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MAY  1955 


Digitized  by  tlie  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


littps://arcliive.org/details/lifeliglitforwome248woma 


WHEN  SAINT  CHRYSOSTOM  PRAYED. 

'Tvvas  not  enough  to  kneel  in  prayer, 

And  pour  his  very  soul  away 

In  fervent  wrestlings,  night  and  day. 
For  those  who  owned  his  shepherd  care; 
But  faith  and  works  went  hand  in  hand, 

As  test  of  each  petition  made, 
And  saints  were  helped  throughout  tlie  land 

When  Saint  Chrysostoiii  prayed. 

Within  the  closet  where  he  knelt, 
A  l)Ox  of  Hcthleheni's  olive  wooti, — 

"For  Christ,"  engraved  upon  it — stood. 

And  ever  as  lie  daily  felt 

The  pressure  of  the  Church's  need, 
Therein  the  daily  gift  was  laid; 

For  word  had  instant  proof  of  deed 
When  Saint  Chrysostom  prayed. 

Beneath  his  folded  hands  he  placed 
Whatever  gold  was  his;  and  when 
He  travailed  for  the  souls  of  men 

So  long  by  Pagan  rites  debased, 

The  more  he  agonized,  the  more 
The  burden  of  his  spirit  weighed; 

And  piece  by  piece  went  all  his  store 
When  Saint  Chrysostom  prayed. 


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LIFE   AND  LIGHT. 


Oh,  golden-mouthed  !    Let  this  thine  alms 
Rouse  us  to  shame,  who  daily  bow- 
Within  our  secret  places  now, 

With  outstretched,  3-et  with  empty  palms ! 

We  supplicate  indeed;  but  has 

Our  faith  brought  answering  works  to  aid? 

Have  words  by  deeds  been  proven,  as 
When  Saint  Chrysostom  prayed? 

— Miiygarct  J.  Preston- 

It  is  with  great  anxiety  and  sorrow  of  heart  that  we  present  the  record 
of  receipts  for  the  month  ending  June  iSth.  As  compared  with  tlie  same 
month  last  j  ear,  there  is  a  falhng  off  of  $2,910.38.  The  decrease  between 
January  ist  and  June  iSth  in  contributions  is  $4,934.36.  There  is  a  sHglit 
increase  in  legacies,  but  they  vary  so  much  from  month  to  month  tliev  do  not 
form  a  reliable  factor  in  comparison  of  receipts.  If  to  the  amount  of 
decrease  we  add  the  amount  raised  by  special  efl'ort  last  year,  we  shall  need 
at  least  $13,419.20  over  the  ordinary  receipts  for  the  remaining  six  months. 
We  do  not  allow  ourselves  to  think  for  a  moment  that  the  friends  of  our 
Board  will  be  willing  that  our  work  shall  be  curtailed  to  this  extent,  as  it 
almost  certainly  will  be  unless  the  extra  amount  mentioned  is  received  before 
the  first  of  January.  We  believe  the  only  question  is  whether  all  oiu"  friends, 
branch  officers,  auxiliary  officers,  mission  circle  leaders  and  all  our  member- 
ship will  luiite  with  the  Board  officers  in  an  immediate  effort  for  increase, 
or  whether  we  shall  wait  until  toward  the  close  of  the  3'ear  and  crowd  the 
effort  into  six  weeks  or  two  months.  Is  it  not  wisest  and  best,  is  it  not 
imperative,  to  begin  immediately.' 

"Discouragement!  Destroy  that  word!  Blot  it  out  of  the  Christian's 
vocabulary !  With  the  living  God  in  front  of  us,  behind  us,  below  us,  with- 
in us,  above  us,  where  is  tlie  place  for  discouragement.''  I  do  not  understand 
the  word.  Jesus  says,  '  Go  !'  and  '  Come  I'  and  no  '  ifs,'  nor  '  huts,'  nor  'ups,' 
nor  '  downs'  about  it." — Rev.  G.  L.  Mackay^  of  Pormosa. 

When  a  Moravian  pastor  was  asked  how  he  accounted  for  the  missionary 
zeal  of  his  cliurch,  he  quickly  replied,  "When  converts  join  us  we  try  to 
make  them  realize  that  they  arc  joining  a  great  missionary  society." 

The  Japanese  number  among  their  numerous  divinities  the  "great  bright 
god  of  Self-restraint,"  and  they  worship  liim  witii  appropriate  ceremonies 
upon  tlieir  new  year.  A  strong  iron  l)ox  every  new  year  is  given  a  con- 
spicuous place  in  tiie  home.  In  this  each  member  of  the  family  deposits 
during  tiie  year  the  amoimt  saved  l)y  an  act  of  self-restraint,  or  economy  in 
a  financial  transaction.    If  a  gown,  usu.iily  rc(iuiring  nine  yards,  is  cut  from 


EDITORIAL  PARAGRAPHS. 


359 


eight  yards,  the  price  of  the  one  yard  saved  is  dropped  into  the  self-restraint 
box.  Or  if  a  common  article  is  chosen  when  a  superior  one  is  desired,  the 
price  saved  belongs  to  the  same  god.  Would  not  a  Cliristianized  "  self- 
restraint  box,"  well  patronized,  be  an  exceedingly  valuable  addition  to  the 
furnishing  of  every  Christian  home? — The  Missionary  Review. 

A  MISSIONARY  gives  us  this  thought  in  relation  to  giving  in  heathen  lands  : 
"In  a  heathen  country  like  China,  native  Christians  often  give  more  than 
they  receive  credit  for  in  statistics.  When  a  man  becomes  a  Christian,  even 
if  he  keeps  his  place  under  his  heathen  employer,  through  his  observance  of 
the  Sabbath  he  must  lose  one  seventh  of  his  income.  Of  course  no  heathen  is 
willing  to  pav  for  seven  days'  work  when  he  has  only  six  days  of  labor  ;  so 
that  it  really  means  that  every  native  Christian  gives  one  seventh  of  his 
income  to  the  Lord." 

The  meeting  of  the  International  Missionary  Union  at  Clifton  Springs, 
June  13-20,  was  one  of  the  most  successful  ever  held  by  this  organization. 
One  hundred  and  forty-one  missionaries  of  different  denominations  were 
present  and  the  three  sessions  held  daily  were  of  the  greatest  interest.  The 
Wednesda}'  evening  session  was  given  to  welcomes  and  "recognitions,"  by 
which  mutual  acquaintance  was  promoted,  the  missionaries  present  men- 
tioning tlieir  names,  years  of  service,  fields,  and  class  of  work.  The  Thurs- 
day morning  session  was  occupied  by  prayer  and  conference  for  the  presence 
and  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  the  meeting  and  in  general  missionary 
work.  Other  topics  were  experiences  and  progress  in  the  different  countries 
and  such  topics  as  native  churches,  education  in  its  different  departments, 
missionary  policy,  and  woman's  work;  a  "Home  Session"  in  which  there 
were  discussions  on  "Vacations  in  the  home  land,"  "Proportionate  and 
Systematic  Giving,"  "Appeal  for  Financial  Support,"  and  other  similar  sub- 
jects. A  session  for  3'oung  people,  another  for  stereopticon  views,  and  a 
social  reception  gave  pleasant  variety.  A  consecration  session  and  one  to 
consider  "(lie  mission  command"  were  occasions  long  to  be  remembered. 

Miss  Annie  R.  Tavi-or,  the  intrepid  woman  who  not  long  ago  made  a 
journey  through  the  scaleil  country  of  Thibet,  has  organized  a  missionary 
company  of  twelve  people  and  they  Iiavc  recently  arrived  in  India.  They 
expect  to  remain  for  a  year  in  Darjceling,  a  town  on  tiie  frontier  of  Thibet, 
within  a  few  days'  journey  of  Thassa,  tiic  capital,  where  thev  arc  to  learn 
the  language  from  Tiiibctan  teachers  and  wait  for  God's  guitlance  in  entering 
the  country. 


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LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


CHINA. 

HEATHEN  AND  CHRISTIAN.  BENEVOLENCE  IN  CHINA. 

BY  MRS.   HARLAN  P.  BEACH. 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  hear  some  zealous  Chinese  probationer  exhort  a 
heathen  friend  with  the  words  :  "You  ought  to  join  the  Jesus  sect.  It  won't 
cost  you  any  money  for  their  worship."  Poor  souls  !  It  is  no  wonder  that 
a  religion  wliich  is  "  without  money  and  without  price"  appeals  to  them. 

In  a  heathen  home  tiie  first  expense  is  for  the  idols  tliemselves.  The 
paper  gods  which  are  pasted  on  the  gateways  into  the  courts,  on  the  doors 
of  the  houses,  and  over  the  kitchen  fireplace  do  not  cost  much.  But  if  there 
is  a  little  Buddha  in  a  handsome  shrine  in  a  corner  of  the  room,  and  ances- 
tral tablets  to  the  spirits  of  the  departed,  the  outlay  is  considerable. 

When  the  family  wish  to  say  their  prayers,  it  must  be  with  burning  in- 
cense. A  religious  feast  comes  around,  and  all  night  long  the  air  resounds 
with  pounding  fireworks  and  crackling  firecrackers.  If  it  is  the  New  Year's 
feast  the  booming  continues  for  the  greater  part  of  ten  nights.  The  ears  of 
spirits,  good  and  evil,  are  electrified  by  this  means  at  an  annual  expense  of 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars. 

Here  on  one  of  tlie  business  streets  is  a  little  shop,  which  has  for  sale 
gayly  decorated  cakes,  piled  up  into  fantastic  castles,  pyramids,  and  towers, 
and  trimmed  with  knots  of  fringed  gold  and  silver  paper.  These  are  some 
of  the  ofierings  to  be  left  for  the  gods  at  tiie  temple  by  the  devout  worshiper. 
In  another  shop  are  various  articles  manufactured  from  j^aper  for  the  same 
purpose.  The  most  common  imitation  is  of  money,  some  of  the  copper  cash, 
— big  disks  with  square  holes  in  the  center, — and  others  gold  and  sihcr 
paper  "  shoes,"  shape  in  which  these  metals  arc  moulded  for  circula- 
tion. But  the  objects  of  sacrifice  are  not  confined  widiin  in  a  few  special 
shops.  Flowers,  grain,  meat,  silk,  and  iade, — .all  are  given  in  costl}'  ofibring 
to  heaven  and  earth,  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  gods  and  spirits,  to  be  \vaftctl 
heavenward  on  wings  of  fire. 

The  services  of  both  Buddhist  and  Taoist  priests,  not  onh'  at  I'unerals  l)ut 
at  stated  periods  afterward,  for  readings  and  prayer,  are  not  among  tiic 
smallest  items  of  expense,  nor  are  the  collections,  which  they  solicit  in 
various  ways.  One  form  of  appeal,  which  is  commonly  made  for  temple 
repairs,  is  especially  iiard  to  resist.  Among  the  street  noises,  some  day, 
will  sound  the  beating  of  a  sharp,  metallic  gong,  and  soon  a  pitiful  figure, 
beating  it,  comes  in  sight.  It  is  a  mendicant  priest,  in  ragged  and  soiled 
garments,  carrying  on  his  back  a  standaid  from  which  float  several  flags, 
and,  horiible  to  see,  liis  clieek  pierced  with  a  skewer,  which  he  has  vowed 


362 


I,IFE   AND  LIGHT. 


to  wear  until  tlie  sum  is  raised.  The  priest  photographed  here  had  carried 
his  for  a  month.  So,  in  great  ways  and  small,  their  religion  makes  financial 
demands  of  them.  It  is  estimated  that  if  the  sum  expended  were  averaged 
to  each  person  it  would  be  about  one  third  of  a  cent  daily,  and  that  the 
entire  amount  for  the  year  would  exceed  four  hundred  million  dollars. 

While  the  change  to  another  religion  strikes  them  as  a  relief  in  point  of 
expense,  it  is  doubtful  if,  after  all,  their  oflerings  are  grudgingly  made. 
Certainly  the  universal  and  constant  daily  service  is  an  example  to  us. 
Although  the  first  impression  of  the  new  convert  may  be  that,  henceforth, 
his  religion  will  cost  him  nothing,  his  eyes  are  soon  opened.  It  is  true  that 
he  does  not  any  longer  need  to  buy  his  gods,  or  to  confess  sins  and  ofler 
thanks  with  incense  and  sacrifice.  But  the  calls  to  serve  with  his  substance 
Him  from  whom  all  that  he  has  came,  are  not  over.  Probably  the  habit  of 
spending  mone}'  in  heathen  worship  is  some  help  to  Christian  giving.  But 
the  motives  are  so  diflerent  in  each,  that  the  training  in  the  one  hardly 
answers  for  the  other.  There  was  nothing  in  the  old  system  to  teach  them 
unselfishness.    It  is  the  reigning  principle  of  the  new  one. 

Another  reason  why  gifts  from  native  Christians  do  not  swell  to  larger 
amounts  is  because  that,  as  yet,  most  of  the  church  members  are  from  the 
poorer  classes.  Many  of  them  are  so  very  poor,  too  poor  to  eat  meat,  or  in 
the  north,  even  rice;  too  poor  to  have  fire  in  their  homes  except  at  night; 
to  buy  water  enough  to  keep  clean  ;  to  have  house  room  enough  to  live 
decently.  There  are  so  many  little  mouths  to  fill,  and  little  backs  to  cover, 
and  crops  so  often  fail  because  of  floods  or  drought, — how  can  the  missionary 
ask  of  such  a  people  that  they  carry  on  the  work  of  the  Lord  ? 

And  yet,  in  just  such  barren  soil  has  blossomed  some  of  the  sweetest 
flowers  of  loving  sacrifice  and  self-denial.  The  average  annual  contributions 
of  church  members  throughout  China  is  not  discouraging.  A  careful  esti- 
mate in  1S90  showed  it  to  average  one  dollar  j)er  member,  which  in  money 
value  to  them  would  1)0  ccjual  to  ten  times  more.  Sixty-eight  churches  were 
wholly  sclf-supj)orting.  In  other  missions  than  ours,  where  self-support  has 
been  pushed  more  aggressively,  as  in  the  English  Baptist  Mission  in  Shan- 
tung, for  instance,  a  great  deal  has  been  accomplished.  Not  only  are  the 
pastors  of  chiuxhes  supported  by  the  natives,  but  evangelistic  work  and 
common  and  training  schools,  as  well. 

There  are  a  few  cases  where  wealthy  Chinese  ha\e  come  into  the  church, 
and  their  liberality  has  been  all  that  one  could  wish  for.  One  illustration  is 
Air.  Tsang,  of  Foocliow,  whose  gift  of  $10,000  to  the  Methodist  Anglo- 
Chinese  College  is  well  known. 

In  oiu'  own  mission,  too,  the  sjiirit  of  benexolcnce  is  having  a  sure  growth. 


HEATHEX  AND  CHRISTIAN'  BEXE\'OLENXE   IX  CHINA. 


363 


364 


LIFE   AND  LIGHT. 


It  was  in  the  famine-stricken  district  of  Shantung  that  the  walls  of  the  Pang- 
Chiiang  Chapel  were  raised,  which  generous  friends  in  America  brouglit  to 
completion.  The  report  for  this  year  from  the  bleak  region  about  Kalgan  is 
that  the  contributions  of  church  members  have  nearly  doubled  those  of  last 
year.  The  total  amount  given  is  over  $40,  from  men  who  are  supporting 
themselves  and  their  families  on  wages  of  from  six  to  eight  cents  a  da}'. 

One  of  the  features  of  our  Sundav  morning  service  at  Tung-cho,  is  tlie 
thump  in  the  collection  box  of  the  string  of  copper  cash  ahvavs  thrown  in 
by  one  of  our  Bible  women.  She  decided  early  in  her  Christian  life  to  give 
one  tenth  of  her  meager  salary  to  the  Lord,  and  she  has  never  failed  to  have 
it  ready.  As  the  years  have  gone  by  and  little  grandchildren  have  crowded 
around  her  door,  we  have  wondered  if  their  needs  would  not  steal  away 
some  of  that  precious  reserved  cash  ;  but  they  never  have. 

A  few  years  ago  the  pledge  system  was  introduced  into  this  church. 
Every  member  took  h(jme  a  pledge  card  to  think  and  pray  over,  and  then  re- 
turn to  the  treasurer  with  the  amoiuit  on  it  he  would  agree  to  give.  The  prom- 
ises have  been  well  kept,  and  contributions  were  increased  threefold.  Tliis 
is  one  of  the  few  churches  in  the  mission  which  now  supports  its  own  pastor. 

Last  Christmas  they  had,  for  them,  a  unique  celebration.  There  was  an 
unusual  amount  of  destitution  in  the  neighborhood,  owing  to  the  summer 
floods,  and  on  Christmas  eve  tiie  chapel  was  open  for  contributions  of  food, 
clothing,  and  fuel  for  the  distressed.  Every  one  of  the  three  hundred  and 
fifty  present  brought  something,  even  the  little  children.  One  little  mite 
raised  a  general  laugh  by  toddling  up  the  aisle  with  an  immense  Chinese 
cabbage,  almost  as  tall  as  she,  in  her  arms.  The  delight  in  the  homely  faces 
was  good  to  see  as  they  looked  over  their  pile  of  stores,  and  estimated  that 
forty-five  tiao  (about  eighteen  dollars)  worth  of  goods  had  come  in. 

Foreign  missionary  societies  among  the  women  and  scnoolboys  have  been 
in  existence  for  years.  The  women  \vith  their  funds,  which  arc  doubled  by 
the  foreign  ladies,  are  sui)porting  a  Bible  wom.'ui  in  Ceylon  ;  and  the  boys,  a 
schoolboy  in  Africa.  The  latter,  having  no  money  to  give,  proposed  to  go 
without  their  vSimdav  morning  shao  phig^  or  biscuit,  anil  contribute  the  cost 
of  that.  This  biscuit  was  all  thcv  had  to  eat  until  after  the  church  service, 
at  twelve,  as  the  first  of  their  two  daily  meals  could  not  be  conveniently  pre- 
pared until  after  that  time.  Thev  gladh'  went  iumgry  to  church  for  the  sake 
of  tiicir  missionary  contrilnition.  In  (lie  African  school  the  boys  were  so 
stimulated  by  what  their  Ciiincsc  brothers  were  doing,  that  they,  in  turn, 
took  up  a  scholarship  in  Turkey.  As  we  have  read  that  in  far-away  Micro- 
nesia the  students  of  the  training  school  in  Kusaie  have  sent,  from  their  slen- 
der resources,  $15  for  the  unfinislied  building  of  Tung-cho  College,  we  have 


CHRISTIAN  COMPARED   WITH   PAGAN  GIVING. 


365 


thought  that  the  "  bread  cast  upon  the  waters"  had  returned  to  them,  though 
from  a  different  field. 

Onl}-  one  Eye  sees  all  the  deprivations  and  self-denials  by  which  the 
Chinese  church  is  growing  up  into  habits  of  systematic  benevolence.  Its 
members  have  not  learned  their  lessons  perfectly  yet ;  but  it  may  be  ques- 
tioned if  thcv,  and  other  converts  in  heathen  lands,  are  not  more  apt  scholars 
than  we.  From  the  east  and  the  west,  and  the  north  and  the  south,  shall 
come  those  who  will  go  into  the  kingdom  before  us.  Is  it  not  possible  that 
in  the  matter  of  stewardship,  when  we  are  all  called  to  give  account  of  it, 
the  smile  of  commendation  shall  be  first  for  them.^ 


INDIA. 

CHRISTIAN  COMPARED  WITH  PAGAN  GIVING. 

MRS.    EMMA   WILDER  GUTTEHSON. 

The  eternal  helpfulness  of  God  our  Father  is  so  great  a  part  of  our  Chris- 
tian consciousness,  that  we  find  it  hard  to  realize  that  the  Hindu  mother, 
as  she  hurries  through  the  dark  and  noisome  corridors  of  the  temple,  with 
her  fear  gift  in  her  hand,  knows  of  no  sucli  spiritual  fact.  To  her,  divinity 
represents  something  to  be  afraid  of,  something  to  be  appeased  and  kept 
quiet ;  so  she  brings  her  gift,  great  or  small,  day  by  day,  and  especially  in 
times  of  peril, — perils  of  cholera,  perils  of  famine, — believing  that  she  has 
done  what  she  could  to  ward  ofi'  all  malign  influences  from  herself  and  hei' 
household.  She  is  afraid  of  the  evil  eye,  and  is  willing  to  purchase  freedom 
from  its  influence  by  some  gift.  She  desires  fruitful  harvests  of  rice  from  the 
ancestral  acres  ;  for  these  also  the  local  or  family  divinity  must  receive  gifts. 
For  some  coveted  blessing  which  she  thinks  the  gods  only  can  bestow,  she 
shrinks  not  from  pilgrimages  however  severe,  from  fasting  and  bodily  sufler- 
ing,  however  diflicult  to  endure. 

In  order  to  pass  his  examination  and  distance  his  competitors,  the  Ilindu 
boy  will  carry  gifts  to  the  temple.  That  the  purciiase  of  a  vokc  of  oxen  or 
a  piece  of  land  may  be  attended  with  success,  offerings  are  made  to  the  gods. 

Selfishness  in  large  measure' may  enter  into  ail  these  gifts,  the  object  to 
be  attained,  whatever  its  cliaractcr,  being  largclv  for  self  rather  tlian  for  the 
community  at  large.  In  order  to  remove  tlic  guilt  of  sin,  cspcciallv  on  cer- 
tain great  feast  days  during  the  year,  these  Hindus  tlirong  to  the  temples, 
carrying  gifts  of  money  or  oil,  rice,  and  fruits. 

The  place  of  sacrifice  in  a  certain  temple  not  far  from  tiic  Mi-lur  Station 
ill  Southern  India,  upon  certain  days  runs  red  with  tiie  blood  of  hundreds  of 
sheep  and  goats  brought  as  a  sin-oflxM-ing.     The  iicad  and  pelt,  and  p.ut  of 


366 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


the  body  of  the  victim  goes  to  the  priest,  the  remainder  is  borne  away  b}-  the 
person  offering  it  to  be  feasted  upon.  Fowls  are  offered  in  the  same  way  at 
wayside  shrines.  Wreaths  of  yellow  chrysanthemums  are  hung  upon  gods 
and  priests.  Masses  of  pure  white  jessamine,  with  pomegranates,  cocoanuts, 
bananas,  and  sugar,  are  laid  before  the  idols  in  order  that  their  favor  may  be 
secured. 

On  tlie  occasion  of  the  yearly  festival  in  one  of  the  great  temples  in 
Southern  India,  it  is  said  that  a  huge  brazen  caldron,  with  flaring  mouth,  is 
placed  in  the  court  of  the  temple,  and  the  faithful  are  given  to  understand 
tliat  unless  this  empty  treasury  of  the  temple  is  made  to  overflow  with  coins,, 
the  goddess  will  visit  her  wrath  upon  the  people. 

It  is  not  at  all  improbable  that  some  element  of  sincerity  enters  into  all  this 
offering  of  gifts  in  the  land  of  the  Vedas.  Certainly,  one  .cannot  conceive 
of  the  human  mind  as  totally  devoid  of  real  earnestness  even  among  the 
heathen,  and  the  faces  of  many  of  the  worshipers,  especially  the  women  and 
children,  show  forth  an  earnest  longing  for  something  higher  than  themselves. 
Tlie  savage  Zulu,  sacrificing  the  fatted  ox  of  his  herd  and  hanging  the  flesh 
in  the  yard  in  order  that  the  hungry  spirits  of  his  departed  ancestors  may 
satisfy  themselves  with  good  things  and  leave  their  earthly  representatives  to 
go  and  come  in  peace,  is  agitated  by  the  same  fear,  as  is  his  more  civilized 
Hindu  brother  and  sister. 

Avenues  of  magnificent  banyans,  planted  for  miles  around  Madura  by  a 
heathen  queen,  anxious  thus  to  win  heaven  ;  free  rest  houses  in  city  streets, 
and  by  the  wayside  for  the  travel-worn  pilgrims  ;  booths  built  of  palm  branches 
at  the  corners  of  the  streets,  from  which  cool  water  is  given  to  thirsty  passers- 
by,  the  object  of  this  charity  being  that  some  high-caste  man,  who  would  not 
touch  the  hem  of  the  traveler's  garment,  may  attain  heaven  by  quenching 
their  thirst.  Still,  a  cup  of  cold  water  unselfishly  given  for  sweet  charity's 
sake  may  win  heaven  for  a  man  who  has  never  heard  of  Clirist  or  read  a  line 
of  the  New  Testament. 

Nearly,  if  not  all,  the  great  temples  in  India,  and  many  of  the  smaller 
ones,  are  rich  in  houses,  and  lands,  and  jewels,  the  gifts  of  the  pious  ones  of 
their  religion  through  many  centuries.  The  Hindu  endowed  his  temple  as 
tlie  college  alumnus  remembers  his  Alma  Mater.  It  is  possible  that  the 
underlying  motive  in  both  cases  is  not  always  up  to  the  high  standard  of 
Christian  ethics.  There  is  in  the  great  temjile  in  Madura  a  paiuial.,  or 
porch,  of  large  dimensions,  constructed  of  rich  teak  wood,  and  beautifully 
carved,  said  to  have  cost  fifty  thousand  rupees,  the  gift  of  some  rich  patron 
of  tlie  temple.  His  motive  may  have  been  to  gain  more  merit  on  the  credit 
side  of  his  account  witii  the  Iicavenly  bookkeeper.     It  may  have  been  self 


CHRISTIAN  COMPARED  WITH   PAGAN  GIVING. 


367 


glorification.  It  may  have  been  love  of  power.  Who  shall  fathom  man's 
mind?    Human  nature  is  the  same  the  world  over. 

Self-inflicted  pain  is  another  sacrifice  by  which  to  merit  a  blessed  here- 
after free  from  all  pain.  We  are  all  familiar  with  the  various  forms  in  which 
this  kind  of  gifts  prevails  in  India.  Learned  representatives  of  the  world's 
great  religions  come  more  and  more  to  our  Western  shores.  As  they  look 
upon  our  free  kindergartens,  our  splendidly  endowed  schools  of  learning, 
our  free  hospitals,  our  summer  homes  for  the  sick  and  weary,  our  college 
settlements,  and  all  the  magnificent  output  of  our  Christian  sympathv  and 
charity,  suppose  they  should  ask  us  what  in  the  last  analysis  is  tlie  underly- 
ing, impelling  motive  for  it  all,  what  answer  could  we  give.'' 

We  do  not  give  from  fear  of  evil,  nor  to  merit  heaven.  What  do  we  give 
for,  then.-"  Is  it  to  set  a  good  example  to  others.''  Is  it  an  expression  of  our 
gratitude  to  God  ?  The  relief  which  it  gives  to  our  Christian  consciousness  ? 
Or  do  we  give  as  Christ  gave  to  us,  for  the  "joy  that  was  set  before  him.'" 

If  we  ask  ourselves  what  was  the  source  of  Christ's  joy  in  giving,  the 
answer  must  be,  the  blessedness  of  having  rendered  aid  to  humanity  at  the 
place  where  humanity  was  well  nigh  helpless  ;  the  joy  of  having  made 
human  nature  better,  purer,  redeemed  from  self  by  personal  sacrifice.  If 
such  were  the  motives  of  Christ's  sacrifice,  they  must  be  the  true  motive  of 
all  sacrifice.  How,  then,  shall  we  enter  into  this  joy  of  our  Lord.''  Are 
we  not  sometimes  taught  to  believe  that  God  needs,  yes,  demands  our  gifts.'' 
What  need  has  God  that  man  can  supply.?  Surely  the  truth  is,  that  man, 
poor,  naked,  blind,  wherever  found,  is  the  one  whose  need  demands  our  gifts. 

C^uite  distinctly  there  stands  out  before  us  one  servant  who  was  invited  to 
enter  into  his  joy.  He  had  put  out  into  the  world  the  ten  talents  given  him 
by  his  Lord,  and  gained  ten  more.  Let  us  give  out  for  humanity  all  we 
have,  and  by  the  movement  of  the  unfailing  usury  of  God,  the  capacity  for 
helpfulness  which  is  our  divinely  given  capital,  will  grow  day  by  day  witii 
us.  Humanity  is  our  present  representative  of  God,  and  human  need  our 
opportunity.  Our  talents,  l)c  they  one  or  be  they  ten,  arc  our  power  to  be 
applied.  Possibly,  had  tliat  otiier  servant  put  out  to  be  used  even  one  tenth 
of  liis  one  talent,  he  would  not  have  liad  taken  away  from  him  even  what  he 
had.  He  would  have  escaped  condemnation  by  the  skin  of  his  teeth  as  it 
were. 

We  Christian  American  womcMi  are  the  Lord's  servants  with  tiie  ten 
talents,  remembering  the  command  of  the  Lord  lo  ]nit  out  all  at  usury.  The 
Mission  School,  tiie  Hibli-  Woman's  InstituU-,  the  Mission  Station  and 
Cluirch,  tlie  dispensary,  tlu-  licathen  homes,  await  onr  ministrations,  our 
money,  iniluence,  prayers,  the  outgoing  power  of  om-  Christi.in  wom.niiiood. 

Let  us  be  careful  that  wc  have  more  to  give  our  Lord  at  his  returning. 


'^Tfi  give  li^bt/  to  them  that. sit  in  darRt7ess  k-».'7?- 

TURKEY. 
THE  WAY  THEY  GIVE  IX  HARPOOT. 

BY  MISS  M.    L.  DANIELS. 

Dear  Friends  of  Life  and  Light  :  Qiiite  often  we  meet  people  in 
Turkey  who  say,  "  Please  thank  the  friends  in  America  for  their  self-sacri- 
ficing gifts.    Oh,  how  much  they  have  done  for  our  country  !" 

To-day  may  I  tell  you  how  our  dear  girls  give  of  their  time,  strength,  and 
money  ? 

I  remember  one  summer  that  two  little  girls  in  the  preparatory  school 
wished  to  do  something  for  Jesus.  Their  homes  were  in  a  poor  quarter  of 
the  city.  The  streets  were  narrow  and  dirty.  Many  of  the  houses  were 
small  and  dilapidated.  There  were  many  children  who  played  out  in  the 
streets  all  da}' ;  these  two  missionaries  of  ours  (without  any  suggestion) 
started  a  "summer  school."  I  wish  you  could  have  seen  the  tiny  room, 
which  was  reached  bv  a  ladder.  The  apparatus  consisted  of  a  few  broken 
pencils,  pieces  of  slates,  and  leaves  fi  om  hooks.  But  here,  day  after  da\ , 
during  the  summer  vacation,  those  little  children  gathered  in  less  fortunate 
children  and  taught  them.     Thev  gave  of  their  time  to  Jesus,  and  to  others. 

During  the  first  years  of  mv  life  in  Turkey  there  was  a  pupil  in  college  by 
the  name  of  Badaskhan  (Answer).    .She  was  exceedingly  dull,  and  our 

(368) 


THE  WAV  THEY  GIVE  IN  HARPOOT. 


369 


faith  was  often  tried.  She  never  finished  her  course,  as  she  had  not  the 
ability.  To-day  she  is  the  popular  teacher  of  a  school  near  Harpoot.  She 
has  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  pupils  all  the  time.  Her  school  duties  begin 
almost  with  the  daylight.  Large  girls  and  "brides"  come  to  the  school 
during  the  day  for  a  few  lessons.  Women  who  have  husbands  in  far-away 
America  come  for  her  to  read  letters  from  the  absent  ones,  and  for  her  to 
answer  them.  If  a  woman  has  a  new  dress  she  must  go  to  Badaskhan  to 
have  it  fitted.  She  conducts  the  weekly  prayer  meeting  for  women  and 
children  ;  she  has  a  class  in  Sunday  school ;  she  also  drills  her  pupils  to 
recite  Bible  verses  after  the  lesson  on  Sunday.  What  do  you  suppose  she 
did?  She  had  observed  that  the  mud  walls  of  the  college  buildings  were 
white;  so  this  industrious  child  took  white  earth,  prepared  it,  and  with  her 
own  hands  she  whitened  the  walls  of  the  church  in  her  village.  She  is  a 
power  for  good  in  school  and  out  of  it.  Badaskhan  gives  nobly,  largely  of 
her  time  and  strength.  Her  all  is  on  the  altar.  Truly  her  reward  will  be 
great  when  the  Lord  of  the  Harvest  comes. 

One  da\'  a  class  was  reciting  in  the  Primary  School.  There  was  one 
vacant  seat,  and  Miss  W^heeler  asked,  "  Whom  shall  we  invite  to  occupy  the 
place?"  One  child  replied,  "We  will  invite  Christ;"  and  Christ  has  been 
invited  to  remain  with  the  children.  A  seat,  the  Christ-seat,  has  been 
placed  in  the  corner  of  the  room.  To  this  seat,  every  morning,  the  little  tots 
bring  nuts,  raisins,  and  peppers  from  their  meager  lunch.  They  are  giving 
to  Christ,  and  whatever  is  given  is  sold,  and  the  money  used  for  Chri^5t's 
work. 

On  Christian  Endeavor  Day  our  Junior  society  invited  the  Senior  society 
to  meet  in  the  primary  room  for  a  prayer  meeting.  The  children,  witli  the 
older  girls,  gave  five  dollars.  That  may  seem  a  small  sum  to  you,  but  to  us 
it  is  large.  Why,  a  woman  will  sew  or  wash  all  day  for  twelve  or  thirteen 
cents.  Many  of  our  boarders  come  to  us  with  no  money;  others  with  two, 
five,  or  ten  cents,  as  their  allowance  for  a  term  of  twenty  weeks.  Of  course, 
some  are  richer.  vSo  this  five  dollars  is  really  a  large  sum  ;  and  the  money 
was  sent  to  India. 

All  our  girls  belong  to  a  missionary  society.  There  is  a  society  for  college 
girls,  another  for  high  school  girls,  one  for  grammar  girls,  and  another  for 
primary  cliildren.  A  missionary  meeting  is  held  in  one  department  every 
week.  The  girls  bring  money,  fancy  or  useful  articles.  Last  year  they  sent 
al)()ut  thirty  dollars  to  Inanda  Seminary.  After  the  cartliquake  in  Malatia, 
in  i.Sy3,  an  appeal  came  to  tlie  girls  for  help.  They  sent  about  twelve  dol- 
lars, besides  clotliing  and  bedding.  These  are  a  few  of  the  ways  in  which 
our  girls,  out  of  their  poverty,  with  self-denial,  give  to  the  Lord  and  his 
work. 


370 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


How  do  their  fathers  give  ? 

In  the  Central  Harpoot  church  there  is  a  man  by  the  name  of  Haratune, 
Efi'eiuli  (Resmrection,  Gentleman).  This  Haratune  gives  tithes.  He  calls 
the  tentli  the  Lord's  money,  and  says  he  could  not  use  it.  After  using  what 
he  wished  of  his  tentli  for  cliaritable  purposes,  five  pounds  remained.  He 
consulted  a  missionary  as  to  the  disposal  of  the  money.  Finally  he  gave 
two  pounds  to  our  home  missionary  work  in  Koordistan,  and  three  poimds 
to  the  American  Board.  This  sum,  five  pounds,  equals  a  month's  salarv  of 
a  professor  in  Euphrates  College. 

There  is  a  village  not  far  from  Harpoot  in  which  the  people  are  very 
poor.  Mr.  Barton,  one  Sunday,  spoke  of  the  work  in  Koordistan,  but 
added,  "  You  are  poor  ;  it  is  all  that  you  can  do  to  support  your  own  work." 
Deacon  Simone  rose  and  said,  "  We  want  to  share  in  the  blessing,  and  can- 
not unless  we  share  in  the  giving.  We  will  take  a  contribution."  Over 
three  dollars  was  given.  Women  even  took  oft'  the  silver  coins  from  their 
headdresses. 

An  aged  saint,  Taron,  lived  in  Koordistan.  He  gave  a  tenth  of  ever}'- 
thing  to  the  Lord.  All  that  he  possessed  in  the  world  was  a  small  tract  of 
land,  which  he  sold  for  ten  pounds.  He  carried  his  one  tenth  to  the  pastor, 
who  objected,  and  said,  "You  need  the  money;  I  will  not  take  it."  But 
Taron  said,  "You  must,  or  I  cannot  use  the  rest."  He  was  one  of  the 
most  spiritual  men  in  Turkey.  Not  long  after  he  was  taken  sick.  One  day 
he  left  his  sick  bed  to  talk  to  a  man  in  the  market  about  his  soul's  need  and 
danger.  While  so  doing  his  Master  came  and  he  went  home.  It  makes  my 
heart  glad  and  warm  to  know  how  these  dear  friends,  out  of  their  poverty, 
give  so  largely  to  the  Lord.  May  our  hearts  be  touched  till  we  give  ourselves^ 
and  our  all  to  him  and  to  his  work. 


THE  KINDERGARTEN  IN  CESAREA. 

BY  MISS  F.   E.  BURRAGE. 
Those  who  have  been  contributing  for  the  new  building  for  the  Cesarea  kinder- 
garten, will  be  glad  of  the  following  description  of  the  house  which  was  purchased 
in  the  early  spring.    She  says  : — 

Thk  time  for  which  we  had  rented  our  house  was  drawing  to  a  close.  We 
had  been  hunting  for  another  house  to  rent,  that  we  might  buy  more  :it 
leisure,  as  we  had  not  found  one  which  entirely  suited  us.  But  the  houses  to 
rent  were  either  unsuitable  or  would  not  be  given  to  a  school.  Just  then  the 
owners  of  a  house  which  we  had  been  looking  at,  with  the  view  of  purchas- 
ing, came  to  tis  for  our  decision,  as  they  were  about  to  sell  part  of  it.  We 


THE   KINDERGARTEN  IN  CESAREA. 


371 


were  urged  bv  some  of  tlie  brethren  to  purchase  it,  as  there  was  room  and 
material  enoiigli  to  cliange  it  accoiding  to  oiu"  wishes.  The  locality  was 
good,  and  tliere  were  probabilities  of  oljtaining  the  adjoining  property.  So 
that  house  has  been  puichased  for  two  hiuidred  and  sixty-five  (265)  Hras,  or 
thereabouts,  and  all  consider  it  a  great  bargain. 

The  tluee  families  in  it  began  to  look  for  other  homes  for  themselves,  and 
we  had  permission  to  stay  in  our  old  house  a  little  longer.  This  had  been 
sold  a  few  weeks  previous.  But  soon  the  new  owners  were  pressing  us  to 
give  them  at  least  one  room,  so  that  they  might  give  up  their  house  to  the 
famih'  who  had  bought  it,  and  who  were  pressing  them.  We,  on  the  other 
liand,  could  not  go  into  our  new  home,  as  the  former  owners  had  to  wait  for 
the  houses  they  had  taken  to  be  vacated.  It  was  like  a  blockade  of  horse 
cars  in  Boston,  each  one  being  obliged  to  wait  for  the  one  in  front  to  move 
f>n. 

We  finally  gave  one  room,  dismissed  the  school,  and  two  or  three  days 
later,  as  soon  as  two  rooms  were  given  to  us,  we  moved  into  our  new  quar- 
ters. We  waited  still  nearly  a  week  before  opening  school  till  two  more 
rooms  were  given  to  us.  We  suffered  a  good  deal  of  inconvenience  from 
being  obliged  to  move  in  in  this  way,  and  from  the  weather,  which  was  cold 
and  rainy.  But  now  we  have  the  sun,  and  we  are  all  so  glad  to  have  a  home 
of  our  own.  The  house  is  on  the  corner  of  two  streets.  From  the  narrow 
court,  which  we  enter  from  the  street  door,  we  pass  into  a  wider  court.  From 
tiiis,  on  the  left,  open  two  rooms  which  are  of  good  size,  with  a  good  many 
cupboards.  The  young  ladies  of  the  training  class  occupy'  one,  and  we  are 
impatiently  waiting  for  the  other  to  be  vacated.  On  the  right  are  the  stairs 
to  the  roof.  Half  way  up  the  stairs  is  a  large  room,  open  on  two  sides,  such 
as  the  natives  use  for  summer  rooms.  Under  this  is  a  room  which  we  use 
as  a  schoolroom.  This  room  opens  into  a  court  which  is  three  or  four  steps 
lower  than  the  one  l)eforc  mentioned,  but  connected  with  it.  In  this  court 
is  the  well  and  a  small  garden,  with  a  trellis  and  grapevine.  A  small 
kitciien  opens  into  it,  and  at  the  end  are  two  large  rooms,  one  back  of  the 
other.  Tiiese  we  are  using  for  schoolrooms.  The  inner  room  is  only 
lighted  from  above. 

The  children  are  delighted  with  their  new  rooms.  Tlie  two  little  divisions 
were  both  in  one  room  before,  and  that  was  dark.  Now  they  each  have  a 
separate  room,  and  tiiey  all  are  very  happy.  One  little  fellow  expressed  his 
pleasure  in  this  way  :  "  I  like  bread  and  I  like  fck-si-tnct  (a  kind  of  biscuit)  ; 
but  I  like  our  schoolroom  much  better  than  that."  I  h()|)e  we  shall  be  able 
to  do  mucii  more  for  tlic  children  than  l)efore.     \\'e  are  onl\  making  a 

few  necessary  clianges  now,  and  then  n  ill  w.iit  till  tiie  siinnuer  \  ac.it ion.  If 


372 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


PLAN   0|-   THE   CESAKliA    KINDERGARTEN   lir  1 1,1)1  N(; . 


Notes. — i.  All  the  rooms,  with  the  exception  of  •' K,"  are  lighted  hy  windows 
opening  into  the  court.  "E"  has  windows  in  the  roof.  2.  Over  it  is  a  large  kiosk 
open  on  the  two  court  sides.     3.  The  oiitsi<le  broken  lines,  «,  ^/ ",  indicate 

propertj  which  we  hope  to  secure  in  the  course  of  time. 


FOR  children's  MEETINGS. 


373 


we  purchase  the  adjoining  property  we  can  then  make  more  satisfactory 
arrangements. 

I  hope  the  last  family  will  get  out  this  week  or  next,  and  then  we  can 
finish  getting  settled.  The  children  will  probably  come  in  more  after  the 
Easter  vacation.  Our  present  number  is  about  seventy-five.  The  young 
ladies  are  making  good  progress,  and  we  hope  to  finish  our  work  in  five  or 
six  weeks. 

We  thank  the  dear  children  very,  very  much  who  have  been  working  so 
busily  that  these  little  children  may  have  a  pleasant  home.  May  God  bless 
them  for  this  loving  service. 


FOR  CHILDREN'S  MEETINGS.— MISSIONARY  SHIPS, 

BY  MRS.  JAMES   L.  HILJ,. 

Text. — "And  he  spake  to  his  disciples  that  a  small  ship  should  wait  on 
him." 

(It  gives  dramatic  interest  to  these  exercises  if  a  little  paper  ship  is  pinned  to  the 
map  locating  the  ship  as  the  description  is  given.) 

PROGRAMME. 

1.  Praise  Service  (see  Note  i). 

2.  Hible  Reading  on  Ships  (Note  2). 

3.  Hoat  Building  in  Uganda  (Note  3). 

a.  The  Daisy  (Note  4). 

b.  The  Eleanor,  and  preparations  for  the  Steam  Launch  (Note  5). 

4.  John  G.  Paton's  Boat,  The  Dayspring  (Note  6). 

The  Wreck  (Note  7). 

The  Second  Dayspring  (Note  8). 

5.  Singing. 

6.  Mr.  Stanley's  Boat,  The  Lady  Alice  (Note  9). 

7.  The  Morning  Star  (see  questions,  Note  10). 

8.  The  Sea-faring  Bible  (Note  11). 

9.  Tiic  Hiram  Bingham  (Note  12). 

10.  Tlic  Robert  W.  Logan  (Note  13). 

11.  Remarks  by  the  leader  (Note  i_)). 

12.  Singing. 

13.  Mizpah  Benediction,  Gen.  xxxi.  49. 

Note  I.    "We  are  out  on  the  ocean  sailing."    "Jesus,  Saviour,  pilot  me." 
Note  1.    Who,  in  trying  to  run  away  from  a  missionary  duty,  entered  into  a  ship 
going  to  Tarshisli  and  paid  the  fare  thereof?    Jonah  i.  3. 


374 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


Who  came  down  out  of  a  ship  and  attempted  to  walk  to  Jesus  on  the  water?  Matt, 
xiv.  29.    See  also  John  xxi.  1-14;  Mark  iv.  i  ;  Matt.  iv.  21  ;  Luke  v.  i-ii ;  Mark  iv.  :;S. 
Note  3.    Two  little  essays  by  boys  or  girls. 
Note  4.    See  "Mackay  of  Uganda,"  pages  71-97. 
Note  5.    Ibid,  pages  241-251,  302,  307,  391,  395. 
Note  6.    See  "Life  of  John  G.  Paton,"  vol.  II.,  pages  2-123. 
Note  7.    Ibid,  page  233. 

Note  8.  Ibid,  pages  235-240.  This  story  is  also  told  in  a  condensed  form  in  the 
children's  edition  of  John  G.  Paton's  Life,  pages  244-254. 

Note  9.  See  Stanley's  "Through  the  Dark  Continent,"  vol.  I.,  pages  4,  60,  83,  85,  147, 
156-298;  vol.  II.,  18,  347,  etc.  (through  the  Rapids),  379,  400-442,  464.  One  or  two 
essays.    These  volumes  are  in  all  public  libraries. 

Note  10.  How  many  missionary  ships  bearing  the  name  of  the  Morning  Star  have 
been  sent  out  to  Micronesia.'  (See  "Story  of  the  Morning  Stars,"  edition  of  1892.  price 
10  cents,  page  93.)  Why  did  the  missionaries  need  the  Star.'  page  20.  To  whom  was 
an  appeal  made  to  build  the  vessel.'  page  21.  From  what  city  did  she  sail.'  page  22. 
Describe  her  route  to  Micronesia,  pages  22-33.  How  many  years  did  this  first  Morn- 
ing Star  sail  before  she  became  so  worn  that  she  was  sold.'  page  75.  To  what  was  her 
name  changed.'  page  75.  When  did  the  second  Star  set  sail.'  page  76.  What  was  her 
end.'  77.  When  did  the  third  Star  sail.'  79.  What  was  her  last  experience.'  pages 
91-93.    What  kind  of  a  vessel  is  the  present  Morning  Star.'  page  95. 

Note  II.  A  delightful  little  story  may  be  written  or  told  about  this  Bible  carried  on 
all  the  Morning  Stars,  saved  from  each  wreck.    See  Mission  Dayspr-ing,  vol.  V.,  95. 

Note  12.  The  need  and  the  usefulness  of  this  little  vessel,  and  the  fact  that  the 
man  for  whom  she  is  named  translated  the  whole  Bible,  form  interesting  suggestions 
for  a  brief  essay.    See  leaflet.  The  Hiram  Bingham. 

Note  13.  It  is  feared  that  this  vessel  is  lost,  as  she  has  not  been  heard  of  for  several 
months,  but  is  interesting  to  know  what  she  has  already  done.  See  Mission  Herald, 
vol.  86,  pages  267,  310,  392,  497;  vol.  87,  pages  311,  354,  369. 

Note  14.  There  are  over  thirty  missionary  ships.  The  first  was  the  Duff,  sent  out 
bv  the  London  Missionary  Society.  While  the  first  sent  out  from  America  was  the 
Missionary  Packet,  sent  by  the  American  Board  in  1826. 

See  Children's  Work  Exercises,  No.  i,  on  Missionary  Ships.  Make  as  much  as 
possible  of  our  own  ships,  the  Micronesian  Navy,  the  Morning  Star,  the  Robert  Logan, 
and  the  Hiram  Bingham. 


PROPORTIONATE  GIVING. 


BY  MRS.   C.   H.  DANIELS. 


This  subject  wlien  named  seems  to  cany  at  once  to  many  minds  the 
thought  of  a  tenth.  Let  us  guard  its  meaning  and  keep  it  wiiere  it  rigiit- 
fullv  ))elongs, — the  expression  of  a  general  principle  rather  than  tlie  state- 
ment of  a  particular  rule.     Proportionate  giving  is  not  the  giving  of  a  tenth 


PROPOUTIOXATE  GIVING. 


375 


necessarily,  nor  of  anv  other  established  proportion.  It  is  tlie  laying  aside 
for  sacred  uses  some  jjroportion  of  the  whole  amount  in  hand,  before  any  of 
that  amount  is  spent.  The  last  clause  is  important, — before  any  of  that 
amount  is  spent.  Once  we  begin  to  scatter  our  money  it  is  almost  as  difficult 
to  keep  any  back  for  the  "  Lord's  corner,"  as  it  was  to  recall  the  contents  of 
Pandora's  box  when  the  cover  was  lifted. 

"Proportionate  "  suggests  a  simple,  common-sense,  business  principle,  the 
same  which  governs  the  business  man  in  his  affairs,  and  the  housekeeper  in 
her  home.  These  both  know  that  best  results  are  obtained  only  when  plans 
are  thoughtfully  laid  and  capital  carefully  apportioned.  Proportionate  giv- 
ing for  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  as  well  as  for  business  and  household,  might 
periiaps  have  prevailed  ere  this  among  the  many  instead  of  among  the  few, 
had  not  the  Christian  church  so  long  divorced  business  principles  from 
religion.  Order,  system,  and  promptness  in  managing  the  affairs  of  a  church 
might  through  the  years  have  exerted  an  influence  upon  the  individual 
pocketbook.  Why  have  we  so  neglected  to  plan  for  the  spread  of  the  gos- 
pel, when  we  acknowledge  its  paramount  importance  over  all  other  concerns.' 
We  have  been  slow  to  grasp,  and  then  hold  in  realizing  sense,  the  fact  that 
our  religion,  though  spiritual,  must  be  advanced  by  the  use  of  material 
means.  It  will  not  soar  upon  wings  of  prayer,  and  settle  down  upon  Iieathen 
lands,  to  brood  over  them  imtil  every  soul  becomes  permeated.  It  will  siu  ely 
wait  to  be  harnessed  with  silver  and  gold, — our  "  filthy  lucre."  Here  is  a 
union  of  the  high  and  the  low,  the  pure  and  the  sordid,  which  must  ever  be 
to  us  on  earth  one  of  the  mysteries  of  God's  providence.  Is  money  the 
*'  root  of  all  evil .'"  It  is  also  a  root  of  every  fair  gospel  flower  whicii  blooms 
on  heathen  soil.  Realizing  this,  even  our  dimes  and  coppers  take  on  a 
double  nature.    They  are  in  part  spiritual. 

I  wonder  if  the  church  would  not  finally  come  to  the  practice  of  propor- 
tionate giving  even  if  its  reasonableness  were  not  strcngtiicned  by  Scripture 
authority.?  Turning  to  the  Old  Testament  we  find  the  Israelites  consecrat- 
ing their  first  fruits  unto  the  Lord.  God  thought  the  tenth  was  the  best  for 
them.  \Vc  sec  Christ  approving  tiic  tithe  when  he  talked  with  the  Pharisee 
who  had  tithed  mint,  anise,  and  cumin,  but  had  neglected  the  weightier  mat- 
ters of  law,  mercy,  judgment,  and  peace.  "These  things  ought  \e  to  have 
(lone,  and  not  iiave  left  the  otliers  undone."  If  Clnist  led  Israel  out  into 
larger  liberty,  he  smelv  did  not  lead  into  lawlessness  as  regards  anv  (iul\- 
of  the  Christian  life.  V\'e  read  also  the  instructions  which  Paul  gives  to  tlie 
churches,  to  lay  .aside  some  proportion  regularly  for  tin-  Lord. 

This  is  the  princi])li',  both  sensible  and  Scriptural,  .\ppiviiig  it  to  Cliris- 
tian  women,  wi;  approacii  some  of  the  dee])est  .anxieties,  the  purest  ilesires. 


376 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


the  most  sacred  purposes,  of  the  heart,  and  should  walk  softly.  The  final 
settlement  as  to  when,  how,  and  how  much  one  can  give  for  the  Lord'a 
cause  rests  with  each,  under  the  Spirit's  enlightening,  guiding  influence. 

Three  common  difficulties  ma\'  be  briefly  named,  with  suggestions  con- 
cerning them,  and  three  results  which  follow  the  application  of  the  principle. 

First  difficulty. — "I  have  no  regular  income.  My  money  comes  into  my 
hands  now  and  then,  in  varying  sums.  How  can  I  have  any  system  about 
giving  with  such  h  regularity 

Suggestion  :  Small  amounts  may  be  proportioned  as  well  as  large  ones. 
One  can  lay  aside  these  differing  amounts  at  irregular  intervals  as  well  as 
once  a  week  or  month.  This  persevered  in  makes  a  system  of  itself,  if  not 
the  most  satisfactory,  at  least  as  complete  as  circumstances  allow. 

Second  difficulty. — "My  money  is  passed  me  for  tacitly  understood  needs, 
household  and  personal.    Have  I  any  right  to  take  from  this  and  give  away.'" 

Suggestion  :  May  it  not  be  that  a  frank,  free  expression  of  the  desire 
which  this  Christian  woman  feels  has  never  been  given?  Perhaps  if  it  is 
understood  by  those  concerned  how  deep  and  sincere  her  feeling  is,  the  way 
will  at  once  open. 

A  second  suggestion :  A  worthy  helpmeet  has  a  right  to  believe  that  she 
has  as  truly  earned  a  share  of  the  family  income  as  if  she  had  toiled  in  the 
field,  the  factory,  or  office.  A  portion  is  her  own  and,  other  things  being 
equal,  she  may  do  with  her  own  as  she  chooses. 

Third  difficultv. — "I  believe  in  laying  aside  a  proportion  for  the  Lord,  and 
have  tried  it,  but  I  am  ashamed  to  confess  it  was  not  successful.  I  could  not 
make  the  ends  meet,  and  even  had  to  take  back  some  of  that  consecrated 
monev.  I  had  supposed  the  Lord  woidd  somehow  help  me  to  make  the  rest 
do,  but  he  didn't." 

Suggestions  :  Perhaps  there  was  poor  calculation  ;  too  much  impulse  in 
this  first  underfakiug.  Few  efforts  come  out  with  perfect  success  in  the 
beginning.  It  is  possible  too  much  was  laid  aside  ;  more  probable  that  needs 
were  not  considered  thoughtfully  and  pared  down.  Have  we  any  authority 
for  thinking  that  nine  tenths  have  as  great  a  purchasing  power  as  ten  tenths, 
that  nineteen  twentieths  will  buy  just  as  many  aiticlcs,  of  the  same  quality, 
as  twenty  twentieths.'  This  is  a  practical  matter,  not  one  in  which  we  may 
look  for  miraculous  multiplication  of  dollars.  The  wa}'  of  satisfactor}'  pro- 
portionate giving  is  paved  with  stones  of  self-denial,  and  they  will  be  laid 
with  increasing  care  and  wisdom,  as  one  learns  of  the  Great  Teacher.  Do 
not  some  testify  that  they  are  conscious  of  no  self-denial  in  giving  propor- 
tionately.' If  so,  it  must  be  because  of  the  gracious  ways  of  our  Loril  who, 
for  every  gift  we  offer  him,  lays  upon  our  hearts  that  "hundredfold"  of  peace 
and  joy  which  swallows  up  any  bitterness  the  sacrifice  may  have  suggested. 


AUNT  ZANIE'S  prayer. 


377 


There  is  a  wide  field  for  tliought  along  the  line  of  our  needs.  Here  we 
may  expect  an  influence  to  work  far  superior  to  our  feeble  powers,  even  to 
the  entire  removal  of  certain  needs  which  formerly  appeared  real.  But  we 
approach  one  of  tlie 

RESULTS   OF   PROPORTIONATE  GIVING. 

Increased  ability  to  plan  tlie  use  of  money  wiselv  :  to  discriminate  between 
real  and  appaient  needs,  to  manage  affairs  in  a  business-like  manner.  Love 
for  Christ  and  joy  in  giving  to  him  will  wonderfully  quicken  the  mind,  ^^'e 
will  be  alert  about  expenses  for  the  sake  of  that  precious  box  in  tlie  sacred 
corner.  It  is  well,  too,  that  we  have  to  try,  to  fail,  to  try  again,  to  advance 
step  by  step,  and  so  climb  into  the  full  sweetness  of  true  sacrifice. 

A  second  result  is  found  in  the  added  self-respect  and  content  one  feels 
about  giving.  When  tlie  collector  of  the  missionary  society  calls  for  an 
offering,  there  is  real  satisfaction  in  being  ready  to  respond  promptly.  And 
words  can  hardlv  express  tlie  relief  experienced  by  tlie  visitor  who  is  so  often 
asked  to  call  at  a  more  convenient  season. 

A  third  result.  There  is  more  money  to  give  than  ever  before.  Xo  mat- 
ter how  small  the  sums  as  tliey  are  laid  aside,  together  they  make  a  surpris- 
ing amount.  A  young  lady  of  small  income  began  to  lay  away  a  tcntli. 
She  soon  remarked  that  she  didn't  know  where  to  give  so  much  monev. 

When  we  consider  that  if  all  church  members  gave  proportionately,  the 
treasuries  of  all  our  benevolent  and  missionary  societies  would  keep  full,  tlie 
heart  burns  with  desire  to  give  and  to  influence  many  others  to  give  in  tiuest 
possible  proportion. 


AUNT  ZANIE'S  PRAYER. 

BY  MISS  MARY  G.  BURDETTE. 

Did  you  ever  hear  of  Lucy  Henry?  We  knew  of  her  first  as  a  little  girl 
in  one  of  Miss  Jackson's  Industrial  Schools  for  colored  children  in  Richmond. 
Well,  Lucy  grew  to  womanhood,  with  a  good  education  received  at  Harts- 
horn Memorial  Institute,  and  a  practical  knowledge  of  Christian  work, 
learned  as  a  pupil  and  helper  of  Miss  Jackson.  By  and  b}-  she  was  cm- 
ployed  by  tlic  Woman's  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society;  and  shortly  after 
there  appeared  on  the  scene  Rev.  J.  J.  Coles,  a  missionary  from  Africa,  and 
he  said  :  "  That's  the  woman,  and  that's  the  work  needed  in  Africa,"  and  ho 
married  Lucy  and  took  her  back  with  him.  Nobly  tiiey  toiled  together  for 
the  people  in  the  land  of  their  fathers,  their  hearts  burdened  with  thovastness 
of  the  field  and  the  scarcity  of  laborers.  In  a  few  years,  in  the  iirovidence  of 
God,  Mrs.  Coles  returned  to  the  United  States  to  plead  for  reinforcements. 


378 


LIKE  AND  LIGHl  . 


She  went  from  State  to  State  and  from  church  to  church  among  the  colored 
people  of  the  South,  and  in  course  of  time  she  came  to  Houston,  Texas,  and 
in  the  Shiloh  Church  told  the  thrilling  story  of  Africa's  need. 

"  Come  in,"  said  Miss  Peck,  the  missionary,  in  response  to  a  knock  at 
her  door  the  following  morning. 

The  door  opened  and  I'evealed  a  neat  little  brown-faced  woman,  in  clean 
calico  gown  and  long  gingham  apron,  her  head  wrapped  in  a  plaid  cotton 
bandanna.  The  face  wore  a  troubled  expression  so  unusual  that  tlie  mission- 
ary exclaimed  :  "Why,  Aunt  Zanie,  what's  the  matter.^    Come  in." 

"  Xo,  honey,  I  hasn't  time  to  come  in  ;  just  stopped  a  minute  to  ask  you 
to  pray  to  de  Lord,  dat  he  show  me  how  to  do  mo'  fo'  Africa." 

The  missionary  grasped  the  situation.  Aunt  Zanie  was  poor.  On  her 
arm  hung  the  implements  by  which  she  earned  a  living  for  herself  and  a 
little  grandchild, — a  wooden  pail  in  which  she  carried  scrubbing  brush  and 
cloths.  She  was  noted  for  honesty,  thrift,  piety,  and  generosity.  Never 
was  a  good  cause  presented  and  a  collection  taken  but  what  Aunt  Zanie, 
with  quick  step  and  beaming  face,  was  ready  with  her  offering.  Everybody 
who  knew  her  wondered  how  she  could  give'so  much. 

"  Oh,  Aunt  Zanie,  don't  be  troubled  !  The  dear  Lord  knows  what  you 
can  give,  and  he  does  not  wish  you  to  grieve  because  you  cannot  do  more. 
I  am  sure  you  give  enough." 

"  Sister  Peck,  I  didn't  come  dis  mo'nin'  to  have  you  tell  me  I  do  'nuff';  I 
jes  come  to  ask  you  to  pray  to  de  Lo'd  dat  he  show  me  how  I  can  give  mo'." 

"  Well,  well.  Aunt  Zanie,  I  will  ;  and  if  there's  any  way,  I'm  sure  the 
Lord  will  make  it  plain  to  you." 

The  little  woman  turned,  and  went  on  her  way  to  her  d;'.ily  toil.  Several 
davs  passed,  and  again  Aunt  Zanie  appeared  at  tlie  door  of  the  missionary 
home,  this  time  with  beaming  face,  to  say,  "  Good  mo'nin',  Sister  Peck. 
I's  come  to  tell  you  tlie  Lo'd  done  answer  prayer." 

"  How,  Aunt  Zanie?  " 

"Well,  Sister  Peck,  I  jest  went  about  all  dese  days  with  a  heavy  heart, 
a-praying  to  de  Lo'd  to  show  me  how  to  do  something  mo'  fo'  Africa.  But 
'pears  like  he  dunno  no  wav,  fo'  not  a  bit  of  answer  did  he  give  me.  But 
last  night  I  came  home  from  my  wo'k,  and  I  jes  set  my  ole  bucket  on  de 
flo',  and  I  kneeled  down  bv  a  clia'r,  and  I  pouied  out  my  heart  to  de  Lo'd, 
and  I  said,  '  O  Lo'd,  isn't  der  no  way  I  can  do  sometiiin'  mo'  fo'  Africa?' 
For  a  long  time  I  prayed,  then  I  stopped,  and  everything  was  jest  as  still  I 
and  I  heard  a  voice  speak  right  to  my  heart,  '  Zanie,  ciiihl.  ]a\  down  tiiat 
pipe:'" 


LEAVES  FROM   OUR  BRANCHES. 


379 


Aunt  Zanie  had  learned  to  smoke  that  pipe  when  she  was  a  little  slave 
girl,  lighting  the  pipe  for  her  mistress,  and  now  she  had  passed  her  three- 
score years,  and  for  a  long,  long  time  it  had  been  her  one  personal  in- 
dulgence, her  one  luxur\'.    Is  there  anv  wonder  that  the  missionary  asked, 

"Aunt  Zanie,  do  you  think  you  can?" 

"If  de  Lo'd  say  so?"  was  tlie  wondering  response. 

"Yes,  Aunt  Zanie  ;  if  the  Lord  says  so,  he  will  enable  you." 

Again  the  blessed  little  woman  was  gone,  and  again  days  went  by,  until 
one  morning  she  came  to  the  missionary,  and  laying  twenty-five  cents  in  her 
hand,  exclaimed  joyfully,  "Here,  Sister  Peck,  here's  Aunt  Zanie's  first 
'bacco  money  for  Africa." 

The  days  have  grown  into  years  since  we  gazed  upon  that  bit  of  silver  in 
Miss  Peck's  hand  and  heard  her  tell  this  story,  but  from  then  until  now, 
Aunt  Zanie's  tobacco  money  has  been  conscientiously  and  joyously  devoted  to 
the  nobler  purpose  of  sending  gospel  light  into  dark  places. 

Reader,  do  vou  hear  the  repeated  calls  for  help?  Are  you  doing  all  you 
can  to  relieve  the  needy?  Have  you  a  pipe?  Some  carnal  pleasuie?  Some 
citerished  indulgence?  Can  you  give  it  up?  and  let  the  Lord  use  the  money 
it  costs  ?    Will  you  ? 

Do  you  pray,  dare  you  pray,  as  did  Aunt  Zanie,  with  honest  purpose  to 
obey,  "Lord,  show  me  how  to  give  more?"  Then  wait  upon  him  as  she 
did,  with  strong  pleadings  for  the  answer,  and  "Wiiatsoever  he  saith  unto 
you,  do  it." 

Wiien  Christians  thus  prav  and  thus  give,  then  will  the  treasury  #\erflow, 
sowers  and  reapers  be  multiplied,  deserts  blossom,  parched  ground  become 
a  pool,  and  thirsty  land  springs  of  water.  How  does  the  sacrifice  compare 
with  tlie  bloom?    Will  you  lay  down  your  pipe? — Standard. 


LEAVES  FROM  OUR  BRAN'CHES. 

Old  Colony  Branch. — The  semiannual  meeting  was  licld  in  the  beautiful 
town  of  Norton  on  June  5th,  and  was  well  attended,  despite  the  threatening 
weatlier.  The  devotional  meeting,  preceding  the  business  meeting,  was 
centered  upon  the  theme  of  tlie  building  of  Solomon's  Temple.  Reports 
from  the  Junior  auxiliaries  and  mission  circles  are  always  expected  at  this 
time  of  year,  and  they  were  full  of  hope  and  promise  for  the  future.  It  was 
thouglit  they  had  been  greatly  helped  by  those  at  the  rooms  in  Boston  in  lay- 
ing out  and  planning  work.  Miss  Lamson,  of  Boston,  was  present  and 
spoke  upon  Junior  work,  beginning  with  the  cradle  roll  ;  and  Miss  Mattiiews, 
of  Monastir,  Turkey,  a  teaciier  with  Miss  Cole,  whose  salary  this  Branch 
assumes,  addressed  us,  making  altogether  a  day  long  to  be  remembered. 

A  missionary  Union  has  been  formed  in  Brooklyn,  New  Vork.,  composed 
of  representatives  from  the  various  evangelical  denominations,  from  whom 
arc  chosen  a  president  and  vice  presidents,  one  from  each  denomination  in 
the  city  ;  a  secretary  and  assistant  secretary  ;  a  treasurer  and  assistant  treas- 
urer, also  a  committee  of  ten  from  each  denomination  to  prepare  and  arrange 
a  programme  for  each  meeting  of  the  Union,  each  dcuumination  in  its  turn. 


380 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


—  this  committee  to  be  under  tiie  direction  of  its  own  denominational  vice 
president. 

Meetings  were  lield  weekly  in  the  chapel  of  tlie  Reformed  Church  on  the 
Heights,  Pierrepont  Street,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  During  the 
summer  montiis  the  meetings  are  omitted. 

Tiie  interest  sliown  in  these  gathei  ings  of  the  Union  during  the  first  few 
weeks,  seems  to  prove  that  there  was  a  place  for  such  a  Union.  It  aims  to 
increase  intelligence,  to  bind  all  workers  together  in  mutual  understanding 
and  sy  mpatii}',  to  increase  united  prayer  for  the  evangelization  of  the  world. 
Con\  ersationals  arc  introduced  in  the  meetings,  and  ha\  e  been  successful,  "no 
one  being  at  a  loss  for  questions." 

One  of  the  leaders  of  this  movement,  writing  of  it,  says:  "The  friends 
gave  us  a  delightful  meeting  last  Friday.  I  was  surprised  at  the  extent  of 
their  foreign  work.  I  have  not  missed  a  meeting  as  yet.  It  seems  as  if  I 
could  not,  they  are  such  a  delight  and  of  such  profit." 

Another  lady  says  of  the  meetings:  "They  are  steadily  becoming  better 
known,  and  next  fall  I  am  sure  everybody  will  take  hold  of  them  with  re- 
newed intei'est."  • 

mav  hail  this  movement  and  bid  it  Godspeed,  since  it  is  one  step 
toward  that  broad  field  of  service  where  all  Christian  workers  will  stand  in 
loving  rank  more  intelligent,  far  seeing  and  active,  because  of  union. 

M.  I..  D. 

The  Stiffolk  Branch  held  its  fifteenth  annual  meeting,  by  invitation  of 
the  five  Somerville  churches,  in  Franklin  Street  Church,  East  Somerville. 
More  than  five  hundred  ladies  enjoyed  the  bountiful  hospitality  and  the  rich 
programme  prepared  for  the  dav.  The  ten  reports  of  the  district  secre- 
taries, showing  the  work  done  by  the  fifty-eight  auxiliaries,  were  full  of 
encouragement  and  valuable  suggestions.  There  are  twenty-one  young 
woman's  societies,  twentv-seven  children's  societies,  and  several  Cradle 
Rolls  connected  with  the  Branch.  The  receipts  of  the  year  are  $15,937.62  ; 
of  this,  $1,500  was  raised  in  the  young  woman's  societies.  Twenty  mission- 
aries are  supported  by  tiie  Branch,  besides  schools,  native  teachers,  and 
Bible  readers.  Touring  in  Suffolk  Branch,  as  presented  by  one  of  the  young 
ladies,  was  made  to  seem  verv  attractive,  and  the  good  results  were  apparent. 
Five  papers  were  read  by  voung  ladies  upon  tlie  following,  topics  :  "Why 
am  I  interested  in  Foreign  Tslissions?  "  "  Lightiiouse  Observations,"  "  Social 
Mission  of  Girls,"  "Missions  and  Temperance,"  "Tlie  Missionary  Call." 
These  were  ai!  helpful  and  suggestive,  showing  that  tlie  young  women  are 
preparing  in  maiiv  ways  to  fill  the  places  of  the  older  ones  as  they  drop  out  by 
the  way.  Missionary  addresses  were  made  by  Mrs.  F.  E.  Clark,  Mrs.  C. 
E.  Holbiook,  of  the  Zulu  Mission;  Miss  Mary  L.  Daniels,  of  Ilarpoot, 
Tu  rkey. 


OUR  BOOK  TABLE. 

lames  Gilmojir  and  his  Boys.  By  Richard  Uovett,  M.A.  This  book, 
i)y  the  autiior  of  "James  (iilmour  of  Mongolia:  His  Letters,  Diaries, 
etc.,"  is  composed  principally  of  letters  from  Gilmour  to  his  two  young 


OUR  BOOK  TARI.E. 


381 


sons,  while  they  were  at  school  in  England.  ]Many  of  the  letters  are  printed 
and  given  facsimile.  Those  who  have  cliarge  of  boys'  mission  circles  or 
mothers  who  begin  at  the  home  fireside  to  interest  their  children  in  missions, 
will  hail  this  book  with  special  delight. 

The  Conversion  of  India.  By  George  Smith,  CLE.,  LL.D.  Dr. 
George  .Smith,  of  Edinbmgli,  ^Mission  Secretary  of  tlie  Free  Church  of 
Scotland,  is  well  known  among  readers  of  missionary  literature  as  tlie  biog- 
rapher of  Dutr,  Wilson,  Henry  ^lartyn,  and  other  stars  of  tlie  first  magni- 
tude in  the  spiritual  heavens. 

He  lived  for  several  years  in  Serampore,  near  Calcutta,  the  scene  of  the 
labors  of  Cary,  Marshinan,  and  W'ard.  At  his  house  in  Edinburgli,  in 
iSSo,  it  was  the  writer's  privilege  to  meet,  for  the  first  time,  Xarayan 
Sheshadri,  whom  even  Alozoomdar,  in  liis  recent  article  in  T/ie  Outlook., 
speaks  well  of.  Whoever  is  disturbed  by  that  article  of  Mozoomdar's  in 
T/ie  Outlook  should  read  Bishop  Tlioburn's  hopeful  presentation  of  mis- 
sionary progress  in  India  in  The  Independent  for  May  24tli. 

Dr.  Smitli's  Conversion  of  India  includes  tlie  years  from  A.  D.  193-1S93. 
As  a  full  review  of  tiiis  volune  appears  in  The  ^lissionary  Herald  for  Jime, 
we  will  simply  refer  oiu"  readers  to  it  as  an  invaluable  addition  to  the  refer- 
ence liljrary.  As  The  Missionary  Herald  says,  it  is  "  tlie  Avoik  of  an 
erudite  scholar,  of  a  philosophic  historian,  as  well  as  a  devout  and 
evangelical  Clu  istian."  G.  11.  c. 

The  Bishop's  Conversion,  by  Ellen  Blackmar  Maxwell.  Hunt  &  Eaton, 
New  York,  price  $1.25. 

"The  India  of  one's  dreams  is  a  fanciful  India,  an<l  exists  only  in  visions 
and .  poets' fancies,"  says  Mrs.  Maxwell  early  in  her  book.  To  those  who 
have  seen  India  only  in  poetical  passages  of  the  "Mahabarata"  or  the  "Light 
of  Asia,"  Mrs.  Maxwell's  interior  views  are  disenchanting  and  somewhat 
prosaic.  Here  is  a  clear,  unidealized  picture  of  the  evervdav  life  of  the  mis- 
sionary, sometimes  in  the  chincli,  sometimes  in  the  pubiisliing  house,  often 
in  the  scliool,  oftencr  on  evangelical  tours,  but,  what  is  the  special  charm  of 
the  book,  oftcnest  in  tlie  liome,  \vliosc  Christian  domestic  life  sets  strangely 
against  tlie  background  of  an  Indian  ?nena<^e. 

Next  to  these  interesting  interiors,  the  interest  of  the  book  is  sustained  by 
character  pictures  revealing  the  Iliiulu  mind  witli  a  clearness  and  fidelity 
impossible  to  mere  description.  The  romance  of  .Sitara  is  well  worth  the 
price  of  the  book  ;  but  this  work  is  not  written  for  its  romance  or  its  novel 
local  color,  but  has  manifestly  a  serious  object,  lightlv  satirical  or  painfullv 
pathetic,  of  teaching  us  wliQ  remain  at  home  how  ill-taken  :ire  our  points 
when  wc  would  jjrescribe  tiie  same  rules  of  living  for  our  Christian  workers 
in  the  liomc  and  foieign  fields. 

The  fact  that  Mrs.  Maxwell  writes  the  "Bishop's  Conversion"  with  liei' 
own  heart's  blood,  and  that  her  husband  was  a  noble  sacrifice  to  the  work 
which  shortened  his  life  by  at  least  twenty  years,  adds  to  the  interest  wc  take 
in  its  pages.  They  will  be  not  merely  more  intelligent  adherents  of  mission- 
ary work  in  India  who  read  this  booU,  but  more  ])ractical  believers  in  that 
crucial  saying  of  our  Lord,  "Ho  that  loseth  his  life  for  my  sake  shall  find 
it."  I,.  M.  II. 


382 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


TOPICS  FOR  AUXILIARY  MEETINGS. 
August. — Missionary  Siiips.    See  Life  and  Light  for  July. 
September. — Proportionate  Giving. 

October. — Two  Lives  Given  to  India  and  Ceylon  :  Mrs.  Harriet  Newell 
and  Miss  Eliza  Agnew. 

November. — Thank-ofiering  Meetings. 

December. — The  Life  and  Times  of  Dr.  Cyrus  Hamlin. 


PROPORTIONATE  GIVING. 


TOPIC  FOR  SEPTEMBER. 

It  is  hoped  that  this  subject  will  be  considered  in  all  our  auxiliaries  in  the 
most  personal  manner,  and  tiiat  steps  will  be  taken  to  secure  as  many  signa- 
tures as  possible  to  the  pledge  cards  issued  by  the  Board.  The  j^ledge  reads 
as  follows  :  "  I  promise  that  for  the  }  ear  ending  ...  I  will  set  apart  a  fixed 
proportion  of  my  income  for  religious  and  bene\  oIcnt  piu'pose.  Of  this  sum 
I  will  give  a  definite  part  for  the  work  of  the  Woman's  Board  of  Missions." 
A  printed  form  of  a  letter  to  accompany  the  card  when  sent  to  individuals 
will  be  furnished  by  the  Board  (free)  if  desired. 

The  following  programme  for  the  meeting  is  suggested  :  i.  Singing.  2. 
Responsive  Reading  (arranged  by  Mrs.  Esther  Tuttle  Pritchard,  price  2 
cents).  3.  Prayer.  4.  Paper  on  "Stewardship  ;"  see  leaflets, ''The  Tenfold 
Blessing  of  the  Tenth"  (free),  and  "Christian  vStewardshi])"  (price  3  cents). 
5.  Explanation  of  general  jDlan  for  Proportionate  Giving;  see  leaflet,  "Pay- 
ing what  we  Owe"  (price  i  cent).  6.  Personal  Experience  in  Proportionate 
Giving,  by  one  or  more  present.  If  no  one  has  had  this  experience  let  some 
one  reacf,  "My  Little  Box"  (free),  or  "One  Woman's  Experience  in  Tith- 
ing" (price  2  cents).  7-  Explanation  of  the  action  of  the  Board  on  the 
subject  (see  Life  and  Light  for  March,  April,  May,  and  June,  1S94),  and 
the  giving  out  of  pledge  cards.    8.  Prayer  of  consecration.    9.  Singing. 


WOMAN'S   BOARD   OF  MISSIONS. 

Receipts  from  May  18  to  June  IS,  1894. 
Miss  Ei.i.i;n  Cauuuth,  Tie:is\irer. 


MAINE. 

JiroirnvWe.—Y.  P.  S.  r.  K.  .and  S.  S., 

Cnlui.i. — .Mary  L.  Newton,  const,  self  L.M., 

Lyman.— -i.  1".  S.  V.  E., 

Maine  /Iranch.— Mia.  NVoodbuiy  P.  Dnn.T, 
Tieas.  Kllswoitli,  Aux.,  ID.S.'i;  Rock- 
land, Golden  Sands,  7,  liethel,  2d  Cli., 
Aux.,  prev.  cont.  const.  L.  iM.  M\sa 
G.  L.  Rowe,  10,  Little  llelpeis,  L.'iO; 
.SkowliOKan,  iMiss'y  Soc'y,  1H.2.');  Itidde- 
ford,  I'avilion  Cli.,  Aux.,  const.  L.  M. 
AIis.T.  Artliui-  I"icy,2,''.;  Hallowcll,  Aux., 
25;  Ilanipdcn,  Aux.,  4r>,  Y.  \'.S.<\  10.,  10; 
Jonesport,  Anx.,  '.! ;  Itanpor,  Aux.,  TiO.OO; 
Watcrville,  Aux.,  20.1,3;  Gardiner,  Aux., 
iirev.  cont.  const.  L.  iM.  Mrs.  .1.  L.  Quini- 
liy,  17;  lirunswicU,  Aux.,  Vt.m);  Hath, 
M.  r.  of  Central  fli.,  27,  V.  I".  S.  ('.  V.., 
10;  East  Macliias,  Aux.,  '..30;  Litelilleld 
<'orncr,  Aux.,  ](,;  Krvcl)urir,  Aux.,  20; 
Yarinontli,  1st  Cli.,  a"ux.,  2.').7.'i ;  llari)s- 
well  Cejitre,  Anx..  prev.  cont.  const.  I.. 
M.  Mrs.  W.  C.  Kalon,  14 ;  'I'lioniaston, 
Aux.,  f,;  Woohvicli,  Y.  P.  C.  E.,  12.50; 
lloolliliay  llarlior,  prev.  cont.  const.  L. 


n  flo 

2.'-.  CO 
2  13 


M.  Mrs.  Mary  Alice  Real  and  Mrs.  M.  O. 
PattoM,  4!);  Cuinlierland  Centre,  Aux., 
Tliank  OIT.,  24.;i0;  Orouo,  Aux.,  5.84; 
Denmark,  La<lies'  contrili.,  1;  Jielfast, 
Aux.,  23;  llrooks,  C'onp;.  C'li.  and  Soc'y 
2;  Soutli  Ereeport,  Aux.,  55.50;  Sears- 
]>ort,  Aux.,  10;  Gray,  Aux. ,7. 50;  Norridpe- 
wock,  .\u\.,  18;  West  Falniontli.  Aux., 
10,  M.C,  3;  Iirid);t(>n,  Aux.,  14;  Kcnne- 
Imukport,  Aux.,  11.20;  Saco,  Aux.,  IG; 
Karniinjiton,  Aux.,  37.70;  Auburn,  Gtll 
St.  Cli.,  Aux.,  5;  Castine,  Ladies  of  Cong. 
Cli.,  10;  Lewiston,  Pino  St.  Cli.,  Anx., 
const.  I,.  M.  Mrs.  Mary  Fogc  and  Mrs. 
Harriet  Sands,  50;  AVoodford's,  Cong. 
Cli.,  Aux.,  const.  I/.  M.  Mrs.  Martha 
Newuian  151,ike,  25;  Gorham,  Anx.,  29; 
SoMlli  I'aris,  Aux.,  10;  Pliippshurg,  Aux., 
12,4);  Warren,  Anx.,  10;  No.  Eduecoinl), 
Aux.,  4.50;  Wintlirop,  Aux.,  6;  Portland, 
Union  Miss'v  Me<'tinc;,  12.83,  Y.  Ladies 
M.  11.,  118,  State  St.  Cli.,  Aux.  (of  which 
25  from  a  Friend  const.  I,.  M.  Mi.s8  Helen 
M.  Pntncv\  115.35,  "The  Gleaners,"  40. 
High  St.Ch.,  M.C.,  100.90,  2d  Parish  Cli., 
Aux.,  42,  Williston  Ch.,  Aux.,  prev.  cont. 


RECEIPTS. 


383 


const.  L.  M.  Mrs.  Jeunie  B.  Loi  inp,  Mrs. 

M.  W.  Peuiiell,  Miss  Addie  S.  Davis,  29, 1,321  20 

Total,      1,359  33 

NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 

New  Hampshire  Branch.— Miss  A.  E.  Mc- 
Intire,  Treas.  Bedford,  Aux.,  8.70;  Can- 
terbury, M.  C,  15;  Concord,  Aux.,  20, 
■\Vheeler  Circle,  52;  Candia,  Helpers,  5; 
Brookline,  Aux.,  13.18;  Dover,  Y.  P.  S. 

C.  E.  of  1st  Cli.,  20;  Dunbartoii,  Hillside 
Laborers,  5;  Exeter,  Aux.,  5,  Miss  M. 
Gordon,  Thank  Off.,  5,  Junior  C.  E.,  1st 
Cli.,  13;  Hampton,  Buds  of  Promise,  5; 
Henniker,  Ladies  of  Cong.  Ch.,  17.50; 
Hinsdale,  Aux.,  10;  Lancaster,  M.  C, 
20;  .Meredith,  Aux.,  18;  Nashua,  A>ix., 
48,  Friends,  90.94;  Hanover,  Friends,  14; 
Plaistow  and  No.  Haverhill,  Aux.,  22; 
Sullivan,  East,  Friends,  2;  Swanzey, 
Aux.,  10;  Troy,  Aux.,  const.  L.  .M.  Mrs. 

D.  W.  Eraser,  25.50;  Warner,  Four  Leaf 
Clover  Club,  1;  Webster,  "Alfred  Little 
Gleaners,"  8;  Winchester,  Aux.,  13.75; 
Claremont,  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.,  10;  Greenland, 
Aux.  20  497  57 

Suncook.—T.  M.  Mill,  2  00 


Total, 


4U9  57 


VERMONT. 


Vermont  liranch.—'SUs.  T.  }>l.  Howard, 
Treas.  Barre,  Willing  Helpers,  10.83; 
Bennington,  No.,  Aux.,  1.11,  Junior  C. 
E.,  2;  Bethel,  Mrs.  Laura  F.  SparliawU, 
10;  IJrattleboro,  Aux.,  30;  lirattlolioro, 
West,  Junior  ('.  E.,  2;  Burlington,  Col- 
lege St.  Ch.  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.,  10;  ('allot. 
Lower,  Y.  1'.  S.  C.  K.,  10;  Fairfield  Cen- 
tic,  Cong.  Ch.,  7;  Franklin  Co.  Offering, 
4.75;  Georgia,  Aux.,  3.50;  Higligate,  7.75; 
IMiddlebury,  King's  D.iu.,  5;  Saxton's 
Kiver,  Merry  Bills,  2;  Stanstead,  South, 
Aux.,  12..50;  St.  Jolnisbnry,  So.  Ch., 
Aux.,  39.25,  North  Ch.,  Aux.  (of  which 
5  Thank  Off.;,  38.    Less  expense,  5.C5,      190  04 


Total, 


190  04 


MASSACHUSETTS. 


Amherst.— Y.  P.  S.  0.  E.  of  South  Cong. 
Cli.,  5  00 

Antloverand  Wobiirn  liranch.—'SUs.Chws. 
E.  .Swett,  Treas.  Billcrica,  Willing 
Workers,  10 ;  Winchester,  .Mission  I'nion, 
50;  Lexington,  Aux.,  15,  a  Friend,  1; 
West  Medford,  M.  C,  8,  84  00 

Berkshire  /iranch.— Mrs.  C.  E.  West, 
Tre.is.  Adams,  Aux.,  42.83;  Curtisvillc, 
Aux.,  33.30;  Dalton,  Y.  L.,  2;  IJinsdale, 
Aux.,  48.03;  Housatonic,  Aux.,  12.30; 
Lee,  Willing  Workers,  39.75,  Aux.,  2; 
Lenox,  (;olden  Rule,  10;  .Mill  Rivei', 
18.75;  New  Lebanon,  20.75;  Peru,  1«; 
PittHtlcld,  1st  Ch.,  Aux.,.53.2ti.  .Memorial, 
60,  Coral  Workers,  (i3.28,  South  Ch.,  Aux., 
70.33;  Sheffleld,  Aux.,  32.78;  W.  Stock- 
bridge,  Anx.,  8.75,  62C  11 

/JewcWj/.— (Jeorge  Dvi  Bols,  Charles  W.a- 
ters,  and  Kdward  Edson  I'rortor,  10  cts. 
each,  30 

Essex  So.  //r«Hc/i.— Miss  Sarah  W.  Clark, 
Treas.    Lynn,  Y.  P.  S.  C.  K.  of  IsK  li., 


1,  of  Chestnut  St.  Ch.,  10;  Lynnfield 
Centre,  Aux.,  16,  27  OO 

Franklin.— y.  P.  S.  C.  E.,  10  00 

Franklin  Co.  Branch.— Miss  L.  A.  Spar- 
hawk,  Treas.  Greenfield,  Aux.,  1.15; 
Orange,  Aux.,  32,  33  15 

Hampshire  Co.  Braiich.— Miss  H.  J.  Knee- 
land,  Treas.  Belchertown,  .\ux.,  1.89; 
Hadley,  Aux.,  29;  Hatfield,  Aux.,  6.98; 
Huntington  Hill,  Aux.,  2;  Northamp- 
ton, 1st  Ch.,  Div.,  15,  .M.  B.,  17.70,  Ed- 
wards Ch.,  Junior  Aux.,  150,  Gordon  Hall 
Band,  17.85;  South  Hadley,  Faithful  J 
Workers,  30;  C'umminglon,  Aux.,  2,  272  42 
Middlesex  Uranch.—Mrs.  E.  H.  Bigelow, 
Treas.  Framingliam,  Aux.,  1.50;  So. 
Framingham,  Aux.,  96.78,  Y.  P.  .S.  C.  E., 
6.50;  Hojikinton,  .\ux.,3;  Maynard,  Mrs. 
Lucy  A.  .Maynard,  in  mem.  of  Fannie, 
Marv,  Hattie,  and  "Little  Vickie,"  10; 
Sudbury,  Helping  Hand  Soc'y,  10;  Wel- 
lesley,  l)ana  Hall  Miss'y  Soc'y,  75,  202  78 

jVex;  liraintree.—.K  Friend,  40 
Norfolk  and  Pil'jrim  /Ira7ich.—Miss  S. 

B.  Tirrell,  Treas.     l!rocktou,  Aux.,  85; 

So.  Weymouth,  Olil  South  Ch.,  Aux.,  8,     93  00 
North  Middlesex  Bra7ich.— Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Hunt,  Treas.     Harvard,  Y.  P.  S. 

C.  E.,  10  00 
.S'«7ew. -.Junior  C.  E.  of  Croinbie  St.  Ch.,  5  OO 
South  Hadley.— Miss  Mary  L.  Judd's  .S.  S. 

Class.  11  36 

S'/. (■(«;/»>'/'/. —Junior  Aux.  Olivet  Ch.,  10  OO 

Spri/ii/jiflil  Branch.  — M\ss  H.T.  Bucking- 
ham,'Treas.  Holyoke,  1st  Ch.,  Aux.,  70, 
2d  Ch.,  I'll  Try  Band,  14.50;  Springfield, 
Hope  Ch.,  Jlission  Reserves,  10,  North 
Ch.,  .\ux.,  2,"),  Park  Ch.,  Aux.,  205.04, 
South  Ch.,  Junior  Aux.,  10,  Olivet  Ch., 
M.  B  ,  10,  344  54 

Suffolk  Branch.— Miss  Myia  B.  Child, 
Treas.  Arlington,  Y.  L.'.M.  C.  15;  Au- 
burndale.  King's  Dau.,20,  Lasell  Sem'y, 
10;  ISoston,  .Mt.  Vernon  Ch.,  Aux.,  114, 
Y.  L.  Aux.,  25,  Central  Ch.,  Aux.,  S.  S., 
and  Sale,  322.97.  Park  St.,  Aux.,  36.3, 
Echo  Band.  15,  Shawmut  Ch.,  Aux.,  21, 
Jliss  Mary  R.  Bisboi«,  20,  Union  Ch.,  Y. 
L.  Aux.,  90;  Cambridgeport,  Y.  L.  M.  C, 
15;  Charlestown,  .Junior  C.  E.  of  Win- 
throp  Ch.,  5;  Chelsea,  3d  Ch.,  10.80;  Dor- 
chester, Pilgrim  Ch.,  Aux.,  21.10,  Village 
Ch.,  Sunshine  Circle,  .'i;  E.  Boston,  Ma- 
dura Aux.,  17.20;  Jamaica  Plain,  Junior 
C.  E.  of  Central  Ch.,,30;  .Veedham,  Aux., 
20;  Norwood,  Anx.,  .^0;  Roxbiny,  .\ux. 
of  Eliot  Ch.,  25,  .Vux.  Immanucl  Ch., 
5.69,  Walnut  .\ve.,  .\nx.,  prcv.  cont. 
const.  L.  .M's  Mrs.  W.  1".  Kitti  idgc,  Mrs. 
J.  W.  Hubbard,  .Mrs.  F.  II.  Uullens,  Mrs. 
C.  H.  Foster,  Mrs.  C.  II.  W.  Wood,  Mrs. 
(!eo.  Fisk,  .Mrs.  G.  W.  <;rcgorv,  Mrs. 
F.  W.  F.  Leach;  .Somerville,  Jlioad- 
way  Ch.,  Y.  P.  S.  C.  10.,  10,  "Mrs.  Martha 
K.  Whitaker  .Memo.  Kami."  10,  Prosjiect 
Hill  Ch.,  Aux.,  16.75;  Ni-wton.  Littlo 
Helners  of  Eliot  Ch.,  15,  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E., 
10;  Newton  Centre,  Aux.,  58.10,  Y.  P.  S. 
C.  E.,  10,  .Maria  11.  Furber  .M.  H.,  10;  New- 
tonvdle,  .Vux.,  125.82:  W.  Newton,  Aux., 
•25;  Waltham,  Aux.,  Tt  in.  Cli.,  20,  1,1537  43 

HV)rr<"ii^rc.  — Class  in  Hope  Ch.,  S.  S.,  1.50, 

Y.  P.  S.  C.  K.  of  Pdgi  ini  Ch.,  10,  11  50 

lyorcfster  Co.  Branch.  y\r>i.  E.  A.  Sum- 
ner, Treas.  Clinton,  .Junior  C.  E.,  10; 
llolden,  Aux.,  1(1;  .Millburv,  S.  S.  Class, 
Prim.  Class,  and  ,M.C.  of  ist  C.  C,  15.92; 


384 


LIFE   AND  LIGHT. 


Southbi  idsc  Hnikside  M.  C,  10;  West- 
boroufrli,  Aux.,  29;  Worcester,  Park  Cli. 


M.  C,  5,  79  92 

 .— "R,"  10  00 

 .—A  Friend,  5  00 

Total,  3,278  91 

CONNEOTICnX. 

Jlarkhamstead. — A  Friend.  80 


Eastern  Conn.  Jiranch.— Miss  M.  I.  Look- 
wood,  Tieas.  ISozrali,  .\ux.,  11.50;  Lis- 
bon, Aux.  (of  which  25  const.  L.  AI.  Mrs. 
Sarah  li.  Uadley),  28;  AVindliam,  Mrs.  C. 
G.  Latliioi),  5;  Groton,  .\ux.,  24.50 ;  Put- 
nam, Aux.,  prev.  coiit.  const.  L.  M.  .Mrs. 
J.  W.  Cutler,  .Mrs.  Chas.  X.  Fenn,  and 
JMrs.  JIary  J.  Chase,  66.28;  Lebanon, 
Aux.,  10;  \Vauregan,  Aux.,  20;  Ponifret, 
Aux.,  36;  New  London,  1st  Cli.,  Aux.,  89, 
2d  Ch.,  Aux.,  108. i:6;  Hrooklyn,  Aux., 
prev.  cont.  const.  L.  .M.  jMis.  Geo.  Gil- 
bert and  .Miss  Eva  Snow,  02;  Jewett 
City,  .•Vux.,10;  Griswold,  Aux.,  22;  North 
Woodstock,  Aux.  (of  which  25  const.  L. 
SI.  Miss  Sarah  L.  ISishop),  28.50;  Central 
Tillage,  Aux.,  12.3.j;  Taftvdle,  Aux.,  16; 
Stonington,  Aux.,  2d  Cli.,  8.35;  Wood- 
stock, Aux.,  58;  Norwich,  Park  Cli., 
Aux.,  131.73,  2d  Cli.,  Aux.,  28;  Hanover, 
Aux.,  13;  I'reston.  Long  Soc'v,  5.25, 
Aux.,  11.15;  Plaintield,  Aux.,  18.60;  Col- 
chester, Y.  L.  M.  .S.,  13.13,  Wide  Awakes, 
8.05,  Hoys,  M.  15.,  0;  Griswold,  Pncliaug, 
Acorn  M.  C,  14;  IMitnani,  jM.  Workers, 
50;  lirooklvn,  .M.  WorUcrs,  4;  Norwich, 
2d  Ch.,  Thistledown  .Soc'y,  CO,  Park  Ch., 
Y.  L.  Aux.,  25;  (Jrotoii,  S.  S.,  15.50;  New 
London,  1st  Ch.,  Ransom  Band,  7.71; 
Norwich,  1st  Ch.,  Light  Bearers,  20; 
Jewett  City,  .Junior  C.  E.  M.  I!.,  5,  1,051  66 

Hart/oid  fSranch.— Mrs.  M.  Bradford 
.Scott,  Trcas.  Bristol,  Aux.,  14.10;  En- 
field, Kings  St.  M.  C,  10;  Hartford,  1st 
Ch.,  Aux.,  2,  I'eail  St.  Cli.,  Cradle  Roll, 
18;  iManchesler,  2d  Ch.,  21.82;  New  Brit- 
ain, 1st  Ch.,  .\\\\.,  72.76,  Little  Givers  M. 
C,  5.24,  South  Ch.,  Aux.,  120;  Ncwmg- 
ton,  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.,  2.21,  260  13 

Total,       1,318  59 

LEGACY. 

J\'or?('ie/i.— Legacy  of  Mrs.  Mary  li.  Coit,    500  00 


NEW  VOKK. 

GloversviHe.—.TnniorC.  E.,  5  00 

A'ew  York  State  /I  nine  It. —Miss  C.  A. 
Holmes,  Ticas.  Coll.  at  An.  Meeting, 
31.70;  Brooklyn,  Lewis  Ave.  Ch.,  King's 
I)au  ,  }3.M.  '.liiiiior  Circle,  5,  ICaniest 
Workers,  7,  New  Eng.  <'h.,  Aux.,  const. 
L.  iM.  .Miss  Margaret  Boyd  and  .Mrs.  Em- 
ilia S.  Phillips,  50,  East  Ch.,  Aux.,  15; 
Buffalo,  1st  Ch.,  S.  S.,  1.5,  W.  G.  Ban- 
croft .M.  I!.,  20,  .Mrs.  \V.  G.  liaiicroft, 
200;Crowii  Point.  A ux., 5.5n ;  East  Blooiii- 
fleld,  Aux.,  12  63;  Ellington,  Aux.,  19; 
Elmira,  Park  Ch.,  Aux..  60;  E.  Sniith- 
flelil.  Pa.,  Aux.,  10.50,  V.  P.  S.  C.  E.,3.29; 
Fairjiort,  Aux.,  15;  Gaines,  I'liioii,  10; 
Hamilton,  Aux.,  14;  .T.iiiieslowii,  .\ux., 
2.";,  .luiiior  C.  E.,  10;  Millvillc,  Aux..  1; 
Newark  Valli-y,  China  Band,  12;  New 
Y'oi  k,  Pilgrim  Ch.,  Aux.,  20;  Broadway, 


Tabernacle  Aux.,  125;  Rochester,  Mount 
Hor,  Jliss'v  Friends,  30,  Children  of 
jMonroe  Hill  M.  B.,  3.25;  Scraiitoii,  Pa., 
Aux.,  20;  Sinclairville,  Aux.,  1.70.  Less 


expenses,  251.95,  503  12 

 .— .\.  Friend,  5  00 

 .—A  Friend,  5  00 

Total,  518  12 

NEW  JERSEY. 

East  Orange.— Mrs.  C.  H.  Everest,  15  00 

Total,  15  00 

PENNSYLVANIA. 


Philadelphia  Dranch.—M\ss  E.  Flavell, 
Treas.  D.  C:  Washington,  1st  Ch.,  Aux., 
51.76,  M.  C.  (of  which  50  const.  L.  M's 
Mrs.  M.  Ross  Fishburn  and  Miss  Ellen 
Marshall  Rugg),  75,  Junior  C.  E.,  20; 
N.  J.,  East  Orange,  1st  Ch.,  Aux.,  9.5, 
Trinity  Ch.,  W.  F.  M.  S.,  24.25;  Eliza- 
beth, "Y.  p.  S.  C.  E.,  10;  Jersey  Citv, 
Aux.,  29.69;  Newark,  Belleville  Ave.  Cli., 
Aux.,  1,  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.,  15;  Orange  Val- 
lev,  Aux.,  15;  Paterson,  \'.  P.  S.  C.  E., 
lO";  Westficld,  Infant  Class  in  S.  S.,  6; 


Penii.,  Philadelidiia,  Aux.,  120.30,  473  00 

Total,  473  00 
NORTH  CAROLINA. 

J/iOh  Point.— \y.  M.  17.,  1  00 

Ni'ltsboro.—  \Y.  M.  U.,  1  50 

Total,  2  50 

FLOUIDA. 

Jiitcrlcchen.—Awx.,  10  00 

Total,  10  00 

OHIO. 

ll  akeman.—S.  S.,  28  50 

Total,  28  50 

TENNESSEE. 

Mossy  CVeefc.— Alice  M.  Crosby,  5  00 

Total,  5  00 

■WISCONSIN. 

Oak  Centre.— ilrs.  S.  B.  Howard,  1  80 

Total,  1  80 

KANSAS. 

Fmjwria.— Carrie  Bradley,  4  99 

Total,  4  99 

CANADA. 

(Viri/.-W.  B.  M.,  92  50 

Total,  92  50 

(ieneral  Funds,  7,797  85 

Variety  Account,  40  SI 

Legacies,  5«0  00 


Total,    88,344  36 


OUR  MISSIONARIES. 

MRS.  JAMES  C.  PERKINS. 

Rev.  J.  C.  Perkins  and  family,  also  Miss  Mary  Perkins,  are  stationed  at 
Arupukottai,  in  the  Madura  Mission,  India.  Rev.  J.  C.  Perkins  and  Aliss 
Mary  Perkins  are  from  San  Fran- 
cisco, California,  their  father,  Mr. 
.Samuel  Perkins,  having  been  for 
many  years  a  resident  of  the  State. 
Ikliss  Mary  Perkins  was  tlie  first  presi- 
dent of  our  Young  Ladies'  Branch, 
and  the  second  from  among  their 
own  ninii1)er  to  enter  the  foreign 
field.  vShe  sailed  for  Intlla  in  Octo- 
ber, iSSS,  her  father  assuming  all 
her  expenses.  Mrs.  J.  C.  Perkins 
was  born  in  Baltimore,  Maryland, 
where  she  li\ed,  after  her  mother's 
dealli,  witii  her  two  aunts.  Mr. 
Perkins  preached  during  a  vacation 
from  Princeton  in  the  Faith  Church, 
Baltimore,  and  there  became  acquain- 
ted with  Miss  Taylor.  She  was  at 
that  time  teaching  in  the  city.  They 
were  married  in  June,  1SS5,  and  soon 
started  for  India.  TiicN'  were  first 
stationed  at  Pasnmalai,  afterwards  at 
Arupukottai.  Ouv  Boaid  has  con- 
tributed five  hundred  dollars  a  vcar 
to  the  school  work,  under  the  charge 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perkins,  a  part  of 

(3S.O 


MRS.  JANMCS  C.  rr.RKlNS. 


386 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


\vhich  has  been  distributed  in  fifteen-dollar  scholarships,  for  the  support 
of  worthy  girls.  In  the  boarding  school  at  Arupukottai,  under  the  care  of 
Miss  Mary  Perkins,  more  than  ninety  children  are  cared  for  in  all  respects. 
Within  a  year  eight  of  the  older  girls  have  united  with  the  church.  There 
are  many  day  schools  in  the  mission,  attended  by  several  thousand  Christian 
and  non-Christian  children.  Mrs.  Perkins  has  sent  us  the  sketch  of  "Saral," 
one  of  their  young  Hindu  girls,  which  has  interested  very  many  in  this 
countr\',  and  shows  what  fifteen  dollars  a  year  will  do  for  the  girls  of  India. 
This  sketch  can  be  obtained  by  application  to  our  secretaries.  Mr.  Perkins 
writes  to  a  personal  friend  :  "You  do  not  know  what  a  fight  it  is !    We  go 


PKRKIN'S  liUXGALOW. 


into  school  work,  and  read  and  teach  the  Bible  there.  We  send  women  into 
the  houses.  We  have  street  i^reaching,  bazaar  preaching,  singing,  the  dis- 
tribution of  Scripture  and  tracts,  the  exhibition  of  stereopticon  pictures  illus- 
trating the  Scriptures,  all  besides  the  regular  church  services.  I  appreciate 
the  words  'fishers  of  men'  as  never  before." 

MISS  LYDIA  GERTRUDE  BARKER. 

Miss  Barker  was  born  in  San  Francisco,  Januarv  17,  1S69.  She  takes  the 
name  Lydia  from  her  father's  mother,  whom  in  many  respects  she  closely 
resembles.  Her  early  education  was  in  the  public  schools  of  Oakland  and 
Berkeley.    At  the  age  of  thirteen  siie  entered  Harmon  Seminary,  graduating 


OUR  MISSIONARIES. 


387 


at  eighteen.  We  are  unable  to  determine  any  fixed  time  of  her  conversion  ; 
she  was  a  child  of  God  from  infancy,  joining  the  church  in  Berkeley  when 
twelve  years  of  age.  S!ie  has  always  been  an  active  and  earnest  worker  for 
the  dear  Master,  and  has  seemed  to  us  at  home  as  untiring  in  her  desire  and 
effort  to  do  good  and  win  souls.  At  the  early  age  of  sixteen  she  felt  the  call 
to  go  to  India.  Xo  doubt  her  attention  was  first  attracted  to  this  matter  by 
her  Sunday-school  teacher,  Miss  Mary  Perkins,  now  working  so  faithfully 
in  the  Madura  mission.  She  often 
talked  about  India  with  her  mother, 
expressing  a  wish  to  go  out  to  assist 
Miss  Perkins.  Her  parents  felt  that  she 
has  had  the  missionary  spirit  in  strong 
measure  for  fully  six  years.  They  dis- 
couraged her  going  until  she  became 
older,  but  she  has  been  quietly  persist- 
ent, and  has  never  wavered  in  her  pur- 
pose. She  has  felt  that  a  medical 
course  would  greatly  increase  her  use- 
fulness, and  looks  forward  to  the  possi- 
bility of  this  course  at  a  later  da}-. 
About  two  years  ago  she  received  a  very 
urgent  letter  from  Miss  Perkins,  at  which 
time  she  expressed  her  desire  with  so 
much  earnestness  to  her  parents  that 
they  coidd  no  longer  refuse  her.  She 
afterward  prepared  for  her  mission 
work,  spending  some  six  months  at  the 
Moody  Training  School  in  Chicago, 
under  the  faithful,  helpful  care  of  Mrs. 
Capron.    She  left  for  India,  October  5,  1893. 

Miss  Barker  is  the  daugliter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  L.  Barker,  of  Berke- 
ley, California.  Our  Board  Iiaving  met  all  expenses  necessary  to  placing 
her  in  her  chosen  field,  her  father  assumes  her  support.  Miss  Barker  is  our 
youngest  and  our  latest  adopted  missionary.  We  feel  tiiat  a  life  of  great 
usefulness  is  before  her. 


MISS  BARKER. 


MISS  ALIC  E  J.  STAKKWKATIIKK. 

Miss  Starkweather  sailed  for  Japan  in  1S76,  from  her  home  in  Hartford, 
Conn.  Iler  field  in  Japan  was  scliool  work  in  Kyoto.  Siie  was  in  charge 
of  the  girls'  boarding  scliool,  having  two  lady  associates;  also  two  Japanese 


380 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


teachers,  and  a  Japanese  matron.  There  were  forty  boarders  in  the  school. 
Frequent  letters  from  Miss  Starkweather  kept  us  in  close  touch  with  the  en- 
terprise. Letters  in  good  English  were  received  from  the  JajDanese  girls, 
and  many  became  Christians.  But  Miss  Starkweatlier's  health  broke  down, 
and  after  ten  years  of  most  faithful  service  she  was  obliged  to  give  up  her 
work  in  Japan. 

MISS  ALICE   E.  HARWOOD. 

]Miss  Harwood  is  the  daughter  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  H.  Harwood,  of 
Claremont,  Los  Angeles  County,  Cal.  She  was  born  at  Crystal  Lake,  111. 
She  was  converted,  and  joined  her  father's  church  in  St.  Louis  wiien  she 
was  thirteen  years  old.  She  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
St.  Louis,  and  spent  five  years  at 
Oberlin  College,  including  two 
years  given  to  the  study  of  art  in 
the  Art  Department.  She  taught 
three  years  in  her  father's  academy 
at  Santa  Ana,  and  also  at  Orange 
Collegiate  Institute,  both  in  South- 
ern California. 

As  the  oldest  daughter  of  a  large 
family,  she  had  many  home  duties. 
She  was  also  active  in  Christian 
Endeavor  circles,  and  in  all  kinds 
of  church  work.  Her  attention 
had  been  for  some  time  directed 
toward  foreign  mission  work,  and 
after  making  formal  application 
for  apjjointment  to  the  American 
Board  in  December,  iSyo,  she  was 
adopted  by  our  Woman's  Board. 
She  took  a  three  months'  course 
at  Chicago,  in  Mr.  Moody's  Bible 
Training  School,  and  completed  miss  harwood. 

her  arrangcuients  to  leave  for  Jap- 
an, sailing  in  September,  1S91.    Mrs.  Harwood,  being  then  president  of 
our  Southern  Branch,  the  fact  that  her  daughter  was  about  to  go  as  a  mis- 
sionary awakened  much  enthusiasm. 

Miss  Harwood  found  her  first  Christian  work  in  Niigata.  J^atcr  siic  was 
transferred  to  Kumamoto,  Japan,  where  she  is  now  located. 


BULGARIA. 

LETTER  FRO.\[  MARY  M.  HASKELL. 

Samoko\-,  1?ulgakia,  May  7,  1S94. 

Mv  DEAR  Mks.  Clark  :  I  am  going  to  give  inwself  a  treat  tiiis  nftei  iioou 
in  the  way  of  a  visit  with  you.  Downstairs  a  girl  is  cleaning  the  parlor, 
and  a  hoy  beating  the  carpet,  and  I  am  sitting  in  this  clean  study  with  a 
mind  at  rest.  Yon  see,  wiiile  the  dear  little  mother  and  father  are  awa\'  at 
annual  meeting,  we  are  trying  to  get  this  house  clean  from  garret  to  cellar. 
It  is  a  delight  to  walk  from  one  room  to  another  and  congratulate  one's 
self  that  it  is  all  "getting  done."  This  morning  we  could  have  shouted  for 
joy  on  learning  of  the  cjuarantine  that  delavs  tiie  party  a  whole  da\ ,  and 
gives  us  an  extra  day  to  prepare  for  the  work  of  tiie  coming  term.  Of 
course  I  had  known  all  along  of  quarantine,  but  had  not  thought  of  it  as  a 
means  of  blessing  before. 

Miss  Maltbie  is  with  the  party.  Slie  lias  gone  to  read  lu-r  report  of  llie 
school,  and  to  ])lea(l  for  a  six  vears'  course,  tiiat  we  mav  not  fall  below  the 
grade  of  education  that  tlie  iiation.d  schools  maintain,  and  be  |iut  to  shame 


390 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


by  our  neighbors.  So  we  are  waiting,  now,  all  busv  with  preparations  for 
the  new  term,  and  longing  to  hear  

Alas,  alas!     "The  best  laid  plans  of  mice  and  men"  

Tuesday. — Yesterday,  just  as  I  had  settled  myself  for  a  visit,  a  caller 
came.  We  almost  never  have  callers,  and  it  was  a  pity  to  have  the  house  in 
the  process  of  being  cleaned,  and  quite  upside  down.  But  never  mind.  As 
this  caller  was  calling,  a  telegram  came  from  Para,  announcing  the  fact  that 
tlie  travelers  arrive  to-day,  Tuesday. 

Qiiarantine  must  be  lifted.  To  think  of  the  trouble  that  quarantine  has 
caused  us  all  along,  and  just  now,  when  it  might  have  served  us  so  well,  it 
is — not.  You  may  imagine  a  house  as  busy  as  a  beehive.  Three  women 
at  work,  and  a  girl  sewing  for  me,  and  Miss  Maltbie's  rooms  at  the  school 
being  cleaned,  and  your  missionary  correspondent  vacillating  among  the 
cleaners,  now  arranging  closet  siielves,  now  directing,  now  studying.  We 
are  baking  bread,  also,  and  getting  in  supplies,  making  yeast,  and  browning 
coffee  ;  just  exactly  the  work  that  must  be  done  in  the  grand  city  of  Chicago. 

Our  house  is  large,  and  very  pleasant,  with  its  sunny  windows  and  views 
of  the  mountains.  We  have  no  carpets  tacked  down,  but  rugs,  or  pieces  of 
carpet  on  the  floors.  I  am  quite  glad,  for  the  women  don't  know  how  to 
sweep  carpets,  but  they  all  scrub  well  enough.  People  here  have  no  carpets, 
but  a.tBelek  den  (the  "  Great  Day,"  Easter)  they  bring  out  their  treasures, — 
pieces  of  carpet,  that  probablv  the  women  themseh'es  have  woven. 

Woidd  you  like  to  hear  about  our  Easter?  It  was  a  week  ago  Sunday. 
Six  weeks  before  this  the  people  have  been  fasting,  and  the  week  before 
thev  held  services  each  day  in  the  church. 

One  night  they  represented  the  burial  of  Christ.  By  Saturday  niglit 
before  Easter  the  houses  are  scoured  with  brick,  and  every  one  has  been  to 
the  bath.  Some  go  onlv  at  Christmas,  Easter,  and  before  the  great  cele- 
brations of  three  davs  for  the  Virgin  in  August.  Nearly  .every  one  has 
some  new  article  of  clothing. 

Saturday  night,  about  ten  o'clock,  they  go  to  the  dimly  lighted  churches. 
There  are  no  seats,  or  means  of  warming  the  churches  ;  and  it  is  well  at  this 
time,  for  they  are  packed  as  closely  as  people  can  stand.  The  women  are 
mostly  in  a  back  balconv  behind  a  lattice  work,  which  is  rather  a  relic  of 
Turkish  times.  Tiie  priests  keep  up  their  chanting  and  various  ceremonies 
until  nearly  midnight,  when  they  all  march  out  of  the  church,  led  by  the 
grand  bishop,  the  most  holy  of  all,  and  arrayed  in  royal  purple  and  gold 
embuoidcry.  Outside  the  church  they  keep  on  chanting  until  the  hoiu'  of 
midnight  has  come,  when  a  priest  knocks  on  a  door,  and  cries,  '»  Lift  up 
your  heads,  O  ye  gates,  and  the  King  of  glorj-  shall  come  in!"    A  voice 


LETTER  FROM   MARY  M.  HASKEI.L. 


391 


asks,  "  Who  is  the  King  of  glory?"  And  the  priest  answers,  ''The  Lord 
of  hosts,  he  is  the  King  of  glory."  The  door  miraculously  (?)  flies  open, 
and  as  the  hells  peal,  and  the  cannon  fire,  the  procession  passes  into  the 
church,  and  the  priest  says,  '"Christ  is  risen  I"  And  the  people  answer, 
''He  is  risen  indeed."  Then  the  priest  allows  the  people  to  light  their 
candles  from  his  and  from  one  another's  :  the  chandeliers  are  all  lighted  and 
set  swinging,  and  every  one  savs  to  his  neighbor,  "Christ  is  risen,"  and  is 
answered,  "  He  is  risen  indeed." 

Tliis  is  the  ideal  programme.    When  we  went  we  could  hear  notliing  and 

e  little,  and  we  were  in  the  center  of  the  church  in  a  good  place.  In  the 
procession  which  passed  out  were  some  of  the  leading  citizens,  and  among 
them  one  who  boasts  of  infidelitv,  and  another  whose  character  is  not  an 
honor  to  any  cause  ;  but  they  wish  to  keep  up  church  connections,  and  so  go 
at  this  time.  Monev  goes  a  good  way  in  this  countrv  toward  conciliating 
the  Lord  and  the  '' Holy  Virgin."  People  can  do  about  as  they  please  if 
thev  have  money  to  buy  silver  bands  or  jewels  for  the  Virgin's  pictures,  and 
to  pav  the  priests  to  pray  for  them. 

Here  I  have  been  talking  as  though  I  had  alwavs  known  vou,  but  vou  see 

>ur  kind  letter  was  so  friendly  and  sociable  it  gave  one  the  feeling  of 
acquaintance.  I  am  much  obliged  to  those  who  appointed  you  corresponding 
secretarv.  I  am  very  glad  that  you  are  from  Oberlin,  for  dear  Oberlin  is  mv 
own  College.  I  graduated  from  tlie  Literary  Course  in  '89.  I  see  bv  a 
recent  review  that  Professor  Ellis  lias  gone.  What  can  Oberlin  be  without 
him?  ^ly  favorite  professor,  whose  life  has  been  an  inspiration  and  whose 
words  are  treasured  up,  is  Professor  Chamberlain.  He  ^^•as  younger  than 
Professor  Ellis  or  Professor  Monroe  (and  of  course  we  don't  compare  anv 
one  to  President  Fairchild),  and  so  he  seemed  more  like  us  students,  and  his 
nobleness  and  goodness  came  nearer  us. 

It  is  looking  like  rain,  and  if  it  will  only  pour  down  right  hard,  I,  for  one, 
will  be  relieved.  You  see  it  is  tlie  custom  Iiere,  wiiere  railroads  are  five 
hours  away  from  us,  to  go  out  to  meet  tlie  travelers.  We  iiave  arranged  to 
out  iiorseback,  but,  as  the  Bulgarian  idiom  is,  "  It  does  not  riile  to  me" 

-night ;  or,  in  Englisli,  it  seems  pleasantcr  to  be  sitting  in  this  clean  iiouse 
writing  than  to  be  galloping  over  tlie  plains.  I  think  we  liave  iiad  ])lcntv  of 
<  \ercise  alrcadx .     I  have  promised  myself  not  to  talk  about  sciiool,  for  this  is 

cation,  and  there  would  be  no  end  should  I  begin  that  subject.  Ami  now 
1  must  go  to  see  about  tlie  workers.  The  cake  is  bakc<i,  the  sewing  girl 
gone,  and  tiiere  is  the  supjicr  to  tliink  of.  No  old  bread  in  the  liouse,  and 
the  biscuits  made  by  our  ffiithftil  Eleuka  woulil  probably  be  hca\  \ .  Must 
run  over  to  Mrs.  Kingsbury's  to  see  whether  slie  lias  old  bread.     Slic  is 


392 


LIFE   AND  LIGHT. 


going  to  take  in  tlie  Clarke  family,  and  we  Miss  Maltbie,  who  seems  like  a 
membei"  of  our  houseiiokl.  I  shall  try  to  persuade  dear  Miss  Maltbie  to  take 
some  meal  with  us  after  this.  She  has  insisted  on  boarding  at  the  school  ; 
but  after  living  there  myself  for  two  weeks  on  black  bread  and  mongas,  I  feci 
sure  Miss  Maltbie  needs  home  food. 

Please  pray  for  us,  dear  Mrs.  Clark  ;  we  especially  need  your  prayers  for 
our  workers.  Do  you  imagine  the  native  Christians  are  earnest,  thoughtful, 
grateful  souls,  eager  to  help  raise  their  people.?  The  American  Board  is 
poor,  and  we  cannot  give  them  as  much  recompense  as  they  would  like,  and 
we  never  hear  the  last  of  it.  A  day  laborer  receives  here  about  a  franc  a 
day  (/.  a  ^voman)  ;  a  carpenter  receives  two  and  a  half  francs.  But  a  lady 
teacher  receives  from  ten  to  fifteen  francs  a  day.  The  teachers  receive  the 
same  wages  as  the  Columbus  teachers  received  when  I  taught  there,  but  a 
day's  work  of  a  woman  was  five  francs.  This  seems  quite  unjust  to  us,  as 
the  common  people  are  heavily  taxed  to  pav  these  wages.  We  do  not  and 
cannot  pay  such  salaries  to  our  preachers  and  teachers,  and  consequently  we 
have  much  trouble  in  securing  workers. 

And  now  I  must  close  this  long,  rambling  letter.  If  you  can  spare  time  to 
write  to  us  sometimes,  to  remind  us  that  we  are  not  a  poor  little  handful  of 
foreigners  plodding  on  alone,  but  are  working  together  with  the  great, 
glorious  company  of  God's  people,  whose  prayers  imite  with  oiu's,  how 
courageously  and  joyfully  we  shall  go  forward  ! 

Our  friends  came  safely  ;  the  six  years'  programme  for  the  school  w:v€ 
adopted  ;  and  my  brother  was  appointed  with  Dr.  House  to  occupy  Thessalo- 
nica,  only  twenty-four  hours  from  Samokov  when  there  is  no  quarantine. 
Think  of  me  in  the  future  writing  epistles  to  the  Thessalonians  (if  the 
Prudential  Committee  at  Boston  approve  of  the  arrangement). 


CHINA. 

REPORT  OF  WOMAN'S  WORK  FOR  TIENTSIN,  1S93-94. 

liV   MISS   U.  J.  STAXLKV. 

In  casting  about  for  a  suitable  framing  for  this  report,  we  have  concluded 
that  it  is  a  matter  of  secondary  importance  ;  and  we  arc  convinced  that  if  we 
can  "  arise  and  report  progress,"  the  matter  will  entirely  overshadow  the 
manner,  and  tiic  factor  be  absorbed  by  the  facts.  By  progress  we  do  not 
mean  an  interrupted  advance  along  a  smooth  ro;i<l,  but  a  stce]i  ascent,  a  diffi- 
cuU  ])ath,  with  nian\'  b.n  i'islidings,  ^vlK'l•e  we  can  wnly  see  that  we  are  draw- 
ing ;i  little  nearer  tlie  distant  mounl.uii  top  \\  heii  \\  ("  turn  our  eyes  backward 
and  view  the  way  we  have  come,  stage  by  stage. 


REPORT  OF  woman's  WORK  FOR  TIENTSIN. 


393 


Tliough  we  have  nothing  of  unusual  importance  to  report,  and  thougli  in 
point  of  numbers  the  advance  has  not  been  great,  the  prevailing  spirit  of 
deeper  earnestness  and  the  evidences  of  a  real  desire  to  learn  and  know  more 
of  the  truth,  have  filled  us  with  great  thankfulness  for  the  present  and  sure 
hope  for  the  futuie.  Our  especial  cause  for  tliankfnlncss  is  that  our  working 
force  has  been  increased  by  the  coming  of  Miss  Gertrnde  Stanley  to  join  us 
in  the  work.  The  work  is  divided  into  three  departments, — school,  touring, 
and  general  work  for  women. 

School. — The  total  number  of  j^upils  during  the  year  has  been  33.  The 
average  attendance  has  been  22,  belonging  to  two  classes, — day  and  boarding 
pupils.  The  average  number  of  boai-dei-s  has  been  17.  In  September,  '93, 
four  of  the  more  advanced  pupils  were  transferred  to  the  Bridgman  School, 
and  the  reports  that  come  to  us  of  their  progress  and  growth  make  us  feel 
sure  that  in  tliem  we  shall  have  earnest  Christian  helpers.  Two  others  were 
sent  to  the  London  Mission  School,  in  Peking,  as  their  parents  belonged  to 
tliat  church.  The  studies  pursued  have  been  the  Scriptures,  Old  and  New 
Testament  history.  Genesis,  Chinese  classics,  arithmetic,  mental  and  written, 
and  geography.  All  the  older  girls  have  regular  lessons  in  character  writ- 
ing. On  the  first  day  of  February  there  was  a  formal  examination  of  the 
school.  Miss  Roberts,  of  the  London  Mission,  and  Miss  Wilson,  of  the 
American  Aletiiodist  Mission,  were  invited  to  act  as  an  examining  committee. 
The  girls  received  the  almost  imqualified  commendation  of  the  committee, 
who  expressed  both  surprise  and  gratification  at  the  quantity  and  quality  of 
the  work  done.  This  experience  of  being  brought  before  comparative  stran- 
gers to  prove  their  diligence  and  intelligence,  will  be  a  wholesome  incentive 
to  them,  and  will  help  them  to  correct  an}'  habits  of  carelessness  or  indill'er- 
ence  tliat  might  otherwise  grow  upon  them.  Besides  the  schoolroom  work 
the  girls  have  all  had  regular  instruction  in  knitting  and  sewing,  and  have 
been  responsible  for  the  cleanliness  and  order  of  rooms  on  tiie  schoolroom 
premises.  We  have  experienced  some  difficulty  in  settling  upon  a  suitable 
woman  for  matron  of  the  school,  for  it  is  liard  to  all  the  cardinal  virtues 
in  one  woman.  We  have  had  industry  and  good  natme  ofiset  by  deceit, 
cleverness  and  patience  entirely  hung  bv  tlic  wavering  line  between  mine  and 
thine.  Mrs.  Ma,  a  woman  from  one  of  tlie  soutii  villages,  served  the  sciiool 
very  well  duiing  the  winter,  but  as  she  is  no  seamstress  was  unfitted  for  the 
place.  At  present  Mrs.  Vang,  an  old  playmate  of  Miss  Stanlex  's,  who  has 
occupied  for  tiie  past  cigiit  years  an  important  ]i!ace  in  tlie  city  orjihanage, 
holds  the  position,  and  has  thus  far  ])ro\ed  (|uite  efficient.  This  coming  to 
us  of  one  who  was  undcM'  our  inlluence  wlu-ii  Imt  a  child,  encourages  us  in 
the  little  things,  ;uid  makes  us  fi-fl  that  nothing  done  "  in  I  lis  u.iint- "  is  done 


394 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


in  vain.  Tlie  deportn^nt  of  the  giils  during  the  year  has  been  in  tiie  main 
good.  Some  of  tlie  girls  have  shown  decided  growth  in  womanly  character, 
and  liave  developed  a  spirit  of  helpfulness  which  has  led  to  the  decline  of 
quarrels  and  disagreements.  Eight  have  expressed  a  desire  to  be  taken  into 
the  church  on  probation.  Great  credit  is  due  to  their  teacher,  Eunice,  for 
her  faithful  and  patient  work  in  the  school.  She  is  with  the  children  day 
and  night ;  her  influence  is  all  in  the  right  direction,  and  she  has  tiieir  love 
and  respect. 

Geiteral  M'ork. — Outside  of  the  care  of  the  school,  a  fair  amount  of  gen- 
eral work  is  done.  Every  afternoon  is  de^•oted  to  the  work  of  \isiting 
homes  and  teaching  those  who  are  willing  to  learn.  At  present  there  are 
twenty  under  regidar  instruction,  whose  faithfulness  and  perseverance  makes 
the  teaching  a  pleasure.  During  the  year  317  visits  without,  and  219  with 
teaching,  have  been  made,  making  a  total  of  536.  In  October  a  Tuesdav 
evening  class  was  started,  to  give  those  women  who  are  busv  as  serving 
women,  or  ama/is,  an  opportunity  of  coming  together  for  mutual  help  and 
instruction.  Seven  have  attended  regularly,  and  the  class  has  been  a  real 
help  to  them,  not  only  in  learning  Christian  character,  but  in  other  wavs. 
During  the  Week  of  Prayer,  and  after,  there  w-ere  meetings  held  for  the 
women  of  our  Tientsin  churches  ;  meetings  which  brought  them  and  us  a 
great  blessing. 

The  class  with  the  Friday  afternoon  prayer  meeting,  the  Sunday  school, 
and  visiting,  are  the  means  used  for  bringing  the  women  and  girls  under 
Christian  influence.  For  some  months  Mrs.  Bostwick  has  gathered  a  com- 
panv  of  children  together  on  Sundays  at  the  house  of  a  church  member. 
The  average  attendance  has  been  fifteen.  At  present  tlie  class  is  stopped, 
l)ut  she  hopes  to  take  it  up  again  in  the  fall. 

The  city  work  is  more  encouraging  in  some  ways  than  last  year.  For  tlie 
first  three  months  of  the  year  there  was  an  average  attendance  of  se\en 
•  women  on  Sunday  and  Wednesday  afternoons,  and  three  or  four  could  read 
quite  well  in  tiie  primer.  .Since  then  the  number  has  fluctuated,  and  no 
definite  invitations  for  visiting  in  tiie  homes  have  been  given.  In  February 
a  tea  meeting  was  held,  and  twenty  women,  mothers  and  relatives  of  the 
day-school  boys,  responded.  Here  we  need  a  good,  earnest  woman,  who 
can  go  where  a  foreigner  will  not  be  welcomed.  If  the  women  were  not  so 
sensitive  to  tlie  ridicule  and  r.iiiiiig  of  their  neighbors,  they  would  doubtless 
come  in  greater  numbers.  .Such  discouraging  work  has  need  foi'  iiiucii 
strong  pleading  before  Him  who  has  all  power  in  heaven  and  eartli. 

Totiring. — In  October  a  tour  was  made  to  Hsien-lisien.  It  was  disap- 
pointing lo  find  two  women  who  gave  much  promise,  and  iiad  had  much 


LETTER  FROM   MISS  GRACE  WYCKOFF. 


395 


instruction  with  the  liope  tliat  they  would  be  of  much  help  to  their  neigh- 
bors, had  been  content  to  do  nothing.  A  number  of  viUages  were  visited, 
and  teaching  done  where  many  were  ready  and  wiHing  to  hear.  In  Novem- 
ber two  viHages  to  the  southwest  of  Tientsin  twenty-five  and  forty  li  were 
visited,  and  meetings  held  with  the  women.  Here  the  crowds  that  came  at 
first  have  dropped  ofi',  but  the  hopeful  few  continue  faithful.  Only  one 
woman  from  this  district  has  had  any  regular  instruction,  and  she  has  done 
something  in  teaching  in  her  own  village.  In  March  three  new  villages  near 
the  city  of  Ching-hai  were  visited,  where  a  warm  reception  was  given  us. 
The  women  seem  thoroughly  in  earnest,  and  in  one  place,  Che-tien,  have 
learned  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  a  blessing.  This  teaching  has  been  done  by 
a  young  man,  Li,  who  was  in  the  men's  station  class  during  the  winter. 
The  days  spent  there  were  simply  filled  with  discourse  on  the  doctrine,  from 
early  morning  till  late  at  night.  The  women  sat  quietly  listening  or  asking 
questions.  Never  has  a  more  encouraging  and  refreshing  trip  been  taken  by 
the  touring  member  of  the  station. 

As  our  work  among  the  women,  especially  those  in  the  country,  grows, 
our  need  for  a  suitable  building  for  classes  becomes  more  pressing.  This  need 
was  urged  last  year,  and  during  the  winter  the  lack  of  such  a  building  was 
keenly  felt.  Once  more,  prayerfully  and  earnestly,  we  ask  that  the  need  be 
supplied,  if  possible,  before  another  winter. 

We  do  feel  that  the  work  this  year  has  been  more  encouraging  tlian  ever 
before,  that  the  outlook  for  the  future  is  full  of  hope  ;  and  our  pra\  er  is  that 
the  interest  may  in  no  case  wane,  that  the  many  open  doors  mav  never  be 
close<l  against  us,  and  that  our  strength,  our  faith,  and  our  love  mav  increase 
from  day  to  day. 


LETTER  FROM  MISS  CJRACE  WYCKOFF. 

Pang-Chuang,  April  6,  '94. 
I  HKi.iKVK  I  feel  like  writing  you  a  letter  to-dav,  and  a  delightful  rain,  wliich 
hindered  me  from  lilling  an'  aj)]i()intmcut  to  a  \  illage  six  miles  away,  gi\es 
me  the  time.  I  am  sorry  to  miss  seeing  the  ten  or  twelve  women,  but  the 
wiieat  needs  tlie  rain,  and  I  imagine  that  I  need  tiiis  afternoon.  Theie  are 
many  other  things  that  ought  to  have  my  attention  just  now,  but  this  is  per- 
haps just  as  important  ;  anyway,  I  iiave  laid  evervthing  else  aside,  and  am 
giving  tlie  time  to  writing,  ^'our  letter  of  Jamiarv  .ftii  was  received  almost 
two  months  ago,  i)ut  if  you  had  been  liere  during  this  time  I  thiidv  vou 
W(;ul(l  have  said,  "No  time  for  letters  until  station  classes  are  over." 


396 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


We  seem  to  have  three  New  Years  rather  than  one.  At  the  end  of  De- 
cember we  are  in  tlie  midst  of -work  ;  then  the  Chinese  New  Year,  a  month 
or  so  later,  stops  us  again  for  a  few  days  ;  after  which  we  recontiniie  till 
the  time  for  our  annual  mission  meeting  at  Tiuig-cho.  By  this  time  win- 
ter classes  are  just  closing,  and  we  think  the  year's  work  is  done.  Yesterday 
(April  5th)  the  women  belonging  to  what  we  term  the  "mother's  class," 
left  for  tiieir  homes  after  a  ten  days'  stay  in  our  midst. 

There  were  fomteen  scholars,  three  others  who  acted  as  teachers,  four 
small  childi^en  who  served  in  the  capacity  of  baby  tenders,  three  babies  large 
enough  to  run  around,  and  six  in  arms.  This  means  a  different  kind  of 
scliool  from  the  other  classes  held  during  the  winter,  for  the  instruction  of 
women  and  children.  There  is,  of  necessity,  a  good  deal  of  confusion  and 
interruption.  We  send  the  babies  off',  howling,  sometimes  (?),  to  be  petted 
and  coaxed  by  their  small  master  or  mistress  ;  but  now  hunger,  and  then  a 
fall  or  sometiiing  else,  brings  both  back,  and  not  infrequently  there  is  more 
music  ;  tiien  a  few  peanuts  are  handed  around  and  some  playthings  distrib- 
uted, and  in  course  of  time  the  morning  session,  from  nine  to  twelve,  is  dis- 
missed, dinner  is  prepared  and  eaten,  from  two  o'clock  to  four  the  same 
routine  is  gone  through  with.  At  four,  or  half  past,  we  have  a  short  sing, 
and  I  must  confess  it  is  rather  a  relief  to  have  school  over. 

In  this  way  we  help  these  tired,  busy  mothers  to  read  and  make  a  little 
more  progress  than  they  could  at  home.  One  woman  of  about  fort}'  years  of 
age,  not  overbright,  by  reading  a  little  each  week  at  home,  together  with 
such  a  short  class  each  year,  has  during  this  six  years  finished  four  small 
books  and  two  Gospels,  and  is  in  a  fair  way  to  be  quite  at  home  in  the  New 
Testament  before  she  is  an  old  woman. 

The  poor  mothers  in  China  find  it  laborious  work  indeed  to  climb  from 
not  recognizing  a  single  ciiaracter,  to  this  step  of  intellectual  attainment. 
Although  but  a  step,  it  is  a  climb  for  tliem. 

The  report  of  our  year's  work  will  appear  in  due  time.  I  wish,  however, 
I  could  take  you  over  the  past  six  months,  and  tliat  you  might  see  the  work 
wliich  we  liave  tried  to  do,  and  tiie  press  mulcr  which  it  has  been  done,  and 
also  that  whicli  might  have  been  done  had  we  had  more  time  and  more  work- 
ers. Indeed  wc  do  miss  Mrs.  Smitli,  and  you  cm  understand  how  gladly  and 
longingly  we  hope  for  Miss  Porter's  return  to  our  station. 

Early  in  the  fall,  just  as  soon  as  tiie  cotton  picking  was  over,  one  of  us 
made  a  tour  to  our  three  outstations,  visiting  in  all  some  twelve  villages 
near  these  small  centers.  Tiiis  trip  was  mrule  with  a  \  iew  to  arranging  for 
a  school  of  two  or  thiee  weeks  slioitK'  to  fnliow  in  eacii  of  these  ])laccs. 
Two  months' time  w  as  consumed  in  tliis  work.    Meanwliile  at  I*ang-Chuang 


LETTER   FROM   MISS   GRACE  WYCKOFF. 


397 


daily  visits  to  the  hospital  and  village  worlc,  but  with  less  occasional  visits, 
was  continued.  The  Girls'  Boarding  School  was  in  session,  and  four  ditVei'- 
ent  classes  for  women  and  cliildren  were  conducted,  each  of  which  required 
more  or  less  of  the  foreigner's  time. 

You  can  well  imagine  that  it  took  all  the  time  of  Mrs.  Peck,  Mrs.  Porter, 
and  myself  to  get  all  tiiis  work  done.  Before  the  Chinese  New  Year  we 
had  another  division  of  station  class  here  for  twenty  days.  Tlieii  came 
Chinese  New  Year,  and  a  little  time  for  breathing.  We  improved  tliis 
opportunity  by  making  a  visit  to  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Shan-Tung, 
where  we  have  friends  in  llie  Presbyterian  Mission.  Both  going  and  coming 
we  made  it  convenient  to  go  to  two  other  outstations. 

The  first  few  days  after  Chinese  New  Year  are  leisure  days  for  the  Chinese, 
and  it  is  very  desirable  to  visit  the  villages  once  during  this  season,  so  the 
first  few  days  of  February  were  thus  employed. 

Then  another  tour  of  ten  days  was  made  to  a  new  \  illage  sixty  miles  dis- 
tant, tlie  new  term  of  school  opened,  and  owing  to  a  change  in  time  for 
oiu-  mission  meeting,  the  remaining  three  divisions  of  station  classes  were 
crowded  in,  one  leaving  the  day  the  next  arrived. 

During  this  time  Mrs.  Peck  and  I  put  in  another  ten  da\-s'  trip  to  the  out- 
stations above  mentioned.  You  will  thus  see  that  out  of  the  six  months, 
almost  three  have  been  spent  in  this  work  in  outside  villages.  Two  hun- 
dred women  and  cliildren  have  attended  these  classes  referred  to.  What  has 
it  all  amounted  to.'  We  don't  know  ;  but  could  you  sit  and  talk  with  a  few 
old  women  who  have  had  the  advantages  of  this  instruction,  could  you  know 
this  one  and  that  one,  .some  younger,  some  older,  hear  them  pray,  listen  to 
their  testimony  to  the  power  of  the  gospel  to  help  and  comfort,  it  would 
seem  to  you  well  worth  while  the  time. 

Paul  was  confident  of  this  very  thing,  "that  lie  which  hath  begun  a  good 
work  in  you,  will  j>erform  it  until  the  day  of  Jesus  Christ."  This  is  our  con- 
fidence. 

To  tliink  that  there  are  those  around  us,  and  not  a  few,  who  have  a  living 
hope  and  faitli  I  O,  there  is  so  much  of  heathenish  darkness,  and  ignorance, 
and  superstition  ! 

On  Easter  Sunday  we  had  a  large  gathering  ;  four  hundred  present,  our 
chapel  full,  forty  were  received  to  the  church, — fifteen  by  profession  and  the 
rest  on  probation.  We  need  a  larger  chapel  for  these  large  meetings  ;  we 
must  linve  a  school  building  before  next  year. 

Of  this  and  the  sclu>f)l  I  shall  hope  to  write  at  auother  time  ;  I  ought  not 
to  write  more.     1  am  sure  \()ur  prayers  do  follow  us  and  our  work. 

Il  , 


398 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


LETTER  FROM  MISS  MARY  EDITH  STANLEY. 

Tientsin,  China,  Ma}-  ii,  1S94. 

AIy  dear  Miss  Pollock:  We  have  a  house  full  of  guests,  and  I  only 
write  a  note  to  slip  in  with  a  copy  of  our  report  which  I  want  to  send  you. 
How  delightful  a  mission  meeting  we  had  I  cannot  tell  you,  for  words  fail 
me  ;  we  all  enjoyed  ourselves  in  every  way,  so  much.  Our  ladies'  noon 
prayer  meetings  were  so  helpful,  and  all  through  every  meeting  there  was 
such  a  manifest  showing  of  God's  Spirit  with  us,  that  to  each  one  came  a 
fresh  impetus  and  a  renewed  desire  for  a  fuller  consecration  to  our  work. 

The  reports  from  the  various  stations  were  very  interesting  and  encourag- 
ing indeed,  and  we  look  forward  with  much  hope  to  the  future.  You  will, 
in  time,  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  all  the  rejjorts,  and  reading  for  your- 
self the  encouraging  things.  Yesterday  I  spent  a  most  delightful  afternoon 
in  the  city,  talking  with  a  few  women.  There  was  to  be  a  great  idol  jiio- 
cession  to  take  place,  and  as  the  processions  go  right  by  our  chapel  door,  the 
mothers,  sisters,  aunts,  and  grandmothers  of  the  day-school  boys  always 
come  there  to  see  them.  I  have  never  gone  up  before,  but  decided  to  do  so 
yesterday,  and  sent  word  to  the  women  that  I  would  be  there  early,  and  we 
would  have  a  talk  about  tire  doctrine.  I  had  hoped  for  more  to  come,  but 
the  ones  who  came  were  women,  one  especially,  in  whom  I  am  very  much 
interested,  and  we  had  a  very  good  talk.  About  five  o'clock,  the  helpers 
and  their  w  ives  sat  down  to  supper,  Chinese  of  course,  and  lifid  such  a  nice, 
jolly  time, — a  good  time  indeed.  I  left  before  the  procession  really  began, 
so  saw  nothing  of  it.  I  tliink  another  time  I  will  stay  and  see  the  procession, 
and  "write  it  up."  The  god  they  took  out  yesterda}^  was  the  god  of  the 
lower  regions.    They  take  him  out  once  a  year  for  an  airing. 

To-morrow  morning  Aliss  Gertrude  Wvckoffaiul  I  are  going  to  take  some 
of  our  Cliinese  women  for  a  little  trip  on  the  railroad.  She  has  a  couple  of 
Pang-Chuang  women  with  her,  and  we  will  take  Mrs.  Len,  our  school- 
teacher's wife,  and  Eiuiice. 

I  send  the  report,  which  will  tell  much  tliat  I  could  not.  Last  Sunday 
four  of  our  girls  were  taken  into  tiie  church  on  probation.  Please  remember 
me  to  the  friends  at  the  Rooms. 


LETTER  FROM  FRANCES  E.  NIEBERG. 

Foociiow,  China. 
My  dear  Mrs.  Lyman  :  I  am  afraid  I  have  'most  forgotten  the  first  im- 
pressions, for  I  feel  quite  at  home  here  (except  that  I  know  nothing  of  the 
language),  but  I  remember  they  were  very  pleasant  indeed,  and  much  be- 
yond my  expectations. 


LETTER  FROM   FRANCES   E.  XIEBERG. 


399 


The  scenery  about  here  is  beautiful.  The  mountains  seem  new  every  time 
we  look  at  them.  Then  some  of  the  hills  on  which  temples  are  situated  are 
very  pretty  indeed.  I  am  thankful  every  day  for  these  beauties  of  nature 
which  surround  us,  for  we  are  very  human,  and  depend  greatly  on  our  sur- 
roundin<^s  to  keep  us  always  cheerful.  The  flowers,  too,  make  another 
brigiit  spot  in  this  dark  land.     "Every  prospect  pleases,  and  only  man  is  vile." 

The  narrow  streets  seemed  very  queer  to  me  at  first,  and  were  so  crowded 
that  I  wondered  how  we  ever  should  make  our  way  through  ;  but  I  soon 
learned  that  foreigners  were  such  a  source  of  curiosity  that  the  crowd  stood 
back  to  gaze  at  us,  and  so  room  was  made  for  us  to  pass  through.  I  must 
confess  I  felt  rather  timid  at  first  when  I  became  separated  from  the  rest  of 
the  party,  and  my  coolies  did  not  understand  just  where  they  were  to  go, 
but  depended  on  following  the  others.  It  was  a  very  distrustful  spirit  to 
manifest,  but  showed  how  weak  indeed  the  flesh  is.  One  day  my  chair  was 
set  down  on  the  bridge,  to  wait  for  the  rest  of  the  party,  and  it  was  not  long 
until  I  was  completely  surrounded  ;  and  I  was  about  as  interested  in  studying 
the  crowd  as  they  were  in  studying  me.  \V  lien  tiiey  took  my  chair  up  again 
to  start,  I  thought  I  should  surely  be  thrown  into  the  river,  for  mv  chair 
turned  first  to  one  side,  then  the  otiier,  before  they  coidd  get  it  balanced  on 
their  shoidders. 

We  cannot  step  out  of  the  yard  that  we  are  not  surroimdetl.  It  is  indeed 
fortunate,  for  it  is  no  trouble  to  get  an  audience  to  speak  to  of  Christ's  love 
for  them.  A  great  deal  of  the  seed  is  sown  in  that  way.  When  I  see  how 
closely  they  watch  us  in  all  things, — and  they  are  so  bright  they  almost  seem 
to  read  our  inmost  thoughts, — there  comes  to  my  mind  what  a  missionary 
friend  ftf  mine  from  Africa  told  me.  They  had  been  proclaiming  the  gospel 
to  tlie  jjcople,  wlien  one  of  the  leading  men  said,  "  Yes,  it  sounds  verv  good, 
this  doctrine  you  tell  us  about  ;  but  we  will  look  at  you  a  long  time  and  see 
if  there  is  truth  in  it."  I  feel  that  is  what  these  people  are  tioing  with  us. 
May  they  indeed  see  tlie  image  of  our  Saviour  reflected  in  the  lives  of  his 
children. 

This  is  a  blessed  work,  and  I  am  glad  I  have  been  called  to  take  part  in  it, 
and  pray  that  I  may  be  used  in  any  w.iv  He  may  see  best.  I  have  often 
tliouglit,  as  we  are  studying  the  language  and  making  so  little  progress,  that 
tiiere  is  ci'rtainly  a  lesson  of  p.itience  in  it  that  ma\-  be  valuable  in  our  future 
work.  I  have  been  so  glad  lliat  Dr.  Woodhull  allows  me  to  iicip  her  some, 
fftr  it  is  a  change  from  my  study.  The  task  of  learning  the  language  is  in- 
deed a  diflicult  one,  and  rises  up  as  a  mountain  before  me  ;  but  I  try  to  think 
ol  it  as  one  day's  work  at  a  time,  and  not  as  a  great  whole. 

1  am  the  "  baby"  of  the  mission  now  ;  and  I  really  feel  like  one,  for  I  have 


400 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


liad  to  be  named,  and  must  learn  to  talk.  I  am  very  helpless,  and  depend  on 
those  around  me  for  everything.  I  shall  indeed  be  glad  when  I  can  sjieak 
for  myself,  and  not  feel  my  deisendence  on  others.  Dr.  WoodhuU  and  sister 
are  such  dear  good  people,  and  are  so  kind  to  me  that  if  it  had  been  mine  to 
have  chosen  with  whom  I  should  make  m}'  home,  I  could  not  have  been  bet- 
ter pleased.  The  way  all  along  has  been  made  ver}'  easy  for  me.  Dr. 
WoodhuU's  sister  met  us  in  Japan,  which,  of  course,  was  added  pleasure  on 
the  wa}' ;  and  on  our  arrival  here  a  warm  welcome  awaited  us. 

We  found  our  house  taken  possession  of  and  beautifully  decorated  with 
ferns,  chrysanthemums,  tube  roses,  etc.,  which  told  the  thoughtfulness  of 
loving  hearts.  It  was  dark  before  we  left  the  boat  landing  and  saw  that  our 
baggage  was  taken  care  of,  and  so  could  not  reach  the  city  before  the  gates 
were  closed.  We  stopped  for  tiie  night  with  our  people  at  Ponasang,  and 
came  into  the  city  early  in  the  morning. 

The  narrow  streets  seemed  very  queer  to  me,  for  it  seemed  as  if  we  were 
going  through  a  very  long  building,  and  my  eyes  were  so  tired  trying  to  see 
both  sides  of  the  streets  at  once  and  their  queer  shops.  I  am  glad  there  is 
is  no  sham  here,  for  the  worst  is  in  plain  view,  and  you  find  something  better 
when  you  get  back  into  the  building.  I  have  seen  a  dirty  meat  market  in 
the  front  room,  and  several  rooms  back  a  beautiful  silk  stoic.  I  am  becom- 
ing somewhat  oblivious  to  the  tiltli,  and  can  go  through  the  streets  without 
trving  to  hold  my  breath  and  closing  my  nose  with  m}'  'kerchief. 

The  work  has  begun  this  vear  with  the  schools  all  filled,  and  many  having 
been  turned  away.  If  we  had  more  buildings  and  more  workers  how  the 
Avork  might  spread  ! 

In  the  hospital  we  have  three  young  lady  students,  and  several  more  who 
want  to  come  in.  We  have  some  very  encouraging  cases.  Only  a  few  days 
ago  a  woman  left  wiio  had  been  healed,  and  she  was  very  happy,  and  had 
been  \  erv  much  interested  in  the  Doctrine.  She  said  she  knew  it  was  good, 
and  would  thank  (jod  every  day  for  having  done  so  much  for  her.  She  had 
learned  the  parables  and  miracles,  and  could  repeat  a  prayer  and  a  few 
h\  inns.  We  feel  she  will  be  a  great  power  for  good  among  her  friends. 
Slie  lives  about  four  or  fi\c  miles  from  here,  but  we  will  try  to  visit  her 
occasionally,  and  encourage  her  all  we  can.  Our  patients  have  all  been  ex- 
ceptionally nice  ones,  and  have  been  so  thankful  for  all  that  was  done  for 
them. 

Dr.  Woodiuill  has  given  me  charge  of  her  sister's  sciiool,  and  I  go  over 
four  times  per  week,  and  any  other  time  I  am  sent  for,  and  treat  any  who 
may  be  sick.  When  I  learn  something  of  the  language,  we  will  visit  some 
of  the  villages  around  here  and  dispense  medicine  and  teach  the  Doctrine. 
There  is  so  much  to  be  done  if  one  has  the  time  and  strength. 


LETTER   FROM   MISS    IDA  MELLINGEK. 


401 


I  have  enjoyed  the  Calendar  so  much,  and  think,  as  I  look  at  it  day  by 
day,  what  a  power  in  the  united  pra}ers  that  are  going  up  to  the  tlirone  of 
God,  and  liow  can  he  but  hear  the  pleadings  of  his  children.  How  wonder- 
ful the  tie  that  binds  us  all  together  the  world  oyer.  The  workers  in  the 
konie  land  are  doing  tiieir  part  as  well  as  we,  and  if  it  were  not  for  the  in- 
terest there,  we  would  not  be  here  to-day. 


TURKEY. 

LETTER  FROM  MISS  IDA  MELLIXGER. 

OoRFA,  Turkey. 

My  dear  Secretary  :  Did  I  ever  write  of  a  Sunday-school  class  I  have 
among  our  poor  neighbors'  children?  They  are  wretchedly  poor,  ignorant, 
and  rough.  They  are  in  the  streets  all  day  Sundays,  playing,  and  learning 
all  sorts  of  evil  words  and  ways.  For  some  time  I  have  called  them  together 
ai  a  neighoor's  house,  taught  them  Bible  verses,  hymns,  and  a  Bible  story  is 
illustrated  by  pictures.  About  fifty  children  attend.  This  week  I  deter- 
mined to  try  to  do  more  there,  as  now  I  am  acquainted  with  their  homes. 

,The  last  two  days  I  succeeded  in  getting  eight  into  our  schools.  In  giving 
an  example  of  one  instance,  the  difficulty  of  the  whole  can  be  seen.  In  one 
dirty  little  yard  there  lives  a  grandmother  and  grandfather,  with  an  enormous 
family  of  sons  and  daughters.  These  are  all  married,  and  each  has  a  nu- 
merous family  of  little  ones.  One  of  these  is  a  little  girl,  quick,  and  learn- 
ing mucli  that  is  bad.  I  asked  iier  grandmother  to  let  her  come  to  school. 
The  woman  was  almost  speecliless  from  surpiisc,  and  then  exclaimed: 
*' She  learn  to  read  when  neither  I,  nor  her  father,  nor  our  parents,  or  grand- 

•parents,  or  relatives  have  learned  !  Why  slioidd  she  learn.'  What  good  will 
it  do  her?"  No  amount  of  argument  on  mv  part  could  clear  up  tlie  mystery 
to  her.  Tlic  cliilil  is  in  sciiool  tiiougli,  now,  and  \crv  happy  to  be  there. 
I  feel  that  each  ciiild  l)r()Uglit  under  the  influence  of  our  dear  Cliristian  teacii- 
ers  will  be  benefited  for  life,  and  that  tlieir  homes  and  tliose  of  tlieir  children 
will  be  difVerent  from  tliose  we  .now  see. 

There  lias  been  a  great  deal  of  sickness  in  the  city  tliis  winter,  and  very 

:  many  have  died.  It  has  been  my  great  jov  to  sit  by  tiie  side  of  a  few  CJre- 
'gorians  whom  I  could  not  doubt  were  truly  Cliristians,  and  who  are  now  in 

I  the  heavenly  land.     I  will  tell  you  of  one  dear  old  woman  whom  I  dc.irlv 

T  loved.  A  year  ago  last  New  ^'ear's  I  took  cards  and  called  on  all  our  ne.ir 
ijeighbors,  ostensibly  to  give  the  bright  ])ictures  to  the  children,  but  in  real- 
ity to  make  the  ac(|uaintance  of  these  (iregori.'Ui  homes.     I  found  in  one 


402 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


yard  an  old  woman  who  was  bowed  together,  and  could  in  no  wise  lift  her- 
self up.  She  did  her  housework  by  crawling.  She  was  nearly  blind,  and 
at  all  times  a  great  sufferer.  The  tears  ran  down  her  withered,  yet  sweet, 
pale  face  as  she  repeated  after  me  the  verse  I  gave.  From  that  day  she  was 
an  object  of  special  care  and  love.  This  winter  she  suffered  more  than 
usual,  and  as  her  husband  was  a  stone-cutter  in  tlie  mountains,  and  awav 
from  home  all  day,  I  found  she  might  die  alone.  One  day  she  told  me  her 
story  of  suffering.  Thirty-two  years  before  she  was  a  bride,  and  one  day 
when  she  was  in  the  yard  cooking  some  food  she  felt  something  cold  on  one 
of  her  limbs,  and  looking  down  saw  a  snake  wrapping  itself  about  her. 
She  attempted  to  pull  it  off,  but  it  only  clung  the  tighter,  and  she  fainted, 
and  lay  unconscious  all  day  till  her  husband  came  home  at  night.  A  long 
fever  followed,  and  from  that  day  she  was  the  cripple  I  knew.  Six  months 
of  eacli  year  she  was  unable  to  leave  her  bed,  yet  she  had  no  word  of  com- 
plaint. She  grew  to  love  the  Word  so  much  that  she  did  not  want  me  to 
even  ask  how  she  was  feeling.  She  would  say:  "You  cannot  stay  long; 
read  a  few  verses  and  let  us  talk  of  them."  One  Friday  her  husband  came 
home,  took  the  fever  so  prevalent  in  tiie  city,  and  died  the  following  dav. 
As  she  grew  weaker  I  sat  beside  her  each  day,  and  the  day  before  she  went 
home  she  was  unconscious  of  what  was  passing  about  her,  but  from  time  to 
time  she  spoke  to  Jesus  Christ  as  though  she  saw  him  face  to  face.  I  miss 
her,  but  rejoice  that  one  more  soul  has  gotten  the  yictor\-. 

I  become  much  attached  to  a  great  many  homes,  and  often  wisii  I  could 
concentrate  my  work  more.  I  cannot  see  those  I  am  especially  trying  to 
lead  to  the  light  as  often  as  I  would  like.  There  are  hundreds — ves,  I  think 
I  can  safely  say  thousands — of  homes  open  to  me,  and  it  seems  so  little  one 
can  do  for  so  many.  It  is  my  desiie  that  the  Protestant  w'omen  help  in  this 
work.  But  those  capable  of  lending  a  helping  hand  are  so  hemmed  in  by 
household  cares  and  the  customs  of  the  country,  that  at  present  little  can  be 
done  by  them. 

Miss  .Shattuck  is  very  tired,  and  working  very  hard,  as  usual,  yet  her 
schools  give  her  much  joy.  Tiiey  could  scarcely  be  recognized  as  the  same 
found  here  a  year  and  a  half  ago. 


LETTER  FROM  EFFIE  M.  CHAMBERS. 

Erzroom,  Ti'RKEY,  May  5,  1894. 

My  dear  Mrs.  Clarke  : — 

It  is  almost  post  time,  but  I  must  tell  you  tlie  glad  news.  \Vc  have  beetii 
granted  permission  for  repairs  on  our  girls'  school.  We  hope  to  make  thfl 
said  "repairs,"  like  the  l)r<)a<l  mantle  of  charity,  cover  a  great  deal.  Thd 


RECEIPTS. 


403 


permit  reads  "for  slight  repairs,"  wliicli  will  at  least  let  us  mend  our  leaky 
roofs  and  repair  the  wall  that  is  dangerous.  We  hope  for  enlargement,  also, 
and  the  cliief  man  of  the  community  sa^  s  he  thinks  we  may  go  on  and  do  as 
much  as  we  like,  so  we  do  not  tear  down  the  front  wall  of  our  building. 
They  plan  to  begin  work  ^Monday,  but  tliis  is  Turkey,  and  W'c  may  be  disap- 
pointed vet.  However,  I  could  not  wait  longer  to  tell  you  about  it.  I  shall 
be  so  happy  if  it  can  be  put  through  without  any  further  trouble. 

We  are  planning  to  reojien  our  boarding  department  next  vear.  It  will  be 
so  nice  if  we  can  get  our  new  building  finished,  or,  rather,  oiu"  old  building 
made  over,  in  time  for  the  reopening  of  the  school. 

Then  if  I  only  could  have  my  associate  ;  but  of  coin  se  that  is  not  possible 
unless  these  station  troubles  come  to  a  more  speedy  settlement  than  seems 
probable  now.  But  the  Lord  can  do  great  things,  and  we  are  all  praying 
that  he  will  not  only  lead  us  to  see  our  duty,  but  to  do  it. 

I  must  close  now,  as  it  is  nearly  post  time,  and  I  do  not  want  this  letter  to 
wait  over.     Love  to  all  at  the  rooms. 


WOMAN'S  BOARD  OF  THE  INTERIOR. 

Receipts  from  May  18  to  June  18,  1894. 
Mus.  J.  B.  LEAKE,  Tbeasuber. 


ILLINOIS. 

Branch.— Mrs.  W.  A.  T;ilcott,  of  Rock- 
ford,  Trea.s.  Aurora,  First  Ch.,  10.55; 
ChicaK",  Callforiii.i  Ave.  Cli.,  5,  <.'ove- 
iiant  Cli.,  25,  Mrs.  Kliiior  Miller,  25,  New 
KiiglaiKl  Cli.,  109.25,  ITiiioii  Park  of 
\vh.  25  Mrs.  A.  A.  ISaiiks,  to  const.  Miss 
Hazel  A.  It.  Pierce  L.  .M.,  25,  Miss  liello 
Speiice,  to  const.  Mrs.  ('.  Sliervrey  I>.  M., 
100,  a  Friend,  25;  KIniliurst,  IS..^ ;  Kvans- 
ton,  G2.50;  Galesbnrp;,  First  Conp.  Cli., 
50;  (ialva,  21. T5;  Ontario,  10;  Poplar 
Glove,  10;  Moline,  29;  Naperville,  19.05; 
Rantonl,  6;  Ro(;er8  J'ark,  First  Cli.,  9; 
Waukouaii,  17.92,  680  60 

Junior:  Chicaeo,  Millard  Ave.  Ch.,  39, 
Union  Park  C'li.,  to  const.  SvlviaCorwin 
L.  M.,  25;  Kockford  ColleRe',  40;  Winne- 
b.iRO,  10,  110  00 

JuvKNli.K :  Klnilmrst,ForKet-Me-Not  Soc, 
1.50;  (iaiesbiiri;.  First  Conj;.  Ch.,  10;  .Joy 
Prairie,  6.25;  Payson,  Cheerful  Workers, 
5;  Sonioiiatik,  5,  27  75 

C.  K. :  Cain)irid|;e,  10  00 

Junior  C.  K.  :  Chelianse,  2.BI  ;  Hniitley,  4,     t;  51 
Sunday  Schools:  Chicano,   First  Ch., 
34  71;  GalesburR,  Old  First  Ch.,  39.411,        74  17 

Total,        779  03 
I.KOACY:  Rockford,  Mrs.  Harriet  A.  .San- 
ford,  four  shares  of  Kockford  Insurance 
stock,  valued  at  $1,000. 


IOWA. 

Branch.— Mrs.  C.  E.  Rew,  of  Orinnell, 
Treas.  Ames,  6;  Anamosa,  8;  Decorali, 
15;  I)es  Moines,  Plymouth  Ch.,  17.13; 
Kmnietsburc,  4;  Genoa  HlufTs,  5.10;  I,e 
Mars,  6.18;  Old  Man's  Creek,  3.35;  Oska- 
loosa,  4.10;  Red  Oak,  .Miss  .M.  I.  Clark, 
25;  Storm  Lake,  7.25, 

Junior:  Clay,  9.60;  Genoa  BlufTs,  Kin(;'s 
DaUKliters,  2.08, 

JuvKNii.K:  Cedar  Ra)>ids,  Busy  Bees,  3, 
Earl  A.  Munger,  2;  Wrinnell,  lUlsy  Bees, 
proceeds  of  festival,  70.85;  Traer',  Coral 
Workers,  10;  Webster  City,  7.25, 

Junior  C.  E. :  Storm  I,.ake,  5;  Anita,  3.11, 

Sunday  Schools:  Emmetsburt;,  3;  Deco- 
rali, 2.05, 


Tot.al, 


Bran<;h.— Mrs.  W.  A.  Coals,  of  Topcka, 
Treas.  Leavenworth,  20;  Blue  Kapids, 
12.50, 


Less  expenses. 

Total, 


101  11 

II  G8 


!<3  10 
8  It 


219  66 


32  50 


32  50 
1  35 


31  15 


404 


LIFE  AND  LIGHT. 


MICHIGAN. 

Branch. — .Mrs.  Robert  Caiiii)l)eil,  of  Ann 
Arbor,  'i'reas.  Ann  Arbor,  20.(;7 ;  Alle- 
gan, 9;  Fredonia,  2.50;  Kenilall,  of  wli. 
2  is  from  one  member  of  society,  4.94; 
Michigan  City,  Mrs.  E.  ,M.  Stewart,  1; 
Olivet,  26.7.5;  I'ort  Huron,  2.25;  Uomeo, 
70;  South  Eramett,  50  cts. ;  Whittaker, 
10.72;  Webster,  11.50;  AVayne,  10,  169  83 

Junior:  Owosso,  King's  Daughters,  10  oo 

Juvenile:  Ann  Arbor,  Children's  M.  S., 
25;  Memphis,  Children's  C.  E.  S.,  1.25,      26  25 


Total, 


206  08 


MI.NNESOTA. 


Branch.— Mrs.  J.  F.  Jackson,  139  E.  Uni- 
versity Ave.,  St.  Taul,  Tieas.  Minne- 
apolis, Fifth  Ave.  Ch.,  3.79;  Northfield, 
Carleton  College  .Students,  57.62,  Aux., 
62;  Spring  Valley,  10,  133  41 

Junior:  Northfield,  14  90 

C.  E. :  Brownton,  2.25;  Faribault,  10;  St. 
Paul,  Atlantic  Ch.,  5,  17  25 

Juvenile:  Hutchinson,  10,  10  00 

Junior  C.  E.:  Minneapolis,  Vine  Ch.,  5; 
Rochester,  5,  10  00 

Sunday  Schools:  Freeborn.  .'54  cts.;  Min- 
neapolis, Plymouth  Ch.,  73.83,  74  37 

For  THE  Deist:  Anoka,  C.  E.,  565;  Min- 
neapolis, Miss  Lora  KoUister,  5;  St. 
Paul,  a  Friend,  5;  St.  Cloud,  C.  E.,  2.6.5,     18  30 

Spi'.cial:  !Minneai)olis,  Park  .We.  Cli., 
Aux.,  for  furnishing  new  building  at 
Marsovan,  Turkey,  10  00 


Less  expenses. 

Total,         281  49 

MONTANA. 

Union. — Chinook,  Mrs.  Fannie  Richey,         2  00 
Total,  2  00 

NORTH  DAKOTA. 

Branch.— Mrs.  G.  L.  O'Neale,  of  lJuxton, 
Treas.  Fargo,  Plymouth  Ch.,  5;  Lisbon, 
2.60,  7  00 

Juvenile:  Valley  City,  1.55;  Dwight, 
Helping  Hands,  5,  6 

Total,         14  15 


Branch.— Mrs.  Geo.  H.  Ely,  of  Elyria, 
Treas.  Alexis,  Mite-box  Society,  4.67; 
Anstinburg,5 ;  Conneaut,  16.50;  Cortland, 
2;  Huntsbiirg,  11.25;  Medina,  10;  North 
Amherst,  5;  Oberlin,  50;  I'ainesville, 
27.25;  Raveniin,  15;  Sandusky,  10;  Steu- 
ben, 10;  Tallniadgc,  10;  ToU'do,  First 
Ch..  1 10;  Wauseon,  2,  288  67 

Jiockport. -ytrn.  Clara  Hassptt,  8  95 

Junior:  Lake  Erie  Seminarv,  Y.      S.,       30  00 
C.  E. :  Jefferson,  5;  Oberlin.'First  Ch.,  36; 
West  Cleveland,  I.akewooil  Cli.,  10;  Cin- 
cinnati, Walnut  Hills  Ch.,  10,  Gl  00 
Juvenile:  Klvria,  liovs'  .Mission  Club,       12  50 
Sunday  School  :  Oberlin,  First  ('h.,  23  It! 
.■^IMvciAl,:  Colunib\is,  First  Ch.,  C.  E.,  15; 
Hannar,  13;  Toledo,  Washington  St.  Ch., 
02.80,  80  80 


Self-denial  :  Cleveland,  Hough  Ave.  Ch.,  50 
For  the  Debt:  Oberlin,  a  Friend,  5  00 


510  58 
13  50 


497  08 


Less  expenses, 

Total, 

south  DAKOTA. 

Branch.— Mrs.  C.  S.  Kingsbury,  of  Sioux 
Falls,  Treas.  Colviii  and  La  Roche,  7; 
Fort  Yates,  Elkhorn  Chapel,  4;  Plaiik- 
intoii,  5,  16  00 

Juvenile:  Huron,  2;  AVatertown,  Snow- 
fiakes,  2,  4  00 


Total, 


20  00 


WI.SCONSIN. 


Br  ANcn.— Airs.  R.  Coburn,  of  AVhitewater, 
Treas.  Appleton,  il.50;  Arena,  First 
Ch.,  3.09;  Leeds,  5;  Stoughton,  Ladies 
in  convention,  1.81;  Two  Rivers,  2.25; 
Wisconsin,  a  Friend,  25,  a  Friend,  for 
Miss  Porter's  outfit,  2,'jO,  298  65 

Junior:  Endeavor,  Covenant  AVorkers, 
15;  (Jrand  Rapids,  40;  M ilwaukee.  Grand 
Ave.  Ch.,  25;  South  lAlilwaukee,  C.  E., 
3.15:  Wyoming,  C.  E.,  4.15,  87  30 

Juvenile  :  Green  Bay,  S.  S.,  14;  La'Crosse, 
Coral  Workers,  40;  South  Milwaukee, 
Jan.  C.  E.,  1.85,  55  85 


Less  expenses, 

Total, 


441  80 
13  82 


427  98 


LOUISIAN.\. 


New  Orleans. — University  Ch.,  Aux.,  10, 
Straight  Univ.,  Lower  Lights,  5.65, 


Total, 


Total, 


Total, 


rENN.SYLVANIA. 

rutsburtj.— Mrs.  AV.  S.  G., 

MICRONESIA. 

Jdtk.— Gills'  School. 

TURKEY. 

//atyin.— Armenian  women, 


Total, 

MlSCfELLANEOUS. 

Sale  of  leaflets,  19.47;  envelopes,  30  cts.; 
boxes,  6;  African  curios,  1.75;  etc.,  85 
cts., 


15  05 
15  05 


10  00 
10  00 


5  50 

6  50 


1  93 
1  93 


28  37 


Total  for  month,  2,.'>41  06 

Previously  acknowledged,  30,615  49 

Total  since  November  4,  1893,  $33,156  55 

Miss  Jessie  C.  Fitch, 

Ass't  Treas.