figure. Before one of the shrines are two granite vases, each ornamented with a snake coiled about it, in rough stone carving; there also is a shrine, around which if a person walks a thousand times, he lays up for himself a large stock of merit. In order to keep the count, there is a box of wooden tickets placed one on each of two sides of the shrine, and on beginning his rounds, the worshiper counts out a certain number of tickets which he carries in his hand, and every time he completes a round, he lays down a ticket on a shelf in front of the shrine. Some lay down a ticket for every ten rounds. As they mumble their prayer, Namu Amidabustu, rapidly while they walk, they have said it a good many times by the time they have reached the thousandth round.

There are fine springs of very cold water at many of these temples. One of these is called Benke's spring. It is so named in honor of a giant who bore that name. He frequented this mountain in ancient times, and attained great strength by drinking the water of this spring. At one of the temples we can see his foot-prints in stone. The length of the foot from the heel to the end of the great toe is two feet; the bottoms of the feet are covered with mystical figures, which are supposed to be the exact reproductions of the original. A Japanese woman, who is with us, says she has heard the Benke stories ever since she was old enough to understand anything, but she always supposed they were lies; but now seeing all these things make her feel they must be true.

We came down from the mountain later than usual this year. Our baggage came down as it went up, on the heads of women. A full load for one woman's head is one hundred and fifteen pounds. These women have cheerful, pleasant faces, and although one feels inclined to pity them, yet their strong, supple frames, bright smiles, and contented appearance tend to make one feel that pity is not needed. Of course they are very ignorant, and there is a dark side to their lot. If they only had the gospel light in their hearts and homes, their lives might be very happy

ones.

Our Work at
at Home.

ANNUAL MEETING.

BY MRS. S. BRAINARD PRATT.

THE very name "Beneficent Church, Providence." sounded auspicious for the eighteenth annual meeting of the Woman's

Board; and the warm welcome of the Rhode Island Branch, the kindly, royal hospitalities of the ladies of Providence, more than made good the augury.

It required "hot missionary hearts" for many of the ladies to leave their homes on Tuesday, when the mercury stood from 10° to 20° below zero; but though the thermometer continued to tell this cold story, the whole atmosphere of Providence was so warm with welcome, that everybody thought the weather had moderated.

The white, benevolent-looking church on Broad Street is rightly named, and it seemed to draw by its own attraction the long line of women who wended their way toward it on the morning of the 13th of January.

At ten o'clock the meeting was called to order by the President, Mrs. Albert Bowker; and when the audience had sung together, "Be thou, O God, exalted high," they felt that the services were fairly inaugurated.

The President read the ninty-eighth and one hundredth Psalms, with appropriate comments, and Mrs. E. W. Clark, of the Worcester Branch, led in the opening prayer. Rhode Island welcomed the company most cordially, through the president of its Branch, Mrs. Taylor; and Mrs. Bowker, in her response, made allusion to Mrs. King, the first president; also to the two young missionaries, Dr. Root and Miss Jillson, who have gone from Providence during the last year.

The annual report was given by Mrs. S. Brainard Pratt, and the Treasurer's report by Miss Emma Carruth. The latter showed the total receipts for the year to have been $110,905.94.

A large number of missionaries were present, and, as usual, the principal interest of the meetings centered in them and their story.

Miss Cull, from Manisa, said many nationalities were represented there, though the work of the girls' school is principally among the Greeks. It is not an isolated work, but an electric current of communication runs between it and other Greek schools in Athens, Smyrna, Constantinople, and Broosa.

The women are the hardest class to teach, and they have been gradually influenced, till now about twenty are genuine Christians, and they long for help in their spiritual life. The school is at present under the charge of the Evangelical Alliance, which is doing a good work in Manisa; but its workers need the help, and sympathy, and prayers of Christian women in America.

The Hymn, "Hail to the brightness of Zion's glad morning," followed Miss Cull's address, and the rest of the forenoon was

given to Branch reports, commencing with the youngest member of the family, and proceeding in regular order of age.

In response to an invitation given by Mrs. Taylor, the entire audience, at the close of the morning session, repaired to Music Hall, where a bountiful collation was served to the large company.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

The afternoon session opened again with song, and Mrs. J. L. Hill, of Lynn, Mass., led in prayer. During the session, at different times, the remainder of the Branch reports were given. All were of marked excellence, and a summary of each will be given in the next number. The reports were interspersed with missionary addresses and papers.

A stirring letter was read from Dr. E. K. Alden, Home Secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, containing a message from Mr. Doane, of Micronesia, and calling for earnest prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Mrs. Pease, of Micronesia, was the next speaker. She said she would have the word sacrifice stricken from a Christian's vocabulary, and privilege substituted.

She assured the audience that it was possible to be very happy in Micronesia, even though eight thousand miles away from Boston, and with only one or two mails a year. She gave incidents of the work on the islands, reading letters from the native helpers Jeremiah and Thomas. She spoke of the imperative need of more workers, and closed with an earnest appeal that all would conscientiously settle the question whether God did not want them to go. A special prayer for this mission, and for the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, was offered by Mrs. H. C. Thompson, of Boston.

Miss Child, Home Secretary of the Board, read a paper entitled, "A Worker's Outfit," in which the various needs for the best service were symbolically described as a good compass, a strong staff, a lantern, a pair of glasses, a pair of stout shoes, a good time-piece, a few kindlings, some fragrant ointment, and a little spice.

A solo, "Watchman, what of the night?" was beautifully sung by Mrs. Chaffin, and much of the enjoyment of the meetings was due to the sweet voices in song. Mrs. Chaffin, Mrs. Burbank, Mrs. Tingley, and Miss Rich, all, at various times, gave great pleasure by their singing.

Mrs. Bowen, lately from Smyrna, told the story of an old colored woman who, after attending a missionary meeting, said, “If de fust woman de Lord eber made was able to turn de world upside down, I should t'ink all dese women could turn it right side up again!" The point was not far to find.

Mrs. Bowen explained the nature and work of the Evangelical Alliance, and gave interesting incidents showing the self-sacrificing spirit of some of the native Christians.

WEDNESDAY EVENING.

A public meeting for both gentlemen and ladies had been kindly planned by the Providence workers. Dr. Vose, of the Beneficent Church, presided, and other pastors of the city took part in the exercises.

Dr. N. G. Clark, senior Foreign Secretary of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, made an address in his own warm-hearted way, in which he brought the salutations of the American Board to its fellow-laborers and helpers unto the kingdom of God. Dr. Clark gave some of the encouraging items of progress in the foreign work during the last decade, and said much of it was wholly due to this work of woman for woman.

Mrs. Dr. Butler, for many years a missionary of the Methodist Board in India, spoke eloquently and at length of her work in that land. Rev. Mr. Brown, from Harpoot, spoke very briefly, owing to the lateness of the hour, and closed the meeting with prayer.

THURSDAY MORNING.

A still larger audience than the day before was present as the President again called the meeting to order, and read a few verses from the seventeenth chapter of John.

Miss Halsey, District Secretary from New York, led in the opening prayer.

A letter of sisterly greeting from the Board of the Interior was read by Miss Child. Mrs. George Martin brought salutations and congratulations from the Methodist Episcopal Board. She gave a very interesting account of Lady Dufferin's medical work in India, and closed with an allusion to the temperance work which is being done in foreign lands through the labors of Mrs. Leavitt.

Mrs. Bixby, of the Woman's Baptist Society, brought the love and Godspeed of this young sister of the Congregational Board; and Mrs. Brewster, editress of the Missionary Helper, presented hearty greetings from the Free-Will Baptist Church. Their society, she said, was small, but could no more be spared from its sister organizations, than could Rhode Island from the States.

A paper on "Unforeseen Occasions in our Foreign Work," was read by Miss E. Harriet Stanwood, Secretary of the Bureau of Exchange. The paper dwelt upon the fact, that while planning for the future development, the certainty of exigencies must be