Various

“ The farther we advanced into the interior, the more uneasiness seemed to be depicted on the countenances of Africa’s enslaved children. Africa is her own greatest enemy. War and slavery curse her most, bring misery where happiness might reign. When you launch out of British jurisdiction, slaves are common. This traffic is carried on by the natives themselves, and the biggest man owns the largest number of slaves and has the greatest number of wives. ”

“ I organized a Sunday-school, which I think was one of the most important parts of my work, to teach the people the word of God. I taught day and Sunday-school for five months, and had great success with both white and colored people. The white people were very kind to me. I had a long talk with some of them about the education of the colored people. They said if the colored man was educated they thought he would make a better citizen, and they were ready to do all they could in trying to help him toward an education. ”

“ There are some Christians (yes, I believe they are Christians) who have to be wound up by some external pressure before they will start off in any work of benevolence. Others will engage in some kinds of benevolence spontaneously, but will not touch other benevolent efforts unless specially wound up. Free under the saddle, but balky in carriage.
I knew of one good member of our church who would never give a cent to our Domestic Missionary Board unless he happened to hear of some missionary in the West who was actually without the necessaries of life, and then he would send in liberally. ”

“ Children’s influence is too much overlooked in the Mission work. Parents, Sabbath-school teachers, and missionary agents do not take the pains they might to create in them a missionary spirit.
As soon as they “can speak and go alone” they should be “bent” into missionary workers. They can be taught to take as much interest in the condition of the Freedmen, Chinese and Indians, as in “Mother Hubbard,” “Jack and the Bean Stalk,” etc. Especially when they are called upon to give their pennies should it be explained to them for what purposes their moneys are solicited. ”

“ The most cheering of closing incidents was found in the prayer meeting. We have regretted the lack of a decided religious influence—it has been the one failure of the year. In the last meeting we were not left without evidence of the Spirit’s work. Two young men confessed their trust in Christ and determination to be his avowed followers. Another young man, whose voice has been silent for years, and who has seldom attended meetings either at school or church, asked prayers for himself in a manly way that spoke well for his expressed desire to resume his place in the ranks of Christian workers. ”

“ We hope that the evil will not be so great as it was last year, and yet its immediate effect upon our work has been more suddenly felt than then. The people flee more eagerly from a scourge the severity of which they hold in horror enhanced by the recent memory of its infliction. The church at Memphis is scattered; pastor and people have left it; a faithful janitor is caring for its and the school property. The church at Chattanooga, too, has been largely deserted, and its attendants have fled to the mountains. ”

“ Villages all along the banks of the river were flourishing and rice crops promising. Everything indicated prosperity, so far as the natives are able to be prosperous without the light of the Gospel.
The country is Mendi-speaking, and though it is large and the people are plentiful, and are not opposed to the Christian religion, still there is but one man in this country to tell them of Jesus.
I am favorably impressed with the country and the people. It is a day’s travel from Good Hope. Stretching out toward the interior, the country is low, but Brother Williams pronounces it healthy. ”

“ The people are poor, but willing to do what they can to push the work forward. With some help I believe great results may be obtained here for our Lord and his Christ. I do not think that money could be given to any field or people with more advantage than to this. The people are truly in earnest, and will put forth every effort themselves with the Association to establish here a Christian church and school. ”

“ When one sees how New England is packed with seminaries, colleges, academies and high schools, he can hardly help believing that the Lord is willing that the colored people of the State of Georgia shall have one institution for thoroughly fitting teachers for the common schools of their race, and at least giving those who can and wish to obtain a college education the opportunity of doing this. ”

“ Some of our elect lady teachers have been engaged ten or twelve years, at the same place, in their arduous and self-denying labor, without having had a single sisterly greeting. It seems pretty hard to hear these godly women, of the best that our churches can furnish, saying: “For so and so many years I have not been spoken to by a white Southern lady.” Our “Homes,” where these Christian people dwell, are avoided as though they were pest-houses. If the same people had been missionaries to Africa, they would be received with all deferential courtesy. ”

“ We left Coranko and the Soboo chief and his people the next day, feeling happy in the thought that missionaries are wanted in this place, and that the Lord in his own good time will send them to it. “The harvest, truly, is plenteous, [277] but the laborers are few.” The people stood on the shore while we sailed away. We met persons in our travels whom we knew in Bonthe, at Good Hope. They always did their best to make us happy. All I can say is, may the Soboo chief and people have, before a great while, some one to teach them the way to Christ, man’s only Redeemer. ”

“ In one city, under the lead of one noble-hearted Christian man, that thin barrier has been broken down, and some of the best ladies of the place are on social terms with our teachers and the pastor’s wife. We are sorry to say that this is the only place where this social recognition has gone so far. At one other city, where some of our workers live in homes outside of the institutions, these have been treated with a measure of delicate and highly appreciated attention. ”

“ One fine, old Christian gentleman, who was prominent as a Methodist minister, broke his embarrassment, when calling late upon some of our missionaries, by stating thus: “I have heard that in some parts of the world the social custom prevails that whenever a new-comer arrives in a community, it is his prerogative to select from the citizens such as he and his would like to take into relations of social acquaintance, and to make the first call upon them.” ”

“ Some of the scholars who attended school when Kaw-Mendi was in her bloom are still round about, and they still remember their old teachers, many of whom, doubtless, are now gone. They all seemed glad to have us come and visit them. One of the “Amistads” is here—Father Smith. He is growing quite old; yet he is active. Old Aunt Maria and Limby are still alive and can tell you all about Mr. Raymond and others who, in the infancy of missions here, came to Africa. Brother Williams has prayer meetings in his country house, mornings and evenings, to which those near are invited to come. ”

“ Surely from these plains, rich in the production of palm-nuts, etc., they are calling Christian men and women to deliver them, not from physical bondage, but from that bondage that enslaves the soul forever—the bondage of eternal death! ”

“ Art. VIII. This society, in collecting funds, in appointing officers, agents and missionaries, and in selecting fields of labor, and conducting the missionary work, will endeavor particularly to discountenance slavery, by refusing to receive the known fruits of unrequited labor, or to welcome to its employment those who hold their fellow-beings as slaves. ”

“ Very few of them will be able to pay anything for their board. They often come to my room in great numbers to talk of Tougaloo.
In speaking with young people about this University, I try to impress them with the knowledge that young men who are willing to work hard and study diligently are those for whom the school is open. I show them my five pound boots, etc. I think those who go there from here will not find it harder than they expected. I go into the country occasionally and meet young men who say: “Please talk to my father in my behalf, and try to induce him to send me to school.” ”

“ We, rather, take the more pleasant task of reporting how by their patient endurance in well-doing they have been winning the confidence, the favor, of the best people of the South. Each of our leading institutions in that region has the habit of holding an experience meeting upon the return of the students from their vacation work. Last year Fisk and Atlanta Universities sent out each one hundred and fifty young folks as teachers. These come into contact with a great number and a great variety of the white people. ”

“ Entering again the Big Boom en route to Mo-Tappan, we made good time, stopping at a few villages along the way. No missionary is in all this country. We stopped overnight with one Mr. Collier, who carries on trade near the river, in a place called Marketah, people’s market. It was Saturday night, and he was very busy closing accounts for the week. Our reception was a cordial one. We spent the Sabbath here and were much pleased to see what is doing for these benighted people. We had services at eleven o’clock, which the natives attended. ”

“ The Southern Sentinel is a monthly, published at Talladega College, and designed, as is the Southern Workman, to interest the colored people in all matters pertaining to education, agriculture and mechanic arts. On both, the work of type-setting and printing is all done by the colored students, who have learned the process while in school, and who make this their means of support, besides the acquiring of a trade that will secure them a respectable livelihood. The young women make capital compositors. ”

“ Working scholars are leaving no stone unturned to increase our numbers. I feel thankful for such scholars. Friends kindly help me in the work, but what I most need is a Chinese helper. I trust that at no distant time I may have one. The scholars who are able are willing to explain, but they need all the little time they have for study. I find the most studious pupils make the sincere Christians. ”

“ The signs of the times indicate that the Lord’s work is to be done upon a larger scale in the near future; the progress, made and making, in our schools, and the call for enlargement in our church work, will make increasing demands upon us, until the time shall come when they shall be more largely self-supporting than it is possible for them to be now. We have done much—we are doing more—we must expect to do a still greater work. ”

“ But it was especially of my visits through the churches in connection with our foreign missionary work that I was thinking when I said that I had so often recognized my horse that had to be wound up, in all the different stages of his training.
Thank God, I found hosts of noble-hearted men and women all through the Church that needed no winding up; whose conversion and consecration had extended down to their pockets; who were always at the forefront in every good work ”

“ The chief was not seen until our return from Mo-Tappan. He evidently feared us, because the portions of country where wars are numerous are often or sometimes visited by the English to ask the people to keep quiet.
We left early next morning for Mo-Tappan, arriving there about 9 o’clock. The place is now a regular canebreak. The tomb of the late Mr. Brooks is the only thing that reminded us that the white man had been here. Our stay was short. No one at all lives here now. It was broken up by war. ”

“ First, the Indian is a person, and the Constitution prohibits any distinction being made against any person born in this country, on account of race, color or previous condition; and, second, if we regard the Indian as a foreigner, still the right of expatriation is a principle recognized by our Government, and under the operation of that principle the prisoner could not be restrained from his liberty. ”

“ He has given up warring, and his people are seemingly prosperous and happy. His subjects are chiefly Sherbros, but they speak Mendi as well as their mother tongue.
Our Mission, through former missionaries, is known far into the interior, and the natives generally are favorably disposed toward it. We left Dodo early next morning, homeward bound, with Joe, the chief’s son, with us. He wore only nature’s garment, and seemed as happy as a bird. The people here don’t bother themselves too much about clothing. Industry is characteristic of them. ”

“ AFRICA. THE MENDI MISSION. Religious Progress, etc., at Avery. REV. A. E. JACKSON, AVERY.
I am glad to say that there is an increasing interest religiously among the people. They seem to be growing more and more in the love of God, and to exhibit it in their lives. They have begun to be a more Sabbath-observing people. They are also attending church more regularly than usual, and give better attention than ever before. These are all features of encouragement in our work.
Sunday, May 11, was our communion day, and the Lord seemed to be present with us in the Spirit’s power. ”

“ To preach the Gospel to the poor. It originated in a sympathy with the almost friendless slaves. Since Emancipation it has devoted its main efforts to preparing the Freedmen for their duties as citizens and Christians in America and as missionaries in Africa. As closely related to this, it seeks to benefit the caste-persecuted Chinese in America, and to co-operate with the Government in its humane and Christian policy towards the Indians. It has also a mission in Africa. ”

“ Our teachers and preachers for a long time have had complete immunity from personal violence, and largely from personal insult. As the quality of their work has become known in developing intelligence, industry, honesty, Christian character, they have received for it the highest approbation from an increasing number, especially from the Christian and the more substantial portion of the community. ”