THE FREEDMEN.

REV. JOS. E. ROY, D. D.,

FIELD SUPERINTENDENT, ATLANTA, GA.

GEORGIA.

A Christmas Offering.

The Sunday-school of the church in Marietta, Ga.—Rev. E. J. Penney, pastor—has sent forward a Christmas offering of four dollars, accompanied by the following letter, written by one of the little scholars. One boy picked cotton to earn his dime. One girl darned stockings for a gentleman to raise her part. We are much pleased with the gratitude expressed for the aid furnished by this Association in securing the new church:

Marietta, Ga., Dec. 9, 1880.

Mr. Penny, dear sir, we have a nice little church in which we have a splendid Sabbath school, and we have 5 classes my sister is one of the teachers, myself and three little brothers attend the Sunday school and like it very much and we have had three very nice concerts which we injoyd very much, and we have a very nice pastor and we all love him very much because he is so good and kind, and we turn many thanks to that kind and benevolent socitey who assisted us in building our nice little church and we as Sunday school scolars wishes to mak that socitey a christmas presant which will be the sum of 4 dollars and we would like to do more but we are young and weak but we hope by the help of the lord to be strong some day.

from your little friend

Annie E. Porter.

Beach Institute.

MISS G. HUNTER, SAVANNAH.

We are receiving letters from our Northern friends inquiring if we are asleep in Savannah. We repudiate the idea—we are fully wide awake, although our work has not been represented recently in the Missionary.

The weather and sickness prospectus at the beginning of the year promised to be very disastrous to our missionary labors here. Since our return it has rained almost consecutively for three months. Notwithstanding the unusual cold and rain, our school record shows a larger attendance at the Beach Institute than last year.

It is astonishing to us teachers who come from the North, where the children are sent to school clad in rubber clothing in inclement weather, to see these boys and girls, so ill fitted to brave the rain and cold, prompt and punctual in their attendance at the daily sessions. In my department 70 boys and girls meet daily for secular and religious instruction. Several of these children live at a distance of from three to six miles, remaining without luncheon, perhaps after an indifferent breakfast, the entire session. Every day I see new proofs of appreciation in the parents and children: they are beginning to realize the strenuous efforts of missionary labor for their future prosperity and eternal salvation. What more encouragement can we desire—looking into their eager faces all aglow, and seeing the quiet submission at the lack of even the necessary daily comforts that they may feed this great hungry desire for knowledge?

We have a weekly Bible meeting held every Monday afternoon immediately after school, in the Principal’s room, conducted by Miss Douglass. The children are interested and the attendance is large. With the Bible in one hand and the text-book in the other, we hope grand results for the next generation of the colored race. Also we have a woman’s weekly prayer-meeting held at various houses. Would I could take my readers with me to these little gatherings of sincere, earnest women, praying for the salvation of their fellow-people; singing “hallelujah” for that freedom from sin worse than the bondage of slavery. The church work is progressing under our minister. These people very quickly discover when the Gospel is preached in an able and sincere manner, and are attentive listeners, worshiping the Lord in a subdued and quiet way; a strong contrast to their former modes and habits. We are preparing a list of the names and residences of the Beach pupils for Miss Douglass, who intends visiting the parents in a friendly and religious call. The extreme cold and distress, to a people unprepared for it, call upon us for extra exertions. Miss Douglass distributes donations judiciously, and thoroughly inquires into the needs of the recipients. Pray that the Lord will continue the blessing of life and health, that we may toil on in faith and patience.

ALABAMA.

Missionary Work in Selma.

MISS MARY K. LUNT.

I find my work constantly increasing; indeed there is no limit, only a lack of time and strength. Really, there is work enough for two or three more, whose whole attention can be given to it. I am happy to say that some of our colored sisters are able to give us considerable help in missionary work, and we feel confident that more aid from the younger ones may be expected.

We have formed a society called “The Mission Workers,” the object of which is to awaken a greater interest in home and foreign missions. The proceeds of a sale which we are to have at Christmas will be devoted to this purpose.

Since beginning work in the fall I have called on one hundred and thirty-three families. When convenient, as in most cases, I have read the Bible and tracts or papers to the women, also offering prayer with them; have established a weekly prayer-meeting for the women, some distance from the Home; also one weekly in my room, in which white and colored lead by turns. They are precious seasons to us all, and we feel that a blessing is for us. Several of our members, whose husbands are unconverted, meet in their homes to pray for their conversion. Friends frequently present requests for prayers.

I have also quite a large class of married women and one young man, reciting to me, in the afternoon, in the various branches of common school studies, and could have a much larger class were I to open a night school, but I dare not undertake that, my time is so fully occupied during the day.

LOUISIANA.

Revival in Central Church—English Evangelists.

W. S. ALEXANDER, D. D., NEW ORLEANS.

In my last letter the hope was expressed that we might have good tidings to send you. God has graciously and marvelously answered our prayer.

The month of November was a blessed month in Central Church.

The week of prayer in January has in other years been the beginning of real, earnest revival effort. The revival seasons of blessed memory have dated from this holy week. But the coming of two English Evangelists, James Wharton and Richard Irving, during the last days of October, called for immediate action, and we decided at once to open revival meetings, and to engage in a united and earnest effort for the salvation of sinners.

While these dear brethren were resting from their voyage, the church came together and re-consecrated themselves to God. There was a quick and deep apprehension of the necessity of personal holiness and of self-denying service for Christ. Indeed the entire month of October had been a month of prayerful preparation for the movement. Printed notices were widely distributed, and Christians went from house to house and invited people to come and seek the salvation of their souls. From the opening night the meetings were marked by deep seriousness and the evident presence of the Divine Spirit. The method of the Evangelists was simple and honest. No artificial means for exciting emotion were used. The Gospel was preached in its simplicity, its purity, and its power. The sermons were heart-searching, faithful and tender. The law in its exactions and the Gospel in its provisions and promises, were presented night after night. Brother Irving stayed with us ten days, and Brother Wharton three weeks. After the sermon the Pastor took charge of the meetings, and called the inquirers to the “mourners’ seats.” Special appeals and prayers were offered. Inquirers were directed one by one how to find the Saviour, and to obtain peace in believing. At some meetings Christians were permitted and encouraged to speak of the love and preciousness of Jesus; and such a volume of testimony! We could truly say, “Lord, it is good for us to be here.” As I recall the sheaves that were gathered in this glorious harvest I find much to thank God for. In two instances both the husband and wife—all young people—were converted, and standing side by side took the vows of the church upon them. Women who had struggled with manifold temptations, and around whom the wildest storms of sorrow had gathered, found in Christ a refuge from the storm and the tempest. Young men with the hopes and possibilities of Christian manhood before them, humbly, heartily, and I believe, forever, took their position as the disciples of the Son of God. When Brother Wharton was compelled to leave us to meet an engagement in another church, the Pastor continued the meetings for another week, assisted by Rev. A. N. Wyckoff, of the Canal St. Presb. Church, Rev. Dr. John Matthews, of the M. E. Church, and two able colored preachers. The fire burned brightly to the last.

The first Sabbath in December, thirty-one were received to the Central Church on profession of their faith in Christ. We hope forty-eight were converted in this revival. Some joined other churches and more will yet unite themselves with us. The meetings were thronged as never before. Crowds of young men attended constantly. Some of them were won for God—others were impressed—and with very many, let us hope and pray, the truth they heard and the scenes they witnessed will prove to be “bread cast upon the waters,” to be gathered in some future day to the glory of God.

I think I see a quickened and deepened consciousness of right as they read it in the light of His word, upon the part of professing Christians a painful and unyielding anxiety with those who have not submitted their hearts to God, and with many, a sincere longing to come into the fellowship of the Gospel. If this judgment be true, then how great things has the dear Lord done for us!

The Church now numbers 210 members. My impartial judgment is that they represent a good deal of vitality, and are beginning to realize the infinite willingness of God to bless them, and to enlarge their borders.

TENNESSEE.

Methods of Revival Work at Fisk University.

REV. A. K. SPENCE, NASHVILLE.

You request me to give an idea of our “methods, success, and experiences” in revival work in Fisk University. It is with much hesitation that I attempt to comply with your wish, for it is difficult, in a brief communication, to convey a correct idea in such matters, and, also, one shrinks from bringing into the foreground human agencies in a work which, if genuine, must be Divine.

To understand revival work here, one must know the ordinary religious work done in the University. Varying from time to time, the following are the means of grace enjoyed by us. We have a church which is, practically, a part of the school. There are three services on the Sabbath—a preaching service, a Sunday-school, and a prayer meeting. During the week there are school devotions in the morning and family devotions in the evening, and also one meeting for prayer. Upon all these attendance is required.

Many other meetings are held voluntarily by the students, conducted frequently by an instructor. There is a Christian Association of the young men and one of the young women, meeting once a week, or oftener. The Society for the Evangelization of Africa holds a meeting once a month, and every Sunday morning since the departure of our missionaries to Africa, a meeting has been held to pray for them and their cause.

Besides these stated meetings, there is a large amount of personal religious work done in a private way, to lead the unconverted to Christ. Opportunities are sought for conversation and prayer with individuals alone. As employees of the American Missionary Association, we feel ourselves bound to labor, as we can, for the salvation of our students. We try to keep it before us continually that we should aim at nothing less than their conversion. And we seek to impress it upon all, that the Institution is entirely the Lord’s, built with His money, kept by His care, and dedicated to His service. We are sustained by the charities of God’s people, given for the sake of His cause. We remember the way in which our wants have been met, in the use of the Jubilee Singers and by other means. The place whereon we stand is holy ground.

In “times of refreshing” the ordinary means of grace have been quickened into greater life, and other means have been used as the Spirit of God seemed to direct. The morning and evening devotions have at times been turned into revival meetings, and extra meetings for prayer and labor with inquirers have been instituted. In a few cases the work of the school has been suspended and the day given to religious meetings; but usually the ordinary work has gone on. Persons under too deep conviction to attend to aught else, have been allowed and advised to wait upon God, and suitable persons have been permitted to wait with them. Occasionally scenes have transpired not to be forgotten nor to be described—the tears, the sighs, the groans, the bowed or prostrate form—and the after unspeakable joy! As time has gone on, whether for better or worse, the emotional has diminished. We have never sought to produce excitement, nor have we sought rudely to crush it out when it came spontaneously, but to quiet it off by indirect means, a thing always soon successful. Doubtless clearer views of truth are doing away with that frenzy of religious excitement which has so largely prevailed, unbalancing the reason and prostrating the body.

We find it necessary to follow a revival with oft-repeated instructions as to the doctrines and duties of Christianity. The young converts need much loving and wise watchcare. They are exposed to many dangers, and have nearly everything to learn, except that they are the Lord’s and he is theirs.

Some years in the history of Fisk University have been years of great barrenness in spiritual things, but none of entire unfruitfulness. Yet long and sorely have we been made to cry unto God, and humble ourselves before Him. Other years are precious in our memories because of God’s peculiar presence there. Three are especially so, 1870, 1873, and 1876; but space will not permit us to enter upon them. Books might be written about them, but they are recorded in God’s book of remembrance; there let them remain. Oh, for a mighty and continual baptism of the Holy Ghost on all our schools in the South!

Sanitary Reform—Business—Industrial Instruction—Lecture Course—Revival.

PROF. A. J. STEELE, MEMPHIS.

Great is sanitary reform, at least so say all good Memphians. The Memphis of last November is not the Memphis of this, except in muddy and broken streets and shabby street cars drawn by more shabby mules. For these, “men may come and men may go, but they go on forever.”

The business season opened in October, hopefully and more brisk than ever before, notwithstanding that our population has within the three years dropped from fifty to thirty-five thousand.

Merchants are reaping a rich harvest, and all kinds of labor find employment and fair pay, interrupted somewhat for the past month by severe cold and continued rains, which have also seriously damaged the ungathered cotton crop. What would you say to ninety inches rainfall in eleven months? This is the amount reported by the signal service observer at Vicksburg for this year up to December 1.

No one now thinks of Memphis as a failure; what with a unique and almost perfect system of sewerage nearly completed, and what with a growing wholesale trade and many permanent improvements, both public and private, a new Memphis, indeed, must soon replace the old.

School opened in October with a full attendance and every promise of a most successful year. Our rooms for industrial instruction are now finished and ready for use. The classes in needlework, etc., are organized, and in January a class or classes in cooking will receive regular instruction, with practice in the experimental kitchen.

Instruction will also be given to a class in the care of the sick. It is a fact that the great majority of our pupils must continue in very humble positions and circumstances; our aim must be to fit them to fill well the lots that must fall to them in life; and whatever positions they may fill, they must know how to build up, and even adorn, homes that shall be very different from those their parents have known.

The proverb runs, “A man far from home is near to danger.” The most direct way, certainly, of bringing better things to these people, and to the South, is through the home.

Our lecture course for this year is about made up. Dr. Magoun, while here in attendance upon the conference and to visit his daughter, our music teacher, gave the first lecture in this year’s course. Among others to speak are Rev. Dr. Max Samfield, Jewish Rabbi; Rev. Mr. Mayo, of Boston; Judge Pierce of the Circuit Court, two physicians and other prominent professional and business men here. Our idea is to have all the lectures, as far as possible, deal with practical matters, in some degree according with our regular industrial work. In the past four weeks we have been greatly blessed by the Spirit’s presence with us, over thirty of our pupils having found the “better way,” we trust. With the exception of one or two sitting-room meetings, we have only held a half-hour prayer meeting each day directly after school. Some of the conversions have come with wonderful power and presence of the Spirit, but all with quietness and assurance. We hope for still more, and we are glad to have before us so much of the year with its opportunities for training these “lambs” in the Christian life. Most of them go with their parents and friends to the old churches, where, too often, the weekly or occasional emotional outburst or religious frenzy takes the place of real Christian growth and experience. A number will join our church, two or three even breaking away from friends and parents to find a more intelligent, helpful church connection.