interest was so great that he read that portion all through the night. He suddenly died the next day, saved, like the thief on the cross. This was his only chance at the Word of God, and it saved him."

Immigrants Proper

Work among this class has been done, but to a limited extent, at Norfolk, Va., Wilmington, N. C., Savannah, Ga., and Pensacola, Fla., but our chief efforts have been made at Old Point Comfort. The work here has been under the efficient management and enthusiastic direction of Mrs. T. A. Cooke, who has had associated with her other ladies from the Baptist Church at Hampton, Va. As showing something of the extent of the work at this place, of the languages represented we mention only the following: Arabic, Armenian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Dutch, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Russian, Slavic, and Servian. Mrs. Cooke gives an interesting account of this work, so we take the liberty of embodying in this report her letter:

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In order to meet the immigrants at the C. & O. depot at Old Point we go by trolley car a distance of three miles. When the ship lands on schedule time the passengers connect with the 9:25 train. The two ladies appointed for the day enter the car with the immigrants and work with them, if the crowd is small, until they reach Hampton. Two ladies can distribute literature to as many as seventy-five while coming from Old Point to Hampton, but sometimes there are so many of these foreigners that it becomes necessary to go to Newport News, seven miles away. Every lady has her railroad pass, but is not required to show it, and we are treated with courtesy by all with whom we come in contact.

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You wish to know the method by which we distribute the books. We are careful to take a full assortment, and bags are packed over night that there may be neither delay nor mistake when we want a book in a particular language. The first thing to do is to find out the person's nationality, and sometimes we guess this simply by looking at him. We try to study them in every way possible, but sometimes we call over many nationalities before there is any intelligent response. Sometimes we ask them if they are this or that, and they may answer, Sin Lou,' 'Californy,' 'Cinnatti,' showing

that they know where they are going if nothing else. We can never work so well on the train, for there is much baggage to be stored away; then there is the man selling bread and pies and another selling apples, and both thinking as we do, that his work is the most important of all. Frequently there are many nationalities in one morning, and this causes more delay, for the books must be looked over so many times. Our best opportunities come when the ship fails to land on time, which is frequently the case. On such days one or more coaches are detached and left over for the immigrants who can't get away till after twelve o'clock. Then may be seen men looking for soft drinks, souvenir cards, stamps, etc.; children

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crying, perhaps, for milk and bread; women walking around in distress because certain bundles can't be found. The wonder is that they ever know their own, for there are boxes, bags, and bundles galore, of all sorts, sizes, and colors. When everything is adjusted and literature distributed, everyone gets busy and begins to read aloud, and the noise is equaled only by that made in a Chinese school. Sometimes we have Mohammedans, and they always refuse reading matter. Sometimes there are some French, and they think it quite a joke to have anything offered them. I have met whole families of Russian Baptists. Two weeks ago it was my pleasure to meet an Italian who had been converted while reading his Bible. He assured me that a few years ago he was a miserable drunkard and gambler, but since he has found light these things have been put away. Last Tuesday I met a German Jew, and when I asked him if he wanted something in German, he said I might give him something in Hebrew, and if I did not have that to give him 'most anything, as he could read one thing as well as another. To my surprise he read with ease French, Italian, Spanish, English, Greek, and of course the other two, German and Hebrew. He didn't seem to be more than twenty-five years old, and was one of the most pleasant young men I ever met. My mind went back to Saul of Tarsus, that was afterward our own beloved Paul, and I just asked God to transform this wonderful young man and make him the instrument of saving souls. Think what a wonderful work could be accomplished by such an intelligent man in our line of work. very kindly assisted us in the distribution of literature, and was very appreciative of what we gave him."

He

The distribution of Scriptures among the foreigners in our Agency for the year, including all kinds, have been between eight and nine thousands volumes. The larger number of these have been in Testaments and portions. This is specially true of the distribution at Old Point Comfort. More than thirty languages have been represented in this distribution. In addition to the languages mentioned the following may be added, in which the majority of these Scriptures have been distributed: Swedish, Spanish, Slovenian, Slovak, Roumanian, Portuguese, Lithuanian, Latin, Hebrew, French, Danish, Choctaw, Chinese, and Bohemian.

Those That Go Down to the Sea in Ships

During the year we have done some effective work among the sailors and seamen touching at the different coast cities of this Agency. There are said to be about four million of these men on the high seas. Here surely is a great field for Christian activity, for the spiritual needs of these men are often acute, their temptations strong and insistent; hence many of them are led astray, and many are discouraged in the battle of life. We have endeavored to keep these men and their needs in mind, and as opportunity has offered and our abilities warranted, have done what we could to

stretch out the helping hand to save the brother walking on the turbulent seas of temptation. We have had the co-operation in this work of the Seamen's Bethel in Norfolk, Va. Through some friends of the work in Charleston, Savannah, Pensacola, and Tampa, we have distributed several hundred copies of Scriptures among this particular class. But the work at Wilmington, N. C., and Colonial Beach, Va., has been done on a larger scale, and for this and other reasons we think it well to give the following account of it.

Work among Dredgemen

At Colonial Beach, Va., the dredges of the United States are gathered into winter quarters. The men who operate these vessels are not given shore leave, as we were informed. In the early fall our attention was called to these facts, and an application was made for Testaments to be distributed among these men, especially as no particular religious work was done among them. We arranged to send, through the generosity of some friends, two hundred and fifty Testaments, in response to this appeal. Mr. H. W. B. Williams kindly consented to undertake the distribution, about which he writes us as follows:

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Yours of recent date was duly received, and replying to the same, will say the Testaments that you sent me were distributed among the dredgemen on Sunday afternoon, December 21st, and were greatly appreciated by those who received them.

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A large fleet was at anchor near the town and we could have distributed as many more as we had at our disposal. Among the large number of men to whom we offered the books there was but one man who refused to accept the one offered him, and he was a foreigner and could not read. Nearly every man expressed his appreciation of the gift, and many of the men seem to be delighted to get something to read. One young man said: Gee, boys, that's grand. We have spent many lonesome hours, but at last we have something to read, and the best of all, it is something good to read.' Another said it was what he had wanted for a long time, and at last it had come as a Christmas gift. Still another, addressing the gentleman who handed him the book, said: 'Captain, our Sundays have hung heavy on our hands and we have been lonesome. We can now have a little service aboard and spend the day reading our Bibles.' Several copies were placed in the hands of bright young men who appeared to have seen better days, and one remarked that it reminded him of home to see the Bible again.

I believe we have done these men a great service, and only eternity will reveal the good that has been accomplished by the Testaments that you sent us. I thank you for the privilege of making so many happy.”

The Work at Wilmington

We had at this point the efficient assistance of Mr. T. C. Findlay and his co-laborers of the "Floating Christian Endeavor So

ciety." Here several hundreds of Testaments and portions were also distributed. Mr. Findlay in his interesting letter describes so fully and well this work that we will let him speak and tell it in his own way. He writes:

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We have organized three 'Floating Christian Endeavor Societies' recently, all composed of seamen and boys on steamships, who stand out boldly for the Master and have signed the Christian Endeavor pledges. We have a Society here for workers of different denominations called the Port of Wilmington Floating Christian Endeavor Society.' We are fortunate in having in the society young people who are never tired of working for their Lord and Master.

"We have often to go off to a new arrival at our port, and our members get but scant notice, but they always seem to be ready to go and meet those men who go down to sea in ships' with the glad tidings of salvation.

"I am strong in the belief and conviction that the privilege of the evangelization of the high seas of the world is going to fall to the lot of the only interdenominational and international society, Christian Endeavor. So let us grasp this glorious opportunity."

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"In Prison and Ye Came Unto Me"

Our efforts during the year to reach the prisoners with the Word of God has been wonderfully successful. This too not only from the number of copies distributed, but especially from the saving effect the truth has had on the lives of many of this class. This work has included state penal institutions, county jails, reformitories, industrial homes of various kinds, prison camps, and road gangs." Our colporteurs report having supplied about eighty of such prisons, etc. From the depository direct we have supplied or sent large numbers of Scriptures to a score more. So that a hundred or more of these institutions and gangs within this Agency have been reached. round numbers we distributed ten thousand copies of Scriptures among these people in fifteen foreign languages. As might be expected these latter have been but a small per cent, but it will show the enlarging character of even our prison work. This distribution has been made up chiefly of Testaments and portions. Bibles have been supplied only where there seemed to be some special reason for doing so. While most of these Scriptures have been free grants, many have been purchased by friends of the prisoners, and in a few instances public officials have purchased them.

Evangelist George W. Crabtree

In

In addition to our regular workers, we have had the services of the Rev. George W. Crabtree, prison evangelist of the Home Missions Committee of the Southern Presbyterian Church. Mr. Crabtree seems particularly fitted to work among prisoners, and has rendered us good service, much of it without charge to the Society. In

acknowledging some books sent him not long since he sends us the following brief but sympathetic note of thanks:

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Your donation of books received, and has been duly distributed among the prisoners. To say they were glad to get them would be putting it light. Poor fellows, they beg for the Bibles and seem so grateful when they are supplied. Mr. Porter, we have twenty-five thousand poor fellows who have no preaching, and the precious Word of God is both teacher and preacher to them. Your splendid institution will never know the good that you are doing until our Lord comes to reward his servants. I will be in the great prison town of Milledgeville, Ga., in a few days and will need a supply of Bibles and portions for work among them. If you see fit I would be glad to receive a grant there. The Lord bless you for your kindness to me.

His Method

He tells in the following extract from a more recent letter his method of distribution:

"I arrive at the prison and spend a day or two days with the fallen brothers and at night I hold service with them. The prisoners that show more interest I give the care of the full Bible, and then to the others that can read I give parts of Scripture. They show great delight in the books and beg me to put my name in them. Sometimes I get letters from prisoners away off begging for books. My territory is everywhere and for all classes of prisoners.

"Those Women who Labored with me in the Gospel"

"Why, certainly, this is just what might have been expected. Surely they who were last at the cross' and 'first at the tomb,' may be relied on as ready and willing helpers 'in the Gospel.' It has been our good fortune to have a number of such consecrated women to 'labor with us in this prison work. What has been done in each of the places where these women have labored is worthy of special We must be content, however, with the mention of the work done in Clarksburg, W. Va., and Valdosta, Ga. We call attention to these not only as being typical, but hoping that the example of these good women may provoke some others to good works.'

note.

Clarksburg

"The work here is undenominational and done by several ladies. The one in charge sends an interesting account from which we take the following extract:

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The season's rush has prevented my acknowledgment of the Polish Bibles for which I thank you. The man for whom I wanted one especially is much pleased, and showed me yesterday how much he had already read. Since the jury brought in no verdict in his case, he must lie in jail until the next court in March, and therefore will have much time for thought. I wish also to answer the questions you were good enough to ask about our work.

It is under the