hundred and forty-two sermons. The services, together with the other
public services just mentioned, have amounted to three hundred and
forty. Have attended fifty or more meetings conducted by others. We
spend all the remaining time our strength will permit in calling at
the homes.
We have a neat modern church nearly finished, and so far without
foreign help. But no one knows what an effort has been required. Mr.
Myers would announce a working bee to draw stone or any such work;
would try to enthuse the people as he has so often done in the North.
But when the time would come he has worked all day alone. We have
learned at last that this people don't enthuse.
We are hard at work in our high-school enterprise. We have Prof. and
Mrs. W. and Miss G., all from the North, with us. We hope to get a
school, the good influence of which will never die out of these
mountains.
These are peculiar people. What I have said of them has reference to
the _general_ class of society. But there are some who seem of better
stock, who are shrewd, keen, far-sighted people. You cannot find
their superiors in _native_ ability in any country. Though often
lacking in culture and morality, they still hold a wide influence
over the rest, so that something besides goodness is required in
those who wish to come among them as helpers. There must be ability
to adapt oneself to these widely diverse conditions. One needs wisdom
and tact to get along with the shrewdest, and such a love for souls
that he can come with a helping hand to the most degraded, nor be
discouraged if, with a heart brimful of sympathy, he reaches the hand
a long time only to see it rejected by those most in need.
The work is a work of time. The majority of the people are unstable,
thriftless improvident and ignorant. Slavery left its blight of
impotency and profligacy upon them. They come and go as did their
fathers a hundred years ago. Their tools and utensils are the same
their great-grandparents used, and they are content with them. We
never worked harder and saw less result in the conversion of sinners
than while in Kentucky, and yet never felt more satisfied that we
were where God wants us, and doing an important work. Unless these
people have help they will prove a fretting leprosy in our nation.
* * * * *
WORK AMONG THE COLORED PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH.
BY MISS IDA M. BEACH.
No small part of the work undertaken by the A. M. A. is that among
the colored people of the South. Perhaps we may judge something of
how vast this work is in itself, and how far-reaching in its results,
if we consider for a few moments the numbers and condition of the
colored people. Twenty years ago about 4,000,000 people were
liberated from bondage, with all the evils resulting from the system
of slavery resting upon them. There was great rejoicing among lovers
of freedom when the Proclamation of Emancipation was issued. The
slaves themselves, wild with joy, shouted, "We're free! We're free!
The year of jubilee has come!" Free! yes, free! but with the burdens
of manhood and womanhood suddenly thrust upon them. Freedom brought
the right and opportunity of establishing homes. Glorious privilege!
But do we not all know how much good judgment and wisdom and thought
and planning it takes to maintain a _true home_? Freedom gave them
the right of keeping their little ones and seeing them grow to
manhood and womanhood, but oh! how much of patience and God-given
power it requires to train the little feet to tread the right way!
Four million people, half civilized, uneducated, untrained, with the
judgment and reason of children, hitherto knowing little of the ways
of the outer world, suddenly brought into life's conflicts! What an
amount of instruction they needed!
Right here the American Missionary Association stepped in and assumed
the work of training these people. Christian men and women, filled
with love for the Master, went down among these lowly ones. They
carried the Gospel of Jesus Christ, established schools and churches,
teaching in the open air, or in rude huts and deserted cabins. For
twenty years this work has been carried on, and much good has been
done in the name of the Lord. But to-day there are between six and
seven million colored people in our Southland. The work of the A. M.
A., together with all done by other societies and by students going
forth from the colleges as teachers, as yet scarcely begins to reach
this great number.
Their first need is to be Christianized, for this alone lifts them up
and gives a desire for better things. It is the religion of Jesus
Christ alone which has given to us our high estate. How much we owe
to the training of Christian mothers! Let us pity and stoop to lift
up these ignorant ones. Send out those who can carry the glad tidings
and point to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world.
Let us do all we can to teach them what the pure religion is. But we
cannot stop here. We must teach them how to use it. "Woman's work for
woman," surely, for this must be done in the homes.
Freedom gave them the _right_ to establish homes! They did the best
they knew how, many of them, but they needed teaching--they need it
to-day. They must be taught thrift and industry, and cleanliness and
order. They want someone to come to them and help them to transform
their huts into homes. Could you see their rags, their ugly,
misshapen garments, you would agree with me that the women and girls
greatly need to be taught the use of the needle.
Of course Christian schools need to be multiplied among them, where
the rudiments of an English education shall be thoroughly given,
where sewing and cooking, the care of the house and the care of the
sick shall be carefully taught the girls, where the boys may learn
the use of tools and all that pertains to good farming.
Our stronghold is the children. We can never eradicate the evils
existing among the older generation. Slavery left too much ignorance
and superstition to ever be driven from the minds of those who lived
under its sway. But we are responsible for the coming generations.
The American Missionary Association aims to reach the young and meet
their needs by the workers sent out.
Perhaps our work in Savannah will be illustrative of that done in
many other parts of the field. We have there established a church and
school. There are now in school over 200 pupils. The majority of
these remain long enough with us to obtain a good common-school
education. We have also a normal grade, where methods of teaching are
taught those who desire to fit themselves for teachers. Besides this
we have fitted up a sewing-room, where the girls learn every part of
sewing and repairing, cutting and basting. Many schools have shops
for boys; we look forward to the time when we may be able to have
them, too.
We are just establishing a reading-room. Those who have read Prof.
Salisbury's article in the November MISSIONARY understand how much
this is needed. In our present circumstances we arrange it so that
all pupils of higher grades have a daily reading hour, with teacher
to direct. Then once in two weeks the older pupils meet for a social
reading.
In our devotional exercises and school prayer meetings we aim to
assist them in a knowledge of true religion. Last year we observed
the Week of Prayer, and in the daily meetings held for several weeks
some found the way to Christ and Christian life. Our Church and
Sunday-School work reaches many who are not connected with our
school. We have a devoted missionary who spends her time in visiting
the parents and children in their homes, ministering to the wants of
the sick and needy, and holding Bible and Missionary meetings.
This is a bare outline of our work. I presume many of you are saying.
"Have there been no results during these last twenty years?" Oh yes,
we have a bright side to the picture. When we are tired and
discouraged, and wonder if harvest time will never come, we go to
some of the pleasant homes where great changes have been wrought. We
point to a scholar and tell her past history, and then thank God that
the seed sown found a lodging place and good soil.
In the cities when the large schools are, and where there are fair
public schools--where there is constant contact with civilized life,
many of the colored people live well. Yet there may be a neat, cosy
home just across the street, and a few doors beyond, a wretched
hovel.
In the country, when the "Teachers' Home" and little school house are
built beside their log cabins, they catch a glimpse of better things
than they have known. The modest house, freshly painted, with the
neat, cosy rooms inside--very simple and plain to us--seems like a
palace to them. They begin to want the same. The children go to
school and come home with wonderful things to tell. Faces and hands
become clean, the woolly heads are more carefully combed, rents are
mended, the girls put on clean collars.
The missionary shows the women how to fashion home-made lounges and
stools, they are covered with some bright calico, the floor is
scrubbed white, and they begin to live. The teacher says that they
must work if they want to have homes, money begins to be saved, and
before you know it little frame houses are going up beside the old
cabin. A good horse or mule, with a bright shiny buggy, takes the
place of the old steer and cart.
Yes, indeed, much has been accomplished. But we had very few workers
in the early days among four million people, although just as many as
could be supported with the means furnished, and to-day, among nearly
seven millions, we have but 336 workers.
Millions sit in darkness right here in our own land. A mighty work is
to be done, and the work in Africa must be done largely by these
people, too.
We need more money; Christian men and women to go forth, and
Christian men and women who are willing to send them. "The harvest
truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the
Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers into his
harvest." "He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto
life eternal."
* * * * *
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY.
The information from the field, to which you have listened, explains
to you the necessity for the organization of a Bureau of Woman's
Work. It was organized in April, 1883, for the purpose, as was then
stated:
1. To give information to the ladies in the churches of the variety
of work sustained by the Association and to assist in devising plans
of help.
2. To promote correspondence with churches, Sabbath-schools,
missionary societies or individuals who will undertake work of a
special character, such as the support of missionaries, aiding of
students, supplying clothing, furnishing goods, and meeting other
wants on mission ground.
3. To send to the churches, conferences or associations desiring it,
experienced and intelligent lady missionaries to address them, giving
fuller details of our methods of work.
It was believed that the growing interest on the part of the ladies
of our churches, and their evident disposition to aid more
effectively in the elevation of women, particularly the women of the
South, called for such a department. Already the ladies of one State
had organized the "Woman's Aid to the A. M. A.," that they might have
their definite line of work in the support of lady missionaries, and
inquiry had been made by many how best to assist in this work.
It was recognized that in no other way could a general interest be
awakened and maintained so well as by giving direct information from
the field, and the twenty years' experience of the Association in the
South, during which time more than 3,000 different ladies had been
employed as missionaries and teachers, the knowledge gained of the
peculiarities of the field and best methods of reaching the people,
and the thorough organization of the different departments of labor
in home, school, and church, prepared us to bring before the ladies
the information necessary, and to offer most excellent opportunities
for special work for women. The ready response to this movement
confirms the wisdom of the step, and we trust that ere long the
Bureau will open new avenues of usefulness to the ladies of the
churches, and give enlargement and efficiency to the work in the
field.
Immediately following the organization of the Bureau, Miss Rose
Kinney, of Oberlin, O., for many years engaged in the Southern work,
and recently located in one of the dark corners of the field,
McIntosh, Ga., was detailed for service in the North. She spent about
six weeks in Ohio, Michigan, Illinois and Iowa, addressing ladies'
meetings at the General Associations, and with good results. In June
the Secretary of the Bureau was present at the State Conferences of
Vermont and Maine, and gave information of the work in the field,
resulting in the appointment of a State Committee of ladies in
Vermont, to secure funds for the support of a missionary. Early in
September Miss Anna M. Cahill, for nine years connected with Fisk
University, Nashville, Tenn., was detailed for special service, and
has recently attended a series of meetings in Michigan and Illinois.
It is our purpose thus to bring the work before the ladies whenever
and wherever opportunity is given, through different teachers and
missionaries whom we may be able to spare temporarily from the field.
Within the year just closed, Sept. 30, the Association has had
special aid from ladies North in the support of seven missionaries,
as follows:
Ladies of Maine, support of Miss Lunt at Selma, Ala.,
and Miss Farrington at Wilmington, N. C. $675.00
Ladies of First and Second Cong. Churches, Oberlin, O.,
support of Miss Stevenson at Atlanta, Ga. 387.00
Ladies of Illinois, support of Miss Clark at Mobile, Ala. 214.46
Ladies of Wisconsin, support of Miss Jillson at Montgomery,
Ala. 254.33
Ladies of Congregational Churches, Chelsea, Mass., support
of Mrs. Steele at Chattanooga, Tenn. 488.81
Ladies of Iowa, support of Miss Gerrish at New Orleans, La. 406.45
---------
Total $2,426.05
In this connection we would mention also that a lady missionary, Miss
Clary, at Beaufort, S. C., was sustained to the amount of $300 by the
Sunday-school of the Central Congregational Church, Brooklyn.
Supplies in the furnishing of Mission Homes and dormitories have been
recently furnished, and there is very marked increase of aid in the
furnishing of clothing, both new and second-hand, for the benefit of
students who are struggling in the greatest poverty to obtain an
education.
While, therefore, but a few months have elapsed since the
organization of the Bureau of Woman's Work, its advantage is already
manifest.
Since the field of missionary operations in our own country is large
and diversified, and three leading societies exist, each having its
distinct and important work,--viz.: The New West Education
Commission, the American Home Missionary Society, and the American
Missionary Association--no effort has been made by the American
Missionary Association to organize local societies auxiliary to
itself; but that a society should exist in every church, able to
co-operate directly with this Association in its great work for the
Chinese, the Indians, the negroes and the needy whites of the South,
seems apparent.
To this end we urge upon the ladies, organization, as helpful to
systematic giving, and to facilitate such movement we present a form
of constitution for a co-operative society, that may be open to the
call from all parts of our country. This we greatly prefer as
avoiding complication and preserving fellowship and unity in the home
work. Such is the pressure of claims upon us, however, through the
needs of our field, that except as such opportunity is afforded for
aid to the Am. Miss. Assoc., we feel that we may be constrained to
ask for organization auxiliary to the A. M. A. exclusively--for the
women and children of 6,000,000 of colored people of the South alone
presents a field for missionary work in the elevation of women, which
we must not ignore, from the responsibility of which we cannot
escape.
We are just now entering upon a new year of work. Of the 175 ladies
appointed to the various departments of missionary labor, twelve are
engaged for special home visitation among the people. You can see at
a glance that this number is insufficient for that line of duty.
Although our teachers are missionaries, and accomplish much through
the schools and various agencies set at work for the elevation of the
people, yet we ought to have at least one experienced and efficient
woman at every mission station, whose entire time should be given to
special work in the homes of the people. Not only do we desire this,
but the most urgent appeals are sent us from the field for help of
this kind, not instead of that which we are doing in school and
church, but supplementary to it, as necessary in securing the results
we seek. Already fifteen applications are before us for lady
missionaries to work in the homes, and we wait only for the women of
the North to furnish us the necessary funds. As fast as we receive
pledges of support the missionaries will be sent out.
May the heart of every Christian woman be quickened to new impulse
for the development of womanhood in those in our own land, so
degraded and helpless!
* * * * *
FORM OF CONSTITUTION OF WOMAN'S MISSIONARY SOCIETIES.
ART. 1. This Society shall be called the Woman's Co-operative
Missionary Society, ---- Church.
ART. 2. Its object shall be to co-operate with the established
missionary societies of the Congregational churches of America, in
diffusing missionary intelligence, increasing interest in prayer, and
in raising funds for missionary work in this country.
ART. 3. The officers of this Society shall be a President, a
Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and an Executive Committee
of ---- members. The Treasurer shall keep separate accounts for the
different societies co-operating, or, if preferred, a Treasurer may
be appointed for each.
ART. 4. Contributors to this Society may designate to which branch of
missionary work they wish their contributions applied. Undesignated
contributions may be assigned by vote of the Executive Committee.
ART. 5. Any lady may become a member of this Society by contributing
a sum not less than one dollar annually, or ten cents monthly.
Gentlemen elected at any regular meeting may become honorary members
by the payment of ---- dollars.
ART. 6. ---- members present at any regularly called meeting shall
constitute a quorum for business.
ART. 7. Meetings shall be held monthly, at which the Secretary shall
give information of the work of the various societies assisted.
Special meetings may be called by the officers and Executive
Committee. Meetings shall be opened by devotional exercises.
ART. 8. A vote of two-thirds of the members present at any regular
meeting shall be requisite for making any change in this
constitution.
* * * * *
THE BUREAU IN THE WEST.
BY MISS ANNA M. CAHILL.
One main object of the Woman's Bureau, as stated at the time of its
organization, is to diffuse information among the ladies of our
churches, as to our work in its various departments.
The carrying out of this purpose led to my eight weeks of itineracy
among the conferences and churches of Wisconsin and Michigan.
If I went to inform I went also to learn--to see how fares our cause
in these churches. Especially I sought to learn how strong a hold the
work of the American Missionary Association has upon the sympathy and
effort of the Christian ladies of that section, what organized system
of helpfulness they already have in this line, or what in their
judgment can be done and will be done toward incorporating this work
in their regular plan of missionary operations for each year.
As I expected, I found the interest in our cause in various stages of
development. It is not strange that in some places the ladies did not
even so much as know that there was a Woman's Bureau. The Bureau is
in its infancy, and the fact of its existence has not yet taken hold
of us all in any practical way. In many churches--not by any means
always the larger ones--I found an intelligent appreciation of the
needs and claims of the South.
We have had many workers from these States of the West, or rather of
the Interior, and when I had the pleasure of going into a community
that had sent out one or more to the work in some part of our field,
I found always an enthusiastic interest and a warm response to my
appeals.
My introduction to the warm-hearted Christian people of Wisconsin was
at the State Association, met at Racine Sept. 24. Finding on my
arrival a large representation of ladies gathered to celebrate the
anniversary of their Foreign Missionary Society, I felt sure that
there must be also an active sympathy for the work in our own land,
and I was not disappointed. On the following day, at a special
gathering of the ladies, a State society was organized, whose range
of objects should include all the benevolent societies of our
denomination, working in this country, leaving conferences and local
organizations at liberty to contribute through one treasurer or
several treasurers, to any of these societies.
After attending this "gathering of the tribes" it was my privilege to
go by invitation to a few of the towns in southern Wisconsin. Of
course the State organization has not yet stretched out its arms over
the State in the formation of local societies. I can but think that
Beloit, Whitewater, Geneva and Kenosha will be among the first to
take definite steps in this direction. Wisconsin has by special
contributions from her ladies supported a missionary in the South for
several years and is still doing so. When through regular channels of
organization they shall make this a part of their regular yearly
charity, the arrangement can be more permanently relied upon by the
Woman's Bureau. Many, I think, will endorse the sentiment of a
prominent lady in Michigan who said to me: "I think the ladies of
each one of these Western States ought to support one or more
teacher-missionaries under the Association."
On the 9th of October, at Grand Rapids, I joined the representative
of the Woman's Department of the American Home Missionary Society,
with whom the longer tour of six weeks was to be made in Michigan. We
were then on our way to the Grand River Conference at Allendale,
where we found a hearty welcome. In this Conference there is a branch
of the State Woman's Home Missionary Society, a society already more
than a year old and organized on the same broad platform as that
adopted in Wisconsin.
Before the meeting of the Southern Michigan Conference we were able
to visit, in rapid succession, the churches at Middleville,
Vermontville, and Olivet, in all of which an evident sympathy in the
various forms of our work led me to hope that increased effort might
result from this new presentation of our needs.
In the Southern Conference we found also a branch organization, union
in its character, and so efficiently officered that all is likely to
be done that can be accomplished through it. Nowhere did I find
stancher friends for our Christian educational work in the South than
in this conference.
At this point a short break occurred in our Michigan tour. A rapid
journey brought us to Lake City in time to spend one day at the
Minnesota State Association--just to grasp the hands of our Minnesota
friends and be assured of their continued helpfulness. The Woman's
Home Missionary Society voted that at the next annual meeting the
constitution should be reconsidered, with a view to enlarging its
borders and including all the benevolent societies of our home work.
The giving of a year's notice before any change can be made is
required by the constitution itself.
We took up the work in Michigan again at St. Joseph, and from there
went to the Kalamazoo Association. We found here, as elsewhere, that
these autumn conferences are generally held with the smaller and less
accessible churches, where the attendance of ladies is necessarily
limited, and we must, therefore, give our message to the pastors,
charging them with the responsibility of carrying it to the ladies of
their churches.