YOUNG FOLKS
WHAT SUSIE FOUND AT TOUGALOO
(SEE FEBRUARY AMERICAN MISSIONARY.)
A roomful of girls of various sizes and complexions, all very much intent upon their work, and no one thinking just at that moment of a traveled fairy daughter, to adopt and love as her own, sent by a beneficent and tender-hearted northern "Fay." I doubt if Susie ever before saw so many "little women" laboring with needles and trying to set the troublesome stitches straight and even, to keep the thread from tangling and the seam clean. The results are far from perfection, but they are encouraging.
Some of the children wear thimbles, and some set them upon their desks and wiggle the needle through without their aid. Here is a child so tiny that no thimble in the box will serve her. She has a delicate face, with big brown eyes, and her fingers are the slenderest of appendages to her atoms of hands. Her sister, a year or so older, has a round, chubby face, with plump, dimpled, brown hands, but these fat fingers also must grow to the smallest thimble. Here is a quiet, modest little girl whose five baptismal names, Cynthia Ann Finetta Bloomfield Celeste, furnish her nothing prettier for every day use than "Lusty." She could not thread a needle or tie a knot when she joined the Hope Band, and the second year she wore one of the smallest thimbles with a bit of cloth inside for "chinking" to keep it on. Here Susie's sympathies are drawn out towards a thin, nervous-looking little Frances, who has a hand and foot crippled. She walks painfully along to her place and holds her work at a disadvantage in the poor little cramped left hand, but she likes to be there with the others.
Most of the heads are covered with little tight braids, on some heads standing at every angle, on some laid smoothly down, one braid tied to another. A few have their curly hair cropped close, and here is a little girl with a bushy mass overshadowing her lively face. She takes but a stitch or two until she goes up to the front and holds her work out for her teacher's inspection. Some time elapses before that lady can notice it and say, "That is pretty good, Lena; now go right on carefully." Lena returns slowly to her place, takes a stitch or two more and repeats the performance. When will the work be completed? O no, that is the way she used to do, but now—
A middle-sized "Topsy" comes pushing rudely forward, tossing her head and whispering disagreeable things to those she has to pass, and Susy hopes she will not be brought into any closer relations with her, when she happens to see her tenderly fondling a broken-armed, broken-legged dollie, while her work is being adjusted, and thinks somewhat better of her. There are several Lilies and Roses in this growing garden. The lilies are not white and the roses are not red, but more attractive and interesting to their teacher's eyes than the black pansies the flower gardeners labored so long to produce. Their teacher is fond of flowers and has her windows full, even in winter, but she does not smile upon them with such a heartful of affection as upon these, nor can those bask in the light of her merry face more freely. As her short, round figure moves down the aisle and back, and Susie gets a good look at her, she says to herself, "Why surely this is Mrs. Santa Claus! How glad I am!" and it is not a strange conclusion, for her figure and expression are like the poet's description of dear Saint Nick.
Here is a girl in one of the side seats a good deal taller than her teacher. Through the long, bright, warm summer she works in the cotton and the corn, alongside of father, brothers, uncles, men and women, boys and girls. Her hands are enlarged and roughened with toil, but she is taking pains to learn how to do this useful indoor work skillfully too.
There is a goodly company of these larger girls, but Susie does not feel any more afraid of them, nor of "the middle-sized bears and the wee tiny, small bears" than did little Silverhair in the nursery tale. She doubts, however, if these largest ones have not laid aside dollies, and thinks she must look among the "leaster" ones for the little step-mother who will respect her own little Fay-mother's request to "take good care of her." But when the sewing-lesson is ended and she notices one and another bring to light a little dollie-daughter to hug in her arms as she walks homeward, and sees the sociable interest of all the rest, she feels no further doubt about the mother-love in all these little Southern bosoms and resigns all care as to which one shall be hers, leaving the whole question to Mrs. Santa Claus.
Perhaps some day we may call upon her when she is fully domesticated in her new home. There will not be many comforts and conveniences in that home. Possibly when we ask for Susie, her mamma will draw a little old box from under the head of her bed, as once when I called upon one of these little girls and asked her if she had a doll. It had lost some of its limbs and it was dressed in odds and ends, tacked together by the untaught little mother, but when I set the dollie on my knee and pretended to drink tea out of one of the tiny toy cups set forth from the same treasure-box, you could not find a more hilarious little mamma anywhere, though you should pick out one with all nursery stores at her command.
A LETTER FROM ONE OF OUR INDIAN PUPILS IN NEBRASKA
SANTEE AGENCY, NEB.
Dear Eastern Friends:—We have had five good prayer meetings during two weeks, and I am very glad to tell you dear friends that some of our school-mates said they will try and do as God wants them to do. And some pray who never did before. No words can tell how I felt one evening after we came home from meeting. Just before I went up stairs I asked the Matron if I could talk Dakota to tell my room-mate about the meeting. The subject was, "What must I do to be saved?" I told it to her the best I could. After I was through talking I asked her if she understood all what I meant and she said "Yes." We both were silent for one minute. I was praying to God in my heart to help me to help this dear school-mate of mine. Then in a little while she said, "I believe in Jesus and now I will always try and be a Christian." When she said that, I couldn't do anything more, I was so glad that my tears came. And before we went to sleep I ask her to pray after I did, and she did; this was the first time she prayed in her own words. It was so dark and I couldn't see anything but I knew she was crying by the way she spoke. After long time I thought she went to sleep; but all at once she call my name and said, "I wish tomorrow morning they would sing in Dakota, 'Ring the bells in heaven, there is great joy to-day.'" Dear friends we kindly ask you to remember us when you offer prayer to our dear God.
Your friend,——
RECEIPTS FOR FEBRUARY, 1888
MAINE, $1,119.63
Auburn. High St. Cong. Ch. (117.28 of which for Indian M. and 39.74 for Chinese M. 302.85
Augusta. Joel Spalding, to const. HON. WM. P. FRYE L.M. 30.00
Bangor. Central Cong. Ch. 75; Hammond St. Cong. Ch., 2, for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 77.00
Bridgeton. By Mrs. Hale, Pkg. Basted Work, for Selma, Ala.
Castine. Wm. G. Sargent, for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 5.00
Center Lebanon. Sab. Sch. Class., for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 4.10
Denmark. Box of C., for Mobile, Ala.
East Orrington, Sab. Sch. 2; Miss M.F. George, 1, for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 3.00
Edgecomb. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 13.00
Farmington Falls. By Miss Susan G. Crowell, for Freight 0.65
Hampden. Cong. Ch. 4.80
Harpswell. Mrs. John Dinsmore. for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 7.00
Island Falls. Miss D. Merriman, for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 2.50
Limington. Cong. Ch. 12.50
Monson. Rev. R.W. Emerson, for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 5.00
Newcastle. Mrs. Wm. Heath, for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 1.00
New Gloucester. Ladies of Cong. Ch., Bbl. and Box of C., 1.75 for Freight, for Selma, Ala. 1.75
New Sharon, Cong. Ch. 3.00
North Bridgeton. Cong. Ch. 2.25
Norway. Mrs. Amos. I. Holt, Bbl. of C., for Wilmington, N.C.; – 2, for Freight 2.00
Orkland. H.T. and S.E. Buck, 20; Mrs. Trott, 3; "A Friend," 1 24.00
Portland. "A Friend" (10 of which for Rosebud Indian M.) 15.00
Saco. First Parish Ch. and Soc., to const. MRS. ELLA C. INGALLS L.M. 30.00
Scarboro. Cong. Ch. 5.16
Skowhegan. Ladies of Miss'y Soc., Bbl. of C., for Selma, Ala.
South Paris. by Mrs. Austin, Pkg. Work, for Selma, Ala.
Union. 2 Classes, little girls in Sab. Sch., by Mrs. F.V. Norcross for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 5.00
Wells. B. Maxwell. 25.00
Westbrook. Second Cong. Ch. 25.57
Wilton. Ladies of Cong. Ch., Bbl. of C., for Selma, Ala.
Yarmouthville. Rev. Amasa Loring, for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 2.00
–—. "Friend in Maine," bal. to const. MRS. JULIA A. MERRILL L.M. 10.50
By Mrs. C.A. Woodbury, Treas. W.A. to A.M.A., for Woman's Work:
Ladies of Maine 500.00
NEW HAMPSHIRE, $291.01
Amherst. Rev. A.J. McGown 10.00
Auburn. Benjamin Chase, for Indian M. 2.00
Candia. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 17.50
Colebrook. "A Friend," Pkg. of Coats, Val. 16.16.
East Derry, First Ch. 18.03
East Jaffrey. "A Friend" 15.00
Enfield. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 5.00
Epping. Cong. Ch. 37.00
Goffstown. Bbl. of C., Val. 30, for Greenwood, S.C., 1.40 for Freight 1.40
Great Falls. Mrs. J.A. Stickney, Bbl. and Box of C. and Christmas gifts, for Storrs Sch., Atlanta, Ga.
Greenfield. Cong. Ch. 15.50
Greenfield. "Friends" for Storrs Sch. 8.50
Greenland. Cong. Ch. 15.56
Hancock. By Miss B.D. Robertson 5.63
Henniker. By Miss B.D. Robertson 5.80
Lyme. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 19.81
Manchester. First Cong. Ch. and Soc., to const. ALLEN L. FRENCH L.M. 53.18
Mason. Ladies of Cong. Ch., Bbl. of C., for Storrs Sch., Atlanta, Ga.
Nashua. Miss Sarah Kendall, for Greenwood, S.C. 3.00
Nashua. 2 Bbls. of C., for Greenwood, S.C., 2 for Freight 2.00
Newport. Cong. Ch. 40.10
Pittsfield. Box and Bbl. of C., etc., for Marion, Ala.
South Newmarket. For Freight 2.50
West Lebanon. Tilden Sem., Box of C. and Christmas Gifts, for Storrs Sch., Atlanta, Ga.
By George Swain:
Amherst. Cong. Ch. 1.50
Greenville. Cong. Ch. 10.00
Mason. Mrs. P.S. Wilson 2.00
.–
.13.50
VERMONT. $174.06
Bethel. Sab. Sch. of Cong. Ch., for McIntosh, Ga. 3.43
East Hardwick. O. Paine 0.50
Fairhaven. For McIntosh, Ga. 5.35
Irasburg. Mrs. J.E. Chamberlin 5.00
Jamaica. Ladies, for McIntosh, Ga. by Mrs. Ellen D. Wild 2.00
Lyndon. Dr. L.W. Hubbard 2.00
Middlebury. Bbl. of C., and 2 for McIntosh, Ga. 2.00
Montpeller. Bbl. of C., for Storrs Sch., Atlanta, Ga.
North Thetford. Cong. Ch. 7.00
Norwich. Cong. Ch., 15; "A Friend," 5 20.00
Peru. Dea. Edmund Batchelder, 3; Rev. A.B. Peffers, 2. 5.00
Pittsford. Mrs. Nancy P. Humphrey 10.00
Post Mills. Cong. Ch. (3 of which for McIntosh, Ga.) 8.00
Quechee. Bbl. of C. and 1.75 for McIntosh, Ga. 1.75
Saint Johnsbury East. Cong. Ch. 6.50
Shoreham. R.H. Holmes 5.00
Stratford. Cong, Ch. 25.00
Townshend. Cong. Ch. (5 of which from Mrs. Anna Rice) 25.53
Wells River. Cong. Ch. 20.00
West Brattleboro. Ladies of Cong. Ch., 15; A.L. Grout, 5, for McIntosh, Ga. 20.00
MASSACHUSETTS, $5,925.07
Amesbury. Union Evang. Ch. 4.03
Amherst. "A Friend," to const. JOHN RICHARDS L.M. 30.00
Andover. Rev. F.W. Greene, 20; A Friend, 10 30.00
Andover. Juv. Miss'y Soc. of West Parish, for Indian Student Aid 15.00
Andover. Ladies of Free Ch., Bbl. of C., for Marion, Ala.
Ashfield. "A Friend" 1.16
Auburn. Infant Class. Sab. Sch. of Cong. Ch., for Conn. Ind'l Sch., Ga. 7.00
Belchertown. Mrs. D.B. Bruce, to const. REV. CHARLES R. BRUCE L.M. 30.00
Beverly. Dane St. Sab. Sch., for Student Aid, Fisk U. 50.00
Boston. J.H. Nichols, A.A. Lawrence and S.W. Marston, Val. Sch. Books and Sch. Apparatus
Dorchester. Miss Mary A. Tutle, for Marie Adlof Sch'p Fund 0.40
Jamaica Plain. Miss Nellie Riley, Pkg cards, etc., for Straight U. –
.0.40
Boxboro. Cong. Ch. 15.00
Boxford. A Friend, for Ch., Corbin, Ky. 5.00
Brimfield. Sab. Sch. of Cong. Ch., for Student Aid, Fisk U. 10.60
Buckland. First Cong. Ch., for Sherwood, Tenn. 4.00
Cambridgeport. Miss Hannah E. Moore 8.00
Chelsea. Y.P.S.C.E. of First Cong. Ch., for Student Aid, Fisk U. 7.50
Chelsea. Miss E. Davenport 5.00
Chelsea. Mrs. Emma B. Evans, for Indian M. 5.00
Clinton. Young People's Mite Soc., for Indian Sch'p 43.00
Cohasset. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 31.33
Cummington. Mrs. H.M. Porter 3.00
Dalton. Sab. Sch. of Cong. Ch., for Student Aid, Williamsburg, Ky. 45.00
Dracut. First Cong. Ch. 10.00
Dunstable. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 30.74
East Douglas. Second Cong. Ch. and Soc. 49.97
East Weymouth. Ch. and Sab. Sch., for Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 50.00
Georgetown. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 33.50
Globe Village. Young Helpers of Evan. Free Ch., for Student Aid, Fisk U. 25.00
Greenwich. Daniel Parker, deceased, by Mrs. M.P. Estey 5.00
Groton. Ladies' Benev. Soc., by Mrs. Caroline Blood, for Freight 2.00
Hampshire Co. "A Friend" 5.00
Haverhill. Sab. Sch. of West Cong. Ch., for Freight 3.00
Hyde Park. Woman's H.M.U. and Children's M. Soc. of First Cong. Ch., for Tougaloo U., and to const. MISS ALICE GRAY L.M. 30.00
Ipswich. South Cong. Ch. 20.00
Lakeville. Mrs. C.L. Ward 25.00
Lawrence. Lawrence St. Ch. and Soc. 150.00
Long Meadow. "A Friend," for Indian M. 1.00
Lowell. John St. Cong. Ch., 41.92; "A Friend in Elliot Ch." 5; Geo. C. Osgood, M.D., 1.50 48.42
Lowell. Ladies' Benev. Soc. of First Cong. Ch., Bbl. of C., for Wilmington, N.C.
Malden. Infant Sab. Sch., for Straight U. 10.00
Manchester. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 20.75
Mansfield. Ladies' Miss'y Soc., for Wilmington, N.C. 8.17
Middlefield. Cong. Ch. 28.00
Monson. Mrs. Abbie G. Smith 5.00
Neponset. Stone Mission Circle of Trin. Cong. Ch., for Student Aid, Wilmington, N.C. 10.00
Newburyport. "Friends," for Mountain Work 3.00
Norfolk. Cong. Ch. 2.14
North Abington. Cong. Ch. 5.00
North Adams. "A Friend" 10.00
Northhampton. "C" 100.00
Northbridge. Cong. Ch. 10.00
North Brookfield. Freight on Box to Pleasant Hill, Tenn. 4.60
North Leominister. Mrs. S.F. Houghton, to const. REV. F.A. BALCOM L.M. 30.00
Peabody. Sab. Sch. of South Cong. Ch., for Indian M. 50.00
Peabody. Sab. Sch. of First Cong. Ch., Box Books and Christmas Gifts, for Sherwood, Tenn.
Pepperell. Ladies of Cong. Soc., Bbl. of C., for Greenwood, S.C., 2 for Freight 2.00
Randolph. Collected by Mrs. J.C. Labaree, 30; Y.L. Miss'y Soc,. Bbl. of C., for Tougaloo, U. 30.00
Randolph. Annie T. and Marion Belcher 10.00
Reading. Cong. Ch. 18.00
Royalston. "A Friend," 10; –, Bbl. of C., for Greenwood, S.C. 10.00
Royalston. First Cong. Ch. 2.50
Somerset. Cong. Ch. 2.00
Somerville. Sab. Sch. of Franklin St. Cong. Ch., for Indian Student Aid, add'l 40.00
Somerville. Winter Hill Cong. Ch., 17.50; Day St. Ch., 10.50 28.00
Somerville. Ladies of Cong. Ch., for Freight 3.35
South Amherst. South Cong. Ch. 6.12
South Braintree. Cong. Ch. 11.00
Southington. Ladies' Benev.Soc., 2 Bbls. of C., for Tougaloo, Miss
South Weymouth. Children's Soc., Bbl. of Christmas Gifts
Spencer. Mrs. G.H. Marsh's S.S. Class, for Wilmington, N.C. 7.00
Springfield. "H.M." 1000.00
Taunton. Union Cong. Ch. 27.50
Waltham. Trin. Cong. Ch. 15.80
Waltham. Sab. Sen. Class, for Storrs Sch. Atlanta, Ga 3.00
Warren. Sab. Sch. of Cong. Ch., for Student Aid, Tillotson C. & N. Inst 42.00
Watertown. Mrs. M. Pryor 0.50
Wellesley. Cong. Ch. and Soc 123.14
Wellesley. Wellesley College, to const. GEORGE W. CABLE L.M. 45.00
Wellesley. "Friends" in Wellesley Col., for Marion, Ala 26.00
West Boylston. First Cong. Ch. and Soc. 9.00
Westhampton. ladies' Benev. Soc., for Tougaloo U 10.00
Westminster. "Cheerful Givers," for Student Aid, Fisk U 5.00
West Newton. Earnest Workers, for Student Aid, Storrs Sch 5.00
West Springfield. Mrs. Lucy m. Bagg, for Pleasant Hill, Tenn 50.00
Weymouth. Sab. Sch. of Cong. Ch., for Pleasant Hill, Tenn 55.00
Whitman. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 77.00
Winchendon. Sab. Sch. of Cong. Ch., for Pleasant Hill, Tenn 20.00
Winchester. Cong. Ch. and Soc. 19.59
Worchester. Old So. Ch., to const. GEO. R. BLISS and MRS. GEO. M. PIERSE L.M.'s 61.26
Yarmouth. Rev. John W. Dodge, for Pleasant Hill, Tenn 25.00 – $2,925 07
LEGACY
Whitinsville. Estate of Chas. P. Whitin, by Edward Whitin, Ex. 3000.00 – $5,925 07
CLOTHING, ETC., RECEIVED AT BOSTON OFFICE
Farmington Falls, Me. By Miss Susan G. Crosswell, Box, for Williamsburg, Ky
Litchfield, Me. Ladies' Aid Soc., Bbl., for Williamsburg, Ky
Brookfield, Mass. Mrs. R.B. Montague. Bbl., for Sherwood, Tenn
Cambridgeport, Mass. Miss Lacena Palmer, Basted Patchwork
Cambridgeport, Mass. By Mrs. R.L. Snow, Box and Bbl., for Tougaloo U
Haverhill, Mass. West Cong. Sab. Sch., Bbl., for Talladega C.
Hyde Park, Mass. W.H.M.U., of First Cong. Ch., Bbl., Val. 40 for Tougaloo U.
Roxbury, Mass. Mrs. Arthur W. Tuffts, Box, for Sherwood, Tenn
Somerville, Mass. Mission Circle of Franklin St. Ch., Bbl., for Santee Indian M.
RHODE ISLAND, $448.63
East Providence. Samuel Belden, for Atlanta U 100.00
Newport. United Cong. Ch. 34.68
Pawtucket. "Friends," Cong. Ch., for Indian M. 105.00
Providence. Sam. Sch. of Union Cong. Ch., 50 for Indian M. and 25 for Williamsburg Ky 75.00
Providence. Union Cong. Ch. and Soc. 131.87
Riverside. Riverside Cong. Ch 2.08
CONNECTICUT, $2,001.63
Berlin. "A Friend," 70; The Misses Churchill, 2, for Student Aid, Tougaloo U. 72.00