The enterprise. [volume] (Harlem, Mont.) 1899-1926, 1915-01-28

astical appointments and churchly
decorations of the pro-catlledral left
behind in Auburn, New York. The
young missionary relished the hnmor
of the situation.
AS the congregation assembled he
bouyantly set them to work cleaning
out the debris and sweeping up the
fragments so as to make a place more
conducive to Christian worship,
good-naturedly remarking as each
one took a hand in, ''this is real
demonstration Of the fact, my friends,
that you did not come here after all
just to see the new minister, but to
worship your God and to humor him,
for cleanliness is next to Goodness,
and this example in the application
OF muscle grease and grunt dust is
most practical form of such worship
and honor" In a few minutes time
the hall was so swept and garnished
that the new minister found himself
saying "Dearly beloved brethren" to
the congregation with as much cleri-
cal dignity and impressiveness as
though he were reading mathis OF
even-song i'm Rheims cathedral.
The next day the missionary began
the first missionary trip over the
mission field. which at that time was
made up OF the places of Chinook,
Harlem, Malta and Glasgow. Ser
vices were held every night in the
week. Homes, stores, saloons, ranch
houses and every place in which NOR
tai man lived and subsisted were Wis
tied then, and on every subsequent
j journey. In some instances churches
OF other religious bodies were grac-
/ lously loaned to the Episcopalians
for services, but in many instances
school houses or halls were used. In
enc or two Instances a grocery store
and billiard room, the latter attach
ed TO saloon, were used by the
missionary and the greatest reverence
was shown by those who participated
in these services.
This was the formative period of
the now old mission field. The sue
ceeding years added new places, in
creased travel, multiplied services,
new and more varied experiences,
and marked sacrifices for the adj
vancement of work that had SO
small beginning. The missionary's
work through all this period has
meant any kind Of service that would
bring comfort, gladness and physical
benefit, as well as mental and spiri-
tual benefit into the home and lives
OF the scattered but growing popula-
ton of this new country.
a score OF examples could be cited
here. 1t will suffice to recall at this
luncture what the missionary said in
this respect on one public occasion.
'To be missionary" said he. ''in
a new and growing country, means
something more than reciting pray
ers, preaching pulpit discourses,
baptlzing, marrying and burying.
But it also means to help the begin
ner to make his start, to help him
with his store, office, or his farm, to
aid and assist, SO far as opportunity
and ability will permit, the home
steader and the settler by furtherlug
the ends that will bring dollar to
his pocketbook. supplies to his pam
try. new carpet for his front room,
piano for the parlor, and any of the
privileges that are sure to make the
wife and the children glad of the day
in which they We're born
Missionary Christier has done all
this, besides doing the regular rou-
tine duties that come to clergyman,
and in addition mas been Instrument
al in building the beautiful church at
Glasgow, Montana, and by his in
Huence has procured the granite stone
or handsome places of Worship in
Malta and llavre, gifts equivalent to
several thousands of dollars. Church
lots in many Of the towns have also
been given to Mr.. Christler for
church purposes. That the mission
AIRY is always as "poor as q church
mouse, ny giving up money amy
where and to anybody is demonstrate
ed by the fact that the report of the
missionary and the church officials
OF the Glasgow church at the close of
the eight years work showed that it's
missionary had uneonsciously paid
into the church construction account
81, 10000 of his own money. 1t was
as big surprise to the missionary, so
II is SAID, as it was to the people
The missionary's work will now be
confined wholly to the west end of
tile field