The Newtown bee., 1901-08-02

The objection is often urged against missionary work that it is over the sea, up in the air, anywhere but where it it is near enough to enlist strong sympa- thy and awaken warm enthusiasm. This objection could not certainly be brought into evidence concerning the work which Rev Joel $. Ives presented at the morning and the evening service in the Congregational church last Sun day. We have become so accustomed to hearing missionaries speak of India, China and the lands beyond the wave. that we confess it sounded rather strangely in our ears to hear Bridge port, South NOrwalk and even our own Newtown spoken of as places in which faithful missionary work was being done. This is home missions in earnest, and the notion that home missions appeal most sympathetically to people was shown by the close at tention given the speaker and by the generous offering made for the work at the close of the evening services.
 We gather few thoughts from MT Ives' Addresses. The price of eggs in East Hartland and the price. of eggs in Hartford exactly measures the differ in both place. East Hartland is "a lit- tie country place P miles from Hart ford. It means of communicating with the city is not easy; the land is poor, rough and stony; and, as in so many other places, the drift has been away from it's farms into the more promising fields of the cities. But what is to be done? In such places there. is always nucleus of the old New England stock who cannot leave, or do not care to leave, the places in which they were reared. Gospel privi- legeS must be provided for these. They cannot maintain strong church, but they can maintain some church; and here is where the help afforded by the Missionary Society of Connecticut at the start or during the time of weakness the church could not live. The Park Church in Bridgeport, of course, knew 'its day of small things" but, though only 30 years old, it has grown to be one of the strongest Con gregational churches in the State. We are doing good work among those of foreign 0birth who are now living among us. This is particularly true of the Swedes. In Sweden the people either belong to the State Church or are left free to choose their own relig- ious sect. This latter class are natur- ally religious and are easily gotten hold of. In 1848 Louis KOssuth visited this country. Hungary had been in life and-death struggle with Austria for her independence. It was not so very long after our own struggle to be free from England, and Louis Kossuth was made hero. He was not strictly a Hungarian. He was Magyar, or the ruling class. There are some ten class es of Hungarians, all of which have their representatives in this country. There are some 1000 Hungarians in Bridgeport alone; several hundrrd Hungarian girls are employed in the factories at East Hartford. A Hun garian, BosSo Beela, was educated at Oberlin, O., going through the college and seminary there. He has now come back to South Norwalk and is preach ing to a small congregation of his peo- pie, also doing missionary work among the Hungarians of Bridgeport.
 What is a missionary? He isone who is "sent" anywhere to do the will of God. Think you that the mother who discharges faithfully the duties of wife and mother and keeps beautiful Christian home is not missionary? 1 tell you nay. Some time ago noticed attending all the services at church where 1 was speaking map who, in some way, caught my attention. I was told that he was "Dummy." ''Dum. my" was deaf, dumb, almost blind and lame. He had few of what are called the blessings of this life, and yet he was a devoted Christian. At the En- deavor meeting he would write re- sponse that might be read for him. This man, doing what he could, was a missionary. Let no man fool you with the notion that the Church is full of hypocrites. The Church is Christ $ bride; she is dear to Him as the apple of His eye; and membership in the Church of the Lord Jesus is the great est privilege which earth can bestow.