The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1875-11-03

we'll as religious privileges, by the formai
recognition of these on the part of the gov
ernment.
But the most interesting matter of all Is
our plan of establishing high school at Sa-
lonica, for Greek boys and young men, as
DR.. KalOpothakes and l have proposed it,
All "the brethren" including Mr.. Kazakos
at Athens, are, even to enthusiasm, in favor
of it; and can think of few missionary un-
dertakings that promise richer return OF
good. Here in Turkey we can defy all &C.
clesiastical thunders Salonica is beginning
as a city to undergo some revolution for the
better since the bold Pasha tore down some
of the old city walls and cut new Streets
The railroad into the interior will, no doubt,
give it final connection with the great Euro,
pean lines from Vienna, and will max
place, more than it already is, the grea
porium of Macedonia and part of Thesa
In the school we shall have thorouA
Scriptural study and evangelical indoctrina-
ton, in the hope of making it "school of
the prophets" to prepare and send forth
preaching evangelists and Christian workers.
A few boys are already proposed to brother
Mich@lides, who as you see is an experienced
teacher; and he has consented to take them;
and / have had one, who is very interesting
and promising youth and a Bible student Of
fered me, with his own consent, "to educate
him as please" by the gentleman whom |
have mentioned as being about to be sent to
VolOs. Coho had charge of him as father
less boy.
But in order to carry out these plans,
looking to the great work of evangellzlng
Macedonia, must remove to Thessalonica;
and it is exceedingly important, if not vi
tally so, that l should do so within the next
two months. Indeed September is the time
here for renting. If do come, l shall
probably have to undertake personally the
responsibility of renting house aud arrang-
ing to come. So much may be gained by
this move and so much may be lost by the
failure to act at once, that l suppose shall
have to go forward on my own responsibility,
(the brethren of the mission concurring, and
come to this post. Beside any advantage
from the presence of some one well ac-
quainted with missionary operations, (as no.
body here is,) brother Michelides himself,
and the friends here (of the evangelical
cause,) regarded it as matter of the first
Importance that they should have here an
American missionary connected with the
work, to give it prestige with the Turkish
authorities which it would not have as repre-
sented only by "rayahs" (subjects.) Then,
beside sharing in the general superinten-
dence of the school, and attending the scrip
tural study and religious instruction, which
we should make most prominent, the Greek
friends most earnestly wish that should
teach English, and we all believe that it will
be most important to us in many ways to
give the students thorough and general in
struction in it.
The minds of all of US, connected with the
mission and interested in our operations
here, have been remarkably turned to this
matter of an evangelical high-schOOl. l be-
lieve it is of God, and that it will 60 on;
and that before many years, some of us will
see the demonstration in blessed fruits. But
we need at once, some $500, to enable me
to remove and establish myself in this city,
so that our work may go on energetically
and thoroughly. But, unless things have
turned out beyond all hope as to the great
debt of our Foreign Missionary treasury, l
have no idea that our Committee can. out OF
the means now at its command, augment its
appropriation to our mission. We can only
hope for the means from special effort on
the part of our friends and the Masters
Special efforts may not only be justified, but
demanded by extraordinary opportunities and
calls of providence. As an example has been
nobly set in connection with our mission, by
the munifcent provision made by single
Christian man for the support of the Rev.
George L, Leyburn, at Athens, might not
some other noble-minded Christian man be
found to give us the five hundred? But if
not, would it be too much for the members
of the Chesapeake Presbytery churches to
send in a contribution on an average of fifty
cents each?
can remember the time when long
before the great division of 37-'Ss
Foreign Missionary meeting during the -
ginia Synod, Robert Jameson, of Alexandria,
and John Shackelford, of Washington, arose
(Mr. ]. frst,i and proposed an immediate
contribution. The effect of his few simple
words was powerful; and amid tears flowing
from many eyes some two or three thousand
dollars were at once made up, where before
hand, and without good tuningup $50 to
speak, of Christian feeling, some two or
three hundred would have been the utmost
expectation, if indeed auy effort would have
been Judged proper. The Christians who
took part in that days contribution, being
most of them dead, are now enjoying rich div
idends in the Masters kingdom above.
1 can remember too when, after my return
from Greece, at meeting of the {" New
School or Constitutional Presbyterian ~
Synod of Virginia, at Lynchburg, the ven-