M°> 3 h Ube Educational llnfluence of tbe C. M. 36. /ID. on tbe JPoung. “A tiny, precious seed was dropped one day into the earth, When lo! as if by magic touch a wondrous tree came forth. ’Twas strangely fair and beautiful, for 'twas our Lord’s command That gave it birth to cast its shade o’er all this weary land. It is our own loved Christian Woman’s Board of Missions tree, Whose roots are grounded firm and deep, deep as eternity. Its purpose is to do the will of Him of Galilee, Who taught the lowly fishermen, as they sat beside the sea, To leave their nets and follow Him ; and go and teach His Word, Till every nation, tribe and tongue should own Him as their Lord. Its branches are outspreading far, that all the lands around May, in its leaves of healing, find a balm for every wound. And when the harvest time appears, may its rich fruitage be The ransomed of all nations, from land, from sea to sea.” In a little home in Virginia, 25 years ago, a baby girl was born. The loving mother welcomed her and consecrated her to the Lord to be used in His service. At the same time, in a far distant State, another child was born—a child which came in answer to earnest prayer from the hearts of 75 consecrated Christian women. How wonderfully that child grew into maturity! Full of strength and power, it proved a blessing to all. So far-spreading was its influence that it reached across the States, and led the mother of the little girl into active service for the Master. As the little girl grew older she also began to feel the spiritual power from that mature child of prayer, until the heart was drawn into closer touch with the Master. So strong was the love they bore each other that they became as twin sisters. And now the little girl, grown into womanhood, stands before you to speak of the wonderful influence of this loved twin sister, our Christian Woman’s Board of Missions. Where is the heart that does not thrill with a glad rapture at that dear name which recalls such loving memories with our Lord? Who does not love to lay aside the busy home cares, and with our hearts centered upon Jesus and His love, go to our monthly meetings, there to meet with our consecrated sisters to pray for the spreading of His king¬ dom, and learn from the spiritual talks and readings more about our work and workers? What untold joy comes to us as we leave those happy meetings, to carry with us through the month the object of our Christian Woman’s Board of Missions ! “To cultivate a missionary spirit, to encourage missionary effort in the church, and to secure systematic contributions for missionary purposes.” Can it be that the young woman can find no place in such a joyful service? Oh ! yes, there is surely a place for us. Our ranks should no longer be made up so largely with the consecrated wives and mothers. The young Endeavorers who have learned at the foot of the cross the great joy that comes from a knowledge of Christ should impart it to others. With the love of Christ constraining us, and a true knowl¬ edge of what He would like to have us do, trusting in the Lord for strength, we should go forth in this service now while the Master is calling for us. Nor should we stop until all nations shall have heard of the wonderful love of God in the gift of His only begotten Son. Contrast the lives of the young women of the C. W. B. M., who are spending their time in the service of our Master, with the young women who have no thought save that of serving self, and how we pity the sad condition of the latter ! Many of them living lives of ease and refinement, clad in fine apparel, go to the house of God, and occasionally drop a dime into the mis¬ sionary box, praying that the kingdom of God may come, yet in their lives doing nothing to hasten that coming. “Oh! you queens! you queens! Among the hills and happy greenwood of this land of yours, shall the foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, and in your cities shall the stones cry out'against you that they are the only pil¬ lows where the Son of man can rest His head? Will you not go down among those sweet living things, whose new courage sprung from the earth with the deep color of heaven upon it as it is starting up in strength of goodly spire, and whose purity, washed from the dust, is opening bud by bud, into the flower of promise? And still they turn to you and for you, ‘The Larkspur listens—I hear; I hear ! And the Lily whispers—I wait.’” The young woman of the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions is learning from the blessed Savior the secret of loving service. Christ is the center of her life, and, as He came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many, so she is trying to “let this same mind be in her which was also in Christ Jesus.” By sending the glad message of a risen Lord to others, her own heart is strength¬ ened. Her words are full of power and tenderness be¬ cause her life is hid with Christ. She preaches a sermon every day in her home and among her neighbors by her ministry of love. Is there not a rich blessing in store for those who thus spend their lives in the service of our Father in Heaven? Has He not all along richly blessed those who have given their lives in self-denial for others? Even before Christ came, we see in the life of Esther, the young queen, a beau¬ tiful example of self-denial. She was taken, a little, ob¬ scure girl, from her humble home and raised to the exalted position of queen over a hundred and twenty-seven prov¬ inces. Possessed with rare grace and a wealth of love and power, she was willing to give up all these for the sake of her humble people, whom she had not ceased to love. With these words on,her lips, “If I perish, I perish,” she risked her life, not even having a clear knowledge of the home which the dear Savior has gone to prepare for those who faithfully serve Him. Ruth, also, gives us a loving example of self-forgetfulness in following her mother-in-law. Leav¬ ing her native country she gladly follows Naomi, saying, “Whither thou goest! will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge ; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest I will die. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part me and thee.” It was a noble spirit which prompted these young women to such a loving service. Esther and Ruth were true servants of God, but they were not free with that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. It was through Christ that Mary found that “good part.” Her one desire was to know more of Him and to be used in His service. How beauti¬ fully her devoted life carried out the words of the psalmist: “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.” For the sake of His dear love, Mary was willing to lay aside, for a time, all ordinary earthly cares. More than 1,800 years have passed since Mary made that wise choice, but from her shoulders the mantle has fallen upon many of our young women of the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions, choosing that “good part” that can never be taken away. Our Adelaide Frost, Alice Spradlin, Rosa Oxer, Bessie Farrar and many others have put their lives in the trust of our kind Heavenly Father and have said : “If I perish, I perish, but I will go and lift the royal banner of our Lord, where precious souls, for whom Christ died, are only waiting for the message in order to receive it.” And now from far-away India come these comforting words: “ Do not feel sorry for us and think it a sacrifice, for it is only a joyful, loving service for our Master. Tell the young people not to be afraid to come and join us, for we are so happy in our work for Christ.” Such are the lives that have gone from the influ- ence of the C. W. B. M. to gladden hearts and homes in for¬ eign lands. Then there are our earnest young women who are engaged in the home work as Superintendents of Mis¬ sion Bands and Junior Societies—those who are having a part in training the young for lives of usefulness in His vineyard. What a blessing this work has proven to the young woman! “ Yes, we have a work for Jesus, living echoes we will be, Of Thine own sweet words of blessing, of Thy gracious ‘Come to Me.’ Jesus, Master, yes, we love Thee, and to prove our love, we lay Fruits of lips which Thou wilt open, at Tliy blessed feet to-day. Many an effort it may cost us, many a heart-beat, many a fear, But Thou knowest and wilt strengthen, and Thy help is always near. Give us grace to follow fully, vanquishing our faithless shame, Feeble it may be, but truly, witnessing for Thy dear name.” The work of our C. W. B. M., like the quality of mercy, “is not strained. It droppeth like rain from Heaven upon the earth beneath. It is twice blessed. It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.” You remember, dear Sisters, when Solomon went before the Lord, upon being made king, in that night did God ap¬ pear unto him and say: “Ask what I shall give thee.” Then did Solomon ask for wisdom and knowledge to rule his people. In making that wise choice, riches and honor were added unto him by our loving Father. So it was with our consecrated sisters who sought, above all other things, to bring glory and honor to the Lord. They did not ask for riches and honors for themselves, but for wisdom to do the Lord’s will in spreading His glorious kingdom. In making this wise choice the Christian wives and mothers were not only blessed themselves, but studying to know the will and wishes of our dear Savior, they received a blessing for their children. An appreciation of this blessed work has entered the home. The little children have caught the sweet in¬ spiration and, with their motto, “Shine for Jesus,” a host of Little Builders are doing their part to take the world for Christ. Through the influence of our Auxiliaries, which were given to our consecrated sisters for the wise choice they made, many of their sons and daughters have so felt the love of Christ constraining them that they have gone into the dark heathen lands, there to plant the cross of Christ. Not only are our sisters called upon to give their time, tal¬ ents and means, to be used in His service, as when the blessed work first began, but now their very loved and own are called to hasten the coming of our Lord. As I stand before you to-night, a picture comes before me of an earnest Christian mother with her two little girls, one on each side, trudging across a long bridge going to the C. W. fe. M. meeting. That evening a letter is read, which tells of those who are perishing in heathen lands without the gospel of Christ, and the great need of workers. The hearts of these little girls are touched by this appeal, and on their way home the older one says to the younger, “Sister, when I grow up I am going myself to carry the gospel to those sad people. Will you not go with me?” The younger replies: “If I can not go with you, Sister, and leave my mother, I will do all I can to help send others.” As these little girls grew into young womanhood those early influences were strengthened by the spirited meetings of the C. W. B. M., and in answer to earnest prayer, the time came at last when the older one could prepare herself for work in the foreign field. Another picture comes before me. It is a time of parting in a Christian home. All eyes are fastened lovingly upon that older daughter, who is about to leave her loved ones to go into far-away India, there to lift the cross of Christ. Is it because she loves her dear ones any less that she is willing to go? Ah! no, but because she loves Christ. And now we see the fond mother, who led her little girls to the meeting of the C. W. B. M., as she strains her eyes to catch the last glimpse of her darling child. What means the sweet, sad smile on her face? It means that for His sake she is willing to give her loved and own to be used in His service. “ Not her own, but His by right, His peculiar treasure now, Fair and precious in His sight. Purchased jewels for his brow, He will keep what thus He sought, Safely guard the dearly bought, Cherish that which He did choose, Always keep and never lose.” How joyful the service of the young woman who thus en¬ trusts her life into the Savior’s keeping. She can sing with Isaiah of old, “Behold God is my light and my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. He also is become my salvation. There¬ fore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day ye shall say, Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people. Make mention that His name is exalted. Sing unto the Lord, for He hath done excellent things. This is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.” Dear young people, we invite you to come and join us in the joy¬ ful service, and be set apart for hastening of the coming of the Lord’s kingdom. “Set apart for Jesus! Is not this enough, Though the desert prospect Open wild and rough? Set apart for His delight, Chosen for His holy pleasure, Sealed to be His special treasure, Could we choose a nobler joy, And would we if we might? “Set apart to serve Him, Ministers of light Standing in His presence, Ready day or night; Chosen for the service blest, He would have us always willing, Like the angel host fulfilling, Swiftly and rejoicingly, Each recognized behest. “Set apart to praise Him ; Set apart for this; Have the blessed angels Any truer bliss? Soft the prelude though so clear Isolated tones are trembling, But the chosen choir assembling Soon shall sing together, While the universe shall hear. “Set apart to love Him And His love to know; Not to waste affection On a passing show; Called to give Him life and heart, Called to pour the hidden treasure That none other claims to measure Into His beloved hand, Thrice blessed, set apart.” Published by the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions, 152 East Market St., Indianapolis, Ind., March, 1900. One cent each; ten cents per dozen.