The American Missionary — Volume 50, No. 08, August, 1896Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 50, No. 08, August, 1896
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
The barrels of supplies, sent to us by friends in other States, have
enabled us to assist many needy ones. While packing these missionary
boxes, if you could only see "the other end of the line" you would feel
rewarded for your gifts. The kindness done for Christ's sake will not be
forgotten.
The country around Deer Lodge is sparsely settled. One can travel miles
without meeting any one. The people are somewhere--where, we are unable
to tell; yet when they have an opportunity to hear preaching you will
always find many people gathered in the schoolhouse where the "meeting"
is to be held. In traveling through the surrounding country you will see
many rough log houses, with only one room and often without windows, two
doors opposite each other, one door always kept open winter and summer.
A huge fire-place is in one end of the room. If you would have a view of
humanity in its simplicity, visit one of these mountain homes. You will
find everything of the most primitive kind. The hum of the
spinning-wheel and the heavy thud of the loom will greet your ears. In
one room you will very often see several beds, while the rest of the
furniture will consist of a few wooden chairs, a table and perhaps a
cupboard, and into this one room will be gathered the whole family, the
women with old shawls over their heads, sitting by the fire chewing
tobacco, or with the invariable snuff-stick in their mouth. But
everywhere you will be treated with kindness and invariable civility.
"Come and see us," they say; "we are mighty poor folks, but we will do
the best we can." These mountaineers take life in a slow and easy way;
you cannot make them "step to Yankee time."
Last Sabbath we attended one of the afternoon services. Our road passed
for several miles through a lovely forest, with its soft shadows and
calm repose. The only sound to break the stillness was the song of the
birds. After a while we heard ringing out through the pine woods the
echo of gospel hymns. Following the sound, and wending our way a little
farther through the woods, in a quiet glen we came to the school house
where the services were to be held. Here we found an earnest, attentive
audience. In one place an outdoor meeting was held. It was a rare,
perfect day. The people came in twos and threes, finding places wherever
they could. One could almost fancy that other scene of centuries ago,
beneath the blue skies of Palestine, where, when the multitude were
gathered upon the mountain, the Master "opened His mouth and taught
them."
Among these mountaineers are young men and women eager in their desire
for knowledge, and anxious for an opportunity to learn of a better way
of life. We believe that to the question, "What of the night?" the
answer can be given, "The morning cometh."
* * * * *
COMMENCEMENT AT FISK UNIVERSITY.
By Miss Alice M. Garsden.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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