Children's Work. TWENTY QUESTIONS. (The answers will be found in the back numbers of MISSION STUDIES for 1900, in the Children's Department, beginning with the February number.) In what country is Hadjin? Have we only one building at Hadjin -or'several? Of what material? Who is the oldest missionary in charge? In India, how do the people live? What do the children learn in the Vilage Schools we opened for them? Name one of the idols worshipped by the Chinese. How many provinces in China? Where is our Bridgman School? Name both city and province. When was it begun? How many pupils last year? What happened to it? It was burned by the Boxers, but the missionaries are going on in another building. In what country and city is the Glory Kindergarten? What lady takes care of it? How many children can be in it each year, and how many are waiting to get in? Where is Micronesia, and what does it mean? Is our Morning Star going to Micronesia, and if not, why not? In Mexico, how do the children worship? If you have done wrong would they tell you to go to Jesus to be forgiven? At what station in Mexico is a school opened again? Who is the children's missionary in Africa? What work is she doing and where? Can you tell something about the Reunion? THE CHRISTMAS SONG. The sweetest song that e'er was heard By mortals here below Was echoed on Judean hills, Two thousand years ago. It did not sound in palace court, Or towers of wealth an i might, But roused the lowly shepherd hinds Let every heart the song repeat, Hark! in that desert bleak and gray Their wondrous carol raise The fairest choir that ever sang In worship, or in praise. From heaven's bright threshold down to earth On their high errand sped, Then ye who stand in earthly shrines, Go share your plenty with the poor, -Selected. THE BURDEN OF THE BELLS. Oh! the Christmas bells are ringing, All the leafless branches swinging Breathing forth a hymn of peace. "Peace on earth!" "How dear the blessing As it comes from Heaven, and here Drops its tenderness upon us At the closing of the year. So abiding in God's keeping With the bells our hearts will chime "Peace on earth!" Oh, gracious promise! "Peace on earth at Christmas time!" -Selected. GREETING OF THE NATIONS. ARRANGED BY MISS ALICE C. LITTLE. (The first recitation may be given by one speaker. The salutations may be given by different groups of children, representing the nations. It will interest them more if costumes are available, but if not, the leader may announce each group just before they give their greetings). We have heard of the wonderful story, Whether truth or beautiful legend, Not now for Christ's sepulchre empty To conquer the whole world for Jesus, Our tongues and our nations are many For greeting each other and bringing SALUTATIONS. Turkey. Place right hand on heart, lips and forehead in succession, fold hands one over the other, bending slightly. India. Salaam. Place the right hand upon the forehead and bow very low. Japan. First drop on knees, second, place hands, palms down, on the floor in front, thumbs touching. Third, touch forehead to back of hands as they lie on the floor. China. Shake hands with one's self. Micronesia. Each child rubs the end of the nose with the open palm of the right nand, then turning to neighbor they touch noses together, bending forward strike the head out like a turtle, hands falling at side. Africa. A short nod, pulling forelock. GOD'S PENNY, OR YOURS. "Here it is!" shouted dark eyed Stuart, making a dart at what proved to be only a brown ring in the pattern of the linoleum with which the dining room was bordered. Where can it have got to? questioned Willie, the owner of the lost penny, for the twentieth time in as many minutes. "Pennies roll so, it may be under the sideboard, or anywhere else by now," remarked Lettie by way of encouragement, as she rose from her knees and shook the hair from her eyes, speaking as if the lost penny might of its own accord, and out of malice, be continually starting off on a fresh series of rolls, playing hide-andseek in fact, with the four pairs of bright eyes in search of it. Little George, the youngest of the three boys, had by this time got tired of creeping about on all fours, over the soft thick Turkey carpet which covered the middle. of the room, and on which he had been, in his own small fashion, as busy as his brothers, looking for the refractory coin. So when Nurse came down from the nursery, where she had been undressing baby May, the little boys were quite ready to give up the search and go to bed too. "I wonder which penny it was that was lost, Willie," inquired his mother as he in his turn, held up his rosy face for her good night kiss. The warm chubby hand opened slowly, disclosing one penny lying there. But half-an-hour ago there had been two; and one of them was, he had said, for the missionary box, the other for himself. And then he had been playing on the floor with them, and one or the other had rolled away out of sight, and was lost. "Is it the missionary penny or your own penny that is gone, Willie?" repeated his mother quietly! The little fellow was silent, slowly turning the remaining penny over and over on his open palm as if he were looking for some mark which might settle its ownership. "I think this one is mine, mother," came at last, as Willie saw in imagination a certain little shop at the other end of the village, kept by the children's special friend, the "Bead-woman." He did so want a penny worth of those shining beads like Lettie's. "Very well, dear," answered his mother, taking no apparent notice of the slight emphasis on the think; "then it is God's penny that is gone. Good night dear." And presently the sturdy legs were mounting the long staircase to the nursery. Lagging steps they sounded to the wise mother downstairs-unlike the usual joyous scamper of her happy tempered little son. "God is teaching my boy a lesson to night," she thought, "and I will not interfere with Him." An hour later, and two out of the trio of brothers were fast asleep, dreaming perhaps of baby owls which dwelt, with their parents, in a big hole half way up one of the tall elms standing in front of the house. But Willie could not go to sleep somehow, though he was generally the first to do so, and although he had only to put his hand under his pillow to feel his precious penny reposing there safely within his reach; and when he shut his eyes up very tight, he could almost see the tall old "Bead-woman," filling up the great brass thimble, which she used to measure out the beads to her customers, with the lovely blue beads he had longed so much to buy, ever since Lettie had brought home hers. How blue they were! Nurse said they were just like Master Georgie's eyes." What pretty rings he would make with them-one for father and another for mother of course; and then if there were any over perhaps he would-but, supposing the penny were not his, supposing his penny was lost and this one was God's,well then he would have no beads at all. "Tu whitt, tu whoo," hooted the baby owls, for they were getting hungry, and papa owl was such a long time bringing them their supper of a nice young mouse, or little bird. "Tu whitt tu whoo o-o." Willie sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, which were beginning to get drowsy at last. "Tu whitt tu whoo-o-o," what did they say about "two pennies," or was it "whose penny, whose?" they said. And then there came back to his memory (he had forgotten it all this time some how) the sorrowful story his mother had told them that evening, of the poor little children far away who wanted to learn about Jesus, only there was no money to send them a teacher. "It was my penny that was lost" whispered the child presently with a happy smile, and glad at heart, he shut his eyes once more. "Whose penny? whose?" called the owls again. "Whose?" "Tu whitt Tu whoo o" "God's penny," murmured the sleepy voice in reply. Two bare feet pattered down the nursery stairs in the winter's dusk the following morning, and two small fists hammered vigorously at mother's bedroom door; to her great surprise, for she was not expecting such an early visitor. "What is it, dear? come in," she said as she recognized Willie's voice. "I wanted to tell you that I know now, mother; it's my penny that is lost, and this is God's." With a loving kiss on the earnest little face, his mother answered: "I am glad my Willle has found that out. It will be It will be so nice to help the little children to hear about the dear Lord Jesus, won't it darling?" "Better than beads, lots better," responded the little fellow heartily, as he squeezed his mother's hand, and tip-toed up to her for another kiss. So when the missionary box took its accustomed place on the Sunday breakfast table, "God's penny" was reverently dropped in by Willie's eager fingers. Then cook came in with the toast and eggs, and lo, and behold, on the tray beside them, lay a penny! "I found it on the floor under the curtains this morning, ma'am," she explained as she laid it down by her mistress. Just twenty-six years later, a sorrowful band of missionaries stood with bowed head round an open grave beneath the tropical sun of Central Africa. There they had but now laid to rest their beloved leader whom you, my readers, know as "Willie," the rosy cheeked child of five, who lost his penny on that long ago Saturday night, in his home beneath the big elm trees. Many families of owls had come and gone, and long since the trees themselves had been cut down, branch by branch, as succeeding winters' storms had rent and torn their huge limbs. From a child Willie had grown into a school boy, and then into a broad-shouldered, stalwart man, noble and good; but all through his life he never forgot that night of his childhood, when he and the owls held converse about his lost penny. It was the real commencement of his missionary training, that decision between self and GOD, and GOD was his choice, years after, when, having offered himself definitely for foreign missionary work, he was asked, what had first led him to think of it, he repeated this story of the two pennies. The tiny rill bubbling out of the far away purple hillside high up amidst the soft white mists, towards the sun-rising, had grown into the fair broad river, sweeping through the land, bearing its part in the world's life and history. There were many delays ere Willie obtained the desire of his heart, and came as pioneer missionary to West Central Africa; and though none could so guess, it was then only to labor there for a brief eighteen months, and to lay down his earthly life, for the sake of the perishing heathen. Just eighteen months he struggled against repeated attacks of fever, and then having "chosen that good part" it was "not taken from him," but he heard his Master's voice bidding him "Come up higher," and "he was not, for God took him." Few lives were ever more full to the brim with human love and happiness than was his; and yet, having left all for Christ's sake, he could write again and again to one and another of his dear ones: "Oh if I could get you to understand the joy of a missionary's life! There is nothing on earth that I know of to compare to it." Dear reader, there are still thousands and thousands of immortal souls dying every day who have never heard of a Savior's love. Oh! hark to the call, It comes unto all. This is a true story which was written by Willie's own sister who now lives in South Africa. It was brought to us from Africa by Miss Wells who wrote the beautiful account of the Wild Flowers last month. Willie was a happy English boy named William Bagster who came to the United States, and after several years was sent by our own American Board to do pioneer work in West Central Africa. WEE FOLKS' BAND THANK OFFERING. We cut the following account of the meeting of the Wee Folks' Band of Janesville, Wis., from a Wisconsin paper: Members of the Wee Folks' Band, of the Congregational Church, the youngest missionary society in the city, held their semi-annual meeting and than koffering service yesterday afternoon at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George D. Charlton, 107 South High Street. Mothers of the little missionaries were invited to accompany the children, and the response to the invitation was quite general. About 4 o'clock the company adjourned to the pleasant and spacious parlors where a brief but very iuteresting thank offering service was held under the direction of Mrs. R. C. Denison. There were recitations and singing by the children, and Miss Nettie Harrington told the children a story in a very interesting way. Then Mrs. Denison closed the meeting by explaining in a simple way to the children the importance of the missionary work which they are doing by saving their pennies. The mite barrels were then collected and opened, and the sum amounted to over $12, much to the surprise of the children. Six months ago the Wee Folks' Band sent away $9.50, and this additional sum makes an excellent showing for the year, especially when the age of the children is considered. As soon as the program was over the children returned to their play on the lawn and Mrs. F. A. Capelle took a kodak picture of the band. Tables were spread on the lawn and the little ones sat down to a very elaborate supper, with ice cream as a crowning glory. Several young girls waited on the tables. The children had a most delightful time. October the eleventh was a perfect autumn day, when the Annual State Meeting of the Onio Branch, W. B. M. I. met in the first Congregational church, Mansfield. Nature had donned her most gorgeous robe for the occasion, the air was mild and balmy as June, while the wide open hospitable doors of the beautiful homes, and the cordial greeting of the owners thereof, gave the visitors a most sincere welcome. Thursday morning at nine o'clock the opening service was conducted by Miss E. M. Peck who took for the lesson the twenty-fourth Psalm. Through her guidance we better understood God's Lordship in the world. The President, Mrs. B. F. Whitman, Cleveland, then took the chair, and the minutes of the last annual meeting were read by the secretary. Business hour followed during which the committees upon resolutions, place of meeting and nomination, were appointed, and an invitation to unite with the State Association of Ministers, was tabled for one year, for the purpose of considering the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed union more thoroughly. Interesting reports were read by the ་ |