CORRESPONDENCE

115

I rejoice in the love of our divine Master that you desired. have appointed two more missionaries for Oregon and that they are in their field of labor. The way is now open for me to work directly for you without putting on the air of supreme selfishness and, although we are feeling the effects of what the world calls hard times, I intend to try and do what I can 366 at Jacksonville for Br. Boyakin at Portland and Br. Stearns

by personal appeals to private brethren, as well as by collecin the churches, if I can get the subject before the But the amount that can churches, and I doubt not I can. be done this year cannot be expected to be large. I have no tion

fears of injuring

goes with me. as well as

make an

my

My

ministerial character in this

greatest fear

is

that I

may

work

God work

if

not do the

some other man might. We feel that we must two ministers by the Association

effort to sustain

fields; in this all our have the men on the ground whom we may probably employ, our brethren see them and know them, and have an assurance that something will be done for them in Oregon when they pay their money. I have felt, in view of all the circumstances, that we should aid in this kind of work, and, although we cannot do the work in the way we would desire, we shall do much of the work which we should do if all prejudices were removed and we were strictly

as missionaries

in

brethren will probably unite.

destitute

We

doing the work precisely as you would have us do it. We have with us an old brother, Thomas Taylor, formerly from Illinois (I think he formerly was in the service of the Home Mission Society in 111.), who has a destitute field, embracing a part of Clackamas County and a part of Yam Hill County, in which there are a number of Baptist members scattered.

The

field locally

is

important, but the country

is

mostly tim-

bered, consequently slow of improvement comparatively. One of the points I reported last winter, near the mouth of the year's labor would probably Sandy on the Columbia River.

A

366 This was probably Rev. M. N. Stearns, who had arrived that year from the East with his father, Rev. John Stearns, and was chosen pastor of the Table Rock (Jacksonville) Baptist Church. Mattoon, Bap. An. of Ore., 1:13.