tract distribution. Good progress has been made in preparing books of the Old and New Testaments in Chinese, by Messrs. Dean and Goddard. ASSAM MISSION.

N. and Mrs. Brown and O. T. Cutter, at Sibsagor; I. J. and Mrs. Stoddard, at Nowgong; A. N. and Mrs. Danforth at Gowahatti. M. and Mrs. Bronson and Mrs. Cutter have returned to this country in quest of health, and C. and Mrs. Barker are expected within the year for the same object. Mrs. Brown arrived at Sibsagor June 28.

The mission, though greatly weakened by the sickness and absence of some of its older members, has not been inoperative, nor without success. At Gowahatti and Nowgong the school department is prosperous. Preaching has been maintained, so far as practicable. At Sibsagor, the printing of the second edition of the Assamese New Testament is nearly finished, and the translation of the Old Testament is about to be commenced by Mr. Brown. MISSION TO THE TELOOGOOS.

S. S. Day, L. and Mrs. Jewett, at Nellore; in this country, Mrs. Day and S. and Mrs. Van Husen.

The station was resumed in April, under many discouragements. Later intelligence is more satisfactory; the missionaries are prosecuting their labors in hope.

MISSION TO THE BASSAS.

Mrs. M. B. Crocker and Mrs. L. G. Clarke, resident in the United States. The mission continues vacant, except native helpers, who are reported steadfast and faithful.

MISSION TO FRANCE.

E. and Mrs. Willard, at Douai; T. T. and Mrs. Devan, temporarily at Paris. The mission makes evident advances, though against many embarrassments. The laborers in the northern section of the mission are concentrating in the departments of Aisne and Oise, and their labors are attended with increasing sucThe churches have united in a General Association, and the preachers and colporteurs in a Ministerial Conference. (See subsequent pp.)

cess.

The operations at Paris have not been unrewarded.—Another field is opening in south-eastern France, near Lyons; a church has been organized, and several native laborers employed, to be under the charge of Dr. Devan, who will remove to that vicinity.

MISSION TO GERMANY.

J. G. Oncken, G. W. Lehmann, and other native laborers.

The intelligence from the German mission is unvaried in character. The work of evangelization is in full progress. Believers are added daily, new churches are being organized, new avenues to the gospel are opening on every hand. The churches are associated in annual and triennial meetings, and their strength for mutual support and outward development is proportionally augmented. GREEK MISSION.

A. N. and Mrs. Arnold, Mrs. H. E. Dickson, at Corfu; R. E. and Mrs. Buel, at Piræus.

The prospects of the mission grow more favorable. Several converts have been baptized on profession of their faith in Christ; others are inquiring for the way of salvation.

MISSION TO THE OJIBWAS.

A. and Mrs. Bingham, at St. Mary's; J. D. Cameron, at Tikuamina.
The boarding department of the mission school has been reduced, and pro-

vision made for a day school at Tikuamina. The St. Mary's day school and other operations of the mission continue as before.

OTTAWAS IN MICHIGAN.

L. and Mrs. Slater.

The Ottawas have expressed their assent to be removed to the Indian Territory, hoping to escape the deteriorating evils of mingling with the white population.

TUSCARORAS IN NEW YORK.

A. and Mrs. Warren.

No change reported since the last annual meeting. SHAWANOE MISSION.

F. and Mrs. Barker, at Shawanoe; J. G. and Mrs. Pratt and Miss E. S. Morse, at Delaware; J. and Mrs. Meeker and J. T. and Mrs. Jones, at Ottawa. The several stations enjoy a good degree of prosperity. The churches are edified and the schools well sustained. A few boarding pupils are also in charge of Mrs. Jones. The press has been removed to Ottawa.

MISSION TO THE CHEROKEES.

E and Mrs. Jones, W. P. and Mrs. Upham, H. and Mrs. Upham.

The mission has had great spiritual prosperity. (See letters of Mr. Jones, in this Magazine.) The national school at Bushyheadville, in charge of Rev. W. P. Upham, has been well conducted. Some additional seminaries are about to be established by the Cherokees.

The whole number of missions under the direction of the Union is seventeen, not including Ava, and of missionaries and assistants, one hundred and fourteen; besides native laborers.

In reading the above enumeration, and comparing it with the one made a year ago, we cannot fail to note the remarkable preservation of life, by which it is signalized above almost every other year of our missionary history. With a solitary exception, and that in one who had long retired from the missionary field (Mrs. Osgood,) no tidings have reached us of the death of a single missionary or missionary assistant within the year. On the contrary, health has been restored to some, of whose recovery there had been faint hope; and they have resumed, or are soon to resume, their accustomed labors.

Exempt from wasting bereavements, the missions have, generally, received increase and impulse by reinforcements. The most urgent necessities have been relieved, and in cases that could better endure delay the near prospect of succor has given fresh hope and courage. The missions are thus more consolidated — they are conscious of a more assured permanency - and with accessions of strength from abroad, their own strength waxes stronger and stronger. The missionaries continue to cherish, and with apparently growing earnestness, a wholehearted consecration to their work; with faith in God, and in the power of His word.

"And their labor is not in vain in the Lord." The successive months of the year have brought from nearly every mission glad tidings; of souls turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; of Chinese and Siamese, Burmans and Karens, Kemees and Assamese, Jews and Greeks, European, African and Indian, bond and free, who have gladly received the word; -the Lord working with his missionary servants, and confirming the word with signs following.

For all this, let devout thanksgivings be rendered to the Lord of missions, who alone hath wrought it. And let our hearts still hope in Him, who "hath said, and will do it; who hath spoken, and will make it good."

INTELLIGENCE FROM THE MISSIONS.

FRANCE.

LETTER OF REV. J. W. PARKER.

The readers of the Magazine are apprized of Mr. Parker's visit the past year to France and Germany, and of some of the interesting facts and incidents which came under his ob

servation in his intercourse with our missionary brethren in those countries, as published in several numbers of our last volume. In the present number, we are enabled to give a consecutive and fuller narrative of the scenes he witnessed in France; and although some portions of it may have been presented in another form, the whole embodies too much interest to allow abbreviation.

Douai-Mission labors and results.

It is known that Douai has been for more than twelve years the residence of the American superintendent of the mission in the north of France. It is a quiet old town, with a population of about 20,000, including about 3,000 soldiers. It is situated in the midst of a most beautiful and fertile undulating plain, not far from 35 leagues south-east of Calais, and on the great northern line of railway between Paris and Belgium. From four to six leagues distant are the churches of Bertry and Orchies. All the above named places are in the department of the North.

of them among the deeply interested hearers of our young French br. Fla

mant.

These meetings at Douai are holden at the house of br. Willard, and are sometimes exceedingly interesting. With the instruction of the young men, an exposition on Sabbath morning for them, and with the correspondence and care of all the other stations, his time is crowded with work.

Piety ripening under affliction.

She

God by his providence has tested and developed the piety of some of the disciples at Douai. Last winter there were many fatal cases of cholera within a short distance of br. Willard's residence. Among those attacked was the wife of one of the brethren who were engaged in study. The symptoms were of the worst type; there was little reason to hope for her recovery. She was most ardently attached to her husband, and strongly desirous of helping him in the work to which he was to devote himself among his Catholic countrymen. The disease made frightful progress, and assumed the most alarming form. was calm, perfectly resigned; aye, even exulting, in view of all that was before There is a small church at Douai, to her. Her heavenly calmness and resigwhich Mr. Willard, and the young bre-nation not only conquered the fear of thren who are studying with him, preach on the Sabbath. At the present time, there are three or four under his care, who are expected to enter soon into the field as preachers of the gospel. They are young men of much excellence of within nine months she would look character, and possess the confidence on the form of her husband, taken from and affection of their older brethren. Some of these young men go out to the villages in the vicinity and preach Christ to the peasantry, much to their gratification. God has blessed these labors. At a communion at Douai, when these labors were suspended, I saw a number out bore his lifeless body to his house.

death, but disease and death itself. She rose up as if by miracle. Her friends attribute her recovery to the Christian hope which she cherished. Dear sister! little did she think at that time, that

her in a moment by drowning. He had gone to walk and bathe one evening, early in August. She was spreading the table with their simple repast, ready for his return. About the time he should have returned, those with whom he went

The blow was taken like a bolt from hea- | Jesus whom he preached, and many ven. Sosudden, so terrible, she staggered would believe on Him.

At St. Quentin, a few leagues from Cambray, there are several disciples, but no one who is stationed there as a Dear sister! she colporteur. This, I think, would be one example to many of the most eligible situations for an able exceed those which and intelligent preacher. Br. Lucas' death

and fell beneath it; but soon recovered,
and manifested such abounding Christian
resignation as to excite the wonder and
admiration of all.
would be a bright
whose privileges far
she has enjoyed.

spread a pall of sadness over the little
company of disciples for several weeks.

The French Peasantry.

The evening brought us to La Fère, the place of M. Foulon's residence. Without the gates of the city were brethren Lepoids, Foulon, and Besin, waiting on the drawbridge for our arrival. These brethBr. Willard left Douai with me on the ren had all suffered for Christ's sake, and 23d of May, to attend a meeting for bap-were endeared to all by their fidelity and tism in the field occupied by M Foulon affection. The evening was spent with our as pastor, and M. Ledouble and others br. Foulon in conversation and prayer, as colporteurs. Our way was through and the morrow was anticipated with soone of the most beautiful countries on licitude and pleasure. which the eye of man ever rested; all bearing the "marks and numbers" of feudal influence, in the extended unenclosed fields of the seigneurs, and the dense villages, or old walled cities, crowded with the cottages of the peasantry, who cultivated the surrounding fields. The happiness of the French peasantry, of which so much is said by travellers, is hardly entitled to the place which has been given to it. They are cheerful, unsusceptible, reckless, and improvident; ing several miles, we called at a cottage exceedingly destitute of social virtues, where a brother resided, who had reand nearly ignorant of what we of Pro- cently embraced Christ; his wife had testant New England call social home also become a disciple. When they comforts among the laborers in the rural learned I came from America, and was a districts and agricultural neighborhoods friend of the mission, they expressed in the Northern States. A pure Pro- great satisfaction. There was in them testant Christianity would effect a change among them almost as great, in many places, as among the heathen.

Fenelon St. Quentin-La Fere.

As we passed through the old city of Cambray, and entered the market-place where Fenelon had often mingled with the crowd who came to the town to sell the proceeds of their labor, and as I stood at the door of the church in which he used to preach, and saw the ignorant and irreligious multitude thronging those streets, my heart was sad. Had we the men to spare from other fields, they would be heard here, preaching the same

Ride to Servais-Chateau of Henry IV. The morning of the 25th rose most beautiful upon us, and we started early from La Fère on foot to Servais, about four or five miles distant, where the meeting was to be holden that day. We passed through and near several villages; the people were, some of them, attending to their ordinary business, and After walksome preparing for church.

both the most decided evidence of a

deep and radical change. The wife was to have been baptized that day, but her illness prevented. We were now passing the scene of M. Foulon's labors. In many of the cottages along the wayside had these evangelists preached Christ and Him crucified to the wondering and earnest Catholics. Many had listened, and some believed, while a few had opposed and persecuted. It was in one of the cottages on this beautiful elevation of land, that one of our young brethren, who was acting as a colporting evangelist, was seized a few months before by an officer of government, and dragged