SO FAR.
One-third of the fiscal year of this Association ended January 31. Our friends will be glad to learn of our progress so far. Our annual meeting, after careful deliberation, decided that $300,000 (or 23 per cent. more than last year) would be needed for the growing work of this year; and we have been obliged to expend more than one-third of this amount, showing that our estimate was none too large.
Our receipts for the four months ending January 31 have been $83,893.39. Of this amount $9,191.72 was received in legacies, and $74,701.67 from other sources. There has been a decrease in legacies of $3,132.28, and an increase from other sources of $16,601.18, making a total increase of $13,468.90, or a little more than 19 per cent. over that of last year instead of the 23 per cent. asked for.
It will be seen that during the remaining eight months not only the $200,000 allotted for that time must be raised, but also $16,107 of deficiency. This will require an increase of 25 per cent. over the income for the corresponding months of last year.
The increase of receipts from living donors is gratifying, and we appeal with great confidence to those who have given to add to their gifts, and to those who have not yet contributed to increase the amount of their usual donations, so that the treasury of the Lord may be full, and that the work be not hindered.
We have just published Pamphlet No. 7 of our series, containing the address of President E. H. Fairchild, D.D., at Worcester, on “God’s Designs for and through the Negro Race,” and “Missions the Work of this Era,” by Rev. M. E. Strieby, D.D. Copies will be sent free on application.
We have received recent letters of a hopeful character from our Mendi Mission. Rev. J. M. Williams, after a preaching tour among the native villages, returned suffering from a serious illness from which he appears to be recovering. A neat tombstone has been placed over the remains of Rev. Kelly M. Kemp at the Good Hope Station.
Messrs. D. Lothrop & Co. have done good service in publishing “Around the World Tour of Missions,” by Mr. W. F. Bainbridge. The book purports to give a universal survey of Christian Missions, and contains in its appendix a list of missionary societies, home and foreign. The amount of information in its 582 pages is a valuable contribution to the missionary literature of the day.
A friend sending a donation to constitute a life member says: “I believe that this makes twenty-six life members which I have made during the last eight or ten years. Were you to ask me to-day to give you the full sum, $780, I could not do it, but as it came by $30 at a time, I have not felt it, but have been made happy in making others to rejoice by a small amount yearly given to your society. Why not urge others to adopt some such system of giving?”
We publish elsewhere an account of the burning of the Congregational church and school building of the Emerson Institute, Mobile, Ala. The origin of the fire is indicated by the following offer of reward: “$300 reward. The undersigned will pay the above reward of $300 for the arrest, conviction and punishment of any person or persons who set fire to any of the following buildings, to wit: Residence of John F. Cotham, house of Annie C. Sullivan, house belonging to estate of Boulo, Congregational Church building. A. P. BUSH, President Mobile Board of Underwriters.”
The school was enjoying a winter of unusual prosperity at the time of the fire, and as will be seen by the communication referred to it has made temporary arrangements for the continuation of its work.
Our newly-appointed business agent for the Mendi Mission, Mr. I. J. St. John, in describing his journey from Freetown, West Africa, to our Good Hope Station, writes: “Mr. Hall and myself had been on the water in a boat with nothing but the soft side of a hard board to sit on and sleep on for three days and two nights, with nothing to eat but bread and strawberry jam. The worst of it was the board each of us had was only fourteen inches wide and four feet long.” These brethren will watch with special interest the report of the receipts for the John Brown Steamer, which we shall commence to build as soon as the money is assured. We trust the friends of this Association will keep right on furnishing funds for this object. About one-third of the $10,000 needful has been subscribed.