THE

MISSIONARY HERALD.

VOL. LXXXVIII. NOVEMBER, 1892. No. XI.

THE receipts from donations for the month of September amounted to $14,695.50, which is about $1,800 in advance of those of September, 1891, but the legacies are $19,600 less than the corresponding month of last year. The most pressing question, which must be answered by the Prudential Committee within a few weeks, concerns the basis on which appropriations are to be made for the coming year. As was stated in the Annual Report of the Home Department, at Chicago, the Committee cannot reasonably anticipate from legacies during the year to come more than $150,000, which is $100,000 less than the extraordinary sum received from this source last year. There is no promise of another gift like the $50,000 raised by the special committee last year. To what quarter shall the Committee look for the $150,000 which are absolutely necessary for maintaining the existing work? Who will help to answer this question so vital to the welfare of our missions?

THOSE of our readers who were not present at the Annual Meeting of the Board at Chicago will find in the special number of The Advance a remarkably full report of the proceedings. This journal showed both its enterprise and its interest in missions by issuing each day an edition containing the papers presented and a verbatim report of most of the addresses. In fulness, as well as in form and type, this daily report was, as became the name of the paper, an advance upon anything yet issued by local papers in connection with the meetings of the Board. Copies of this daily issue were freely distributed to those who were in attendance at Chicago. From the matter in these dailies a complete report of the meeting has been made up, forming a special foreign missionary number of The Advance, which will be read by thousands with great interest, and will prove of permanent value.

THE arrangements for the meeting made by the people at Chicago were complete and admirable. The large edifice of the First Congregational Church, Rev. Dr. Goodwin, pastor, was somewhat transformed for the occasion, a broad platform having been constructed, extending even under the side galleries, thus providing ample space for the Corporate Members on one side, for the Honorary Members on the other, while in the centre, in the rear of the tables for the officers, were seated the missionaries and the representatives of the several Woman's Boards. This arrangement was novel, and we believe thoroughly satisfactory. It certainly ought to have been satisfactory to those who were

seated in the pews, whether on the floor or in the galleries, since they were in the best position to hear. Inasmuch as the distances in Chicago are so great, it was a happy device to spread a collation each noon and night, in a large armory, only two blocks from the church, where the large number of guests were provided for and had an opportunity to greet one another. The attendance from New England was not large, but there was an unusual number of pastors present from the Interior and the West, thanks to the generous thought of the friends in Chicago who included home missionaries in their offer of hospitality. WHATEVER may be thought of a portion of the proceedings, it will be agreed that the meetings as a whole were of a high order. The opening session on Tuesday afternoon and the inspiring sermon of the evening prepared the way for the services of Wednesday, which were of remarkable excellence and of a profoundly missionary character. The addresses of Dr. Pentecost upon India were of intense interest and spiritual power, and greatly moved the large audiences which listened to him on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The address of President Storrs, on Thursday, brilliant and impressive as ever, was not more skilful and opportune than was his guidance of the Board during some of the debates. As to these debates, it is enough to say here that while earnest they were wholly courteous, and that the divergent views found full and honest expression. On the questions relating to the constitution of the Board and the method of selecting its Corporate Members, a tentative plan was agreed upon for the year to come, which is in the line of the changes proposed in the action of several State Associations, while a committee of eleven, selected by the President, is to take the whole matter into consideration and report a year hence. The debate made it clear that, whatever difference of judgment exists as to methods, there is agreement in the wish and purpose to bring the Board into closest possible fellowship with donors and the churches. There seems to be no question as to the wisdom of leaving the control of the Board to a corporate body, limited in number, but representing in some practical way the churches which support it. May wisdom and grace be given to the committee to whom the matter is referred to discover and suggest the way which is best.

On the other question which came under debate, the Board gave emphatic utterance. The proposal to change the agreement made two years ago at Minneapolis as to the method of theological examination of candidates and the basis on which appointments are to be made met with small favor. With practical unanimity it was resolved, "That the Board reaffirm the rules of administration laid down by it at our Annual Meetings in New York and Minneapolis, and expects them to be applied in a spirit of liberality as well as of faithfulness in regard to candidates, , as expressed by the President in his original letter of acceptance."

DURING the year of the Board which has just closed, the Prudential Committee has held fifty-one sessions, and at forty-eight of them a quorum was present. Aside from these meetings, various sub-committees have held many meetings, often with protracted sessions, for the investigation of important matters coming under their care. Few, save those who have rendered it, have any conception of the amount of labor involved in this service.

WORD has been received that, on September 15, the Turkish government paid our mission agent in Constantinople 600 liras ($2,640), through the United States Legation, the amount of the indemnity promised on account of the destruction of the mission house at Bourdour and the injuries and losses sustained by Mr. Bartlett in connection with the destruction of this property. Mr. Bartlett is now at work rebuilding the house, and the people are quietly looking on meantime. We also learn that five men who are probably guilty of setting fire to the house have been arrested and taken to Aiden. Mr. Dwight reports that the lesson learned by the people of Bourdour cannot fail to be a salutary one.

DR. JACOB CHAMBERLAIN sends to The Christian Intelligencer a report of an address made to missionaries at Darjeeling, on May 13, by Sir Charles Elliott, the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, a man of great ability as well as exalted position, who has been thirty years in India. He is the real governor of Bengal, the Governor-General of India being his only superior. This official, after referring to the fact that the number of Christians in the Northwest Provinces had increased during the last ten years from 13,000 to 22,000, stated that the census report of Bengal for 1891 was not completed, but a provisional statement he had received indicated that the Christians in Bengal had increased during the decade from 122,000 to 189,000. These thousands of people, if not model saints, have turned from the paths of heathenism and have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. The Governor referred to the fact that since the government officials could not touch directly on religious subjects the work of the missionaries is all the more important, and he added: "We know right well that the only hope for the realization of our dream for the true elevation and development of the people lies in the evangelization of India, and we know that the people who are carrying on this work are the missionaries. It is they who are filling up what is deficient in the efforts of the government by devoting their lives and their labors to bring the people of India to the knowledge of Christ." Dr. Chamberlain may well say that this testimony of such a man as Sir Charles Elliott is a sufficient answer to the sneers at missions and missionaries from "puny globe trotters."

A MOST interesting missionary jubilee was celebrated in Griqualand, South Africa, on the twenty-third of June last. Rev. William Ashton, of the London Missionary Society, went to South Africa in 1842. With the late Dr. Moffat he labored for a time at Kuriman, and was "the best man" at the marriage of Dr. Livingstone and Mary Moffat. Mr. Ashton is still held in great honor among the Griqua and Bechuana tribes, and some of the people traveled not less than 100 miles to attend the jubilee service. Addresses were given in English, Dutch, Sechuana, and Koranna, and the missionaries of the Church of England and of the Berlin Society vied with those of the London Society in giving honor to this able and faithful laborer.

THE census of India and Burma reveals the sad fact that two hundred and forty-six and a half millions of the population are illiterate. Six sevenths of the people cannot either read or write. What a comment on the systems of Hinduism and Buddhism under which these people have been reared!

A PETITION from the members of the medical profession of the Bombay Presidency, with a long list of signatures, has been presented to the British Parliament in reference to the consumption and sale of opium, and calling for restrictive legislation. The testimony these medical men give is that ninety-nine out of every one hundred who take opium, except under medical advice, in a short time become confirmed slaves to the habit. Aside from the terrible physical evils connected with the use of opium, these medical men say that not the least of the evils resulting from this pernicious habit is the destruction of all the moral powers. Not only is the body defiled and the power of the will weakened, but the affections, thoughts, and desires are corrupted, thus completing the ruin of the whole man. And yet there are those who defend the position of England with reference to the opium traffic!

WITHIN the past few months the high-caste Hindus of Western India, especially at Poona, have been much excited over an incident, the first details of which seemed to indicate that there was to be on the part of many prominent people who are classed as reformers a vigorous protest against certain caste rules. But the finale of the incident illustrates the mighty force of the spirit of caste. A while since some forty-two Hindus accepted an invitation to drink tea at the Mission House in Poona, with the husbands of remarried widows. This was in violation of strict caste rules, and inasmuch as among the number of these men who thus drank tea was included Mr. Ranade, a prominent and popular leader among the so-called reformers, it was supposed that the infraction of caste rules would not be noticed, or any penalty insisted upon. But the orthodox Hindus were determined to make an example of these transgressors. In various ways they brought such pressure to bear upon the offenders that they have finally yielded, and have submitted to certain expiatory rites, which are extremely offensive, in order to secure restoration of caste. These men who have gone through this expiation claim that they did nothing wrong in thus meeting persons outside their castes, and that in their recantation they have only sought to conform to the prejudices of their friends. But a number of the Hindu papers point clearly to the fact that this act indicates a total lack of moral perception, and that if these men believe that their act was not wrong they should not practically confess that it was wrong by submitting to the degrading ceremony of expiation. The discussion in the native papers on the matter is very heated, and about the only thing that is clear is that there is a lack of moral sense and of the courage of their convictions on the part of the great majority of Hindus. They know that their systems are vile and cannot be defended before the conscience of the world, or their own consciences, and yet they will not courageously adhere to what they admit to be right.

The Dnyanodaya of Bombay calls upon any person who has found in any of the Hindu sacred books the thought that God hates sin to point out the passage, quoting chapter and verse. It says that, while these sacred books affirm that the gods love their worshipers, it knows of no utterance affirming that God loves man, or that he desires that man should be saved from sin and made pure and holy in heart.

WHY is not the gospel received universally by those to whom it is preached? It is often said that the preaching is not of the right sort, and that the message of Christ is not brought to men in a form which makes it attractive. The only truth in this statement is that a pure gospel never can be attractive to those who love their sins. And men everywhere do love their sins and are unwilling to leave them. An old African chieftain said to Bishop Tucker, of Uganda, when he was asked whether he would like to have missionaries settle in his country : "No!" and he gave a reason, which, from his point of view, was a good one: "We are fond of fighting and cattle-stealing, and if teachers come they will tell us that all this is wrong." The gospel is at war with sin everywhere, and that is the reason why men do not welcome it.

The Independent of August 11 has an editorial article on "Kahuna Terrorism in Hawaii." The brutal murder of four persons by command of a Hawaiian sorceress is not to be taken, however, as an indication of the ordinary condition of society at the Islands. From those who know what the Hawaiian kahuna, "medicine-man" (or woman), is and does, we learn that back of all apparent magic art and superstitious terrors is an element of sensuality, too gross and vile to be brought out in the testimonies given in the courts of law open to the general public. It cannot be described even in the most carefully guarded language. Heathenism has its strange and abnormal developments in abominably licentious and filthy practices. These are like similar abnormal outbreaks in Christian society, among people professedly seeking spiritual sanctification and personal purity; or like the licentious orgies of which some members of the English aristocracy have been recently accused, deliberately defiling the decencies, not to say the sanctities, of manhood and womanhood. For what was done in a lonely district on an island too sparsely settled to sustain even one regular religious organization, the Hawaiian people are not to be condemned in any wholesale fashion, any more than the institutions of New England are to be condemned for some shocking crimes perpetrated in some out-of-the-way district in a depopulated hill town. Superstition there is among the Hawaiians, prevalent and dominant, yet fostered by inbred sensuality rather than by religious delusions. There is also genuine piety, humble, intelligent, earnest, and actively aggressive, yet not brought so prominently into public notice as the wickedness. which led to the crimes that have shocked the whole community at the Islands and attracted comment in other lands.

A STRIKING scene is reported by Rev. James Luke, of Old Calibar, how he and another missionary were sitting one day upon a mud settee when the natives led in a chief who looked as if he must have been a hundred years old. His skin was like parchment and his nails half an inch long; he was stone-blind and almost deaf. When his favorite slave shouted in his ear, "The white men salute you!" the queer old figure moved, his hands began to grope about, and seizing the hands of the missionary, he said, "White men, I don't know the day when I have not heard about your power and your learning. Why did you not come here sooner? You have come now and these eyes are too blind to see you, these ears are too deaf to hear you. If you have any message, take it to the young men ; you are too late for me."