"Preacher-Washed"

By the Rev. Clarence H. Ellis, M.D., Tempe, Arizona.

For many months an old man named Sommi (Pima for cough) has been calling on us once or twice a week to look at the pictures that have been sent for the little folks. He would tell us the names in Pima and want to know the English for them. As he is quite old all he could remember was the word "picture" to let us know what he wanted.

As best he could he would tell us about the battles with the Apache, showing the wounds he had received many years ago, yet giving us to understand that he had not turned the other cheek but had really returned blow for blow with perhaps a little interest added. In one battle he killed two of the enemy with his war club made from the root of the hard mesquite tree.

Mrs. Ellis would often give him a lunch before he went home. He was always pleasant and gave no trouble. Last fall he stayed away for quite a while and we asked some of the people what had become of him; they told us that his son who was not a Christian had told him not to bother us and if he was hungry there was plenty of food at home.

We sent word that he was not troubling us and that we liked to have him come; so one day when Mrs. Ellis looked up there stood Som-mi right before her, smiling as usual.

Last Saturday while she was in the kitchen he came in very much excited about something and asked for "Marka" (their word for doctor). He tried to make her understand what he wanted by gestures but she sent him to my study, when he told me by signs and such few words as I understood that he wanted to be "preacher-washed"baptized on Sunday for he wished to join God's people as his wife had done some time before. We had given him some warm second-hand clothing but early Sunday morning he appeared with some thin trousers, though the day was cold-but they were new. How he got them I do not know for he had told me,

"Water gone, wheat gone, money gone." When Sabbath-school began Mrs. Ellis seated him in front near the pulpit and he watched us closely. During intermission I called the session but when the interpreter went to get him he would not come till Mrs. Ellis told him it was all right. I was surprised how much he knew about God's plan of salvation as he is hard of hearing. I do not know what caused him to make the decision, unless it was his Christian friends, as I had told them they ought to talk to him about Christ.

Light at Laguna

In her interesting book, "The Redemption of the Red Man," Miss Belle M. Brain has a chapter with this heading. It traces the mission work among the Lagunas from its earliest beginning in 1854 to the present. The only Protestant mission there is our own, begun in 1876, and for five years in charge of the Rev. John Mordy.

His last message from the field tells of a brighter light than has ever before been outlined against the shadows of the mysnical and heathenish ceremonies of their religion

Our Christians are a people who pray and expect de inte answers. An illustration of

"BLACK ROCKS, NEAR FORT DEFIANCE, ARIZONA.

A characteristic feature of Arizona and New Mexico. Of volcanic origin; perhaps the remains of an

old volcano.

the home of an Indian elder, spending there hours in religious conversation. Since they joined the church the man has attended two or three prayer meetings each week.

Proofs of progress among the Lagunas are shown in the large attendance at all the meetings. Mr. Mordy writes that some whose sins were known to none in our church have come to the session of their own accord with confession and penitence.

Under the leadership of Mr. Mordy a good deal of attention has been devoted to the subject of giving to the church work, and to attaining self-support. One result is that the educated members of the church have volunteered to act as interpreter at the services so that the Home Board should be relieved of the one hundred and fifty dollars, a charge which has heretofore been necessary to secure this help.

The Southern Utes

By Thomas C. Kirkwood, D.D., Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The work among the Utes at Ignacio, Colorado, is sustained by the women of the Presbytery of Washington City.

Mr. A. J. Rodriguez, a licentiate of the Presbytery of Pueblo, has been the only missionary, but an excellent mission school has aided him in his work. A united effort has been made to reach all the needy and this has led to the inclusion of the Mexican people of the region in both church and school. The Spanish language, in the first instance, is the medium of communication, but only English is taught in the school.

of

A Sabbath-school has been of great value and to its influence much of the good work done may be attributed. Practically the first Sabbath-school class consisted Severo Capote and Julian Buck, taught by Mr. Rodriguez. Severo was a staunch supporter of the church and of all good work for his people. Julian Buck, the younger man, was an earnest, faithful Christian, upon whom the hopes of the presbytery were centered as the apostle to his people. Last year the Father called him home. His life was a benediction. He lived and taught the gospel. His death was to the poor Indian the seal of his brief ministry. Where Julian has gone they want to go, and heathen customs are being exchanged for Christian ways. The history of that young man has valuable lessons for us all.

About sixty members are at present in the little church; one-half are Indians and the other half are Mexicans. These people have been trained in the Word of God and

the duties it imposes. Among other things accomplished is this: that every year that little band of Christian men and women are given the opportunity to contribute to every Board of the Church, and this is done in no haphazard way but by personal subscription. A very large amount, from a very poor people, has been raised in this way; and they are helping the world to come to Christ.

Just now a crisis has been reached in our work. The Government has established a fine school on this reservation. By caring for the children in a way we cannot, the appeal is made for them to attend that school and so our Indians are taken from us. The Indians are now required to care for their own lands now given to them in severalty, and the Mexican renters are sent from the reservation. Mexicans have left our school and to some extent our church.

The case, however, is not a hopeless, one. At present the teachers in the new school are Christians who do not hide their light. The change is a call for an advanced step -a new arrangement of our plans and purposes for this people. Our solution is this: Another minister-an ordained man-and a divided church. Indians on the reservation -the Mexicans off-and we shall take a long step forward and upward.

Who has

We think we can get the man. the money for this grand investment? Who will aid in bringing this people out of "Nature's darkness into God's marvelous light"?

Indians of the Northwest

Ministered Unto-and Ministering

NLY a part of the home mis

sion work is done by
strong churches in the
East. Neither do our
white churches have a
monopoly of it.

In the far Northwest
on the Umatilla Reserva-

tion, our Indian churches, ministered to by the Rev. James M. Cornelison, have felt troubled because in their neighborhood white settlers were coming for whom no church privileges were available. So that Indian session gave their pastor permission to preach in English in their church on alternate Sunday nights. The other Sabbath evenings he goes to the government school to conduct in English a service for the Indian children there.

So in the Indian church on the Umatilla Reservation gather the ranchers with their families, the "boys" and any Indian who wishes to come to an English service. Considering the restricted amount of pastoral work Mr. Cornelison has been able to give this part of his congregation, the service is well attended. He writes:

"The Indians seem pleased-the session I know is that the gospel is preached to these white people who have been and are cut off from church privileges, and many of whom are or have been Christians."

Nor is this the only home mission work in which this Indian church is actively engaged. The session has released the missionary from certain church duties that,

with an elder, he might go to some neighboring regions, as he should think best, to

conduct services.

Twenty-four miles beyond the mission station there was found a family willing to open their home for services. The master of the house is not a Christian but generously received those who desired to come and provided dinner for the congregation; for if the service was in the morning the whole company must needs linger

to

for their repast, and if the service was held in the afternoon it was their custom gather before dinner time.

Surely churches would not crowd each other if twenty-four miles stretched between them! So our missionary is ambitious to have a little chapel erected to which all who desire may freely come without trespassing on the courtesy and generosity of one who has not yet professed the name of Christ. Meantime Mr. Cornelison is hoping to find other homes opening for the services "so they can both distribute the blessing and share the burden."

As an illustration of the good that is done, we quote this incident from Mr. Cornelison's last letter:

"A man whom I know well, who helped to build both our manse and church and whose daughter was to hear me preach when I went to this out-station, came to me a few days later in Pendleton in a drunken condition and said:

"Mr. Cornelison, my daughter heard you preach at Taishamkin's house.'

"'Yes.'

"Well, Mr. Cornelison, I like you, but I don't believe like you, for I have been taught that it don't make any difference how much boose I drink through the week, just so I am faithful to the church and pay my dues,' etc., etc. 'But down in my heart I know that that is wrong. It is all right to have will power, but I get with my friends and forget myself.'

"He is a half-breed French Catholic, a

bright man, and one of the best mechanics

in his trade. But there he is, the result of a system. If he were the only case on this and other reservations of the northwest, progress would be faster. But such a thing has weakened many a life and sent many souls of 'braves' off to hades that might have been 'braves' indeed for Jesus under another training."

But what of our missionary? When one remembers his labor of love, one cannot

1