President: Rev. J. K. McLean, D. D. Vice-Presidents: Rev. A. L. Stone, D. D., Thomas C. Wedderspoon, Esq., Rev. T. K. Noble, Hon. F. F. Low, Rev. I. E. Dwinell, D. D., Hon. Samuel Cross, Rev. S. H. Willey, D. D., Edward P. Flint, Esq., Rev. J. W. Hough, D. D., Jacob S. Taber. Esq.
Directors: Rev. George Mooar, D. D., Hon. E. D. Sawyer, Rev. E. P. Baker, James M. Haven, Esq., Rev. Joseph Rowell, Rev. John Kimball, E. P. Sanford, Esq.
Secretary: Rev. W. C. Pond. Treasurer: E. Palache, Esq.
NOTES AND CLIPPINGS.
BY REV. W. C. POND.
It is unnecessary, and, of course, in the space at command it would be impossible, to give at length my correspondence with teachers and pupils connected with our schools; but I must ask you occasionally to make room for brief “notes and clippings.”
Whatever concerns our Chinese helpers bears with great weight on our work. Their teacher writes: “I think my pupils are very much in earnest, and study the Bible with no mere desire of finding out what there is in it, or of advancing themselves in the knowledge of our language—as some intimate the Chinese do—but with an earnest purpose to learn God’s ways and follow His commands, and to fit themselves to teach others the blessed truths which they themselves have come to believe. It seems to me they must make excellent missionaries; they appear to realize so fully the sad condition of their heathen friends, and are so simple and unquestioning in their faith in the God revealed to them by our Bible. All their teaching and preaching is the love of Christ, and what we should do in return for such love. I am puzzled what to do about the texts [passages of Scripture which I give them week by week to prepare outlines of discourses from. W.C.P.], for no matter what is the subject of them they are sure to run into the one thing that seems to fill their minds.” But that is the one thing needful.
The difficulties of which our teacher at Petaluma writes, are encountered to a greater or less extent everywhere. She says: “No Chinese ever attend the school except from one company. [Two of the now famous ‘Six Companies’ are represented among the Chinese of Petaluma. The rivalries and mutual antipathies of members of these companies are often very intense, leading sometimes to pitched battles. In Petaluma they keep the peace; but no efforts of teachers or helpers have yet succeeded in getting Chinese of both the companies into one school. W.C.P.] The scholars are, also, house-servants or laundrymen, and are constantly changing places, and a great deal of the time have nothing at all to do. If they had work we could keep them. If the times would improve the school would improve. The scholars like the school, and are much more friendly and cordial to me since Hong Sing [the Chinese helper] came, because now I am better understood. But while they are constantly shifting about to get employment, I am afraid the good accomplished cannot be very great.”
This is illustrated by the following from a teacher in the Oakland School: “I was hearing a scholar who had been in the school about a week read in his primer. We came to the sentence, ‘Christ died for us,’ and I asked him ‘Who was Christ?’ To my astonishment, he knew nothing of him. In the plainest way possible to me, I gave an account of Christ’s life and death. He seemed interested, but told me that he had never been at Sunday-school. The next night I noticed him reading with the helper in the Testament, and he became regular in his attendance at Sunday-school. Losing his position, he was obliged to go away to get work. I was very sorry, for I had great hopes that he would soon become a Christian. This teacher adds: ‘It is gratifying when you ask one who has seemed somewhat dull, Who is God? to see the face brighten and the hand point upwards; and if you go still further and ask, Do you love God? a smile plays upon the features and the reply is, ‘Oh, yes.’ A prayer-meeting is held each Wednesday evening, in which manifest interest is taken. After the close of the school the pupils often remain and read together the Scriptures written in Chinese. Each Friday evening I tell them a short story from the Bible, and try to take from it some truth which they may remember. I should be deeply grateful could I write of more being brought into the kingdom of God. The work is encouraging; and while sometimes we reap the fruits of others’ labors, so others shall reap the fruits of ours.”