THE receipts for the month ending July 18th again show a falling off from last year of $1,400, making a total decrease for the year of $8,700. There is an increase in legacies which somewhat reduces this total, but these figures represent the reliable income of the Board. What shall be done, dear friends? There yet remain four months before the year closes. As we return refreshed, strengthened, blessed, we hope, from the beautiful places of our summer rest, shall we not take up the work anew, with faith and zeal? Let us never for a moment think that the sum is too large to be made up; with God's blessing and the earnest, persistent, courageous effort of all our workers, it can be done. Shall we do it?

Nor long ago Mrs. Dwinell, the widow of the late Dr. Dwinell, President of the Pacific Theological Seminary, was called to her parlor to see a visitor. There sat a plainly dressed person, with a basket beside her, containing small wares, such as are often sold from house to house; but trade was not the object of the call. After some preliminary conversation the poor woman said that she had been reading about the need of the foreign missionary work. The story of "retrenchment" had touched her heart, and she was distressed that any of the good work must be given up. "Here," she said, "are twenty-five dollars which I want to give to the Board," and she gave a roll of bills to Mrs. Dwinell. A few days after she called again with her basket of tape, and pins, and needles upon her arm. "I have been reading

The Pacific," she said. "I have become deeply interested in Mrs. Gulick's plans for the girls in Spain; I want to help in that work, also ;" and she took twenty-five dollars from her pocket, which she handed Mrs. Dwinell. A story like this needs no comment. To-day, as of old, the Master sits over against the treasury, and surely his smile of approval rests upon her who "hath done what she could."

A. G. G.

A MISSIONARY from China has said: "The Chinaman is an individual with some backbone in him; but the Chinese woman has several backbones in her. If we can get the women of China to become Christians we have solved the question."

THE difficulty of mission work in China is thus described by a missionary there: "When I used at home to speak of 'the heathen,' I meant by the word men who had never heard the gospel. A look in the faces of a Chinese crowd made me realize for the first time that it meant much more than this. In consequence of their not hearing it, they have lost all capacity for understanding it. That look made me feel that to the heathen the gospel is not only a new, a strange sound, but that it is an unintelligible sound; and that every conversion will be a miracle."

THE young Emperor of China-only eighteen years old-is blessed with many wives. Immemorial custom, which is almost the same as law in China, allows the emperor three wives of the first rank,—the central, eastern, and western empresses,-six of the second rank, and seventy-two concubines. The central empress, although the highest in rank, is said to be neither so able nor so beautiful as the others, but was given her place by the Empress Dowager, her aunt, during the young emperor's minority. It is stated, also, that the Manchu women do not bind their feet, so that there is not a bound-footed woman in all the palace. That would be a happy day for the women of China if the court custom could extend over the kingdom.

Rev. James Smith, of Ahmednagar, India, sends a letter which he received from an entire stranger, which speaks for itself. Mr. Smith writes: "It (the letter) shows the direction of thought in India to day among a large number of the rising generation. It is a hopeful sign of the times. There is no opposition on the part of such people to teaching Christianity. They welcome Christianity as at least an enlightening and civilizing force, if for no better reason. The wives and children of such men are good soil for the seed." The letter says:—

You will not be little surprised to see yourself addressed by a stranger, in so familiar a tone. But the high opinion I have long entertained of your character as a gentleman and a missionary, and which has been strongly confirmed by what I heard about you and your doings from others, encourages me to solicit your kind assistance in a matter of very great importance.

I belong to that sect of modern Hindus who adore the Unity, upon whose souls the caste system has no hold, and who profess universal brotherhood. So I feel I stand on a platform much higher than the one trodden by very many of my countrymen. But among those countrymen there stands an individual, eagerly looking up to me and stretching her hands to me, that I may take her up. My wife, whom I love tenderly, and who deserves the love, stands much below me in culture and education. She can read Marathi, but that can never make her able to walk hand in hand with me in the paradise of reason and progress. She is obedient, meek, and promising, and that she is such I am doubly grieved to see her dragging herself along with me. Can I not manage to impart able instruction to her myself? I see I cannot. Without money, without recommendation, without that great blessing, Health," I have been constantly engaged in fighting the hard battle of life, in which I have lost more than half my energies.

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Once I had made up my mind to get her admitted into the Sharada Sadauną of Pundita Ramabai. The lady generously promised to take her free. But then, we have got a sweet baby of a year or so, and the mother could not make herself willing to join that institution, lest she might be very often. interrupted in waiting upon her only dear child. I, for my part, did not like to touch the tender feelings of a mother, and that plan was given up.

Such is my case. I desire to educate my wife. I long to see her morally my companion of life. I believe it is my first duty to raise the position of one who has intrusted her life to me. How can it be realized? Yet I have hopes-most sanguine hopes! I know, I am quite conscious, what the American Mission has done for my dear country. When universities were, as yet, not organized; when we, the public, had no private institutions of our own; when the people were quite reluctant to spend a farthing upon the education of their children; when the very uttering of A, B, C, was sure to expose a student to excommunication and the hard results attending it,—who were those who, under these circumstances, opened their purses, started free schools, and took upon themselves to educate the public, then thankless enough, as they were quite unconscious of the blissful fruits of English culture? These were the missionaries; the predecessors of the present missionaries did all this. I am no flatterer, yet I do not fear to state facts,— facts which are vividly placed before the world; facts which teach me to venture to encroach upon the goodness of the missionaries. Will you not extend your helping hand to me? I cordially hope you will. If you say "Yes," and if you can spare an able tutoress from the Zenana Mission to teach my wife regularly, we shall at once go to Nagar, and try to live there. Hoping to be kindly excused for the familiar tone of the letter, and soliciting an early reply, I beg to remain, etc.

THE annual report of woman's work in Tung-cho, China, gives a most encouraging account of growth in that department. The following extract shows what the Week of Prayer means for the women there: “The Week of Prayer is a golden time with our women. This year over thirty were invited to spend the week with us, and these, together with those who live in our courts and those who came daily from their houses, made a noble company for the woman's noon meeting. They gathered in three separate companies for morning prayers, and there they were each given a slip of paper on which were written three or four verses bearing on the topic for the day. These verses were committed to memory during the day, and two or three classes for Bible study were held for the brighter women and children. With attending these meetings, and with several hours of study, each day was filled to overflowing, and it seemed as if we could fairly see our women grow. They went about in little groups, with happy faces, gaining new experience of the joys of Christian fellowship; and each one could say with fresh emphasis when she went away, I believe in the communion of saints."

The report also shows that the tide of organization has reached these faraway sisters. The report says: "Tung-cho women are copying their Oriental sisters, and this year have organized two new societies, one of which, an AntiFootbinding Association, will hardly spread beyond the limits of the Celestial Empire. Including two branches, we have now seventeen women with large feet and twenty-eight girls, about half of whom are in the Bridgman School,a grand total of forty-five. Some of them have unbound their feet, and some, born in Christain homes, have tasted of the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and have never been subjected to that heathenish bondage. The crusade against "Golden Lilies may be declared a success in Tung-cho, and it is now taken for granted that our church members will not bind their daughters' feet."

The second society is a Woman's Christian Association, organized with twenty-three active members, "all of whom can read the Bible understandingly," and several associate members. Their most important work is the charge of the meetings for women, evangelistic work in the hospitals, two mission Sunday schools, receiving and entertaining of women on Sunday, visiting sick members and absentees in their homes, and general work for the unconverted. The report says: "Although this association seems to receive some departments of work from the direct control of the missionaries, we are still so represented among the officers and committees as to exercise a strong influence. They must increase, we must decrease; and we are glad the day has come when we can intrust the work so largely to our noble company of Christian women.”

WOMAN'S INFLUENCE IN CHINA.

CHINA.

WOMAN'S INFLUENCE IN CHINA.

BY MISS L. B. PIERSON.

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In the vast Empire of China there live so many souls, that, it is said, they number one fourth of the inhabitants of the globe. Think of the multitude of mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters in that company,-young and bright, giving promise of activity, and in the prime of life, with young families growing up about them, looking to the mother for guidance,-as well as the feeble, bent-over, aged women, who have well-nigh passed through their period of usefulness and influence, and are tottering on the very borders of this life.

There is but little rejoicing over the birth of a little girl in China; the mother knows, alas! how little of joy and how much of sorrow must come into her daughter's life. If the child is favored with pretty face and attractive ways, she is petted and indulged; if she is strong-willed and resolute, weaker minds of the household yield to her and keep the peace. While still a child she is married, and taken to the home of her husband, where the dreaded mother-in-law at once compels her obedience.

A little later in life, however, when her own children are growing up, and her sons bring home their wives, her own season of authority begins, and henceforth due homage and respect are paid to her word.

Age and position in the households of China entitle the mother and the mother-in-law to implicit respect and deference. The father is revered, and a certain awe is attached to his presence, but it is the mother who gives the moulding touch to the household.

When that leading spirit is wholly unguided by the True Spirit of Wisdom, and has naught but her selfish will and uncontrolled temper to prompt her words and deeds, how can she lead the sons and their wives and her daughters in any ways of pleasantness and of peace? And yet the position. into which she has grown, gives to her a marked influence in her small realm.

Now, should this same leading spirit in the home have learned obedience to the Father's will, to control her hasty temper and selfish will, she can lead her sons and daughters in ways of pleasantness and of peace, and she can influence them to set their affections on things above, and to live high, noble lives. Yes, she can say, "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord;" and she can see to it that the routine of daily labor shall be suspended, and each seventh day, "the day of rest and gladness," shall be observed and not desecrated.