Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-12
RETROSPECT
IContinued from LIST page.

met by the larger conception OF Onris-
tan thought. In view OF these
considerations, it is with special
satisfaction that we note the pro-
gress Of high Christian education in all our
mission fields in the last 25 years. Within
that time our high schools have increased
in number from 10 t. 1873. These are en-
phatically Christian schools, tie larger por-
ton of the graduates going out as professed
followers of Christ, to diffuse the best in
fuences of the gospel in their homes and In
the churches to which they belong. The
same period has also witnessed the estab-
lishment of our IL Christian colleges, in
GLIDING three for women, and our seven
theological seminaries, to whose students,
the best thought of the world is now Access
sible through the means of the English
language. To these have lately been added
school for nurses and three training
schools for Biole-women. As hardly
less important to the future Chris
tan community should be mentioned
the beginnings of training for kindergarten
work in several of our mission stations. As
centres of intellectual and spiritual life and
power, who can estimate the value of these
institutions to the future of our work: Al
ready do we see results in the growth OF
our mission churches in Christian character
as well as in numbers.
Wide as is the range of our educational
forts, from the kindergarten to the
Christian university, one department, IN
which we have made some small beginnings,
that of industrial education,-ye remains
to be developed. At present in some Of
the older missions every advance IN our
missionary work adds new burdens to the
mission treasury. Yet there must be a
limit somewhere to what the churches at
home can do; and that limit will
fall far within the limit of work needed
in the foreign field. Hence the import
ance of industrial education and manual
training, helping our Christian communi-
| ties to help themselves and to carry on the
work we have begun. Through this broad
| work as man for man in the fulness of his
being, Christianity now commends itself to
the acceptance of men of every race and
cline. Thus shall it be known by its
works; even as our Lord said: "Ifye be-
lieve not me, believe the works."
During the last ten years the number of
places where the gospel is regularly
pre- ched has increased by Is per cent
| from S26 to l,429); and the number Of
81 y while the advance in donations,
including those from the woman's
boards. has been only about 20 per cent
3,52S $3.50 to 81 Psi ,302), on the average
Of the preceding decade. This explains the
necessity for retrenchment and the renewed
cry of distress that comes up from the mis-
sion fields. These things ought not SO to
be. This simple statement ought to secure
speedy relief.
The results of the work during the 20
years under review, as far as numbers can
express results, may be summed up briefly
as follows: In the missions now under the
charge of this board, the number of regular
preaching places have increased from 23G
to 1929; of missionaries from 221 to 81
of native laborers of different grades from
G29 to 2870; the number into church
fellowship on confession of their faith,
from AIS in 1865 to 3O55 this year, and the
total church membership from 1868 to 49,.
ST.. This increase is due largely to the
various agencies of the woman's boards,
the Christian training of our higher institu-
tions of learning, and to better trained
aud more numerous native agency. In the
educational department the number of high
schools aud colleges for both sexes has in.
creased more than ninefold Q5 to 144) and
the number of pupils from 422 to 7S41
more than eighteenfold; while the total
number under instruction has increased
from SSl7 to 5O,4OG. But these fig
ures. encouraging as they are, give
n very inadequate conception of the
breadth of the changes in the mora
and social life of the peoples among
whom we labor, or of the opportunities
given on every hand for enlargement, of
the vantage gained for yet greater and more
rapid advances through the influence of so
many Christian homes, of so many church
es as centres of life and light, of Christian
literature introducing through millions of
pages the best thought and sentiment of the
world into the languages spoken by more
than hundred millions of people.