The missionary and those who send her do not lack for prayers from the colored people. I have a Mothers’ Meeting once a week, where I endeavor to teach them from the Bible their duties as mothers and wives; also a sewing-school, where we teach the girls how to cut and make garments, which they buy, when finished, at a low price. I have had so much to do in this part of the work, that one of the teachers has kindly assisted me.
I have over fifty families on my visiting list, and have called on several others and am received cordially by nearly all. I am well pleased with the work, and ought never to cease being thankful for the good and wonderful way in which the Lord has opened this field of labor for me.
Not long since, one of the girls from the senior class came and told me she would like to become a missionary sometime, and asked me to tell her what she could do now, as she wishes to begin to work for Jesus while she is young. She asked me to take her with me on some of my visits among the people, which I shall be glad to do. I think one of the good results of this work is that it tends to set the colored people to work for themselves, as they are glad to do, but did not know how to go to work; they need instruction in this as in everything else.
KENTUCKY.
Berea College.
While the echoes of Merry Christmas are ringing in our ears, and good dinners and joyous family greetings are still bright spots in our memories, it may be interesting to hear of a Gospel Feast in Berea, Ky. Our good steward, of the Boarding Hall, conceived the plan of going out into our highways and hedges and inviting those most destitute to dine with him. Over the hills and the valleys went the joyful tidings into many a log-hut—“Mr. H. done ’vite us to a big dinner at de Hall.”
Aside from teachers and their wives, no white folks were admitted within those doors as guests. At an early hour, the large parlor began to fill. To those of us who were late, it required no little moral courage to enter a room so well filled, and go through the ordeal of hand-shaking. The walls were lined with people, and from their sober, dignified looks, one could easily imagine it a funeral occasion. They seemed conscious of the dignity of the hour, and were prepared to maintain it at any cost. Men sat modestly far away from the women. The costumes would have driven “Worth” distracted. Surely, never could he have devised so many ways of “doing up” the female form. Bits of ribbon, faded and old, stray pieces of lace pinned here and there in charming abundance, and with a lofty indifference to such minor matters as harmony or usefulness. One large figured gown of prominent yellow shades, made conspicuous the form of an old woman, who seemed, like her gown, to have awakened out of a Rip Van Winkle sleep, or been unearthed from some old ruin. It reminded us of the days of Dolly Varden, and was not very unlike the Chinese and Japanese cloths which to-day we try to think pretty. But it would be impossible to attempt a description of the toilettes. Necessity made a virtue of all sorts of combinations; and if they were not beautiful, they seemed to give the wearers the feeling of being dressed—a feeling not always accomplished under happier circumstances.
As we went from one to another, it certainly relieved the monotony to hear them say, “Ki, yi! dars Miss Lizzie,” “How d’ye, honey,” and so on. From the men came the stiffest bows and politest concern for our health. Knowing but few in the party, we hastily found a seat, where we could talk to one about gardens. To another, the never-failing question of babies proved interesting; and thinking of the little black ones, I thought in God’s sight they might be as fair as my own. It took so long for one old dame to tell of her “rheumatiz” and general “misery,” that our sympathy, which was real, almost cooled before the lengthy recital was ended. During all that long hour not a loud laugh was heard from those laughter-loving people.
At length, to the relief of us all, the great doors opened, and the eager old children could contain themselves no longer, and almost broke ranks and ran; husbands and wives apart, evidently fearing, as they hurried to their seats, there would not be room for all. Not till the guests were seated did the teachers scatter here and there, glad for once at least to yield the first seat.