GEORGIA.
Revival Interest.
REV. C. W. FRANCIS, ATLANTA.
We have great reason to rejoice in all the good things the Lord has done for us in this school. Since the day of prayer for Colleges on the last Thursday of January, we have had a very marked and general interest in religious things, and we have reason to believe that very many have become reconciled to God and taken up the service of Christ. Nearly every one in the family, numbering about two hundred students, who was not already a follower of Christ, has been affected and confessed an interest in the subject, and not many have drawn back thus far. About sixty have attended inquiry meetings, and we hope a large proportion of them will hold on their way.
There has been a great quickening of those who bore the Christian name, and many of them have taken up the work as though for the first time. We have held meetings every night for five weeks, and there has been the steady presentation of the truth and much personal effort, and so a great harvest gathered, which fills our hearts with gladness.
Regular school work has not been broken in upon to any great extent and there has been no tendency toward undue excitement but a deep and solemn attention to the claims of God has characterized the experience of most.
We cannot tell how many have become decided Christians, certainly more than twenty, and perhaps twice that will upon trial be found steadfast. Some have already gone away to distant places to open schools, and will, we trust, carry the light with them, and others will go soon. If they had not been reached just at this time we should probably never have had opportunity to lead them again. Next month we hope quite a number will unite with our church, and many more will in due time unite with other churches. We are aware of the tendency to over-estimate immediate results and to be mistaken in regard to the permanent effects of such a work here; but it is the testimony of all that this is the most thorough and general work for years in this school. It has been blessed to be here and to have a share in it. “It is the Lord’s doing and marvelous in our eyes.”
The John the Baptist of the Church—Genius for Piety.
REV. B. D. CONKLING, SAVANNAH.
Having some friends who read the Missionary—when sufficiently urged to do so by their pastors—I would like a little space to give them, not some conclusions, perhaps, but some impressions of the A. M. A. work.
I remember hearing a zealous brother, at the Chicago Annual Meeting, earnestly urge that the A. M. A. push more vigorously the “Church work,” that the conversion of the Freedmen was the thing to be aimed at rather than their education, etc.
A few months of experience impress me with the conviction that the school is the “John the Baptist” of the church. We cannot do without each of them. But we are still in the “school” state; and if either is to suffer, it must be the church work. Each, in fact, bears the same message to the masses. The church is doubtless to “increase” greatly; but it will yet be many days (years) before the school will “decrease,” if we are wise.
It has sometimes been said that the colored people have what has been called, “a genius for piety.” How much this means can only be understood by one who has been with them in their religious assemblies of the better sort. They have a faculty for getting hold of, and being interested in and by, the things which are most elaborate and profound and spiritually significant in thought, which continually surprises one. They know “meat” from “milk,” and are ready every time for the former. They might not follow one who gave them Rowland Hill’s fine “river of words, and only a spoonful of thought,” but if any man can speak thoughts in words which accurately mate each other, I invite him to my pulpit, assuring him that he will have an attentive and appreciative hearing such as delights the heart of the messenger who has something to say. My impression is that the Negro is to have a decided and beneficent influence upon the Christianity of America, if not upon that of the whole world:—but in precisely what direction I am not clear.
I have a truly noble little band of co-pastors in these churches scattered here-abouts. They do not know what they are doing—nor do any of us, I think—in planting the seeds of a decorous and an intelligent church life, and one which insists upon honesty, sobriety, “whatsoever is of good report,” etc., as fundamental therein, among these people who are slowly but surely getting into a secure and respectable place in the body politic.
In view of their position and its opportunities one cannot help feeling—and no one can feel it as keenly as they themselves do—that it is a pity that their early advantages had not been greater. Nevertheless it is my impression that the next fifteen years of A. M. A. work will be more important, if possible, than the last fifteen years have been; and this, whether we consider negro or white, State or Nation, America or Africa.
Conclusion: Prayers and gifts were never more needed, or more likely to do lasting good than just now.
The Southern Winter of 1880-81.
REV. S. E. LATHROP, MACON.
For this season, at least, the name of “Sunny South” is a misnomer. Beginning in November last, there have been almost four solid months of cold, sour, dismal, cloudy, stormy weather.
For ten days the thermometer stood constantly below the freezing point. One night it touched zero. Everybody kept roaring fires, and cowered over them in their loosely-built houses. Soon the coal-yards gave out, and the wood market was empty. The smooth-shod Southern horses could not climb the icy hills to bring supplies. Fuel became steadily scarcer and higher—wood going up from four dollars (the usual price) to fifteen dollars per cord, and very scarce at that.
Rich and poor alike suffered. Many burned the fences, fruit trees and shade trees. Poor people burned their board partitions, bedsteads, tables, even chairs and trunks, and some, after all, had to go to bed as the only means of keeping warm.
The “fuel famine” lasted ten or twelve days, the like of which was never known before. Water-pipes burst, fruits, flowers and vegetables were frozen, and general distress ensued. The chilly rain still continues, though ice and snow have disappeared. I doubt if the “blizzards” and “Arctic waves” of the North cause much more real suffering than this chilly, damp, freezing winter here brings to the inhabitants so unaccustomed to this weather.
Most Southern houses are very loosely built, generally warmed with fire-places or coal grates, over which you may scorch one side and freeze the other. Water froze one day within six feet of our stove.
Much suffering, sickness and death have resulted among the poor in their wretched cabins. Fortunately for some our kind friends North have this winter sent us an unusual amount of clothing, which has been distributed judiciously among those most needy, and has done much to alleviate distress. My wife has given away over 400 garments within the past three mouths, and many shivering bodies have been warmed. From our own good State of Wisconsin we have had no less than seventeen boxes or barrels, containing books, clothing, magazines and newspapers. From friends in other States there have come eleven packages of various sizes, with the same acceptable help for our poor people. And how helpful these timely gifts have been!
Although my wife has had no special commission as missionary, she has done considerable in that line. During three mouths past, she has made over two hundred and fifty visits, being confined to the house by illness for one month of that time, and being much hindered otherwise by the incessant stormy weather, which has also greatly interfered with our evening meetings and Sunday services. Besides the clothing above referred to, she has distributed hundreds of papers, tracts, cards and texts, reading and talking with the women and children. Her sewing-school, meeting weekly, has steadily increased, until it now numbers ninety-three girls, of whom sixty were present at the last meeting. Cutting and basting work for so many occupies a good deal of time.
At our annual church meeting, the reports showed that eighteen persons had been received on profession of faith during the year 1880, and $256 raised for church purposes. The Sunday-school reported 220 names on the roll, of whom 175 were present at one time, and the average attendance for the year was 115. Ten of the scholars united with the church, and the school has raised about $60 in weekly contributions. The pastor and wife gave away 8,500 religious and Sunday-school papers during the year. One of the papers has a story. It was given to a little girl in our infant class, who took it home and carefully preserved it. Her father, not a Christian man, was soon after arrested and confined in jail for several months for stealing. The little girl carried him her Sunday-school papers to read. One of these told the story of Joseph and the baker in the Egyptian prison, and suggested that every prisoner, and every sinner, had a divine intercessor at the throne, Jesus Christ, the Saviour, who would not forget his friends in trouble, as the baker did. So he began to pray, and when released from jail soon after, was a converted man.
We have received a great many papers from Northern Sunday-schools and other friends, and shall be glad to receive many more. Much good may be done by this means, as the above incident illustrates. From the incessant storms, floods and cold of this winter, the people need more help than ever by way of clothing for the destitute, and all other aids. All kinds of business have suffered, and the high prices of fuel and other necessaries have caused many to be perplexed as to the wherewithal of eating and putting on. Many of the country churches have hardly been able to keep up services at all, owing to storms and floods.
I have collected over 1,000 volumes for my “Lewis Public Library,” and it is doing good work. I expect soon to issue a little missionary paper. Our Lewis High School is increasing in numbers.