A Prosperous Church.
Rev. Sterling N. Brown.
We know you will rejoice with us in the good work at Plymouth Church, Washington, D.C. In January we began a special series of meetings. I preached short sermons nearly every night, save Saturdays, for more than three weeks. About fifty have been hopefully brought to a saving knowledge of Christ. The church was never, perhaps, more deeply stirred than at this time. There seems to be a thirsting for a deeper work of grace among Christians, a thorough coming out from the world. It was a beautiful sight yesterday, when before the altar twenty-nine "new recruits" took upon themselves the covenant of the church.. The most of the remaining converts will unite with us at our next communion. A few of them will join elsewhere. Our church is getting well organized for work along all lines of Christian activity. The Endeavor Society among our young people, now the largest in number in the district, is a real power for good. The Sunday-school is taking on new life. There is before us in this city "an exceeding good land," but before full possession, many battles must be fought, spiritual and financial. But we have great reason to be thankful.
The White Cross League.
Prof. H.H. Wright, Fisk University.
I want to lay before you a short account of the work of the White Cross League, of this University, as reported by the members at a meeting held at my house last Sunday night. You may not be aware that late last school year I called together a dozen or two of our best young men and induced them to take the White Cross pledge—to treat all women with respect, to refrain from indecent jests and coarse language, to maintain that the law of personal purity is as binding on men as upon women, etc. At the meeting last Sunday night one after another gave his experience touching the White Cross movement. One young man reported that through his persuasion, public and private, especially the latter, three or four couples who had been living together unlawfully went before the proper authorities and were married. Another testified that he had personally felt the restraining influence of his pledge, while he acted as waiter at a summer hotel. The pledge had a great restraining influence upon him and was a safeguard. Another found it necessary to organize a Wednesday night Bible meeting of his own, for the regular meetings of the churches did not give him the opportunity he desired.
All the young men testified to the good influence of the pledge upon their own lives, but one young man's report of his work was of especial interest. He is head waiter at the hotel at Lake ——, where about 250 servants, men and women, are employed. He took a squad of seventy-eight colored men from the South to the Lake at the opening of the season, engaging them on condition that there was to be no gambling among them. Immediately on arriving he organized a Y.M.C.A. among them, and held meetings Sunday afternoons and two evenings during the week through the summer, all well attended. At some of these meetings he spoke of the White Cross movement, and was successful in gaining the approbation of most of the members of the Association. The nature of the pledge and of the talks got out among the women servants, and ere long at their invitation he assembled from seventy-five to one hundred of them and gave them a very earnest talk on the value and duty of virtuous lives. Many were affected to tears, and all were seriously impressed. After that they seemed to look to him as their protector, and often said they were so glad they had a head man who would endeavor to shield them from temptation and wrong. And the remarkable thing about it is, that these women servants are white!
The proprietor of the hotel, on closing the season, told our student that if he had been told that such a work as he had accomplished among his help could be done he would have declared it impossible. What is to be the outcome of this little movement so auspiciously begun? It seems to me that if wisely carried on the possibilities for good are very great.