་ To Balance of Dona tions for Par 777 18 5 179 4 8 RECEIPTS. 777 18 5 179 4 8 1547 5 9 6855 0 11 1037 4 2 498 10 5 4122 9 5 308 17 5 14369 8 1 598 12 5 228 4 1 285 5 6 JAMES WADDELL (OF J. WADDELL AND CO.), Fellow of the Institute of Accountants, Mansion House Chambe. s, 11, Queen Victoria-street, E. C STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE OF LADY SUPERINTENDENTS. From 17th October, 1877, to 16th October, 1878. 686 12 4112 15 4565 16 512 3848 13 1454 3 £14968 0 JAMES WADDELL, Fellow of the Institute of Accountants 2 st You., 1373. BB 2 EXPENDITURE. TOTALS OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE OF THE LONDON BIBLE AND DOMESTIC FEMALE MISSION FOR NEARLY TWENTY-TWO YEARS. Rooms, Fire, ing, Bedding, Expenses of Coals, Soup, &c. Transit, Incidentals, Purchase of Bibles, Cloth Printing, Stationery, Postage, Parcels, &c. No. of Bible-women. 209368 10 7 9674 7 7 21561 11 5 10898 • 5 23 7 8 21808 8 8 02438 5 10 828597 21 187496 12 11 89646 12 11 111018 10 10 The Donations for the year are as per Balance Sheets Lean Balance of Donations to Credit of Particular Districts, 16th October, 1876, since closed. 18084 10 11 12480 197 16619 4 4 11516 183 16421 12 10, 11215 182] 598 12 5 600 14 0 823597 2 1'175903 6574 15 8 710 14 8 636 2 8 628 7 9 5857 18 5 532 1 8 5.69 15 2 1222 17 4 1027 16 9 1122 17 3 1014 18 10 1100 15 0 1164 6 6 1211 57 675 13 0 884 16 2 Balance Special Districts Balance Working Fund.... 17431 12 4 16727 15 1 16617 7 5 17462 14 6 11129 202 17738 0 8, 12269 203 6830 226 7483 205 8776 203 RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE OF CERTAIN SPECIFIC FUNDS NOT INCLUDED IN GENERAL BALANCE-SHEET FOR 1878. FOREIGN AND SPECIFIC FUNDS. We have paid salary from our Foreign Fund in aid of 36 native Christians employed as Bible-women abroad, or chiefly hitherto as Scripture-readers. We have 8 Bible-women in Syria, at Beirut, and Damascus, and 1 Bible-man; 1 in Jaffa, 12 in India, 2 in Burmah, 2 in Madagascar, 2 in Berlin, 2 in Madrid, 1 at Genoa, 1 at Athens, 2 in Bordeaux, 1 in Constantinople, and 1 in the Hebrides. DIFFICULTIES. FROM our recent survey of our financial concerns in connection with the state of the times-the depression of trade, the recent call for large help to survivors of several crushing accidents, and dire unexpected losses, we find manifest indications, in common with other Societies, that we must limit our expenditure to a reduced income, the total of which, for BIBLE-WOMEN and NURSES inclusive, is 1,0177. 18s. 11d. less than it was last year. During the year 1878 we have continued to employ 182 BIBLE-WOMEN and 70 NURSES, but we have thereby exceeded the income of the current year by 6011. 4s.; therefore the course is now marked out for us of immediate reduction of numbers, especially as the first month in our fresh year affords no better prospect in the way of funds. The winter's work is beginning with careful inspection of the districts where one good woman can serve our purpose instead of two, as at present, transferring the removed ones whom we most wish to keep, to places in which the support is offered for them. No new candidates can, of course, be accepted. It is the GENERAL FUND that can no longer sustain its present number of Bible-women. Yet this is a trying task. It will pull up many a valued Mission by the roots, and the roots are in the hearts of the people. We have had much happy and vigorous work during the past year; have seen many growing stronger in the faith, many more anxious to hear the voice of God in His Word, and especially as aroused by the fearful accidents of the autumn, which have been saying loudly, "Be ye also ready." ELEVEN THOUSAND copies of good print Scriptures sold again this year also, testify the same. We have been watching through the year against inefficiency in the agents; for unless health and fitness were watched over, the Mission would not long remain in its present integrity. It has been needful to place six more women upon the PENSION LIST, after long terms of faithful work. Several have likewise resigned from ill-health. The time seems come to invite those who really wish to give their aid in keeping this Mission to its original BIBLE intent, to send chiefly donations to the GENERAL or WORKING Fund, which will enable us to place or retain women where they are most truly wanted, for the supply and reading of the Scriptures with prayer. A BIBLE MISSION offers one of the last footholds in these days for the UNION that the Master looks for in His true disciples, who belong to different earthly Churches. We sometimes see reason to fear that BELIEF in the Bible, and UNION even among those who believe it, appear to be relegated to the days of the New Jerusalem. Meantime we desire to appropriate all donations that may be sent us, in quarters where there is most desire to do real Bible work and spiritual work, and least identification of this money with any special party aims. Sometimes we wonder, when our means run short, whether we shall give our trained women up to the Churches which are willing to adopt them, and would like to have the sole direction of them, so shortening our Central numbers and responsibilities; but we know from experience that this would not be so good for the women, and that many of the best of those engaged in the work would not be willing to consent to it. HOW MANY MORE LADIES MIGHT DO LIKEWISE! A very active and exemplary Mission in connection with our body has been conducted in the borough of Southwark for very many years on this wise : "A lady at the West-end, interested in a southern locality, undertook to collect for the support of a Bible-woman, and asked us to introduce her to a practical Superintendent who could visit the cases, and lived on the spot. The two have worked together each in her department uninterruptedly for seventeen years. But the Lady Supporter, not satisfied with mere support, has maintained throughout all the years a personal communication with the Bible-woman herself, and from time to time has invited her to give her own simple, graphic, spoken report of facts, in a way that she could never have done by writing, and then the further good deed of this Lady has been to chronicle, as only some ladies can, the facts she has heard for the information of her subscribers as to the nature and results of a true Bible Mission. This has been the means of maintaining their unfailing perseverance without cost to the Central Fund." We have now and then been indulged with a sight of these private records, and in 1878 this is their sum: The Mission is deeply valued among the poor; the numbers on the clothing books, as early in the year as April, amounted to 128, and almost every Tuesday, as the year advances, adds to the number. The Tuesday meetings are opened with a hymn, a passage from the Bible, and an explanation affectionately given by Miss F who superintends the working arrangements, followed by a prayer. The meeting itself, and the kindly attention the poor people receive from Miss F and the Bible-woman, make them constant in their attendance. Miss F asked one or two of the mothers to write and tell us what they thought of the Mission and the Bible-woman's services; when one woman, who could not write or read, exclaimed, "Why, ma'am, if I could write I could fill a book with the acts of kindness I have received from her. She has been my best |