Woman's Department. In the secret of His presence, how my soul delights to hide! Would you like to know the sweetness of the secret of the Lord? You will surely lose the blessing and the fullness of your joy, In the secret of His presence you may every moment hide. A Converted Brahmin Lady. A COLORADO AND WYOMING UNION. WELCOME COLORADO AND WYOMING! Our first Rocky Mountain Union! This good news of you strengthens every heart along the line. May your "women who publish the tidings" become "a great host." May the sacred torch which you have thus lighted upon your magnificent height shine into the dark places of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, and at last illumine the whole land. WOMAN'S HOME MISSIONARY UNION OF COLORADO AND WYOMING. President, MRS. J. W. PICKETT, White Water; Secretary, MRS. SIDNEY PACKARD, Pueblo; Treasurer, MRS. S. A. SAWYER, Boulder. An executive committee of three ladies represent Silverton, Greeley, and Cheyenne. The constitution has been adapted from those of New York and Illinois. Mrs. P. F. Powelson, of Cheyenne, represents Wyoming. PERSONAL LETTER FROM MRS. PICKETT. "The women of COLORADO and WYOMING are now united with the great sisterhood of Consecrated Patriots. We had a delightful meeting. Mrs. Mead, president of our Rocky Mountain Branch of the W. B. M. I., was chairman, and has from the first been in perfect harmony with the movement, as have also the other officers of the Branch." (Mrs. Pickett had the paper which opened the discussion, and the result was that at once they voted to organize. It is a singular coincidence, that just ten years ago, she had the paper which opened the discussion through which the Foreign Branch was organized.) "How better could we celebrate our tenth anniversary than by organizing a W. H. M. U.? These societies lie together near my heart, and the work is one. In my paper, I told of that wonderful all-day meeting of the officers of the Unions at Saratoga, and gave reasons, which seemed good to me, why every State and Territory should at once fall into line; that this blessed chain had reached our borders on the east,-Kansas, Nebraska, and Dakota, and that we must not have a "missing link" through the fault of our women, right here in the heart of the great home missionary field. How we have enjoyed Dr. Kincaid and Dr. Cobb! They gave us good words at the completion of our organization, and we have had most delightful sessions of the Association, and of the Branch. Such a feast as we westerners have had! And we appreciate it, I assure you. Think of the distances we had to go for this feast at Denver. Pastor Jennings, from Big Horn, Wyoming, 600 miles; Pastor Nyce, from Zelluride, Colorado, 500 miles; and poor me, 412 miles; and these miles only represent one way. Many others came from just such distances to this, our Western Hub, for the annual meeting. Shall I tell you that our ladies all read and love The Home Missionary?—In His Name, S. B. Pickett. CONNECTICUT. THE "Third Annual Report" of the Woman's Congregational Home Missionary Union of Connecticut, comes to us in a dress of exquisite design and finish. As we turn the leaves we are touched by the tender allusions to the beloved officer and friend, Mrs. Charles Ray Palmer, so suddenly taken, and so sadly missed. The report indicates healthy growth and increasing power of influence. Thirteen new auxiliaries have been received, and there has been a marked gain in contributions. There has been special interest this year among the young ladies' circles, two of these having contributed $400. The secretary, alluding to the great responsibility resting upon the committee, places before us these earnest words: "What does the cause need? is the question we have asked repeatedly. The answer is: It needs everything; there was never so much to do as now. Churches are needed, schools are needed, and educated ministers. We are to aid in solving the great and difficult problem: How to raise up missionaries for the foreign as well as the native population of our country. The Lord has brought the whole world to our shores. Is not our field a wide one ?" A special feature of the work of the Union this year has been the sending out of one of their number to visit auxiliaries, and address societies that do not contribute to the Union. This effort has been most successful. The work of the Connecticut Union has been conducted with its usual breadth of aim. The Six National Societies have been generously assisted. While in the line of special gifts, a veteran missionary has been supplied with a horse; a church in Kansas with a bell; churches in Dakota with three communion sets; also several libraries for Sundayschools. The usual number of valuable boxes have gladdened missionary homes. The Union is asked this year, to support a Home Missionary on the frontier; to pay. a salary in the Bohemian Work; to assist the school at Thomasville, Ga.; to aid the Industrial Department of a school for Mountain Whites in Kentucky; to build a parsonage in Kansas, and aid Mrs. L. Tichenor Bailey in her work among the Mormons in Ogden, Utah. May the blessing of God rest upon these noble efforts and crown them with success. "Fear thou not, for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I WILL STRENGTHEN THEE.” MINNESOTA. THE president of the Minnesota W. H. M. S. sends out a stirring appeal to her auxiliaries to raise $5,000 for the American Home Missionary Society. Her words should be prayerfully read by all. "There are 6,873 women on our church rolls. If they all contributed, and according as God has prospered them, this letter need not be written. But alas ! some are "not interested," and many are not even approached by a solicitor; and it is safe to assume that not more than half contribute anything. Hence this letter must be an appeal to the half who do keep their lamps trimmed and burning. You have a two-fold duty laid upon. First, to give promptly your own fair proportion; second, to interest that other woman who is not interested, and to urge upon her the privilege of taking a share in this work. "Last year we made no special plea. We hoped the natural growth of our societies would keep our treasury comfortably full. But the needs of the parent societies, to which we contribute, do not remain stationary. To simply hold their ground, doing no new work, requires more money than the churches give them. 6 "Our contributions have not increased in proportion to our material prosperity. Too many may have an idea that if we each give a dollar a year our duty is done. For some, this means sacrifice; but far too many of us put our dollar into the treasury, with no hint, even, of sacrifice to ourselves, and pray God bless the Missionary Society.' God hears our requests and does bless the Missionary Society; but may He not also send leanness into our souls? A dollar a year may be enough for many of our consecrated women. But those who read the records tell of dollars earned by home missionary wives, after their home and parish work is done, by doing neighbors' washings, and of many other such sacrifices. They tell us the single dollars are too often given by those who could give many. Our giving should be proportioned to our receiving. Our dollars with held may keep missionaries and their wives from the bare comforts of life. Ought we not to share with those who, in order to be missionaries in our own country, go without many of these things? 66 Sister, when you read this letter, remember it was written directly to you. If you have no ready money, will you not consecrate a few pots of your golden butter, or set aside a basket of fresh eggs, or a coop of young chickens? Have some missionary potato hills, or a "consecrated squash vine." Do a bit of plain sewing for the Master. Above all, season your giving with many prayers for God's blessing on your gifts. "It may be, my sister, God has given you a more than comfortable home. You may ride in a very easy carriage, dress with great taste, sit at a table loaded with the luxuries of the season. You may have all that heart could wish. Will you not carefully consider this matter? Can you not spare some luxury from your table, thereby making the plainer food far sweeter to your taste? Can you not omit something from your wardrobe, or some superfluous article from your home? May not the cost of some bit of fancy work be consecrated, and some tickets to concerts and lectures dropped in? The ways to find money are many. Will you not search for them? I am searching my own heart, too. Freely we are receiving. Are we as freely giving? "Some have already given their mite. Let them recognize that, and seek only to influence others. For many others, giving their mite as the Lord meant it, would be giving far more than any of us have ever dreamed of asking. But surely many of us can easily give ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred dollars. The treasury needs our help, and He who sitteth over against it, counting our gifts, is pleading with us. Shall we not be large-hearted in our responses? "He gives twice who gives promptly." Our Young People. FOUR PENNIES. A CHRISTMAS STORY. BY ALICE EDDY CURTISS. "A TRUE story?" asked Ned, lying back on the hearth-rug to look up into grandmamma's face. 66 Well, a story that means something true," said grandmamma, holding up her knitting to look at a dropped stitch. "A story for you to think about and see if you can tell what it means.' "Like a riddle?" said Ned, reaching out for the kitten and making himself comfortable to listen. "All right; go on, grandmamma!" "Well, then, it was on a Christmas Eve," said grandmamma, looking into the glowing fire as if she were reading her story there,-"a Christmas Eve, clear and cold, with snow lying everywhere on the ground, and the pine trees and fir trees in the forests quite covered with beautiful white wreaths, as if the snow fairies were decking them for Christmas trees on their own account, with bits of sparkling ice and spangles of frost for candles. All over the land there was a look of gladness; the stars seemed brighter than usual, and the lights from cities and towns and even little villages and solitary farm-houses, seemed to twinkle back to them, as if they were trying to make earth as bright as heaven. The children everywhere were asleep, and the Christmas angels had gathered up all their evening prayers and the hymns that they had sung before they went to bed; for this was a Sunday night as well as a Christmas Eve, and hundreds and thousands of homes had been ringing with songs about the Christ-Child, and the Shepherds, and the Star in the East. And on this beautiful, holy, starry night, two angels stopped at a little vine-covered church and entered in. "The moon was just rising among the stars, and a long silver ray went in with the shining ones, and lighted up the place, resting softly on evergreen wreaths and holly boughs, and falling full on the communion table where something lay sparkling like jewels among the shadows. The angels looked about them with tender smiles. "Yes, this is where the people of earth come to worship the Most Holy One,' said the elder. You will see many such places when you have been sent to this world often. They love our Lord, these peoplewho come here. I was here to-day when the children were gathered together to sing and hear the story of the Redeemer, and when they brought their birthday offerings to him. I blessed them in His Name when I saw their happy faces. It was a pleasant sight, brother.' "The younger angel passed about the church, gazing with wondering, child-like eyes on all the garlands and mottoes that made it beautiful. 6 "They have brought the fairest things that could be found, to do Him honor,' he said. The beauty of the wild wood and the blossoms that are grown amid the snow. Our Lord must smile when he looks this way, for the love of his people fills his heart with joy, always. Then he paused beside the table and looked down at the sparkling things that lay there. "What are these?' he asked. 66 "The other angel drew near, too, with a shadow on his forehead, though his eyes were calm and loving. "Those are four coins which dropped from the box where the offering was gathered,' he said. "To-morrow they will be found and added to the rest, and those who find them will see only four bits of copper, just. alike. It is only the eyes of heaven that see things as they are. Our Lord has looked upon these gifts, and that is why we can see them as they |