as only a colored audience can, “My faith looks up to thee.”
The minister reads the creed and covenant, and then the Indian
scholars, whose parents had, perhaps, hardly heard the name of
Christ, come one by one to receive the rite of baptism. As they
kneel beside the font the minister says to each, separately and
calling him by name, “Do you promise to take Jesus Christ as your
Saviour, to love him and serve him? Do you _promise_?” and the
emphatic Indian assent and little Annie’s timid “Yes, sir,” are
heard through the still church, and those who wait to hear know
that the heart’s promise has gone with the lips.
Ahuka (White Wolf) comes first for baptism. As he stands there
quiet and reverent, a sudden memory of the first time we saw and
knew him flashes across our minds. We see again the school-room,
the day after the arrival of the new pupils. They are seated
in a semi-circle around a teacher, who stands by a black-board
on which some easy English words have been written: “Stand up;
Walk; Stop; Look up;” which she has been teaching the scholars to
illustrate. On the front seat at one end sits Ahuka, a somewhat
alarming-looking pupil. His thick, shaggy, black hair bangs down to
his waist over the blanket which he holds wrapped tight about him,
while he casts now and then stealthy but keen glances from under
his heavy eyebrows.
Teacher debates for a few seconds whether to call on him for
a recitation; but concludes not to shirk, and he comes to the
board. Teacher points to the first word on the blackboard, on the
pronunciation of which she has been drilling the class, and looks
at the brave for a response. Brave looks at her, then at the word,
back again, more sharply at her, says nothing. Teacher mustn’t
expect a response in a hurry, keeps her pointer on the word and
her eye on the brave. Brave continues to transfer his glance from
the word to the teacher, till suddenly, whether in despair or rage
she cannot tell, he throws his head back, bends forward and utters
a prolonged howl. Teacher with difficulty restrains herself from
a flight down the corridor, and doesn’t question why he is called
“the Wolf.” It is no difficult task to picture him back in the
wilds of Dakota.
We think of him now: his quiet and reverent manner; the pleading
look we have learned to know in the once defiant, savage eyes,
and we pray that as he is laying aside all that was the pride
and pleasure of his savage strength he may grow (slowly he must,
but certainly he shall) into the beauty and power and glory of a
Christian manhood.
Harry Brown, Chief White Horse’s manly little son, stands by the
font now. We came near making a bad mistake about Harry. The day
that the minister had appointed to talk to the scholars who were
to unite with the church was a crisp winter one, and the creek
was covered with glittering ice. Harry went skating; almost the
first chance he’d had since he left Dakota. There was no way to
tell the time; he was having splendid fun. He stayed too long;
when he came back it was too late for the meeting. The next day,
when the minister kindly made an appointment for him by himself,
one of the first questions he asked was, “Harry, do you pray?”
“No.” “Not pray?” “No.” “Did you ever pray?” “Yes.” “And you don’t
pray now?” “No.” “Why not?” And then Harry shut himself behind his
Indian reserve and his inability to talk English, and didn’t say
anything more. It certainly didn’t look as if he was far on the
road to saint-ship. And yet if there was a boy in the school who
was commending himself by his faithful, kind and manly conduct
it was Harry Brown. What did it mean? The minister asked one of
the teachers, with whom the boy might not be so shy, to try and
find out. She dismissed the interpreter, who seemed to embarrass
him, and all her questions were answered with thoughtfulness and
earnestness till the old one came up, “Harry, the minister says you
don’t pray?” Then came the same emphatic “_No_.” “Well, Harry, this
isn’t a little thing you want to do. You are going to give yourself
to God to be His child all your life, and you say you don’t pray to
Him. It seems as if you didn’t care much about it. We think you had
better wait till the next Communion Sunday, and be sure you mean
what you are going to do.” “How long?” said Harry. “Two months.”
“Too long. Can’t wait. Must come now,” said Harry decidedly. “How
long have you been trying to do right, Harry?” “Two years.” Then
I think Harry’s good angel put a thought into the teacher’s mind.
“Harry, have you changed your room lately? Do you stay now with
those seven boys up-stairs?” “Yes.” “Is that the reason you don’t
pray? Are you ashamed?” “Yes.” “Doesn’t any boy in that room pray?”
“Just one.” “Well, if you are going to be Christ’s soldier you
have got to fight for Him sometimes when it’s hard. Will you pray
to-night?” “Yes.” And knowing that older Christians had wavered
before the same temptations, and not been more honest and brave
in acknowledging it, we forebore to shut the boy away from the
patient guidance and long suffering love which leads us all. A few
weeks afterward we asked Harry one day when the interpreter was by,
“Harry, do you pray now?” The little interpreter himself looked
up with a quick, bright smile, “All we boys in that room pray now
every night.” It was a good victory, surely, for the first one.
God grant that each of those who are now confessing Christ be kept
by Him in the temptations which will crowd them in the life to
which they must go.
The service is almost over. The bread and wine have been passed. To
each waiting heart down through its darkness to its weakness has
come the touch of the Divine Soul which is light and power.
Once more the sweet strong chorus rises, “Jesus, Lover of my Soul.”
We go out into the twilight. The young crescent and the star of
love hang in the Western sky whose glowing sunset lights are
reflected in the lovely waters, and through the heavens falls a
voice with the old word, at once reproof and inspiration, “Say not
ye, There are yet four months and then cometh the harvest. Behold,
I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields; for they
are white already to harvest, and he that reapeth receiveth wages
and gathereth fruit unto life eternal.”
* * * * *
WOMAN’S HOME MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION.
Room 20, Congregational House, Beacon St., Boston.
MISS NATHALIE LORD, _Secretary_. MISS ABBY W. PEARSON, _Treasurer_.
* * * * *
The Executive Committee of the W. H. M. A. are happy to announce
that with this number of the AMERICAN MISSIONARY and of the _Home
Missionary_, they begin a series of monthly reports of their work,
which they know will be welcomed by many. The American Missionary
Association and the American Home Missionary Society have each
generously given us the opportunity of reporting in its monthly
publication the work undertaken by us in its field. Our friends
will therefore find in the AMERICAN MISSIONARY, accounts from our
missionaries among the negroes; and in the _Home Missionary_,
reports from the West. For the courtesy which has given as this
opportunity we desire to express, thus publicly, our thanks.
Recent statements show that the present condition of our work is
not known. Five ladies are now at work in the South and West,
and two more teachers will soon go to Utah. Those already in the
field are: Miss Mary Snyder, Assistant Principal of the Academy
at Albuquerque, New Mexico; Miss Julia A. Wilson, who is working
among the colored refugees in Kansas; Miss Alice E. Carter, acting
as city missionary in Nashville, Tenn.; Mrs. Clara B. Babcock, who
is doing missionary work in connection with the colored church
recently formed in Washington, D. C.; Mrs. Almira S. Steele, who
teaches a day and Sunday-school at Almeda, S. C. Detailed accounts
of the work of each of these will be given from time to time. But,
that more work may be undertaken, we ask for larger contributions
and a wider support, for annual subscriptions and donations as well
as for auxiliary societies.
Some suggestions as to organization and management of auxiliaries
are here made in the hope that they may be helpful. In many places
the sewing society, devoted to parish work, may take in addition
the Home Mission work, if it is as agreeable to the members as
it has been found to be in many cases already. At each meeting,
some one previously appointed may communicate intelligence of Home
Mission work, while others sew.
In other places the old cent society to which our grandmothers
belonged is available as the channel for contributions.
In other places still, a wholly separate organization may be
most advisable, in which the filling of Home Mission boxes, the
collection of money for the W. H. M. A., and the communication of
intelligence as to Home Mission work may be the only objects of the
society.
The regular Woman’s Prayer Meeting might well set apart one
meeting each month where they are held weekly, or a meeting at
longer intervals when they occur less frequently; this monthly or
quarterly meeting to be devoted to prayer and conversation about
the spread of the Gospel in our own country. At these meetings a
collection may be taken and there may be a treasurer to receive
this, and an officer, either secretary or president, to preside at
the meeting. It is not necessary that these officers should serve
no other organizations, since the same person not infrequently
acts as an officer in one or more societies and keeps the business
of each by itself. It seems wise, however, whenever a sufficient
number of persons can be obtained, to have separate officers for
different organizations. The end to be attained is that there be a
definite, separate time given to praying and working for the cause
of the evangelization of our own country, and a definite, separate
contribution arranged so that each woman of the church may have
just the channel at hand by which to send her own offering for this
cause direct to its destination.
And further, may we not ask those churches that have adopted the
system of weekly offerings, known as the “Harris plan,” to put this
Association also on their list, to make this one of the channels
of distribution through which individual members of the church
show their desire and accomplish their purpose of co-operating in
Christ’s work of saving men? It is no longer—if it ever ought to
have been—the age in which Christian men and women should wait
to be stirred, to be urged, even to be invited, to give. Does
it not become each of us to find out by calculation, careful,
generous calculation, how much we can afford to the specific work
of spreading the Gospel; and then through what channels we can
best effect our object? And if this is done by all will there not
be some who will wish to send part of their funds through this
society, whose work is, directly, for the women and children of our
country?
New opportunities for work are presenting themselves almost every
week, in the new West, the South, for Indian girls, for colored
women and children. There is no quarter to which we can look that
we do not see those, dear to us by nature, and by what Christ has
done for us, waiting to be helped and to be taught; nor, as yet,
have we had any lack of those who were well fitted for the work of
teaching and helping, and anxious to go into it.
We, therefore, ask the Christian women in our churches whether,
in addition to the interest, money and prayer they are giving to
kindred societies, they do not wish to give also to this particular
work which seems at once so urgent and so promising. It requires
but small individual sums, regularly and prayerfully given, to
enable the church to pursue a vigorous and effective work in this
direction for the kingdom of Christ.
Receipts from Oct. 15, 1880, to Jan. 1, 1881:
From auxiliaries $761.00
From donations 155.08
From life members 100.00
From annual members 81.00
————————
Total $1,097.08
The committee also acknowledge with thanks, the following
donations: From the Congregational Publishing Society, $19 worth
of papers and maps, and from Mr. J. L. Hommett, three large wall
maps, and from S. M. H. a movable black-board, all for the use of
Mrs. Steele at Almeda, S. C. A barrel has been sent to Miss Carter
containing new material for use in her Industrial school, and
clothing for distribution.
CHILDREN’S PAGE.
* * * * *
6 WASHINGTON PLACE,}
TROY, N. Y., Dec. 31, 1880.}
Dear Mr. Hubbard: I remember your showing us the place where you
put our contributions, in the great safe on Reade St., and your
deciding where you met Aunty Lizzie before.
I will send a share of the money which we earned, for the American
Missionary Association.
This Summer I devoted one of my broods to your society. The hen’s
name was Nano: she had eight chickens. Two of them died, four
were given to Papa for the hen’s feed, and the rest were sold for
fifty-three cents.
This was this hen’s second brood.
Margaret had also a hen named Goldy, and her second brood was
devoted to your society. She stole her nest in the bushes and
hatched thirteen little, beautiful chickens;—five died, two are
kept, and the three remaining ones were sold for eighty-eight
cents. We earned money in other ways, so we each add the necessary
sum to make it two dollars.
I send much love to you, and Miss Dodge. Your Loving Little Friend,
MARY F. CUSHMAN.
A CRUMB FOR THE BOYS.
A clergyman on his way to a missionary meeting overtook a boy, and
asked him about the road, and where he was going.
“Oh!” he said, “I’m going to the meeting to hear about the
missionaries.”
“Missionaries!” said the minister. “What do you know about
missionaries?”
“Why,” said the boy, “I’m part of the concern. I’ve got a
missionary-box, and I always go to the missionary meeting. I
belong.”
Now that is what we want. Every child should feel that he is “part
of the concern,” and that his work is just as important as that of
any one else. Linch-pins are little things; but, if they drop out,
the wagon is very likely to come to a stand-still. Every pin and
screw should be in working order, and every child should be able to
say, “I always go to the missionary meeting. Why, I’m part of the
concern!”—_Exchange._
* * * * *
RECEIPTS
FOR JANUARY, 1881.
MAINE, $696.91.
Alfred. Mrs. Charlotte Dane, _for Student Aid,
Atlanta U._ $20.00
Alfred. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 15.54
Bangor. Central Cong. Ch. and Soc., $150;
First Cong. Sab. Sch., $14.67 164.67
Bethel. T. and M. E. B. 1.00
Biddeford. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 23.65
Blanchard. “A Friend” 5.00
Brunswick. Cong. Ch. and Soc., $11.38;
Marshall Cram, $10 21.38
Brunswick. Box of C., _for Wilmington, N. C._
Calais. John Barker, _for Student Aid,
Talladega C._ 25.00
Castine. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.00
Cumberland Centre. J. W. 1.00
Cumberland Mills. Warren Ch. to const. JAMES
GRAHAM, L. M. 45.00
Dennysville. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 48.00
Foxcroft and Dover. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.00
Gilead. I. B. 0.51
Hallowell. Correction.—Fannie A. Davis, $25,
ack. in Dec. number, should read “Friends”
by F. A. D.
Machias. Cong. Sab. Sch., $5.36; Prayer
Meeting Coll., $5.14; E. G. L., 50c.; U. M.
Penniman, $5 16.00
Norway. Mrs. Mary K. Frost 5.00
North Yarmouth. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.00
Orland. S. E. Buck to const. MISS HANNAH T.
BUCK, L. M. 30.00
Portland. High St. Cong. Ch., $100; State St.
Ch., $84.66; Mrs. L. D., $1 185.66
Richmond. Ladies of Cong. Parish, _for
Freight_, $1; Cong. Ch., half Bbl. of C. 1.00
Scarborough. “A Thank Offering” 38.00
Skowhegan. Mrs. F. A. M., $1; M. D. P., $1 2.00
South Berwick. Ladies, Bbl. of C. _for
Wilmington, N. C._
Thomaston. Infant Class in Cong. Sab. Sch.,
$6; Mrs. J. H., 50c. 6.50
Weld. Rev. D. D. Tappan 2.00
Wells. B. Maxwell 20.00
NEW HAMPSHIRE, $440.42.
Amherst. Cong. Ch., $20.50; Miss C. M.
Boylston, $20 40.50
Amherst. Ladies U. M. Soc., $29; L. K.
Melendy, $25, _for Student Aid, Straight U._ 54.00
Amherst. Ladies’ Benev. Soc., Box of C. and
$2, _for Freight, for Wilmington, N. C._ 2.00
Brookline. Cong. Ch. 10.00
Concord. South Cong. Ch. and Soc., to const.
DEA. CHAS. KIMBALL, L. M. 51.50
Colebrook. Cong. Ch. and Sab. Sch. 13.69
Dover. First Cong. Ch. (ad’l) 1.94
Exeter. “Friends” _for Chapel, Wilmington, N.
C._ 0.50
Francestown. Cong. Ch. and Soc., to const.
REV. H. M. KELLOGG, L. M. 34.20
Fisherville. J. C. Martin 10.00
Greenfield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.05
Greenville. E. G. Heald 6.00
Hampstead. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 20.77
Hancock. Ladies’ Sewing Circle and The
Cheerful Workers, Bbl of C., and $1.50 _for
Freight, for McIntosh, Ga._ 1.50
Hebron. J. B. C. 1.00
Hillsborough Bridge. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 12.75
Keene. Geo. Cook 5.00
Keene. Correction:—Ladies’ Benev. Soc. of
First Ch., Bbl. of C. acknowledged in Feb.
number, should read, of Second Ch.
Kensington. “Friends,” _for Chapel,
Wilmington, N. C._ 2.50
Londonderry. C. S. P. 1.00
Manchester. W. O. A., 50c.; I. G. M., 50c. 1.00
Marlborough. Ladies’ Freedman’s Aid Soc., _for
Student Aid, Talladega C._ 10.00
Milford. Cong. Ch., $11.90; Mr. and Mrs.
Harris, $10 21.90
Nashua. Pilgrim Ch. 27.11
Pembroke. Mrs. Mary W. Thompson, $5; C. C. S.,
51c. 5.51
Pittsfield. John L. Thorndike 10.00
Rindge. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 4.50
Rochester. Phebe J. Moody, _for furnishing
room, Atlanta U._ 25.00
Sanbornton. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 15.00
Short Falls. J. W. C. 0.50
Stratham. Cong. Sab. Sch. 10.00
West Lebanon. Mrs. E. L. K. 0.50
West Peterborough. Mrs. Lucy B. Richardson 10.00
Wilton. Willing Workers, _for Student Aid,
Wilmington Normal Sch._ 15.00
Wilton. A. B. C. 0.50
Wolfborough. Rev. S. Clark 5.00
VERMONT, $638.95.
Barnet. Cong. Sab. Sch. 10.00
Bennington. Second Cong. Ch. 86.66
Berlin. Cong. Ch. 13.06
Bellows Falls. Cong. Ch. and Soc. to const. H.
A. TITUS, L. M. 36.25
Brookfield. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.29
Burlington. N. G. H. 1.00
Cabot. Cong. Ch. ($5 of which from Milton
Fisher) 14.02
Chester. Penny Contributions of Cong. Sab.
Sch., $50; “A Friend,” $15; Cong. Ch. and
Soc., $16.03; G. H. C., 60c. 81.63
Clarenden. Mrs. J. P. 1.00
Cornwall. Cong. Sab. Sch. 11.33
East Hardwick. Cong. Sab. Sch. 20.86
Fairlee. “Friends” 5.00
Felchville. M. C. F. 0.51
Ludlow. N. M. P. 1.10
Middlebury. Cong. Sab. Sch. 23.53
North Thetford. Cong. Ch., $8.56; Mrs. E. G.
B., 50c. 9.06
Pittsford. Cong. Ch. and Sab. Sch. 44.00
Quechee. Cong. Sab. Sch., “New Year’s Gift.” 13.40
Saint Johnsbury. North Cong. Ch., $136.45;
South Cong. Ch. and Soc., $35 171.45
Sharon. Mrs. A. F., $1; S. P. F., $1 2.00
Thetford. Rev. L. H. Elliot 10.00
Townshend. Mrs. Mary Burnap, $5; Mrs. Anne
Rice, $5; Mrs. Harvey Holbrook, $2; Mrs. W.
C., $1; Mrs. E. H., $1; S. D. W., $1; G. P.,
$1 16.00
Vergennes. Cong. Sab. Sch., _for furnishing
room, Atlanta U._ 25.00
Weathersfield. Mrs. Edson Chamberlin 10.00
West Brattleborough. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 9.80
West Randolph. Mary and Susan E. Albin, $6; S.
J. W., $1 7.00
West Rutland. W. Newton 5.00
MASSACHUSETTS, $7,929.61.