pport of its pastor and local expenses for the next year.
The churches in this Association, although poor and often in serious
financial straits themselves, showed their appreciation of other lines
of Christian work by passing the following resolution:

_Resolved,_ That in view of the financial embarrassments of the
Home Missionary Society, the pastors of the churches urge upon
their people the duty of taking up a collection for the benefit of
that Society.

* * * * *

As illustrating the need of intelligent and decent church services in
the South, I record the following facts, which were related to me by
those who knew of them personally. A colored preacher of the "old-time"
sort preached on the Judgment Day. He held the meeting from evening till
well into the night. He arranged with a worthless fellow to hide himself
in the woods just outside the church, with a tremendously big
dinner-horn, with instructions to blow upon it at a certain signal. At
the awful hour of midnight, when, by entreaty and appeal and frightful
figures of speech, the preacher had worked the people up into a frenzy
of excitement and terror, he exclaimed, "Listen, I reckon I hear Gabriel
getting ready to blow now. De last day am on us, de judgment am right
here, whar you sinners now? Listen." And with bated breath they
listened. Just then there came a fearful blast on the stillness of the
midnight air, and the scene that followed can better be imagined than
described. Helter-skelter over the benches and over each other, the
terrified people scrambled for the mourners' bench. The preacher
boastfully told afterward, that "dar want scarsely one sinner but what
wah effected."

The quiet forms of worship in our Congregational churches, and the
intelligent preaching of the A.M.A. ministers, are fast bringing about a
state of things which will drive out such church circuses, with their
ministerial clowns. God speed the day!

* * * * *

During a considerable portion of the last month I have been "riding
double," as our honored Secretary, Dr. Beard, has been in the saddle
with me. His knowledge of the field, gained through these frequent
personal visits, is of great advantage to the work and highly
appreciated by the workers. We jogged together over many miles of
country, comparing notes, discussing plans and expressing our mutual
surprise at the wonderful and far-reac