There have been over forty conversions reported and thirty have been added to our church on profession of faith. There is a revival now in progress at the Freedmen's Hospital as a direct outgrowth of our meetings. Several of the young people of our church, including some of the converts, were instrumental in leading a number to the Saviour. I am planning to assist them in dealing with inquirers there, to-night. There have been revival services in three other churches. The meetings held in our place were indeed a season of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.
Our chapel was crowded on Thanksgiving morning; the sermon was preached by Rev. Dr. Grimke, pastor of the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church, followed by an address by myself. The pastors of the Berean Baptist Church, Methodist Church and the Lutheran Mission were on the platform, the Plymouth Church holding a service of their own. In the evening we held a Thanksgiving praise service, in which about one hundred persons, including thirty-five of the converts, gave short thanksgiving testimonies.
Last Sabbath I baptized fourteen by immersion and received twenty-seven into the church on profession of faith, and three since, making a total of thirty. Rev. Eugene May of Osage, Iowa, one of the delegates I met at the World's Sunday-school Convention this summer in London, gave us a powerful sermon on the characters of "Dives and Lazarus Contrasted." In the evening I preached a sermon to the church on "The Christian Armor" and we had the Lord's Supper. Last night, after addressing the young Christians on "The Way to God," as illustrated by the worthies of Hebrews eleventh, we had them testify on how they came to Christ, the one thing they did and what they got. The answers were all intelligent and to the point. Decision was what they did, and Christ was what they got, were the answers put in various forms. At the close of the meeting I asked a gentleman, a member of another church, the Berean Baptist, who always attends our special services, to say a few words. He testified to the help and inspiration he had received from the meetings; that he had never listened to clearer testimonies of conversion than those given by the converts, and that they were doubly blessed in having "our pastor," "yes," he said, "I will say our pastor, for he is pastor to this whole community and city, lead you to Christ, and train you for service." His remarks were warm and sympathetic, but too personal for me to report more than the above, which is but the key-note of the kindly feeling that many of the best Christian people of other churches have toward us, as they have seen our little church come up from almost nothing to its present position of service in this community. It has been the Lord's doings and it is wondrous in our eyes. We have already begun the work of training these young disciples for service, while we have our nets still spread to catch sinners for Christ. Our motto for the year is: To win souls for Christ and to train them for His service.
A GLAD THANKSGIVING.
BY MISS MARY A. BYE, WILLIAMSBURG, KY.
If any one had been the least bit homesick or unhappy from any cause on Thanksgiving day, it would have done him good to spend the day at Williamsburg Academy. Our boys and girls were so happy all the day that no one could feel tired or sad. After breakfast the boys thought it hardly fair for them to have all the holiday while the girls had to work, so they borrowed aprons and helped the girls. Dishwashing, sweeping and all the various branches of housework were done in a very short time, and everybody was as merry as could be. The boys declared that they were glad to have learned something which they did not know before, about the work the girls had to do. Our very tallest boy, over six feet in height, was instructed in the mysteries of scouring knives. He said he had no idea how knives were cleaned, and thought his Thanksgiving lesson worth learning.
After the housework was done the boys gathered a great quantity of holly, and our pretty new dining-room was profusely decorated. All the family then attended the Thanksgiving services in the Christian Church; that is all except the "Mother," who must needs watch the dinner in process of preparation. We had a real Thanksgiving feast, in all except that our turkey was fried chicken.
Mr. Tupper contributed oranges, which were quite a treat. One of the girls came to mother very much excited, eyes wide open and hands up, exclaiming "O, Mrs. Bye, what are them big yeller things in the dining room?" When told that they were oranges, she said, "Law! I never seed none before." There were others who had never tasted them, and they watched closely to see how the teachers managed them, before they ventured to eat theirs. Two of the teachers had written Thanksgiving verses on cards tied with ribbon, and placed at each plate. After dinner we moved our chairs back and read our verses, after which we sang "Praise God from whom all blessings flow," and I think it is rarely sung more heartily. Then again the boys donned the aprons and cleared the tables and washed the dishes, while the teachers watched the fun and laughed until we were tired. While the molasses was boiling, the scholars played games in the sitting-rooms. Then came the "candy-pull," and very sweetly closed the day's festivities.