Missionary Work in California.
THE ship work in San Francisco Bay is increasing in interest and importance continually. The number of letters written, as reported for a specified time, by the Society in Oakland, was 129, and the number of answers received, 48. The proportion of answers to the number written is growing larger, showing an increasing interest among the people. A mission station—a central point from which to carry on the missionary work—is greatly needed in North Carolina. Our workers here find that an interesting field, to which they are not able to do justice. The church of San Francisco is not large, and has not much means with which to work, but has a large field and much to do in that city. Its club of 145 SIGNS is altogether too small for their wants, but they are not able to take as many as they need. The Oakland church uses 500 missionary club SIGNS, and these do not supply the calls of the workers. Will not some of our able brethren in those small churches which complain that they do not find much to do, assist these city societies in their great work? And Sacramento needs help as much as do the cities on the bay. Bro. and Sister McClure and Bro. Scott are making a thorough canvass of that city. But how they will obtain a sufficient number of the Sunday Law tract, or even of the periodicals, to meet the wants of the cause there, is not yet determined. About 650 extra copies of last week's SIGNS, Feb. 16, were appropriated to the ship work. Beside these, an order for 1,000 extra copies came from the California Missionary Society after the form was taken from the press. Fortunately it was not broken, and the required number was printed. May God bless both the work and the workers. Our hearts are more cheered with these evidences of the progress of the good cause than we could be by finding great earthly treasures. Our office was never more driven with an abundance of work for outside parties than at present. We cannot afford to lose one-sixth of that time in which Jehovah has told us to do all our work.