its object the gathering in of the Savior's reward for the travail of his soul. O, dear sisters, do not get weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap, if you faint not. It is a blessed-a glorious cause in which we, through his infinite goodness and mercy are engaged. Let us then be workers together. Aid us with your prayers, we stand in need of them. With the Apostle, we would entreat you: Pray for us!" Our field here is an uneven one. It requires prayer, steadfastness and perseverance to meet and overcome those obstacles, which heathenish practices, the spirit of the world, and an uncivilized country and people present. Discouragements of one kind and another are not wanting, and we can scarcely expect it otherwise in a country like this, where civilization is so slowly progressing, and vital religion is scarcely known. A very pernicious practice, highly prejudicial to the Lord's cause, has been carried on by the traders along this coast, who have been in the habit of baptizing all such, as presented themselves for that purpose, and their children also. These men have in most cases, (perhaps also in all) been men, possessed of little or no religion whatever. A mock religion has thereby been introduced, which only time, prayer, perseverance-yea, the Lord's almighty hand alone can remove. However, we have also much cause, to thank the Lord for the blessings which have accompanied the preaching of the cross. Our little flock, which numbers about twenty souls, has among its members some truly serious souls, whose anxious desire and prayer is, to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In our day-school, we have now about twelve Indian children of the Mosquito tribe. Some read and write very well already. Of the two princesses, who are still with us, Matilda, the eldest, has very good talents for learning. The Lord has particularly laid his blessing on the religious instruction imparted to the children of our Sunday School, (numbering about seventy) of which we had the most striking evidences, in the very happy departures of several of our scholars.

Our Church, after much toil and labor, is now so far finished, that we can keep service in it. For want of materials, we were obliged to cover it with thatch, which will, however, as soon as practicable be exchanged for a shingled roof, as the breezy situa tion of the Church will ere long render the thatched roof very defective. We are now anxious to build a new dwelling house, as our little cottage proves too small since the arrival of br. and sr. Juergenson and sr. Gloeckler, now sr. Lundberg. Br. Juergenson was some time ago seriously ill, but has through the Lord's mercy quite recovered. He is a very active and faithful brother, and wishes to serve the Lord. His wife is a great help to my dear partner, who was almost worn out with overmuch work. Servants are not to be had here. We have only two small boys and a small girl living with us; they attend school alternately and are likewise,

trained to house work Of course the greater part of the burden falls upon the sisters. Labor is high, and workmen are not easily obtained at present; we must therefore labor a great deal ourselves, and at times very hard in order to keep things together. Br. Lundberg and his wife are engaged in the day-school; and when out of school, they also help, where they can. We hope, (D. V.) soon to open a new station at Pearl Key Lagoon, about twenty miles to the North of Bluefields, where a good number of Indians live. Our brethren and sisters Juergensen, Lundberg and my dear wife join me in kind salutations to our bra. and srs. at Bethlehem, especially to those who may know us. Recommending ourselves and the work committed to us, to the affectionate prayers of you all, I remain

Yours affectionately,

H. G. PFEIFFER.

HOME MISSION INTELLIGENCE.

ABSTRACT of PROCEEDINGS in the HOME MISSION BOARD, for the first three Months of the present Year, 1854.

Agreeably to a resolution adopted at a late meeting of the Board of officers of the Home Mission Society, the Recording Secretary is instructed to draw up, monthly, a brief extract of such business as will admit of publicity in the Miscellany, hoping thereby to interest the members of our auxiliary societies, and to keep them "posted up" in this interesting and daily more important work in our little Zion.

January. This being the first month of the year, the Board had the pleasure of hearing the annual and semi-annual reports of our brethren at Green Bay, Coatesville and New York, each of which has not failed to leave favorable impressions of the general state of things at these different stations.

With a single exception, caused by indisposition, br. Fett had service in the church at Greenbay, every Sunday of the last year, besides attending to regular week-day evening meetings, and the celebration of the Church festival days. He also held five funerals, married seven couples, and baptized fourteen children. Sunday, as well as week day school was also regularly kept up. In externals too, a very cheering change has taken place here. The members of this little band, so evidenced their appreciation of our missionaries' labors, that at the close of the year, br. and sr. Fett could look forward with fewer cares about their temporal support. The Germans and Americans having surprised them with gifts of

provisions and money, sufficient to meet their most pressing wants for the whole winter season.

Br. Barstow continues in activity at Coatesville. The Sunday School, which is in a flourishing condition with forty scholars, many of whom have a distance of one and two miles to come, affords a special interest to our brother and sister here engaged. The neighboring mission stations, however, had, in a manner to be abandoned, by br. Barstow, partly on account of the impassable nature of the roads in the winter season, but mainly in consequence of br. B's close confinement in keeping daily eight hours' school. A donation of ten dollars from the little girls' S. S. of Bethlehem towards the support of the S. School is gratefully acknowledged. Br. Guenther feels much encouraged with the little flock gathered together in the city of New York. Sabbath worshippers range in numbers from thirty to forty five. Joined in church-fellowship there are twenty eight.

At Greenville, br. Guenther now preaches every Sunday, though not without very considerable self-denials, in making the journey of four miles each way, on foot, after having preached twice in New York. Unusual attendance at the meetings has hitherto been the reward of his labors.

Invitations to the brethren of the board, to take charge of two desolate wastes, in the east and west, were made subjects of consideration. The one from I. C. Franke, a colporteur of the American Tract Society in Winescheck County, Iowa; and the other from a br. at New Haven, Connecticut, formerly of the European Diaspora; both urging, strongly, the claims of the several fields they represent. Respecting the latter, arrangements were at once entered into, to draw in more particular information.

The wants of onr brethren at Moravia, Iowa, were up for consideration.

Treasurer notified the receipt of an appropriation of one hundred dollars, for special uses, from the busy hands of the Moravian Female Sewing Society of Lancaster.

February. Br. Kaltenbrunn, February 1st, writes very encouragingly of the new mission field near Watertown, Wisconsin. Activity and zeal, crowned with success, apparently mark the labors of our brother. Seven preaching places are kept up by br. Kaltenbrunn, four of which have service regularly every other Sabbath, and the others, at a greater distance, meet for worship every third or fourth Sunday. At the latter the number of families meeting together is small; in the immediate vicinity of the church grounds, however, they number sixty communicants; with children and others they count upwards of a hundred individuals. In externals these people have the testimony that they are doing what they can, but, as they are mostly of recent immigration, they have not the means, or resources, to do much in a pecuniary way. Their hands

they willingly lend to the work of the Lord, and thus have completed, this winter, a temporary log-cabin for their pastor, in which, for the present, they also hold their service. Early in Spring they wish to make a commencement at the erection of a church edifice, on the lot of ground already secured by our New York brethren

for that purpose.

Br. Schweinitz of Philadelphia gives the cheering intelligence, that the congregation there has concluded to enlist the services of Johannes Præger, as an assistant in the Home Mission service, on trial for one year, not only because they have been enabled to meet the expenses of their home mission in that city by the receipt of a small legacy for that special purpose, but mainly to improve the many opportunities for usefulness in their extensive, and constantly increasing field of labor.

The Provincial Elders' Conference submitted to the Board, an extract of a letter from br. Holland of Sharon, Ohio, in behalf of the western congregations, exposing a plan to give a new impetus to the Home Mission spirit in the West. The proposition is to send a Home Missionary to Iowa, among a number of brethren who recently emigrated thither, and others that purpose joining them, from the vicinity of Gnadenhuetten, New Philadelphia, etc., the western congregations providing altogether for the pecuniary wants of the missionary. The plan conflicting in no wise, either with the spirit of the work, or the rules laid down by the late Provincial Synod, the Board could not do otherwise than to wish it "God Speed." The brother proposed for this work is Hiram Myers, of Gnadenhuetten, long since upon the list of approved candidates for the Home Mission service. By a unanimous vote, the Board commended said br. to the P. E. Č., for their sanction and approval as a candidate for ordination, to enter as laborer into the mission field of the West.

a

March. The Board had this month, the privilege of a social interview with br. Kaltenbrunn, (who has come eastward, in the hope of receiving assistance from the members of our congregations and the friends of our Home Mission work, towards the building of a house of worship for the Moravians near Watertown), and were interested in a narration of numerous facts in connection with the formation of the Moravian Church of the town of Watertown.

Watertown, a place of about 4,000 inhabitants, has eight churches, of different denominations. In this large place there are but few families who appreciate Moravian preaching, these however, appear to have found the consolation of Israel, and very frequently pass the road of four miles each way, to the location of the intended church-edifice, where with the other brethren of the neighborhood they meet for religious worship. Thus occasionally

1

eighty communicants are crowded together in the log cabin of thirty by sixteen feet, hastily set up in the past winter months.

Besides attending to the numerous preaching places referred to in the last month's extract, br. Kaltenbrunn keeps three hours of school each day.

Br. Guenther acknowledges a private donation of $5., received from a sister, as a heavenly gift. Having recently met with a family in most peculiarly abject and distressing circumstances, our br. says he could not withhold drawing upon his own almost famished stores, to relieve his fellow beings from their pitiful condition. He knew not what his own wants might be in consequence, but resolved to try the promise of God, and give in faith; but behold, the same is again abundantly restored. "Oh!" he exclaims, "could we but more implicitly place our whole dependence upon the God of our salvation, always faithful and true to His promises.

Br. Guenther further narrates his providential meeting with a young brother, Johannes Kilian, recently from Bremen, on his way to a Mission Seminary. Struck with zeal for the house of the Lord, br. G. suggested his tarrying with them, to which he at once consented. Bearing with him the best testimonies, he received an immediate appointment from the American Tract Society, as colporteur, and is entered upon our list of candidates for the Home Mission work.

The following communications from br. Martin Hauser in Illinois, will, without doubt, be new and interesting to the most of our readers, who will be glad to meet with our old pioneer home missionary of the West, in print again.-Ed.

MILLS PRAIRIE, Ill., November 8th, 1853. The still voice has so often reminded me of my promise and duty towards those friends who so liberally contributed towards the erection of a house of worship at Olney, that labor has become irksome, and I have determined by this week's mail to say something in the shape of a report, imperfect as it will appear. I would beg leave to remark that my long silence should not be attributed to indifference, for surely I have a good excuse, for nearly four months I have been afflicted with what the doctor calls "Liver complaint" which is peculiarly adapted to render the sufferer dejected, and though I have abundant reason to be thankful that a gradual change though slowly, for the better has taken place, yet I am far from being well. I have refrained from contributing my mite for the pages of the Miscellany; but others, who hold "the pen of a ready writer," have not been affected with "liver complaint," though it appears as if they had suffered more or less from the "hot summer days," for they have entertained their readers "by bringing forth