“I am glad to say that this good and faithful scholar (for such he is) who was hurt, gave his name at the next meeting as a candidate for membership in the Association. The only obstacle in the way of another scholar is the fear of his parents in China. He has not yet learned by _heart_ that ‘he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.’ “Since that night, and the expulsion of those persecutors, I seem to be constantly adding fresh names to my roll. Working scholars are leaving no stone unturned to increase our numbers. I feel thankful for such scholars. Friends kindly help me in the work, but what I most need is a Chinese helper. I trust that at no distant time I may have one. The scholars who are able are willing to explain, but they need all the little time they have for study. I find the most studious pupils make the sincere Christians.” To which appeal for a Chinese helper the superintendent adds his own _Amen_. But we cannot have one without more means than now we have at our command. CHILDREN’S PAGE. * * * * * CHILDREN’S INFLUENCE. MISS MARY BAILEY, VERMONT. Children’s influence is too much overlooked in the Mission work. Parents, Sabbath-school teachers, and missionary agents do not take the pains they might to create in them a missionary spirit. As soon as they “can speak and go alone” they should be “bent” into missionary workers. They _can_ be taught to take as much interest in the condition of the Freedmen, Chinese and Indians, as in “Mother Hubbard,” “Jack and the Bean Stalk,” etc. Especially when they are called upon to give their pennies should it be explained to them for what purposes their moneys are solicited. A little mite of a girl came to me and asked for a penny. “What would you do with a penny?” said I. “Carry it to Sunday-school.” “What do you carry it to Sunday-school for?” “To put it into the conniption box.” “What do you put it into the ‘conniption box’ for?” “For the man.” “What does the man do with it?” “He put it into his pocket!” After that, when missionary papers came, I read them through to her. By glancing ahead I saw what the facts were, then I would read them in words she could understand. She was so charmed with that kind of reading she would take a toy book out of my hand and hunt up a missionary paper to be read to her instead. When she saw me glancing along she would exclaim, “Don’t let your eyes zig-zag over the page; read every word!” The Freedmen interested her very much. She said one morning, “I prayed for the colored people last night; I told Jesus they suffered.” At another time I read about a colored student who was anxious to become a minister, and she “told the Lord that he wanted to be a minister.” Last Sabbath a missionary preached a very interesting sermon at our church, in the interests of the Freedmen. I hoped he would speak a few words to the children, but he did not.