora, and there was some grumbling as the two realized that no preparation had been made for dinner.
“Never mind; we can find plenty to eat.”
They ate a cold lunch, and at supper time devoured what was left of it.
“Boys don’t need to be so particular, pampering themselves up,” Harold assured his brother.
“No, indeed! Fancy if we were camping. Things would be a good deal rougher than they are here.”
But it was rather comfortless to find their bed unmade and their room in the confusion in which they had left it on rising. And when in the morning they went to the kitchen with its array of unwashed dishes from their meals of the day before, they were quite ready to agree that it was like camping with the fun left out. Other parts of the house were warm, for Sam Dunn took care of the furnace; but there was no fire in the kitchen.
“I’m not going to eat cold stuff this morning,” declared Phil. “It’s odd if we can’t get up a breakfast for ourselves. Here are some eggs; anybody can cook eggs. And we’ll have milk toast.”
“But where’s the milk?” said Harold. “I’ve been looking for some, but there’s only a drop left from last night.”
“I wonder if anybody’s looking after milking the cow, now that Nora’s taken herself off,” said Phil in great discontent. “Well, we’ll have coffee.”
After a laborious three quarters of an hour they sat down to a muddy mixture they called coffee, missing sorely the fresh milk which Sam Dunn, under instruction, had carried away with him when he milked.
“Can’t you make better toast than this?” growled Phil. “One side is burned, and the other side is raw.”
“Well, you boiled the eggs, and they’re like bullets.”
“If we waited for them to boil soft, we’d be late for school.”
Phil presently pushed back his chair in disgust, and asked, “How long do strikes last?”
“I’m thinking this one has lasted about long enough for me.”
“Me, too. It hasn’t worked well at all.”
The paths were cleared of snow, kindling cut, and other small duties attended to. Then another placard was hastily prepared: “Strike’s off. Phil and Harold.”
As the two strikers guessed might be the case, on their return at noon Nora was in the kitchen, having much enjoyed her short holiday. Everything was in pleasing preparation for a comforting meal. Mother sat down to it with them, looking as if nothing had been going on; but the boys felt a little foolish.
“We—we didn’t calculate on you and Nora going on a strike, too,” at length said Phil.
“I suppose not,” said mother. “But you must acknowledge that it was a good time for us to do it, when there were no boys ready to bear their own little share of the everyday burdens. Things, you know, cannot run smoothly unless each one does his faithful, willing best in the business of home making.”
“I think we both know that,” said Phil.—Exchange.

Memories of Mother

My mother's hand is on my brow, Her gentle voice is pleading now, Across the years so marred by sin; What memories of love steal in!
Once more I see that look of pain, The anguish in those eyes again; My heart is sad, for well I know My sin has caused that look of woe.
When others scorned me in their pride, She gently drew me to her side; When all the world had turned away, My mother stood by me that day.
The memories of bygone years, My mother's love, my mother's tears, The thought of all her constant care, Doth bring the answer to her prayer.
I'm coming home, by sin beset, For Jesus loves me even yet; My mother's love brings home to me The greater love of Calvary.
*O mother, when I think of thee, 'Tis but a step to Calvary; Thy gentle hand upon my brow Is leading me to Jesus now.*
— Selected.

To the Home Department Readers

By MRS. I. H. E.

No amount of purely theoretical instruction, however correct in principle, can have the personal touch or carry the influence that comes from the story of actual experience,—experience that has been lived through trying hours, and that has perhaps brought knowledge only by suffering. Full speech comes from the overflowing heart, and that is the kind to which we may listen with profit.
Many Seventh-day Adventist mothers and teachers are daily learning in the great school of life. Much that they have gained would be a benefit and blessing to others similarly situated. Have you found new methods of lightening the housekeeper’s daily tasks, some way to economize time or strength or money, some way to let the blessed hope that you cherish in your own heart shine out to your neighbors? Has some special blessing and enlightenment come to you in dealing with the little ones under your care? Your experience may be just the help some one else has been longing for. Will you not take a little time to tell it to others?
Do not think that what you have to say will be of no value. It may be just the word needed to give a lift to one struggling with the problems you have solved.
Write for the Home Department. Tell, in short, practical articles, the things that have helped you or benefited others, and you may be sure they will receive a hearty welcome.
MRS. I. H. E.

Standard Apple Jelly

By Mrs. Nettie D. Rice

By following this, the usual method of making apple jelly, any woman can make the most delicious jellies:—
Wash the ends of the apples; remove stem and blossom ends, and cut apples into quarters. Do not discard skins or cores. Put into a preserving kettle, add cold water to come nearly to the top of the fruit, cover, and cook slowly till the apples are soft; drain through a coarse sieve, but do not press, as this will make the jelly cloudy. Let this juice drip through a cheesecloth bag, and for an especially clear jelly strain it again through a bag of flannelette. Measure the juice. To each cupful measure out three fourths of a cupful of granulated sugar. Boil the juice briskly for twenty minutes, then add the sugar, which should have been heated, stir till dissolved, and boil till it “jells.” This should take place in about five minutes. The tests are very simple: the jelly should be thick enough to drip in lumps from a spoon, or to coagulate almost at once when dropped on an ice-cold plate. All scum should be removed as fast as it appears. The jelly should be poured into sterilized tumblers, and when it has stiffened, the jars should be covered with sheets of paraffin paper to exclude the dust. If possible let them stand in a sunny window for a day. Seal with boiling-hot paraffin.

Apple Jelly de Luxe

I am spending a year in the noted apple district of California, and, having time to spare, am experimenting with the apple, seeking new flavors for jellies, and I find apple jelly from one variety entirely different in flavor and color from that made from another. I shall never call apple jelly common again. With these specially flavored apples I have combined other fruits with splendid results. Here are some combinations that make apple jelly de luxe.

ROSE-PINK APPLE JELLY

5 pounds red astrachans 1 quart strawberry juice Juice of half a lemon

DELICATE-PINK APPLE JELLY

5 pounds yellow bellflowers 2 pounds Royal Anne cherries

DARK-RED APPLE JELLY

5 pounds Gravensteins 1 quart blackberry juice

CRIMSON APPLE JELLY

5 pounds spitzenburghs 2 cups bottled pineapple

GREEN APPLE JELLY

5 pounds white pearmains 10 stalks crushed fresh mint Juice of one lemon Pure leaf-green coloring

PINK APPLE JELLY

5 pounds Rhode Island greenings 2 pounds Flame Tokay grapes

CLEAR-AMBER APPLE JELLY

5 pounds northern spy Juice of one lemon

BRIGHT-RED APPLE JELLY

5 pounds Newton pippins Juice of 2 navel oranges

RICH-DARK-RED APPLE JELLY

5 pounds McIntosh reds 2 pounds strawberry guavas

BURNT-ORANGE APPLE JELLY

5 pounds Arkansas blacks 2 cups blood orange juice Pure orange coloring
In preparing these combinations, the fruit juices should be added after the apple juice has been extracted, and allowed to drain through the cheesecloth with it; the contrasting fruit and mint should be added when the apples are first set to cook.—Mrs. Nettie D. Rice, in Good Housekeeping for October.

The Little Boy’s Treasure

By Jewels

THE other day I read a beautiful little story about a shepherd boy. He was keeping the sheep in a flowery meadow, and, because his heart was happy, he sang so loudly that the surrounding hills echoed his song. One morning the king, who was on a hunting trip, spoke to him and said, “Why are you so happy, my boy?”
“Why should I not be happy?” answered the boy. “Our king is not richer than I.”
“Indeed,” said the king, “pray tell me of your great possessions.”
The shepherd boy answered: “The sun in the bright blue sky shines as brightly upon me as upon the king. The flowers upon the mountain and the grass in the valley grow and bloom to gladden my sight as well as his. I would not take a hundred thousand pounds for my hands; my eyes are of more value than all the precious stones in the world. I have food and clothing, too. Am I not, therefore, as rich as a king?”
“You are right,” said the king, with a smile, “but your greatest treasure is your contented heart.”— Jewels.

Field Days at the Camp Meetings

By F. W. PAAP

THE reports from all sections of our field indicate that our camp meetings have been seasons of great refreshing this year. Personally I never enjoyed these privileges more than during the past season. In most instances the attendance of our people has been larger than usual, and the spirit of seeking after God has been more earnest.
We have reached the time when a new order of things is coming in. There is an awakening; the church is being aroused. The spirit of revived consecration is leading many to see the importance and necessity of doing personal soul-winning work for God. Many have given their hearts to God and to this great message. Thousands of dollars have been given for foreign missions; and the printed page, one of the principal agencies that God has ordained for our use in enlightening those in need of present truth, has been purchased by our people to unprecedented amounts.
We have been told that, “properly conducted, the camp meeting is a school where pastors, elders, and deacons can learn to do more perfect work for the Master. . . . In some of our conferences, the leaders have hesitated to introduce these practical methods of instruction. Some are naturally inclined to sermonize rather than to teach. But on such occasions as our annual camp meetings, we must never lose sight of the opportunities afforded us for teaching the believers how to do practical missionary work in the place where they may live.”—“Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IX, page 82.
In connection with each camp meeting in the Southwestern Union, a field day was arranged; leaders were appointed, and the territory divided. Careful instructions having been given as to how to approach the people and how to put the literature into their hands, a good percentage of the campers went forth to the homes of the people to give them a cordial invitation to attend the evening services. With the neatly printed invitations announcing the subjects for each evening, they took one or more of our truth-filled tracts, thus giving the people a taste of the good things treasured in the everlasting gospel. The results were very gratifying. The large tent, at each camp meeting, was filled to overflowing every evening. In some instances the campers went a second time, with even better results than at first.
All who thus engaged in soul-winning activities had an opportunity at the six o'clock meeting on the following morning to tell their experiences. This was one of the best and most profitable meetings of the camp. A collection was taken to pay for the literature thus used, and over forty thousand papers were provided for, and placed in the hands of the people in one day.
We believe there is great virtue in this plan of teaching the people how to do home missionary work, and recommend it to every conference in the Division. The accompanying picture shows a company of about two hundred leaving the camp ground at Oklahoma City with five thousand invitation cards and five thousand tracts and periodicals. God greatly blessed their efforts. F. W. PAAP.

The Northern Illinois Camp Meeting

By W. W. Eastman

THE Northern Illinois annual camp meeting and conference were held at Joliet, Ill., August 26 to September 5. The camp was located in a residential section about a mile from the business center of the city and about a block from two street-car lines, making it easy of access to those who desired to attend. The evening meetings were quite well attended by the people of the city.
The arrangement of the camp was neat and orderly. There was plenty of shade, and a good supply of water. The ground was well carpeted with a heavy mat of grass, affording protection from dust and mud, which are so often an annoyance and inconvenience to life on a camp ground.
The business of the conference was practically finished during the first half of the meeting, and was characterized by a spirit of harmony throughout. Elder W. A. Westworth was elected president of the conference, and H. E. Moon, secretary and treasurer of the conference and tract society. Miss Edith Shepard was again chosen for educational and Missionary Volunteer secretary, and C. J. Tolf was elected field missionary agent.
The good spirit of the Lord was present from the very beginning of the meeting. On the first Sabbath, at the conclusion of a stirring sermon by the president of the conference, a large number came forward in response to a call for those who would dedicate their lives anew to God and make a full surrender for service. On the last Sabbath a revival service was also conducted, and was marked by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
When the cause of missions was presented, and an opportunity given for those who wished to give of their means to do so, $3,500 was received in cash and pledges. A good sum was also given during the meeting for the local work of the conference.
Those in attendance aside from the local conference workers were: Elder A. G. Daniels, of the General Conference; L. H. Christian, C. A. Russell, and J. B. Blosser, representing the Lake Union; J. W. Mace, of the Western Branch of the Review and Herald Office; O. J. Graf, president of Emmanuel Missionary College; Dr. David Paulson, of Hinsdale Sanitarium; Prof. C. C. Lewis, representing the Fireside Correspondence School; and the writer.
Daily meetings were conducted with the young people, also with the colporteurs. It was very encouraging to see that literature sales in the conference by the colporteurs had more than doubled those of last year. Tithes and offerings had also increased, and souls had been won to the third angel's message.
The attendance of our people at the meeting was said to be the largest since the conference was divided.
On the last day of the meeting thirty persons went forward in the ordinance of baptism.
W. W. EASTMAN.

Shreveport Tent Effort for the Colored

By T. B. Buckner

BRIEF reports of our work for the colored in the city of Shreveport, La., have already appeared in the Southern Union Worker. The meetings were well attended from the beginning. Elder Sydney Scott was with me several weeks, and rendered good service, but he had to leave the first of July to begin a tent effort in Jackson, Miss. When a call was made for those who desired to keep all the commandments to sign a covenant to that effect, a goodly number responded. On Sabbath, September 11, we organized a church of twenty-four. Since then four more have been added. Our contributions have been good. Though times are hard, we have collected about one hundred and fifty dollars, covering all running expenses of the meetings, with a surplus for the conference treasury.
We are glad also to hear of the progress of the work in other parts of the great harvest field where tent efforts or camp meetings have been held. When we see precious souls coming into the truth everywhere, we rejoice, and double our efforts to finish the work.
T. B. BUCKNER.

The Summary

By N. Z. TOWN

“NOTHING succeeds like success.” This is illustrated in this month’s summary. Seven of the twelve unions in North America show a gain over the corresponding month last year. The six of these unions which report the number of hours worked show an average of over 102 hours for each colporteur for the month. The average sales amount to $1.08 an hour for each worker. Somehow the more time a worker puts in, the better success he has for each hour worked. Here is one conference with 37 agents who worked a total of 1,585 hours, or an average of about 43 hours for each worker, for the month. Their sales amount to $1,231.60, or 77 cents an hour for each. Here is an adjoining conference with conditions more or less the same, with 16 agents who worked 1,575 hours, an average of 98 hours each, and their sales amount to $1.36 each an hour. The consciousness of doing faithful work gives one confidence and success.
Notwithstanding some losses, we are glad to see a total gain in our book sales for the month both at home and abroad. It is especially encouraging to see the splendid gains in some of the foreign fields. The periodical reports from these fields are more than double those of the corresponding month last year, both in the number sold and in the value. In the fields that have suffered because of the war, nearly all our field men have faced the situation with strong faith and stout hearts, and these splendid reports show the results.
Let us not waver nor slacken our efforts. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. He delights in doing the seemingly impossible for us when we meet special difficulties. In Jacob’s prophecy concerning his sons, after mentioning the special difficulties that Joseph would have, he says of him, “But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.” Commenting on this, one writer says: “It is a beautiful picture. There stands the weak child in whose slender arms are no muscles strong enough to draw the string or bend the bow, which he vainly tries to use. They resist his utmost endeavors. Evidently he has neither might nor strength.
“But now see! On his weak hands are laid other hands, mighty hands, that wove the tapestry of the heavens, and that hold in their hollows the depths of the seas. One of these is placed where the left hand holds the bow, the other where the right hand plucks the string. And now with what ease those thin hands wield the bow; it is a plaything in their grasp; and without apparent strain the arrow flies to its mark.”
An old legend tells us that Ulysses, returning home after long years, proved his identity by bending a bow which had defied the efforts of the stoutest heroes who had tried in his absence. There are a good many of these defiant bows lying all around us,—tasks that derideour puny efforts, wicked neighborhoods that will not yield, hardened soils that will not admit the plowshare to cut into their crust. The one thing of which we need to assure ourselves is whether it is God’s will to take them in hand. If not, it is useless to attempt the task; we may well husband and reserve our strength. But if it is made clear to us that we are to take up the armor, let us not hesitate for a single moment, but let us put on the armor of defense and the weapons of attack; and as we do so, we shall become aware that strength is being infused into us—not ours, but his. The arms of our hands will be made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob.
To the man who thus relates himself to God and his power, there is no such thing as defeat. Instead of allowing apparently unfavorable circumstances, such as floods, drought, depression in trade, and wars, to dishearten him, he will turn these things to his own advantage and to the advantage of the work. “Quit you like men, be strong.” “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore.”
N. Z. TOWN.
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