Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-30
MISSIONS.


The beginning of series OF meetings IL
the interest of missions and especially the
success of the one held about two years age
at Essex Junction in the interest Of Forcigr
missions raised high expectations for the ont
on Home missions held at the same place
Tuesday and Wednesday last. These expec
tations were well realized both in the attend
ancs at all The sessions and in the practical
excellence of the various exercises, addresses
Of tn, Rev. brethren ]. Cowan OF Essex, A.
lIazen of Jericho, A. w. Wild of Charlotte,
j. A. Bates of Wllis,on, and President
Buckham of the University. In interest and
suggestion the rccitatons, readings aud cx-
hibitions of the young missionary work
ers from the Mission bands of I'M
derhll Flats, Essex Centre, Rich
mond aad Shelburn cqualled if they did
exceed the addresses of the brethren.
The papers GLOW to Organize and Sustain
Mission Bands" by Mrs. G. Green of Rich.
mopd and missionary Heroines' by Mrs.
j. L. Goodrich of Burlington, "Then and
Now in the Island World" by Mrs. ]. Cowan
of Essex Junction, combined equally interest
and instruction and were heard with high ia
vor. President Hamlu of Middlebury col
lege was tue only speaker outside of the
county. Tues lay evening he spoke on Chris
tauiiy in the Ottoman Empire" presenting
the subject in such way us to illustrate
how the work of Christian missions begins
and goes forward and grows moi only in the
OFT empire, but in every heather field
where it attains success. lie detailed by
facts and experiences with which he is most
familiar the work OF exploration of the field
to lie worked, of learning the language,
habits and thoughts of the people SO as to
make conversation, teaching, and preaching
to them possible also the collection of con-
gregation, the organization of n church and
the carrying it forward Ia its poverty of
thought and means and bringing it up to in
dependence and sclf-support. In this way
he gave his audience conception Of
the real work OF the missionary and
an amount Of Information concerning it sell
dom received from missionary address. In
the forenoon of Wednesday DIR. Hamlin
presented "Claims of Missions on the
Young" His love and long experience in
the work Of missions both directed and in
spired him in talking to thc young on this
subject Missions made the strongest claim
to the young because the missionary work
did the most for the young. 1t does the
most for a boy and girl because it gives
them some definite aim and clear high pur-
pose in life. 1t fixes this purpose so that
the boy or girl lives for 1t and grows by it,
grows to become one with God who works
with them while they work for him. DR..
Hamlin Illustrated this fact by the narrative
of Bulgarian youth, a shepherd boy,
George Bulgar, who came down in his rough
sheepskin garments from his home in the
Balkan mountains and forced his way into
and through Robert college This boy, rep
preventative of the most ignorant population
of Turkey IN consequence OF the
purpose which the missionary in
luence had fixed in him over
came all obstacles and became the
teacher, and the leader of his people. With
this illustration DR.. IIamlin closed his ad-
dress and left the platform, but he hal so
instructed and interested the youth and the
whole audience that they recalled him, and
he continued his illustrations by the MARIA
tive of the two young priests, Stephen and
Simon who, in 1874, were led to undertake Il
journey on foot, of 1000 miles TO get into
Bebeck SCI Iinary. This distance they
traversed thrice before they realized their
purpose. Seldom does an audience listen to
the details Of greater obstacles overcome and
more heroism shown or better hopes realized
than in these simple narratives of the pur-
pose that the missionary work formed and
realized for these young persons. We see
not how children and adults could be better
instructed or more BEAUTIFULLY reused than
by such an address. And this was only the
elimination if indeed it was elimination of
the spirit of this most successful missionary
meeting. We call for It's repetition in differ
ent and many parts of our State. Ii.