began to inquire what more they could do for the church, which because of their constant efforts in her behalf they had learned to love. They were not satisfied simply with the work of the lookout committee, which was meant to bring new members into the society, or of the prayer-meeting committee, which arranged for the prayer. meetings, or of the social committee, which provided for the mutual acquaintance of the young people, but they desired to render further service. So the Sunday-school, missionary, temperance, and other committees, which were at first contemplated, were established. The flower committee provided for the decoration of the pulpit; the music committee increased the interest in the musical service of the church; and so, in many different ways, the society did its work and proved itself a blessing to every department of the church.

another church in Portland, Me.; and, thus, from one church to another, from one state to another, and from one de

The subsequent growth of the movement has been as quiet as it has been rapid. The second society was formed in Newburyport, Mass.; the third, in

Mrs. Clark and Family.

nomination to another, the work has spread and is spreading, until there is not an evangelical denomination, and scarcely

a country on the face of the globe, which does not have within its borders a multitude of societies of Christian Endeavor.

Human skill and wisdom have had very little to do with establishing the society, or promoting its growth. Its rapid increase is as much of a marvel to those most intimately connected with the work from the beginning, as to any others. It was not planned for or foreseen.

But the churches were ready for the movement. It has not had to rap loudly at the church doors, but in every denomination these doors were ready to swing wide open to admit this last member of the church family.

stronger now than ever before; and so with ninety-nine out of every one hundred that has been formed. Wherever they have not been forced out of existence by

ecclesiastical pressure, or supplanted by some purely denominational organization, they have grown stronger as the years have gone by, and more worthy of the purpose for which they were called into being.

II. -A NEW RELIGIOUS FORCE.

By Amos R. Wells.

IF, within the last ten years, a political party had arisen, one million members strong, what a marvel it would be considered! Within this decade the Young People's Societies of Christian Endeavor have attained that growth, without wire-pulling or clamor, merely by the quiet power of a great idea. Their conventions in numbers and enthusiasm dwarf the political conventions; they have a hold on the hearts and lives of their million members such as no political party gains; party gains; their influence reaches throughout the world as that of no political party reaches. Yet the Christian Endeavor societies have received far

less public attention than their numbers and usefulness warrant, for they do not make up a political party, but only a party concerned with the Republic of God.

The decennial anniversary of the founding of these societies was celebrated last year in Portland, Maine. On the walls of the church which the first society of Christian Endeavor has made historic, was hung the simple date, "Feb. 2, 1881." In front of the pulpit was a globe encircled with the words, "The Whole for Christ Y. P. S. C. E." An ambitious motto, it may be said, for a society ten years old; but these societies are children of faith. It is interesting to note how the speakers at the earlier conventions, when only a handful of societies existed, talked about "the early dawn of our movement." Dr. Twitchell prophesied, in 1886, that the tenth anniversary of the founding of these societies would see them with a million members. Few prophecies so bold have met with such

splendid fulfilment. God's hand was in it. We join reverently in the belief of that speaker before an Endeavor convention who reminded his audience that the name of the first signer of an Endeavor pledge was Pennell, and that El is the Hebrew for God. It was God's pen that signed that pledge.

From the beginning, Mrs. F. E. Clark, the devoted wife of the president of the society, has engaged heart and soul in this Christian Endeavor work. It was she who established among the young people of the old Williston Church, at Portland, that little missionary society whose members, both boys and girls, became the first Christian Endeavorers. Mrs. Clark is familiar to every reader of the Golden Rule, because of her work for the Sunday-school department of that journal. Christian Endeavor places the maidens and young men on the same plane of service, and it is only fair to give a large share of the credit to the woman whose influence, though quiet and unobtrusive, has been so effective.

At first

It has been a steady growth. New England was the home of the movement. The fifth annual convention was held at Saratoga, as a more central place; then at Philadelphia, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, to keep near the moving centre of the movement. But this summer, the convention is to be held in New York, not because the movement has retrograded, but because it has encircled the globe, and its centre is everywhere. To that vast meeting will come delegates or messages from Africa and India, from Turkey and Australia, from Brazil and Alaska and the islands of the Pacific. There will be present twenty thousand delegates. What a contrast to the first convention, with its delegates from four societies and message from one; or to the second convention, with its seventy young people! The minutes of that meeting will occupy two hundred closely printed pages. What a contrast to that first four-page leaflet !

We may expect to see among those twenty thousand young people at New York, not only delegates from every state and territory in the Union, every province of Canada, nearly all the missionary lands, from thirty denominations, from all races, but also from all classes and condi

The Original Mizpah Circle.

William Shaw, Treasurer of the United Society.

tions of men.

There are Endeavor societies among the Indians. There is the beginning of a travellers' branch, for commercial travelers. There are societies in prison, although these members, however willing they may be, will hardly attend the convention. There are sailors'

societies, one with three captains among its officers. There are Endeavor societies among the soldiers in barracks. Christian Endeavor has its army and its navy. The movement has a foothold among railroad men, section hands, station agents, telegraph operators. In some regions it cares for the quarrymen. Led by Rev. S. E. Young, of New Jersey, Endeavorers are doing much to establish religious services for the isolated men of the life-saving stations along our ten thousand miles of coast. There will be represented at that convention, also, the rich, the cultured, the scholarly; and throughout the immense interior of Madison Square Garden, with all these diversified twenty

Some of the Trustees of the United Society.

1 Rev. John Henry Barrows, D.D., Chicago, I!!. 2 Rev. David James Burrill, D.D., New York, N. Y.

3 Rev. Teunis S. Hamlin, D.D., Washington, D. C.

4 Bishop Sam'l Fallows, D.D., Chicago, Ill.

5 Rev. Chas. A. Dickinson, Boston, Mass.

6 Rev. W. J. Darby, D.D., Evansville, Ind.

7 Hon. John Wanamaker, Philadelphia, Pa.

8 Rev. Wayland Hoyt, D.D., Minneapolis, Minn.

9 Rev. H. C. Farrar, D.D., Albany, N. Y.

10 Rev. M. Rhodes, D.D., St. Louis, Mo.

11 Rev. Ralph W. Brokaw, Springfield, Mass. 12 Rev. J. T. Beckley, D.D., Philadelphia, Pa.

13 President Wm. R. Harper, LL.D., Chicago, Ill.

14 Rev. N. Boynton, Boston, Mass.

15 President Merrill E. Gates, LL.D., Amherst, Mass. 16 Rev. James L. Hill, D.D., Medford, Mass,

thousand Endeavorers, there will be, to offend the eye of the one Father, no single spiritual barrier.

Ten years ago, such an innovation was this young people's prayer meeting, that one pastor had to hold Endeavor society meetings under cover of the name, "Bible-study classes." Now, the President of the United States sends greetings to Endeavor conventions; nearly all denominational periodicals set apart regular space for Christian Endeavor topics; the anniversary of the founding of these societies may fairly be called a national holiday, expanded sometimes into a "Christian Endeavor week"; the most eloquent and famous preachers in the land are glad to address Endeavor mass meetings, and whenever Endeavor ideas are not openly avowed, there is the more subtle praise of imitation.

It is interesting to inquire into the secret of all this success, which has made such a great change, and yet made it so quietly that there seems to be no change. Much of it, let it be said, is due to printer's ink, that efficient modern evangelist. One of the mightiest impulses given the movement was given it in its earliest years, when Mr. Hubbard caused notices regarding its methods and aims

The reports of the

to be inserted in five hundred of the best newspapers. The movement would have made slow progress without the generous and hearty support given it by the religious press. great state and

national conventions have reached a wide circulation, and form now a large