the people themselves have made mention to months' instruction, commencing with her me with delight. letters. I told her to read it at home to her parents, and last sabbath her father attended our worship, paying the greatest attention. The Abbè, the boy and his Bible. A few weeks back a lad about fourteen years of age presented himself to the teacher for admittance to the school, with his slate, paper, and bible under his arm. The teacher told me afterwards he came from the Abbe's school. I took occasion in a few days to speak to the lad on the subject, when he said Little Victoria. Our little school at my own house is not destitute of some interest. When first it was commenced the children had to learn their letters, among whom was little Victoria, whose parents live not far from our house. They are nominal Roman Catholics, and on that ground the priest claimed the little girl as the property of his church, and did his utmost to prevent her attendance at our school, by designating it as the "devil's school," and that if she attended" he left the priest's school because the Abbè it she would become "crazy," &c. But her parents, though ignorant people, were not so soft or timid as the priest supposed, and without giving him any satisfaction one way or the other, continued to send the child, with two or three others, regularly to school. They now see the advantage of it in the rapid improvement she has made in a very short time. I had the great pleasure a day or two since to present her with a Testament, which she can read tolerably well after about three told him one day he must not bring his bible there any more, or if he did he (the Abbe) would take it from him." The lad, though a catholic, did not like either to leave behind him or to lose his bible, so he took himself off, and has been with us ever since, daily reading the lessons of divine truth. Since he came he has also induced three or four other lads to attend with him. Now, had we no school in operation, they would not have had this refuge. RETRENCHMENT. Under this head we give a few additional extracts from the letters of our toil-worn brethren. They need no comment. They appeal to every Christian's attachment to his Lord. Must the lack of means compel the Committee, in face of these urgent and affecting necessities, to persist in their contemplated reductions? Mr. WILLIAMSON of Sewry, under date of October 3, 1849, thus writes to Mr. Angus: Your letter, under date of the 27th June | supported by funds collected on the spot. last, inclosing the resolutions of the Com- Both myself and my wife (who is a very mittee respecting a very considerable reduc- good economist) have all along adopted the tion of expenditure in our Indian mission, most economical plans we could think of; has elicited many anxious thoughts. I am and have hitherto, I believe, been enabled, sorry you are about to resign the secretary- by the help of God, to expend as little of ship. It is grievous, too, to think of con- the Society's precious funds as any European, tracting, instead of enlarging our operations. with so large a family, could probably do. Nor is it less so, to hear of the necessity You are, doubtless, well aware what an exwhich has compelled the Committee, how-pensive country this is for a European to live ever unwillingly, to resolve on so painful a in. The subject has often been a very painmeasure. And most of all it grieves me to ful one for me to contemplate; but I trust I say, that in my case it will be impossible to have done my best to save the Society all comply with the resolution of the Committee unnecessary expenditure at this station, and to the extent required. I believe you are therefore fear I cannot go much further in already aware that there are no items of the work of reduction, unless I were to adopt expenditure at this station, on account of the native mode of living, which seems out of which I draw from the Society's funds, the question, especially at my time of besides that of my salary, which, about four years ago, I was enabled, by the aid of our auxiliary society, then formed, to reduce from 200 to 175 rupees per mensem. Our native preachers, orphan children, and infirm widows, together with our schools, being all life. We mean, however, to try to do something, and are already at work reviewing every item of expenditure, and applying the scissors wherever necessity does not forbid their use. I cannot as yet say, however, the exact Present condition of mission. amount of reduction we may be able to effect, the commencement of the year, however, but I much fear it cannot be done to the full until June, there were not less than seventy, extent required by the Committee; who, the school having suffered a considerable however, may rely on our putting forth every reduction in consequence of an unusually effort in order to comply with their necessary severe visitation of cholera (in which the requirements. Lord mercifully preserved us) in the months of June and July, during which period it was almost entirely deserted. Our Bengalee school contains about fifty, having also suffered, though proportionably less, from the same cause. Both heathens and Mohammedans, and Christians, have been addressed once, and often twice a day, and we trust not without effect, though, as usual, no decisive results have followed, yet we doubt not that I have the pleasure to say, that our little church has received some considerable additions this year. It contained thirty-two members last year. We now number thirtysix. Indeed, five persons have been received, but one has been dismissed to another church. Of those admitted, one was by dismission, two by baptism, and three by restoration. the work of God is progressing, and will be There are, at present, in our English school crowned with ultimate success. forty-five boys in regular attendance. From Lord hasten it in his time. May the Our missionary at Howrah, Mr. MORGAN, under date of October 5th, writes as follows: During a period of ten years' service in the mission no communication has produced so much perplexity, anxiety, and pain, as your last. With me the mission is the centre of all my ideas, therefore any diminution of strength, whether of men or of money, is a cause of deep sorrow. such offer. I have not accepted one invitation to dinner since I have been in Howrah, thus much valuable time has been spared. Now for money. I have never received one penny from the Society except my regular salary. No children, no extra expences whatever. It cost me £10 to go on the river last year, but I did not send in a bill. There is none of the Society's money It has been my maxim from my arrival here to be always at my post, able to work. This cannot be done without the cultivation My first convert was a Brahmin. I supand the preservation of health. To preserve ported him for one year at my own expense. health artificial means are necessary, such as I have had Bengalee schools, native preachpunkahs in the hot weather. The govern-ers, and an English school for little Christian ment have ordered punkahs for the common vagabonds, who, according to their own acEuropean soldiers. This means has kept my count, never had a father, only a mother. wife in India, and myself in working order. The money I had here, from the English conIn ten years I was absent but one month, ongregation, sometimes more at other times less. account of fever. For the last two years I have gone through four services every Sun-under my control except my own salary. day, in two languages. Who beside me has done that? Without the punkahs I could not do it. However, they cost money. From January till now, I have not failed one Sunday. There are but few, if any, that can say that. Some think punkahs not necessary; yet, according to their own account, they cannot sleep at night, therefore they cannot work by day. I have always considered that my time is the property of the mission, therefore, though You will ask, can you reduce that? No; without endangering my health, and lessening my usefulness. There are two things that I fear, the undermining of my constitution, and any temptation to engage in any secular affairs. The latter will destroy the fine moral tone which a missionary ought to possess and to cultivate, and it will also injure his character. What would be gained in money would be lost in character. In this letter I have written much about I have had many offers from respectable par-myself, and am almost ashamed, but what ties to teach an hour in the day, and good can be done? pay, I have always indignantly refused every At Dinagepore our brother, Mr. SMYLIE, labours. Under date of September 11th, he says: Your letter, bearing date 27th June, 1849, all that is expended on this station, and this was received on the 6th September. It con- is all that has been allowed for years past, tains heavy tidings; but we bow to the will of and it is known that his salary allows of an all-wise, just, and merciful God, trusting nothing more than the common necessaries of he may yet hear our prayers, and send us life. It admits of no company or invitations better days. The salary of the European missionary is whatever. My dear brother, the reductions which have long been made at this station are as me almost entirely within doors. Again, if I follows: No travelling expenses. No native missionaries. No native schoolmaster. No house repairs. All is fixed, whether in sickness or in health, whether things be dear or cheap, whether we have one child's tuition, board, and clothing to pay for, or two, or more. God alone knows what reductions can be made. I do not pay in full for my son's tuition, only for board and washing; when the second child goes to school, which I trust she will shortly do, we shall be much more straitened, though I shall not be able to pay much more than half the sum necessary. This is a subject I never intended to mention again, and it is done simply because you wish to know all that is in my heart. Perhaps the salary I receive could be reduced six or seven rupees monthly; but this would be no profit to the cause, because it will shut were to leave the house I now have, and live in a little hut or bungalow, this would enable me to reduce my salary, but then rent would be required, and we would be in continual danger of having our house burned, as fires are common here, and take place two or three times every year. Few stations are without one or more native preachers, here we have none. The calamity which now hangs over us is indeed great and distressing. The spirit of the natives would lead us to say, missions should be followed up, increased, and strengthened, and not weakened. If the means are wanting, what can be done? It is distressing, as it comes at a time when many have grown grey in the service, and no hope of others following. I myself am now thirty-two years in India, and I have entered my thirty-third year. Twenty years of this time have been spent in the mission, and a little more than six years were spent in the service of Christ without money and without price. Oh, that all my years had been so spent! Let these painful details be borne in mind, and 'carried to the footstool of Divine mercy by the disciples of the Redeemer. Let the condition of our African mission be remembered. Haiti and Madras also; each requires immediate assistance and another missionary. Both the East and West Indies are crying aloud for help. May the churches of Christ arise, and say with ancient Israel, in reply to the summons of the Captain of their salvation, "Whatsoever thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go." HOME PROCEEDINGS. We have been favoured with the following letter from a missionary brother labouring in India. The subject of it has often been referred to in this country as a means of quickening and deepening a missionary spirit, and by some pastors of churches has been carried into effect. We most cordially commend the suggestions and remarks of this letter to general consideration. To the Editor of the Missionary Herald. DEAR SIR, I think it is some months since I noticed in the Herald or the Baptist Magazine, a suggestion which, though not new, but on the contrary often put forth by missionaries and those who take an interest at home in the cause of missions to the heathen, is yet far too seldom acted upon, and needs therefore to be again reiterated. I mean, that different churches and auxiliary societies should single out particular labourers or localities in the mission field, with whom or which they will feel themselves in a manner identified, taking a peculiar interest in them, keeping up a regular correspondence with them, and binding themselves to a certain Of extent to furnish the pecuniary means requisite for the support of schools, or native assistants, &c., connected with them. whatever church a missionary or his partner may have been (previously to their going forth) a member, or if either of them had been an office-bearer or active supporter of an auxiliary society, this circumstance of itself ought to give them both a special claim on the sympathies and zealous co-operation of such church or auxiliary. And in the case of both a missionary and his wife being personally and favourably known to the members of the same particular church or branch society, or if even merely to the pastor or office-bearers of such, there must surely be something very defective in the feelings of the parties at home, or in the conduct and support of a catechist, a school, or an orphan, or any other specific object connected with a particular mission station; but I can conceive no feasible reason for their not manifesting in other ways-perhaps quite as conducive to the furtherance of the cause-their interest character of those who have gone abroad, if a tender and continuous interest be not mutually felt, and expressed too, by exertions as well as words. And yet I much fear this forgetfulness, or at least a ceasing to manifest sympathy in the labours and prospects of their former associates in church-fellowship in foreign missions generally, and in one or now doing the work of evangelists in far distant lands, is by no means uncommon.* The churches or pastors that are guilty of it wrong themselves as much as the objects of their sinful indifference; or rather the cause of Christ is injured, or deprived of its due furtherance in such cases, as much at home as abroad. I am quite willing to admit that the peculiar circumstances of a pastor or a church may be such as to afford a reasonable and satisfactory excuse for not binding themselves to supply any stated sum periodically for the One case, in which I am more particularly interested, I may take occasion here to refer to. The missionary and his wife are both natives of the same city ("north of the Tweed "), to the religious community of which, Presbyterian and Baptist, their families are well known. The former, after completing his studies with a view to entering the established church, changed his sentiments on the subject of baptism, and was received as a member of a Particular Baptist church in that city. With this he continued connected till he left his native land, about a year afterwards. Nine years have elapsed since then, during which period Reports" have again and again been forwarded, and letters written to the venerable senior pastor (for it is now a collegiate charge), detailing the engagements, &c., of the said missionary and his wife. The only result, however, has been one apologetic, friendly letter, some years ago, from the pastor referred to. While neither by that church or any member of it, nor by any other Baptist society or individual in all Scotland (!), though personally known to not a few, has the slightest interest ever been expressed either by letter (the above excepted) or contribution, in the labours and schemes of the said evangelist. These things ought not so to be, unless a satisfactory reason can be assigned. Is the fault in the missionary, or in the churches referred to at home? Let more localities or individual labourers speci- Should these few hints be deemed worthy Benares, Aug. 19, 1849. G. S. We take the earliest opportunity of announcing to our friends the arrangements which have been made respecting the Annual Services, as we are sure they will be gratified with them. The Rev. F. TUCKER of Manchester, has kindly consented to preach the evening sermon on the Thursday preceding the Annual Meeting, and the Hon. and Rev. BAPTIST NOEL the sermon on the morning previous. Without doubt the friends connected with Surrey and Bloomsbury Chapels will, as heretofore, place these edifices at the service of the Mission. The retirement of the Rev. EUSTACE CAREY from his present connexion with the Society was announced in the Baptist Magazine some time ago. Mr. CAREY communicated his intention to the Committee at the same time. At their next meeting this letter was laid before them, and they appointed a sub-committee to confer with Mr. CAREY on the matter. They met our esteemed brother, and presented their report to the Quarterly Meeting, whose resolutions on the subject are below. Committee Meeting, October 17, 1849. Mr. RUSSELL, as Chairman of the Sub-committee appointed to confer with the Rev. E. CAREY, brought up the following report. "The Sub-committee appointed to confer with the Rev. E. CAREY, report that they met him accordingly, and had long conference, when he declared his adherence to the letter of September 22, 1849, written by him to the Committee." Resolved, That the report be received. And on its further consideration it was resolved, "1. That a communication having been received from the Rev. E. CAREY expressive of his intention soon to retire from his present connexion with the Society; also a report from the Sub-committee appointed to confer with him, to the effect that he still adhered to that determination, this Committee hereby express to Mr. CAREY the fraternal regard and esteem which they have ever felt, and still warmly cherish towards him; they gratefully acknowledge his devoted efforts in India, his long and arduous labours in our own country, the talent and success with which he has so often advocated the claims of the Society, and the zeal and perseverance by which his services have been distinguished; and in accepting his resignation as tendered, they assure him of their earnest desire that the Divine blessing may guide and prosper him in all his future course. "2. That the Committee leave the time when a change shall take place in Mr. CAREY'S connexion with this Society to be fixed by himself, according to his own convenience. "3. That at whatever period Mr. CAREY'S actual retirement may take place, the Committee are assured that it will be highly important for the Society to have the benefit of his advocacy during three or four months of every year; and they desire to convey to him their earnest hope that he may be able to enter into such arrangements as may secure that object.” Mr. CAREY has considered these resolutions, and met them in the same spirit of cordiality which gave rise to them. He accepts them, and whenever he recedes from his present position, the Society will still have a portion of his time and energies. We trust this arrangement will be satisfactory to all parties; and we hope the Society will enjoy the advantage for many years to come of the truly valuable services of a brother so esteemed and beloved. On Wednesday evening, January 16th, 1850, the fourth lecture to the Young Men's Missionary Association, will be delivered in the Mission Library, by the Rev. DANIEL KATTERNS. Subject: "A Glance at China." FOREIGN LETTERS RECEIVED. AMERICA ......... GRAND RIVER............Cusick, J. N......November 15, ASIA NEW YORK .CALCUTTA.... DINAGEPORE HOWRAH......... INTALLY MADRAS.... MUTTRA........ SERAMPORE SEWRY BAHAMAS .........NASSAU Whitney, E. S.... November 14. ..Thomas, J. ......October 6. .........October 6. Capern, H..........Oct. 27 and 29. RUM CAY ..................Littlewood, W. ...Sept. 20 and 22. HONDURAS ......BELIZE RIVER............Kingdon, J.........Oct. 11 and 20. |