These considerations have led to a more abundant provision for missionary work among the Chinese in that city, than anywhere else. Persons, coming to California to labor in this missionary work, are quite apt to become impressed with the necessities of the Oakland Chinese. And so, if our mission had not been, by many years, the first in that field; and if there had not gathered about it a large number of Christian Chinese for whom it is a spiritual home; and, if it were not possible—thanks to the generous provision made for us by the First Congregational Church—to do more work there now, in proportion to expense, than almost anywhere else, I should feel like abandoning the field to those who have crowded in to help us. In the new, spacious and elegant church edifice, rooms much more commodious and much better furnished than those of any other school, have been prepared and assigned to our Chinese work. On the Sabbath, they are occupied by the Chinese Sunday-school, superintended so many years by our dear brother, the late Dea. Edmund P. Sanford, and now in charge of one like-minded, A. L. Van Blarcom, Esq. On week-day evenings, they are opened for our mission school, at which about the same pupils gather who are present on the Sabbath, and every session of which is, in large part, a religious service. About eighty Chinese account themselves members of this school, attend it when they can, and are under its gospel influence; but there are so many interruptions through the pressure of their daily work, that the average attendance is about thirty. Two teachers are employed, Mrs. B. C. Hawes and Miss L. Duncan, who, by years of service in this field, have won a warm place in the affection and respect of the Chinese. The expense is $40 per month. As fruits of this labor, we have 17 who are members of the First Congregational Church in Oakland, nearly as many more in other churches, and a goodly number who have professed Christ in the Association, but have not yet been baptized.
In San Francisco there are 4 schools; Central, Barnes, Bethany, and West. The Central school is taught in our Central Mission house, the headquarters of our work for the whole State. This is, I regret to say, a rented building, the cost of which absorbs more than a sixth of the utmost amount we can hope to command for our whole work. We have occupied it now almost six years, have spent in rents nearly enough to have paid for as good a building, if only we could have seized our opportunity; and I cannot even yet get sufficiently hardened to this expenditure, to meet it without a throbbing heart. “If only I could use this sum for teaching and preaching the Gospel of Christ!” is my thought and my longing; when will the time come? The building is a very plain one, but pleasantly located, just on the edge of the Chinese quarter, and overlooking an acre or two of greenness in the heart of our city which we call “the Plaza.” It has two stories and a basement, the latter occupied by our Association of Christian Chinese as a hall and reading room, with some facilities in the rear for hospitality. The first floor is the school room (18 x 50), in which at times no less than 145 Chinese have crowded themselves. The average attendance now is about 60; it is increasing, and I hope will again reach 100. In the upper story are the rooms of our Chinese helpers, with a little office, also, for the Secretary of the Association above named. A great deal of work is done here besides the mere teaching; a great deal of correspondence carried on; a great deal of what may be called pastoral care exercised; a good deal, also, of honest study of God’s word.
But I am making my story too long. About two miles south of this, on Ridley Street, is the Barnes Mission house, a substantial two-story structure of wood, with a smaller building on the rear of the lot, occupied by our Chinese brethren as a “Home.” This is owned by the Mission, but has a debt upon it of $3,300. The upper story is occupied by the family furnishing the teachers for the school in the room below. The mother and daughter, Mrs. C. A. Sheldon and Miss Jennie Sheldon, are the ones whose names appear upon our lists, but father and brothers all share lovingly and zealously in the work. The rent derived from this upper story and from the “Home” in the rear, pays the interest on the debt, and the cost of insurance and taxes. When we were erecting this building, we expected to gather in it a school of 150 members with an average attendance of about 100; but, the very evening of its dedication, the riots of July 1877 occurred, and, for the time, our work in almost all the city seemed to be knocked prostrate. Other changes, the closing of some large shoe factories, from which many of our pupils came, and the restrictions laid upon the operatives in the Mission Woolen Mills, among whom we hoped to win some souls, have prevented the realization of all that we hoped, though the results at which all was aimed, have not been denied. There are many of whom—looking at our Barnes Mission house—we may say, “This man was born there.”
A mile and a half further south is the Bethany school, taught in the chapel of Bethany church, and through the faithfulness and tact of its teacher well sustained, although the Chinese are not specially numerous in that locality. And about two miles west of the Central Mission is the “West” school, taught in a little back-room, behind a small store—a room most unpromising, and rented for only $5 per month, but, by the taste and care of teachers and pupils, rendered quite neat and inviting. The average attendance in each of these schools is a little less than 20, ranging between 12 and 19.
In the aggregate, about 175 Chinese now belong to these four schools; not as many by nearly one-half as were enrolled in them three years ago. Sandlotism, especially after it invaded our pulpits, has been a sore hindrance to missionary success. But we have tried to get closer to those whom we could bring within our reach, and to do better work among them, and God has graciously owned it in saving power. Sixty-six have been received to Bethany church, and of at least as many more the hope is cherished that they have passed from death unto life. The present outlook seems to me to be especially cheering, not only here but in almost all our fields.
CHILDREN’S PAGE.
THE ELEPHANT IN AFRICA.
We have seen many pictures of elephants in Africa, and they were all in hunting scenes.