many Christians of both the old world and the new, and that the united intercession was followed by unusual spiritual blessing." There are, says the appeal, unwonted tokens of the coming of God's Kingdom, but there is also perilous unrest. World movements sweep on; nations are in commotion. The next century will be in many ways a decisive century." It appeals to Christians to make the first Sunday of December a day of faithful request for God's great blessingspecial prayer being thenceforth faithfully continued. It also suggests that churches and individuals mark the advent of the new century by watch-night prayers. It also invites all believers to devote the week of January-6th to 13th, inclusive to prayer for the Church Universal and for the unsaved world. This appeal bears the names of many men honored in Christendom. The Woman's Board of the Interior has voted to give its earnest endorsement to this appeal for prayer, and joins in entreating the women co-operating with it. to continue much in prayer during the remaining weeks of the century. OUR GRAND ARMY. We must increase the grand army of givers to this cause. The grand army of veterans who followed the starry flag in our late war and gave heroic service to save our country is steadily diminishing, and they look forward to a time when they must abandon their great annual parade because the ranks are so thin and the heroes so feeble. But this great host of soldiers under Christ's banner, who use their money and all their other powers as weapons in the great warfare when victory means the salvation of the world, ought to be always increasing, ranks filling up, the great host swelling constantly with recruits. We need more givers. Thank God for the rich men whom he has stirred to such love for Christ and humanity that they give princely sums to this and other great philanthropies! They help the kingdom mightily, and mightily will they be blessed. But we want not merely batallions of princely givers, but a vast host of others, many of whom can perhaps give. but little, but whose little gift will be as precious to God, and as richly rewarded, as the greatest. We shall not be satisfied till every Christian shares in this great work of "discipling all nations," by his prayers and by his contributions.Dr. C. H. Richards. MINISTER CONGER'S LETTER. LEGATION OF THE U. S. A., Peking, China, August 18, 1900. THE BESIEGED AMERICAN MISSIONARIES: To one and all of you so provi dentially saved from threatened massacre, I beg, in this hour of our deliverance, to express what I know to be the universal sentiment of the diplomatic corps, the sincere appreciation of and profound gratitude for the inestimable help which you and the native Christians under your charge have rendered towards our preservation. Without your intelligent and successful planning and the uncomplaining execution of the Chinese I believe our salvation would have been impossible. By your courteous consideration of me and your continued patience under most trying occasions I have been deeply touched, and for it I thank you most heartily. I hope and believe that somehow in God's unerring plan your sacrifices and dangers will bear rich fruit in the material and spiritual welfare of the people to whom you have so nobly devoted your lives and work. Assuring you of my personal respect and gratitude, believe me, Very sincerely yours, (Signed) E. H. CONGER. Watch ye! Stand fast in the faith. IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS. MISS MARY C. KITTREDGE. We thank Thee, Father, for the love "In everything give thanks," we read. Can little children, spent with grief, Be thankful for the fierce alarms They think no longer of their fears, Not for the pain, the grief, the fear, Can just be glad to feel Thee near. To see new blessing in the cross. That we received from Thy dear hand. And thank Thee for Thy love, our God. Ottawa, Kansas, July 27, 1900. SCRIPTURE MESSAGE IN MEMORIAL SERVICE OF THE ANNUAL MEETING AT THE WOMAN'S BOARD OF MISSIONS, OCT. 24TH, 1900, FOR MISS ROWENA BIRD AND MISS MARY LOUISE PARTRIDGE. (Given by Dr. Moses Smith). "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you. But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are made partakers of the sufferings of Christ, that when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." (1 Pet. 4:12-13). "For ye know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Cor. 5:1). "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is thy sting! O Grave, where is thy victory! Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 15:53, 54, 55, 57). "These are they that have come out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. And they shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them nor any heat. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Rev. 7:14, 16, 17). And again our Lord saith, "Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in Me. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am. there ye may be also." (John 14:1, 2, 3). And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. For the former things are passed away. And behold, I make all things new. (Rev. 21: 4, 5). "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess. 3:18). "And the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." The love of Christ constraineth us. Archimedes said if he could only find a fulcrum for his lever, he could move the world. Ah! we have found it! Prayer is the lever, the divine promise is the fulcrum. Pushing down on such a lever, we move not only earth but heaven also. -Talmage. IN MEMORIAM: MRS. HENRY M. LYMAN. In the sad and sudden passing away of our dear friend and co-worker, Mrs. Henry M. Lyman, our Board has sustained a loss that will be long and deeply felt. She was a faithful, efficient and devoted member of our Executive Committee from 1884, and one of its Corresponding Secretaries since 1891. MRS. HENRY M. LYMAN. For this work she was peculiarly fitted by birth, education and family relationships, both herself and her husband being children of missionaries, born and reared in missionary homes. Her maiden name was Sarah Kittredge Clark. She was the daughter of Reverend Ephraim W. Clark, who, with his wife, went to the Sandwich Islands as missionary of the American board in 1828, and was for thirty years pastor of the Kawaihau Church in Honolulu. She was the fourth of a family of seven children, all of whom survive her except one brother who last summer preceded her to the life beyond. She attended the Punahoa School-now Oahu College-until she was eighteen years of age, when she came to this country with her parents; making the voyage in a sailing vessel around Cape Horn. After a few months rest, Mr. and Mrs. Clark returned to their island home ever since. leaving their daughter Sarah with an uncle in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where she passed a pleasant year. Then came her first great sorrow. Hearing of her mother's failing health, she started at once for her home in Honolulu, only to find on reaching there, that her mother had passed away six weeks before. In 1863 she came again to this country, and was married in the home of her uncle at Roxbury, to Dr. Henry M. Lyman, a companion of her childhood, and a lifelong friend who had come to New England for classical and medical education with hospital practice in New York. In the autumn of that year Dr. and Mrs. Lyman removed to Chicago, settled on Ashland Boulevard, identified themselves at once with Union Park Congregational Church, and have remained in that communion Mrs. Lyman was a woman of unusual gifts and graces, her character symmetrical and complete, her life full of loving ministrations and gracious sympathies, her spirit gentle and serene, her judgment always calmly poised and wise, the wealth and overflow of her large-souled womanhood pouring forth help, and cheer, and comfort into other lives. But with all these beautiful traits of character she was so modest herself and self depre ciating, that she little realized how deep was the respect and admiration she inspired in others. The sweet simplicity of her nature, her unfeigned humility and self-effacement, gave additional charm to those rare qualities of mind and heart which united in making her consistent, unselfish life. her own best eulogy, and her influence will surely be beneficial and lasting upon all who knew her. Earth is indeed the poorer because of her translation. We shall miss her sadly, but she has left a rich legacy to us all. Her example and memory cannot but inspire us to better life and more devoted service. And how precious the heritage comingfrom such a mother to the four daughters whom she has left in the beauty of their earnest consecrated young womanhood, to go out into life with new endeavor, higher aspirations, and richer promise, because of the pervading and abiding influence of such a life -not ended but continued in sweeter service and more exalted happiness. "Their mother from the fields of Heaven Shall still her ear incline, Nor need we fear her human love Is less, for love divine. The dear Lord's best interpreters, Are humble human souls, The gospel of a life like hers, Is more than books or scrolls. At the China Conference of officers of mission boards recently held in New York a letter was read from the International Medical Missionary Society, stating that in response to a request from some missionaries, delayed from going to China by the present troubles, a special accident and emergency course would be arranged this winter, open to evangelical missionaries of both sexes, at a total charge for instruction, with board and rooming, of MISS PALMER. and Mr. Rand, left in 1890, the only missionary on the island of Ponape, which was in a seething turmoil because of the oppression of the people by the Spaniards. In June of that year, she was compelled, alone, to enter her protest against the building of the house of the Spanish priests on the American mission ground at Oua, within sixty feet of the Girls' School, and directly in front of it. When the oppression of the Spaniards aroused the natives to retaliation, she saved the lives of the priests by secreting them from the fury of the angry Metalanim, thus drawing such wrath upon herself that her own life was in danger, and for several days it was feared the exasperated natives would kill them all. In September of that year, the Morning Star returned, bringing Mr. and Mrs. Rand, Miss Foss and Miss Fletcher, but the Spaniards refused them protection, except on the Spanish war ship. When the other missionary ladies left for Kusaie, the Spaniards refused to allow them to take the sixteen girls who were in the boarding school away from Ponape; Miss Palmer refused to leave them as sheep among wolves, and again remained, the only lady missionary on the island. She took the girls away from Oua, the seat of the conflict, to Kiti, Mr. Rand also remaining on Ponape. Two days later the Spaniards from the men of war, shelled Oua, then entering the harbor, shelled the native settlement, destroying the bread fruit and other valuable trees, burned the church, the king's house, the whole village and the mission premises, including our Girls' School. Then they returned in triumph. Sept. 27, the Morning Star came back from Kusaie, bringing the missionary ladies; and Miss Fletcher then remained on Ponape with Miss Palmer, in care of the girls. As soon as the Morning Star sailed back to Kusaie, leaving them alone, all meetings and schools were forbidden by the Spaniards, and yet the ladies were not allowed to leave the island until the arrival of the United States steamship the Alliance, in October. It brought the missionaries to Kusaie, including Miss Palmer, Miss Fletcher and thirteen girls from the boarding school. For some months Miss Palmer assisted Miss Fletcher in the care of these girls at Lellu, on Kusaie, but being much worn returned with the Morning Star for a rest in the United States. After one year at home, she resumed. her service in the Kusaie Girls' School until 1898, when, for health reasons, she returned once more to this country. But her heart has remained. faithful to Ponape, and when Spanish rule was exchanged for German, and the re-opening of work there became possible, she joyfully returned. Miss Palmer was born in Hopkinton, New York. She joined the Congregational Church of Stockholm, N. Y., when fourteen years of age. After the death of her father, the family removed to Manchester, N. H., where she received her education in the high school. Later she removed to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she taught for a time. Miss Palmer went to Ponape as a missionary of the Hawaiian Woman's Board, in 1885, but was transferred by them to our Woman's Board of the Interior in 1893, and was adopted by us. She is thus entering upon her seventeenth year of service. THE HOME CHURCH AND THE PRESENT CRISIS. * MRS. E. L. MCLAUGHLIN. HE church has fallen upon a time of unusual interest, not alone as it stands related to her important work in the Orient, but in its bearing upon her own life and future development. Surely there never could have been a time in the whole range of modern missions when they had secured for themselves such an arrest of thought, such serious and sympathetic attention, as when they were the subject of such widespread discussion throughout the church. Never were so many eyes turned toward the mission fields of the world. Never was there trembling upon the lips of so many thoughtful people the old question— watchman what of the night? As usual the law of demand and supply is in operation. The answers to this oft-repeated question are coming to us from all sides. In proof of this, twelve leading magazines just out announcing articles on the "Sit |