Chapter 3

That the Christianization of the Negro must come from without his own institutions, will be clearly seen by looking at his present religious condition. The new life that is developing cannot be crowded into the narrow limits of his church. The moral element is almost entirely wanting in his creed and doctrine. Such is the condition of the church that moral and spiritual growth are impossible. He must be educated away from the institutions that attended his enslavement; as far from them as Canaan is from Egypt. Again, the pulpit, with comparatively few honorable exceptions, {132} is filled with adventurers and impure ministers. To a great extent this is true. But signs of a spiritual and moral exodus are everywhere manifest. The judgment of God rests heavily upon the Negro's temple-worship and the structure tumbles to the ground. Within the last two years I have seen six of the largest colored churches in Tennessee split on moral grounds, and the discontent with what is bad, grows among them. The old associations are losing their power over the rising generation. Intelligent men are seeking to supply their spiritual and moral wants. The A.M.A. has but to persist in the establishment of its school and church work among the colored people, with good strong men as ministers, and it is sure to be the leaven of the church of the future for the Negro people.

Last summer an old father, who had educated four children at Fisk University and had himself been there on one Commencement occasion, said to me:--"That Fisk school is the _buildin'-up-est_ place to our people in the world. I never expect to have such a good time and treatment again until I get to heaven." Thus are our hopes quickened and our aspirations for nobler things awakened.

But to one who understands the situation, the question of our education is of serious moment. All our institutions of higher learning are living from hand to mouth, with no endowment, and the North's purse-strings are growing tighter as the years go by. On the other hand, prejudice strikes savagely at our State appropriations. This year, in the advanced State of Tennessee, the white State-student gets one hundred dollars while the colored gets only twenty-two dollars and a half. In his poverty what can the Negro student do with this sum in the way of educating himself?

I could take you in the homes of those whom you have educated, then could you appreciate the wisdom of your investments. It is around the fireside, and in the conduct of the children, that your noble work is manifesting itself so clearly. The intellectual, moral and spiritual life found there are the true and only guarantees that old things are passing away.

The abject condition of the great body of Negroes appeals to Christian religion and philanthropy for the help that must come to redeem their lost minds and souls. The South cannot give them a Christian education. The cry goes up to the great, warm heart of the North. We crave the crumbs that fall from your God-given, bountiful table.

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A PASTOR'S FIRST VIEW.

A pastor who was educated at the North and who was graduated at the Hartford Theological Seminary, has for the first time made the acquaintance of his race in the South. He had never met his own people as a race until he entered into the service of the American Missionary Association. His impressions and testimony have, therefore, an additional interest.

In reference to the field: it is large and interesting, and requires more {133} than ordinary attention, both to that part of it under cultivation and that which is not yet. I have arranged my visits in such a way as to make it practicable for me to do justice to both; visiting church members the last week in each month (except in case of sickness), and using the rest of the time (apart from other necessary duties) for visits outside.

I am thus brought into direct contact with our people and learn a great deal about their condition. In some places it does seem actually as if liberty and civilization are still mysteries to them.

When I was in the North and heard or read descriptions of the condition and mode of living of the colored people of the South, I often thought that those descriptions were very highly colored, but I am now perfectly cured of all my doubts. My visits furnish me with the most plausible attestation of the facts. Squalor, with its long train of attendants, may be commonly seen in every direction, and perhaps not confined to the lower-conditioned of our people either. The desecration of the Lord's day is actually frightful. It is very literally used as a "day of rest from labor." On every hand the people are seen resting--resting from labor in the houses, on the stoops and on the streets, instead of being in the house of God. In very many instances, however, we succeed in getting some of them to attend church, but the work is somewhat uphill. I trust that this abnormal condition to which slavery has reduced them will eventually succumb to the effective educational weapon that is being brought to bear upon them, that of the American Missionary Association especially, and may the time soon come for the South when the Holy Spirit working in and through the various missionary Boards, and also other agencies, shall spread righteousness and education and the true art of living, among these benighted people. I am praying, others are praying, and you, too, must help us to pray and to wait for the quickening influences and a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit.

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TALLADEGA FRUIT.

BY MISS E.B. EMERY.

The missions of the American Missionary Association at the South are like orange trees, perennial, evergreen, and continually bearing golden fruit, and of these there is none more abounding in vitality than Talladega. All the year round the foliage glistens, the blossoming sheds its fragrance, and every winter there is an ample harvest. Sometimes one from abroad comes in to shake the tree and gather the fruit, and sometimes not; but however that may be, the soil is previously and thoroughly prepared by these consecrated missionaries, the tree is watered and nourished and tended the year round, and the harvest _expected_, and it comes.

Are there no spiritual frosts to blight? They are impossible, if the {134} spiritual atmosphere be kept clear, and the Holy Ghost be a daily and hourly companion and friend.

It is by no means unusual in Talladega for every unbelieving pupil in the boarding department to be converted. This year there were over forty hopeful conversions, and Rev. James Wharton, an English evangelist, by his earnest preaching was of very great assistance. It is noticeable that if any who have had little _previous_ training are converted through the preaching of an evangelist, they are not likely to hold out well.

On the first Sunday in March, twenty-seven of the converts were received into the college church, with two from the Baptist Church. More will come later as the fruits of the revival, while a few will join other churches. Eighteen of the number were young men, and among them were the two sons of Pres. DeForest, one fourteen, the other nine, years of age.

Prof. G.W. Andrews, D.D., the pastor this year, conducted the services; there was no sermon proper and no time for any, but there was much of the beautiful music of these colored people; they sing out their fervid souls with their rich and powerful voices. Nearly all were baptized, and much more was made of the right hand of fellowship than is usual in any Northern church. And it is needful for these children, for they will call for constant help months and years to come. With few exceptions, they are not reared in Christian homes, are not educated from the cradle in the Christian faith. The services were both solemn and joyful, and very tender and touching.

Such an avowal is the most significant of all things, anytime, anywhere, but here we know that every life is to be one of toil and bitter struggle, a fight in which the odds are, to appearances, all against them; more than all, that this young man, that young woman, with the dusky face, the mellow voice and the eager spirit, now in covenant with us, is to be a missionary to the heathen, and of his own people. What may he not accomplish? What may she not do for Christ? And these heathen are in our own country; they are our own people. These young missionaries are very peculiarly ours, and it is through the Northern churches that they are trained for their work. Shall not then those churches adopt them in their hearts, carry them in their prayers, and let them suffer no lack in their preparation? Their work in the future for the Master's kingdom will depend very much upon us Christians of the North.

Talladega College is exceedingly prosperous. The day-school is very large; the Sunday-school packs the chapel, and the Sunday congregation is much too crowded for health or comfort in a room seating but two hundred and fifty. The college is working all the time, for a church, earning many small sums. The result, with some gifts, amounts to about $400. Where is the man or the woman to aid in this godly enterprise? to share in this work so essential and so abundantly fruitful? {135}

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THREE PICTURES FROM LE MOYNE SCHOOL, MEMPHIS, TENN.

BY MISS ESTHER H. BARNES.

I would like to bring before you three pictures which I saw this week. The first is the interior of a single room. The tattered, soiled bed and the fireplace took up a large part of the room, and the rest was nearly filled with the confusion of odds and ends that make up the belongings of such a home. A feeble fire rested on the uneven bricks of the fireplace, and the chimney above was covered with newspapers in the last stages of dilapidation and dirt. There was no window, but a little sliding shutter, moved aside a few inches, admitted light enough to make the darkness visible as it fell on the smoke-stained boards, and the dusky faces of the inmates seated close to the fire on old chairs and boxes. A home more forlorn than this little pen, which, with a smaller back shed, is the only residence of at least five human beings, I can hardly conceive.

Now for a more cheering picture. It is a cozy sitting-room, papered with taste and furnished in harmony. Everything looks neat, from the snowy bed-spread to the pretty clock on the mantel, and the dainty bunch of pansies on the wall above. Open doors give glimpses of other rooms as well ordered as this, while intelligence and kindness beam in the dark faces of gentle mother and cheery bright-eyed daughters. When people ask us how we can bear to teach "niggers," they generally have in mind those tattered, lazy persons, who are most wont to show themselves on the street corners, and so make the deepest impression on the average white mind.

But look at my third picture, and you will see both how we can like our work, and what is one of the things that make a difference between the second home I have described and the first. The large school-room is filled. More than one hundred and twenty-five students are arranged in classes, most of whom are standing in their places ready to pass to recitation rooms. One of their number is at the piano. Another stands at the desk to give the word of command. Now he strikes the bell and the pupils in long file pass out, marching with their heads up. Not a teacher is in sight. Everything is orderly and is running of itself, as it does every day. This is nothing wonderful, of course, though I know some white schools which could not be trusted to this degree to the control of monitors. But it is only a sign of the influences that here lead to self-reliance and self-control. Every year a new set of uncouth and undeveloped young people come shambling in, looking around with bewildered eyes. But they soon begin to straighten up and fall into step. Their vague ideas get settled, and their minds, slow at first, wake up. In a few years they will be made over new, not perfect, but vastly improved. They will be out teaching, spreading light from scores of new centres, and sending new pupils to "Old Le Moyne." {136}

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THE EVANGELIST AT WORK.

The last night of the three weeks' series of meetings at Marion was a memorable one. Every night the church, which was a large-sized building, was well filled with an attentive congregation, hungering and thirsting for the bread and water of life. After singing and prayer and hearing the testimonies from the young converts present, who told with unmistakable clearness how they had given their hearts to God, a few words were spoken, especially to them, showing what God requires of them now they have become Christians. Afterwards the gospel was preached to the unconverted and an invitation given for those who wished to become Christians to signify their desire. A number responded, including an old man supposed to be at least ninety years of age. The old man had long thought of being a Christian, but never could get to the point of decision until now. He looked back upon his long life of sin; he wept, he prayed, he arose and confessed that he had then and there taken Christ as his Saviour. Was not he a brand plucked from the burning?

It was most encouraging to see a young lady bringing along to the pastor's house nearly every day some two or three of her school companions or friends, to be prayed for and spoken with about the way of salvation. The Christians worked faithfully visiting the houses of their friends to pray and speak with them and to bring them out to the meeting at night.

At Mobile, although the first week it rained six days in succession, yet the people came out well and were repaid for their faithfulness. Every night for the past three weeks large numbers of all classes have been personally interested, and with the exception of one service, we have had cause to thank God for conversions. Fathers and mothers are rejoicing over sons and daughters brought to Christ. A large number of young people from the Sabbath-school as well as from the day-school have started on the new life. The teachers say that a marked change is observable and that the young converts seem to be trying their very best to live up to their profession. Forty-six were received into the church and will have the instruction that is so much needed by young converts.

One of the teachers and myself, while visiting some of the converts, found five young women in one house rejoicing in the pardoning love of God. "Truly," said the old grandmother, "salvation has come to this house." We found that, some years ago, three mothers had died and left five orphan children, who were taken by the grandmother and who had now grown into womanhood. Two sisters first became Christians and the others soon followed. One said, "I used to be so fond of going to the theatre, but now I have no heart for that sort of thing; I mean to live a good Christian life and do all I can for my Saviour." They were all received into church, and joined as well the Young People's Society of {137} Christian Endeavor, which is a good thing for young people, as it trains them for future work, and to be active and useful in the service of Christ.

JAMES WHARTON.

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THE CHINESE.

LETTER FROM REV. W.C. POND.

Our anniversary was an occasion of much interest. The attendance was large, and our brethren acquitted themselves well. The _Record-Union_, the principal daily of Sacramento, published both the addresses in full.

We have good news from our evangelists. They are doing great good, if we can judge at all by what we see: and they are in training, I believe, for larger and better service in the years to come. I shall have much to write about this for the _next Missionary_, much more than I can crowd into the space allowed me.

The new work at San Buenaventura opens finely. It is already one of our largest interior schools; and two or three, possibly _four_, of the Chinese have already been led to believe; so that before Low Quong returns he expects to organize an Association and get Christian work into systematic operation.

I am greatly pleased also with the reports from Tucson. Yong Jin, who has done excellent evangelistic work at Santa Cruz, goes to Tucson next week. He is an earnest Christian, and though somewhat deficient in English is better educated in Chinese and is an excellent preacher.

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FOUR MONTHS OF EVANGELISTIC WORK.

BY LOW QUONG.

In January last I was asked to do some evangelistic work in the Northern part of this State. The first place I visited was Oroville. There we have a branch mission with a fine mission house, or, we might call it a Chinese church and school combined. The church has a membership of about fifteen. The evening scholars were usually about twenty or more. This school has a faithful teacher, and all together makes a fruitful mission. Although I was there only about a month--yet I enjoyed the work very much, and my acquaintance with the brethren there and their kindness to me I can never forget. I will now give you some little incidents of my work there. The town has about three hundred Chinese inhabitants, and most of our brethren and scholars live in the town, but there were also a good many outside of the town. These are mostly miners. But even these hard-working men, when they got through their day's work, {138} came to town at night to attend our evening school; and on Sundays also, to hear the preaching of the gospel.

At the end of the month, when Mr. Pond came to Oroville, we had the Lord's supper in our little Chinese church. It was held in the evening. One far-away brother was informed by letter, and he came over a long, rough road to attend the Lord's table. It was about eight o'clock when he reached the church. We asked him what time he started to walk; he said at one o'clock in the afternoon. He had walked fully seven hours just for the Lord's supper, and early in the morning he had to walk back again to his place, while we took the train for Marysville. During my stay at Oroville, four members were added to the Association and one was baptized and received to the church. We would have had two, but one had gone to work in a place sixty miles from town. He had waited for Mr. Pond to come up for nearly a whole month, so he could be baptized, and he had gone only a week when Mr. Pond came. Lately I have received a letter from him, that he has returned to Oroville.

The Chinese inhabitants at Oroville are very kind to the Christian Chinese. They never trouble them and always send their boys to the evening school. I heard not long ago from their teacher, that the whole mission house has been renovated and a new floor put down at the expense of the brethren and scholars.

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CHIN GAING IN CHINA.

[EXTRACT FROM AN ADDRESS IN ALAMEDA, CAL., BY CHIN GAING.]

It is over eleven years since I left my home in China. Near the end of 1882 I began to attend the mission school in San Francisco. After being there about two years I joined the Christian Association, and six months from then I was baptized and joined Bethany Church.

Two years ago I returned to China. My friends there knew that I had changed my religion, and so, when I went back they asked me many questions.

My relatives wanted to know about the people in this country, what religion they had and what gods they worshiped. And whether the Chinese who went there believed the same as the American people.

I told them we believed in one God. They said, "Which one?"

I answered, the one that created the heaven and the earth, and all things in the world and the sea. The God who has all power and whom we ought to worship.

My mother then came up and said: "Do not talk such things; we are Chinese and must keep our customs."

I said I could not keep those which were against God. So they said: "If you have anything good, then keep it."

While in China I could not help seeing how much the people spent in {139} foolishness. They have so many idol processions, which cost a great deal of money. The people gladly give to keep up their worship, as they are in darkness and know not the name of Jesus, which is the only name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

But how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

And so it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace."

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BUREAU OF WOMAN'S WORK.

MISS D.E. EMERSON, SECRETARY.

WOMAN'S STATE ORGANIZATIONS.

CO-OPERATING WITH THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION.

ME.--Woman's Aid to A.M.A., Chairman of Committee, Mrs. C.A. Woodsbury, Woodfords, Me.

VT.--Woman's Aid to A.M.A., Chairman of Committee, Mrs. Henry Fairbanks, St. Johnsbury, Vt.

CONN.--Woman's Home Miss. Union, Secretary, Mrs. S.M. Hotchkiss, 171 Capitol Ave., Hartford, Conn.

N.Y.--Woman's Home Miss. Union, Secretary, Mrs. C.C. Creegan, Syracuse, N.Y.

OHIO.--Woman's Home Miss. Union, Secretary, Mrs. Flora K. Regal, Oberlin, Ohio.

ILL.--Woman's Home Miss. Union, Secretary, Mrs. C.H. Taintor, 151 Washington St., Chicago, Ill.

MICH.--Woman's Home Miss. Union, Secretary, Mrs. Mary B. Warren, Lansing, Mich.

WIS.--Woman's Home Miss. Union, Secretary, Mrs. C. Matter, Brodhead, Wis.

MINN.--Woman's Home Miss. Society, Secretary, Mrs. H.L. Chase, 2,750 Second Ave., South, Minneapolis, Minn.

IOWA.--Woman's Home Miss. Union, Secretary, Miss Ella B. Marsh, Grinnell, Iowa.

KANSAS.--Woman's Home Miss. Society, Secretary, Mrs. Addison Blanchard, Topeka, Kan.

SOUTH DAKOTA.--Woman's Home Miss. Union, Secretary, Mrs. S.E. Young, Sioux Falls, Dak.

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"Twenty-three unanswered letters look down upon me. Eighteen came to-day." Such is the burdened sigh of one of our earnest, self-denying missionaries, who is upon the mission field that she may relieve the suffering, teach the ignorant and save souls, and for whom the days are all too short for these duties alone.

Have our readers ever felt the burden of unanswered letters? Pastors, Sunday-school teachers, housekeepers--busy people that you are--have you ever felt the twinge of unrest, almost discouragement, because some friendly letter, which you enjoyed receiving, lay unanswered waiting a spare hour? And have you ever had to "brace up" to what, in a life of leisure might be a pastime, but in a life so full of care and responsibility becomes a task? Then you will surely be ready unselfishly to

SPARE OUR TEACHERS.

How can it be done? Not by withholding your letters from them. If any missionaries anywhere need words of appreciation and good cheer they are those who year after year sacrifice social life and religious privileges to mingle with the ignorant, uncultured--yes, and impure--that they may lift them up into the healthful ways of righteousness. Write to them, encourage {140} them, but do not ask for a special letter for your next missionary meeting. Tell them _not to write_, that you have heard or can hear from them every month through their letters sent to the officers at New York and that you learn of the work through the A.M.A. magazine. Thank them for making this monthly missionary letter so full and interesting.