-The Women's Home Mission Society of the Dayton, O., Association have decided to devote their contributions the coming year to the purchase of a lot in one of the towns in the Sioux Reservation, South Dakota, and proceed to build "The Dayton Chapel" upon it. This is admirable. Why should not many women's societies have some share in providing chapels for the West where not merely men, but women and children may be gathered to hear the Gospel! themes, but also in substantial gifts for all the Boards. The United Society of Christian Endeavor does not ask anything for itself, but it prays that on that day many fires of missionary interest may be kindled in the hearts of the young people all over the land, and that they may learn on their tenth anniversary something more of the blessedness of giving." NOTE: We suggest that the young people in our Baptist Churches designate their offer -Rev. S. E. Stearns, a veteran pioneer mis-ings to Indian missions in North America. sionary of the Society in Idaho and Washington, entered into rest, at Viola, Idaho, December 13, 1890, at the age of seventyeight. He will long be remembered in the regions where he labored, as a most consecrated man, who, though advanced in years, made extended journeys on foot, even in inclement weather, to preach the Gospel to the destitute, and to carry to the homes of the people the words of eternal life. Rev. James Sunderland writes: "For the last year or two the infimities of age were fast gathering upon him and he had become a great sufferer. He pursued his calling, however, caring for the little churches of his field with all zeal and self-sacrifice to the last." -Rev. F. E. Clark, President of the United Society of Christian Endeavor writes: "One of the most marked developments of the Christian Endeavor movement has been the growing interest of the young people who belong to these Societies in the missionary cause. This is manifested in many ways, not only in the increased attendance at the missionary meetings, but in a disposition on the part of the Societies to form missionary committees and to arouse a new interest in the cause at home and abroad. Every National Christian Endeavor Convention and almost every State convention and many local conventions have set apart an hour for the consideration of missionary themes. The International Christian Endeavor Day to be observed February 2d, the day which will mark the tenth anniversary of the first Society, will be celebrated chiefly by making a thank offering to some missionary cause. Each Society will give to its own denominational missionary boards and in that way alone, and it is hoped and believed that this "Christian Endeavor Day" will result not only in a large increase of interest in missionary KANSAS.-Rev. T. B. Hughes writes from Hays City that "the Lord is blessing us here. Our congregations have more than doubled during the last two months. Three were recently baptized, and many more will soon follow. We have a beautiful stone edifice, worth $6,000, free of debt, by far the best meeting-house in the city. Best of all, our night congregation frequently fills it, sometimes to overflowing. Pray for us." ARKANSAS.-Rev. J. H. Hoke, our efficient colored general missionary for this State, writes that "the work is more encouraging. A revival season has come in our State, and souls are being added to the churches by the hundreds. I am amazed to see gamblers, drunkards and all kinds of persons putting down their former habits and coming to Christ. And the good part to me is that they are uniting with Baptist churches. Pray for us." MICHIGAN. Rev. W. W. Dewey, a member of the Home Mission Board of the Baptist State Convention, wants your religious papers after being read. Send him a postal card giving the names of the periodicals you can send (and how long you will send them) and your name and address. He wishes the papers sent regularly, not once, but weekly, or monthly for a year, at least. He will furnish you the names to whom you can send them. He has been holding revival meetings, and these papers will be of great value Rev. W. W. Dewey, Cadillac, Michigan. to the young converts and others. Address OKLAHOMA.-The Oklahoma Baptist reports the dedication of a chapel at Guthrie for the colored Baptist Church, and the organization of a Colored Baptist Association in which six churches were represented. Five of these have Sunday-schools. Surely our colored brethren in Oklahoma have a devoted and enterprising spirit. It also says: "Agent Bennett, in his recent report sent to the Department of the Interior, reports the Indian population of the Indian Territory at 67,000, divided as follows: Cherokees, 25,000; Creeks, 15,000; Seminoles 2,600; Choctaws, 13,000; Chickasaws, 6,400. There are about 144,500 non-citizens! [Over twice as many non-citizens as Indians. These are white people for the most part.-ED.] The Southern Methodists have about 5,000 Indian members and 4,000 white." MISSOURI.-The Grand Avenue Baptist Church, St. Louis, will, by the time this reaches our readers, be in possession of a very fine, commodious church edifice, costing, complete, about $16,000. The pastor, Rev. E. Anderson, has been aided by our Society for some time and now this once feeble mission has developed into quite a strong interest with a grand field in which to labor around it. Dr. Ford's church, the Second Baptist, has taken an active interest in this project, raising some $8,000 for the new building, and the Church Edifice Department of this Society has also assisted. A large Sunday school and congregation are gathered every week, and the hard work of these good brethren and Brother Anderson has been wonderfully blessed of the Lord. We extend our most hearty wishes for the continued prosperity of this good work, NORTH DAKOTA.-Rev. J. A. Marnie, of Devil's Lake, had a somewhat disagreeable experience recently. A church near this city sent him a fine box of clothing and household necessities, sending him by mail a full invoice of the contents. When the box arrived it was found that it had been opened on the way and some of the most valuable articles stolen. He would never have known that anything was missing had not this invoice been sent him by mail, and he makes this very sensible suggestion that each church should send to the missionary by mail a full list of the articles sent in the box that is to follow. If it is enclosed in the box a thief would find and destroy it. The culprits who in this instance stole from the box are being sought for, and the gener ous ladies who sent the box to Brother Marnie have already sent again to him the articles stolen. Moral Send an invoice by mail when you send a box. UTAH.-Rev. S. G. Adams writes from Salt Lake City of the more promising outlook there, and of the absolute necessity of immediate action to secure the lot spoken of in a recent issue and to build a house : "Last Sunday was a precious day for our church. Large audiences filled the church morning and evening. At the evening service four promising young ladies put on Christ in Baptism. Two had been baptized into the Mormon church; one had been a Presbyterian and one from a Methodist family. A young man will offer himself this week. The Sunday-school was 162, the largest in its history. We had one extra In the absence of a meeting last week. pastor I am preaching three times and assisting in two Sunday-schools. Have found seventy-five Baptists in the city not in the church. I am now satisfied that the time has come when work will tell as it has not in the past. The pastor of the Congregational church asked me yesterday how we secured that elegant corner lot for half price! They are looking for a corner and know prices. They have fifty thousand dollars on hand with which to buy and build. They and the Presbyterians use one hundred thousand dollars annually in the Territory. The Methodists have appropriated fifty thousand dollars this year. Can it be the Baptist denomination will do so little for Utah, especially Salt Lake City? Dividing this corner-lot into twenty-three blocks of one hundred dollars each, who will take one block? or a half block? or a quarter block? We cannot long hold it. Who will help?" MINNESOTA. Rev. Israel Bergstrom, one of our Distict Missionaries in this State, with headquarters at Mankato, has had a very prosperous year's work. We quote from his letter, which breathes a spirit of love to the Master and devotion to his service and humble dependence on his guidance, which we believe to be common to all these devoted laborers in the Great West: "It almost surprises me to see the number of sermons and visits, and then to know that 110 have been added to our churches, of which I have baptized seventy-five, during this year. It fills an illustration of the sad condition there, my heart with gratitude to God for permit- Brother Brown says that a saloon-keeper ting me, unworthy as I am, to do this work. shot and killed a fellow gambler in a drunkI never have felt more keenly my depen- en row over cards, and though the evidence dence upon the Divine Spirit than now, nor against him was indisputable he was have I ever before had such joy in the ser- cleared, and immediately on his acquital vice. We need more men in this field, for was appointed deputy sheriff! During his 'the harvest truly is great and the laborers trial he and the jury drawn to try him drank few.' If I had a hundred lives, I would give and played cards together while his case them all to the Master's service." was before them for consideraiion. These and like occurrences show the condition of many a Western town. What a need is there for the Gospel! -Rev. C. O. Reohr, of Long Prairie, reports a successful work during the past quarter. They have enlarged their audience room and are still embarrassed for lack of sufficient accommodation for their Sundayschool. As showing somewhat the work done by these missionary pastors, we quote from Brother Reohr's letter: "Our home Sabbath-school has now enrolled 114 scholars, and are looking for a great blessing in the way of conversions from their ranks during the weeks to come. During the past quarter your missionary has distributed 700 pages of tracts, some testaments, and visited as pastor 103 persons and families. The writer has also been called to another field to administer the ordinance of baptism and the Lord's Supper." WISCONSIN.-Rev. S. A. Abbott, who has been for some time our District Missionary in the northern part of this State, resigns his work to enter the pastorate at Menomonie. This city of 7,000 people ought to have his whole time and energies, but the needs of near-by pastorless churches seem so great that he feels constrained to do what he can for some of them. The great need here as all over this western and northwestern country is more pastors, men who can take a "circuit," visiting and preaching. Brother Abbott writes that the little church at Shell Lake has succeeded in erecting the chapel of what will eventually be a large and commodious building, He says that for some time he was with them "driving nails, both temporal and spiritual." -Rev. M. L. Brown writes that the church at Antigo, where he is missionary pastor, has suffered severely from removals, caused by the increasing moral degradation of the town. This is the result of the re-establish ment of the saloons in this once prohibition town. People move there and shortly move away again. All the churches feel it. As -Rev. H. J. Finch, of Portage, writes hopefully of this important field. He has three out-stations where good work has been done, as well as at the home field. About forty have been added to the church at Portage in the last two years, and though the field is hard yet the workers there trust on with renewed courage. Book Notices. THE PRINCE OF PEACE; OR, THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE This is an elegant book, profusely illustrated with views of Oriental life, scenes and incidents in the life of Christ. The narrative is told in that artistic manner which conceals the art of so well-known and popular a writer as "Pansy." The attempt has been made to modernize as far as possible the nar rative, in keeping true to history all forms of speech and methods of illustration-in short, to put the STORIES ABOUT JESUS, OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR: This book contains, as the title indicates, stories about the Lord Jesus gleaned from the four evangelists. In simple, easy, graceful style that any child can understand, but in which any adult will be interested, these stories are told. The especial feature of the book is its naturalness. By the description given of Christ and by the picture illustrations of Him, we are made to feel that He was a real man. In dress and manner He was of the people. At the same time His divineness is emphasized, so that we feel on both the divine and human side we have one mighty to save. Special attention has been paid to the numerous illustrations of the book, and during the process of preparation its pages were submitted to a company of young people. We can heartily recommend it as one of the most attractive and very best of its class. EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT. Arkansas Baptist College. This is the youngest of our State Schools for the colored people, but it is a very vigorous infant. Professor Joseph A. Booker, the principal of the school, is full of expedients for getting money to complete the building which is now enclosed and occupied, though in an unfinished condition. We give below a cut of this building as it now appears. They greatly need $500 to finish and furnish the interior. The recitation rooms are still seated with the chairs borrowed from neighboring families for use at the opening" of the building. Suitable desks will cost $4.50 each, and the resources of the colored people of that section have been so severely taxed by the work done thus far that there seems no immediate prospect of supplying these deficiencies. So any assistance that can be rendered them will be very acceptable and helpful. This Society has already expended on this work all that it possibly can at present. Fifty dollars will entitle the donor to have his name put on the door of the room which shall be furnished by his contribution. The school is a good one, well located, and has a future. Let any help who can. ATLANTA BAPTIST SEMINARY.-Mr. J. C. Dawes, a student of this school and a native of the West Indies, spent his vacation in preaching Christ and Him crucified, in his native parish of St. Catherine, Jamaica, W. I. The far-reaching power for good of these institutions of learning for the colored people is thus again made manifest. Brother Dawes says: "During those three months, I went through the towns and villages of St. Catherine holding indoor and open-air services and visiting the careless and the u converted, persuading them to forsake their sinful ways, and accept Christ; telling them of the misery that awaits the Christless, and the joy and happiness that await the Christians. The word preach ed entered the hearts of many, and by the operation of the Holy Spirit they were led to forsake their sinful course and accept Christ as their personal Saviour. Among these there were twelve couples who were living in the greatest immorality; they, hearing the Word, be came con scious of their sins, married, gave themselves to the Lord, and were baptized. As I went forth every day on my Christian work, I meditated on the word of Christ which He said to His disciples: 'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.'" WAYLAND SEMINARY.-From the Wayland Alumni Journal of December 10th we make the following extracts, showing what plans are on foot there. The colored people will greatly honor themselves as well as do a much needed work by the erection of the new building. Now is the time for old Wayland students to show their love for their Alma Mater: OUR ALUMNI BUILDING. DEAR ALUMNI OF WAYLAND SEMINARY: I believe we are to have a new building which shall be known as your Alumni Hall. I thank you for kind and cheering words in regard to such an enterprise. Will you let me hear what you can do? Would not your churches and schools gladly aid you in contributing to such a building? Dr. Harvey Johnson, of Baltimore, heads the subscription with $50, and says he intends to double it. Miss Amelia F. Jones sends $5, and will increase the sum during the year. Mrs. Sadie Baptist Carroll is credited with $5. Your contributions shall all be added to the Alumni Fund, and shall be reported in the Journal. First of all, will you not help us with your prayers? for we want God's plan for the new enterprise. When the Alumni Hall gets well into your prayers, your contributions will follow. Advise me in regard to what you can do, and then we can mature plans for building. Blessings be on you all. G. M. P. KING. Let every man and woman that ever enjoyed any privileges at Wayland Seminary consider the appeal for a new building as directly to him. Let every church that ever was edified by the preaching or benefited by the labors, either directly or indirectly, of Wayland students consider the appeal as directly to it. Let every school where Wayland men have taught and are teaching fall in line, and every man and woman that loves God and the elevation of humanity unite in securing funds for the Alumni Building. President King desires everybody to give, whether he is a graduate or not. Send in your subscriptions. We wish you all a Merry Christmas, and as we hang up our stocking, desire to remind Santa Claus to put something in for the Alumni Building. ---Dr. Harvey Johnson's lecture before the students on "Our Obligations" was a mas terpiece. It was an eloquent exposition of the negro's position as a factor in our social, political and religious life. -Makenzu and Saluka, both from Africa, are learning well. They say they want to prepare themselves to go back and "teach their people." It is interesting to see this boy and girl-how bright and pleasant they are, and how contented and cheerful they make themselves when associated with others. -Prospects for a successful term are many and bright. Our class-rooms are crowded with anxious students. Numbers have been unable to enter because the room is insufficient. But quantity and quality of work are proportioned to the means for doing it. Let the Institution have another large building and more teachers; then the power and influence of Wayland can be more widely felt. CHURCH EDIFICE DEPT. Notes. -From Alhambra, Cal., where Rev. T. L. Crandall is pastor, we have the following resolution which speaks for itself: WHEREAS the American Baptist Home Mission Society by gift and loan has made it possible for us to retain our pleasant chapel without litigation and carry on our work- Therefore be it Resolved, That we are devoutly thankful to God for such a Society, and that we express our sincere thanks to the Society for its timely and generous aid and that we will endeavor faithfully to carry out the conditions of both the gift and loan.” -Rev. C. J. Hardy, pastor of the colored Baptist Church at San Antonio, Texas, has had a long struggle to build a house for his people. With aid from the Society it is now completed free of debt. The pastor says: "I write to inform you that the papers are all fixed and the releases for the church property have been placed in the County Clerk's office to file, and we are very jubiliant over the results of being free of debt. The debts have kept many from doing anything for the church. Things will, I think, change up |