The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-01-28
Alaska.

Alaska.
The following is an extract from the
Alaskan correspondent of the San Fran
cisco Chronicle, a pronounced enemy of
Christianity, and who takes every oppor-
tunity to denounce missionaries in that
region. We give it because it is written
by bitter enemy of the religious feature
of the work:
Whatever the men who have come to
Alaska to civilize the Indians have done,
or have not done, the women have at
least accomplished something for which
they should be praised. 1t is a hard life,
this among the Thlenkets, dull, cheer
less, prosaic existence, and yet the wo-
men teachers never complain, and in
many an instance have done much good
They have taken infants from brutal pa
rents, naked babes from smoky novels,
young girls from life that would have
been worse than death. Mrs. Mcfarland,
for instance-and others of her sex de-
serve particular mention as well-has
given youthful Alaskans glimpse, at
least, of better, happier, life than they
would ever have known had the teachers
never come into the country. No one
can look at the children in their clean
clothes, and with their clean bodies, with.
out being thankful that there are women
in the world who will so far forget self
as to minister to those who otherwise
would never have known a childish ioy
or decent home. If missionary work
only aimed at protecting and helping the
young, no one would question but that
it was worthy labor. If single child
ish heart can be gladdened, or a single
childish body be clothed and fed and
housed, then let money be given and ap-
'prOval offered. No sin of parent be-
longs to an offspring. If every infant
goes away from school into the degraded
life that its parents lead, let it, if need
be; but because it does so, do not say
that the money Is thrown away, if that
child, for six months, or a year, or two
years, laughed like a child, played like
child, had the joys that every man
hopes to give his baby. Children of all
nations, heather, savage, good, bad and
Indifferent, deserve whatever care can be
given them, whatever sums of money
can be raised to take them from deRra-
dation and filth and poverty. Ifin Alas.
ka nothing more can be done than to send
mothers to the motherless, protectors to
the unprotected, clothes to the naked, an
hour OF simple happiness to the forlorn
and neglected, then let that little be
done. Please and comfort and help the
children, whatever else is done.
And the women who have come to Alas
ka to teach the Indians are God-sends to
the children. However bad the older
boys and girls may naturally be, is not
the question. The idea is, Can mission
aries help the young? Can they protect
and render happy the helpless babes, and
the boys and girls of tender years? None
say mo" to this; all say Eyes" IfMrs.
Mcfarland and Miss Matthews, and
others, have made one small heart glad,
they have accomplished much. believe
they have made many hearts glad Gus
tomary as it is to sheer at missionaries,
one can never do so at the Alaska teach
ers. believe they are earnest, capable,
disinterested women. saw Miss Mat
thews 90 away from our ship in an In.
dian canoe toward Chilcat River. She
was on her way to post far removed
from the outside world, and a dreary win
ter was before her. She had no compan.
ion, and she was woman-bright, at.
traetive, educated and refined.
Do you do this work because of high
salary ?" I asked
No; could earn more at home in
Illinois. / do it from sense of duty. It
is hard it is disagreeable and lonesome.
l am often blue and discouraged I see
children go from me back into their terri
BILE lives but here save one, here an
other, and so / am encouraged"
And yet she is not called martyr !
But she is one.