2 6 11 7073 6 0 1378 7 0 .... .... .... .... .... .... 424 2 6 .... .... .... .... 518 19 2 4519 15 11 395 9 2 14958 4 2 1062 2 5 443 8 4 273 4 0 JAMES WADDELL (OF J. WADDELL AND CO.), Fellow of the Institute of Accountants, New Poultry Chambers, 7, Poultry, E.C. STATEMENT OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE OF LADY JAMES WADDELL, Fellow of the Institute of Accountants, 25th Nov., 1872. EXPENDITURE. TOTALS OF RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURE OF THE LONDON BIBLE AND DOMESTIC FEMALE MISSION FOR NEARLY SIXTEEN YEARS. RECEIPTS. Rent and Printing, Stationery, over 200 Bibles, Cloth Postage, Aid by Mission Working Staff. Rooms, Fire, Coals, Soup, ing, Bedding, Parcels, Ladies and Total Expen- No. of Expenses of from Light, Clean Transit, &c. ing, &c. Incidentals, &c. General Fund. diture with Bibles Balance. Sold. No. of Bible-women. 140,463 1 1 12,674 6 0 67,504 5 8 220,641 12 9 91,124 5 0 29,413 11 8 77,909 14 3 5,977 2 0 15,029 12 1 | 220,641, 12 .£12,301 3 6 12 12 4 * The Donations for the year are as per Balance Sheets. Less Balance of Donations to Credit of Particular Districts, 16th October, 1871, since closed Donations as above........ 4 108518 MORE BIBLES SOLD THAN LAST YEAR. "Oh! Ir is a very great joy to us to observe this part of our Balance Sheet. 1507. worth of Bibles sold by our women more than last year among the lowest classes in London. In 1871, 1507. worth were sold more than in 1870, so that in the last two years there is an increased sale to the value of 3007., which is a most practical proof that we are really working out our distinctive character of a Bible Mission, and this is not in consequence of an increased number of Bible-women, but of an increase of zeal and industry in those who remain on our list. A general request was made that each Bible-woman would endeavour to secure at least one new subscriber a week, and this year many have found it possible to secure two. Instead of the discouraging and stereotyped answer, I am sure my district is very well supplied, I find a Bible in every house; " we now hear that they see, at last, that their Bible-work in any district is never done, and that certainly God does bless special effort in this direction to the opening up of opportunities for spiritual converse which would otherwise never have been gained. Since the first rise of this Mission there has been such a large reaction from it, and so great attention is now directed to different modes of serving and raising the poor in a secular way, by clothing clubs, &c., in every neighbourhood, that we are the more thrown back on our higher and primary intent, and must practically keep to our name of "Bible-ladies" and "Bible-women." Our CLOTHING RECEIPTS from the poor show in our columns as 4417. less than last year, which is to be accounted for in the following way. Certainly not less has been collected from the poor mothers, but twenty of the districts (chiefly selfsupporting ones) with which we are connected, prefer not to give account of their Clothing Clubs through us, but only to receive or exchange the salary of the Bible-women. The honoured name of Mrs. Pennefather stands at the head of this list, and we should be glad if those of others, in a similar position, and the heads of parishes generally, followed it. The consequence would be that we should ask and receive a definite report of real Bible work in various districts where the Clothing Club is now first considered, and the Bible work is become quite secondary. We are obliged to begin our Bible Missions to the lowest and most degraded with inviting them to a Clothing Club, for we want to improve them outwardly as well as to win their souls; and it is only when this Club grows too large for the Superintendent and Bible-woman to care for each woman's soul, that the thorns of secular care spring up and choke the good seed, so that "it becometh unfruitful." We often have to make personal appeal on this subject, of which the following is an instance, and we print it hoping it may be quietly considered by those who are conscious of its need. DIVISION OF LABOUR. A Private Letter from the General Superintendent to all Lady Superintendents whom it may concern. "MY DEAR FRIEND, "Your Bible-woman has made her election, on recovering her health, of returning to you and her old work, somewhat against my judgment. I rejoice to see that she is attached to you and her people after a service of eight years; but this service has included various duties, more properly those of a MISSION-WOMAN, and are sure to wear out the BIBLE-WOMAN'S strength, if expected of her besides her own work. The self-supporting Missions in connexion with us, we must leave to their own convictions, but in the Bible Missions, for which I am entirely responsible financially, I am bound to have our rules fully abided by, as they have been framed from a long experience of the ordinary powers of individuals. The spiritual work desired of the Biblewoman is the first object. She goes with the Word of God to souls one by one, and to deliver its message to each as opportunity offers, with prayer and heartfelt earnestness. This takes time and thought, and if it is to be made a first object, it cannot be connected with a large laborious clothing club or collecting of money for it at the people's own houses (which our rules forbid), and various other secular and parochial duties which properly belong to the Mission-woman, whom you might very probably select and train from your own Mothers' class. "I am certain that the two women can work on the same ground, and I shall be happy to hear of your obtaining a Mission-woman to assist in the extras, which are not a Biblewoman's province. The money is not sent me for these extra purposes, it is sent to secure spiritual work by a native agent among the lower classes, and not to have it overpowered and crowded out by the good secular work arising out of it, and in the present revision of our districts and opening of new ones, I must endeavour to have this difference better understood. There really must be much more Bible work, which is our special work, to be done in your neighbourhood, where the Bible-woman has not had a dozen subscribers; and now is the time to get the alteration. "I hope you will read this, as it is written, patiently and in Christian love. I am sure you are yourself a very laborious and persevering worker among the poor; but, when the benefit of Clothing Clubs is past by for ever, the work with souls and with God's word will alone remain, and I believe you feel this as assuredly as I do.-Yours most truly, "L. N. R." "P.S.-I do not know if you are aware that I pay one shilling a week in all the districts I support or assist, to the Bible-woman for her Bible work, from money granted to me quarterly by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and they expect the first two days of the week to be really devoted to Bible collecting. Our usual number of subscribers in well worked districts is fifty or upwards.' THE COURTS WHERE "EVERY ONE IS SAID TO HAVE A BIBLE." WE are happy to insert the following report as an example of VOL. VIII.--No. 12. BB |