THE evening following the close of the London Convention found us at Plymouth, where we had the pleasure of addressing an assemblage of eleven hundred, who manifested deep interest in the Message.
The next evening (Wednesday, August 6) we were at Exeter, and addressed an audience numbering about six hundred and fifty. Of these, seventy-two handed in their addresses for further literature, and otherwise manifested an interest in the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Next came Cheltenham (Thursday, August 7), eight hundred being present at the public meeting, seventy-four of whom gave their addresses for additional literature along the lines of our discourse.
The following Sunday (August 10) found us again with the London Tabernacle Congregation, morning and evening. The attendance was good and the interest deep, as usual. No attempt was made to reach the public, as the capacity of the Tabernacle is only about twelve hundred. During this trip abroad the efforts for the public were in the smaller cities.
Lincoln was our next appointment for a public service. A large auditorium had been secured, and the number present was estimated at fifteen hundred. Of these, one hundred and sixty-eight handed in their addresses for further literature.
Next came Hull, where the public meeting drew out one thousand, of whom one hundred and seventy-nine left their addresses for further reading matter.
On Wednesday evening, August 13, a public meeting was held at Wakefield, the attendance being estimated at nine hundred. Seventy-eight gave their addresses for further literature.
Next came York, Thursday, August 14—attendance fifteen hundred; addresses for further literature, two hundred and seventy-two.
Friday, August 15, we visited Tunbridge Wells. There we were greeted by an audience of six hundred, seventy-four of whom handed in their addresses after meeting, requesting further literature.
Sunday, August 17, we again had the pleasure of meeting the London Congregation at the Tabernacle, and again had two enjoyable services, breaking to them, to the best of our ability, the Bread of Life.
Monday, August 18, found us at Walsall. Here a public gathering to the number of nine hundred and fifty gave earnest heed to the Message of the Kingdom. One hundred and forty-one of the audience gave their addresses after the service for further literature.
Chester was next on the list, Tuesday, August 19. The hall was small; but about five hundred were present, one hundred of whom left their addresses for literature.
Blackburn came next, August 20—a larger hall, eleven hundred present, and one hundred and ninety-six addresses given in for further literature.
Bolton came next, the splendid Town Hall of which was secured. A deeply interested and intelligent audience of sixteen hundred were present. Of these, four hundred and twelve left their addresses and requests for further literature.
We visited Preston Friday, August 22. Again we had a good hall and an attentive audience of fifteen hundred, [R5327 : page 303] four hundred and fourteen addresses being left, requesting further literature.
The Glasgow Three-Days' Convention opened August 23. It was a fine crowd, numbering about eight hundred to nine hundred—chiefly from Scotland, with visitors also from Ireland and England. We always enjoy our visits to Glasgow. Our Scotch brethren and sisters manifest a warmth and zeal of Christian love, which is impressive and inspiring. We addressed the Convention four times on things pertaining to the Kingdom—how we shall make our calling and election sure to a share therein; also respecting the value of Bible Study as an aid to character-building, etc., etc.
The Sunday evening meeting at Glasgow was for the public. St. Andrews Hall, the largest in the city, had been obtained. It is said to seat forty-five hundred. Every seat was taken and some stood. In a nearby hall an overflow meeting, addressed by Brother Hemery, had an attendance of about nine hundred. The amount of interest may be judged to some extent by the fact that seven hundred and fifty-nine addresses were handed in at the larger meeting and sixty-nine at the overflow meeting.
Following the Glasgow Convention, we visited Sterling, there addressing an audience estimated at one thousand. Two hundred and two requests for literature were handed in.
Next came Coatbridge, with an audience of about one thousand, and one hundred and seventy-eight requests for literature—Wednesday, August 27.
Thursday, August 28, found us at Kilmarnock, with twelve hundred in attendance and one hundred and eighty-two requests for literature.
Southport was reached on Friday, August 29. The small hall available was crowded, some standing, about six hundred in all. We left on the night train for Paris, failing to learn the number of requests for literature.
Sunday, August 31, found us in Paris, France. Here we met the little Convention of about seventy earnest, zealous brethren and sisters, some of whom had come as much as a thousand kilometers—from Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, and various parts of France. They represented little classes of Bible Students, and were full of the same loving zeal manifested amongst other nationalities.
The intelligent interest of these dear friends was manifest in their faces and manner and in their testimonies, although we were not able to understand the latter, except with our eyes. We addressed the little Convention through one of the brethren, who acted as interpreter. Altogether we greatly enjoyed the Paris Convention. No public service was arranged for.
We arrived back in London September 2, attended to some affairs connected with the work there, and left for Liverpool on the 3d, embarking the same day on the steamship "Tunisian."
We had a pleasant homeward voyage, with good opportunities for literary work, reaching Brooklyn on Friday morning, September 12.