The American Missionary. Volume 43, No. 10, October, 1889

In that meeting, while singing the last part of each song the audience would rise and turn their backs toward the pulpit. One started the prayers, but soon the multitude of voices made it impossible to know who was leading or what was being said. The minister came in late. He slowly turned the pages of the Bible until he found his text. With a murmuring voice he read a few verses and began preaching. Moving off slowly, like an express train, he soon gathered a rapid motion of body and a furious rattling of words. With head down and the white of his eyes turned upward he kept up a constant spitting and walking for forty or forty-five minutes. All the while the hearers responded with thrilling animation. The sermon over, the singing was started as before for a long jubilee. A few nights ago, at such a meeting, not far from the writer's church, a young woman so mutilated her head while going through a muscular jubilation, that she had to go to the doctor to have her head repaired.

Less than a quarter of a mile away was another audience, not one-fourth as large as the one referred to above, with an educated preacher, worshiping in the spirit with the propriety and with the gentleness of the gospel. So unlike was the deportment and so different was the character of the two audiences that but for their common color one might have thought that they were composed of two distinct races. The question may be asked, what makes the difference? They are the same people, worshiping the same God out of the same Bible. Education and the lack of it make the difference.

The conduct of audiences like the first here spoken of seems to vary with the style of the speaker. I once preached to such a congregation. Their behavior was orderly. During the sermon their responses were a few amens. Knowing their habit in worship, I was somewhat annoyed with the thought that I was muzzling their feelings and the sooner I got through the gladder they would be. That class of people have a way of calling the minister "Cold water preacher," if he does not preach them into something like a spell of hallucination. Their composure led me to believe that I would earn the title. Still I endured, and endeavored to give the plain truth plainly and earnestly; having a strong feeling that as I was in authority I must command in the right way. After dismission, many said to me, "You gave us the pure word and we enjoyed it." "That's what we need," said another. I was heartily invited to come again. I find now I am welcome with that people.

"The fields are white already to harvest." Great is the opportunity of the rich and enlightened churches. The helpfulness of our schools to my people and to the country, is beyond calculation. Our missionary schools are like so many lighthouses along this dark belt of the Union. Their light is being reflected by thousands of colored youth who without these schools would have grown up in gross ignorance.

This brings to mind an incident of my life, which now I believe was providential. Seventeen years ago, when my education was very limited, while working in a restaurant, I visited Talladega College and was deeply impressed with the school, and the intelligence and advancement of the boys. I decided that I would enter school immediately, and did so, though my money was scarce and a few weeks before I had agreed to continue work in the restaurant at twelve dollars per month, board and bed furnished. That was good wages for a boy of my age, but I know now that giving it up and going to school was a thousand times higher wages for me. I felt my imperfections so keenly then I was ashamed to talk to the boys in the college. The stimulation for an education, which I received on that visit to Talladega College has never left me. I regard it most fortunate for an ignorant young man to visit our best schools.

THE INDIANS

FORT YATES, DAKOTA

MISS M.C. COLLINS

During the recent measles epidemic a large number of children died on the Agency. At this village, a little child had been conjured until they thought it was dying, and then they sent for me. I found the poor little one all bruised with the hands of the conjurer. I showed the mother how to bathe it, and I poulticed the throat and sent Josephine over again to change the poultice, and she reported the child as breathing quietly. The next morning the swelling had gone down and the baby seemed much better; all day it continued to improve, and the next day sat up and ate rice soup which I carried it. The mother said, "She is well now!" I said, "O, no, she is not; keep her in the house three days and I will visit her, then she will be well perhaps." If an Indian is not in a dying condition, they do not consider anything the matter. So, after I left, she took her child out and walked about two miles. The child caught cold, and that afternoon grew worse. They had an Indian to conjure it, and it died immediately. They sent for me to come and pray with them. Josephine went for Elias, and we went to the desolate home. The baby had been dead an hour and was closed up in a box, the grandfather singing a mourning song, the mother wailing, "O my daughter, my daughter, I loved her and she has left me." Over and over again she cried out in her sorrow. The grandmother had cut her flesh, and the streams of blood running down from her hair over her face only made all seem more desolate, and more weird and terrible. They were trying to be Indians, and yet they had asked for me to come. I suppose it was to give the child the full benefit of both religions, so that there should be no mistake in the future world.

My Bible class now numbers ten; six of them are candidates for church membership. One of them spoke very nicely at our last prayer meeting. Among other things he said: "No man can kill God's Word. It will live and his church will grow. We have tried to kill it in this village, but look at it now. It has taken hold of us, and we who have fought against it are now its followers. No man can kill God, because he alone is the creator of life, and it is only foolish to try to stand upon his word and keep it down. The Indian customs fall before the Word of God wherever the Bible has gone. My friends, stop fighting against God, believe on him and rejoice." This is Wakutemani (Walking Hunter) whom I named Huntington Wolcott for Mr. Wolcott of Boston. Because he said he wanted a long name and the name of a good man, I combined the two. He is now ambitious to become a teacher. He will be ready for an out-station whenever you are able to build one. He says they have already asked him to come up on Oak Creek to teach them, and I gave him a Bible and hymn books and primer, and he goes about reading and singing and praying for Christ. May he be indeed the Walking Hunter, going about seeking souls. God be with him to the end.

Nearly all of our Indians signed the bill to open the reservation. John Grass took the lead. He is a very wise man, and a good one for an Indian who represents the wild Indians. I attended all the sessions of the Council except the last. I see by the papers that a Roman Catholic priest on this Agency says he touched the pen first, and that caused all the Indians to sign. Grass says he wants me to dispute that, that he refused to sign last year because he did not like the bill. This year, the Commissioners were men of brains and the bill was a better one, and was so explained that the Indians understood it, and that they of their own accord thought the best thing they could do was to sign it, that the said priest had no power or influence over them whatever. He said, "Tell our friends this for me, and tell them the Commissioners know that we signed it of our own will because we believed it was for the good of our people." I told him I would write it East.

The instability of the Indian.—It used to be a proverb among the Indians that "The white man is very uncertain." The following brief extract from the letter of a missionary among the Indians not only shows that the Indian is unstable, but illustrates the difficulty of fixing the Indians in a given locality and at steady work:

The Commissioner was at – the other day, and our Indians had a chance to sign, and almost all of them did so, but still to many of them the opening seems an evil. I am afraid they are not going to maintain their places in the face of settlement by the whites. Already six families have slipped away to the Indian Territory, and I shall not be much surprised if in the next two years a considerable majority of them go; and still it is about as difficult to tell what an Indian will do, as it is to forecast western weather. I think they have never done so well in farming as this year, but one case will illustrate how unstable they are. One man sold three young horses for about half what they were worth. He had about eight acres of wheat, twelve acres of corn, and an acre of oats, all of which he abandoned to go South, though all his crops were very fine and had been well worked by himself.

THE CHINESE

OUR CHINESE IN CHINA

BY REV. W.C. POND, D.D

This is an old theme, but it presents fresh aspects from time to time. I am quite sure that the readers of the MISSIONARY will be interested in these extracts from three comparatively recent letters:

"My DEAR PASTOR:

"Since I left for my home, I am perfectly well and safe. I am very glad that I havn't got any persecution come to me. I told my parents the first thing when I reached my home that I don't worship the idols and the ancestors when I marry. They did not say anything except, 'Do what you please,' and then I thought I could stop the bride to worship too. They said, 'She couldn't,' [i.e. could not be prevented from worshiping]. In the day I married, when the bride worship the ancestors the spectators called me saying, 'Mr. Fung Jung, go, worship with the bride.' My mother answered them, 'That is all right, he did worship.' Two days after, the news that I did not worship the ancestors reached my wife's parents. They immediately send a woman to me and asked me what was the matter I did not worship the ancestor. I explained to her as well as I could and then she went home. Though I stay very firm for Jesus Christ, I am very sorry that I could not convert my family yet. Do pray for me and for those who do not know Christ."

It may be remarked in explanation of this somewhat singular toleration of Fung Jung's faith and conduct as a Christian, that he had been a merchant for two or three years before he returned, and in comparison with his relatives at home, and perhaps with the average of returning Chinese, was a prosperous and somewhat well-to-do man. And it is often remarked that if a son or a brother can get good luck in California he may have whatever religion he pleases. That is what Chinese religion is for—its sole utility—to get for its patrons good luck, and if this is gained, and the son or brother has money to divide, his religion will be accepted as satisfactory, on the ground that it has worked well in his case.

JOE JET IN SEARCH OF A MISSIONARY

Joe Jet is the Christian merchant (once a helper in our mission) to whom was entrusted by our brethren the task of inaugurating their missionary work in the districts from which they came. The letter from him that I am about to quote reached me some months ago. "I have crossed the stormy ocean and safely reached my country. I have seen Tsing Ki, Fung Foo and all my friends at Hong Kong. God protected me. And we talked about our missionary society, how we should go on. Then we agree to try to have one good Christian brother, his name Moo King Shing. He can both preach and teach. We know he is belonging to the Presbyterian Church, but we desired to employ him. Then I left Hong Kong and went home to see my parents, wife and all my relatives. I stay home ten days, then take my way, go to find where Moo Hing Shan is. I go through the chapel of Kong Moon, then San Wao city, and then got to San Ching Fan and inquire how to get my way to see Moo Hing Shan. The preacher at that chapel say, he's in Nor Foo Market, and so, finally, I meet him there. I then talk over the new story with him. He like very well to work in our society, but he had teached and preached in that place seven years and all these brethren and scholars cannot leave him. The missionary say he could not let him leave, because he is a true Christian—not one to begin believing and then stop. He cannot decide yet. He will think about it. If he sure he cannot leave there, then we find another."

A third letter is from a brother who has recently returned from China. It speaks of good news he has received from home—news of the baptism of six persons—one man and five women. About some of these women our brother knows something, and says: "One of the women was about sixty years of age. Her brother was a Christian and a preacher, and through her brother she gain to be a Christian. After this she encountered many trials, especially with her son's wife. Her son was in California, and his wife and two children lived with his mother. After she became a Christian both the children died. Their mother quarrel with her because she will not worship the idols. Then her brother, the preacher, died. Then she herself was taken very sick. We miss her three Sabbath days. That time no Chinese preacher was there, and only myself and, perhaps, one or two Christian brothers with me at the chapel. So I ask one of them to go with me to see for what cause she was absent. She lived about five miles from my place. We reach the village, meet a young man outside the village, ask him 'where is the Christian woman's house?' He said to us, 'Follow me.' So we follow him straight to her house and that young man live there. So I found she was sick. Three women were in the house, one of them the son's wife. These women said to us, 'If she not be a Christian you would not come to her.' My answer, 'Certainly not; if I not a Christian myself I would not come here.' So I begin to have a little talk to them and tell them who is the true God and how much God love us all, and how Jesus died for us. After this I gave them a prayer. They felt very much pleased to hear it. They gave me some present to take home, and soon the woman got all well. Then she went with her brother's widow to Hong Kong and leave her son's wife at home. Then she also became a Christian woman, very faithful, although a great many people make fun of her and use many bad words about her. She must be one of the five baptized."

Another letter from a Chinese brother tells me, "My wife one time, with the Chinese women, keep Sabbath day. So I am very glad. When I was at home my wife say she too young to be Christian and afraid the people would make fun of her. I told a Chinese preacher's wife in China to try to get her. I hope she will be led the Christian way."

Surely the leaven, though little, is working in China, and though it be hid in a great mass of meal, it will not cease its working till the whole is leavened. "China for Christ!" this our motto, and this our prayer.

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. Woodbury, Woodfords, Me.

VT.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. Ellen Osgood, Montpelier, Vt.

CONN.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. S.M. Hotchkiss, 171 Capitol Ave., Hartford, Conn.

MASS. and R.I.—Woman's Home Miss. Association,

Secretary, Miss Natalie Lord, Boston, Mass.[1]

N.Y.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. William Spalding, Salmon Block, Syracuse, N.Y.

ALA.—Woman's Missionary Union,

Secretary, Miss S.S. Evans, Birmingham, Ala.

MISS.—Woman's Miss. Union,

Secretary, Miss Sarah J. Humphrey, Tougaloo, Miss.

TENN. and ARK.—Woman's Missionary Union of Central South Conference,

Secretary, Miss Anna M. Cahill, Nashville, Tenn.

LA.—Woman's Miss. Union,

Secretary, Miss Jennie Fyfe, 490 Canal St., New Orleans, La.

FLA.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. Nathan Barrows, Winter Park, Fla.

OHIO.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. Flora K. Regal, Oberlin, Ohio.

IND.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. W.E. Mossman, Fort Wayne, Ind.

ILL.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. C.H. Taintor, 151 Washington St., Chicago, Ill.

MINN.—Woman's Home Miss. Society,

Secretary, Miss Katharine Plant, 2651 Portland Avenue,

Minneapolis, Minn.

IOWA.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Miss Ella E. Marsh, Grinnell, Iowa.

KANSAS.—Woman's Home Miss. Society,

Secretary, Mrs. G.L. Epps, Topeka, Kan.

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.

NEB.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. L.F. Berry, 724 N. Broad St., Fremont, Neb.

COLORADO.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

Secretary, Mrs. S.M. Packard, Pueblo, Colo.

SOUTH DAKOTA.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,

President, Mrs. T.M. Hills, Sioux Falls;

Secretary, Mrs. W.R. Dawes, Redfield;

Treasurer, Mrs. S.E. Fifield, Lake Preston.

NORTH DAKOTA.—Woman's Home Miss. Society,

President, Mrs. A.J. Pike, Dwight;

Sec., Mrs. Silas Dagett, Harwood;

Treas., Mrs. J.M. Fisher, Fargo.

We would, suggest to all ladies connected with the auxiliaries of State Missionary Unions, that funds for the American Missionary Association be sent to us through the treasurers of the Union. Care, however, should be taken to designate the money as for the American Missionary Association, since undesignated funds will not reach us.

The Woman's meeting of the American Missionary Association will be held in connection with the Annual Meeting, on Thursday afternoon, October 31st, in the New England Church, Chicago, Ill. Missionaries will be present from the work among the colored people and the mountain whites in the South, and also from the Indians, to give descriptions of their life on their mission fields. We would again urge a full representation of ladies from all the churches.

In connection also with the Annual Meeting of the American Missionary Association, and by their invitation, there will be an all-day Mass Meeting of Women's Home Missionary Unions in the New England Church, Chicago, October 29th. Every State Union is urged to send representatives.

GLIMPSES FROM THE FIELD

SCHOOL LIFE

I think you could not find a busier company of young people anywhere. As soon as one task is accomplished, another is ready to be taken up, and this goes on from early morn till time for retiring. Going into the kitchen you will find a dozen or more girls, with bright and happy faces, doing the homely work of dish-washing and preparing the vegetables for dinner. In the laundry, you are greeted with as many more smiling faces, some singing, others telling funny stories, but all busy at their allotted work. The bell rings for school and you will see them flying from every direction, perhaps having taken a moment to smooth the hair, or arrange the dress. All out of breath they reach the school room, ready for the five hours' work with books, which is the same as any average school in the North. This work being accomplished, they are off to the farm, shops, the sewing room and the cooking class. Here they learn to prepare all substantial food which would be necessary for any table, and become initiated into the intricacies of bread, pie and cake-making.

Our Sabbaths are not idle days either, for with Sunday-school, church service, and prayer meetings, our day is pretty well filled. Some of our girls are doing real missionary work by going out into the neighborhood, to relieve the sick, read to the old and infirm, and to carry food where it is needed. This they seem to enjoy, and it will, perhaps, prepare them for usefulness as they go out to work among their people.

HOME LIFE

Perhaps, if I give you a glimpse into the home of one of our pupils, you can more easily understand what we have to work against among these people. In a miserable old hovel, of one small room, lives a family of eleven, father, mother, five children, two pitiful little orphans, to whom the mother out of the kindness of her heart has given shelter, and a young man and a young woman as boarders. The mother toils hard each day to furnish bread for the little ones, and does what she can to keep her family respectable. The father is what is termed, "no 'count." He has no regular employment, but, when so inclined, will chop wood, and thus earn a few dimes. Their house is lighted by one small window, in which bunches of rags and papers supply the absence of glass. The room is heated by an old fire-place, which is crumbling to decay. The furniture consists of two straw beds covered with ragged quilts, a little pine table, and four broken chairs. I need not tell you of the moral atmosphere which exists in such a home. Yet this is only a type of the home we see too often when we are making our round of calls.

SACRIFICES FOR EDUCATION

Our school refuses none on account of age. Pupils are there, from the little three-year-old who attends the "Kinny-garten," as they call it, to those who are forty and fifty years old. I have been exceedingly interested in one woman who is now attending school in the primary room. She said to me: "I done sent my daughters through school and now I thought I would try and get a little education myself."

One of the good brothers well expressed this idea of sacrifice on the part of the parents for the education of their children when he said, "I only wants to be a stepping-stone for my children. If I can help them to rise higher than I have got, that is all I ask."

One poor woman told me she spent less than a dollar per week for provisions for a family of eight persons in order to save money to keep her children in school.

The oldest pupil in my school, a man over thirty years of age, said to me one day, "I wish I could have gone to school when I was young, for as a fellow grows older, his remembrance comes shorter."

OUR YOUNG FOLKS

Two little girls, about eight and nine years old, have just been to my room. The older one said, "This yere chile wants a dress to wear to Sunday-school to-morrow, and her ma says if it don't fit she can cut it off and make it over." I found among the contents of the last barrel a pretty blue gingham that fitted. I am sure the one who sent the dress would have felt happy if she could have seen the glad look of the child as she received it. I found the older little girl was not attending any day-school, and when I asked her what she did to help at home, she replied, "I don't do nothing, but stay at home and tote wood and notice the house."

The children may be interested in a question asked by a little girl in the third grade. She said, "My pa wants I should ask you whether the children of Israel, that Moses led out of Egypt, were black people, or white people?"

I have been teaching nearly six weeks. The house is a cheap frame one with a fire-place at one end. It is supplied with five benches, two desks and a blackboard. On those small benches twenty-five or more children must be seated. It is hard to keep them busy, as very few have the books which they need. Many are just learning to read, and some of these are making excellent progress.

At first it seemed as though the scholars would fight on the least provocation. If there had not been a few who had attended another of our schools, I do not know what I should have done, but those few did not fight. Their deportment in the school-room was also good. Now there is scarcely any fighting. At first several brought tobacco to school, but it was not allowed to be used, and so is not brought now.

One day a girl was at the board doing a simple sum in addition, three plus four; she put down nine as the entire sum. When I asked her what three plus four was equal to, she said "seven." I then asked her why she did not put that down; she said, "Dunno how to make a seben and so 'lowed dat would do." One young man has come to school but four half days, yet he has learned to write his own name legibly and can read some. He could spell "right smart" before he came.