OROVILLE, MARYSVILLE, PETALUMA.
BY REV. W.C. POND, D.D.
Early on Monday morning, June 17th, I left home for a visit to our missions at Oroville and Marysville. I reached Oroville at about 7:30 P.M. As soon as possible I was at the Mission House, where warmest greetings from teacher and pupils awaited me. The lessons of the evening received our first attention, for it is a principle with us that each scholar shall have the English lesson promised him, whoever may be present and whatever else we may desire to do. This is the demand of good faith, and not less of good policy. It is the English lesson that holds them where the gospel can reach them, so that this we must never forego.
When all this was accomplished, those who could read with comparative ease were gathered about a table for a sort of Bible reading, which I proposed to give them, in the fifteenth chapter of Luke. This was the manner of it: One of them read the first verse, being helped over the hard words, then I explained it in as simple English as I could command; then the reader translated both it and my explanation into Chinese, each other pupil keeping watch to see whether what was said expressed the ideas which he had received from me. At this time, we were much aided by the co-operation of Yong Jin, our missionary helper, whose translations I could depend upon quite confidently, but I often give these readings without such help, feeling quite sure that if six or eight have received the same idea, they have received the one I meant to give. When we had finished the first verse, a second pupil read the second verse with the same method, and so on. Some felt unequal to the task of translating, but most were willing to try, and most who tried succeeded strangely well. I had intended to follow this with a few words of exhortation, but just as we read the last verse, Yong Ack arrived. This is a brother who was converted about a year ago. His daily work is that of a cook in a way-side inn, about six (some said eight) miles from Oroville. He has been accustomed to walk this distance, over a rough and dusty road, to attend, not often the school, but the religious services of our mission. He can seldom reach the Mission House before nine, but the meetings begin when he arrives and continue till he is ready to start away. As this brother was to be baptized on the following evening, the Bible reading was suspended with a promise from me that I would speak from these words the next evening, and we all addressed ourselves to a study of the Confession and Covenant of our little Chinese Church at Oroville. It was taken up clause by clause, read in English, explained, translated into Chinese, and still further explained, till Yong Ack in particular, and in a general way all the rest of them, professed to understand and believe it all. When this was finished, we were well on towards 11 P.M., and we closed the meeting with song and prayer.
The day following was variously occupied, but in the evening we were all at the Mission House again. The lessons were given, and then the table was spread for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. Then came the preaching, with Yong Jin interpreting, sentence by sentence. The topic— the Shepherd seeking his lost sheep, followed by the story of the prodigal son. One could not have asked a more attentive audience. The presence and work of the Spirit were unmistakable. At length, a little after nine, Yong Ack appeared. He had been over that road three times that day, and expected, before morning to go over it again. But he confessed no weariness either by word or by manner. He was bright, wakeful, joyous. He confessed Christ, was baptized, and was welcomed with gladness to the church, after which we gathered round the table of the Lord.
Wednesday and Thursday were spent in and about Marysville. Both Oroville and Marysville are "hard fields." In both of them good work has been done in days past, but the fruits from the seed sown have been widely scattered, so that in each place but few Christians remain. Our Chinese Church in Marysville, some years ago was reported—truthfully, I am sure—as in proportion to its numbers and its means, the Banner Church of the country for its contribution to Foreign Missions. But now only one member, a deacon, resides in the place. He is a cook at one of the hotels, and is unable to leave his work till about 8:30 P.M., but he "holds the fort" sturdily, bravely. He is an athletic man, full of energy and courage, with, doubtless, some of the defects which usually attend these qualities, but honest, earnest, consistent, determined.
The first evening was a reproduction of that at Oroville, there being also one believer to be baptized. On the second evening, in view of the Lord's Supper and the baptism, our good deacon, as soon as his work was done, was "all abroad" in Chinatown. Squad after squad he brought, and seeing them seated, went out after more. When about 9:15 P.M., I commenced my discourse, the room was packed. Oh, what joy it was, what inspiration, to look into those eyes fixed closely upon me, and tell them of the love of God in Christ! Yong Jin's quick, animated interpretations of my sentences were not interruptions, but seemed to urge me on. I am sure that the Spirit spoke through me to some hearts, and that I shall see the fruits of that seed-sowing in the better world. After the most careful and repeated statements as to what a partaking of the bread and wine would mean, and as to the guilt of those who should partake without meaning what they did, a goodly number, eight or nine, I think, who had never before consented to be recognized as Christians, did thus profess that they received Christ as Saviour and Lord. They did it in the sight and in the midst of others who did not do it—did it with a painstaking and an apparent determination which encourages my hope that they will hold fast and be led on to clearer light and the full day.
Reaching home on Friday noon, I started for Petaluma on Saturday morning. That evening was spent partly at the Mission House preaching the word, and partly at the church preparing our pupils for the parts they were to take in the anniversary exercises on the following evening. Our brothers, Jee Gam and Lem Chung, were with me. I see that I have already exhausted my space and venture only to add, that this anniversary service was one of deep interest. The Congregational Church at which it was held was crowded, auditors standing in the doors. All the exercises by the pupils were well rendered. The address by Jee Gam and the songs by Lem Chung seemed to win all hearts. The report of the year's work at the school was more cheering than any we have been able to make for years; the collection amounted to about sixty-five dollars, and last and best of all, the gospel work done by our Chinese brethren at the Mission House was the means of leading at least two, heretofore undecided, to take their stand clearly and decisively as followers of Christ.
In a later letter, Dr. Pond adds: