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among them. The Christians are so called because they have been baptized after publicly confessing their faith in Christ, and their determination to forsake idolatry, but most of them are quite illiterate, and consequently have made but little progress since their baptism.

LAOS.

VILLAGERS BAPTIZED.

Next

REV. W. C. Dood, Chiengmai:—I went last Sabbath afternoon to the out-village of which I recently wrote you, and to my surprise there were ten candidates to be examined. Eight of them live in that one village, and were received with seven children. The other two adults live in another village, and were advised to wait and be received next monthly communion. This makes eleven adults baptized this month. morning, Monday, we held services in two other villages, in houses of new, unbaptized believers. In the second one, especially, there was apparently an unusual interest. We estimated that about one hundred men, women and children came and stood around and listened. We have since heard that three men came to the elder in that neighborhood the next day and professed a desire to be taught, and that the singing captivated the children, many of whom are begging their parents to take them into the Christian faith and worship "And a little child shall lead them." That elder was expecting to enter the training school, but cannot come this week on account of these inquirers. He sent word that he expects to come next week.

CHINA.

RICE FIELDS AND MALARIA.

REV. JOSEPH BAILIE, Soochow:-We are just now preparing here for the summer. On three sides of our compound the rice fields reach to

within a few feet of the wall. The rice is just now being planted, and to look out from our verandah towards the west, south and east, one

would imagine himself on an island. The pity is that it is not water only. It is this which

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THE DEADLY OPIUM HABIT.

Our great enemy is opium. That drug is decimating our population and again decimating the remainder. The lower class in China are the great sufferers. They are oppressed by the officers of the law, they seek safety by "steeping their senses in forgetfulness," and retire to the opium den. If their family relations are not the best the same relief is sought. I am convinced that there is not one man out of every thirty in the city of Soochow who does not smoke some opium, and I do think that nine-tenths of the men are slaves to the habit. Last summer our church had the painful task to perform of expelling a poor creature whom we tried to lift out of the slough Perhaps we tried more in our own strength than in the strength of the Omnipotent. Anyhow, Ah Pas has gone back to his old life, while he has not the manliness to confess his fault. Opium has robbed him of both soul and body. May God have mercy on him! Only God can work an effectual change. Still, we are not, as a church, left in the gloom. There were three added, while we lost one.

TIMELY HINTS.

This year has developed a very largely increased interest in mining, especially about Spokane. It is really a time of many valuable discoveries, with much actual development. This calls for new railroads several of which are in process of construction. It is safe to say that there will be 200 miles of new railway, besides the nearly 500 of the Great Northern, completed this year. This will cause the building and development of about five good, new towns and have especial and favorable influence on the town of Everett. It may result in shortening the Northern. Pacific line 200 miles to the Sound with Everett as its terminus.

Dungeness and Lost Mountain, south and west of Port Towsend, are exceedingly needy and promising fields. The country is all being settled up with an industrious and permanent population urgently calling for the means of grace. Comfortable school-houses are numerous and are open for our use, but we need the means to sustain the missionaries. There are several more such fields adjacent.

T. M. GUNN, S. M.

Rev. J. A. Irvine has lately held a protracted meeting at Voca, Tex. Fifteen were added to the church. One year ago we had but one member, now there are twenty-six.

Rev. W. S. Wright, of Pearsoll, Tex., has lately received thirty members, the immediate result of a protracted meeting, but the real agency of this large ingathering is the fact that Home Missions

THE SYNOD OF WISCONSIN is making headway slow, but sure. The most active Presbyteries are those of Chippewa, Winnebago, and LaCrosse. By the help of

the students we have most of our churches filled this summer. Within the year we have organized two flourishing churches in Superior-one in South Superior and the other, Steel Plant, in West Superior. This young city, at the head of Lake Superior, now of some eighteen thousand inhabitants, is destined to be a place of great importance. Being the head of all the lake commerce it has before it a

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future of mighty interest in the North West. We have here four vigorous churches; and we hope that the West Superior Church will be forced to colonize within the coming twelve months. And now we are prepared to offer church privileges to the throngs that constantly come into this city of vast distances.

Our Bohemian work is most encouraging. There is a large Bohemian settlement in the vicinity of Manitowoc. About two years ago Rev. Joseph Balcar, a Bohemian, and a man of culture educated at Prague, was sent to this people. Originally they were Roman Catholics. Years ago they left the Church of Rome, and from their early superstitious faith. of believing too much they went to the other extreme of practical materialism and atheism. He concentrated his efforts at a place called Melnick, some ten miles from Manitowoc. Here he gathered the people together into a school house and commenced preaching to them as Paul did. to the Corinthians. Last summer a manse was built through the kind generosity of friends. This summer a neat church has been finished and dedicated free of debt through the aid of the Board of Church Erection and generous private donors. Now here is a community that a year or two ago was far from God and righteousness, that through the efforts of one man and God's truth has been regenerated and transformed and to-day they are clothed and in their right mind, sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Three churches have become self-supporting lately-Phillips, Fort Howard, and Brodhead.

We have a number of fields that are ripe for the harvest. We are waiting anxiously for the command to go and Occupy them. No synod within the bounds of the Presbyterian Church has

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greater needs or more pressing claims. No one promises more speedy returns.

May the Board, backed by the money and prayers of the church, say to us, "Go forward and win Wisconsin for Jesus Christ!"

CHURCH BUILDING IN NEBRASKA.

More than usual activity is manifested this year in the erection of new houses of worship. The church at Valley, four miles west of Waterloo, was dedicated on the second Sabbath of June, entirely free from debt.

The Second Church of Beatrice was organized on the third of January last with thirty-five members. The Board at first hesitated to grant aid in supporting the pastor, Rev. C. H. Brouillette, for want of funds. The work having been begun, could not be stopped, and now the new house of worship is almost completed. The people are looking forward with much interest to the day of dedication.

Our church at Pender, near the Omaha Reservation, is making rapid progress in erecting its house of worship. It will be a neat,commodious and attractive structure, fully in keeping with the growth and ambition of this promising county-seat town. It will be ready for occupancy by the first of October.

The Church of Osmond, in Pierce County, organized on May 1, has its house of worship so far under way that the people hope to have it ready to be occupied by the Presbytery of Niobrara at its next stated meeting in October.

Coleridge, in Cedar County,is moving in the same direction, and it is expected that a much-needed house of worship will be completed before the snow flies. The

same may be said of Gordon, in Sheridan County, and the Church of Unity, in Box Butte County.

Our Church at Webster, in Dodge County, has its new house completed, and only awaits the furniture to have the dedication services.

The old building at Tecumseh, having become too small for the congregation, has been sold, and the new church edifice is being rapidly pushed toward completion, Other churches will soon be stimulated to "arise and build."

T. L. SEXTON, S. M.

FACTS FROM KANSAS. A fine wheat crop, of probably sixty million bushels, has been safely harvested. and will soon be garnered. This is the largest yield of this cereal ever known in the state. It has brought great encouragement to the frontier settlers, and we hope for better things in these "waste regions."

The extreme heated term has cut the corn crop short, though there will be enough for home consumption.

The churches of Wellington and Harper, which were destroyed by cyclone, in May, have made an appeal to the church at large for help, without which they cannot rebuild. Many churches have kindly responded, and many small sums have come in. Will not hundreds of churches which have received these appeals yet send in contributions?

The Synod of Kansas this year tries the experiment of an "Assembly Synod," gathering in the beautiful park at Ottawa, where the "Chautauqua Assemblies" are held, and devoting a week to business and spiritual as well as intellectual culture. There will be more time than usual for the discussion of the claims of the Boards.

We expect the Boards to be ably represented, and give cordial welcome to all who come. This meeting is one of special interest, as it is a "new departure."

When the seven students who are now

serving us return to the seminaries, we shall need a man for each of the following places; Haskell County, Stafford County, Ness County, Greely and Wichita counties, Rawlins County, Hope and Dillon in southern Dickinson County.

S. B. FLEMING, S. M.

THE BLOOD OF THE MARTYRS THE SEED OF THE CHURCH. On the 23d day of August 1891, it was my privilege, in connection with Rev. A. F. Randolph, of Otis, Colo., to organize the First Presbyterian Church of Platner. It is composed of German people and has the honor of being the first German church in connection with the Synod of Colorado.

Two brethren who have been elders elsewhere were chosen to the exercise of this office in that new organization. One of them has a history that greatly interested me.

In the city of Geneva, Switzerland, about the year 1528, the powers of Rome determined to extirpate protestantism. Terrible persecutions took place, and many faithful Christians, both men and women, were put to death. Among them were twenty-four men and women of the name of Platner, who fell under the axe of the executioner in one day. Only two members of the family bearing that name were left in the city, and they were unmarried females. The council of the city, in order that such an honored name might not become extinct, ordained that any one who might marry either of these godly women should therafter bear this name instead of his own. This good brother, Nicholas Platner, whose name

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the community has chosen as its own and whom the church had chosen as one of its standard bearers, is a lineal descendent of one of those faithful followers of Christ. The promises of God' to His children extend to their latest generation. His faithfulness is without recall.

Another thing that interested me very much was this. In telling me the story, he said: "You know this history was taught in all our schools. The deeds and lives of the fathers were honored by their sons, and God was glorified through them. The honored past was made to live again in the present. Rome objects to the teaching of any history that she does not manipulate. Why? Has she no honorable record? Why so afraid of what she has done ?"

T. C. KIRKWOOD, S. M.

The congrega

TENNESSEE:-The outlook for our church at Harriman under the ministry of Rev. Robt. A. Bartlett is encouraging. Beginning his work here two months ago he has received five new members, and others are soon to follow. tions and Sabbath-school attendance have considerably increased. Both a junior and senior Y. P. S. C. E. have been organized, and the result is, that in the Wednesday evening prayer-meeting nearly all the men, women and children take part. For the present all the services of this new church are held in the Y. M. C. A. hall.

At Bridgeport, Ala., a beautiful and comfortable house of worship has just been finished. At South Pittsburgh, Tenn., five miles from Bridgeport, by a happy exchange of property with another church, a troublesome debt of a thousand dollars has been lifted from our church.

We hope soon to see these two churches grouped under the ministry of some consecrated young man.

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on Aug 26-7, at the Timber Ridge church, which, though one of the oldest in the Synod, is still bearing fruit.

In response to a request from Johnson City a committee was appointed to organize a church there in the near future, if the way be clear. C. A. DUNCAN.

THE HOME MISSIONARY'S WIFE REV. F. D. SEWARD, S. M.

All along the Pacific slope Chinese cooks are numerous,-not because they are especially good in the kitchen, but because there are none to take their places. They do little besides cooking, and are never trusted with children or the sick. They never tire, and never break down; and are prepared for hotels, and other places of hard work. But for ordinary family service they are employed only because there is no other sufficient supply. Yet a Chinaman can go from the kitchen into the field any day; and therefore commands the wages of day-laborers for kitchen work. For these reasons nothing less than $20 a month, with board, and room, and waste, will secure good domestic help of any kind. This requires $240 a year for wages; and if the cost of board and waste does not add $160 more, one may be thankful. Then to $400 for hired girl," or China cook, must be added $100 aggregate expense for the horse and buggy necessary for pastoral and pulpit work in scattered communities and preaching stations; and thus the cook and the horse have taken more than half the missionary's salary; and house rent will take, on the average, another $100. So, domestic help is wholly out of the question for home missionaries on the Pacific coast. If Mrs. Missionary is strong and well, all right. But if not, or if she should be sick, even for a little time, the expense mounts up so fast as to be a terrible temp