The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-12
An Interesting Letter.

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given in the support of 4 missionary III
Mexico. This week we take pleasure
in publishing letter from the Mexican
missionary, written to the secretary OF
this society. We read the letter with
much interest:
TAMpICO DE TAMAULIPAS,
CALLE, DE LA UNION No. is.
March II, lSSS.
Miss Estelle Todd, Secretary OF the Busy bees,
Newberry :. C.. United States Of Americas:
! My DEAR LITTLE FRIEND:-1 call
not express to YOU and the society You
represent my gratitude for the kind rv-
nlcnlbrance YOU have had Of me and
INV work, and for your nice letter.
Should YOU think otherwise, Judging
bv my silence, :;iil give Il reason.
J Your letter Was receive;. while | was III
tile CITY of Mexico, whittier | had gone
to attend the General Assembly OF Mis-
si0ns. When ! came home, i'll the 1lrSt
part OF the last month, | found good
deal Of work to attend to-the mission
WAS 10 look after. | found the Rev.
Hunter, wife, and three little girls, and
it was my privilege to assist them III
this their new sphere. They cannot
vi
out to hunt home for them, and DO
the talking; and, besides, my family
were making preparations to go to the
United States to see our poor little girl,
who is afflicted, and who has been from
lis almost two years, and under the care
of an oculist. In 1850 she had small
pox here in Tampico, and since then
She has been almost blind, and am
afraid she will never be able to see we'll.
Nv wife and three little boys were en-
barled on the English steamer ''IeX-
am the first day OF this month, and
although | have not heard from them,
they must be to-day in dear old South
Carolina, which is my native State,
although l was raised i'll North Caro-
lina.
As soon ;ls my family left l went to
Paunco, where | have mission station,
and | spent so!ne days up there, preach
ing there and in Vega de Otates, where
we have another congregation. |
preached six times in Paunco. We had
our communion, and one little Mexican
girl just eleven years old, and whom
baptized two years ago, was received as
Il member. Her name is Julia Perez.
She has read the New Testament
through half dozen times, and is u good
little girl. At Vega de Otates, [
preached three times, attended to our
communion, baptized four young per-
sons-three young ladies and one young
old. After | had been there ten days |
came back to Tampico. My home was
lonesome. Mrs. Pressly was not there
to give me the usual welcome that
awaits me on my return from my trips,
and the three little pairs of arms that
were always ready to clasp around
papa's neck as get to the head of the
stairs We're far from him. | am living
all alone now, and take my meals at the
hotel. Mr.. and Mrs. Hunter live near
our house, on the ueXt block. They are
studying the Spanish language. | got
them a teacher, whom | had taught
English. Their two eldest little girls
one about ten years, and the other
seven, are in the public school for girls,
and are learning the language also. 1t
is too bad to see one that can't under
stand anything they hear people say,
nor speak word to them. They go to
hear me preach; they can't find the
Psalm when give it out, can't under
stand word of the prayer, can't find
the chapter l read, and don't under
stand word | say. When my people
go up to them, to speak to them, they
can say, "Buenos dias," (Good-morn-
ing) or "Buenos noches, (Good-nightJ,
that is all. That is just the way was
when came to this country in 1879. |
expect you were little baby then.
Neither l nor my wife, nor my two little
girls could talk or understand one word
in Spanish. But now we can talk
Spanish. l talk very little English,
and my oldest little boys Bonner Grier
and John Ebenezer, can talk both lan-
guagcs, the one as we'll as the other;
but poor little Henry Elliott, the
youngest, just two Years old, can't speak
Il word OF English. He will have 10
learn English when he gets home.
He speaks Spanish nicely.
And you are the secretary OF the
BUSY Bee Society,"" numbering fifteen
members, all under twelve years Of age.
May the blessed Jesus, who took young
children in his arms, when upon the
earth, crown you all and your efforts,
with his richest favors. When | re-
ceived your letter it reminded me of Il
circumstance that happened III times
of the Reformation. In the darkest
periods Of that time, when Luther, Me
lanchthon and others were assembled
under great detection of spirit to con-
suit what should be done, good Me
lanchthon retired from the council
grieved in his soul; but in Il few mo-
ments he returned again, his eyes
beaming, and his countcnance reflect
ing joy and confidence. His friends
were surprised at the change, but he
told them what gave him joy. He had
seen some little children engaged in
prayer for the Reformation, whom
their mothers, who had gathered to-
gethcr for the same purpose, had
brought together. He said such pray
ers would be heard Of God.
We have dark hours; the people are
so immoral, ignorant of Gods Will and
so indifferent or fanatical that it seems
almost useless to try to talk to them OF
; Jesus love, but when | think that you
little girls are praying for me, it helps
me, and thank God for it. Pray Oh;
YOU don't know me, but you know l
ann here, and God knows me, and my
many trials and the longings have for
His Spirit to help me and to touch the
hearts of these poor, ignorant, super
stitious MeXicans.
You want to know about the chill
tlrcn. They are divided into three dis
tinct classes-the rich, the middle and
| the low, class TbOSt. of the first class