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468 REVEREND EZRA FISHER

the school will give such a man a reasonable support. He should by all means bring along with him an amiable, in- telligent wife.

The goods that were shipped on the M. Howes arrived safe and in good order except a few pairs of ladies' shoes and gaiters; the numbers of pairs I cannot now state, as I am from home and have not the invoice of goods along, but will state particulars in my next.

The importance of our mission to Oregon is every day be- coming more manifest and we daily need more grace and wisdom and energy to meet the openings of providence in laying broad and deep the foundations of institutions for en- larged Christian philanthropy. As a denomination we are suffering for the want of an efficient colporteur of the Amer- ican Baptist Publication Society. A colporteur who could be kept constantly supplied with books to meet the demands of the people, and so sustained that he could go everywhere carrying and selling his books and preaching the Word, would, by harmonizing discordant elements and scattering broadcast the seed of evangelical truth in a luxuriant soil, ac- complish a work for Oregon which no other man can do. When I think on this subject all my bones are pained. We are now out of books and the Society's agent 280 is at home providing for his family, teaching school for a support, while every Methodist circuit rider is selling books of the Arminian stamp through the country and the Campbellites have their books on the way to proselyte to their faith. It strikes me that a colporteur missionary must be sustained by the Publication Soc. and that the results will soon justify the outlay. Pray for us that our faith and labors fail not.

Respectfully,

EZRA FISHER.

289 This was Rev. Richmond Cheadle.