With this month our fiscal year ends. At this writing we are very anxious about the outcome. As we noticed last month, July receipts this year fell off, as compared with last year, $17,000, and in August they fell off, as compared with last year, about $3,000. This puts a heavy strain upon September. When this magazine reaches our readers there will still be a few days in September left. They ought to be golden days for our treasury. The thought that, if every one will do his duty, it is possible for all deficit to be overcome and all debt to be wiped out, makes us urgent to make yet one more plea before our books are closed. The time for hand-to-hand action has come. Reader, can you not do something? Do you not know some individuals and churches that have given us nothing the past year? There are a great many of them in the country. Can you not, by a little personal effort, induce them to do something before September ends? A little effort all round, and God will bless it to our complete deliverance.
A friend of our work sends us word that in his judgment the Association should not only be speedily relieved of its debt, but that a good balance should always be in hand to meet emergencies. He therefore makes a proposition that he will be one of a hundred who shall give $1,000 each to secure this most desirable end. But where are the ninety and nine? We lay the suggestion before our readers. We believe that among the constituents of the A. M. A. there are a great many more than the required number possessing means in over-abundance to meet the call. We appeal to all such to take the suggestion under consideration and let us hear from them at their earliest convenience.
Our Indian boys are interested in the Association’s closing the year free from debt. A teacher in the Santee school writes: “Some of the young men who live in the Young Men’s Hall wish to help the Association pay its debt.” Here follow the names of eight young men who contribute $9.25 for this purpose. The teacher adds: “This is money that the boys have earned besides paying for their clothing and making other contributions.” Were the church members in the country to do proportionately as well as these Indian youth, there would not only be no debt threatening, but the new fields so urgently calling for cultivation would be entered and our work greatly enlarged.
The editor of the Missionary rejoices in having such a little friend as the writer of the following letter, and he greatly desires that her tribe may increase:
“Dear Friend—I learned from a friend, one of our late missionaries, that you was in debt, and as I am a little girl and interested in it, I will give one dime toward the debt.”
M. G.