from 1st of October last. I am sure you will be glad to know that
we close the year with all indebtedness of every sort _paid_, and a
trifling sum in the treasury. There was something of a deficiency,
but we rallied last Wednesday evening and made it good. Besides,
by vote of the Church at the same time, that was practically
unanimous, we enrolled ourselves among the number of giving
churches, pledging an annual contribution to the three missionary
societies of our order, and another for church building. Our
contributions may not be large; they will certainly be something.
Congregation continues good. Bad weather has reduced somewhat the
attendance at prayer meeting and Sunday-school; but both have been
well attended and full of interest. Acting upon my suggestion at
the Sunday-school concert, Christmas evening, the school brought
birthday gifts to the Saviour in the form of remembrances for the
poor; more than 100 packages were brought to the table; clothing,
groceries, etc. It was most touching to witness the gifts brought
to the Lord Jesus in this way from some of the very poorest of
our children. The next morning, in a pouring rain, the pastor and
deacons distributed these offerings. I hope our people gained some
insight into the real meaning of the day.
* * * * *
AFRICA.
* * * * *
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS OF REV. H. M. LADD.
CAIRO, EGYPT, Nov. 28, 1881.—We are off at last. The delay has been
inevitable. No sooner would we make a plan than the bottom would
fall out of it. About sixteen bottoms have fallen out. However,
we have some reason to hope that the last one will stick unless
all men are liars, or unless there should be an explosion or an
upheaval of the Nile, or unless there should be something else. It
is never best to be too sure about anything in this country.
The quarantine has also thrown all our plans into confusion. We
tried all sorts of schemes to obtain a passage down the Red Sea
and get landed at Souakim without quarantine, but every plan
failed and we determined to go up the Nile. Then we heard by
chance (everything seems to go by chance here) that the Egyptian
steamboats had given up calling at Jedda, and that we could go
direct to Souakim. We commenced telegraphing at once to Suez. Four
times we telegraphed, and finally learned that one steamer would go
direct to Souakim without quarantine, but that it would sail before
we could catch it, and that there would not be another one for a
month.
So again we gave up the Red Sea, and returned to the Nile route.
We planned to go by rail to Siout, thence by postal steamer to
Assouan. The steamer was to leave Siout on Wednesday; we must leave
here on Tuesday; our baggage must leave by freight train on Monday,
and to make sure of its getting on to the train it must be sent to
the station on Sunday. So we got it ready on Saturday by working
hard, and sent it to the station, and were quietly informed that
there was no train that would take it till Tuesday, except for an
enormous sum, and that as the boat left now on Tuesday instead of
Wednesday we could not reach it any how. This all meant three days
more of delay. * * * So we leave to-day, after taking the best
advices we could possibly get on the subject, determined to push
on up the river and cross the long Korosko Desert, which is the
shortest though not the easiest route now open to us. We are both
in excellent health and spirits and start off with much to cheer
us. They tell us there is plenty of good weather before us in which
to reach Fatiko or Lake Albert Nyanza, if we shall think it best to
do so on reaching Khartoum.
ASSYOUT or SIOUT, Dec. 2.—We arrived here last evening, and expect
to start onward at 3 A.M. to-night. The American missionaries have
entertained us very hospitably, and send us on our way rejoicing.
ASSOUAN, Dec. 9.—We have reached the borders of Nubia in safety,
and shall set sail to-morrow noon for Korosko. This is far better
than we expected to do, as we were told we should be detained here
three or four days. We have taken three Arabs into our company and
thereby reduced our expenses to Khartoum. Everything now looks well
for us. We shall try to reach Korosko in three days from here. The
Governor of this district has ordered camels to be ready for us.
From Korosko we shall try to make the desert from Nile to Nile in
eight days, and in five more to reach Berber.
KOROSCO, NUBIA, Dec. 12.—We found our camels ready for us, and we
shall start into the great desert early to-morrow morning. To-day
the men are making the necessary preparation in the way of food,
etc. The Governer here, acting under orders from down the river,
is very attentive. The water at Murat, the only point where there
is any on the desert, is bad, and cannot be used for drinking; we
shall, therefore, have to carry enough to last us till we reach
Aboo Hamed and the river again. The doctor has had his hands full,
attending to all sorts of people with all sorts of troubles, and
evidently is destined to be quite in demand. We are both well and
in good trim for the journey.
* * * * *
THE CHINESE.
* * * * *
NOTES FROM THE FIELD.
BY REV. W. C. POND.
1. The statistical reports for November are in some respects more
encouraging than ever; thirteen schools in operation, having an
aggregate enrolled membership of 700—a round number, but an exact
one. Never before did our aggregate rise so high. The average
attendance was 339. Ten of our pupils received baptism, and four or
five others, as having begun the Christian life, were accepted as
members of the “Association of Christian Chinese,” there to remain
under further instruction for six months or more before they are
baptized. Twenty-nine teachers were employed, of whom ten were
Chinese helpers—uniting service in the field with special training
for a larger Gospel-work. Some of these, I hope, may yet preach
Christ in China, under the direction of our American Missionary
Association.
2. The Marysville Chinese Mission celebrated its second anniversary
on Sunday evening, December 11. The Presbyterian Church in that
city—a spacious and beautiful edifice—was filled, and the audience
was evidently greatly interested. At the close of a dialogue on
the question why a Chinaman should become a Christian, and of the
address in English by our helper, Lee Sam, the interest pressed
beyond due bounds, and broke forth into applause. One memorable
feature of the service was the baptism of six Chinese. From the
statement of the teacher, Miss Mattie A. Flint, as presented at
this meeting and since then published in _The Pacific_, I make the
following extracts:
“The school has been maintained without interruption except on
occasional holidays. In connection with it a Sunday-school has been
sustained, meeting every Sabbath at 6 o’clock in the evening. The
total number of Chinese enrolled as pupils in the Mission School
is 98. All these have been, for a shorter or longer period, under
our influence, and must have learned something about Jesus and his
power to save from sin. The average membership, month by month,
has been about 35. The largest average attendance in any one month
was 23. The average attendance for the year, 17. * * * Ten of the
pupils have joined the Association during the past year. From among
the members of the Association five have been baptized and received
in the Presbyterian Church, and six others are now recommended for
baptism. We rejoice greatly in the fruit of our labors. I pray God
for still richer harvests in time to come.
“One of those baptized and received to the church has returned to
China. I venture to give the following extract from a letter which
I received from him a few weeks since: ‘We meet on the steamer
three Christian brothers beside me. I feel comfortable in the way
my home. They about five hundred of my country men in the steamer.
But they are all heathen; we are preacher for them. They are never
heard the gospel of life, and some very glad to hear us, and some
are not. How wonderful our Heavenly Father has make this world! We
are cross the great ocean, we ought thank Him for His kindness for
us and His love. When we get near Japan they are idolatrous people
to ask for us to give money to sacrifice idols goddess. I say no;
if I have money I would like to put on missionary fund. But they
are scold and angry for us. But we are not afraid for them. Jesus
Christ with us always.’”
THE BETHANY CHURCH OF MARYSVILLE.—A variety of considerations which
could not be fully stated without trespassing too largely upon your
space led us to believe that the time had come when our brethren
in Marysville should be organized into a church of Christ. Rev.
P. L. Carden, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, very cordially
seconded the proposition, and proffered letters of dismission and
recommendation to such of our Chinese brethren as had already
been admitted to his church. The brethren themselves received the
proposal with great joy.
It was a new step in the history of our own work among the Chinese
of this State, though in connection with other missions two or
three churches composed exclusively of Chinese have existed for
many years. It was taken after much prayer, and with a peaceful
assurance that the Master himself led us that way. The matter
was talked over with the brethren somewhat carefully on Sunday
afternoon; and then after the anniversary exercises over, we
remained at the Mission House till late at night, explaining to
them the simple confession of Faith and Covenant of the Bethany
Church, San Francisco, which they adopted as their own. My
inquiries into the Christian experience of one and another gave
me still greater joy than I had before in view of our Marysville
work, and at the end of this meeting it was agreed to gather at the
Mission House at 2:30 P.M. of Monday, and organize the church. This
plan was carried out, several American Christians being present
with us and adding their prayers and cordial God-speed; and I could
easily find it in my heart to wish that every church organized in
America had in it nine such happy, hearty, praying, working young
men as this Bethany Church in Marysville has.
3. OROVILLE.—We had scarcely concluded the meeting above
referred to, when it became time to take the train for Oroville,
twenty-eight miles distant. I took our faithful helper, Lee Sam,
with me, desiring him to spend two or three months at least in
Oroville. Here I found a sad state of things. Sufficient care had
not been taken in receiving members to our Association there, and
I am afraid that few, if any, among them are true Christians. In
a strife for the pre-eminence they had become bitter, one toward
another, and I hoped, and still hope, that the good judgment, the
gentle spirit, the Christian example and the faithful preaching of
Lee Sam will, with the blessing of God, set things right again. The
school in Oroville is blessed with a very faithful teacher, who
is aided and guided by her father, Rev. A. Ostrom, pastor of the
Congregational Church, himself formerly a missionary in China. Mr.
Ostrom speaks Chinese, but not in the dialect of the districts from
which our Chinese have come, and he cannot communicate with them,
except through the English language. We ought to have had a good
helper there six months ago, but I had not the man to spare, nor
the funds to sustain him. Now I leave Marysville destitute, that
Oroville may be supplied.
We spent Monday and Tuesday evenings till a very late hour seeking
to secure mutual forgiveness and to bring peace. We succeeded so
far as the weaker party was concerned; and the confession of fault
and the request for forgiveness were made with tearful eyes. But as
to the other, and hitherto the controlling faction, no relenting
could be made to appear. They have since withdrawn and set up some
sort of a house and a worship by themselves. But I believe that
our prayers will be answered, and that out of all this will come
shortly a far better work than has ever yet been done for the
thousands of Chinese who centre at this town.
4. The mission-house at Santa Barbara was burned to the ground in
the latter part of November. It was a rented building, and the
most valuable part of the mission escaped the flames, so that the
loss was not great. I record with much thankfulness the fact that
the Congregational Church in Santa Barbara, notwithstanding that
it had, just the week before, completed an offering of $327.50 for
our Theological Seminary, and scarcely a month before had made a
generous contribution to our Mission, at once took a collection
amounting to $27.55 to repair the damages of this fire. The origin
of the fire is hard to explain. Our helper regards it as no
accident, but as having come from the hatred of heathen Chinese.
* * * * *
CHILDREN’S PAGE.
* * * * *
“TESSIE.”
BY A. WESTON W.
“Dunno, miss.”
“But, Tessie, you must know where you got it.”
“’Deed, miss, I dunno no more’n de dade. I nebber tuk it none: it
jes’ comed.”
“Just came! O Tessie, Tessie! are you never going to be good?”
“I is good, miss,” said the little colored girl, who could not seem
to learn how very wicked it is to take other people’s property, and
who had never been taught it is wrong to tell an untruth.
“Yes, Tessie, you are good about some things,” I said; “but you
are not good when you take things out of my room, as you did last
night.”
“Deed, miss, I nebber tuk it none: it jes’ comed.”
“Tessie,” I said solemnly, “what will you do when God asks you
about this.”
“I jes’ say I dunno nuffin’ ’tall ’bout it.”
“But you can’t tell a lie about it to God, for he saw you take it.”
“Reckon ye’re out dar, ’cause it were dark as Egyp,” said Tessie,
grinning at me, and showing a row of white teeth and a pair of
large black eyes.
“But, Tessie,” I said, “that makes no difference; God sees you all
the time, and knows what you do in the dark, just as well as what
you do when it is light.”
The girl’s expression changed, and she looked about her stealthily,
as though in some dark corner she expected to see some one looking
at her. Failing in that, she looked back at me, and said:
“’Tain’t wurth while ter vex ’im.”
“No, Tessie,” I said, “it’s not right to vex any one who has been
kind to us; and God does more for us than any earthly friends we
have.”
“Reckon ef I puts it back in de dark agin, he’ll see it?”
“Yes, Tessie, God will see you, whether you put it back at night,
or in the day.”
“Den it’ll be all right?”
“If you make up your mind never to take again what does not belong
to you.”
“S’posen His head’s turned round the wrong way, an’ He don’t see
me?”
“God’s head is never turned round, Tessie; it is always towards us.”
That evening I watched Tessie to see the effect of our
conversation, and soon after dark I discovered her on her way to my
room, with the little thermometer she had taken from it the night
before.
After that, there seemed to be a decided change in Tessie, which
pleased me very much; but I was even more pleased when, one day, I
found her with a bottle of cologne in her hand, and heard what she
was saying.
“I reckon it smells kind o’ good, an’ I reckon I’d like ter hab it;
but de good God’s a-lookin’ on, an’ he moight ax ’bout it some day.”
My little friends, would it not be well if we could take that as a
sort of watch-word—“He might ask about it some day”? Do we not all
do little things quietly, in a kind of slurring way, as if they
wouldn’t count? And yet we would be ashamed to be asked about them.
Remember that everything counts, and that “He might ask about it
some day.”—_Well-Spring._
* * * * *
RECEIPTS FOR DECEMBER, 1881.
* * * * *
MAINE, $556.18.
Augusta. John Dorr, $15; Mrs. D. A. F., 50c. $15.50
Bangor. Central Cong. Ch. and Soc. 100.00
Bethel. Mrs. E. W. W. 1.00
Boothbay. Mrs. F. H. 0.67
Brewer. M. Hardy, $50; Sab. Sch. of F’st Cong.
Ch., $15, _for John Brown, St’r_ 55.00
Brewer. First Cong. Ch. 7.40
Calais. “A Friend,” _for Student Aid,
Talladega C._ 10.00
Falmouth. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 7.20
Falmouth. First Ch., Bbl. of C.; Second Ch., 2
Bbls. of C.; For Freight, $7; “A Friend,”
$1, _for Selma, Ala._ 8.00
Farmington Falls. Cong. Ch. 6.18
Gorham. Cong. Ch. and Soc., bal. to const.
MISS MARY C. HINKLEY, MISS MARY E. SMITH and
DR. H. H. HUNT L.Ms 33.41
Limerick. Ladies, 2 Boxes of C., _for Raleigh,
N.C._
Limerick. S. F. H. 0.50
Machias. Centre St. Cong. Ch. 7.22
Newport. Mrs. M. S. N. 1.00
New Sharon. First Cong. Ch. 5.82
No. Bridgton. Co’g Ch. & Soc., $3; C. H. G.,
50c 3.50
Norridgewock. Cong. Ch. and Soc., $40;
Individuals, _for Mag._, $1.50 41.50
North Vassalborough. Joseph White 10.00
Orland. M. C. Trott ($4 of which _for Indian
M._) 8.00
Portland. Second Parish Ch. and Soc. 134.78
Richmond. S. S. 0.50
Searsport. Cong. Sab. Sch., _for Student Aid,
Atlanta U._ 15.00
Skowhegan. Mrs. S. P. 1.00
Union. Bbl. of C., _for Selma, Ala._
Sweden. Mrs. D. N. 0.50
Westbrook. Warren Ch. and Soc., to const. JOHN
E. WARREN and HEZEKIAH ELWELL L.Ms 60.00
Woolwich. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 14.50
York. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 8.00
NEW HAMPSHIRE, $356.45.
Antrim. By Imla Wright 28.00
Bristol. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 1.15
Claremont. Mrs. S. C. C. 0.50
Concord. F’st Cong. Ch. & Soc., $85.31; “A
Friend,” $2; “A Friend,” $1; C. T. P., 50c 88.81
Derry. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 15.54
Fisherville. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 8.84
Fitzwilliam. H. H. W. 1.00
Hanover. Mrs. E. M. Y., $1; Miss L. J. S.,
50c; L. B. D., 50c. 2.00
Harrisville. Darius Farwell, _for John Brown
Steamer_ 5.00
Hinsdale. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.00
Hollis. C. B. 0.50
Hopkinton. Rev. D. S. 0.60
Keene. Benev. Soc. of Second Cong. Ch., Bbl.
of C., val. $54; Mrs. N. R. Cooke, _for
Freight and Mag._ 3.00
Keene. Miss S. E. H., 60c.; Mrs. N. R. C., 10c 0.70
Marlborough. Ladies’ Freedmen’s Aid Soc., _for
Student Aid, Talladega C._ 10.00
Nashua. First Ch. and Soc. 35.14
New Ipswich. Cong. Sab. Sch., _for Sab. Sch._
Cong. Ch. and Soc., Bbl. of C., _for
Marietta, Ga._ 4.00
New London. M. K. Trussell 2.25
Northwood Center. “A. B. W.” 2.00
Peterborough. A. A. F. 1.00
Peterborough. Box of bedding, val. $15.44,
_for Tougaloo U._
Pittsfield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 34.00
Pittsfield. Box and Bbl. of C., _for Talladega
C._, & Bbl., val. $50, _for Marion, Ala._
Rochester. “J. M.,” _for John Brown Steamer_ 10.00
Salem. Mrs. G. D. K. and Mrs. D. E., 50c. ea. 1.00
Stratham. Cong. Ch. and Soc., to const. MRS.
MARTHA LANE THOMPSON L. M. 30.00
Walpole. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 25.00
West Campton. T. J. Sanborn 5.00
Wilton. Bbl. of C., val. $60.
Wolfborough. First Cong. Ch., to const. REV.
GEORGE W. CHRISTIE L. M. 31.42
VERMONT, $460.63.
Alburgh. Cong. Ch. 4.00
Bellows Falls. Cong. Ch. and Soc., $29;
“Individual” (ad’l). $16 45.00
Bennington Center. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 25.00
Cabot. Mrs. S. S. H. 1.00
Castleton. Mrs. L. G. S. 1.00
Colchester. First Cong. Ch. 10.00
Danville. Cong. Sab. Sch. 10.00
East Hardwick. Mrs. J. F. F., _for Student Aid_ 1.00
East Sheldon. S. M. H. 0.50
Essex. “Cash” 1.00
Essex Center. Cong. Ch. 7.00
Essex Junction. Cong. Ch. 18.00
Hartford. Cong. Ch. coll., $24.17; E. Morris,
$100; E. W. Morris $30, to const. DEA.
NORMAN NEWTON L. M. 154.17
Lower Waterford. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 9.70
Montpelier. Bethany Ch. Sab. Sch. 6.05
Morgan 4 Corners. Miss L. L. 0.50
Newbury. Hon. P. W. Ladd 5.00
Norwich. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 17.00
Peacham. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 31.80
Peru. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 3.00
Post Mills. Ladies, Bbl. of C.
Pittsfield. Miss M. J. S. 0.50
Rochester. Mrs. L S. Patten 5.62
Saint Johnsbury. South Cong. Ch. 48.18
Springfield. Cong. Ch. 18.68
Townsend. Nancy B. Batchelder 2.00
Wallingford. Cong. S. S., Miss Minnie Childs’
class; Miss Lizzie Gleghorn’s class; Mrs.
Jay Newton’s class; Miss Ettie A. Ballou’s
class, _for John Brown Steamer_ 10.00
West Brattleborough. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.43
West Fairlee. Cong. Ch. and Soc., $6, and Sab.
Sch., $7.50 13.50
West Westminster. Mrs. A. S. G. 1.00
MASSACHUSETTS, $7,305.26.