The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1906-10-31
TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS OF THE
SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH.

our missionaries in Africa greatly needed
boat OF their own to travel up and down
the Congo, some one suggested, Tell the
children; they will give the money"
And they did, The offerings came pouring
in and the boat was built And again
when the first boat was lost, the boys and
girls of the Churcn came to her help a
second time and gave the money for a
larger and better boat
Now there comes another call to YOU
from the Church, one more important than
the Congo Boat because it lies at the
foundation of all our work, for as some
one has said, if the old servants of God.
those broken in health or the families
of those who have died in the work, are
left to poverty and suffering, there is
something very wrong the matter with
the whole system of our Church
One of the elders of our churches has
offered to give 100000 to the Endowment
Fund of Ministerial Relief if the Church
will give $125, 900.
This money is to be used to help the
"old soldiers and their families. those
ministers of our Church who have given
themselves, body, mind, soul and spirit
to her service and now when old age and
sickness have come upon them so that
they cannot work anymore, find them
selves helpless and destitute, without
hoHey W give JHelr wives and little
children even the bare comforts of life.
Inc money is coming in, but most Of it
comes from the grown people, and the
Church feels that you ought to have a
share in it. For you see in these families
OF the old ministers who are either too
feeble to preach any longer or who have
died, there are siXty-nine children under
fourteen years of age. Don't you think
that these sixty-nine children belong to
the boys and girls of the Southern Pres
byterian Church?
NOW, as to the way you can help. AL
ready most of you have remembered that
Christmas is coming. Would it not be a
beautiful thing for you to make a birth
day gift to Him whose birthday Christ
mas is, by raising the money to take
care of these children of His faithful SER
wants? And would not this remembrance
OF His needy ones please the Christ who
took little child in His arms and said
Whose shall receive one such little child
in my name, receiveth me-"
Do not delay, but go to work now and
gather your money and send it for your
birthday gift to Christ. Then ask your
fathers and mothers to help by sending
a gift in memory of the little brothers
and sisters who have already gone home
to God, and who spend their days in
heaven. The third Sabbath in November
has been set aside by our General AS
sembly for this work, and all are urged
to give.
There is an old story of ship that was
wrecked off the coast of England. The
people of the village gathered on the
shore and watched the waves beating on
the vessel. At first, after many attempts,
the crew managed to shoot line to the
men standing on the shore. They caught
and held it, young and old, and began to
pull. They tugged and worked with all
their might, but the vessel did not move
from the rocks where she was caught
Call the women!" someone cried for
the waves rose higher. And they came,
the mothers uniting down their work