The American Missionary, Volume 49, No. 3, March, 1895 by Various
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Various >> The American Missionary, Volume 49, No. 3, March, 1895
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6 The American Missionary
March, 1895
Volume XLIX, No. 3.
CONTENTS
THIS NUMBER--FIELD NOTES
ARE THEY GRATEFUL?
PIONEER MISSIONARY IN AFRICA (Illustrated)
PIONEER MISSIONARY AMONG INDIANS (Illustrated)
A SOUTHERN JOURNEY, BY SEC. BEARD
VALUE OF PURE AND INTELLIGENT CHURCHES
TILLOTSON, AUSTIN, TEXAS (Illustrated)
DEATH OF DR. TAYLOR
DEATH OF REV. C.C. PAINTER--ONE MISSIONARY DAY
SOUTHERN FIELD NOTES
A SCHOOLBOY'S COMPOSITION
WOMAN'S STATE ORGANIZATIONS
RECEIPTS
NEW YORK
PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION.
Bible House, Ninth St. and Fourth Ave., New York.
Price, 50 Cents a Year in advance.
Entered at the Post Office at New York, N.Y., as second class matter.
American Missionary Association.
PRESIDENT, MERRILL E. GATES, LL.D., MASS.
_Vice-Presidents._
Rev. F.A. NOBLE, D.D., Ill.
Rev. ALEX. MCKENZIE, D.D., Mass.
Rev. HENRY HOPKINS, D.D., Mo.
Rev. HENRY A. STIMSON, D.D., N.Y.
Rev. WASHINGTON GLADDEN, D.D., Ohio.
_Corresponding Secretaries._
Rev. M.E. STRIEBY, D.D., _Bible House, N.Y._
Rev. A.F. BEARD, D.D., _Bible House, N.Y._
Rev. F.P. WOODBURY, D.D., _Bible House, N.Y._
_Assistant Corresponding Secretary._
Rev. C.J. RYDER, D.D., _Bible House, N.Y._
_Recording Secretary._
Rev. M.E. STRIEBY, D.D., _Bible House, N.Y._
_Treasurer._
HENRY W. HUBBARD, Esq., _Bible House, N.Y._
_Auditors._
PETER McCARTEE.
JAMES MITCHELL.
_Executive Committee._
CHARLES L. MEAD, Chairman.
CHARLES A. HULL, Secretary.
_For Three Years._
WILLIAM HAYES WARD,
JAMES W. COOPER,
LUCIEN C. WARNER,
JOSEPH H. TWICHELL,
CHARLES P. PEIRCE.
_For Two Years._
CHARLES A. HULL,
ADDISON P. FOSTER,
ALBERT J. LYMAN,
NEHEMIAH BOYNTON,
A.J.F. BEHRENDS.
_For One Year._
SAMUEL HOLMES,
SAMUEL S. MARPLES,
CHARLES L. MEAD,
WILLIAM H. STRONG,
ELIJAH HORR.
_District Secretaries._
Rev. GEO. H. GUTTERSON, 21 _Cong'l House, Boston, Mass._
Rev. JOS. E. ROY, D.D., 151 _Washington Street, Chicago, Ill._
Rev. W.E.C. WRIGHT, D.D., _Cong'l Rooms, Y.M.C.A. Building, Cleveland,
Ohio._
_Secretary of Woman's Bureau._
Miss D.E. EMERSON, _Bible House, N.Y._
COMMUNICATIONS
Relating to the work of the Association may be addressed to the
Corresponding Secretaries; letters for "THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY," to the
Editor, at the New York Office; letters relating to the finances, to the
Treasurer; letters relating to woman's work, to the Secretary of the
Woman's Bureau.
DONATIONS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
In drafts, checks, registered letters, or post-office orders, may be
sent to H.W. Hubbard, Treasurer, Bible House, New York, or, when more
convenient, to either of the Branch Offices, 21 Congregational House,
Boston, Mass., 151 Washington Street, Chicago, Ill., or Congregational
Rooms, Y.M.C.A. Building, Cleveland, Ohio. A payment of thirty dollars
constitutes a Life Member.
NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS.--The date on the "address label" indicates the
time to which the subscription is paid. Changes are made in date on
label to the 10th of each month. If payment of subscription be made
afterward the change on the label will appear a month later. Please send
early notice of change in post-office address, giving the former address
and the new address, in order that our periodicals and occasional papers
may be correctly mailed.
FORM OF A BEQUEST.
"I GIVE AND BEQUEATH the sum of ---- dollars to the 'American Missionary
Association,' incorporated by act of the Legislature of the State of New
York." The will should be attested by three witnesses.
THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY
VOL. XLIX.
March, 1895.
No. 3.
In this number of THE MISSIONARY we present our readers with an
interesting variety of information, embracing sketches of personal
observation by secretaries of the Association, letters from field
workers, pictures of pioneers in two important fields, and pictures of
one of our higher institutions. It is with sorrow that we are compelled
to notice the death of our late honored and beloved President, Dr.
William M. Taylor, and that of Professor Painter, so successful and so
faithful in his work among the Indians.
* * * * *
FIELD NOTES.
BY SECRETARY RYDER.
MOUNTAIN WORK.--A very interesting spiritual awakening seems to prevail
in many points of our mountain field. From a pastor of one of these
churches among our American Highlanders we have received the following:
"I have held meetings a couple of weeks, first at the church, and then
at the academy. A large number have been reached. The open meetings
disclosed the new life to all. We held daily meetings of prayer in the
evening, and a large percentage of the students attended. All took part.
The Y.P.S.C.E. has increased fourfold, and all the time is occupied in
their meetings, and often two or three arise to speak at once. Six names
were presented for active membership, and two for associate. The work is
not confined to this single church and academy.
"I went recently to another village and half a dozen committed
themselves for Christ. The Association needs an evangelist to visit
these fields. Audiences fill the churches, most of them people who are
out of Christ. All that prevents meeting this crying want of these
mountain people in supplying to them more intelligent and consecrated
ministers of the Gospel is the lack of money consecrated and given to
this great service. This mountain field is now ripe to the harvest.
Will not the churches multiply their gifts so that we can send into this
harvest field more devoted men who are ready to go if they can do their
work and simply be supported?"
* * * * *
The hard times and the difficulty of the mountain people to get clothing
is illustrated in the following, which comes to us in a recent
missionary letter from this mountain field:
"There would have been much more suffering had it not been for the
clothing which has gone out from this school. When seven chickens bring
only thirty-five cents the poor mountain people do not have much
chance."
* * * * *
A pastor of the Association among our American Highlanders writes as
follows: "This has been a most blessed and glorious season of
refreshing. In the bounds of my work this fall and winter I have held
and assisted in meetings which have in all resulted in something more
than 100 hopeful conversions. My work now is especially to care for and
look after the welfare of these precious souls lately brought to Christ
and to give as much time as possible to my studies."
* * * * *
INDIAN WORK.--Our friends will remember the appeal made by Rev. James F.
Cross, of Rosebud Agency, S.D., at our annual meeting at Elgin, Ill.,
for a chapel to be built at Cedar Butte, S.D. President Gates, moved by
the appeal, took it up so enthusiastically that nearly $400 came from
him and other generous givers. The Indians drew the logs and have just
erected the chapel under the direction of Superintendent Cross. A note
just received from the field contains the following, which abundantly
proves the wisdom of opening this new station at Cedar Butte and helping
the Indians in the erection of their church: "Last week I was up to
Cedar Butte church. It was the first time since it was built that I have
been there for service. I received two young men into the church. It was
a warm day and the thermometer has not been ten degrees away from zero,
except to go thirteen below, since." This chapel at Cedar Butte is the
center of a new work, and this message brings the hopefulness of the
field.
* * * * *
"We received five grown persons to our church fellowship on Sunday, and
two children were baptized. Three Christian Indian families were
constituted by Christian marriage at the same time. Praise God!" So
writes Supt. C.L. Hall, of Fort Berthold Indian Mission, N.D.
* * * * *
ARE THEY GRATEFUL?
REV. CHAS. F. SARGENT, THOMASVILLE, GA.
Very often we are asked if the people among whom we labor are grateful
for the work that is done for and among them--whether there is
self-denial on their part in helping themselves in church and school
work.
It is very important that we should have some expression on their part
in regard to this. There are many incidents in which grateful
acknowledgment is made. A few incidents will best answer the above
question.
A little more than a mile from here there lives in an almost
uninhabitable cabin an old lady who is called "Aunt Eliza." I saw her
first one cold day last winter, when I called and found her in bed sick
with pneumonia. We ministered unto her as we best could, providing
medicine, food and clothing.
From a missionary barrel garments were obtained which helped to make her
body comfortable. She depended on the kindness of a neighbor to gather
sticks for her and draw water. At times there was only enough fire in
the fire-place to give a faint glimmer, not enough to make the room
cheerful. Aunt Eliza is old and crippled, and it was only with much care
and patient waiting that in the goodness of God she was restored to
health. Some time passed after her recovery before I saw her. She came
to our house on a hot summer day to bring an offering of gratitude for
God's mercy in giving her back health and strength. She brought to us in
a corner of her handkerchief fifty-five cents which she had saved from
little gifts from children and grandchildren nearly as poor as herself.
She had at this time only meal enough in her house to make one "pone" of
bread. Gratefully she urged upon us her self-denying gift of
thanksgiving. Of course we accepted it, only to return it to her in the
name of the Master, who is the Great Gift Giver. Later in the season our
sister remembered us again. She had saved for us two chickens, but a
"_conjuror_" came along and said he would tell her fortune for them. He
succeeded in "_beating_" her out of her offering for the Lord, and in
return she received nothing. She came and told us all about it. This
good woman did not rest until she brought us one at a time the chickens
that she had promised. When the Association met with us a few days ago
she brought, as her part to help, a few eggs. There are other incidents
in her life which are interesting, but we cannot tell them all now. She
certainly is grateful and gives the "widow's mite" in giving all that
she has. She has been to our church and been blessed in meeting God in
the sanctuary. The first Sunday that she came she bowed and courtesied
to the people as she came in, much to their amusement.
* * * * *
A PIONEER MISSIONARY IN AFRICA.
[Illustration: REV. GEORGE THOMPSON.]
Rev. George Thompson was early enlisted as a missionary in the Mendi
Mission on the west coast of Africa. He had been a most ardent friend of
the slave, active in aiding their escape from the house of bondage, and
as a consequence had spent five years in the Missouri State Prison. He
went to Africa in 1848 under the commission of the American Missionary
Association, and proved himself to be remarkably useful. One of his most
far-reaching efforts was in the work as a peacemaker. A fierce and
unrelenting war had been raging among the tribes around the mission, and
this was brought to a close through the wise and persistent efforts of
Mr. Thompson. He was chosen umpire for the contending chiefs, and after
repeated and wearying excursions, and ten interviews or councils with
both parties, he at length succeeded. Then came the joy which peace
brings. Warriors met and fell on each other's necks; chiefs, who were
for years enemies, now shook hands and embraced each other with the
affection of long-separated friends; sisters, wives and daughters, long
captives, fell into each other's arms, weeping for joy. A chief's
daughter was seen running to embrace her father's feet, a wife hastened
to welcome her husband and children, and entire towns were filled with
cries of gladness. The beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers," belongs
to Mr. Thompson.
Ill health at length compelled Mr. Thompson to relinquish the work in
Africa, and in 1856 he returned to Oberlin, Ohio, where he spent five
years in publishing his book on Africa, entitled, "Palm Land," and in
educating two boys whom he brought with him from Africa. In 1861 he
removed with his family to northwestern Michigan, where he labored as a
home missionary for eighteen years, being the pastor for fifteen years
of a church which he established. He then returned to Oberlin, where he
remained until his death in 1893. In all these years Mr. Thompson was a
laborious and useful man, actively engaged in awakening the churches to
an interest in Africa, in writing his books and educating his children.
In his later years, while living in Oberlin, he was abundant in labors
in connection with Sunday-schools and feeble churches in Ohio and other
States.
* * * * *
A PIONEER MISSIONARY AMONG THE INDIANS.
In 1843 a number of young men from Oberlin entered upon a mission among
the Ojibway Indians in the northern part of what is now Minnesota, under
the auspices of the Western Evangelical Missionary Society, which was
soon afterward transferred to the American Missionary Association. Of
the inaccessibility of this field, a competent authority has said:
"There is probably no missionary field to-day on the face of the earth
more difficult to reach than this was at that time."
[Illustration: REV. S.G. WRIGHT.]
Among this group of missionaries was Rev. S.G. Wright. As a part of his
experience it is said that after a short visit at home, Mr. Wright
returned to the mission taking his young wife with him--their wedding
tour. It was a journey of over a month made in a canoe. They were both
compelled to walk at intervals twenty-two miles in the swamps along the
side of the stream until they reached Mr. Barnard's station. These walks
were varied by sickness; Mr. Wright sometimes had chills every day, but
at Mr. Barnard's station he recovered. There remained yet twenty miles
of their journey, and this was undertaken on foot, but soon a storm
brought five inches of snow. Mr. Wright says: "My wife was very lame,
and what woman would not be after walking twenty long miles through mire
and water, over high hills and through gullies, in snow from four to
five inches deep?"
The change wrought by these missionaries can be indicated in a sentence:
When they went there the Indians cultivated almost no land and their
only domestic animals were dogs. They maintained a precarious existence
by hunting and fishing, and the gathering of wild rice, with starvation
as no uncommon experience. In a few years these Indians raised their own
supplies of corn and potatoes, with some to sell to procure other
necessaries; they began to build houses for themselves; had the benefit
of a saw mill and a grist mill, with the blessings of a church and
boarding school.
The Association withdrew from the mission in 1859, but Mr. Wright
returned under other auspices, and spent several years in effective and
useful work. He still lives and is active in Christian labors as a
member of the church in Oberlin.
* * * * *
A SOUTHERN JOURNEY.
BY SECRETARY A.F. BEARD.
It included every Southern State in extent from Virginia to Texas, and
from Texas to Florida. It was a study of schools, their methods and
attainments; it was the acquaintance of new teachers and their work, the
greeting of those who have become old friends, the look into the eyes of
more colored youth in schools than usually falls to one person. It was a
comparative study of classes of all grades in schools of the same grade,
and of schools in different States and environments. It was an
examination of industries in agriculture, industries in mechanics, of
schools, normal and collegiate. It was an inspection of properties; an
inquiry as to the prices of paints and brick and lime and wall papers.
It was a visit to churches, a handshake with pastors and deacons, a
gathering of congregations to "make their wants and wishes known" to
"the Association." One soon learns that the correct use of the definite
article to designate the A.M.A. is not confined to those who have
studied grammar. There is only one Association for these people. They
never call it "American" nor even "Missionary." "The" is all sufficient,
and it does one good to hear his society thus alphabetically
abbreviated, as it does to meet these warm-hearted brethren of the
colored churches which have been nourished with life by "The"
Association. If anyone is suffering from iciness in the cardiac region,
there is no better place for him to get the cockles of his heart well
warmed up than in some of the colored congregations' churches which I
visited. I said some. Alas! there is a difference in churches--in the
South.
I find the schools full of interest, and that in the higher institutions
the girls and young women are side by side in nearly equal numbers with
lads and young men in climbing up the steep hills of education. It is,
indeed, climbing. It takes more time, more patience and more resolution
than most white students with happier conditions can realize.
The characteristics of the student are changing somewhat from the
former days. Pupils are pushing into the more advanced grades earlier
in years. They have not the memories of slavery as had the generations
before them--only the traditions of it, and certain of its
influences--for influences do not die when institutions pass away. There
is not, for example, much old-fashioned Puritanism stalking about in New
York in these days, but considerable of Puritan influence is alive and
is just now contributing to the hopefulness of the times and the
interests of municipal reform and even of the State government.
Influences continue, and it will take time for those of slavery or the
effect on both races to pass away.
One may not particularize among so many schools and churches as were in
the path of my visitation, and one must generalize if he will keep
within limits. For ten years now it has been my privilege to study the
South as a personal observer, not only in schools and churches and not
only on the regular routes of travel, but in the bypaths of rural life
and in talks with all classes and conditions of men of every shade of
color. I may, therefore, be permitted to generalize.
First, it is often said that those who live among evils best understand
them and know how to meet them. This is a fallacy. The missionaries in
China knew better what was for the good of China than did the Emperor
himself. There are people in the United States, also, who could give
some good points to the new Emperor of Russia, and if he would take them
and use them it would be for the advantage of that country. It is true
that impressions are not facts, and one cannot run over a fashionable
route of travel holding converse with some hospitable Southern host and
return with much more than impressions. Such are likely to speak with
more confidence than knowledge, but, on the other hand, one who confines
himself to a single locality in the South and to the local facts is more
likely to have his views lean to inclination than to truth. One's
opinion ought to be estimated by his information. I have known an
otherwise intelligent citizen of New Orleans to be ignorant of the
existence of Straight University with its 500 students and its noble
accomplishment. A citizen of New York in this case could give the
citizen of New Orleans some information about the South.
Secondly, the negroes are gaining. Never were the schools better in
their entire range in different States, the studies more exacting, the
purpose on the part of students for mastery in their work more resolute.
Never was there manifested a more self-reliant spirit. The people are
having a hard time just now; many are poorer than ever before, but the
negroes are gaining, inch by inch. There are millions in schools and
unreached millions yet who could not read a word in the New Testament if
they had one; but the gain is seen in many ways; in schools, in
churches, in homes, and in the improved quality and character of the
newspapers edited by colored men, as also in their increased numbers.
The schools under the direction and superintendence of colored teachers
are gaining in standing and worthiness.
Thirdly, the white South is gaining. Not very rapidly, but gaining. The
lawless part of the South--and there is a lawless part--is as lawless as
ever. The lower and more violent elements, however, are but a small part
of the Southern people. Still they know that the general public opinion
is not positive enough to condemn them in any question between the
negroes and the whites; hence they are not afraid to do what they will
with the negro. The great body of the Southern people are law-abiding,
with the single exception that they do not propose to respect the
Fifteenth Amendment. They are committed against this. They deprecate
lawlessness. They are personally kind to the negroes. They are busy in
the ordinary duties of life, but the lawless know that these good people
will never disturb them in their injustices to the negro. Then, there is
a relatively small element of the people who are prophets of a better
day. They themselves often feel the slavery of a public opinion which
puts odium upon them when they are too friendly in behalf of the
oppressed colored man. They cannot oppose many things which they feel to
be wrong without losing their influence. These seers of the future are
in hearty sympathy with our work and give it such personal encouragement
as they may under the tyrannical conditions of a public opinion not
friendly to equal rights on the part of the negro.
There is a great gain, also, in Southern public opinion as to the
capacity of the colored man and his possible future. This gain is seen
in the better provisions for the colored public schools, in towns and
cities. The schools of the A.M.A. are both object lessons and incentives
for the education of the white as well as the colored in the public
schools. The South is exceedingly sensitive as to the opinion of the
North. A trifle of published criticism, for example, goes through the
Southern papers with rebuttals enough to break down a national
constitution. An imperfect and incorrect report of an interview, which
lived just long enough to be printed, has been lately passionately
confuted in certain Southern newspapers with a profusion of epithets
which were out of all proportion to the harmless nonsense committed to
the press by an untrained reporter--a new illustration of the extreme
sensitiveness of the South to Northern opinion. Northern sentiment is
often ridiculed, and frequently sends not a few Southern newspapers into
spasms, but it is heeded. Let it be kindly and true, and pressed
fraternally and constantly "In His Name" who came
"To take away transgressions
And set the captive free."
* * * * *
THE VALUE OF PURE AND INTELLIGENT CHURCHES.
The extract given below has the true ring. It is from one of the pastors
of the American Missionary Association educated at Tougaloo and Howard
Theological Seminary. If sometimes our church work seems small and
discouraging there are many things to be remembered. Many times we are
told by the pastors of our churches "we could have larger churches and
more of them if we would accept the standards of those about us."
Moreover, some little church with fifty members may be doing more for
the cause of Christ than some big church of ten times the number. But,
read the extract:
"In the battle of Milliken's Bend, a color bearer was seen far in
advance of his company. The captain shouted to him, 'Bring those colors
back to the army!' The reply was sent back, 'Bring the army up to the
colors.'
"Just so, in the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee,
and the South generally, our church is lifting up the standard, and
although men are constantly trying to get the standard bearer to fall
back to the army of biased, narrow humanity, the church ever shouts back
the reply of the immortal color bearer, 'Bring the army up to the
colors.'
"Every man and woman going out from our schools is imbued with the
thought that he or she is to hold up the standard of God--not man--for
the people. Every church, school or mission fostered by the A.M.A. is
holding up the highest ideals of all life. And while our work does not
grow in numbers as rapidly as we could wish, we are broadcasting the
good seeds of the Kingdom over all the land, and here and there they are
springing into life, bringing forth fruit--some thirty, some sixty, and
some an hundred fold; so we go on grinding out the grist ever and anon
holding one for toll. I am not ignorant of what other churches are
doing, and some are doing nobly, but ours is the great work. It has been
my observation, that wherever an enterprising work is being carried on
in church or school, the leading force is generally the product of
Congregational effort, directly or indirectly. So take away our work,
then it would be like blotting out the sun, moon and most of the stars
from the sky."
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