ELDER MATTHEW LARSEN reports meetings held in Osceola, Iowa, with the result that seven were added to the church.
ELDER W. S. HYATT, president of Missouri Conference, reports the dedication of two houses of worship,—one at Enyart and one at Pleasant Hill.
OUR Japanese school in San Francisco now has about sixty pupils. It has furnished five students for Healdsburg College and one for Walla Walla College.
OUR denominational church paper, the Review and Herald, published at Battle Creek, Mich., enters upon the new year with a new dress in which to carry its weekly budget of good words to its numerous readers. Sixteen pages, $2.00 a year.
AT Anvil, Oklahoma, where there is a German church of twenty-five members, Elder R. H. Brock recently organized an English church, which at last report had fifteen members. He also reports the organization of a tract and missionary society at Columbia.
ELDER DAN. T. JONES has located at Guadalajara, State of Jalisco, Mexico, as the initial point of missionary endeavor in that country. Under date of December 29 he writes: "I expect my family and Sisters Ora A. Osborne, Dr. L. A. Wood, and Ida Crawford from Battle Creek next week. I have rented a house and will have everything ready to begin work when they get here. Our first work will be to learn the Spanish language, and for this I have secured a competent teacher."
AT Clarksburg, Cal., Elder A. J. Osborne reports the organization of a Sabbath school of twenty members. A time had been appointed for baptism, and fifteen were expecting to go forward in that ordinance, but the administration at the time appointed was prevented by excessive rain.
THE holiday number of the Youth's Instructor is, as usual, very handsome, and filled with interesting and instructive matter. It is the best youth's paper in the country, as it contains no sensational fiction to mar the good matter. Published weekly; $1.00 a year. Address Battle Creek, Mich.
A LETTER recently received from Elder Gates, of Pitcairn Island, brings the sad news that another young lady and a child had died, and still another young lady was not expected to live. Like the daughter of Brother McCoy, whose death was before announced, these had been looked upon as coming laborers in the field.
DECEMBER 24 three persons were baptized in San Francisco by Elder H. A. St. John. Of the cause there he writes: "Work among the sick and poor is bringing a rich and happy experience to the workers. We are teaching that the 'loud cry' of the last message is to be anointed with the Spirit of Jesus, and, like him, go about doing good."
REPORTS from Battle Creek, Mich., give glowing accounts of the work there during the week of prayer. The results were quite practical. The Review says the donations "consisted of houses and lots, cash, gold watches, silverware, organs, sewing machines, and jewelry of all kinds." The total value was estimated at $21,347. Elder F. M. Wilcox informs us that, in addition to the donations, about 100 persons were baptized, nearly all of whom were new converts.
WE learn by report from Elder W. W. Stebbins that the blessing of the Lord has been upon the work in Medicine Lodge, Kansas. As a result of eight weeks of labor, a church of thirteen members was organized. In the early part of the series of meetings a Sabbath school was instituted, which now numbers over twenty members. The missionary work has also been formally organized. Some are keeping the Sabbath who have not yet united with the church.
SISTER ALMIRA RUOFF, formerly of California, is now canvassing for "Ladies' Guide" in Johannesburg, South Africa. Learning that some of our brethren in America are thinking of emigrating to Mashonaland, she takes occasion to warn them to go prepared for hardships. She says it will be like going to the Western States of America 75 or 100 years ago, only not so cold. "Land can be bought cheap, and there are rich gold mines, but those who go must make up their minds to endure hardships, and plenty of them, and it will not be like home."
THE persecutors of our brethren in Maryland seem to be determined to push their work to the bitter end. Those who were sentenced to imprisonment, having served their sentences, met further embarrassment. A letter to the secretary of the International Tract Society at Battle Creek, Mich., says: "They were required to make a statement to the effect that they were not able to pay their fines, and this statement had to be signed by a number of witnesses. The brethren secured the necessary paper and witnesses, and then the sheriff claimed that he could not find any of the judges to sign it, so as to release him from his bond. So they were held from day to day. Evidently it was only an excuse to embarrass the brethren."
BIBLE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS CONCERNING MAN. By Alonzo T. Jones. Bible Students' Library, No. 76. Pacific Press Pub. Co., Oakland, Cal. 16 pp.; 2 cents.