Foreign Mission Journal, September 1885

FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL.' Published Monthly by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. “ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME IN IIEAVEN AND IN EARTH. GO YE, THEREFORE, AND TEACH ALL NATIONS.” Vol. 17— New Series. RICHMOND, VA„ SEPTEMBER, 1883. No. -2.— Whole No. 200. [Eateretl at ihe Post-Offlce at Richmond, Va„ fucoml'ClMs mntrer.j Foreign Mission Journal. RATES PER ANNUM: I. Por papers aeparateJy add reseed, either to same or to UlllVrent |ю«и>Шсеа : One copy . - . . . 33 cts. Three copies (Ц $1 , or . 33 H cts. apiece. II. For packages sent to ono person, who shall be responsible for their distribution : Four copies for *1, or more at . 23 cts. apiece. Twenty-flvo copies for 4Л, or того at. . 20 cte. apiece. One Hundred copies for 416» or more at.. 1ft eta apiece. ayi'leaeo remit by Draft, Postal Order, or in Regis¬ tered Letter, and notify ns глош-ил* of nny change In address. Address, FOREIGN MISSION JOURNAL. Richmond. Va. FOREIGN MISSION BOARD OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION. Located at RICHMOND. VIRGINIA. President— J, L. M, OUItUY. VIC* I’B»8IBBNT8 — Joshua I.ovtrlnc, Mil.. О TV. Tomklrs. I.a„ J. I*. Burrows, Va.. N. A. Halley, Fla., Tbso. Whllfltld, N.O.. \V. II. Felix. Ky., J. J. ll. Hen- free. Alabama, П. S. Dunenn, Mo.. 11 It. Carroll, Texas. TV. L. Kilpatrick, Oa.. Chns. Manly, S. O.. J. SI. Senior. Venn.. .7. II. Searcy. Ark., Georee Whittle Id, Miss., TV. F. Attklsson. TV. Va. OOnnasrOBDtBO SICBKTABV— It. Л. T UPPER. TuxAStnixn — J C. WILLIAMS. RncoBDtKO Sechktauy-W. H. GTVAT1IMEY. AUDITOR— JOSEPH F. COTTRELL. Полип or niANAnuus — J. Il.TValk ns, H. K, Elly- soa, W. E. Hatcher. E. TVnithnm, TV. D. Thomas, ft. H. Harris, J. Pollard, Jr , I. W. Jones, A. 11. Clarke, J. 11. Winston. .T II. Hutsan О. II. Winston. S. O. Clopton, TV. TV, Landrum, TV J. Shipman. l&'All communications in reference to the business of this Hoard should be addressed to H. A. Topper, Corresponding Secretary , Richmond, Va. nlfieent. If we give to the Lord’s cause lib¬ erally of the first fruits, will it not help our thanksgiving for a bountiful bat vest ? “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts." Within a month about one third of all cur¬ rent subscriptions for the Journal expire. They were secured under a special oiler at reduced rates from August to October of last year. The same rates are still available. We semi notice of tiie fact by postal card, and if we fail to get any reply, must with many regrets strike oil" the names from our mailing list. Some of course will not renew — one is dead, another has lost interest in the cause, a third hasn’t the money, a fourth is offended at failure to receive one number, and three more fully intend to send on but simply neglect to carry out their good intentions. Will not seven others come in to fill these vacant places? If the re¬ ceipts hold up to the standard of last year the paper will go on smoothly, paying all ex penses of publication, but if not, - . Save us, please, from such a dilemma, by renewing promptly your own subscription, and getting others to join you. STATE OF THE TREASURY. Four months, one third of the financial year, have passed since May ist. The re- ceipts’as acknowledged in the Journal foot up $21,000, but nearly $9,000 of this sum was really collected and paid out last year, it comes into the present account only by cross entries of the same figures on the debit and credit sides of the ledger. The actual re¬ ceipts up to August 25th’ have been only, in round numbers, $12,000, or including balance on hand May ist, $13,000. The expenditures meanwhile have gone on without abatement. Indeed our Treas urer thinks some of our good missionaries have drawn a little more than the amounts appropriated entitled them to expect. For this in several fields there has been occasion. At any rate the drafts presented and paid up to date amount to $27,500, and leave us in debt to the extent of $14,500. Shall this be wiped out and the treasury replenished to meet other drafts ? We re- cieved last year $3,000 in Sept., $7,000 in Oct., $S,ooo in Nov. Will not the churches Tvhich take their annual collection in autumn add 50 per cent, this year and send forward •he money as promptly as possible? Our staple crops throughout the South are mag- HOME AGAIN. A month ago we were at Monteagle, Tenn., breathing the balmy air and drinking the chalybeate waters of the Cumberland plateau, sleeping soundly through the cool nighls, and enjoying by day the refined Christian society assembled for the summer schools and Sunday School Assembly. We shall not soon forget a sermon by Dr. Caldwell, of Livingston, Ala., who asked: “ What think ye of Christ ? ” nor a discourse on practical religion by Rev. Sam. Jones. Lectures by Drs. Price, of Nashville, Whar¬ ton, of Montgomery, Palmer, of New Orleans, Loos, of Lexington, Shearer, of Clarksville, Carlisle, of Spartanburg, Hon. Mr. Rich¬ ardson, of Murfreesboro, on “Thomas Jef¬ ferson,” and Judge Craft, of Memphis, on " Co-operative Christianity,” formed a rich and varied feast. But our last days there were the best. Sau Ah-Iirah, a Burman, ed¬ ucated in this country, gave us several lec¬ tures illustrative of the manners and cus¬ toms, social and religious, of his native land. He has a large supply of maps, garments and utensils, and knows how to use them. His keen wit, good delivery, consummate act¬ ing and broken English, make a piquant and instructive lecture. Dr. R. A. Young, Sec¬ retary of the Southern Methodist Mis¬ sion Board, escorted us round the world, pointed out the great fields for the propa¬ gation of the gospel, and called attention to the signs of promise which have attended the efforts thus far made. Col. B. W. Ed¬ wards, of Darlington, S. C., gave us a mas¬ terly discussion of the relation between mis¬ sions, 1. e., active Christianity and, modern thought. We hope to see it in print, and shall take the liberty of drawing on it from time to time for seed thoughts. Other equally interesting exercises were to follow, but correspondence was accumulat¬ ing, some friends were already impatient, and many pressing duties called us to bid farewell to the pleasant scenes and fond as¬ sociations of Monteagle and return to Rich¬ mond. We record with profound gratitude that in all our summer travelling through four States, we have met with no accident or detention, have found friends everywhere, and come back refreshed and strengthened, to meet loved ones at home all equally im proved by a sojourn ip the Tiedmont coun try of Virginia. Our absence through the whole of July and more than half of August, will be ac¬ cepted ns an excuse for any shortcomings during that time, and for some delay in suing this number. Henceforth we expect to ask no indulgence, but to unite heartily with our correspondents and our readers in making the J'oumal more worthy than ever before of a wider circulation, more useful in its appointed work of stirring up the breth¬ ren to the help of the Lord in carrying out his great commission. The Albemarle Association, with whic we had the privilege of spending a day c n route, had at its session four persons who have lived in China. It met near the home of our former missionary, Miss Eddie Moon, with whom at the time were Mrs. Holmes, also of the Tung Chow mission, and her son Landrum, recently graduated in Philadelphia as a doctor of medicine. Tiie quartette was completed by the arrival of the veteran Dr. Crawford, on his way east to lay certain plans and propositions before the Boards in Richmond and Boston. The Association gave a full share of its business hours to foreign Missions, and the Scottsville church, with which it met, added a mass meeting at night, with addresses by Dr. Holmes, Rev. Mr. Acree, of Lynchburg Dr. Crawford and Dr. Hatcher, of Rich¬ mond. The sad death of Mrs. Halcomb, who went out as Miss Mattie M. Roberts, has been announced. TVe expected, but have not yet received, the material for a suitable notice. It is sad to see our feeble ranks thinned by the fall within a few months of three noble women. The loss to brethren Pruitt, David and Halcomb is irreparable— we can only pray God to comfort them. The vacancies in our line of outposts can be supplied. Who will volunteer for such arduous and dangerous duty ? The Captain of ourSal va- tion graciously permits us to ofier our ser¬ vices. FROM OUR HOME CORRESPONDENCE. It is an undeniable fact that our letters are valued in general according to the entry they require on the cash book. Many of them, however, cheer us by adding to the business formula a few words showing hearty interest in our work. We should be glad to find room for many of these, but must be content with a sample from here and there. WHAT A PASTOR CAN DO. Rev. J. H. Amaker writes from Loxahoma, Miss.: At the close of the service at my Tyro church yesterday I made an appeal for the Foreign Mission Journal, and succeeded in getting twenty-five subscribers. Enclosed 1 send the amount, $5. Please send the Kers to B. D. Wilson, Tyro, Tate county s„ he will attend to the distribution o; them. [Who else will do the same ?] WHAT OUR READERS THINK. Mrs. L., of Missouri, renewing and send¬ ing also another name, says : " I appreciate your little paper very much and preserve every number.” Miss D., of Brooklyn, N. Y., renewing her subscription, writes: The Foreign Mission Journal is a very in¬ teresting paper, and I wish it success for the coining year, and trust that, wherever it may go, ft may give as much pleasure to all its readers as it has given to me, and deep¬ en and increase the desire of all true hearts to do all within their power to advance the Master's cause. Mrs. I!., of S. C., sending a new name, adds: I am well pleased with your paper, so much information in a small compass, and it is just the information our societies need. 1 wish I could induce every member of our small band to lake and read the Journal. I feel sure if they could see and feel the sacrifices, struggles and wonderful endur¬ ance of our loved missionaries, they would find welling up in their hearts a desire to do more for the cause of the Master than they ever have done before. And so say many others for whom we have not room. FROM A MISSIONARY ELECT. Greenville, Texas, Aug. 18, 18S3. Enclosed please find P. O. Order, for which send the Journal to the following named brethren. * * * 1 find a great many who want to take the paper, b'nt they say, " we have subscribed before, and have failed to receive it, or even hear from it afterwards." I could have taken other names, but have been afraid to do so until I could hear from vou. Many of the brethren are anxious to keep up with the foreign mission work, and will subscribe for the Journal if they can be assured they will get it when they subscribe. We are meeting with a good response wherever the foreign mission cause is pre¬ sented in Texas. Brother Daniel and I are earnestly praying that we may be permitted to start for our Brazilian fields in October. Fraternally, E. A. Puthuff. Brother P. lias met in Texas an objection which we have felt as the main obstacle to the success of the J'oumal. The subscrip¬ tion price is so little that it is sent without due care and sometimes fails to reach us. The paper is so small, when folded singly, that it is peculiarly liable to loss on the way. And our list is so large that the most careful clerk will sometimes make a mistake. We have been giving the matter very earnest personal attention for six months past, and by a thorough overhauling of the books, a more laborious system of keeping them, and special care in putting up the papers have greatly reduced the number of complaints which reach us. On this line we shall continue to work, and with a reor¬ ganized United States mail service, and prompt reports of all failures to receive the paper as ordered, we hope in a few months more to reduce them to a minimum. Our brother may confidently say to the good people of his State that they can reasonably expect better success now in their efforts to get the paper regularly. Two remarks more— (1.) Experience shows that papers in clubs go more regu¬ larly and safely than single copies. (2.) We gladly correct, as far as possible, any mistake that either is or may be made in the office of publication— for derelictions that clearly belong to the post-office system we do not hold ourselves responsible. Some brethren in North Carolina have ex¬ pressed a wish that brethren Herring and Bryan be allowed to remain in the United States till after their Convention, which meets November nth. The state of our treasury will make the Board more w illing to this delay, especially if it shall be the means of inducing North Carolina to raise forthwith the money needed for outfit, pas¬ sage and first quarters salary, say $2,500. What says the Recorder ? We had the pleasure of meeting at Mont¬ eagle Mrs. M. G. Kennedy, well-known by reputation to all our Sunday-school teachers. Her normal class of children, and her talks with the teachers on the management of classes and of mission bands, formed the most attractive feature of the assembly, and will bear much fruit for years to come. 3fEW BOOKS. The American Baptist Publication Society have laid on our table Ben-ammi, the Armorer’s Son ; A Story of the Days of Ahazand Hezekiah. By Rev. Edwin McMinn, i6mo.. 315 pp. Price, $1.25. Cullworthj A Story of the Rocky Mountains. By Miss L. Bates. i6mo., 256 pp. Price,4t-25- The former, with its scene of the eighth centur.y В. C„ in Palestine, Crete, Sparta and Rome, and bringing upon the stage, be¬ sides the kings of Judah and Israel, the lords of the Philistines, the prophets, Micah and Isaiah, Tiglath-Pilezer from the east, Nitma Pompilius and the immediate followers of Lycurgus, has one of the finest of plots. The execution unfortunately is much below the grand design. To call Mizpeh, Neby Samwil, as on page 20, is worse than an anachonism, it is mere affectation. By the seven golden candlesticks, (p. 25,) must be meant either ten lamps, or one with seven branches. How one merchant can be “in some places," and another “in others,” as represented on page 27, is more than we can see. Many more such proofs of carelessness mar the writing. Miss Bates, with a less imposing theme, has wrought it out far more successfully. Her picture of the struggles and gradual sue- . cesses of a missionary in one of the mining settlements, is well drawn and helpful. Both volumes are well illustrated, hand¬ somely printed and neatly bound; in a word, they are in the usual style of the Publication Society’s work.