Besides the contributions noted above, a general collection has been taken, amounting to $137.50. In the effort to free Bethany Church, San Francisco, of debt, the Chinese members and friends of that church contributed $212.50—of which $30.50 given in Sacramento, and $13.00 in Stockton, are included in the amounts given above.
The total of gifts and offerings by the Chinese connected with our Mission daring the past year cannot be less than $1,957.40. The total membership, as above reported, is 222. Added the past year, 38. Baptized (including 2 at Santa Barbara), 26. Expelled, 10.
ITEMS FROM THE FIELD.
Hampton, Va.—Twelve students united with the church on the 1st Sabbath of January, nearly all of them on profession of faith. Seven of these were Dakota Indians. It was a beautiful sight.
Washington, D. C.—The Lincoln Mission of this city has blossomed into the Lincoln Memorial Church, which was organized by council on the 10th of January with Rev. S. P. Smith installed at the same time as pastor. The sermon was preached by Dr. Roy, Field Superintendent, and the other parts were by Dr. Patton, Dr. Chickering, Dr. Rankin, Rev. Mr. Grimke, of the Colored Presbyterian Church, Rev. T. J. Holmes, of Baltimore, and Prof. Fairfield. Music by the organist of Dr. Rankin’s church and his superb choir.
Mrs. Babcock, of Newburyport, Mass., has commenced missionary labor with this church with every prospect of wide usefulness. She is supported by the W. H. M. A., of Boston, under commission of the A. M. A. This mission, in its Sunday-school work, runs back to the day of the Nation’s martyr, whose name it bears. It has done a vast deal of good, which has been garnered up in other churches round about, and now it turns to care for its own. It has been sustained, as it is now, mainly by Dr. Rankin’s people. The colored population of the district is 60,000, with only 3,000 outside of the city. The National Capital carries its share of the “wards.”
Augusta, Ga.—Some of the colored people drew off from one of the large churches to form a new one, and have been taking monthly collections to build a church edifice. A little girl six years old said she must have a nickel, for next Sunday was “throwing in” Sunday, and she wanted to see that church built. Her mother said she shouldn’t give her one, for she spent the last for candy and she ought to have saved that. So she went off with a basket on her arm, picked up bones and sold them for the five cents. Then a friend gave her another and she remarked: “I believe I’ll put this in, too, for that church must be built.”
Macon, Ga.—There seems to be a growing spirit of harmony among the members. The Sunday-school has had an average attendance of 116, and is in a good state of efficiency and progress. It had a very successful Christmas concert and “fruit tree,” and its other occasional concerts have been interesting. Mr. and Mrs. Lathrop have done as much missionary work as they could, and have distributed quantities of clothing, etc., to the poor, among whom there has been much real suffering from the severe weather.
Atlanta, Ga.—It is refreshing to one’s soul to get into a live prayer-meeting like ours last night. One good brother said, “This thing what you call Christianity is no small thing. It starts small, but it grows and grows and grows till it reaches out of this world into the land we call Heaven.” Another faithful brother always prays much, and especially for our school, and in his remarks last evening gave as his opinion—“If ’twan’t for what’s ben done on this yere block this city would be ten times worser’n it is in ignorance ’n superstition. I hain’t no chillun o’ my own and I dunno much about dealin’s with chillun, but I know dealin’s with chillun ain’t no funny thing.” This evidently showed his appreciation of our labor, and our hearts echoed his sentiments, while we smiled at his quaintness and originality.