bout indifference both on the
foreign field and among the churches at home is spoken of the people in
the large. Thank God, the light is breaking in many places at home and
abroad. Many individuals and churches are today seeing the larger
vision and are assuming their larger responsibility in the support of
the foreign mission cause. Many are saying: "We will faithfully
strengthen the hands of our brothers who toil so courageously at the
front." In Brazil (and in other mission fields, too,) there is in many
places a marvelous breaking away from the old attitude of indifference.
The little handful of missionaries we have on the field are straining
every nerve to meet the opportunities that are pressing upon them. They
are not discouraged. They are as busy as life trying to meet the
increasing demands. They are looking to the future with the largest
hope. They are a band of the most incurable optimists you ever saw.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE URGENT CALL.

This very breaking away in some places is piling up additional burdens
and the pitifully inadequate force is called upon to meet demands that
twice their number could hardly satisfy. If we had the same
distribution of Baptist ministers in our Southern country that we have
in Brazil there would be only four ministers in Texas, two in Virginia,
three in Georgia and other States in like proportion. Think of E. A.
Nelson, the only representative of our board in the Amazon region,
trying to spread himself over four States which comprise a territory
five times as large as Texas. Passing down the coast, five days
journey, we would find D. L. Hamilton and H. H. Muirhead, who have
faced dangers as fearlessly as have any brave spirits who have enriched
the annals of missionary history with courageous service. They, along
with Miss Voorheis, are our sole representatives in the State of
Pernambuco and in the adjoining State of Alagoas. C. F. Stapp, Solomon
Ginsburg and E. A. Jackson are attempting to carry forward the work in
the vast States of Piauhy, Goyaz, a part of Minas Geraes, and Bahia,
which last named State has in it one city as large as New Orleans. E.
A. Jackson is located far in the interior of the State, three weeks'
journey from Bahia; all of the energies of Stapp are consumed in caring
for the school; Ginsburg is forced to give his attention to the
nurturing of the thirty-five churches and of evangelizing as far as his
strength will go. In the State beyond them, g