The American Missionary | Page 4

Carolinas is in the country. In the North Carolina Congregational Association most of the churches are country churches. The Association meetings are well attended. The accompanying illustration is from a photograph taken at one of the recent meetings in McLeansville, where there are two churches not far apart. Besides these in this part of the State, there are country churches at High Point, Salem, Strieby, Melville, Oaks, Pekin, Dry Creek, Carter's Mills, Dudley, Malee, Nalls, Troy, Snow Hill, and other points. The annual meetings of the Association are most interesting occasions. Pastors and people of these little churches gather from near and far for fellowship, mutual comfort, and inspiration. With some of these churches schools are associated, which afford to the young the opportunities of a Christian education, and contribute from their elder pupils many students for our higher institutions of learning. With the multiplication and development of these churches these higher schools will have a steady constituency of great importance.
[Illustration: SCENE IN BEAUFORT, N. C.]
SCENE IN BEAUFORT, N. C.
[Illustration: NORTH CAROLINA FISHERIES.]
NORTH CAROLINA FISHERIES.
Thus the Association, so far from confining its work to the cities, is doing a very large share of its work in the country and among country people. Some of this work has been long-continued and has achieved a widespread and beneficial influence in the neighboring communities. The self-denying devotion of many years is reaching a most blessed fruitage, and those who have given the strength and vigor of a lifetime to the poor and despised now find their closing years brightened with the sight of what has been wrought by their long labors for the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ. The picture of the Oaks congregation at their church door is an illustration. There, among the plantations, are two sisters who have given their lives, until the shadows of age have fallen upon them, to missionary work in behalf of the poor colored people. One of them is growing blind and the other has already become so. While the former feels constrained by her failing sight soon to give up her school work, her more aged sister has an intense desire to continue, while life lasts, her labors in behalf of those whom she has come to love, while bringing blessings to them. Well versed in the Scriptures, she continues to gather classes of young men and plantation teachers and teach them from the Bible to prepare them to instruct better those still more ignorant than they. Although urged by her friends to give up this ministration, she cannot bring herself to any other course than that of doing all she can until "the night cometh when no man can work." It is at once a pathetic, an inspiring and a joyful picture to see this aged blind woman, surrounded by her students, opening to them the Scriptures and instructing them in the religion of their common Master.
In contrast with the quiet home and school work carried on by these two women and yet to the same end are the labors of such a country pastor as Mr. Collins. For a number of years, while carrying on regular church work at Troy, he has also had charge of several other churches riding scores of miles every week, fording the streams and facing the storms in all kinds of weather. At Dry Creek and Nalls, Pekin, Carter's Mills and Malee, he has preached regularly or occasionally and has watched with incessant care and labor the development of missions throughout a wide tract of country. The influence of these churches has pervaded many communities. Calls have come to him to develop new church work simply because the poor people of other churches have seen and felt the higher standards of piety and purer lives among many in the Congregational churches and have desired that they too might have the advantage of such ministers.
[Illustration: CHURCH AND SCHOOL, BEAUFORT, N. C.]
CHURCH AND SCHOOL, BEAUFORT, N. C.
Indeed, this long care of our churches and schools is awakening many new movements among the colored people of the South. Our churches are generally small and poor, but they have stood steadfastly for human rights, for Christian equality and freedom of church membership, and for moral and religious education. While their work has been slow, their influence has been deep and pervasive, as has been that of our schools, small and great.
[Illustration: NORTH CAROLINA STATE ASSOCIATION, McLEANSVILLE.]
NORTH CAROLINA STATE ASSOCIATION, McLEANSVILLE.
[Illustration: AT THE CHURCH DOOR, OAKS, N. C.]
AT THE CHURCH DOOR, OAKS, N. C.
It is an interesting and important fact that the great work of Christian education in behalf of the colored people which has been carried on by the Association is now producing results in a new direction. Our former students and pupils, grown into manhood and womanhood, find the church