Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1861-03-13

~ sF0rft h6
ANNUAL REPORT OF TRACT. WORK nm G.
God has been our refuge and strength through
another coporage year, and now at its close we are
still greatly encouraged to rely upon Him as very
present help in this time Of trouble in country.
At no period have we seen and felt the importance
Of this work to be greater than now; in fact it is
an indispensable aid to the ministry in thorough
diffusion of the enlightening and saving truths of
the Gospel of Christ, which should be pressed upon
the minds and hearts of ALL North, South, East and
West and not only in the public congregation, but
also by conversation and the printed page, in faui
lies, rich and poor, in stores, workshops, offices,
grogshops, streets and by-ways, through the week
as well as Sabbath and this should and must be
done with faith in God love for souls, the simplci-
ty and earnestness that characterized Christ and
hundreds of His true followers who have thus labor
ed successfully.
This kind of effort must be resorted to more by
Christians that the eternal interest of thousands of
souls may not be neglected and forgotten, who are
being kept from hearing and reading Gods word on
account Of their restitution and ignorance their
citing anxiety in temporal business in making haste
to get rich in politics. in seeking worldly pleasures
and honors forgetting and negectlng the counsel Of
Infinite Wisdom, that they should seek fret the
kingdom and Righteousness o. God with the promise
that all needful things should be added unto them.
Surely every christian and patriot will give to
God anew their hearts, efforts and means that those
who are in neglect and error, causing present and
eternal ruin, may be speedily brought under the
spirits power to the Rock, the only sure founda-
ton, the Righteousness Of God through Christ, by
which the soul, as well as the nation, is exalted
STATISTICS
During the year ending March LIST, visited 1903
families in 43 counties, with most of whom had
religious conversation and prayer Only sixty
of this number were in the habit of holding family
prayer. Of the 1903 families, 427 said they never
had religious visit and prayer before 800 habi-
tually neglected church; 103 without the Bible
322 destitute of all religious books. We also held
and aided in holding 112 religious meetings, mostly
in sections where they could not or would not go to
preaching.
few Sabbaths ago we held four of these meet
ings, and had personal conversation with ffty-four
individuals and only three professors of religion
one of whom, the head of family, and member of
church for many years, had no Bible, and not a
page in his house about Jesus. We supplied those
families and got them to meet together for worship
and instruction.
To those able to buy we have sold over $50, 900
pages; to the poor and needy we have given over
$4,000 pages; supplied more than 800 Life Direct
ers and Life Members of the American Tract Socie-
ty in N. c. with $500 pages as annuities, most
of which they have given to their needy neighbors:
uon'i6 . eotei VI ONCA l,AtO,VVO pages Tic
year.
LIFE MEMBERS WORKING
A Life Member told US, that after receiving 1900
pages of tracts, he visited every family within five
miles of him. and gave them to parents, children
and servants and in three months there were forty
two converts among the white people and fifty
seven among the blacks, many of whom attribute
their awakening to the reading of those tracts.
This gentleman recently sent 500 to make one of
his children Life Member by which he will draw
1900 pages every year for that child to read and
give away. He also states that they have employed
minister in his neighborhood for their servants
this year, besides their own pastor
Another Life Member writes that the reading of
one tract has been greatly blessed to two families
who were in state of great wretchedness-he is
giving them his personal attention. and recently got
his tracts for this year.
A lady is scattering her tracts through the coun-
try, gave to prominent gentleman one 1.-The Door
was Shut which he states was blessed Of God in
the conversion of himself and two others.
One of the Socety's oldest Lille Members, whose
heart is ready for every good word and work, re-
Gently sent for us and gave 800, by which five
ministers are made Life Members and can now
draw $500 pages every year gratis.
Three grandchildren were recently made Life
Members by their grand parents, whose hearts are
deeply interested in the tract work.
Two Sewing Societies have secured Life Member
ships to several young ladies, who are being inter-
ested in the good work by reading their books and
loaning them to other young persons.
An active pious lady, (who is a Life Director
by donation of $50 emitting her 10 5000 pages
annually sent us $55. to be expended in German,
Swedish and Danish Bibles and Tracts for the dest-
tute in Wisconsin, which are now being scattered
there by an excellent minister, to their great joy
and good This lady has also sent US over 800 to
supply poor Sunday Schools in North Carolina with
books and "The Child's Paper" and to get books
to scatter herself Many souls have already been
led to Christ by the truths which she, with others
of similar spirit in the town, have been nstru
mental in thus sending out. May God speedily give
our State, nation and the world more such aborers
to be light" and "salt" to guide and in this
time of darkness and corruption
An old gentleman, who is also Life Member,
500 to give the bread of Life to distant heather.
A poor boy, fifteen years old, was made Life
Member by gentleman who gave US $40, requesting
that select the youth. His first lot of books was
made blessing to his soul, and he is being made
the means of q eat comfort and benefit to his afct
ed widowed mother, and his younger brothers and
sisters
POOR WIDOWS TWENTY-FIVE CENTS.
This excellent woman earned the twenty-five
cents by sewing each day for this amount land has
two small children to support) which she gave me
for packet Of Temperance tracts, that were dis
tributed by herself. One of them, address to
young men," by Bishop McIlvaine, was the means
Of rescung young man Of promise from interper-
ance, and for several months he has led consistent
Christian life. great many are thus buying tracts
regularly, saying, I" greatly concerned for the
salvation of my neighbours and want tracts to aid
me in talking to them religion" Those who
have but limited means, with hearts trusting God,
are frequently His instruments for greatest good.
In the tract work all may do something Ten cents
will put page of gospel truth in 100 families,
which 100 pages may be read by 500 persons Let
each Christian use these facilities for sowing gospel
seed {" in the morning, and in the evening withhold
not thy hand" war ming them with thy prayers and
watering them with thy tears, and God will attend
to the fruit from such sowing sooner or later.
FEMALE TRACT SOCIETIES.
These Societies are organized in several of the
more prominent towns in North Carolina, in which
many Of the most pious and intelligent ladies are
engaged in monthly tract distribution from house to