I was very favorably impressed with the colored leaders who were there. Rev. C. S. Brown, corresponding secretary of their Convention, is a man of real power, and speaks in no uncertain sound of the needs of his people, of their follies and their weaknesses. Rev. A. B. Vincent, the missionary of the central district, deserves great praise for the interest he worked up in the first Institute. He impresses me as a man of refinement and intelligence, and of an humble Christian spirit.

The preachers who attended were enthusiastic. About seventy ministers and deacons were present. They were in their places every time, and with knotted brows they tried to understand what was said, and many of them seemed to take in the thoughts given them. They want to learn. The meetings were made practical as well as theoretical. Brother Oliver's lecture on "A Call to the Ministry" was a bomb in the camp. The sentiment among them is strong to put the unworthy preacher out. There are many really genuine men among them.

The crowds that gathered, in their conduct at the church and on their way home, would do credit to any community of white people. The Negroes are delighted. They say the "year of jubilee has come." They thanked us over and over again for coming to their help.

I have high hopes for this work. An opportunity is at our doors to do the work we ought to have done long ago. The Negro must be reached from his religious side. The colored preachers hold the destiny of their race in their hands. The issue of many moral questions that come up in almost every community depends largely on what the colored preacher can do with his people. Let me urge the white pastors over the State to take an interest in this work. The effort to instruct these preachers will help you in power gained to adapt yourself to every grade of human need.

M. L. KESLER. Red Springs, January 13, 1896. -Biblical Recorder.

A gift from the Chapel Fund is along the plane of the best missionary economy. The moment we help a church into a church home we help it to a long step toward selfsupport. It is, therefore, wise missionary economy to recognize this fact, and to give generous assistance in starting a mission church in building its chapel.

"HERE I AM!"

"Yes, here you are, indeed. We understand your language. Evidently you haven't been here long-you are a recent arrival on this planet. Mr. Stokes, where did you find this youngster ?"

Mr. Stokes, into whose photographic establishment his Northern visitors had wandered in search of characteristic views of Florida just as he had taken this picture, replied: "This is a Florida product. Pretty good specimen, isn't it?"

"Certainly, a fine specimen; hard to beat that anywhere. What do you think of him, Clara ?"

"Well, papa, I don't know whether it's a 'him' or a 'her,' but I think it's a 'him,' for it acts like a boy. He's got a fine head, that's certain looks as though he has a good supply of brains."

"And those eyes!" said Charles, who had an artistic turn of mind-"those eyes would have thrown Raphael into a frenzy. There's a soul behind them, sure. Isn't it strange, papa, as you told us yesterday, that some white people down here used to say that Negroes had no real human souls-that they were a kind of animal! And to think that they sold them like animals! I call that a good specimen of the human race done in black."

"Yes, Charles, and an American citizen;

unlike some of his ancestors, born free. I knew an old preacher who worked overtime morning and night for years to buy his freedom, paying fifteen hundred dollars for it only a little while before the war."

CLARA.

Oh, papa," said Clara, "now

I know what it is like-it is like a cherub. Wouldn't it make a lovely picture for a black cherub?"

"And see that mouth!" remarked Charles. "He may have the orator's mouth-who knows? Many Negroes, they say, have remarkable oratorical gifts. Perhaps he will be a preacher; but I should hope he will be a better preacher than the old man we heard last Sunday. How he did rant and rave! Made up in sound what he lacked in sense."

"There are some excellent colored preachers, my son; but the great need is more properly educated preachers. The preachers have great influence over their people." "Here I am!"

"That's right. Make yourself heard. Here you are, surely; but we were discussing what you might become. We hope you will be an able and useful man, to lift up your people from ignorance and sin."

"But," said Clara, "where can he get an education? What kind of schools do they have for the colored people down South ?"

"There's a common school system, generally of a very inferior order in the Southern States, that has grown up since the war. Down here in Florida the schools are kept only about three months in the year."

"And I have to go to school nine months! And in the three months' vacation I forget ever so many things I learned. I should think that these little Negro boys and girls would never learn much with only three months' schooling and nine months' vacation. They would forget more than they learned," said Clara, with a laugh.

"But that is not the worst of it, papa," said Charles, "for I have read that they are not half taught, even then. Where do the teachers for all these Negro schools come from? Are they generally Negro teachers?"

"Yes, they are. There are many Negro schools in the South-such as they are; taught generally by colored teachers-such as they are. Yes, such as they are; some of them good, capable men and women;

many, of the most ordinary attainments; and a multitude without any qualifications whatever for their positions."

"Then they need good teachers almost as much as good preachers, don't they?" "No doubt about that."

"But where are the educated preachers and teachers to come from, papa? Surely not from these poor public schools."

That's the great problem, my son, that has engaged the attention of Christian people of the North since the slaves were set free. Northern Baptists, through the Home Mission Society, have done and are doing a great work in maintaining schools in the South to raise up educated leaders, both preachers and teachers, for these unfortunate millions. We may talk about that some other time."

"Perhaps this bright boy may go to one of those Home Mission schools; who knows? But then," rapidly continued Clara, "but then, it may be his father cannot send him to school-as you, papa, are doing for us. I wonder whether his parents are very poor-and how many children they haveand how much it costs a year in one of these Home Mission schools, and—————”

"Here I am!"

"Oh, yes, and we were wondering whether you are always to stay there, or whether some day you will go to a Home Mission School for an education. Mr. Stokes says this is your father who has just come in. Perhaps he will answer some of Clara's questions."

"Mo'nin', sah. Fine day, sah."

"Good morning. Is this your boy?"

"Yes, sah, fo' sho'. Dat fotog'fer tole me he wuz so han'som' he wanted his picter, an' he's fix'd 'im up to suit hisself. Looks like his mammy, dey say. She's right smart, sah, she is, sho'. Ef she'd 'ad an eddicashun she'd bin pow'ful fo' good. But we uns wuz bo'n 'fo' we had skules, an' so we's on'y picked up a little larnin', an' mighty hard wuk, too. We wants ter give our chil'en a toly'ble eddicashun, but I dunnotimes ez mighty hard, sah-I dunno 'bout it." "How many children have you?"

"Sebben, sah; an' ye see dar's nine uv us all togedder to be fed an' clo'd, an' dis ole man's got ter scratch roun' rite smart. W'en ye git only two hun'ed dolla's a yeah an'

ha'f en dat in sto'h truck at big prices, dar's mighty little lef' w'en er yeah comes roun'. No, sah, I doan drink, an' de ole 'oman doan hav' no snuff stick-no, sah, no money fo' dat. Bad habits ennyhow"

"Here I am!"

"Stop dat noise, John. Ye see, sah, we call 'im John-d'ye wan' ter know w'y? Arter John de Baptis', sah. We'z Baptisses, ye see, an' we reckon mebbe some day an' some way de good Lawd dat giv' us dis chile will make 'im a preacher-a mighty preacher, mebbe, like John de Baptis' hisself, sah. Plenty no 'count col'ud preachers now, sah; 'at holla's an' holla's an' gits de peeple a holl'in' an' a moanin'-gittin' 'em happy, ye know, sah-de ole time 'ligion, sah. But we'z got ter hev sumfin better'n dat fo' de risin' gin'rashun at's got larnin', an' jes' makes fun o' dese roarin' ole-time preachers. Ef dat boy John ebber's called uv de Lawd to be a preacher-an' ye know dat 'less de Lawd calls a man he's got no bizness preachin'-I wants 'im to be a 'structive preacher 'at 'll 'struct de peeple an' make 'em 'telligent Christians."

"That's right. But can you give this boy an education? Do you know that a good education is expensive, at least up our way, in New England. Here's my son, Charles, who will finish his three years' course in the Academy next June, at an expense of more than a thousand dollars."

"Oh, sah, I hasn't ez much ez a t'ousan' dolla's in all dis worl'. I nebber could eddicate 'im dat a-way."

"But that is not all. He will then have four years of college studies before him, which is still more expensive, so that it will cost not less than $2,500 by the time he completes his studies."

"We poo' col'ud folkses can nevah hope to eddicate our chil'n dat a-way. We'z got no money laid up like you has; we'z got no chance nohow to git much; an' w'en we git it, den dere'z so many moufs to feed, an' so many backs to be clo'd, dere'z almos' nuffin' lef'. Mebbe dat boy o' yourn-he looks right smart-kin figger it out-I can't, sah-mebbe he can figger it out how much two hun'ed dolla's is a head fo' nine ov us. I reckon he knows rith'm'tic. So ye see, sah, de sayin' o' de Bible ez true, dat de ''strucshun ov de poor is dere pov'ty.""

"Here I am!"

"Yes, we know it; and it looks as though

years of your life for getting an education will have slipped away."

"Jes' so, sah; jes' so. An' more'n dat; we'z got to put dese chil'en t' wuk in de cotton fiel' jes' ez soon ez dey 'z big 'nuff. Yes, sah, boys an' girls has to wuk, an' dat's de way we makes a livin'. An' d'ye know, sah, dere 'z t'ousan's, yes, sah, milyuns, livin' jes' so. 'Pears like we'z pris'ners ov fate-kin' o' slaves o' circumstance. mighty hard, sah, 'kase I likes my chil'n jus' as much as you likes yourn. De black skin make no dif'nce, fo' our hearts z warm ez ennybody's, an' we wants our child'n eddicated like yourn; but we can't, sah, we can't-we'z pris'ners ov fate, sah, we'z—"

It's

pooty pore folkses dey was, too. Wot about Dora? Is she dead, or wot's happened? Wot yo' cryin' 'bout?'

"No, Dora Jinkins ain't dead. Doan you member dat er col'up Baptis' preacher or p'fesser f'om sum big skule up in Georgy kum down heah 'bout fo'h yeahs ago an' tole 'e peeple 'at dey orter eddicate dere chil'en, an' somehow, I dunno how, Dora went to dat skule-wot's de name-Spellem Seminary*-an' now she's ter hum agin, an' my! wot a dif'ence! She kum heah w'en ye wuz in yon cotton fiel', an' she said she's kin get 'n 'pintment to teach our distrik skule; an' ye orter hev seen her! D'ye 'no' she looks like a lady !-an' she talks like a lady-she talks jes' like white folks! An' she sez she's brushin' up de ole cabin an' hangin' picters in it; an' she's got new ijees 'bout cookin' an' housekeepin', an' kin make dresses fo' de chil'en; an' knows jes' wot ter do w'en de chil'en cotch de measles; an' she's gwine to sta't a Sunday-skule, an' she wants our chil'en to go, an'-'

"'Wal,' sez I, 'mammy, I doan see nuffin to cry 'bout in all dat.' Den she jes' broke rite down, an' said, sez she: Ef de good Lawd 'd on'y gib my chil'en a

DORA.

chance to be eddicated like Dora, an' dey'd grow up useful an' good, I'd wuk myself to def an' die happy. Dora sez a Sunday. skule 'way up North sent money to de Mishun S'ciety fo' 'er eddicashun, an' dat's de way she stayed fo'h yeahs. An' den she hug dis chile t' 'er bres', an' say: "Honey, nobody in dis worl' ebber knows 'bout us 'way down on de S'wanee ribber in Floridy, an' 'pears like nobody keers fer us pore creeturs-nobody keers fo' us.""

He paused. Again his face was averted as a brawny hand brushed the tears from his cheek.

"Say, papa," said Clara, in a low tone, drawing closer to him, "when we go home we'll get our Sunday school to help them, won't we?"

Charles, overhearing her remark, added, very earnestly: "That's all right; let the Sunday-schools help the girls; but I am going to get our Young People's Society to Spelman Seminary, Atlanta, Ga.

help educate this young John the Baptist as soon as he needs it, and until then we'll take care of some other bright boy like him. We ought to do it, and we can do it."

"Come, children, it is almost train time; we must go. Good-bye, sir. You will hear from us after awhile. Don't be discouraged about the education of your children."

་་

་་

Here I am!"

'Yes; we'll not forget you."

Reader, you have seen his face; have heard his cry-the cry of one of a million. What will you do about it? Will you leave him and them to their sad lot, or will you help them out and up? Would it not be joy inexpressible for you to find among the redeemed of every people in heaven one of these little ones, who, by your assistance, became a power for Christ, turning many to righteousness? and then and there to hear the grateful exclamation: "HERE I AM!"

H. L. M.

Western North Carolina and Co-operation. REV. P. H. MALOY, District Missionary for the Western District of North Carolina, writes: "Co-operation in Western North Carolina is beginning to to spread like wildfire. The people, white and colored, hail it with joy and manifest zeal on every hand. We have had two grand Institutes at Reidsville and Winston, with telling success. Our people seem more willing to give under co-operation than any other plan that I have had the honor to present to them."

Co-operation-A Supreme Hour.

Brethren, this is a supreme hour in your history. The Society that for a generation has stood by you, that has shown its love by an outlay of more than $3,000,000 for educational and missionary work among you, can be implicitly trusted in this new proposition for co-operation; while it is clear as noonday that God has touched anew the hearts of influential white brethren in the South with a sense of their duty in this matter and a desire to unite in this work. Some openly say they have been "converted." Don't put them on probation; take them right in; give them the right hand of Christian fellowship; trust them as the sent of God for a time like this.Let this be our watchword: Close up the ranks! Shoulder to shoulder! Forward; march! H. L. MOREHOUSE, D.D.