log cabin mission, and that its congregation has steadily increased. There are now nine Congregational members living near the mission. Of late there has been quite a desire on the part of many to build a church in place of the mission cabin, and the people are already beginning to raise means for this purpose. A flourishing Sunday-school is carried on in connection with this mission work.

GLEAMS OF SUNSHINE.

The new year of our Chinese Mission opened cloudily. We had passed through three months of close and anxious questioning about ways and means; most of the teachers and helpers had received no salary for from one to three months. Hard times had been crowding our Chinese out of employment. Families in which they had served felt compelled to do without them. They were moving to and fro with less inclination to study, or, possibly, to listen to the word of life, than in the days when plenty of hard work left them weary in frame, but not heartsore.

At any rate—for these reasons or for others—the reports for September were, on the whole, less cheering, I think, than any I had ever received; but now, with the October reports all at hand, we find the clouds breaking away and have "sunshine in our souls."

The membership of the schools was larger by 33 and the average attendance by 17, but the gleams that bring best cheer are such as these:

From Chin Foy, in Sacramento: "Eight names have been signed to pledge cards for the Christian Endeavor members. Hope this society will be established before long. Four new members have united with our Association [thus professing faith in Christ and full consecration to Him. W. C. P.], and three brethren expect to be baptized by Dr. Hoyt and to unite with the church next communion. Thank God for His blessing. The work is encouraging lately." This brother, whose name may be familiar to the constant and attentive readers of The Missionary, and who has been for ten years or more one of our most useful helpers, instructs me to reduce his scanty salary two-thirds (from $30 to $10 per month), and will try to make up what is lacking by other work, so that with our reduced resources our work may not be hindered.

Loo Quong writes from Fresno concerning a sick brother who was converted in China, and has never been identified with any of our missions: "Miss Beaton [the teacher] found him sick on the street and asked him to come and live in the mission, in God's name. No one dared to speak for him to help him in any way whatever, outside our mission. I asked him, at length, after he had been with us many months, if he would like to go back home. He says it would be the best way. Thus far I succeeded in taking up subscriptions for his passage. [There are $45.30 outside of Fresno, and $28 which was taken up here.] The Christian Endeavor of the Congregational Church, through Rev. J. H. Collins, their pastor, gave him passage from here to San Francisco. It was a kind act of them all. I think God has blessed us all by enabling us to have this thing done so well in His name, because Mr. Lai Fat [the beneficiary] is not a member of the Association, nor have any of us known him before. May God send him to his family all right, and may his family be blessed through his return to them, and may the Lord spare him many days with his family in order to lead them to Christ!" Surely there is a gleam of sunshine in this act of Christian love. All, or nearly all, our missions joined in it. It is really no unusual thing with us.

Miss Bradley, of Ventura, writes: "As soon as Yong Kay came [who divides his time as helper between the two neighboring missions of Santa Barbara and Ventura] he began measures to revive our C. E. Society, and now we have one of twelve members. Its meeting are held on Friday evening, commencing about 9 o clock, and continuing indefinitely. It is wonderful how they seem to realize the meaning of the pledge and keep true to it. There is no lagging; no 'awful pauses.' About two weeks ago they began preparations for a Christian Endeavor social. Invitations were sent out to all the ministers and other Christians specially interested in missions. More than fifty assembled and listened to the programme, which lasted about an hour. Yong Kay's address was very fine; his use of Scripture was so apt, and his illustrations so good, Yong Wo Quon, a good, earnest Christian, will join the church next Sunday morning. I am satisfied that he understands the step he is taking, and that he will be a great help to us."

In like manner from Santa Cruz comes this word: "I am most happy to write that the Chinese I asked you to pray for has joined the Association and is very happy in our Christian work. Let us continue to pray for two others who are holding back, but are 'almost persuaded,'" and from Joe Dun, in our new mission at Watsonville, this: "We do thank the Lord for His choosing and saving souls. Tuesday evening of last week one of the associate members [i.e., of the new C. E. society] became active. Last night we have meeting, and he rose and gave testimony. Said he: 'I am glad to-night, for I believed in Jesus Christ, and He will save my soul.'"

But my space is more than filled. We rejoice and take courage.

TRIBUTE TO OUR MISSIONARIES.

Apropos of the roll of our missionaries and teachers we quote an eloquent tribute from one of the children of the American Missionary Association who is now the strong pastor of a strong church in the South. He alludes to a teacher who had devoted many years of her life to our missionary work and had brought to it a sweetness of spirit and devotion that had won the confidence and inspired the zeal of those for whom she labored. We quote:

"The work which these teachers did was the result of no small sacrifice. For a woman to leave her Northern home of comfort and refinement to come South to engage in such a work and all that it implies was not a popular thing even at the North, but in spite of unpopularity at the North and unworthy treatment at the South, these self-exiled men and women wrought wonderfully. They proved the best friends that the black man has ever had. In the school they showed us the light of letters, which had never before dawned upon us. In the church they showed us the Light of the world, which was strangely dim in our souls. In the shop they showed us the light of life about us, of which we were densely ignorant. Thoughtful minds, skillful hands, enlightened hearts—this is the heritage they brought us.

"Throughout the length and breadth of the Southland there are such women among us working in a humble way. The work done by these moral heroes and heroines is work in the shade, but one day, when the sunlight of God's justice shall shine upon it, as it surely will, men will see it and admire it. For these friends we are devoutly grateful. Deep down in our hearts, too deep in many cases for tears, lies the feeling of whole-souled gratitude for these moral heroes and heroines. The half has never been told. We thank God for those who left home and went to the war to die, if need be, that the slave might be free. But we thank God equally for those brave men and braver women who, before the smoke of battle cleared away, came South, and, with the spelling book in one hand and God's holy word in the other, set the millions of freedmen on the way toward reading, reasoning and righteousness. Around God's throne may their crowns of life eternal glitter with the penitential tears of a grateful people redeemed unto a common Father by their prayers, their tears, their lives!"

Our last Annual Report is printed, and will be sent to those making application for it to this office.