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.
Secretary: Rev. W. C. Pond. Treasurer: E. Palache, Esq.
HOW SPEEDS THE WORK?
REV. W. C. POND, SAN FRANCISCO.
The Marysville Mission, being viewed as no longer an experiment, celebrated its first anniversary on Nov. 21st, at the Presbyterian Church in that city. Its spacious and beautiful auditorium was crowded, the Methodist congregation uniting in the services. The exercises were very simple, consisting of recitations of Scripture, singing, and an address by our helper, Lee Sam. But the interest rose as the service moved on, till after a specially excellent recitation of I Cor., 13th chap., and especially after Lee Sam’s address, it burst forth in applause. At almost all our anniversaries, held though they are in churches and on Sunday evenings, this expression of interest takes place, unsought, unexpected, undesired, but showing in a gratifying way that whatever hard things men may say of a class of people, as a class, of a race as a race, in the abstract, yet bring them face to face with individuals of that class or race, trying to improve themselves, struggling upwards toward intelligence and freedom and Christianity, and they cannot refuse them the tribute of their good will, their cheery God-speed. There were Congressmen in the olden times who voted for the Fugitive Slave Law, and orators who defended it before the people, who could not possibly have helped wishing success to any individual fugitive if they actually saw him making for liberty with his eye on the north star, and even giving the poor fellow a sly lift that way if they had an opportunity. A warm heart is too strong for a wrong head under such circumstances. And so our anti-Chinese friends at Marysville gave us their presence at our Anniversary, curious to see what could be done, and before we were through bade us God-speed and helped us with a generous contribution. On the day following, a well-officered local auxiliary, like those at Sacramento, Stockton, Petaluma and Los Angeles, was organized. The school is now established in permanent quarters, furnished with all that is indispensable to a comfortable mission house, and sets forth on its second year with promise of good work and glad harvests.
New Schools.—In this month of December, in which I am writing, we have thirteen schools in operation, a larger number than ever before. The Oroville school resumed its sessions December 1st under the care of Miss Helen Ostrom, whose father, once a missionary at Amoy, China, has taken pastoral charge of the Congregational Church in that place. It starts well, and engages the interest not only of the Chinese, but also of the better element among the Christian people of that town, to a greater degree, I believe, than ever before.
Of the two new schools, one is in Oakland, occupying an apartment kindly granted for the purpose by the Pacific Theological Seminary, situated about 1¼ miles from the school already sustained in rooms supplied by the First Congregational Church. It is near the Plymouth Avenue Church, and will, we trust, be taken under its wing. Miss Maria W. Bye is its faithful and devoted teacher. The other new school is at Point Pedro, the Chinese fishing village of which some account was given in the December Missionary. On visiting the place I found it to consist of six or seven distinct villages situated on the shore of little coves, and separated from each other by points of greater or less altitude jutting out boldly into the Bay. The population, estimated at about 600, is thus divided into little groups of, say, 100 people each; the distance from the nearest to the most remote being not less than two miles. It calls for two schools, and affording, as it does, a field for missionary service among women and children as well as men, it needs at least one teacher able to give not only evenings, but the daytime also to the work. We are at present feeling our way under conditions quite different from those in any of our older schools, praying that the wisdom from above may save us from the mistakes into which our own unaided counsel would plunge us certainly; and that, as we learn how to reach these dark and scattered multitudes, we may have means adequate to the task. “As thy days so shall thy strength be.”
The Money Question.—Many who count themselves specially prudent find no room for the exercise of faith in matters of cash. But I have not so read either the word or the providence of God. We are walking by faith in laying out our missionary work for this new year. In place of the $1,610.70 received last year over and above the regular appropriation from the treasury in New York, we rely upon raising $5,000 this year. We cannot do the work waiting to be done, we cannot answer the Master’s call with any less sum than that. Every cent of it can be used without extravagance. Indeed we can practice a more effective economy on an income of $10,000 per annum than on one of $7,600. A certain amount is necessary even to start. There are some heavy expenses from which there is no escape however we may cut down the work, unless, indeed, we cut its life out altogether. These would not be materially increased even though the service rendered were increased three-fold. We look, therefore, first to the Master himself, and then to his people, whom he constitutes his almoners, to make up this $5,000. Humbly trusting to his faithfulness, we expect it to come, and we venture forward on that expectation. Already, from a helper in the “far East” comes an unsolicited gift of $100, and a pledge of another $100 if, thereby, this $5,000 can be secured. Already I seem to see in the near future full twenty-five or even many more of such $100 shares taken. Where shall I find the remainder? Are there no readers of the Missionary who can aid me to answer this question? “Inasmuch as ye have done it even to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”