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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
Adventists’ sending their children to our school, where they can be
brought directly under a saving influence.
Our voyage from Oregon was rough, but I was not so sick as on
my former passage. This boat, the “Idaho,” did not pitch, but rolled.
We were treated very kindly on the boat. We made many pleasant
acquaintances and distributed our publications to different ones, which
led to profitable conversation. When we arrived at Oakland we found
that the tent was pitched there and that quite a number had embraced
the truth under the labors of Brother Healey. We spoke several times
under the tent. Sabbath and first day the churches of San Francisco and
Oakland met together, and we had interesting and profitable meetings.
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I was very anxious to attend the camp meeting in California, but
there were urgent calls for me to attend the Eastern camp meetings.
As the condition of things in the East had been presented before me, I
knew that I had a testimony to bear especially to our brethren in the
New England Conference, and I could not feel at liberty to remain
longer in California.
Eastward Bound
July 28, accompanied by our daughter, Mrs. Emma White, and
Edith Donaldson, we left Oakland for the East. We arrived in Sacra-
mento the same day and were met by Brother and Sister Wilkinson,
who gave us a hearty welcome and took us to their home, where we
were kindly entertained during our stay. According to appointment,
I spoke Sunday. The house was well filled with an attentive congre-
gation, and the Lord gave me freedom in speaking to them from His
word. Monday we again took the cars, stopping at Reno, Nevada,
where we had an appointment to speak Tuesday evening in the tent in
which Elder Loughborough was giving a course of lectures. I spoke
with freedom to about four hundred attentive hearers, on the words of
John: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us, that we should be called the sons of God.”
As we passed over the great American desert in the heat and alkali
dust, we became very weary of the barren scenery, though we were
furnished with every convenience and glided swiftly and smoothly
over the rails, drawn by our iron steed. I was reminded of the ancient
Hebrews, who traveled over rocks and arid deserts for forty years. The