And the starry crown that I shall wear.
The Indians.
Mr. Shelton At Northfield Again.
Mr Moody is nothing if not practical, and when he undertakes a thing he is apt to push it through. We give below another pleasant illustration of this. Our readers will remember that Rev. C.W. Shelton two years ago made an address at the great Missionary Meeting at Northfield, Mass., which touched the sympathies of the audience and moved Mr. Moody at once to "do something about it." Under his inspiration three thousand five hundred dollars were raised to establish several new Indian mission stations in Dakota.
At Mr. Moody's solicitation, Mr. Shelton attended the Northfield Missionary Meeting this year, making report of what had been done with the money given before. The enthusiasm of the audience was again kindled, with a result which we give below, condensing the sketch of the meeting as given in the Springfield Union.
The meeting opened with prayer by Major D.W. Whittle, and then Rev C.W. Shelton of New York City, who is connected with the American Missionary Association, spoke about the work among the Indians. He said that two years ago the people of Northfield gave money enough to establish five mission stations; and he would first report on the work in those missions. The first one had been established one hundred and fifty miles northwest of Bismarck, and was called the Moody station. Having found two classes of people thirty miles apart, both of whom seemed to be equally in need, we had been in doubt as to where to plant the station; but finally a man was found whose parentage included both nations, and who was willing and able to preach to both in their own language. We had, therefore, started two stations, calling them both by the same name, and with this man managing them. People had told him that he couldn't do anything in the interior of the country occupied by the Indians, but he described his meeting with the Indians at that remote place, and their willingness to receive the gospel, one of the chiefs finally saying to him: "When you go back I want you to take that man by the hand that sent that school and thank him, and tell him that we will try to live like the white man." The speaker accordingly took Mr. Moody's hand and thanked him in those words, raising a perfect storm of applause by so doing.
The next mission was called the Frederick Darling Memorial mission, and was established sixty miles below Bismarck. There was good work going on there. Sixty miles farther down still there was located the Robert Remington Memorial mission, and the reservation had since then been opened up for settlement, as they had prophesied, and, as the Indians came up the valley, driven out from their homes, there stood a man at the door of the mission, who invited them in, and so to-day there were gathering round that mission hundreds of Indians, forsaking their tepees, building their houses and taking the first steps toward civilization.
On Cherry Creek, the Sankey mission was located, and, although it was not two years since that work was begun, they had a church of about forty members.