and
“Oh, happy day that fixed my choice
On Thee, my Saviour and my God;
Well may this glowing heart rejoice
And tell its raptures all abroad,”
we could not refrain from tears. Our brethren, who had been attending the horses, heard the music and came in. One glance unsealed the fountain, and they too wept for joy. Then we all knelt in prayer. There were prayers in English and prayers in Dakota language, freely intermingled, and a pervading sense that the good Father understood it all. When we arose to our feet the Indians sang the Gloria, and Spotted Bear, by invitation, closed the meeting with a prayer which touched every heart, although we could not understand a word of it. The language of the heart is everywhere the same. And so with hearty hand-shakings and moist eyes this long-to-be-remembered meeting broke up. We came away feeling that for many a day we had not enjoyed such a refreshing, and saying one to another, “Surely God hath made of one blood all nations of men.”
THE CHINESE.
REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT.
REV. W. C. POND.
Comparison with Previous Year.—The work of the previous year (1881 to 1882) was by far the largest we had ever done. The same superlative applies to the year just closed. Our statistical table for that year contained the names of fifteen schools, with a total enrollment for the year of 2,567 pupils. This table shows nineteen schools with an aggregate enrollment of 2,823. The total number of months during which schools were sustained was in that year 153; in this year, 187. Our teachers during that year numbered 31; eleven being Chinese; this year, 41; fourteen being Chinese. The aggregate number of months of service by our teachers was then 356; the past year, 423. The aggregate average attendance was in that year 401; in this, 438. We reported last year 156 as professing to have ceased from idol worship, and 106 as giving evidence of conversion; this year we report 175 and 121. But these numbers represent only those who were in attendance during August, or during the last month of each school—not by any means the total number of whom we cherish the hope that they are believers. I am obliged to send this statement before all the returns upon which it should be based have come to hand, but I shall be disappointed if we do not find that more than forty have professed conversion during the past year, making the total number who have seemed to us to turn to Christ from the commencement of our work exceed 400. These are scattered now very widely over the United States and in China. We hear of many of them as doing good work for the Master and for the salvation of their countrymen; and those of whom we can hear nothing, we commit in faith to the Great Shepherd’s tender care.
The Finances.—The expense of this work for the past year has been as follows: For salaries, $8,697.20; for rent of mission houses, $2,409; for incidental expenses, including fuel, lights, traveling expenses of Superintendent and helpers, fitting up and furnishing new mission houses, printing Annual Reports, etc., etc., $791.85. Total, $11,898.05. The resources have been: Appropriation by parent society, $7,000; Receipts to treasury and auxiliary, viz.: From its own auxiliary local missions, $735.05; from churches, $1,003.60; from donations by individuals and firms, $2,613, and from Eastern friends, $512. Total, $4,863. Total resources, $11,863. It should be added that this statement is necessarily made before the account of the auxiliary (the California Chinese Mission) is closed, and that we have hope of some further contributions, sufficient to set the balance on the right side. The amount raised by the auxiliary last year was $3,582.30. The increase has been nearly 37 per cent. The most gratifying elements in this increase are in the offerings of the churches and of our Chinese brethren. The latter cannot now be stated exactly, but it is very considerable. The former is from $532.85 in ’81-’82 to $1,003.60 in ’82-’83; and the number of churches contributing has doubled rising from 15 to 30.