The close relation existing between the work of the American Missionary Association for the colored people in America, and that of the American Board for the colored people in Africa, is most interestingly illustrated by a contribution which has recently reached this New England office.  Rev. B.F.  Ousley of Kambini, East Africa, sends a contribution of ten dollars for the Theological Department in Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn.  Mr. Ousley and wife are graduates of Fisk University and went out as missionaries to Africa under the American Board, four years ago.  After these years of experience they realize that Africa must be evangelized by colored people trained by A.M.A. schools, and they make this generous contribution to this grand work.

* * * * *

A suggestion made in the Boston “Ministers’ Meeting,” on the question, “How to conduct a prayer meeting,” might be very appropriately applied to missionary concerts and addresses.  This was the suggestion:  “Keep the temperature warm, the atmosphere clear, and don’t pommel the Christians!” Applied to missionary concerts and addresses, this sound advice would read:  Keep the missionary temperature warm by telling incidents of missionary experience; keep the missionary atmosphere clear by presenting the grand hopefulness of the glorious work, and don’t pommel those who attend these meetings and give to these causes!

* * * * *

Patriotism is all aglow among the boys and girls of New England just now!  More than twelve hundred have enlisted recently in the army of the “True Blues.”  Pastors, Sunday-school superintendents and teachers, officers of Young People’s Societies of Christian Endeavor, and other missionary societies have been the enthusiastic recruiting sergeants, and still there is demand for more recruits.  Who will enlist next?

* * * * *

In the last “Notes from New England,” we recorded the gift of an aged friend.  Now comes this touching letter: 

“Dear Sir:—­Please find enclosed $5.00 for the A.M.  Association, the Christmas present of a son to a father.  The father is eighty-one years old to-day.  He has been with the A.M.A. from its organization, and wishes its continued prosperity until its great work is accomplished.

Yours truly,

AN OLD-TIME FRIEND.”

* * * * *

Is there any work, North or South, at home or abroad, that requires more versatile gifts or breadth of training than the work of this Association?  Here are a few lines from the letter of a missionary in Alabama, which illustrate the many-sidedness of this work: 

“I have organized a Woman’s Missionary Society.  I have an industrial class for girls, and give them instruction in sewing, in housework on the principle of the kitchen-garden system, without the practice, as I have not the articles to use for that purpose.  Then a lesson from the Bible, also, comes in, and some amusement in the way of puzzles.  The girls are pleased to belong to a society of King’s Daughters.  I have a class for instructing the women in darning, patching, button-hole making and so on.  We have a Society of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union in which I have the Department of Social Purity.