Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-04-05
The Republic of Liberia.

10 the phllanthrophlst and christian this new
nation on the African coasts deeply interesting.
The inhabitants OF Liberia are strictly a reli-
glous people. Various American missionary So
cletles are endevoring to disseminate truth and
righteousness among the inhabitants. The Meth
odlst Episcopal church stands first in point of
time and effort. Its Conference consists of
twenty one ministers, all of whom are colored
They number l ,30l members, of whom 1l6 are
natives; 10 Sunday schools, with s39 scholars,
of whom so are natives, 20 week -day schools,
with 5l3 scholars; native schools, with 127
scholars. They have erected a seminary build
ing in Monrovia, at a cost Of $4,000, which is
now atfording instruction to youth in the higher
departments of science and literature The Bap-
fist Missionary Convention has Is churches.
with native and colonist membership of 7S7,
20 coored missionaries, teachers, native as
sistants, ID day schools, and 436 pupils. The
Old School Presbyterian Board of Missions have
2 ordinary ministers, 3 churches, 1l6 members,
and Sunday schools. They have several day
schools for natives and colonists. 4 superior
one at Monroya contains about 20 pupils while
at the same place is the Alexander High School,
a classical institution The mission of the Epis-
copal Church was commenced in 1886, at Cape
Palmas. 1t has now extended itself to the three
prominent sea port towns of the Republication
has ministers, common schools and high
school, 5 teachers, and $50 scholars A large
stone church is built at Cape Pamas, while a
brick one is finished at the Furnishing station Of
Clay Ashland. on the St. Paul river. At Cape
Palmas, also, is an orphan asylum. Hereto
fore the chief efforts of this denomination have
been directed to the native population.
Among the Grebo tribe, numbering %, 900, are
stations, whose language having been reduced
to writing, the Gospel is preached to them
There are Is native teachers, ordained native
ministers, and about 100 native children in the
boarding schools Of the mission. Other societies
are operating, but their success as yet has been
limited. The experience of these missions con-
firms the growing conviction that if the one hun
dred and sixty millions of Africa are to be raised
from the degradation in which they are at pres
ent, this must be mainly through the influences
resulting from efforts put forth by its own sons
and daughters, who have themselves been pre-
accomplished by those from other lands; as
most of those who have attempted to labor have
fallen early martyrs to their zeal. Liberia with
its republican Government, there can be no
question is destined to exert a benign impress
sion on the rest of the continent. By its Gov
eminent and laws, its schools and churches, it's
trade and commerce, n reflex influence will go
forth from which it shall tend to raise Africa to
a higher position among the nations than she
has for ages enjoyed Thus the course of pro-
gress and human elevation will be extended far
Their and farther into the interior its inhabitants
raised from idolatry and superstition, and its
riches made available to the world.
SQUEEZING HASDs-Bya Lady-What an i'm
mense difference it makes who squeezes ones
hand! lady may Irvine her arm round your
waist, press a kiss on your brow, or, holding
your hand in hers toy with your fingers to her
hearts content. but you are perfectly calm and
collected, and experience no unusual sensation,
either disagreeabe or otherwise. Perchance a
gentleman whom you dislike or feel slightly ac-
quainted with, ventures to press your hand you
snatch it quickly away, the indignant bloom
mounts to your forehead, aud with flashing eyes,
you wonder how the impertinent fellow dares
to do such a thing" Rather an antquated spe-
cimen Of humanity squeezes your hand, you feel
mortified for yourself and mortified that man
of his years should make such fool of himself,
that he should think you really like such
contact, and above all, that he believes it possi
Bile that you can like him; you are vexed at
what he has done, and determine that an oppor-
tunty shall never be offered him of doing so
again.
To place your hand confidently in that of an
accepted, acknowledged lover, you are not excl
ted or confused, you have ceased blushing con-
tinually in his presence; you experience feel
ing of quiet happiness, ''little heaven upon
earth sort Of feeling;" you are perfectly content
ed with everything in this terrestrial world es-
pecaly your lover and yourself; and yet wthal
it is foolish feeling, you sit with his arms
twined around you, that manly arm which is to
support you through life: soft, rosy, happy
tint sutfuses your face rs your hand is clasped
in his; ah, it is a blssful, foolish feeling.
But let some one whom you like very much,
not an accepted lover, but one who may be, per-
haps, one of these days. gently enclose your
hands in his own what a strange, wild, joyful,
painful feeling thrills through your veins. rushes
to your finger ends; your heart goes bump
bump! surely, you think he must hear it throb-
bling for the life of you you cannot speak. AZ
ter letting your hand remain in his long enough
to show you are not offended, you gently with
draw it, but perchance it is taken back again
after faint " don't do so," which is answered
by still closer pressure, with downcast eyes
and blushing cheek, you let the little hand,
this first earnest of other things to come, thrill
ing and burning with new ecstatic emotion, re.
main all trembling in its resting place.