NOTES FROM THE FIELD.
By Rev. W. C. Pond.
1. The statistical reports for November are in some respects more encouraging than ever; thirteen schools in operation, having an aggregate enrolled membership of 700—a round number, but an exact one. Never before did our aggregate rise so high. The average attendance was 339. Ten of our pupils received baptism, and four or five others, as having begun the Christian life, were accepted as members of the “Association of Christian Chinese,” there to remain under further instruction for six months or more before they are baptized. Twenty-nine teachers were employed, of whom ten were Chinese helpers—uniting service in the field with special training for a larger Gospel-work. Some of these, I hope, may yet preach Christ in China, under the direction of our American Missionary Association.
2. The Marysville Chinese Mission celebrated its second anniversary on Sunday evening, December 11. The Presbyterian Church in that city—a spacious and beautiful edifice—was filled, and the audience was evidently greatly interested. At the close of a dialogue on the question why a Chinaman should become a Christian, and of the address in English by our helper, Lee Sam, the interest pressed beyond due bounds, and broke forth into applause. One memorable feature of the service was the baptism of six Chinese. From the statement of the teacher, Miss Mattie A. Flint, as presented at this meeting and since then published in The Pacific, I make the following extracts:
“The school has been maintained without interruption except on occasional holidays. In connection with it a Sunday-school has been sustained, meeting every Sabbath at 6 o’clock in the evening. The total number of Chinese enrolled as pupils in the Mission School is 98. All these have been, for a shorter or longer period, under our influence, and must have learned something about Jesus and his power to save from sin. The average membership, month by month, has been about 35. The largest average attendance in any one month was 23. The average attendance for the year, 17. * * * Ten of the pupils have joined the Association during the past year. From among the members of the Association five have been baptized and received in the Presbyterian Church, and six others are now recommended for baptism. We rejoice greatly in the fruit of our labors. I pray God for still richer harvests in time to come.
“One of those baptized and received to the church has returned to China. I venture to give the following extract from a letter which I received from him a few weeks since: ‘We meet on the steamer three Christian brothers beside me. I feel comfortable in the way my home. They about five hundred of my country men in the steamer. But they are all heathen; we are preacher for them. They are never heard the gospel of life, and some very glad to hear us, and some are not. How wonderful our Heavenly Father has make this world! We are cross the great ocean, we ought thank Him for His kindness for us and His love. When we get near Japan they are idolatrous people to ask for us to give money to sacrifice idols goddess. I say no; if I have money I would like to put on missionary fund. But they are scold and angry for us. But we are not afraid for them. Jesus Christ with us always.’”
The Bethany Church of Marysville.—A variety of considerations which could not be fully stated without trespassing too largely upon your space led us to believe that the time had come when our brethren in Marysville should be organized into a church of Christ. Rev. P. L. Carden, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, very cordially seconded the proposition, and proffered letters of dismission and recommendation to such of our Chinese brethren as had already been admitted to his church. The brethren themselves received the proposal with great joy.
It was a new step in the history of our own work among the Chinese of this State, though in connection with other missions two or three churches composed exclusively of Chinese have existed for many years. It was taken after much prayer, and with a peaceful assurance that the Master himself led us that way. The matter was talked over with the brethren somewhat carefully on Sunday afternoon; and then after the anniversary exercises over, we remained at the Mission House till late at night, explaining to them the simple confession of Faith and Covenant of the Bethany Church, San Francisco, which they adopted as their own. My inquiries into the Christian experience of one and another gave me still greater joy than I had before in view of our Marysville work, and at the end of this meeting it was agreed to gather at the Mission House at 2:30 P.M. of Monday, and organize the church. This plan was carried out, several American Christians being present with us and adding their prayers and cordial God-speed; and I could easily find it in my heart to wish that every church organized in America had in it nine such happy, hearty, praying, working young men as this Bethany Church in Marysville has.
3. Oroville.—We had scarcely concluded the meeting above referred to, when it became time to take the train for Oroville, twenty-eight miles distant. I took our faithful helper, Lee Sam, with me, desiring him to spend two or three months at least in Oroville. Here I found a sad state of things. Sufficient care had not been taken in receiving members to our Association there, and I am afraid that few, if any, among them are true Christians. In a strife for the pre-eminence they had become bitter, one toward another, and I hoped, and still hope, that the good judgment, the gentle spirit, the Christian example and the faithful preaching of Lee Sam will, with the blessing of God, set things right again. The school in Oroville is blessed with a very faithful teacher, who is aided and guided by her father, Rev. A. Ostrom, pastor of the Congregational Church, himself formerly a missionary in China. Mr. Ostrom speaks Chinese, but not in the dialect of the districts from which our Chinese have come, and he cannot communicate with them, except through the English language. We ought to have had a good helper there six months ago, but I had not the man to spare, nor the funds to sustain him. Now I leave Marysville destitute, that Oroville may be supplied.
We spent Monday and Tuesday evenings till a very late hour seeking to secure mutual forgiveness and to bring peace. We succeeded so far as the weaker party was concerned; and the confession of fault and the request for forgiveness were made with tearful eyes. But as to the other, and hitherto the controlling faction, no relenting could be made to appear. They have since withdrawn and set up some sort of a house and a worship by themselves. But I believe that our prayers will be answered, and that out of all this will come shortly a far better work than has ever yet been done for the thousands of Chinese who centre at this town.
4. The mission-house at Santa Barbara was burned to the ground in the latter part of November. It was a rented building, and the most valuable part of the mission escaped the flames, so that the loss was not great. I record with much thankfulness the fact that the Congregational Church in Santa Barbara, notwithstanding that it had, just the week before, completed an offering of $327.50 for our Theological Seminary, and scarcely a month before had made a generous contribution to our Mission, at once took a collection amounting to $27.55 to repair the damages of this fire. The origin of the fire is hard to explain. Our helper regards it as no accident, but as having come from the hatred of heathen Chinese.