And now I have come to the crowning exercise of the evening; for surely that patient little group on the front seat, conscious of a secret hidden behind the white cards they wore, was not there for nothing. They knew that the reason they were bidden to wait till the last was just because theirs was to be the best of all, and so it proved.
Quietly they filed up the opposite aisles, making a semicircle in the alcove back of the pulpit (which, by the way, had been removed). Above their heads, on the white walls of the alcove, was the reminder of our Conference, two years ago, the motto, “Praise ye the Lord.” Then those pretty evergreen letters, that did duty at Burlington, Wis., were employed again to spell out the sweet motto, “All for Jesus.” The recitations, concert exercises, questions and answers that followed, were well given, and were a little sermon in themselves. How we prayed that God would bless them to each one present! But the climax was reached when one of our young men came forward, and taking up a large globe that had been standing upon the table, said: “To-night we will unite and extend the motto to ‘All the world for Jesus.’” His manner was dignified and his words impressive, as he went on to tell of the needs of the whole world. Then came from each of the eleven, in answer to his question, “From what countries they should come who before Jesus in white should stand?” the names of country after country, the wide world over.
Turning to the audience the speaker told us not to say that time was too far off, and surprised most of us by saying that if each one now living, who had taken “All for Jesus” for his life motto, should bring one soul to Jesus each year, the whole world would soon be converted.
The same young girls who had sung “Zulu Band,” came forward and sang sweetly, “All for Jesus,” the others joining in the chorus. The groups remained in their places while the audience arose and joined in the doxology, and with reverent heads received the benediction.
Our W. M. A. gathered for its second “Missionary Tea Party” on Friday of the same week. The reading of letters from our absent sisters and from “The Morning Star,” together with the singing of missionary songs, occupied an hour, and while we discussed our tea, we chatted of what we could do for our Selma boys at Tougaloo, and decided to call our September meeting a “Missionary Quilting,” and put on and off two quilts. The ladies say it can be done.
GEORGIA.
Extract from a fraternal letter of Rev. T. L. Day, in behalf of the National Council to the General Conference of the Congregational Methodists, in session at Fredonia, Ga.:
“We feel that you agree with us when we express the hope that the time will come when there will be no distinction of North and South, but when our whole people will understand and trust and love each other. Political parties pass away and new ones take their places; but, God helping us, the Congregational method of church government shall never pass away, but it shall be (as long as grass grows and streamlets flow) a firm bond of union and brotherly love between us and you and all other Christians who accept it in its purity. The spirit of the Congregationalism we honor laments both the bigotry of sect and the bitterness of sectional politics. It teaches us, both as citizens and Christians, to love each other. In this spirit of love some of the ablest and most devoted ministers and educators of our denomination have been giving their best strength to our missionary institutions of education in the South. This work is supported by the self-sacrificing contributions of our churches. They believe (what your leading men have told us) that the race for which they do this missionary work must have a training and education in morality and in religious principle, or they will be the greatest source of danger and evil to the South. We know that these brethren are striving to work wholly in the spirit of Christ; and that every noble-minded Southerner, if he could only see their hearts and their devotion to the future of your fair land, would wish them God-speed. And if any of you, who are our brethren in the faith, should ever come to see good results from their efforts, and should be moved to speak the word of sympathy to those engaged in this lonely and difficult work, it will surely be reckoned to you by our Lord and Master as the ‘cup of cold water,’ given in the name of a disciple.”