Many of the regular school exercises were set aside for my address. They sang “Hold the Fort,” and others of Sankey’s collection, with spirit. The young lady who teaches them, Miss Gerrish, is remarkably faithful, full of tact and good sense. Your missionary himself interested me a good deal. I saw him first at the young men’s rooms at a prayer meeting. He gave a little personal experience, showing how a child comes to the Master’s arms. Professor Stearns, of Washburn College, spoke highly of his disinterested work at the mission. He has worked great changes for good. The people, for the most part, own their houses and lots. Some houses are very neat. One soldier’s wife said: “Yes, this little stone house is mine. My husband is a common working man. Yes, we have paid for the house. It is little, but, you know, there is nothing like home, if ’tis only so small!” Her husband had been through the war near me. On Sunday, every child was well dressed, and generally the blacks had as good clothing as the whites. I urged these good people, who are struggling up into respectable ways of living and moderate prosperity, to stand up for the Lord, that He may bless them more and more.
WHAT THE STRAWBERRY-BED DID.
Rev. A. Connet, of McLeansville, N.C., tells the story. Last year we canned 12 gallons, and the people stared. This year we have canned 20 gallons, sold $11.39 worth and have had all we wanted to use for the last 35 days. A white neighbor whom we feasted in the patch, and whose children were also fed on berries, said, “You have astonished the natives.” Ours are the only cultivated strawberries in this neighborhood. Now for the fruit. 1st, a new industry. Example is contagious. A number, some white and some colored, have spoken to us for plants. 2nd, the strawberry-bed is helping to bridge the social chasm. Some of our white neighbor ladies called on us in strawberry time. 3d, the children have just come in with a basket of cherries and a lot of dewberries given them by the man whom we feasted in the patch.
THE INDIANS.
VARIETY IN MISSIONARY LIFE.
REV. M. EELLS, SKOKOMISH, W. T.
Our services on one Sabbath were a decided medley of persons and Babel of languages. The opening exercises were in English, after which was the sermon, delivered in English but translated into the Nisqually language, and a prayer was offered in the same manner. At the close of the service, two infants were baptized in English, when followed the Communion services in English. At this there were twelve white members of the Congregational church here, and one Indian; also two white members of the Protestant Methodist church, one Cumberland Presbyterian, and one other Congregationalist; there were also about seventy-five Indians as spectators. The Sabbath School was held soon after, seventy-five being present. First, there were four songs in the Chinook language, accompanied by the organ and violin; then three in English. The prayer was in Nisqually, and the lesson read in English, after which the lessons were recited. Three classes of Indian boys, two of Indian girls, and two of white children were instructed in English; one class of Indian children was talked to partly in English and partly in Chinook. There is one Bible class of Indian men who can understand English, a part of whom can read and a part cannot, and another of about forty Indians, whose teacher talks English, but an interpreter translates it into Nisqually, and then he does not reach some Indians of the Clallam tribe who are present. Next followed a meeting of the Temperance Society, as six persons wished to join—a white man who can write his name and five Indians who touch the pen while the Secretary makes the mark. Three of these are sworn in English and two in Chinook. The whole services are interspersed with singing in English and Chinook.