Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-15


British government dropped all hel
flags at half mast in honor of man
who had done more for India than al
her generals. William Butler went tC
| India so years ago ASA representative
of the Methodist church, to plan
Christian institutions in that great
waste of heathendom. And from this
beginning network of churches has
been established reaching from India s
eastern shores TO its western slopes
and from the Himalayas to the sea
Bishop Thoburn went to India in 1859
and did not return until 1864. That
was his first experience as a mission
airy, and he had to report as the visible
fruit OF his five years of labor, only
five cornerstone year. Just as he
was leaving India two years ago, TO
come TO cur country, he baptized S37
persons at one meeting He says that
if he should commence to baptize 25
persons day and do that every day
for 365 days, he would not then ex-
hau.t the number of candidates that
are waiting to publicly profess Christ
i'll Christian baptism That is, there
are 10000 people now in India that are
asking for Christian baptism at the
hands of the Methodist church. 1t was
in this country that the work of the
Woman's Foreign Missionary society
was first established. 1t was to this
country that Isabella Thoburn and DR..
Clara Swain were sent, the first to
plant the seed OF womans education
and the second to establish the first
medical missionary work for women
in all Asia.
Missionary Jubilee.
This year the church celebrates In
dia'S missionary jubilee. the 50th ami
versary of the founding of Methodist
missions in India. Because of what ii
has accomplished the Woman's Foreign
society has good reason to
join in this jubilee 1t sent the first
woman physician to India. 1t estab
lished the first newspaper for women
in India. which it now publishes in
five languages. 1t established the first
college for women in southern Asia
where leaders are being trained for
Christian work. 1t has reused thous-
ands of women at home from their life
Of comfort and ease and set them TO
lsing their leisure for the work of
God. In the first year of its existence
the WOman's Foreign Missionary so
ciety raised 81 800 for its work. Last
year its receipts were nearly $3.50. 900.
During the Sc years of its life. ii has
raised eight millions of dollars. This
c 10 of tba Gifts Of fQ{S
rich people, who can give their thous
ands without missing it. but the result
If Systematically gathering small sums
from old and young. the rich and poor.
Starting out with the watchwOrd, 1.-TWO
cents a week and a prayer it has not
lespised the day of small things. There
are now nearly 500 missionaries work
ng under the direction, and supported
Dy the Woman's Foreign Missionary
society. They are in India and China,
md Korea, and Japan. and Mexico, and
South America, and Italy, and Africa.
They are scattered all round the world
and are kept at their posts of duty by
he money that the society gathers.
And they represent the best type OF
Christian womanhood. They are not
dlers at home hanging on the out
skirts of the church. They were in
he heart of the church, learning and
eaching. working and praying, loving
md giving The heart of any good
hing is always Catholic and expan-
i've 1t claims the world for itself 1t
ongs to give itself away, and believes |
II the capacity of all men to receive |
The Durer and finer any 9OOd at |
grows the more it comes into |
he necessity of expansiveness. 1t is |
he crude and half-formed phases of |
my good growth which are selfish and |
Exclusive. These missionaries have
cen picked from among the most de-
oted, earnest women of the church.