to take root. For quite a good while the Kobe church rented a building on the main street of the city of Akashi. It also paid the traveling and hotel bills of the brethren who went down there every Saturday and stayed till Monday morning. There were always hearers, but whether any really believed or not we could not tell. The people evinced the strongest disinclination towards helping defray any expenses connected with Christian work among them. After giving them fair warning, I advised the Kobe church to withdraw from the place entirely. A year ago last spring all work was stopped. We did not go to see them: they did not come to see us."

A REVIVED WORK.

“Last fall, Miss Dudley and myself - accompanied by a native physician. who is now the preacher to the new church - went to see if a movement could not be started anew, on a fresh and better basis. We met in the house of a man of rank who had recently become acquainted with one of our Kobe church members. The congregation consisted of most of the old time hearers, with some additions. After the sermon, I introduced the subject I had particularly in hand. I recited the history of work among them, together with a statement of the unsatisfactory results. I told them that if they wanted to be taught the momentous truths of God's Word, we were ready to teach them, and anxious to do so; but that we must have some satisfactory evidence that they wanted to be taught. I told them that I would consider as satisfactory evidence the providing of a place for regular preaching, and the entertainment of the persons who should come from Kobe, Tamon-dori, and Hiogo, to preach to them. The road expenses I knew the churches would pay

for a time.

"One elderly man, a physician, began to say they were poor and could do nothing, though he was abundantly able to carry the entire expense of the work himself, when he was stopped by a young Samurai, who said, 'Had we

not better meet to-night, after the missionary has gone home, and discuss the matter?' His suggestion was adopted. I bade them good-by and returned.

"The result of the discussion was quite satisfactory. A preaching place was provided, and promises were given that the Japanese preachers should be entertained. Work was immediately renewed. Miss Dudley began to make regular visits. I also went occasionally. Last spring, quite early, the Lord put it into the heart of the native doctor already alluded to, to give up his practice here and go down to Akashi to live, in order to work for the people there. His labors and ours have been blessed of God. Last Tuesday, after a day and a half of very thorough examination of of the nine churches, nineteen perthe candidates, by the representatives sons were baptized and organized into a Christian church. The church is now known as The Church of Christ in Akashi.'"

A NATIVE ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL.

“But, perhaps, a little more particularity concerning the exercises of organization may be desirable. The pastor of the Nani-wa Church, Osaka, was elected moderator. The pastor of the Hiogo Church was made scribe. The examinations began on Monday afternoon, and with an intermission of an hour and a half for supper, were continued until nearly eleven o'clock at night. A prayer-meeting was appointed for seven o'clock, Tuesday morning. At eight o'clock the examinations were continued and lasted until half past ten. The women passed better examinations, on the whole, than the men. The men were very much more perturbed than the women, with the exception of one man, who is a Saul among them.

"One man had a brief reëxamination before the council, when it was by itself. This was the elderly physician who spoke of the poverty of the people a year ago. He was reëxamined, especially on the point of keeping a family tablet (which is ordinarily worshiped), and on the points of pride, willfulness,

and yielding to his hasty temper. He was dealt with kindly, but with a wisdom and heart-searching that were delightful to see. I thanked God from the depths of my heart that he was raising up men who could do such work in such a Christian way. The old man seemed to grow humble as a child during the process. It was a wonder to all.

"He brought his family memorial tablet to the church before the baptisms. He had the choice of burning it, or passing it into my hands. He preferred the latter way of disposing of it, and it is now in my possession."

SELF-SUPPORT.

"After this work was completed, and it was voted that the examined persons were, in human view, fit for baptism, the would-be church was asked concerning its provision for future existence and usefulness. It was replied that, for a church home, the building we were in had been rented, the church, of course, paying its own rent. After this, one of the members read an elaborate historical sketch of Christian work in Akashi. The question was then asked what had been done about a pastor and pastoral support. In response, another arose and read a call that had been given to the physician already named, asking him to become pastor's assistant, and offering him a salary that would barely buy his food. His reply of acceptance was read by another member.

"The council, after consultation, voted that the church should be organized. The whole work of organizing the church, and everything with the exception of baptizing the candidates, which I had been appointed to do, was done by the Japanese. The communion service was conducted by Mr. De Forest and Mr. O. H. Gulick.

"The day was one that will long be remembered with thankfulness. The faith of all was strengthened, and a new inspiration received.

"Of the nineteen members, eight are males, and eleven are females. The oldest is seventy-nine; the youngest is

thirteen. Eight more persons are expecting to unite with the church about New Year's."

North China Mission.

DEATH OF MRS. GOODRICH.

REV. CHAUNCEY GOODRICH, writing from Tung-cho under date of September 13, gives the sad intelligence of the death of Mrs. Goodrich on the 4th day of that month. Mrs. G. (formerly Miss Wheeler) had been connected with the mission in Japan, and was married in May last. With brightest anticipations of happiness and usefulness, Mr. and Mrs. Goodrich reached Tung-cho, August 19, where almost immediately Mrs. G. was prostrated with dysentery, and after twelve days death came.

Mr. Goodrich writes:"And now I sit alone, where I have sat alone so long, under a drapery of clouds through which no light could come if I did not believe in God. But I do believe in God, and, though my sorrow has struck me dumb, he keeps me quiet. Beyond my personal grief, it hurts me sore that her own fruitful work is suddenly cut short. But God knows it all, and when I think to write of it, I feel like Job, who could not even begin his argument with God.

"For myself, I pray for strength and grace to finish the work given me to do. I still rejoice, with a joy that takes hold of my deepest life, that I am permitted to preach the gospel in this land. ing all the years, the one constant factor in my life has been a great joy to be in China, the field of fields for the grandest work the world holds."

CHINA'S NEEds.

Dur

Nearly one half of the heathen world is here (I repeat what is old), and is open to the gospel. It is time that this fact should take hold of the church. China is open, and Christian work is beginning to be more largely fruitful. For what more shall we wait? For an earnest invitation to come hither and preach the gospel? Would the world ever have in

"resurrection and the life." Further on in the letter Mr. Noyes writes: "We made our next encampment in a large and flourishing settlement, quite off from any public road, in a wild and romantic region. I had visited this place a few months before, when I went to look at a location which had been offered to us for a school-house, and to see a school which the Christian teacher I had located there had gathered. Now I found a nice new building for a school and prayer house, a house for the teacher, and a good-sized, neat inclosure, surrounded by a wall, most of which had been completed without expense to the mission. Best of all, there was a fine Christian school of twenty-five bright-looking boys, and a congregation of seven families. This is one of five villages in that portion of my field in which new people have recently placed themselves under Christian instruction, amounting to thirty-five families. These were all visited on this tour, either by myself or the native pastors with me, besides a large number of heathen villages. Five similar itineracies have been conducted in this station since January, 359 villages and hamlets visited, and the gospel preached to 30,000 persons. The number of accessions from the heathen and the Roman Catholics, up to the present time, is about 450, (or 160 families), and 19 persons have been admitted to the church."

ADDITIONS.

Mr. Herrick, of Tirumangalam (twelve miles southwest of Madura), wrote September 16:

"During the last two weeks in June and the first week of July, I visited all but one or two of the Christian congregations connected with this station; the Lord's Supper was administered in three different places. At the meeting in one of those places, nine adults were admitted to the church, and five children were baptized. Two of the adults are the wives of men before admitted to the church. Five children belonging to different places have since been baptized, and three persons living here at Tiru

mangalam will probably be received to the church at our next communion season. At one of the places mentioned above several new members of the congregation, belonging to adjacent villages, attended meeting. While these additions have been made to the church, I regret to say that one man has been excommunicated. Having lost his wife last year, he married a heathen girl - a mere child in age-in the heathen way. He is himself about 60 years of age."

MALLANKINARU.

"I need not repeat what I have already written about the dedication of the new church at Mallankinaru. [See Herald for November last.] On account of the famine, the people there petitioned the Native Evangelical Society to continue to give five rupees a month toward the support of their pastor till the first of April, when they will assume his whole support. On the evening after the dedication at Mallankinaru a prayer-house was dedicated in a village four or five miles northeast of them. It is a very different building from that at Mallankinaru, having mud walls and a thatched roof, but is much better than the first prayer-house built at that station.

"The meeting here was one of unusual interest to me. The Christians had invited several of their heathen neighbors and friends, among whom was the village magistrate, an aged brahmin, and another official of the same caste as most of the Christians, and also an older brother of two of them."

CONFESSING CHRIST.

"Before the close of the meeting I gave an opportunity for any of the Christians who wished to speak. After a few remarks from the catechist, the man who first became a Christian rose in the presence of the brahmin, his own heathen brother, and others, and without shame or fear stated the reasons which led him to become a Christian. He is a man of considerable property, of respectable caste, and a good reader. I have not met with a more marked instance of a man having become a Chris

tian from conviction. He united with the church at Mallankinaru two or three years ago, and for a good while has given a rupee a month towards the support of the catechist and teacher."

FAMINE AND RELIEF.

"Between the 22d of July and the 16th of August I spent fifteen days in the tent, for the double purpose of making known the gospel to the heathen and of distributing money furnished by the Famine Relief Committee among persons suffering from the famine. I was accompanied by from five to ten catechists, and the tent was pitched in six different places. Our plan was to go, two or three together, to the villages within comfortable reach of the tent, speak in one, two or three different places in each village, according to its size, take the names of persons showing special need of help, and tell them to come to the tent at a set time. We visited 134 different villages, and 8,740 people, exclusive of those who were assembled at the tent, were addressed.

More than

1,000 rupees were given for the relief of about 5,000 persons, most of whom were widows, or women whose husbands were away, and children. Not a few of the children have neither father nor mother left to them. Large numbers showed the marks of severe suffering endured from want of food, and many, some of whom belonged to the higher castes, were sadly in need of clothing, which I was unable to give them.”

THE GOSPEL IN THE VILLAGES.

"In one village about twenty miles from here we found four or five families who formerly lived in Tinnevelly, and belonged to Christian congregations there.

Three or four other families also expressed a desire for Christian instruction. I wish much to send a catechist or teacher to labor among them, but at present have neither a suitable person at command nor money for his support.

"The tent was once pitched near a

A NATIVE PASTOR.

ance.

We visited 56 villages, held 96 meetings, and addressed 2,795 adults.

"This pastor from Battalagundu has developed remarkably. He takes a high place as a preacher to the heathen, and his qualifications for training a Christian congregation are equally high. I went out with him among the heathen several times, and he never failed to command the attention of the crowds who came to hear us, and this, too, with the most plain and pointed evangelical truth.

"His well-worn pocket Bible and lyric book told the story. He always had them with him, and his Bible seemed as ready to open to the passages he wished to read as is Mr. Moody's. One of the lyrics (the leading thought of which is 'Jesus, my king and friend, rule over me'), he sang and explained beautifully, while the head men listened to his preaching and singing for more than half an hour, without making the slightest interruption. His example is having a very decided effect upon my catechists. New resolutions have been formed to study the Bible more, and make more use of it in addressing heathen audiGod will honor his own word."

ences.