sionary societies during the past year, was an increase of $1,000 over any previous year.

The first generation of converts were sorely tempted to return to ancestral idolatry, and a considerable per cent of baptized children went back to paganism. Fifty years ago, when I received my appointment as missionary to the Dakota Indians, there were only about a score of Christian families in the whole nation. Notwithstanding the inherited impress of paganism on their hearts, God has shown His power and mercy in calling eight of their descendents into the ministry, out of twenty-one Dakotas who have been ordained in the Presbyterian Church. And looking at the church members we find that about fifty per cent of the 1,600 communicants in our churches are Christians of the third and fourth generation. So the power of paganism is fast waning. If the 25,000 Dakotas were all questioned as to whether they were Christians or pagan, in my opinion four-fifths would reply that they were Christians, although not that proportion have been baptized.

I

T has been my pleasure for the past two summers to spend a portion of my vacation in attending the sessions of the Southwest Indian Conference, at Flagstaff, Arizona, and in visiting some of the stations occupied by the various missionary agencies at work in behalf of the Indians. Some of the impressions thus gained, may not be without interest to general readers.

Quite naturally I was impressed with the country itself. The Southwest Indian Mission Conference is composed of workers whose fields lie for the most part in Arizona and New Mexico. There is sufficient within this territory to engage the fascinated attention of the most widely differing minds. Never can I forget the park-like forest country about Flagstaff, the Canyon of the Cliff Dwellers where are said to be the remains of upwards of seven hundred separate dwellings of a prehistoric people, the equally interesting Cave Mountain, where some forty or more dwellings have been

hollowed out in the volcanic debris. The general volcanic character of this section is quite noticeable. A visit to the petrified forests of Adamana, where the earth is literally strewn with uncut jewels; another to the painted desert, where the gorgeousness and variety of the coloring defies description; yet another to that mightiest of all wonders, the Grand Canyon of the Colorado, where the hand of God has cleft through the successive strata of the earth's crust and laid bare the story of its geologic formation; these features of my trip can only be referred to. They constitute, however, the background of this entire series of impressions. No one who has ever seen them can ever forget them.

There is too, an indescribable fascination about the desert, whether it be the bare stretches of sand and scoria, the gigantic palisades of sand rock, or mountains of lava, and canyons labyrinthine and mysterious.

But more impressive than any sight in the

natural world was the group of men and women engaged in the work of evangelizing the Indians of this section. I think I may claim between forty and fifty of these servants of God among my friends, and a remarkable company they are. Never have I been more impressed with the character of a body of people than these.

Here are men and women of culture and refinement; people who have been called by the Spirit's voice to these remote and isolated fields to seek God's scattered sheep among the ignorant, superstitious and unevangelized Indian tribes of this country. As examples of intelligent piety and consecration I have rarely, if ever, seen them excelled. Here are ministers, physicians, school teachers, and helpers of all classes representing not only Presbyterian but Methodist, Baptist, Mennonite, Christian Reformed, Lutheran and Friends churches, as well as Independent Evangelical Missions, all alike swayed by a God-given purpose to bring the gospel of Christ to these needy and forgotten tribes, and to make Him real and visible in lives consecrated to His service.

But, next to the workers, one is impressed by the Indians themselves. There is great variety among them-Mohaves, Wallapais, Hava-Supais, Apaches of several divisions, Papagoes, Pimas, Yumas, Hopis, Pueblos and more largely than any other, Navajos.

The Indian is nearly always picturesque. Sometimes he is disgustingly repulsive, not infrequently he is attractive, but rarely is he uninteresting. Except for the implied idea of guilelessness he might be termed childlike. Like all primitive peoples he is innocent of the world's ways, though keenly alert to the ways of his own little world. Perhaps it is this which draws us toward him by a sort of pathetic impulse. As a rule he is friendly and open to approach, though some maintain a strict reserve which may be taken either for hostility or indifference. The Indian is not to blame in many instances for hating the white man. The frequency with which his rights have been invaded and his helplessness seized upon by the stronger class as an excuse for making a spoil of him, has served to render him suspicious. He almost expects to be cheated in trade, and deceived in protestations of friendliness, and he entertains doubts as to the superiority of the white man's religion. Can we blame him? No! And by so much as we are worthy of the name of Christian, his

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very doubts move us to a new interest in him. We must exert ourselves to set him right. He must not be suffered to entertain a wrong idea of our glorious Christ because some of our fellow countrymen have dishonored the civilization which owes its origin to Him.

Still another of my impressions has to do with the character of the work that counts. In fairness, it should be admitted that there is much work being done for the Indians which counts for comparatively little.

The evangelization of these people means far more than the occasional visitation of their lodges or hogans. This work is imperative. It is primary, for the Indian must be sought out and his friendship cultivated as the very first step in the direction of helping him. Comparatively few ever visit the towns, and unless the missionary seeks him where he is, he cannot be expected to respond to the call of the gospel which he has never heard except in snatches of conversation with others of his tribe.

But, side by side with unceasing and vigilant itineration must be the more settled work of the "station"; where preaching services are regularly maintained, opportunities afforded for medical attendance and friendly conferences with the missionary, and where the young can be gathered for instruction. Here, best of all, the Indian has an opportunity to see the white man's religion as it finds expression in the routine of the daily home life.

I have such a centre of influence in mind, where daily, groups of Indians are coming upon all manner of errands, thus growing continually into a greater degree of confidence in the workers, and becoming more and more familiar with what the religion of Christ is, and what it means in daily life. Such centres of permanent testimony and instruction are essential to this work. Without the faithful and exacting work of the itinerant missionary nothing else can succeed. But alone it avails only in part.

It was among my real privileges to visit two such centres as I have outlined, that of the Independent Mission at Tolchaco, Arizona, and that of the Christian Reformed Church Mission at Rehoboth, New Mexico. These are each seeking to maintain both these lines of effort to which I have alluded. At the latter a force of seven or eight workers conduct a school and have religious services regularly. To these activities they have lately

centre is carried on an efficient work of itineration, thus keeping the mission in constant relation to the Indians for miles in every direction, and establishing a living link of friendly helpfulness with every hogan within reach. The superstitious reluctance of the Indians has been singularly broken down, and considerable numbers have been led to openly confess Christ as their Saviour by uniting with the church.

Everywhere I heard words commendatory of the work done by our own Dr. Cook at Sacaten, and of the far-reaching influence of the Tucson School. These missions have each in measure followed the method which evidently brings largest results. In short the station needs contact with the Indian, and the Indian "home," (if such the nomadic and hogan life can be called,) needs the object lesson of the permanent station. The Indian must be made to feel that the missionary is interested in his real welfare, and when once his native curiosity leads him, as sooner or later it usually does, to look in upon the white man's home life, there must be a place where he can see that home life in its fullest and best expression.

Of one other impression I wish to say just a few words. The missionary has his temptations. He is like other men, and even "as the sparks fly upward," so he has his tendencies. It is easy to lapse into habits of indolence even on the mission field. That is particularly the

case where there is inadequate or faulty companionship. And then, close to this lies the temptation to self-neglect. With half-naked savages on every hand, and the desert conditions prevailing, it becomes very easy to allow one's self to become unkempt and ill-conditioned. It would be better for us all if we kept more continuously before us what we represent. A Christian ought always to appear at his best. One cannot afford to present a slovenly or indifferent aspect, nor a countenance that betokens inward defeat. Our victorious Lord demands that in appearance and conduct we show what He makes of the one who lives with Him.

There is also noticeable a danger on the part of the missionary to become preoccupied with secondary issues. It becomes very easy to allow farm work, family duties or correspondence to so usurp one's time and energies as to crowd out the primal work of making Christ known, of seeking the souls of men and women, of laying one's self out to bring real, sympathetic and practical help to people that need so much, the living heart message. There is no substitute after all for the simple ministry which is involved in putting one's heart right along side the heart of some one in need of a friend. That is real mission effort. We all need the lesson. We all require the prayers of intercession in our behalf. And none more than the faithful men and women who have gone out to give the gospel to the

Indian.