SCHOOL AND CHURCH WORK AT DUNGINESS.
REV. MYRON EELLS, S’KOKOMISH, WASHINGTON TERRITORY.
We have an excellent young man at Dunginess as school-teacher. Although I never met him until he took charge of the school, I learned that his reputation was good where he had previously taught, and he has taken hold of the work among the Indians wisely and earnestly, and also satisfactorily to the Agent and the Indians. He has earned an excellent reputation among the whites in the neighborhood, and has grown in their estimation as a conscientious Christian since he first went there about nine months since. Last summer he was married to a lady whose heart is in the work, and who assists him as she is able. Her health, however, does not admit of her doing as much as she wishes to do.
In addition to his day-school for the children, he has lately begun an evening school, three evenings in the week, for half a dozen of the older Indians who wish to learn. These older Indians are accustomed to talk English, more or less, some of them quite well, and hence find it easier to learn than wild Indians would. He holds services regularly with them on the Sabbath, and on Thursday evening a prayer meeting has been sustained since last May; the only one in the county.
The last Sabbath I spent with them, I baptized two of the older Indians and received them into our church—the first-fruits of our work there. I have been tolerably well satisfied for a year that they were suitable candidates for church membership, but preferred to wait until our teacher could become thoroughly acquainted with them, as I thought that he could form a more intelligent opinion after almost daily intercourse with them, than I could by semi-annual visits. But we agree in our conclusion.
Last Sabbath we had the privilege of receiving another of our school-boys into our church here. He is one of our older pupils, an elder brother of one already a member.
The report of our Sabbath-school for this place, read on Christmas, showed that three Indian girls had been present every Sabbath on which there was school during the year, it having been necessarily omitted on three Sabbaths, and on every one of these Sabbaths they had recited at least six verses of the Scripture lesson, and without making a single mistake. This is better than has ever been done before in the history of the school, only one having been perfect last year. The average attendance during the year has been fifty-seven.