lain
constantly that the refusals of the Association were due, not to lack
of sympathy, but to lack of means. In general, the Association can
administer only the means confided to its charge. Its historic and
permanent policy has been against incurring a debt. Its careful and
conservative forecast two years ago encountered, like all similar
benevolent work in all the denominations, a sudden and serious
reduction of receipts. The next year it provided a much diminished
schedule of expenditures, but this was met with a further additional
reduction of support.

Therefore, the task now set to the Association is to carry on only
what work it can while recovering what has been already expended in
these mission fields. We believe this recovery can be made. We are
most grateful to the churches, mission societies, and individual
givers who have so generously come to our help in this difficult and
trying year. From the promising responses which reach us, we can but
believe that very many more are planning for the relief of these
missions in their distress. Just now public attention is concentrated
on national issues of so perplexing and doubtful a character that
every enterprise, whether of business or of benevolence, waits upon
their settlement. We hope and pray that the coming months may lift the
clouds and pour prosperity again throughout all these vast mission
fields.

* * * * *

ONLY THIRTY DAYS MORE.

At the time these lines reach the eyes of most of our readers, only
thirty days will remain of the fiftieth year in the work of the
American Missionary Association.

We look forward to these few days with anxious hope. Pastors, officers
of churches and missionary societies, and individual givers have
intimated to us that they will co-operate in making this fiftieth year
a Year of Jubilee. Again and again our anxious inquiries have received
the kind assurance that the year shall not close without the uplift of
special help to the Association.

Many churches and many givers have fulfilled this purpose. If all had
done as well, we should now be rejoicing over emancipation from all
indebtedness.

We earnestly plead for personal contributions from individual givers.
After all, it is upon the many individual gifts, however small each
one may be, that the success of this work must now mainly depend.

We ask as earnestly that each church which has not hitherto
contributed to the support of th