Read Ebook: The American Missionary — Volume 41 No. 5 May 1887 by Various

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The cabins were built in clusters of four, so that one corner of each rested against a clumsy chimney, built in the middle in such a manner that each cabin had a corner fire-place.

In one of these little tenements, in an old arm-chair, cushioned with shreds and patches, and set close into the chimney corner, sat a very old colored woman, with her shaking hands spread out to gather to her the warmth of the fire of fat lightwood splinters that blazed and crackled before her. The damp, chill wind whistled through every crevice and cranny of the rough, ill-matched boards of the door and the slight wall. The whole cabin was almost as airy as a corn crib. It was admirably built for ventilation, and was in the full enjoyment of it.

The old woman, popularly supposed to be over a hundred, looked around at us, her face one mesh of wrinkles, her wool as white as snow, but she was wonderfully bright and cheery. She was a great sufferer from asthma and rheumatism, could not lie down in bed at all, but was confined to her chair night and day. She was one of those of whom I had been told as having a near acquaintance with her Lord as with a personal friend.

"How are you to-day, Aunt July?" said my friend.

"Howdy', howdy'? I'se well, an' glad to see you, honey; bress de Lawd."

"I've brought a friend with me to see you; a friend from over the sea."

"Bress you, honey, I'se glad to see you, too. De good Lawd sends his chilluns to look me up. He does so, 'cause he don't ever forget me."

"The box has come, Aunt July, and I'm so sorry that there's nothing in it at all that would fit you; nothing but children's things."

"Bress de good Lawd, it's a-comin'; I feel it's a-comin', but it wasn't to come in dat ar box, sure enuff, honey."

"I did wish and pray for a warm woolen shawl to wrap around you at night when the fire goes down," said the missionary lady, kindly. "You see," turning to me, "the nights are quite cold this time of the year, and see how open the cabin is. If she could only lie down in bed and cover up warm, but she cannot, and she must suffer dreadfully when the fire goes out. I do wish so much that she had a shawl."

"Well, honey, you is kind to ole Aunty, an' I'se thankful; but we wasn't 'greed 'bout dat ar', honey. You ask de Lawd for a shawl, an' I ask for sumpin' warm, wid sleeves in it, so's not to slip off in de night when I falls asleep an' de fiah done gone out."

"You see, I'se real glad when de sleep comes," she said, looking at me; "I'se glad of de rest in sleep, but de fiah done go out. My son, he's jest as good as he ken be to me, an' he leaves heaps ob wood, but when I sleeps de fiah done go out. I ask de bressed Lawd to sen' me sumpin' with sleeves, so's it would keep on when I'se sleepin'."

Then I suddenly remembered a long wrap of Canadian factory material that had been with me in many a mountain ramble over the water. I had put it in my trunk without any very definite reason for doing so, against all the good natured ridicule showered upon me by friends. I had not used it, seemed to have no use for it, until this need flashed upon me. Before many minutes it was fished out of the bottom of my trunk, brought there and fitted on the aged sister. It was warm, it had sleeves, and when it was buttoned on, it reached to the ground.

"It's just like my bressed Master, dat is," said old Aunty, her sunken eyes shining with gladness. "I ask fer sumpin' warm, with sleeves, an' he sen' me what cover me all over down to de feet. Bress de Lawd, it is allars above what we ask. Now you can see how He done care fer ole Aunty. It's allers jest so, He cares."

I looked at her, old and poor, asthmatic and rheumatic, helpless and dependent, and her thankfulness shamed me. In putting on the wrap, my friend pointed out the scars of ancient floggings ridged and furrowed in the dark skin. The ploughers had ploughed on her back, and made long their furrows. She was one of His. Was this in any way being in fellowship with His sufferings? She was old, very old, ten years past the allotted period of three score and ten, she believed, when the tramp of armies heralded freedom for her in the sunset and twilight of her life.

"I'se sitting in my cheer, such a cumf'able cheer, an' my heart is singing all de time, because my bressed Lawd 'members me an' loves me, an' answers all my pra'rs."

My heart did not sing all the time. I had questionings, and even murmurings. I looked around the cabin; there was no comfort or possibility of comfort to be seen. Abject, helpless poverty was the sum total of all her surroundings. She was dependent on what could be spared from the scant wages of her son, a Southern day laborer with a large young family. Living thus on the perilous edge of want, and her heart singing all the time with thankfulness! To think of it!

"What do you feel thankful for?" I asked. The words leapt out before I was aware.

"Thankful, chile! I'se thankful for all my marcies, for all de goodness from my bressed Master that come to me. I allers wanted to be free 'fore I died; now I'se free. Thank God an' Massa Linkum, I'se free! My heart was sore for my chilluns, sole away from me befo' the wa', an my bressed Master find one for me, brung him here after the wa'; my oldest son, he is. I fin' my two gals, or they fin' me; they'se married down yer', an' they'se all good to me. It's allers jest so since I got 'ligion. God has answer' every pra'r, an' best of all, He stays by me in the dark an' in the light. Oh, honey, my heart does well to be thankful an' keep singin' all de time."

The surroundings seemed to change, glorified by the secret of the Lord. My heart went out to this old negress with her scarred form, for was she not a dweller under the shadow of the Almighty? I thankfully acknowledged my relationship to her, for was she not a daughter of the King, and higher up than I?

MRS. A. M'DOUGALL.

THE SOUTH.

NOTES IN THE SADDLE.

BY FIELD-SUPERINTENDENT C. J. RYDER.

Le Moyne Institute, at Memphis, Tenn., like almost all of the A. M. A. schools this year, is full to overflowing. A large number of pupils have been turned away for the want of accommodations.

The Industrial department of Le Moyne Institute is receiving constant additions. A printing outfit has recently been procured, and the students are busy over "fonts" and "pi," though no printer's devil has as yet appeared. The scholars have done some good job work already and are thus turning their industrial training into immediate practical benefit. The other departments of the Institute are keeping step with its industrial development. Le Moyne is broadening its influence constantly and sending its roots deeper and deeper into the intellectual and religious soil of Memphis. It is recognized as one of the most beneficial institutions in the city by the citizens of all shades of political opinion.

The Congregational Church stands immediately opposite the Institute, and students are especially welcomed into its services and membership. If New England Pilgrimism of early days is reproduced anywhere it certainly is in the work of the A. M. A. The Church and the School are the joint and inseparable agencies for the building of character.

The Mississippi River is making fearful havoc along its banks. At Greenville, fifty feet of ground fell away in a single day. Brick buildings are being torn down and frame buildings hurried back on rollers to save them from the mad waters of the mighty river. Where the streets of the village were, a few months ago, now the river runs more than a hundred feet deep. This is a boom in real estate not thoroughly enjoyed by the citizens. It is attributed to the failure of the River and Harbor bills, and the citizens are very indignant. I am happy to state that our pastor's home and the proposed site of the new Congregational Church are far back from the river, and no one need withhold his increased contribution to A. M. A., on account of this needy field, for fear the real estate will wash away.

At Vicksburg I found quite a number of A. M. A. graduates. One hangs out the shingle of an attorney and is doing "tolerably well, thank you." Two are teachers; one of these, a graduate of Straight University, N. O., has done splendid service for his people and won honor for himself. He is Superintendent of the city colored schools, having ten teachers under his direction. He has saved his money and now owns two comfortable cottages and is out of debt; not a bad showing for a young man only a few years out of college.

Louisiana is reaping the harvest of her former seed sowing. Arozelles Parish is agitated over the outrages recently perpetrated against the Hebrews. Witkowsky, it will be remembered, was driven from his home in this parish last fall. Now these outrages are being repeated against others of that same race. I quote from a local paper: "The anti-semitics rode up to the Kahn store and riddled it and the surrounding fence with bullets. Next day Kahn and Bauer were served with notices calling attention to what the mob had done, and warning them to leave the parish at once if they wished to save their lives."

The Governor of Louisiana is exhorted to stop these outrages. Why? It is only a continuance of the policy of violence and murder that has so often brought disgrace upon this and other Southern States. It matters little whether the victims of these brutal outrages are Negroes or Hebrews. Anyone who chances to be obnoxious to the Lords of the Land may meet the same cruel treatment. But better and brighter days are slowly coming, when all classes can demand and shall receive the impartial protection of the laws. Perhaps this new violence to the Hebrews may arouse the public conscience.

REVIVALS.

STRAIGHT UNIVERSITY.

Those acquainted with the history of this institution affirm that it has never before been visited by just such a work of grace as is now gladdening many hearts.

The year, unlike some that have preceded it, has been free from serious and protracted interruptions. Neither Expositions nor epidemics have made great breaches in the classes or diverted attention from matters of first importance. Though our classes have been unusually crowded, the amount of faithful scholarly work accomplished has been greatly above that of ordinary years. There has been a quiet, intense determination on the part of pupils to master the subjects in hand, that has greatly encouraged their teachers. Many pupils have expressed a praiseworthy dissatisfaction with their work and a longing to do it better, and have seemed glad to devote recreation and holiday hours to gain a better mastery of difficult subjects.

Accompanying this zeal for the acquisition of knowledge there has been, from the week of prayer, a deep and growing tenderness on the subject of religion.

While there have been no special revival services, the regular weekly religious meetings of the University, both voluntary and those in the regular order, have been attended and sustained with the most earnest enthusiasm and by about the same numbers.

The following incident illustrates the peculiar graciousness of the work as it was modestly related by one of the teachers last evening in Faculty meeting: "Yesterday noon, as my scholars were passing out of the room, a boy stepped out of the line and stood waiting to speak with me. When all had left the room, I said: 'Well, B., what can I do for you?' With a voice broken with emotion, he exclaimed: 'Oh, Miss P., I want to be a Christian; I have wanted to be one for a good while, and I want you to pray for me.' I was surprised, as he had given me considerable trouble for weeks, and I had not thought him seriously inclined till that morning.

"'Yes, ma'am,' was his earnest response.

The frequent occurrence of incidents like this fill all our hearts with deep awe and invest every act and word with a tender solemnity. We feel the majestic presence in our midst of One seeking and saving that which was lost.

Pray for us, brethren, that the will of God may be fully wrought among us, and these youths, so eager for that education which is so necessary for the future well-being of the South, be enriched above all other getting with "the gift of eternal life."

M. L. BERGER.

FISK UNIVERSITY.

The time has come in the religious history of the year in Fisk University when an account of the work done may be given. I have no doubt that it will interest and encourage the friends of the Association.

During the week of prayer for the Y. M. C. A. among colleges, the young men of the institution who belong to the Y. M. C. A. of Fisk held meetings and did good work among the young men who do not profess to be Christians. As a result, three or four were hopefully converted.

The week of prayer was observed in the institution, meetings being held immediately after supper. From the beginning to the end the attendance was large and the interest great. The meetings continued four weeks, and have just closed. Twenty-five of the students have been converted, including the three or four who were converted during the week of prayer held by the young men. The interest culminated at the meetings during the day of prayer for colleges.

The afternoon meeting of that day was one of the most remarkable ever held in the University. At the beginning of the meeting, President Cravath gave the following statistics of the higher grades: Students in college, 42, professing Christians, 37; Normal students, 40, professing Christians, 36; College preparatory students, 46, professing Christians, 34. Total number in higher grades, 126; total number of professing Christians, 121, or about 86 per cent.

The key-note to the meeting was given by George McLellan, a former graduate, who had studied theology at Hartford for a year. He said that in a meeting at Hartford he found that Fisk had a larger percentage of Christian students than any other college represented in the meeting, but that the students of Fisk were not entering the ministry in such large numbers as the students from other colleges were.

The key-note once struck, a most interesting discussion arose as to why the students of Fisk were not entering the ministry. Different causes were assigned, which may be reduced to one or two. There is not sufficient inducement offered to the young men to become ministers; the claims of the ministry are not presented with sufficient stress; the churches are so few and so small that the prospect is very discouraging; if a young man offers himself for the ministry, he must go North to study theology, where he is in danger of being educated out of sympathy with his people. The Southern schools have no well-equipped seminaries in which young men may be educated.

The meeting closed with this question still uppermost, and at night it was taken up by common consent and another hour spent in considering it. It was felt by all that the time had come for the establishment of a well endowed theological seminary for the schools in the South.

H. S. BENNETT.

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