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Rev. D. G. Collins writes from Cheung Mai, Laos, July 9, 1889, as follows:

I taught four months, with an attendance of seventy and a daily attendance of fifty-five, a great improvement over last year and very encouraging. There were thirty-five boarders, twice as many as the previous year. The regular attendance of the boarders has a good effect upon the day pupils. Fifteen boys were present every day. The pupils, with the exception of about a dozen, come from Christian homes. Since I have opened school ten of them have united with the church. Others wanted to, but I prevailed upon them to wait until

next term.

Dr. McGilvary went down to Lappoon last Friday. I was prevented from going with him on account of sickness, but hope to go there tomorrow. We will return about the middle of next week. The work continues to spread all the time, so that it is impossible for us to keep up with it. There have been one hundred and forty-five persons received into the churches here since the first of last October. The friends in Lakawn write encouraging letters, but I cannot say how many have united with the church. The influence that our converts are having is something wonderful. The little persecution that they have suffered has had little or no effect upon them. We are sorry to have to report that our elder is still in prison. He has now been there over five months; and although the prince said three months ago that he had pardoned him, yet he still keeps him in prison. It certainly looks as if they would like to oppose us in our work. In justice to the Laos, I would say that the Siamese are responsible for all the trouble. I sometimes think they have not treated us any worse than they have the chief and many of the Laos princes. They have taken all the power out of the hands of the Laos.

BRAZIL.

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SAO PAULO, July 3, 1889.

H. M. LANE, M.D.:-The first term of this year's school closed June 22, with the largest number of pupils ever enrolled and the most successful half year's work ever done, in spite of many annoyances and difficulties. It seems as if the work grew best under pressure. The mission pupils have not only made excellent progress in their studies, but also in the development of Christian character under the wise and faithful guidance of the young pastor of the Sao Paulo church, Rev. E. C. Periera, who has directed their theological studies and guided them into the real work for which they are training, by giving them a large share in the direction of city mission work under the eye and with the aid of the elders.

I have made a start in manual training and have opened a cabinet-maker's shop, with accommodations for two classes of seven each, under a reliable Swede, a most devout Christian man, who has had some experience in the Slojo schools of Sweden. The object I hope to attain is, 1st, to prevent overwork in purely intellectual lines. Two of our best boys are now suffering from this. 2d, to teach habits of industry and give a more symmetrical development to the "whole boy," and at the same time equip him with a trade that will always be useful to him; and 3d, to dress honest labor with a dignity which slavery and Romanism have robbed it of here. I have turned the "chalet" belonging to the school into a shop for the purpose.

A great and glorious work has been done in this nation. I can look back thirty years and can see that easy advance in purity of life, and even in material prosperity, has followed the lines of advance opened by the gospel. Where the word of God has been gladly received, there everything has seemed to grow and prosper. If it be not the hand of God directing the destinies of the nations, then it is a most wonderful series of coincidences. It has attracted the attention of observing and patriotic statesmen.

An intelligent gentleman said to me the other day, "I believe your teaching is calculated to revolutionize society. I hear the Protestant hymns taught in your schools everywhere. But even if it were not so, every patriotic man ought to thank you for keeping 350 children out of the clutches of the priests."

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Brazil-Drs. Lane and Blackford.

EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANITY.

The religion of Christ pure and simple has such a foothold in this province that in the next ten years, if the people of God are faithful and the work is followed up, it will leaven the whole empire, if not the continent. The Church of Christ must put on the whole armor and keep in front. Times have changed, men have changed, and mission methods must keep pace.

SAO PAULO, July 22.-The work in church and school progresses. At last communion five persons were received on profession of faith and two by letter.

The licentiate Benedicto Ferrar is away on an extended trip through Minas, visiting the churches formerly ministered to by Rev. E. C. Periera. Rev. Zacharias made one trip through the same field this year, but is now obliged to visit his own extensive field, embracing three organized churches and numerous little clusters of believers from Sorocaba to Faxina. He has been sadly tried this year by sickness in his family. The family was with us last week for medical treatment. These long trips are very trying to delicate stomachs.

The pastor's house here nears completion-a substantial, roomy structure, which will be nearly paid for when completed.

[December,

same pastor, is also visited once a year. The northern end of the field is now being visited by the licentiate Benedicte de Campos, a most hopeful young man of good ability. In spite of the lack of laborers the work grows apace. The visible blessing of God is upon it.

Our Sao Paulo church grows in every sense of the word under its unusual burdens in numbers and strength. A neat, comfortable parsonage has been built and nearly paid for; the whole of the pastor's salary paid and larger contributions than ever to home missions and charitable work. Lord's work ever grows best under pressure. Nothing like a good mob to develop the strength of character of those new in Christian life.

The

Dr. Blackford under date of Bahia, Brazil, May 10, writes:

The attendance at our services has improved some of late. Last Sabbath one young man was received into the church on profession of faith. There are several other earnest inquirers attending both at our central hall and auxiliary hall.

Mr. Silva and the colporteur from Cachoeira went last week to South Amaros, a town about the same size as Cachoeira, and about the same distance from here, four or five hours per steamer.

Dr. H. M. Lane writing from Sao Paulo, They were well received, had interesting inter

Brazil, August 29, gives the following interesting account of the work in southern Brazil:

The school flourishes; every seat is full and ‹every available corner of the church building -occupied. There are 346 now in attendance. A letter from Parana reveals a most hopeful state of activity there in church and mission work. The school in charge of Mr. Carvalhosa's daughters has a membership of 22. The news from Botucatu is highly encouraging; the church in that vast field also prospers. The school has 71 pupils, but alas! the pastor, Sr. Braga, is sick, worn out with the work of the great field ripe to harvest in his charge. The same may be said of the two fields in charge of Sr. Zacharias. Ten organized churches in a vast rich region are being ministered to by one ordained preacher, and he a sick man. Faxina with 80 church members received a visit once a year. Canna Verde, 300 miles north, under the

views with many persons, put in circulation a good many books and tracts, and on Sabbath Mr. Silva preached morning and evening to good and attentive audiences. The vicar showed his hand, but with evidently little success. We hope to keep up preaching there at least once a month. Nazareth is another important town, not much further off, where we could no doubt get a similar entrance; but with five or six sermons a week here beside other work I must look after, makes it rather difficult for one of us to be absent three weeks out of every month. I am trying to find time to visit three other points, two in the interior and one in the extreme south of this province, where the call is urgent for some one to go. I received this week a very interesting letter from a man up in the interior asking for a Bible and some other books to guide him in his search after the truth. He had heard of the truth from another of my correspondents-a police-soldier. We need two more good colporteurs.

1889.]

Letters from Messrs. Labaree and Corbett.

PERSIA.

OROOMIAH, PERSIA, September 9, 1889. REV. B. LABAREE, D.D.:-The record of the summer just past has some incidents worthy of mention. Early in July the college year closed with the interesting exercises of the graduating class and the alumni meeting. The spring term was a very gratifying one in respect to the discipline, application to study and spiritual condition of the students. The outgoing class numbered sixteen. It contains a number of boys of talent and some of promise for the ministry. Many of them, however, are touched by the fever of going abroad to extend their education and increase their qualifications for their own and their people's education. The subject was warmly discussed at the alumni meeting. The aspirations of the times are for profitable travels. It forces upon us some social questions not unlike those which confront and perplex educators at home. Dr. Shedd's ef forts to solve some of these problems, establishing an industrial department in connection with the college, will I trust bring us essential relief.

CHAUTAUQUA IN PERSIA.

A few weeks after the dispersion of the college we repeated last year's experiment of holding an institute at "the lakeside" for study and spiritual exercises, a sort of Chautauqua Assembly. It proved of even deeper interest than that of a year ago. In the forenoon Messrs. Coan, St. Pierre and McDowell gave practical instruction on "The work of the ministry," "The preparation of sermons" and "Biblical analysis." These lectures, accompanied with free and full discussion, were highly enjoyed and their profitableness most gratefully acknowledged. The afternoons were given to papers and discussions on various phases of the world's conversion. Numerous prayermeetings were held daily, the thought in all centering on the work of the Holy Ghost. A deeply earnest spiritual tone prevailed through all the exercises. The heavenly Guest was himself present in all the public gatherings and in the hours of social intercourse intervening.

In reading of our gathering at the lakeside, no one need fancy to himself a charming little summer resort, shady and cool and inviting. The attractions of the spot are mainly its isolation and its proximity to the salt waters of the lake for bathing. Otherwise a treeless, arid place, no one would care to visit it. It happens to be the har

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bor of the Haps, who do a limited traffic across the lake, and an uncle of the present shah, who had the monopoly of this trade, redeemed here from the surrounding waste a small plot of ground. In the days of its prime the wealth and fancy of the owner made it a lovely little summer abode. It has long since gone to waste again, its water sup ply reduced to a mere trickling stream, and only a dilapidated mud house and a few stinted pomegranate and fig trees remain to tell of its former culture and beauty. A benevolent lady of St. Louis, through that warm friend of foreign missions, Dr. Nelson, made us the possessor of this abandoned garden a few years since. We have found it a welcome retreat from crowding work for a few days in the summer, missionary families going there by turn. But missionary comfort is always subordinate to missionary opportunity, and we have rejoiced to find that we can turn the place to such excellent purpose as a sort of camp-meeting ground.

The summer is usually a time of almost religious stagnation in our churches. The congregations are much scattered. Large numbers of the male members are away in Russia to earn their living. I am happy to report that this summer, in spite of the depleted condition of the congregations, there is an unusual amount of spiritual activity in several of the churches, among those who remain at home. The spiritual meeting at the lake gave impetus to a tide of religious energy already rising. Several pastors report their last communion season as the most solemn and profitable for a summer season in many years. Our church reports among its membership an activity in Christian work not a jot behind their usual winter earnestness. We are hoping that there will be no check to this spiritual momentum until it culminate in a widespread and powerful revival throughout the churches.

Rev. Hunter Corbett, D.D., gives the following interesting account of the influence of the Holy Spirit in a Chinaman's heart and life. He says:

To-day a friend told me of a man in this province who when well advanced in life became a Christian. Subsequently an old friend met him, and in the presence of others used the vilest language in abusing him for forsaking the religion of his ancestors. The Christian bore it all meekly,

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SITKA, ALASKA.

Our readers know something of the marvellous work done for Indians in British America by Mr. Duncan at Metlakahtla, and of the strange persecution there from which those Christian Indians fled to Alaska, where they have founded a new Metlakahtla. An Indian lad from that place, named Edward Marsden, wrote from the training

school at Sitka to the Board of Home Missions in July last. The character of the lad, the admirable instruction and influences which he has enjoyed, his fidelity and usefulness in his present position, and the excellent methods pursued in that trainingschool, will be most impressively illustrated by giving his letter as it was written by himself. He says:

I came from my new home, Metlakahtla, Alaska, last year in May, and have been in the home just a year and a month. As soon as I came here I went to school three hours in a day and worked half of a day. But in vacation I work a whole day and studied my books one hour in the evenings before prayers.

When our steam laundry with all its machinery was fitted up, as I was accustomed to steam boilers and engines before I came, I was placed in charge of it. Several steam-pipes were bursted and some of the materials of the machineries were broken, not caused by accident or by determination, but by its own working. In a short time they were repaired and thus saved Mr. Kelly much trouble about getting and paying an engineer to repair them.

I taught some boys how to manage it, and now they can run it by themselves without spoiling or running the machineries in bad order.

I also played on the organ in the services and led the singing, especially the choir, and have taught them more than eighty new hymns, anthems and songs since I came here. Mr. Lake led the singing sometimes, but according to his health he left the choir and about the

singing in church in my charge. It took me great pains to make all the children learn hymns and songs, and to sing them according to music, and that they should pay attention to their singing. I received my instructions in music and how to play on organ or piano from Mr. Duncan before I came here, so I am able to help or teach the children. And Mr. Lake taught me a great deal more about music. I am also in the brass band under Mr. Lake's leadership, in which I am proud to say that he promoted me because I know better than all the members of the band, and sometimes when he was sick he ordered me to lead it and I did so.

So.

While Mr. Austin was here conducting all the evening meetings and Sunday services, when he was too tired, being at work all day, and he asked me to lead the meeting and I did Before Miss Delph came, when Miss Lee, teacher of the second school-room, went away, Mr. Kelly himself, though he was very busy, was teaching, and whenever I got through in the laundry I went into the school-room and took charge of it. They are very low grades, so I am able to teach them. Before Dr. Jackson came home, when Mr. Austin has gone, I was asked to preach sometimes on Sundays in church and I did so.

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When Mr. Kelly went away last May he left the institution in charge of Dr. Jackson, and he ordered me that I should take a part of his work to assist Dr. Jackson, such as buying food, deer or venison and fish for the school; taking charge of the store-room; the tools; buying food for the teachers' mess from the stores in town; locking the workshops every day after work, when the tools all put away; taking charge of the dining-room at breakfast; attend to the ringing of roll-call, meal and school bells; conducting the Monday, Tuesday and Friday evening prayers; taking charge of the boys when marching to meals, schools or worship, and blowing the bugle for going to bed in the evenings. All these I did with all my best since to-day.

It was one whole week of June 10 Dr. Jackson was sick and was not able to go out, so I dropped my going to school and made the whole institution going on just the same. I signed the boys to work, made them excuse, gave them permission, etc. I am also glad to say that I am doing all I can to help the teachers in teaching the children that they should be careful of their clothes, tools and everything given to them for their use, especially the food, and that they should be obedient, honest, brave and true scholars.

I am also acting as president of our temperance band in this home. The members are about eighty boys and girls.

All my reports every week were excellent and bright. No matter whether hard or easy, clean or dirty, light or heavy work my master gave me, I did it right away and completed it well. I never have left my work undone. And I am trying all I can to save the school's things from wasting, and of course I cannot help when they are worn out and used, but to be wasted for nothing.

I wish to let you know, dear friends, that it was very hard for me to leave mother and sister at home, because I am her only son, and I am only one that supports her by work and earn a little money to buy food and clothes. Though she knew that it will be hard to leave her, but she trusted in the care of the Almighty, so she allowed me to go to find a further education for her sake, especially my people. And I will try in every way to support her.

I am now just entered my twentieth year. I have been in school in British Columbia in 1881, 1882 and 1883, and as soon as the trouble began our teacher was banished, so I was out of school; that's why I don't speak English well. And now I am again trying to learn

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under the direction of my good teachers. Only one thing I need the most is the language, to know the language and to speak the language as an American citizen do. I feel very much grateful that this school is erected not only for learning how to read and cipher, but for learning how to live in a Christian life and know everything about God. So I am doing all I can in helping the institution, though I am poor, but I thank God that I am healthy, so I am able to work.

In this my uncorrected letter I ask the Christian friends of the Presbyterian Church if they could help and encourage me. I need some school-books, instructions for music, readingbooks, but I have nothing to buy them.

My only supplication is that God may grant me wisdom and knowledge, for "how much better is it to get wisdom than silver and gold," that I may go and fulfill his word. To prove my report, let our superintendent or teachers be asked. I should be very delighted and encouraged to hear from the Christian friends.

From Bathgate, N. Dak., Rev. J. P. Schell writes:

The work has been crowding me the past few months as never before. It has been a real harvest time with us since the beginning of summer. We have had crowded congregations usually and an unusual degree of interest all through the season. The Foote brothers, evangelists, were through our field just before harvest and their labors were greatly blessed among us. I think I may say about sixty persons were hopefully converted to Christ and are in training for Christian work. We organized two young people's societies at Tyner and vicinity, numbering about thirty active members each, which are working finely and promise to be of great benefit. These young people's meetings are held every week, in addition to which we have regular and well-attended prayer-meetings at Tyner and two adjacent districts each week. Our two Sabbath-schools are also running well there. I preach at each place-Tyner and South Tyner, four miles apart-every Sabbath. The people have been prospered in their crops and there is strong talk of building a church edifice soon. A new railroad likely to traverse the neighborhood will settle the location; otherwise we should be in danger of trouble from that cause.

At Bathgate we are holding our own and a little We have more to work against there, and

more.

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