The past few months has witnessed much of hard, earnest Home Mission work among the sisters in our State, such as has not been remunerative to our Home Mission treasury, but such as bears evidence of their zeal in defense of our homes and our State against the evils of intemperance. The campaign is over, and the prohibitory amendment was not carried, as had been our hope, but we know that the united, earnest prayers of God's dear ones for this object will not be lost, and that in His own right time He will give us the victory. Most of our missionaries in the State report advance work. One has felt compelled to resign, feeling that the results of his labors did not justify his expense to the Board, while more promising fields were suffering for means. The wife of a missionary who entered a rather discouraging field last November, though prostrated with inflammatory rheumatism, writes cheeringly of their growth in Mission and all Christian work. She says they need a great many tracts, Bibles, religious newspapers, and all good reading, for circulation. They contribute a dollar a week, in their little church, for the purchase of tracts and religious literature. One man in the lumber camps has been converted through the reading of tracts sent to him, and now he is ready to circulate them among the other men, although he is among profane and morally filthy surroundings. It is gratifying to see Home Mission Circles organized and maintained in these small churches, for they are strong indications of prosperity. We can but note the progress of a church which in its poverty starts out with plans for missionary work, verifying the promise, “Him that honoreth me I will honor." We have some promising Mission Bands," which are our hope for the future. In one small town a 66 66 Band of thirty-eight members has just held its first anniversary. They had contributed fifteen dollars for missions, and twenty of them had been converted during the year. 'Baby Helpers" have been added to our Home Mission interests, and quite a long list of names, with the accompanying ten cents, have been insists that two of his dolls shall belong to the " sent in to our treasury. One little boy of three years Baby Helpers." He is careful to set aside all that are maimed or ill-favored, but Santa and Nurse, he is sure, are worthy of being "Mission Helpers." He has caught his mother's spirit. A letter from Miss Concepcion Renteria, of Mexico, informed us that she must leave her field of work for a rest, as her health would not allow her to remain longer-but she hopes to regain strength so as to again return to the work she loves. Mr. Sloan counts himself exceedingly fortunate in being able to secure the labors of Miss Rita Sombrano to fill her place while she is absent. Romanists and idol worshipers have been converted to God through this house-tohouse visiting. Miss Dyer has been spending her Sundays visiting the Sunday schools where the "Hartshorn" girls are engaged in teaching. She says, "Imagine yourself with me and let us visit two or three of these places. First we go into a mission school held in a dark alley. There is but one room in this cabin, in one corner of which is a bed. Boards have been brought in and placed on chairs, and the room is packed with children, boys and girls from four to sixteen years of age. We counted fifty-three. This school was established and is conducted by one of our girls. We listened to the instruction, and found repeated the same Bible lessons given at Hartshorn. A blunder is made now and then, but much gospel truth is pressed home upon the hearts, and we feel that these dear girls are doing a noble work. Next we will go to the colored almshouse. In a little room called a chapel, we find a dozen persons gathered for Sunday school. Of these, five are totally blind, but they tell us they love the Lord, and they know the time will come when they shall see the King in his beauty. This also is in charge of one of our girls. Although we have had few conversions this year, the Lord has not withdrawn his presence. As in the church, so in our work, there must be times of seed-sowing. The Lord will send the harvest in his own time. The wife of one of the colored professors in Richmond Theological Seminary has charge of both instrumental and vocal music. She is a true Christian lady, and her influence in the school is excellent. Shall this educational work stop? Every Christian, every teacher may take courage from the fact that under all this transformation of the human race lies that arm which be. gan the work of making man.” In whatever department of the Home Mission field we stop to centre our thoughts, and give it any attention, we involuntarily feel that there is where we must 162 put forth our best energies. Our prayer for Christians in America is, "Lord open their eyes, that they may see the work Thou hast placed before them to do." RECEIPTS FOR JANUARY, FEBRUARY AND Atlas, $5 Fenton, $15: Flint Band, $12.10; Hadley, $7: Ortonville, $3; Almont, $5; Caro, Mrs. Parkhurst Sunday school class, $t; Big Rapids, $2; Bowne, $2; Grand Rapids 1st, $33; Grand Rapids 2d. $4.83; Middleville, $2.25; Paris, $5 Freeport, Miss Dorcas Woolcot, $1; Greenville, $2.12 lonia, $5.25; Band, $3.75; Palo, $4; Portland, $2.65; Pewamo, $3; Harbor Springs, $4; Traverse City, $5; Bad Axe, $1.40; Sunday school, $1; Sand Beach, $14.53: Bronson, $6.05 Coldwater, $4.50; Band, $13.25; Litchfield, $3.30; Quincy, $9; Albion, $3; Aurelias, $10; Bellevue, $2.75; Jackson, $22.78; Allegan, $5: Young Ladies, $3.50: Battle Creek, $6.19; Sunday school, $5 81; Independence Band, $5: Ceresco, $4; Climax, $4.75; Band, .25: Ganges, $4.69: Kalamazoo, $37.89: Paw Paw, $5.50; Plainwell, $10.73; South Haven, $4.14; Adrian, $10; Rome 2d, $1.75: Tecumseh, $15.25: Detroit 1st, $14.40; Detroit, Woodward Avenue, $64.09; Young People, $10.61; Sunday school, $5.68; Boys' Band, .18; Detroit, Twelfth Street, $19.50; Band, .62; Detroit, Eighteenth Street, $5.50: Detroit 1st German, $5; Macomb, $2; Pontiac, $12: Port Huron, $10; Richmond, $2.65; Rochester, $3.15; Romeo, $4.75; Mrs. C. C. Bowen, Detroit, $5; Mrs. L. B. Austin, Detroit, $5; Mrs. Wm. A. Moore, Detroit, $10; Reed City, $1; Bay City 1st, $8; Bay City West, $5.25: Bay City, Fremont Ave., $5 Emerson, $3; Saginaw City, $2; South Saginaw, $6; Tuscola, $2.70; De Witt, $5; Lansing, $4.83: Band, $9: St. John's, $1; Okemos, Mrs. Hunt and Hulit, $1; Mrs. Young, $5 Cassopolis, $2.50; Dowagiac, $10; New Buffalo, $4.85; Niles, $12; Centerville, $8.50; Porter, $5.56: Three Rivers, $3.20; Union City, $4; Highland, $15: Little Sunbeams, .50; Little Gleaners, .46; Little Veterans, $2.36; Armor Bearers, .85 Buds of Promise, .48: Loyal Class, .70; Howell, $y: Kensington Mission Helpers, $8; Milford, $10; Ann Arbor, $7.35; Chelsea, $4.50; Clinton, $3: Mooreville, $4.95 York, Young Ladies, $8; Pentwater, $3.75: Lakeside, $13. Total, $728.18. Ministerial and Church Record. "The word of God grew and multiphed."-Acts 12:24. ORDINATIONS. PLACE. Richmond, Va., East End Baptist Church, April 17 April 17. March 13. April 9. PLACE. Riffe's Hill, W. Va., Laurel Creek, W. Va., Bridgewater Station, N. C., Fort White, Fla., La Crosse, Wis, Second Baptist Church, Hay Springs, Neb., Alto, Texas, CHURCH EDIFICES DEDICATED. April 7. April 13. Feb. 8. March 28. April 12. March 27. March 21. March 30. DATE. April 17. March 24. April 10. May 4 March 13. West Bolton, Mass., Nashville, N. Y., DATE. April 8. Feb. 19. AGE. PLACE. 90. Sidney, Me., 83. 71. 47. Brooklyn, N. Y., Edw'd G. Taylor, D.D., 55. Buffalo, N. Y., Hugh Herrick, Thomas W. Conway, H. Sterling Watt, March 18. April 6. April 10. Cape May C. H., N. J., April 6. Francis Wayland Tustin, 52. Lewisburg, Pa., L. A. Douglass, Wilson Ashley, -- Athens, Pa., 80. Crayton, S. C., April 14. Wood Co., Texas, Dec. 10. Jan. 21. April 5. NAME. 43. Hampton C. H., S. C., Francis H. Davis, L. W. Harrell, 84. Augusta, Ga., William G. Fennell, Middletown, Conn., April 26. Drury Sumrall, 85. Jasper Co., Miss., Caton, N. Y., April 6. W. H. C. Perkins, April 4. May 8. W. E. Chambliss, Merrill Howard, April 16. F. S. Smith, P. B. Butler, W. T. Woodhouse, 1. R. Dean, M. T. Crews, D. B. Jacobs, Ilion, N. Y., Hillsborough, Ky., Crawford Springs, Ga., P. H. Steinberger, April 21. J. A. McLean, Feb. 5. March 20. April 10. March 12. April 3. 51. Salisbury, Mo., 56. Fancy Creek, Kans., April 16. March 1. Home Mission Appointments IN JUNE. The following new appointments were made. Carl M. Seehaus, Scandinavian Pilgrim Church, Chicago, Ill. L. C. Knuth, Sheboygan, Wis. Russell S. Sargent, Long Prairie and Sauk Center, Min. John S. Festersun, Beardsley and Brown's Valley, Minn. W. H. Brodt, Bird Island and Hector, Minn. Brown Township, Ind., Basco, Ill., Unionville, Mich., Breckenridge, Mich., March 30. Otsego, Mich., Sun Prairie, Wis., April 19. March 29. 44 Isanti, Minn., Minneapolis, Minn., Ayrshire, Iowa, April 2. 66 Huntsville, Texas, Salem, Kans., Isaac C. Fallis, Fredonia, Kans. 44 April 27. Topeka, Kans.. M. P. Hunt, Ellsworth, Kans. R. R. Wiliams, Madison, Dak. The following re-appointments were made: Rev. G. Aubin, French in Worcester, Mass. D. D. Proper, General Missionary for Kans. M. Barker, Chamberlain, Dak. 64 C. B. Allen, Jr., Helena, Mont. "M. M. Lewis, Winlock, Toledo and vicinity, Wash. "Dwight Spencer, General Missionary for Rocky Mountain District. FINANCIAL STATEMENT.”— Donations, Legacies, and Interest from April 1, 1886, to March 1, 1887, $35,325 12 80,689 43 Groton Sunday school.. West Randolph Sunday school. Felchville Church. Johnson Sunday school. Georgia Plain Church Pittsford Church Sunday school.. Chester Church West Haven, First Church.. Fair Haven Church, per Rev. D. Spencer. West Randolph, Rev. J. A. Pierce. Pittsford Sunday school, Chapel Builders' Fund. MASSACHUSETTS, $114, 108.96. Sundry contributions per Rev. J. N. Williams: West Springfield, Mr. Allen.. Mt. Adams Church. Holyoke Church Mr. Brien... Cash. Marlboro Church 4 00 3.00 10 00 2 95 IO 00 15.00 175 31 10 00 4 00 Fall River, First Church, by J. M. Leonard. Mrs. H. C. Gould.. Royalston, J. M. Pierce Lynn, Washington St. Church. First Church East Church. West Church. Arlington Church.. Rawley Church.. 100 00 I 50 225 00 140 10 59 35 36.00 7 00 133.95 12 08 34.00 9 61 42 00 18.75 9 00 West Royalston Church. 7 50 Dighton Church.. 3 65 Holden, First Church. New Bedford, North Church. 44 00 8 00 5 00 1 00 Fayville Church.. 2 30 Charlestown, Bunker Hill Church. 108 00 Chicopee Falls, First Church. 100 50 Natick Church.. 3 00 A Friend.. 15 00 New Bedford, First Church. 7 50 56202 2 00 74 00 17 59 9.62 Waltham Church.. Raynham Church. Sunday school. Lawrence, First Church. Medfield Church. Salem, Central Baptist Church. South Framingham Church Middleboro, Central Church. Middlefield Church... Rockland Church Belchertown Church. 13 38 60 00 35 66 60 00 19 36 14 90 156 98 4 50 18.66 36.00 105 20 25.00 |