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Natives of India. By India we mean the peninsula in the southern part of Asia generally called Hin. dustan. It belongs to Great Britain. Here are 260 million of people, about four times as many as are in the United States.

Most of the natives are called Hindus, and there are also many Mohammedans and Parsees.

Nearly all of these are worshipers of false gods, and though many of them have heard of the God of the Christians, they think that their worship is the true one. But our young readers will be most interested in the young people.

The schools, under the direction of the English government, have become much improved, but a missionary gives the fol. lowing account of one of the old style, which can still be found in some parts of the country:

"The exercises of the school are begun with an invocation to the god of wisdom. This having been sung, lessons are prescribed to the children, which they learn by

A SCENE IN INDIA.

but all the pupils are jumbled together and all simultaneously vociferate their various tasks, making a harsh, discordant jargon. If their roars grow faint, if their lips cease to move, the rod of the master falls on their backs.

"An hour before closing the school, the pupils are all made to stand up in a line; and with their hands applied to their hearts they repeat the multiplication table, the alphabet, and the sacred by mns or slokas, at the end of each one of which their hands are raised to their foreheads and their bodies bowed in reverence to the god in whose

honor it was said.

"The master then instructs them in a long and tedious catalogue of frivolous duties to be discharged in their houses, to which they all assent by loudly shouting, 'Yes, yes.' After this they prostrate themselves before the teacher and are dismissed to their respective homes."

The same missionary also says:

"Hindu children are timid, and, as a rule, respectful to their parents, and well be haved in public. They are less active and "The school is not divided into classes, boisterous than European children.

rote.

"The parents like the boys better than the girls. The boy it is who will support them in old age, who will kindle the sacred fire when their bodies are consumed, and who, after they are gone, will minister to their departed spirits and hasten their entrance into a better state."

Helpless Gods.

I once read a story about an idol in China. When it was first made, it was carried through the streets followed by a great procession. There were bands of cymbals, gongs, and flutes. There were flags and

streamers and clouds of incense all about the huge image, which was carried on the shoulders of men.

The procession went on finely for sometime; but, suddenly, something happened. What do you think it was? Why, this great. god, which was made of clay, was carried by men who were a little unsteady, and they contrived to pitch him into the gutter and knock off his head. Some of the people were very much frightened and troubled by it; but others could not help laughing at the poor god that couldn't take care of his own body.

In beatben lands, too, they have so many gods that they are apt to think anything at all strange or mysterious must be a god.

Willie's Penny.

Willie's penny made heaven rejoice! It would not have bought more than a stick or two of candy, or much helped a starving family.

What did he do with it? His sister was a missionary's wife in Af. rica, and the family were filling a box to send her. As one after another deposited their gifts, little Willie said, "I want to give my penny."

"What shall be bought with the little of fering?" was the next question. It was decided to buy a tract, and write the history of the gift on its margin, and, with a prayer for its success, send it on its distant errand. The box arrived on the mission ground, and among its valuable, interesting contents, Willie's gift was laid away unnoticed and for awhile forgotten. But God's watch. ful, all seeing eye had not forgotten it. One day a native teacher was starting from the mission station to go to a Sunday school over the mountain, where he was to be employed.

He was well learned in the language, and this tract was given him. It told him that he was a lost sinner in danger of eternal death, and that all his learning could not help him. It also told him of One who was able and willing to save.

What years of Christian labor by the missionaries had not done, was now brought about by the penny tract. The strong man bowed in peniter ce and humble submission at Jesus' feet, and became a sincere Chris tian. The missionaries to whom he went praised God for the change by which they became blessed with a godly teacher. Those who put the tract in his hand were overcome with joy; and there is joy in heaven ' over one sinner that repenteth."

So you see how little Willie's penny made heaven rejoice.

Girls in Mexico Earning Missionary Money.

BY MISS E. LE HURAY.

How did we earn our Missionary Money? Why we sewed, we washed and ironed, became housekeepers, copying clerks, seamstresses; and whatever our hands found to do, we did with all our might.

The last Sunday of the month, being missionary Sunday, we brought our money together, counted it and gave to each girl exactly what she had earned. The pastor, together with a few friends, had been in vited to our afternoon meeting to receive the collection, and this collection, of course, had to be all gotten ready. Out of our thirty children there was but one who had not earned at least her medio, or six cents, and she, a little tot of only four years, had done her best to help, if she Lad broken a flower pot in the endeavor. The little

ones had cleaned the flowers of all their bugs, and as we have more than a hundred plants, it took some part of their spare time. Our little lame girl cleaned all my bureau drawers, replacing each article with the greatest precision and with wonderful

neatness.

This is the same little girl who, after an operation performed on her knee, is now lying in bed with heavy weights attached to her foot, patiently and without a murmur, though she will not even be able to change her position for over a month. Our washerwoman having left us, the older girls after school hours, lasting from nine till five, did all the washing of the hou e, and did it with a cheerfulness most pleasing to see.

You know, children, there are many ways of doing things, and it is very easy to sce from your actions whether the help you give comes from the heart or no. These children worked because they want ed to help to raise the $350 which is Mex ico's share towards the "million for missions."

One of the girls who has been writing for me for over a year put all she had earned in the box. Two little sisters whose yellow hair and light complexions show their pure Andalusian blood, had saved twenty-five cents of what their mother had given them on her last visit. We asked them what part of it they wished to give, thinking they would say six or eight cents. they wished to give it all! And when we asked them what they would do the next time they wanted to buy candy,-they did not seem to know exactly,—but want ed to give it all.

But no,

I wish I could show you as it actually took place, that afternoon missionary meeting. It would do you good I know.

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The girls were seated all around the parlor, the little ones on the floor, and the old er ones near the piano. We began by sing. ing, "O word of words the sweetest,' which we translated into Spanish for the occasion," Vocablo ei mas dulce." Then as the pastor held the missionary box, each girl passed up to drop in her carnings, reciting at the same time a verse on giving. Even the baby put in her medio, saying, 'Con mi voluntad, dari a Dios." Our second hymn, "Not half has ever been told," was surg as a solo, the children How do you coming in on the chorus. think we would sing that in Spanish?"Ni aun la mitad se oy)." How the children do love to sing new hymns!

"

At the close, amid breathless attention, the money was counted, and we were subprised to find it amounted to $10.08, every cent had been earned by the girls themselves, independent of what the teachers had given,-earned too, you should remember, by poor girls to whom ten cents in itself would be a treasure.

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In the time of the great famine years ago, a man took his eldest son and went away from home, leaving his wife and another little son to live as they could, or to die of hunger. That is the cruel way of those who do not know the true God. The mother with her child wandered away in search of food. One night they tried to cross a river in the dark. The swift stream parted them and the mother was washed ashore. The boy was drawn out of the water on the other bank. Each thought the other was drowned. Our missionaries took the boy to their orphan's home, and called him Moses.

His

This was eight years ago. He stayed there three or four years, and studied well and learned to pray. His teacher hoped he became a Christian. But one day he went off without a word of good-bye. He travelled back to his old home and there he found his mother alive and well! father and brother too were there, and all were living in the old heathen way. But Moses had taken his Bible and Hymn book with him, and says that he often read them and prayed alone, wishing himself back with the missionaries. At last he went to a great market, such as they hold yearly in some places in India. There he saw a Christian native teacher, who belonged to the orphanage where he had been taught. Do you think the missionaries would let me come back again, after I have been such a prodigal son ?" asked Moses of the "Come back, by all means," said

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And Moses went. The missionaries wel

comed him kindly, and at first they gave him work as a servant. Then they let him enter their Boarding School. He is working night and morning to pay his expenses, and they all hope that he is now a true Christian. We trust he is to be one of our dear Lord's own servants, to help in raising up his country out of its darkness and sin.

Rev. John G. Paton, missionary in the New Hebrides Mission, writes: "It pains us to think of 70,000 heathen on our group, all crying for, and ready to welcome the missionaries, and not be able to get, or rather to maintain, men on the islands to give them the Gospel."

Rotes and Comments.

We make some change in the arrangement of the matter for the Magazine. Under the above heading we shall give brief Editorial Notes. The larger articles in each number, not credited to others, are prepared by the Editor.

By request of the Board of Managers we devote fourteen pages to the account of the Missionary Anniversary. This has crowded out some of the notes respecting other mis sionary Societies, and also makes it necessary to defer the account we expected to give of the Missionary Socities of the world statistics, &c.

The GOSPEL IN ALL LANDS enters its seventh year in the full asurance that its work is blessed of God. It will continue as heretofore to give an account of the work of all Caurches and Societies, especially in the countries to which its illustrated article is devoted each month. With the same Elitor who has been in charge for the past six and a half years, the experience of the past will be able to make it more valuable to its readers each succeeding year.

This Magazine has demonstrated its right and ability to live. It makes no claim for patronage except that which arises from its helpfulaess to its readers. We have been thankful for criticisms kind and unkind. We sympathize with those who believe they can make a better Magazine. We are very far from our own ideal, but we do rejoice in the knowledge of good done and we "thank

God and take courage."

been a strengthening of Roman Catholicism arising to a great extent from the political aspirations of men seeking votes that are largely controlled by the Romish priests. The wars in Colombia and Peru have been happily terminated, but South America has had little done for it by Protestants, and what has been done has given but slight returns. Italy has been more responsive, and Protestant progress there has been a surprise and a gratification.

Africa has witnessed the ingoing and establishing of a Mission Band under Bishop Taylor, moved by faith, and sustained by God's grace, and the latest intelligence from them is full of encouragement. The missions in East Central Africa have labored under great discouragements. The telegrams received from London, January 1, stated the king of Mombasa had seized Bishop Hannington, who was consecrated Bishop of East Equatorial Africa, June 24, 1881, and it was feared he would be put to death. Africa is still the Dark Continent.

Asia embraces the largest and most suc cessful of the Mission Fields of Protestant ism. The past year has witnessed a most gracious revival in Japan, and the Japanese have been more responsive than any other people to the claims of the Gospel, the rate of progress in church membership being much larger than in any so called Christian countries. India reports a year of unequalled spiritual progress. China has made an advance, notwithstanding the interruptions caused by the war. opened to the Gospel by the deposition of its king. Work among the Armenians and Nestorians of Persia and Turkey has ad.

Burma has been

The past year has been one of steady advanced, but the door to Mohammedanism vance by the Protestant Church at Home in these countries has been persistently and and Abroad, and the outlook was never successfully closed. The Review of the brighter. Protestantism never thought as year is encouraging because of the advance, little of its differences, and has never been but humiliating because the Christian so ready to unite in laboring for the salva Church has had the ability to do much tion of men. The givers in money for mismore for the Evangelization of the world. sions, and the givers of self to become work ers in the Harvest Field are increasing, and the year 1836 promises grand results for the Christian Church.

In our own land the labors of some noted evangelists have been attended with a large number of conversions, especially in south ern cities. The work among the Indians has not yielded as much spiritual fruit as in other years when the Government enlist ed theco operation of the Christian churches in their Agencies. We have been ashamed at the outrages committed against the Chinese in some of our cities, bnt this has not prevented some success in the work among them by our missionaries.

In Roman Catholic countries the Protestant workers have toiled on, supported more by the promises of God than by much apparent progress. In Mexico there has

We are glad to note the fact that the bloody reign of King Theebaw is ended and what has been known as Independent Birma will hereafter be a part of India. The American Baptist Missionary Union and the China Island Mission have both established missions in the country only to be obliged to give them up. The way is now open with every prospect of success.

Honor to brave Bulgaria. The missions of the American Board and of the Methodist Episcopal Church have been interrupted to some extent by the war, but the missionaries write in a hopeful spirit, and claim that they are meeting with a more ready hearing from the people. The care they have taken of the wounded, and their interest in the physical welfare of the people will endear them still more to those among whom they are laboring.

Methodist Gpiscopal Missions.

At home the cry is still "A Million for Missions." It must come in the present fiscal year or the Treasury will continue in debt. The meeting at the Academy of Music on Dec. 17, was inspiriting to those who were present, and we seek to enlarge its influence by presenting in this issue the speeches there made. Let them be carefully read.

Our mission in Mexico has been reinforced by Rev. Levi B. Salmans, who is stationed at Pachuca, and by the return of Rev. A. W. Greenman and wife, who left for Puebla last month.

South America will soon be visited by Bishop Fowler, who sailed from New York in December, on his way to England, thence to the Argentine Republic. He was accompanied by his wife and by Rev. J. F. Thomson, the latter returning to Buenos Ayres, where for years he has labored so successfully.

The Mission in Bulgaria has been interLetters rupted to some extent by the war. from Brother Challis are given in this number.

The missions in China were reinforced

Oct. 27, by the arrival at Tientsin of Rev.

L. W. Pilcher and Miss Dr. Gloss. Bro

ther Pilcher goes to Peking and Dr. Gloss remains at Tientsin to take charge of the Isabella Fisher Hospital.

Rev. W. R. Lambuth, M.D., son of Rev. J. W. Lambuth, D.D., of the Shangbai

Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, has been obliged to move his family to North China, on account of the health of his wife. It is expected that he will join our mission and be stationed at Peking. He is an able physician and a successful

missionary.

Miss L. E. Akers, м D., one of our missionaries at Peking, was married Oct. 29, to Rev. H. R. Perkins, Missionary of the American Board.

We give some correspondence respecting the Foochow Conference, and in our next expect to be able to give the full list of ap pointments and account of the meetings of all our Chinese Missions. The North China Mission held its annual meeting in Tientsin, Sept. 10.

The latest from our African Mission is

gathered from the letter in this number from Bishop Taylor written while in Europe. The Bishop returns this month to Liberia, to hold the Liberian Conference early in February.

Our South India Mission have been reinforced by the sailing last month of Prof. F. A. Clifton and Rev. F. D. Newhouse and their wives. It is probable that Prof. Clifton will take charge of the school at Mussoorie. The two India Conferences meet this month.

The new Methodist Publishing House at Calcutta has been opened. This will be

greatly to the advantage of our work in India. The House is in charge of Rev. T. Craven.

At a recent meeting of the Book Com mittee in Lucknow, it was resolved to issue a Sunday school paper in English, espec❘ ially adapted to India. The Rev. J. A. Maxwell was appointed editor.

The Indian Witness of October 31, says: In its last issue the 'India Methodist Watchm in,' makes some characteristic remarks about the lapse of the South India Conference from the principle of self-support. As the editor of that paper has an spp al now pending before the public of India and America for fifty thousand rupees, to be expended irresponsibly at his sole discretion, it does not strike us that he is in a good position to exercise the functions of a critic."

The plan of Uniform Studies for 1886, adopted by the Woman's Missionary Sɔciety of the Methodist Episcopal Church pro vides for January-The outlook, back ward and forward; February-Open doors; March-Bulgaria; April--Individual Responsibility; May-Nankin; June-Singapre; July-General Survey of Missionary Effort throughout Christendom; August General Survey of Mзssionary Effort in Heathen Lands; September-Mexico; October-Missionaries of the Bible; November-Objects of Worship in various lands; December-For How Long, or Occupy till I Come."

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Mrs. A. R. Johnson writes from LuckLOW, Nov. 24:

Rev. P. M. Buck is sick and leaves soon for America. My husband, in addition to his Presiding Elder's work, has had to take charge of the Cawnpore native work until Conference and he is obliged to be away most of the time. The great Ajudhiya Mea has just closed, and for the first time the ladies of the Women's Foreign Missionary Society went to the Mela, and they did good work. Mrs. Badley and baby Bessie have reached here safely.

Mission Notes from Lucknow.

and the Wesleyan Missions were well rep- the brave struggle the Bulgarians are
resented.
making.

Much interest was awakened and great good was done. Thousands of tracts were distributed. Many expressed a desire for salvation and eight Hindoos were baptized, one of them a pundit. The work among the women was very interesting indeed. Brɔ. Buck and family leave Cawnpore for Bombay to morrow, expecting to sail from Bombay on Dec. 1st. to Italy and thence direct to New York. They will be greatly missed and many prayers will be offered in their behalf. It is indescribably sad when a man so well prepared for the work and so happy and successful in doing it is thus laid aside. We hope that our brother may be speedily restored to health, but the physicians say if he should return to India he could labor only in the mountains. Who will come to take his place ? The annual prize-giving to the students of the Centennial High School occurred on the 24th of Nov. A large number of the friends of the school, European and native, were present. The Chairman, Haruan Singh, the leading native Christian of Oudh, gave a gold tuoheer (twenty rupees) to the first scholar of the matriculating class; a gentleman present offered a silver medal for next year. The school has 375 students.

Born in the Methodist Parsonage, at Calcutta, Nov. 23d, to Mrs. Rev. Dr. Thoburn a daughter.

The District Conferences at Dwarabath,

We are here to do good to the people, spiritually of course, but how could we do their souls good by coldly looking on while they are suffering.

If no help comes to us from America, we shall appeal to England, who so generous. ly helped the Bulgarians in their former distresses.

Nov. 26. To-day several hundred Servian prisoners of war arrived in town. Many of them are Bulgarians from villages just across the border. The sight of them impressed the people here that this is a fratricidal war. But no one blames Prince Alexander's Government for pushing it with all vigor.

Seven boys from our school in Sistof are now in the army. We have twenty beds waiting for the wounded who are still on their toilsome journey from the front. We hear that Sophia is full of the wounded, and an urgent appeal comes to us for mon ey and supplies. Is there enough interest in America for Bulgaria to give us a few hundred dollars for the relief of wounded men? I want money to send to Sophia, and to help in other places, and I want our Church to have a part in the work.

The Foochow Methodist Conference. Rev. J. H. Worley writes of the session of the Conference:

The ninth session of the Foochow Con

Lucknow, and Chandansi, were very interference on account of the funeral of Tso
esting and profitable. Our people are
growing more and more enthusiastic every
year. They enjoy Methodism.

The War in Bulgaria. Rev. D. C. Challis writes from Loftcha, Bulgaria, Nov. 21:

It is now a week since the great battle of Slinitza, and some of the wounded are on the way here, riding in ox carts 150 miles over roads that are as muddy as they can

be.

We have been busy converting our school building into a hospital, and preparRev. B. H. Badley writes from Lucknow, ing mostly at our own expense beds for Nov. 24:

The Ajudhiya mela came off Nov. 21231, and was atten led by vast crowds of Hindoos, flocking to the sacred river to wash away the sins of the past year. It is gratifying to know that in the midst of these thousands the Gospel was faithfully and earnestly preached.

Among those present were Rev. Dr. Johnson, P. E., Rev. S. Kaowles, Mrs. G, Mas Sparks and Miss English of Bareilly; Miss Blackmar and Miss Nickerson of Lucknow, and the native preachers and colporteurs of Lucknow, Goulda, Babraich and Barabauki, in all about thirty workers. Besides the Church of Eng'and

twenty men, and propose taking care of them.

The Bulgarians are making great sacrifices. Every effective man and nearly every yoke of oxen are in the field. Every school is closed, and teachers and scholars who are old enough are in the service. The brilliant series of victories of the past week greatly encourage the people.

I shall ask for help in the name of the "Red Cross," and be assured that any help friends may be able to send us now will be most opportunely bestowed. We ought to have a thousand dollars, and it would be most thankfully accepted. Is there not that amount of generous appreciation of

Chung Tang, was postponed one day and began Oct. 16. The conference sermon was preached by Rev. J. H. Worley on Wednesday evening; Thursday afternoon Rev. Hu Po Nei preached, and in the evening a temperance and anti-opium meeting was held.

Friday morning the first business session was held. Rev. M. J. Plumb was elected president, Rev. F. Ohlinger was elected English secretary and Taing Kieng Ing and Tang Seng Ling, Chinese secretaries. Sev eral preachers were absent on account of sickness and one, Bro. Li Cha Ni, a very excellent man, died last summer.

Sunday was a great day. Many, I have no doubt, will look back to that day as the time when they received new strength and encouragement to labor for the salvation of souls. Rev. G. B. Smyth preached an eloquent sermon from Acts 10: 17-27, reviewing the missionary labors of the great apos le to the Gentiles and urging us to study his life and imitate his example. After the sermon Bro. Smyth administered the sacrament of the Lord's Supper to a very large number of people. The lovefeast and memorial service were in the afternoon conducted by Rev. Hu Yong Mi. In the evening Rev. Sia Sek Ong preached the missionary sermon.

During conference a preachers' aid soci

ety was organized for the berefit of wornout preachers, and the families of deceased preachers. Some of the missionaries had money given them to be used in the work, so they decided to appropriate it to this fund. A collection was taken in the con ference and the native brethren promised to bring the matter before their congrega. tions each year. The missionaries are greatly interested in this question of how to provide for ministers who are no longer able to do effective work. If they do not receive appointments they must starve; and to give them appointments perhaps keeps younger and more vigorous men out of those places.

Several preachers are appointed this year who are hardly fit to preach because of feebleness, yet they have no means of subsistence out of the ministry. One preacher died this year, leaving a wife and several children without adequate support, and a promising young preacher is now very low with consumption, not able to return to his work; he also has a family. Most of these preachers have suffered more than persecu tion and now in old age they are perhaps ridiculed and disowned by their relatives.

This is a worthy object which ought to receive attention, and if any of our friends in America are inclined to help us, please send your contributions to the Mission Rooms, 805 Broadway, N. Y', with in structions to forward to the writer, and you shall have credit for the same. "And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in nowise lose his reward."

The presiding elders' reports were encour aging and showed a healthy growth through out the conference. Ninety were received into full meml ership and about forty were received on probation. Missionary money raised, $168 62, a decrease from last year of $8.03. But for self-support there was an increase of $89 35, and for church building an increase of $423.69.

Methodist Episcopal Mission in South Central Africa.

From Bishop Taylor we have received the following information respecting his missionaries and the stations he has established:

Under God I took forty-four missionary men, women, and children to South Central Africa last March. Of these, three men, three women, and five children returned, with my approbation, one man and three ladies on account of ill health, and two well men, who were well adapted to the work, went with their families-total eleven.

The leader of the "Quaker wing" of the Mission has returned to the United States to get missionaries to help him to found a Quaker Mission, leaving thirty two to account for. Of the thirty-two, thirty one

miles to Pungo Andongo, noted for the stupendous cliffs of solid conglomerate of a

had the African fever, thirty of whom re covered, and one dear young man died. So that we report thirty one at the front-great variety of small stones, which disfourteen men, five of them married, and tinguish the mountain range in which it happily have their wives with them, and nestles. It is a town of two or three thous nine single men. These were well provided and population. We stationed there a good for, and nearly all had their acclimatizing missionary and his wife, who is his (qual in Loanda before they went into the inte in the mission field. rior. Besides the fourteen men and five women, we have twelve children, two of whom are in our teaching corps, and may be classed with the adults, giving us twenty one adults and ten children-total thirtyone; all well, happy, and hopeful when I left them in October.

6th. Malange. From Pungo Andongo we go on through a woody country scrub of rounded ridges and valleys, but no high mountains, sixty-two miles to Malange, on the eastern border of the Province of Angola. In Malange we stationed four men and two ladies. This is the commencement We have opened and manned six stations of a line of stations to be extended (D. V.) in the following order :

1st. At Mamba, a purely native town inland from Mayumba, two degrees south of the equator. We have there but one man, who in the past few months has built a mis sion house, and is calling for recruits to help him push the work into the opening fields beyond.

2d. At St. Paul de Loanda, the port of entry to Angola, a town of probably ten or twelve thousand population, we have sta tioned two young men, who are teaching the English and French and German, and learning the Portuguese and the Umbundu languages.

3d. Dondo, the head of steamboat navi gation on the Coanza river. We take steamer at Loanda, and go sixty miles by sea, and 180 miles up the river to Dondo, a town of five or six thousand population, where the caravans of carricadors (freight carriers) lay down the "cargos" they have carried for hundreds of miles from the interior. I stationed in Dondo two men and one lady, who have opened a self supporting school, and are learning the languages essential to their Gospel ministry.

4th. Nhanguepepo. From Dondo we travel by the ancient highway of the caravans, a path in the main, fifteen inches wide, through a rugged mountainous country, with fertile valleys intervening for fifty one miles to our 4th mission, in a populous dis trict called "Nhanguepepo." There, by the generosity of a dear friend in London, we have bought houses for the residence of a working force at present, and a receiving station for yearly recruits, where they can get their seasoning and learn languages to fit them for their work further inland. We have stationed at Nhanguepepo two men with their wives, and two single men-each one has a special department of work as signed him a press, and a printer to run it; an industrial school farm, and a man to manage it; a school for ten of our missionary children, besides a native school-all earnest Christians, and will make good mis sionaries as soon as they can master the languages that will give them access to the heads and hearts of the people.

5th. Pungo Andongo. From Nhanguepepo we proceed in the same path thirty seven

year by year to the centre of the continent and onward as fresh recruits shall arrive. These are already by Christian example missionary light houses.

A Mexican City and its Inhabitants.
BY REV. A. W. GREENMAN.

Leaving the city of Puebla we go northeast by rail and the old style stage coach to the edge of the mountains. There we mount horse or mule, for carts and wagons cannot be used in the Sierra of Puebla whither we are bound.

On our sure-footed animals we go up, up till the clouds are below us, and down till the valley is so deep and narrow that the sun scarcely peeps into it; across deep gorges, along the edge of high precipices, till at last, the second or third day from Puebla, we slowly climb the steep bridle path into Xochiapulco.

This village is pleasantly located on the flat top of a mountain with higher ones all about, and separated from it by deep ravines. On one side can be faintly heard the roar of the river, which is a thousand or fifteen hundred feet below, and hidden from view, rushes on between its rocky walls. Two or three large stone pillars make the pretence of a gateway to the wide main street.

As we approach, the small children with little or nothing on, hurry into the low adobes or wooden huts, and the usual hoard of snarling hungry dogs that abound in every Mexican town salute us. Chunky, dark skinned, bare footed Indian women with black or flaring red skirts, and the rebosa-a large wide scarf thrown over the head, or fastened over the shoulders to hold the baby carried on their backs, pcer out of the doorways. A few old men are seen warming themselves in the sun, but as it is near mid-day most of the men are away, not to return till dark, tending their little patches of corn, oats and beans that are scattered about on the mountain sides, oftentimes in places where few would dare to climb, let alone to sow and reap.

In the center of town we dismount before a rather large, rude stone building, which faces one side of a neatly-kept quare. As we enter, the two hundred boys and girls

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