Читать книгу: «The American Missionary. Volume 42, No. 10, October, 1888», страница 5

INTEMPERANCE

The few lines below indicate the quality and flavor of the papers read by the graduating class at Atlanta University.

One of the great causes of intemperance in our land is that lack of self-respect which the present state of society induces among the poor and laborious. Just as long as wealth is the object of worship and the measure of men's importance, and is regarded as the badge of distinction, just so long will there be a tendency toward self-abasement and self-abandonment among those whose lot gives them no chance to acquire it.

Such naturally feel as if the great good of life were denied them. They feel themselves neglected. Their condition cuts them off from communion with educated and refined people. They think they have little or no stake in the general weal of life. They feel as though they have no character to lose, consequently intemperance takes possession of them.

This evil of intemperence is said by some to be the greatest of all evils. It is the cause of the ruin of some of our fathers and brothers, and I am sorry to say it ruins some of the mothers. When we, the temperance girls and boys, ask them to leave off their habit of drinking, they tell us that it does them good. When cold it makes them warm, when warm it makes them cold. When troubled, it cheers them. When weak, it strengthens them. It is certainly killing them by degrees.

STUDENT'S LETTER

THE BLUE-JACKET TEACHER—FIRST SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

From youth I was impressed that the "Yankee" was the terror of the world, capable of literally swallowing a small fellow, so it was with great difficulty that Judge M.J. S–, a Southern white man, induced me, in 1873, to enter Burrell Academy, then an A.M.A. school located in Selma, Alabama, and taught by some of those "blue jacket" beings whose names did not always begin with "blessed." The principal having sent me to Grade 2, I followed a little girl to the door of that room. She passed in while I stood at the door and thought thus, "Shall I go in here when one of those awful "blues" is there?" Half doubting, half fearing, trembling throughout, I slipped shyly inside the first school-house I ever entered, and lo! to my greatest surprise there sat a woman who was anything but "blue," whose face was as white and fair as any ever seen, whose hair was slightly golden, whose voice seemed more sweet, mellow and musical than the softest flute note; she was one whom all praised and loved. The only blue about her was her eyes, which marked her pure Saxon lineage.

When I felt sure that no monster would suddenly spring from those queer walls of white and black, I silently exclaimed, "Why, that's a white woman!"

In March, 1873, she began teaching me the alphabet, when I was thirteen years old. I had no mother and no home or friend, other than Judge S–, in whose family I served.

In 1874 he left the city, leaving me homeless. I vainly sought work but was turned away with "too small."

Pinched and pressed by hunger and want, I was despairing when that angel-like teacher, one of the purest and best of women, came to my rescue, and thenceforth with her own hands and earnings continued to help supply all my needs—material and spiritual. She taught me the alphabet of school, of life and of heaven; she influenced me to pray, and in answer to our prayers I was converted and joined the church in 1875.

In May, 1879, finishing the course, I graduated from Grammar Department A, of Burrell Academy, and began teaching in Cato, Miss., in 1880. In the autumn of this year, I entered the Normal and College Preparatory Departments of Talladega College, and graduated in May, 1884.

Returning to Preston, Ga., I resumed my school work, whence I was called to a position in Burrell Academy under Prof. Edwin C. Silsby, Principal. Upon the resignation of the above named gentleman, in 1885, I was finally chosen principal of that school. This position I still hold, striving to perform in the most faithful, earnest and satisfactory manner the work of him that sent me.

The first money earned by me as teacher, went toward the purchase of the home now owned and occupied by us. My good friend, who labors to-day in Beaufort, N.C., having helped me through college and seen me launch upon life's tide, seemed to say, "My boy, do not drift, but steer straight for heaven's port, and do unto others as I have done unto you." For me, her prayers still ascend, unto me, her wise counsel still comes, and upon me, her benedictions still rest.

In conclusion I say God bless you, A.M.A. for sending such a laborer into the field, for if there is, or shall be, in me anything of manhood, worth or useful service to my country, my people and my God, the credit is due to her.

ALEXANDER A. PETERS.

THE INDIANS

MR. MOODY'S MISSIONARY MEETINGS

REV. MR. SHELTON'S ADDRESS

Mr. Moody's Missionary Meetings have been a marvel in their conception, in their remarkably large audiences and in the still more remarkably able and interesting class of speakers—some of them from distant mission fields. They show how broad and many-sided is Mr. Moody's mind and heart.

At the meeting held August 8th, Rev. C.W. Shelton, the Financial Secretary for Indian Missions of the American Missionary Association, was invited to address the meeting. We condense from the Springfield Union an outline of Mr. Shelton's stirring address, and its effect upon Mr. Moody and others in attendance, with the practical results.

The most stirring address of the morning was delivered by Rev. Chas. W. Shelton of New York City, on the Indian problem. He stated the problem with simplicity and dignity, but when he got worked into his theme, he became eloquent in his description of the position of the Indian people and their strong desire to receive the gospel. While he was illustrating his argument with pathetic incidents in his experience, there were many of his audience in tears.

The speaker described the Indians themselves; their first characteristic was the deep religious nature which swayed their whole life. They prayed oftener and more fervently than Christians, worshipping everything that was unknown and mysterious; of which the saddest thing was that the Indian's gods were all gods of anger, involving sacrifices. To show the extent to which the Indians would sacrifice themselves to appease their god's anger, a very touching story was told of a boy torturing himself for the recovery of his sick mother. At the close of the Mohonk Conference, two years ago, our committee went to President Cleveland to petition in regard to methods. He said that he sympathized with all our methods and ideas. "But," he said, "gentlemen, you may do all you can at Mohonk, I may do all I can here in the White House, and Congress may do all that they can over there, but," and he turned and picked up a Bible, "gentlemen, after all, that book has got to settle the Indian problem." (Applause.) And the President was right. Before you can do anything for the preservation of the Indian you've got to give him a new hope, a new salvation. I have studied many tribes, and have never found a tribe or village of Indians or a single Indian civilized before he was Christianized.

The speaker next considered the question whether the Christianization of the Indians was possible. This he answered by the case of the 400 Indians taken captive in the Sioux war which followed the Minnesota massacre of 1862. In the fall of that year, a missionary went to their prison, and in the next six months taught 392 to read and established a church with 295 members. Subsequently President Lincoln pardoned all but 39 and the survivors went among the Sioux, and the speaker considered the ten Christian churches and 2,000 Christians among the 40,000 Sioux to be owing to this church of prisoners. In Dakota, every one of the 40,000 Indians was ready to receive the gospel.

On Mr. Moody's asking how much he wanted, he said that it took $400 to start a station, and $300 a year to keep it up. He then related a very pathetic story of an old Indian who traveled 150 miles across the Territory seven times to get a missionary sent among his people. The difficulty in getting one arose from the society sending the missionaries, whose debt was so large that the executive board had refused to send out any more. ("Board wants more faith," put in Mr. Moody.) The old man finally went back to his people, saying sadly: "They must die in their darkness; the Christian people of America haven't interest enough in the poor dying Indian to try and help him."

Mr. Moody, who had been apparently deep in thought ever since the speaker had mentioned the sum necessary to start a station, now broke out, "Got a mission started where that old man wanted it?" in such an earnest way that it brought down the house. But Mr. Moody wasn't satisfied till Mr. Shelton answered in the affirmative, and added that what he said of the Sioux was true of the other tribes, 68 of whom were untouched by any missionary efforts. At this point, $300 was handed to the platform to establish a station, and the audience grew enthusiastic. The speaker continued, illustrating the need of Christian work among the Indians and their willingness to receive it by telling a story of a little Indian girl who was converted while dying. She asked of her teacher: "But, lady, how long have you known of this beautiful story?" "Many years," replied the missionary. "And how long has white man known of this?" "Oh, very many years." "Lady, if white man has known about God and about heaven so long, what for, why has he not told poor dying Indian about this before? If I could only get well, I would go and tell all my people this beautiful story about Jesus and home," and with those words, "Jesus and home," her eyes closed forever.

In answer to Mr. Moody's questions, he described the stations, little buildings of three rooms, and the missionaries' life, at home, and teaching the Indians to cultivate the soil, as well as preaching to them; his wife also teaching the women. The audience had become quite enthusiastic by the time he finished his eloquent appeal, and at this moment Mr. Sankey offered $700 to start one station, and shortly after Mr. Moody pledged an equal amount. A lady then handed in $400 to go with the $300 subscribed during the address. Mr. Moody himself then made a brief appeal, speaking of the Indian boys and girls in his school and the high rank they had taken. He offered a short prayer and then dismissed the audience, telling Mr. Shelton to "make himself plenty" around the buildings during the afternoon, and doubtless he would receive more money.

Mr. Shelton did "make himself plenty" around the building, and the result has been that nearly $3,000 were contributed either in cash or in pledges that have since been redeemed. Still other contributions are anticipated as the outcome of this fine address. Three out-stations will be started at once in Dakota, one of them bearing the name of Mr. Moody, another of Mr. Sankey, and the third may be named Northfield or it may bear the name designated by the donor.