NO BONUS ON THE CLOTHING CLUB IN OUR 66 TWENTY-ONE years since, when this Bible-mission took its rise, a simple Clothing Club seemed needed by the poor, ragged, shiftless mothers, who had not previously come under any care, for we only sought such as had not been willing to be visited or taught by those whom they thought their superiors. As these gradually flocked around the good Bible-woman of their own class to get clothing, as well as The Book" by their own savings, aud as ladies multiplied who undertook to superintend the Mothers' Meetings, we had to buy our own experience by experiment, as to economical support of each Mission, and in most Mission Rooms some "bonus," more or less, was at first added to the women's deposits. But as time went on, and the Mission became understood as a "BIBLE Mission," and a comparison of results could be obtained, it was found that "twopence on the shilling" mostly drew together a large number of respectable women who really did not want it, and were not the people we wanted to reach, as they would have come under the care of churches and congregations. And then we further discerned that the Missions which spiritually prospered most and really reached the lower class that we desired were those in which no bonus was given to buy a large attendance, but where the Word of God was explained with loving, living earnestness, and with the power of the Holy Spirit; that being the real and staple attraction, and it was very difficult to find this when the Mission became, as it were, "a great shop." As to secular benefit, it is found enough that the clothing should be purchased by instalments, and at a good and cheap market, and the higher motive for coming raises the character of the mothers, and singles out those who are capable of being so raised. We have proved also that the money saved on the tiny dole of d. to all-could be better spent in more efficacious help to those in trouble or sickness. There are now so many Mothers' Meetings where the bonus is given that it is impossible for us to compete with them, so that we are content to gather together the select and smaller number of those who come to listen to Bible teaching and will forego the twopence to get it. We would now present a letter from a kind Superintending Lady on the subject. She has just taken charge of a Mission in which, while under the care of the Pioneer, the halfpenny bonus had been allowed. She says: "When you first suggested its withdrawal I felt to shrink from doing so, lest the poor women should feel it very hard to have it taken from them after having it allowed for so many years. But I prayed to know my duty, and day by day the reason became more and more clear to me. Last Tuesday, therefore, I told the mothers that we had often been accused of 'buying' their attendance at the meetings, by giving a halfpenny upon their cards, and I thought every right-minded mother would not only scorn the accusation, but would say, 'Remove it by stopping the halfpenny.' 6 "I then took up the Bible, and added, This is what we want to buy your attendance with, Buy the Truth and sell it not.' We want you to feel that the treasures contained in this book are so precious that you must come for them alone, and we are anxious that there should be no hindrance to the entrance of its truths into your hearts. If you are present every week you would only gain two shillings and a penny a year, and who would like to have it said that she was bought to come by that? So let us take this halfpenny out of the way. I then put it to the vote, as to whether they were willing to give it up, and every one voted and gave a clap to prove that they were quite satisfied. "I next went to the draper with whom we deal, who is an earnest Christian man, told him what we had done, and asked if he would help to make up the small loss to the mothers by giving us the clothing any cheaper. He kindly consented to take off an additional farthing per yard on flannels, shirtings, &c., so that really they will have lost very little, if anything, and that loss in our district (now we have such kind supporters) will be more than made up by the ready-made clothing that has been sent us to sell to the mothers at the very cheapest rates. The money to go into the Sick Club. "We established this week a new Sick and Coal Club to the great joy of the contributors. "They know what it will be to begin the winter with a sack of coals, from their own savings, and while they are burning that, they will be always ready to begin for another. We find a sovereign will go a long way in providing some measure of bonus, on each sack, and it is better given in this way in the cold season than on the clothing weekly." The same lady since writes : TWOPENCE ON THE SHILLING. "I am often astonished at the number attending our Meeting, as there is one within ten minutes' walk where they give the mothers 2d. in every shilling on the clothing, provide them with work for which they pay them, give a free tea once in three months, besides gifts of clothing, &c., and we give nothing. We have never less than fifty present, and we think that very good, considering the amount of sickness in their families. "I said to one mother, who lives close to the Meeting referred to: 'Why don't you go there? You would have plenty given to you.' She replied: If the body was all I had to think about I might, but my soul is hungry for the "Bread of Life," and they only give you wafers there.' "A lady conducting a similar meeting near ours came one day to inquire what we gave the mothers to induce them to attend. I replied: Nothing beyond a free tea once a year.' She said: 'I cannot understand how it is that you have such a large Meeting; and although we give them a great deal, we have only ten or twelve present.' I said: 'Do you read the Bible to them?' 6 Certainly,' she replied; either the Bible or some other good book. I advised her to read the Bible, and the Bible only, and I felt certain her numbers would increase. I do not know if she has adopted my suggestion, or with what result, but of this I am certain, BIBLE TEACHING is what these poor women need, and what they appreciate, too.” We subjoin a morsel more of evidence on the same subject. A Pioneer reports : NOT GOING FOR WHAT THEY CAN GET. The Bible-woman who is, for the time, collecting in Miss G's stead, is much liked by the mothers; and was told by one of them that it was the best day's work for her when Miss G invited her to come to the Mothers' Meeting, adding, "I was just doing as others did in the house I lived in; and the first time I went to the Meeting I was convinced I was going the downward road, and I have attended ever since. But I had a great struggle." The people in the house, whom she used to make companions of, at first jeered her, till she felt she must give up, for she said, "I could not bear to be made a laughing-stock, and my neighbours would say, 'Going to get flannel and calico-you only go for what you can get!' Well, now," she answers, "I do go for what I can get, but it is of another kind!" And then she says, "When I come to the Meeting I am encouraged, and there the Word of God has been blessed to my soul." THE BIBLE AND TALE-BOOKS AT MOTHERS' Another Superintendent's Witness. "DEAR MRS. R-, "My Bible-woman has sold 76 Bibles and Testaments since October 20th-pretty well, I think, considering the number of Roman Catholics in this District. "Poor E is dead, the man in the Colonnade who has been in consumption so long. I am thankful to say we have a good hope of him; he was led to see his sins and his need of a Saviour some months before his death. At first he seemed to think he had (to use his own words) 'put it off too long,' and that he was too wicked to be saved; but latterly he found peace, and could believe that Jesus would receive him. Both Nurse and F were much blessed to him. I hardly know which was the most. He was a reserved man, and I never could get much from him myself. When in health he was all but an infidel. "One of my mothers' was telling me the other day of different meetings she had attended, and how she left the others because they read 'tale-books' there, and if she went to a Meeting she liked to hear 'something better than about Dicky and Harry.' "I have ceased giving the halfpenny bonus from May 7th, and no notice whatever has been taken of it, and the numbers keep up as well at the Meeting.-Believe me, yours sincerely, "D." REPORT CONCERNING A BIBLE-WOMAN NURSE FROM HER SUPERINTENDING LADY. Ir has been very gratifying to us to receive the following unsought testimony:— "MY DEAR MRS. R, 66 "I forward you the cheque due to-day from our Congregation for our Bible-woman, and take this opportunity of sending you a quarterly account of those cases that belong to my district and come within Nurse P-'s limits; they are 19 in number. I have made the account as concise as I can. "The portion of Nurse's gratuitous services I do get is a great comfort to me and to my people. I may say that I find her invariably well and gratefully spoken of. I am thankful to say no untoward case has arisen. The mothers and infants have all done well, in the end; of course some cases have been more tedious and difficult than others. As to your lotion and salve they are invaluable. I keep a stock of very efficacious salve, but mine is quite thrown into the shade by yours. "Nurse P-'s poultices I find very satisfactory; so well mixed, and so well applied. "In watching her treatment of cases of accidents, boils, sprains, &c., &c., I notice she possesses the combined qualifications (so necessary and so rare) of gentle kindness, and of courageous promptitude, and will not have her orders and directions trifled with, and they seldom are. I should not trouble you with all this but knew you wish for independent witness. "Yours very sincerely, "P. B." |