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I'll

making inquiries about their services for the children, and if they would like a Sundayschool, where they could be taught of God and the truths which pertain to their highest well-being. A woman who stood by, with raised voice and many gesticulations said, “A Sunday-school! Not with our children! not send my children to Sunday-school, to learn what they must take years to unlearn, but we send them to dancing-school, we teach them to dance, we believe in having a good time." Sunday morning they do have a sort of religious service, it cannot be called worship, and in the afternoon the band plays. They pretend to believe in God and the Bible, at least a part of it, but of the exceeding sinfulness of sin they take no cognizance, so have no use for Jesus as a Savior.

The child

ren are not taught reverence, but to scoff at God's claims upon them and all those things we hold most sacred. And though they have no saloons, and lay great stress upon morality, their young people have a bad reputation. The day-school teacher, who is a Christian, told us that one day a Psalm of David occurred in the reading lesson, and the scholars sneering at the sentiments expressed, said, "Could David have been so great a fool as to believe such things?"

A woman was listening to some of the songs of Jesus from the Gospel Hymns, "O, all about Jesus Christ," she exclaimed, "I don't want to hear about Him, He was only a good medium, nothing more."

The parents were willing we should leave Sunday-school papers, and the children seemed eager to receive them. Several accepted tracts, and this seems to be all we can do for these deluded people at present, except to pray that God will sweep away the refuge of lies.

Two miles farther down the coast we came to another district where none of the child

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ren attended Sunday-school. In the neighborhood we have found Swedenborgians, Spiritualists, Unitarians, Christadelphians and Holiness. We are never frightened by the name, but look for the Christian Spirit, and can work with and bring together all, where it exists. But in all this multitude of sects, we have as yet failed to find one of the right spirit and faculty to lead a Sundayschool. All agreed that it would be a good thing in the community, so we invited them to come together. The first Sunday ten came, but the next there were twenty-five, and all seemed interested but unused to anything of the kind.

We hope to get some of the Christian workers in Carpenteria, the nearest town, to take an interest in this neighborhood, and keep the school going, so much do these children need to be taught of God and their relations to Him. Pray for our success.

GOOD NEWS FROM SOUTH DAKOTA. EDWIN H. GRANT.

Dear Friends:-In the work of special Gospel meetings, I have been associated with one of our most earnest Home Missionaries, who, in addition to his own work, has joined heart and hand with me in kindling anew the fires along the picket line of our mission Sabbath-school work at important and exposed points. I use the word exposed, for I have learned that our work is not done when we have simply occupied the ground. It must be held by earnest, watchful effort, lest another build upon our foundation.

Thirteen schools have been quickened into new life, and, I trust, thoroughly established for widening influences and ultimate church organization.

At one point we were compelled to begin our meetings in a private house, which very soon

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those to whom we are sent? Do not some of us need that our tongues should be unloosed and courage given to carry the message at all? As comforters, as "watchmen unto the house of Israel," as those to whom is intrusted the invitation, "Come and drink, as those to whom is given the command, "Tell ye of all his wondrous works, have constant need of the controlling power of the Spirit and of the consecration prayer, "Take my lips and let them be Filled with messages for thee."

we

JULY 17th.-The First Christian Church. Acts. II: 37-47. The Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved."

Daily, ever since men were multiplied on the earth, have the saved streamed through the strait gate into life, and now a multitude whom no man can number inhabit the mansions of the Father's house. He added the saved to the Church: added them in the act of saving, saved in the act of adding. He does not add a withered branch to the vine, but in the act of inserting it, makes the withered branch live. "Daily" some are added: every day some: but only while it is day this process goes on. The night cometh

wherein no man can work-not even the Son of man, Son of God. He is now about his

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There was a sentence in the great national Hallel hymn with which each one of these priests and Sadducees must have been familiar from childhood. Often had they sung it at their Paschal season and Feast of Tabernacles. The speaker makes the true Messianic application of it. It was a metaphor, moreover, not unfamiliar in other ways, for it was used by their greatest prophet in predicting the coming of Christ (Isaiah, XXVIII :16). Nay, further, it had a personal interest in the case of him who now quoted it. For the metaphor was that of a rock or stone. In thus specially selecting it on the present occasion, might not Peter have had indirectly in view the desire of repudiating all claim to any false interpretations that might have been put on his Lord's words, by unequivocally declaring that that Rock-that Stone was Christ?" This is the Stone that was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."-Macduff.

Children's Church

given him to do. "To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, " for the day is wearing away, the day of grace. The night cometh, cometh-how stealthily it is creeping on, the night wherein not even this Great Worker can work any more.-Arnot

JULY 24th.-The Lame Man Healed. Acts. III: 1-16" And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong."

"And his name, through faith in his name" has been making men and women strong ever since; strong to labor and to endure, strong to confess and to suffer, strong to live and to die. In every time of weakness and of weariness God's children may rest with confidence in his promises :"They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;" As thy days, so shall thy

strength be."

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JULY 31st.-Peter and John before the Council. Acts. IV :1-18.

Children, do you wish to travel? You may visit the General Assembly and hear Dr. Irvin tell the beautiful story of a child's smile; then go to South Africa and hear those two school-girls read aloud, then to California and visit the kindergarten, where Mr. Campbell will give you a welcome, then to another kindergarten among the robbers of Hadjin in Asia. If you are now tired of travelling you can come home and rest by working for Jesus.

A CHILD'S SMILE.

BY DR. IRVIN.

While I was in Asheville I was asked to preach in the pretty little chapel one Sabbath, and in the morning, before the service, they held a Sabbath-school, which was attended

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by 126 or 130 girls, all studying the Bible and the Westminster catechism, and after the school was over we held services in the chapel. Just before the services a teacher came in leading by the hand two pretty little girls. One of them, a child about eight years old, smiled so sweetly upon me as she passed that I was just enchanted, and I smiled back as sweetly as I could. After I ascended the pulpit there in the front pew sat that little girl, and although I sat there with all the Presbyterian solemnity I could command, the little creature persisted in smiling as unreservedly as she had done before, and staid and solemn as I thought I ought to be, I had to smile at the child. After the services I I went to the teacher and asked her who that beautiful child was. "Well," she said, "I will tell you about that little girl. A few weeks ago those two little girls and their little brother were found deserted, father and mother dead or gone off, just in the outskirts of Asheville, and they were brought into our Girls' Home. What to do with the boy we did not know. We could care for the girls, but we had no place to put the boy. So finally the authorities found a place for the boy with a farmer, and they sent and took him away. The boy cried and didn't want to go, and his sisters clung to him and sobbed as if their hearts would break." So to quiet them, when I appeared on the scene, she told the little girls I was a man that would try to get a nice home for their brother, such as they had there in the school. So the little girl smiled at me as hard as ever she could, because she thought I was going to get her brother a beautiful home with her. This school was a little paradise to the little girls. So I tell you, there is a great necessity for these schools, not only for the girls, but for the boys as well, because if we are going to lift up the people we have got to have as

[July,

thorough work for the boys as for the girls, and one of the grandest works our church was ever called upon to do is in this work.

A young Hottentot woman resolved, in a fit of anger, to forsake the Mission and follow a lawless life. "I, therefore," said she, "set off one day, full of these evil thoughts, and when I got out into the open field, I saw two of the school-girls, who had got one of the new books (a Testament), and were reading aloud. Just as I passed them they read: Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him! These words went into my heart like lightning. It seemed as if I had pronounced them myself against our Saviour. I cried to Him to have mercy upon me, and to forgive me my many sins. Of course I returned to Gnadenthal. "

CHURCH KINDERGARTEN WORK.

BY THE REV. J. B. CAMPBELL.

It is now about six months since I conceived the idea of church kindergarten work. We have to day on our roll one hundred names, with an average attendance of fifty. I have been asked over and over, "What is the object?" The primary and ultimate object is to mold and beautify young lives for Jesus. The means used are: 1. To seek especially those who are not brought under any religious influences. 2. The simple truths of religion are made prominent, such as the reading of the Bible, singing, prayer, Bible recitations. Then we have the illustrated Sunday-school lesson, a wonderful help in the way of object teaching. 3. Missionary work is taught. We intend to teach the little ones to prepare papers on missions. Every Saturday those that are able bring their offering. 4. They are taught the principles of etiquette and politeness, the little practical things that come up in every-day

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life. 5. Then we have a general drill for boys and girls, something after the order of the boys' brigade. In looking at the development of this part of the work I have been surprised to see what inspiration there is in a drum; sometimes I have laughed until my sides shook to see the girls try to outdo the boys in the military step. 6. We have regular kindergarten work. The material for this department we secure at the Bancroft building. The boys and girls at present are piecing a quilt. 7. Once a month we give them an entertainment; e. g., one month we give them cake and chocolate, the next, sandwiches and milk. Last Saturday there were about sixty-two present. We gave them fruit. More than one parent told me that if they wish to punish their children they tell them they will keep them home from the kindergarten This has the immediate effect of stilling the youthful tempest. Any information I can give on this subject will afford me pleasure. STOCKTON, CAL. KINDERGARTEN IN HADJIN, MINOR.

ASIA

There is a lively scene on the bit of smooth road in front of our gate every morning about half-past eight, for not only are the boys and girls of the High School then on their way to school, but almost every one leads by the hand, or bears on his or her back, one of the kindergarten babies as well.

This kindergarten school is proving a great success. The first twenty scholars were collected with great difficulty, but after these had had several weeks' training, had learned some pretty songs and games, and had entertained their fathers' guests at NewYear's time with these, our difficulty was of quite the opposite character. There were more applications for admittance than we could accept. There are now fifty little boys and girls in the school, some of them from

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the more well-to-do Armenian and Protestant families, and some of the poorest of Hadjin's poor.

To show you how poor are some of these children, let me give you an example. One woman had been told that she might send her little boy, but as she did not avail herself of the privilege, we sent one of our teachers to learn the reason. The woman said, "The children who go to that school must carry with them something to eat, and very often I have not even a crust to give my child. Here at home when he cries from hunger, if I have any bread, I give it to him; if I have not, he cries, and so we get along." Now the child is coming, and several of the other children have fallen into the habit of bringing a little more than they will themselves need, with the expectation of giving to these poor when

necessary.

This school is a revelation to the people in many ways. First the idea that little children are worth taking so much trouble and going to so much expense for is utterly new and strange. But these little tots are working reforms that we have for years labored in vain to introduce among their elders. For instance, in a land where it is a great shame for a man to perform the slightest service for a woman or a child, is it not a great triumph to have a father leave his shop of a stormy morning, take his little four-year-old daughter in his arms, and carry her the half-mile, or nearly so, to school?

Then these children are teaching their parents other lessons, as for instance, that of neatness and cleanliness. When one little girl's mother told her one day that she was going to come and visit her school, the child answered, "Oh, don't! or if you do, be sure you comb your hair before you come. If you come with such looking hair, I should be so ashamed!"-Missionary Herald.