The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-06-16

QreQS OF CQfBLdn OuOOtdNSs SOuI0 az
in the mansions of glory, and others on their
wav thither, viii ascribe their salvation un-
der God to his instrumentahty Rev. DIR.
Kingsbury, who has spent even longer
period among this people, is still spared,
and continues to labor on, though IN the
midst of great infrmity and teebleness.-
Rev. G. G. Copeland, who has been In the
same field for thirty years, still labOrs with
undiminished activity. but is burthened with
an amount of responsibility that cannot be
sustained very much longer without serious
detriment to his physical constitutions
Rev. Alexander Reid, is absent at present,
making arrangement for the education of
his children but hopes to resume his mis-
sionary labors in the summer or earl au-
tumn. Rev. Allen Wright is constantly
engaged in preaching, when not prevented
by the duties of his Office as Governor OF
the Nation. Messrs. Thomas H. Benton
and Elijah Brewer, both native ChoctaWs
and icentiates, under the care of the Indian
Presbytery, are also actively engaged and,
it is hoped, doing much good among their
eountrymen. All Of the brethren report
additions to their churches during the year,
but no information has been given OF the
whole number of church members at the
present time. The Committee of Pubhca-
ton have rendered important assistance by
printing a spelling book and the Shorter
Catechism for the use of the mission.
ITALIAN MISSION.
Miss Christina Ronzone has recently been
installed as principal of very interesting
and promising Protestant female school in the
city of Naples. The expenses of the school
are betrayed by Scotch lady, but Miss
Ronzone receives her personal support from
the Executive Committee of Foreign Mis-
sions. She renders herself useful in other
ways, particularly by translating religious
tracts into the italian language, by personal
conference with Romanists, and other kin
bred modes Of doing good.
CHINESE MISSION.
The mission at Hanehou has been greatly
strengthened and encouraged by the arrival
of the missionaries already referred to, and
viii be still more on the arrival of Mr.. and
Mrs. Converse in the autumn. The time of
the newly arrived missionaries is necessarily
taken up with the study of the language,
and in making other arrangements for enter
ing upon the more active duties of their
calling. The mission has heretofore been
embarrassed from the want of suitable build
ings for their own accommodation as we'll
as for their schools. Arrangements are
being made, however, for the purchase of
suitable buildings, and it is hoped that the
missionaries viii, in the course of two or
three months, be comfortably settled in
houses Of their own. Two schools, one for
boys and the other for girls, have been put
in operation, and although the number of
pupils is not yet large, they will undoubted-
ly become so as soon as the necessary &C
eOmmOdations are procured.
FUNDS NEEDED.
From what has already been said about
the enlargement of the work, it will at once
be inferred that there must be material in
crease in the receipts in order to meet its
demands. The travelling expenses and pas
sage Of at least one half of the newly ap-
pointed missionaries have yet to be paid;
houses viii have to be purchased or rented
at high rate in China, Brazil and New
Grenada; and IN other ways, too numerous
to be specified, heavy expenses must be in
cured. After a careful examination of the
whole matter, the Committee have come to
the conclusion that at least $50 900 will be
needed to meet the expenses of the year.
This viii be an advance on the contributions
of the last year of something less than fifty
per cent, and can easily be met if our peo
pie generally can be reused to the impor-
tance Of its claims. This amount must not
only be raised, but it must be raised as
promptly as possible. The Committee has
no credit to meet any emergency that may
arise, and must therefore look to the church
es alone for the means to meet the demands
as they shall present themselves. Our mis-
siOnary brethren have gone forth to their
distant fields of labor, relying upon the honor
and hberaHty of the churches to furnish the
means of their support, and they must not
only be saved from actual want, but if We
would have them prosecute their arduous
and self denying work with comfort and
energy, they must be saved from all harass-
ing anxiety about their temporal comfort.
MONTHLY CONCERT.
The committee regard this as an impOr-
tant if not an Indispensable means to the
promotion Of the missionary spirit among our
people Many Of the churches, it is gratifying
to know, have resumed the observance of
this season of prayer, not only with great
advantage to the cause of missions, but with
much satisfaction to themselves. In eoun-
try churches, where it is not convenient for
people to come together very frequently, an
hour or half an hour, either before or after
public worship, may be very pleasantly and
pro6tably spent in these exercises. The
Missionary, which is sent gratuitOusl y to all
ministers, contains information of the pro-
gress of the gospel among the heather ma
lions of the earth, and any minister who
viii take a little pains to store his mind with
some of the interesting facts with which it
abounds may render the monthly concert
exceedingly interesting. And until this is
done, it is feared that we viii never feel the
interest we ought in the great work of evan
geGZing the earth. But not only is the OBJ
seryance of the monthly concert an impor-
tant means Of promoting the piety of Gods
people and their interest in the great work
Of eyangeizing the world, but the collec-
tions usually taken up on those occasions
form an important item in the missionaries
Of the Church, and are especially needed in
the present circumstances of the work.
All of which is respectfully submitted on
behalf Of the Executive Committee of For
eign Missions.
j. LEIGHTON WILSON,
Secretary of Foreign Missions.
BTqa, ltb 1864