4
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
Pi ogress of Christianity
( Continued from Page 1.)
peal to the spectacular, for, the oppor
tunity offered for sociability, and, in
case or. Indians, particularly, for indulg
ence of the nomadic habit. To be sure
one writer goes so . far as to say that
"Baptized Paganism is the real character
of much that figures as Christianity
among the Indians," but this is too severe
an arraignment, and is contradicted
by another observer of the camp meet
ing, who', says: "The evening meeting
was conducted by a native clergy
man. : All joined heartily in the re
sponses and sang the hymn with a favor
that might well be emulated by the
palefaces. Their manner suggested
deep, earnest devotion.1'
But the real significance of the growth
of Christianity among the Indians is
not so much in the camp meeting as in "
the message of White Bull "when he
said:
" Tell your people that we are trying
to live as Christians; we are trying to be
kind to one another, especially to the poor
and sick, for there are many among us
who are sick and many wTho are lame
and paralyzed and we minister to them
and wash their feet."
It is the spread of this "lining" Chris
tianity that counts most and this does
not come through camp meeting although
they may pave the way for its approach.
This can be inculcated in the Indian
only through the personal example and
individual teaching and preaching of
patient, devoted missionaries. It comes
only through the eo lsecrated labors ot
the Riggses and the Roes and th- Hares
and scores of others like them men and.
women less widely known than these.
perhaps, but not less devoted, who are
living in Christian fellowship with the
Indians in the remotest corners of the
land. Christianity among the Iudians
will increase only as the unselfish efforts
of such missionaries increase the mis
sions on the reservations.
What has already been accomplished
indicates that the same training and
'spiritual leadership, which d eye lopes
moral character in the Anglo-Saxon
race, will produce similar results in the
Indian. We know that the civilizing
and the Christianizing of the mass of
barbarians whose descendants now people
Europe was the work of ten centuries.
From the days of the first settlers the
Indians have had missionaries anions
them. They must have them still arid
for a good many years more if the king
dom of God is to come to these people.
, In, the measure in which pur church
organizations and missionary societies
maintain missions and hospitals, among
the Indians, will the spread of Chris
tianit7 increase.
Meantime we may welcome the camp
meeting as a sign of the times and
many believe that it will often: serve to
point the way for the Indian to what,
in his simple fashion, he calls the
"Jesus-road." Southern Workman.
Left-Over Items
It is said in the hop yards, that the
lunches they are receiving put up in the
kitchen and dining room are the best
ever.
Jame McMann, our blind man, hns
gone t the Sinon- hop yard to try his
luck uicking hops. One little boy luis
been detailed to look after him and hnie
with him in the returns.