ITEMS FROM CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.
Dudley, N. C.—“A deep and increasing religious interest is reported. The work of conviction and conversion is going on. Backsliders have been restored. Brother Peebles was assisted for a time by Rev. Mr. Smith of Raleigh.”
Georgia.—Of the thirty-seven graduates from Atlanta University, thirty are teachers, two are pastors, one is a missionary in Africa, one a theological student at Andover. Only three are not teaching or preaching—two who are wives and one who has died.
Alabama.—The Trinity Church, Athens, Rev. Horace J. Taylor, pastor, received one on profession at the May communion. This church has a flourishing missionary society, which contributed in February $16 for the support of colored missionaries in Africa. It has sustained during the year just closing, thirteen mission schools, in which over 700 have been taught.
Louisiana.—The Minutes of the Southwestern Congregational Conference, which met at New Iberia, April 3-5, have been printed. The statistics give fourteen churches, with a total membership of 865.
—The following relates to a recent convert in one of our churches: “Mr. K. proves a very strong man in the church. He is evidently of the material which makes a first-class sinner or a first-class saint. He was lately invited to a dinner-party by his brother, who, when he entered the room, began in a mocking way to give an account of his (Mr. K’s) conversion. Mr. K. listened patiently, and when the account was finished, said it was true, but all had not been told. He then gave his own story in such a way that one of the company there determined to follow his example.”
Memphis, Tenn.—Miss Woodward writes: “For the past thirteen weeks the Murphy temperance movement has been very successful among the white people of Memphis. A few earnest workers, seeing the need of a like effort among the colored people here, inaugurated a series of meetings at the Second Congregational Church. From the first there has been a very decided interest manifested, and the meetings are productive of great good, both directly and as a means of awakening thought on this important subject. Some two hundred in all have signed the pledge, and new names are added at every meeting.”
Tougaloo, Miss.—A teacher writes: “I think there is not one in the school who has not signed the pledge. They came in one by one, till last week one who has stood out all these months, came and put his name on the list of total abstainers. He said: ‘You all got away with me at the meeting last night, and I am going to sign the pledge, for I cannot teach others to do what I will not do myself.’”
—The following is a good illustration of perseverance among the colored people of the South. While the missionary was persuading a sick woman to put her trust in Jesus, the husband came in, when the following conversation took place: “Mr. Williams, are you a Christian?” “No, Miss, I’s left on de docket yet.” “Do you ever think about becoming one?” “Yes, Miss, I thinks a heap about it sometimes. I tries a while, then I stops.” “I fear you do not seek for it as you do for money; you should keep at it all the time, as you do when working for money.” “Yes, Miss, that is jes the way I works for money. I works a while for the ole man, then I stops. Jes the same way, Miss.”