Directors: Rev. George Mooar, D.D., Hon. E. D. Sawyer, Rev. E. P. Baker, James. M. Haven, Esq., Rev. Joseph Rowell, Rev. John Kimball.
Secretary: Rev. W. C. Pond. Treasurer: E. Palache, Esq.
LETTERS FROM PUPILS.
REV. W. C. POND, SAN FRANCISCO.
I often receive letters from pupils in our schools, and still more frequently read letters addressed to their teachers, which I have wished I could show to the Christian friends who are enabling us to carry on our work.
It is encouraging to see how much of saving truth they have contrived to learn, and still more to feel all through the throbbings of a Christian heart. The English is often in a sad tangle, but the effort to get hold of idioms so utterly opposite to their own sometimes gives an appetizing quaintness to their utterances such as freshens even oldest truth.
I venture to fill our columns for this month with a few extracts, realizing the fact that our interest in them may be wholly due to our personal interest in the writers, and that I incur the risk of their falling quite flat on the ears of others.
Here is one from Gin Sing, a member of the Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara, now in Mexico: “Dear Sir, Mr. Pond: How are your health now? I hope you alway strong and able to do things. I have leave off [left] the city of Santa Barbara last Jan. 21st, but we living in Sonora of Mexico the county, at place of San Felix Mine. * * * I like to stay Santa Barbara very much, and so I have a chance to go church every Sunday; and this country none have church, and not very good country, but only mine was good, and country was dry the all time, and hot, too, and cold—sometimes was cold as can be. Oh, Dear Sir, I hear from Ah Foy And here is one recently received from Ny To Ging, a Stockton brother: “Mr. Pond: Dear Friend * * * Since I left you so long time, I never written to you any. Alway do I remember your kindness. I hope God will bless you and give you much strength to do his work. We are all sinners, and have wandered from God like lost sheep that have gone astray from the fold, but God is ready to forgive and take us back again in order to save us; so that we ought immediately to repent and become the disciples of Christ and be always prepared to do the will of Jesus. The Bible is the word of God. Holy men wrote it as the Holy Spirit taught them. The truths of the Bible never change. Every word is true, and God’s truth shall last forever. * * * I write to let you know and two Chinese [are to be] baptized in Stockton Church Congregational the next Sunday. I do not know how to write a letter well, but I make the attempt to write a little, hoping you will overlook all mistakes.” [In some portions of the above I think that as to the English our brother must have had the aid of his teacher’s corrections but the thoughts, I am sure, are his own.—W. C. P.]