MRS. MacKay, F.P. Manse, 11 Auldcaste Road, Inverness, has consented to act as Secretary in the place of Mrs. Matheson (now in Glasgow), for the Clothing Fund Committee for our Mission in Southern Rhodesia. There is a Committee in Glasgow, which has done very good and useful work for the Mission for many years. There is a similar Committee in Vancouver, B.C., Winnipeg and Toronto. They all have done, and are doing excellent work for the natives of our Mission. It is our intention to have a similar Committee centred in Inverness for the North and West Highlands which will assist Mrs. MacKay to carry on the good work. The ladies of the various congregations can form their own local branch in their districts to collect useful material for children’s and women’s clothing. It can then be sent to Inverness c/o Mrs. MacKay, who will arrange with her Committee to send the material collected direct to the Mission Stations. The late Mrs. Millar, of Wick, and Mrs. Matheson did splendid work, and many a poor native woman and young lassie will be grateful to them for the help they gave to cover their naked bodies. When the native begins to realise that he or she is naked in the literal sense that is really a token for good to the Missionary and Teacher that moral light is dawning upon their benighted minds, and that by their patient efforts (blessed by the Holy Spirit), the poor native may feel his or her spiritual nakedness and their greater need to appeal to the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ to cover their soul and persons for an endless eternity. History records our own state and condition before the glorious gospel came to our native Islands. It was the annual habit of the natives of these Islands to sacrifice their own children to the devil in the language of the Scripture. The gospel altered all that and infinitely more. The precious gospel will do the same blessed work in the hearts, minds and life of the natives of our Mission. It has done it already in many cases—some, we believe, singing in heaven with the redeemed on the eternal merits of the blood of the Lamb. We would point out that the Shangani Reserve has added to our work. It is not a burden! It is a great pleasure. They who consider the cause of Christ a burden should consider what relationship have they with Christ Himself?
The true Christian life is practical, charitable and liberal. The gospel opens the heart, the purse strings, the door. The heart, the house, the town or village where the Lord Jesus Christ cannot find food, drink, kindness and favour in His people, let such houses and people take warning that they have to meet the Lord Jesus in another world to render their final account to Him as Judge of all—princes and beggars! He Himself laid down the golden rule: “By their fruits ye shall know them.” It is not by fair words, which may be pleasant to the ear, that His true people are to be known but by their life, walk and conversation. When one thinks to-day the thousands of millions the British people have spent on their foul lusts—wars, gambling and carnal pleasure—for the last one hundred years, is it any wonder we are to-day where we are? We may blame others for our poverty, but in all reality the blame is ours for our sins in India, Africa, Canada, Australia, England and Scotland! Fifty years ago the wealth of the world was virtually under the thumb of the financiers of the City of London. How much of it was ever used for the poor of the Lord, for His cause, for the natives of India, Africa, for the outcasts of the cities of England, Scotland and Ireland? Let any one consider what has happened since to the thousands of millions that should have been wisely used for the good and benefit of the poor and needy that passed their miserable life sighing, groaning, weeping, hungry, naked, in disease and extreme poverty, till death removed them from this life of constant degradation!
The Shangani Reserve is a big problem. The natives are coming to it in thousands. Many are naked heathen—men, women and children. We must try our best to supply them with clothes. Mrs. J. Fraser will be delighted to get all the material the ladies in the home Church can send her to distribute to the needy. The new Schools need all kinds of material which the active and resourceful minds of the women at home can provide for the little native girls to learn to sew, in all kinds of needlework and crochet-work. It is not so easy to collect such articles and material in this country at the present time owing to the endless restrictions of the powers that be. It is wonderful what the women can do and are doing in spite of the hopeless muddle of the Board of Trade.
It is far better to work in a uniform manner than a dozen working on their own. It will be wise to get in touch with Mrs. Fraser (when they get settled down); she will be in a position to communicate with the Committee in Inverness and Glasgow what should be sent to the Mission. This will equally apply to Miss MacKay and the Home and Canadian Committees. If the ladies on the Mission could send lists of things essential to the various Committees that would help them at home and in Canada not to send too much of the same stuff at the expense of other things equally needful for them to have for the School Staff to hand out to the girls. This method would co-ordinate the work, and make it easier for all concerned to know what should be done. This must be thoroughly arranged in due course. Much has been done for the last forty odd years by the ladies of the Church, especially by the Glasgow Committee. The field is now wider, needs greater, and the natives are appealing to us for help for soul, body and life. They are calling for the gospel, for schools, for clothing. We are in the favoured position that we can give them the gospel according to the Word of God. We can give them sufficient education to read the Word of God. We can help them (especially the females, old and young) to cover their naked bodies. This appeal is to the ladies of our Church. If further information is required let that be enquired of Mrs. MacKay or the Glasgow Committee, and we know it will be given at all times. If it is preferable to send money to buy the material that may be sent to Mrs. MacKay at above address.—James MacLeod, Convener.