May God ever bless and keep the few pure children of God in that wicked region; and may he reward their kindness to us and also that of the few non-professors, whom we shall not soon forget and for whom we shall pray that God may bless and reward them with his great salvation.
Following the campaign in eastern Mississippi, meetings were held in northern Alabama, near Hartsells and near Athens, after which the company returned northward, Brother Warner into Indiana and the others into Ohio.
In a report written from Markleville, Ind., he tells of a visit to Indianapolis, where the Trumpet passed through the first year and a half of its existence.
We came on to Indianapolis, where we began the blasts of the Gospel trumpet. We remained all night, and early in the morning walked out to the spot where we labored and prayed and trusted God nearly two years in great trials. Abandoned and hated of all the world, opposed by all of Babylon and rejected by the sectish associated holiness forces, we were forced out upon the promises of God and endured a great fight of faith. All the earth seemed dark as midnight, and growling letters came thick and fast and friendly ones few and far between. We were where, a stranger in a city, without money, friends, or credit, "give us this day our daily bread," was not a mere formal prayer. Oh, the riches of the goodness and the wonders of the mercy of God! Surely he hath never yet forsaken the righteous. Here we labored and prayed in intense poverty, while the word of the Lord tried us; but his strong arm hath gotten him the victory over all the powers of hell and earth. Here we had a temporary summer office on our lot and occupied a room of the house, about 10×14, in winter. Now a large two-story building is occupied with the business, and the circulation is rapidly enlarging.
We went back to the room we had occupied through the night and cast ourself down on the carpet in gratitude to God. Glory be to God for the triumph for his mighty present truth!
LENA SHOFFNER. HATTIE RUPERT. J. H. RUPERT.
THE GOSPEL VAN, BIRKENHEAD, ENGLAND.—1894.
The tour into the Southern States was the last tour Brother Warner made in company with his little band of singers and helpers. After holding a couple of grove-meetings in Ohio and attending the Beaver Dam meeting in Indiana, during the summer of 1891, the company did not travel together any longer. Brother Warner visited the churches in Pennsylvania and Ontario and then spent the following winter, or most of it, at the publishing office. In April, 1892, came a visit to the churches in the West, including the one at Denver. Before leaving home for this trip he suffered from a severe attack of rheumatism, and recovered only by a constant fight of faith. His report from Denver furnishes an example of how he frequently had to contend with afflictions and how he found his victory only in the Lord.
Through exposure in a cold rain at Kenesaw, Nebr., I was taken with a bad lung-trouble; was quite poorly and had lost about all appetite. But, thank God, we held on by faith in him and he raised me up. I was rapidly regaining strength when we left there. But an apparently congested state of my lungs seemed still to oppress my being. As the onward-flying train carried us higher and the air consequently became more and more light, the difficulty of breathing increased. I also found myself under a fever and lay one day very weak.