Morning journal and courier., 1888-12-28

ence with pastors of churches and others re-
garding families or persons known to me and
not to them; with other miscellaneous work
that is necessarily included but need not be
reported.
1t may, however, be of interest to add
that at Thanksgiving time last year, as every
year since engaging in mission work. 1 was
enabled by the generous assistance of others
to provide for those among the poor who
were either connected with our missions or
known to me as in need and not otherwise
provided for. Fifty families (235 persons)
were provided with Thanksgiving dinners,
eight other families were mentioned to and
provided for by others, and tWenty-four oth~
er families were visited to be sure they were
comfortable for Thanksgiving day, making
in all eighty-two families that received per-
sonal attention from the superintendent at
that time. DuIing the holidays any that
were heard of as unintentionally omitted
previously were remembered in some pleas
ant way. A number of children cent
large supply of their toys and other gifts for
distribution among the children of the poor.
In some instances parents were given the
names of worthy families having children
likely to be without Christmas gifts, and
went with their own children to help supply
the lack.
During the summer I received subscrip-
lions for the 'Fresh Air FUND.- sufficient to
provide excursions not only for more than
one hundred of our own mission children by
steamer to the Thimble Islands for days
enjoyment there, and for fifty more of our
working women by barges to Morris Cove,
where the use of the seashore cottage of the
New Haven Young Women's Christian associ-
alton was generously given them for the
day, but, as during the two years previous,
was also able to arrange for the enjoyment of
others. The household of the Home for the
Friendless were sent to the east shore, the
children of the County Home spent day at
the west shore, carriage trips with double
teams to country or shore, or park, were Of
fered for the use of the weak or paralyzed
patients at the hospital, and the aged and in
firm at the almshouse, and steamer tickets to
the Thimbles, or car tickets to Savin Rock,
were kept on hand for the use of mothers
and children or others, and some were sent
into workshops for women, to be given
where most needed. In special cases coun-
try board was provided long enough for
complete change of air and surroundings,
ana to thereby prevent the approach of dis
ease.
But above all my endeavor has been to be
pastor to families coming to my knowl-
edge, in one way or another, as being with
out such care as any pastor in the city would
be glad to give them if included in their
churches. 1t is because they are not within
our churches that they lack this care, and
am more and more convinced that the only
full solution of this difficult problem, which
is all the time becoming more SO, is for the
people of the churches, as well as their pas
tors, to go out more than half way to meet
those who will many of them come even
more than half way to the churches where
they are made to feel they are welcome. 1
believe there is desire on the part of many
of the people of the churches to do this very
thing, and that little further on it will be
more fully done than most workers in city
missions now have faith to expect Mean
while, and in preparation for it, there is
need of the breaking of pathways through
many wilderness, and the work OF explor-
ing what are yet unknown lands, and in this,
in common with others, I am content to
take my part.
II. OTHER WORK UNDER CARE.
First-Paid Work. The services of four
other persons as paid assistants have been
included in the work of the past year
though only for portion of their time.
Mrs. S. NJ. Finken has continued her du-
ties as lady missionary during the first half
of the year from October to April. During
ing this period her whole time was engaged,
and most of it given to thorough work in
visiting from house to house in the vicinity
of the COTE street mission hall. Mrs. Fin
ken also had charge of the religious services
held at the hall on Sabbath afternoon and
Wednesday evening, being assisted in the
students and others. Other work included
in her duties as lady missionary will appear
in the following statement from her report:
Number of calls made upon families (six
months), no; families, or persons living
alone, taken under Christian care, 141; num-
Der OF persons included, 315; conversation,
Bible reading or prayer, once or more, with
different persons), 1875; protested CONVEX
sion under missionary care, 40; restored to
Chsistian living, wholly or in part, 6; other
persons aroused to personal interest in re-
hgious life, SO. Mrs. Finken's report shows
a large amount of additional work, including
% visits to the hospital, where So sick per-
sons were taken under her Christian care, 10
visits to the Womsn's department. of the
almshouse and 10 to the woman's depart
ment of the Jail. A number of destitute
families were also assisted in various ways,
and Others reported for the help of relief
agencies.
Much to our regret as well as her own, but
on account of removal from the city, Mrs.
Finken was obliged to give up her connec-
ton with city mission work at New Haven
April lat, 1883. From the same time, how-
ever, the COTE street mission hall was placed
in care of Mr.. Morrison Weimer, one of the
seminary students who had already assisted
in work there, and at the close of the semi-
nary year in May Mr.. Weimer's services were
engaged for missionary work in the city dur.
ing his summer vacation.
During the winter and spring two other
students of the Theological school, Mr.. A.
81. Daniels and Mr.. Henry Mccartney, had
been engaged in the work of re-visiting ssve-
raj of our missionary parishes in the lower
part of the city. Only very limited por-
ton of their time could be secured for this
purpose, but about forty new families were
brought to the notice of pastors in their vi
cinity or placed under missionary care. In
vitations were Rlso given to the new mission
hall on Grand avenue after meetings were
commenced at that place. In engaging an
assistant for the summer it was my purpose
to have the upper part of the city visited In
the same way, with the COTE street hall as a
center from which to work outward, and to
which to draw any persons or families not
already attending religious worship else
where. It was TO be expected that the GEN.
trail and southern portions of the city would
be reached by the energetic work already be-
ing done at the Church of the Redeemer's
mission in Oak street, and through the cen-
trail station of this mission board and of the
Gospel Union at English Hall.
Mr. Weimers report of work for the four
months from May goth to September goth,
1885, includes careful visiting from house to
house in the larger part of the Ninth ward,
the missionary districts of the Second and
Tenth wards, and such parts of the Third
and Fourth wards as seemed to need mis-
sionary care and were not otherwise provi-
ded for. Mr.. Weimer made more than 2, 900
calls and found $50 families (about 1000
persons) without church connection or Chris
tian care. He had religious conversation
with about 800 persons, of whom some
seemed to give proof of conversion; others,
already Christians, were wholly or partly re-
stored to Christian living; and about so 9TH
ers showed interest at least in their personal
religious condition. A number of families
were willing to be reported to pastors of diff
ferent churches, and 10 children out of Sum
day school were persuaded to attend. Seve-
raj cases of restitution were reported to res
lief agencies, and others were aided by en-
ployment found otherwise. Forty-two
meetings were conducted by Mr.. Weimer at
the COTE street hall and elsewhere, at which
there were more than 30 requests for prayers
from those present.
Second-Volunteer Work. In connection
with our mission service there have been
during the past year four groups of volun-
teer workers, viz, the Woman's Board, Uni-
versity Students, Members of Churches and
Individual Workers. To keep this report
within reasonable limits it will be impossible |
to mention, except briefly, the amount and
varied character of the willing service given
by between one and two hundred persons on
these lists. A few items of the work of each
division may be mentioned as follows: