Читать книгу: «The American Missionary. Volume 44, No. 01, January, 1890», страница 4

NEW CHURCH AT FORT YATES, NORTH DAKOTA

REV. T.L. RIGGS.

On Sunday, the 8th, we took steps here in the organization of a new church. By invitation, two of our Oahe Church, Solomon Bear Ear and David Lee, were present from the Cheyenne River Agency, and it was judged wise to organize. The Apostles' Creed and a short Covenant were offered as Articles of Faith and the pledge. The nine members of our Oahe church whose homes are at Grand River and Fort Yates will become members here on dismission at Oahe, and the native workers and other missionaries will also transfer their connection, so that if all do so, the new church will have a membership of eighteen or twenty.

In connection with these services the new chapel was dedicated to the Master's service by public expression; it has already been so consecrated. I doubt not, in the heart of the giver of the funds, as well as by the prayers of all who have been interested in it. Is is a bright, pleasant room within, and has a snug appearance from without. I think Mr. Reed has made a very creditable success in this his first building.

THE CHINESE

CHINA FOR CHRIST

BY REV. WM. C. POND, D.D.

It is quite possible (though I do not distinctly remember about it,) that our readers have seen this caption at the head of my articles more than once already. Be that as it may, I am sure that such persons as read this Magazine cannot be weary of it. It is the motto of our corporation adopted twelve or thirteen years ago. It then looked rather magniloquent for a work so humble as ours; but there was promise in it, and prophecy, and nothing less would satisfy either our Chinese brethren or myself. This promise and prophecy begin to be fulfilled. We hoped then, and now we are gladdened by oft-recurring confirmations of our hope, that we were laboring not only for these sojourners in our own land, but for a mighty multitude to be reached by their testimony, and to be leavened by the influence of their example.

This will be illustrated for our readers by the following extract from an address delivered by one of our brethren at the last anniversary of our mission at Santa Cruz. His English will require a little straightening, but for the most part, I will give it just as spoken:

Dear Friends: I am glad to see you all here this evening; and that you have an interest in the Chinese work. I will tell you a few words about myself, what experience I had in my native land. I left California to go to China, July 15, 1887, and after thirty-one days, reached my home. I found a piece of red paper on the wall above my cooking place, with the name of the stove-god written on it. We call it "Doy Shin;" "Doy" means "Stove," "Shin" means "god." Every family worships the stove-god at the cooking place. The first of every month they burn some punk, and twice every month make a fresh cup of tea, which is left standing on the stove. I found that several thousands of punk had been burned during my absence, and the ends of the sticks were left in the bowls. I felt very sorry for it; so I tore up the paper and break the punk-sticks in pieces and burn them up. My wife felt very indignant, and was afraid the stove-god might be angry and make me sick, and punish me. I say: "Nothing to be afraid of. But I am only afraid that the true God in heaven will punish me if I do not tear up the paper and burn up the punk-sticks." I say: "I must entirely abandon this superstition and must give this testimony for Christ. For he is the only God that can preserve my life, and the only one that can take it away."

In the mean time, a Chinese preacher who was supported by the Methodist Mission was very sick. His children were very small and his wife cannot walk. There was nobody to go after a doctor for him. So he sent for me to call doctor and get medicine. He and myself were the only Christians inside the walls of the city. Outside in the villages were a few Christians, but fifteen or twenty miles away. My wife advised me not to go to his house lest I get sick also, for my health was not very good. I say to her, that only he and I are Christians in this place. I have to go to his house. I rather die than not go. In about twenty days he die. We sent for the Christian friends, from different parts—some thirty to fifty miles away—some nearer. So we bury him the Christian way. The men carry the coffin. They charge four dollars to bury him, because he is Christian. The others they charge only two dollars. We also hire music for the funeral—different from the heathen funeral. Several hundred people were standing on the way, watching us pass by. Some say: "How funny the burying of the Yason dog,"—i.e., the Jesus boy.

After the funeral I was very sick, and my whole body trembling with cold. Many blankets put upon me, but cannot make me warm. My wife begin to cry. My cousins and all said it was because I went to the dead man's house and catch the sickness. Some of them said it was because I tore up the paper and burned the punk-sticks of the stove-god. But my wife, sitting on the bed-side crying, suggested the medicine which I brought from California; the name—sulphate of quinine. So she ask me to take that; but I say: I never have been this way before, and never use that medicine for this kind of sickness. But she ask me to try; so I take a very little with a little water. Not more than three minutes my whole body stop shaking, and I felt a great relief. I thank God for his help, and soon I got all well.

Another Chinese preacher came from Canton to my district to take the dead preacher's place; also, to live in his house. Next day, he and his wife and boy all taken very sick. They grow worse and worse, every day appointed to death. I felt very much dismayed because many people say, "The Death Spirit make them very sick because they will not worship him." But I pray to God to make him well. I say:—"Oh Lord, if you let this family die also, all the people in this place will not like to hear thy Gospel, and I also may be tempted by the superstition. I ask thee, oh God, let thy mercy be upon them and not let this family going to die; so let all this people of darkness see thy power, and thy glorious light appear to their sight." I believe that God answered this prayer, for they grew better and better every day, though they were so sick they expected to die.

I will tell you of another trial which I encountered. I live inside the wall, and all the people inside are divided into six societies. I belong to No. 4. Once in three years we have what we call festival. So a man who had charge asked me to sign my name to give twenty-five cents to buy some pork and other things for offerings to the idols. The temples have some property, but they use the temple money for other expenses. I refuse to subscribe. So he advised me and said: "While you are in the foreign country, imitate foreign customs, but now you are in China, you have to obey Chinese customs." They try to compel me to give. I stand up and say: "If these six societies could not have this festival to the idols because I refuse, do the people depend on me? If so, then all the people are without hope, and may despair of the blessing of the idols. Is that what you believe? Because you worship the idols you give offerings to them, and expect blessing from them. I do not worship the idol, and he would not give me the blessing. I do not wish for the idol's blessing. It is not because I am stingy that I will not give to the offering of the idol, but because it is against the true God in heaven, whom I trust, and whose blessing I do greatly desire." So they could not compel me to give, and they let me alone, but they felt very much indignation and were hostile to me. A Christian in China has sometimes a very hard time. "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." Yet more and more are believing the Gospel of Christ every year in China.

A year has passed since, this brother returned to America; but is there any hazard in affirming that those towns-people of his in China have thought more or less, even to this day, of the stand he took and the God in Christ to whom he testified?

BUREAU OF WOMAN'S WORK

MISS D.E. EMERSON, SECRETARY.

MASS MEETING OF THE WOMAN'S HOME MISSIONARY UNIONS

The first meeting of the Woman's Home Missionary Unions in connection with the American Missionary Association was a genuine success. The programme was put in the hands of Mrs. E.S. Williams of Minnesota by vote of the ladies at Saratoga in June last, and the interested group who filled the large and pleasant Sunday-school rooms of the New England Church in Chicago, October 29th, rejoiced in their new and forward movement for home and native land. Mrs. Lane of Michigan gave Mrs. Williams genial help in presiding. Mrs. Palmer of Massachusetts led in prayer. Mrs. Burke Leavitt, President of the Illinois Union, gave to the ladies a felicitous welcome to the city and to the sympathy of the workers of the great state of Illinois. Mrs. E.W. Blatchford greeted the women in behalf of the New England Church and of their co-workers in the W.B.M.I. If only all good women saw and felt, as this wise sister did, that all Christ's work is one, and that all work for him outside of our own home and church is mission service, their appeals to their sisters would have more irresistible force, and the Saviour's prayer be nearer answered, "That they all may be one." Miss Emerson, of the American Missionary Association, spoke with her usual straightforward effectiveness of the joy of the Association in their share of the work of the Unions.

These greetings were followed by the roll-call of State Unions, with brief responses. Mrs. Williams represented Minnesota; Mrs. Palmer, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She also read a letter from Miss Nathalie Lord of Boston. Mrs. Grabill responded for Michigan, Mrs. Cowles for Ohio, Mrs. Morgan for New York, Mrs. Miner for Wisconsin, Mrs. Bronson for Missouri, Mrs. Taintor for Illinois, Mrs. Douglass for Iowa, Mrs. Leavitt for Nebraska, and Miss Emerson for Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and North Carolina. A telegram was received from Mrs. Gale of the Florida Union, letters from Mrs. Swift of Vermont and Mrs. Andrews of Alabama, and a warm message from Louisiana came just too late for public hearing. Greetings also came from Northern and Southern California, Oregon and Colorado.

After prayer by Mrs. Douglass, of Iowa, Miss Hand gave a brief, but very effective address on "What the New West needs from our Women—prayer, consecrated effort, contributions."

In the afternoon, Mrs. Lane gave a complete summary of "Foreign Missions at Home. What have we done? What have we left undone? What ought we to do now?" No brief mention can give any adequate idea of the amount of information which was crowded into this address, or the earnestness of its presentation.

Mrs. Regal, of Oberlin, presented the report of the Bohemian Bible Readers' Home, in Cleveland.

Mrs. E.M. Williams answered effectively the question, "How can we induce women of wealth to give to Home Missions?" She thought lack of information was the cause of most of the indifference from which the work suffers, and recommended individual effort as likeliest to be successful.

Mrs. Bailey, of Ogden, Utah, gave a stirring address on the "Need of Pure Homes and True Churches in the West."

Elizabeth Winyan, a Christian Indian woman of the Dakotas, next addressed the meeting in her native language, Rev. Mr. Riggs acting as her interpreter. Elizabeth's manner is very calm and dignified, and her gestures are graceful and forcible. Her language is eloquent even though trammeled by the necessity of having an interpreter. When she "shakes hands with us in her heart," we know she means it, and when she has "said enough," we know she is done.

A Free Parliament for the discussion of practical questions was conducted by Mrs. Regal, of Ohio. The subjects of Missionary Literature, Life-Membership, Dangers threatening the Unions, Holding meetings in connection with or separate from local and State Conferences, and National Organization, were discussed, a large number of ladies participating freely.

Mrs. Goodell, of St. Louis, conducted a "Sweet Hour of Prayer," which closed the day's sessions, and the earnest group dissolved only to swell the throngs at the best meeting the American Missionary Association ever held.