by ,linda ,cantoni47,this file was      
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,illustration3 ,signature3 ,j4 ,hudson  
,taylor4     ,a ,,retrospect  ,,by  ,j4 
,,hudson ,,taylor1 ,m4,r4,c4,s41        
,f4,r4,g4,s4  ,thou shalt remember all  
the way which the ,lord thy ,god led    
thee4  ,,third ,,edition                
,,toronto           ,,china ,,inland    
,,mission           #ejg ,,church       
,,street  ,illustration3 ,,the          
,,lammermuir ,,party4 ,see page #abe4   
,,contents    ,,chap4                   
,,page       ,i4 ,,the ,,power ,,of     
,,prayer                         #a     
,,ii4 ,,the ,,call ,,to ,,service       
#g     ,,iii4 ,,preparation ,,for       
,,service                    #ac        
,,iv4 ,,further ,,answers ,,to ,,prayer 
#ai       ,v4 ,,life ,,in ,,london      

#bd      ,,vi4 ,,strengthened ,,by      
,,faith                      #cj        
,,vii4 ,,mighty ,,to ,,save             
#ce    ,,viii4 ,,voyage ,,to ,,china    
#ci      ,,ix4 ,,early ,,missionary     
,,experiences               #de         
,x4 ,,first ,,evangelistic ,,efforts    
#di      ,,xi4 ,,with ,,the ,,rev4 ,w4  
,c4 ,,burns                  #eg        
,,xii4 ,,the ,,call ,,to ,,swatow       
#gj            ,the ,missionary ,call3  
,words and ,music   #ge    ,,xiii4 ,,man
 ,,proposes1 ,,god ,,disposes           
#gg     ,,xiv4 ,,providential ,,guidance
                      #ib      ,,xv4    
,,settlement ,,in ,,ningpo              
#ih     ,,xvi4 ,,timely ,,supplies      
#aje    ,,xvii4 ,,god ,a ,,refuge ,,for 
,,us                       #aaj         
,,xviii4 ,a ,,new ,,agency ,,needed     
#aaf     ,,xix4 ,,formation ,,of ,,the  
,c4 ,i4 ,m4                 #aba        
,,xx4 ,,the ,,mission ,,in #ahid        
#abf          ,,the ,,mission ,,in #aijb
                       #abh   ,,stations

 ,,of ,,the ,c4 ,i4 ,m4                 
#aca         99       99       99       
99       99                             
,,map ,,of ,,china    ,,showing ,,the   
,,stations ,,of ,,the ,,china ,,inland  
,,mission3     ,,corrected ,,to ,,june  
#aijj          ,to face page #aca       
,,illustrations      #a4 ,portrait of   
,j4 ,hudson ,taylor                     
,frontispiece    #b4 ,the ,lammermuir   
party              ,facing ,contents    
,,page    #c4 ,honorary banner presented
 to a missionary             #a    #d4  
,a heavy road in ,north ,china          
#g    #e4 ,salt junk on the ,yang-tsi   
#ac    #f4 ,travelling by mule cart on  
the great plain         #ai    #g4      
,ch'ung-k'ing1 the ,yang-tsi1 and       
mountains beyond     #bd    #h4 ,water  
gate and ,custom house1 ,soo-chow       
#bi    #i4 ,view on the ,kwang-sin      
,river                          #cj     
#aj4 ,temple and memorial portal        
#cd   #aa4 ,compassionate heart1        
benevolent methods            #ce   #ab4

 ,outside the wall of ,gan-k'ing        
#ch   #ac4 ,the new girls school at     
,chefoo                       #ci   #ad4
 ,entrance to the ,po-yang lake         
#dd   #ae4 ,a fair wind1 at sunset1 on  
the lake                  #de   #af4 ,a 
view on the grand canal                 
#di   #ag4 ,down the ,yang-tsi on a     
cargo boat                    #eg   #ah4
 ,east gate and sentry box1 ,bham1      
,burmah              #fi   #ai4         
,farmhouse1 with buffalo shed attached  
#gj   #bj4 ,a fishing village on the    
lake near ,ynnan ,fu         #gg   #ba4 
,teng-yueh1 the westernmost walled city 
in ,china      #ia   #bb4 ,a small      
temple near ,wun-chau                   
#ib   #bc4 ,group of ,christians at     
,lan-k'i1 ,cheh-kiang           #ig     
#bd4 ,a boat on the ,red ,river1        
,tonquin                     #ih   #be4 
,students' quarters1 ,gan-k'ing         
,training ,home         #ajd   #bf4 ,a  
,mandarin's sedan chair                 
#aje   #bg4 ,a presentation banner 7a   

mark of high respect7      #aaj   #bh4  
,view on the ,po-yang lake              
#aaf   #bi4 ,a village on the grand     
canal                        #aba   #cj4
 ,the battlements of ,pekin             
#abf   #ca4 ,native woodcut of a        
landscape                       #aca    
#cb4 ,elder ,liu and wife1 ,kwei-k'i    
#acf          ,the hearty thanks of the 
,mission for the use of                 
photographs and sketches are hereby     
tendered to           ,rev4 ,george     
,hayes for ,nos4 #d and #f2 ,dr4 ,g4    
,whitfield ,guinness for ,nos4 #h1 #ab1 
#af1 #be1 and #bh2           ,miss      
,davies for ,no4 #bc2 ,mr4 ,thomas      
,selkirk for           ,nos4 #ah and    
#ba2 ,mr4 ,j4 ,t4 ,reid for ,nos4 #ad1  
#ae1           and #bg2 ,mr4 ,j4 ,s4    
,rough for ,no4 #cj2 ,mr4 ,grainger     
for ,no4 #ai2 ,mr4 ,e4 ,murray for ,no4 
#ac1 and also to           other friends
 unknown by name4     ,illustration     
,,chapter ,i  ,,the ,,power ,,of        
,,prayer   ,,the following account of   

some of the experiences which eventually
 led to the formation of the ,,china    
,,inland ,,mission1 and to its taking   
the form in which it has been developed1
 first appeared in the pages of ,china's
 ,millions4 ,many of those who read it  
there asked that it might appear in     
separate form4 ,miss ,guinness          
incorporated it in the ,story of the    
,china ,inland ,mission1 a record which 
contained the account of ,,god',s       
goodness to the beginning of #ahid4 ,but
 friends still asking for it in pamphlet
 form1 for wider distribution1 this     
edition is brought out4  ,much of the   
material was taken from notes of        
addresses given in ,china during a      
conference of our missionaries2 this    
will account for the direct and         
narrative form of the papers1 which it  
has not been thought necessary to       
change4  ,it is always helpful to us to 
fix our attention on the ,,god-ward     
aspect of ,christian work2 to realise   
that the work of ,,god does not mean so 

much man's work for ,,god1 as ,,god',s  
own work through man4 ,furthermore1 in  
our privileged position of              
fellow-workers with ,him1 while fully   
recognising all the benefits and        
blessings to be bestowed on a           
sin-stricken world through the          
proclamation of the ,gospel and spread  
of the ,truth1 we should never lose     
sight of the higher aspect of our       
work--that of obedience to ,,god1 of    
bringing glory to ,his ,name1 of        
gladdening the heart of our ,,god and   
,,father by living and serving as ,his  
beloved children4  ,many circumstances  
connected with my own early life and    
service presented this aspect of work   
vividly to me2 and as ,i think of some  
of them1 ,i am reminded of how much the 
cause of missions is indebted to many   
who are never themselves permitted to   
see the mission field--many1 it may be1 
who are unable to give largely of their 
substance1 and who will be not a little 
surprised in the ,great ,day to see how 

much the work has been advanced by their
 love1 their sympathy1 and their        
prayers4  ,for myself1 and for the work 
that ,i have been permitted to do for   
,,god1 ,i owe an unspeakable debt of    
gratitude to my beloved and honoured    
parents1 who have passed away and       
entered into rest1 but the influence of 
whose lives will never pass away4  ,many
 years ago1 probably about #ahcj1 the   
heart of my dear father1 then himself an
 earnest and successful evangelist at   
home1 was deeply stirred as to the      
spiritual state of ,china by reading    
several books1 and especially an account
 of the travels of ,captain ,basil      
,hall4 ,his circumstances were such as  
to preclude the hope of his ever going  
to ,china for personal service1 but he  
was led to pray that if ,,god should    
give him a son1 he might be called and  
privileged to labour in the vast needy  
empire which was then apparently so     
sealed against the truth4 ,i was not    
aware of this desire or prayer myself   

until my return to ,england1 more than  
seven years after ,i had sailed for     
,china2 but it was very interesting then
 to know how prayer offered before my   
birth had been answered in this matter4 
,all thought of my becoming a missionary
 was abandoned for many years by my dear
 parents on account of the feebleness of
 my health4 ,when the time came1        
however1 ,,god gave increased health1   
and my life has been spared1 and        
strength has been given for not a little
 toilsome service both in the mission   
field and at home1 while many stronger  
men and women have succumbed4  ,i had   
many opportunities in early years of    
learning the value of prayer and of the 
,word of ,,god2 for it was the delight  
of my dear parents to point out that if 
there were any such ,being as ,,god1 to 
trust ,him1 to obey ,him1 and to be     
fully given up to ,his service1 must of 
necessity be the best and wisest course 
both for myself and others4 ,but in     
spite of these helpful examples and     

precepts my heart was unchanged4 ,often 
,i had tried to make myself a           
,christian2 and failing of course in    
such efforts1 ,i began at last to think 
that for some reason or other ,i could  
not be saved1 and that the best ,i could
 do was to take my fill of this world1  
as there was no hope for me beyond the  
grave4  ,while in this state of mind ,i 
came in contact with persons holding    
sceptical and infidel views1 and        
accepted their teaching1 only too       
thankful for some hope of escape from   
the doom which1 if my parents were right
 and the ,bible true1 awaited the       
impenitent4 ,it may seem strange to say 
it1 but ,i have often felt thankful for 
the experience of this time of          
scepticism4 ,the inconsistencies of     
,christian people1 who while professing 
to believe their ,bibles were yet       
content to live just as they would if   
there were no such book1 had been one of
 the strongest arguments of my sceptical
 companions2 and ,i frequently felt at  

that time1 and said1 that if ,i         
pretended to believe the ,bible ,i would
 at any rate attempt to live by it1     
putting it fairly to the test1 and if it
 failed to prove true and reliable1     
would throw it overboard altogether4    
,these views ,i retained when the ,,lord
 was pleased to bring me to ,himself2   
and ,i think ,i may say that since then 
,i have put ,,god',s ,word to the test4 
,certainly it has never failed me4 ,i   
have never had reason to regret the     
confidence ,i have placed in its        
promises1 or to deplore following the   
guidance ,i have found in its           
directions4  ,let me tell you how ,,god 
answered the prayers of my dear mother  
and of my beloved sister1 now ,mrs4     
,broomhall1 for my conversion4 ,on a day
 which ,i shall never forget1 when ,i   
was about fifteen years of age1 my dear 
mother being absent from home1 ,i had a 
holiday1 and in the afternoon looked    
through my father's library to find some
 book with which to while away the      

unoccupied hours4 ,nothing attracting   
me1 ,i turned over a little basket of   
pamphlets1 and selected from amongst    
them a ,gospel tract which looked       
interesting1 saying to myself1 ,there   
will be a story at the commencement1 and
 a sermon or moral at the close3 ,i will
 take the former and leave the latter   
for those who like it4  ,i sat down to  
read the little book in an utterly      
unconcerned state of mind1 believing    
indeed at the time that if there were   
any salvation it was not for me1 and    
with a distinct intention to put away   
the tract as soon as it should seem     
prosy4 ,i may say that it was not       
uncommon in those days to call          
conversion becoming serious2 and judging
 by the faces of some of its professors1
 it appeared to be a very serious matter
 indeed4 ,would it not be well if the   
people of ,,god had always tell-tale    
faces1 evincing the blessings and       
gladness of salvation so clearly that   
unconverted people might have to call   

conversion becoming joyful instead of   
becoming serious8  ,little did ,i know  
at the time what was going on in the    
heart of my dear mother1 seventy or     
eighty miles away4 ,she rose from the   
dinner-table that afternoon with an     
intense yearning for the conversion of  
her boy1 and feeling that--absent from  
home1 and having more leisure than she  
could otherwise secure--a special       
opportunity was afforded her of pleading
 with ,,god on my behalf4 ,she went to  
her room and turned the key in the door1
 resolved not to leave that spot until  
her prayers were answered4 ,hour after  
hour did that dear mother plead for me1 
until at length she could pray no       
longer1 but was constrained to praise   
,,god for that which ,his ,,spirit      
taught her had already been             
accomplished--the conversion of her only
 son4  ,i in the meantime had been led  
in the way ,i have mentioned to take up 
this little tract1 and while reading it 
was struck with the sentence1 ,the      

finished work of ,,christ4 ,the thought 
passed through my mind1 ,why does the   
author use this expression8 why not say 
the atoning or propitiatory work of     
,,christ8 ,immediately the words ,it is 
finished suggested themselves to my     
mind4 ,what was finished8 ,and ,i at    
once replied1 ,a full and perfect       
atonement and satisfaction for sin3 the 
debt was paid by the ,substitute2       
,,christ died for our sins1 and not for 
ours only1 but also for the sins of the 
whole world4 ,then came the thought1 ,if
 the whole work was finished and the    
whole debt paid1 what is there left for 
me to do8 ,and with this dawned the     
joyful conviction1 as light was flashed 
into my soul by the ,,holy ,,spirit1    
that there was nothing in the world to  
be done but to fall down on one's knees1
 and accepting this ,,saviour and ,his  
salvation1 to praise ,him for evermore4 
,thus while my dear mother was praising 
,,god on her knees in her chamber1 ,i   
was praising ,him in the old warehouse  

to which ,i had gone alone to read at my
 leisure this little book4  ,several    
days elapsed ere ,i ventured to make my 
beloved sister the confidante of my joy1
 and then only after she had promised   
not to tell any one of my soul secret4  
,when our dear mother came home a       
fortnight later1 ,i was the first to    
meet her at the door1 and to tell her ,i
 had such glad news to give4 ,i can     
almost feel that dear mother's arms     
around my neck1 as she pressed me to her
 bosom and said1 ,i know1 my boy2 ,i    
have been rejoicing for a fortnight in  
the glad tidings you have to tell me4   
,why1 ,i asked in surprise1 has ,amelia 
broken her promise8 ,she said she would 
tell no one4 ,my dear mother assured me 
that it was not from any human source   
that she had learned the tidings1 and   
went on to tell the little incident     
mentioned above4 ,you will agree with me
 that it would be strange indeed if ,i  
were not a believer in the power of     
prayer4  ,nor was this all4 ,some little

 time after1 ,i picked up a pocket-book 
exactly like one of my own1 and thinking
 that it was mine1 opened it4 ,the lines
 that caught my eye were an entry in the
 little diary1 which belonged to my     
sister1 to the effect that she would    
give herself daily to prayer until ,,god
 should answer in the conversion of her 
brother4 ,exactly one month later the   
,,lord was pleased to turn me from      
darkness to light4  ,brought up in such 
a circle and saved under such           
circumstances1 it was perhaps natural   
that from the commencement of my        
,christian life ,i was led to feel that 
the promises were very real1 and that   
prayer was in sober matter of fact      
transacting business with ,,god1 whether
 on one's own behalf or on behalf of    
those for whom one sought ,his blessing4
  ,illustration     ,,chapter ,,ii      
,,the ,,call ,,to ,,service   ,,the     
first joys of conversion passed away    
after a time1 and were succeeded by a   
period of painful deadness of soul1 with

 much conflict4 ,but this also came to  
an end1 leaving a deepened sense of     
personal weakness and dependence on the 
,,lord as the only ,,keeper as well as  
,,saviour of ,his people4 ,how sweet to 
the soul1 wearied and disappointed in   
its struggles with sin1 is the calm     
repose of trust in the ,,shepherd of    
,israel4  ,not many months after my     
conversion1 having a leisure afternoon1 
,i retired to my own chamber to spend it
 largely in communion with ,,god4 ,well 
do ,i remember that occasion4 ,how in   
the gladness of my heart ,i poured out  
my soul before ,,god2 and again and     
again confessing my grateful love to    
,him who had done everything for me--who
 had saved me when ,i had given up all  
hope and even desire for salvation--,i  
besought ,him to give me some work to do
 for ,him1 as an outlet for love and    
gratitude2 some self-denying service1 no
 matter what it might be1 however trying
 or however trivial2 something with     
which ,he would be pleased1 and that ,i 

might do for ,him who had done so much  
for me4 ,well do ,i remember1 as in     
unreserved consecration ,i put myself1  
my life1 my friends1 my all1 upon the   
altar1 the deep solemnity that came over
 my soul with the assurance that my     
offering was accepted4 ,the presence of 
,,god became unutterably real and       
blessed2 and though but a child under   
sixteen1 ,i remember stretching myself  
on the ground1 and lying there silent   
before ,him with unspeakable awe and    
unspeakable joy4  ,for what service ,i  
was accepted ,i knew not2 but a deep    
consciousness that ,i was no longer my  
own took possession of me1 which has    
never since been effaced4 ,it has been a
 very practical consciousness4 ,two or  
three years later propositions of an    
unusually favourable nature were made to
 me with regard to medical study1 on the
 condition of my becoming apprenticed to
 the medical man who was my friend and  
teacher4 ,but ,i felt ,i dared not      
accept any binding engagement such as   

was suggested4 ,i was not my own to give
 myself away2 for ,i knew not when or   
how ,he whose alone ,i was1 and for     
whose disposal ,i felt ,i must ever keep
 myself free1 might call for service4   
,within a few months of this time of    
consecration the impression was wrought 
into my soul that it was in ,china the  
,,lord wanted me4 ,it seemed to me      
highly probable that the work to which  
,i was thus called might cost my life2  
for ,china was not then open as it is   
now4 ,but few missionary societies had  
at that time workers in ,china1 and but 
few books on the subject of ,china      
missions were accessible to me4 ,i      
learned1 however1 that the              
,congregational minister of my native   
town possessed a copy of ,medhurst's    
,china1 and ,i called upon him to ask a 
loan of the book4 ,this he kindly       
granted1 asking me why ,i wished to read
 it4 ,i told him that ,,god had called  
me to spend my life in missionary       
service in that land4 ,and how do you   

propose to go there8 he inquired4 ,i    
answered that ,i did not at all know2   
that it seemed to me probable that ,i   
should need to do as the ,twelve and the
 ,seventy had done in ,juda--go without 
purse or scrip1 relying on ,him who had 
called me to supply all my need4 ,kindly
 placing his hand upon my shoulder1 the 
minister replied1 ,ah1 my boy1 as you   
grow older you will get wiser than that4
 ,such an idea would do very well in the
 days when ,,christ ,himself was on     
earth1 but not now4  ,i have grown older
 since then1 but not wiser4 ,i am more  
than ever convinced that if we were to  
take the directions of our ,,master and 
the assurances ,he gave to ,his first   
disciples more fully as our guide1 we   
should find them to be just as suited to
 our times as to those in which they    
were originally given4  ,medhurst's book
 on ,china emphasised the value of      
medical missions there1 and this        
directed my attention to medical studies
 as a valuable mode of preparation4  ,my

 beloved parents neither discouraged nor
 encouraged my desire to engage in      
missionary work4 ,they advised me1 with 
such convictions1 to use all the means  
in my power to develop the resources of 
body1 mind1 heart1 and soul1 and to wait
 prayerfully upon ,,god1 quite willing1 
should ,he show me that ,i was mistaken1
 to follow ,his guidance1 or to go      
forward if in due time ,he should open  
the way to missionary service4 ,the     
importance of this advice ,i have often 
since had occasion to prove4 ,i began to
 take more exercise in the open air to  
strengthen my physique4 ,my feather bed 
,i had taken away1 and sought to        
dispense with as many other home        
comforts as ,i could1 in order to       
prepare myself for rougher lines of     
life4 ,i began also to do what          
,christian work was in my power1 in the 
way of tract distribution1              
,sunday-school teaching1 and visiting   
the poor and sick1 as opportunity       
afforded4  ,after a time of preparatory 

study at home1 ,i went to ,hull for     
medical and surgical training4 ,there ,i
 became assistant to a doctor who was   
connected with the ,hull school of      
medicine1 and was surgeon also to a     
number of factories1 which brought many 
accident cases to our dispensary1 and   
gave me the opportunity of seeing and   
practising the minor operations of      
surgery4  ,and here an event took place 
that ,i must not omit to mention4       
,before leaving home my attention was   
drawn to the subject of setting apart   
the firstfruits of all one's increase   
and a proportionate part of one's       
possessions to the ,,lord',s service4 ,i
 thought it well to study the question  
with my ,bible in hand before ,i went   
away from home1 and was placed in       
circumstances which might bias my       
conclusions by the pressure of          
surrounding wants and cares4 ,i was thus
 led to the determination to set apart  
not less than one-tenth of whatever     
moneys ,i might earn or become possessed

 of for the ,,lord',s service4 ,the     
salary ,i received as medical assistant 
in ,hull at the time now referred to    
would have allowed me with ease to do   
this4 ,but owing to changes in the      
family of my kind friend and employer1  
it was necessary for me to reside out of
 doors4 ,comfortable quarters were      
secured with a relative1 and in addition
 to the sum determined on as            
remuneration for my services ,i received
 the exact amount ,i had to pay for     
board and lodging4  ,now arose in my    
mind the question1 ,ought not this sum  
also to be tithed8 ,it was surely a part
 of my income1 and ,i felt that if it   
had been a question of ,government      
income tax it certainly would not have  
been excluded4 ,on the other hand1 to   
take a tithe from the whole would not   
leave me sufficient for other purposes2 
and for some little time ,i was much    
embarrassed to know what to do4 ,after  
much thought and prayer ,i was led to   
leave the comfortable quarters and happy

 circle in which ,i was now residing1   
and to engage a little lodging in the   
suburbs--a sitting-room and bedroom in  
one--undertaking to board myself4 ,in   
this way ,i was able without difficulty 
to tithe the whole of my income2 and    
while ,i felt the change a good deal1 it
 was attended with no small blessing4   
,more time was given in my solitude to  
the study of the ,word of ,,god1 to     
visiting the poor1 and to evangelistic  
work on summer evenings than would      
otherwise have been the case4 ,brought  
into contact in this way with many who  
were in distress1 ,i soon saw the       
privilege of still further economising1 
and found it not difficult to give away 
much more than the proportion of my     
income ,i had at first intended4  ,about
 this time a friend drew my attention to
 the question of the personal and       
pre-millennial coming of our ,,lord     
,,jesus ,,christ1 and gave me a list of 
passages bearing upon it1 without note  
or comment1 advising me to ponder the   

subject4 ,for a while ,i gave much time 
to studying the ,scriptures about it1   
with the result that ,i was led to see  
that this same ,,jesus who left our     
earth in ,his resurrection body was so  
to come again1 that ,his feet were to   
stand on the ,mount of ,olives1 and that
 ,he was to take possession of the      
temporal throne of ,his father ,david   
which was promised before ,his birth4 ,i
 saw1 further1 that all through the ,new
 ,testament the coming of the ,,lord was
 the great hope of ,his people1 and was 
always appealed to as the strongest     
motive for consecration and service1 and
 as the greatest comfort in trial and   
affliction4 ,i learned1 too1 that the   
period of ,his return for ,his people   
was not revealed1 and that it was their 
privilege1 from day to day and from hour
 to hour1 to live as men who wait for   
the ,,lord2 that thus living it was     
immaterial1 so to speak1 whether ,he    
should or should not come at any        
particular hour1 the important thing    

being to be so ready for ,him as to be  
able1 whenever ,he might appear1 to give
 an account of one's stewardship with   
joy1 and not with grief4  ,the effect of
 this blessed hope was a thoroughly     
practical one4 ,it led me to look       
carefully through my little library to  
see if there were any books there that  
were not needed or likely to be of      
further service1 and to examine my small
 wardrobe1 to be quite sure that it     
contained nothing that ,i should be     
sorry to give an account of should the  
,,master come at once4 ,the result was  
that the library was considerably       
diminished1 to the benefit of some poor 
neighbours1 and to the far greater      
benefit of my own and that ,i found ,i  
had articles of clothing also which     
might be put to better advantage in     
other directions4  ,it has been very    
helpful to me from time to time through 
life1 as occasion has served1 to act    
again in a similar way2 and ,i have     
never gone through my house1 from       

basement to attic1 with this object in  
view1 without receiving a great         
accession of spiritual joy and blessing4
 ,i believe we are all in danger of     
accumulating--it may be from            
thoughtlessness1 or from pressure of    
occupation--things which would be useful
 to others1 while not needed by         
ourselves1 and the retention of which   
entails loss of blessing4 ,if the whole 
resources of the ,church of ,,god were  
well utilised1 how much more might be   
accomplished6 ,how many poor might be   
fed and naked clothed1 and to how many  
of those as yet unreached the ,gospel   
might be carried6 ,let me advise this   
line of things as a constant habit of   
mind1 and a profitable course to be     
practically adopted whenever            
circumstances permit4  ,illustration    
,,chapter ,,iii  ,,preparation ,,for    
,,service   ,,having now the twofold    
object in view of accustoming myself to 
endure hardness1 and of economising in  
order to be able more largely to assist 

those amongst whom ,i spent a good deal 
of time labouring in the ,gospel1 ,i    
soon found that ,i could live upon very 
much less than ,i had previously thought
 possible4 ,butter1 milk1 and other such
 luxuries ,i soon ceased to use2 and ,i 
found that by living mainly on oatmeal  
and rice1 with occasional variations1 a 
very small sum was sufficient for my    
needs4 ,in this way ,i had more than    
two-thirds of my income available for   
other purposes2 and my experience was   
that the less ,i spent on myself and the
 more ,i gave away1 the fuller of       
happiness and blessing did my soul      
become4 ,unspeakable joy all the day    
long1 and every day1 was my happy       
experience4 ,,god1 even my ,,god1 was a 
living1 bright ,reality2 and all ,i had 
to do was joyful service4  ,it was to me
 a very grave matter1 however1 to       
contemplate going out to ,china1 far    
away from all human aid1 there to depend
 upon the living ,,god alone for        
protection1 supplies1 and help of every 

kind4 ,i felt that one's spiritual      
muscles required strengthening for such 
an undertaking4 ,there was no doubt that
 if faith did not fail1 ,,god would not 
fail2 but1 then1 what if one's faith    
should prove insufficient8 ,i had not at
 that time learned that even if we      
believe not1 ,he abideth faithful1 ,he  
cannot deny ,himself2 and it was        
consequently a very serious question to 
my mind1 not whether ,he was faithful1  
but whether ,i had strong enough faith  
to warrant my embarking in the          
enterprise set before me4  ,i thought to
 myself1 ,when ,i get out to ,china1 ,i 
shall have no claim on any one for      
anything2 my only claim will be on      
,,god4 ,how important1 therefore1 to    
learn before leaving ,england to move   
man1 through ,,god1 by prayer alone4    
,at ,hull my kind employer1 always      
busily occupied1 wished me to remind him
 whenever my salary became due4 ,this ,i
 determined not to do directly1 but to  
ask that ,,god would bring the fact to  

his recollection1 and thus encourage me 
by answering prayer4 ,at one time1 as   
the day drew near for the payment of a  
quarter's salary1 ,i was as usual much  
in prayer about it4 ,the time arrived1  
but my kind friend made no allusion to  
the matter4 ,i continued praying1 and   
days passed on1 but he did not remember1
 until at length1 on settling up my     
weekly accounts one ,saturday night1 ,i 
found myself possessed of only a single 
coin--one half-crown piece4 ,still ,i   
had hitherto had no lack1 and ,i        
continued in prayer4  ,that ,sunday was 
a very happy one4 ,as usual my heart was
 full and brimming over with blessing4  
,after attending ,divine service in the 
morning1 my afternoons and evenings were
 filled with ,gospel work1 in the       
various lodging-houses ,i was accustomed
 to visit in the lowest part of the     
town4 ,at such times it almost seemed to
 me as if heaven were begun below1 and  
that all that could be looked for was an
 enlargement of one's capacity for joy1 

not a truer filling than ,i possessed4  
,after concluding my last service about 
ten o'clock that night1 a poor man asked
 me to go and pray with his wife1 saying
 that she was dying4 ,i readily agreed1 
and on the way to his house asked him   
why he had not sent for the priest1 as  
his accent told me he was an ,irishman4 
,he had done so1 he said1 but the priest
 refused to come without a payment of   
eighteenpence1 which the man did not    
possess1 as the family was starving4    
,immediately it occurred to my mind that
 all the money ,i had in the world was  
the solitary half-crown1 and that it was
 in one coin2 moreover1 that while the  
basin of water gruel ,i usually took for
 supper was awaiting me1 and there was  
sufficient in the house for breakfast in
 the morning1 ,i certainly had nothing  
for dinner on the coming day4  ,somehow 
or other there was at once a stoppage in
 the flow of joy in my heart2 but       
instead of reproving myself ,i began to 
reprove the poor man1 telling him that  

it was very wrong to have allowed       
matters to get into such a state as he  
described1 and that he ought to have    
applied to the relieving officer4 ,his  
answer was that he had done so1 and was 
told to come at eleven o'clock the next 
morning1 but that he feared that his    
wife might not live through the night4  
,ah1 thought ,i1 if only ,i had two     
shillings and a sixpence instead of this
 half-crown1 how gladly would ,i give   
these poor people one shilling of it6   
,but to part with the half-crown was far
 from my thoughts4 ,i little dreamed    
that the real truth of the matter simply
 was that ,i could trust in ,,god plus  
one-and-sixpence1 but was not yet       
prepared to trust ,him only1 without any
 money at all in my pocket4  ,my        
conductor led me into a court1 down     
which ,i followed him with some degree  
of nervousness4 ,i had found myself     
there before1 and at my last visit had  
been very roughly handled1 while my     
tracts were torn to pieces1 and ,i      

received such a warning not to come     
again that ,i felt more than a little   
concerned4 ,still1 it was the path of   
duty1 and ,i followed on4 ,up a         
miserable flight of stairs1 into a      
wretched room1 he led me2 and oh what a 
sight there presented itself to our     
eyes6 ,four or five poor children stood 
about1 their sunken cheeks and temples  
all telling unmistakably the story of   
slow starvation2 and lying on a wretched
 pallet was a poor exhausted mother1    
with a tiny infant thirty-six hours old1
 moaning rather than crying at her side1
 for it too seemed spent and failing4   
,ah6 thought ,i1 if ,i had two shillings
 and a sixpence instead of half-a-crown1
 how gladly should they have            
one-and-sixpence of it6 ,but still a    
wretched unbelief prevented me from     
obeying the impulse to relieve their    
distress at the cost of all ,i          
possessed4  ,it will scarcely seem      
strange that ,i was unable to say much  
to comfort these poor people4 ,i needed 

comfort myself4 ,i began to tell them1  
however1 that they must not be cast     
down1 that though their circumstances   
were very distressing1 there was a kind 
and loving ,,father in heaven2 but      
something within me said1 ,you          
hypocrite6 telling these unconverted    
people about a kind and loving ,,father 
in heaven1 and not prepared yourself to 
trust ,him without half-a-crown6 ,i was 
nearly choked4 ,how gladly would ,i have
 compromised with conscience if ,i had  
had a florin and a sixpence6 ,i would   
have given the florin thankfully and    
kept the rest2 but ,i was not yet       
prepared to trust in ,,god alone1       
without the sixpence4  ,to talk was     
impossible under these circumstances2   
yet1 strange to say1 ,i thought ,i      
should have no difficulty in praying4   
,prayer was a delightful occupation to  
me in those days2 time thus spent never 
seemed wearisome1 and ,i knew nothing of
 lack of words4 ,i seemed to think that 
all ,i should have to do would be to    

kneel down and engage in prayer1 and    
that relief would come to them and to   
myself together4 ,you asked me to come  
and pray with your wife1 ,i said to the 
man1 let us pray4 ,and ,i knelt down4   
,but scarcely had ,i opened my lips with
 ,our ,,father who art in heaven than   
conscience said within1 ,dare you mock  
,,god8 ,dare you kneel down and call    
,him ,,father with that half-crown in   
your pocket8 ,such a time of conflict   
came upon me then as ,i have never      
experienced before or since4 ,how ,i got
 through that form of prayer ,i know    
not1 and whether the words uttered were 
connected or disconnected ,i cannot     
tell2 but ,i arose from my knees in     
great distress of mind4  ,the poor      
father turned to me and said1 ,you see  
what a terrible state we are in1 sir2 if
 you can help us1 for ,,god',s sake do6 
,just then the word flashed into my     
mind1 ,give to him that asketh of thee1 
and in the word of a ,,king there is    
power4 ,i put my hand into my pocket1   

and slowly drawing forth the half-crown1
 gave it to the man1 telling him that it
 might seem a small matter for me to    
relieve them1 seeing that ,i was        
comparatively well off1 but that in     
parting with that coin ,i was giving him
 my all2 what ,i had been trying to tell
 him was indeed true--,,god really was a
 ,,father1 and might be trusted4 ,the   
joy all came back in full flood-tide to 
my heart2 ,i could say anything and feel
 it then1 and the hindrance to blessing 
was gone--gone1 ,i trust1 for ever4     
,not only was the poor woman's life     
saved1 but ,i realised that my life was 
saved too6 ,it might have been a        
wreck--would have been a wreck probably1
 as a ,christian life--had not grace at 
that time conquered1 and the striving of
 ,,god',s ,,spirit been obeyed4 ,i well 
remember how that night1 as ,i went home
 to my lodgings1 my heart was as light  
as my pocket4 ,the lonely1 deserted     
streets resounded with a hymn of praise 
which ,i could not restrain4 ,when ,i   

took my basin of gruel before retiring1 
,i would not have exchanged it for a    
prince's feast4 ,i reminded the ,,lord  
as ,i knelt at my bedside of ,his own   
,word1 that he who giveth to the poor   
lendeth to the ,,lord3 ,i asked ,him not
 to let my loan be a long one1 or ,i    
should have no dinner next day2 and with
 peace within and peace without1 ,i     
spent a happy1 restful night4  ,next    
morning for breakfast my plate of       
porridge remained1 and before it was    
consumed the postman's knock was heard  
at the door4 ,i was not in the habit of 
receiving letters on ,monday1 as my     
parents and most of my friends refrained
 from posting on ,saturday2 so that ,i  
was somewhat surprised when the landlady
 came in holding a letter or packet in  
her wet hand covered by her apron4 ,i   
looked at the letter1 but could not make
 out the handwriting4 ,it was either a  
strange hand or a feigned one1 and the  
postmark was blurred4 ,where it came    
from ,i could not tell4 ,on opening the 

envelope ,i found nothing written       
within2 but inside a sheet of blank     
paper was folded a pair of kid gloves1  
from which1 as ,i opened them in        
astonishment1 half-a-sovereign fell to  
the ground4 ,praise the ,,lord6 ,i      
exclaimed2 #djj per cent for twelve     
hours investment2 that is good interest4
 ,how glad the merchants of ,hull would 
be if they could lend their money at    
such a rate6 ,i then and there          
determined that a bank which could not  
break should have my savings or earnings
 as the case might be--a determination  
,i have not yet learned to regret4  ,i  
cannot tell you how often my mind has   
recurred to this incident1 or all the   
help it has been to me in circumstances 
of difficulty in after-life4 ,if we are 
faithful to ,,god in little things1 we  
shall gain experience and strength that 
will be helpful to us in the more       
serious trials of life4  ,illustration  
,,chapter ,,iv  ,,further ,,answers ,,to
 ,,prayer   ,,the remarkable and        

gracious deliverance ,i have spoken of1 
was a great joy to me1 as well as a     
strong confirmation of faith2 but of    
course ten shillings1 however           
economically used1 will not go very far1
 and it was none the less necessary to  
continue in prayer1 asking that the     
larger supply which was still due might 
be remembered and paid4 ,all my         
petitions1 however1 appeared to remain  
unanswered2 and before a fortnight had  
elapsed ,i found myself pretty much in  
the same position that ,i had occupied  
on the ,sunday night already made so    
memorable4 ,meanwhile1 ,i continued     
pleading with ,,god1 more and more      
earnestly1 that ,he would graciously    
remind my employer that my salary was   
overdue4 ,of course it was not the want 
of the money that distressed me--that   
could have been had at any time for the 
asking--but the question uppermost in my
 mind was this3 ,can ,i go to ,china8 or
 will my want of faith and power with   
,,god prove to be so serious an obstacle

 as to preclude my entering upon this   
much-prized service8  ,as the week drew 
to a close ,i felt exceedingly          
embarrassed4 ,there was not only myself 
to consider2 on ,saturday night a       
payment would be due to my ,christian   
landlady which ,i knew she could not    
well dispense with4 ,ought ,i not1 for  
her sake1 to speak about the matter of  
the salary8 ,yet to do so would be1 to  
myself at any rate1 the admission that  
,i was not fitted to undertake a        
missionary enterprise4 ,i gave nearly   
the whole of ,thursday and ,friday--all 
the time not occupied in my necessary   
employment--to earnest wrestling with   
,,god in prayer4 ,but still on ,saturday
 morning ,i was in the same position as 
before4 ,and now my earnest cry was for 
guidance as to whether it was my duty to
 break silence and speak to my employer1
 or whether ,i should still continue to 
wait the ,,father's time4 ,as far as ,i 
could judge1 ,i received the assurance  
that to wait ,his time was best2 and    

that ,,god in some way or other would   
interpose on my behalf4 ,so ,i waited1  
my heart being now at rest and the      
burden gone4  ,about five o'clock that  
,saturday afternoon1 when the doctor had
 finished writing his prescriptions1 his
 last circuit for the day being taken1  
he threw himself back in his arm-chair1 
as he was wont1 and began to speak of   
the things of ,,god4 ,he was a truly    
,christian man1 and many seasons of very
 happy spiritual fellowship we had      
together4 ,i was busily watching1 at the
 time1 a pan in which a decoction was   
boiling that required a good deal of    
attention4 ,it was indeed fortunate for 
me that it was so1 for without any      
obvious connection with what had been   
going on1 all at once he said1          
,by-the-bye1 ,taylor1 is not your salary
 due again8 ,my emotion may be imagined6
 ,i had to swallow two or three times   
before ,i could answer4 ,with my eye    
fixed on the pan and my back to the     
doctor1 ,i told him as quietly as ,i    

could that it was overdue some little   
time4 ,how thankful ,i felt at that     
moment6 ,,god surely had heard my       
prayer1 and caused him1 in this time of 
my great need1 to remember the salary   
without any word or suggestion from me4 
,he replied1 ,oh1 ,i am so sorry you did
 not remind me6 ,you know how busy ,i   
am2 ,i wish ,i had thought of it a      
little sooner1 for only this afternoon  
,i sent all the money ,i had to the     
bank1 otherwise ,i would pay you at     
once4 ,it is impossible to describe the 
revulsion of feeling caused by this     
unexpected statement4 ,i knew not what  
to do4 ,fortunately for me my pan boiled
 up1 and ,i had a good reason for       
rushing with it from the room4 ,glad    
indeed ,i was to get away1 and keep out 
of sight until after the doctor had     
returned to his house1 and most thankful
 that he had not perceived my emotion4  
,as soon as he was gone ,i had to seek  
my little sanctum1 and pour out my heart
 before the ,,lord for some time1 before

 calmness--and more than                
calmness--thankfulness1 and joy were    
restored to me4 ,i felt that ,,god had  
,his own way1 and was not going to fail 
me4 ,i had sought to know ,his will     
early in the day1 and as far as ,i could
 judge had received guidance to wait    
patiently2 and now ,,god was going to   
work for me in some other way4  ,that   
evening was spent1 as my ,saturday      
evenings usually were1 in reading the   
,word and preparing the subjects on     
which ,i expected to speak in the       
various lodging-houses on the morrow4 ,i
 waited1 perhaps1 a little longer than  
usual4 ,at last1 about ten o'clock1     
there being no interruption of any kind1
 ,i put on my overcoat1 and was         
preparing to leave for home1 rather     
thankful to know that by that time ,i   
should have to let myself in with the   
latch-key1 as my landlady retired early 
to rest4 ,there was certainly no help   
for that night2 but perhaps ,,god would 
interpose for me by ,monday1 and ,i     

might be able to pay my landlady early  
in the week the money ,i would have     
given her before1 had it been possible4 
,just as ,i was preparing to turn down  
the gas1 ,i heard the doctor's step in  
the garden which lay between the        
dwelling-house and surgery4 ,he was     
laughing to himself very heartily1 as   
though greatly amused by something4     
,entering the surgery1 he asked for the 
ledger1 and told me that1 strange to    
say1 one of his richest patients had    
just come to pay his doctor's bill--was 
it not an odd thing to do8 ,it never    
struck me that it might have any bearing
 on my own particular case1 or ,i might 
have felt embarrassed2 but looking at it
 simply from the position of an         
uninterested spectator1 ,i also was     
highly amused that a man who was rolling
 in wealth should come after ten o'clock
 at night to pay a doctor's bill1 which 
he could any day have met by a cheque   
with the greatest ease4 ,it appeared    
that somehow or other he could not rest 

with this on his mind1 and had been     
constrained to come at that unusual hour
 to discharge his liability4  ,the      
account was duly receipted in the       
ledger1 and the doctor was about to     
leave1 when suddenly he turned1 and     
handing me some of the bank notes just  
received1 said1 to my surprise and      
thankfulness1 ,by the way1 ,taylor1 you 
might as well take these notes2 ,i have 
not any change1 but can give you the    
balance next week4 ,again ,i was        
left--my feelings undiscovered--to go   
back to my own little closet and praise 
the ,,lord with a joyful heart that     
after all ,i might go to ,china4  ,to me
 this incident was not a trivial one2   
and to recall it sometimes1 in          
circumstances of great difficulty1 in   
,china or elsewhere1 has proved no small
 comfort and strength4  ,by-and-by the  
time drew near when it was thought      
desirable that ,i should leave ,hull to 
attend the medical course of the ,london
 ,hospital4 ,a little while spent there1

 and then ,i had every reason to believe
 that my life-work in ,china would      
commence4 ,but much as ,i had rejoiced  
at the willingness of ,,god to hear and 
answer prayer and to help ,his          
half-trusting1 half-timid child1 ,i felt
 that ,i could not go to ,china without 
having still further developed and      
tested my power to rest upon ,his       
faithfulness2 and a marked opportunity  
for doing so was providentially afforded
 me4  ,my dear father had offered to    
bear all the expense of my stay in      
,london4 ,i knew1 however1 that1 owing  
to recent losses1 it would mean a       
considerable sacrifice for him to       
undertake this just when it seemed      
necessary for me to go forward4 ,i had  
recently become acquainted with the     
,committee of the ,chinese              
,evangelisation ,society1 in connection 
with which ,i ultimately left for       
,china1 and especially with its         
secretary1 my esteemed and much-loved   
friend ,mr4 ,george ,pearse1 then of the

 ,stock ,exchange1 but now#a and for    
many years himself a missionary4 ,not   
knowing of my father's proposition1 the 
,committee also kindly offered to bear  
my expenses while in ,london4 ,when     
these proposals were first made to me1  
,i was not quite clear as to what ,i    
ought to do1 and in writing to my father
 and the secretaries1 told them that ,i 
would take a few days to pray about the 
matter before deciding any course of    
action4 ,i mentioned to my father that  
,i had had this offer from the ,society1
 and told the secretaries also of his   
proffered aid4  ,subsequently1 while    
waiting upon ,,god in prayer for        
guidance1 it became clear to my mind    
that ,i could without difficulty decline
 both offers4 ,the secretaries of the   
,society would not know that ,i had cast
 myself wholly on ,,god for supplies1   
and my father would conclude that ,i had
 accepted the other offer4 ,i therefore 
wrote declining both propositions1 and  
felt that without any one having either 

care or anxiety on my account ,i was    
simply in the hands of ,,god1 and that  
,he1 who knew my heart1 if ,he wished to
 encourage me to go to ,china1 would    
bless my effort to depend upon ,him     
alone at home4  ,illustration           
,,footnote3  #a ,since the above was    
written ,mr4 ,george ,pearse has died4  
,,chapter ,v  ,,life ,,in ,,london   ,i 
,,must not now attempt to detail the    
ways in which the ,,lord was            
pleased--often to my surprise1 as well  
as to my delight--to help me from time  
to time4 ,i soon found that it was not  
possible to live quite as economically  
in ,london as in ,hull4 ,to lessen      
expenses ,i shared a room with a cousin1
 four miles from the hospital1 providing
 myself with board2 and after various   
experiments ,i found that the most      
economical way was to live almost       
exclusively on brown bread and water4   
,thus ,i was able to make the means that
 ,,god gave me last as long as possible4
 ,some of my expenses ,i could not      

diminish1 but my board was largely      
within my own control4 ,a large twopenny
 loaf of brown bread1 purchased daily on
 my long walk from the hospital1        
furnished me with supper and breakfast2 
and on that diet1 with a few apples for 
lunch1 ,i managed to walk eight or nine 
miles a day1 besides being a good deal  
on foot while attending the practice of 
the hospital and the medical school4    
,one incident that occurred just about  
this time ,i must refer to4 ,the husband
 of my former landlady in ,hull was     
chief officer of a ship that sailed from
 ,london1 and by receiving his half-pay 
monthly and remitting it to her ,i was  
able to save her the cost of a          
commission4 ,this ,i had been doing for 
several months1 when she wrote          
requesting that ,i would obtain the next
 payment as early as possible1 as her   
rent was almost due1 and she depended   
upon that sum to meet it4 ,the request  
came at an inconvenient time4 ,i was    
working hard for an examination in the  

hope of obtaining a scholarship which   
would be of service to me1 and felt that
 ,i could ill afford the time to go     
during the busiest part of the day to   
the city and procure the money4 ,i had1 
however1 sufficient of my own in hand to
 enable me to send the required sum4 ,i 
made the remittance therefore1          
purposing1 as soon as the examination   
was over1 to go and draw the regular    
allowance with which to refund myself4  
,before the time of examination the     
medical school was closed for a day1 on 
account of the funeral of the ,duke of  
,wellington1 and ,i had an opportunity  
of going at once to the office1 which   
was situated in a street on ,cheapside1 
and applying for the due amount4 ,to my 
surprise and dismay the cleric told me  
that he could not pay it1 as the officer
 in question had run away from his ship 
and gone to the gold diggings4 ,well1 ,i
 remarked1 that is very inconvenient for
 me1 as ,i have already advanced the    
money1 and ,i know his wife will have no

 means of repaying it4 ,the clerk said  
he was sorry1 but could of course only  
act according to orders2 so there was no
 help for me in that direction4 ,a      
little more time and thought1 however1  
brought the comforting conclusion to my 
mind1 that as ,i was depending on the   
,,lord for everything1 and ,his means   
were not limited1 it was a small matter 
to be brought a little sooner or later  
into the position of needing fresh      
supplies from ,him2 and so the joy and  
the peace were not long interfered with4
  ,very soon after this1 possibly the   
same evening1 while sewing together some
 sheets of paper on which to take notes 
of the lectures1 ,i accidentally pricked
 the first finger of my right hand1 and 
in a few moments forgot all about it4   
,the next day at the hospital ,i        
continued dissecting as before4 ,the    
body was that of a person who had died  
of fever1 and was more than usually     
disagreeable and dangerous4 ,i need     
scarcely say that those of us who were  

at work upon it dissected with special  
care1 knowing that the slightest scratch
 might cost us our lives4 ,before the   
morning was far advanced ,i began to    
feel very weary1 and while going through
 the surgical wards at noon was obliged 
to run out1 being suddenly very sick--a 
most unusual circumstance with me1 as ,i
 took but little food and nothing that  
could disagree with me4 ,after feeling  
faint for some time1 a draught of cold  
water revived me1 and ,i was able to    
rejoin the students4 ,i became more and 
more unwell1 however1 and ere the       
afternoon lecture on surgery was over   
found it impossible to hold the pencil  
and continue taking notes4 ,by the time 
the next lecture was through1 my whole  
arm and right side were full of severe  
pain1 and ,i was both looking and       
feeling very ill4  ,finding that ,i     
could not resume work1 ,i went into the 
dissecting-room to bind up the portion  
,i was engaged upon and put away my     
apparatus1 and said to the demonstrator1

 who was a very skilful surgeon1 ,i     
cannot think what has come over me1     
describing the symptoms4 ,why1 said he1 
what has happened is clear enough3 you  
must have cut yourself in dissecting1   
and you know that this is a case of     
malignant fever4 ,i assured him that ,i 
had been most careful1 and was quite    
certain that ,i had no cut or scratch4  
,well1 he replied1 you certainly must   
have had one2 and he very closely       
scrutinised my hand to find it1 but in  
vain4 ,all at once it occurred to me    
that ,i had pricked my finger the night 
before1 and ,i asked him if it were     
possible that a prick from a needle1 at 
that time1 could have been still        
unclosed4 ,his opinion was that this was
 probably the cause of the trouble1 and 
he advised me to get a hansom1 drive    
home as fast as ,i could1 and arrange my
 affairs forthwith4 ,for1 he said1 you  
are a dead man4  ,my first thought was  
one of sorrow that ,i could not go to   
,china2 but very soon came the feeling1 

,unless ,i am greatly mistaken1 ,i have 
work to do in ,china1 and shall not die4
 ,i was glad1 however1 to take the      
opportunity of speaking to my medical   
friend1 who was a confirmed sceptic as  
to things spiritual1 of the joy that the
 prospect of perhaps soon being with my 
,,master gave me2 telling him at the    
same time that ,i did not think ,i      
should die1 as1 unless ,i were much     
mistaken1 ,i had work to do in ,china2  
and if so1 however severe the struggle1 
,i must be brought through4 ,that is all
 very well1 he answered1 but you get a  
hansom and drive home as fast as you    
can4 ,you have no time to lose1 for you 
will soon be incapable of winding up    
your affairs4  ,i smiled a little at the
 idea of my driving home in a hansom1   
for by this time my means were too      
exhausted to allow of such a proceeding1
 and ,i set out to walk the distance if 
possible4 ,before long1 however1 my     
strength gave way1 and ,i felt it was no
 use to attempt to reach home by        

walking4 ,availing myself of an omnibus 
from ,whitechapel ,church to ,farringdon
 ,street1 and another from ,farringdon  
,street onwards1 ,i reached1 in great   
suffering1 the neighbourhood of ,soho   
,square1 behind which ,i lived4 ,on     
going into the house ,i got some hot    
water from the servant1 and charging her
 very earnestly--literally as a dying   
man--to accept eternal life as the gift 
of ,,god through ,,jesus ,,christ1 ,i   
bathed my head and lanced the finger1   
hoping to let out some of the poisoned  
blood4 ,the pain was very severe2 ,i    
fainted away1 and was for some time     
unconscious1 so long that when ,i came  
to myself ,i found that ,i had been     
carried to bed4  ,an uncle of mine who  
lived near at hand had come in1 and sent
 for his own medical man1 an assistant  
surgeon at the ,westminster ,hospital4  
,i assured my uncle that medical help   
would be of no service to me1 and that  
,i did not wish to go to the expense    
involved4 ,he1 however1 quieted me on   

this score1 saying that he had sent for 
his own doctor1 and that the bill would 
be charged to himself4 ,when the surgeon
 came and learned all the particulars1  
he said1 ,well1 if you have been living 
moderately1 you may pull through2 but if
 you have been going in for beer and    
that sort of thing1 there is no manner  
of chance for you4 ,i thought that if   
sober living was to do anything1 few    
could have a better chance1 as little   
but bread and water had been my diet for
 a good while past4 ,i told him ,i had  
lived abstemiously1 and found that it   
helped me in study4 ,but now1 he said1  
you must keep up your strength1 for it  
will be a pretty hard struggle4 ,and he 
ordered me a bottle of port wine every  
day1 and as many chops as ,i could      
consume4 ,again ,i smiled inwardly1     
having no means for the purchase of such
 luxuries4 ,this difficulty1 however1   
was also met by my kind uncle1 who sent 
me at once all that was needed4  ,i was 
much concerned1 notwithstanding the     

agony ,i suffered1 that my dear parents 
should not be made acquainted with my   
state4 ,thought and prayer had satisfied
 me that ,i was not going to die1 but   
that there was indeed a work for me to  
do in ,china4 ,if my dear parents should
 come up and find me in that condition1 
,i must lose the opportunity of seeing  
how ,,god was going to work for me1 now 
that my money had almost come to an end4
 ,so1 after prayer for guidance1 ,i     
obtained a promise from my uncle and    
cousin not to write to my parents1 but  
to leave me to communicate with them    
myself4 ,i felt it was a very distinct  
answer to prayer when they gave me this 
promise1 and ,i took care to defer all  
communication with them myself until the
 crisis was past and the worst of the   
attack over4 ,at home they knew that ,i 
was working hard for an examination1 and
 did not wonder at my silence4  ,days   
and nights of suffering passed slowly   
by2 but at length1 after several weeks1 
,i was sufficiently restored to leave my

 room2 and then ,i learned that two men1
 though not from the ,london ,hospital1 
who had had dissection wounds at the    
same time as myself1 had both succumbed1
 while ,i was spared in answer to prayer
 to work for ,,god in ,china4           
,illustration  ,illustration            
,,chapter ,,vi  ,,strengthened ,,by     
,,faith   ,,one day the doctor coming in
 found me on the sofa1 and was surprised
 to learn that with assistance ,i had   
walked downstairs4 ,now1 he said1 the   
best thing you can go is to get off to  
the country as soon as you feel equal to
 the journey4 ,you must rusticate until 
you have recovered a fair amount of     
health and strength1 for if you begin   
your work too soon the consequences may 
still be serious4 ,when he had left1 as 
,i lay very exhausted on the sofa1 ,i   
just told the ,,lord all about it1 and  
that ,i was refraining from making my   
circumstances known to those who would  
delight to meet my need1 in order that  
my faith might be strengthened by       

receiving help from ,himself in answer  
to prayer alone4 ,what was ,i to do8    
,and ,i waited for ,his answer4  ,it    
seemed to me as if ,he were directing my
 mind to the conclusion to go again to  
the shipping office1 and inquire about  
the wages ,i had been unable to draw4 ,i
 reminded the ,,lord that ,i could not  
afford to take a conveyance1 and that it
 did not seem at all likely that ,i     
should succeed in getting the money1 and
 asked whether this impulse was not a   
mere clutching at a straw1 some mental  
process of my own1 rather than ,his     
guidance and teaching4 ,after prayer1   
however1 and renewed waiting upon ,,god1
 ,i was confirmed in my belief that ,he 
,himself was teaching me to go to the   
office4  ,the next question was1 ,how am
 ,i to go8 ,i had had to seek help in   
coming downstairs1 and the place was at 
least two miles away4 ,the assurance was
 brought vividly home to me that        
whatever ,i asked of ,,god in the name  
of ,,christ would be done1 that the     

,,father might be glorified in the      
,,son2 that what ,i had to do was to    
seek strength for the long walk1 to     
receive it by faith1 and to set out upon
 it4 ,unhesitatingly ,i told the ,,lord 
that ,i was quite willing to take the   
walk if ,he would give me the strength4 
,i asked in the name of ,,christ that   
the strength might be immediately given2
 and sending the servant up to my room  
for my hat and stick1 ,i set out1 not to
 attempt to walk1 but ,,to ,,walk to    
,cheapside4  ,although undoubtedly      
strengthened by faith1 ,i never took so 
much interest in shop windows as ,i did 
upon that journey4 ,at every second or  
third step ,i was glad to lean a little 
against the plate glass1 and take time  
to examine the contents of the windows  
before passing on4 ,it needed a special 
effort of faith when ,i got to the      
bottom of ,farringdon ,street to attempt
 the toilsome ascent of ,snow ,hill3    
there was no ,holborn ,viaduct in those 
days1 and it had to be done4 ,,god did  

wonderfully help me1 and in due time ,i 
reached ,cheapside1 turned into the     
by-street in which the office was found1
 and sat down much exhausted on the     
steps leading to the first floor1 which 
was my destination4 ,i felt my position 
to be a little peculiar--sitting there  
on the steps1 so evidently spent--and   
the gentlemen who rushed up and         
downstairs looked at me with an         
inquiring gaze4 ,after a little rest1   
however1 and a further season of prayer1
 ,i succeeded in climbing the staircase1
 and to my comfort found in the office  
the clerk with whom ,i had hitherto     
dealt in the matter4 ,seeing me looking 
pale and exhausted1 he kindly inquired  
as to my health1 and ,i told him that ,i
 had had a serious illness1 and was     
ordered to the country1 but thought it  
well to call first1 and make further    
inquiry1 lest there should have been any
 mistake about the mate having run off  
to the gold diggings4 ,oh1 he said1 ,i  
am so glad you have come1 for it turns  

out that it was an able seaman of the   
same name that ran away4 ,the mate is   
still on board2 the ship has just       
reached ,gravesend1 and will be up very 
soon4 ,i shall be glad to give you the  
half-pay up to date1 for doubtless it   
will reach his wife more safely through 
you4 ,we all know what temptations beset
 the men when they arrive at home after 
a voyage4  ,before1 however1 giving me  
the sum of money1 he insisted upon my   
coming inside and sharing his lunch4 ,i 
felt it was the ,,lord indeed who was   
providing for me1 and accepted his offer
 with thankfulness4 ,when ,i was        
refreshed and rested1 he gave me a sheet
 of paper to write a few lines to the   
wife1 telling her of the circumstances4 
,on my way back ,i procured in          
,cheapside a money order for the balance
 due to her1 and posted it2 and         
returning home again1 felt myself now   
quite justified in taking an omnibus as 
far as it would serve me4  ,very much   
better the next morning1 after seeing to

 some little matters that ,i had to     
settle1 ,i made my way to the surgery of
 the doctor who had attended me1 feeling
 that1 although my uncle was prepared to
 pay the bill1 it was right for me1 now 
that ,i had some money in hand1 to ask  
for the account myself4 ,the kind       
surgeon refused to allow me1 as a       
medical student1 to pay anything for his
 attendance3 but he had supplied me with
 quinine1 which he allowed me to pay for
 to the extent of eight shillings4 ,when
 that was settled1 ,i saw that the sum  
left was just sufficient to take me     
home2 and to my mind the whole thing    
seemed a wonderful interposition of     
,,god on my behalf4  ,i knew that the   
surgeon was sceptical1 and told him that
 ,i should very much like to speak to   
him freely1 if ,i might do so without   
offence2 that ,i felt that under ,,god  
,i owed my life to his kind care1 and   
wished very earnestly that he himself   
might become a partaker of the same     
precious faith that ,i possessed4 ,so ,i

 told him my reason for being in        
,london1 and about my circumstances1 and
 why ,i had declined the help of both my
 father and the officers of the ,society
 in connection with which it was        
probable that ,i should go to ,china4 ,i
 told him of the recent providential    
dealings of ,,god with me1 and how      
apparently hopeless my position had been
 the day before1 when he had ordered me 
to go to the country1 unless ,i would   
reveal my need1 which ,i had determined 
not to do4 ,i described to him the      
mental exercises ,i had gone through2   
but when ,i added that ,i had actually  
got up from the sofa and walked to      
,cheapside1 he looked at me             
incredulously1 and ,impossible6 ,why1 ,i
 left you lying there more like a ghost 
than a man4 ,and ,i had to assure him   
again and again that1 strengthened by   
faith1 the walk had really been taken4  
,i told him also what money was left to 
me1 and what payments there had been to 
make1 and showed him that just          

sufficient remained to take me home to  
,yorkshire1 providing for needful       
refreshment by the way and the omnibus  
journey at the end4  ,my kind friend was
 completely broken down1 and said with  
tears in his eyes1 ,i would give all the
 world for a faith like yours4 ,i1 on   
the other hand1 had the joy of telling  
him that it was to be obtained without  
money and without price4 ,we never met  
again4 ,when ,i came back to town1      
restored to health and strength1 ,i     
found that he had had a stroke1 and left
 for the country2 and ,i subsequently   
learned that he never rallied4 ,i was   
able to gain no information as to his   
state of mind when taken away2 but ,i   
have always felt very thankful that ,i  
had the opportunity1 and embraced it1 of
 bearing that testimony for ,,god4 ,i   
cannot but entertain the hope that the  
,,master ,himself was speaking to him   
through ,his dealings with me1 and that 
,i shall meet him again in the ,better  
,land4 ,it would be no small joy to be  

welcomed by him1 when my own service is 
over4  ,the next day found me in my dear
 parents' home4 ,my joy in the ,,lord's 
help and deliverance was so great that  
,i was unable to keep it to myself1 and 
before my return to ,london my dear     
mother knew the secret of my life for   
some time past4 ,i need scarcely say    
that when ,i went up again to town ,i   
was not allowed to live--as1 indeed1 ,i 
was not fit to live--on the same        
economical lines as before my illness4  
,i needed more now1 and the ,,lord did  
provide4  ,illustration  ,illustration  
,,chapter ,,vii  ,,mighty ,,to ,,save   
,,returning to ,london when sufficiently
 recovered to resume my studies1 the    
busy life of hospital and lecture-hall  
was resumed2 often relieved by happy    
,sundays of fellowship with ,christian  
friends1 especially in ,london or       
,tottenham4 ,opportunities for service  
are to be found in every sphere1 and    
mine was no exception4 ,i shall only    
mention one case now that gave me great 

encouragement in seeking conversion even
 when it seemed apparently hopeless4    
,,god had given me the joy of winning   
souls before1 but not in surroundings of
 such special difficulty4 ,with ,,god   
all things are possible1 and no         
conversion ever takes place save by the 
almighty power of the ,,holy ,,ghost4   
,the great need1 therefore1 of every    
,christian worker is to know ,,god4     
,indeed1 this is the purpose for which  
,he has given us eternal life1 as our   
,,saviour ,himself says1 in the oft     
misquoted verse1 ,john xvii4 #c3 ,this  
is the object of life eternal1 not to   
know but that they might know ,thee the 
only true ,,god1 and ,,jesus ,,christ1  
whom ,thou hast sent4 ,i was now to     
prove the willingness of ,,god to answer
 prayer for spiritual blessing under    
most unpromising circumstances1 and thus
 to gain an increased acquaintance with 
the prayer-answering ,,god as ,one      
mighty to save4  ,a short time before   
leaving for ,china1 it became my duty   

daily to dress the foot of a patient    
suffering from senile gangrene4 ,the    
disease commenced1 as usual1            
insidiously1 and the patient had little 
idea that he was a doomed man1 and      
probably had not long to live4 ,i was   
not the first to attend to him1 but when
 the case was transferred to me1 ,i     
naturally became very anxious about his 
soul4 ,the family with whom he lived    
were ,christians1 and from them ,i      
learned that he was an avowed atheist1  
and very antagonistic to anything       
religious4 ,they had1 without asking his
 consent1 invited a ,scripture reader to
 visit him1 but in great passion he had 
ordered him from the room4 ,the vicar of
 the district had also called1 hoping to
 help him2 but he had spit in his face1 
and refused to allow him to speak to    
him4 ,his passionate temper was         
described to me as very violent1 and    
altogether the case seemed to be as     
hopeless as could well be imagined4     
,upon first commencing to attend him ,i 

prayed much about it2 but for two or    
three days said nothing to him of a     
religious nature4 ,by special care in   
dressing his diseased limb ,i was able  
considerably to lessen his sufferings1  
and he soon began to manifest grateful  
appreciation of my services4 ,one day1  
with a trembling heart1 ,i took         
advantage of his warm acknowledgments to
 tell him what was the spring of my     
action1 and to speak of his own solemn  
position and need of ,,god's mercy      
through ,,christ4 ,it was evidently only
 by a powerful effort of self-restraint 
that he kept his lips closed4 ,he turned
 over in bed with his back to me1 and   
uttered no word4  ,i could not get the  
poor man out of my mind1 and very often 
through each day ,i pleaded with ,,god1 
by ,his ,,spirit1 to save him ere ,he   
took him hence4 ,after dressing the     
wound and relieving his pain1 ,i never  
failed to say a few words to him1 which 
,i hoped the ,,lord would bless4 ,he    
always turned his back to me1 looking   

annoyed1 but never spoke a word in      
reply4  ,after continuing this for some 
time1 my heart sank4 ,it seemed to me   
that ,i was not only doing no good1 but 
perhaps really hardening him and        
increasing his guilt4 ,one day1 after   
dressing his limb and washing my hands1 
instead of returning to the bedside to  
speak to him1 ,i went to the door1 and  
stood hesitating for a few moments with 
the thought in my mind1 ,ephraim is     
joined to his idols2 let him alone4 ,i  
looked at the man and saw his surprise1 
as it was the first time since speaking 
to him that ,i had attempted to leave   
without going up to his bedside to say a
 few words for my ,,master4 ,i could    
bear it no longer4 ,bursting into tears1
 ,i crossed the room and said1 ,my      
friend1 whether you will hear or whether
 you will forbear1 ,i must deliver my   
soul1 and went on to speak very         
earnestly to him1 telling him with many 
tears how much ,i wished that he would  
let me pray with him4 ,to my unspeakable

 joy he did not turn away1 but replied1 
,if it will be a relief to you1 do4 ,i  
need scarcely say that ,i fell on my    
knees and poured out my whole soul to   
,,god on his behalf4 ,i believe the     
,,lord then and there wrought a change  
in his soul4  ,he was never afterwards  
unwilling to be spoken to and prayed    
with1 and within a few days he          
definitely accepted ,,christ as his     
,,saviour4 ,oh the joy it was to me to  
see that dear man rejoicing in hope of  
the glory of ,,god6 ,he told me that for
 forty years he had never darkened the  
door of church or chapel1 and that      
then--forty years ago--he had only      
entered a place of worship to be        
married1 and could not be persuaded to  
go inside when his wife was buried4     
,now1 thank ,,god1 his sin-stained soul1
 ,i had every reason to believe1 was    
washed1 was sanctified1 was justified1  
in the ,name of the ,,lord ,,jesus      
,,christ and in the ,,spirit of our     
,,god4 ,oftentimes1 when in my early    

work in ,china circumstances rendered me
 almost hopeless of success1 ,i have    
thought of this man's conversion1 and   
have been encouraged to persevere in    
speaking the ,word1 whether men would   
hear or whether they would forbear4     
,the now happy sufferer lived for some  
time after this change1 and was never   
tired of bearing testimony to the grace 
of ,,god4 ,though his condition was most
 distressing1 the alteration in his     
character and behaviour made the        
previously painful duty of attending him
 one of real pleasure4 ,i have often    
thought since1 in connection with this  
case and the work of ,,god generally1 of
 the words1 ,he that goeth forth        
weeping1 bearing precious seed1 shall   
doubtless come again rejoicing1 bringing
 his sheaves with him4 ,perhaps if there
 were more of that intense distress for 
souls that leads to tears1 we should    
more frequently see the results we      
desire4 ,sometimes it may be that while 
we are complaining of the hardness of   

the hearts of those we are seeking to   
benefit1 the hardness of our own hearts1
 and our own feeble apprehension of the 
solemn reality of eternal things1 may be
 the true cause of our want of success4 
,illustration  ,illustration            
,,chapter ,,viii  ,,voyage ,,to ,,china 
,,soon after this the time so long      
looked forward to arrived--the time that
 ,i was to leave ,england for ,china4   
,after being set apart with many prayers
 for the ministry of ,,god's ,word among
 the heathen ,chinese ,i left ,london   
for ,liverpool2 and on the #aith of     
,september #ahec a little service was   
held in the stern cabin of the          
,dumfries1 which had been secured for me
 by the ,committee of the ,chinese      
,evangelisation ,society1 under whose   
auspices ,i was going to ,china4  ,my   
beloved1 now sainted1 mother had come to
 see me off from ,liverpool4 ,never     
shall ,i forget that day1 nor how she   
went with me into the little cabin that 
was to be my home for nearly six long   

months4 ,with a mother's loving hand she
 smoothed the little bed4 ,she sat by my
 side1 and joined me in the last hymn   
that we should sing together before the 
long parting4 ,we knelt down1 and she   
prayed--the last mother's prayer ,i was 
to hear before starting for ,china4     
,then notice was given that we must     
separate1 and we had to say good-bye1   
never expecting to meet on earth again4 
,for my sake she restrained her feelings
 as much as possible4 ,we parted2 and   
she went on shore1 giving me her        
blessing2 ,i stood alone on deck1 and   
she followed the ship as we moved       
towards the dock gates4 ,as we passed   
through the gates1 and the separation   
really commenced1 ,i shall never forget 
the cry of anguish wrung from that      
mother's heart4 ,it went through me like
 a knife4 ,i never knew so fully1 until 
then1 what ,,god so loved the world     
meant4 ,and ,i am quite sure that my    
precious mother learned more of the love
 of ,,god to the perishing in that hour 

than in all her life before4  ,oh1 how  
it must grieve the heart of ,,god when  
,he sees ,his children indifferent to   
the needs of that wide world for which  
,his beloved1 ,his only begotten ,,son  
died6            ,hearken1 ,o daughter1 
and consider1 and incline thine ear2    
,forget also thine own people1 and thy  
father's house2           ,so shall the 
,,king desire thy beauty3           ,for
 ,he is thy ,,lord2 and worship thou    
,him4  ,praise ,,god1 the number is     
increasing who are finding out the      
exceeding joys1 the wondrous revelations
 of ,his mercies1 vouchsafed to those   
who follow ,him1 and emptying           
themselves1 leave all in obedience to   
,his great commission4  ,it was on #aith
 ,september #ahec that the ,dumfries    
sailed for ,china2 and not until #ast   
,march1 in the spring of the following  
year1 did ,i arrive in ,shanghai4  ,our 
voyage had a rough beginning1 but many  
had promised to remember us in constant 
prayer4 ,no small comfort was this2 for 

we had scarcely left the ,mersey when a 
violent equinoctial gale caught us1 and 
for twelve days we were beating         
backwards and forwards in the ,irish    
,channel1 unable to get out to sea4 ,the
 gale steadily increased1 and after     
almost a week we lay to for a time2 but 
drifting on a lee coast1 we were        
compelled again to make sail1 and       
endeavoured to beat on to windward4 ,the
 utmost efforts of the captain and crew1
 however1 were unavailing2 and ,sunday  
night1 #beth ,september1 found us       
drifting into ,carnarvon ,bay1 each tack
 becoming shorter1 until at last we were
 within a stone's-throw of the rocks4   
,about this time1 as the ship1 which had
 refused to stay1 was put round in the  
other direction1 the ,christian captain 
said to me1 ,we cannot live half an hour
 now3 what of your call to labour for   
the ,,lord in ,china8 ,i had previously 
passed through a time of much conflict1 
but that was over1 and it was a great   
joy to feel and to tell him that ,i     

would not for any consideration be in   
any other position2 that ,i strongly    
expected to reach ,china2 but that1 if  
otherwise1 at any rate the ,master would
 say it was well that ,i was found      
seeking to obey ,his command4  ,within a
 few minutes after wearing ship the     
captain walked1 up to the compass1 and  
said to me1 ,the wind has freed two     
points2 we shall be able to beat out of 
the bay4 ,and so we did4 ,the bowsprit  
was sprung and the vessel seriously     
strained2 but in a few days we got out  
to sea1 and the necessary repairs were  
so thoroughly effected on board that our
 journey to ,china was in due time      
satisfactorily accomplished4  ,one thing
 was a great trouble to me that night4  
,i was a very young believer1 and had   
not sufficient faith in ,,god to see    
,him in and through the use of means4 ,i
 had felt it a duty to comply with the  
earnest wish of my beloved and honoured 
mother1 and for her sake to procure a   
swimming-belt4 ,but in my own soul ,i   

felt as if ,i could not simply trust in 
,,god while ,i had this swimming-belt2  
and my heart had no rest until on that  
night1 after all hope of being saved was
 gone1 ,i had given it away4 ,then ,i   
had perfect peace2 and1 strange to say1 
put several light things together1      
likely to float at the time we struck1  
without any thought of inconsistency or 
scruple4 ,ever since1 ,i have seen      
clearly the mistake ,i made--a mistake  
that is very common in these days1 when 
erroneous teaching on faith-healing does
 much harm1 misleading some as to the   
purposes of ,,god1 shaking the faith of 
others1 and distressing the minds of    
many4 ,the use of means ought not to    
lessen our faith in ,,god2 and our faith
 in ,,god ought not to hinder our using 
whatever means ,he has given us for the 
accomplishment of ,his own purposes4    
,for years after this ,i always took a  
swimming-belt with me1 and never had any
 trouble about it2 for after the storm  
was over1 the question was settled for  

me1 through the prayerful study of the  
,scriptures4 ,,god gave me then to see  
my mistake1 probably to deliver me from 
a great deal of trouble on similar      
questions now so constantly raised4     
,when in medical or surgical charge of  
any case1 ,i have never thought of      
neglecting to ask ,,god's guidance and  
blessing in the use of appropriate      
means1 nor yet of omitting to give ,him 
thanks for answered prayer and restored 
health4 ,but to me it would appear as   
presumptuous and wrong to neglect the   
use of those measures which ,he ,himself
 has put within our reach1 as to neglect
 to take daily food1 and suppose that   
life and health might be maintained by  
prayer alone4  ,the voyage was a very   
tedious one4 ,we lost a good deal of    
time on the equator from calms2 and when
 we finally reached the ,eastern        
,archipelago1 were again detained from  
the same cause4 ,usually a breeze would 
spring up soon after sunset1 and last   
until about dawn4 ,the utmost use was   

made of it1 but during the day we lay   
still with flapping sails1 often        
drifting back and losing a good deal of 
the advantage we had gained during the  
night4  ,this happened notably on one   
occasion1 when we were in dangerous     
proximity to the north of ,new ,guinea4 
,saturday night had brought us to a     
point some thirty miles off the land2   
but during the ,sunday morning service1 
which was held on deck1 ,i could not    
fail to notice that the captain looked  
troubled1 and frequently went over to   
the side of the ship4 ,when the service 
was ended1 ,i learnt from him the       
cause--a four-knot current was carrying 
us rapidly towards some sunken reefs1   
and we were already so near that it     
seemed improbable that we should get    
through the afternoon in safety4 ,after 
dinner the long-boat was put out1 and   
all hands endeavoured1 without success1 
to turn the ship's head from the shore4 
,as we drifted nearer we could plainly  
see the natives rushing about the sands 

and lighting fires every here and there4
 ,the captain's horn-book informed him  
that these people were cannibals1 so    
that our position was not a little      
alarming4  ,after standing together on  
the deck for some time in silence1 the  
captain said to me1 ,well1 we have done 
everything that can be done2 we can only
 await the result4 ,a thought occurred  
to me1 and ,i replied1 ,no1 there is one
 thing we have not done yet4 ,what is   
it8 he queried4 ,four of us on board are
 ,christians1 ,i answered 7the ,swedish 
carpenter and our coloured steward1 with
 the captain and myself72 let us each   
retire to his own cabin1 and in agreed  
prayer ask the ,,lord to give us        
immediately a breeze4 ,he can as easily 
send it now as at sunset4  ,the captain 
complied with this proposal4 ,i went and
 spoke to the other two men1 and after  
prayer with the carpenter we all four   
retired to wait upon ,,god4 ,i had a    
good but very brief season in prayer1   
and then felt so satisfied that our     

request was granted that ,i could not   
continue asking1 and very soon went up  
again on deck4 ,the first officer1 a    
godless man1 was in charge4 ,i went over
 and asked him to let down the clews or 
corners of the mainsail1 which had been 
drawn up in order to lessen the useless 
flapping of the sail against the        
rigging4 ,he answered1 ,what would be   
the good of that8 ,i told him we had    
been asking a wind from ,,god1 that it  
was coming immediately1 and we were so  
near the reef by this time that there   
was not a minute to lose4 ,with a look  
of incredulity and contempt1 he said    
with an oath that he would rather see a 
wind than hear of it6 ,but while he was 
speaking ,i watched his eye1 and        
followed it up to the royal 7the topmost
 sail71 and there1 sure enough1 the     
corner of the sail was beginning to     
tremble in the coming breeze4 ,don't you
 see the wind is coming8 ,look at the   
royal6 ,i exclaimed4 ,no1 it is only a  
cat's-paw1 he rejoined 7a mere puff of  

wind74 ,cat's-paw or not1 ,i cried1 pray
 let down the mainsail1 and let us have 
the benefit6  ,this he was not slow to  
do4 ,in another minute the heavy tread  
of the men on the deck brought up the   
captain from his cabin to see what was  
the matter2 and he saw that the breeze  
had indeed come4 ,in a few minutes we   
were ploughing our way at six or seven  
knots an hour through the water1 and the
 multitude of naked savages whom we had 
seen on the beach had no wreckage that  
night4 ,we were soon out of danger2 and 
though the wind was sometimes unsteady1 
we did not altogether lose it until     
after passing the ,pelew ,islands4      
,thus ,,god encouraged me1 ere landing  
on ,china's shores1 to bring every      
variety of need to ,him in prayer1 and  
to expect that ,he would honour the     
,name of the ,,lord ,,jesus1 and give   
the help which each emergency required4 
,illustration  ,illustration            
,,chapter ,,ix  ,,early ,,missionary    
,,experiences   ,,on landing in         

,shanghai on #ast ,march #ahed1 ,i found
 myself surrounded with difficulties    
that were wholly unexpected4 ,a band of 
rebels1 known as the ,red ,turbans1 had 
taken possession of the native city1    
against which was encamped an ,imperial 
army of from forty to fifty thousand    
men1 who were a much greater source of  
discomfort and danger to the little     
,european community than were the rebels
 themselves4 ,upon landing1 ,i was told 
that to live outside the ,settlement was
 impossible1 while within the foreign   
concession apartments were scarcely     
obtainable at any price4 ,the dollar1   
now worth about three shillings1 had    
risen to a value of eight-and-ninepence1
 and the prospect for one with only a   
small income of ,english money was dark 
indeed4 ,however1 ,i had three letters  
of introduction1 and counted on counsel 
and help1 especially from one of those  
to whom ,i had been commended1 whose    
friends ,i well knew and highly valued4 
,of course ,i sought him out at once1   

but only to learn that he had been      
buried a month or two before1 having    
died from fever during the time of my   
voyage4  ,saddened by these tidings1 ,i 
inquired for a missionary to whom       
another of my letters of introduction   
was addressed2 but a further            
disappointment awaited me--he had left  
for ,america4 ,the third letter         
remained2 but as it had been given by a 
comparative stranger1 ,i had expected   
less from it than from the other two4   
,it proved1 however1 to be ,,god's      
channel of help4 ,the ,rev4 ,dr4        
,medhurst1 of the ,london ,mission1 to  
whom it was addressed1 introduced me to 
,dr4 ,lockhart1 who kindly allowed me to
 live with him for six months4 ,dr4     
,medhurst procured my first ,chinese    
teacher2 and he1 ,dr4 ,edkins1 and the  
late ,mr4 ,alexander ,wylie gave me     
considerable help with the language4    
,those were indeed troublous times1 and 
times of danger4 ,coming out of the city
 one day with ,mr4 ,wylie1 he entered   

into conversation with two coolies1     
while we waited a little while at the   
,east ,gate for a companion who was     
behind us4 ,before our companion came up
 an attack upon the city from the       
batteries on the opposite side of the   
river commenced1 which caused us to     
hurry away to a place of less danger1   
the whiz of the balls being unpleasantly
 near4 ,the coolies1 unfortunately1     
stayed too long1 and were wounded4 ,on  
reaching the ,settlement we stopped a   
few minutes to make a purchase1 and then
 proceeded at once to the ,london       
,mission compound1 where1 at the door of
 the hospital1 we found the two poor    
coolies with whom ,mr4 ,wylie had       
conversed1 their four ankles terribly   
shattered by a cannon ball4 ,the poor   
fellows declined amputation1 and both   
died4 ,we felt how narrow had been our  
escape4  ,at another time1 early in the 
morning1 ,i had joined one of the       
missionaries on his verandah to watch   
the battle proceeding1 at a distance of 

perhaps three-quarters of a mile1 when  
suddenly a spent ball passed between us 
and buried itself in the verandah wall4 
,another day my friend ,mr4 ,wylie left 
a book on the table after luncheon1 and 
returning for it about five minutes     
later1 found the arm of the chair on    
which he had been sitting shot clean    
away4 ,but in the midst of these and    
many other dangers ,,god protected us4  
,after six months' stay with ,dr4       
,lockhart1 ,i rented a native house     
outside the ,settlement1 and commenced a
 little missionary work amongst my      
,chinese neighbours1 which for a few    
months continued practicable4 ,when the 
,french joined the ,imperialists in     
attacking the city1 the position of my  
house became so dangerous that during   
the last few weeks1 in consequence of   
nightly recurring skirmishes1 ,i gave up
 attempting to sleep except in the      
daytime4 ,one night a fire appeared very
 near1 and ,i climbed up to a little    
observatory ,i had arranged on the roof 

of the house1 to see whether it was     
necessary to attempt escape4 ,while     
there a ball struck the ridge of the    
roof on the opposite side of the        
quadrangle1 showering pieces of broken  
tile all around me1 while the ball      
itself rolled down into the court below4
 ,it weighed four or five pounds2 and   
had it come a few inches higher1 would  
probably have spent its force on me     
instead of on the building4 ,my dear    
mother kept the ball for many years4    
,shortly after this ,i had to abandon   
the house and return to the ,foreign    
,settlement--a step that was taken none 
too soon1 for before the last of my     
belongings were removed1 the house was  
burnt to the ground4  ,of the trials of 
this early period it is scarcely        
possible to convey any adequate idea4   
,to one of a sensitive nature1 the      
horrors1 atrocities1 and misery         
connected with war were a terrible      
ordeal4 ,the embarrassment also of the  
times was considerable4 ,with an income 

of only eighty pounds a year1 ,i was    
compelled1 upon moving into the         
,settlement1 to give one hundred and    
twenty for rent1 and sublet half the    
house2 and though the ,committee of the 
,chinese ,evangelisation ,society       
increased my income when1 after the     
arrival of ,dr4 ,parker1 they learned   
more of our circumstances1 many painful 
experiences had necessarily been passed 
through4 ,few can realise how           
distressing to so young and untried a   
worker these difficulties seemed1 or the
 intense loneliness of the position of a
 pioneer who could not even hint at many
 of his circumstances1 as to do so would
 have been a tacit appeal for help4     
,the great enemy is always ready with   
his oft-repeated suggestion1 ,all these 
things are against me4 ,but oh1 how     
false the word6 ,the cold1 and even the 
hunger1 the watchings and sleeplessness 
of nights of danger1 and the feeling at 
times of utter isolation and            
helplessness1 were well and wisely      

chosen1 and tenderly and lovingly meted 
out4 ,what circumstances could have     
rendered the ,word of ,,god more sweet1 
the presence of ,,god more real1 the    
help of ,,god more precious8 ,they were 
times1 indeed1 of emptying and humbling1
 but were experiences that made not     
ashamed1 and that strengthened purpose  
to go forward as ,,god might direct1    
with ,his proved promise1 ,i will not   
fail thee1 nor forsake thee4 ,one can   
see1 even now1 that as for ,,god1 ,his  
way is perfect1 and yet can rejoice that
 the missionary path of to-day is       
comparatively a smooth and an easy one4 
,journeying inland was contrary to      
treaty arrangements1 and attended with  
much difficulty1 especially for some    
time after the battle of ,muddy ,flat1  
in which an ,anglo-,american contingent 
of about three hundred marines and      
seamen1 with a volunteer corps of less  
than a hundred residents1 attacked the  
,imperial camp1 and drove away from     
thirty to fifty thousand ,chinese       

soldiers1 the range of our shot and     
shell making the native artillery       
useless4 ,still1 in the autumn of #ahed 
a journey of perhaps a week's duration  
was safely accomplished with ,dr4       
,edkins1 who of course did the speaking 
and preaching1 while ,i was able to help
 in the distribution of books4          
,illustration     ,,chapter ,x  ,,first 
,,evangelistic ,,efforts   ,a ,,journey 
taken in the spring of #ahee with the   
,rev4 ,j4 ,s4 ,burden of the ,church    
,missionary ,society 7now the ,bishop of
 ,victoria1 ,hong-kong7 was attended    
with some serious dangers4  ,in the     
great mouth of the river ,yang-tse1     
distant some thirty miles to the north  
of ,shanghai1 lies the group of islands 
of which ,ts'ung-ming and ,hai-men are  
the largest and most important2 and     
farther up the river1 where the estuary 
narrows away from the sea1 is situated  
the influential city of ,t'ung-chau1    
close to ,lang-shan1 or the ,wolf       
,mountains1 famous as a resort for      

pilgrim devotees4 ,we spent some time in
 evangelising on those islands1 and then
 proceeded to ,lang-shan1 where we      
preached and gave books to thousands of 
the devotees who were attending an      
idolatrous festival4 ,from thence we    
went on to ,t'ung-chau1 and of our      
painful experiences there the following 
journal will tell3--                    
,thursday1 ,april #bfth1 #ahee4  ,after 
breakfast we commended ourselves to the 
care of our ,heavenly ,,father1 and     
sought ,his ,blessing before proceeding 
to this great city4 ,the day was dull   
and wet4 ,we felt persuaded that ,satan 
would not allow us to assail his        
kingdom1 as we were attempting to do1   
without raising serious opposition2 but 
we were also fully assured that it was  
the will of ,,god that we should preach 
,,christ in this city1 and distribute   
the ,word of ,truth among its people4   
,we were sorry that we had but few books
 left for such an important place3 the  
result1 however1 proved that this also  

was providential4  ,our native teachers 
did their best to persuade us not to go 
into the city2 but we determined that1  
by ,,god',s help1 nothing should hinder 
us4 ,we directed them1 however1 to      
remain in one of the boats2 and if we   
did not return1 to learn whatever they  
could respecting our fate1 and make all 
possible haste to ,shanghai with the    
information4 ,we also arranged that the 
other boat should wait for us1 even if  
we could not get back that night1 so    
that we might not be detained for want  
of a boat in case of returning later4   
,we then put our books into two bags1   
and with a servant who always           
accompanied us on these occasions1 set  
off for the city1 distant about seven   
miles4 ,walking was out of the question1
 from the state of the roads1 so we     
availed ourselves of wheel-barrows1 the 
only conveyance to be had in these      
parts4 ,a wheel-barrow is cheaper than a
 sedan1 only requiring one coolie2 but  
is by no means an agreeable conveyance  

on rough1 dirty roads4  ,we had not gone
 far before the servant requested       
permission to go back1 as he was        
thoroughly frightened by reports        
concerning the native soldiery4 ,of     
course we at once consented1 not wishing
 to involve another in trouble1 and     
determined to carry the books ourselves1
 and look for physical as well as       
spiritual strength to ,him who had      
promised to supply all our need4  ,at   
this point a respectable man came up1   
and earnestly warned us against         
proceeding1 saying that if we did we    
should find to our sorrow what the      
,t'ung-chau militia were like4 ,we      
thanked him for his kindly counsel1 but 
could not act upon it1 as our hearts    
were fixed1 whether it were to bonds1   
imprisonment1 and death1 or whether to  
distribute our ,scriptures and tracts in
 safety1 and return unhurt1 we knew not2
 but we were determined1 by the grace of
 ,,god1 not to leave ,t'ung-chau any    
longer without the ,gospel1 nor its     

teeming thousands to die in uncared-for 
ignorance of the ,way of life4  ,after  
this my wheel-barrow man would proceed  
no farther1 and ,i had to seek another1 
who was fortunately not difficult to    
find4 ,as we went on1 the ride in the   
mud and rain was anything but agreeable1
 and we could not help feeling the      
danger of our position1 although        
wavering not for a moment4 ,at intervals
 we encouraged one another with promises
 from the ,scripture and verses of      
hymns4 ,that verse--            ,the    
perils of the sea1 the perils of the    
land1           ,should not dishearten  
thee3 thy ,,lord is nigh at hand4       
,but should thy courage fail1 when tried
 and sore oppressed1           ,his     
promise shall avail1 and set thy soul at
 rest4  seemed particularly appropriate 
to our circumstances1 and was very      
comforting to me4  ,on our way we passed
 through one small town of about a      
thousand inhabitants2 and here1 in the  
,mandarin dialect1 ,i preached ,,jesus  

to a good number of people4 ,never was  
,i so happy in speaking of the love of  
,,god and the atonement of ,,jesus      
,,christ4 ,my own soul was richly       
blessed1 and filled with joy and peace2 
and ,i was able to speak with unusual   
freedom and ease4 ,and how rejoiced ,i  
was when1 afterwards1 ,i heard one of   
our hearers repeating to the newcomers1 
in his own local dialect1 the truths    
upon which ,i had been dwelling6 ,oh1   
how thankful ,i felt to hear a          
,chinaman1 of his own accord1 telling   
his fellow-countrymen that ,,god loved  
them2 that they were sinners1 but that  
,,jesus died instead of them1 and paid  
the penalty of their guilt4 ,that one   
moment repaid me for all the trials we  
had passed through2 and ,i felt that if 
the ,,lord should grant ,,his ,,holy    
,,spirit to change the heart of that    
man1 we had not come in vain4  ,we      
distributed a few ,testaments and       
tracts1 for the people were able to     
read1 and we could not leave them       

without the ,gospel4 ,it was well that  
we did so1 for when we reached          
,t'ung-chau we found we had quite as    
many left as we had strength to carry4  
,nearing the end of our journey1 as we  
approached the western suburb of the    
city1 the prayer of the early           
,christians1 when persecution was       
commencing1 came to my mind3 ,and now1  
,,lord1 behold their threatenings1 and  
grant unto ,thy servants that with all  
boldness they may speak ,thy ,word4 ,in 
this petition we most heartily united4  
,before entering the suburb we laid our 
plans1 so as to act in concert1 and told
 our wheel-barrow men where to await us1
 that they might not be involved in any 
trouble on our account4 ,then looking up
 to our ,heavenly ,,father1 we committed
 ourselves to ,his keeping1 took our    
books1 and set on for the city4  ,for   
some distance we walked along the       
principal street of the suburb leading  
to the ,west ,gate unmolested1 and were 
amused at the unusual title of          

,heh-kwei-tsi 7black devils7 which was  
applied to us4 ,we wondered about it at 
the time1 but afterwards found that it  
was our clothes1 and not our skin1 that 
gave rise to it4 ,as we passed several  
of the soldiers1 ,i remarked to ,mr4    
,burdon that these were the men we had  
heard so much about1 and that they      
seemed willing to receive us quietly    
enough4 ,long before we reached the     
gate1 however1 a tall powerful man1 made
 tenfold fiercer by partial             
intoxication1 let us know that all the  
militia were not so peaceably inclined1 
by seizing ,mr4 ,burdon by the          
shoulders4 ,my companion endeavoured to 
shake him off4 ,i turned to see what was
 the matter1 and at once we were        
surrounded by a dozen or more brutal    
men1 who hurried us on to the city at a 
fearful pace4  ,my bag now began to feel
 very heavy1 and ,i could not change    
hands to relieve myself4 ,i was soon in 
a profuse perspiration1 and was scarcely
 able to keep pace with them4 ,we       

demanded to be taken before the chief   
magistrate1 but were told that they knew
 where to take us1 and what to do with  
such persons as we were1 with the most  
insulting epithets4 ,the man who first  
seized ,mr4 ,burdon soon afterwards left
 him for me1 and became my principal    
tormentor2 for ,i was neither so tall   
nor so strong as my friend1 and was     
therefore less able to resist him4 ,he  
all but knocked me down again and again1
 seized me by the hair1 took hold of my 
collar so as to almost choke me1 and    
grasped my arms and shoulders1 making   
them black and blue4 ,had this treatment
 continued much longer1 ,i must have    
fainted4 ,all but exhausted1 how        
refreshing was the remembrance of a     
verse quoted by my dear mother in one of
 my last home letters--            ,we  
speak of the realms of the blest1       
,that country so bright and so fair1    
,and oft are its glories confessed2     
,but what must it be to be there6  ,to  
be absent from the body6 to be present  

with the ,,lord6 to be free from sin6   
,and this is the end of the worst that  
man's malice can ever bring upon us4    
,as we were walking along ,mr4 ,burdon  
tried to give away a few books that he  
was carrying1 not knowing whether we    
might have another opportunity of doing 
so2 but the fearful rage of the soldier1
 and the way he insisted on manacles    
being brought1 which fortunately were   
not at hand1 convinced us that in our   
present position we could do no good in 
attempting book-distribution4 ,there was
 nothing to be done but quietly to      
submit1 and go along with our captors4  
,once or twice a quarrel arose as to how
 we should be dealt with2 the more mild 
of our conductors saying that we ought  
to be taken to the magistrate's office1 
but others wishing to kill us at once   
without appeal to any authority4 ,our   
minds were kept in perfect peace2 and   
when thrown together on one of these    
occasions1 we reminded each other that  
the ,apostles rejoiced that they were   

counted worthy to suffer in the cause of
 ,,christ4 ,having succeeded in getting 
my hand into my pocket1 ,i produced a   
,chinese card 7if the large red paper1  
bearing one's name1 may be so called71  
and after this was treated with more    
respect4 ,i demanded it should be given 
to the chief official of the place1 and 
that we should be led to his office4    
,before this we had been unable1 say    
what we would1 to persuade them that we 
were foreigners1 although we were both  
in ,english attire4  ,oh the long weary 
streets that we were dragged through6 ,i
 thought they would never end2 and      
seldom have ,i felt more thankful than  
when we stopped at a place where we were
 told a mandarin resided4 ,quite        
exhausted1 bathed in perspiration1 and  
with my tongue cleaving to the roof of  
my mouth1 ,i leaned against the wall1   
and saw that ,mr4 ,burdon was in much   
the same condition4 ,i requested them to
 bring us chairs1 but they told us to   
wait2 and when ,i begged them to give us

 some tea1 received only the same       
answer4 ,round the doorway a large crowd
 had gathered2 and ,mr4 ,burdon1        
collecting his remaining strength1      
preached ,,christ ,,jesus to them4 ,our 
cards and books had been taken in to the
 mandarin1 but he proved to be one of   
low rank1 and after keeping us waiting  
for some time he referred us to his     
superiors in office4  ,upon hearing     
this1 and finding that it was their     
purpose to turn us out again into the   
crowded streets1 we positively refused  
to move a single step1 and insisted on  
chairs being brought4 ,after some demur 
this was done2 we seated ourselves in   
them1 and were carried on4 ,on the road 
we felt so glad of the rest which the   
chairs afforded us1 and so thankful at  
having been able to preach ,,jesus in   
spite of ,satan's malice1 that our joy  
was depicted on our countenances2 and as
 we passed along we heard some say that 
we did not look like bad men1 while     
others seemed to pity us4 ,when we      

arrived at the magistrate's office1 ,i  
wondered where we were being taken2 for 
though we passed through some great     
gates that looked like those of the city
 wall1 we were still evidently within   
the city4 ,a second pair of gates       
suggested the idea that it was a prison 
into which we were being carried2 but   
when we came in sight of a large tablet1
 with the inscription ,ming ch fu mu    
7the father and mother of the people71  
we felt that we had been conveyed to the
 right place2 this being the title      
assumed by the mandarins4  ,our cards   
were again sent in1 and after a short   
delay we were taken into the presence of
 ,ch'en ,ta ,lao-ie 7the ,great         
,venerable ,father ,ch'en71 who1 as it  
proved1 had formerly been ,tao-tai of   
,shanghai1 and consequently knew the    
importance of treating foreigners with  
courtesy4 ,coming before him1 some of   
the people fell on their knees and bowed
 down to the ground1 and my conductor   
motioned for me to do the same1 but     

without success4 ,this mandarin1 who    
seemed to be the highest authority of   
,t'ung-chau1 and wore an opaque blue    
button on his cap1 came out to meet us1 
and treated us with every possible token
 of respect4 ,he took us to an inner    
apartment1 a more private room1 but was 
followed by a large number of writers1  
runners1 and other semi-officials4 ,i   
related the object of our visit1 and    
begged permission to give him copies of 
our books and tracts1 for which he      
thanked me4 ,as ,i handed him a copy of 
the ,new ,testament with part of the    
,old 7from ,genesis to ,ruth7 and some  
tracts1 ,i tried to explain a little    
about them1 and also to give him a brief
 summary of our teachings4 4 4 4 ,he    
listened very attentively1 as of course 
did all the others present4 ,he then    
ordered some refreshments to be brought 
in1 which were very welcome1 and himself
 partook of them with us4  ,after a long
 stay1 we asked permission to see       
something of the city1 and to distribute

 the books we had brought1 before our   
return4 ,to this he kindly consented4   
,we then mentioned that we had been most
 disrespectfully treated as we came in1 
but that we did not attach much         
importance to the fact1 being aware that
 the soldiers knew no better4 ,not      
desiring1 however1 to have such an      
experience repeated1 we requested him to
 give orders that we were not to be     
further molested4 ,this also he promised
 to do1 and with every possible token of
 respect accompanied us to the door of  
his official residence1 sending several 
runners to see that we were respectfully
 treated4 ,we distributed our books well
 and quickly1 and left the city quite in
 state4 ,it was amusing to us to see the
 way in which the runners made use of   
their tails4 ,when the street was       
blocked by the crowd1 they turned them  
into whips1 and laid them about the     
people's shoulders to right and left6   
,we had a little trouble in finding our 
wheel-barrows2 but eventually           

succeeding1 we paid off the chair       
coolies1 mounted our humble vehicles1   
and returned to the river1 accompanied  
for fully half the distance by an       
attendant from the magistrate's office4 
,early in the evening we got back to the
 boats in safety1 sincerely thankful to 
our ,heavenly ,,father for ,his gracious
 protection and aid4  ,illustration     
,,chapter ,,xi  ,,with ,,the ,,rev4     
,,william ,,burns   ,,after the retaking
 of ,shanghai by the ,imperialists1 in  
,february #ahee1 ,i was enabled to rent 
a house within the walls of the native  
city1 and gladly availed myself of this 
opportunity to reside amidst the crowded
 population left to inhabit the ruins   
that had survived the war4 ,here ,i made
 my headquarters1 though often absent on
 more or less prolonged itinerations4   
,at the suggestion of the ,rev4 ,dr4    
,medhurst1 the veteran leader of the    
,london ,mission1 ,i was led at about   
this period to adopt the native costume 
in preference to foreign dress1 to      

facilitate travel and residence inland4 
,the ,chinese had permitted a foreign   
firm to build a silk factory some       
distance inland1 with the proviso that  
the style of building must be purely    
,chinese1 and that there should be      
nothing external to suggest that it was 
foreign4 ,much benefit was found to     
result from this change of costume2 and 
,i1 and most of those associated with   
me1 have continued to use native dress4 
,the ,t'ai-p'ing rebellion1 commenced in
 #ahea1 had by this time reached the    
height of its ephemeral success4 ,the   
great city of ,nan-king had fallen      
before the invading host2 and there1    
within two hundred miles of ,shanghai1  
the rebels had established their        
headquarters1 and proceeded to fortify  
themselves for further conquests4       
,during the summer of #ahee various     
attempts were made to visit the leaders 
of the movement1 in order to bring to   
bear some decidedly ,christian influence
 upon them2 but so little success was   

met with1 that these efforts were       
abandoned4  ,i1 amongst others1 had     
sought to reach ,nan-king2 but finding  
it impossible to do so1 turned my       
attention again to evangelistic work on 
the island of ,ts'ung-ming4 ,after some 
time ,i was enabled so far to overcome  
the prejudice and fears of the people as
 to rent a little house and settle down 
in their midst4 ,this was a great joy   
and encouragement to me2 but before many
 weeks were over complaints were made by
 the local authorities to the ,british  
,consul1 who compelled me to retire2    
though the ,french ,consul had himself  
secured to the ,romish missionaries a   
property within three or four miles of  
the house ,i had to vacate4 ,sorely     
tried and disappointed by this          
unexpected hindrance1 ,i reluctantly    
returned to ,shanghai1 little dreaming  
of the blessing that ,,god had in store 
for me there4  ,a few months previously 
the ,rev4 ,william ,burns1 of the       
,english ,presbyterian ,mission1 had    

arrived in that port on his return      
journey from home2 and before proceeding
 to his former sphere of service in the 
southern province of ,,fu-,,kien1 he had
 endeavoured1 like myself1 without      
success1 to visit the ,t'ai-p'ing rebels
 at ,nan-king4 ,failing in this attempt1
 he made his headquarters in ,shanghai  
for a season1 devoting himself to the   
evangelisation of the surrounding       
populous regions4 ,thus in the autumn of
 the year ,i was providentially led into
 association with this beloved and      
honoured servant of ,,god4  ,we         
journeyed together1 evangelising cities 
and towns in southern ,,kiang-,,su and  
north ,,cheh-,,kiang1 living in our     
boats1 and following the course of the  
canals and rivers which here spread like
 a network over the whole face of the   
rich and fertile country4 ,mr4 ,burns at
 that time was wearing ,english dress2  
but saw that while ,i was the younger   
and in every way less experienced1 ,i   
had the quiet hearers1 while he was     

followed by the rude boys1 and by the   
curious but careless2 that ,i was       
invited to the homes of the people1     
while he received an apology that the   
crowd that would follow precluded his   
being invited4 ,after some weeks of     
observation he also adopted the native  
dress1 and enjoyed the increased        
facilities which it gave4  ,those happy 
months were an unspeakable joy and      
privilege to me4 ,his love for the ,word
 was delightful1 and his holy1          
reverential life and constant communings
 with ,,god made fellowship with him    
satisfying to the deep cravings of my   
heart4 ,his accounts of revival work and
 of persecutions in ,canada1 and        
,dublin1 and in ,southern ,china were   
most instructive1 as well as            
interesting2 for with true spiritual    
insight he often pointed out ,,god's    
purposes in trial in a way that made all
 life assume quite a new aspect and     
value4 ,his views especially about      
evangelism as the great work of the     

,church1 and the order of lay           
evangelists as a lost order that        
,scripture required to be restored1 were
 seed-thoughts which were to prove      
fruitful in the subsequent organisation 
of the ,china ,inland ,mission4         
,externally1 however1 our path was not  
always a smooth one2 but when permitted 
to stay for any length of time in town  
or city1 the opportunity was well       
utilised4 ,we were in the habit of      
leaving our boats1 after prayer for     
blessing1 at about nine o'clock in the  
morning1 with a light bamboo stool in   
hand4 ,selecting a suitable station1 one
 would mount the stool and speak for    
twenty minutes1 while the other was     
pleading for blessing2 and then changing
 places1 the voice of the first speaker 
had a rest4 ,after an hour or two thus  
occupied1 we would move on to another   
point at some distance from the first1  
and speak again4 ,usually about midday  
we returned to our boats for dinner1    
fellowship1 and prayer1 and then resumed

 our out-door work until dusk4 ,after   
tea and further rest1 we would go with  
our native helpers to some tea-shop1    
where several hours might be spent in   
free conversation with the people4 ,not 
infrequently before leaving a town we   
had good reason to believe that much    
truth had been grasped2 and we placed   
many ,scriptures and books in the hands 
of those interested4 ,the following     
letter was written by ,mr4 ,burns to his
 mother at home in ,scotland about this 
time3--                                 
,,twenty-,,five ,,miles ,,from          
,,shanghai1                             
,january #bfth1 #ahef4                  
,taking advantage of a rainy day which  
confines me           to my boat1 ,i pen
 a few lines1 in addition to a          
letter to ,dundee1 containing           
particulars which ,i           need not 
repeat4 ,it is now forty-one days since 
,i           left ,shanghai on this last
 occasion4 ,a young           ,english  
missionary1 ,mr4 ,taylor1 of the        

,chinese           ,evangelisation      
,society1 has been my companion         
during these weeks--he in his boat1 and 
,i in           mine--and we have       
experienced much mercy1 and on          
some occasions considerable assistance  
in our           work4            ,i    
must once more tell the story ,i have   
had to           tell already more than 
once--how four weeks ago1           on  
,december #bith1 ,i put on the ,chinese 
dress1           which ,i am now        
wearing4 ,mr4 ,taylor had made this     
change a few months before1 and ,i found
 that he           was1 in consequence1 
so much less incommoded in              
preaching1 etc41 by the crowd1 that ,i  
concluded it           was my duty to   
follow his example4 ,we were at that    
time more than double the distance from 
,shanghai           that we are now1 and
 would still have been at as            
great a distance had we not met at one  
place with           a band of lawless  
people1 who demanded money and          

threatened to break our boats if their  
demands           were refused4 ,the    
boatmen were very much alarmed1         
and insisted on returning to some place 
nearer           home4 ,these people had
 previously broken in1                  
violently1 a part of ,mr4 ,taylor's     
boat1 because           their           
unreasonable demand for books was not   
complied with4            ,we have a    
large1 very large1 field of labour in   
this region1 though it might be         
difficult in the           meantime for 
one to establish himself in any         
particular place2 the people listen with
           attention1 but we need the   
,power from on ,high to                 
convince and convert4 ,is there any     
spirit of           prayer on our behalf
 among ,,god's people in                
,kilsyth8 or is there any effort to seek
 this           spirit8 ,how great the  
need is1 and how great the              
arguments and motives for prayer in this
 case4 ,the           harvest here is   

indeed great1 and the labourers         
are few1 and imperfectly fitted without 
much grace           for such a work4   
,and yet grace can make the few         
and feeble instruments the means of     
accomplishing           great           
things--things greater than we can even 
conceive4  ,the incident referred to in 
this letter1 which led to our return to 
,shanghai more speedily than we had at  
first intended1 took place on the       
northern border of ,,cheh-,,kiang4 ,we  
had reached a busy market town known by 
the name of ,wu-chen1 or ,black ,town1  
the inhabitants of which1 we had been   
told1 were the wildest and most lawless 
people in that part of the country4     
,such indeed we found them to be3 the   
town was a refuge for salt smugglers and
 other bad characters4 ,the following   
extracts are taken from my journal1     
written at the time3--                  
,january #hth1 #ahef4  ,commenced our   
work in ,wu-chen this morning by        
distributing a large number of tracts   

and some ,testaments4 ,the people seemed
 much surprised1 and we could not learn 
that any foreigner had been here before4
 ,we preached twice--once in the temple 
of the ,god of ,war1 and afterwards in  
an empty space left by a fire1 which had
 completely destroyed many houses4 ,in  
the afternoon we preached again to a    
large and attentive audience on the same
 site2 and in the evening adjourned to a
 tea-shop1 where we had a good          
opportunity of speaking until it got    
noised abroad that we were there1 when1 
too many people coming in1 we were      
obliged to leave4 ,our native           
assistants1 ,tsien and ,kuei-hua1 were  
able1 however1 to remain4 ,returning to 
our boats1 we spoke to a number of      
people standing on a bridge1 and felt we
 had abundant reason to be thankful and 
encouraged by the result of our first   
day's labour4                           
,january #ajth4  ,first sent ,tsien and 
,kuei-hua to distribute some sheet      
tracts4 ,after their return we went with

 them1 and in a space cleared by fire we
 separated1 and addressed two audiences4
 ,on our return to the boats for lunch1 
we found people waiting1 as usual1 and  
desiring books4 ,some were distributed  
to those who were able to read them2 and
 then asking them kindly to excuse us   
while we took our midday meal1 ,i went  
into my boat and shut the door4  ,hardly
 was there time to pour out a cup of tea
 when a battering began1 and the roof   
was at once broken in4 ,i went out at   
the back1 and found four or five men    
taking the large lumps of frozen earth  
turned up in a field close by--weighing1
 ,i should suppose1 from seven to       
fourteen pounds each--and throwing them 
at the boat4 ,remonstrance was of no    
avail1 and it was not long ere a        
considerable part of the upper structure
 of the boat was broken to pieces1 and a
 quantity of earth covered the things   
inside4 ,finally1 ,tsien got a boat that
 was passing to land him at a short     
distance1 and by a few tracts drew away 

the attention of the men1 thus ending   
the assault4  ,we now learned that of   
those who had done the mischief only two
 were natives of the place1 the others  
being salt smugglers1 and that the cause
 was our not having satisfied their     
unreasonable demand for books4 ,most    
providentially no one was injured2 and  
as soon as quiet was somewhat restored1 
we all met in ,mr4 ,burns's boat and    
joined in thanksgiving that we had been 
preserved from personal harm1 praying   
also for the perpetrators of the        
mischief1 and that it might be          
over-ruled for good to us and to those  
with us4 ,we then took our lunch and    
went on shore1 and but a few steps from 
the boats addressed a large multitude   
that soon assembled4 ,we were specially 
assisted2 never were we heard with more 
attention1 and not one voice was found  
to sympathise with the men who had      
molested us4 ,in the evening1 at the    
tea-shops1 the same spirit was          
manifested1 and some seemed to hear with

 joy the glad tidings of salvation      
through a crucified and risen ,,saviour4
  ,as we came home we passed a barber's 
shop still open1 and ,i went in1 and    
while getting my head shaved had an     
opportunity of speaking to a few people1
 and afterwards pasted a couple of sheet
 tracts on the wall for the benefit of  
future customers4                       
,january #aath4  ,a respectable         
shop-keeper of the name of ,yao1 who on 
the first or second day of our stay at  
,wu-chen had received portions of the   
,new ,testament and a tract1 came       
yesterday1 when our boat was broken1 to 
beg for some more books4 ,at that time  
we were all in confusion from the damage
 done1 and from the earth thrown into   
the boat1 and so invited him to come    
again in a day or two's time1 when we   
would gladly supply him4 ,this morning  
he appeared and handed in the following 
note3--  ,on a former day ,i begged     
,burns and ,taylor1 the two ',rabbis1'  
to give me good books4 ,it happened at  

that time those of our town whose hearts
 were deceived by ,satan1 not knowing   
the ,son of ,david1 went so far as to   
dare to 'raca' and 'moreh' and injure   
your respected boat4 ,i thank you for   
promising afterwards to give the books1 
and beg the following3 ,complete ,new   
,testament1 ',discourse of a ,good ,man 
when near his ,death1' ',important      
,christian ,doctrines1' an ,almanack1   
',principles of ,christianity1' ',way to
 make the ,world happy1'--of each one   
copy4 ,sung and ,tsien1 and all teachers
 ,i hope are well4 ,further compliments 
are unwritten4  ,this note is           
interesting1 as showing that he had been
 reading the ,new ,testament            
attentively1 as the italicised words    
were all taken from it4 ,his use of raca
 and moreh for reviling1 shows their    
meaning was not lost upon him4  ,after  
supplying this man1 we went out with    
,tsien and ,kuei-hua to the east of the 
town1 and spoke in the street for a     
short time4 ,upon returning to the      

boats1 ,i was visited by two ,,chih-,,li
 men1 who are in the magistrate's office
 here4 ,i was greatly helped in speaking
 to them of a crucified ,,saviour in the
 ,mandarin dialect2 and though one of   
them did not pay much attention1 the    
other did1 and made inquiries that      
showed the interest he was feeling4     
,when they had left1 ,i went on shore   
and spoke to the people collected there1
 to whom ,kuei-hua had been preaching4  
,the setting sun afforded a parable1 and
 reminded one of the words of ,,jesus1  
,the night cometh1 when no man can work2
 and as ,i spoke of the uncertain       
duration of this life1 and of our       
ignorance as to the time of ,,christ',s 
return1 a degree of deep seriousness    
prevailed that ,i had never previously  
witnessed in ,china4 ,i engaged in      
prayer1 and the greatest decorum was    
observed4 ,i then returned to my boat   
with a ,buddhist priest who had been in 
the audience1 and he admitted that      
,buddhism was a system of deceit that   

could give no hope in death4            
,january #abth4  ,in the afternoon we   
addressed the people on shore close to  
our boats1 also in one of the streets of
 the city1 and in a tea-shop1 books     
being distributed on each occasion4 ,in 
the evening we went as usual to speak in
 the tea-shops1 but determined to go to 
the opposite end of the town1 in order  
to afford those who lived there a better
 opportunity of meeting with us4 ,it was
 a long straggling place1 nearly two    
,english miles in length4 ,as ,mr4      
,burns and ,i were accustomed to talk   
together in ,chinese1 this conclusion   
was known to those in the boats4  ,after
 we had proceeded a short distance we   
changed our minds1 and went instead to  
the usual tea-shop1 thinking that       
persons might have gone there expecting 
to meet us4 ,but this was not the case2 
and we did not find such serious hearers
 as we had done on previous occasions4  
,on this account ,mr4 ,burns proposed   
leaving earlier than usual1 and we did  

so1 telling ,tsien and ,kuei-hua that   
they might remain a little longer4      
,returning to the boats1 we gave away a 
few books2 but1 singularly enough1 were 
left to go alone1 no one accompanying   
us1 as is so generally the case4        
,instead of being a clear night1 as it  
was when we started1 we found that it   
had become intensely dark4 ,on our way  
we met the boatman1 whose manner seemed 
very strange1 and without giving us any 
explanation he blew out the candle of   
our lantern2 we relighted the lantern1  
telling him not to put it out again1    
when to our surprise he deliberately    
removed the candle and threw it into the
 canal4 ,he then walked down along a low
 wall jutting out to the river's edge1  
and gazed into the water4  ,not knowing 
what was the matter with him1 ,i ran    
forward to hold him1 fearful lest he    
were going to drown himself2 but to my  
great relief he came quietly back4 ,in  
answer to our repeated questions he told
 us not to speak1 for some bad men were 

seeking to destroy the boats1 and they  
had moved away to avoid them4 ,he then  
led us to the place where one of them   
was lying4 ,before long ,tsien and      
,kuei-hua came and got safely on board1 
and soon after we were joined by the    
teacher ,sung1 and the boat moved away4 
,the cause of all this disturbance was  
then explained4 ,a man professing to be 
the constable had come to the boats in  
our absence1 with a written demand for  
ten dollars and a quantity of opium4 ,he
 stated that there were more than fifty 
country people 7salt smugglers7 awaiting
 our reply in an adjoining tea-shop2 and
 if we gave them what they wanted1 and  
three hundred cash to pay for their tea1
 we might remain in peace2 but that if  
not1 they would come at once and destroy
 our boats4 ,sung told them that we     
could not comply with their demand2 for1
 not being engaged in trade1 but only in
 preaching and book-distribution1 we had
 not an atom of opium1 and that our     
money was nearly all expended4 ,the man1

 however1 told him plainly that he did  
not believe him1 and ,sung had no       
alternative but to seek us out1 desiring
 the man to await our reply4 ,not       
knowing that we had changed our plans1  
he sought us in the wrong direction1 and
 of course in vain4  ,in the meanwhile  
the boatmen had succeeded in moving off4
 ,they were very much alarmed2 and      
having so recently had proof of what    
these men would do in open daylight1    
felt no desire to experience what they  
might attempt by night4 ,moving away1   
therefore1 they had separated1 so that  
if one boat should be injured the other 
might afford us a refuge4 ,it was after 
this that we had providentially met the 
boatman1 and had been safely led on     
board4 ,as ,sung repassed the place     
where we were previously moored1 he saw 
between the trees a dozen or more men1  
and heard them inquiring where the boats
 had gone to2 but no one could tell4    
,fortunately they sought in vain4       
,after a while the two boats joined1 and

 rowed together for some time4 ,it was  
already late1 and to travel by night in 
that part of the country was not the way
 to avoid danger from evil men2 so the  
question arose as to what should be     
done4 ,this we left for the boatmen to  
decide2 they had moved off of their own 
accord1 and we felt that whatever we    
personally might desire we could not    
constrain others to remain in a position
 of danger on our account4 ,we urged    
them1 however1 to do quickly whatever   
they intended to do1 as the morrow was  
the ,,lord',s ,,day1 when we should not 
wish to travel4 ,we also informed them  
that wherever we were we must fulfil our
 mission1 and preach the ,gospel2 it    
therefore made but little difference    
where we might stay1 for even if we     
passed the night unperceived1 we were   
sure to be found out on the following   
morning4 ,the men consequently concluded
 that we might as well return to the    
place from which we had started2 to this
 we fully agreed1 and they turned back  

accordingly4 ,but--whether by accident  
or no we could not tell--they got into  
another stream1 and rowed for some time 
they knew not whither4 ,at last1 as it  
was very dark1 they moored for the      
night4  ,we then called all the boatmen 
together1 with our native assistants1   
and read to them the ninety-first       
,psalm4 ,it may be imagined how         
appropriate to our position and need and
 how sweetly consoling was this portion 
of ,,god',s ,word3--    ,he that        
dwelleth in the secret place of the     
,,most ,,high    ,shall abide under the 
shadow of the ,,almighty4    ,i will say
 of the ,,lord1 ,he is my refuge and my 
fortress3    ,my ,,god2 in ,him will ,i 
trust4    ,surely ,he shall deliver thee
 from the snare of the fowler1    ,and  
from the noisome pestilence4     ,he    
shall cover thee with ,his feathers1 and
 under ,his wings          shalt thou   
trust3    ,his truth shall be thy shield
 and buckler4    ,thou shalt not be     
afraid for the terror by night2    ,nor 

for the arrow that flieth by day4       
,because he hath set his love upon ,me1 
therefore will ,i deliver him4    ,i    
will set him on high1 because he hath   
known ,my ,name4    ,he shall call upon 
,me1 and ,i will answer him2    ,i will 
be with him in trouble2--,i will deliver
 him1 and honour him4    ,with long life
 will ,i satisfy him1--and show him ,my 
salvation4  ,committing ourselves in    
prayer to ,his care and keeping ,who had
 covered us with thick darkness and     
permitted us to escape from the hand of 
the violent1 we retired for the night2  
which--thanks to the kind protection of 
the ,,watchman ,,of ,,israel1 who       
neither slumbers nor forgets ,his       
people--we passed in peace and          
quietness1 and were enabled1 in some    
measure1 to realise the truth of that   
precious word1 ,thou art my             
,hiding-place1 and my ,shield4          
,sunday1 ,january #acth4  ,this morning 
,i was awakened about #d ,a4,m4 by      
violent pain in the knee-joint4 ,i had  

bruised it the day before1 and severe   
inflammation was the result4 ,to my     
great surprise ,i heard the rain pouring
 down in torrents1 the weather having   
previously been particularly fine4 ,on  
looking out1 we found ourselves so near 
our former stopping-place1 that1 had    
nothing happened to prevent it1 we      
should not have felt justified in       
neglecting to go into the town to preach
 as usual2 but the rain was so heavy all
 day that no one could leave the boats4 
,thus we enjoyed a delightful day of    
rest1 such as we had not had for some   
time2 and the weather prevented much    
inquiry being made for us4 ,had the day 
been fine we should most likely have    
been discovered1 even if we had not left
 the boats4 ,as it was1 we were allowed 
to think in peace1 with wonder and      
gratitude1 of the gracious dealings of  
our ,,god1 who had thus led us apart    
into a desert place to rest awhile4     
,monday1 ,january #adth4  ,a cloudless  
morning4 ,one of the native assistants  

went before daybreak to get some clothes
 which had been given out for washing4  
,he came back with the tidings that1    
notwithstanding the drenching rain of   
yesterday1 men had been seeking us in   
all directions4 ,we had been kept1      
however1 in peace and safety under the  
shadow of the ,almighty4  ,the boatmen  
were now so thoroughly alarmed that they
 would stay no longer1 and moved off at 
dawn4 ,i was confined to my quarters by 
lameness1 and had no alternative but to 
go with them4 ,in the afternoon we      
reached ,ping-wang1 on the way to       
,shanghai4            ,ill that ,,god   
blesses is our good1                    
,and unblest good is ill2               
,and all is right that seems most wrong1
                 ,if it be ,his sweet   
will4  ,illustration  ,illustration     
,,chapter ,,xii  ,,called ,,to ,,swatow 
,,having to leave the neighbourhood of  
,black ,town thus unexpectedly was a    
real disappointment to us1 as we had    
hoped to spend some time evangelising in

 that district4 ,we were to prove1      
however1 that no unforeseen mischance   
had happened1 but that these            
circumstances which seemed so trying    
were necessary links in the chain of a  
divinely ordered providence1 guiding to 
other and wider spheres4  ,,god does not
 permit persecution to arise without    
sufficient reason4 4 4 4 ,he was leading
 us by a way that we knew not2 but it   
was none the less ,his way4             
,o ,,lord1 how happy should we be       
,if we would cast our care on ,thee1    
,if we from self would rest2            
,and feel at heart that ,one above1     
,in perfect wisdom1 perfect love1       
,is working for the best6  ,when we     
reached ,shanghai1 thinking to return   
inland in a few days with fresh supplies
 of books and money1 we met a ,christian
 captain who had been trading at        
,swatow1 and he put very strongly before
 us the need of that region1 and the    
fact that there were ,british merchants 
living on ,double ,island1 selling opium

 and engaged in the coolie trade        
7practically a slave traffic71 while    
there was no ,british missionary to     
preach the ,gospel4 ,the ,,spirit ,,of  
,,god impressed me with the feeling that
 this was ,his call1 but for days ,i    
felt that ,i could not obey it4 ,i had  
never had such a spiritual father as    
,mr4 ,burns2 ,i had never known such    
holy1 happy fellowship2 and ,i said to  
myself that it could not be ,,god',s    
will that we should separate4  ,in great
 unrest of soul ,i went one evening1    
with ,mr4 ,burns1 to take tea at the    
house of the ,rev4 ,r4 ,lowrie1 of the  
,american ,presbyterian ,mission1 at the
 ,south ,gate of ,shanghai4 ,after tea  
,mrs4 ,lowrie played over to us ,the    
,missionary ,call4#b ,i had never heard 
it before1 and it greatly affected me4  
,my heart was almost broken before it   
was finished1 and ,i said to the ,,lord1
 in the words that had been sung--      
,and ,i will go6   ,i may no longer     
doubt to give up friends1 and idol      

hopes1   ,and every tie that binds my   
heart4 4 4 4   ,henceforth1 then1 it    
matters not1 if storm or sunshine       
be my earthly lot1 bitter or sweet my   
cup2   ,i only pray1 ,,god1 make me     
holy1   ,and my spirit nerve for the    
stern hour of strife4  ,upon leaving ,i 
asked ,mr4 ,burns to come home with me  
to the little house that was still my   
headquarters in the native city1 and    
there1 with many tears1 told him how the
 ,,lord had been leading me1 and how    
rebellious ,i had been and unwilling to 
leave him for this new sphere of labour4
 ,he listened with a strange look of    
surprise1 and of pleasure rather than   
pain2 and answered that he had          
determined that very night to tell me   
that he had heard the ,,lord',s call to 
,swatow1 and that his one regret had    
been the prospect of the severance of   
our happy fellowship4 ,we went together2
 and thus was recommenced missionary    
work in that part of ,china1 which in   
later years has been so abundantly      

blessed4  ,long before this time the    
,rev4 ,r4 ,lechler1 of the ,basel       
,missionary ,society1 had widely        
itinerated in the neighbourhood of      
,swatow and the surrounding regions4    
,driven about from place to place1 he   
had done work that was not forgotten1   
although ultimately he was obliged to   
retire to ,hong-kong4 ,for more than    
forty years this earnest-hearted servant
 of ,,god has continued in labours more 
abundant2 and quite recently he has left
 ,hong-kong1 with his devoted wife1 to  
return again inland1 and spend the      
strength of his remaining years amongst 
the people he has so long and truly     
loved4  ,captain ,bowers1 the ,christian
 friend who had been used of ,,god in   
bringing the needs of ,swatow before    
,mr4 ,burns and myself1 was overjoyed   
when he heard of our decision to devote 
ourselves to the evangelisation of that 
busy1 important1 and populous mart4     
,being about to sail himself on his     
return journey1 he gladly offered us    

free passages on board the ,geelong1 in 
which we left ,shanghai early in the    
month of ,march #ahef4  ,a favourable   
journey of six days brought us to       
,double ,island1 where we found         
ourselves landed in the midst of a small
 but very ungodly community of          
foreigners1 engaged in the opium trade  
and other commercial enterprises4       
,unwilling to be in any way identified  
with these fellow-countrymen1 we were   
most desirous of obtaining quarters at  
once within the native city1 situated on
 a promontory of the mainland1 five     
miles farther up1 at the mouth of the   
,han river4 ,great difficulty was       
experienced in this attempt to obtain a 
footing amongst the people4 ,indeed1 it 
seemed as though we should fail         
altogether1 and we were helplessly cast 
upon the ,,lord in prayer4 ,our ,,god   
soon undertook for us4 ,meeting one day 
with a ,cantonese merchant1 a relative  
of the highest official in the town1    
,mr4 ,burns addressed him in the        

,cantonese dialect2 this gentleman was  
so pleased at being spoken to by a      
foreigner in his own tongue that he     
became our friend1 and secured us a     
lodging4 ,we had only one little room1  
however1 and not easily shall ,i forget 
the long hot summer months in that      
oven-like place1 where towards the eaves
 one could touch the heated tiles with  
one's hand4 ,more room or better        
accommodation it was impossible to      
obtain4  ,we varied our stay by visits  
to the surrounding country2 but the     
difficulties and dangers that           
encountered us here were so great and   
constant1 that our former work in the   
,north began to appear safe and easy in 
comparison4 ,the hatred and contempt of 
the ,cantonese was very painful1 foreign
 devil1 foreign dog1 or foreign pig     
being the commonest appellations2 but   
all this led us into deeper fellowship  
than ,i had ever known before with ,him 
who was despised and rejected of men4   
,in our visits to the country we were   

liable to be seized at any time and held
 to ransom2 and the people commonly     
declared that the whole district was    
without emperor1 without ruler1 and     
without law4 ,certainly1 might was right
 in those days4 ,on one occasion we were
 visiting a small town1 and found that  
the inhabitants had captured a wealthy  
man of another clan4 ,a large ransom was
 demanded for his release1 and on his   
refusing to pay it they had smashed his 
ankle-bones1 one by one1 with a club1   
and thus extorted the promise they      
desired4 ,there was nothing but ,,god',s
 protection to prevent our being treated
 in the same way4 ,the towns were all   
walled1 and one such place would contain
 ten or twenty thousand people of the   
same clan and surname1 who were         
frequently at war with the people living
 in the next town4 ,to be kindly        
received in one place was not uncommonly
 a source of danger in the next4 ,in    
circumstances such as these the         
preserving care of our ,,god was often  

manifested4  ,after a time the local    
mandarin became ill1 and the native     
doctors were unable to relieve him4 ,he 
had heard from some who had been under  
my treatment of the benefit derived1 and
 was led to seek our help4 ,,god blessed
 the medicines given1 and grateful for  
relief1 he advised our renting a house  
for a hospital and dispensary4 ,having  
his permission1 we were able to secure  
the entire premises1 one room of which  
we had previously occupied4 ,i had left 
my stock of medicine and surgical       
instruments under the care of my friend1
 the late ,mr4 ,wylie1 in ,shanghai1 and
 went back at once to fetch them4  ,mr4 
,burns came down from a town called     
,am-po1 that we had visited together    
several times1 to see me off1 and       
returned again when ,i had sailed1 with 
two native evangelists sent up from     
,hong-kong by the ,rev4 ,j4 ,johnson1 of
 the ,american ,baptist ,missionary     
,union4 ,the people were willing to     
listen to their preaching1 and to accept

 their books as a gift1 but they would  
not buy them4 ,one night robbers broke  
in and carried off everything they had1 
with the exception of their stock of    
literature1 which was supposed to be    
valueless4 ,next morning1 very early1   
they were knocked up by persons wishing 
to buy books1 and the sales continued2  
so that by breakfast time they had not  
only cash enough to procure food1 but to
 pay also for the passage of one of the 
men to ,double ,island1 below ,swatow1  
with a letter to ,mr4 ,burns's agent to 
supply him with money4 ,purchasers      
continued coming during that day and the
 next1 and our friends lacked nothing2  
but on the third day they could not sell
 a single book4 ,then1 however1 when the
 cash from their sales was just         
exhausted1 the messenger returned with  
supplies4  ,it was early in ,july1 after
 about four months' residence in        
,swatow1 that ,i left for ,shanghai1    
intending to return in the course of a  
few weeks1 bringing with me my medical  

apparatus1 for further work in          
association with the ,rev4 ,william     
,burns4 ,a new and promising field      
seemed to be opening before us1 and it  
was with much hopeful anticipation that 
we looked forward to the future of the  
work4 ,marked blessing was indeed in    
store for the city and neighbourhood of 
,swatow2 but it was not the purpose of  
,,god that either of us should remain to
 reap the harvest4 ,mr4 ,burns while in 
the interior was taken up and imprisoned
 by the ,chinese authorities soon after 
,i left1 and was sent to ,canton4 ,and  
though he returned to ,swatow after the 
war had broken out1 he was called away  
for other service1 which prevented his  
subsequent return2 while my journey to  
,shanghai proved to be the first step in
 a diverging pathway leading to other   
spheres4  ,,footnote3  #b ,for words and
 music see the end of this chapter4     
,illustration3 ,music3 ,the ,missionary 
,call  ,,the ,,missionary ,,call    #a4 
,my soul is not at rest4   ,there comes 

a strange   and secret whisper to   my4 
4 4 4   spirit1 like a dream of night1  
that tells me   ,i am on enchanted      
ground4     ,,chorus ,,for ,,first      
,,four ,,verses4    ,vivace4 ,the voice 
of my departed ,,lord1 ,go1 teach all   
nations1    ,comes on the night air and 
awakes mine ear4     ,,chorus ,,for     
,,last ,,verse4    ,through ages of     
eternal years1   ,my spirit never shall 
repent1   that toil and suff'ring once  
were mine 4 4 4 below4     #b4 ,why live
 ,i here8 the vows of ,,god are  on me2 
and ,i may not stop   to play with      
shadows or pluck earthly flowers1  till 
,i my work   have done1 and  rendered up
 ac  count4    #c4 ,and ,i will  go6  ,i
 may no longer doubt to give up friends1
   and idol  hopes1  and every tie that 
binds my heart to  thee1 my    country4 
#d4 ,henceforth1 then1 it matters not1  
if storm or sunshine be my    earthly   
lot1  bitter or sweet my  cup2  ,i only 
pray3 ,,god make me   holy1 and my      
spirit nerve for the stern  hour of     

strife6    #e4 ,and when one for whom   
,satan hath struggled as he hath for    
me1    has gained at last that blessed  
shore1  ,oh6 how this heart will   glow 
with  gratitude and  love4              
,illustration     ,,chapter ,,xiii      
,,man ,,proposes1 ,,god ,,disposes      
,,it is interesting to notice the       
various events which united1 in the     
providence of ,,god1 in preventing my   
return to ,swatow1 and ultimately led to
 my settling in ,ningpo1 and making that
 the centre for the development of      
future labours4  ,upon reaching         
,shanghai1 great was my dismay to find  
that the premises in which my medicines 
and instruments had been stored were    
burnt down1 and that all the medicines  
and many of the instruments were        
entirely destroyed4 ,to me this appeared
 a great calamity1 and ,i fear ,i was   
more disposed with faithless ,jacob to  
say1 ,all these things are against me1  
than to recognise that ,all things work 
together for good4 ,i had not then      

learned to think of ,,god as the ,one   
,great ,circumstance in ,whom we live1  
and move1 and have our being2 and of all
 lesser1 external circumstances1 as     
necessarily the kindest1 wisest1 best1  
because either ordered or permitted by  
,him4 ,hence my disappointment and trial
 were very great4  ,medicines were      
expensive in ,shanghai1 and my means    
were limited4 ,i therefore set out on an
 inland journey to ,ningpo1 hoping to   
obtain a supply from ,dr4 ,william      
,parker1 a member of the same mission as
 myself4 ,i took with me my few         
remaining possessions1 the principal    
being my watch1 a few surgical          
instruments1 a concertina1 books for the
 study of ,chinese1 which in those days 
were very expensive2 but left behind in 
,shanghai a portion of my money4  ,the  
country through which ,i had to pass was
 suffering much from drought2 it was the
 height of summer2 and the water in the 
,grand ,canal was very low1 having been 
largely drawn upon for the neighbouring 

rice fields1 as well as evaporated by   
the intense heat4 ,i had determined to  
make the journey as much of a mission   
tour as possible1 and set out well      
supplied with ,christian tracts and     
books4 ,after fourteen days spent in    
travelling slowly through the populous  
country1 preaching and distributing     
books1 etc41 we reached a large town    
called ,shih-mun-wan1 and here1 finding 
that my supply of literature was        
exhausted1 ,i determined not to linger  
over the rest of the journey1 but to    
reach ,ningpo as speedily as possible1  
vi the city of ,hai-ning4               
,august #dth1 #ahef4  ,there was no     
water beyond ,shih-mun-wan1 so ,i paid  
off my boat1 hired coolies to carry my  
things as far as to ,chang-gan1 and ere 
sunrise we were on the way4 ,i walked on
 alone1 leaving my servant to follow    
with the men1 who made frequent         
stoppages to rest2 and on reaching a    
city through which we had to pass1 ,i   
waited for them in a tea-shop just      

outside the ,north ,gate4 ,the coolies  
came on very slowly1 and seemed tired   
when they arrived4 ,i soon found that   
they were both opium-smokers1 so that1  
although they had only carried a load   
that one strong man would think nothing 
of taking three times the distance1 they
 really seemed wearied4  ,after some    
rice and tea and an hour's              
rest--including1 ,i doubt not1 a smoke  
of the opium pipe--they were a little   
refreshed1 and ,i proposed moving on1   
that we might get to ,chang-gan before  
the sun became too powerful4 ,my        
servant1 however1 had a friend in the   
city1 and he desired to spend the day   
there1 and to go on next morning4 ,but  
to this ,i objected1 wishing to reach   
,hai-ning that night if possible4 4 4 4 
,we therefore set off1 entered the      
,north ,gate1 and had passed through    
about a third of the city1 when the     
coolies stopped to rest1 and said they  
should be unable to carry the burden on 
to ,chang-gan4 ,finally1 they agreed to 

take it to the ,south ,gate1 where they 
were to be paid in proportion to the    
distance they had carried it2 and the   
servant undertook to call other coolies 
and come along with them4  ,i walked on 
before as in the first instance1 and the
 distance being only about four miles1  
soon reached ,chang-gan1 and waited     
their arrival1 meanwhile engaging       
coolies for the rest of the journey to  
,hai-ning4 ,having waited a long time1  
,i began to wonder at the delay2 and at 
length it became too late to finish the 
journey to ,hai-ning that night4 ,i felt
 somewhat annoyed2 and but that my feet 
were blistered1 and the afternoon very  
hot1 ,i should have gone back to meet   
them and urge them on4 ,at last ,i      
concluded that my servant must have gone
 to his friend's1 and would not appear  
until evening4 ,but evening came1 and   
still there was no sign of them4        
,feeling very uneasy1 ,i began          
diligently to inquire whether they had  
been seen4 ,at last a man responded1    

,are you a guest from ,shih-mun-wan8 ,i 
answered in the affirmative4 ,are you   
going to ,hai-ning8 ,that is my         
destination4 ,then your things have gone
 on before you2 for ,i was sitting in a 
tea-shop when a coolie came in1 took a  
cup of tea1 and set off for ,hai-ning in
 a great hurry1 saying that the bamboo  
box and bed he carried1 which were just 
such as you describe yours to have been1
 were from ,shih-mun-wan1 and he had to 
take them to ,hai-ning to-night1 where  
he was to be paid at the rate of ten    
cash a pound4 ,from this ,i concluded   
that my goods were on before me2 but it 
was impossible to follow them at once1  
for ,i was too tired to walk1 and it was
 already dark4  ,under these            
circumstances all ,i could do was to    
seek a lodging for the night2 and no    
easy task ,i found it4 ,after raising my
 heart to ,,god to ask ,his aid1 ,i     
walked through to the farther end of the
 town1 where ,i thought the tidings of a
 foreigner's being in the place might   

not have spread1 and looked out for an  
inn4 ,i soon came to one1 and went in1  
hoping that ,i might pass unquestioned1 
as it was already dark4 ,asking the bill
 of fare1 ,i was told that cold         
rice--which proved to be more than      
rather burnt--and snakes1 fried in      
lamp-oil1 were all that could be had4   
,not wishing any question to be raised  
as to my nationality1 ,i was compelled  
to order some1 and tried to make a meal1
 but with little success4  ,while thus  
engaged ,i said to the landlord1 ,i     
suppose ,i can arrange to spend the     
night here8  ,to which he replied in the
 affirmative2 but bringing out his book1
 he added--  ,in these unsettled times  
we are required by the authorities to   
keep a record of our lodgers3 may ,i ask
 your respected family name8  ,my       
unworthy family name is ,tai1 ,i        
responded4  ,and your honourable second 
name8  ,my humble name is ,ia-koh       
7,james74  ,what an extraordinary name6 
,i never heard it before4 ,how do you   

write it8  ,i told him1 and added1 ,it  
is a common name in the district from   
which ,i come4  ,and may ,i ask whence  
you come and whither you are going8  ,i 
am journeying from ,shanghai to ,ningpo1
 by way of ,hang-chau4  ,what may be    
your honourable profession8  ,i heal the
 sick4  ,oh6 you are a physician1 the   
landlord remarked2 and to my intense    
relief closed the book4 ,his wife1      
however1 took up the conversation4  ,you
 are a physician1 are you8 said she2 ,i 
am glad of that1 for ,i have a daughter 
afflicted with leprosy4 ,if you will    
cure her1 you shall have your supper and
 bed for nothing4  ,i was curious enough
 to inquire what my supper and bed were 
to cost1 if paid for2 and to my         
amusement found they were worth less    
than three-halfpence of our money6      
,being unable to benefit the girl1 ,i   
declined to prescribe for her1 saying   
that leprosy was a very intractable     
disease1 and that ,i had no medicines   
with me4  ,the mother1 however1 brought 

pen and paper1 urging1 ,you can at least
 write a prescription1 which will do no 
harm1 if it does no good4  ,but this    
also ,i declined to do1 and requested to
 be shown my bed4 ,i was conducted to a 
very miserable room on the ground-floor1
 where1 on some boards raised upon two  
stools1 ,i passed the night1 without bed
 or pillow1 save my umbrella and shoe1  
and without any mosquito netting4 ,ten  
or eleven other lodgers were sleeping in
 the same room1 so ,i could not take    
anything off1 for fear of its being     
stolen2 but ,i was1 ,i found1 by no     
means too warm as midnight came on4     
,august #eth4  ,as may be supposed1 ,i  
arose but little rested or refreshed1   
and felt very far from well4 ,i had to  
wait a long time ere breakfast was      
obtainable1 and then there was another  
delay before ,i could get change for the
 only dollar ,i had with me1 in         
consequence of its being chipped in one 
or two places4 ,more than three hundred 
cash also were deducted from its price  

on this account1 which was a serious    
loss to me in my trying position4  ,i   
then sought throughout the town for     
tidings of my servant and coolies1 as ,i
 thought it possible that they might    
have arrived later1 or have come on in  
the morning4 ,the town is large1 long1  
and straggling1 being nearly two miles  
from one end to the other1 so this      
occupied some time4 ,i gained no        
information1 however2 and1 footsore and 
weary1 set out for ,hai-ning in the full
 heat of the day4 ,the journey--about   
eight miles--took me a long time2 but a 
halfway village afforded a resting-place
 and a cup of tea1 both of which ,i     
gladly availed myself of4 ,when about to
 leave again1 a heavy shower of rain    
came on1 and the delay thus occasioned  
enabled me to speak a little to the     
people about the truths of the ,gospel4 
,the afternoon was far spent before ,i  
approached the northern suburb of       
,hai-ning1 where ,i commenced inquiries1
 but could hear no tidings of my servant

 or things4 ,i was told that outside the
 ,east ,gate ,i should be more likely to
 hear of them1 as it was there the      
sea-junks called4 ,i therefore proceeded
 thither1 and sought for them outside   
the ,little ,east ,gate1 but in vain4   
,very weary1 ,i sat down in a tea-shop  
to rest2 and while there a number of    
persons from one of the mandarin's      
offices came in1 and made inquiries as  
to who ,i was1 where ,i had come from1  
etc4 ,on learning the object of my      
search1 one of the men in the tea-shop  
said1 ,a bamboo box and a bed1 such as  
you describe1 were carried past here    
about half an hour ago4 ,the bearer     
seemed to be going towards either the   
,great ,east ,gate or the ,south ,gate2 
you had better go to the hongs there and
 inquire4 ,i asked him to accompany me  
in the search1 and promised to reward   
him for his trouble1 but he would not4  
,another man offered to go with me1 so  
we set off together1 and both inside and
 outside the two gates made diligent    

inquiries1 but all in vain4 ,i then     
engaged a man to make a thorough search1
 promising him a liberal reward if he   
should be successful4 ,in the meantime  
,i had some dinner1 and addressed a     
large concourse of people who had       
gathered together4  ,when he returned1  
having met with no success1 ,i said to  
him1 ,i am now quite exhausted3 will you
 help me to find quarters for the night1
 and then ,i will pay you for your      
trouble8 ,he was willing to befriend me1
 and we set off in search of lodgings4  
,at the first place or two the people   
would not receive me2 for though on our 
first going in they seemed willing to do
 so1 the presence of a man who followed 
us1 and who1 ,i found1 was engaged in   
one of the ,government offices1 seemed  
to alarm them1 and ,i was refused4 ,we  
now went to a third place1 and being no 
longer followed by the mandarin's       
messenger1 we were promised quarters2   
some tea was brought1 and ,i paid the   
man who had accompanied me for his      

trouble4  ,soon after he was gone some  
official people came in2 they soon went 
away1 but the result of their visit was 
that ,i was told ,i could not be        
entertained there that night4 ,a young  
man present blamed them for their       
heartless behaviour1 and said1 ,never   
mind1 come with me2 and if we cannot get
 better lodgings for you1 you shall     
sleep at our house4 ,i went with him1   
but we found the people of his house    
unwilling to receive me4 ,weary and     
footsore1 so that ,i could scarcely     
stand1 ,i had again to seek quarters1   
and at length got promise of them2 but a
 little crowd collecting about the door1
 they desired me to go to a tea-shop and
 wait there till the people had retired1
 or they would be unable to accommodate 
me4 ,there was no help for it1 so ,i    
went1 accompanied still by the young    
man1 and waited till past midnight4     
,then we left for the promised          
resting-place2 but my conductor would   
not find it1 and he led me about to     

another part of the city2 and finally1  
between one and two o'clock1 he left me 
to pass the rest of the night as best ,i
 could4  ,i was opposite a temple1 but  
it was closed2 so ,i lay down on the    
stone steps in front of it1 and putting 
my money under my head for a pillow1    
should soon have been asleep in spite of
 the cold had ,i not perceived a person 
coming stealthily towards me4 ,as he    
approached ,i saw he was one of the     
beggars so common in ,china1 and had no 
doubt his intention was to rob me of my 
money4 ,i did not stir1 but watched his 
movements1 and looked to my ,,father not
 to leave me in this hour of trial4 ,the
 man came up1 looked at me for some time
 to assure himself that ,i was asleep   
7it was so dark that he could not see my
 eyes fixed on him71 and then began to  
feel about me gently4 ,i said to him in 
the quietest tone1 but so as to convince
 him that ,i was not1 nor had been1     
sleeping1 ,what do you want8 ,he made no
 answer1 but went away4  ,i was very    

thankful to see him go1 and when he was 
out of sight put as much of my cash as  
would not go into my pocket safely up my
 sleeve1 and made my pillow of a stone  
projection of the wall4 ,it was not long
 ere ,i began to doze1 but ,i was       
aroused by the all but noiseless        
footsteps of two persons approaching2   
for my nervous system was rendered so   
sensitive by exhaustion that the        
slightest noise startled me4 ,again ,i  
sought protection from ,him who alone   
was my stay1 and lay still as before1   
till one of them came up and began to   
feel under my head for the cash4 ,i     
spoke again1 and they sat down at my    
feet4 ,i asked them what they were      
doing2 they replied that they1 like me1 
were going to pass the night there4 ,i  
then requested them to take the opposite
 side1 as there was plenty of room1 and 
leave this side to me2 but they would   
not move from my feet1 so ,i raised     
myself up and set my back against the   
wall4  ,they said1 ,you had better lie  

down and sleep2 if you do not1 you will 
be unable to walk to-morrow4 ,do not be 
afraid2 we shall not leave you1 and will
 see that no one hurts you4  ,listen to 
me1 ,i replied4 ,i do not want your     
protection2 ,i need it not2 ,i am not a 
,chinese2 ,i do not worship your        
senseless1 helpless idols4 ,i worship   
,,god2 ,he is my ,,father2 ,i trust in  
,him4 ,i know well what you are1 and    
what your intentions are1 and shall keep
 my eye on you1 and shall not sleep4    
,on this1 one of them went away1 but    
soon returned with a third companion4 ,i
 felt very uneasy1 but looked to ,,god  
for help4 ,once or twice one of them got
 up to see if ,i was asleep4 ,i only    
said1 ,do not be mistaken2 ,i am not    
sleeping4 ,occasionally my head dropped1
 and this was a signal for one of them  
to rise2 but ,i at once roused myself   
and made some remark4 ,as the night     
slowly passed on1 ,i felt very weary2   
and to keep myself awake1 as well as to 
cheer my mind1 ,i sang several hymns1   

repeated aloud some portions of         
,scripture1 and engaged in prayer in    
,english1 to the great annoyance of my  
companions1 who seemed as if they would 
have given anything to get me to desist4
 ,after that they troubled me no more2  
and shortly before dawn of day they left
 me1 and ,i got a little sleep4         
,august #fth4  ,i was awakened by the   
young man who had so misled me on the   
previous evening4 ,he was very rude1 and
 insisted on my getting up and paying   
him for his trouble1 and even went so   
far as to try to accomplish by force    
what he wanted4 ,this roused me2 and in 
an unguarded moment1 with very improper 
feeling1 ,i seized his arm with such a  
grasp as he little expected ,i was      
capable of1 and dared him to lay a      
finger upon me again or to annoy me     
further4 ,this quite changed his manner2
 he let me quietly remain till the guns 
announced the opening of the gates of   
the city1 and then he begged me to give 
him some money to buy opium with4 ,it is

 needless to say this was refused4 ,i   
gave him the price of two candles1 that 
he said he had burnt while with me last 
night and no more4 ,i learned he was    
connected with one of the mandarin's    
offices4  ,as soon as possible1 ,i      
bought some rice gruel and tea for      
breakfast1 and then once more made a    
personal search after my things4 ,some  
hours thus spent proving unavailing1 ,i 
set out on the return journey1 and after
 a long1 weary1 and painful walk reached
 ,chang-gan about noon4 ,here also my   
inquiries failed to give me any trace of
 the missing goods2 so ,i had a meal    
cooked in a tea-shop1 got a thorough    
wash and bathed my inflamed feet1 and   
after dinner rested and slept till four 
in the afternoon4  ,much refreshed1 ,i  
then set on to return to the city1 at   
the ,south ,gate of which ,i had parted 
with my servant and coolies two days    
before4 ,on the way ,i was led to       
reflect on the goodness of ,,god1 and   
recollected that ,i had not made it a   

matter of prayer that ,i might be       
provided with lodgings last night4 ,i   
felt condemned1 too1 that ,i should have
 been so anxious for my few things1     
while the many precious souls around me 
had caused so little emotion4 ,i came as
 a sinner and pleaded the blood of      
,,jesus1 realising that ,i was accepted 
in ,him--pardoned1 cleansed1            
sanctified--and oh the love of ,,jesus1 
how great ,i felt it to be6 ,i knew     
something more than ,i had ever         
previously known of what it was to be   
despised and rejected1 and to have      
nowhere to lay one's head2 and ,i felt  
more than ever ,i had done before the   
greatness of that love which induced    
,him to leave ,his home in glory and    
suffer thus for me2 nay1 to lay down    
,his very life upon the ,cross4 ,i      
thought of ,him as despised and rejected
 of men1 a ,man of sorrows1 and         
acquainted with grief2 ,i thought of    
,him at ,jacob's well1 weary1 hungry1   
and thirsty1 yet finding it ,his meat   

and drink to do ,his ,father's will2 and
 contrasted this with my littleness of  
love4 ,i looked to ,him for pardon for  
the past1 and for grace and strength to 
do ,his will in the future1 to tread    
more closely in ,his footsteps1 and be  
more than ever wholly ,his4 ,i prayed   
for myself1 for friends in ,england1 and
 for my brethren in the work4 ,sweet    
tears of mingled joy and sorrow flowed  
freely1 the road was almost forgotten1  
and before ,i was aware of it ,i had    
reached my destination4 ,outside the    
,south ,gate ,i took a cup of tea1 asked
 about my lost luggage1 and spoke of the
 love of ,,jesus4 ,then ,i entered the  
city1 and after many vain inquiries left
 it by the ,north ,gate4  ,i felt so    
much refreshed both in mind and body by 
the communion ,i had on my walk to the  
city that ,i thought myself able to     
finish the remaining six miles back to  
,shih-mun-wan that evening4 ,first ,i   
went into another tea-shop to buy some  
native cakes1 and was making a meal of  

them when who should come in but one of 
the identical coolies who had carried my
 things the first stage4 ,from him ,i   
learned that after ,i left them they had
 taken my luggage to the ,south ,gate2  
there my servant went away1 saying on   
his return that ,i had gone on1 that he 
did not intend to start at once1 but    
would spend the day with his friend1 and
 then rejoin me2 they carried the things
 to this friend's house1 and left them  
there4 ,i got him to go with me to the  
house1 and there learned that the man   
had spent the day and night with them1  
and next morning had called other       
coolies1 and set off for ,hang-chau4    
,this was all ,i could gather2 so1      
unable to do anything but proceed on my 
return journey to ,shanghai with all    
expedition1 ,i left the city again4 ,it 
was now too late to go on to            
,shih-mun-wan4 ,i looked to my ,,father 
as able to supply all my need1 and      
received another token of ,his ceaseless
 love and care1 being invited to sleep  

on a hong-boat1 now dry in the bed of   
the river4 ,the night was again very    
cold and the mosquitoes troublesome4    
,still1 ,i got a little rest1 and at    
sunrise was up and continued my journey4
                                        
,august #gth4  ,i felt very ill at      
first1 and had a sore throat1 but       
reflected on the wonderful goodness of  
,,god in enabling me to bear the heat by
 day and the cold by night so long4 ,i  
felt also that quite a load was now     
taken off my mind4 ,i had committed     
myself and my affairs to the ,,lord1 and
 knew that if it was for my good and for
 ,his glory my things would be restored2
 if not1 all would be for the best4 ,i  
hoped that the most trying part of my   
journey was now drawing to a close1 and 
this helped me1 weary and footsore1 on  
the way4 ,when ,i got to ,shih-mun-wan  
and had breakfasted1 ,i found ,i had    
still eight hundred and ten cash in     
hand2 and ,i knew that the hong-boat    
fare to ,kia-hing ,fu was one hundred   

and twenty cash1 and thence to ,shanghai
 three hundred and sixty1 leaving me    
just three hundred and thirty cash--or  
twelve pence and a fraction--for three  
or four days provisions4 ,i went at once
 to the boat office1 but to my dismay   
found that from the dry state of the    
river goods had not come down1 so that  
no boat would leave to-day and perhaps  
none to-morrow4 ,i inquired if there    
were no letter-boats for ,kia-hing ,fu1 
and was told that they had already left4
 ,the only remaining resource was to    
ascertain if any private boats were     
going in which ,i could get a passage4  
,my search1 however1 was in vain2 and ,i
 could get no boat to undertake to go   
all the way to ,shanghai1 or my         
difficulty would have been at an end4   
,just at this juncture ,i saw before me1
 at a turn in the canal1 a letter-boat  
going in the direction of ,kia-hing ,fu 
,this1 ,i concluded1 must be one of the 
,kia-hing boats that had been           
unexpectedly detained1 and ,i set off   

after it as fast as hope and the        
necessities of the case would carry me4 
,for the time being weariness and sore  
feet were alike forgotten4 ,after a     
chase of about a mile ,i overtook it4   
,are you going to ,kia-hing ,fu8 ,i     
called out4  ,no1 was the only answer4  
,are you going in that direction8  ,no4 
,will you give me a passage as far as   
you do go that way8  ,still ,no1 and    
nothing more4  ,completely dispirited   
and exhausted1 ,i sank down on the grass
 and fainted away4  ,as consciousness   
returned some voices reached my ear1 and
 ,i found they were talking about me4   
,one said1 ,he speaks pure ,shanghai    
dialect1 and from their own speech ,i   
knew them to be ,shanghai people4       
,raising myself1 ,i saw that they were  
on a large hong-boat on the other side  
of the canal1 and after a few words they
 sent their small boat to fetch me1 and 
,i went on board the junk4 ,they were   
very kind1 and gave me some tea2 and    
when ,i was refreshed and able to       

partake of it1 some food also4 ,i then  
took my shoes and stockings off to ease 
my feet1 and the boatman kindly provided
 me with hot water to bathe them4 ,when 
they heard my story1 and saw the        
blisters on my feet1 they evidently     
pitied me1 and hailed every boat that   
passed to see if it was going my way4   
,not finding one1 by and by1 after a few
 hours' sleep1 ,i went ashore with the  
captain1 intending to preach in the     
temple of ,kwan-ti4  ,before leaving the
 junk ,i told the captain and those on  
board that ,i was now unable to help    
myself2 that ,i had not strength to walk
 to ,kia-hing ,fu1 and having been      
disappointed in getting a passage       
to-day1 ,i should no longer have        
sufficient means to take me there by    
letter-boat1 which was an expensive mode
 of travelling2 that ,i knew not how the
 ,,god whom ,i served would help me1 but
 that ,i had no doubt ,he would do so2  
and that my business now was to serve   
,him where ,i was4 ,i also told them    

that the help which ,i knew would come  
ought to be an evidence to them of the  
truth of the religion which ,i and the  
other missionaries at ,shanghai         
preached4  ,on our way to the town1     
while engaged in conversation with the  
captain1 we saw a letter-boat coming up4
 ,the captain drew my attention to it2  
but ,i reminded him that ,i had no      
longer the means of paying my passage by
 it4 ,he hailed it1 nevertheless1 and   
found that it was going to a place about
 nine ,english miles from ,shanghai1    
whence one of the boatmen would carry   
the mails overland to the city4 ,he then
 said1 ,this gentleman is a foreigner   
from ,shanghai1 who has been robbed1 and
 has no longer the means of returning4  
,if you will take him with you as far as
 you go1 and then engage a sedan chair  
to carry him the rest of the way1 he    
will pay you in ,shanghai4 ,you see my  
boat is lying aground yonder for want of
 water1 and cannot get away4 ,now1 ,i   
will stand surety2 and if this gentleman

 does not pay when you get to ,shanghai1
 ,i will do so on your return4 ,this    
unsolicited kindness on the part of a   
,chinaman1 a perfect stranger1 will     
appear the more remarkable to any one   
acquainted with the character of the    
,chinese1 who are generally most        
reluctant to risk their money4 ,those on
 the letter-boat agreeing to the terms1 
,i was taken on board as a passenger4   
,oh1 how thankful ,i felt for this      
providential interposition1 and to be   
once more on my way to ,shanghai6       
,letter-boats such as the one on which  
,i was now travelling are of a long     
narrow build1 and very limited as to    
their inside accommodation4 ,one has to 
lie down all the time they are in       
motion1 as a slight movement would      
easily upset them4 ,this was no irksome 
condition to me1 however2 on the        
contrary1 ,i was only too glad to be    
quiet4 ,they are the quickest boats ,i  
have seen in ,china4 ,each one is worked
 by two men1 who relieve one another    

continuously night and day4 ,they row   
with their feet1 and paddle with their  
hands2 or if the wind is quite          
favourable1 row with their feet1 and    
with one hand manage a small sail1 while
 steering with the other4  ,after a     
pleasant and speedy journey1 ,i reached 
,shanghai in safety on ,august #ith1    
through the help of ,him who has said1  
,i will never leave thee1 nor forsake   
thee2 ,lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even   
unto the end of the world4              
,illustration  ,illustration            
,,chapter ,,xiv  ,,providential         
,,guidance   ,,it now seemed very clear 
that the lost property--including       
everything ,i possessed in ,china1 with 
the exception of a small sum of money   
providentially left in ,shanghai--had   
been deliberately stolen by my servant1 
who had gone off with it to ,hang-chau4 
,the first question1 of course1 was how 
best to act for the good of the man who 
had been the cause of so much trouble4  
,it would not have been difficult to    

take steps that would have led to his   
punishment2 though the likelihood of any
 reparation being made for the loss     
sustained was very small4 ,but the      
consideration which weighed most heavily
 was that the thief was a man for whose 
salvation ,i had laboured and prayed2   
and ,i felt that to prosecute him would 
not be to emphasise the teaching of the 
,sermon on the ,mount1 in which we had  
read together1 ,resist not evil1 and    
other similar precepts4 ,finally1       
concluding that his soul was of more    
value than the #dj worth of things ,i   
had lost1 ,i wrote and told him this1   
urging upon him his need of repentance  
and faith in the ,,lord ,,jesus         
,,christ4 ,the course ,i took commended 
itself to my ,christian friends in      
,england1 one of whom was afterwards led
 to send me a cheque for #dj--the first 
of many subsequently received from the  
same kind helper4  ,having obtained the 
little money left in ,shanghai1 ,i again
 set out for ,ningpo1 to seek assistance

 from ,dr4 ,parker in replacing the     
medicines ,i had previously lost by     
fire4 ,this being satisfactorily        
accomplished1 ,i returned once more to  
,shanghai1 en route for ,swatow1 hoping 
soon to rejoin my much-loved friend1    
,mr4 ,burns1 in the work in that        
important centre4 ,,god had willed it   
otherwise1 however2 and the delay caused
 by the robbery was just sufficient to  
prevent me from starting for the ,south 
as ,i had intended4  ,over the political
 horizon storm-clouds had long been     
gathering1 precursors of coming war2 and
 early in ,october of this year 7#ahef7 
the affair of the ,lorcha ,arrow at     
,canton led to the definite commencement
 of hostilities4 ,very soon ,china was  
deeply involved in a second prolonged   
struggle with foreign powers2 and       
missionary operations1 in the ,south at 
any rate1 had to be largely suspended4  
,tidings of these events1 together with 
letters from ,mr4 ,burns1 arrived just  
in time to meet me in ,shanghai as ,i   

was leaving for ,swatow2 and thus       
hindered1 ,i could not but realise the  
hand of ,,god in closing the door ,i had
 so much desired to enter4  ,while in   
,ningpo1 ,i had made the acquaintance of
 ,mr4 ,john ,jones1 who1 with ,dr4      
,parker1 represented the ,chinese       
,evangelisation ,society in that city4  
,hindered from returning to ,swatow1 ,i 
now decided to join these brethren in   
the ,ningpo work1 and set out at once   
upon the journey4 ,on the afternoon of  
the second day1 when already about      
thirty miles distant from ,shanghai1    
,mr4 ,jones and ,i drew near the large  
and important city of ,sung-kiang1 and  
,i spoke of going ashore to preach the  
,gospel to the thronging multitudes that
 lined the banks and crowded the        
approaches to the city gates4  ,among   
the passengers on board the boat was one
 intelligent man1 who in the course of  
his travels had been a good deal abroad1
 and had even visited ,england1 where he
 went by the name of ,peter4 ,as might  

be expected1 he had heard something of  
the ,gospel1 but had never experienced  
its saving power4 ,on the previous      
evening ,i had drawn him into earnest   
converse about his soul's salvation4    
,the man listened with attention1 and   
was even moved to tears1 but still no   
definite result was apparent4 ,i was    
pleased1 therefore1 when he asked to be 
allowed to accompany me1 and to hear me 
preach4  ,i went into the cabin of the  
boat to prepare tracts and books for    
distribution on landing with my ,chinese
 friend1 when suddenly ,i was startled  
by a splash and a cry from without4 ,i  
sprang on deck1 and took in the         
situation at a glance4 ,peter was gone6 
,the other men were all there1 on board1
 looking helplessly at the spot where he
 had disappeared1 but making no effort  
to save him4 ,a strong wind was carrying
 the junk rapidly forward in spite of a 
steady current in the opposite          
direction1 and the low-lying1 shrubless 
shore afforded no landmark to indicate  

how far we had left the drowning man    
behind4  ,i instantly let down the sail 
and leapt overboard in the hope of      
finding him4 ,unsuccessful1 ,i looked   
around in agonising suspense1 and saw   
close to me a fishing-boat with a       
peculiar drag-net furnished with hooks1 
which ,i knew would bring him up4       
,come6 ,i cried1 as hope revived in my  
heart4 ,come and drag over this spot    
directly2 a man is drowning just here6  
,veh bin 7,it is not convenient71 was   
the unfeeling answer4  ,don't talk of   
convenience6 cried ,i in an agony2 a man
 is drowning1 ,i tell you6  ,we are busy
 fishing1 they responded1 and cannot    
come4  ,never mind your fishing1 ,i     
said1 ,i will give you more money than  
many a day's fishing will bring2 only   
come--come at once6  ,how much money    
will you give us8  ,we cannot stay to   
discuss that now6 ,come1 or it will be  
too late4 ,i will give you five dollars 
7then worth about thirty shillings in   
,english money74  ,we won't do it for   

that1 replied the men4 ,give us twenty  
dollars1 and we will drag4  ,i do not   
possess so much3 do come quickly1 and ,i
 will give you all ,i have6  ,how much  
may that be8  ,i don't know exactly1    
about fourteen dollars4  ,at last1 but  
even then slowly enough1 the boat was   
paddled over1 and the net let down4     
,less than a minute sufficed to bring up
 the body of the missing man4 ,the      
fishermen were clamorous and indignant  
because their exorbitant demand was     
delayed while efforts at resuscitation  
were being made4 ,but all was in        
vain--life was extinct4  ,to myself this
 incident was profoundly sad and full of
 significance1 suggesting a far more    
mournful reality4 ,were not those       
fishermen actually guilty of this poor  
,chinaman's death1 in that they had the 
means of saving him at hand1 if they    
would but have used them8 ,assuredly    
they were guilty4 ,and yet1 let us pause
 ere we pronounce judgment against them1
 lest a greater than ,nathan answer1    

,thou art the man4 ,is it so            
hard-hearted1 so wicked a thing to      
neglect to save the body8 ,of how much  
sorer punishment1 then1 is he worthy who
 leaves the soul to perish1 and         
,cain-like says1 ,am ,i my brother's    
keeper8 ,the ,,lord ,,jesus commands1   
commands me1 commands you1 my brother1  
and you1 my sister4 ,go1 says ,he1 go ye
 into all the world1 and preach the     
,gospel to every creature4 ,shall we say
 to ,him1 ,no1 it is not convenient8    
shall we tell ,him that we are busy     
fishing and cannot go8 that we have     
bought a piece of ground and cannot go8 
that we have purchased five yoke of     
oxen1 or have married1 or are engaged in
 other and more interesting pursuits1   
and cannot go8 ,ere long we must all    
appear before the judgment seat of      
,,christ2 that every one may receive the
 things done in his body4 ,let us       
remember1 let us pray for1 let us labour
 for the unevangelised ,chinese2 or we  
shall sin against our own souls4 ,let us

 consider ,who it is that has said1 ,if 
thou forbear to deliver them that are   
drawn unto death1 and those that are    
ready to be slain2 if thou sayest1      
,behold1 we knew it not2 doth not ,he   
that pondereth the heart consider it8   
and ,he that keepeth thy soul1 doth not 
he know it8 and shall not ,he render to 
every man according to his works8       
,through midnight gloom from ,macedon1  
,the cry of myriads as of one2          
,the voiceful silence of despair        
,is eloquent in awful prayer3           
,the soul's exceeding bitter cry1       
,come o'er and help us1 or we die4      
,how mournfully it echoes on1           
,for half the earth is ,macedon2        
,these brethren to their brethren call1 
,and by the ,love which loves them all1 
,and by the whole world's ,life they    
cry1           ,o ye that live1 behold  
we die6            ,by other sounds the 
world is won           ,than that which 
wails from ,macedon2           ,the roar
 of gain is round it rolled1            

,or men unto themselves are sold1       
,and cannot list the alien cry1         
,o hear and help us1 lest we die6       
,yet with that cry from ,macedon        
,the very car of ,,christ rolls on3     
,i come2 who would abide ,my day1       
,in yonder wilds prepare ,my way2       
,my voice is crying in their cry1       
,help ye the dying1 lest ye die4        
,,jesu1 for men of ,man the ,,son1      
,yea1 ,,thine the cry from ,macedon2    
,oh1 by the kingdom and the power       
,and glory of ,thine advent hour1       
,wake heart and will to hear their cry3 
,help us to help them1 lest we die4     
,illustration  ,illustration            
,,chapter ,,xv  ,,settlement ,,in       
,,ningpo   ,,the autumn of #ahef was    
well advanced before ,i reached ,ningpo1
 one of the most ancient and influential
 cities on the coast of ,china4 ,opened 
to the residence of foreigners in #ahdb 
by the treaty of ,nan-king1 it had long 
been the scene of missionary labours4   
,within its thronging thoroughfares the 

busy tide of life runs high4 ,four      
hundred thousand human beings dwell     
within or around the five miles circuit 
of its ancient wall1 every one a soul   
that ,,jesus loves1 for whom ,he died4  
,as winter drew on ,i rented a native   
house in ,wu-gyiao-deo1 or ,lake ,head  
,street4 ,it was not then a very        
comfortable residence4 ,i have a very   
distinct remembrance of tracing my      
initials on the snow which during the   
night had collected upon my coverlet in 
the large barn-like upper room1 now     
subdivided into four or five smaller    
ones1 each of which is comfortably      
ceiled4 ,the tiling of an unceiled      
,chinese house may keep off the rain--if
 it happens to be sound--but it does not
 afford so good a protection against    
snow1 which will beat up through        
crannies and crevices1 and find its way 
within4 ,but however unfinished may have
 been its fittings1 the little house was
 well adapted for work amongst the      
people2 and there ,i thankfully settled 

down1 finding ample scope for           
service1--morning1 noon1 and night4     
,during the latter part of this year my 
mind was greatly exercised about        
continued connection with my ,society1  
it being frequently in debt4 ,personally
 ,i had always avoided debt1 and kept   
within my salary1 though at times only  
by very careful economy4 ,now there was 
no difficulty in doing this1 for my     
income was larger1 and the country being
 in a more peaceful state1 things were  
not so dear4 ,but the ,society itself   
was in debt4 ,the quarterly bills which 
,i and others were instructed to draw   
were often met by borrowed money1 and a 
correspondence commenced which          
terminated in the following year by my  
resigning from conscientious motives4   
,to me it seemed that the teaching of   
,,god',s ,word was unmistakably clear3  
,owe no man any thing4 ,to borrow money 
implied1 to my mind1 a contradiction of 
,scripture--a confession that ,,god had 
withheld some good thing1 and a         

determination to get for ourselves what 
,he had not given4 ,could that which was
 wrong for one ,christian to do be right
 for an association of ,christians8 ,or 
could any amount of precedents make a   
wrong course justifiable8 ,if the ,word 
taught me anything1 it taught me to have
 no connection with debt4 ,i could not  
think that ,,god was poor1 that ,he was 
short of resources1 or unwilling to     
supply any want of whatever work was    
really ,his4 ,it seemed to me that if   
there were lack of funds to carry on    
work1 then to that degree1 in that      
special development1 or at that time1 it
 could not be the work of ,,god4 ,to    
satisfy my conscience ,i was therefore  
compelled to resign connection with the 
,society which had hitherto supplied my 
salary4  ,it was a great satisfaction to
 me that my friend and colleague1 ,mr4  
,jones1 also of the ,chinese            
,evangelisation ,society1 was led to    
take the same step2 and we were both    
profoundly thankful that the separation 

took place without the least breach of  
friendly feeling on either side4        
,indeed1 we had the joy of knowing that 
the step we took commended itself to    
several members of the ,committee1      
although as a whole the ,society could  
not come to our position4 ,depending    
upon ,,god alone for supplies1 we were  
enabled to continue a measure of        
connection with our former supporters1  
sending home journals1 etc41 for        
publication as before1 so long as the   
,society continued to exist4  ,the step 
we had taken was not a little trying to 
faith4 ,i was not at all sure what ,,god
 would have me do1 or whether ,he would 
so meet my need as to enable me to      
continue working as before4 ,i had no   
friends whatever from whom ,i expected  
supplies4 ,i did not know what means the
 ,,lord might use2 but ,i was willing to
 give up all my time to the service of  
evangelisation among the heathen1 if by 
any means ,he would supply the smallest 
amount on which ,i could live2 and if   

,he were not pleased to do this1 ,i was 
prepared to undertake whatever work     
might be necessary to supply myself1    
giving all the time that could be spared
 from such a calling to more distinctly 
missionary efforts4 ,but ,,god blessed  
and prospered me2 and how glad and      
thankful ,i felt when the separation was
 really effected6 ,i could look right up
 into my ,,father',s face with a        
satisfied heart1 ready1 by ,his grace1  
to do the next thing as ,he might teach 
me1 and feeling very sure of ,his loving
 care4  ,and how blessedly ,he did lead 
me on and provide for me ,i can never1  
never tell4 ,it was like a continuation 
of some of my earlier home experiences4 
,my faith was not untried2 it often1    
often failed1 and ,i was so sorry and   
ashamed of the failure to trust such a  
,,father4 ,but oh6 ,i was learning to   
know ,him4 ,i would not even then have  
missed the trial4 ,he became so near1 so
 real1 so intimate4 ,the occasional     
difficulty about funds never came from  

an insufficient supply for personal     
needs1 but in consequence of ministering
 to the wants of scores of the hungry   
and dying ones around us4 ,and trials   
far more searching in other ways quite  
eclipsed these difficulties2 and being  
deeper1 brought forth in consequence    
richer fruits4 ,how glad one is now1 not
 only to know1 with dear ,miss          
,havergal1 that----            ,they who
 trust ,him wholly               ,find  
,him wholly true1  but also that when we
 fail to trust fully ,he still remains  
unchangingly faithful4 ,he is wholly    
true whether we trust or not4 ,if we    
believe not1 ,he abideth faithful2 ,he  
cannot deny ,himself4 ,but oh1 how we   
dishonour our ,,lord whenever we fail to
 trust ,him1 and what peace1 blessing1  
and triumph we lose in thus sinning     
against the ,faithful ,one6 ,may we     
never again presume in anything to doubt
 ,him6  ,the year #aheg was a troublous 
time1 and closed with the notorious     
bombardment of ,canton by the ,british1 

and the commencement of our second      
,chinese war4 ,rumours of trouble were  
everywhere rife1 and in many places the 
missionaries passed through not a little
 danger4 ,in ,ningpo this was especially
 the case1 and the preserving care of   
,,god in answer to prayer was           
consequently most marked4 ,when the     
awful news of the bombardment of ,canton
 reached the ,cantonese in ,ningpo their
 wrath and indignation knew no bounds1  
and they immediately set to work to plot
 the destruction of all the foreigners  
resident in the city and neighbourhood4 
,it was well known that many of the     
foreigners were in the habit of meeting 
for worship every ,sunday evening at one
 of the missionary houses1 and the plan 
was to surround the place on a given    
occasion and make short work of all     
present1 cutting off afterwards any who 
might not be present4  ,the sanction of 
the ,tao-t'ai1 or chief civil magistrate
 of the city1 was easily obtained2 and  
nothing remained to hinder the execution

 of the plot1 of which the foreigners   
were of course entirely in ignorance4   
7,a similar plot against the ,portuguese
 a few months later was carried out1 and
 between fifty and sixty were massacred 
in open daylight47 ,it so happened1     
however1 that one of those acquainted   
with the conspiracy had a friend engaged
 in the service of the missionaries2 and
 anxious for his safety1 he was led to  
warn him of the coming danger1 and urge 
his leaving foreign employ4 ,the servant
 made the matter known to his master1   
and thus the little community became    
aware of their peril4 ,realising the    
gravity of the situation1 they          
determined to meet together at the house
 of one of their number to seek the     
protection of the ,most ,high1 and to   
hide under the shadow of ,his wings4    
,nor did they thus meet in vain4  ,at   
the very time we were praying the ,,lord
 was working4 ,he led an inferior       
mandarin1 the ,superintendent of        
,customs1 to call upon the ,tao-t'ai1   

and remonstrate with him upon the folly 
of permitting such an attempt1 which he 
assured him would rouse the foreigners  
in other places to come with armed      
forces to avenge the death of their     
countrymen and raze the city to the     
ground4 ,the ,tao-t'ai replied that1    
when the foreigners came for that       
purpose1 he should deny all knowledge of
 or complicity in the plot1 and so      
direct their vengeance against the      
,cantonese1 who would in their turn be  
destroyed2 and thus1 said he1 we shall  
get rid of both ,cantonese and          
foreigners by one stroke of policy4 ,the
 ,superintendent of ,customs assured him
 that all such attempts at evasion would
 be useless2 and1 finally1 the ,tao-t'ai
 sent to the ,cantonese1 withdrawing his
 permission1 and prohibiting the attack4
 ,this took place at the very time when 
we were asking protection of the ,,lord1
 though we did not become acquainted    
with the facts until some weeks later4  
,thus again we were led to prove that-- 

,sufficient is ,his arm alone1          
,and our defence is sure4  ,i cannot    
attempt to give any historical record of
 the events of this period1 but ere     
#aheg terminated ,mr4 ,jones and ,i were
 cheered by tokens of blessing4 ,it is  
interesting to recall the circumstances 
connected with the first profession of  
faith in ,christ1 which encouraged us4  
,on one occasion ,i was preaching the   
glad tidings of salvation through the   
finished work of ,,christ1 when a       
middle-aged man stood up1 and testified 
before his assembled countrymen to his  
faith in the power of the ,gospel4  ,i  
have long sought for the ,truth1 said he
 earnestly1 as my fathers did before me2
 but ,i have never found it4 ,i have    
travelled far and near1 but without     
obtaining it4 ,i have found no rest in  
,confucianism1 ,buddhism1 or ,taoism2   
but ,i do find rest in what ,i have     
heard here to-night4 ,henceforth ,i am a
 believer in ,,jesus4  ,this man was one
 of the leading officers of a sect of   

reformed ,buddhists in ,ningpo4 ,a short
 time after his confession of faith in  
the ,,saviour there was a meeting of the
 sect over which he had formerly        
presided4 ,i accompanied him to that    
meeting1 and there1 to his former       
co-religionists1 he testified of the    
peace he had obtained in believing4     
,soon after1 one of his former          
companions was converted and baptized4  
,both now sleep in ,,jesus4 ,the first  
of these two long continued to preach to
 his countrymen the glad tidings of     
great joy4 ,a few nights after his      
conversion he asked how long this       
,gospel had been known in ,england4 ,he 
was told that we had known it for some  
hundreds of years4  ,what6 said he1     
amazed2 is it possible that for hundreds
 of years you have had the knowledge of 
these glad tidings in your possession1  
and yet have only now come to preach it 
to us8 ,my father sought after the      
,truth for more than twenty years1 and  
died without finding it4 ,oh1 why did   

you not come sooner8  ,a whole          
generation has passed away since that   
mournful inquiry was made2 but how many1
 alas6 might repeat the same question   
to-day8 ,more than two hundred millions 
in the meanwhile have been swept into   
eternity1 without an offer of salvation4
 ,how long shall this continue1 and the 
,,master',s words1 ,to every creature1  
remain unheeded8  ,illustration         
,illustration     ,,chapter ,,xvi       
,,timely ,,supplies   ,,not infrequently
 our ,,god brings ,his people into      
difficulties on purpose that they may   
come to know ,him as they could not     
otherwise do4 ,then ,he reveals ,himself
 as a very present help in trouble1 and 
makes the heart glad indeed at each     
fresh revelation of a ,,father',s       
faithfulness4 ,we who only see so small 
a part of the sweet issues of trial     
often feel that we would not for        
anything have missed them2 how much more
 shall we bless and magnify ,his ,name  
when all the hidden things are brought  

to light6  ,in the autumn of #aheg1 just
 one year after ,i came to settle in    
,ningpo1 a little incident occurred that
 did much to strengthen our faith in the
 loving-kindness and ever-watchful care 
of ,,god4  ,a brother in the ,,lord1 the
 ,rev4 ,john ,quarterman1 of the        
,american ,presbyterian ,mission ,north1
 was taken with virulent small-pox1 and 
it was my mournful privilege to nurse   
him through his suffering illness to its
 fatal close4 ,when all was over1 it    
became necessary to lay aside the       
garments worn while nursing1 for fear of
 conveying the infection to others4 ,not
 having sufficient money in hand to     
purchase what was needful in order to   
make this change1 prayer was the only   
resource4 ,the ,,lord answered it by the
 unexpected arrival of a long-lost box  
of clothing from ,swatow1 that had      
remained in the care of the ,rev4       
,william ,burns when ,i left him for    
,shanghai1 in the early summer of the   
previous year4 ,the arrival of the      

things just at this juncture was as     
appropriate as it was remarkable1 and   
brought a sweet sense of the ,,father',s
 own providing4  ,about two months later
 the following was penned3----          
,november #ahth1 #aheg4  ,many seem to  
think that ,i am very poor4 ,this       
certainly is true enough in one sense1  
but ,i thank ,,god it is as poor1 yet   
making many rich2 as having nothing1 yet
 possessing all things4 ,and my ,,god   
shall supply all my need2 to ,him be all
 the glory4 ,i would not1 if ,i could1  
be otherwise than ,i am--entirely       
dependent myself upon the ,,lord1 and   
used as a channel of help to others4    
,on ,saturday1 the #dth inst41 our      
regular home mail arrived4 ,that morning
 we supplied1 as usual1 a breakfast to  
the destitute poor1 who came to the     
number of seventy4 ,sometimes they do   
not reach forty1 at others again        
exceeding eighty4 ,they come to us every
 day1 ,,lord',s ,day excepted1 for then 
we cannot manage to attend to them and  

get through all our other duties too4   
,well1 on that ,saturday morning we paid
 all expenses1 and provided ourselves   
for the morrow1 after which we had not a
 single dollar left between us4 ,how the
 ,,lord was going to provide for ,monday
 we knew not2 but over our mantelpiece  
hung two scrolls in the ,chinese        
character--,ebenezer1 ,hitherto hath the
 ,,lord helped us2 and ,jehovah-,jireh1 
,the ,,lord will provide--and ,he kept  
us from doubting for a moment4 ,that    
very day the mail came in1 a week sooner
 than was expected1 and ,mr4 ,jones     
received a bill for two hundred and     
fourteen dollars4 ,we thanked ,,god and 
took courage4 ,the bill was taken to a  
merchant1 and although there is usually 
a delay of several days in getting the  
change1 this time he said1 ,send down on
 ,monday4 ,we sent1 and though he had   
not been able to buy all the dollars1 he
 let us have seventy on account2 so all 
was well4 ,oh1 it is sweet to live thus 
directly dependent upon the ,,lord1 who 

never fails us6  ,on ,monday the poor   
had their breakfast as usual1 for we had
 not told them not to come1 being       
assured that it was the ,,lord',s work1 
and that the ,,lord would provide4 ,we  
could not help our eyes filling with    
tears of gratitude when we saw not only 
our own needs supplied1 but the widow   
and the orphan1 the blind and the lame1 
the friendless and the destitute1       
together provided for by the bounty of  
,him who feeds the ravens4 ,o magnify   
the ,,lord with me1 and let us exalt    
,his ,name together4 4 4 4 ,taste and   
see that the ,,lord is good3 blessed is 
the man that trusteth in ,him4 ,o fear  
the ,,lord1 ye ,his saints3 for there is
 no want to them that fear ,him4 ,the   
young lions do lack1 and suffer hunger3 
but they that seek the ,,lord shall not 
want any good thing--and if not good1   
why want it8  ,but even two hundred     
dollars cannot last for ever1 and by    
,new ,year's ,day supplies were again   
getting low4 ,at last1 on ,january #fth1

 #aheh1 only one solitary cash          
remained--the twentieth part of a       
penny--in the joint possession of ,mr4  
,jones and myself2 but though tried we  
looked to ,,god once again to manifest  
,his gracious care4 ,enough provision   
was found in the house to supply a      
meagre breakfast2 after which1 having   
neither food for the rest of the day1   
nor money to buy any1 we could only     
betake ourselves to ,him who was able to
 supply all our need with the petition1 
,give us this day our daily bread4      
,after prayer and deliberation we       
thought that perhaps we ought to dispose
 of something we possessed in order to  
meet our immediate requirements4 ,but on
 looking round we saw nothing that we   
could well spare1 and little that the   
,chinese would purchase for ready money4
 ,credit to any extent we might have    
had1 could we conscientiously have      
availed ourselves of it1 but this we    
felt to be unscriptural in itself1 as   
well as inconsistent with the position  

we were in4 ,we had1 indeed1 one        
article--an iron stove--which we knew   
the ,chinese would readily purchase2 but
 we much regretted the necessity of     
parting with it4 ,at length1 however1 we
 set out to the founder's1 and after a  
walk of some distance came to the river1
 which we had intended to cross by a    
floating bridge of boats2 but here the  
,,lord shut up our path4 ,the bridge had
 been carried away during the preceding 
night1 and the river was only passable  
by means of a ferry1 the fare for which 
was two cash each person4 ,as we only   
possessed one cash1 our course clearly  
was to return and await ,,god',s own    
interposition on our behalf4  ,upon     
reaching home1 we found that ,mrs4      
,jones had gone with the children to    
dine at a friend's house1 in accordance 
with an invitation accepted some days   
previously4 ,mr4 ,jones1 though himself 
included in the invitation1 refused now 
to go and leave me to fast alone4 ,so we
 set to work and carefully searched the 

cupboards2 and though there was nothing 
to eat1 we found a small packet of      
cocoa1 which1 with a little hot water1  
somewhat revived us4 ,after this we     
again cried to the ,,lord in our        
trouble1 and the ,,lord heard and saved 
us out of all our distresses4 ,for while
 we were still upon our knees a letter  
arrived from ,england containing a      
remittance4  ,this timely supply not    
only met the immediate and urgent need  
of the day2 for in the assured          
confidence that ,,god1 whose we were and
 whom we served1 would not put to shame 
those whose whole and only trust was in 
,himself4 ,my marriage had been         
previously arranged to take place just  
fourteen days after this date4 ,and this
 expectation was not disappointed2 for  
the mountains shall depart1 and the     
hills be removed1 but ,my kindness shall
 not depart from thee1 neither shall the
 covenant of ,my peace be removed4 ,and 
although during subsequent years our    
faith was often exercised1 and sometimes

 severely1 ,he ever proved faithful to  
,his promise1 and never suffered us to  
lack any good thing4  ,never1 perhaps1  
was there a union that more fully       
realised the blessed truth1 ,whoso      
findeth a wife findeth a good thing1 and
 obtaineth favour of the ,,lord4 ,my    
dear wife was not only a precious gift  
to me2 ,,god blessed her to many others 
during the twelve eventful years through
 which she was spared to those that     
loved her and to ,china4  ,hers had been
 a life connection with missionary work 
in that great empire2 for her father1   
the loved and devoted ,samuel ,dyer1 was
 amongst the very earliest              
representatives of the ,london ,mission 
in the ,east4 ,he reached the ,straits  
as early as #ahbg1 and for sixteen years
 laboured assiduously amongst the       
,chinese in ,penang and ,singapore1     
completing at the same time a valuable  
fount of ,chinese metallic type1 the    
first of the kind that had then been    
attempted4 ,dying in #ahdc1 it was never

 ,mr4 ,dyers privilege to realise his   
hopes of ultimately being able to settle
 on ,chinese soil2 but his children     
lived to see the country opened to the  
,gospel1 and to take their share in the 
great work that had been so dear to his 
heart4 ,at the time of her marriage1 my 
dear wife had been already living for   
several years in ,ningpo with her       
friend1 ,miss ,aldersey1 in whose varied
 missionary operations she was well     
qualified to render valuable assistance4
  ,illustration     ,,chapter ,,xvii    
,,god ,a ,,refuge ,,for ,,us   ,a       
,,somewhat different though not less    
manifest answer to prayer was vouchsafed
 early in the year #ahei4 ,my dear wife 
was brought very low by illness1 and at 
last all hope of recovery seemed gone4  
,every remedy tried had proved          
unavailing2 and ,dr4 ,parker1 who was in
 attendance1 had nothing more to        
suggest4 ,life was ebbing fast away4    
,the only ground of hope was that ,,god 
might yet see fit to raise her up1 in   

answer to believing but submissive      
prayer4  ,the afternoon for the usual   
prayer meeting among the missionaries   
had arrived1 and ,i sent in a request   
for prayer1 which was most warmly       
responded to4 ,just at this time a      
remedy that had not yet been tried was  
suggested to my mind1 and ,i felt that  
,i must hasten to consult ,dr4 ,parker  
as to the propriety of using it4 ,it was
 a moment of anguish4 ,the hollow       
temples1 sunken eyes1 and pinched       
features denoted the near approach of   
death2 and it seemed more than          
questionable as to whether life would   
hold out until my return4 ,it was nearly
 two miles to ,dr4 ,parker's house1 and 
every moment appeared long4 ,on my way  
thither1 while wrestling mightily with  
,,god in prayer1 the precious words were
 brought with power to my soul1 ,call   
upon ,me in the day of trouble3 ,i will 
deliver thee1 and thou shall glorify    
,me4 ,i was at once enabled to plead    
them in faith1 and the result was deep1 

deep1 unspeakable peace and joy4 ,all   
consciousness of distance was gone4 ,dr4
 ,parker cordially approved of the use  
of the means suggested1 but upon        
arriving at home ,i saw at a glance that
 the desired change had taken place in  
the absence of this or any other remedy4
 ,the pinched aspect of the countenance 
had given place to the calmness of      
tranquil slumber1 and not one           
unfavourable symptom remained to retard 
recovery to health and strength4        
,spared thus in answer to prayer the    
loss of my own loved one1 it was with   
added sympathy and sorrow that ,i felt  
for ,dr4 ,parker1 when1 in the autumn of
 the same year1 his own wife was very   
suddenly removed4 ,it being necessary   
for the doctor to return at once with   
his motherless children to ,glasgow1    
temporary arrangements had to be made   
for the conduct of the ,mission         
,hospital in ,ningpo1 for which he alone
 had been responsible4 ,under these     
circumstances he requested me to take up

 the work1 at least so far as the       
dispensary was concerned4 ,after a few  
days' waiting upon the ,,lord for       
guidance1 ,i felt constrained to        
undertake not only the dispensary work1 
but also that of the hospital2 relying  
solely upon the faithfulness of a       
prayer-hearing ,,god to furnish the     
means required for its support4  ,the   
funds for the maintenance of the        
hospital had hitherto been supplied by  
the proceeds of the doctor's foreign    
medical practice2 and with his departure
 these ceased4 ,but had not ,,god said  
that whatever we ask in the ,name of the
 ,,lord ,,jesus shall be done8 ,and are 
we not told to seek first the kingdom of
 ,,god1 not means to advance it1 and    
that all these things shall be added to 
us8 ,such promises were surely          
sufficient4 ,eight days before entering 
upon this responsibility ,i had not the 
remotest idea of ever doing so2 still   
less could friends at home have         
anticipated it4 ,but the ,,lord had     

foreseen the need1 and already funds    
were on the way to supply it4  ,at times
 there were not less than fifty         
in-patients in the hospital1 besides a  
large number who daily attended the     
out-patient department4 ,thirty beds    
were ordinarily allotted to free        
patients and their attendants2 and about
 as many to opium-smokers1 who paid for 
their board while being cured of the    
habit4 ,as all the wants of the sick in 
the wards were supplied gratuitously1 in
 addition to the remedial appliances    
needed for the out-patient work1 the    
daily expenses were considerable2       
besides which1 a number of native       
attendants were required1 involving     
their support4  ,when ,dr4 ,parker      
handed the hospital over to me he was   
able to leave money that would meet the 
salaries and working expenses of the    
current month1 and little more4 ,being  
unable to guarantee their support1 his  
native staff retired2 and then ,i       
mentioned the circumstances to the      

members of our little church1 some of   
whom volunteered to help me1 depending1 
like myself1 upon the ,,lord2 and they  
with me continued to wait upon ,,god    
that in some way or other ,he would     
provide for ,his own work4 ,day by day  
the stores diminished1 and they were all
 but exhausted when one day a remarkable
 letter reached me from a friend in     
,england which contained a cheque for   
#ej4 ,the letter stated that the sender 
had recently lost his father1 and had   
inherited his property2 that not        
desiring to increase his personal       
expenditure1 he wished to hold the money
 which had now been left to him to      
further the ,,lord',s work4 ,he enclosed
 the #ej1 saying that ,i might know of  
some special need for it2 but leaving me
 free to use it for my own support1 or  
in any way that the ,,lord might lead   
me2 only asking to know how it was      
applied1 and whether there was need for 
more4  ,after a little season of        
thanksgiving with my dear wife1 ,i      

called my native helpers into our little
 chapel1 and translated to them the     
letter4 ,i need not say how rejoiced    
they were1 and that we together praised 
,,god4 ,they returned to their work in  
the hospital with overflowing hearts1   
and told out to the patients what a     
,,god was ours2 appealing to them       
whether their idols had ever helped them
 so4 ,both helpers and patients were    
blessed spiritually through this        
remarkable provision1 and from that time
 the ,,lord provided all that was       
necessary for carrying on the           
institution1 in addition to what was    
needed for the maintenance of my own    
family1 and for sustaining other        
branches of missionary work under my    
care4 ,when1 nine months later1 ,i was  
obliged through failure of health to    
relinquish this charge1 ,i was able to  
leave more funds in hand for the support
 of the hospital than were forthcoming  
at the time ,i undertook it4  ,but not  
only were pecuniary supplies vouchsafed 

in answer to prayer--many lives were    
spared2 persons apparently in hopeless  
stages of disease were restored1 and    
success was given in cases of serious   
and dangerous operations4 ,in the case  
of one poor man1 whose legs were        
amputated under very unfavourable       
circumstances1 healthy action took place
 with such rapidity that both wounds    
were healed in less than two weeks4 ,and
 more permanent benefits than these were
 conferred4 ,many were convinced of the 
truth of ,christianity2 not a few sought
 the ,,lord in faith and prayer1 and    
experienced the power of the ,great     
,physician to cure the sin-sick soul4   
,during the nine months above alluded to
 sixteen patients from the hospital were
 baptized1 and more than thirty others  
became candidates for admission into one
 or other of the ,christian churches in 
the city4  ,thus the year #ahfj began   
with openings on all hands1 but time and
 strength were sadly too limited to     
admit of their being used to the best   

advantage4 ,for some time the help of   
additional workers had been a much-felt 
need2 and in ,january very definite     
prayer was made to the ,,lord of the    
harvest that ,he would thrust forth more
 labourers into this special portion of 
the great world-field4 ,writing to      
relatives at home in ,england1 under    
date of ,january #afth1 #ahfj1 ,i thus  
expressed the deep longing of our       
hearts3--            ,do you know any   
earnest1 devoted young men              
desirous of serving ,,god in ,china1    
who--not wishing           for more than
 their actual support--would be         
willing to come out and labour here8    
,oh1 for four           or five such    
helpers6 ,they would probably begin to  
preach in ,chinese in six months time2  
and in           answer to prayer the   
necessary means for their               
support would be found4  ,but no one    
came to help us then2 and under the     
incessant physical and mental strain    
involved1 in the care of the hospital   

during ,dr4 ,parker's absence1 as well  
as the continued discharge of my other  
missionary duties1 my own health began  
rapidly to fail1 and it became a serious
 question as to whether it would not be 
needful to return to ,england for a     
time4  ,it was hard to face this        
possibility4 ,the growing church and    
work seemed to need our presence1 and it
 was no small trial to part from those  
whom we had learned so truly to love in 
the ,,lord4 ,thirty or forty native     
,christians had been gathered into the  
recently organised church2 and the      
well-filled meetings1 and the           
warm-hearted earnestness of the         
converts1 all bespoke a future of much  
promise4 ,at last1 however1 completely  
prostrated by repeated attacks of       
illness1 the only hope of restoration   
seemed to lie in a voyage to ,england   
and a brief stay in its more bracing    
climate2 and this necessity1 painful    
though it seemed at the time1 proved to 
be only another opportunity for the     

manifestation of the faithfulness and   
loving care of ,him who worketh all     
things after the counsel of ,his own    
will4  ,as heretofore1 the ,,lord was   
present with ,his aid4 ,the means for   
our journey were supplied1 and that so  
liberally that we were able to bring    
with us a native ,christian to assist in
 translation or other literary work1 and
 to instruct in the language such       
helpers as the ,,lord might raise up for
 the extension of the ,mission4 ,that   
,he would give us fellow-labourers we   
had no doubt2 for we had been enabled to
 seek them from ,him in earnest and     
believing prayer for many months        
previously4  ,the day before leaving    
,china we wrote as follows to our friend
 ,w4 ,t4 ,berger1 ,esq41 whom we had    
known in ,england1 and who had ever     
strengthened our hands in the ,,lord    
while in that distant land3--  ,we are  
bringing with us a young ,chinese       
brother to assist in literary work1 and 
,i hope also in teaching the dialect to 

those whom the ,,lord may induce to     
return with us4  ,and throughout the    
voyage our earnest cry to ,,god was that
 ,he would overrule our stay at home for
 good to ,china1 and make it            
instrumental in raising up at least five
 helpers to labour in the province of   
,,cheh-,,kiang4  ,the way in which it   
pleased the ,,lord to answer these      
earnest and believing prayers1 and the  
exceeding abundantly with which ,he     
crowned them1 we shall now sketch in    
brief outline4  ,illustration           
,,chapter ,,xviii  ,a ,,new ,,agency    
,,needed   ,my thoughts are not your    
thoughts1 neither are your ways ,my     
ways1 saith the ,,lord4 ,for as the     
heavens are higher than the earth1 so   
are ,my ways higher than your ways1 and 
,my thoughts than your thoughts4#c ,how 
true are these words6 ,when the ,,lord  
is bringing in great blessing in the    
best possible way1 how oftentimes our   
unbelieving hearts are feeling1 if not  
saying1 like ,jacob of old1 ,all these  

things are against me4 ,or we are filled
 with fear1 as were the disciples when  
the ,,lord1 walking on the waters1 drew 
near to quiet the troubled sea1 and to  
bring them quickly to their desired     
haven4 ,and yet mere common-sense ought 
to tell us that ,he1 whose way is       
perfect1 can make no mistakes2 that ,he 
who has promised to perfect that which  
concerneth us1 and whose minute care    
counts the very hairs of our heads1 and 
forms for us our circumstances1 must    
know better than we the way to forward  
our truest interests and to glorify ,his
 own ,name4            ,blind unbelief  
is sure to err              ,and scan   
,his work in vain2            ,,god is  
,his own ,interpreter1              ,and
 ,he will make it plain4  ,to me it     
seemed a great calamity that failure of 
health compelled my relinquishing work  
for ,,god in ,china1 just when it was   
more fruitful than ever before2 and to  
leave the little band of ,christians in 
,ningpo1 needing much care and teaching1

 was a great sorrow4 ,nor was the sorrow
 lessened when1 on reaching ,england1   
medical testimony assured me that return
 to ,china1 at least for years to come1 
was impossible4 ,little did ,i then     
realise that the long separation from   
,china was a necessary step towards the 
formation of a work which ,,god would   
bless as ,he has blessed the ,,china    
,,inland ,,mission4 ,while in the field1
 the pressure of claims immediately     
around me was so great that ,i could not
 think much of the still greater needs  
of the regions farther inland2 and1 if  
they were thought of1 could do nothing  
for them4 ,but while detained for some  
years in ,england1 daily viewing the    
whole country on the large map on the   
wall of my study1 ,i was as near to the 
vast regions of ,inland ,china as to the
 smaller districts in which ,i had      
laboured personally for ,,god2 and      
prayer was often the only resource by   
which the burdened heart could gain any 
relief4  ,as a long absence from ,china 

appeared inevitable1 the next question  
was how best to serve ,china while in   
,england1 and this led to my engaging   
for several years1 with the late ,rev4  
,f4 ,f4 ,gough of the ,c4 ,m4 ,s41 in   
the revision of a version of the ,new   
,testament in the colloquial of ,ningpo 
for the ,british and ,foreign ,bible    
,society4 ,in undertaking this work1 in 
my short-sightedness ,i saw nothing     
beyond the use that the ,book1 and the  
marginal references1 would be to the    
native ,christians2 but ,i have often   
seen since that1 without those months of
 feeding and feasting on the ,word of   
,,god1 ,i should have been quite        
unprepared to form1 on its present      
basis1 a mission like the ,,china       
,,inland ,,mission4  ,in the study of   
that ,divine ,word ,i learned that1 to  
obtain successful labourers1 not        
elaborate appeals for help1 but1 first1 
earnest prayer to ,,god to thrust forth 
labourers1 and1 second1 the deepening of
 the spiritual life of the church1 so   

that men should be unable to stay at    
home1 were what was needed4 ,i saw that 
the ,apostolic plan was not to raise    
ways and means1 but to go and do the    
work1 trusting in ,his sure ,word who   
has said1 ,seek ye first the ,kingdom of
 ,,god and ,his righteousness1 and all  
these things shall be added unto you4   
,in the meantime the prayer for workers 
for ,,cheh-,,kiang was being answered4  
,the first1 ,mr4 ,meadows1 sailed for   
,china with his young wife in ,january  
#ahfb1 through the kind co-operation and
 aid of our friend ,mr4 ,berger4 ,the   
second left ,england in #ahfd1 having   
her passage provided by the ,foreign    
,evangelisation ,society4 ,the third and
 fourth reached ,ningpo on ,july #bdth1 
#ahfe4 ,a fifth soon followed them1     
reaching ,ningpo in ,september #ahfe4   
,thus the prayer for the five workers   
was fully answered2 and we were         
encouraged to look to ,,god for still   
greater things4  ,months of earnest     
prayer and not a few abortive efforts   

had resulted in a deep conviction that a
 special agency was essential for the   
evangelisation of ,inland ,china4 ,at   
this time ,i had not only the daily help
 of prayer and conference with my       
beloved friend and fellow-worker the    
late ,rev4 ,f4 ,f4 ,gough1 but also     
invaluable aid and counsel from ,mr4 and
 ,mrs4 ,berger1 with whom ,i and my dear
 wife 7whose judgment and piety were of 
priceless value at this juncture7 spent 
many days in prayerful deliberation4    
,the grave difficulty of possibly       
interfering with existing missionary    
operations at home was foreseen2 but it 
was concluded that1 by simple trust in  
,,god1 suitable agency might be raised  
up and sustained without interfering    
injuriously with any existing work4 ,i  
had also a growing conviction that ,,god
 would have me to seek from ,him the    
needed workers1 and to go forth with    
them4 ,but for a long time unbelief     
hindered my taking the first step4  ,how
 inconsistent unbelief always is6 ,i had

 no doubt that1 if ,i prayed for        
workers1 in the ,name of the ,,lord     
,,jesus ,,christ1 they would be given   
me4 ,i had no doubt that1 in answer to  
such prayer1 the means for our going    
forth would be provided1 and that doors 
would be opened before us in unreached  
parts of the ,empire4 ,but ,i had not   
then learned to trust ,,god for keeping 
power and grace for myself1 so no wonder
 that ,i could not trust ,him to keep   
others who might be prepared to go with 
me4 ,i feared that in the midst of the  
dangers1 difficulties1 and trials which 
would necessarily be connected with such
 a work1 some who were comparatively    
inexperienced ,christians might break   
down1 and bitterly reproach me for      
having encouraged them to undertake an  
enterprise for which they were unequal4 
,yet1 what was ,i to do8 ,the feeling of
 blood-guiltiness became more and more  
intense4 ,simply because ,i refused to  
ask for them1 the labourers did not come
 forward--did not go out to ,china--and 

every day tens of thousands were passing
 away to ,christless graves6 ,perishing 
,china so filled my heart and mind that 
there was no rest by day1 and little    
sleep by night1 till health broke down4 
,at the invitation of my beloved and    
honoured friend1 ,mr4 ,george ,pearse   
7then of the ,stock ,exchange71 ,i went 
to spend a few days with him in         
,brighton4  ,on ,sunday1 ,june #beth1   
#ahfe1 unable to bear the sight of a    
congregation of a thousand or more      
,christian people rejoicing in their own
 security1 while millions were perishing
 for lack of knowledge1 ,i wandered out 
on the sands alone1 in great spiritual  
agony2 and there the ,,lord conquered my
 unbelief1 and ,i surrendered myself to 
,,god for this service4 ,i told ,him    
that all the responsibility as to issues
 and consequences must rest with ,him2  
that as ,his servant1 it was mine to    
obey and to follow ,him--,his1 to       
direct1 to care for1 and to guide me and
 those who might labour with me4 ,need  

,i say that peace at once flowed into my
 burdened heart8 ,there and then ,i     
asked ,him for twenty-four              
fellow-workers1 two for each of eleven  
inland provinces which were without a   
missionary1 and two for ,mongolia2 and  
writing the petition on the margin of   
the ,bible ,i had with me1 ,i returned  
home with a heart enjoying rest such as 
it had been a stranger to for months1   
and with an assurance that the ,,lord   
would bless ,his own work and that ,i   
should share in the blessing4 ,i had    
previously prayed1 and asked prayer1    
that workers might be raised up for the 
eleven then unoccupied provinces1 and   
thrust forth and provided for1 but had  
not surrendered myself to be their      
leader4  ,about this time1 with the help
 of my dear wife1 ,i wrote the little   
book1 ,china's ,spiritual ,need and     
,claims4 ,every paragraph was steeped in
 prayer4 ,with the help of ,mr4 ,berger1
 who had given valued aid in the        
revision of the manuscript1 and who bore

 the expense of printing an edition of  
#cjjj copies1 they were soon put in     
circulation4 ,i spoke publicly of the   
proposed work as opportunity permitted1 
specially at the ,perth and ,mildmay    
,conferences of #ahfe1 and continued in 
prayer for fellow-workers1 who were soon
 raised up1 and after due correspondence
 were invited to my home1 then in the   
,east of ,london4 ,when one house became
 insufficient1 the occupant of the      
adjoining house removed1 and ,i was able
 to rent it2 and when that in its turn  
became insufficient1 further            
accommodation was provided close by4    
,soon there were a number of men and    
women under preparatory training1 and   
engaging in evangelistic work which     
tested in some measure their            
qualifications as soul-winners4         
,illustration  ,,footnotes3  #c ,isaiah 
lv4 #h1 #i4     ,,chapter ,,xix  ,,the  
,,formation ,,of ,,the ,c4 ,i4 ,m4      
,,it was thus that in the year #ahfe the
 ,,china ,,inland ,,mission was         

organised2 and the workers already in   
the field were incorporated into it4 ,w4
 ,t4 ,berger1 ,esq41 then residing at   
,saint ,hill1 near ,east ,grinstead1    
without whose help and encouragement ,i 
could not have gone forward1 undertook  
the direction of the home department of 
the work during my anticipated absence  
in ,china2 and ,i proposed1 as soon as  
arrangements could be completed1 to go  
out with the volunteers and take the    
direction of the work in the field4 ,for
 the support of the workers already in  
,china1 our friends at home were sending
 in unsolicited contributions from time 
to time1 and every need was met4  ,we   
had now1 however1 to look forward to the
 outgoing of a party of sixteen or      
seventeen1 and estimated that from #aejj
 to #bjjj might be required to cover    
outfits1 passage-money1 and initial     
expenses4 ,i wrote a little pamphlet1   
calling it ,occasional ,paper1 ,no4 ,i4 
7intending in successive numbers to give
 to donors and friends accounts of the  

work wrought through us in ,china71 and 
in that paper stated the anticipated    
needs for floating the enterprise4 ,i   
expected that ,,god would incline the   
hearts of some of the readers to send   
contributions3 ,i had determined never  
to use personal solicitation1 or to make
 collections1 or to issue               
collecting-books4 ,missionary-boxes were
 thought unobjectionable1 and we had a  
few prepared for those who might ask for
 them1 and have continued to use them   
ever since4  ,it was ,february #fth1    
#ahff1 when ,i sent my manuscript of    
,occasional ,paper1 ,no4 ,i41 with a    
design for the cover1 to the printer4   
,from delays in engraving and printing1 
it was ,march #abth when the bales of   
pamphlets were delivered at my house4   
,now on ,february #fth a daily          
prayer-meeting1 from #ab to #a o'clock1 
had been commenced1 to ask for the      
needed funds4 ,and that we had not asked
 in vain1 the following extract from    
,occasional ,paper1 ,no4 ,,ii4 will     

show3--  ,the receipts for #ahfd were   
#ea3ads42 for #ahfe1 from ,january to   
,june1 #bba3ab3f1 besides two free      
passages2 from ,june to ,december1      
#ibc3ab3h4 ,hindrances having occurred1 
the ,,ms4 of the ,occasional ,paper1    
,no4 ,i4 was not completed till         
,february #fth1 #ahff4 ,up to this time 
we had received 7from ,december #cjth7  
#agj3h3c4  ,we felt much encouraged by  
the receipt of so much money in little  
more than a month1 as it was entirely   
unsolicited by us--save from ,,god4 ,but
 it was also evident that we must ask   
the ,,lord to do yet greater things for 
us1 or it would be impossible for a     
party of from ten to sixteen to leave in
 the middle of ,may4 ,daily united      
prayer was therefore offered to ,,god   
for the funds needful for the outfits   
and passages of as many as ,he would    
have to go out in ,may4  ,owing to the  
delays mentioned above in the printing  
of the ',occasional ,paper1' it was not 
ready for the publisher until ,march    

#abth4 ,on this day ,i again examined my
 mission cash-book1 and the comparison  
of the result of the two similar periods
 of one month and six days each1 one    
before and one after special prayer for 
#aejj to #bjjj1 was very striking3--    
,receipts from ,december #cjth to       
,february #fth1 #agj  #h  #c            
,feb4 #fth to ,mar4 #abth #aggd #e #aa  
,funds advised1 since received  #bjj #j 
#j                                      
---------     #aigd  #e #aa  ,this1 it  
will be noticed1 was previous to the    
circulation of the ',occasional ,paper1'
 and1 consequently1 was not the result  
of it4 ,it was the response of a        
faithful ,,god to the united prayers of 
those whom ,he had called to serve ,him 
in the ,gospel of ,his dear ,,son4  ,we 
can now compare with these two periods a
 third of the same extent4 ,from ,march 
#abth to ,april #ahth the receipts were 
#ebi1 showing that when ,,god had       
supplied the special need1 the special  
supply also ceased4 ,truly there is a   

,,living ,,god1 and ,,he is the hearer  
and answerer of prayer4  ,but this      
gracious answer to prayer made it a     
little difficult to circulate           
,occasional ,paper1 ,no4 ,i41 for it    
stated as a need that which was already 
supplied4 ,the difficulty was obviated  
by the issue with each copy of a        
coloured inset stating that the funds   
for outfit and passage were already in  
hand in answer to prayer4 ,we were      
reminded of the difficulty of           
,moses--not a very common one in the    
present day--and of the proclamation he 
had to send through the camp to the     
people to prepare no more for the       
building of the ,tabernacle1 as the     
gifts in hand were already too much4 ,we
 are convinced that if there were less  
solicitation for money and more         
dependence upon the power of the ,,holy 
,,ghost and upon the deepening of       
spiritual life1 the experience of ,moses
 would be a common one in every branch  
of ,christian work4  ,preparations for  

sailing to ,china were at once proceeded
 with4 ,about this time ,i was asked to 
give a lecture on ,china in a village   
not very far from ,london1 and agreed to
 do so on condition that there should be
 no collection1 and that this should be 
announced on the bills4 ,the gentleman  
who invited me1 and who kindly presided 
as chairman1 said he had never had that 
condition imposed before4 ,he accepted  
it1 however1 and the bills were issued  
accordingly for the #bnd or #crd of     
,may4 ,with the aid of a large map1     
something of the extent and population  
and deep spiritual need of ,china was   
presented1 and many were evidently      
impressed4  ,at the close of the meeting
 the chairman said that by my request it
 had been intimated on the bills that   
there would be no collection2 but he    
felt that many present would be         
distressed and burdened if they had not 
the opportunity of contributing         
something towards the good work         
proposed4 ,he trusted that as the       

proposition emanated entirely from      
himself1 and expressed1 he felt sure1   
the feelings of many in the audience1 ,i
 should not object to it4 ,i begged1    
however1 that the condition agreed to   
might be carried out2 pointing out among
 other reasons for making no collection1
 that the very reason adduced by our    
kind chairman was1 to my mind1 one of   
the strongest for not making it4 ,my    
wish was1 not that those present should 
be relieved by making such contribution 
as might there and then be convenient1  
under the influence of a present        
emotion2 but that each one should go    
home burdened with the deep need of     
,china1 and ask of ,,god what ,he would 
have them to do4 ,if1 after thought and 
prayer1 they were satisfied that a      
pecuniary contribution was what ,he     
wanted of them1 it could be given to any
 ,missionary ,society having agents in  
,china2 or it might be posted to our    
,london office2 but that perhaps in many
 cases what ,,god wanted was not a money

 contribution1 but personal consecration
 to ,his service abroad2 or the giving  
up of son or daughter--more precious    
than silver or gold--to ,his service4 ,i
 added that ,i thought the tendency of a
 collection was to leave the impression 
that the all-important thing was money1 
whereas no amount of money could convert
 a single soul2 that what was needed was
 that men and women filled with the     
,,holy ,,ghost should give themselves to
 the work3 for the support of such there
 would never be a lack of funds4 ,as my 
wish was evidently very strong1 the     
chairman kindly yielded to it1 and      
closed the meeting4 ,he told me1        
however1 at the supper-table1 that he   
thought it was a mistake on my part1 and
 that1 notwithstanding all ,i had said1 
a few persons had put some little       
contributions into his hands4  ,next    
morning at breakfast1 my kind host came 
in a little late1 and acknowledged to   
not having had a very good night4 ,after
 breakfast he asked me to his study1 and

 giving me the contributions handed to  
him the night before1 said1 ,i thought  
last night1 ,mr4 ,taylor1 that you were 
in the wrong about a collection2 ,i am  
now convinced you were quite right4 ,as 
,i thought in the night of that stream  
of souls in ,china ever passing onward  
into the dark1 ,i could only cry as you 
suggested1 ',,lord1 what wilt ,thou have
 me to do8' ,i think ,i have obtained   
the guidance ,i sought1 and here it is4 
,he handed me a cheque for #ejj1 adding 
that if there had been a collection he  
would have given a few pounds to it1 but
 now this cheque was the result of      
having spent no small part of the night 
in prayer4  ,i need scarcely say how    
surprised and thankful ,i was for this  
gift4 ,i had received at the            
breakfast-table a letter from ,messrs4  
,killick1 ,martin and ,co41 shipping    
agents1 in which they stated that they  
could offer us the whole passenger      
accommodation of the ship ,lammermuir4  
,i went direct to the ship1 found it in 

every way suitable1 and paid the cheque 
on account4 ,as above stated1 the funds 
deemed needed had been already in hand  
for some time2 but the coincidence of   
the simultaneous offer of the ship      
accommodation and this munificent       
gift--,,god',s exceeding                
abundantly--greatly encouraged my heart4
  ,on the #bfth of ,may we sailed for   
,china in the ,lammermuir1 a missionary 
party of #af 7besides my four children  
and their nurse1 and ,miss ,bausum      
7afterwards ,mrs4 ,barchet772 in all #bb
 passengers4 ,mr4 ,berger took charge of
 the home department1 and thus the ,c4  
,i4 ,m4 was fully inaugurated4          
,illustration     ,,chapter ,,xx  ,,the 
,,mission ,,in #ahid   ,,the events     
sketched in the last two chapters have  
been more fully delineated by ,miss     
,guinness in her interesting ,story of  
the ,china ,inland ,mission1 which      
continues its history to the present    
date4 ,it is indeed a record of the     
goodness of ,,god1 every remembrance of 

which calls for gratitude and praise4   
,we can only here briefly mention a few 
facts1 referring our readers to ,miss   
,guinness's work for all details4       
,after a voyage of many mercies the     
,lammermuir party safely reached ,china1
 and during the first ten years stations
 and out-stations were opened in many   
cities and towns in four provinces which
 hitherto had been unreached by the     
,gospel4 ,at home ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,berger
 continued their devoted service until  
,march #aith1 #ahgb1 ,i having returned 
to ,england the year before4 ,shortly   
after this the ,london ,council was     
formed1 which has now for several years 
been assisted by an auxiliary ,council  
of ladies4 ,a ,scotch ,council was also 
formed in ,glasgow a few years ago4  ,a 
visit to ,america in #ahhh issued in the
 formation of the ,council for ,north   
,america1 and a similar ,council for    
,australasia was commenced in ,melbourne
 two years later4 ,in the field a ,china
 ,council was organised in #ahhf1       

composed of senior missionaries who meet
 quarterly in ,shanghai4  ,closely      
associated with the ,c4 ,i4 ,m4 are     
seven ,committees--in ,england1 ,norway1
 ,sweden 7two71 ,finland1 ,germany1 and 
the ,united ,states--which send out and 
support their own missionaries1 who in  
,china have the assistance of the       
educational and other advantages of the 
,c4 ,i4 ,m41 and who work under its     
direction4  ,the staff of the ,mission1 
in ,may #ahic1 consisted of #eeb        
missionaries 7including wives and       
associates74 ,there were also #cbf      
native helpers 7#ie of whom were        
unpaid71 working as pastors1            
evangelists1 teachers1 colporteurs1     
,bible-women1 etc41 in #ad different    
provinces4  ,duly qualified candidates  
for missionary labour are accepted      
without restriction as to denomination1 
provided they are sound in the faith in 
all fundamental truths3 these go out in 
dependence upon ,,god for temporal      
supplies1 with the clear understanding  

that the officers of the ,mission do not
 guarantee any income whatever2 and     
knowing that as they will not go into   
debt1 they can only minister to them as 
the funds sent in from time to time will
 allow4 ,but we praise ,,god that during
 the past twenty-eight years such       
ministry has always been possible2 our  
,,god has supplied all our need1 and has
 withheld no good thing4  ,all the      
expenses of the ,mission at home and    
abroad are met by voluntary             
contributions1 sent to the offices of   
the ,mission without personal           
solicitation1 by those who wish to aid  
in this effort to spread the knowledge  
of the ,gospel throughout ,china4 ,the  
income for the year #ahib was about     
#cd1jjj from all sources--,great        
,britain1 the ,continent of ,europe1    
,north ,america1 ,australasia1 ,china1  
etc4  ,some of the missionaries having  
private property have gone out at their 
own expense1 and do not take anything   
from the ,mission funds4  ,stations have

 been opened in ten of the eleven       
provinces which were previously without 
,protestant missionaries2 from one of   
these1 however1 we have had to retire4  
,the eleventh province has been visited 
several times1 and it is hoped that in  
it permanent work may soon be begun4    
,more than #bjj stations and            
out-stations have been opened in        
fourteen of the eighteen provinces1 in  
all of which stations either            
missionaries or native labourers are    
resident4 ,over #fjjj converts have been
 baptized from the commencement1 some   
#djjj of whom are now living and in     
fellowship4   ,,the ,,mission ,,in #aijb
  ,the year #ahid1 in which the first   
edition of ,a ,retrospect appeared1 was 
marked by the erection of large and     
commodious premises for the work of the 
,mission1 and early in the following    
year the houses in ,pyrland ,road1 which
 had so long formed the home of the     
,mission in ,england1 were vacated1 and 
,,newington ,,green1 ,,london1 ,n41     

became the address of the ,mission      
offices and home4  ,from that date until
 the ,boxer outbreak of #aijj the       
,mission made steady progress1 the      
development of the work in ,china being 
accompanied by corresponding            
developments in the home departments of 
the ,mission in ,england1 ,america1 and 
,australasia4  ,in ,january #aijj1      
before the ,boxer outbreak1 there were  
in connection with the ,mission1 #haa   
missionaries1 including wives and       
associates2 #aga stations2 #bbc         
out-stations2 #chg chapels2 #eha paid   
native helpers2 #aic unpaid native      
helpers2 #heeg communicants in          
fellowship1 #ab1ifd having been baptized
 from the commencement4 ,there were #bff
 organised churches2 #ghh boarding      
scholars2 #achb day scholars2 #f        
hospitals2 #ah dispensaries2 and #df    
opium refuges4  ,during the terrible    
year of #aijj1 when no fewer than #ace  
missionaries and #ec missionaries'      
children and many thousands of ,chinese 

,christians were cruelly murdered1 the  
,china ,inland ,mission lost #eh        
missionaries and #ba children4 ,the     
records of these unparalleled times of  
suffering have been told in ,martyred   
,missionaries of the ,china ,inland     
,mission and in ,last ,letters1 both of 
which books will be found advertised at 
the end of this volume4 ,apart from loss
 of life1 there was an immense amount of
 ,mission property destroyed1 and the   
missionaries were compelled to retire   
from their stations in most parts of    
,china4  ,the doors closed by this      
outbreak have all been reopened in the  
goodness of ,,god4 ,in those districts  
which suffered most from the massacres  
the work has largely been one of        
reorganisation2 but throughout ,china   
generally there has been a spirit of    
awakening and a time of enlarged        
opportunity2 which is a loud call for   
more men and women to volunteer to step 
into the gaps and fill the places of    
those who have fallen4  ,among recent   

developments we would specially mention 
the opening of a new home centre at     
,philadelphia1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,the total     
income of the ,mission for #aija was    
#ec1fcc  #beg1gab1 and the total        
received in ,england alone1 for #aijb1  
was #ea1ddf  #bdf1iab4 ,the total       
membership of the ,mission in ,june     
#aijb was #gfa4  ,current information   
about the progress of the work in ,china
 may be obtained from ,china's          
,millions1 the organ of the ,mission4   
,it is published monthly1 and may be    
ordered through any bookseller from     
,messrs4 ,morgan and ,scott1 #ab        
,paternoster ,buildings1 ,e4,c41 for    
#as4 per year1 or direct by post from   
the offices of the ,mission1 ,newington 
,green1 ,london1 ,n41 for #as4 #f;d4 per
 annum4  ,the ,australasian edition of  
,china's ,millions may be ordered at the
 same price from ,m4 ,l4 ,hutchinson1   
,little ,collins ,street1 or from the   
,mission ,offices1 #bfg ,collins        
,street1 ,melbourne4 ,the ,north        

,american edition will be sent post free
 from the ,mission ,offices1 #ejg       
,church ,street1 ,toronto1 for #ej cents
 per annum4  ,prayer meetings on behalf 
of the work in ,china are held at the   
principal home centres of the ,mission1 
as follows3 ,every ,saturday afternoon  
from #d to #f o'clock1 at ,newington    
,green1 ,london4 ,every ,friday evening 
at #h o'clock1 at #ejg ,church ,street1 
,toronto4 ,every ,saturday afternoon at 
#d o'clock1 in the ,office1 #bfg        
,collins ,street1 ,melbourne4 ,a hearty 
invitation to attend any one of these   
meetings is given to any one residing in
 or visiting any of these cities4       
,donations to the ,mission1 applications
 from candidates1 orders for literature1
 requests for deputation speakers1 and  
other correspondence should be forwarded
 to            ,the ,secretary1         
,china ,inland ,mission1                
,newington ,green1 ,london1 ,n4         
,the ,home ,director1             ,china
 ,inland ,mission1               #ejg   

,church ,street1 ,toronto1 ,canada4  or 
#gjb ,witherspoon ,buildings1           
,philadelphia1 ,u4,s4,a4  or to         
,the ,secretary1             ,china     
,inland ,mission1               #bfg    
,collins ,street1 ,melbourne1           
,australia4  ,illustration3 ,,map ,,of  
,,china    ,shewing #a4 ,all ,protestant
 ,mission ,stations in ,china up to     
,june #ahff1               when the     
,c4,i4,m4 was founded 7they numbered    
fifteen7 ,these               are       
underlined in black4           #b4 ,the 
,stations of the ,china ,inland ,mission
 which 7with the               exception
 of ,ning-,po  ,fung-hwa7 have been     
opened since               ,june #ahff4 
,these are printed in red4              
,illustration     ,,stations ,,of ,,the 
,,china ,,inland ,,mission  #aijj       
7,,before ,,the ,,boxer ,,outbreak7     
,the best guide to the stations of the  
,mission is the new ,china ,inland      
,mission ,map 7size #dd  #ch in41       
mounted on linen1 coloured1 varnished1  

and hung on rollers71 price #hs4 net1   
carriage and packing extra4 ,mounted to 
fold1 #hs4 net1 post free4              
,provinces4#d                           
,stations4#e            ,,work ,,begun4 
,kan-suh1 #ahgf                         
,,liang-,,chau                   #ahhh  
,,si-,,ning                      #ahhe  
,,lan-,,chau                     #ahhe  
,,ts',,in-,,chau                   #ahgh
   ,area1#f #abe1dej square miles4      
,,fu ,k',,iang                    #ahii 
,population1 #i1bhe1cgg4                
,p',,ing-,,liang                  #ahie 
,,king-,,chau                    #ahie  
,,ts',,ing-,,ning                  #ahig
                                        
,chen-yuen                    #ahig     
,tong-chi                     #ahii     
----------------------------------------
----------------------------   ,shen-si1
 #ahgf4                   ,lung-chau    
#ahic                                   
,,feng-,,tsiang                  #ahhh  
,mei-hien                     #ahic     

,k',,ien-,,chau                   #ahid 
,area1 #fg1djj square miles4            
,chau-chih                    #ahic     
,population1 #h1dcb1aic4                
,sang-kia-chuang            #ahid       
,hing-p'ing                   #ahic     
,,si-,,gan                       #ahic  
,ying-kia-wei               #ahic       
,chen-kia-hu                  #ahig     
,lan-t'ien                    #ahie     
,k'ien-yang                   #ahig     
,ch'ang-wu                    #ahig     
,san-shui                     #ahig     
,t',,ung-,,chau                   #ahia 
,han-ch'eng                   #ahig     
,,han-,,chung                    #ahgi  
,ch'eng-ku                    #ahhg     
,si-hsiang                    #ahif     
,yang-hien                    #ahif     
,,hing-,,an                      #ahih  
----------------------------------------
----------------------------   ,shan-si1
 #ahgf                    ,,ta-,t',,ung 
#ahhf                                   
,hwen-yuen                    #ahih     

,,soh-,p',,ing                    #ahie 
,ts-yuin                     #ahie      
,,ying-,,chau                    #ahig  
,hiao-i                       #ahhg     
,kiai-hiu                     #ahia     
,,sih-,,chau                     #ahhe  
,ta-ning                      #ahhe     
,,kih-,,chau                     #ahia  
,ho-tsin                      #ahic     
,ping-yao                     #ahhh     
,area1 #ef1bfh square miles4            
,,hoh-,,chau                     #ahhf  
,population1 #ab1baa1dec4               
,hung-t'ung                   #ahhf     
,yoh-yang                     #ahif     
,p',,ing-,,yang                   #ahgi 
,k'h-wu                      #ahhe      
,i-sh                        #ahia      
,yin-ch'eng                  #ahhh      
,mei-ti-kiai                #ahie       
,,hiai-,,chau                    #ahie  
,lu-ch'eng                    #ahhi     
-wu                       #ahif         
,,lu-,,gan                       #ahhi  
,kiang-chau                   #ahih     

----------------------------------------
----------------------------   ,chih-li1
 #ahhg                                  
,t',,ien-,,tsin                   #ahhh 
,area1 #eh1idi square miles4            
,,pao-,t',,ing                    #ahia 
,population1 #ag1icg1jjj4               
,hwuy-luh                     #ahhg     
,,shun-,,teh                     #ahhh  
----------------------------------------
----------------------------            
,shan-tung1 #ahgi                       
,chefoo                     #ahgi       
,sanatorium           #ahhj             
,boys' ,school         #ahhj   ,area1   
#ec1gfb square miles4                   
,girls'              #ahhd              
,population1 #cf1bdg1hce4               
,preparatory ,school   #ahie            
,t'ung-shin                 #ahhi       
,ning-hai                     #ahhf     
----------------------------------------
----------------------------   ,ho-nan1 
#ahge                     ,siang-ch'eng 
#ahia                                   

,chau-kia-k'eo              #ahhd       
,ho-nan                    444          
,ho-peh                    444          
,ho-si                     444   ,area1 
#ff1iac square miles4                   
,,ch',,en-,,chau                   #ahie
   ,population1 #bb1aae1hbg4            
,t'ai-k'ang                   #ahie     
,she-k'i-tien               #ahhf       
,kwang-chau                   #ahii     
,hin-an                       #ahii     
,king-ts-kuan              #ahif        
----------------------------------------
----------------------------   ,w4      
,si-ch'uan1 #ahgg                       
,kwan-hien                    #ahhi     
,,ch',,en-,,tu                     #ahha
                                        
,,kia-,,ting                     #ahhh  
,area of whole ,province1               
,,sui-,,fu                       #ahhh  
#aff1hjj square miles4                  
,,lu-,,chau                      #ahij  
,hiao-sh                     #ahii      
,,ch',,ung-,k',,ing                     

#ahgg                                   
,ta-chien-lu                  #ahig     
----------------------------------------
----------------------------   ,e4      
,si-ch'uan1 #ahhf                       
,kwang-yuen                   #ahhi     
,sin-tien-ts               #ahib        
,,pao-,,ning                     #ahhf  
,ying-shan                    #ahih     
,population of whole ,province1         
,k-hien                      #ahih      
#fg1gab1hig4                            
,,shun-,k',,ing                   #ahif 
,pa-chau                      #ahhg     
,,sui-,,ting                     #ahii  
,wan-hien                     #ahhh     
----------------------------------------
----------------------------   ,hu-peh1 
#ahgd                     ,lao-ho-k'eo  
#ahhg   ,area1 #gj1dej square miles4    
,han-kow                    #ahhi       
,population1 #cd1bdd1fhe4               
,i-,,ch',,ang                     #ahie 
----------------------------------------
----------------------------            

,gan-hwuy1 #ahfi                        
,t'ai-ho                      #ahib     
,,ving-,,chau                    #ahig  
,ch'eng-yang-kwan           #ahhg       
,k'u-ch'eng                 #ahhg       
,fuh-hing-tsih 7,lai-gan7      #ahih    
,,luh-,,gan                      #ahij  
,,gan-,k',,ing                    #ahfi 
,area1 #dh1dfa square miles4            
,training ,home              444        
,population1 #bj1eif1bhh4               
,wu-hu                        #ahic     
,kien-p'ing                   #ahid     
,,ning-,,kwoh                    #ahgd  
,,kwang-,,teh                    #ahij  
,,ch',i-,,chau                    #ahhi 
,kien-teh                     #ahib     
,,hwuy-,,chau                    #ahhd  
----------------------------------------
----------------------------            
,kiang-su1 #ahed                        
,gan-tung                     #ahia     
,ts'ing-kiang-pu              #ahfi     
,kao-yiu                      #ahhh     
,,yang-,,chau                    #ahfh  

,training ,home               444       
,,chin-,,kiang                   #ahhh  
,area1 #dd1ejj square miles4            
,shanghai                     #ahed     
,population1 #bj1ije1aga4               
,financial ,department        444       
,business ,department         444       
,home                        444        
,hospital                    444        
,evangelistic ,work           444       
,literary ,work               444       
----------------------------------------
----------------------------   ,yun-nan1
 #ahgg                    ,bhmo 7,upper 
,burmah7         #ahge   ,area1 #ajg1ifi
 square miles4      ,,ta-,,li           
#ahha   ,population1 #aa1gba1egf4       
,,yun-,,nan                      #ahhb  
,k',h-,,ts',,ing                  #ahhi 
----------------------------------------
----------------------------            
,kwei-chau1 #ahgg                       
,,kwei-,,yang                    #ahgg  
,,gan-,,shun                     #ahhh  
,area1 #fd1eed square miles4            

,tuh-shan                     #ahic     
,population1 #g1ffi1aha4                
,,hing-,i                       #ahia   
7,work among ,aborigines7     444       
,p'ang-hai                  #ahig       
----------------------------------------
----------------------------   ,hu-nan1 
#ahge                                   
,,ch',,ang-,,teh                   #ahih
   ,area1 #gd1cbj square miles4         
,,shen-,,chau                    #ahih  
,population1 #ba1jjb1fjd4               
,ch'a-ling                    #ahih     
----------------------------------------
----------------------------            
,kiang-si1 #ahfi                        
,,kiu-,,kiang                    #ahhi  
,ku-ling ,sanatorium           #ahih    
,ta-ku-t'ang                #ahgc       
,,nan-,k',,ang                    #ahhg 
,gan-ren                      #ahhi     
,,rao-,,chau                     #ahih  
,peh-kan                    #ahic       
,kwei-k'i                     #ahgh     
,shang-ts'ing               #ahic       

,h-wan                       #ahii      
,ih-yang                      #ahij     
,area1 #gb1agf square miles4            
,ho-k'eo                    #ahgh       
,population1 #bd1ecd1aah4               
,yang-k'eo                  #ahij       
,kwang-feng                   #ahhi     
,yuh-shan                     #ahgg     
,chang-shu                  #ahie       
,,kui-,,gan                      #ahia  
,feng-kang                  #ahia       
,,kan-,,chau                     #ahii  
,sin-feng                     #ahii     
,,lin-,,kiang                    #ahih  
,,nan-,,ch',,ang                   #ahih
                                        
,,uen-,,chau 7,itinerating7      444    
,yung-sin                     #ahii     
----------------------------------------
----------------------------            
,cheh-kiang1 #aheg                      
,,hang-,,chau                    #ahff  
,,shao-,,hing                    #ahff  
,sin-ch'ang                   #ahgj     
,,kiu-,,chau                     #ahgb  

,ch'ang-shan                  #ahgh     
,lan-k'i                      #ahid     
,area1 #ci1aej square miles4            
,,kin-,,hwa                      #ahge  
,population1 #aa1ehh1fib4               
,yung-k'ang                   #ahhb     
,tseh-k'i                     #ahig     
,,ch',u-,,chau                    #ahge 
,lung-ch'uen                  #ahid     
,uin-ho                       #ahie     
,song-yang                    #ahif     
,siao-mei                   #ahif       
,tsin-yun                     #ahih     
,,ning-,p',o                     #aheg  
,fung-hwa                     #ahff     
,ning-hai                     #ahfh     
,t'ien-t'ai                   #ahih     
,t',,ai-,,chau                    #ahfg 
,ling-he ,district              444     
,hwang-yen                    #ahif     
,t'ai-p'ing                   #ahih     
,,wun-,,chau                     #ahfg  
,bing-yae                     #ahgd     
,,footnotes3  #d ,arranged in three     
lines from west to east1 for easy       

reference to ,map4 ,the dates in this   
column in many cases are of itinerations
 begun4  #e ,capitals of ,provinces in  
capital letters2 of ,prefectures in     
small capitals2 and of ,counties in     
romans2 ,market ,towns in italics4  #f  
,areas and populations are from ,the    
,statesman's ,year ,book4               
,illustration  ,printed by ,r4  ,r4     
,,clark1 ,,limited1 ,edinburgh4         
99       99       99       99       99  
,transcriber's ,notes3  ,page #aji1 my  
changed to ,my 7,my marriage had been7  
,page #abe1 ending 7 added4 7,miss      
,bausum 7afterwards ,mrs4 ,barchett772  
in7  ,page #abi1 format of ,god was     
changed to ,,god to match rest of usage4
 7goodness of ,,god7  ,possible         
nconsistencies in spelling of ,chinese  
names were retained such as ,bhmo and   
,bham4