THE offer in The Home Missionary for February, 1886, to send Mr. Powell's church revenue outfits by mail, was made before we knew the package was too heavy to go under the four pound rate of the postal service. The outfits will be sent hereafter by express, the transporta. tion to be paid by the purchaser. The regular price of the outfit is seven dollars. The offer to furnish it at five dollars gives our friends the benefit of wholesale rates.

AN IMPORTANT CONFERENCE.

REV. G. E. ALBRECHT, Superintendent of German missionary work, overwhelmed by the desperate need of German ministers to take charge of the many hopeful church enterprises within his vast district, requested the attendance of the following persons at an informal conference to be held at Crete, Neb.:

Prof. S. I. Curtiss, of Chicago; Pres. Perry, of Crete; Rev. Messrs. Sherrill, of Omaha, Hopkins, of Kansas City, Bennett, of Crete, and Merrill, of St. Louis; together with the following German brethren: Rev. Messrs. Suess, Schaerer, Scheuerle, and Messrs. J. H. Miller and Herman Von Busch.

A two days conference was held, and after careful and prayerful deliberation, the following results were reached, as contained in the appended declarations:

1. While in some quarters among us, the problem of reaching and helping, in Christian ways, our German population, has received consideration, the average number of our churches has not, as yet, given any thought to this most vital question before our American Zion.

2. It is becoming every day more evident that our polity, and the spirit of our order, are peculiarly adapted to meet the religious needs of our German friends and fellow-citizens.

3. That, in the attempt to gain the best results,-in fact, any satisfactory result-in establishing churches of our order, there is an unspeakably imperative need of a trained German-American Ministry.

4. In securing this training, it must always be borne in mind, that, while the German minister should be kept loyal to the heart of his fatherland, he should be fitted by his instruction to lead his people toward the type of Christian thinking and living of the land of his adoption.

5. As an important instrument to secure this end, we indorse most heartily the German Seminary, at Crete, Neb., an institution planned to furnish men for the German Department of Chicago Theological Seminary. Here we find the beginning of better things for our churches in this vastly important work. This institution, a "Theological Academy," poor beyond expression, weak as have been its efforts, has none the less

already made manifest its ability to accomplish the work committed to it. A most worthy contribution from this school has been received by the Theological Seminary, the first fruits of much larger results, confidently expected in the near future. This undertaking, dear to the heart of a constituency of self-sacrificing German churches, which have hitherto sustained it, appeals, not without hope, to the generosity, patriotism and piety of our American Christians for greatly needed funds, and for intelligent sympathy and prayers.

6. While this Seminary ought not to be regarded a finality, and in the not distant future some one of our Western colleges may do for our German emigrants that which Carlton College is doing for the Swedes, for the present, however, all efforts should be concentrated to equip the Institution, which, in the cordial relations existing between it and Doane College, and Chicago Theological Seminary, can have abundant facilities to meet the pressing demands of the crisis upon us.

7. The American College and Education Society has, in connection with this movement, an opportunity to put itself into line with the phases of church life and work of the days in which we are living.

8. The State Associations of the Interior should be requested to take into consideration the absolute necessities of the case before us, and each memorialize the approaching National Council to give due prominence to this question: How shall we secure most speedily a trained German-American Ministry?

9. On the whole, each patriotic Christian Minister-both of our German and American Ministry-ought to search among his acquaintances for promising young Germans to be educated for this work, and all College and Seminary Faculties should spare no effort in the same direction, to the end that our churches may, in the future, as they have done in the past, be found second to none in their readiness to do their part in advancing the welfare of our Republic and the kingdom of our Lord.

FEAST OF SAN JOSE.

"T IS true 't is pity,

And pity 't is 't is true."

ONE afternoon in January, at a Mexican village about one mile northa of the old town of Albuquerque, N. M., occurred the Feast of San Jose. This feast should properly have been celebrated in the month of March; but, owing to the fact that at that season a large majority of the male portion of the native population will be engaged in the arduous task of repairing the acequias, and putting them in shape to irrigate their spring crops, it was determined that it would be to the advantage of all concerned to engage in this popular feast before the necessity of toiling thus should demand their time and attention.

Going north on the old Bernalillo road, at the point above specified, a narrow road turns directly west. The first house on the right of this road contains a characteristic Mexican grocery and saloon-principally saloon. In front of this building was gathered a great crowd of men, some of whom had already begun to imbibe quite freely. Arranged along the adobe wall, near the saloon, were three devices for gambling. They resembled somewhat large wash-tubs, with the bottom of each inclining to an opening in the center. They were painted in gay colors and were being patronized liberally by Mexicans and Indians. A little farther west, and still on the right hand side of the road, was an old adobe church into which the priest entered; for what reason I could not say, unless, perhaps, he surmised that out of so vast a crowd he might be able to secure a congregation. Opposite the church were some low adobe dwelling-houses.

Although the road was in a frightful condition, being one vast mudhole from beginning to end, the crowd-consisting of Mexicans, men, women and children, Indians with their families, together with a few curiosity-seeking Americans, who had ventured through all this mud and slush for the purpose of witnessing the interesting spectacle to be presented-continued to surge west and around to the rear of said dwelling-houses. Every style and description of vehicle known to the human race seemed to be represented. People rode on horseback, in oldfashioned ambulances, in ox carts, in lumber wagons drawn by mules, etc., etc.

In the rear of one dwelling-house, and up against the wall thereof, was erected a rude stage, made of logs and covered with earth. In front of it were cedar trees, with bows of red tape tied in the branches; and at the back of the stage, partitioned off with canvas, was a dressingroom, where the actors arrayed themselves for the performance, and the musicians were seated. The entertainment was what the Mexicans call Una Comedia, a comedy, and represented our first parents in the Garden of Eden, their temptation and fall.

Soon after our arrival the musicians began to discourse sweet (?) music upon the accordion, mouth organ, etc.; and by the time the curtain was ready to rise a vast assembly had congregated in the open in front of the stage. There must have been fully three hundred space vehicles crowded together, and at least two thousand persons, of all ages. sizes, colors and conditions, from the screaming infant up to the gray-haired granddame. I noticed one aged woman, with a baby in her arms, who, while the orchestra was in full blast, between the acts, was dancing around as nimbly as a young damsel of sixteen. Besides those on the ground, a large number were enjoying the scene from the adjoining house-top.

The characters represented were God, Adam and Eve, the Devil, Appetite, Sin, the Angel and Mercy.

While Eve gazed longingly at one of the trees, Appetite urged her to take the apple, taste it, smell it, and feel of it, while the Devil assured her that it would be all right for her to do so. She took, ate, handed it to Adam, and immediately Sin entered upon the stage.

Perhaps a description of Eve would not be amiss here. She was attired in white and wore a small white apron. Upon her head was a wreath of artificial flowers, composed principally of small sun-flowers, but with an abundant sprinkling of "make-believe" blossoms of every other imaginable hue. She also had on her head a long white veil, while her hair was decorated with various colored ribbons. She recited her parts of the programme in Mexican, of course, and in a high, monotonous voice. The Devil's head was made of buffalo skin, with mouth wide open, and huge, hideous teeth projecting therefrom. The rest of his body was also covered with buffalo skin. He had the usual appendages-horns and a tail— and an uglier Devil it would be difficult to imagine. Sin wore a black cap over his head, reaching down to his nose; over his mouth was spread an immense ox-tail. Appetite had his face painted with red and white stripes.

After Sin had entered the garden, God arose behind the curtain. He was dressed in white, and wore a crown of red and white. In his hand he carried a wand, resembling a barber's pole on a small scale. He called "Adam! Adam!" about a dozen times, in a loud, stentorian voice; but Adam failed to appear. Then God came forward into the garden, and, finding Adam and Eve, handed Adam a hoe, and drove them both out.

An Angel, a boy about twelve years old, then appeared upon the stage. He was arrayed in a pink dress, with pink, fringed wings pinned on his back. I do not see how any one could "want to be an angel, and with the angels stand" if he imagined them looking anything like this boy. His dress came about to his knees; protruding below it were white drawers; and his own pantaloons were stuck in his big top boots. He appeared to be attempting to reconcile God and man; for shortly after he made his speech, which was done with many and violent gestures, God, Adam and Eve, the Angel and Devil, together with Mercy, entered and held a council. Mercy interceded with God for Man, and snatched the head from the Devil, and everything seemed to be all right again.

This was the end of the comedy, and the people commenced to disperse to their homes, having apparently enjoyed most heartily the performance. A great many remained to the horse races, etc., but we concluded to go home. As we passed the saloon we came upon a drunken fight. This was probably the order of proceedings for the rest of the evening and night, and I have serious doubts whether the priest succeeded in getting a congregation together; and, even if he did, whether they were in a condition to appreciate the service.-A Missionary in New Mexico.

DR. GOODELL'S PREMONITION.

In a private letter from a parishioner of Dr. Goodell, it is stated that the beloved pastor had a premonition of his departure at least two months before it occurred. In preaching a sermon about that time, he left his manuscript and entered into a strain of unwritten remark at considerable length, the substance of which was that his ministry was near its close. His hearers were confounded, and knew not what to think. The next Sabbath, in answer to questions that had been asked him during the week, he gave an explanation, and said that on the Saturday night before the Sabbath on which he made the remarks, he had a most remarkable vision; apparently a waking one, in which the Lord Jesus Christ seemed suddenly to be standing by his side in human form, transcendently glorious, and lovely beyond all the power of the imagination to conceive, and he felt irresistibly attracted to him. In this strain of remark the preacher continued for some minutes, and the explanation left his hearers more astonished than before. Dr. Goodell interpreted the vision to mean that his ministry was near its close, and soconfident was he that this was its meaning that he so announced it to his people the very next day. He continued to be of the same mind about it; for only a week before his death he prayed fervently in his pulpit for the man who should succeed him as pastor of his church.

Why did he put this meaning upon the vision? Perhaps he thought of the verse "I will come again and receive you unto myself." Both Paul and Peter seem to have had intimations of their approaching departure; but did either of them have a more glorious vision than this?—a more transporting view of the Being into whose presence he was so soon to be ushered? It was a vision fitted to banish all dread of death from the subject of it, and to put him in a strait between the desire to go on with the work which was so dear to him on earth, and the desire to depart and be with the Saviour, whose glory and loveliness had so attracted him. Such a vision is fitted to confirm weak faith, and every true-hearted and whole-souled disciple of the Lord Jesus may confidently look for the time when a similar vision of transporting glory and loveliness will break upon him, and he will hear the words "Come, thou blessed of my Father!"-Rev. D. L. Furber, D.D., Newton Center, Mass.

A CAMPAIGN WEEK IN DAKOTA.

THAT was what we called it, for it was a week in which some of the Master's outposts were strengthened, and new impetus given to the warfare against sin and ignorance.

Forty-four miles east of the Missouri River, on the Iowa and Dakota