[R4118 : page 382]

AN INTERESTING LETTER

DEAR BROTHER RUSSELL:—

I have just returned home from a colporteuring tour, occupying several months time. During the time I canvassed about 117 days and sold 4,406 volumes, averaging a little better than 37 books a day. One little town I canvassed in one day and took orders for 127 books, and when I came back to deliver I delivered every book ordered, besides three more, after three o'clock in the afternoon.

In one town it was "noised about" that the books I was taking orders for were the DAWNS. In fact the subject was discussed at the M.E. "sewing circle." One of the ladies had Vol. I., said she had read it and enjoyed it, and wouldn't take a hundred dollars for it, and yet thought it wasn't quite safe for young people to read! This same lady called on me that evening at my rooming place and told me I wouldn't likely secure any more subscriptions from Methodists, and that those who had subscribed would likely countermand their orders. Of course this made me a little uneasy; still, I knew if I lost the orders, the experience would be good for me, and so I left the matter with the Lord. Well, the result was I still kept on taking orders from Methodists, and not a Methodist went back on me. One man whose wife didn't give me an order, sent word for me to call when I was delivering and he bought all six of the books.

I met a man in a little town who said he had got the first three volumes last year, and that he had read all of them three times, that he found something new every time he read them and that they never grew stale. He said he has a library of over a thousand books. He bought the other three from me. When I find persons having the first three I always try to get them to take the other three and they do not often hesitate to do so.

I have heard from a set I sold last year, that the person had read all six books three times in less than a year and considered them the finest literature on the Bible that he ever read.

I met a dear old brother who is ninety-one years old. He is two years old in the Truth, and got the Truth by reading the "Debates."

With much Christian love, in which the household here joins, I am, your sister in the Lord,

ANNA J. GILLESPIE,—Colporteur.