Further Labors
605
gregation were affected to tears. This meeting closed about ten. There
had been quite a breaking away of the clouds of darkness. Brother
Hemingway arose and said he had been completely backslidden, using
tobacco, opposing the visions, and persecuting his wife for believing
them, but said he would do so no more. He asked her forgiveness, and
the forgiveness of us all. His wife spoke with feeling. His daughter
and several others rose for prayers. He stated that the testimony which
Sister White had borne seemed to come direct from the throne, and he
would never dare to oppose it again.
“Brother Ball then said that if matters were as we viewed them,
his case was very bad. He said he knew he had been backslidden
for years and had stood in the way of the young. We thanked God
for that admission. We designed to leave early Monday morning,
and had an appointment at Braintree, Vermont, to meet about thirty
Sabbathkeepers. But it was very cold, rough, blustering weather to
ride twenty-five miles after such constant labor, and we finally decided
to hold on, and continue the work in Washington until Brother Ball
decided either for or against the truth, that the church might be relieved
in his case.
“Meeting commenced Monday at 10 a.m. Brethren Rodman and
Howard were present. Brother Newell Mead, who was very feeble
and nervous, almost exactly like your father in his past sickness, was
sent for to attend the meeting. Again the condition of the church was
dwelt upon, and the severest censure was passed upon those who had
stood in the way of its prosperity. With the most earnest entreaties we
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pleaded with them to be converted to God and face rightabout. The
Lord aided us in the work; Brother Ball felt, but moved slowly. His
wife felt deeply for him. Our morning meeting closed at three or four
in the afternoon. All these hours we had been engaged, first one of
us, then another, earnestly laboring for the unconverted youth. We
appointed another meeting for the evening, to commence at six.
“Just before going into the meeting, I had a revival of some inter-
esting scenes which had passed before me in vision, and I spoke to
Brethren Andrews, Rodman, Howard, Mead, and several others who
were present. It seemed to me that the angels were making a rift in
the cloud and letting in the beams of light from heaven. The subject
that was presented so strikingly was the case of Moses. I exclaimed:
‘Oh, that I had the skill of an artist, that I might picture the scene of