“CALIFORNIA CHINESE MISSION.”
Auxiliary to the American Missionary Association.
President: Rev. J. K. McLean, D. D. Vice-Presidents: Rev. A. L. Stone, D. D., Thomas O. Wedderspoon, Esq., Rev. T. K. Noble, Hon. F. F. Low, Rev. Dwinell, D. D., Hon. Samuel Cross, Rev. S. H. Willey, D. D., Edward P. Flint, Esq., Rev. J. W. Hough, D. D., Jacob S. Taber, Esq.
Directors: Rev. George Mooar, D. D., Hon. E. D. Sawyer, Rev. E. P. Baker, James M. Haven, Esq., Rev. Joseph Rowell, Rev. John Kimball, E. P. Sanford, Esq.
Secretary: Rev. W. O. Pond. Treasurer: E. Palache, Esq.
Politics and the Mission.—Our Legislature, the first one convened under our new Constitution, has adjourned, and the Chinese are yet here. Denis Kearney has been made to “go,” and his party is just “going;” the former, in prison attire, to break stones on the public highway, and the latter to befitting insignificance and complete disintegration. But how to assure it that “the Chinese must go,” is a problem by which, now as heretofore, our Californian statesmanship(!) finds itself sore baffled. Among our newly-fledged legislators, there was scarcely one, at the opening of the sessions, but had his pet scheme,—a sure cure for the Chinese ail; and the river of Egypt scarce brought forth frogs more plentifully than did our noisy Legislature its anti-Chinese bills. But most of them died before they were fairly, fully born, and the rest are either squelched under the weight of the U. S. Constitution, or else, not daring to face that foe, have retired into prudent dormancy. The gassy proclamation of our Board of Health, declaring Chinatown a nuisance, has dissolved into thin air, and that district of our city is just as populous, just as busy, just as noisy, and almost as filthy as it was before. Our Mayor, and the doctors associated with him, may possibly have caused a little more of the Chinese gold to be “placed where it would do most good;” but, no other effect of their bombastic demonstration seems now to be even dreamed of.
All this helps us hope that we shall be able to pursue our mission-work with no special molestations, and that the result of our summer campaign may be as bright as the out-look is just now.
A Touching Farewell Service.—the following paragraph which appeared in the Pacific of April 14th, over the initials of the Principal of our Central school, I am sure will interest our readers. It explains itself:
“A very interesting and impressive meeting was held in Bethany chapel on Thursday evening, April 8th. A large number of the Chinese friends and scholars of Mrs. S. A. Worley and Misses Jessie and Florence Worley, who for some years have been teachers in the schools of the California Chinese Mission of this city, had met together to bid these teachers farewell, as the family intended going to their new home in Stockton on the following day. After the regular exercises of Thursday evening, consisting of singing, prayer and a short address in Chinese, the meeting was thrown open to any who wished to speak or lead in prayer. The first who rose spoke of his regret at their departure and his gratitude for their kindness. He then said: ‘One year ago I hated Christian Chinese, and I hated the name of Jesus Christ. Then Miss Worley came to teach me, and read and explained the Bible to me, and by and by I came to love Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and all those who worship him.’ One after another the Chinese brethren came forward to bear witness to their love for these devoted teachers, and their sorrow for their departure. Many of them, like the first speaker, testified that they had been brought to the knowledge of the saving power of Christ’s love by the words and the example of their loved teachers. More than one tremulous voice and dimmed eye, gave evidence that their words were not the complimentary exaggerations of Chinese courtesy, but came deep from hearts filled with love and gratitude for kindness that had been bestowed upon them, and overflowing with grief at parting from their benefactors. ‘We have nothing to repay you, our dear teachers,’ they said, ‘for all your kindness in teaching us your language, and in leading us to Christ; but we can pray God that He will bless you and keep you wherever you may go. You will go to Stockton and we will go to China, and may never see one another again on earth; but in heaven we will meet again.’
The frequent brief prayers, offered in Chinese, were unintelligible to the Americans present, but the frequent recurrence of the words ‘Stockton’ and ‘Worley’ showed that these men, just awakened from heathen darkness, had grasped the idea of an omnipotent and loving Father, to whom they might confidently intrust their absent friends. What an ample reward to these teachers for their earnest and prayerful devotion must such testimony have been! What a foretaste of heavenly bliss they experienced in seeing this fruit of their labor in the redemption of so many souls from idolatry and heathenism!
H. M. P.”
More about Oroville.—I give, perhaps, more than its share of notice to our new work in Oroville. But this is our first attempt to reach the Chinese engaged in mining, and, probably, the first systematic attempt ever made in California. On that account it has a special interest and importance. The number thus engaged is large, and no man careth for their souls. We have our first fruits of the work there, in the person of Jee Kane, a very interesting young man. He has joined the Association, thus professing faith in Christ. Miss Waterbury is disposed to commence a work among the women and children, and has one woman already under instruction who seems thoroughly interested. Lee Haim, our greatly-valued helper at Oroville, is obliged to return to China, and Lem Chung, of the Sacramento Mission, takes his place for a time. Miss Waterbury reports that there was a good attendance and evident attention at his last preaching service, and after service his hearers crowded about him asking him questions about the miracles of Christ, of which he had been speaking. He told her, “I feel so proud of Christ. He was with me, helped me speak, put words into my mouth.”