Part 4

Last Sabbath a young man came to us to inquire, “What must I do to be saved?” On asking what he had been trying to do, we learned that he had endeavored to follow the plain, simple directions of the Bible at first, but so many of his friends had told him that he must stop reading his Bible and go to praying for visions and dreams, that he had become very much confused about the way. Many of them say plainly that they “don’t believe in Bible religion.” They believe firmly in personal revelations from God, and that these are superior to those in the Bible. There is more excuse for them than for others, when we consider that so few can read and judge for themselves, and that for generations the Bible has been, and still is, represented to them by so many to be the bulwark of slavery. But when I think what abundance of material there is among these millions in the South for religious fanaticism to feed upon, it is a wonder to me that they have, on the whole, wandered so little from the truth, that some imposture has not spread among them before this—as Mormonism did at the North and West—and swept thousands of them away. I fear it will be the case yet, if the churches are not more faithful in preaching and teaching the pure Gospel.

Now, to make the matter practical, what can we do about it? Surely, much more ought to be done here by educated Bible Christians; but our teachers are already nearly breaking down with overwork in their regular school duties, there being one less teacher than usual on the force this year; the missionary and industrial work they have been doing, and in which they feel such an interest, they will probably not be able to keep up another year, and Mrs. C. will be compelled to give up much that she has been doing. In short, I am more than ever convinced that we need a lady missionary here, to devote her whole time to personal work among the classes not now reached by our schools and churches, and to take charge of the industrial work among the women and girls. We have in mind just the one we need if her support can be assured. Our church will, I am sure, assume a share of the expense, though it will be impossible for them to do much more than they are doing. Now, who among the friends of the work in the North will help us in this matter, which seems so important?

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AFRICA.

A LETTER FROM PROF. T. N. CHASE.

Among the most interesting experiences in our visit to the Mendi Mission was a trip to Kaw-Mendi, the first station of the mission, where, over forty years ago, Mr. Raymond, with his company of Amistad captives, began their new home, near the spot where the latter had been torn from their native land, and carried across the sea to be sold into slavery.

A row of eight hours in a boat of four oars, propelled by Junjo, Mómodo Grenace, Carrij Mi-Mah and Boyema, and steered by Geo. Keing, took us across the Sherbro, up the Jong and the Small Boom to our destination. The chief objects of interest on the way were wild monkeys, alligators, and mangrove trees, bearing vegetable oysters that could be plucked as we sailed past. The rowers “cheered the weary traveler,” and increased the speed of the boat, by singing songs in their native tongue, in which, no doubt, as is usually the case, they indulged in personal comments concerning their passengers.

A little after “the sun die” we reach Kaw-Mendi, and are ushered into a native house of four rooms, whose walls, partitions and floors are made of mud, and whose steep hip roof is covered with “bamboo shingles,” the rafters and sheathing being cane. Mr. and Mrs. Williams, born and educated in British Guiana, gave us a hearty welcome to their mission home, leaving their work of manufacturing arrow-root to prepare us a cup of tea. It was prayer-meeting night and we gladly accepted an invitation to attend service. The “barrie,” in which meetings are held, is a bamboo roof, supported by tall posts, and enclosed by a mud wall about four feet high. The floor and platforms are also of mud, nicely sanded.

I was unable to count the audience, for the lamps shed a dim light which was not reflected from the faces of the company. A row of boys led the singing, a young man “turned the word” of those who spoke in English, and several led in brief prayers which we could not understand, but which sounded sensible and devotional.

In the morning we took a more particular view of the premises. Mr. Williams’ house stands just in front of the site of the old residence of Mr. Raymond and Mr. Thompson, a slight hollow and small bank being the only things to mark the place where it stood. While twenty years had crumbled to mother earth, buildings and fences, and produced a jungle that made it almost impossible to identify the site, the cashew, orange and bread-fruit trees had been going on with their steady growth, and are now doing good service with their fruit and shade. The flats along the banks of the river, that had much to do with the unhealthfulness of the location, on account of which it was abandoned, are probably the same now that they were then.

At our request, the two surviving Amistad captives came to see us, Mr. Parn and Mr. Smith. The former had a pleasant smiling face, but was too deaf to converse. The latter wore a rugged-looking countenance, and after a little coaxing told us something of his early life, dwelling especially upon the reason why the Amistads rose up and killed the officers of the vessel on which they were being carried to America. He said the cook told them that they were to be killed and eaten, and showed them a huge kettle in which they were to be boiled. So they rescued themselves from the sad fate that seemed to await them by slaying their captors, acting on the same principle that Stanley did when the natives on the Congo tried to make “meat” of him and his companions.

Chief Geo. Thompson Tucker came to pay his respects. He was educated in the mission and was a pupil of Geo. Thompson. He is not a Christian, but favors Mr. Williams’ work, and renders him much assistance. He wore pants and shoes, and a frock made of country cloth in a country fashion. He converses in English fluently, and sometimes interprets for Mr. Williams.

We desired to visit the cemetery, which Mr. Thompson had removed to some distance, that the sight of so many graves of fallen missionaries might not depress the living. The dew being heavy and the “road” having grown up somewhat, Chief Tucker had two of his men go on in advance, and trim off the overhanging branches with their cutlasses, which they used with wonderful dexterity. The cemetery is partly surrounded by a ditch and bank, Mr. Thompson having concluded that this was more permanent than any fence that could be erected. After a little search by the Chief and old Mr. Smith, three graves were found, ranged side by side at the foot of a mango tree—those of Mr. and Mrs. Tefft and Jane Winters. The wood of which Mr. Thompson made head boards, and which he said did not “know how to rot,” has in some way obtained that undesirable knowledge, and even the planks laid on the graves by some later visitor have crumbled nearly into dust. The other graves that were identified were those of Mr. Garnick, Mr. Carter, Mrs. Arnold and Mr. Thompson’s son George, who died June 6, 1853, at the age of six years. Seven mango trees between one and two feet in diameter mark these resting places. To me there was a strange fascination about this consecrated spot, and words cannot express the feelings I experienced as I walked there among the sainted dead in that distant, strange land.

We next visited the arrow-root farm and saw the boys dig the bulbs, which resemble the sweet potato in shape. Then we went to the little mill where the bulbs are grated and strained, ready for drying and packing. Mr. Williams finds the cultivation and manufacture of arrow-root reasonably profitable, and he deserves encouragement in teaching the natives this and other industries, for the great need of West Africa, apart from the Gospel, is a knowledge of remunerative agriculture.

The church bell had a strange sound, and we learned that it was an old gun-barrel that had been planted in the ground in a native’s door-yard to keep witches out of the house, but upon the conversion of the owner, had been given up to Mr. Williams, and had thus been converted from a profane to a sacred use.

Fifteen church members, twelve inquirers, one hundred attendants upon Sunday service, twenty-three family and nine day pupils, the house and barrie, a clearing of three or four acres, the cultivation of various crops, the manufacture of arrow-root and frequent visits to neighboring towns, give some idea of the industry, perseverance and Christian zeal of this devoted laborer during the past three years, and seem to make it possible to continue the work on this spot of so many hallowed associations and memories.

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THE CHINESE.

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“CALIFORNIA CHINESE MISSION.”

Auxiliary to the American Missionary Association.

PRESIDENT: Rev. J. K. McLean, D. D. VICE-PRESIDENTS: Rev. A. L. Stone, D. D., Thomas O. Wedderspoon, Esq., Rev. T. K. Noble, Hon. F. F. Low, Rev. Dwinell, D. D., Hon. Samuel Cross, Rev. S. H. Willey, D. D., Edward P. Flint, Esq., Rev. J. W. Hough, D. D., Jacob S. Taber, Esq.

DIRECTORS: Rev. George Mooar, D. D., Hon. E. D. Sawyer, Rev. E. P. Baker, James M. Haven, Esq., Rev. Joseph Rowell, Rev. John Kimball, E. P. Sanford, Esq.

SECRETARY: Rev. W. O. Pond. TREASURER: E. Palache, Esq.

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_Politics and the Mission._—Our Legislature, the first one convened under our new Constitution, has adjourned, and the Chinese are yet here. Denis Kearney has been made to “go,” and his party is just “going;” the former, in prison attire, to break stones on the public highway, and the latter to befitting insignificance and complete disintegration. But how to assure it that “the Chinese must go,” is a problem by which, now as heretofore, our Californian statesmanship(!) finds itself sore baffled. Among our newly-fledged legislators, there was scarcely one, at the opening of the sessions, but had his pet scheme,—a sure cure for the Chinese ail; and the river of Egypt scarce brought forth frogs more plentifully than did our noisy Legislature its anti-Chinese bills. But most of them died before they were fairly, fully born, and the rest are either squelched under the weight of the U. S. Constitution, or else, not daring to face that foe, have retired into prudent dormancy. The gassy proclamation of our Board of Health, declaring Chinatown a nuisance, has dissolved into thin air, and that district of our city is just as populous, just as busy, just as noisy, and almost as filthy as it was before. Our Mayor, and the doctors associated with him, may possibly have caused a little more of the Chinese gold to be “placed where it would do most good;” but, no other effect of their bombastic demonstration seems now to be even dreamed of.

All this helps us hope that we shall be able to pursue our mission-work with no special molestations, and that the result of our summer campaign may be as bright as the out-look is just now.

_A Touching Farewell Service._—the following paragraph which appeared in the _Pacific_ of April 14th, over the initials of the Principal of our Central school, I am sure will interest our readers. It explains itself:

“A very interesting and impressive meeting was held in Bethany chapel on Thursday evening, April 8th. A large number of the Chinese friends and scholars of Mrs. S. A. Worley and Misses Jessie and Florence Worley, who for some years have been teachers in the schools of the California Chinese Mission of this city, had met together to bid these teachers farewell, as the family intended going to their new home in Stockton on the following day. After the regular exercises of Thursday evening, consisting of singing, prayer and a short address in Chinese, the meeting was thrown open to any who wished to speak or lead in prayer. The first who rose spoke of his regret at their departure and his gratitude for their kindness. He then said: ‘One year ago I hated Christian Chinese, and I hated the name of Jesus Christ. Then Miss Worley came to teach me, and read and explained the Bible to me, and by and by I came to love Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and all those who worship him.’ One after another the Chinese brethren came forward to bear witness to their love for these devoted teachers, and their sorrow for their departure. Many of them, like the first speaker, testified that they had been brought to the knowledge of the saving power of Christ’s love by the words and the example of their loved teachers. More than one tremulous voice and dimmed eye, gave evidence that their words were not the complimentary exaggerations of Chinese courtesy, but came deep from hearts filled with love and gratitude for kindness that had been bestowed upon them, and overflowing with grief at parting from their benefactors. ‘We have nothing to repay you, our dear teachers,’ they said, ‘for all your kindness in teaching us your language, and in leading us to Christ; but we can pray God that He will bless you and keep you wherever you may go. You will go to Stockton and we will go to China, and may never see one another again on earth; but in heaven we will meet again.’

The frequent brief prayers, offered in Chinese, were unintelligible to the Americans present, but the frequent recurrence of the words ‘Stockton’ and ‘Worley’ showed that these men, just awakened from heathen darkness, had grasped the idea of an omnipotent and loving Father, to whom they might confidently intrust their absent friends. What an ample reward to these teachers for their earnest and prayerful devotion must such testimony have been! What a foretaste of heavenly bliss they experienced in seeing this fruit of their labor in the redemption of so many souls from idolatry and heathenism!

H. M. P.”

_More about Oroville._—I give, perhaps, more than its share of notice to our new work in Oroville. But this is our first attempt to reach the Chinese engaged in mining, and, probably, the first systematic attempt ever made in California. On that account it has a special interest and importance. The number thus engaged is large, and no man careth for their souls. We have our first fruits of the work there, in the person of Jee Kane, a very interesting young man. He has joined the Association, thus professing faith in Christ. Miss Waterbury is disposed to commence a work among the women and children, and has one woman already under instruction who seems thoroughly interested. Lee Haim, our greatly-valued helper at Oroville, is obliged to return to China, and Lem Chung, of the Sacramento Mission, takes his place for a time. Miss Waterbury reports that there was a good attendance and evident attention at his last preaching service, and after service his hearers crowded about him asking him questions about the miracles of Christ, of which he had been speaking. He told her, “I feel so _proud_ of Christ. He was with me, helped me speak, put words into my mouth.”

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CHILDREN’S PAGE.

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[We give, just as they were written, two letters from Indian boys at Hampton for our young readers to puzzle over. We know they will sympathize with Jonathan’s longing for his ponies, and commend his purpose and effort to be content without them and study hard. Our older readers will doubtless be struck with the other letter as curiously resembling that of a German attempting English. His substitution of d for t, and of p for b is quite funnily Teutonic.—ED. MISSIONARY.]

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MY DEAR FRIEND:—I thought I would write to you a few line, use to be in my home, last summer I went out on a hunting Buffalo away off in the west, we off in Texes country, and I saw many Texes and they was trying to fight the Pawnee, but every Pawnee was afraid, because they are good many Texes that makes the Pawnee afraid just like all white men the Pawnee do like them to fight and Texes kind afraid do and they stop and them went home every one. Would come back any more.

When I was a little boy I use to play all time would doing nothing just only play all the time, now I like to worked hard like very much indeed, because if I work hard and get some money note to go away, that is the reason we like them for I come in Hampton Normal I used to live in my tents and stay all time in my tents, when I was a little boy I used to take care of them ponies all time and every morning and take the ponies in a nice grass is and have good to eat them nice grass note to way to take care of them. Now I am doing to school I would take care of them horse and make fat horses any more because I will try and be contented. My father used to talk me about fight the Sioux a long time ago now stop fight and be our friend all of them kind to each other. I went to school about one year in my home that is the reason do know how to talk English because I went to school one year. That is all I can say now

From your friend JONATHAN HUSTICE.

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DEAR FRIEND:— I hope I write you to day, to let you Know what I was doing when I was a young. Well I was working in my father his farm. We pland some wheat and potatoes, we pland every thing, what we want in a winder. And after-wile we had a school house in our settlemend, so we can go to school, and that time I was very glad to school every day and I minte my teacher what he tells me to to and that time I was school two years and the next year I heart to talk aboude the blacksmith shop, to put some podday a boy to learn his trade put he coult find him any boy to learn fasd, and then the other day I get a letter from our agt. and he dolt me if I like to be a black smith, and I recived his letter to tell him that I am very willing to be a black smith so I pegan to work every day, an when I work one year I heard some boys to send to school some whre and after wile he ask me if I like to school I told her I shoult like to have it So I come here do learn a Good away and so that I can teach my tribe a good away and I dry hard to learn fast to learn write well and so that I help my tribe. I am sorry that I going to say thire was a grait many Indians in our State. Thay are very goot she can not understand to work himself. Some of them she understand to write some thing his own Good. Dear sir I am glad that you help us I am very much obliget to you, and then I will dry hard to learn fast, it all I can to say.

Yours very Respectfully, ALEXANDER PETERS. from Wis. State.

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RECEIPTS

FOR APRIL, 1880.

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MAINE, $231.05.

Bangor. Hammond St. Cong. Sab. Sch. $15.00 Bethel. F. B. and H. C. B. 1.00 Brewer. First Cong. Ch. 8.00 Calais. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 34.12 Garland. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 3.00 Gorham. Cong. Soc. 28.12 Hampden. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 7.00 Lewiston. Pine St. Cong. Ch. 101.43 Machias. Centre St. Ch., $13.38, and Sab. Sch., $7 20.38 Portland. “A Willing Worker” 2.00 Wiscasset. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 11.00

NEW HAMPSHIRE, $291.60.

Amherst. Cong. Ch. 36.75 Atkinson Depot. Gyles Merrill, $50.; Mrs. Gyles Merrill, $25; M. H. C., 50c. 75.50 Bath. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.58 Derry. H. T. 1.00 Greenville. E. G. Heald 6.00 Hampstead. MISS J. S. EASTMAN, $30. to const. herself, L. M.; Cong. Ch. and Soc., $12 42.00 Hanover. Dartmouth Religious Soc. 5.00 Hollis. By Geo. Swain 18.00 Mason. Ladies, _for Storrs Sch._, $10;—H. B. H., $1 11.00 Milford. Cong. Ch. 11.63 Nashua. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 27.51 New Boston. Children’s Mission Circle of Presb. Ch. 18.00 New Ipswich. Leavitt Lincoln 10.00 Newport. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 23.63

VERMONT, $389.31.

Bennington. Second Cong. Ch. Sab. Sch., (ad’l.), to const. SAMUEL JEWETT, ERNEST PATTERSON, MRS. M. G. REMINGTON, MRS. A. C. BINGHAM and MISS L. MARIA RAY, L. M’s 12.93 Brookfield. First Cong. Ch. and Soc., $15; Second Cong. Ch. and Soc., $12.15 27.15 Burlington. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 87.81 Chelsea. Cong. Ch. and Soc. (ad’l.) 7.00 Clarendon. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 12.55 East Hardwick. Mrs. L. A. P., $1; Mrs L. W. J., $1 2.00 East Poultney. A. D. Wilcox 5.00 Hinesburgh. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 6.00 Marshfield. Lyman Clark 10.00 Newbury. Cong. Ch. and Soc. (ad’l.) 1.00 Newport. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 11.00 North Clarendon. Mrs. Wm. D. Marsh, Memorial Contribution, to const. MRS. JOHN SPENCER, L. M. 30.00 Northfield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 10.52 North Thetford. “A Friend” 2.00 Quechee. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 18.78 Saint Albans. Young Men’s Class, Sab. Sch. of First Cong. Ch., _for Student Aid, Fisk U._ 15.00 Thetford. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 20.00 Waitsfield. A. M. B. and G. I. B. 1.00 West Brattleborough. Cong. Ch. 12.06 West Fairlee. Cong. Sab. Sch., $13.27; Dea. J. P. S., $1 14.27 West Townshend. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 6.74 West Westminster. Mrs. Z. D. 0.50 Windsor. Cong. Ch. and Soc. (ad’l), to const. MISS ELLEN S. STEELE and MISS HARRIET HERRICK, L. M’s. 56.00 —— “A Friend” 20.00

MASSACHUSETTS, $4,447.11.