The American Missionary. Volume 49, No. 04, April, 1895

The reports from the churches showed a steady growth and hopeful outlook, in spite of the hard times. These churches of Southern Louisiana are in the black belt of the State on plantations and in towns adjacent to the large sugar plantations. Many of the planters have become bankrupt by the changed conditions of giving up the sugar bounty, while the poor colored laborers have been the greatest sufferers.

The stories of their hardships and struggles in their efforts to live and carry forward their church work are full of pathos, heroism and self-sacrifice. Laborers have had to take fifty cents a day and board themselves, to keep the wolf of starvation from their door, and many of them are unable to get work at any price.

It was a revelation to the brethren to hear the report of Rev. James Herod, of the American Missionary Association meeting at Lowell, Mass., and of Mr. E. H. Phillips, of the Cleveland Christian Endeavor meeting. It was the first time these colored men had been North or East, and had come in contact with Northern civilization. First-class trains, hotels and Christian hospitality from "our brother in white" were all new to them.

Mr. Herod is a graduate of Straight University, and is our pastor at Abbeville, La. His face beamed with grateful joy as he told the story of the meeting and the wonders of the North, and of the warm welcome of Northern friends, while the brethren of the Association were held spell-bound by his graphic recital. It is hard to tell which was the happier, the speaker or the audience.

Mr. Phillips, of Morris-Brown Church, New Orleans, is a zealous Christian Endeavor worker. The State of Louisiana was represented at the Cleveland Christian Endeavor Convention by two colored delegates, Mr. Phillips and Dr. Nelson. The reception these colored Endeavorers received at Cleveland made all of our hearts glad. It was so refreshing to see this star of hope rising in the hearts of our long oppressed brethren, and to have them realize somewhere in the land the meaning and sweetness of the words of our Lord, and the Christian Endeavor motto: "One is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren."

The report made by our field missionary of the Sunday-school Convention held in London, Eng., also inspired the brethren with the hope that the good time coming will come ere long, when they will be measured by their worth and work, and not always be despised and oppressed because of the accident of birth and condition. The Woman's Missionary State Union, with Miss Bella Hume as president, held an interesting meeting. They are assisting in the support of a missionary at our Indian Mission at Santee, Neb. The Sunday-school State Association, Rev. J. W. Whittaker, moderator, also held an inspiring meeting. Mr. Alfred Lawless, Jr., was appointed general Sunday-school superintendent to visit needy Sunday-schools in the State, and especially to assist in organizing Sunday-schools on the sugar plantations.

The neat little chapel built a year ago by the American Missionary Association at Thibodeaux was dedicated Sunday, February 3. An impressive and helpful sermon was preached by Rev. Prof. G. W. Henderson, of Straight University, followed by addresses by the pastor, Rev. J. E. Smith, Trustee Matthew Dickerson and the field missionary.

As the train left the little town the delegates sang, "God be with you till we meet again." The coach was curtained off, to separate the white and colored passengers, but as this song of benediction rang out on the train the curtain was lifted by the white passengers, and for a season we were all one company. May the angelic song of the Nativity of "peace on earth and good will toward men" so abound that the curtains that separate men will be raised and its refrain of "peace and good will" extend to our common humanity, that we may all be bound together and united to Christ.

FIELD ITEMS

The organization of Young People's Societies of Christian Endeavor among the young people in the mountains is being carried on very successfully by the missionaries and superintendents of the American Missionary Association in that region. A recent report from one of the superintendents gives a list of nine places at which Endeavor Societies have been recently organized. The American Missionary Association has been especially active in this work of spreading the Endeavor movement among our young Highlanders of the South. The Endeavor Society meets just their need, and furnishes opportunities for development and growth which are greatly appreciated.

Extract from a letter, Andersonville, Ga.: It is pitiful to see the children come so regularly four or five miles to school, their feet protruding from their broken shoes, bringing their baskets of tuition in the way of chickens, eggs, etc., to pay their school bills. One longs to cook up the things brought and give food to the poor children and wrap them in warm clothing, but I know the only way to make them self-reliant and keep them from the spirit of mendicancy is to require them to pay.

New Orleans, La.—Rev. Geo. W. Moore writes: About thirty of the boarding students and fifty of the day students have avowed their faith in Christ since Friday evening, when I first began the Gospel exercises in their behalf. All of the boarders of Straight University are now in the Christian household of faith.

MISS AMY WILLIAMS

On Sunday, February 24, at Rochester, N. Y., another of our valued missionaries passed on beyond the work and opportunities of this life to her blessed reward.

Miss Amy Williams entered the service of the Association in 1868 as missionary teacher at Augusta, Ga. The next year she was transferred to Atlanta, Ga., where she was for many years the principal of the Storrs School. Retiring from this principalship in 1885, she spent a few years North, but her heart continually turned to her loved people, and in 1893 she accepted appointment as principal of the Slater Normal School, at Knoxville, Tenn., where her work was characterized by the same thoroughness and ability as that at Atlanta. Finding that her health would not permit her to return the second year, she wrote in December: "My heart just aches to go back South. Every other work seems insignificant."

Mrs. T. N. Chase, of Atlanta, Ga., writes as follows:

"Nearly twenty-five years ago, in the beauty of her young womanhood, she took charge of Storrs School, shaping it through those plastic years, and leaving the impress of her grand life upon it. At supper table to-night I ventured to ask one of the older girls who sits beside me if she remembered Miss Williams. How her face lighted up as she said: "Oh yes; she gave me my first Bible." Hundreds of boys and girls have entered the college preparatory class at Atlanta University who, but for her, would never have gone beyond the grammar school. In the early days, before electric cars, she often walked out here, nearly two miles, to see how her Storrs children were getting on. One day I wanted to walk back with her a little way, but she said: "I must go on a mile further to the home of a poor boy who ran away and has been sleeping in my schoolroom two nights, because his father beats him so he does not dare to go home." That boy is now Rev. John W. Whittaker, class of '84, and pastor of First Congregational Church, New Orleans, La. I think of hosts of others who will rise up to call her blessed. So, as much as I loved her, I cannot grieve for her, but only sit and wonder how that one crown can contain all the stars that must be circling round her brow."

THE INDIANS

COLLECTION FOR THE DEBT AT SANTEE AGENCY

The response of an Indian church to the appeal for help in view of the financial distress upon the Association, is certainly worthy of any Christian church anywhere. In reporting their collection, Dr. A. L. Riggs writes as follows:

"On February 10, our mission people and Pilgrim Church responded to the call of the American Missionary Association, and made a subscription of two hundred and sixteen dollars. This subscription will be paid in before the first of April, and it will likely be increased some. Of course the larger part is the gift of the missionaries, but the Indians did well, a number contributing five dollars apiece."

In giving an account of a service the day this large collection was taken at this Indian church, Mr. F. B. Riggs writes:

"Two of the mission people started the pledge with twenty dollars each. That rather startled the people, but several soon ventured ten dollars each. Then one pledged ten dollars on condition that nine others pledged the same. The nine were found. One Indian woman pledged ten dollars. Several Indians put down four, five, six and seven dollars each. We would sing and then call for pledges; speak and sing again, and then pledges again. The committee was instructed to canvass the matter farther immediately. The work is now going on outside. In the meanwhile the pledges are being paid very fast, and I expect to be able to remit to you soon. This contribution from Pilgrim Church means much from the hearts of our members. They have gone right down to the suffering point in this giving. The pupils in the school have done well in helping, too. I have been astonished that many members of America's great churches think that missionaries and people in our mission fields are only recipients. I wonder if the good people in all our large churches did as much to lift the debt of the American Missionary Association on Lincoln Memorial Sabbath as did the members of this Indian Mission Church on the prairie. If so, the debt is wiped out."

LETTER FROM AN INDIAN

David Tatankaota recently wrote the following letter to Miss M. C. Collins. David is the missionary in Thunder Hawk's village, a new mission recently opened by the American Missionary Association. Miss Collins writes that David sent his report together with this letter and a collection of $5.50 from the Indians in his mission:

"January 26, 1895.

"Winona, My Friend:

"I will give you a letter. My children and wife we are all well. Every Sunday brings praying. Some are beginning to understand the Bible. At the second service on Sunday I ask some to pray and some to talk. Also at the Wednesday prayer meeting these are ready to respond. Chasinghorse, Flyinghorse and Whiteagle.

"Thunderhawk is growing a little stronger (spiritually). He and his family are always at church. I have said enough.

"Your friend,

"David Tatankaota.

"This is written with my own hand. Amen."

Translated by Miss Collins.

THE CHINESE

GLEANINGS FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CALIFORNIA CHINESE MISSION FOR THE YEAR ENDING AUGUST 31, 1894

BY REV. W. C. POND, D.D

This is old news. But the report has been delayed in order that the treasurer might keep his books open till the very last offering pledged to us in aid of the work for that year could be collected, and thus, as much as possible be paid of the salaries which remained unpaid at the end of the year. We had no deficit. The mission does not run in debt. It never uses the resources of a new year to pay the arrears of the one preceding. Consequently there was only one thing to do when it became apparent that our resources would not be equal to our needs, viz., to authorize our workers to cease work and close the schools, and to say that should they continue in the work, we could promise them only this, that we would do for them all that was possible to us. The final result was that our workers—steadfast and faithful—after having given their usual donations, squared accounts in January by extra gifts amounting to $374.90.

And while we are on this matter of the finances, we will give an abstract of the treasurer's final statement respecting current expenses in our general work:

In addition to this, the work for Chinese mothers and children cost us $557.70, a little less than one-half of what we could have used with rigid economy and good results.

The statistics of the work show twenty-one missions in which schools have been maintained, as follows: Fourteen during the entire year, except as recesses were taken at Chinese and American holidays; four with but one month's vacation; two during the four months that the fruit men have comparative leisure, and one—that at Watsonville—a new mission which commenced work four months before the fiscal year closed.

The total number of months of labor was 431.

The aggregate enrollment of Christian Chinese connected with our missions, so far as reported, is 596. The number concerning whom we may hope that they have been led to Christ during the past year is 60, making the total number of whom this hope has been cherished, and who have given "credible evidence of faith in Christ" from the first more than 1,100. How many of these will appear in the church of the first-born "clothed in white robes" it is not for human judgment to decide. Sometimes the human, the frail, we may almost say the devilish crops out in a way to put hope and courage to a test that is terribly severe, but never anything to compare with that which Paul had to confront in those at Corinth, whom he nevertheless denominates "the sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints." The Good Shepherd knows his sheep, and those thus given to him by the Father shall never perish, neither shall anyone pluck them out of his Father's hands.

The limits of our space forbid that we follow the report into its accounts of the year's work in each one of these missions. Two points deserve special notice. One of these has been referred to in a previous number of The Missionary. More attention must be given to preaching in the street and in our schoolrooms, which make very comfortable little chapels. The other is that many Chinese children—native-born Americans—are growing up not only in the great centers, but also in interior villages, and we must open the doors of our schools to these; make such arrangements as will secure their attendance, and so bring it about by the grace of God that they grow up not in darkness, but under the healing beams of Him who said, "I am the light of the world."

Offerings of our Brethren.—It is not possible to segregate their gifts to our treasury with perfect accuracy, but we are within the truth when we place them at $1,905.40. In addition to this they have given for the local expenses of their several Associations $1,134.10, for Missionary Work in China $675.65, for their Worldwide Missionary Society (through the American Board) $63.60, and for relief to needy brethren and others $358, making an aggregate of $5,136.75 as their offerings for the year; and this, be it understood when the pressure of the times cannot but be felt by them, on the average, more severely than by any others. The goods a Chinaman has to sell are likely to be those that in hard times we dispense with. If wages are to be reduced, the reduction begins with the Chinaman. It is no great sin in the view of many to steer clear of paying a Chinaman. If anybody is to be dismissed from service when economy begins it is the Chinaman. We cannot but think that under the circumstances the financial showing at this point is highly creditable.

BUREAU OF WOMAN'S WORK

WOMAN'S MISSIONARY UNIONS

THANK-OFFERING DAY, APRIL 12

It is heart cheering that the Women's Unions have planned for thought, prayer and special offerings on Friday, April 12, or Easter Sunday, the 14th, the day which, in the words of the resolution adopted by the State organizations at their annual meeting, "commemorates Christ's gift of Himself to the world."

Surely liberal offerings must follow sober thought and earnest prayer for the redemption of those whom God seems to have given into our special charge here in our own country. Our Lord Himself said, "Ye have done it unto Me." What if it does cost self-denial? Shall we not plan more liberally for Christ than for self?

"How much owest thou my Lord? That is the question which the giver has to face. Sometimes in commercial circles a man will assign a debt that is owing to him to someone else out of friendship that he may take it when he has collected and use it for himself. Much in the same way, I think, the Lord Jesus has assigned a large portion of the debt which we owe to Him to those who are around us, to the unconverted at our doors, to these races among whom we labor. Let us see in those for whom appeal is made to us through this Association the representatives of Christ."