How long since writing was invented?

“From the creation of the world, or from the birth of Christ.”

What are the chief products of the State of Georgia?

“The chief products are Agriculture, Turpentine, rail-roads, lumber and grate deel of merchandice bussyness.”

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 A SERIOUS ALARM IN GEORGIA.

The American Missionary is not published for the entertainment of its readers.  It has a more serious purpose.  It speaks for races who have suffered grievous wrongs, and for peoples whose condition is exceedingly sad.  It has to do with tragic facts, and much of what it has to say must excite compassion, and must appeal both to the consciences of our readers and to their sense of duty.  To call upon those whom God has blessed, to insert themselves into the woes and spiritual wants of others who need their help, is grave and serious.

This is one feature.  There are others.  The joy of the work and the joy of the worker, which we are called to record, are a relief to the stories of necessity, and are like beautiful pictures painted upon the dark background.  When “Our eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord,” we can for the time forget the darkness upon which the light shines, and sing our hallelujahs.  If it is saddening to tell of the night, it is cheering to mark the fact that the providences of God are working out his promises, and are surely bringing in God’s day.

Over and above the evils to which we must call earnest heed, the dangers which are not far away, and the exigencies of the cause of Christ, we are sure that no one can read the MISSIONARY without being cheered and quickened in gratitude to God for what he is graciously doing for his needy ones through his people.

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With the serious duty on the part of those who are working together with God for the salvation of men, there drift along in the current of his providences certain incidents that are exceedingly droll.

As we have seen some very ludicrous manifestations of character and conduct in the terrible struggles of a battlefield, and have brushed aside our tears at times for an irrepressible bon mot in a hospital, so in the weighty and solemn considerations which continually appeal to us, and while we are anxiously asking how we can make the most bricks for the Lord’s building with the least straw, incidents arise which not only throw light upon our serious work, but which are irresistibly amusing.

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We think we should share with our readers a recent one which, when {94} we read it in the detail, impossible to be repeated here, made us smile.  Every time we re-perused it we thought it, as Alice in Wonderland said, “curiouser and curiouser.”