Delaware State journal and statesman., 1861-11-15
DOnrMal anu STATESMAN
Friday Morning, November 10. 1881.
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
Fortieth Annual Report of the Whining
ton Female Bible Society.

fth inst. Ihe following report showing th
operations Of the Society for the past year, wa
read as follows
There are certain periods in our history whie
seem TO call for special thoughtful retrospect
Such period our Society has reached to-day, il
the completion of it's fortieth GEAR. The revie,
OF our individual history during such spao
will call up mingled feelings, in which sOrroy
and repentance must hold 50 large part, tina
We would fam leave many pages Of that histor.
forever scaled, it we could not read them in thu
light Of Savor's pardoning love But whei
We contemplate work like this, we can remem
Der with unmingled thauklulncss and joy " al
the way which the Lord our God hath led III
through the wilderness these forty years"
There are few now living who shared th,
privileges Of forming the Society," for smos
every year some who have prayed and laboret
for the cause are received iuto their heavenly
rest, and thus the memory of the scenes and per
sons associated with its early history grow!
every year more precious. One of the olces
members has furnished us with reminisceneC
OF its first formation, which she desires to leave
on record for the encouragement of all who
wait on God in social prayer. We give il ID
her own words:
'In the Autumn Of 1921. n weekly Praye,
Meeting was held by the female members oi
Trinity Church, iu School Room in the Yves.
tern part OF this city. Each lady contributed a
silAll sum monthly towards rent, light and fuel
After some time, it was found that they had a
surplus fund, and the question arose, "Whnt
shall be done with it % Some one proposed
that they should buy Bibles and d stribute them
to the poor n their weekly visits,--for the ladies
attending the Prayer Meetings. also belonged to
an association called the " llospitable Society,""
composed of persons OF different denominations
A proposition was made To call meeting for the
purpose Of forming Bible Society, and that it
be announced in all the churches. This was
done, and the first meeting held in the house of
MISS Margaret Johnson mNny persons of all
denominations being present. This was the
origin of our Bible Society Truly may we not
despise the day of small thingsn
We do not propose to trace the rise and pro-
gress Of our S)cety down the cycle of peaceful,
happy years that followed, for new and star
tling era has opened on US, demanding quicken
ed thought, and prayer, and energy. ln the
Providence of God, our country is passing
through "a strange and terrible trial, but through
His goudness, ii affords us new aud wonderful
opportunities OF uoins good. the waters of
strife now r1Ow our aud but thanns be tu
God, We may cast the Breau OF Life into that
seunns huod, with stroug assurance that we
s1all hud It after many days.
IL was th, privilege Vt this Society to bear a
part ia suppl3 lug our soldiers with copies Of tue
hew Testament, anu lev Incidents cUnutc,ed
with Is reception 'icn nave OJ.ne w,,hu our
Observation, nnJ pl owe interesting to those pre-
SEN this evening. lhe,e were $40 hnndsUme
copies Of tue New Testament presented tO the
First Delaware Re- mtn, pait OF tLem uu
the 30ih Of May, wleu Il tumuer ut visitor
atte ded, and four Of the cUmpAuies were drawn
up IN n'e TO receive them Tnty were address,
ed by Bishop Lee, Mr.. Aisman and Mr.. Con
dron. Tue men teauti the toanks by three
hearty cheers for the .ades OF the Blb,e society.
The men were asO presented with copies OF
Miss Marshs address Hnl prayer tor soldiers -
The remainder were hurreuly dist ibuted by the
Chaplain, on the day of the soldiers departure
from Camp Brnndywine,
ln this Regiment We had not many opportun-
ties of observing how the book was received, hut
in several cases it was seen to nave been not
wholly in vain. One Of the recipients, a young
man who was often in the dram shop, but never
In the house of God, was brought under religious
influence by this means, aud several letters were
rece we'd from him, Of which the following ex
tracts are specimen:
Every man Of our Company feels thankful
for these precious gifts, readily expressing their
heartfelt gratitude, We all return our most
sincere thanks, and hope to be enabled to profit
by their perushl and study, ns nothing but the
purest truth is c0ntaiued within their pages"
This person, during his soOurn Mt home before
re re.enlisiment, has become an attendant at
church, and shows u real interest in the ustruc-
ton there received
lhuy MHO Wus WulklilB near tne camp at
Perryvillo one day last Summer, was gratiied
by seeing n soldier, mere boy, sitting in a
retired place engaged in reading his Testament.
In the Second Regiment there was some delay
in the arrival Of supply Of Tcstamsnts, aud II
pious Captain Obtained copies for three oOmpa-
nies from Society in Philadelphia. member
of our Society who lives near Camp Brandywine
was met on every visit by entrcnties from those
who had not Testaments, that they should be
soon supplied The Germans were particularly
eager for copies in their own language, and when
the longed- for books arrived, ii was a deli ghtful
office to 60 among them, as some of our members
did. and place the precious gift in their hands.
II should be stated that the Delaware Bible So
cieiy provided the English Testaments needed to
complete the supply Of this Regiment, but the
Germans were supplied by our Society. This
work led to many interesting conversations, and
1t is believed, to lasting influence for gcod.-
Some time before the books were obtained,
bright looking lad, sentinel on duty, accosled
visitor, and asked for German tract. lie was
a Russian, and but four months in this country,
but could speak English, and had read the Bible
in his own country in the German tongue. He
was pleased TO receive Testament, and often
afterwards assured us that he read il.
While watching the distribution of the books
to some Companies drawn up 10 receive them,
we noticed young German particularly pleased
when a copy was put into his hand. His face
literally shone with Joy. We afterwards found
him out, and heard hls expressions of thankful
ness. He took his little Testament from his
shirt bosom, aud almo Auggea il, as ha told us
how he loved to read it, He said he never tasted
Intoxicating liquor, "nOt even beer" The
eagerness OF these people for Tesiaments and
tracts in their own language was extreme We
were satisfied too, that the books were read
The drummers anu filters, of whom ten were
boys under H. particularly interested us. All
hoo. hal hanr Cal. la-I.l
and their coDhdlng readiness 10 accept Of our
friendship and religious counsel, endearcd them
greatly. Some Of them already belonged to
temperance societies, and before the camp was
removed, every one OF them wrote his name
under the total abstinence pledge in little book
which will long be treasured by its owner as u
precious memento OF Camp Brandywine. These
boys all promised tO read "a portion Of God's
word every morning, aud we bad reason to be-
lieye the promise was Kept. One Of them read
his Testament every day to oomrado who could
not read well. Can we doubt that God will bless
this sacred exercise?
former Sunday Scholar from the neighbor-
hood Of Wilmington, is in the habit Of learning
every Sunday the Scripture lesson which his
class is studying Mt the some time. AT almost
every turn, in our walks among the tents, we
have met with men who had been Sunday Scho-
lars. Who can tell how oitsn as they read the
Sacred Word, the seemingly obliterated charao-
ters, long since engraved upon their hearts, may
come out more clear and vivid than at first -
The instruction of the Sunday School has often
seemed to US like writing in sympathetic Ink
No trace may appear for years; but at some
future day, when touched by the fire of the Holy
Spirit, it shall stand out in saving power.
When reading to the sick in the hospital te INT
on Sunday evening, lad near US seemed touch
ed by the narrative Ot the Sayiour's miracle at
Bethesda. al have u brother that's been there"
he said at length, This led to talk with him,
and we found that he had belonged to st. Peters
Sunday School, Philadelphia His Testament