God-speed, and promising help in our Indian work. We are glad to
have received such encouragement as these letters give, and sincerely
thank our brethren who took the trouble and time to answer our
inquiries. We trust that none of them will fail to see that the
promises are fulfilled. There will be in some cases need of special
remembrance. Interests crowd in these days. Even what is lawful and
regular has to fight for recognition. There are others who have not
answered our questions, upon whose co-operation to bring up that
$30,000 we also rely. We hope that as they read these lines their
eyes will detect the special appeal, implied, though not expressed,
that is here made to them. We commend anew the claims of these
important missions to our friends, and again remind them that if we
are to worthily do this enlarged work they must come up to our help
with enlarged contributions.

* * * * *

OUR SPRING ASSOCIATIONS.

REV. J. E. ROY, D.D.

There were four of them, those of Alabama, at Montgomery; of
Louisiana, at New Orleans; of Mississippi, at Meridian; and of North
Carolina, at Dudley. The first three came the first part of April;
the last came the 1st of May. Alabama received two new ministers,
Revs. A. J. Headen and C. L. Harris, and two new churches, those of
Birmingham and Tecumseh, places of large iron and coal interests.
Louisiana received the Church of Chocahula and Rev. Byron Gunner. The
meetings of Alabama have come to the dignity of State Anniversaries,
those of the Sunday-school Association, of the Association of
Churches, and of the Woman's Missionary Association, which this year
transferred its auxiliaryship from the Boston W. H. M. A. to the
Woman's Bureau of the A. M. A. The Sunday-school body took a day for
its reports, addresses and discourses. Among other valuable
contributions was that of Mrs. Ash, widow of the late Rev. W. H. Ash,
upon the dress and deportment of the teacher. The body representing
the churches and the ministers came up to its own high-water mark of
intellectual force and spiritual tone. Among the practical subjects
discussed was that of the relation of the churches toward secret
societies. In the whole discussion not a word was offered in defense
of the clandestine orders. It would have done Brother Fee good to
have heard the fearless discussion. The church of Montgomery, under
the care of Rev. R. C. Bedford, was found in a prosperous condition,