FIELD NOTES.
BY SECRETARY RYDER.
MOUNTAIN WORK.—A very interesting spiritual awakening seems to prevail in many points of our mountain field. From a pastor of one of these churches among our American Highlanders we have received the following: "I have held meetings a couple of weeks, first at the church, and then at the academy. A large number have been reached. The open meetings disclosed the new life to all. We held daily meetings of prayer in the evening, and a large percentage of the students attended. All took part. The Y.P.S.C.E. has increased fourfold, and all the time is occupied in their meetings, and often two or three arise to speak at once. Six names were presented for active membership, and two for associate. The work is not confined to this single church and academy.
"I went recently to another village and half a dozen committed themselves for Christ. The Association needs an evangelist to visit these fields. Audiences fill the churches, most of them people who are out of Christ. All that prevents meeting this crying want of these mountain people in supplying to them more intelligent and consecrated ministers of the Gospel is the lack of money consecrated and given to [pg 90] this great service. This mountain field is now ripe to the harvest. Will not the churches multiply their gifts so that we can send into this harvest field more devoted men who are ready to go if they can do their work and simply be supported?"
The hard times and the difficulty of the mountain people to get clothing is illustrated in the following, which comes to us in a recent missionary letter from this mountain field:
"There would have been much more suffering had it not been for the clothing which has gone out from this school. When seven chickens bring only thirty-five cents the poor mountain people do not have much chance."
A pastor of the Association among our American Highlanders writes as follows: "This has been a most blessed and glorious season of refreshing. In the bounds of my work this fall and winter I have held and assisted in meetings which have in all resulted in something more than 100 hopeful conversions. My work now is especially to care for and look after the welfare of these precious souls lately brought to Christ and to give as much time as possible to my studies."
INDIAN WORK.—Our friends will remember the appeal made by Rev. James F. Cross, of Rosebud Agency, S.D., at our annual meeting at Elgin, Ill., for a chapel to be built at Cedar Butte, S.D. President Gates, moved by the appeal, took it up so enthusiastically that nearly $400 came from him and other generous givers. The Indians drew the logs and have just erected the chapel under the direction of Superintendent Cross. A note just received from the field contains the following, which abundantly proves the wisdom of opening this new station at Cedar Butte and helping the Indians in the erection of their church: "Last week I was up to Cedar Butte church. It was the first time since it was built that I have been there for service. I received two young men into the church. It was a warm day and the thermometer has not been ten degrees away from zero, except to go thirteen below, since." This chapel at Cedar Butte is the center of a new work, and this message brings the hopefulness of the field.
"We received five grown persons to our church fellowship on Sunday, and two children were baptized. Three Christian Indian families were constituted by Christian marriage at the same time. Praise God!" So writes Supt. C.L. Hall, of Fort Berthold Indian Mission, N.D.
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