Various

“ A university, in the old-world sense of the term, is an institution where all the branches of the higher education are taught, and these alone. In our country the name is often adopted by institutions as a prophecy of what they hope to become, while their present work is almost wholly that of elementary instruction—a work which they expect eventually to outgrow. ”

“ Among cultivated people, and even the intelligent farmers and artisans of cultivated communities, every home is a kindergarten—a preliminary training-school for the eyes, hands, brains, and hearts of toddling and prattling humanity. Very few such are to be found among the poorer classes of the South. Hence arises the necessity of beginning our work earlier than elsewhere, and using appliances which elsewhere might seem superfluous. But it will not be enough to have the kindergarten composed entirely of day scholars from the neighborhood. ”

“ That it satisfied the hunger of many new disciples was evidenced before us by the nineteen who were taken into the church that morning and partook for the first time of this emblem of the life-giving power of our Saviour. The beating rain without only made the comfort, security and sweet peace within the more precious. As we looked into one and another of the formerly hard faces of these new travelers in the narrow way we felt how great the reward of the faithful laborers who have been instrumental in putting the new song into their mouths. ”

“ It shows us that the world to which we are about to bid a long and last farewell is not all evil, that amid the Sahara of careless thought there bloom some oases of kindness for fallen, erring man, some flowers of sympathy to perfume the pathway to the grave. ”

“ Because of this love, Ted has a great love for human beings, and wants to do all he can to help them, and make them better. He knows that he is a small boy, and cannot do a man’s work, but he does not sit down and say he will wait till he is a man, but he does a little boy’s work as well as he can. Now I will tell you what he has done within the last few months. He has formed a temperance society, and ever so many little boys and girls have joined it. ”

“ Some otherwise excellent railroad officials thought we were anxious to ride in the same car with our pupils, teachers, and church members, because they were black, while really the young people were only asking for what their first-class tickets called for. I would like to raise a question here. What can be done about these first-class tickets sold to colored people, compelled to take passage on them in second-class cars? We missionaries are most heartily in favor of a peaceable solution of this question. A quarrel takes time and nerve, and hinders Christian development and progress ”

“ The welfare of the masses demands that we train up leaders of intelligence and principle. That this work is not being overdone at present is evident from the fact that only ninety-one college students are reported in all the institutions of the American Missionary Association put together, and only about fifty in all have ever been graduated from our college courses since our work in the South began. Now, the principal reason why our work in the higher education has been so limited, has been the great scarcity of suitable material for college classes ”

“ Well, the little boy began to help Ted to persuade other little boys to join the society. And so they found plenty. You see there are ever so many people everywhere ready to be good and wise if they only had some one to show them how. So it came about that one after another the little boys went to Ted’s house to sign the pledge. Ted’s mother, who is one of those mothers that can be in many ways a great comfort to a boy, helped about getting cards for the children, and bits of blue ribbon to wear as a sign that they belonged to Ted’s society. ”

“ The university which missionary effort can make most useful in the South is one that shall represent, in their most perfect form, all the successive grades of education from lowest to highest. It should be prepared to train ordinary pupils of all ages rather than extraordinary ones of mature age only. It should also provide ample facilities for normal and industrial training, now so much needed in all the South. ”

“ His friend, surname brother, says he will not be a Christian while his father lives; he is afraid of him. ‘If any man cometh unto me and hateth not his own father, * * * he cannot be my disciple.’ How often these hard sayings of our Lord find illustration in our missionary work! How many of our believing Chinese have been obliged to take the position of one hating father and mother—to do what is interpreted by them and others as acts of hatred, in order to be Christ’s disciples! ”

“ Then Ted knows a good deal about ever so many things. Of course he got a great deal of this knowledge from his father and mother, as any boy can who has a good father and mother, and what is a boy going to do who hasn’t both?
Ted knows the men and women in the Bible just like a book; better too. He knows them just as well as he does the people living around him, and he can go [182] to the map and find all those places mentioned in the New Testament. ”

“ We are still on a boundless desert, and the heat is fearful. Mirage all about us. Meet the mail and send back postals written on our camels. We make an unusually long morning stretch of it in order to reach a rock, under whose refreshing shade we take our lunch. This region is named Bahr El Hattab. A slight breeze in the P.M. makes the intense heat a little more endurable. The mountains in the horizon do not seem to grow nearer. Our camels now have to be whipped and urged along. ”

“ Newspapers are very frail and mortal creatures, and to many of them it is appointed to die. Few of them can lay claim to immortality; like the human race, most of them die in infancy. Yet there are now more than fifty papers published by colored men, mostly in the Southern States. The State of Georgia has five; North Carolina has seven. As the general intelligence of the people increases, the usefulness of these papers also enlarges. ”

“ From Wong Ock himself I have several letters on file, from which I give the following extracts: “I feel much comfort and happiness in my heart when I try to do God’s will. I hope I may be faithful at all times and trust in Him, so He may help me, and I may bear much fruit in His name. Charlie, one of our boys, has joined the Christian Association in the last two weeks. Now I find him very good. He seems to have entirely left his old habits, and has given his heart to serve the Lord Jesus.” ”

“ Let a dozen girls together occupy this house for a fortnight at a time—all those in the university taking their turn in the course of the year. Let some good woman, as near like Mrs. Cornelius or Marion Harland as can be found, be put at the head, and let her teach these girls how to cook, sweep, dust, make beds, set the table, wash the dishes, and in general how to make home as attractive as our Christian civilization knows how. ”

“ It takes time to raise up a native ministry. A few years ago a boy who was a porter in an Atlanta hotel was started on his way to school, and now the same comes along the Christian pastor, ripened under the sun of our Southern institutions, [172] an able minister of the Word. Much of our fruitage has been gathered into other churches. Now we garner up something of our own harvest. ”

“ On the Lord’s day, the eight who come by profession receive baptism at the hand of the pastor by immersion in the Oconee, which flows by the city. At night I have the privilege of participating with the church at their first communion season, when the ancient vessels of the Lord’s house, new to this band of disciples, enter upon their new round of service.
After the sowing, the reaping. The Knox School and the Atlanta University have been growing the timber for this house of the Lord. Several of the members have had that training and the teachers were thus prepared. ”

“ George V. Clark, a student of the “Atlanta” and a graduate of the Theological Department of the Howard University, is secured. He, with his yoke-fellow Spratlin, starts a Sunday-school, a prayer meeting and preaching services. Affinity draws to them friends who are longing for something more quiet, orderly and intelligent in church life. Then a revival this spring adds eight disciples to the nine who are ready to come into a new church by letter. And so a Council meets here on the 14th of April to recognize the church and ordain the pastor. They find everything in an orderly condition. ”

“ R. G. Jones, pastor of the Congregational Church in that city, and through the faithful service of our helper, Wong Ock, new interest has been developed, the attendance has almost trebled, and the harvest seems to be close at hand. One of the pupils, not yet an avowed Christian, writes to Miss Jones as follows: “I come to school every night at 7 o’clock to learn to read and write. I go to meeting Wednesday and to church Sunday-school. Some China boy would like to love Jesus Christ and God. My good friend Wong Ock is a good boy, and I like him very much. California is a good country. ”

“ The dignity of labor must be emphasized. On the other hand, our normal and industrial work should be guarded from the narrow and materialistic spirit into which such training is sometimes apt to fall. Now, the association of all these departments under one general management will surely bring to each from the others some salutary restraint or broadening influence. ”

“ Nearly all reliable dealers sell the Carpenter Organs, but if any do not have them to show you, write to us for a Catalogue and information where you can see them. Do not buy any Organ until you have examined “The Carpenter.” In writing for a Catalogue always state that you saw this advertisement in the American Missionary Magazine.
Address or call on E. P. CARPENTER, Worcester, Mass., U.S.A.
As musical culture increases it demands in musical instruments for home, church, or school, excellence in tone, tasteful workmanship, and durability. ”

“ His answer has caused a great deal of confusion in men’s minds.” It is a pity the objector cannot join the theological class.
A regular member of my class lately asked me to find the verse in the Bible where it said that “A man is more dear to God than a woman is.” I had never heard of such a passage of Scripture, but it seems that people in this country often have. The question reminded me of a remark made in Literary Society: “This school ought to draw in bad characters and trust in God to straighten them.” We trust some are being straightened. ”

“ Several of our scholars began a life of prayer during the winter, and all were much improved. The Christian women who were converted when we were here before still regularly sustain a prayer meeting. We have just buried one of our staunch Christian men. His daily life in all places was a living testimony to the power of the Gospel to save even this poor despised people. In his long sickness of five months he exemplified the patience of the Gospel. ”

“ It is taken for granted that the Freedmen and their descendants, for whom largely our institutions are established, should, like all other people, have the opportunity of the higher education given them to the extent of their [165] ability to receive and use it. ”

“ Now, I am sorry if a man drive a hen away, if the eggs she set upon have not time enough to be hatched. My dear brother, if I feel so for the hen, shall I leave the boys whom I have preached to and cared for ever so long, and some of them nearly come to be Christians? ”

“ Several young people at once abandoned the use of toddy, egg-nog and similar drinks. The temperance text-book and temperance charts have deepened the convictions and the gracious wave of religious interest carried some wayward hearts up to the Rock that is higher than we. ”

“ The superlative excellence of the Carpenter Action is due to the vigilant personal oversight of the inventor. The sweetness and evenness of tone, combined with the durable and massive elegance of external finish in these organs, recommend then to all lovers of music. ”

“ The sand shimmers and glows in the scorching rays. We can see the heated air rising in great waves. Now we know what a desert is! The doctor has a hard headache, but we push on and he stands it bravely. We pass a mountain with a hole right through it. We have made fully three miles an hour to-day, and do not stop till we have been at it 12 hours. We go into camp about 7 o’clock at a place called El Mahdood. ”

“ If we can be of use to God, we ought to be satisfied, whether we dwell among the savages or become poor and suffer as Job did, for even our Christ the Lord left the holier and happier place and came to this dark and sinful world to die for our sins. ”