It comes to me often in silence,
When the firelight sputters low,
When the black, uncertain shadows
See wraiths of the long ago;
Always with a throb of heartache
That thrills each pulsing vein,
Comes the old, unquiet longing
For the peace of home again.
I'm sick of the roar of cities,
And of faces cold and strange;
I know there's warmth of welcome,
And my yearning fancies range
Back to the dear old homestead,
With an aching sense of pain;
But there'll be joy in the coming
When I go home again.
When I go home again! There's music
That may never die away,
And it seems that the band of angels
On mystic harps at play,
Have touched with a yearning sadness
On a beautiful, broken strain,
To which is my fond heart wording —
When I go home again.
Outside of my darkening window
Is the great world's crash and din,
And slowly the autumn's shadows
Come drifting, drifting in.
Sobbing, the night wind murmurs
To the splash of the autumn's rain;
But I dream of the glorious greeting
When I go home again.
— Eugene Field.
Heart Talks With Parents—2
By Elizabeth M. Patton
ELIZABETH M. PATTON
There is yet another thought in this subject which I feel should be emphasized. Many of us as parents, while recognizing great failure in the early years of our experience with our children, are now, in our great desire for the salvation of these same children, overzealous in “talking the truth,” while our lives are not in harmony with its principles. You may be astonished at this, and wonder how it can be possible that we can talk the truth too much, especially when you consider our study of one week ago. Perhaps I can best illustrate this by giving a few instances, each one drawn from life.
An aged father and mother, with children, all grown up and “out of the truth,” have to all appearances lived such exemplary lives that they have the reputation among old neighbors of being devout Christian parents. When the youngest child was about to leave the home nest, she remarked to a friend who had been earnestly talking with her concerning her intended marriage to one not of the same faith: “There isn’t any use in your talking to me about my spiritual welfare, as you call it. It seems to me I have heard nothing else since I can remember. It has just been the Sabbath-school lesson and the rapid fulfilling of prophecy until,—well, sometimes I fairly hate any reference to the Bible.”
The young woman failed to tell what I afterward learned, when thrown into a more intimate connection with the family, that the home life was filled with criticism—criticism of brethren and sisters, criticism of neighbors, criticism of the minister and his sermons. But when the Bible was mentioned, or anything connected with the Scriptures, it was always with a solemn countenance and a special tone of voice. They considered it little short of an absolute sin to read, or allow read, in the home anything but the Bible, or one or two denominational papers, and not always did they feel that they were able financially to afford these last. Hundreds of hard-earned dollars have been paid out for medicine for one of these parents, but if one had dared to hint to them a sin-sickness which Christ alone could heal, they might have lifted hands in holy horror. To be plain, they were more than sick, they were dead—I started to say dead Christians, but the two words can never properly belong together; for Christ is alive, and every one called by his name should be alive also.
Here is another case. Out of a large family of children, only one, a young man, was left in the home. This last is the only one in the truth, and the parents are greatly burdened for fear he may also give up the little interest he seems to have left. I know nothing of the early home life, except that the young man is said to have been “strictly brought up,” never having known another faith. Now he is rapidly throwing off home influences, and evening seldom finds him at home, his parents never knowing where he is. One of the greatest anxieties now is to keep him with them.
One evening, recently, he announced his intention of remaining at home, as he had some letters to write, and great was the mother’s delight when he brought his writing material down into the sitting-room with them. It seemed so good to see the dear boy home, to know where he was for one evening! But the anxious mother was not satisfied with this. It seemed this was to be too good an opportunity for her to lose, and so when all were cozily seated, she turned to an article in a late religious paper, and began reading it aloud. The son looked up in astonishment, and remarked, in not very gentle tones, “Now, mother, why do you do that? Don’t you know I want to write?”
“Why, yes, my dear, but I don’t see why this should disturb you. It is very interesting, and it seems to me that you could listen and still write your letters.”
“But I can’t,” he replied, gruffly, “and if you don’t stop, I shall just have to go to my room, that’s all.”
The mother, astonishing as it may seem, calmly continued her reading, and the son impatiently gathered up his writing, and went to his cheerless room upstairs. His mother was grieved, and no doubt sadly wondered at the change which had come over her boy in the past few years. She is inclined to attribute it to his worldly associates. This home is filled with every comfort that money affords, yet the son never can invite friends to spend the evening with him, because “mother is so queer.” No music would be allowed upon the piano except sacred music. No simple or innocent games have ever been allowed in the home, because all games have been, in the minds of these parents, classed in the same list, as wicked. So is it strange that he now goes into other homes for the company and youthful associations which he will have, and, saddest of all, often finds the amusement he craves in places which are not homes? “What is the cause?” cries the mother with sorrow written in every line of her countenance. “My boy used to love to study his Sabbath-school lessons, and was so eager to go to all the meetings.” What can we answer? May God reveal himself in all tenderness in this and other homes before it is too late. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.”
The Lord says we are to call his Sabbath “a delight.” I knew of one home, and I am sure that many of you will admit that this is not an isolated case, where the long summer Sabbaths were a torture. No toys or amusements were ever allowed the little ones on this day, although they were bountifully supplied for other days of the week. The father was fond of reading aloud, but it was never anything that tender minds could appreciate, and when “pa read out loud,” absolute quiet must reign. Those hours between dinner and sundown were often days in length to the poor, tired little hands and legs—wearied because of the enforced quiet. I shall never forget what one of the little ones said in my hearing one of those times: “You just wait till I git big enough; I’ll never keep no Sabbath; see if I do.”
And so it proved. One by one, the children of that family went out into the world, glad to throw off home restraints; and the sad parents, now nearing life’s close, are daily sending up petitions that God will save their loved ones.
But now that we recognize that many grievous mistakes have been made, how shall they be undone? How may we know which is the right way, and which the wrong way, of directing our children’s feet? How may we know just how much pleasure to allow, just how attractive to make our homes, that true principles may not be transgressed, and our children delight to abide in the home? “To the law and to the testimony.”13“And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.”
Only God through his Word can give us the wisdom that we need, but he will surely fulfil his precious promises to those who live close to him. One thing is imperative: Christ’s life must be lived in us, his love reflected from our faces. He who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, has said that he will create in us a new heart; he can do the same for our children. “And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. . . . My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever.”
Unequally Yoked Together
***
I WONDER if any of our young sisters are contemplating marriage with unbelievers. If so, I beg of them to put all such thoughts away forever. The day a Christian weds an unbeliever, is the saddest day of her life. Those without experience in this course have no idea of the wretchedness it brings.
The children of such unions are not truly happy either. How can they be? The mother tries to live a Christian life, and to bring up her children to work for the Lord, while the influence of the father is strong in the other direction.
Men make many promises before marriage, even agreeing “to keep the Sabbath;” but once married, those promises are soon forgotten. And it is natural for such promises to be broken, for what harmony can exist between an unbeliever and the law of God? The husband soon learns that he is unable to keep pace with his wife in religious matters. The reading that interests her does not interest him; and to her sorrow she discovers the ever-widening gulf between them.
One wonders how it can be, but all too soon the gulf becomes so wide and their interests so different that they do not seem to enjoy each other’s society. The husband finds solace in his pipe and tobacco behind a newspaper, while the wife is left to her mending in solitude. He tells her she is no company for him, and she knows he is none for her, whether she says so or not. This is the natural outcome of such marriages if the wife remains “faithful,” and the husband refuses to come into the “fold.”
God knew this when he commanded believers not to marry unbelievers. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” Don’t think that you must marry an unbeliever just because you have promised to. If you have had new light and changed your mind, don’t be afraid to say so. Men are a great deal better off if wedded to women of their own social circle.
Don’t think this is idle talk. Such cases are only too numerous. One instance I will relate. A young lady married an unbeliever. The subject of religion had to be entirely excluded from their conversation. Early in their married life she learned that silence on the subject of religion was necessary to peace in the family. She could have no missionary money unless she gave it on the sly, a thing that no Christian wife wishes to do. The dear denominational papers were forbidden her, also visits from those of her “faith.” This sister struggled on, holding fast to God’s promises. But how many of us are strong enough in faith to hold out against earthly ties, and keep our interest in Christ and heaven paramount?
If heaven is worth anything to you, don’t risk marrying an unbeliever. Does not the Saviour’s cruel death plead with you? Does not God’s command tip the scales to his side? Love for God and his law should outweigh all other inclinations. Don’t disobey God. His love and guiding hand are worth more to us than any wealth and social standing of the world. O that something could be said to make our dear young sisters realize the wretchedness that comes from disobeying God in this matter!
Nosebleed
By P. S. Bourdeau, M. D.
P. S. BOURDEAU, M. D.
The hemorrhage may come from any part of the nasal cavity, but most frequent from the interior part, especially from the vessels of the membrane which divides the two nasal cavities. While nosebleed rarely occurs with the newly born, it is quite common in childhood, occurring more frequently in boys than in girls. In the latter it occurs more frequently between the ages of twelve and fifteen.
Causes
Children who are kept indoor in overheated rooms, with very susceptible mucous membranes and flabby tissues, are the ones most prone to it. The cause may often be due to some local accident, such as a blow, a fall, picking the nose, in fact, any local irritation may bring it on. We often find it associated with nasal catarrh, and sometimes it is caused by the presence of an ulcer. Mental or physical overexcitement may bring it on. It may also be one of the first symptoms of typhoid or malarial fever or measles, and sometimes diphtheria.
Symptoms
Pain or a feeling of fulness in the head is often noticeable. The blood is usually from one nostril, and comes slowly, a drop at a time. The amount lost is not large at any one time; but if repeated often, may be sufficient to produce anemia even in the strongest children. Sometimes the bleeding may prove fatal. The blood may be swallowed, and thus be entirely overlooked. Usually the hemorrhage does not last longer than from ten to fifteen minutes. It is usually not serious unless it occurs late in the course of the infectious diseases mentioned above.
Treatment
The preventive treatment is important. To remove the predisposition the person should receive plenty of outdoor exercise, cold baths, vigorous friction of the whole body, and the question of proper food should receive special attention. The hemorrhage may often be arrested by pressing the nose between the thumb and finger, ice may be applied over the nose, or sometimes small pieces of ice may be inserted in the nostrils. Cold application should always be made to the back of the neck, and often ice placed in the mouth will reflexly cause contraction of the blood-vessels. Every constriction about the neck should be removed, and the patient kept quiet, preferably in the sitting position.
When the bleeding has stopped, the patient should not blow the nose for some time. If these means are not effectual in stopping the hemorrhage, valuable remedies which are applied locally are the peroxide of hydrogen, used in full strength, or the suprarenal extract in solution. When bleeding continues in spite of all these measures, the nasal cavities should be plugged anteriorly with cotton; and if this does not suffice, the cavities may be plugged posteriorly by a physician.
Hardwood Floors
THERE is a great difference of opinion as to the economy and convenience of hardwood floors, and this is due to the degree of cleanliness one is accustomed to having. Those who are content with running a carpet-sweeper over the carpeted floor once a day find it annoying to see the fluffs of dust that collect on the hardwood when this floor is but half swept. The woodwork shows each speck of dust, and neglect in cleaning is at once made noticeable. But the rugs are easily shaken, when not too large, say once a week. Dust on the floor will be picked up by a slightly dampened cloth on the end of a broom. Usually a dry cotton mop or a cocoa fiber broom is sufficient.
One devotee of cleanliness says: “There is the same difference between cleaning a porcelain sink and a wooden one as between cleaning the scientifically built modern house and the rag-bags, waste-baskets, and dust traps many people are content to live in.” And this may well have particular reference to floors. A ‘dining’-room especially should have a hardwood floor, as it is not possible to clean thoroughly a dining-room carpet. This room is used so frequently that great annoyance is caused in sweeping thoroughly under and around the furniture.
Hardwood floors are eventually much more economical than carpets. The saving in ten years would furnish very handsome rugs, and after that the expense is nil.—Good Housekeeping.
If we speak of “the Bible in America,” we should refer to what is simply a matter of distribution, and this would relate almost exclusively to the English Bible. If that Bible needs revision, the only difficulty in the way is to select the best scholars to do the work out of scores of suitable men. “The Bible in Europe” is also simply a matter of distribution; the Bibles would need to be in many different languages, it is true, but these Bibles are all in existence, and have been for centuries. But “the Bible in India” has meant for the last hundred years a large work of preparation; and the men to do it have been merely the ones and the twos who could with great difficulty be spared for the work out of the mere handful of missionaries on the field. Moreover, they have almost all been foreigners, who had to spend many years in the study of the language they work in before they could begin their labor; and that language is a heathen language, with no words to express the distinctions of Christian teaching, and sometimes without even a word for “God” which is at all suitable. Not only so, but all these languages are more or less in a state of flux, being year by year considerably modified by the influences of Western thought and the increasing spread of the English language. In regard to the languages of the hill tribes, missionaries have found no grammar or dictionary existing for any of them, but have been forced to pick up the language as best they could, and then put it in shape themselves, before they could even begin the work of translating the Bible or preparing a Christian literature.
Be it remembered also that the translation of the Bible is no easy matter. When we translate any other book, we may add, omit, or alter the matter as we deem fit, so as to represent the teaching of the book in the way best suited to the people for whose benefit and in whose language we are translating the book. “Pilgrim’s Progress” in Chinese, it is said, has pictures representing a Christian as a Chinaman, with his pigtail. Quite right; and the wise translator, in putting any Western book in the language of the Eastern people, will put the pigtail into the letterpress as well as into the picture; that is, he will adapt his matter to the people for whom he is writing. We have put “Pilgrim’s Progress” simply as an instance of a book to be translated, but as a matter of fact it is remarkable how readily this immortal book bears literal translation into other languages; this fact struck the writer when revising the translation of “Pilgrim’s Progress” into Bengali; yet even this book should be adapted to a certain extent. But we can not do this with the Bible; that sacred book, the authoritative declaration of God’s will, and of the way of salvation, must be rendered as literally as possible. On the other hand, we must not be so literal as to be unintelligible. And it is also extremely desirable that every translation of the Bible should be as far as possible idiomatic and sweet in sound, so as to reach the hearts of the readers or hearers. How to meet these more or less irreconcilable requirements, and to make a version at once literal, intelligible, and idiomatic, is a most difficult work. Every first attempt is sure to need revision, and that more than once. The Bengali version, for instance, has had four clearly marked revisions, and the fifth revision is now proceeding. The first Tamil translation of the Bible was completed as long ago as 1725, and still it is felt that the Tamil version is not altogether satisfactory. It is a cause for great thankfulness that the construction of Hebrew, and to a large extent also of New Testament Greek, is so simple that a literal translation brings with it generally a simple construction.
What has been accomplished in the way of Bible translation in India during the last century? According to the report of the British and Foreign Bible Society, the whole Bible has been translated into nineteen Indian languages, the New Testament into nine other languages, and Scripture portions into eighteen more.
One of the chief aims of the Serampore missionaries was to produce the15Bible, or portions of it, into all the languages of India, and it is astonishing how much they are able to accomplish in this line. But their versions were necessarily very imperfect, and so often they were altogether unaccompanied with the living voice. God’s plan is that the two should go together; and for the most part Bible translation in India has proceeded on this principle. Translations have been made only in the languages of those among whom missionaries are at work.
The whole Bible has been translated into almost, if not quite, all the main languages of India, and revised in many of them. One of the hill languages, spoken by rather less than two hundred thousand persons, the Khassi, has its Bible, owing to the fact that the Welsh Presbyterians have a very successful mission among this people. Other hill languages have the New Testament or one or two Gospels. Many different branches of the church of Christ have taken their part in this work of providing for the people of India the Bible which all sections of the church alike reverence.
In all parts of India the distribution of the Bible is being carried on by agents of missionary societies and by colporteurs. We may safely say that fully half a million copies of the Bible or of Scripture portions are being distributed every year in India. We have had many instances of these scattered portions of the Word of God leading men to believe in Christ and become members of the Christian church. We also have not infrequently heard of men who never joined the church, but remained in their Hindu homes, who, through a Gospel which had been received, were led to see that the Jesus therein revealed was the only one Saviour, gave up idolatry, and told the people of their village that they trusted only in the Saviour of whom the Book had told them. For every case of this kind of which we accidentally hear, we believe there are many people of whom we never hear who in quiet villages live and die with a simple hope in Christ alone, unknown to any professing Christian on earth, but who will be met with in heaven. It is not very unusual to meet with people living in Hindu homes who read the Bible daily, and regard it as the most precious book they have. The Bible is doing a great work in India, and its influence is growing year by year among those who are not professedly Christians. The importance of supplying the Bible for Christians of every tongue is self-evident; and there are no Christians in India who have not a portion of Scripture, and hardly any who have not the Bible, or at least the New Testament, in their own language.—Rev. George H. Rouse, D. D., in Missionary Review of the World.
The German Union Conference
By Guy Dail
GUY DAIL
JANUARY 25-29 the German Union Committee met in Friedensau, to consider the advisability of enlarging our educational institution for the training of workers; to determine who should constitute the company of missionaries to sail for German East Africa in February; to take definite action with reference to receiving the church building and property in Vohwinkel, near Elberfeld; to review the year’s work at Friedensau; to look over and audit the accounts of the German Union laborers; and to lay plans for the work the coming half year. If we consider that the German Union territory contains over three million square miles (excluding Siberia), and a population of two hundred and fifty-six millions, we can readily admit that its training-school, accommodating only threescore and ten students, ought to be enlarged, provided it would be possible to enlarge it without increased indebtedness, and to supply it with the required number of suitable students and properly qualified teachers. Often parents from foreign lands, come to us, and ask if we can not receive their children fourteen or fifteen years of age. This is at present impossible, as we take only such, in general, as can most rapidly prepare themselves for some department of the Lord’s work. We must take this course because of our lack of facilities, and our great need of native-born workers—notwithstanding eighty-five per cent of our laborers are natives, trained here.
In view of the lack of room and of workers, it was thought best to erect the chapel and the north wing of the school building, completing the structure as soon as possible; it is hoped it will be ready for occupancy this autumn. The cost will be about seventeen thousand16and five hundred dollars. The Friedensau school can then accommodate about one hundred and seventy students. When the chapel is finished, it will be the third chapel we own in Germany. The sale of the German “Christ’s Object Lessons” has aided us very materially in this enterprise; gifts from the earnings of the Hamburg publishing house have also greatly assisted; the gains of the Friedensau plant itself (in 1903 the net gain was 3,500 marks) have a part to play in making this enlargement possible; but the self-sacrificing spirit of our brethren everywhere in the German Union Conference, under the blessing of God, is the chief factor in the growth of our industrial training school.
The meetings with the church and school at Friedensau during the time of the council were very interesting, as the German East African Mission was the great topic under consideration. A sister who had been a missionary in British Central Africa was also present, and delivered interesting talks on the missionary work with which she had been connected. A spirit of deeper consecration came over the students. Many more fully gave their hearts to the service of the Lord than ever before. Besides the wife of Brother J. Ehlers, and the sister engaged to Brother Enns, two brethren, A. Langholf and C. Wunderlich, were chosen to accompany Elder Conradi to Wilhelmsthal, German East Africa. The former is a blacksmith, by trade. He was for a time a student in our mission school, and during the last two years has been treasurer of the Russian field; the latter has been acting as our fireman and general mechanic at Friedensau, and can turn his hand to almost any work that will be needed on the mission farm. He leaves his family behind, and it is expected he will return after the work of building is finished. We said good-by to all these brethren at Port Said, March 12, and word has already been received from them from the wilds of Africa.
In previous reports, it has been stated that the opening of the German East African Mission has been a great boon to all our churches. It is showing to the world that we feel a burden for those who are said to be the farthest distant from the Christian’s standard and ideals, and this reaching out into the heathen world will enlist the sympathies of some who have formerly been opposed to us. It is being demonstrated that to give to missions will serve only to increase our zeal in doing the work of the church at home.
It was decided to advise our legal body to take over the chapel in Vohwinkel, on the conditions proposed by the owner, Brother Kuller. The property contains a dwelling, as well as the chapel we have erected, and we are glad that the believers here will have their own house of worship.
In considering the year’s work at Friedensau, there was cause for thankfulness to God, and there were also found things which can and will be improved in the future. The sales of our nut food products are increasing. Last year we disposed of about twenty-three thousand dollars’ worth of these goods. The school made more than its expenses, and the sanitarium had a small gain.
In auditing the German Union laborers, there was unity of action, and harmony of sentiment. By the aid of the appropriation from America, the German Union was able to complete its auditing work without indebtedness.
Aside from the German East African Mission, the German Union has now begun work in the Caucasus region, Southern Russia, where Dr. V. Pampaian and brother have been since the early part of January. They will labor especially for the thousands of Armenians in and around Tiflis. There may be some difficulty experienced in their getting a start; but they write that they are of good courage, and they believe the Lord will go before them, and open up the way.
Elder J. Erzenberger, whose former years have been chiefly spent in Switzerland, is henceforth to labor a part of the time in general church work throughout the union. His long experience in connection with the truth will enable him to bring a message of cheer and hope to hundreds of our believers who are young in the faith. The best of reports have come from his work thus far, showing how much his labors are appreciated.
The German Union Conference will be held in Friedensau, July 20-25. It will be preceded by the European General Conference, July 15-19.
As to figures, which often speak louder than words, we would say: At the close of the year 1903, there were in the territory of the German Union 163 churches, with a membership of 4,620; 50 companies, with 439 worshipers; 97 isolated Sabbath-keepers, making a total of 5,156 members; there are 26 ministers, 17 licentiates, 66 Bible workers, 181 canvassers, and three other workers; tithe for 1903, $35,640.28, $5,586.67 of which is turned over to the German Union treasury, for missionary work outside the local conferences; $2,052.10 annual offerings; $1,075.17 First-day offerings; $3,007.35 Sabbath-school donations, all of which goes to missions; book sales of the canvassers and publishing house, $54,159; number baptized and added by vote during the year, 1,318, as against 911 during 1902. Since the membership of the union was 4,256, Dec. 31, 1902, the net increase for the year was 900; the increase in tithe was $8,692.77; First-day offerings, $625.75; annual offerings, $1,053.42.
We feel thankful for this growth, but it ought to have been more, and would have been, had every member been true to his privileges, and every worker yielded himself absolutely into the hands of the Master Workman. We see that the efforts of the enemy will surely succeed in overthrowing the faith of all who are unwilling to give themselves entirely to the work before us. The time for half-heartedness is forever past: we must be whole-souled for Christ and for the Word of God, or he can not use us. Brethren, pray that we all may be one in the bond of Christ’s love.
A Son of God
SIR H. M. STANLEY tells that once in the heart of dark Africa a native was dragged before him by some of his followers for stealing a gun. Stanley looked at the gun: it clearly belonged to his expedition. The poor man who had it was frightened at the mention of Stanley's name, and could hardly find his voice or say a word, only, “I am a son of God; I would not steal!” This he repeated again and again. It was all he could say.
Stanley was interested, and it dawned on him that this man was probably one of the converts of some of the missionaries laboring in that region, and he accordingly gave him the gun, and allowed him to go, while they pursued their way.
At the next station where they stopped, they found the gun waiting for them. It appeared that the gun had probably been lost. This man had found it; and when he was set free, he at once went to the missionary for instructions, and by his direction it was sent where Stanley would get it.
But what a light must have touched that darkened son of Africa, who, though brought up in all vileness, and theft, and sin, had come to realize the glorious dignity of a divine paternity, and say, “I am a son of God; I would not steal.”—Selected.
In Raratonga
By A. H. Piper
A. H. PIPER
THE accompanying picture is one of our church buildings in Raratonga, Cook Islands. This is the first church that has been erected in this group of islands, and is of special interest on that account.
OUR FIRST CHURCH BUILDING IN RARATONGA
The readers of the REVIEW know something of the difficulties that had to be met in getting this enterprise started. We have reported, from time to time, the opposition to our work that has existed in Raratonga, especially when it was known that we were about to erect a meeting-house. But we are thankful to state that toward the completion of the building, many who at one time opposed us, helped us finish the house. It is often so in connection with God’s work in the earth.
The walls of the church are built of coral rock which the natives procured from the sea, and the roof is of galvanized iron. Its measurements are forty feet by twenty-two. The cost of the building was four hundred and seventy-five dollars. Of this amount two hundred and seventy-five dollars was sent to us from Australasia, chiefly from the Sabbath-schools in that field. The rest was raised by the workers of Raratonga, and by the native brethren. No money was paid out as wages, for the brethren did all the labor.
Without a penny of debt on it, it now stands, finished and furnished, ready to be dedicated to God on the anniversary of the introduction of the gospel to Raratonga, which will be the twenty-third of May. To God be all the praise.
New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Mission Notes
BETTER than the conscience that drives, is the love that draws to the work of missions.— A. T. Pierson.
THE total issues of the British and Foreign Bible Society since its foundation in 1804 have amounted to 180,982,740 copies.
THE natives of Aneityum, one of the islands of the New Hebrides, have erected a tablet in their church in grateful remembrance of their missionary, John Geddie. On this tablet is written in their language the following: “When he landed in 1848, there were no Christians here; and when he left in 1872, there were no heathen.”
Dr. JASON'S description of the kind of missionaries needed is applicable to-day. Calling for help, he said: “Send us men who are humble, quiet, persevering, of sound talents and decent accomplishments; men of amiable, yielding temper, willing to be servants of all; men who enjoy much closet religion, who live near to God, and are willing to suffer all things for Christ’s sake.”
THE Protestant foreign missionary statistics of the world, annually compiled by Dr. D. L. Leonard, associate editor of the Missionary Review, give for the beginning of 1903, 4,697 ordained missionaries, 4,337 ordained native ministers, and a total of 84,740 salaried agents of all kinds; 1,315,000 communicants, 4,056,503 native adherents, and more than 972 pupils in the schools.— Selected.
North Africa for April gives cautious information of a special work of the Spirit in Tangier, Morocco. There is risk in giving details of individual conversions, but within a month or two about fifty persons, between twenty and thirty of whom were Moslems, have made the decision to follow Christ. The importance of this information lies in the present state of Morocco—hopeless as a valley full of dry bones, and where the law still punishes conversion by the death penalty.
THE great weakness of the church of to-day is the large percentage of members who hear the word and profess to believe it, and who even wax hot over the heretic who dares to dissent from a single line of it, but who are not working at their religion. An underpinning of words is as unstable as one of sand. The man who hopes to get to heaven by spending a little of his breath, will find that the cheap route lacks terminal facilities. He must spend his cash and his strength.— Christian Endeavor World.
Illinois
By G. E. Nord
Brother Johnson and I are laboring in Galesburg. We came to this place last spring. After our tent effort in the fall, nine were baptized as a result of earnest work in which the church took an active part. Some of the members furnished able help in song and in giving Bible readings. During the winter months we erected a small chapel. It has a seating capacity of about one hundred and fifty. In connection with the chapel, there is a convenient little room for the church-school, which is now full of bright children who are taught in harmony with the divine plan. Our chapel was dedicated in March.
Last Sabbath was a day of great rejoicing to our little company here; seven were baptized, most of whom were young people. They give promise of becoming strong workers in the near future. We feel greatly rejoiced to see the good work going forward. God leads his hosts to victory.
