Various

“ In the church they showed us the Light of the world, which was strangely dim in our souls. In the shop they showed us the light of life about us, of which we were densely ignorant. Thoughtful minds, skillful hands, enlightened hearts—this is the heritage they brought us.
"Throughout the length and breadth of the Southland there are such women among us working in a humble way. The work done by these moral heroes and heroines is work in the shade, but one day, when the sunlight of God's justice shall shine upon it, as it surely will, men will see it and admire it. ”

“ We commend to our readers the catalogue of our missionary workers and their stations, in our magazine of this month. Mere names and places have very little interest to the general reader, but a study of this list to one who is interested in mission work, and who has the welfare of his country at heart, will prove to be very suggestive. Some of the larger institutions, schools and churches, are familiar to many, but the greater number probably have never been located by our readers upon the map. There are 243 stations with 617 workers. ”

“ Could our readers look in upon these workers it would quicken the spirit of their own consecration and benevolence. If they could hear the bell which early calls the students to prayers, and to their studies; if they could unite with those engaged in their morning devotions; if they could listen to the faithful and able instruction of line upon line, and precept upon precept, this list would cease to be a mere catalogue of names and places, and would become alive with history. ”

“ The teachers are doing well, and the new pastor has taken hold most earnestly and successfully.
No one can question the bringing in of the mountain people, both in church and school. More than two-thirds of the pupils are of native families, and the native people are filling the church. Mr. Dorman, the new pastor, has put the second service into the evening again, so as to get more of the mountain folk, and he succeeds. It was a grand thing to get him, coming with so good an education and devoted spirit. The people are feeling happier than for years, and coöperating cordially. ”

“ Do not forget them when you utter the prayer of our Master, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
These missionaries, teachers, and ministers, do not ask the compassion of those who remain at home. They are happy in their chosen work. They see the need as it cannot be told. ”

“ The work which these teachers did was the result of no small sacrifice. For a woman to leave her Northern home of comfort and refinement to come South to engage in such a work and all that it implies was not a popular thing even at the North, but in spite of unpopularity at the North and unworthy treatment at the South, these self-exiled men and women wrought wonderfully. They proved the best friends that the black man has ever had. ”

“ I would that a piece of it were in every Christian home to teach the lesson of true sacrifice.
On Christmas morning a dozen homes will be made happy by these humble gifts. One old lady in our visits we found so destitute that she had tasted nothing from Saturday night till Tuesday, when one of the girls of Gregory school took her in her breakfast. The old lady telling about it said she knew the Lord would not let her starve. The teachers have voluntarily taxed themselves ten cents a month, which provides for her food at least. ”

“ Nobly are these missionaries doing their work. Let them have the prayerful sympathy of those whom they represent. Let them feel that their burdens are lightened and their days are brightened because they are remembered by their home churches. ”

“ May we not hope that these who have gone out from us shall be spared the anxiety and sorrow which must come by a contraction of their work unless those from whom they have gone shall be able to meet its pecuniary necessities? ”

“ Tuesday evening of last week one of the associate members [i.e., of the new C. E. society] became active. Last night we have meeting, and he rose and gave testimony. Said he: 'I am glad to-night, for I believed in Jesus Christ, and He will save my soul.'"
But my space is more than filled. We rejoice and take courage.
[Pg 48]
TRIBUTE TO OUR MISSIONARIES.
Apropos of the roll of our missionaries and teachers we quote an eloquent tribute from one of the children of the American Missionary Association who is now the strong pastor of a strong church in the South. ”

“ In like manner from Santa Cruz comes this word: "I am most happy to write that the Chinese I asked you to pray for has joined the Association and is very happy in our Christian work. Let us continue to pray for two others who are holding back, but are 'almost persuaded,'" and from Joe Dun, in our new mission at Watsonville, this: "We do thank the Lord for His choosing and saving souls. ”

“ He interested himself in every form of its activities, and was a frequent contributor to The American Missionary. A * affixed to many articles shows a portion of his contributions to the early issues of this periodical.
Mr. Tappan was an earnest Christian man and very conscientious in regard to the distribution of his wealth. He wrote two tracts, endeavoring to show that men should not accumulate property to be left to be subject to litigation after death, but that it should be expended during life. Mr. Tappan lived up to his own theory—giving much during life and leaving little at his death. ”

“ William Jackson, a citizen of Boston, and an active and successful business man, was so deeply in sympathy with the poor slave that he was willing to assume the position, and all the more because others shrunk from it. ”

“ The minister says she is intelligent, a diligent reader, and an interesting person to meet. She has been a tailoress and probably has earned most of her money with her needle. Such a person is an honor to her race and to the church of Christ.
CONTRASTS OF MISSION CHURCH WORK.
BY SEC. F. P. WOODBURY.
Our mission churches of the South reach different classes of people. Some are in the large cities, others in populous towns, others in smaller country villages, and still others in entirely rural districts among the plantations. The methods of these churches vary as widely as their location. ”

“ The last item is sad, but not surprising, for the people in the South are so utterly impoverished that the payment of tuition is well-nigh impossible. On the side of expenditures, as compared with last year, there has been reduction in all items, mission, publication, collecting agency and administration, and yet the balance of indebtedness for the three months is $15,671.10, which, added to the previous indebtedness of $66,360.97, makes a total of $82,032.07. ”

“ It is wonderful how they seem to realize the meaning of the pledge and keep true to it. There is no lagging; no 'awful pauses.' About two weeks ago they began preparations for a Christian Endeavor social. Invitations were sent out to all the ministers and other Christians specially interested in missions. More than fifty assembled and listened to the programme, which lasted about an hour. Yong Kay's address was very fine; his use of Scripture was so apt, and his illustrations so good, Yong Wo Quon, a good, earnest Christian, will join the church next Sunday morning. ”

“ Jackson's life was its Christian element. At the age of thirty-seven he moved to Newton, Mass., where he spent the remainder of his life. He was actively engaged in the erection of the church edifice and gathering the new church, and was steadfast in his attendance at the prayer meeting, monthly concert, Sunday-school, and other exercises. ”

“ Some of them take advantage of institutional methods of church work in all their various forms of Christian service. Many churches which do not undertake so large a distribution of effort still have their circles of King's Sons and Daughters, missionary societies, and, almost everywhere, their Christian Endeavor Societies. Many of the smaller churches have day schools closely associated with the congregation, sometimes under the conduct of the pastor or his wife, or both. ”

“ There were men there, close neighbors and kinsfolk, who had not spoken to each other for three years. Some were so angry with each other that they were fighting occasionally and trying to kill each other. They came to church with their pistols in their pockets to shoot each other, and I expected that we might have war in the church yard at any time and men killed. ”

“ It is an interesting indication of their Christian consecration that the members of this mission church were so desirous to take hold themselves of mission work among those of their people still less favored than they. Mr. [Pg 46] Roan says that they are proud of their little log cabin mission, and that its congregation has steadily increased. There are now nine Congregational members living near the mission. Of late there has been quite a desire on the part of many to build a church in place of the mission cabin, and the people are already beginning to raise means for this purpose. ”

“ The general standard of scholarship steadily advances. The students are very useful in all kinds of church and mission work in the city. Rev. C. H. Butler is doing excellent work in place of his honored father, who was so long connected with us. Dr. Pitzer, of the Southern Presbyterian Church, who was also long our faithful co-worker, gave an eloquent address at our last anniversary, and has just kindly remembered us with a valuable gift to our library. Rev. Mr. Reoch, the new pastor of the Fifth Congregational Church, is doing enthusiastic work in Rev. ”

“ Riggs so energetically carries on, are a painful trial, and will awaken the sympathy of all our readers.
A sad affliction has also befallen our honored missionary, Dr. A. L. Riggs, and his family, of Santee, Neb. Their little grandson, the child of the missionary daughter in China, has recently died of small-pox under very painful circumstances. The entire family in China had this disease, but at last accounts all but the little child were recovering. ”

“ During this time the Indians have received titles to their lands and have become citizens. His effective hand has been seen in all their improvement. But now we learn that he has been notified that he is soon to be relieved. His removal is said to be due solely to politics. We are sorry for the Indians, and we are ashamed of a Government that will deprive them for partisan purposes of a good agent. ”

“ Mr. Tappan had the gratification of seeing the slaves emancipated [Pg 37] and the still greater gratification of aiding with all his strength of brain and purse in fitting them for the responsibilities and privileges of their new life. His was a life worth living.
HON. WILLIAM JACKSON.
When the American Missionary Association was formed in 1846 it was so unpopular on account of its anti-slavery attitude that it was not easy to find an able and influential man with sufficient courage to accept its presidency. ”

“ The S'kokomish Indians owed him about three thousand dollars, and the whites owed him over twenty thousand. The first business of the receiver was to try to collect these debts. After he had made considerable effort in this direction he said to me substantially as follows: "These Indians have made more honest efforts to pay these debts than the whites have, as a whole."
As the Indians have become citizens they have been required to work road taxes among their other duties. ”

“ They cannot get on without more room. In the primary grade they enroll sixty-nine, and have seats for twenty-eight. The attendance is fairly well up to the enrollment and they absolutely cannot get on long this way. ”

“ In drafts, checks, registered letters, or post-office orders, may be sent to H. W. Hubbard, Treasurer, Bible House, New York, or, when more convenient, to either of the Branch Offices, 21 Congregational House, Boston, Mass., 151 Washington Street, Chicago, Ill., or Congregational Rooms, Y. M. C. A. Building, Cleveland, Ohio. A payment of thirty dollars constitutes a Life Member.
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