The American Missionary. Volume 43, No. 09, September, 1889

With this, aunt Mary slung her bag across her shoulder, took up her hat box, bade good morning, and as she got through the gate, struck out at the very top of her voice one of her favorite melodies.

This bit of history was imparted in an examination in answer to the question, "What were the Alien and Sedition Laws?" "Alien and Sedition were members of Congress."

Definition of education: Education is the cultivation of the moral, brain, intellectual and voice.

THE INDIANS

LETTER FROM OAHE SCHOOL, DAKOTA

BY MISS JULIA E. PRATT

A very sad incident came into our life as a school last winter, which has accentuated anew the ignorance and the superstitious heathenism of these Indian people.

One of our little boys was sent to the dormitory one morning to do some work to which he objected, and, while pretending to obey, he took one of the other little boys with him and ran away. Their absence was not discovered until it was too late to overtake them, and as their home was only ten miles away, and we knew they were good walkers, as all Indians are almost from babyhood, we had every reason to believe they would reach home in safety. They had started before daylight, and without any breakfast, and the little boy who was enticed away had no overcoat nor mittens, but had gone on the impulse of the moment without taking any extra clothing. About ten o'clock, it grew very cold, and as the little fellow had on shoes, to which he was unaccustomed, his feet became so cold and tired that he could not go on. Then the boy who had coaxed him away gave him his overcoat and mittens and went on, reaching home about noon, telling that he had run away, and that he had left Jaran about half way. Jaran's father did not believe the story, and came back to us, ten miles, to see if it were true. This made us very anxious, but nothing could be done but to await the issue. It seemed as if a series of unfortunate mistakes had combined to bring about this result; and to make everything still more puzzling, Mr. Riggs, our superintendent, was away. He reached home that evening, and the next morning sent the steward to learn the fate of the little runaway. He went on until he found the little boy's cap and mittens, and the place where he had evidently lain all night. It was a bitter night, and we knew that he could not possibly have survived, in his exhausted condition, and not knowing how to protect himself, even if he had had the means for so doing. This, in itself, was a very bitter experience for us, but the worst was yet to come. Mr. Riggs found it impossible to get an Indian to go to the assistance of these poor people. They were all afraid. Rumors were afloat that the father was going to shoot anyone connected in any way with the school, Indian or white. When an Indian is sorrow-stricken over the death of a friend or relative, he alleviates his suffering by killing some one else.

After the little boy was buried, the family came to the school. The old grandmother brought the clothes he had on when found—and which they had cut off,—spread them out before Mr. Riggs, and reproached him for sending a little boy out into a storm so insufficiently clad; to which Mr. Riggs replied that we had no idea he was going out into the storm, that he was dressed for the house, and had we known he was going on a journey, he would have been dressed for it. She would not be pacified, however, and after bitterly reproaching Mr. Riggs for the death of her grandson, she demanded pay for it, as if money would make up to them his loss.

That afternoon, at the woman's meeting, we learned that they had given away everything they possessed, furniture, clothing, bedding, dishes, and were absolutely destitute of the barest necessities of life. This is one of their customs. They reason thus: Our child is dead; our hearts are sad; life has no longer any attractions; take all we have. The Christian Indian women in our church each gave something out of her little property to help these poor heathen people, who in their superstitious ignorance had made their lot so wretched. Taking this, they returned home and demanded of the family of the other poor boy a cow in payment for the death of their child.

And there came to me this question: Is it possible that in the midst of this beautiful free land of ours, there lives a people so densely ignorant, so darkly superstitious, sunk so low in heathenism, as this incident shows? And this is only one of many such incidents. May God help us when such things are possible in a Christian land.

THE CHINESE

THREE DAYS OF EVANGELISTIC WORK AT PETALUMA

BY JEE GAM

I reached Petaluma a little while before school began. The scholars soon poured in and the attendance was the largest the school ever had. In order to have a little preaching service, we hurried through the lessons. At the conclusion of school, two hymns were sung. I then preached to them of Jesus. They all listened very attentively and appeared interested. At the close, I asked them to come again the next evening and bring their friends. To my great surprise, the next evening not only all the scholars came, but many outsiders; some of these had years ago attended our school for some little time, but the majority of them had never been inside our mission. I was informed, after the meeting, that five or six of them were very highly educated in Chinese, and that they were chief officers of the Chinese Branch Masonic Society in Petaluma. I thought they came simply for curiosity and perhaps for argument. Just before the meeting commenced, I went into my room, knelt down and said to God: "Oh Lord, Thou art the Almighty God, Thou knowest the motives of those who have come to this meeting; Thou knowest I am very weak. I can do nothing without Thy help, so I beseech Thee to make me a good agent in Thy hand. Give me the right word to speak, fill me with power."

I arose from prayer and felt that God was with me. I went into the meeting and announced my subject. It was on Daniel being cast into the lions' den. I noticed the marked interest they all seemed to feel. At the close, I again asked all present to come the next evening (Sunday evening) and bring more friends.

The Sabbath evening meeting came. Sunday-school began at six o'clock. Not only the scholars and every one of the outsiders who had attended the meeting of the night before came, but many others besides, so that we had to bring in extra benches, and yet we lacked room.

My subject this evening was Daniel, third chapter, the three Hebrew children cast into the fiery furnace, being a continuation of my Bible reading of the previous evening. I endeavored to bring home to my countrymen three things: 1st.—That this was the true God, and he was the Supreme Ruler mentioned by our Confucius, Mencius and other sages. 2d.—He was all-powerful and not like the golden image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up, nor like the idols that we Chinese serve. 3d.—He was able to save all those that put their trust in Him. He is just as able and as willing to save us to-day as He was when He saved Daniel and his three countrymen, provided we are willing to trust in Him, as these men did, for He is the same yesterday, to-day and forever. The golden image could not protect from the dangers of the fire the king's mighty men that cast Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the furnace. And why? Because it was simply an image, the work of men's hands. And now, what are our Chinese idols? Are not they the works of men's hands too? We all say that they are true gods and are very powerful; yet, you all well know that we have a common saying: "Though the gods are powerful, yet they are not able to protect an unfortunate man." So let us seek, believe and worship the only true God, and Him alone.

I had to come away the next day, and felt that perhaps I might never have another chance to speak to them. The opportunity, too, was one of the best that any preacher could desire, for they all seemed hungering for more of the truth. Therefore I went on to tell them that the Son of God whom Nebuchadnezzar saw in the fiery furnace was this same Jesus that we Christians believe in and preach to-day. At the conclusion, I urged all to accept Him as their Saviour. I said: "Of course I cannot tell you all about Jesus in one evening, for nearly every one of the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and every one of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament speak of Jesus,—his birth, his life, his teaching. All these you can find out by reading the Chinese translation of the Bible, and therefore we earnestly invite you all to read it for yourselves."

"One of our proverbs says: 'Genuine gold never fears the hot furnace fire.' So the Bible never fears examination. The more you try it, the truer you will find it to be. You are all acquainted with the ways of the Tanist priests. They deceive the people and you all know their doctrines and tricks will not bear inspection. For example, the manner in which they pretend to catch demons; they go to the house with their gongs, cymbals, etc., and pretend to catch the ghost and place him in a jar. After they have caught him, they will not allow you to open the jar to view him. Why? The Bible you see is as true as the broad daylight, for it has borne the inspection of centuries. The doctrines of the Tanist priests differ in this respect. Their teaching will not stand criticism nor examination, while the Bible stands the tests of all times, and it is fast becoming the standard book of the nations of the world."

The meeting was then closed with a prayer. I said to them, "I shall be happy to have any one ask questions about Jesus and I will endeavor to answer." But no question was asked, so I gave each a tract to take home to read. After they had left, a Chinese laundryman and two of his employees came. I learned that they had come before and found the room so crowded that they could not enter. I had a very pleasant visit from them. I talked to them both of their spiritual and temporal welfare.

May God bless the seed sown there and grant that all the Petaluma Chinese may find salvation in Jesus Christ, our Lord.

DEATH OF LEUNG KEE

BY MRS. C.A. SHELDON

Leung Kee was but 16 years old and was in a store with his uncle, a heathen, but a fine-looking man and one whose character is worthy of respect. He had just joined our Christian Association when he was taken sick. His uncle thought his sickness came because he had become a Christian, and he begged of him to go back to his old religion, but he said "No," he would trust in Jesus. Just as he died, his uncle again asked him if he should not burn incense, but he still said "No," and asked the Christian brethren to pray with him. As soon as we heard of his death, Miss Watson and I called. The uncle was very courteous, told us that Leung Kee was a Christian boy, and he wanted us to do just what we thought best. Our pastor, Dr. Hutchins, attended the funeral with us and made some very touching remarks. We had singing by the Christian brethren and others who were there. The uncle was attentive, and more than once tears were in his eyes. At the grave we sang a hymn. Chung Moi prayed in Chinese; all joined in the Lord's prayer in Chinese, then we sang again, "O think of the home over there." The uncle came and thanked us for our kindness to his boy; said it was his brother's son, but just like his own; I wish all who think the Chinese have no heart could have heard the tremor in his voice and seen his quivering lips and his eyes full of tears. One of the Christian brethren told us that he said afterwards that he would join the Christian Association himself if he were not so old. So I think perhaps our young brother's early death may do more for his countrymen than his life would have done. I pray that it may be so.

BUREAU OF WOMAN'S WORK

MISS D.E. EMERSON, SECRETARY

WOMAN'S STATE ORGANIZATIONS

CO-OPERATING WITH THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION

ME.—Woman's Aid to A.M.A.,

Chairman of Committee, Mrs. C.A. Woodbury, Woodfords, Me.

VT.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. Ellen Osgood, Montpelier, Vt.

CONN.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. S.M. Hotchkiss, 171 Capitol Ave., Hartford, Conn.

MASS. and R.I.—Woman's Home Miss. Association,

Secretary, Miss Natalie Lord, Boston, Mass.[1 - For the purpose of exact information, we note that while the W.H.M.A. appears in this list as a State body for Mass. and R.I., it has certain auxiliaries elsewhere.]

N.Y.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. William Spalding, Salmon Block, Syracuse, N.Y.

ALA.—Woman's Missionary Union,

Secretary, Miss S.S. Evans, Birmingham, Ala.

MISS.—Woman's Miss. Union,

Secretary, Miss Sarah J. Humphrey, Tougaloo, Miss.

TENN. and ARK.—Woman's Missionary Union of Central South Conference,

Secretary, Miss Anna M. Cahill, Nashville, Tenn.

LA.—Woman's Miss. Union,

Secretary, Miss Jennie Fyfe, 490 Canal St., New Orleans, La.

FLA.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. Nathan Barrows, Winter Park, Fla.

OHIO.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,