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Read Ebook: The American Missionary — Volume 36 No. 5 May 1882 by Various
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Ebook has 292 lines and 49490 words, and 6 pages
THE FREEDMEN.
AFRICA.
MR. LADD'S JOURNAL 142 ELEPHANT HUNTING 143
THE CHINESE.
CHILDREN'S PAGE.
THE GRASSHOPPER TEACHER 150
RECEIPTS 151
American Missionary Association,
PRESIDENT, HON. WM. B. WASHBURN, Mass.
CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.
TREASURER.
DISTRICT SECRETARIES.
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.
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.
THE
AMERICAN MISSIONARY.
American Missionary Association.
The friends of the A. M. A. who examine the receipts acknowledged in this number of the MISSIONARY will be gratified to see a total of ,976.58 for March, thus making up in some measure for the falling off in February. But too much encouragement must not be taken from this single item. Let it only stimulate our friends to a steady effort to round out the year with the 0,000 called for by the annual meeting and by the imperative needs of the work. To reach that sum 8,000 will be required for the remaining six months of the year, or ,000 per month.
Popular virtue is spasmodic. It was a spasm of public righteousness that overthrew Wm. M. Tweed in New York. But the spasm soon passed and New York was again misgoverned. Sudden uprisings of enthusiasm in the temperance cause have given us prohibitory and other stringent laws, but soon again the tides of intemperance have swept onward. In missionary as well as reformatory work is the evil of these spasms felt. Some new developments of special need or of special encouragement arouse the churches, and unwonted streams of contributions pour into the treasuries of the Mission Boards. On the strength of these gifts the mission work is enlarged and new responsibilities are assumed, but ere long the decay of the special impulse leaves the Boards to face their newly-created obligations with an empty treasury.
This has been specially true in regard to the work among the Freedmen. On the proclamation of Emancipation, and the enactment of laws giving the ballot to the blacks, the popular enthusiasm knew no bounds. Liberal benefactions called into life the Freedmen's Aid Societies and filled the treasury of this Association. At length, however, the Freedmen fell into the hands of the politicians, and the nation lost interest in the conflicts of parties and factions over them. The Aid Societies were abandoned and the A. M. A. with its vast machinery was left in debt. Now, again, within the last few years has the public attention been aroused to the education of the colored people as their only hope and the nation's only safety. Presidents Hayes and Garfield have voiced the feelings of the North, and Senator Brown and Dr. Haygood have re-echoed the sentiment for the South. During these late years the treasury of the A. M. A. has felt the new impulse, and again it has ventured upon enlargement. Shall it once more be left on the sands of a retreating tide and the work for the Freedmen be again crippled? Nothing will avert such a result but conscience and Christian principle on the part of the friends of the colored race. If this work ought to be done, and what patriot or Christian doubts it, then the patriot and the Christian must give it their steady and generous support.
BENEFACTIONS.
Mr. Garry Brooks has given ,000 to found a Brooks Professorship at Oberlin College.
The medical department of Dartmouth College receives ,000 from the will of the late E. W. Stoughton, of New York.
Hon. Frederick Billings, of Woodstock, Vt., has given ,000 to the fund now being raised for an additional gymnasium building at Amherst College.
Gen. James M. Coale, of Maryland, bequeathed ,000 each to Georgetown College, D.C., and St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, Baltimore.
The Marquis of Bute offers to add ?10,000 to the fund to the proposed University College of Wales, provided the institution be established at Cardiff.
Ex-Gov. Morgan, of New York, has given 0,000 to Williams College for a new dormitory building. The gifts of Gov. Morgan to Wells College amount in all to 5,000.
Miss Sarah Burr, of New York, bequeathed ,000 for educational purposes in connection with institutions already established and ,000 towards founding new ones.
CONCERNING ENDOWMENTS.
The success already achieved by the institutions of this Association and the favor already won by them among all classes of the Southern people, amply justify the work hitherto carried on. It is believed that the time has fully come when this work should be put upon a more substantial basis. Permanent endowments are needed that these institutions may achieve that larger success which is rightly expected of them.
Certain phases of our work, sometimes overlooked, greatly emphasize this need. Careful attention is invited to the following points:
GENERAL NOTES.
AFRICA.
THE INDIANS.
THE CHINESE.
The Chinese pupils at Stockton and Oroville have purchased cabinet organs for their respective schoolrooms.
ANNIVERSARY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
THE FREEDMEN.
REVIVAL NEWS
RELIGIOUS INTEREST AT TOUGALOO.
For the past two weeks there has been a great deal of religious interest among the students here. At the meetings, which have been held nearly every night during this time, twenty-nine persons have told us of their determination to serve God for the rest of their lives.
Many of those who have lately begun this new life are young people, who have a good deal of influence over their classmates and associates. We feel glad to know that now they are on the side of Truth and are ready to use whatever influence they may have in the best way. Not only have sinners been converted, but Christians have been stirred up to do better work.
After praying about the matter, this suggestion came to him: "Since you have asked the Lord to forgive you, you have done all that is necessary. You need not ask your teacher's forgiveness."
He soon saw that he ought not to expect God to pardon his sin until he had done what he could to set the matter right with his teacher. He felt now as if the very salvation of his soul depended upon his making this confession. As soon as possible, after coming to this conclusion, he went to her and acknowledged his sin. With this acknowledgement came peace.
Other confessions followed this. Some told of similar acts of dishonesty, which they had committed. All who spoke expressed a sincere determination to do better for the future. We felt as if these confessions had cleared the moral atmosphere and made it possible for more effectual work to be done for those who did not profess to be Christians.
Among the number recently converted is a middle-aged woman from the neighborhood. For at least thirteen years she has fully realized that she ought to lead a better life, but has been so much under the influence of old superstitions and ignorant associates, who told her that she could not be called a Christian until she would say that she had seen all sorts of impossible visions and had numerous strange experiences, that she has hardly known which way to turn. Now she has come out from under her yoke of bondage and feels as if she had seen a great light, a much clearer and better one than that for which she watched so many years.
We are hoping and praying that the good, work which has been begun here may continue: that those who have started in the right way may have strength of character enough to keep in it, even when the prospect looks dark and they do not feel so full of enthusiasm as now.
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