sent out by the ladies of the Presbyterian boarding-school. Monday evening found nearly eighty missionary and lady workers gathered in the parlors of that institution, in spite of cold and rain. Tuesday noon a still larger attendance sat down to an American lunch in the rooms of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church, and this time fully one half of the 150 guests were Mexican preachers and teachers. On Tuesday evening the Presbyterian Church of Divino Salvador was crowded with a large audience to hear the opening sermon by Rev. J. Milton Greene, D.D. The vision of the valley of dry bones' was ably discussed." No topic could have been more appropriate for such an occasion in old Mexico, where nominally the Christian Church has existed for over three centuries, but where it might at any time have been more properly called a desert than a garden of the Lord.

A delightful spirit of harmony prevailed throughout all the sessions. One of the most important topics discussed was "Union between missions and denominations holding a common faith and order." Not only were the different Presbyterian bodies ready for union, but the missionaries of the American Board seemed ready to unite their fortunes with their Presbyterian brethren on a common ecclesiastical basis. Has not the time come for a Mexican Presbyterian Church sound in doctrine and order, but of such flexibility and adaptation as to catch the national spirit? Constantly our native brethren have had thrown in their faces the false but damaging charge of being more American than Mexican. Constantly have insinuations been thrown out that they were disloyal, that they were secretly giving aid and effort to the enemies of the republic, paving the way, in short, for the absorption of Mexico by the United States. Were our missionaries in Mexico, clear-minded, judicious and stanch as they are, to cast in their lot with the native brethren as well as with the missionaries of the Presbyterian Church South, acting upon the principle set forth by the General Assembly at Omaha, all these false charges would be cast aside. With the banner of a patriotic Mexican

Presbyterian Church thrown to the breeze, we believe there would be increased promise of success.

"Why the difference," our missionaries in Korea are asking, "between our Presbyterian Board and that of the Methodist Church?" The two organizations commenced work in Korea about the same time. That of the Presbyterian Board was especially favored by a series of providences which gave it great prestige, and which placed in its hands a hospital entirely supported by the Government. Now the Presbyterian Board has two missionaries; the Methodists have nine and are expecting to send out two more at as early a day as possible. Why this difference, though our missionaries are pleading for reinforcements? The Board has only one male medical missionary. He is in charge of the government hospital, is physician to the king, and has more or less practice among the foreigners. Should he fail in health, all this work would pass from the hands of the Presbyterian mission. It is very important that a physician and two clerical missionaries should be sent at once for the occupation of the capital, to say nothing of two or three other important stations which might be opened with good promise of success. Four or five new missionaries should be sent to Korea during the coming season. Where are the men? Perhaps a harder question is, Where are the funds to send them, should the men be found?

It is the Centennial year of the Presbyterian Church. It should be a year of liberal things. God grant that its missionary work may end not in humiliation but in rejoicing.

One of the New York daily papers heads an editorial article on the liquor traffic in Africa with the caption, "A Strange Missionary Work." This is an ingenious but wicked shifting of responsibility. How can a right public spirit be cultivated when the public press even goes out of its way to select terms which are utterly misleading? Between the motives and character of the

sainted Comber, the missionary pioneer of the English Baptist Church who sacrificed. his life for the sake of the gospel on the Congo, and those of some Boston rumseller who ships a cargo of liquid poison to the Congo valley, regardless of all sentiments of truth or of humanity, there is a moral distance as great as between light and darkness, mercy and cruelty, love and hate. There is no stronger antithesis.

And yet the name "missionary," in which Comber gloried, a name entirely synonymous with the name "apostle," which was the glory of Paul, is placed over the iniquities of the Boston traffic, as if he who was the author of the great commission and who promised to be with his people to the end of the world, were responsible for this darkest crime of our generation.

An interesting farewell service to the Rev. and Mrs. F. S. Curtis, missionaries of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, was held at the Tenafly Presbyterian Church on the evening of February 29. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis are already on their way to Japan, where we trust an important work awaits them. Mr. Curtis had preached for several months to the Tenafly church with great acceptance, and his earnestness had contributed much to the development of a missionary spirit in the church. His wife, a daughter of Rev. A. T. Pierson, D.D., has been trained in an atmosphere saturated with the missionary spirit, and both husband and wife go forth with high hopes and with an earnest missionary enthusiasm to their work. Prayers and blessings will follow them.

Rev. S. G. Wright in his recent report alludes quite unostentatiously to the fact that in a labor of forty years among the Chippewas he has been able to meet every appointment and be present at every service appointed. Through the half-cleared pineries of the Wisconsin Reservation he has ridden from station to station during this winter, and that with a lame horse whose speed rated at three miles per hour, and sometimes with the mercury forty degrees

below zero. Good congregations of Indians have attended his services, and alternately he has preached also to the lumbermen, who in one camp number no less than sixty. The enemies which he has met in his work have been "the world, the flesh, the devil," and whisky. This fourth element in the copartnership of evil, though not mentioned in the New Testament enumeration, is now an everywhere-present foe of the mission work. This veteran of more than forty years self-denying labor says, almost in despair, "The great and sore evil we have to meet all the time is the influx of whisky. Some of the Indians near us are drunk almost daily."

Several interdenominational meetings have been held in New York and Brooklyn in the interest of the London Missionary Conference to be held in June next. Doctors Talmage and George Alexander, of the Presbyterian Church, Rev. Dr. MacArthur, of the Baptist Church, and Drs. R. S. Storrs and W. M. Taylor, of the Congregationalist Church, have held services, and one is in contem

plation in the Reformed church, Dr. Coe, pastor. The interest in these services has been fully up to expectation, and it would be very desirable if, during the spring months, similar services could be held in various

parts of the land.

The Empress Dowager of China during the year sent valuable birthday presents to the Emperor William and to the queen of England. This was neighborly. Emperor William, Queen Victoria and the kindhearted old Dowager at Peking have lived long enough, and seen enough of life's vicissitudes, to realize the value of sympathy. This kindly handshaking is an omen of good for the future of the human race. Let all who believe that the kingdoms of this world are to become the one Kingdom of Immanuel, rejoice therein.

Contributions for the famine sufferers in Persia are considered as special gifts, and will not be included among the regular receipts of the Board.

SUBJECTS FOR MONTHLY CONCERTS.

JANUARY.-General summary in connection with

week of prayer.

FEBRUARY.-China.

MARCH.-Mexico and Central America.

APRIL.-India.

MAY.-Siam and Laos.

JUNE.-Africa.

JULY.-Indians, Chinese and Japanese in America. AUGUST.-Papal Europe.

SEPTEMBER.-Japan and Korea.

OCTOBER.-Persia.

NOVEMBER.-South America.
DECEMBER.-Syria.

INDIA.

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed (Gal. 3:8).

MISSIONS IN INDIA.

LODIANA MISSION.

RAWAL PINDI: 170 miles northwest of Lahore; mission station commenced, 1855; missionary laborers-Rev. J. F. Ullmann, Rev. Robert Morrison and his wife; Miss Margaret A. Craig; native Christian assistants, 12. Outstation: Murree. In England: Mrs. J. F. Ullmann.

LAHORE: the political capital of the Punjab, 1225 miles northwest of Calcutta; mission station commenced, 1849; missionary laborers-Rev. John Newton, D.D.; Rev. Charles W. Forman, D.D., and Rev. J. Harris Orbison, M.D., and their wives; Rev. Henry C. Velte; Rev. P. C. Uppal, Rev. Isa Charran and Rev. H. Golak Nath, Jr.; Miss Clara Thiede; native Christian assistants, 9. Employed by the mission4 Christian female teachers.

FIROZEPORE: 50 miles southwest of Lodiana; occupied as a station, 1882; Rev. Francis J. Newton, M.D., and his wife; Mrs. E. A. Morrison; native Christian assistants, 2.

HOSHYARPORE: 45 miles north of Lodiana; mission station commenced, 1867; Rev. K. C. Chatterjee and Rev. H. Abdullah; native Christian assistants, 9. JALANDHAR: 120 miles east of Lahore, 30 miles west of Lodiana; mission station commenced, 1846; missionary laborers-Charles W. Forman, Jr., M.D.; Miss Mary Pratt; Rev. Golak Nath and Rev. F. C. Bose; native Christian assistants, 8.

LODIANA: near the river Sutlej, 1100 miles northwest of Calcutta; mission station commenced, 1834; missionary laborers-Rev. Messrs. Charles B. Newton, Edward P. Newton and James M. McComb, and their wives; Miss Margaret M. Given and Miss Carrie E. Downs; Rev. John B. Dales; native Christian assistants, 2 Scripture readers, 9 male and 3 female

teachers. Outstation at Jagraon, Rev. Ahmad Shak and 1 native teacher; at Ropar, Rev. Matthias; at Morinda, 1 native teacher; at Khama, 1 native catechist; at Rampur, 1 native teacher.

AMBALA: 55 miles southeast of Lodiana; mission station commenced, 1848; missionary laborers-Rev. Messrs. George S. Bergen and William J. P. Morrison, and their wives; Rev. W. Basten, Rev. Sandar Lal; native Christian assistants, 9. Near Ambala: Rev. Marcus C. Carleton and his wife, Marcus B. Carleton, M.D., and Miss Jessica R. Carleton, M.D.; 2 native helpers.

SABATHU: in the lower Himalaya mountains, 110 miles east of Lodiana; mission station commenced, 1836; missionary laborers-Rev. B. D. Wyckoff and his wife. In Germany: Rev. Adolph Rudolph.

DEHRA: 47 miles east of Saharanpur; mission station commenced, 1853; missionary laborers-Rev. Reese Thackwell and his wife; Miss Lizzie M. Pendleton, Miss Sarah M. Wherry and Miss Annie S. Geisinger; employed by the girls' school, 1 Christian female teacher; native Christian assistants, 10.

WOODSTOCK: in Landour, 15 miles eastward from Dehra; school begun, 1874; missionary laborersMrs. James L. Scott, Miss Irene Griffith, Miss Clara G. Williamson, Miss Anna M. Condit and Miss Emily G. Foote. In this country: Miss Mary Fullerton.

SAHARANPUR: 130 miles southeast of Lodiana; mission station commenced, 1836; missionary laborers-Rev. Elwood M. Wherry, D.D., and Rev. A. P. Kelso, and their wives; Rev. Theodore W. F. Wylie and Rev. Gilbert McMaster; native Christian assistants, 9.

MOZAFFARNAGUR: a few miles south of Saharanpur, on the railroad; Rev. William Calderwood and his wife; Rev. Kanwar Sain.

FURRUKHABAD MISSION.

FURRUKHABAD: on the Ganges, 723 miles northwest of Calcutta ; mission station commenced, 1844; missionary laborers-Rev. Mohan Lall, Rev. Rajaram Chetambar; native Christian assistants, 16. Outstation, Chabramow.

FUTTEHGURH: mission station commenced, 1838; missionary laborers-Rev. John S. Woodside, Rev. Henry Forman, Rev. C. A. Rodney Janvier and his wife; native Christian assistants, 17. Employed by the mission, 2 Christian female teachers.

MYNPURIE: 40 miles west of Futtehgurh; mission station commenced, 1843; missionary laborers-Rev. Mr. T. Edward Inglis and his wife; native Christian assistants, 12. In this country: Rev. George W. Pollock and his wife.

ETAH not distant from Mynpurie and Etawah ; station begun, 1873; missionary laborers-8 native Christian helpers.

ETAWAH on the Jumna, 50 miles southwest of Mynpurie; mission station commenced, 1863; missionary laborers-Rev. Thomas Tracy and his wife; Rev. Nabibaksh; native Christian assistants, 9. Miss

Christine Belz, teacher and zenana visitor. Two sub-stations.

FUTTEHPORE: 70 miles northwest of Allahabad; station begun, 1853; missionary laborer-1 native assistant.

ALLAHABAD: at the junction of the Ganges and the Jumna, 506 miles northwest of Calcutta ; mission station commenced, 1836; missionary laborers-Rev. James M. Alexander and his wife, Rev. J. J. Lucas and his wife, and Rev. John N. Forman; Miss Sarah C. Seward, M.D., Miss Susan A. Hutchinson, Miss Mary B. Lawson, Miss Mary P. Forman; Rev. F. F. Caleb; native Christian assistants, 40. In this country: Rev. William F. Johnson, D.D., and his wife, Rev. J. C. R. Ewing and his wife, Rev. Messrs. George W. Pollock and George A. Seeley and their wives; Miss Elizabeth J. Seeley.

GWALIOR: capital of the district of the same name; mission station commenced, 1874; Mrs. Joseph Warren; 3 native Christian assistants.

JHANSI: 65 miles south of Gwalior; occupied as a missionary station in 1886; Rev. James F. Holcomb and his wife.

KOLHAPUR MISSION.

KOLHAPUR: 200 miles southeast of Bombay; mission station commenced, 1853; taken under the care of the Board, 1870; missionary laborers-Rev. and Mrs. Galen W. Seiler; Mrs. J. J. Hull, Mrs. E. J. Wilder and Miss Grace E. Wilder; native Christian assistants, 2 licentiate preachers and 9 teachers and helpers. Three outstations. In this country: Rev. and Mrs. Joseph M. Goheen.

RATNAGIRI: 70 miles northwest of Kolhapur; mission station commenced in 1873; missionary

laborers-Rev. and Mrs. L. B. Tedford and 2 native Christian assistants.

PANHALA: 14 miles north of Kolhapur; mission station commenced, 1877; missionary laborers-Rev. and Mrs. George H. Ferris, Miss Esther E. Patton; native Christian assistants, 4.

SANGLI: 30 miles east of Kolhapur; work begun, 1884; Rev. and Mrs. Joseph P. Graham.

THE CONVERSION OF INDIA.

REV. P. F. LEAVENS.

It is not by chance that our risen Lord's command takes the form, "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations." The point of the order is not merely that individuals are to be gathered from all sources. It is to transform the NATIONS. We speak of national life, national character, the birth or the decay of a nation. There may be also the conversion of a nation. Pagan Rome became Christian Rome; pagan England became Christian England; heathen India will become Christian India.

INDIA A UNIT.

India has a definite geographical unity. It comprises the territory capped by the Himalayas, washed at its feet by the Bengal and Arabian seas, its right flank buttressed against the plateau of Iran, its left resting upon IndoChina. Within these ramparts has ever been a home for myriads having some family relation and common interests. Amid endless diversity the germ of race unity is the Aryan Sanscrit-speaking stock. Highest authority distributes the population at present under British control as follows: non-Aryan tribes or aborigines, 18,000,000; comparatively pure offspring of the Aryan race (Brahman and Rajput), 16,000,000; great mixed populations, generally known as Hindus, 110,000,000; Mohammedans, 41,000,000. In the feudatory states a similar ratio prevails. The Aryan constituent predominates. If we look for linguistic unity, we must content ourselves with noting the supremacy of the Sanscrit or Aryan element in Indian languages. This class leads, although the Dravidian are strong in the south, and the Turanian prevail among the aborigines. "Broadly speaking, the Himalayas are peopled by Turanian tribes. The great river plains of Bengal are still the home of the Aryan race. The triangular tableland (the Deccan) has formed the arena for a long struggle between that gifted race from the north and what is known as the Dravidian stock in the south." The clew to religious unity is the primeval Brahmanical system. It furnishes an axis to Indian history. The attacks upon it and modifications of it have been classified as follows: (1) By Buddha and Buddhistic doctrines from the sixth century B.C. to our era, and thence on to the melting into modern Hinduism, say the sixth century A.D. (2) By the Greeks, from the invasion of Alexander in the fourth century B.C. to the end of the Greek-Bactrian empire, the third or fifth century A.D. (3) By the nonAryan aborigines, whose influence was ever at work dissolving the primitive Brahmanism into the later Hinduism. (4) The reaction against the last named, giving rise to Hindu sects, Sivaite, Vishnavite, reaching its climax

in the period from the twelfth to the sixteenth century A.D. (5) The Mohammedan invasion, from 1000 A.D. to 1765 A.D. (6) The English supremacy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The political unity lies in whatever framework of government exercises the paramount power." Natural reasons, similar to those which forbid two sovereign governments upon the present domain of the American republic, render India politically indivisible. For the period of modern history the Moghul dynasty, with its capital at Delhi, and such monarchs as Baber (1526-30 A.D.), Akbar (1556-1605), Shah Jehan (1627-65) and Aurangzeb (1665-1707), was suzerain of all India.

It is difficult to conceive the immensity of the swarm that has filled this hive of humanity in all ages. A comparison is suggestive. "The provinces which paid tribute to the great Akbar contained a population (according to a contemporary account) exactly double Gibbon's estimate of all the realms that obeyed imperial Rome." The territory within what is now styled British India far exceeds the provinces under Akbar. The usual aggregate is 240,000,000, that is to say, 54,000,000 under native princes and 186,000,000 directly subject to British rule.

We are here to note, in a broad view, the forces which have been set in order and put into operation by divine Providence to achieve the transformation of this vast family of mankind from what it has been hitherto into Christian.

CHRISTIAN GOVERNMENT.

1. The establishment of a Christian government. The position of the British state in India is unique. Englishmen of the last century found the Great Moghul suzerain of the entire land; as, on the day of Pentecost, Tiberius was of all the provinces of the Roman Empire. Englishmen faithfully recognized the fact, and bowed to the authority of the padishah. Lord Clive used extraordinary pains to respect the powers in being as ordained of God. To be sure, after the death of Aurangzeb the padishahs were but shadows and spectres compared with their mighty ancestors. Neverthe

less they were on the throne, and there was no other centre of authority. Decay and dissolution were accelerated during the eighteenth century, and disorder ran riot. The Marquis of Wellesley, Governor-General from 1798 to 1804, was the man who took the mastery of the situation. "The time had arrived when the English must either become supreme in India or be driven out of it. The Moghul empire was completely broken up, and the sway had to pass either to the local Mohammedan governors of that empire or to the Hindu confederacy represented by the Mahrattas, or to the British. Lord Wellesley determined that it should pass to the British." And under his irresistible administration it did so pass. The change consisted simply in putting British authority in lieu of Moghul authority. The British became the "paramount power" instead of the Moghul. A Christian sceptre displaced a Mohammedan. From such a postulate proceeded the steps of English ascendency, and the principle defines the position of England in India to this day. She is not there as a conqueror to impose English law, language or manners. She is a suzerain, to hold rival and clashing powers at bay from each other, to prevent tiger-like native rulers from mutually tearing their throats, to preserve general order, to insure to all classes, races, tribes, a chance to work out their destinies undisturbed. The advantage of British rule in comparison with Moghul rule cannot be overestimated. It substitutes for ferocious war a perfect peace, for ruthless extortion a moderate and just taxation, for willful and passionate avengement of wrongs a system of deliberate courts, for demoralizing spectacles a scheme of education. The case is parallel to one described by Dr. Uhlhorn: "The task of Rome was to uniteto unite, we may say as confidently, for Christ. Born at the same time, the Roman Empire and the Christian Church were also providentially appointed for each other. The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of seed. If the seed is to be sown, the field must be prepared. The Roman Empire was the prepared field." So the English occupation of India was the preparation of that immense field. The entire possibilities of Christian missions depend upon