[Illustration: New Years Cake.]
New Years Cake.
The cake of which we give a picture is more than a monument to the
artistic cookery of which some of our brethren there are capable. It was
made in a sort of Christian competition with the rude and senseless
operations by which their idol-worshiping countrymen observed their great
annual festival. And on Salvation Army principles, though not after their
methods, it called the attention of multitudes both of Chinese and
Americans to the Mission House and the Mission work and the Saviour for
whom our brethren were eager to bear witness. They did not confine their
attention to cake-making nor express their loyalty to Christ in that way
alone, but made up a very respectable sum, which, as "New Year’s Gifts to
Jesus," they placed in our treasury.
The picture, as we are able to give it in our magazine, is not large
enough to show all the points of interest about this cake. It represents,
of course, a Chinese pagoda, but with the idols omitted. Possibly there is
in it a little symbolism of _ascent_--the excelsior spirit which comes
from new life in Christ. Beginning at the shell foundation, we see two
cards which bear in Chinese an inscription literally translated thus:
"Eyes see; hands must not touch." Above this were the more abrupt or
pointed English words: "Hands off." Over the door at the head of the steps
is a framed inscription: "Happy New Year, 1896." In what might be called
the second story there is another inscription, which, being interpreted,
reads: "Blessed News Chapel"--_i.e._, Gospel Chapel--while on the right
post are characters which, literally translated, mean: "Blessed Land: good
cultivating"--_i.e._, to good cultivation this happy land yields large
returns. On the left-hand post the characters literally translated mean:
"News Chapel: righteous pastor: forms intimate friends"--_i.e._, the
righteous pastor of this Gospel Chapel makes warm friends.
On either side of the cake are Chinese New Year’s lilies (narcissus)
growing to perfection in saucers supplied with nothing except clean
pebbles and pure water--these are said to symbolize purity and mercy.
Above the lilies rise great clusters of artificial flowers, which also
have some symbolical import; I am unable to say what.
This will be a good place to say a few words about this mission, which has
now been in existence for more than twenty years. During all this period
it has occupied, _rent free_, a small brick building belonging to our
ex-Governor and United States Senator, Hon. George C. Perkins, who began
his wonderfully successful career in this town of Oroville. He has not
even required us to pay the taxes upon it, and when a rumor reached my
ears that his agent had received an offer for the purchase of it, Mr.
Perkins kindly assured me that we should have the first chance to buy it,
and he would help us out by a generous donation. That’s the sort of man he
is.
There has always been a large Chinese population engaged mainly in mining,
whose headquarters were at Oroville. When our mission was established the
number was estimated at not less than twenty-five hundred. Chinatown was
quite extensive and all its frail structures swarmed, like bee-hives, with
inhabitants. There are no such throngs now, but there are still people
enough to call forth the most and the best that we can do for them.
A large number of Chinese have here been turned from idol-worship to the
love of Jesus. I have at hand no means of scanning the long roll--reaching
up to many hundreds--of those who have for longer or shorter periods been
brought here to know something of Christ. And the frequent change of
teachers has rendered impossible any adequate statement of results. Among
those whom I specially remember are three Yongs: One, Yong Jim, an
unusually well-educated man who, after being a missionary helper in
several of our fields, returned to China, and has done gospel-work there
in connection with the American Board; another, Yong Kay, was a delegate
from California to the great convention of the Y. P. S. C. E. in Boston,
and made several addresses there, which were well received. He is now
preaching the Word in that city. Yet another of the same family has been
for several years a leader in Christian work among the Chinese in New
York. The Christians in California and elsewhere belonging to this family
have a little missionary work of their own among their relatives in China
in addition to what they do through our Chinese Missionary Society. The
work at Oroville is now in excellent hands. We have a good
helper--intelligent, wise, steadfast--who almost wholly supports himself,
drawing but five dollars per month from our treasury, and giving back a
goodly portion of this. The teachers are faithful and earnest, and I
rejoice to add that for several years our church in that town has
recognized its responsibility for this work, has given it the right hand
of fellowship, and has aided it with generous gifts.
Jubilee Year Fund, Additional Shares.
Rev. MILO N. MILES, Iowa City, Ia.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL, East Orange, N. J.
Miss M. F. AIKEN, Maiden, Mass.
Mrs. MARY R. ENGLESBY, Burlington, Vt.
Rev. GEO. W. REED and WIFE, Fort Yates, N. D.
E. A. GOODNOW, Worcester, Mass., two shares.
BROADWAY CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, Norwich, Conn., twenty shares.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, Watertown, Conn.
Judge WM. H. UPSON, Akron, O.
TRINITARIAN CONG’L CH., Norton, Mass., four shares.
Rev. J. E. ROY, D.D., Chicago, Ill.
Mrs. A. B. ROSS, Cambridgeboro, Pa.
ARTHUR’S MISSION, Millbury, Mass., two shares.
HORACE TRACEY PITKIN, New Hartford, Conn.
Mrs. EMMA P. SHUMWAY, Groton, Mass.
Mrs. AUGUSTA S. THURSTON, Whitinsville, Mass.
HIGH ST. CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, Auburn, Me.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY, Keene, N. H.
Dea. M. M. FISHER, Medway, Mass.
E. FISHER RICHARDSON, Medway, Mass.
Mrs. HARRIET P. SOMERS, Boston, Mass.
FROM A FRIEND IN MEMORY OF HER MOTHER, Boston, Mass.
Mrs. M. N. PHELPS, Foxboro, Mass.
Dr. R. N. BAUGHMAN, Marseilles, Ill., two shares.
WINDHAM CONFERENCE of Connecticut.
MARY R. CUMMINGS, for heirs of W. H. Cummings, two shares.
Mrs. A. L. BAYLEY, Amesbury, Mass.
CONGREGATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL AND DEPARTMENTS, Flushing, N. Y.
Mrs. LUCY S. CONNOR, Henniker, N. H.
JOHN P. JUBE, Newark, N. J.
Mrs. SARAH C. KELLOGG, in memory of her Father, Rev. E. J. Comings,
Kingsville, O.
Miss ABBY W. TURNER, Randolph, Mass., two shares.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AND DEPARTMENTS, Grand View, Tenn.
Rev. J. G. BURGESS and Wife, Crow Agency, Mont.
BY A FRIEND in memory of Rev. J. H. Stearns, D.D., Epping, N. H.
A MEMBER OF SOUTH CHURCH, Salem, Mass.
NELSON VALENTINE, in memory of Mrs. R. W. Valentine, New Gloucester, Me.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, Auburndale, Mass.
Mrs. JULIA E. BRICK, Brooklyn, N. Y.
GLOUCESTER EVANGELICAL CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY, Chepachet, R. I.
Mrs. JOHN H. WASHBURN, New York.
GEO. W. MARSTON, San Diego, Cal.
Mrs. ANNA LEE MARSTON, San Diego, Cal.
JAMES A. SMITH, Osage, Iowa.
S. B. FRENCH, Chicago, Ill.
SOUTH CHURCH, Salem, Mass., two shares.
NORFOLK CONFERENCE, Mass.
Previously reported, 34
Subscriptions reported 75
above,
----
Total number of shares 109
reported,