Various

“ We are fully aware, too, that many of our friends make their contributions with self-denial, but, standing as we do, with the responsibility for the great work entrusted to this Association, and knowing how vital it is to the welfare and uplifting of the impoverished and ignorant races of our land, we feel constrained to press the call still farther upon both rich and poor for the means to continue the assistance to these needy peoples. ”

“ There, among the plantations, are two sisters who have given their lives, until the shadows of age have fallen upon them, to missionary work in behalf of the poor colored people. One of them is growing blind and the other has already become so. ”

“ And so Loo Quong goes on to urge me to stir up the street preaching at all our missions, which thing I was and have been forward to do, even without urging. I believe he is right in saying that while we cannot dispense with the schools--indeed the whole work without these would be unorganized and fruitless--yet for "sowing the seed," for reaching those who are far off, we must depend on street preaching. The English primer has largely lost its power as a bait for the gospel hook. We must do our fishing for men on other lines. ”

“ The people of western North Carolina are white by a vast majority, while in the eastern part of the State the black population predominates. In twenty-five of the western counties 88 per cent. of the people are white. In the same number of the farthest eastern counties there is a majority of ten thousand black people. In accordance with this fundamental fact, [pg 157] the work of the American Missionary Association in the western part of the State is chiefly among the white, and in the eastern part of the State, among the black people. ”

“ While the former feels constrained by her failing sight soon to give up her school work, her more aged sister has an intense desire to continue, while life lasts, her labors in behalf of those whom she has come to love, while bringing blessings to them. ”

“ Comparatively few are regularly in these mission enterprises. For those at home there is the quiet hour and prayer meetings, a gathering in the interests of purity or temperance--enough to employ the time to the early supper hour. After that comes the last public meeting of the day in the chapel, which for some time has been conducted by our Society of Christian Endeavor. The day is a full one, with large opportunities for personal growth and usefulness.
From a recent visit, I am able to write more fully of one of the meetings of the Young Men's Christian Association. ”

“ NORTH CAROLINA STATE ASSOCIATION, McLEANSVILLE.
AT THE CHURCH DOOR, OAKS, N. C. It is an interesting and important fact that the great work of Christian education in behalf of the colored people which has been carried on by the Association is now producing results in a new direction. Our former students and pupils, grown into manhood and womanhood, find the church life of their communities greatly inferior to that in which they were trained in our schools. They are reaching after something more pure, free and spiritual. ”

“ The combined church and school work have gone on with continued efficiency and prosperity. There is a strong desire on the part of the people for the development of an industrial department in the school. The elevating influence of the church is felt not only in Wilmington, but throughout the surrounding communities. A great many of the school students have become teachers in the city schools and in different parts of the State. ”

“ Soon after dinner more than a score of students, mainly young men, with a few of our teachers, go out to seven different mission Sunday-schools, two of which are in our own tasteful chapels, others in country churches, and one in a private house, where they meet about 300 different pupils of all sorts, garbs and ages, but for the most part attentive listeners eager for instruction, as well as for the papers which Northern benevolence, through sundry boxes and barrels, enable us to supply. ”

“ At Dry Creek and Nalls, Pekin, Carter's Mills and Malee, he has preached regularly or occasionally and has watched with incessant care and labor the development of missions throughout a wide tract of country. The influence of these churches has pervaded many communities. Calls have come to him to develop new church work simply because the poor people of other churches have seen and felt the higher standards of piety and purer lives among many in the Congregational churches and have desired that they too might have the advantage of such ministers. ”

“ The object of her coming is to give the information, which she possesses so thoroughly, to the people and so stir them up adequately to support this field of Indian missions which is suffering so painfully for the lack of funds. There can not be any further retrenchment of the Indian work if it lives at all. ”

“ Nothing can contribute more to the progress and welfare of the young people than a well-equipped industrial department where knowledge of trades can be imparted.
THE WILMINGTON A. M. A. SCHOOL. With their immense preponderance of a country population, naturally the largest part of the Association's mission work in the Carolinas is in the country. In the North Carolina Congregational Association most of the churches are country churches. The Association meetings are well attended. ”

“ Some of this work has been long-continued and has achieved a widespread and beneficial influence in the neighboring communities. The self-denying devotion of many years is reaching a most blessed fruitage, and those who have given the strength and vigor of a lifetime to the poor and despised now find their closing years brightened with the sight of what has been wrought by their long labors for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ. The picture of the Oaks congregation at their church door is an illustration. ”

“ The reverse side of the card contains the location of the mission house, names of teacher, helper, etc. The intent is that no one willing to listen to the word of life as uttered in private and personal conversation, should fail to be found and to be urged to take his stand with the followers of Christ. We wish to follow up the public service with effective private and personal preaching.
Two of our Chinese brethren at Fresno are to be baptized and welcomed to the Church to-morrow.
Let no one imagine that street-preaching is a new feature of our work. ”

“ Our different religious services begin early in the day. At 7.30, soon after breakfast and prayers in the dining hall, the Young Men's Christian Association holds its meeting for an hour. The Sunday-school, with a large attendance and many classes occupying different school rooms, convenes at 9.15, with the regular church service following at 10.30. ”

“ Not long ago both the church and school buildings in Beaufort were swept away by fire, but they have recently been restored, as seen in the illustration. The church is making good progress under its young colored pastor. The school is crowded. Industrial work is being carried on to a limited extent, and it is hoped that in the coming year an industrial building can be erected. ”

“ A number of the people there are learning, teaching each other to read; and they are asking for a women's missionary society to be formed there. Catch-the-Enemy, who is active in the young men's society, said to me the other day that there were fifteen members at Flying By's Village. ”

“ Of course the best work cannot be done in school until we can have another room, but now scholars come four or five miles, cross creeks on logs, or, when the water is too high, their folks bring them across the water and they walk the rest of the way. ”

“ For nowadays, with the Chinese, things are not like those of ten or fifteen years ago, when we could get a great many Chinese into our schools to be taught English, and so the Gospel times are getting harder for them in this country every day, and they are growing old, and therefore they have more [pg 172] cares in their hearts and so lose interest in study. ”

“ During the past week I have been twice down the river to Flying By's Village to attend their mid-week prayer meeting and Sunday morning service, and also to the Agency. My people seem to be active and earnest. ”

“ A hospital plant is always expensive, as it involves the salary of a trained physician and an assistant, together with medicines and other supplies. This year the funds have not come in outside of current receipts sufficient to provide for the expenses of the hospital, and it is, therefore, closed. ”

“ A new chapel is longed for each Sabbath, often through the week, and especially at commencement season when our varied anniversary exercises are all crowded into one small inadequate and inappropriate room. ”

“ In western North Carolina the Appalachian Mountains reach the greatest height in the United States eastward of the Rocky Mountains. The eye of an observer from the heights near Blowing Rock descries in one view mountain summits in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and South Carolina. ”

“ Our churches in this district are prosperous, and we are gratified to say that the promise of church extension over our wider districts is very encouraging. Eight new churches will be added to our list immediately among the colored people, and others still are expected soon to be added. ”

“ At the same time there is an uprising in various churches against the centralized forms of church government, which they feel to be oppressive. They refuse longer to be bound to systems which, as they believe, invade individual Christian rights. From these and other causes appeals are coming to us from different quarters for the recognition of churches which have become independent. A number of these churches have already been received by council into [pg 162] Congregational associations, and the indications are that this number will be largely increased during the year to come. ”

“ Well versed in the Scriptures, she continues to gather classes of young men and plantation teachers and teach them from the Bible to prepare them to instruct better those still more ignorant than they. ”

“ You may wish to ask if we feel isolated and lonely. No, we are too busy for that. The scholars begin to come on the grounds before we are through breakfast, and we don't have time to wish for other company. ”

“ They know very little about doing things properly, and the teaching which they have in industrial work may do them as much good as their books, but if you count that, then I am teaching from eight o'clock to five. ”

“ The same families continuing with us, year after year, seem like our own. Our Junior Christian Endeavor Society, already quite large, received nine new members at the last business meeting, and is reaching out for more. ”

“ The leaven of their intelligence and higher standard of morality is taking hold of many families about them. From many centers the call reaches us for the organization of Congregational churches, churches which shall stand for morality, equal membership rights and a more rational type of piety. ”

“ MRS. ADELAIDE RIDEOUT RIGGS. A beautiful life has gone out from our work, taking from it one who was loved and admired by the Indian people as well as by her fellow-workers.
Mrs. Riggs was born in 1867 in Dorset, Vt., graduating in 1887 from the Western Reserve Seminary, and after spending two years in Bradford Academy, Mass., she came as a teacher to the Santee School, Nebraska, where she made herself exceedingly useful and was afterward employed by Dr. Riggs as his secretary. In 1893 she was married to Mr. ”