Part 1

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CONTENTS.

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EDITORIAL. PAGE. SO FAR—PAMPHLET NO. 7 65 PARAGRAPHS 66 ARTHINGTON MISSION—A PARALLEL 67 LATEST NEWS FROM REV. H. M. LADD 68 MAP OF MISSION IN EASTERN AFRICA 69 THE SLAVE MUSIC OF THE SOUTH, BY REV. GEO. H. GRIFFIN 70 ROUND THE WORLD 72 REVIVAL NEWS 73 GENERAL NOTES—Africa, Indians, Chinese 74 BENEFACTIONS—“MISSIONARY PAPERS” 76 A BLIND SAMPSON, BY REV. A. J. BIDDLE 77

THE FREEDMEN.

TWENTY YEARS AFTER FREEDOM (with cuts) 78 EMERSON INSTITUTE, MOBILE, ALA., BURNED 80

THE INDIANS.

CHRISTMAS AT SPOKAN FALLS, W. T., ETC. 82

THE CHINESE.

CLIPPINGS FROM FORTHCOMING ANNUAL REPORT OF OUR CALIFORNIA AUXILIARY 82

CHILDREN’S PAGE.

BOY LIFE IN CHINA 83

RECEIPTS 84

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American Missionary Association,

56 READE STREET, NEW YORK.

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PRESIDENT, HON. WM. B. WASHBURN, Mass.

CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

Rev. M. E. STRIEBY, D.D., _56 Reade Street, N.Y._

TREASURER.

H. W. HUBBARD, Esq., _56 Reade Street, N.Y._

DISTRICT SECRETARIES.

Rev. C. L. WOODWORTH, _Boston_. Rev. G. D. PIKE, D.D., _New York_. Rev. JAMES POWELL, _Chicago_.

COMMUNICATIONS

relating to the work of the Association may be addressed to the Corresponding Secretary; those relating to the collecting fields, to the District Secretaries; letters for the Editor of the “American Missionary,” to Rev. G. D. Pike, D.D., at the New York Office.

DONATIONS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS

may be sent to H. W. Hubbard, Treasurer, 56 Reade Street, New York, or, when more convenient, to either of the Branch Offices, Rev. C. L. Woodworth, Dist. Sec., 21 Congregational House, Boston, Mass., or Rev. James Powell, Dist. Sec., 112 West Washington Street, Chicago, Ill. A payment of thirty dollars at one time constitutes a Life Member. Letters relating to boxes and barrels of clothing may be addressed to the persons above named.

FORM OF A BEQUEST.

“I BEQUEATH to my executor (or executors) the sum of —— dollars, in trust, to pay the same in —— days after my decease to the person who, when the same is payable, shall act as Treasurer of the ‘American Missionary Association’ of New York City, to be applied, under the direction of the Executive Committee of the Association, to its charitable uses and purposes.” The Will should be attested by three witnesses.

The Annual Report of the A. M. A. contains the Constitution of the Association and the By-Laws of the Executive Committee. A copy will be sent free on application.

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THE

AMERICAN MISSIONARY.

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VOL. XXXVI. MARCH, 1882. NO. 3.

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American Missionary Association.

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SO FAR.

One-third of the fiscal year of this Association ended January 31. Our friends will be glad to learn of our progress so far. Our annual meeting, after careful deliberation, decided that $300,000 (or 23 per cent. more than last year) would be needed for the growing work of this year; and we have been obliged to expend more than one-third of this amount, showing that our estimate was none too large.

Our receipts for the four months ending January 31 have been $83,893.39. Of this amount $9,191.72 was received in legacies, and $74,701.67 from other sources. There has been a decrease in legacies of $3,132.28, and an increase from other sources of $16,601.18, making a total increase of $13,468.90, or a little more than 19 per cent. over that of last year instead of the 23 per cent. asked for.

It will be seen that during the remaining eight months not only the $200,000 allotted for that time must be raised, but also $16,107 of deficiency. This will require an increase of 25 per cent. over the income for the corresponding months of last year.

The increase of receipts from living donors is gratifying, and we appeal with great confidence to those who have given to add to their gifts, and to those who have not yet contributed to increase the amount of their usual donations, so that the treasury of the Lord may be full, and that the work be not hindered.

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We have just published Pamphlet No. 7 of our series, containing the address of President E. H. Fairchild, D.D., at Worcester, on “God’s Designs for and through the Negro Race,” and “Missions the Work of this Era,” by Rev. M. E. Strieby, D.D. Copies will be sent free on application.

We have received recent letters of a hopeful character from our Mendi Mission. Rev. J. M. Williams, after a preaching tour among the native villages, returned suffering from a serious illness from which he appears to be recovering. A neat tombstone has been placed over the remains of Rev. Kelly M. Kemp at the Good Hope Station.

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Messrs. D. Lothrop & Co. have done good service in publishing “Around the World Tour of Missions,” by Mr. W. F. Bainbridge. The book purports to give a universal survey of Christian Missions, and contains in its appendix a list of missionary societies, home and foreign. The amount of information in its 582 pages is a valuable contribution to the missionary literature of the day.

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A friend sending a donation to constitute a life member says: “I believe that this makes twenty-six life members which I have made during the last eight or ten years. Were you to ask me to-day to give you the full sum, $780, I could not do it, but as it came by $30 at a time, I have not felt it, but have been made happy in making others to rejoice by a small amount yearly given to your society. Why not urge others to adopt some such system of giving?”

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We publish elsewhere an account of the burning of the Congregational church and school building of the Emerson Institute, Mobile, Ala. The origin of the fire is indicated by the following offer of reward: “$300 reward. The undersigned will pay the above reward of $300 for the arrest, conviction and punishment of any person or persons who set fire to any of the following buildings, to wit: Residence of John F. Cotham, house of Annie C. Sullivan, house belonging to estate of Boulo, Congregational Church building. A. P. BUSH, President Mobile Board of Underwriters.”

The school was enjoying a winter of unusual prosperity at the time of the fire, and as will be seen by the communication referred to it has made temporary arrangements for the continuation of its work.

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Our newly-appointed business agent for the Mendi Mission, Mr. I. J. St. John, in describing his journey from Freetown, West Africa, to our Good Hope Station, writes: “Mr. Hall and myself had been on the water in a boat with nothing but the soft side of a hard board to sit on and sleep on for three days and two nights, with nothing to eat but bread and strawberry jam. The worst of it was the board each of us had was only fourteen inches wide and four feet long.” These brethren will watch with special interest the report of the receipts for the John Brown Steamer, which we shall commence to build as soon as the money is assured. We trust the friends of this Association will keep right on furnishing funds for this object. About one-third of the $10,000 needful has been subscribed.

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ARTHINGTON MISSION.—A PARALLEL.

The enterprises of different nationalities operating in northeastern Africa are continually converging about Khartoum, which, during the past three years, has been transformed in appearance from an African to a semi-European city. Good houses and extensive stores have been constructed, and at present all supplies required by modern civilization are furnished.

The activity in this locality is indicated by some of the following circumstances: Recently Mr. Goodwin, engineer at Cairo, reported to the Egyptian government the necessity of prolonging the railroads of lower Egypt to the Egyptian Soudan. A Spanish association is planning an expedition from Korosko to the Albert Lake. Agents of the Italian Society of Commerce are on their way to Khartoum for mercantile purposes. The English government contemplate locating consuls south of the desert, both at Souakim and Khartoum. A special interest seems just now to be taken in the Galla country. Baron Müller, with a German expedition, is heading towards this locality. Piaggia is at Khartoum, from whence he purposes to penetrate the same region. There is also reason to believe that Count Pennazzi is already making his explorations in that country.

We are chiefly interested, however, in an enterprise which is parallel to our proposed Arthington Mission.

It appears that a Swedish missionary society, founded in 1856, was organized with a purpose to labor among the Gallas, reaching their country via Khartoum and the Blue Nile. The society seems to have been delayed and embarrassed in its operations, so much so that it decided in 1866 to locate its stations at Massaoua and its immediate neighborhood on the Red Sea. Here it gave instruction to some 200 children, boys and girls, at its three stations. Some of these children were pure heathen from the Galla tribes, and others belonged to the Abyssinian church.

In 1877 Galla merchants came from Jemma, south of Abyssinia, and anxiously requested that teachers be sent them. No Europeans at that time could enter the country. Consequently three native youths, who had been brought up at the mission schools and who burned with zeal to carry the gospel of Christ to their fellow countrymen, returned with the traders and established a mission for Abyssinian and Galla children at Godjam, and began to preach to the people, who seemed very willing to hear the glad tidings. Neither language nor climate could hinder these, as they do Europeans.

The Swedish Society, however, has recently resolved to return to its original purpose, and already one of its missionaries, Mr. Arrhenius, accompanied by Onesimus, an Abyssinian by birth, and another fellow laborer, are supposed to be on their way to Enarea, via Berber, Khartoum and the Blue Nile, to found a mission in Southern Abyssinia. Mr. Arrhenius purposed to leave for the Galla Country November, 1881, and it is not improbable that he may have fallen in with Messrs. Ladd and Snow, at Khartoum. By reference to the accompanying map it will be seen that Enarea lies in about the same latitude as the mouth of the Sobat, on the White Nile, being situated some 400 miles from it in an easterly direction. Both of these points lie in the territory designated by Mr. Arthington. At the latter, it will be remembered, we somewhat expect to locate our first mission station. The experience of this Swedish Society during its fifteen years of labor gives it a great advantage. Its students may not only prove of service among the Gallas, they may also aid us in our mission.

It is encouraging to note the activities among the different nationalities for the development of trade and internal improvements in that portion of the Nile Basin which we hope to occupy, but especially the fact that He who has affirmed that Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God, is moving upon the hearts of Swedish, English and American Christians simultaneously to enter and occupy that country for Christ.

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LATEST NEWS FROM REV. H. M. LADD.

BERBER, ON THE NILE, Dec. 31, 1881.—“We arrived in Berber, safe and sound, day before yesterday, the 29th, being sixteen days from Korosko. We were nine days to Aboo Hamed, making forced marches of twelve and thirteen hours, and averaging, to that place, thirty-three miles a day. At Aboo Hamed we rested one day, and from that place to Berber averaged twenty-one miles a day. I have only time for a few lines now, as we go on board our dahabuyeh for Khartoum to-night. The Atmoor desert is a trying one, and nobody had better undertake it who has not a large amount of pluck and endurance. We, however, are in perfect health and good spirits. On our arrival we found all the merchant boats engaged. There was here only one dahabuyeh belonging to the Governor. We went to him and asked for it. He refused. We fell back on our orders from Cairo. He changed his mind, and said we might take it _if_ we could get an order for it from Khartoum. We telegraphed to Raouf Pasha, Governor-General of Soudan. This morning the order came by telegram, and also a telegram of welcome to the Soudan. The Reis has reported to us. The dahabuyeh now lies in front of our tents, subject to our orders and ready to sail. In a few minutes we go on board, and hope to reach Khartoum by the 5th. I will try to send my journal from there, and bring it up to date. We are highly pleased with Berber and the people we find here. Everything so far has gone well. We are pressing forward just as fast as is possible.”

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THE SLAVE MUSIC OF THE SOUTH.

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BY REV. GEORGE H. GRIFFIN, MILFORD, CT.

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If ever the real genius for music seems to have been born in the soul of an entire race, that race is the African. Explorers of the dark continent speak of a marked musical taste among the negroes on their native heath, but the American type of African is still more largely developed in that direction.

Some of the European races are naturally full of song, but in them the culture of music as a science is also illustrated.

The light and pleasing melodies of Italian operas or the grand and sonorous chords of German symphonies and sonatas show the results of a high degree of musical education.

But, in searching for that undefinable entity which is sometimes called the “soul of music,” or, in other words, that kind of music which finds a responsive thrill in every human breast, because it speaks most clearly the language of man’s best impulses and tenderest feelings, it seems to the writer that the slave songs of the South meet the demand more nearly than any other style of musical expression. These children of bondage knew nothing of the methods of the schools, yet, in the harmonious blending and balancing of the four parts, their vocalization is seldom equalled; while their skill in translating heart throbs into the descriptive language of the diatonic scale is rarely surpassed.

No exhaustive analysis of the slave music is here attempted.

It is, however, a very rich mine to explore. Suffice to indicate its principal features, namely these, among others: great simplicity, but richness in the harmony, coupled with much variety and originality of melody. Many of the “resolutions” of chords are abrupt and startling; some of them doubtless contrary to the principles of “thorough bass,” but all the more expressive on that account of the rough and rugged experiences which gave them birth. While the _tempo_ of these songs is largely common, or four-four, there are strange points of emphasis put upon syllables and unexpected cadences in rhythm, which are well nigh unreducible to musical notation.

The _ad libitum_ passages are numerous, and the musical intervals often abnormal, as in rapid changes from major to minor, and conversely, like “Roll, Jordan, Roll”; also in the use of a minor third, while singing on a major key, as in “Run to Jesus.”

Their general style is recitative and chorus, though a few are pure solos or unisonal measures.

The music and words of many of these songs were born together.

This is true, especially, of those associated with social worship, which, having been produced by the sudden inspiration of religious fervor came forth spontaneously from one voice, while the multitude caught the refrain and sang it out with a mighty chorus, as the sound of many waters.

Assuming the correctness of Geo. MacDonald’s definition of a song, as a composition in which the emotional largely overbalances the intellectual element, their songs, with their fullness of sentiment, seem to realize the ideal.

A proper classification of these products of slavery should distinguish between those songs which groan with the agonies of a hard and cruel thralldom, and those which palpitate with the joy of a present salvation, and the hope of a glorious home of freedom beyond the grave.

Among the selections belonging to the first of these divisions, the minor key naturally predominates. Indeed, this is the pitch upon which the majority of human hearts, the world over, are tuned. A more exquisite minor melody than “Nobody Knows the Trouble I See,” can hardly be conceived. So, too, for pure pathos nothing can excel “You May Bury Me in the East.” But for bold and thrilling grandeur, scarcely anything in all the musical conceptions of the ages can be considered superior to “Go Down, Moses, way down in Egypt Land.” As the slaves used to roar it out, it must have seemed like the very voice of Jehovah himself.

In these songs it is easy to trace the effects of a galling yoke crushing the poor body to the dust, while the soul rises triumphant over circumstances in the conviction of its true nobility and in the hope, though long deferred, of realizing, even on earth, its full liberty. The sweetest utterances of the sacred poets of all the centuries have been those “songs in the night” that came forth from the bitterest experiences of human woe.

It is related of a certain German nobleman that he had a number of wires stretched from turret to turret of his castle which acted like a great Æolian harp, bringing forth richest music, but _only_ when the tempests played upon its quivering strings. So may it be said of the slaves in their forlorn condition, that they sang most sweetly when the storms of adversity beat upon them most fiercely.

Happily the days of slave music are past. The system which brought it into existence is abolished; but the world owes a great debt of gratitude to those who have made a study of these songs and put them in print for the benefit of future generations.

This article would not be complete without a single mention of the Fisk Jubilee Company, whose wonderful history—more romantic than the wildest fiction—furnishes a living illustration of our theme.

Their first performances doubtless represented the native music of the South more perfectly than the present cultured state of their voices will allow; but, while art has refined their methods, it has also served to adorn nature with a chaste and quiet beauty which wins a way to every soul that comes under its magic spell.

The evident enjoyment with which they pour forth their music like birds—their marvelous power of _crescendo_ and _diminuendo_—their faultless articulation both of notes and words, even in the most _piano_ and prolonged chords—stamp their style as a model for church choirs and all who engage in the service of sacred song.

God be praised that we live to see this day, when these long-despised and down-trodden sons and daughters of toil can visit our Northern cities in the full enjoyment of American citizenship, and teach us of the alleged and boasted superior race how to sing most expressively and effectively the Lord’s song in a strange land.

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ROUND THE WORLD.

—New York.—There are 489 churches and missions of all denominations laboring for the spiritual welfare of the City of New York, of which about 400 are evangelical Protestant churches.

—Chicago.—The number of churches in Chicago has increased in ten years from 156 to 218. The Congregationalists and Presbyterians have each lost one church in that time.

—Omaha.—The largest Congregational Church in Nebraska is at Omaha. During the past year 49 persons were admitted to its membership by its pastor, Rev. A. F. Sherrell.

—Ogden.—The influx of Mormons to Utah is indicated by the fact that more than 2,000 recruits left Liverpool for that Territory last summer.

—San Francisco.—There were 1,682 pupils enrolled in the schools of the A. M. A. in California last year, of which number 140 were hopefully converted.

—Sandwich Islands.—A $6,000 church for the Chinese has been built at Honolulu, $500 being given by a Chinaman who was formerly hired out for $4 per month.

—Yokohama.—The Reformed Church in America has at its Yokohama station 158 members, 8 preaching places, 3 Sunday-schools, 131 scholars, with a boarding department.

—Hong Kong.—The Mission of the Basle Society at Hong Kong has 145 communicants. The London Missionary Society has 32 missionaries, native and foreign, at the same point.

—Calcutta.—A sect of Hindoo dissenters has recently made an attack on the idol of Juggernaut. They profess belief in Hindoo deities, but do not respect their images.

—Bombay.—The native dispensary of the St. John’s Mission, Bombay, has an average attendance of about 60 patients, who are read to daily by the missionaries of the English Church.

—Cairo.—The Mohammedans at Cairo have a very extensive training-school, in which 10,000 students are taught annually the doctrines contained in the Koran.

—Naples.—The Wesleyan Methodists sustain regular preaching in 96 preaching places in Italy. In the Naples district they have 575 members and 196 probationers.

—Rome.—The Free Church of Italy has 15 ordained ministers, 15 evangelists and 1,800 communicants. Its theological college, attended by 16 students, is situated at Rome.

—Turin.—The village of Bertrolla, near Turin, in Italy, has renounced Romanism and accepted the Protestant faith. The archbishop suspended the priest and closed the church against the 2,000 parishioners.

—Paris.—In Paris there are said to be 89 Sunday-schools, with 7,596 scholars. The international series of lessons is used in 32 of these schools.

—London.—Three Congregational churches in the north of London have opposed the application of the Salvation Army for permission to occupy their chapels as centres for religious work.

—Liverpool.—Bishop Ryle has delivered a strong charge to his clergy in consequence of the existence of a body of churchmen who seemed determined to un-Protestantize the church.

—New York.—Rev. Albert B. Simpson, with a company of associates, has undertaken a new evangelistic work for the masses in the Academy of Music, New York.

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REVIVAL NEWS.

—Meetings have been held every evening during the week for some time at Talladega College. Several conversions are reported.

—A precious revival has been in progress some weeks in Fisk University. Nightly meetings have been held, and at last report twenty-five students had given evidence of conversion.