BUREAU OF WOMAN’S WORK.

Miss D. E. Emerson, Secretary.

NOTES ON MEETINGS OF STATE SOCIETIES.

The Woman’s Home Missionary Society, connected with the State Association of Michigan, held its session during the meetings of that body. The ladies present were addressed by Mrs. Norton, of Dakota, and Miss Rose M. Kinney, of Georgia. Brief remarks were made by Messrs Clark, Cobb, Gilbert and Pike. Mrs. Leroy Warren was re-elected president, and measures were adopted providing for co-operation with the benevolent societies of the Congregational churches working in this country. It is probable that efforts will be made by the ladies to bring the claims of these societies before the people of Michigan in the early autumn.

The ladies of Iowa will continue to support their missionary, Miss A. D. Gerrish, at New Orleans, La., and as they too have organized for better co-operation, it is confidently hoped that the response from the ladies will enable them to assume the support of a second missionary, at some other point. They have selected as a State Committee Mrs. S. H. Smith, of Davenport, and Mrs. J. H. Ellsworth, of McGregor.

At the recent State Conference of Vermont, a special meeting of the ladies was called to hear the claims of the A. M. A. missions presented by Miss D. E. Emerson, and a good degree of interest was manifested, resulting in the appointment of a committee of three, Mrs. A. W. Wilde, of Charlotte, Mrs. Henry Fairbanks, of St. Johnsbury, and Mrs. Bowman, of Newport, to secure co-operation among the ladies of the Congregational churches of Vermont in support of a missionary in the South.

At the meeting of the Woman’s Aid to the A. M. A., in connection with the Maine State Conference, there was a large and appreciative audience to listen to the reports of their two missionaries, Misses Lunt and Farrington.

It was evident that the frequent correspondence with these missionaries, and the knowledge thus gained of the field, had quickened the sympathies of those contributing to their support, and there is every reason to believe that the collections will increase so that a third missionary will in good time be adopted, either in the South or in the Indian Mission. Miss D. E. Emerson addressed the ladies on the general work of the A. M. A. in the South. In order to vary the means of raising funds and to awaken more interest in the churches, a system of rotation of committees is followed, and a new State Committee was therefore appointed: Mrs. Hubbard, of Hiram; Miss L. C. Vose, of Dennysville, and Miss S. Waldron, of Augusta. It was gratifying to learn that the Committee of the past year, of which Miss Smith was chairman, laid aside with regret the duties which, though involving considerable care, had proved more a pleasure than a burden.

The ladies of Illinois have adopted the same plan of aid to the A. M. A. as the ladies of Maine, and have appointed as a State Committee Mrs. E. F. Williams, of Chicago; Mrs. H. L. Boltwood, of Ottawa, and Mrs. Charles Perry, of Geneva. Already the conferences have been districted to the State Committee, and the sub-collectors appointed. They will continue the support of a missionary at Mobile, Ala., and have adopted also Miss Rose M. Kinney to represent them at Little Rock, Ark.

One of the ladies appointed at the Illinois Meeting has written an encouraging letter which indicates the heartiness with which the work is entered upon in that State. She says: “Last month we heard the sound of the new departure from Maine. When we are sure it is the Master calling, the sound flies quickly, and we are thankful it has so soon reached Illinois. We already, from the new consecration it arouses in us, are buckling on the armor. I assure you that from the ladies of this State will come no uncertain sound. We must do the work.”

[That our friends may know the spirit that pervades our missionary teachers, enabling them to rise above the discouragements and trials of the field in the joy of Christian service, we give a few gleanings from recent correspondence not written for publication.—D. E. E.]

—I never enjoyed my work so much as during the past year, although it was never so hard before.

—The year’s work has been such a pleasant one that I am reluctant to bring it to a close, although I feel the need of the coming rest.

—I hope my return another year may be favorably considered by you, as I must see my boys through. I have but just begun the work. I like it and feel that another year I could accomplish much more than I have this.

—My health has failed and it is thought to be a risk for me to remain through the year. It is a great disappointment to me, I believe the greatest I ever had, for I love the work and so strongly hoped I should be able to continue. But God knows best. Perhaps in years to come He may grant me such measure of strength as will enable me again to enter this field.

—Our scholars have done good, faithful work for some time past and the results will show, I am sure. I do enjoy the work thoroughly. Of course there are times of discouragement, days when we wonder if some one else could not do more or better for those who are under our instruction, when it seems as if it were spending our strength for naught; but I suppose every person knows what it is to feel so, and I certainly am glad to do what I can while I can.

—We are very busy now, this last half of the year. My room is very full—sixty-eight. They sit thickly together, close up to my platform, and three with me by my desk. I enjoy my school very much, even more than I anticipated, especially now that I really know my scholars individually. I have many who are eighteen or twenty years old and I feel anxious for them to learn all they can, for fear they may not come another year. I really trust I may be led in just the right way in this work, for I came here with that one desire.

—On reaching here I found Miss —— busy in her preparation to leave in answer to your call. The young people look as sad as though parting with a mother, and several, both old and young, said to me: “Do tell them in New York they must send her back—she understands us so well and we her, and it would take a long time for a stranger, to know us.” One old man said, “I tell you she is smart.” Oh, how I do wish she could go before the ladies of our Northern churches and tell of this work. I know that they are very ignorant in regard to the needs of these fields. I know, too, there is a willingness to do if they could only be shown the needs and be once awakened.

WORK AT THE DAKOTA MISSION.

In the American Missionary for April we gave a statement relating to the transfer by the American Board of its Dakota mission to the A. M. A., and published a list of the missionaries. Among these were Miss Illsley, Mrs. Steer, Miss Voorhees and Miss Webb, who were laboring at the Santee Agency. We have gleaned from their circular letters in the Word Carrier the following extracts which indicate the importance and success of woman’s work for the Indians.

Miss Illsley says: “As each one who writes will naturally tell of her own work, it becomes my pleasure to speak especially of our life at the Bird’s Nest. Miss Brown and I think we have seventeen as interesting little girls to look after as can be. Our oldest is twelve, and our youngest five years of age. All are doing well in school. Our little girls love to learn their Bible verses, and while we teach them the words, we hope and feel that God impresses the truths on their hearts as we cannot. Many of them say, ‘I am going to read the Bible to mamma when I go home.’”

Mrs. Steer writes: “I deem it one of the highest privileges granted to me in this life to be numbered among the Dakota missionaries, although with the care of my family I can do but little definite missionary work. Yet I would be loath to stand as an outsider. God granting me the strength of body, I hope soon to take a more active part in this grand work. We have strong evidence that God’s Spirit is with us at this time, and a number of our young people have been led to think seriously of their spiritual condition, and have entered the fold which has Christ for its Shepherd.”

Miss Voorhees writes: “I have had nineteen boys in my care, until the Poncas left. Seven are now in bed with the measles. Some of them are very sick, but all are so patient and obedient that it makes the work of caring for them comparatively easy. The three Berthold boys are very interesting, and I think promising boys. Miss Calhoun, Mrs. Hall’s sister, is associated with me at present. Though our boys are too small to see any decided results just yet, one of them has expressed a desire to unite with the church.”

Miss Webb says: “The amount there is to be done and overcome too often discourages and overwhelms us, and it seems to me in a letter like this, a few thoughts on points of progress and improvement may be helpful. There seems to me to have been progress in spiritual, mental and physical aspects. There is a hidden principle in our girls to which we can effectually appeal, which has been developing, and makes dealing with them by force and various contrived punishments less and less necessary. They are more open to reason, and are more influenced by kind talks, and a knowledge of our desires for them. There is not the clannishness among them, which made it so hard to discipline one, because all would rebel and side with the erring one. These are a few of the indications which show the heart is being educated, and the seed is taking root. There is also more gratitude manifest, more diligence in study, and more real live interest shown. We hear less frequently, and more reasonably, ‘give me this or that,’ which seemed to come so continually, and in such a way as to make us feel all they thought or cared about was what they could get out of us, and there is less fault-finding with what they receive. Looking at them in a physical aspect it would almost seem as if some of them had new bodies, so much have they improved by their regular life and habits.”