St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1894-08-02
ndisrellaffn,
WOMAN'S WORK FOX THE VERMONT
CHURCHES.

bv righteousness" "And they of
the city shall flourish like grass of
the earth" When? "In his days"
There is a direct connection betwee
the prosperity of the city and the
righteousness of the little hills, for
the city's strength is from the hills.
IS The city dies without a continued
e inflow from the country and its NOR
81 al health depends on the kind that
s. come in. 1t is better to clear the wa
81 tershed than to buy filters, and Yer
mont has found this out by Obeving
\ the injunction. Know myself" Yer
mont Is unique among the states in
having no large cities. Even the
youngest fedgling, Oklahoma, has
eight or ten cities larger than Yer
mont's greatest, and in this she is
blest, but she found out by rigid
examination that she was cursed by
that other extreme, an impoverished
rural population, by reason of her
sons and daughters enriching the
great West, so that today she has q
larger church membership in the
great states OF the interior than at
home.
1t was found that out of popuia-
/ NIOIl vi f,OOOB 1ofyOOO nONNl ub'1Sl
Fl any circumstances went to church,
81 while 5000 homes were without a
Bible. 1t is greatly to the credit Of
Vermont that instead of excusing
E and giving reasons for the condition
81 of things she went right to work,
/ and in doing so is not only reaping a
/ blessing herself, but must inevitably
bless others, and the cheapest police
men Boston and New York have to-
Il day are the home missionary lasses
81 of the Vermont hills from whence
q cOmeth their help"
The work is still in its infancy :;
some eight of these devoted young
E ladies are now engaged in the Outly-
i ing districts. but as soon as the
81 Christian world wakes up to the i'm
pOrtance and efficiency OF the work
being done there may be 500. These
So young women are, first of all, Chris
tan, but in addition they are prac-
teal and scholarly, too. They are
from the West. from Canada, from
Alsace-from afar off they heard the
Fl call and answered, Here am l,
Fl Lord, send me-" l am so impressed
with the work they are dong that l
| would fain try to give your readers
B a picture of their mode of doing it.
As rule they go in couples, tor
they are real yoke fellows and adopt
E the New Testament plan of house to
house visiting, and while not pro-
Tossing to preach, they do so in the
H most effectual way. In all weather,
over the mountains, down the val
leys, into the far-Off farmstead these
singing pilgrims find their way. Here
/ is a hOme-One of hundreds: the
gray-haired sire and aged helpmeet
are all alone. The children are in
the far West. The old mother looks
up as she greets the fresh, young,
Christian faces, and as the tears run
zigzag down wrinkled cheeks, she
says: Il have been praying to God
for this. 1t IS many months, some
times years, since we were a church,
and 1t seems so good to see you and
hear your voices" Then follows a
! season of prayer and singing, with a
81 promise to call again, which leaves a
Fl ray of sunshine in the old mountain
y home that will cheer it for many a
week to come. Here is another home
a careworn woman with four or FIVE
81 little children. Life has become a
go to church, her children grow up
without religious training, and they
& help, in their turn, to swell the great
cities crowd of irreligious and, too
often, criminal classes; but if they
stay at home, be it remembered that
the country district without the Cos
pei matches the city and even sur
II passes it in crime both in regard to
. the numbers and depravity. The Wis
II itor, after few kind questions and
often with practical help, too. soon
| las a rule) has the heart opened SO
E that the object of the visit may be
& preached. DO you mean" says the
woman. "that l can get these pic
lures and leaves every month";" Yes,
and we will come and helpyou study
as often as we can" And so here is
a home Sunday school started.
In one case a com immunity with a
church building without a church
E member for fifty years was entered.
E In a few weeks a church was organ
lied and great change wrought in
s the hearts of many. 1t is very graft
81 fving to state that many Young men
4 are reached in these meetings (Ver-
mont has more men than wOmen)
81 Old men, too, in some cases of more
II than seventy years, have risen and
81 in trembling speech have confessed
Christ.
Here is woman who says, 30,
cannot tell you the change that has
81 come over my life. 1t is as if l had a
new husband. Everything about
{ the farm seems changed. The very
cows are better for it," Also in
homes where grumbling was the
Fl rule, until the poor wife felt ready to
81 give ID now Is heard the voice OF