The International Sunday School Association of America realized that the hope of the race lay in the saving of the young, and they have sought for several years to secure a closer organization and co-operation of the different denominations in the United States to work together for the purpose of discussing new methods and plans, equipments and general improvements along Sunday-school lines. I am glad to say that this has largely been successful, and I could cite you instance after instance where the people have been directly benefited and helped, due to this association. There has been a dissatisfaction with old methods and old ways, and longing after better things. The leaders have had to get a "move on them" and in many instances have gone to school. Denominational lines, which have been a great drawback heretofore to the salvation of the people, are largely disappearing under the benign influence of this association. A better understanding between the races has been brought about and I believe that if this Association continues its work among the colored people in the South, it will not be long before all friction will entirely disappear. Several Sunday-schools have sprung up, Baraca and Philathea classes have been organized, county conventions and Sunday-school institutes have been held, and improvement along general lines of management and equipment has been made.

To encourage self-help the International Association agreed to pay half of the salary and expenses of a State secretary (the salary being fixed at seven hundred dollars a year and two hundred dollars for expenses) providing the colored people in the state accepting the proposition, would pay the other half. Under this plan, six states have state secretaries who are devoting their entire time to the work, seeking to reach and save the unreached masses. You can readily see what a task we have when 8,750,000 are not yet reached by the Sunday-school. The International Association is not able financially to carry this

work farther, and, unless help is secured and funds raised. from some source, it must eventually be stopped. My salary as General Superintendent has been guaranteed and is paid by one man, Mr. E. K. Warren, President of the World's Fourth Sunday School Convention, the salary of one state secretary by Mr. W. N. Hartshorn. Will the Christian men of America and of the world let this glorious work stop and bequeath to the children a greater burden than their fathers bore? Every time we shirk a duty, or fail to look a problem squarely in the face, we make it greater for our children.

Would that this appeal could reach some hearts and they could see their duty, and not their right to keep the money! Do you want to save three-fourths of the world's population-the colored races? Then lift up the black race in America and they will carry the tidings across the oceans, and the marching tramp of millions redeemed from superstition and idolatry will sing your praises in this world and in the world to come.

I believe, Mr. Chairman, that the redemption of the colored races must be largely effected by the colored race, and if you lift them up they will do it. There have been mistakes made and wrongs committed, but let us forget them, let us overlook the mistakes and when we are oppressed let the oppressed help the oppressor by humbleness and kindness and exemplify in daily life true Christianity. There are many, not among this audience, however, who criticize the progress and oppose the steps of advancement which are put forward for the Negro, and they say that freedom was a mistake.

A soldier was wounded upon a battle-field and was brought into the hospital. The surgeon, after a careful examination, said, "My dear fellow, I fear there is little hope for you, and, if there is any message or anything that I can do for you, let me know before it is too late." The soldier, with a twinkle in his eye, said, "Doctor, there is no hope?"

The doctor said, "No." "Then, doctor," said he, "feel in my breast pocket." The doctor did so and found a five dollar bill. The soldier asked the doctor to look at it carefully and tell him what it was. The doctor said, “A fivedollar bill!" The soldier replied, "Then doctor, I bet you that five-dollar bill that I will get well," and he did. Το those who believe that the emancipation was a mistake and that the race will eventually fail, I would say, "You have not carefully examined into the case. The thousands of black faces seeking for the light prove the fallacy of the argument; they have caught its shadow and their eyes are turned to the sun. Just as soon as they catch its gleam, they will arise and lift up their fellows and I will bet you the five-dollar bill that the race will not fail."

I bring to you the thanks of the race for all that you have done, and for all that you intend to do, and to tell you that they only want a chance in the race of life, that they are not whining, but are trying to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. They need further help until they are able to stand alone, and the kindness you show to them they will return to you or to your children.

A beautiful German story is told of a hunchbacked girl, the only child of her parents. The mother was very thoughtful and careful about this child. She never let her know that she was a hunchback, she was not allowed to look in the glass; whenever she went out her mother was with her, so that she did not know that she was not like other girls. But this mother died after a few years and the father, married again. The stepmother never would take her out, but left her alone. One day the little hunchbacked girl asked her stepmother to take her out for a walk as her own mother used to do. The stepmother replied, "Why! take a hunchbacked girl out for a walk! Everybody would look at you and laugh! No, the place for little hunchbacks is at home." The child turned away grieved, she looked in the glass and sure enough, she found that she was a

hunchback. It preyed upon her mind and a few weeks afterward she became ill and just before she died she dreamed that she saw an angel, and he came to her and in such tender tones he said, "Little girl, do you want to go to heaven to see your mamma? She said, "No, they do not want little hunchbacks in heaven." He said, “Oh, you are not hunchbacked," and he touched the place on her back where the hunch was, and it fell off, and in its place there came a pair of wings, and the little girl flew right to heaven into her mother's arms.

If our friends will stop talking about the mistakes and the failures and stop chiding and telling us that we are not like other folks, after a while the hunch of mistakes and superstitions and ignorance will fall away and in their place will come wings of peace and intelligence, and an honest desire to be honest men and virtuous women, and with these we will rise above all the obstacles and difficulties and take our places in the foremost ranks of the forward nations; and you can be the angels to touch the hunch so that it will fall off— "For there is never a rose in all the world, but makes some green spray sweeter;

There's never a wind in all the sky but makes some bird's wing fleeter.

There's never a star but brings to earth some silvery radiance splendor,

And never a sun-lit cloud but helps to crown the sunset splendor; No robin but may cheer some heart, its dawnlight gladness voicing. God gives us all some small, sweet way to set the world rejoicing."

Norway

BY PASTOR J. M. SELLEVOLD

It is a great pleasure for the committee of the Sundayschool Union of Norway-the Land of the Midnight Sunto send a Christian greeting to such an important meeting

as this convened in the city of Rome, where the gospel of Jesus Christ was represented in apostolic times by the Apostle Paul.

It gives a happy opportunity too, to give an account of the Sunday-school work in Norway. In our country, Sundayschool work had its origin together with the Evangelical Free Churches, in about 1850-1860. The beginning was limited both in Church and Sunday-school work and it was about twenty years before it took hold among the people. The first Sunday-school missionary was appointed, with financial aid from London, in 1877. Since then the work gradually gained a better footing, Sunday-schools were organized in various parts of the country and two Sundayschool missionaries were appointed to give their whole time to this work. In 1898 the country was divided into three districts. Three missionaries were put at work, one for each district. The work of these missionaries has mainly been among the Free Church people, but they have also done all the work they found opportunity to do in the established State Church circles. This church body has taken up active Sunday-school work, too, in later years and is now carrying on quite a prosperous work in this line, especially in the cities.

The combined Sunday-school work of the Free Churches of Norway is organized under the name of The Norwegian Sunday-school Union. It has a head committee of seven members located in the capital city, Christiania. The country is divided into three districts, each having a district. committee of its own and a missionary, who gives his whole time to this special work. The union is using the International Sunday-school Lessons, and issues the lessons with eight to ten thousand copies every year. The International Bible Reading cards have been printed in editions of six to ten thousand copies yearly. The Sunday-school Teacher, a monthly journal especially adapted for the benefit of the Sunday-school teachers, is published by the Union. To