SKETCH OF PHILIPPOPOLIS STATION, BULGARIA. BY REV. GEORGE D. MARSH, OF PHILIPPOPOLIS. THE city of Philippopolis is peculiar in situation. On the great plain, six miles from the foot of the Rhodope range of mountains on the south, and forty miles from the Balkans on the north, near the river Maritza, rise from level and fertile soil four distinct elevations of granite, from two to five hundred feet high. The city covers, wholly or in part, three of these hills, and spreads out around. their base and across the river. The fourth and highest is off a little distance. We can understand why the Romans called this ancient city Trimontium, and the Greeks the city of Philip; but the origin of the Bulgarian name Plovdiv is not so evident. The ancient and the modern are here side by side on every hand, and, pointing to the past and future, recall history, and both indicate and foretell progress. A neglected mosque and silent minaret. speak of foreign faith, rule, and customs; but opposite them the new Christian church, and the massive gymnasium with its hundreds of students and corps of professors, tell of changes wrought. There are still plenty of the ancient kind of shops; but fine stores filled with European and American goods indicate contact with other civilizations. The horses led all around the streets, with M. STAMBOULOFF, PRIME MINISTER OF BULGARIA. But let us take a phaëton and drive out two hours to the State Agricultural School, and you will see some things which enable me to recall, if not renew, my youth by the sight of much American farm machinery. We used to go to Constantinople in a Turkish talica in eight days; now we go by train in one night. The Oriental Express will land you at the other end of Europe in three days. Vienna is our neighbor. Go to the station at train-time and meet your friends as they pass, and you will hear half the European languages while the train waits for luncheon. This central, intelligent, mercantile, progressive city represents in many respects all Bulgaria. The school-teacher is abroad. War, with its ruin and horrors, aroused and freed the people and opened the door. Dawn and the morning are sought in the Occident rather than in the Orient. The cut gives a view of the central portion of the city. Near the centre of the picture is an oldtime khan, with merchants' offices and warerooms on all four sides of the great court. To the left, the building with six domes is an old bazaar. Above it is seen the largest mosque, said to be about four hundred THE CITY OF PHILIPPOPOLIS. years old. Clock-tower Hill exhibits a structure of Genoese times, recently renovated. Our modest chapel is the highest building at the extreme right. The river flows to the left, a little below the base of the picture. Philippopolis is some 240 miles northwest from Constantinople. Its population at present is about 33,000, consisting mainly of Bulgarians, Turks, Greeks, Jews, and Armenians. It was occupied as a station of the American Board in October, 1859. A mission school for boys was opened here in 1860. Messrs. J. F. Clarke and W. W. Merriam, with their wives, were the first missionaries here. It was a sad blow to the young mission when the robbers shot Mr. Merriam as he was returning from Constantinople in 1862. His wife died here soon after. The following missionaries and their wives have been members of this station and had part in the sowing and reaping : All but two of these missionaries are still in the service of the Board in this mission. Miss E. M. Stone, in charge of Bible-women's work in this and Samokov station, has been a member of this station since 1883. Twenty years ago our mission chose Samokov as the most healthful and desirable location for our mission schools; so that Philippopolis was only an out-station of the Board from 1870 to 1878. In the latter year, Eski Zaghra having been destroyed in the Russo-Turkish war, its missionaries, Messrs. Bond and Marsh, were directed to reoccupy Philippopolis as a mission station. With our mission schools for this region at Samokov, and the publication work mostly at Constantinople, this station is free to give its energy to evangelistic work. Our district meets that of Samokov station thirty miles west of Philippopolis; its northern limit is the Balkan range, its eastern the Black Sea, its southern the Ægean Sea. Not all this field is worked, even by colporters, as we could wish. To the southeast we rarely get beyond Adrianople. In all the northern part of our field the population is largely Bulgarian. To the south are more Turks and Greeks. The first evangelical church in this field was organized in November, 1874, at Merichleri, a village thirty-five miles east of Philippopolis. The church here was organized in 1883. Our chapel was built in 1879. It is only a small, cheap structure. We now have fourteen out-stations. At ten points there are regular services preaching and Sunday-school. We have eight pastors and preachers. In five cases a pastor or preacher has the care of two or three points. In several cases the friends meet regularly for service even when there is no preacher with them. We now have six organized churches. Two of these are really composed of two branches some distance apart. Among our workers are five ordained We have two or three colporters at work most of the time. We have a Bible Depository in this city. We have primary schools at seven points, which are good feeders for our mission schools at Samokov. The teachers are gener men. ally graduates of our Samokov Girls' School. Much attention has been given to Bible-women's work in our field. We have but one or two distinct schoolhouses. In most cases our schools are held in the small chapel, or in some room set off from the church for this purpose. We have four parsonages. We have eleven chapels or meetinghouses. The newest, in our fourteenth out-station, is likely to be the cheapest. We hope it will not cost more than $150. The church in Yamboul cost over $2,000. While recounting blessings, we add that we have a bell-rope in an out-station nearly secured by the children's gifts before the parents have subscribed for the bell. The Board has given almost nothing for any of these buildings, churches, parsonages, or schools. The people have been trained to feel that they must do this work. They make their gifts; then the missionaries want a share in every church building in the mission, and every church has a chance to help on every new church. The builders give all they can, to begin with, and when the money is exhausted they give all they can again, and so on, and by the time they have given all they can three or four times, they generally get through without dedicating a debt. Two or three of the stronger churches give from $300 to $500 a year, and others according to their ability. The church in Philippopolis has passed through most severe trials the past year; but God has been her refuge and helper. Spiritual strength has been gained through trial. We look for more prosperous times. This is one of the most important cities in the Balkan Peninsula. We ought to have a new church building here such as it is wholly beyond the financial strength of this very weak church to erect. If some stewards of the Lord's treasure who may read this sketch are moved to start a fund for a new church in Philippopolis, we may in time see a most imperative need met. THE INTERNATIONAL MISSIONARY UNION. BY REV. CYRUS HAMLIN, D.D. THE meeting of the International Missionary Union, at Clifton Springs, June 8-15, brought together 103 missionaries from all parts of the wide field. Twenty-five were from the American Board, twenty-three from the Baptist Board, twenty-three from the Presbyterian Board, twenty-one from the Methodist Episcopal Board, and thirteen from nine other societies. The different fields were represented as follows: Africa gave us five, Assam four, Bulgaria four, Burma thirteen, Central America one, China twenty-two, North American Indians two, India twenty-five, Italy two, Japan four, Mexico one, Persia one, Siam four, South America one, Syria two, and Turkey twelve. Of the above a few were veterans, having seen forty or fifty years of service; a few had seen only six or eight, had returned for health, and were about to go forth again. The subjects discussed were of the highest practical importance. It has come to be the conviction of all that more earnest work must be given to preparing the native agency of all grades, from Bible-women to pastors and preachers, and to planting self-supporting and active churches. The native church with all its ministries must be a light to all the surrounding darkness. The aggressive, conquering work must be by native agents. The mighty advent of the Holy Spirit must be more earnestly sought and relied upon in this all-important part of the work. Also, the heathen converts must live in some decent way by their own labor. The era of "rice Christians" has passed. However low and filthy their heathen state the converts must become cleanly, decent, and industrious. It is delightful to know how readily the converts to Christ fall into the ways of Christian living under wise and faithful guidance. In general they must separate from their heathen or Mohammedan surroundings, and they must be inducted into those industries by which they can be self-supporting. Working Christians must take the place of "rice Christians." The evangelical church must everywhere live and flourish by its own industries. Missions must give enough of industrial education and guidance to enable the converts to support themselves and help others. The work of medical missionaries received special and interested attention. Our sisters have gone beyond their brothers in this department of labor. It is a most blessed work, a most efficient and noble work, and there is no limit to the number that the woes and darkness of heathenism call for. A number of papers were read on subjects of general interest. The devotional hour from nine to ten A.M. could with difficulty be confined to its limits. The Union is of great value, as it contributes to unify the views and feelings of the whole body of missionaries supported by these Christian societies. Thirtythree of those present had a farewell evening, as they are about to return to their fields of labor. The venerable Dr. G. W. Wood, of the American Board, gave them the farewell words with great tenderness and solemnity and yet with good cheer. Dr. Foster has given the Union a home for its annual meetings and he entertains the missionaries as his guests right royally. His seven coördinate physicians, and indeed the whole great household, seemed to partake of his spirit. "NEW" BUDDHISM IN JAPAN. BY REV. SIDNEY L. GULICK, OF KUMAMOTO. BUDDHISM as a religion is six hundred years older than Christianity. In the course of the centuries it has passed through various stages of development by means of which it has adapted itself to the developing civilizations and to the varying conditions of each country to which it has gone. It has likewise evolved a profound philosophy which educated priests alone are expected to study and comprehend. It has distinct sets of doctrines: some for the cultured, some for the ignorant, some for the initiated, and some for laymen. These doctrines are so contradictory, according to the opinion of many well-educated men, that they cannot be reconciled. In Western lands we are accustomed to think and speak of Buddhism as a united, homogeneous body. In reality, however, it is divided into many sects and sub-sects. The differences between these sects are said to be even more radical than the great divisions of the Christian churches. In Japan these sects |