board the devoted company of the Pilgrims. To human judgment she seemed
of small account, as she lay there, crusted with spray and weather
beaten with her wrestlings with the winter sea, and of hardly greater
account apparently was the handful of shivering men and women who landed
on the inhospitable shore. But the coming of the Pilgrim ship and the
Pilgrim company to a port for which they had not sailed was the
inauguration of a new era in government, ethics, social life and
religion, and whatever is best and purest in our nationality to-day,
traces its lineage back to that far past and seemingly insignificant
event, and our largest hope for the future depends for its realization
on the further and perfect development of the possibilities of which
that event was the seed and prophecy. In June, 1839, another vessel,
described in the journals of that day as "a long, low, black schooner,"
was seen lying off the coast of Connecticut. She proved to be the
"Amistad," a Spanish craft, having on board some forty slaves, who had
risen and overpowered their captors. Like her predecessor of Plymouth,
through the treachery of the management, she had been steered to a port
for which she was not bound. As the coming of the "Mayflower" opened one
era in the history of the continent, so the arrival of the "Friendship"
was the beginning of another. The Spanish Government claimed the slaves
as their property, and the American Government arraigned them for murder
on the high seas. Generous Christian men organized themselves into a
committee for the defense of these unfortunates. John Quincy Adams broke
the professional silence of more than thirty years, and volunteered to
plead for them before the Supreme Court of the United States. "Little
did I imagine," he said at the close of his masterly argument--"little
did I imagine that I should ever again be required to claim the right of
appearing in the capacity of an officer of this Court. Yet such has been
the dictate of my destiny, and I appear again to plead the cause of
justice, and now of liberty and life, in behalf of many of my
fellow-men, before that same Court which in a former age I had addressed
in support of rights of property. I stand again, I trust for the last
time, before the Court." It _was_ the last time, and the glorious ending
of an illustrious legal career, for the slaves were acquitted from all
charges against liberty or life. That committee was the germ of the
American Missionary Association, those slaves were the nucleus of the
great work of the society on African soil, the efforts of the committee
in their behalf were the beginnings of the always widening and ever
blessed work which the society has done and is doing in our land. The
"Mayflower" and the "Friendship"--they must always be equally historic
vessels. The coming of each was a prophecy and a promise. They each
reached a port for which neither was bound, and both were started on an
undreamed-of, limitless voyage. "Mayflower" and "Friendship"--let them
forever sail on abreast in our reverence and affection, the special and
yet affiliated work which each was commissioned of God to do,
acknowledged and accepted, and assiduously pressed, till the continent
is clean from wrong and all its inhabitants are true and just to each
other, and the imperial nation stands among the people of the earth in
the purple of unquestioned supremacy, while the splendor of the Divine
Favor covers it with glory and honor.
* * * * *
We clip from a colored religious paper, published in Georgia, the
following extract from one of its correspondents. The style of the
writer, and also his facts, are strong arguments for education at the
South. The schoolmaster is evidently abroad:
We are trying to come out of darkness down here by the little
at a time. In the great upheaval publicly, and religiously too,
some of our churches and people are suffering much in these
parts for the great need of consistent, Christ like living
preachers, and also teachers. Some or half of our churches are
warring about preachers, and yet we have so many that they are
really in one another's way. A licentee preacher and exhorter
preacher became enraged about setting some gate posts in Lee
County a few days ago; it ended in a fight in which the
licentee preacher had his under lip cut completely off for
life. I am sorry to say that generally you can find in our
community preacher against preacher and members against members
of the church. We have four churches here and no conversions
hardly at all in the four churches. Last year there were not a
dozen baptized out of the four, and yet some think they have as
good preaching as any community has. The trouble seems to be
this that new wine cannot be retained in old bottles any
longer.
The Mount Zion Church is trying to organize a preacher night
school with some success.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
The above sex has suffered much in our community in the last
three months and are not out of it yet, suffering at the
expense of ignorance and intemperance, saying nothing about the
kind of the men that one sees going heedlessly into the vortex.
We saw a horrible death of a drunkard a few days ago right at
our doors, leaving a smart young wife and six little children
to mourn and grope their lives through an unfriendly world.
Such we think ought to solemnly warn the people against living
the life of intemperance though it seems at times that some one
has not heeded at any manner of intemperance.
* * * * *
THE SOUTH.
* * * * *
ONE OF THE DEACONS.
BY MRS. JULIA E. NELSON.
"A short, heavy-set, black man," "A good carpenter," "A man who can turn
his hand to 'most anything," "None of your trifling fellows; somebody
you can depend on every time." Such are the descriptions given of Deacon
Jeremiah Edwards by the people among whom the chief part of his fifty
years have been passed.
"The pump is out of kilter." "So? Well, tell Jeremiah Edwards to come
and doctor it up."
"There's a leak in the roof, and the tinners can't seem to find it."
"I'll send Jerry 'round to attend to it."
"Can't find the key of my bureau drawer; reckon Bud or the baby has lost
it; drawer locked, and not a key can I find to fit in either of the
hardware stores. I never saw such a place." "Don't fret about it,
Carrie, I'll send Uncle Jerry up to file off one of these keys or make a
new one; and while he's here, have him repair the organ and mend the
picket-fence, and set the glass in the chamber window and the back
bedroom. Better let him take the umbrella to his shop and mend it, and
is there anything else? Oh! those shears and the butcher-knife you've
been complaining about so long; let him take them along and sharpen them
up." "Do you suppose, Harry, he could do anything with the
cooking-stove? There's something broken about it; I reckon it's broken,
but the cook says it's burnt out. Likely she broke it, though; niggers
are so careless and good-for-nothing." "Certainly, certainly. Jerry used
to work in an iron-foundry; he's a regular Tubal Cain. If he can't fix
anything that's made of iron or brass or wood, it can't _be_ fixed,
that's flat."
Now what would the residents of a town like Jonesboro, a town over one
hundred years old, and very small of its age--what _could_ they do in an
emergency if, instead of a missing key, there should be a missing Jerry?
The probabilities are that it will take something mightier than the
Western fever and more powerful than Colonization projects to carry
Jerry Edwards away from the snug little home that he has made for
himself, his good wife Patsey, and his little granddaughter. Many a
millionaire finds less satisfaction in his palatial mansion than the
proprietor of that little white cottage among the trees, as he gathers
fruit from his own well-kept orchard, vegetables from his prolific
garden, and corn from his own field. How much sweeter music is the
cackling of hens to one who has brought them up from downy chickenhood!
That and the robins' songs give more pleasure at the cottage than would
the notes of imprisoned canaries.
A horse that "knows more than some people," cows that show generous
keeping, and the "prettiest pigs you ever saw" are some of the adjuncts
of the Edwards establishment. A pig is not pretty? Own the pig--_own the
pig_ and watch him as he grows ripe for the pork barrel. Everybody's
pig, like everybody's baby, is prettier than anybody's.
"Let everybody go West that wants to," says Jerry Edwards, "and let them
that want to be Africans go to Africa. I'm an American, and I shall stay
right here the balance of my days. If I couldn't make a living here, I
should be striking out after work, but I don't need to go anywhere to
hunt work; work is hunting for _me all_ the time." And so it is.
Speaking in the Literary Society on the relative merits of trades and
the learned professions, he said, "Everybody ought to work with his
hands that can't work with his head. Now, some try to work with their
heads when they'd be doing a good deal better for themselves and
everybody else if they'd just go to work with their hands. Now, I
couldn't make a living by headwork if I wanted to. I don't know how it
would have been if I'd had a chance for an education when I was young. I
never went to school a day in my life except Sunday-school. What little
knowledge I have of reading and writing is just picked up. Because I've
got along without an education, I don't think everybody else ought to do
the same. I'd have got along better if I'd had more. I feel as if I am
crippled by the want of it, and am just crutching along. Young men, get
all the education you can, but at the same time remember that it's a
good thing to have a trade to fall back upon."
In the ante-bellum days, that compound of muscle and will and honesty
and skill now known as Deacon Edwards, used to bring home to his master
a twenty-dollar gold piece weekly, earned in the foundry where he was
hired out without being a party to the contract. His master had a large
family, and gave to each of his children a college education. If the
earnings of Jerry and his fellow-servants did not suffice to pay bills,
a boy or girl (and colored men and women were always boys and girls with
their masters) would be sold. The "boy" to whom he gave two trades,
although by no means rich, is in better circumstances than any of the
sons whose education was paid for by the sweat of dusky brows mingled
with countless tears and bitter heart-burnings.
That humorous philosopher, Josh Billings, says, "You never saw a
self-made man but what was mighty proud of his job." If any self-made
man has a right to be proud, it is he who, having been held as a
chattel, has compelled all who know him to admit that he possesses
honesty, good sense, moral courage and everything that goes to make up a
true man.
Four years ago Jerry Edwards was elected School Commissioner, and served
in that capacity for three years. He was the first and only colored man
who has ever filled that position in his district, and was elected by an
unusually large majority in a place where colored men are greatly in the
minority. But he has won victories greater than this--victories over
self in breaking the chains of appetite and long-established habit.
Eight years ago a temperance society was organized here. "Before that
time," says he, "I never heard, and it had never entered my head, that
there could be any harm in drinking so long as a man didn't get drunk."
He attended the meetings, listened attentively, but did not take the
pledge for a long time. At first he argued for the moderate use of
stimulants, the harmlessness of pure wine, etc., but yielded point by
point to repeated assaults in a war of friendly words.
He had a fine vineyard, made wine, drank it, sold it, and gave it to his
friends. There was no market for grapes--what should he do with his
vineyard? He feared he could not abstain wholly, and tried total
abstinence for several months before venturing to pledge himself to it
publicly, "Don't think," said he, during his voluntary probation, "that
I don't appreciate what you say, nor that I am not as good a friend to
you as anybody in the Temperance Society." We had had some persecutions.
"I'll be with you in six troubles," said he. "Ah! yes, Mr. Edwards,"
said I, "you will, and have been already: but in the seventh trouble,
the temperance trouble, there you leave me to fight the battle alone."
That was an unmerciful sword-thrust when he was having a harder battle
than I, his foes being within and mine without--his enemies being
appetite and love of gain, mine principally ignorance and prejudice. Not
long after this he joined the temperance society, and now sells or gives
away grapes instead of wine.
Over a year ago he resolved that he would no longer be a bond-slave to
that bewitching weed whose use civilized men learned from savages. For
more than forty years he had used tobacco, having begun at the early age
of seven years. A poor kind of candy to reward a good boy with,
certainly. It was no easy thing for the veteran smoker and chewer to bid
good-bye to pipe and quid, but for fourteen months he has successfully
resisted the temptation to defile himself with the unclean thing,
although he has craved it every day.
"I know there's differences in religion," said Haley, the trader. "Some
kinds is mis'rable. There's your meetin' pious; there's your singin'
roarin' pious; them ar ain't no account in black or white; but these
rayly is; and I've seen it in niggers as often as any: your rail softly
quiet, stiddy, honest pious that the hull world couldn't tempt 'em to do
nothing that they thinks is wrong." The "roarin' pious" never give up
the use of tobacco; it takes the "stiddy, honest pious" to do that. If
you are going to build a church and want solid deacon timber, take the
last sort.
* * * * *
JELLICO, TENN.
In this field the harvest is truly ripe. A few days since I was called
to the bedside of a young man who it was thought was dying or would soon
die. He said he was unsaved. I said to him, "Do you believe in Christ?"
"I do not know whether I do or not." "Well," I said, "you believe Jesus
died to save you?" "I don't know anything at all of him. I never read
the Bible a minute in my life. I never went to church in my life. Oh,
pray for me that my soul may not be lost." I sat down on the side of his
bed and told him of man's fall, of God's loving kindness, of our
redemption through Christ, and that whosoever believeth on the Son hath
everlasting life, and that whosoever will may come. He accepted the
truth, is happy and is recovering health, and will through God's grace
be an efficient worker in the vineyard.
E. H. BULLOCK.
* * * * *
AMONG THE CHURCHES OF MAINE.
I have just returned from a very pleasant campaign among the churches of
Maine, in the interest of the A. M. A. I visited and addressed meetings
in thirty-one different places. At Old Orchard, in connection with the
fourth annual meeting of the Young People's Society of Christian
Endeavor, I had the pleasure of meeting representatives from all parts
of New England and many of the Western States.
At New Gloucester I met one of our lady missionaries, Miss Mary Lunt,
whose labor of love at Selma, Ala., is the crown of rejoicing to the
Ladies' Missionary Society of Maine. At Gorham, the home of Governor
Robie, I spoke to two large audiences, the Governor and the editor of
one of the leading papers of Georgia being present.
During my stay at Augusta I called to pay my respects to the Hon. J. G.
Blaine. Mr. Blaine inquired after the welfare of the A. M. A., and
manifested deep interest in the education of the freedmen in the South.
After a pleasant interview he went to his desk and returned with his
check as a donation to our work.
Being in Lewiston during the memorial service of General Grant, I joined
the great assembly in paying grateful and heartfelt respect to the hero
of Appomattox. Senator Frye gave a stirring account of the great
commander's career and an able analysis of the General's character.
In all the places I visited I found the churches and pastors deeply
interested in our cause, and especially pleased to receive fresh news
from the field of the grand work of the A. M. A.
I wish to express my grateful appreciation to the churches, pastors and
friends of the Pine Tree State for their cordial welcome, kind
hospitality and generous response to our appeal in behalf of the
pressing needs of the A. M. A.
GEO. W. MOORE.
* * * * *
THE REASON WHY.
BY REV. GEO. C. ROWE.
In the December number of the AMERICAN MISSIONARY an article published
contained the following incident.
The First Louisiana Regiment of colored soldiers, recruited in New
Orleans, was about to take its departure for the front. The colonel, who
for some reason could not accompany his men, presented the regimental
flags to the color-sergeant. After a brief speech, full of patriotic
feeling, he concluded with these words: "Color-guard, protect, defend,
die for, but do not surrender these flags." The sergeant, upon receiving
them, made this simple but noble response: "Colonel, I will bring back
these colors to you in honor or report to God the reason why." And when,
a few days afterward, during an assault on Port Hudson, he fell
defending the flag and his dying blood crimsoned its folds, another took
his place and saved it from falling into the hands of the enemy. The
brave standard-bearer kept his word, and in failing to return the colors
to the hands that had committed them to his care, he "reported to God
the reason why."
It is the eve of battle;
The soldiers are in line;
The roll of drum and bugle's blast
Marshal that army fine.
The hour is fraught with mystery--
A hush pervades that throng,
And each one thinks of home and friends,
And says at heart, "How long?"
The colonel rides before his men,
His thoughtful brow is bare;
He calls the color-sergeant,
And tenders to his care
The nation's pride, the dear old flag--
The loved _red_, _white and blue_,
And says, with earnest tones and grave:
"I intrust _this_ now to you.
"Yes, color-bearer, take in charge
Your country's flag to-day,
And to the conflict bear it--
The thickest of the fray.
"Bear it with lofty courage,
And to it faithful be;
This flag has inspired thousands,
And led to victory.
"Take it and never leave it,
'Tis a solemn charge to thee;
Bring back to me this banner,
This ensign of the free!"
"Colonel," the color-sergeant said,
Holding the flag on high,
"I'll bring it back or else report
To _God_ the reason why!"
Away to the front he bears it.
Cheered on by comrades brave,
Anxious to liberate his race,
Bring freedom to the slave.
They charge upon Port Hudson,
Where, sheltered by a wall,
The foemen cut them down like grass.
They bravely charge--but fall.
Yes, on that field, where thousands
Unheeding the tumult lie,
He left the flag, reporting
To _God_ the reason why.
Another bears that flag along,
Holding it proud and high:
But the sergeant has reported
To _God_ the reason why.
Oh, Christian soldier, going forth
To battle for the Lord,
Be filled with manly courage,
And proudly hear God's word.
It is the standard of your King,
Who rules the earth and sky;
You must win, through it, the vict'ry
Or tell _Christ_ the reason why.
The war will soon be ended;
In the dust you soon will lie;
Go forth and conquer, or report
To _God_ the reason why.
* * * * *
THE CHINESE.
[Illustration: WORSHIPING THE ANCESTRAL TABLE.]
* * * * *
HOW WE TRAIN THE CHINESE FOR PREACHING.
BY MRS. C. W. SHELDON, TEACHER OF HELPERS.
The one aim and object of our schools is to show the way of life and
salvation; so we mix in Bible truth with all our teaching. In all our
school-rooms are charts, upon which are printed, in large type, selected
passages of Scripture. Some of these texts are read each evening by the
school in concert. The helper explains the meaning in Chinese and makes
a short practical application of the central truth. Our hymns are gospel
hymns, carefully selected, we have prayer both in English and Chinese,
and each session of school is closed by the whole school repeating in
concert the Lord's Prayer, first in English, then in Chinese. So the
work of a helper is largely the teaching of religious truth, and is of
great practical benefit in preparing him for preaching.
Besides this drill, we have a class especially for the helpers, a
teacher spending two hours a day, for five days in a week, with them.
They study reading, spelling--paying particular attention to the
meaning of the words--grammar, especially the construction of sentences;
with a little history and arithmetic, as there is time for them. But the
study of all studies is the Bible; a large part of the time each day is
spent in studying it, chapter by chapter and verse by verse, and the end
of all study, reading, spelling or whatever it may be, is to understand
the Bible, and to be able to explain it to others.
Their pastor, Mr. Pond, gives them one afternoon of each week, spending
two or three hours in exclusive Bible study. Two or three chapters are
assigned them for study the previous week, and these chapters are
carefully reviewed. They bring up anything that has perplexed them, any
truth that they do not quite understand, and he makes the meaning as
clear as possible. Each one is expected to bring in a sermon from a text
given him the previous week. This sermon he reads himself to his pastor,
who makes such remarks and suggestions as he thinks may be helpful. The
sermons are prepared in this way: The day teacher explains the meaning
of the text and the practical lessons it teaches, parallel passages are
read that will bring the meaning into clearer view, and it is talked
over, so that each one may have a definite idea of what is expected of
him. Those who have not had much practice in sermonizing first make a
rough copy in pencil, which is corrected by the teacher, after which it
is carefully written out with a pen.
We have among our helpers one whose sermons, in their clear insight into
the very heart and spirit of the Gospel, in their depth of thought, in
their originality of expression and their logical connection, would do
credit to a graduate of a theological seminary. Indeed, many a graduate
has written worse sermons. One of our class has a sparkling vivacity of
expression; his points are pointed, and his illustrations are frequently
apt and telling. One of our helpers some time since was highly educated
in Chinese. He had a great reverence for Confucius, having carefully
studied his writings, committing large portions of them to memory, as is
the custom among Chinese scholars. He once made this comparison between
Confucius and Jesus. He said: "They are like two bridges. They are both
noble structures. You admire the strength of the timbers and the way in
which they are framed together, forming the solid foundation and the
graceful arch rising above it. You walk on the bridge of Confucius; it
is all right till you come to the river of death; then you see the black
waters rolling before you--and there is no plank on which you may cross
to the shore beyond. Jesus Christ is a completed bridge, over which you
may safely pass to the Heavenly home, and to the mansion He has prepared
for your eternal habitation."
We do not attempt to teach them any abstruse system of theology; we
bring before their minds Jesus Christ, the Son of God and the Saviour of
men. This text comes up more frequently than any other in their sermons:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!"
We tell them of his pure sinless life; how He went about healing and
helping the bodies and the souls of men; how He willingly, gladly died
upon the cross that He might bring salvation near, and how He rose from
the dead in victory over death and hell; that He now lives in Heaven;
that He hears even our whispered prayers, and that He will give His
spirit to them whose hearts are open to receive it; that if we would be
His disciples we must have His spirit--we must be like Him.
The work is not our own; it is God's work; and we use not our own,
words, but God's words, relying upon the promise, "My word shall not
return to me void." We have faith to believe that China shall become a
Christian nation, whose God is the Lord, and that the Chinese trained
in our schools have an important work to do in bringing it to pass.
With this faith we work and pray, and we believe that God's blessing is
upon us. A Chinaman knows how to read the hearts of his countrymen as
one not of them cannot learn to do. If he has a clear knowledge of
Gospel truth, and is filled with the Spirit, he can go back to his
native land ready for immediate service. A foreigner must spend years in
learning a difficult language, and in studying the manners, customs and
hearts of a puzzling people. The native knows his people; a very great
advantage in his favor. Some of our number are now in China doing good
work for the Master. Each year more and more will return; we wish them
to be fully armed and equipped for effective service. The Gospel day has
already dawned upon portions of that dark land. May it grow brighter and
brighter till it reaches its full meridian, making every nook and corner
luminous, and sending warmth and glow into every home and heart in that
vast empire.
* * * * *
A CHINESE VIEW OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.