The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-17

Foreign Letter. with programme for meetings.
which has been received with expressions OF
great favor by the circles for Whose Use 1t IS de-
signed. Eight thousand copies OF the Calendar OF
Prayer, published this year in Philadelphia, nave
been put into circulation, which tells like pulse
beat Of the healthful desire to become acquainted
with our missionaries and to pray for them--tne
very secret OF our most effective helpfullness TO
them and their work. Our new issues for the
year have been Fellow Helpers, by Miss Durfeej !
Responsive Service for Young Women, by Mrs.
Barnes; Mission Methods, by Mrs. Armstrong.
papers read at our last annual meeting; Gods
Thought about the Nations, Scripture Reclta-
ton, by Mrs. Hull; Lydia of Nellore, by Mrs.
Downie; Chips from Many Workshops, compiled:
Outline Of Service for SECRETARIES; Right Ways Of
Giving; Infantlcde In China, by Mrs. Adams;
List OF Publications, Appeal, and Mission Studies,
NO. y, on Japan. Besides these, we have issued
., aew editions Of twelve others, and bought many
good things from our nelgebOrs.
Sept. 26 the Society held impressive parting
services for our outgoing missionaries in the
Chapel Of the First Church, Boston; and the day
before the young ladies of Boston and vicinity
rendered their farewells to Miss Edmands of Dud-
ley Street Church, and her companions IN travel.
The Committee of Conference held an autumnal
session Nov. z, at Stelton, N. j. Subjects Of va
ried interest as related TO our work were dis
cussed perhaps none more vital lhan that OF self
alton Societies have done much IN bringing our
local work into organized efficiency and their
meetings are wonderfully stimulating 10 the
these meetings in the best way Is a "life ques-
tion." The demand for missionaries who are In
and imperative, and the two secretaries are
crowded with requests to attend meetings.
as much as possible. Material for interesting
papers is abundant and available, and there are
plenty of bright, interested women who only need
TO be brought forward and they VIII make the
stirring facts and motives Of missions reality to
any audience OF listeners. Let us not wear out
our missionaries at home service, but seek our in
spiration for service from the same sources
whence they draw theirs when face to face with
heathenism in lonely jungle or idolatrous city,.
az e47 10 for the Home have been sio4i is44ss
Of which S2l, ,399.03 has been legacles, and $685.
$50 81 has been donations for the general work.
an advance of about $4,000 over the donations of
last year.
Our expenditures have been much larger than
in any year before. Two months ago deficit in
our balance sheet seemed Inevitable at the end of
the year. Your Board sent into all Its borders a
call to prayer-to ask Him who once sat over
against the Treasury and by word made imTor-
would give us thousand dollars day till the
end of March. In one day, March %, there came
s22.0 .00C by the hand OF woman. We accepted
1t from Him whose Is the silver and the gold.
Two signs of promise are in the sky. Our young
women feeling the touch and thrill OF the Masters
spirit, are responding to his call for service In our
home department. Unique and helpful meetings
have been held in many places planned for and
presided over by young women. "lnstead OF the
fathers shall be the children" A deepening Of
the devotional element In our work has marked
the past few years. Three years ago the concep-
ton of Calendar of daily prayer for missions
the school of prayer we are learning more and
more that the kingdom cometh not with obserya-
tion, but that standing In our midst Is One whose
is the power. and who has pledged 1t to US, II we
wait for the Promise OF the Father.
FOREIGN DEP ARTMENT AND WORK.
How delightful for hem and for us If each o
our co-workers from her distant field cou "a thi
morning be present, and by word OF mouth tell US
what things God has wrought by her in The place
of her particular service. 1t would give reality
to their work and ours, and new stimulus TO us.
l am sure. Since this cannot be, you and must
set off on our annual rOund-the-world trip, which
we have SO often taken together, and glance IN
upon each one to find how it has gone with her
during the past twelyemonth.
Under sail and steam we plunge into the misty
mantle OF the Atlantic. whose fog am emil nave
EMBODIED the dear girls who year by year have
gone out from us. In Europe we find faithful BIZ
BILE women who have Wrought and seen frult OF
er ~ amoag fs na pEO % he anq north
and among the misguided, the ignorant and SUI
persttous OF sunny France. AS we drift away
tribute upon the grave OF Mme., Jaume, who for
one brief year was our helper at Rue st. Denis IN
Paris, and drop tear with the bereaved workers
there in sympathy with their loss.
One year ago Miss Royal, from the Aroost ook
hills Of this Pine Tree State, was sailing over
these same waters on her way to Lukunga to join
Misses Faulkner and Hamilton. In May she set
foot on African soil, and in hammock threaded
her weary, lonely way for seven days over the
rough foot path which skirts the Falls and leads
to The heart of the country and its people. She
received loyal welcome from these good women
to the work and Its Joys, and share in Its Se-deni
as pean anS eo@foss Mere cSSpted Was sadly ike
mother Hubbards OF nursery tame-the mission
with positively 'nolhing to wear" but many arti-
cies Of coInrOIL had boon used and were
buried with their dead pupils and Christians who
Sometimes we ask what is the first work of a
missionary on reaching the field? Miss Royals
was. dressmalxing for her friends. Well. the
UDfOlipd- and MaSfpr'S
blessing was upon every service of the hands of
these three brave women. Schools for learning to
read the Word were blessed, men and women be-
lieved, the converts grew in Christian character
and knowledge and hope looked to the coming of
other helpers. But lOng-continued, subtle fever
has sent Miss Royal home. Miss Hamilton has
come with her. and Miss Faulkner holds the fort,
just waiting for reinforcement. We trust that
Georgia. @ and Mrs. White Of England will Join her @
soon. Whatever you pray for, or fail to pray for,
forget not to ask God for the life and health of
these dear sisters. Miss Faulkner says: II think
l need scarcely answer the question, would l. if
home again, and knowing what do now, be Will
ing to come? The knowledge have of the coun-
try, the life here, etc., would but add to my desire
to come. Until came never realized how great
the need, how wide open the door, nor how deeply
responsible to God the church is for bearing the
gospel to the nations sitting in darkness. do
not wonder that Chistians are dwarfed and cold
when they refuse to share in the glorious work
given us to do Single ladies, il called to be for
eign missionaries, need not hesitate about coming
to Congo. think them the most needed helpers
at the present time"
We must not tarry. though we would like to be
behind the scenes when our sisters reach there
next July, and see If Miss Faulkner Is not happy
TO welcome them after being seven months with
out the companiOnship of an English-speaking
woman. Is the heroic age of missions past? ASK
those who have brayed the fever-freghted jungeS
of Africa. They will say-"Not unto us, o: Lord,
not unto us, but unto Thy name, give glory"
AS we glide out Of the might Congo, let it be
with cry TO heaven, thai our own dear land may
Stream Of liquid death-New England rum-which
shall drown more souls in perdition than all the
missions in Christendom can rescue.
On this April day the blue waters OF the Medi-
terranean will dance lunder sapphire skies. the
narrower breadth of the Red Sea lie hot aud burn
ing between Egyptian and Arabian sands.the
Indian ocean will give US wider sweep, TILL safe at
anchor in the harbor Of Madras, we are landed
from our surf boat or catamaran, as you choose
on "India's coral strand" AT Royapuram-a sec;
Mrs. Pierce and Miss Schulz busy with their
school of bright caste girls, and the outcast board
ing girls sitting side by side, forgetting prejudice
which is melting away before incoming Gospel
light.
to tell us OF this work, and OF hope for India when
the mists OF superstition and ignorance have
rolled away.
Across Blacktown and over at Peram bore
where in loving faith dear Mrs. Water bury laid
the foundations of our work, is Mrs Drake who
has become one OF our number, drawn with "the
cords Of man, with bands OF love" She was
Miss Alexander of the Canadian Board, and for
the sake of company was brought to Boston by
her father aud placed in the care of our mission
airy party bound to the East three years ago, OF
sible for the consequences, aud when she became
Mrs. Drake and our Canadian sis
ters grieve, we can only say that they
have no right to send out young women who are
so attractive. We hear that they now send their
ladies by way of Quebec and under home escort.
But Mrs. Drake Is our gain, and tells of schools
and prayer meetings. of visits in palem and hos
pitals, of ready listeners among men ard women,
caste children and pariahs studying side by side,
OirlS-WhIPh a social
concesson-under the same teacher in the same
classes Truly the emancipation of India hastens,
and at Madras, one OF Its great centers, you and
have part in the work.
UP to NellOre, and we find Miss Wayte left
alone with unnumbered cares by the home COM
ing of Mrs. Downie, who will soon be with us
again. THE schools have prospered, the Bible
women have been faithful the hearts OF heather
women have opened to the truth. and fruit has
been garnered above. we have Just appropriated
81 SEQ for school house to provide for growing
needs.
Farther north is Ramapatam, and Mrs. Boggs
tells us of large number of children from near
village coming into th9 school and through them
she expects to carry the gospel in the homes
Seven Christian women as their family cares will
allow, daily preach the word from house to house
| In neighborng palems, and two, unencumbered
by family cares visit In villages more remote
Dr. Cummings, as a co-worker with Mrs
ly, and rejoices In restored health,
pleasant home, a comfortable dispensary anC
congenial work made ready to her willing hands
She tells of her first trembling effort at religious
instruction in the vernacular. at was yer,
humble beginning, only little meeting for oui
school girls, but the Master sent speedy fruits
With wonder saw these girls soon coming b.
twos and threes asking me TO tell them how TO b,
Christians. You will understand little Of my 10,
afterward in seeing eight Of them baptized as I'M
result of that little meptinp and others haIia,-a