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CHRISTMAS AS GRANDPA WOULD LIKE IT.

One who calls himself "grandpa," and who remembers how he and others used to keep Christmas seventy years ago, “as a candy and fire-cracker festival," writes from western Pennsylvania for the little Presbyterians of THE CHURCH AT HOME AND ABROAD to propose "a better way."

If Christmas means anything, it means the birthday of Jesus. We do not know on what day or in what month our Saviour was born; but we do know that he was born in Bethlehem, as it was foretold by the prophets, and we are glad and thankful for it. We have agreed to keep the 25th of December as a day in which to be especially glad and thankful. It seems to be a kind of gladness with which fire-crackers have not much to do. Think of the shepherds or the wise men from the East firing off crackers or sending up rockets at Bethlehem! But the wise men did bring "gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh." Would not you, children, like to bring gifts to Jesus on his next birthday? If he lived in your village, and was too poor to have a good dinner on his birthday, would not you take one to him, if your mother would let you, from her kitchen? Would not you like to knit a pair of warm mittens or socks for him? Is there no one in your town for whom you can do this, and please him all the same as if it were himself? Study Matt. 25: 34-40.

The aged grandpa who writes to us for you suggests that you should save up money until Christmas-what you can honestly earn or what is kindly given to you-and then give "such part as you think right to the great missionary work of telling to hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of heathen children that Jesus Christ died to save them, as well as you, from sin and woe, and to make them holy and happy-to give

them a home by and by in his Father's house, that has so many mansions or rooms in it, and seats at the marriage supper of the Lamb."

Can you find the Bible verses in which those many mansions and that marriage supper are mentioned?

Your aged friend thinks that to keep Christ's birthday in such a way will be a sort of joining with the angels in their Bethlehem song, "Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace, good will to men."

He thinks that those angels "would have been happy in their singing if their song had been, Glory to God in the highest; and in heaven peace, good will to angels;" but he thinks that it gave them a much deeper happiness to sing as they did, and to know that the babe born in Bethlehem that night, their King and Lord, was born to be the Saviour of lost men.

Is he not right in this? And will not you honor Christ's birthday most and please him best by giving gifts which will help him save some of the children and people far away in dark lands, where they do not know that he was born and died to save them, or in those other dark places where, if they keep his birthday, they worship his virgin mother more than him, and are not taught to keep his commandments?

Do not you think that this dear grandpa, who has written to us in this way, is quite right? And will not many of way of keeping Christmas?

you try his

The children will find an interesting story on the next page which is copied from the Heathen Woman's Friend, a paper published by the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

O TSUGI SAN.

BY MISS REBECCA J. WATSON.

O Tsugi San, as we always called her, was one of our oldest girls. She graduated from the English department May, 1886; was in the senior class of the Japanese department, which graduates this coming May. God saw her education here was finished, and took her to himself, where she will forever learn from the fountain-head of all true wisdom. She came to the school here in September, 1883. She had previously studShe had previously studied in a mission school of the Congregational Church in Kioto; but the aim of every young Japanese is to come to Tokyo, the capital, which they regard as the seat of all learning, and the place where all hopes, however ambitious, will be fulfilled. Her desire to learn English was only that she might read English books, and be the better able to refute the doctrines of the Christian religion. She was converted, baptized and received into the church in the spring of 1885. In few girls are there such marked changes as were shown in O Tsugi San's daily life. Those who knew her before and saw her then often remarked, "How changed O Tsugi San is!" "What a different girl!" and the younger girls delighted to have her explain the Bible to them, because, they said, she made it much plainer than any one else. The servants said they always understood better if she explained. She taught a Bible class in the school each morning, and was a ready and efficient helper in the Sunday-school at Mita. She gave great promise for a life of usefulness, and we miss her more as the days go by. ... The last of February the doctor thought

perhaps it would be better for her to go to her own home in Osaka, as the climate is a little milder than here. Her father came for her Friday, March 4, and decided to take her to the hot springs at Atami for a few days of change and rest before undertaking the sea voyage. The next morning he took her to a hospital in Tokyo to consult a physician in whom he had great confidence. She was taken with a severe hemorrhage, and was not able to come back to the school, and from there she passed to her heavenly home the following Thursday. Some of the teachers had visited her several times, and her father was constant in his attentions. Though the father is not a Christian, he allowed us to have her brought back to the school and make all arrangements for a Christian funeral, which was held in the little church where she had so often prayed and spoken and had taken the vows which had pledged her to a life of service for her Lord. Here, surrounded by those who knew and loved her, kindly words were spoken by her pastor, Mr. Honda, and Brother Soper of our mission, and in a lovely spot in the cemetery at Aoyama we laid her to rest, to await the resurrection morn. One of the teachers, in talking with her father after all was over, said, " Though we mourned, it was not without hope of seeing her again." The father replied he had thought much about these things, and knew he should now think more about them, for O Tsugi San was so earnest in her Christian life. Many prayers ascend daily for the conversion of this bereaved family.

A CHRISTIAN BOY IN AFRICA.

One of the English magazines that come to us in exchange for THE CHURCH AT HOME AND ABROAD is "Central Africa, a Monthly Record of the Work of the Universities' Mission." In its June number is an interesting story which we copy for our

little Presbyterians. Surely they will read it, and be glad that so many brave young men are going from the English universities to teach the people, old and young, in "the Dark Continent." Do not some of you wish to go too?

One of our boys, living in the mission nouse at Magila, was called by his friends to take part in a sacrificial feast to be eaten at his father's grave. Where this is the custom, if any near relation keeps away he is liable to be accused of having caused the death by witchcraft. But as the goat which is killed seems to be offered to the spirit of the departed, of course this Christian boy could not take part in the feast. Yet we were very anxious that it should not be thought that he kept away from any want of affection. It was therefore decided that he should take a wreath of flowers and lay it on the grave, and tell the people that that was our way of showing our respect and affection for the dead. The boy said if he

went alone his brothers would beat him, so I went with him to the little village where his mother lived. When we went to the grave all the people came with us to see what we were going to do, so as Hugh Kayamba was with me to act as interpreter, I was able to preach them a little sermon, explaining why a Christian could not join in any kind of heathen sacrifice, and yet that the boy wished to show his affection for his father. The old mother came up from the river, where she had gone for water, before we left. She said the boy must come, but when Hugh told her it would do him great harm, as he knew he should displease God if he came, she said, "Very well! she loved her boy, and did not wish to do him harm."

Dr. Heron, who went to Korea a little over two years ago to assist Dr. Allen in the hospital which the government had founded and entrusted to him, writes us of the work which they have been enabled to do.

Within a year they had seen and prescribed for over nine thousand patients at the hospital, and about five hundred more at the missionaries' own houses. The cholera prevailed there last summer, and the superior efficacy of the medicines prescribed by these missionary physicians, as compared with those of the natives, made a most favorable impression upon the people. He mentions some marked cases, which, he says, "make one feel how good it is to be a physician." We would say, "How good it is to be a missionary physician!"

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I have given away many copies of the Chinese New Testament." He finds evidence that "the people are very much interested in the subject."

They are teaching twelve students in medicine, whom they hope to make "skillful, scientific physicians." These students are "supported by the government, and are fair English scholars. They are studying chemistry and anatomy, and frequently come to our Sabbath services for foreigners, and seem very much interested in them." With quite widespread interest and inquiry a few have given clear evidence of accepting Christ in beautiful simplicity of trust, and have been baptized into his name.

The king shows commendable interest "in all things which will improve his country." He patronizes the schools, orphanage and hospital of our missionaries.

Dr. Heron properly urges that there may be continual, specific and earnest prayer for divine guidance and help to improve these great opportunities so signally opened to us in Korea.

HOW RICH MAY A CHRISTIAN BECOME?

A Christian lady recently died who is said to have left a property amounting to from fifteen to thirty millions of dollars. Being a single woman, she had the use of it all for herself. Yet she was characterized by her benevolence, doing much good with her means while she lived, and at her death leaving much of her wealth for useful purposes.

But the question properly arises, How rich is it right for a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ to become? What amount of wealth is it consistent for him to accumulate? Doubtless it would be difficult to prescribe any definite limits. What might be right and proper for one person might not be so for another. A Christian in business may accumulate and retain so much as may be needful to carry on his business to the best advantage, always making it his supreme aim to acquire means for doing a greater amount of good. But beyond this, accumulation is questionable. It is ques

tionable whether in these days it is right and proper for a Christian to accumulate millions of unused money. The demands for that money are great and urgent. The calls for it are many and loud. The treasury of the Lord is but scantily filled, whilst it should be full to overflowing. Millions are needed where but thousands and hundreds are supplied. During all the years that those millions to which we have alluded have been treasured up, they might have been going about doing good. The loss that has thus been sustained can never be known in this world. Had they been cast into the treasury of the Lord, how many missionaries, both home and foreign, might have been sent forth into the broad and needy fields of the world, and how many benevolent causes might have been aided! It becomes those Christians that have in their possession treasured wealth seriously to inquire whether the Lord has not present need of it.-Home Missionary.

PRESBYTERY'S CARE OF STUDENTS AND CHURCHES.

In the July number of THE CHURCH AT HOME AND ABROAD, among the editorials are two articles which present problems to be solved.

Now, I write to say that, to my mind, both of these have been quite satisfactorily worked out by the church in Canada.

With regard to the first, viz., as to what provision should be made for men desirous of entering the ministry whose circumstances are such that it is impossible for them to take the full course of study; for all such a programme has been prepared, which is taken by the board of directors as a substitute in these special instances for the full university programme.

In Knox College, Toronto, two of the students who are already in the theological department, and who are generally honor men in classics, are engaged to teach students in the preparatory course their Greek and Latin; the mathematics are taught by one

of the regular professors, and the sciences, history, English and Hebrew are taught in the university with which the seminary is in affiliation.

In this way the students acquire a very good knowledge of the branches in the three years allotted for the completion of the programme. Having done this they enter theology side by side with the Bachelors of Arts, and are in every respect regarded as their equals.

While they are allowed to pursue this special course, they are at the same time advised, when entering, to take the full academic course, if possible; so the result is that only a small proportion of the theological students at any one time are not graduates of the university, and these mostly men who would not have entered but for this special course, but would either have followed some other pursuit or have entered some other denomination.

In this way they secure the advantages of college life, with few disadvantages.

As far as their success is concerned, it may be said that very little difference is seen. They are generally found more ready to take charge of weak country churches, and often their labors are successful beyond expectation. Some of them are filling large churches in our cities which have grown up under their care, notably Revs. John Cameron and Alexander Gilray, of Toronto.

With regard to the article on "Presbyterial Oversight," I would say that I think the church in the Maritime Provinces has successfully answered that question.

The presbytery endeavors to meet with every church within its bounds once a year or thereabouts, either as a whole or by committee, and inquire into its temporal and spiritual affairs. This is done especially

for the weaker churches, that is, wherever it is most needed. A two or three days meeting is held, when, besides inquiry into the affairs of the church, a number of practical sermons are preached by the brethren present bearing upon matters suggested by the pastor or some one in the congregation.

Now, it seems to me that some such system as this, if adopted, would meet the want felt by so many of our smaller congregations which are never favored with a meeting of presbytery within their bounds. It might not always be convenient for the presbytery to meet in a body, but could not it be divided into committees which would be entrusted with that duty,?

I am pastor of a congregation which I am sure would be very glad to welcome members of the presbytery on such an errand. A PASTOR.

CHRISTIAN WORK AND CHURCH GROWTH.

From the annual report for 1886 of the Batanga Church, West Africa, by Rev. F. S. Myongo, its minister, we make some extracts, furnishing good examples of faithful and earnest work for souls and for Christ:

...

Since my arrival here, on April 23, 1886, the regular Sabbath preaching is continually kept up in the house that I built as schoolhouse, the audience always attended by eager and attentive hearers, always crowded with people. . . . Many of people sit outMany of people sit outside of house. The preaching is often crowned by the blessing of God's grace. After preaching there are persons coming as inquirers, confessing their sins with tears. Sometimes they come three at a time, or four.

Every Sabbath at three o'clock all Christians that are near here divide themselves in companies, and itinerate from house to house and town to town, visiting those who do not come to church. In this way we reach every one in this country. By this important plan the words of God are spreading very rapidly. . . .

Just after the audience is out we com

mence our Sabbath-school, often thickly attended; scholars sometimes a hundred, sometimes beyond that. The school contains seven classes in whole-English Bible class taught by myself, the Benga Bible. class taught by one of the Christian men, another Bible class taught by another Christian young man; the rest of other four classes are taught by boys and girls who have been from our mission schools.

We commence by singing four Benga hymns. After recitation, I press the knowl edge of the words of God into the minds of boys and girls and also grown-up people, by making few remarks and asking them simple questions from Bible. They seem to understand what they are learning by an swering these questions well.

The work of Sunday-school is very encouraging, because great many Christians who do not know how to read are faithfully taught the truth of Bible by simply reading the verses of Scripture to them, those verses being explained to them. They are built in faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. Many children who do not attend the day-school, by their daily business of

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