The first woman's missionary soeietyin America, of which we find record, is the Bos ton female society for missionary purposes, organized Oct. 9, 1800, which was a union of Congregationalists and Baptists. After this they became common in many parts of the countmy. All of these societies simply earned, collected, and transmitted money for time use of the general societies. As in the progress of missions it became evident that the hostility of heathen women was a great obstacle to success, and as in many heathen countries, especially in India, they were unreached by the usual missionary agencies, it was felt that more direct efforts than had yet been made for their conversion, were nec essary. Missionary women returning told. to Christian women the dark and hopeless story of tkeir sisters in India, and they longed to do more for them than had been done. It came t be believed by some that if women had the selection of their own agents, and the management of their own funds; if they originated their own methods, and arranged their own work, more would be accomplished than by the old methods. They at first desired to avail themselves of the acquired wisdom and experience of the older societies Ey some kind of co-operation, but their plans did not at that time meet with favor from existing boards. They therefore organized independently the woman's union missionary society. It was incorporated in New York in 1861. From the first it has been unde nominational. Its higher officers have thus far performed their duties without remnnera lion. The number of missionaries employed since the formation of the society is 93; the number now in the field, 41; the present number of schools is 38; zenanas taught, 426; pupils in 1880 were 2,020. The largest annual collection was $54,207. Total receipts to May, 1879, $560,712. It has auxiliaries in 22 states. Various denominational woman's boards have since been formed, as the woman's board of missions, Congrega tional, in 1868; ladies' board of missions, Presbyterian, 1868; woman's board of mis sions of the interior, Congregational, 1868; woman's foreign missionary society, Presby terian, 1870; woman's foreign missionary society of the Methodist Episcopal church, 1869; woman's Presbyterian board of missions of the northwest, 1870; Baptist ladies' missionary society, 1871; and many others. The total receipts of all such societies, as reported from the formation to 1880, reached about $8.000.000. It is impossible in the nature of the case to furnish statistics of results of this work. There is evidence, how ever, that it is useful and successful beyond anticipation, and that through it many women in India are receiving that enlightenment and blessing which ever follow the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are computed to be now 500,000 converts from heathenism in the world. The Protestant missionary societies • of the world number 52. The missionaries in various fields supported by American Christians number 574. With very little exception, all the Protestant societies have carefully avoided interfering with each ether's work, or enter ing each other's fields, and in many instances where their fields were adjacent there has been a delightful spirit of concord and mutual helpfulness.
Some striking facts connected with the progress of the gospel in the world may be mentioned here. A Christian lady of Calcutta, the wife of an English officer, had long desired to benefit the native women. It happened one day that a native of rank, a for mer pupil, visiting at the house, saw and greatly admired a pair of beautifully embroid ered slippers which the lady had completed for her husband. The lady offered to teach his wife to do such work if she might go to her. She allowed him to take home the slipper and consult the mother-in-law. Permission was granted her to go and teach the wife not only to sew, but to read, and ultimately to read the Bible. This is the deer through which has been introduced the whole system of zenana meetings in India. The missionary ladies heretofore excluded are now admittedto the private apartments of thousands of the women, and their instructions are bearing fruit in many hearts. Before the first Protestant missionary went to China in 1807 it Ni,*as thought impossible for a foreigner thoroughly to acquire the Chinese language. Nevertheless, not only has the Bible been translated into three Chinese dialects, but a variety of useful hooks, as dictionaries, geographies, hooks on medicine,. jurisprudence, etc., have been so translated as to be acceptable to intelligent Chinese, and sonic have been reprinted by them. At Shanghai alone the mission press issues 18,000,000 pages annually. The interior of Africa had for hundreds of years foiled the attempts of the very martyrs of s^ienee to penetrate it. Livingstone, fired with desire to open Africa to the gospel, and if possible to stop the fountains of the slave-trade, unlocked the regions so long closed. The results of his daring might have been partially or wholly lost had not Stanley fol lowed him and brought report of a native king willing to listen to the gospel. Now all Christendom is combining for the conversion of time central portions of the dark conti nent, and at least five societies have sent missionaries to different posts in that region. The formation of a society of intelligent Hindus, the Brehm° Somaj, who reject Idola try and assemble for the worship of a supreme being, indicates the working of the leaven of Christian truth. Its present leader, Kesub Chunder Sen, says of India, " Native society is being' roused, enlightened, refOrme.d'under the, influence of Chris tianity." Sir Bartle Frere, who spent 30 years in India, said, "The teaching of Chris tianity among 160,000,000 of Hindus and Mohammedans is effecting extraordinary changes in India. The experience of a few more years will demonstrate the fact that the missionary enterprise is incomparably the most effective machinery that has ever been h•oulit to operate upon the social, the civil, and the commercial interests of mankind." The'last 10 years have witnessed a greatly increased success in missionary work. 'Mis sions have often been declared a hopeless toil; but if the recent rate of advance be main tained, the time will be not so remote as one might think who gave the subject only hasty thought, when the last heathen nation shall have heard the gospel.