Part 4

Yet the cheerful view I received at first was not a false one. There is more to make one sad here than in many other places, but there is also much to make one glad. There is the constant contact with young life, the opportunity to see how much the every-day blessings of home and school are worth to those who have not had them, the sympathy that comes from a common purpose frankly avowed, and in addition there are abundant opportunities and favorable conditions for teaching these boys and girls to love Christ, and to feel concerning themselves,

“He’s fitting us to enter Into His service sweet.”

I think nearly all who are here, both teachers and scholars, feel that this lonely little cluster of buildings away off on an Indian reservation, is, for them, one of the best places the earth contains.

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THE CHINESE.

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BY REV. W. C. POND.

“A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.”—1 _Cor_., xvi, 9.

What Paul experienced at Ephesus, we find to be true in our humble work among the Chinese in California. We are grateful that the door is open, and that it is as great and as effectual as it is. We cannot deny that there are also “many adversaries.”

Our Chinese brethren think that some of these, among their own countrymen, and even among the pupils in our schools, are peculiarly annoying. Jee Gam was telling me, a few days since, of an experience with one of these, which I asked him to write out for the readers of THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY:

“Several months ago, while Mrs. Lamont, Gin Foo King and myself, were busily engaged in teaching the other scholars at the Barnes school, our attention was diverted by the voice of one who was not studying, but talking aloud. He was a pompous fellow, who, though he is only a servant, dresses like a very rich man. Working for $16 per month, he wears a purple figured silk coat and a gold bracelet. He puts on the appearance, in the school-room, of high breeding and great learning. As we listened to him, this is what we heard: ‘What doctrine have the foreigners? They have no duty between Emperor and officials, parents and children, elder and younger brother, husband and wife, or even between friends; but we, Chinese, are taught by our great sage, Confucius. His teaching on these duties is above all that men ever taught on earth. The foreigner has not the son of heaven (meaning the Emperor). When he is 21 years old he leaves his home and thinks no more of his parents; not only so, but leaves them to take care of themselves. The husband lends his wife to his friends, who walk with her arm in arm on the street. The way of courtship and marriage is like that of beasts. He knows no politeness, no integrity, no modesty, and no shame; in fact, all foreigners are barbarians. Confucius said: “I have heard of barbarians becoming Chinese, but have never heard of Chinese becoming barbarians.”’ He continued at length in that way. Gin Foo King and I listened till patience failed us. ‘Where did you get your knowledge about the foreigners?’ I asked. ‘What do you know of the Bible?’ He gave no answer. ‘Who are these people that Confucius called barbarians? Were they Americans, or English, or Germans? Would you take your teacher, Mrs. Lamont, for a barbarian? Would you claim that you are more enlightened than she?’ I then explained to him that those whom Confucius called barbarians were people within the Chinese Empire; his China was a small country, covering only a few of the present central provinces, and all the people outside that district were esteemed to be barbarians. There were no Americans when he lived, and as to English and Germans, he knew nothing about them. He did not call _them_ barbarians.”

When the pupils heard this, they laughed at the pretentious scholar. Since then he does not loudly and boastfully contend; at least, in our presence; but I have reason to think that he works against us privately. We pray for him, and we hope that God will answer our prayers and open his eyes and change his heart, so that he may see the beauty and the excellence there is in Christ.

Our brethren are justified in praying for such adversaries. Some years ago one who had (for the sake of learning English) been very constant at the Oakland school, on becoming a Christian confessed that for months he had carried a pistol in his pocket, determined, if he could with safety, to shoot Jee Gam because of his zeal in leading his countrymen to Christ. We did not labor for that “adversary” in vain.

Another was formerly a constant attendant at the Bethany school, and a constant student of the New Testament. But it was in search of material with which to counteract the influence of helpers and teachers, and hold his fellow pupils firm to the ancestral faith. Among other passages he came upon that one in Matt. ix, 17, which speaks of the new wine in old bottles. It served his purpose admirably. “China,” he said, “is an old bottle, very old; you must not put this new doctrine into it; it will burst.” But Hong Sing, who was then a member of this school, answered him well: “It is not China that is old and weak, but our heathen customs of worshipping ancestors and buying luck at the shrine of Joss, etc., etc. Put the doctrine of Christ into these and it will burst them certainly; but put it into China, and it will make her stronger and fairer than ever.”

One Sunday evening, sitting in my study, preparing for our evening service, while the Chinese Sunday-school was going on in an adjoining room, I overheard some Chinaman vigorously exhorting the pupils. I went out to see who it was. It was this “adversary.” I asked what he was saying. “He is telling us,” a pupil replied, “that he has found out that Jesus is the true God and only Saviour, and asking us all to believe in Him.”

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BUREAU OF WOMAN’S WORK.

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A WEEK AT A NORMAL SCHOOL.

A visitor at one of our normal schools in the South asked the principal for a schedule of a week’s work, _outside_ of the regular school duties. The visitor reports this school to be equal to Northern schools of the same grade and one where the aim is not only to promote good scholarship but also to develop earnest and intelligent Christian character.

SCHEDULE.

Sunday, 9 A. M. Miss H. S. S. Teacher’s Meeting. Sunday, 10 A. M. S. S. Church and Choir. to 1 P. M. Sunday, P. M. S. S. Class, Reading and Prayer Meeting. Sunday, 7:30 P. M. Church Service. Monday Miss P. Mothers’ Meeting. Monday 3:30 P. M. Miss L. Girl’s Society. Monday 3:30 P. M. Miss F. School Visitation. Tuesday, 4 to 5 P. M. Miss F. Class Prayer Meeting. Tuesday, 7:30 P. M. Church Prayer Meeting. Wednesday School Visitation. Wednesday 6 P. M. School Teacher’s Meeting. Wednesday 7:30 P. M. Miss H. Reading Circle. Thursday Miss F. and Girls’ Prayer and D. B. others Work. Thursday 3:30 P. M. Teacher’s Class. Thursday 7:30 P. M. Daniel’s Band, Bible Study and School Prayer Meeting. Friday School Visitation. Friday Miss L. Primary Teacher’s Meeting. Friday Individual Work. Saturday Cleaning, Mending, etc. Saturday Miss H. Music Lessons.

In addition to this regular missionary work every week and every day in the week, there are Temperance and Missionary meetings, the preparation of Missionary letters and various incidental Christian works. This school is a fair illustration of all.

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HOW WE RAISED THE DEBT.

Mother was East and father had gone to the Association at Plankington. Only _Taute_ was left to keep us straight. We had run through the list and done most everything, except going swimming and the pillow-fight. There were still several raw September days to be disposed of.

Putting the play-room to rights one day, our throats just ached for chocolate creams. We would make Taute pay so much a sight of the play-room in apple-pie order. Taute would not be taxed, but would like some jumping-jacks and nuns for her little Oahe girls, and we could come by our chocolate creams honestly.

It would be hard to tell how it all came about, for one said one thing and one another, until out of all the Babel and confusion we decided on a fair, a real missionary fair. How our tongues wagged while our fingers flew! How the jumping-jacks multiplied, and the sedate little nuns came trooping forth each with prayer-book and rosary, after whole families of pert-looking acorn dolls! As by magic the bright bits of paper grew into kites, mats and book-markers, and pen-wipers and pin-cushions; how could one have a fair without them!

The day came at last. We had from Thursday evening until the next Monday afternoon. (What a trying day Sunday was. Do you think it was very, very wicked counting our jacks and nuns, and seeing how much they would bring?)

The dining-room table Mamma let us have, and a string running across the room made a splendid trapeze, where the nuns flirted and danced with their jacks, the tea-kettles bubbled and the acorn baskets turned somersaults. Oh! ’twas just shocking! And the acorn dolls that kept watch over the fancy articles didn’t behave a bit better. They bowed and curtseyed until their heads bobbed off. Even the brave potato-man, who was marshal of the day, could scarcely sit still on his potato-horse. Perhaps they felt good because they were going to raise the A. M. A. debt.

And it was just as Mabel and Olive had said: Miss Haynes did buy a jack and Miss Leonard a nun, and Miss Ilsley and Miss Pratt both took dolls. Then those who had jacks wanted nuns and those who had nuns must have jacks, and no one could resist the acorn dolls, their heads rolled off so easily. Our buttonhole bouquets, too, were just one cent, and little Ruthie Chadbourne’s papa and mamma thought missionary candy very good for her, so they bought ever so many little scallop-shells full at five cents apiece.

Miss Hunter, of Greenwood, was here, and had to buy out of politeness, and when it was all over Mamma bought us out—that was, we are quite sure, out of kindness. We had forgotten to say that Father and Mother had come home. They had to come to help buy the things, you see. Now that it is all over, we want you should know what a happy time we had, and send you our pennies to raise the debt with. Your friends and co-workers,

THREE LITTLE RIGGS CHILDREN AND THEIR THREE RIGGS-WARNER COUSINS.

P. S.—We have forgotten all about our chocolate creams.

SANTEE AGENCY, Neb., September, 1886.

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RECEIPTS FOR DECEMBER, 1886

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MAINE, $421.41.

Bangor. Hammond St. Cong. Ch., ad’l, 37.50; First Cong. Sab. Sch., 17.51; Cen. Cong. Ch. and Soc., 10. $65.01 Bangor. W. S. Dennett, 26; John L. Crosby, 2 _for Pleasant Hill, Tenn._ 28.00 Bath. Mrs. James Covel. 1.00 Blue Hill. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 9.00 Brewer. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 12.00 Calais. First Cong. Sab. Sch., _for Talladega C._ 10.00 Castine. Mrs. C. M. Cushman, _for Student Aid, Tougaloo U._ 6.00 Castine. “Your loving little friends.” Mary and Margaret J. Cushman, 2 ea. 4.00 Cumberland Mills. Warren Ch. to const. FREDERIC D. LARRABEE and HARRY H. MELCHER, L. M’s. 67.23 East Orrington. Cong. Sab. Sch., _for Pleasant Hill, Tenn._ 21.00 Farmington Falls. Cong. Ch. 7.00 Gorham. First Cong. Ch. and Soc., ad’l to const. MRS. SARAH J. HAMBLIN, SUMNER L. OSBORNE and GEORGE W. CROCKER, L. M’s. 22.03 New Gloucester. By Mrs. A. R. Jordan, 4; Two bbls. and one box of goods, _for Selma, Ala._ 4.00 Norridgewock. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 30.00 North Anson. Mrs. Eunice S. Brown. 10.00 Norway. Mrs. Mary K. Frost. 2.50 Orono. Cong. Ch. 1.00 Portland. Williston Sab. Sch., to const. DR. A. K. P. MESERVE and EDMUND T. GARLAND, L. M’s. 60.00 Saco. First Parish Cong. Ch. 10.64 South Gardiner. Cong. Ch. 6.00 South Paris. Cong. Ch. 6.00 Union. By Mrs. S. L. Norcross, 5; Two bbls. of goods, _for Selma, Ala._ 5.00 Waterford. Cen. Cong. Sab. Sch. 5.00 Wells. “Christmas Club of Little Children, Second Ch.,” Pulpit Bible, _for Pleasant Hill, Tenn._ York. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 29.00

NEW HAMPSHIRE, $579.13.

Bennington. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.32 Bennington. Children of Cong. Ch., _for Rosebud Indian M._ 2.10 Bradford. “E. B. G” 1.00 Bristol. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 6.00 Campton. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 3.00 Concord. Cong. Ch., 76 87; David E. Willard, 5; “A Friend,” 5 86.87 Derry. Ladies of First Cong. Ch., _for Woman’s Work_ 20.00 Durham. Miss Carrie Mathes, _for Student Aid, Atlanta U._ 10.00 Goffstown. Mrs. M. A. Stinson, 10; Ladies, bbl. of Clothing, etc., val. 8, _for Brewer Inst._ 10.00 Gorham. Cong. Ch. 2.50 Great Falls. First Cong. Ch. 20.00 Haverhill. Cong. Ch. 12.15 Hollis. “A Friend, Christmas Offering” 20.00 Keene. First Cong. Sab. Sch., to const. LEONARD J. TUTTLE, WM. G HALL, MISS LAURA B. TILDEN, MRS. J. L. WYMAN and AZRO B. SKINNER, L. M’s. 161.06 Londonderry. C. S. Pillsbury 1.00 Nashua. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 44.50 New Ipswich. Children’s 24th Annual Fair (1 of which from a little boy _for Indian M_) 14.85 and Cong. Sab. Sch., 20, to const. MISS CARRIE B. WILSON, L. M. 34.85 New Ipswich. Leveritt Lincoln. 10.00 Pelham. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 41.28 Penacook. Cong. Sab. Sch. 6.00 Portsmouth. (——). 5.00 Stratham. Cong. Ch. and Soc., to const. MRS. MARIA H. THOMPSON, L. M. 39.00 Suncook. Mrs. Elsie G. Green. 5.00 Wilton. Second Cong. Ch. 24.50 Winchester. Cong. Sab. Sch. 8.00

VERMONT, $890.67.

Barnet. Mrs Mary W. Boardman, 100; Cong. Ch., adl., 67.10. 167.10 Barton Landing. Ladies Aid Soc. of Cong. Ch., _for McIntosh, Ga._ 5.50 Bellows Falls. Cong. Ch. (30 of which to const. MISS LUCIA E. ADAMS, L. M.) 49.60 Bennington Center. First Cong. Ch. 28.00 Bradford. Mrs. E. C. Redington, by Mrs. Henry Fairbanks, _for McIntosh, Ga._ 5.00 Cabot. Cong. Ch. 16.00 Chelsea. Cong. Ch. 49.04 Duxbury. Cong. Ch. 5.70 Essex. “Cash”. 4.50 Glover. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 12.00 Granby and Victory. Cong Ch. and Soc. 3.34 Guildhall. Ladies, by Mrs. Geo. Hubbard, _for McIntosh, Ga._ 5.00 Hartford. Second Cong. Ch., 29.60; “A Friend,” 16. 45.60 Jamaica. Ladies, by Mrs. A. W. Wild, _for McIntosh, Ga._ 3.00 Manchester. Mrs. Anna B. Burton, to const. GEORGE G. BURTON, L. M. 30.00 Manchester. Ladies of Cong. Ch., bbl. of C., _for Atlanta U._ Marshfield. Cong. Ch. 7.42 Middlebury. Cong. Ch. 34.68 Montpelier. L. C. Bowen. 5.00 Newbury. Hon. P. W. Ladd. 5.00 New Haven. By Mrs. L. W. Stowe, Two bbls., _for Oaks, N.C._ Newport. Ladies, _for McIntosh, Ga._, by Mrs. Henry Fairbanks. 27.75 Newport. “A Friend, Christmas Offering”. 10.00 Norwich. Cong. Ch. and Soc., 10; Mrs. H. Burton, 1 11.00 Orwell. Cong. Ch. 40.00 Peacham. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 42.03 Rupert. Cong. Ch. 17.04 Rutland. Gen’l W. Y. Ripley, 25; Hon. Redfield Proctor, 25, _for Atlanta U._ 50.00 Saint Johnsbury. South Cong. Ch. and Soc. 99.87 Springfield. Mrs. B. D. Forbush, _for Macon, Ga., freight_ 1.80 Stowe. Cong. Ch. 44.00 Townshend. Proceeds of Harvest Festival held by the boys and girls of Cong. Sab. Sch., _for McIntosh, Ga._ 14.66 West Brattleboro. Cong. Ch. 11.19 West Randolph. Cong. Ch. 20.00 Ladies of Vermont, _for McIntosh, Ga._— Barton Landing, 1 bbl., freight 2.00 Essex Junction, freight 1.80 Hartland, 1 bbl. Ludlow, 1 bbl., freight 2.00 North Craftsbury. ½ bbl. freight 2.00 Wallingford, 1 bbl. freight 1.00 Walpole, 1 bbl. Windham, 1 bbl. 2.00 West Charleston, 9.05 ———— 19.85

MASSACHUSETTS, $5,329.42.