MISSION WORK AMONG THE KAFFIRS.
By Mrs. Jessie Hundley
[Mrs. Jessie Hundley, in Herald of Light.] ONE does not need to be in a heathen land long to realize how far short the Christian world has come, of fulfilling the divine commission. True, we have great reason to praise God for what has been accomplished. Many faithful witnesses to the truth have laid down their lives at their post away from sympathizing hearts. Often have our hearts gone up in thankfulness to God for the dear, faithful, self-denying missionaries, who have labored hard to translate the precious Bible and songs into so many different tongues, and to-day we are reaping the benefit of their labors. Livingstone prophesied that the time would come when missionaries would reap souls for every sermon, and truly his words are being fulfilled in a very great measure to-day. Praise to our living Christ! In our seven months in South Africa, we have seen scores of souls crying to God for deliverance from sin. When they come to the altar, they know what they are coming for, and no one needs to urge them to pray. They often stop while seeking, and tell us God has shown them some restitution to make, and so often they empty their pockets of their pipes and their tobacco. Needless to say, our God comes to their rescue. A goodly number get established in Him. Please pray especially for the dear converts. Many of them have it hard, as their environments are everything but helpful. Thank God a million times for those who, like black Sammy Morris, know how to trust the living God! May He increase the number. A lady said to me the other day, "You can't call these blacks heathen." Not call them heathen, when you see men of all ages clad in nothing but a blanket, and not always that? It is heart-breaking to go through the native locations and view the thousands of souls, so many half-clad, with seemingly no appreciation of anything better than their miserable surroundings. On the other hand, to look at the beautiful characters, educated, some really refined, and, thank God, transformed by the Spirit, we feel like redoubling our diligence for their redemption. Our work here has been mainly among the Kaffir tribes. They are beautiful, capable people, worthy of a much higher appreciation than they generally have. They are exceedingly cheerful and happy. In all our services, even in the open-air meetings, they will kneel when we pray, or at least cover their faces with their hats or their hands. You never see any laughing or whispering during services, or looking about during prayer. Even the little children get down on their knees, and often on their faces, during a long prayer meeting. They are delighted to get the Bible in their own tongue. An old, gray-headed man, blind, but happy in Jesus, was in our service yesterday with his wife. I shook hands with him after services, and asked him how long he had been a child of God; he answered, through an interpreter, "Ever since my mustache began to grow." I said, "And are you not tired of the way yet?" Laughing and rejoicing in the Spirit, he answered in the negative. I then quoted, "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day," and how he was melted, and praised God! Maitland Bible School is placed among nearly 10,000 heathen, many of whom are raw from the interior. Our temporary school here is among quite as many, I think, with advantages for evangelizing the interior very great. Pray for us. Come, go, or send.