Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-29

civilization. / would not give my position
here for all the world powerful race
has to be won from darkness to slight;
superstition and idolatry have to be over
thrown; men have to be taught to love God
and love their neighbor, which means the
uprooting of institutions that have lasted
for centuries: labor made noble, the slave
set free. knowledge impaired and wisdom
implanted; and. above all, that true wis
dom taught which alone can elevate man
from brute to son of God. Who would
not willingly engage in such noble work,
and consider 1t the highest honor on earth
to be called to do t?" Mackay, Uganda,
November 10, 1873.
African mission have reported great prog
ress among the natives in interest and the
enthusiasm with which they are taking
hold of the work to help themselves into the
light. In the field churches are being erect
ed by the people. The six catechists who
work in that region have home furnished
and their food provided by the people. The
Moiko church members have put up
church at their own expense, and the peo-
pie of Melega in the Bento district are
building a church without the help Of the
mission. Some of the places are not only
supporting their own native worker, but
in the school The committee has recon-
mended to the missionaries that in all
places possible the people be urged to give
a tenth of their income to the Lord. Think
Of tithing in Africa! We in America will
have to bestir ourselves or the African
Christians will grow ahead of US, in the
graces of Christianity.
Rev. w. c. Johnston says:
From May, '9S, to August, 90 Efulen
station was closed for lack Of workers ex-
cept for services that were held by six in
quirers. But when we returned from fur
Tough we put up a building holding 200. In
year it was too small and we had to hold
services in the banana grove. In another
year we added to the building to hold
hundred more. In another year we en-
larged it again, to hold $50, and the next
year it was too small again. 1t was then
decided to build church. The people en-
tered into 1t heartily. and on Christmas
day, 1908, we dedicated it. There had
been a debt of $50 on 1t when it was al
on Sabbath. On the following Friday we
had to leave for meeting on the coast
and had no time to go about among the
people to raise; money, so we told them to
and clear off the debt. The next four
days the people came, bringing cloth, kegs
of powder, shirts, knives, red sashes.
chickens eggs. peanuts, until by Thursday
still they came. When we stopped them
the new church had $11 to its credit and
the people from the nearby villages still
coming to ask If they might contribute
later"
The people in Africa have "fetishes" and
what are called 'biras." When they be-
come Christians these things have to be
bras and the strange superstitions con-
nected with them. The "biras' always has
some part Of the human body In 1t: It is
in tin box with a cover fitted tightly. The
things in the box are usually a fine gray
powder, tooth and a hard dry bit OF
human flesh, which has been dried over the
fire. The powder is made of the dried
brains of some great man in their tribe.
hon 10 OF a
rubs this powder on his forehead and then
wipes it off so 1t will not show. This Is
supposed to bring him fame and honor
such as was shown the man from whose
bit of business, or as they put it, if he has
to 'ealk palaver,' he puts the hard dry
bit of flesh in his mouth and keeps it there
while he talks. 1t is supposed to bring him
success Sometimes. though, the 'bira'
is only some ones skull and then when
man goes hunting he will ask the skull to
give him success and promise to give 1t
half the meat. Then when he kills some
thing he places some meat before the skull
and goes away for awhile so that the
skull may absorb the spiritual part of the
meat, after which he comes and takes the
meat for himself, supposing that the skull
has all it wants.
One fetish is a woven collar. which Is sup
posed to tighten round the wearers neck
and warn him to turn back in time Of dan
ger 1t seems strange that any people be-
lieving such foolish things can ever
amount to anything, but they do. The love
of Jesus in their hearts fills the place of
grow into good and lovable men and
women
Dr.. Franklin c. Norman wrote from
Africa:
ION my way to the next town 1 came
upon a man hopelessly blind, who was
standing still. unable to go farther. l led
him to his town, and would have-rested, but
~. 10 10 1,nt,f
God that told them the DID, old story of
Christ's great love. The blind man listened
and 1 told him that when he died and went
to Gods town he would see. 1t would have
given you joy could you have seen that
sightless man-joy mingled with sorrow;
it was comfort and hope to heathen~heart-
He listened anxiously as my Interpreter told
him what 1 was saying. He reached for my
hand when he knew 1 was leaving. and I
know he waits about thirty miles up the
river to learn more of the Gospel of peace
and salvation. In the morning 1 went to
another town and told to them the story
of Christs love. Some had heard that there
was a God, but they knew nothing about
Him. During my short trip | saw a few,
and that very few, of the people in this
region who have a name for God, but know
nothing about Him. In many of these sin
laden lives there is a strong desire to know
about God. Shall we not tell to them the
story of redeeming grace which has made
us what we are and given unto us the hope
of eternal salvation?
Henry NJ. Stanley in his Darkest Africa"
told of little people called dwarfs or
pigmes. Miss Margaret MacLean read it,
and after trying to get some one to go and
teach them of Christ she wrote to the
Presbyterian board of foreign missions and
offered a sum Of money to send the Gospel
to the dwarfs. The board accepted. One
hundred miles inland from Batanga there is
a town called Lolodorf and there is the
MacLean mission station. In tie midst of
the forest in a sunless place are their little
huts. Two posts fastened in the ground
five feet high, long pole fastened on the
top, and number Of other poles with one
end on the ground, the other end resting on
the long pole and then leaves and sticks on
the top-this is the hut. No beds but
dried leaves. no furniture, no clothes.
Sometimes branch of a tree stuck up for
a wall. but not always. Here the dwarfs
live, eat, sleep and die. They make long
nets of the fibers of trees, and stretch
them through the forest; then a company
of them with cymbals and loud noises run
through the forest and frighten the wild
beasts into the net. Then they sell these
animals to the larger p@"ple, and buy
food. They believe in evil spirits, and they
keep bits of corn cob strung in front of
their huts, or wear, them, to keep off the
evil spirits. They live almost like the
beasts, yet their hearts ready to re-
he of nd