THE INDIANS.

LETTER FROM MISS COLLINS.

Elias, our native teacher, has formed a class of young men who meet every Tuesday night and talk and pray and sing together, and he directs their thought. I think it will prove very helpful. Then on Thursday night I have my Bible class, which now numbers about twenty. It is formed of the young men and women who wish to follow Christ's example, and band themselves together to learn of him. It has been the training school of the young Christians.

What could be more encouraging than such facts as these? An Indian unattended by any white person, dissatisfied with the religion of his fathers, walks out of heathenism; out of sympathy and connection with his tribe; out of the religion and customs of his fathers and into the customs of civilized life, into the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ! In the words of that quaint old Negro hymn, let those who so earnestly desire the conversion of the Pagans in America exhort one another to "Pray on: Pray on."

THE RAMONA INDIAN SCHOOL.

This is a department of the University of New Mexico at Santa Fé, occupying separate buildings and a separate locality, and managed by the American Missionary Association. A recent visit to the school it may be worth while to report. It is for the Apache Indians and the youth who are gathered into it are of the Jiccarrilla band. Their reservation is about two hundred miles west, and is reached by railroad or by pony transportation. The teachers deem it better to have the school some distance from the people so as to make its impression the more positive, and yet near enough for the parents to visit their children occasionally while at school. This keeps up the interest and prevents the children from being educated away from their elders. Two good sized buildings are used. In one there are the school rooms, the accommodations for the teachers, and the lodgings for the boys. In the other, under a matron, there are lodgings for the girls, work rooms for the same, and the boarding department for all. The Indian girls do the cooking for the establishment. I saw them getting dinner and I saw many loaves of beautiful white bread made by them. In their work shop they make their own clothes. The boys, under the lead of the principal, Prof. Elmore Chase, work at cobbling, making ditches and cultivating the soil, and also do something with carpenter's tools. The Government pays over a hundred dollars a year for each student toward the expense of board, clothes, etc. The American Missionary Association appoints the teachers and directs the school. The scholars, thirty in all, have made very creditable progress in their studies, considering the short time the school has been in operation, from three to four years. Prof. Whipple, now of Wheaton College, who for a time was principal of the Ramona, testifies: "I never saw on an average such aptness, docility and faithfulness in school and industrial work." The religious influence of the school has not been interfered with by the Government. I heard the scholars recite with promptness and evident understanding the Twenty third Psalm, the Beatitudes, the Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and portions of a catechism introductory to the Westminster Shorter. Daily worship is maintained among them, the Sunday-school lesson is thoroughly taught, while the Bible is freely used in the school. The Professor thought that several of the youth gave such evidence of an experience of grace as would satisfy us concerning white children. I was permitted to see half a dozen letters written by the scholars to be sent to their parents and brothers and sisters, without the supervision of their teachers, in which were many expressions of love for the Saviour and the Bible, and of a desire that their friends at home should be made acquainted with the same, and the purpose, when they should go home, to communicate those good things.

The following are four of those letters:

The writer of this letter has attended school two and a half years, spending one-half day in school each day and working half a day. He is now fourteen years old.

THE CHINESE.

OROVILLE, MARYSVILLE, PETALUMA.

When all this was accomplished, those who could read with comparative ease were gathered about a table for a sort of Bible reading, which I proposed to give them, in the fifteenth chapter of Luke. This was the manner of it: One of them read the first verse, being helped over the hard words, then I explained it in as simple English as I could command; then the reader translated both it and my explanation into Chinese, each other pupil keeping watch to see whether what was said expressed the ideas which he had received from me. At this time, we were much aided by the co-operation of Yong Jin, our missionary helper, whose translations I could depend upon quite confidently, but I often give these readings without such help, feeling quite sure that if six or eight have received the same idea, they have received the one I meant to give. When we had finished the first verse, a second pupil read the second verse with the same method, and so on. Some felt unequal to the task of translating, but most were willing to try, and most who tried succeeded strangely well. I had intended to follow this with a few words of exhortation, but just as we read the last verse, Yong Ack arrived. This is a brother who was converted about a year ago. His daily work is that of a cook in a way-side inn, about six (some said eight) miles from Oroville. He has been accustomed to walk this distance, over a rough and dusty road, to attend, not often the school, but the religious services of our mission. He can seldom reach the Mission House before nine, but the meetings begin when he arrives and continue till he is ready to start away. As this brother was to be baptized on the following evening, the Bible reading was suspended with a promise from me that I would speak from these words the next evening, and we all addressed ourselves to a study of the Confession and Covenant of our little Chinese Church at Oroville. It was taken up clause by clause, read in English, explained, translated into Chinese, and still further explained, till Yong Ack in particular, and in a general way all the rest of them, professed to understand and believe it all. When this was finished, we were well on towards 11 P.M., and we closed the meeting with song and prayer.

The day following was variously occupied, but in the evening we were all at the Mission House again. The lessons were given, and then the table was spread for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Then came the preaching, with Yong Jin interpreting, sentence by sentence. The topic— the Shepherd seeking his lost sheep, followed by the story of the prodigal son. One could not have asked a more attentive audience. The presence and work of the Spirit were unmistakable. At length, a little after nine, Yong Ack appeared. He had been over that road three times that day, and expected, before morning to go over it again. But he confessed no weariness either by word or by manner. He was bright, wakeful, joyous. He confessed Christ, was baptized, and was welcomed with gladness to the church, after which we gathered round the table of the Lord.

Wednesday and Thursday were spent in and about Marysville. Both Oroville and Marysville are "hard fields." In both of them good work has been done in days past, but the fruits from the seed sown have been widely scattered, so that in each place but few Christians remain. Our Chinese Church in Marysville, some years ago was reported—truthfully, I am sure—as in proportion to its numbers and its means, the Banner Church of the country for its contribution to Foreign Missions. But now only one member, a deacon, resides in the place. He is a cook at one of the hotels, and is unable to leave his work till about 8:30 P.M., but he "holds the fort" sturdily, bravely. He is an athletic man, full of energy and courage, with, doubtless, some of the defects which usually attend these qualities, but honest, earnest, consistent, determined.

The first evening was a reproduction of that at Oroville, there being also one believer to be baptized. On the second evening, in view of the Lord's Supper and the baptism, our good deacon, as soon as his work was done, was "all abroad" in Chinatown. Squad after squad he brought, and seeing them seated, went out after more. When about 9:15 P.M., I commenced my discourse, the room was packed. Oh, what joy it was, what inspiration, to look into those eyes fixed closely upon me, and tell them of the love of God in Christ! Yong Jin's quick, animated interpretations of my sentences were not interruptions, but seemed to urge me on. I am sure that the Spirit spoke through me to some hearts, and that I shall see the fruits of that seed-sowing in the better world. After the most careful and repeated statements as to what a partaking of the bread and wine would mean, and as to the guilt of those who should partake without meaning what they did, a goodly number, eight or nine, I think, who had never before consented to be recognized as Christians, did thus profess that they received Christ as Saviour and Lord. They did it in the sight and in the midst of others who did not do it—did it with a painstaking and an apparent determination which encourages my hope that they will hold fast and be led on to clearer light and the full day.

Reaching home on Friday noon, I started for Petaluma on Saturday morning. That evening was spent partly at the Mission House preaching the word, and partly at the church preparing our pupils for the parts they were to take in the anniversary exercises on the following evening. Our brothers, Jee Gam and Lem Chung, were with me. I see that I have already exhausted my space and venture only to add, that this anniversary service was one of deep interest. The Congregational Church at which it was held was crowded, auditors standing in the doors. All the exercises by the pupils were well rendered. The address by Jee Gam and the songs by Lem Chung seemed to win all hearts. The report of the year's work at the school was more cheering than any we have been able to make for years; the collection amounted to about sixty-five dollars, and last and best of all, the gospel work done by our Chinese brethren at the Mission House was the means of leading at least two, heretofore undecided, to take their stand clearly and decisively as followers of Christ.

In a later letter, Dr. Pond adds:

It seems that three instead of two, as I have it in my article, were led to confess Christ at Petaluma last Sunday. One other was almost persuaded, but said he must first send home to China the bones of his father. (Matt. 8:21). Jee Gam explained to him that he could do that as a Christian, without worshiping his father. But he could not be persuaded. He is a very bright and promising young man, and I hope and pray that this wrong decision may not cost him his salvation.

Jee Gam and Lum Chung were so wrought upon by what they saw and by what God wrought by them at Petaluma, that they came back fired with a desire to do something like it at our Central Mission House. This is what I have long wished for, but could never seem to inspire the brethren with courage to undertake. On Tuesday evening the first of a series of meetings was held there. The room was crowded. Some scoffed, some tried to seem indifferent, but all heard the word, and one took a stand for Christ. The brethren take hold well, each one contriving to make himself the center of a group of heathen, so as to go right to work in the after-meeting. Pray for them.

BUREAU OF WOMAN'S WORK.

WOMAN'S STATE ORGANIZATIONS.

MASS. and R.I.—Woman's Home Miss. Association,
Secretary, Miss Natalie Lord, Boston, Mass.[2]

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.

DAKOTA.—Woman's Home Miss. Union,
President, Mrs. T.M. Hills, Sioux Falls;
Secretary, Mrs. W.B. Dawes, Redfield;
Treasurer, Mrs. S.E. Fifield, Lake Preston.

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.

Ladies upon whom the duty devolves to plan and lead missionary meetings, will welcome the suggestions in the following paper by Mrs. Regal, Secretary of the Woman's Home Missionary Union of Ohio, which paper was read at the recent Annual Meeting of the Officers of Woman's State Organizations.

THE LOCAL SOCIETY—ITS MEMBERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT.

If there be in any Christian church a woman who will respond to none of these calls for service to the extent of a moderate annual membership fee, say twenty-five cents, she has missed the true import of the Gospel and has never entered into its most blessed privileges. Let us assume that there is no such, but that rightly approached, every woman worthy a place in the church will be willing to enroll herself into at least the passive membership of the local society.

II.—The management of this new membership, presumably uninformed, indifferent, possibly prejudiced, will require familiar acquaintance with our six benevolences, sympathy with them all, much practical wisdom, good courage, and the spirit of I Corinthians, 13th chapter.

The President must do more than preside at the meetings. She must plan every detail; must know beforehand what hymns, what Scripture lesson, who shall lead in singing and in prayer, what reports, what letters, what original papers, what selections, what business. Everything must be carefully planned and written down, yet there must be withal a certain amount of elasticity of management, so that the timid question may be answered, the objection removed, the enthusiasm expressed. The President will welcome strangers and greet the diffident and neglected. She will not be surprised at seeing anybody at the meeting. It was reasonably to be expected.

The Secretary will do more than keep the minutes of the meetings. She will not forget the proper public announcement of the meetings and will add special invitations to such as may not feel themselves included in the general. She will send for such printed helps as are needed for use. She will fill out distinctly and promptly such blanks as are needed for Conference, State or other Reports, and her quarterly and annual reports will be helpful from their information and their inspiration.

The Treasurer will do more than passively receive what is brought to her hands. She will see that no one is overlooked when a canvass is made for any object; that pledges are redeemed; that the way is made easy for the poor to give without embarrassment and the rich without ostentation. She will see that all moneys are forwarded as designated and that they go through the State Treasury.

But the highest qualification any local officer can possess, is the ability to transfer members from the passive to the active list. Some practical hints toward this result maybe gathered from the following suggestions:

Aim at unity of effect for each meeting. Make some one of the six benevolences the subject, and center everything—Scripture, hymn, prayer, letter, paper, leaflet, about the single topic. Suppose it be "Missions on our Western frontier." Ask some lady to prepare a fifteen minutes' paper. Give out in addition six back numbers of the Home Missionary to as many ladies, asking each to select a paragraph or short article bearing directly on the subject and which she thinks will, or ought to, interest the meeting. Let several of these ladies be chosen from the passive list—the diffident or even the indifferent.In making their selections, they will perhaps have made their first acquaintance with missionary magazines and will have learned something about the heroism of our home missionaries. Moreover, they will have participated in the exercises. This, repeated with variations, will give them courage to speak, and intelligent thoughts to express. They are on the way to active participation. Crown the exercises with a collection. The leader must know how to kindle enthusiasm and put it to the tangible proof.

The subject for the next meeting may be some branch of the work of the American Missionary Association, as "Indian Missions in Dakota." Assign to some one a paper, an historical sketch. She will need books from the missionary library. "Ten years among the Dakotas," and "Mary and I; or, Life among the Sioux," (to which she would never think of going for help unless informed that the Dakotas and Sioux are one.) She may also send to Miss Emerson for further helps. Then, in addition, give out back numbers of the American Missionary to two or three passive ladies, asking them to make short selections concerning Indian missions—or let one read Prof. G.F. Wright's leaflet—"Indian Missions as seen upon the ground"—and another some missionary's letter. Call out expressions of interest in the work—proofs of its success—etc., and ask if we ought not to do something for its support. Give to everyone present a small envelope with the request that it be brought to the next meeting with a free will offering for Indian missions.

The next meeting may be devoted to "Christian work among the Mormons," using the "New West Reports," "The Gleaner," newspaper extracts, missionary letters and, if possible, have the experience of some one who has visited the schools and the homes of sin-cursed Utah. Having awakened deep interest, the proposition to procure a lecture or a musical entertainment and devote the proceeds to the New West Commission will probably find favor and be carried on to success.

For the next meeting, choose another object, as "Parsonage Building." Distribute copies of the Church Building Quarterly and again the indispensable back numbers of The Home Missionary, and have extracts read which show the discomfort, and even distress, which come to the family of the home missionary. Propose aid in the form of a birthday offering, in which every member brings in an envelope as many cents as she is years old. The result may be surprising.

For other objects other plans, but in every case the way should be prepared for intelligent giving.

It has sometimes resulted favorably to secure, at the beginning of the year, pledges for some definite, well understood object, as a teacher's or missionary's salary, or a share in one, which should apparently but not really exhaust the resources of the society, and have the payments made as early in the year as practicable. Then pursue intelligent study of the other fields until the time is ripe for proposing generous aid to the one which appeals most strongly to the combined judgment and sympathy. And so on through the year, in which time the six benevolences can all be reached. This somewhat irregular method of procedure has perhaps no better defence than that it has been known to produce good results. A society the intelligence and consecration of whose members could be relied upon would doubtless find the plan of monthly pledges, to be divided according to some accepted schedule, much easier. No special labor would have to be expended to make the need apparent, or to awaken sympathy for the object, or to choose the best means of attaining it. Gifts would be systematic and uniform throughout the year and could be counted upon.

The machinery, well oiled at the start, would run smoothly and quietly, and woman's work would not be made unpleasantly prominent. But it seems doubtful whether as many gifts would flow into the treasury and whether the gifts would be accompanied by as much interest, sympathy and prayer.

The hints concerning management thus far presuppose a Home Missionary Society organized on the modern basis of a programme of devotional exercises and various mission studies, and do not apply to those cases in which such exercises have been engrafted upon a sewing society with a long line of Dorcases as Presidents, and antecedents too respectable to be ruthlessly set aside. How shall a sewing society be so modified as to best subserve the present home missionary needs? Do not create friction by attempting a sudden and complete revolution. Propose that the brief devotional exercises with which such gatherings sometimes close be placed a little earlier than usual, that there may be time for some interesting missionary letter or some inspiring leaflet, or other selection, or better still, an original paper on some live topic. When about the usual season for beginning the missionary box arrives, prepare a symposium on the subject of boxes. Select and distribute brief paragraphs from the magazines concerning missionary debts, from missionary letters concerning unpaid salaries, and lead gradually up to the question whether if we were missionaries we would rather receive a box or a check for an unpaid salary. Which would best enable a minister to look his creditors, who are also his parishioners, in the face—the new pulpit suit or cash to pay off accumulated bills? In trying to decide between box and salary, the society may decide for both, and a point is gained. When box preparations begin, assign them a proper place in the meeting. Do not permit papers and addresses to be sandwiched between rolling quilt frames and turning down refractory hems, or punctuated by requests or signals for scissors, thread, and bits of gingham; and do not spoil garments by working with divided attention. Give each its hour or its day. Best of all, when a box is in preparation, sew early, late, and often, till it is despatched. Then resume the studies, being especially careful to have their first resumption provided with an attractive programme. In all cases when studies have been grafted upon sewing, encourage the graft. It ought to yield better fruit than the original stock.

It should be the constant aim of those in charge of local societies to inspire in the membership intelligent interest in the six branches of our work—to cultivate a spirit of liberality toward them all—to create in every member a desire to aid them all. Only with such an aim can the local society achieve its highest usefulness.

RECEIPTS FOR JUNE, 1889.