in the office of a Southern hotel: “I have seen a miracle to-day,”
said this lawyer. “I have actually seen a white man convicted of
murder and sentenced to be hanged for killing a nigger. I never
expected to witness such a thing in this State.” What a fearful
comment on the injustice of these courts of justice in the past! What
horrible suggestiveness of unpunished crimes! But there is in it, too,
hopefulness for the future.
* * * * *
At Lewis Normal Institute, Macon, and at Storrs School, in Atlanta, the
number of pupils is limited only by the capacity of the school-rooms
to hold them. In Macon, Bro. Wharton, whom I left in Savannah, when I
pushed southward into Florida, was holding special services under the
direction of the pastor. God’s spirit was blessing his efforts and
many were daily seeking the way of life. It has been a year of great
religious awakening throughout our entire field.
* * * * *
A beautiful gold locket was put into my hands by an earnest Christian
woman, a very saint of God, as her gift to the work of the A. M. A.
Blindness had come upon her slowly, month after month, and she could no
longer see the picture-faces in the locket, so she had them removed,
and gives the locket into our treasury. Who will redeem it, that this
touching sacrifice may accomplish for God’s poor that which she who
made it prayed it might?
* * * * *
REVIVAL AT ATLANTA UNIVERSITY.
Not since 1881 have we enjoyed in this institution so thorough and
satisfactory a work of grace as during the last few weeks. Indeed, on
only one or two occasions in its history have so many been reached and
been led to enter upon the better life. The special interest began
during the week of prayer which was observed by holding a meeting each
evening, and a spirit of inquiry was early manifested and a goodly
number promptly confessed Christ as their Saviour.
Much personal work was done by teachers and older pupils and many who
had been negligent and careless, made confession and renewed their
covenant. Short meetings were continued for a few days longer, and
the seed-sowing and the harvest went on together, and every day some
gain was made, and one after another came to a decision, until nearly
all the students in the family and many of the day pupils were deeply
interested, while some who had withstood many good influences for a
long time yielded to the claims of Christ and took up his service.
There was a quiet and gentle influence manifested in all our meetings
so that without noise and confusion and without protracted services,
the work was done and the blessing came as the dew or the rain from
Heaven. No strangers were called in to help, and no unusual means were
employed, and only ten extra meetings of a general character, most of
them of less than an hour’s duration, were held.
Thus far the new converts, over thirty in number, and representing
about twenty-five different towns, have stood the test well, and most
of them are proving by fidelity in daily duties the reality of their
religious experience. Absent pupils have been reached by the same good
influence, as well as some former students, and the scholars have
been encouraged to write to parents and friends, and thus it will be
easily seen how far a light kindled here may shine and how valuable
and precious a reviving at this center may become. We hope that a few
who resist may be softened, that the timid and halting may be brought
in and the great company of day pupils may be affected and the
neighborhood toward which we are reaching out more than we have, will
be blessed. We are very grateful for these blessings, to the giver of
all good, and very humble in view of our unworthiness, and very hopeful
for larger and continued gifts.
C. W. FRANCIS.
* * * * *
VISIT TO MT. HERMON UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
TOUGALOO UNIVERSITY, MISS.
On Saturday, the 19th of February, President Pope set out to fill his
regular monthly appointment to preach at Mt. Hermon Seminary for Young
Ladies, whose head and founder, Miss Sarah A. Dickey, was a pioneer in
this Mississippi work, and has passed through such trials and hardships
as those who enter at this stage of the work will rarely, if ever, have
to encounter, and who is now reaping a measure of the respect and honor
she so richly deserves.
Clinton is twelve miles or so distant, and the windows of heaven were
just being opened after a remarkably dry winter, so that when Mr. Pope
said to one of the teachers who had not been at Mt. Hermon for four
years and had only heard of the enlargement of the work there, “Will
you go along?” she cried out, “What––in this rain?” but finally decided
to venture.
Had not Mr. P. been belated an hour in starting, all would have been
well, for they were within four miles of their destination when
darkness and tempest settled round them so densely and drenchingly
that the last third of the way consumed three hours of time, since it
was frequently necessary to stop a few minutes and wait for a flash of
lightning to reveal the road.
The faithful horse was bewildered, and persisted in veering to the
right, as if to get nearer the driver. This finally led to the complete
overthrow of the buggy, the right wheels running up a bank and striking
a projecting root. Mr. Pope was out in an instant and at the horse’s
head, his companion disentangling herself and scrambling out more
slowly, stepping into several inches of soft clay and leaving an
overshoe, which must be pawed for in the darkness, and, upon securing
it, taking her place at the horse’s head. It was found necessary to
take poor Rob out of the shafts, when he gave one or two scrambling
leaps up the slippery bank and stood with his head close against Miss
K.; all the time Mr. P. labored to right the buggy. And how it rained!
’Twas “sic a night” as “Tam O’Shanter” took the ride in.
While Mr. P. was tugging at the prostrate vehicle, with its two wheels
in the air two men on mules were seen by a broad glare of light
hurrying along the opposite high bank. In response to Mr. P.’s halloo
for help, they called out, “Who are you?” and hastened on. The priest
and the Levite having passed by on the other side, it was hoped that
the good Samaritan would appear next, but he had not done so, when
Mr. P. succeeded, unaided, in getting the buggy up and the wet, muddy
cushions, blankets and passengers into it and setting forward.
After a time the darkness seemed to thin a little and the rest of the
way was passed without accident, though the water was deep in all
the low places. How cheering were the light and warmth of the deep
fireplace and the cordial welcome of the Christian teachers to these
muddy, wet and supperless travelers when at last they reached Mt.
Hermon!
The next morning, after Miss Dickey had conducted Sunday-school,
as usual, Mr. Pope preached, making use of the preceding evening’s
experience to help inquirers in the way; urging them to move forward,
taking advanced ground with every flash or even glimmer of the light of
truth in their minds and hearts, not waiting to see all the way mapped
out before them, and pointing to the safe arrival at the heavenly
home––the light, the welcome, the rest.
At their request, Mr. P. has organized a branch, or class, of the
Tougaloo church in this school, and at the communion service in the
afternoon two additional members were received. Then they turned
homeward, and in retracing their course and observing where they
had driven, in the unconsciousness of utter darkness, on narrow
and washed-out ridges between ditches deep enough to make an upset
dangerous, they could but be grateful that in their little experience
of itinerating they had fared so well.
⁂
* * * * *
DEDICATION OF LINCOLN MEMORIAL CHURCH.
The Lincoln Memorial Congregational Church of Washington, D. C., was
dedicated Sunday, January 2, with appropriate services. Secretary Beard
preached an able and practical dedicatory sermon on “The Struggles of
Life,” from the text, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things.”
The dedicatory prayer was offered by the pastor.
In the afternoon another large audience gathered at the Young People’s
Service, which was addressed by Rev. S. M. Newman, pastor of the First
Congregational Church, and others. In the evening Rev. T. G. Steward,
D. D., pastor of the Metropolitan A. M. E. Church, preached an able
sermon on “The Strongholds of Faith.”
The church was organized a few years ago with only eleven members,
including the first pastor, Rev. S. P. Smith. It now has an enrollment
of over eighty and a flourishing Sunday-school. This was the _second
Congregational church_ organized at the National Capital in the midst
of a large, needy and growing population; four other churches have been
since organized, so that our polity is now represented by six churches.
The building, which is large and commodious and centrally located,
has been altered and renovated, and now presents a very attractive
appearance. The repairs which were begun ten weeks ago have cost to
date $1,300. Over eleven hundred dollars of this amount have been
raised and expended. The lower floor consists of the audience room,
which serves as chapel, with a seating capacity of six hundred and
fifty, with spacious Sunday-school rooms adjoining, which will seat
three hundred and fifty. The upper floor has been neatly fitted up for
a parsonage and school-rooms.
In addition to the religious services, a sewing-school for girls, a
night school and a kindergarten are carried on in the building.
The Women’s Missionary Society, music and the industrial work, are
under the direction of Mrs. G. W. Moore. The dedicatory services were
reported in all the Washington daily papers and several weeklies. The
church has a large field of usefulness and a bright outlook.
GEORGE W. MOORE.
* * * * *
EVIDENCES OF PROGRESS.
The A. M. A. workers in the South have many discouragements. Our
work is generally ignored by the whites, and often unappreciated by
the blacks, but such letters as the following show that many fully
appreciate the efforts that are made to purify and elevate the race. We
have recently organized a “Social Purity Society,” and have already the
names of over sixty women and girls on our “White Shield” pledge. After
one of our meetings, at which earnest words of warning and advice were
given by several of the teachers, the following letters were received
from two of the mothers:
Miss ––––: I will say sumthing a bout the subjeck it is to great for me
to hold my peace I will call upon all the teachers poticler I belive
they are chosen that the blessed lord has call to show the slave race
the true way for me myself cannot say much but my deser are great I
belive I can see your butful light and understand all your blessed
words I will praye to the blessed lord to help all the blind race to
see your white shell (shield) work and understand your butif words
Mothers and fathers are cring about the disgrace the young race are
bringing upon them I will beg you once more please don’t get werry
weary I belive the blessed lord will help you.
Miss ––––: I will take great plesure to write you a fee lines a boutt
subject consern the miss acshon in riten them colar boys and the white
men It was very great you cannot speak too much about that subjet
that princlbum are a bout to cover the citty in that low degree with
our colar girls please to study the stronges subjet that your brains
can hold and tounge can utter I umbel beg for jeus sake I belive the
lord will help you and bless the many words you speak this is my heart
desirer I umbel beg all the teachrs to help this is a great subjet very
much needen with the scool girls I will do all I can in the name of the
blessed lord.
* * * * *
THE INDIANS.
OUR DEACON.
“Young men, never despair of the hardest case,” were the words which
were spoken to some of us, while in Hartford Theological Seminary,
more than fifteen years ago, by a missionary from Africa, and he gave
us some illustrations to prove his point. I was forcibly reminded of
this a few weeks ago as we elected two Indians to serve as deacons,
the first Indians ever chosen to fill that place in the history of
this church, for during the first eleven years of its existence there
have been white men connected with it who have filled that office
acceptably. Some time ago, however, the last one left us, and after
waiting a while in vain to see if some other men would not come, who
would serve in this capacity, we decided that it was best to choose
Indians for the place.
One of these has had a remarkable history. About thirty years ago or
more he was baptized a Catholic, but when, after a short stay, the
Catholic priest left these Indians, not to return again, he, with the
rest of these Indians, relapsed to their heathenish ways.
Twelve years ago he was noted for drinking and for the sly ways in
which he could procure his liquor. In 1876 he had great trouble with
his wife and wished to leave her, but the Agent would not allow it. A
long trouble followed, in which the Agent and prominent Indians tried
every way they could think of to make them live peaceably together. One
day the Agent with two friendly Indians went to arrest him, but, with
the help of his uncle, he knocked down the Agent, broke out a window
and got away. He was pursued all day, but was not taken, and at night
was helped off by his relations, and he ran a long way off. For this
his relations were locked up in jail, which brought them to terms, and
they induced him to return so that they could be let out, and he served
six months in jail.
After that he secretly left his wife, took another, and went to another
reservation, sixty miles distant, but in time, with the help of another
Agent and two soldiers, he was again taken and conveyed to Fort
Townsend, where he worked six months more, with a soldier and bayonet
to compel him to do so.
A year or two afterwards he returned to Skokomish. He said that he had
reformed, but was still a Catholic, and he held some Catholic services
at his own house. For a year or two, however, they did not amount to
much, as hardly anybody attended them. In 1881 affairs changed, and
through the death of a prominent Indian, the Catholics became quite
strong, mingling with their teachings spiritualistic revelations from
the dying man, and he was their priest.
The next year another Indian professed to die, receive revelations,
and come to life again, and he originated a religion which was
composed of Protestantism, Catholicism, spiritualism, the old Indian
religion, and a nervous twitching, similar to the jerks prevalent in
the Southern and Western States fifty years ago, and which gained for
them the name of Shakers. For a few months they carried things with a
high hand, and he was an acknowledged leader. The Catholic religion,
however, grew to be a very small part of their services, while the
shaking grew to be very large, so that their heads and hands were
sometimes shaking night after night, six hours at a time. To save
them from becoming crazy, with the advice of the physician, the Agent
put a stop to this, but told them they might continue their Catholic
services, if they wished, as he had no right to interfere with their
religion as a religion. But they gave up everything, and asked me to
teach them. I gladly did so, and a year afterwards, in the fall of
1884, he united with our church. Thus he has been by far the most
troublesome Indian of any here, both to Church and Government. For
more than two years he has done well in the church, and now, with my
approval and with the unanimous consent of the members of the church,
he has been chosen their deacon.
* * * * *
As I write, an Indian sits before me dressed in leggins with two
blankets around him, and a comforter tied over his head. He has come
to get his horses shod, and as the blacksmith is away, he has to wait.
He has sat stolidly most of the day, his horses out in the cold––the
thermometer is about 12 or 14 degrees below zero. As he has sat here
without an expression of a single emotion passing over his face, he
has occasionally drawn a deep sigh. He knows his life is wretched, and
yet it would take almost a miracle to arouse him to activity enough to
render his life comfortable. As I contrast him with my own boys and
girls, with the emotions aroused by mental activity chasing each other
over their faces, I feel that their lives will be happier and, I hope,
better than his.
TEACHER AMONG THE PONCAS.
* * * * *
THE CHINESE.
Several articles savagely anti-Chinese having appeared in a Knights of
Labor paper published in Marlboro, Mass., Rev. A. F. Newton sent to the
editor the following vigorous reply:
“We understand the purpose of the laboring classes in their
organizations and publications is to promote the best interests of our
suffering fellow men. And this we do wherever we find a man who has
fallen among thieves on the Jericho road. The fact that he has on the
wooden shoes of Holland, or the queue of China, or the corduroy pants
of Ireland, does not prevent our performing our duty to him as a
fellow man. And any one who abuses any man because of the land of his
birth deserves severe censure from every right-minded man who labors
with hand or head.
“Your inconsistency, Mr. Editor, appears when in one place you say
of the Chinese, ‘This town is afflicted with but few of them, thank
God, and the sooner they disappear the better.’ And in another column
you say, ‘We are willing to do anything possible to aid in promoting
charity, but if creed or nationality is to be considered in bestowing
it, just count us out.’ What is your creed? The one in which you thank
God this town is afflicted with only a few of one nationality, or the
one in which you propose to be counted out unless charity shall be
bestowed regardless of creed or nationality? The man who tries to ride
two horses is apt to fall. Inconsistency always appears ridiculous.
We hope the prayer in your ‘Thank God’ does not put you under the
condemnation of Proverbs 28:9.
“In behalf of every nation in America, we protest against the abuse of
any people, whether they come from the banks of the Shannon, or of the
Rhine or the Po, the Danube or the Hoang Ho.
“It is urged against the Chinese in one of your columns that their
great sin is in the fact ‘that California has been drained of over
$200,000,000 during the last twenty-five years.’ This is an average
of $800,000 per year. But surely this is not a great offence, for Mr.
Michael Davitt, at Madison Square Garden, New York city, recently
urged ‘that millions of dollars had been sent from this country to
gladden the poor Irish peasants.’ Every true man will rejoice that the
peasantry of Ireland and China and Germany can be gladdened with money
honestly earned by their friends in America. The heart of one peasant
is as precious in the sight of the Lord as the heart of any other
peasant so far as we know.
“We have always held that it was mean for a great strong man to strike
a small one. When we see this done we feel like saying, ‘Take a man
of your size.’ On this principle we shall never admire the 17,000,000
laboring men attacking the 125,000 now in our country. We do not
believe any one has correctly sensed the heart of true workmen when
he tries to win their favor by abusing the few harmless industrious
celestials.
“What are the charges you have to make against these Chinese? Are
they disturbers of the peace, are they thieves, are they licentious,
are they riotous or drunkards or paupers? Are they the burden of our
courts? If there be anything I denounce it is national prejudice.
Will you denounce an Irishman because he came from Ireland, or a
Chinese because he came from China? I will not. My condemnation shall
fall on him who violates law and is an unworthy citizen. And then my
condemnation rests, not upon his nationality, but upon his guilt. So
long as any man is a quiet, law-abiding citizen, he can count me his
friend. When he sins, I shall preach to him repentance and reformation.
“I am aware that the problem of foreign immigration is gigantic.
But what kind of a sieve shall be used to strain the stream that is
flowing into America from the Old World? The men who weave the meshes
of the strainer have a Herculean task. Your readers will find it very
profitable to study the ‘evils incident to immigration’ in the _North
American Review_ for January, 1884.”
* * * * *
BUREAU OF WOMAN’S WORK.
MISS D. E. EMERSON, SECRETARY.
HOW TO ORGANIZE AND CONDUCT A LADIES MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
The Home Land Circle, Park St. Church, Boston, was organized a little
more than two years ago. Three public meetings are held during the
year. Funds are divided among the Am. Miss. Asso’n, the A. H. M. S. and
the N. W. E. C., in such proportions as the ladies decide at one of
these meetings. The names of the ladies in the church and society are
taken, a band of collectors is appointed, and each lady is called upon,
and offered the privilege of contributing. By mentioning the wish to
the collector, any contributor can have the whole of her gift go to the
specified society. Membership is constituted by an annual contribution,
no amount specified. The meetings, we are informed, have been made very
interesting by means of letters from the workers of the societies aided.
Referring to the value of these letters in mission circles, one lady
writes: “While once we felt ourselves to be working blindly, with
little idea of the work that was being done or of the manner in which
we could best help, we seem now to have a personal and friendly
interest, as well as an increased sense of our own responsibility.”
* * * * *
THE COLORED PEOPLE are crazily fond of organization. Women and men
alike are caught in the whirl. Offices with high-sounding names,
processions, regalia and show, have a wonderful charm before which go
down their better judgment. The evils of the Lodge, our missionaries
meet on every hand. In the home and in the church, this insidious foe
to piety and thrift is encountered. The love of organization may be
utilized and turned to good account. Our teachers endeavor to impress
upon their pupils the value of co-operation in doing good. The outcome
of such instruction appears in one of our schools where the girls
of their own accord, and without aid from their teachers, organized
themselves into the Helping Hand Society, in which the members pledge,
(1) Not to tell lies, (2) Not to steal, (3) Not to be selfish, (4) Not
to quarrel, (5) Not to talk about the boys when together, and (6) To
try and help every one they can.
On the other hand, the vice of “Secret Orders” may be seen in the
following, written by one of our teachers:
A colored man with the title of Elder, recently visited this place and
organized a secret society called the Universal Brotherhood. He had
left one church with stains upon his moral character, but, as is too
often the case, another fold had an open door for sheep, goat, or wolf,
and, as he could operate better inside a church than out, he went in.
The initiation fee to the society is one dollar, and the monthly dues
are twenty cents. Small as this amount is, it is much to those who have
families to provide for upon very small wages. If all the promises
made by the organizer could be believed, membership in the society of
Universal Brotherhood would be better than forty acres and a mule. All
who are sick are to receive aid. When a member dies, his family will
receive a thousand dollars. If any one of the family dies before the
member insured does, twenty-five dollars will be furnished for funeral
expenses. Heavy fines are imposed for absence from the meetings, which
are held weekly. The name might lead one to suppose that this lodge
is for men only, but it is composed of men and women. They have oaths
and pass-words and secrecy, but one who is too wise to join such an
organization says the great secret which they will never find out is
_where the money goes_.
The idea of some one to help in time of sickness, and of property left
to one’s children, is enough to draw the final dime from a colored
person’s pocket, and stimulates parents who are not able to patronize a
school to invest in a lodge. A colored woman who does well to send one
of her six children to school said to me last week, “I am just as much
opposed to the lodge as I can be. A good many women have to work hard
to support their families, for it takes all their husbands can make to
keep up the lodges. They pay four dollars a month for the rent of a
hall to meet in, and they can’t pay the rent for a shelter for their
families, so their wives have to attend to that.” The poor woman had
the eloquence of truth and earnestness. She had had enough experience
to know what she was talking about.