Kitabı oku: «The American Missionary. Volume 44, No. 04, April, 1890», sayfa 4
A Prosperous Church
Rev. Sterling N. Brown.
We know you will rejoice with us in the good work at Plymouth Church, Washington, D.C. In January we began a special series of meetings. I preached short sermons nearly every night, save Saturdays, for more than three weeks. About fifty have been hopefully brought to a saving knowledge of Christ. The church was never, perhaps, more deeply stirred than at this time. There seems to be a thirsting for a deeper work of grace among Christians, a thorough coming out from the world. It was a beautiful sight yesterday, when before the altar twenty-nine "new recruits" took upon themselves the covenant of the church.. The most of the remaining converts will unite with us at our next communion. A few of them will join elsewhere. Our church is getting well organized for work along all lines of Christian activity. The Endeavor Society among our young people, now the largest in number in the district, is a real power for good. The Sunday-school is taking on new life. There is before us in this city "an exceeding good land," but before full possession, many battles must be fought, spiritual and financial. But we have great reason to be thankful.
The White Cross League
Prof. H.H. Wright, Fisk University.
I want to lay before you a short account of the work of the White Cross League, of this University, as reported by the members at a meeting held at my house last Sunday night. You may not be aware that late last school year I called together a dozen or two of our best young men and induced them to take the White Cross pledge—to treat all women with respect, to refrain from indecent jests and coarse language, to maintain that the law of personal purity is as binding on men as upon women, etc. At the meeting last Sunday night one after another gave his experience touching the White Cross movement. One young man reported that through his persuasion, public and private, especially the latter, three or four couples who had been living together unlawfully went before the proper authorities and were married. Another testified that he had personally felt the restraining influence of his pledge, while he acted as waiter at a summer hotel. The pledge had a great restraining influence upon him and was a safeguard. Another found it necessary to organize a Wednesday night Bible meeting of his own, for the regular meetings of the churches did not give him the opportunity he desired.
All the young men testified to the good influence of the pledge upon their own lives, but one young man's report of his work was of especial interest. He is head waiter at the hotel at Lake –, where about 250 servants, men and women, are employed. He took a squad of seventy-eight colored men from the South to the Lake at the opening of the season, engaging them on condition that there was to be no gambling among them. Immediately on arriving he organized a Y.M.C.A. among them, and held meetings Sunday afternoons and two evenings during the week through the summer, all well attended. At some of these meetings he spoke of the White Cross movement, and was successful in gaining the approbation of most of the members of the Association. The nature of the pledge and of the talks got out among the women servants, and ere long at their invitation he assembled from seventy-five to one hundred of them and gave them a very earnest talk on the value and duty of virtuous lives. Many were affected to tears, and all were seriously impressed. After that they seemed to look to him as their protector, and often said they were so glad they had a head man who would endeavor to shield them from temptation and wrong. And the remarkable thing about it is, that these women servants are white!
The proprietor of the hotel, on closing the season, told our student that if he had been told that such a work as he had accomplished among his help could be done he would have declared it impossible. What is to be the outcome of this little movement so auspiciously begun? It seems to me that if wisely carried on the possibilities for good are very great.
Berea And Temperance
For nearly twelve years there has been a temperance organization centering at Berea. By personal canvass it has secured signers to the total abstinence pledge, until the aggregate number is between two thousand and three thousand.
The length of the district from north to south is not less than ten miles, and the greatest breadth seven or eight miles. The number of votes polled at a general election is about six hundred. For nearly ten years the sale of intoxicating liquors within the district has been illegal, it having been voted out by the people by a large majority soon after the great Murphy movement. Just on the border of the district were two or three men, distillers in a small way and venders of the fiery liquid, who thought the enthusiasm of the Murphy movement was past, and took the necessary steps to have a poll opened on the liquor question, at the August election of 1888. But they had underrated the effect of these years of temperance education. Nearly all our students become signers of the pledge and workers in whatever field they may visit; and the people of the country immediately around us have been profiting by the teachings of these meetings. When the question was clearly presented, "Shall we again have the legalized liquor traffic among us?" the activity of the friends of sobriety and order was as great as that of the selfish advocates of license. Meetings were held in every neighborhood. On election day, seventy-five ladies, of the noblest in the district, were at the voting place. Refreshments were furnished in abundance and free of charge. Doubtful voters were met with argument and persuasion. All was as orderly as if it were a religious meeting. The result showed 435 for temperance to 131 for liquor—more than three to one. The victory was complete, and the district stands as the banner temperance district of the State.
Berea College Reporter.
"Becca Must Go!"
Say "Becca must go," Yes, "Becca must go,"
I don't hardly see why it needs to be so,
She's nice—very quiet. She's no trouble at all,
She couldn't hurt any one, Becca's so small.
She don't understand it—the poor little child—
When I seat her alone she looks strange and wild,
And when I dismiss her she never looks 'round,
But she goes off alone looking down to the ground.
Her mother's afflicted, her home life is bad,
When I see little Becca I always feel sad.
She learns very quickly, she sings like a lark,
But Becca must go, for her skin is so dark.
I am asked to "dismiss her," and "send her away,"
She must not study here and with others play,
I don't like to do it, but then, don't you know,
There are some who won't like it, so "Becca must go."
Not many stand up for poor Becca down here,
They talk very strangely, and act very queer,
Her skin's not much darker than mine, but, you know,
Her hair curls a little, so "Becca must go."
Now Preacher and Teacher from East and from West,
If you would succeed you must do like the rest;
Be partial to white folk or take the disgrace,
Of showing regard for a down-trodden race.
E.N. RUDDOCK.
The Indians
Streaks Of Light
Rev. C.L. Hall, Fort Berthold, North Dakota.
A girl about seventeen years of age writes the following to her teacher while she is away from school for a short vacation among her people:
"DEAR FRIEND:—I will now try to write a few lines to-night to tell you all about what we are doing now; first I tell you when first we came home we told the girls to come to our house that we would have prayer meeting the first thing; I tell you they are real good girls, L–, M–, A– and M–; we did not expect them to come; it is far away and they were so tired yet they did not mind, they come right away before we saw them. We went upon the hills, Mary and I, we prayed, and when we came back we was surprise to see the girls coming. So we had prayer meeting; that was the first time that L– ever prayed; we thought we would have prayer meeting to-day, but we are sorry the girls did not come, they did not know; we expect to go to Minot Monday if nothing should happen."
Another says:—"I don't want to see the Indian dance. I like to stay in the house and I like to read the Bible every morning, and in the afternoon I ask God to bless the boys and girls and keep you always, and I know he will help all if we ask him."
N– and G–, two little sisters away on a vacation where no Sabbath is observed, go away on the prairie alone and have prayers together. After evening service those who wished to follow Christ were asked to remain to an inquiry meeting, and eight remained, and in their own language some expressed very clearly a desire to follow Christ and a consciousness of their own sin and weakness.
Mrs. B–'s husband died very earnestly endeavoring to teach her the faith he had come to have, and asking her again and again to have no idols, but to worship and believe in God alone. She is now an earnest seeker after light, is visited on Sunday by a leading man who lives near her, and who is asked to tell them on the Sabbath of the religion and the God of whom her husband had told her.
A father, a hearer, but yet a heathen, says: "I want to put the boy in a school where he will learn God's ways. I do not want him in a school where religion is not taught."
