in this line. The following counties were canvassed previous to that time: Clay, Clinton, Crittenden, and Rock Castle, in Kentucky; and Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, and Moore, in Tennessee, showing the following results: Families visited 66 found without a Bible Destitute families supplied "6 individuals, in addition 9,675 1,456 1,361 351 The canvass by auxiliaries in Kentucky, has been completed in the following counties: Boyle, Fleming, Franklin, Henderson, Jefferson, Logan, Union, and Woodford, with the following results: The following counties in Kentucky are now being canvassed: Christian and Fayette; and in Tennessee, Dyer and Shelby. The canvass of Woodford County, in Kentucky, is worthy of special mention. The canvasser, Mr. J. G. Hudson, came within a few dollars of collecting money sufficient to meet all the expenses; and the religious impressions made in connection with the work were very gratifying. "Children's Bible Day" was fixed on the third or fourth Sunday in June. Several thousand circulars were mailed to superintendents of Sunday schools. The responses will justify further trial of this new departure, not only in the money contributed, but in securing the interest of children in the Society and its work. With regard to “The Great Undertaking," your Superintendent claims to have been earnest and persevering in attempts to inaugurate this great and important work. He has presented the work personally to many auxiliaries, Sunday schools, parents, and children; besides sending out thousands of the circulars issued by the Society addressed to the "Officers of Auxiliaries," and to "Parents, Sunday school Superintendents, and Teachers," together with a short, earnest appeal of his own. In many instances he has held children's mass meetings on Sabbath afternoons, in order to bring the subject directly before them, as well as before county, district, and State Sunday school conventions. The results have not been satisfactory. Some think the Scripture lessons in the Sunday school literature sufficient; others think our movement is in opposition to denominational literature in the Sunday school. However, restoring the Bible to the Sunday school meets with general approval, and perseverance will probably bring about the desired reformation. Experiment justifies the opinion that, if the children outside the Sunday school are reached, it will have to be done mainly through paid county agents and colporteurs. It may be necessary also, in some localities, to use these agencies in getting the book into the Sunday school. In Christian County, Ky., W. A. Young was instructed by the Executive Committee to carry into execution both departments of this work. His last monthly report shows 155 children supplied. The experiment of having some cities canvassed voluntarily, by committees of ladies from the several churches, has been tried in Lexington, Ky., with marked success. The ladies organized themselves last fall into "The Ladies' General Committee," officered with president, secretary, and executive committee. The city was districted, and a thorough house-to-house canvass, now being made, approaches completion; the object being to supply every child that can read with a Bible of its own, and at the same time to also furnish destitute families with the Scriptures. The secretary, Mrs. John Morgan, has furnished a report of the work accomplished, viz.: Number of children found without Bibles 1,086 Several other cities in the district have commenced the work on the same plan. The outlook upon the whole is encouraging. There is an improved interest in the auxiliary work. The aggregated contributions to the cause are $2,339 80—an increase over last year. A very thorough voluntary canvass for the benefit of children and youth, has been made in Scott County, Ky., with gratifying results, and it is much regretted that reports have not been secured. The Superintendent is under obligations for hospitalities of Christian families, kind receptions, and co-operation on the part of pastors of churches; favors from public thoroughfares, and encouraging words from kind friends, all under the direction and care of Divine Providence. Books sent into Kentucky, 18,761; of these, 1,344 were grants or consignments to colporteurs. Books sent into Tennessee, 19,012; of these, 683 were grants or consignments for colportage. LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI.-Rev. J. W. McLaurin, of New Orleans, La., reports as follows: During the year closing March 31st, 1892, the amount contributed for Bible distribution in the district composed of Louisiana and Mississippi falls short of the amount contributed during the previous year. The decrease in contributions, however, was not brought about, I am glad to say, by a waning interest in the work, but is the result of several causes: the ill-health of the District Superintendent during a part of the year, brought on by overwork during the four previous years, the political demoralization engendered by the lottery fight in Louisiana, and the unprecedented low price of cotton, the commodity upon which the people of the district rely almost entirely for money. As to interest in the good work, this, I think, is increasing instead of waning among the people of the district, and especially among the adherents of the ecclesiastical bodies who recognize their obligations to the American Bible Society and its work. In his efforts to prosecute the work undertaken among the children of the land, viz., that of trying to put a copy of the Bible in the hands of every child who can read, the District Superintendent has done a great deal of talking and writing, and has circulated a large number of official documents; but the results so far have been very meagre. Pastors, auxiliary Bible society officers, Sunday school workers, and Christian workers in general, heartily indorse and commend the work; but, with a noble exception here and there, they have not as yet taken hold of it. As the work, however, is an all-important one, and involves the welfare of the nation as well as the salvation of precious souls, it is to be hoped that ere long all who love the children, their country, and the Bible, will take hold of it and see that it is accomplished. The District Superintendent has it, as well as every other feature of the great work in which the American Bible Society is engaged, upon his heart, and he will take great pleasure in doing all he can to secure its accomplishment. For valuable assistance rendered him in the work, the Superintendent extends sincere thanks to a large number of pastors, auxiliary officers, members of the churches, and to the general managers of the railroads in his district. Books sent into Louisiana, 1,496; of these, 825 were consignments to colporteurs or grants. Books sent into Mississippi, 2,468; of these 389 were grants or consignments to colporteurs. MAINE. Mr. E. B. Stilson, the efficient agent of the Bible Society of Maine, has kindly forwarded the following statement concerning the work committed to his oversight: The Superintendent of the Bible Society of Maine finds, in reviewing the past year, innumerable reasons for gratitude to Him who has so largely committed unto Bible societies the work of distributing the oracles of God. The Bible Society of Maine has a body of men who are profoundly interested in the work, and feel individual responsibility. The president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary, are never absent from the meetings. There is good reason for believing that the labors and prayers of these men are not confined to simply attending our business sessions. The result is, that we are enabled to report more and better work performed this year, than ever before in any one year of the history of Maine. Sixteen men and three women have been under commission for different periods of time. Some of these have been for several years in the employ of the society. There have been 155,102 persons visited, representing 31,061 families; 7,816 copies. have been sold and donated, the value of the same amounting to $3,994 08; 1,194 Protestant homes were found destitute of the Bible and were all supplied with the Scriptures. Nearly 2,000 children were found in these Bibleless homes. The work of the year has been largely confined to Penobscot, Knox, Sagadahoc, Oxford, and Androscoggin Counties. For the first time in eighty-three years, the Bible Society of Maine is now able to report the completion of the work undertaken a few years since, of thoroughly systematically visiting every family outside of the territory of Washington County Bible Society, throughout all the towns, islands, and forests of our Commonwealth. Only the luminous light of heaven can reveal the full fruitage. In carrying out this long-neglected, greatly-needed, pioneer missionary work in Maine, the expenses have very largely exceeded the receipts. This has for four years deprived us of the privilege that should be dear to every Maine heart, of contributing to aid the great work of the American Bible Society. There is a crying need of an immediate repetition of this canvass throughout the entire State; but this cannot be done without some few large gifts, trusts, or legacies, from those who are interested in such a work in and for Maine. We have this year, for the first time, been cheered by very general contributions from churches of every denomination throughout the State; otherwise our deficiency would have been much larger. This year we hope to see the church collections doubled. We also hope the Sunday schools may have a part in supplying the destitute children with the Bible. Our board of trustees have voted to issue a quarterly publication, that shall be placed into the hands of all pastors and Sunday school superintendents of every denomination in the State, as well as into the hands of the principal contributors to the society. Summarizing the work performed in the canvass of fifteen counties of Maine, we find we visited 133,445 homes; found and supplied 6,080 Bibleless families of the Protestant faith; sold and donated 42,051 copies of the Scriptures in several languages, including copies to blind persons. About seventy towns were found to be without a church, chapel, or any stated religious service; over 60,000 Protestant families admitted they were not accustomed to attend any religious service; about the same number of school children were found not attending Sunday school. The presence of such a Protestant non-church element, coupled with the fact that the Bible society is the only organization for systematically reaching this class with the book and a 4 living Christian teacher, demonstrates the imperative necessity of the effort. The number of copies of the Scriptures sent into Maine was 10,826. MARYLAND.—The Rev. Thomas Myers, agent of the Maryland Bible Society, has kindly furnished the following condensed statement concerning the work of that auxiliary for the past year: The Maryland Bible Society has just closed a good year. In the city of Baltimore we employ a man and two women colporteurs. They visited 89,868 persons, and distributed 8,320 volumes at a cost of $2,521 43. Mr. Reinhold distributed 458 volumes among the shipping, at a cost of $67 18. Ten colporteurs were employed in the summer and two of them in the winter, in ten counties. They made 23,081 visits, and distributed 4,176 volumes. Of these, sales were made to the value of $1,041 73, and donations to the extent of $542 65. There were 21,859 volumes issued at a cost of $9,679 23, as follows: Donated through colporteurs and at the Bible House, 12,501 volumes, at a cost of $3,247 28; sold, 9,358 volumes, at a cost of $6,431 95. Last year we had $1,371 73 in legacies-this year none; yet our donations were $500 greater. The number of volumes sent into Maryland was 21,731. MASSACHUSETTS.-The following extracts are taken from the eighty-third annual report of the Massachusetts Bible Society: During the eleven months of the year there have been issued from the depository 28,291 volumes. Of the whole number 9,096 were Bibles; 10,766 were Testaments; 1,594 New Testaments and Psalms; 3,543 Book of Psalms; other separate portions of the Bible, 2,668; to life members, 624. The gratuitous issues have amounted to 9,567 volumes, as follows: To various city missionary societies in Massachusetts, 2,522; seamen and others, 1,775; mission Sunday schools, 383; public institutions, 683; destitute families and individuals in Massachusetts, 1,246; similar classes in other States, 783; Young Men's Christian Associations, 259; Episcopal mission churches, 304; Hebrew Messianic Mission in Portland Street, 195; Italian and French Catholics, 390; Sunday distribution on board vessels in Boston Harbor, 379; Salvation Army barracks 24; life members, 624. Of the whole number issued, 1,864 were in various foreign languages. |