The schools are now located in every dis-it, and the policy of "special gifts "has been trict of the Foochow Conference, and to all adopted by the Missionary Society. Does branches of mission work they are what not all this speak well for the branch of missources are to rivers. They are fountains of sion work in question? living water, extinguishing the parching fires of the Evil One, but watering the good seed of the kingdom that is being sown. We have reason to believe that largely through their instrumentality scores have already been added to the Church, besides the establishment of nine new appointments, which have 468 members and probationers. We doubt not that hundreds in eternity will testify that their first impressions of Christianity came from hearing their children recite the lessons and sing the songs learned in these schools. Thus is the Lord honoring the sacrifices and answering the prayers of the hundreds who are contributing to the support of this cause. The "Twentieth Century Thank Offering" call has been sounded from shore to shore, and the money is already being asked for special purposes. Our great benevolent societies and other Church enterprises are asking for millions. We shall be more modest, and request an advance over last year of only $2,000. If all who have contributed for 1899 will renew their subscriptions, or persuade some friend to take up and carry on the good work they have begun, and if other friends will send me $2,000, we shall be able to report a good increase for 1900, and grant a majority of the requests for new schools. Our schools and nearly everything else in this country begin and end with the Chinese New Year, and I should know by the first of February concerning the amount of money I can depend upon. I usually open fifty or sixty schools on faith, but do not like to go much beyond that number. My faith is not so strong as that of some persons, and I hope you will not test it too severely. One half of the money can be sent about the first of January, 1900, and the remainder about the first of the following July. We are holding institutes and other meetings with the teachers, presenting to them a new and improved system of instruction. We are thereby broadening their education and deepening their conviction of duty, thus enabling them to do better work; also to be ready to act their part in the coming reforms. Many of the pupils are between twelve and sixteen years of age, and will themselves soon become teachers. With an army of thousands of Christian teachers shall we not be able to exert at least a moral Any person, persons, or society sending influence upon the coming transformation? $40 to support a school may name it, and That Christian truth may from the first be will receive a detailed semiannual report impressed upon the hearts of the children a (both in Chinese and English), a photograph course of study has been selected which, in of a school, and a pair of "Golden Lily" simple terms, tells of the attributes of God; shoes. For $20 I will send a photo, a pair of sin and its consequences; the soul; the birth, "Golden Lilies," and an idol; for $10, a childhood, works, death, resurrection, and photo and a pair of "Golden Lilies;" for ascension of Jesus Christ; the way of salva- all smaller sums (not less than $1), a photo. tion; the life and work of the apostles; the You can send the money to me direct by office of the Holy Spirit; heaven and hell. draft, express order, or post office order, or Geography, physiology, history, and astron-through Rev. A. J. Palmer, D.D., Missionomy are also taught. These studies are all ary Secretary, 150 Fifth Avenue, New York. in the Chinese language. This "Special Gift" school work is entirely supported by voluntary contributions. We are truly grateful for the assistance already received. During three, four, five, and six years many friends have been regularly sup-, porting this enterprise. They have sent us words of encouragement, and many have induced their friends to join them in aiding the cause. Bishops Ninde, Walden, Joyce, and Cranston have all visited and examined this work, and have all expressed their approval. The Mission has also unanimously indorsed If you remit through Dr. Palmer, be sure to specify for whom your contribution is intended, as he is constantly receiving money for special purposes in different countries. Now, my dear friends, will you not take this cause to God in prayer, and earnestly ask him what he wishes you to do in helping to Christianize this educational reform of which I have spoken? Please do not dismiss this subject without at least an earnest prayer for the continued prosperity of the "Special Gift" schools. Foochow, China. Α PACHUCA AND ITS METHODIST MISSION. BY REV. BENJ. S. HAYWOOD. MONG the many quaint and typical old | for the noted Spanish leader. BENJ. S. HAYWOOD. It is now Noting the awful moral condition of the country, several of these men, unordained, without theological training and without a license from anyone, told the story of the cross, instituted religious services, and thus laid the foundation of a superstructure that gladdens our hearts to-day. They received many Bibles from the British and Foreign Bible Society, and distributed them all over the district. Mexican towns as yet not seriously dis- shattered by storm and blackened by fire, turbed by modern civilization stands in for the Indians, in their hatred of the Spanunique dis- ish, tried to burn it. But in spite of all it tinction Pa- still bravely sends forth its leaves. chuca, the In Methodist history Pachuca is none the capital city less interesting, it being one of the three of the state important centers established by Bishop that bears Gilbert Haven and the greatly lamented Dr. the name of William Butler, sharing with Mexico City Mexico's and Puebla the first attention of the founder Washington of the Mission. In point of Protestant re-the immor- ligious services it is one of the very oldest, tal Hidalgo. if not the oldest, in the entire republic; for It is an In- since 1842 some form of Christian worship dian name, has been maintained. Being the center of a and into its great mining district, it attracted the attenorthography tion of English miners, principally from is woven an Cornwall, and among the large colony that interesting immigrated here were many who brought bit of history. with them the love of Christ. It means a "place of weeping," so named after the defeat of the Indians at the battle of Octumba by Cortez and his followers, who were about to give the fearful struggle over in despair, but observed in the midst of the thousands of warriors their chief adorned with gold and precious stones, crowned with feathers of the rarest hues, a canopy of feathered network over his head, surrounded by his chiefs all gorgeously dressed. Cortez, mad- Most prominent in all this work stands dened to despair, gave a desperate charge Thomas Rowse, who incessantly labored for with his intrepid followers, and laid all those over twenty-five years to scatter the blessed chiefs, with their rich equipage, low. Their word of God, until the whole district came thousands of followers fled at once in conster- to be permeated with Protestant ideas and nation, and here at Pachuca they halted, sat Protestant liberty. Cooperative with this down, and wept. Hence the name Pachuca. man were the saintly Richard Rule (of It was near here that Cortez established blameless life and most precious memory, the noted plantation of Santiago Tuxtla- whose life, long since translated, still gives said to be the one on which he first planted forth a blessed influence), John Petherick, sugar cane in Mexico. Indeed, the ruins Thomas Treloar, and a Dr. Guerrero. These may yet be seen, now overgrown by cedars forces were greatly strengthened by the and other evidences of great age. These arrival in 1873 of Mr. C. Ludlow, a local interesting ruins, together with the famous preacher of the Wesleyan Church in Eng"Noche Triste arbol "-tree of the sad night land. Brother Ludlow's life ever since has -form two of the favorite retreats of Cortez. run through the history of the Mission like The latter, near the city of Mexico, is the a thread of white. For years he served the tree under whose branches it is reported church as pastor, being regularly appointed Cortez sat down to rest and weep over the by Dr. William Butler, was contractor for losses and the fate of his soldiers after the mission buildings in different cities and bloody retreat from the city on the "Dismal general counselor to the founder, and since Night" of July 1, 1520. It is an immense then has been an honored and most efficient cypress, and often afforded a solitary retreat | lay worker in the society at Pachuca. W. F. M. S. BUILDING AT PACHUCA. the very strongest men of the Mission-such men as Lopez (our present pastor in Mexico City) and Zapata, our Conference evangelist and pastor at Puebla. Pachuca from the first has been the introduction for nearly every foreign missionary sent to the field, Rev. John W. Butler, D.D., being the first one stationed here, but changed to Mexico City within a week. He has been followed by J. M. Barker, Lucius C. Smith (said to have possessed the best knowledge of Spanish of anyone ever sent to the field), Levi B. Salmans, M.D., William Green, J. A. Kaul, F. D. Tubbs, I. C. Cartwright, H. G. Limric, W. C. Evans, Geo. E. Allan, and Benj. S. Haywood. Each has faithfully toiled, and God has been very gracious and not unmindful to give fruitage. The years have added their product, the work has expanded along all lines, until our present accommodations are unequal to our needs and opportunities. The Mission has gained the respect of the government and its officials, and great prestige has come during the last few years. To meet this emergency a new enterprise is inaugurated. Plans and specifications are will grant us $10,000 (silver), an equal sum The welcome afforded Dr. Butler in 1874 | agreed upon, and if the Missionary Society was such as enabled him to firmly plant our work, and with the cooperation of Captain Frank Rule he purchased the present location. Here the chapel was erected, and arrangements completed for its dedication April 2, 1876. The Revs. John W. Butler and S. P. Craver were present to officiate. During the opening prayer a revolution broke out, and intense firing over the mission premises quickly scattered the assembled audience. Dr. Butler was offering prayer, and with closed eyes earnestly supplicating divine favor, supposing that the commotion was worshipers entering the chapel, when, rising from his knees, he found only the clergy present. All others had departed. One week later the little chapel, which has ever since afforded a church home to native and foreign born, was formally consecrated to Almighty God. When the superintendent of missions first visited Pachuca he found one, Dr. Marcelleno Guerrero, preaching to a handful of natives each Sunday morning, and in the same room on Sunday afternoons running a billiard saloon. Dr. Butler soon led the man into the light, and he became an earnest Methodist local preacher. From the native work thus inaugurated have come some of METHODIST MISSION BUILDING AT PACHUCA. |