M’LEANSVILLE, N. C.
Revival Interest.
REV. A. CONNET
Our revival commenced on the Sabbath, August 15. That night there were four or five inquirers. Monday the interest increased, and Monday night there were thirty inquirers. Tuesday there were twelve or fifteen conversions. Tuesday night, 28 or 30 inquirers and three or four conversions. The number of inquirers continued to be from ten to twenty till the close of the meetings. The whole number of conversions was about 25. The congregation on the 15th was the largest, we are told, that it has ever been. Only about two-thirds of the people could get into the church, even by the closest packing. Sunday, the 22d, between the sermon in the forenoon and communion in the afternoon, we examined 23 new candidates for membership, one to be restored and two for renewing their covenants. In the afternoon they were publicly received, and more than half of them baptized. I also baptized two infants. The communion was then administered to a large number of communicants. The house was full, forenoon and afternoon. One man, 56 years old, and his wife as old, or a little older, walked ten miles Sunday morning to attend the communion. Another man walked ten miles, or over, to the meeting, both the 15th and the 22d. Three of our pupils came about 35 or 40 miles to the meeting, by rail; another, a young woman, came by private conveyance 20 miles; and another, a young man, walked 12 miles, and came forward as an inquirer. Four of the converts were members of my daughter’s Sunday-school class, a number of them were members of my class, and nearly all young people and members of our school. Two are married men. One young woman came to us by letter from the Methodist Episcopal church.
It was truly a season of refreshing from the Lord. The people held a prayer-meeting Sabbath night, the 22d. We were too tired to go out. We were told that all the non-professors in the congregation (and the house was full), except three or four, came forward for prayer.
More than a dozen bade us good-by at the depot. Seven girls walked three miles to bid us good-by. We were greatly rejoiced that Miss Douglass was with us to share in our labors and in our joys. Some of the converts are among our brightest and most advanced scholars.
SOUTH CAROLINA.
MR J. D. BACKENSTOSE.