,,calvin ,,wilson ,,mateer ,illustration3 ,c4 ,w4 ,,mateer ,,calvin ,,wilson ,,mateer ,,forty-,,five ,,years ,a ,,missionary ,,in ,,shantung1 ,,china ,a ,,biography ,,by ,,daniel ,w4 ,,fisher ,,philadelphia ,,the ,,westminster ,,press #aiaa ,,copyright1 #aiaa1 ,,by ,,the ,,trustees ,,of ,,the ,,presbyterian ,,board ,,of ,,publication ,,and ,,sabbath ,,school ,,work ,,published ,,september1 #aiaa ,,contents ,,page ,,introduction #i ,,chapter ,i ,,the ,,old ,,home #ae ,birth--,the ,cumberland ,valley--,parentage--,brothers and ,sisters1 ,father1 ,mother1 ,grandfather--,removal to the 8,hermitage0--,life on the ,farm--,in the ,home--,stories of ,childhood and ,youth4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,making ,,of ,,the ,,man #bg ,native ,endowments--,influence of the ,old ,home--,a ,country ,schoolmaster--,hunterstown ,academy--,teaching ,school--,dunlap's ,creek ,academy--,profession of ,religion--,jefferson ,college--,recollections of a ,classmate--,the ,faculty--,the ,class of #aheg--;,a ,semi-,centennial ,letter4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,finding ,,his ,,life ,,work #dj ,mother and ,foreign ,missions--,beaver ,academy--,decision to be a ,minister--,western ,theological ,seminary--,the ,faculty--,revival--,interest in ,missions--,licentiate--,considering ,duty as to ,missions--,decision--,delaware1 ,ohio--,delay in ,going--,ordination--,marriage--,going at ,last4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,gone ,,to ,,the ,,front #eg ,bound to ,shantung1 ,china--,the ,voyage--,hardships and ,trials on the ,way--,at ,shanghai--,bound for ,chefoo--,vessel on the ,rocks--,wanderings on ,shore--,deliverance and ,arrival at ,chefoo--,by ,shentza to ,tengchow4 ,,chapter ,v ,,the ,,new ,,home #gj ,the ,mateer ,dwelling--,tengchow as ,it ,was--,the ,beginning of ,missions ,there--,the ,kwan ,yin ,temple--,making a ,stove and ,coal-press--,left ,alone in the ,temple--,its ,defects--,building a ,new ,house--,home ,life4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,his ,,inner ,,life #hh ,not a ,dreamer--,tenderness of ,heart--,regeneration--,religious ,reserve--,record of ,religious ,experiences--,depression and ,relief--,unreserved ,consecration--,maturity of ,religious ,life--,loyalty to ,convictions4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,doing ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,an ,,evangelist #aje ,acquiring the ,language--,hindrances--,beginning to ,speak ,chinese--,chapel at ,tengchow--,province of ,shantung--,modes of ,travel--,some ,experiences in ,travel--,first ,country ,trip--,chinese ,inns--,a ,four ,weeks' ,itineration--,to ,wei ,hsien--,hatred of ,foreigners--,disturbance--,itinerating with ,julia--,chinese ,converts--,to the ,provincial ,capital and ,tai ,an--,curtailing ,his ,itinerations--,later ,trips4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,the ,,tengchow ,,school #abh ,the ,school ,begun--,education and ,missions--,first ,pupils--,means of ,support--,english ,excluded--,growth of ,school--,a ,day's ,programme--,care of ,pupils--,discipline--,an ,attempted ,suicide--,conversion of a ,pupil--,first ,graduates--,reception ,after ,furlough--,an ,advance--,two ,decades of the ,school4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,the ,,press ,,and ,,literary ,,labors #aej ,contributions to the ,periodicals--,english ,books--,the ,shanghai ,mission ,press--,temporary ,superintendency--,john ,mateer--,committee on ,school ,books--,earlier ,chinese ,books--,school ,books--,mandarin ,dictionary--,mandarin ,lessons--,care as to ,publications--,pecuniary ,returns4 ,,chapter ,x ,,the ,,care ,,of ,,the ,,native ,,christians #agc ,reasons for ,such ,work--,the ,church at ,tengchow--,discipline--,conversion of ,school ,boys--,stated ,supply at ,tengchow--,pastor--,as a ,preacher--,the ,scattered ,sheep--,miao of ,chow ,yuen--,ingatherings--,latest ,country ,visitations--8,methods of ,missions0--,presbytery of ,shantung--,presbytery in the ,country--,synod of ,china--,moderator of ,synod--,in the ,general ,assembly4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,shantung ,,college #bjg 8,the ,college of ,shantung0--,the ,equipment--,physical and ,chemical ,apparatus--,gathering the ,apparatus--,the ,headship ,laid ,down--,the ,anglo-,chinese ,college--,problem of ,location and ,endowment--,transfer of ,college to ,wei ,hsien--,a ,new ,president--8,the ,shantung ,christian ,university0--,personal ,removal to ,wei ,hsien--,temporary ,president--,official ,separation--,the ,college of ,to-day4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,with ,,apparatus ,,and ,,machinery #bcf ,achievements--,early ,indications--,self-,development--,shop- -,early ,necessities--,as a ,help in ,mission ,work--,visitors--,help to ,employment for ,natives--,filling ,orders--,a ,mathematical ,problem--,exhibitions4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,the ,,mandarin ,,version #beb ,first ,missionary ,conference--,the ,chinese ,language--,second ,missionary ,conference--,consultation as to ,new ,version of ,scriptures--,the ,plan--,selection of ,translators--,translators at ,work--,difficulties--,style--,sessions- -,final ,meeting--,new ,testament ,finished--,lessons ,learned--,conference of #aijg--,translators of the ,old ,testament4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,incidents ,,by ,,the ,,way #bge ,trials--,deaths--,the 8,rebels0--,tientsin ,massacre--,japanese ,war with ,china--,boxer ,uprising--,famine--,controversies--,eng lish in the ,college--,pleasures--,distinctions and ,honors--,journeys--,furloughs--,marriag e--,the ,siberian ,trip--,scenes of ,early ,life4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,facing ,,the ,,new ,,china #cje ,the ,great ,break-,up--,past ,anticipations--,a ,maker of the ,new ,china--,influence of ,missionaries--,present ,indications--,dangers--,duties--,future of ,christianity4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,called ,,up ,,higher #cai ,the ,last ,summer--,increasing ,illness--,taken to ,tsingtao--,the ,end--,a ,prayer--,service at ,tsingtao--,funeral at ,chefoo--,tributes of ,dr4 ,corbett1 ,dr4 ,hayes1 ,dr4 ,goodrich1 ,mr4 ,baller1 ,mrs4 ,a4 ,h4 ,mateer--,west ,shantung ,mission--,english ,baptist ,mission--,presbyterian ,board--,secretary ,brown--,biographer--8,valiant for the ,truth40 ,,introduction ,it is a privilege to comply with the request of ,dr4 ,fisher to write a brief introduction to his biography of the late ,calvin ,w4 ,mateer1 ,d4,d41 ,,ll4,d4 ,i knew ,dr4 ,mateer intimately1 corresponded with him for thirteen years and visited him in ,china4 ,he was one of the makers of the new ,china1 and his life forms a part of the history of ,christian missions which no student of that subject can afford to overlook4 ,he sailed from ,new ,york in #ahfc1 at the age of twenty-eight1 with his young wife and ,rev4 and ,mrs4 ,hunter ,corbett1 the journey to ,china occupying six months in a slow and wretchedly uncomfortable sailing vessel4 ,it is difficult now to realize that so recently as #ahfc a voyage to the far ,east was so formidable an undertaking4 ,indeed1 the hardships of that voyage were so great that the health of some members of the party was seriously impaired4 ,difficulties did not end when the young missionaries arrived at their destination4 ,the people were not friendly2 the conveniences of life were few2 the loneliness and isolation were exceedingly trying2 but the young missionaries were undaunted and pushed their work with splendid courage and faith4 ,mr4 ,corbett soon became a leader in evangelistic work1 but ,dr4 ,mateer1 while deeply interested in evangelistic work and helping greatly in it1 felt chiefly drawn toward educational work4 ,in #ahfd1 one year after his arrival1 he and his equally gifted and devoted wife managed to gather six students4 ,there were neither text-books1 buildings1 nor assistants2 but with a faith as strong as it was sagacious ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,mateer set themselves to the task of building up a college4 ,one by one buildings were secured1 poor and humble indeed1 but sufficing for a start4 ,the missionary made his own text-books and manufactured much of the apparatus with his own hands4 ,he speedily proved himself an educator and administrator of exceptional ability4 ,increasing numbers of young ,chinese gathered about him4 ,the college grew4 ,from the beginning1 ,mr4 ,mateer insisted that it should give its training in the ,chinese language1 that the instruction should be of the most thorough kind1 and that it should be pervaded throughout by the ,christian spirit4 ,when1 after thirty-five years of unremitting toil1 advancing years compelled him to lay down the burden of the presidency1 he had the satisfaction of seeing the college recognized as one of the very best colleges in all ,asia4 ,it continues under his successors in larger form at ,wei ,hsien1 where it now forms the ,arts ,college of the ,shantung ,christian ,university4 ,dr4 ,mateer was famous not only as an educator1 but as an author and translator4 ,after his retirement from the college he devoted himself almost wholly to literary work1 save for one year1 when a vacancy in the presidency of the college again devolved its cares temporarily upon him4 ,his knowledge of the ,chinese language was extraordinary4 ,he prepared many text-books and other volumes in ,chinese1 writing some himself and translating others4 ,the last years of his life were spent as chairman of a committee for the revision of the translation of the ,bible into ,chinese1 a labor to which he gave himself with loving zeal4 ,dr4 ,mateer was a man of unusual force of character2 an educator1 a scholar and an executive of high capacity4 ,hanover ,college1 of which ,dr4 ,d4 ,w4 ,fisher was then president1 early recognized his ability and success by bestowing upon him the honorary degree of ,doctor of ,divinity1 and in #aijc his alma mater added the degree of ,doctor of ,laws4 ,we mourn that the work no longer has the benefit of his counsel2 but he builded so well that the results of his labors will long endure1 and his name will always have a prominent place in the history of missionary work in the ,chinese empire4 ,dr4 ,fisher has done a great service to the cause of missions and to the whole church in writing the biography of such a man4 ,a college classmate and lifelong friend of ,dr4 ,mateer1 and himself a scholar and educator of high rank1 he has written with keen insight1 with full comprehension of his subject1 and with admirable clearness and power4 ,i bespeak for this volume and for the great work in ,china to which ,dr4 ,mateer consecrated his life the deep and sympathetic interest of all who may read this book4 ,,arthur ,,judson ,,brown #aef ,,fifth ,,avenue1 ,,new ,,york ,,city1 ,april #acth1 #aiaa ,,preface ,when ,i was asked to become the biographer of ,dr4 ,mateer1 ,i had planned to do other literary work1 and had made some preparation for it2 but ,i at once put that aside and entered on the writing of this book4 ,i did this for several reasons4 ,though ,dr4 ,mateer and ,i had never been very intimate friends1 yet1 beginning with our college and seminary days1 and on to the close of his life1 we had always been very good friends4 ,i had occasionally corresponded with him1 and1 being in hearty sympathy with the cause of foreign missions1 ,i had kept myself so well informed as to his achievements that ,i had unusual pleasure in officially conferring on him the first of the distinctions by which his name came to be so well adorned4 ,as his college classmate1 ,i had joined with the other survivors in recognizing him as the one of our number whom we most delighted to honor4 ,when ,i laid down my office of college president1 he promptly wrote me1 and suggested that ,i occupy my leisure by a visit to ,china1 and that ,i use my tongue and pen to aid the cause of the evangelization of that great people4 ,only a few months before his death he sent me extended directions for such a visit4 ,when--wholly unexpectedly--the invitation came to me to prepare his biography1 what could ,i do but respond favorably8 ,it has been my sole object in this book to reveal to the reader ,dr4 ,mateer1 the man1 the ,christian1 the missionary1 both his inner and his outer life1 just as it was4 ,in doing this ,i have very often availed myself of his own words4 ,going beyond these1 ,i have striven neither to keep back nor to exaggerate anything that deserves a place in this record4 ,all the while the preparation of this book has been going forward in my hands my appreciation of the magnitude of the man and of his work has been increasing4 ,great is the story of his career4 ,if this does not appear so to any reader who has the mind and the heart to appreciate it1 then the fault is mine4 ,it1 in that case1 is in the telling1 and not in the matter of the book1 that the defect lies4 ,so many relatives and acquaintances of ,dr4 ,mateer have contributed valuable material1 on which ,i have drawn freely1 that ,i dare not try to mention them here by name4 ,it is due1 however1 to ,mrs4 ,j4 ,m4 ,kirkwood to acknowledge that much of the chapter on 8,the ,old ,home0 is based on a monograph she prepared in advance of the writing of this biography4 ,it is due also to ,mrs4 ,ada ,h4 ,mateer to acknowledge the very extensive and varied assistance which she has rendered in the writing of this book3 first1 by putting the material already on hand into such shape that the biographer's labors have been immensely lightened1 and later1 by furnishing with her own pen much additional information1 and by her wise1 practical suggestions4 ,d4 ,w4 ,f4 ,,washington1 #aiaa ,i ,,the ,,old ,,home 8,there are all the fond recollections and associations of my youth40--,,journal1 ,march #d1 #aheg4 ,calvin ,wilson ,mateer1 of whose life and work this book is to tell1 was born in ,cumberland ,county1 ,pennsylvania1 near ,shiremanstown1 a few miles west of ,harrisburg1 on ,january #i1 #ahcf4 ,this ,cumberland valley1 in which he first saw the light1 is one of the fairest regions in all our country4 ,beginning at the great1 broad ,susquehanna1 almost in sight of his birthplace1 it stretches far away1 a little to the southwest1 on past ,chambersburg1 and across the state line1 and by way of ,hagerstown1 to its other boundary1 drawn by a second and equally majestic stream1 the historic ,potomac4 ,physically considered1 the splendid ,shenandoah valley1 still beyond in ,virginia1 is a further extension of the same depression4 ,it is throughout a most attractive panorama of gently rolling slopes and vales1 of fertile and highly cultivated farms1 of great springs of purest water and of purling brooks1 of little parks of trees spared by the woodman's ax1 of comfortable and tasteful rural homes1 of prosperous towns and villages where church spires and school buildings and the conveniences of modern civilization bear witness to the high character of the people1--all of this usually set like a picture in a framework of the blue and not very rugged1 or very high1 wooded mountains between which1 in their more or less broken ranges1 the entire valley lies4 ,true1 it was winter when this infant first looked out on that world about him1 but it was only waiting for spring to take off its swaddling of white1 and to clothe it with many-hued garments4 ,twenty-eight years afterward1 almost to the very day1 he1 cast ashore on the coast of ,china1 was struggling over the roadless and snow covered and1 to him1 wholly unknown ground toward the place near which he was to do the work of his life1 and where his body rests in the grave4 ,when he died1 in his seventy-third year1 the spiritual spring for which he had prayed and longed and labored had not yet fully come1 but there were many indications of its not distant approach4 ,john ,mateer1 the father of ,calvin1 was born in this beautiful ,cumberland valley1 on a farm which was a part of a large tract of land entered by the ,mateers as first settlers1 out of whose hands1 however1 it had almost entirely passed at the date when this biography begins4 ,the mother of ,calvin was born in the neighboring county of ,york4 ,her maiden name was ,mary ,nelson ,diven4 ,both father and mother were of that ,scotch-,irish descent to which especially ,pennsylvania and ,virginia are indebted for so many of their best people2 and they both had behind them a long line of sturdy1 honorable and ,god-fearing ancestors4 ,at the time of ,calvin's birth his parents were living in a frame house which is still standing2 and though1 with the passing of years1 it has much deteriorated1 it gives evidence that it was a comfortable though modest home for the little family4 ,one of the employments of his father while resident there was the running of a water mill for hulling clover seed2 and ,calvin tells somewhere of a recollection that he used to wish when a very little boy that he were tall enough to reach a lever by which he could turn on more water to make the mill go faster1--a childish anticipation of his remarkable mechanical ability and versatility in maturer years4 ,calvin was the oldest of seven children--five brothers and two sisters2 in the order of age1 ,calvin ,wilson1 ,jennie1 ,william ,diven1 ,john ,lowrie1 ,robert ,mc,cheyne1 ,horace ,nelson and ,lillian1 of whom ,jennie1 ,william1 ,robert and ,horace are still living4 ,of these seven children1 ,calvin and ,robert became ministers of the gospel in the ,presbyterian ,church1 and missionaries in ,shantung1 ,china2 ,john for five years had charge of the ,presbyterian ,mission ,press at ,shanghai1 and later of the ,congregational ,press at ,peking1 where he died2 ,lillian taught in the ,girls' ,school at ,tengchow1 and1 after her marriage to ,rev4 ,william ,s4 ,walker1 of the ,southern ,baptist ,mission1 in the school at ,shanghai1 until the failing health of her husband compelled her to return to the ,united ,states2 ,william for a good while was strongly disposed to offer himself for the foreign missionary service1 and reluctantly acting on advice1 turned from it to business4 ,jennie married an exceptionally promising young ,presbyterian minister1 and both offered themselves to the foreign work and were under appointment to go to ,china when health considerations compelled them to remain in their homeland4 ,some years after his death she married a college professor of fine ability4 ,horace is a professor in the ,university of ,wooster1 and a practicing physician4 ,in view of this very condensed account of the remarkable life and work of the children in this household1 one may well crave to know more about the parents1 and about the home life in the atmosphere of which they were nurtured4 ,their father and mother both had the elementary education which could be furnished in their youth by the rural schools during the brief terms for which they were held each year4 ,in addition1 the mother attended a select school in ,harrisburg for a time4 ,both father and mother built well on this early foundation1 forming the habit of wise1 careful reading4 ,both were professing ,christians when they were married1 and in infancy ,calvin was baptized in the old ,silver ,spring ,church1 near which they resided4 ,later the father became a ruling elder in the ,presbyterian church to which they had removed their membership4 ,in this capacity he was highly esteemed1 his pastor relying especially on his just1 discerning judgment4 ,he had a beautiful tenor voice and a line musical sense1 and he led the choir for a number of years4 ,few laymen in the church at large were better informed as to its doctrines and history1 and few were more familiar with the ,bible4 ,there was in the church a library from which books were regularly brought home2 religious papers were taken and read by the whole family1 and thus all were acquainted with the current news of the churches1 and with the progress of the gospel in the world4 ,in the conduct of his farm ,mr4 ,mateer was thrifty1 industrious and economical4 ,his land did not yield very bountifully1 but all of its products were so well husbanded that notwithstanding the size of his family he yet accumulated considerable property4 ,though somewhat reluctant at first to have his boys one after another leave him1 thus depriving him of their help on the farm1 he aided each to the extent of his ability1 and as they successively fitted themselves for larger lives he rejoiced in their achievements4 ,mr4 ,mateer died at ,monmouth1 ,illinois1 in #ahge4 ,when the tidings reached ,calvin out in ,china1 he wrote home to his mother a beautiful letter1 in which among other things he said3 8,father's death was eminently characteristic of his life--modest1 quiet and self-suppressed4 ,he died the death of the righteous and has gone to a righteous man's reward4 ,the message he sent ,john and me was not necessary2 that he should #8die trusting in ,jesus' was not news to us1 for we knew how he had lived40 ,illustration3 ,,dr4 ,,mateer',s ,,mother ,by reading the records that have been at my command ,i have gotten the conviction that the mother was the stronger character1 or at least that she more deeply impressed herself on the children4 ,when ,calvin made his last visit to this country1 he was asked whose influence had been most potent in his life1 and he at once replied1 8,mother's40 ,in his personal appearance he strongly resembled her4 ,if one could have wished for any change in his character1 it might have been that he should have had in it just a little bit more of the ideality of his father1 and just a little bit less of the intense realism of his mother4 ,some of his mother's most evident characteristics were in a measure traceable as an inheritance from her father1 ,william ,diven2 for example1 the place to which she assigned education among the values of life4 ,he was a man of considerable literary attainments1 for his day1 and for one residing out in the country2 so that when in later years he came to make his home with the ,mateers he brought with him a collection of standard books1 thus furnishing additional and substantial reading for the family4 ,even ,shakspere and ,burns were among the authors1 though they were not placed where the children could have access to them1 and were made familiar to them only by the grandfather's quotation of choice passages4 ,when his daughter was a little girl1 so intense was his desire that she should have as good an education as practicable1 that if the weather was too inclement for her to walk to the schoolhouse he used to carry her on his back4 ,it was her lifelong regret that her education was so defective2 and it is said that after she was seventy years of age1 once she dreamed that she was sent to school at ,mount ,holyoke1 and she awoke in tears to find that she was white-haired1 and that it was only a dream4 ,although it involved the sacrifice of her own strength and ease1 she never faltered in her determination that her children should have the educational advantages to which she had aspired1 but never attained2 and in what they reached in this direction she had a rich satisfaction4 ,toward every other object which she conceived to be good and true1 and to be within the scope of her life1 she set herself with like persistence1 and strength1 and willingness for self-sacrifice4 ,her piety was deep1 thorough and all-controlling2 but with her it was a principle rather than a sentiment4 ,its chief aim was the promotion of the glory of the infinitely holy ,god1 though as she neared the visible presence of her ,saviour1 this softened somewhat into a conscious love and faith toward him4 ,she survived her husband twenty-one years1 and died at the advanced age of seventy-nine4 ,when the tidings of this came to her children in ,china1 their chief lament was1 8,how we shall miss her prayers60 ,when ,calvin was about five years old1 his parents bought a farm twelve miles north of ,gettysburg1 near what is now ,york ,springs1 in ,adams ,county4 ,it is some twenty miles from the place of his birth1 and beyond the limits of the ,cumberland valley4 ,even now it is a comparatively out-of-the-way spot1 reached only by a long drive from the nearest railway station2 then it was so secluded that the ,mateers called the house into which they removed the 8,hermitage40 ,here the family continued to reside until about the time of ,calvin's graduation from college4 ,then a second and much longer move was made1 to ,mercer ,county1 in western ,pennsylvania4 ,still later1 a third migration brought them to ,illinois4 ,it is to the home in ,adams ,county that ,calvin refers in the line quoted at the head of this chapter1 as the place where 8were all the fond recollections and associations0 of his youth4 ,the farm was not very large1 and the soil was only moderately productive1 notwithstanding the labor and skill that the ,mateers put upon it4 ,in picking off the broken slate stones which were turned up thick by the plow1 the children by hard experience were trained in patient industry as to small details4 ,at least the two elder frequently beguiled the tedium of this task 8by reciting portions of the ,westminster ,catechism and long passages of ,scripture40 ,another really tedious occupation1 which1 however1 was converted into a sort of late autumn feast of ingathering1 was shared by the whole family1 but was especially appreciated by the children4 ,this was the nut harvest of the 8shellbark0 hickory trees of the forest4 ,as many as fifty or more bushels were gathered in a season2 the sale of these afforded a handsome supplement to the income of the household4 ,along the side of the farm flows a beautiful stream1 still bearing its ,indian name of ,bermudgeon1 and in front of the house is a smaller creek2 and in these ,calvin fished and set traps for the muskrats1 and experimented with little waterwheels1 and learned to swim4 ,up on an elevation still stand the old house and barn1 both constructed of the red brick once so largely used in the eastern section of ,pennsylvania4 ,both of these are still in use4 ,though showing signs of age and lack of care1 they are witnesses that for those days the ,mateers were quite up to the better standard of living customary among their neighbors4 8,this growing family10 says ,mrs4 ,kirkwood 7,jennie71 8was a hive of industry1 making most of the implements used both indoors and out1 and accomplishing many tasks long since relegated to the factory and the shop4 ,necessity was with them the mother not only of invention1 but of execution as well4 ,all were up early in the morning eating breakfast by candlelight even in summer1 and ready before the sun had risen for a day's work that continued long after twilight had fallen40 ,in the barn they not only housed their horses and cattle and the field products1 but also manufactured most of the implements for their agricultural work4 ,here ,calvin first had his mechanical gifts called into exercise1 sometimes on sleds and wagons and farm tools1 and sometimes on traps and other articles of youthful sport4 ,in this home family worship was held twice each day1--in the morning often before the day had fully dawned1 and in the evening when the twilight was vanishing into night4 ,in this service usually there were not only the reading of ,scripture and the offering of prayer1 but also the singing of praise1 the fine musical voice of the father and his ability to lead in the tunes making this all the more effective4 ,of course1 on the ,sabbath the entire family1 young and old1 so far as practicable1 attended services when held in the ,presbyterian church not far away4 ,but that was not all of the religious observances4 ,the ,sabbath was sacredly kept1 after the old-fashioned manner of putting away the avoidable work of the week1 and of giving exceptional attention to sacred things4 ,mrs4 ,kirkwood1 who was near enough in age to be the 8chum0 of ,calvin1 writes3 8,among the many living pictures which memory holds of those years1 there is one of a large1 airy1 farmhouse kitchen1 on a ,sabbath afternoon4 ,the table1 with one leaf raised to afford space for #8,scott' and #8,henry' stands between two doors that look out upon tree-shaded1 flower-filled yards4 ,there sits the mother1 with open books spread all about her1 studying the ,bible lesson for herself and for her children4 ,both parents and children attended a pastor's class in which the old ,sunday ,school ,union ,question ,book was used4 ,in this many references were given which the children were required to commit4 ,older people read them from their ,bibles1 but these children memorized them4 ,some of the longer ones could never be repeated in after times without awakening associations of the muscularizing mental tussles of those early days40 ,it was a part of the religious training of each child in that household1 just as soon as able to read1 to commit to memory the ,westminster ,shorter ,catechism1--not so as to blunder through the answers in some sort of fashion1 but so as to recite them all1 no matter how long or difficult1 without mistaking so much as an article or a preposition4 ,stories are handed down concerning the boy ,calvin at home1 some of which foreshadow characteristics of his later years4 ,one of these must suffice here4 ,the 8,hermitage10 when the ,mateers came into it1 was popularly believed to be haunted by a former occupant whose grave was in an old deserted ,episcopal churchyard about a mile away4 ,the grave was sunken1 and it was asserted that it would not remain filled4 ,it was also rumored that in the gloomy woods by which the place was surrounded a headless man had been seen wandering at night4 ,nevertheless the ,mateer children often went up there on a ,sabbath afternoon1 and entered the never-closed door1 to view the ,bible and books and desk1 which were left just as they had been when services long before had ceased to be held2 or wandered about the graves1 picking the moss from the inscriptions on the headstones1 in order to see who could find the oldest4 ,it was a place that1 of course1 was much avoided at night2 for had not restless white forms been seen moving about among these burial places of the dead8 ,the boy ,calvin had been in the habit of running by it in the late evening with fast-beating heart4 ,one dark night he went and climbed up on the graveyard fence1 resolved to sit in that supremely desolate and uncanny spot till he had mastered the superstitious fear associated with it4 ,the owls hooted1 and other night sounds were intensified by the loneliness1 but he successfully passed his chosen ordeal1 and won a victory worth the effort4 ,in a youthful way he was disciplining himself for more difficult ordeals in ,china4 ,,ii ,,the ,,making ,,of ,,the ,,man 8,it has been said1 and with truth1 that when one has finished his course in an ordinary college1 he knows just enough to be sensible of his own ignorance40--,,letter ,,to ,,his ,,mother1 ,january #ae1 #aheg4 ,the letter from which the sentence at the head of this chapter is taken was written a week after ,mateer had reached his twenty-first year and when he was almost half advanced in his senior year in college4 ,later in the letter he says3 8,improvement and advancement need not1 and should not1 stop with a college life4 ,we should be advancing in knowledge so long as we live40 ,with this understanding we may somewhat arbitrarily set his graduation from college as terminating the period of his life covered by what ,i have designated as 8the making of the man40 ,back of all else lay his native endowments of body and of mind4 ,physically he was exceptionally free from both inherited and acquired weaknesses4 ,in a letter which he wrote to his near relatives in this country on the occasion of his seventieth birthday1 he said1 8,i have not only lived1 but ,i have enjoyed an exceptional measure of health40 ,at no period was he laid aside by protracted sickness4 ,at the same time1 this must not be understood to signify that he had one of those iron constitutions that seem to be capable of enduring without harm every sort of exposure except such as in its nature must be mortal4 ,in that part of his ,journal covering portions of his college and seminary work he often tells of a lassitude for which he blames himself as morally at fault1 but in which a physician would have seen symptoms of a low bodily tone4 ,bad food1 lack of exercise and ill treatment on the voyage which first brought him to ,china left him with a temporary attack of dyspepsia4 ,occasionally he had dysentery1 and once he had erysipelas4 ,at no time did he regard himself as so rugged in constitution that he did not need to provide himself with proper clothing and shelter1 so far as practicable4 ,nevertheless it was because of the sound physique inherited from his parents1 and fostered by his country life during early youth1 that without any serious breaking down of health or strength he was able to endure the privations and the toils and cares of his forty-five years in ,china4 ,as to his native mental endowments1 no one would have been more ready than he to deny that he was a 8genius10 if by this is meant that he had an ability offhand to do important things for the accomplishment of which others require study and effort4 ,if1 as to this1 any exception ought to be made in his favor1 it would be concerning some of the applied sciences and machinery1 and possibly mathematics4 ,he certainly had an extraordinary aptitude especially as to the former of these4 ,while he himself regarded his work in the ,mandarin as perhaps the greatest of his achievements1 he had no such talent for the mastery of foreign languages that he did not need time and toil and patience to learn them4 ,in college his best standing was not in ,latin or ,greek4 ,in ,china other missionaries have been able to preach in the native tongue after as short a period of preparation2 and the perfect command of the language which he attained came only after years of ceaseless toil4 ,such were his native physical and mental endowments3 a good1 sound1 though not unusually rugged1 bodily constitution2 and an intellect vigorous in all of its faculties1 which was in degree not so superior as to set him on a pedestal by himself1 yet was very considerably above the average even of college students4 ,concerning the qualities of his heart and of his will it is best to wait and speak later in this volume4 ,in the making of a man native endowments are only the material out of which and on which to build4 ,beyond these1 what we become depends on our opportunities and the use to which we put them4 ,the atmosphere of the old home had much to do with the unfolding of the subsequent life and character of ,mateer4 ,some of his leading qualities were there grown into his being4 ,other powerful influences also had a large share in his development4 ,about three quarters of a mile from the 8,hermitage0 stood a township schoolhouse1 a small brick building1 8guiltless alike of paint or comfort10 most primitive in its furnishing1 and open for instruction only five or six months each year1 and this in the winter4 ,the pressure of work in the house and on the farm never was allowed to interrupt the attendance of the ,mateer children at this little center of learning for the neighborhood4 ,of course1 the teachers usually were qualified only to conduct the pupils over the elementary branches1 and no provision was made in the curriculum for anything beyond these4 ,but it so happened that for two winters ,calvin had as his schoolmaster there ,james ,duffield1 who is described by one of his pupils still living as 8a genius in his profession1 much in advance of his times1 and quite superior to those who preceded and to those who came after him4 ,in appearance ,duffield was awkward and shy4 ,his large hands and feet were ever in his way1 except when before a class2 then he was suddenly at ease1 absorbed in the work of teaching1 alert1 full of vitality1 with an enthusiasm for mastery1 and an intellectual power that made every subject alive with interest1 leaving his impress upon each one of his pupils40 ,algebra was not recognized as falling within the legitimate instruction1 and no suspicion that any boy or girl was studying it entered the minds of the plain farmers who constituted the official visitors4 ,one day a friend of the teacher1 a scholarly man1 came in at the time when the examinations were proceeding1 and the teacher sprang a surprise by asking this friend whether he would like to see one of his pupils solve a problem in algebra4 ,he had discerned the mathematical bent of the lad1 ,calvin ,mateer1 and out of school hours and just for the satisfaction of it he had privately been giving the boy lessons in that study4 ,when an affirmative response was made by the stranger1 ,calvin went to the blackboard and soon covered half of it with a solution of an algebraic problem4 ,surprised and delighted1 the stranger tested the lad with problem after problem1 some of them the hardest in the text-book in use1 only to find him able to solve them4 ,it would have been difficult to discover which of the three principal parties to the examination1 the visitor1 the teacher1 or the pupil1 was most gratified by the outcome4 ,there can be no question that this country school-teacher had much to do with awakening the mathematical capabilities and perhaps others of the intellectual gifts which characterized that lad in manhood and throughout life4 ,when ,calvin was in his seventeenth year1 he started in his pursuit of higher education1 entering a small academy at ,hunterstown1 eight miles from the 8,hermitage40 ,in this step he had the stimulating encouragement of his mother1 whose quenchless passion for education has already been described4 ,his father probably would at that time have preferred that he should remain at home and help on the farm2 and occasionally1 for some years1 the question whether he ought not to have fallen in with the paternal wish caused him serious thought4 ,as it was1 he came home from the academy in the spring1 and in the autumn and also at harvest1 to assist in the work4 ,the first term he began ,latin1 and the second term ,greek1 and he kept his mathematics well in hand1 thus distinctly setting his face toward college4 ,but his pecuniary means were narrow1 and in the winter of #ahec-ed he had to turn aside to teach a country school some three miles from his home4 ,in a brief biographical sketch which1 by request of his college classmates1 he furnished for the fortieth anniversary of their graduation he says3 8,this was a hard experience4 ,i was not yet eighteen and looked much younger4 ,many of the scholars were young men and women1 older than ,i1 and there was a deal of rowdyism in the district4 ,i held my own1 however1 and finished with credit1 and grew in experience more than in any other period of my life40 ,when the school closed he returned to the academy1 which by that time had passed into the hands of ,s4 ,b4 ,mercer1 in whom he found a teacher of exceptional ability1 both as to scholarship and as to the stimulation of his students to do and to be the best that was possible to them4 ,in the spring of #ahee ,mr4 ,mercer left the ,hunterstown ,academy1 and went to ,merrittstown1 ,fayette ,county1 ,pennsylvania1 where he took charge of the ,dunlaps ,creek ,academy4 ,calvin1 influenced by his attachment to his teacher1 and also by his intention to enter ,jefferson ,college1 situated in a neighboring county1 went with him4 ,here he made his home1 with other students1 in the house occupied by the ,mercers4 ,for teaching two classes1 one in geometry and one in ,greek1 he received his tuition4 ,for the ostensible reason that he had come so far to enter the academy he was charged a reduced price for his board4 ,all the way down to the completion of his course in the theological seminary he managed to live upon the means furnished in part from home1 and substantially supplemented by his own labors2 but he had to practice rigid economy4 ,it was while at ,merrittstown that he made a public profession of religion4 ,this was only a few months before he entered college4 ,he found in ,dr4 ,samuel ,wilson1 the pastor of the ,presbyterian church1 a preacher and a man who won his admiration and esteem1 and who so encouraged and directed him that he took this step4 ,in the autumn of #ahee he entered the junior class of ,jefferson ,college1 at ,canonsburg1 ,pennsylvania4 ,in those days it was customary for students to be admitted further advanced as to enrollment than at present4 ,i had myself preceded ,mateer one year1 entering as a sophomore in the same class into which he first came as a junior4 ,one reason for this state of things was that the requirements were considerably lower than they now are2 and they were often laxly enforced4 ,then1 because the range of studies required was very limited in kind1 consisting until the junior year almost exclusively of ,latin1 ,greek and mathematics1 it was possible for the preparatory schools to carry the work of their students well up into the curriculum of the college4 ,mateer had the advantage1 besides1 of such an excellent instructor as ,professor ,mercer1 and of experience in teaching4 ,he says3 8,i was poorly prepared for this class1 but managed to squeeze in4 ,the professor of ,latin wanted me to make up some work which ,i had not done2 but ,i demurred1 and ,i recollect saying to him1 #8,if after a term you still think ,i ought to make it up1 ,i will do it1 or fall back to the sophomore class4' ,i never heard of it afterwards4 ,i was very green and bashful when ,i went to college1 an unsophisticated farmer's boy from a little country academy4 ,i knew little or nothing of the ways of the world40 ,as his classmate in college1 and otherwise closely associated with him as a fellow-student1 ,i knew him well4 ,i remember still with a good deal of distinctness his appearance2 he was rather tall1 light-haired1 with a clear and intelligent countenance1 and a general physique that indicated thorough soundness of body1 though not excessively developed in any member4 ,when ,i last saw him at ,los ,angeles a few years ago1 ,i could perceive no great change in his looks1 except such as is inevitable from the flight of years1 and from his large and varied experience of life4 ,it seems to me that it ought to be easy for any of his acquaintances of later years to form for themselves a picture of him in his young manhood at the college and at the theological seminary4 ,so far as ,i can now recall1 he came to college unheralded as to what might be expected of him there4 ,he did not thrust himself forward2 but it was not long until by his work and his thorough manliness1 it became evident that in him the class had received an addition that was sure to count heavily in all that was of importance to a student4 ,i do not think that he joined any of the ,greek letter secret societies1 though these were at the height of their prosperity there at that time4 ,in the literary societies he discharged well and faithfully his duties1 but he did not stand out very conspicuously in the exercises required of the members4 ,in those days there was plenty of 8college politics10 sometimes very petty1 and sometimes not very creditable1 though not wholly without profit as a preparation for the 8rough-and-tumble0 of life in after years1 but in this ,mateer did not take much part4 ,most of us were still immature enough to indulge in pranks that afforded us fun1 but which were more an expression of our immaturity than we then imagined2 and ,mateer participated in one of these in connection with the ,frmont-,buchanan campaign in #ahef4 ,a great ,republican meeting was held at ,canonsburg1 and some of us students appeared in the procession as a burlesque company of ,kansas 8border ruffians40 ,we were a sadly disgraceful-looking set4 ,of one thing ,i am sure1 that while ,mateer gave himself constantly to his duties and refrained from most of the silly things of college life1 he was not by any of us looked upon as a 8stick40 ,he commanded our respect4 ,the faculty was small and the equipment of the college meager4 ,the attendance was nearly three hundred4 ,as to attainments1 we were a mixed multitude4 ,to instruct all of these there were--for both regular and required work--only six men1 including one for the preparatory department4 ,what could these few do to meet the needs of this miscellaneous crowd8 ,they did their best1 and it was possible for any of us1 especially for the brighter student1 to get a great deal of valuable education even under these conditions4 ,mateer in later years acknowledges his indebtedness to all of the faculty1 but particularly to ,dr4 ,a4 ,b4 ,brown1 who was our president up to the latter part of our senior year2 to ,dr4 ,alden1 who succeeded him2 and to ,professor ,fraser1 who held the chair of mathematics4 ,dr4 ,brown was much admired by the students for his rhetorical ability in the pulpit and out of it4 ,dr4 ,alden was quite in contrast to his predecessor as to many things4 ,he had long been a teacher1 and was clear and concise in his intellectual efforts4 ,mateer said1 late in life1 that from his drill in moral science he 8got more good than from any other one branch in the course40 ,professor ,fraser was a brilliant1 all-round scholar of the best type then prevalent1 and had the enthusiastic admiration even of those students who were little able to appreciate his teaching4 ,in the physical sciences the course was necessarily still limited and somewhat elementary4 ,his classmates remember the evident mastery which ,mateer had of all that was attempted by instruction or by experimentation in that department4 ,it was not possible to get much of what is called 8culture0 out of the curriculum1 and that through no fault of the faculty2 yet for the stimulation of the intellectual powers and the unfolding of character there was an opportunity such as may be seriously lacking in the conditions of college instruction in recent years4 ,these were the palmy days of ,jefferson ,college4 ,she drew to herself students not only from ,pennsylvania and the contiguous states1 but also from the more distant regions of the west and the south4 ,we were dumped down there1 a heterogeneous lot of young fellows1 and outside of the classroom we were left for the most part to care for ourselves4 ,we had no luxuries and we were short of comforts4 ,we got enough to eat1 of a very plain sort1 and we got it cheap4 ,we were wholly unacquainted with athletics and other intercollegiate goings and comings which now loom up so conspicuously in college life2 but we had1 with rare exceptions1 come from the country and the small towns1 intent on obtaining an education which would help us to make the most of ourselves in after years4 ,as to this1 ,mateer was a thoroughly representative student4 ,he could not then foresee his future career1 but he was sure that in it he dared not hope for success unless he made thoroughly good use of his present1 passing opportunities4 ,he was evidently a man who was there for a purpose4 ,the class of #aheg has always been proud of itself1 and not without reason4 ,fifty-eight of us received our diplomas on commencement4 ,among them were such leaders in the church as ,george ,p4 ,hays1 ,david ,c4 ,marquis and ,samuel ,j4 ,niccolls1 all of whom have been ,moderators of the ,general ,assembly of the ,presbyterian ,church4 ,in the law1 ,s4 ,c4 ,t4 ,dodd1 for many years the principal solicitor of the ,standard ,oil ,company1 stands out most conspicuously4 ,three of our number have served for longer or shorter periods as college presidents4 ,of ,doctors of ,divinity we have a long list1 and also a goodly number of ,doctors of ,law2 and others1 though they have received less recognition for their work1 have in our judgment escaped only because the world does not always know the worth of quiet lives4 ,to spend years in the associations of such a class in college is itself an efficient means of education4 ,it is a high tribute to the ability and the diligence of ,mateer that1 although he was with us only two years1 he divided the first honor4 ,the sharer with him in this distinction was the youngest member of the class1 but a man who1 in addition to unusual capacity1 also had enjoyed the best preparation for college then available4 ,on the part of ,mateer1 it was not what is known as genius that won the honor2 it was a combination of solid intellectual capacity1 with hard1 constant work4 ,the faculty assigned him the valedictory1 the highest distinction at graduation1 but on his own solicitation1 this was given to the other first honor man4 ,in a letter sent by him from ,wei ,hsien1 ,china1 ,september #d1 #aijg1 in answer to a message addressed to him by the little remnant of his classmates who assembled at ,canonsburg a couple of months earlier1 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their graduation1 he said3 ,it was with very peculiar feelings of pleasure mingled with sadness that ,i read what was done by you at your meeting4 ,the distance that separated me from you all adds a peculiar emphasis to my feelings1 suggestive of loneliness4 ,i have never been homesick in ,china4 ,i would not be elsewhere than where ,i am1 nor doing any other work than what ,i am doing4 ,yet when ,i read over the account of that meeting in ,canonsburg my feelings were such as ,i have rarely had before4 ,separated by half the circumference of the globe for full forty-four years1 yet in the retrospect the friendship formed in these years of fellowship in study seems to grow fresher and stronger as our numbers grow less4 ,a busy life gives little time for retrospection1 yet ,i often think of college days and college friends4 ,very few things in my early life have preserved their impression so well4 ,i can still repeat the roll of our class1 and ,i remember well how we sat in that old recitation room of ,professor ,jones physics and chemistry4 ,i am in the second half of my seventy-second year1 strong and well4 ,china has agreed with me4 ,i have spent my life itinerating1 teaching and translating1 with chief strength on teaching4 ,but with us all who are left1 the meridian of life is past1 and the evening draws on4 ,yet a few of us have still some work to do4 ,let us strive to do it well1 and add what we can to the aggregate achievement of the class's life work--a record of which ,i trust none of us may be ashamed4 ,in the unanticipated privilege of writing this book ,i am trying to fulfill that wish of our revered classmate4 ,,iii ,,finding ,,his ,,life ,,work 8,from my youth ,i had the missionary work before me as a dim vision4 ,a half-formed resolution was all the while in my mind1 though ,i spoke of it to no one4 ,but for this it is questionable whether ,i would have given up teaching to go to the ,seminary4 ,after long consideration and many prayers ,i offered myself to the ,board1 and was accepted40--,,autobiographical ,,sketch for college class anniversary1 #ahig4 ,in the four sentences at the head of this chapter we have a condensed outline of the process by which ,calvin ,mateer came to be a foreign missionary4 ,in his case it did not1 as in the antecedent experience of most other clergymen who have given themselves to this work1 start with an attraction first toward the ministry1 and then toward the missionary service2 but just the reverse4 ,in order to understand this we need to go back again to 8the old home10 and especially to his mother4 ,we are fortunate here in having the veil of the past lifted by ,mrs4 ,kirkwood1 as one outside of the family could not do1 or1 even if he could1 would hesitate to do4 ,long before her marriage1 when indeed but a young girl1 ,mary ,nelson ,diven ,calvin's mother heard an appeal for the ,sandwich ,islands made by the elder ,dr4 ,forbes1 one of the early missionaries of the ,american ,board1 to those islands4 ,he asked for a box of supplies4 ,there was not much missionary interest in the little church of ,dillsburg1 ,york ,county1 ,pennsylvania1 of which she was a member2 for the ,presbyterian ,board of ,foreign ,missions had not been organized1 and the ,american ,board had not attained its majority4 ,her pastor sympathized with the newly awakened zeal and interest of his young parishioner1 when she proposed to canvass the congregation in response to ,dr4 ,forbes's appeal4 ,the box was secured and sent4 ,this was the seed that germinated in her heart so early and bore fruit through the whole of her long life4 ,when in her nineteenth year she was married to ,john ,mateer1 hers was a marriage in the ,lord2 and together she and her husband consecrated their children in their infancy to his service4 ,this consecration was not a form2 they were laid upon the altar and never taken back4 ,through all the self-denying struggles to secure their education1 one aim was steadily kept in view1 that of fitting them either to carry the gospel to some heathen land1 or to do the ,lord's work in their own land4 ,in addition to the foreign missionary periodicals1 a number of biographies of foreign missionaries were secured and were read by all the family4 ,not only did this mother try to awaken in her children an interest in missions through missionary literature1 but she devised means to strengthen and make permanent this interest1 to furnish channels through which these feelings and impulses might flow toward practical results4 ,one of these was a missionary mite box which she fashioned with her own hands1 away back in the early forties1 before the mite boxes had been scattered broadcast in the land4 ,quaint indeed it was1 this plain little wooden box1 covered with small-figured wall paper4 ,placed upon the parlor mantel1 it soon became the shrine of the children's devotion4 ,no labor or self-denial on their part was considered too great to secure pennies for 8the missionary box40 ,few pennies were spent for self-indulgence after that box was put in place1 and overflowing was the delight when some unwonted good fortune made it possible to drop in silver coins--8six-and-a-fourth bits10 or 8eleven-penny bits40 ,most of the offerings were secured by such self-denials as foregoing coffee1 sugar1 or butter4 ,there was not at that time much opportunity for country children to earn even pennies4 ,the 8red-letter0 day of all the year was when the box was opened and the pennies were counted4 ,this earnest-hearted mother had counted the cost of what she was doing in thus educating her children into the missionary spirit4 ,when her first-born turned his face toward the heathen world1 there was no drawing back--freely she gave him to the work4 ,as one after another of her children offered themselves to the ,foreign ,board1 she rejoiced in the honor ,god had put upon her1 never shrinking from the heart strain the separation from her children must bring4 ,she only made them more special objects of prayer1 thus transmuting her personal care-taking to faith4 ,she lived to see four of her children in ,china4 ,this explains how it came about that this elder son1 from youth1 had before him the missionary work as 8a dim vision10 and that 8a half-formed resolution0 to take it up was all the while in his mind4 ,when he graduated from college1 he had made no decision as to his life work4 ,during the years preceding he at no time put aside the claims of missions1 and consequently of the ministry1 upon him1 and in various ways he showed his interest in that line of ,christian service4 ,as he saw the situation the choice seemed mainly to lie between this on the one hand1 and teaching on the other4 ,before he graduated he had the offer of a place in the corps of instructors for the ,lawrenceville 7,new ,jersey7 school1 since grown into such magnitude and esteem as a boys' preparatory institution2 but the conditions were not such that he felt justified in accepting4 ,unfortunately1 there is a blank in his ,journal for the period between ,march #d1 #aheg1 some six months before he received his diploma at ,jefferson1 and ,october #bd1 #ahei1 when he had already been a good while in the theological seminary2 and to supply it scarcely any of his letters are available4 ,in the autobiographical sketch already noticed he says3 ,from college ,i went to take charge of the academy at ,beaver1 ,pennsylvania4 ,i found it run down almost to nothing1 so that the first term 7half year7 it hardly paid me my board4 ,i was on my mettle1 however1 and determined not to fail4 ,i taught and lectured and advertised1 making friends as fast as ,i could4 ,i found the school with about twenty boys1 all day scholars2 ,i left it at the end of the third term with ninety1 of whom thirty were boarders4 ,i could easily have gone on and made money1 but ,i felt that ,i was called to preach the gospel1 and so1 ,i sold out my school and went to ,allegheny ,western ,theological ,seminary1 entering when the first year was half over4 ,one of his pupils at ,beaver was ,j4 ,r4 ,miller1 ,d4,d41 a distinguished minister of the gospel in ,philadelphia2 and very widely known especially as the author of solid but popular religious books4 ,writing of his experience at the ,beaver ,academy1 he says3 ,when ,i first entered1 the principal was ,mr4 ,mateer4 ,the first night ,i was there1 my room was not ready1 and ,i slept with him in his room4 ,i can never forget the words of encouragement and cheer he spoke that night1 to a homesick boy1 away for almost the first time from his father and mother4444 ,my contact with him came just at the time when my whole life was in such plastic form that influence of whatever character became permanent4 ,he was an excellent teacher4 ,his personal influence over me was very great4 ,i suppose that when the records are all known1 it will be seen that no other man did so much for the shaping of my life as he did4 ,while at ,beaver he at last decided that he was called of ,god to study for the ministry1 but called not by any extraordinary external sign or inward experience4 ,it was a sense of duty that determined him1 and although he obeyed willingly1 yet it was not without a struggle4 ,he had a consciousness of ability to succeed as a teacher or in other vocations2 and he was by no means without ambition to make his mark in the world4 ,because he was convinced by long and careful and prayerful consideration that he ought to become a minister he put aside all the other pursuits that might have opened to him4 ,not long after he entered the seminary he wrote to his mother3 8,you truly characterize the work for which ,i am now preparing as a great and glorious one4 ,i have long looked forward to it1 though scarcely daring to think it my duty to engage in it4 ,after much pondering in my own mind1 and prayer for direction ,i have thought it my duty to preach40 ,on account of teaching1 as already related1 he did not enter the theological seminary until more than a year after ,i did1 so that ,i was not his classmate there4 ,he came some months late in the school year1 and had at first much back work to make up2 but he soon showed that he ranked among the very best students4 ,his classmate1 ,rev4 ,john ,h4 ,sherrard1 of ,pittsburg1 writes3 ,one thing ,i do well remember about ,mateer3 his mental superiority impressed everyone1 as also his deep spirituality4 ,in some respects1 indeed most1 he stood head and shoulders above his fellows around him4 ,another classmate1 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,william ,gaston1 of ,cleveland1 says3 ,we regarded him as one of our most level-headed men2 our peer in all points2 not good merely in one point1 but most thorough in all branches of study4 ,he was cheerful and yet not flippant1 and with a tinge of the most serious4 ,he was optimistic1 dwelling much on ,god's great love4444 ,he was not only a year in advance of most of us in graduating from college1 but ,i think that we1 as students1 felt that though we were classmates in the seminary1 he was in advance of us in other things4 ,life seemed more serious to him4 ,i doubt if any one of us felt the responsibility of life as much as he did4 ,i doubt if anyone worked as hard as he4 ,the ,western ,theological ,seminary1 during the period of ,mateer's attendance1 was at the high-water mark of prosperity4 ,the general catalogue shows an enrollment of sixty-one men in his class2 the total in all classes hovered about one hundred and fifty4 ,in the faculty there were only four members1 and1 estimated by the specializations common in our theological schools to-day1 they could not adequately do all their work2 and this was the more true of them1 because all save one of them eked out his scanty salary by taking charge of a city church4 ,but they did better than might now be thought possible2 and especially was this practicable because of the limited curriculum then prescribed1 and followed by all students4 ,dr4 ,david ,elliott was still at work1 though beyond the age when he was at his best4 ,samuel ,j4 ,wilson was just starting in his brilliant though brief career1 and commanded a peculiar attachment from his pupils4 ,dr4 ,jacobus was widely known and appreciated for his popular commentaries4 ,however1 the member of the faculty who left the deepest impress on ,mateer was ,dr4 ,william ,s4 ,plumer4 ,nor in this was his case exceptional4 ,we all knew that ,dr4 ,plumer was not in the very first rank of theologians4 ,we often missed in his lectures the marks of very broad and deep scholarship4 ,but as a teacher he nevertheless made upon our minds an impression that was so great and lasting that in all our subsequent lives we have continued to rejoice in having been under his training4 ,best of all was his general influence on the students4 ,we doubt whether in the theological seminaries of the ,presbyterian ,church of the ,united ,states it has ever been equaled1 except by ,archibald ,alexander of ,princeton4 ,the dominant element of that influence was a magnificent personality saturated with the warmest and most tender piety1 having its source in love for the living1 personal ,saviour4 ,for ,dr4 ,plumer1 ,mateer had then a very high degree of reverent affection1 and he never lost it4 ,spiritually1 the condition of the seminary while ,mateer was there was away above the ordinary4 ,in the winter of #aheg-eh a great revival had swept over the ,united ,states1 and across the ,atlantic4 ,in no place was it more in evidence than in the theological schools2 it quickened immensely the spiritual life of the majority of the students4 ,one of its fruits there was the awakening of a far more intense interest in foreign missions4 ,i can still recall the satisfaction which some of us who in the seminary were turning our faces toward the unevangelized nations had in the information that this strong man who stood in the very first rank as to character and scholarship had decided to offer himself to the ,board of ,foreign ,missions for such service as they might select for him4 ,it was a fitting consummation of his college and seminary life4 ,yet it was only slowly1 even in the seminary1 and after much searching of his own heart and much wrestling in prayer1 that he came to this decision4 ,outside of himself there was a good deal that tended to impel him toward it4 ,the faculty1 and especially ,dr4 ,plumer1 did all they could wisely to press on the students the call of the unevangelized nations for the gospel4 ,representatives of this cause--missionaries and secretaries--visited the seminary1 where there were1 at that time1 more than an ordinary number of young men who had caught the missionary spirit4 ,in college1 ,mateer1 without seeking to isolate himself from others1 had come into real intimacy with scarcely any of his fellow-students4 ,he says in the autobiographical sketch1 8,i minded my own business1 making comparatively few friends outside of my own class1 largely because ,i was too bashful to push my way40 ,in the seminary he1 while still rather reserved1 came nearer to some of his fellow-theologues2 and especially to one1 ,dwight ,b4 ,hervey1 who shared with him the struggle over duty as to a field of service4 ,they seem to have been much in conference on that subject4 ,on the #bast of ,january1 #ahfj1 he presented himself before the ,presbytery of ,ohio1 to which the churches of ,pittsburg belonged1 passed examination in his college studies1 and was received under the care of that body2 but he had not then made up his mind to be a missionary4 ,on the #abth of ,april of the same year he went before the ,presbytery of ,butler1 at ,butler1 ,pennsylvania 7having at his own request been transferred to the care of that organization1 because his parents' home was now within its bounds71 and was licensed to preach4 ,yet still he had not decided to be a missionary4 ,he was powerfully drawn toward that work1 and vacillation at no time in his life was a characteristic2 there simply was as yet no need that he should finally make up his mind1 and he wished to avoid any premature committal of himself1 which later he might regret1 or which he might feel bound to recall4 ,the summer of #ahfj he spent in preaching here and there about ,pittsburg1 several months being given to the ,plains and ,fairmount churches2 followed by a visit home1 and another in ,illinois4 ,when the seminary opened in the autumn1 he was back in his place4 ,one of the duties which fell to him was to preach a missionary sermon before the ,society of ,inquiry4 ,he did this so well that the students by vote expressed a desire that the sermon should be published4 ,in his ,journal he notes that the preparation of this discourse 8strengthened his determination to give himself to this work40 ,before the ,christmas recess ,dr4 ,j4 ,leighton ,wilson1 one of the secretaries of the ,presbyterian ,board of ,foreign ,missions1 visited the seminary1 and in conference did much to stimulate the missionary spirit4 ,he found in ,mateer an eager and responsive listener4 ,on the #abth of ,december ,mateer wrote a long letter to his mother1 in which he expresses feeling1 because without warrant some one had told her that he had offered himself to the ,foreign ,board4 ,he says1 8,i am not going to take such an important step without informing you of it directly and explicitly40 ,then he proceeds to tell her just what was his attitude at that time3 ,i have thought of the missionary work this long time1 but not very seriously until within the last couple of years4 ,ever since ,i came to the seminary ,i have had a conviction to some degree that ,i ought to go as a missionary4 ,that conviction has been constantly growing and deepening1 and more especially of late4 ,i have about concluded that so far as ,i am myself concerned it is my duty to be a missionary4 ,i have thought a great deal on this subject and ,i think that ,i have not come to such a conclusion hastily4 ,it has cost me very considerable effort to give up the prospects which ,i might have had at home4 ,the matter in almost every view you can take of it involves trial and self-denial4 ,i need great grace1--for this ,i pray4 ,but even if ,i have prospects of usefulness at home1 surely nothing can be lost in this respect by doing what ,i am convinced is my duty4 ,indeed1 one of the encouraging features1 in fact the great encouragement1 is a prospect of more extended usefulness than at home4 ,this may seem not to be so at the first view1 but a more careful consideration of all the aspects of the case will1 ,i think1 bring a different conclusion4 ,the letter is very full1 and lays bare his whole mind and heart as he would be willing to do only to his mother4 ,it is a revelation of this strong1 self-reliant1 mature but filial-spirited and tenderly thoughtful young ,christian man and prospective minister1 to a mother whom he recognized as deserving an affectionate consideration such as he owed to no other created being4 ,on the #gth of ,january1 #ahfa1 he received a letter from his mother1 in which she gave her consent that he should be a foreign missionary1 naming only one or two conditions which involved no insuperable difficulty4 ,in a student prayer meeting about three weeks later he took occasion in some remarks to tell them that he had decided to offer himself for this work4 ,still1 it was not until the #eth of ,april1 and when within two weeks of graduation1 that he1 in a full and formal letter1 such as is expected and is appropriate1 offered himself to the ,board4 ,in his ,journal of that date1 after recording the character of his letter1 he says3 8,this is a solemn and important step which ,i have now taken4 ,during this week1 while writing this letter1 ,i have1 ,i trust1 looked again at the whole matter1 and asked help and guidance from ,god4 ,i fully believe it is my duty to go4 ,my greatest fear has been that ,i was not as willing to go as ,i should be1 but ,i cast myself on ,christ and go forward40 ,on the #acth of ,april he received word from the ,board that he had been accepted1 the time of his going out and his field of labor being yet undetermined4 ,so the problem of his life work was at length solved1 as surely as it could be by human agency4 ,it had been his mother's wish that he should wait a year before going to his field1 and to this he had no serious objection2 but as matters turned out1 more than two years elapsed before he was able to leave this country4 ,this long delay was caused by the outbreak of the ,civil ,war1 and the financial stringency which made it impossible for the ,foreign ,board to assume any additional obligations4 ,much of the time the outlook was so dark that he almost abandoned hope of entering on his chosen work1 though the thought of this filled his heart with grief4 ,he was intensely loyal to the cause of the ,union1 and if he had not been a licentiate for the ministry he almost certainly would have enlisted in the army4 ,he records his determination to go if drafted4 ,once1 indeed1 during this period of waiting he was a sort of candidate for a chaplaincy to a regiment1 which fortunately he did not secure4 ,for several months he preached here and there in the churches of the general region about ,pittsburg1 and also made a visit to towns in central ,ohio1 one of these being ,delaware1 the seat of the ,ohio ,wesleyan ,university4 ,not long afterward he received an urgent request from the ,old ,school ,presbyterian ,church in that town to come and supply them4 ,about the same time the churches of ,fairmount and ,plains in ,pennsylvania gave him a formal call to become their pastor1 but this he declined4 ,he accepted the invitation to ,delaware1 ,i suppose partly because it left him free still to go as a missionary whenever the way might open4 ,at ,delaware he remained eighteen months1 until at last1 in the good providence of ,god1 he was ordered 8to the front0 out in ,china4 ,the story of his service of the church in that place need not be told here except in brief4 ,it must1 however1 be clearly stated that it was in the highest degree creditable to him4 ,in fact1 the conditions were such that one may see in it a providential training in the courage and patience and faithfulness which in later years he needed to exercise on the mission field4 ,the church was weak1 and was overshadowed somewhat even among the ,presbyterian element by a larger and less handicapped ,new ,school organization2 and was sorely distressed by internal troubles4 ,for a while after ,mateer came1 it was a question whether it could be resuscitated from its apparently dying stale4 ,at the end of his period of service it was once more alive1 comparatively united1 and anxious to have him remain as pastor4 ,on ,november #ab1 #ahfb1 while in charge of the church at ,delaware1 he was ordained to the full work of the ministry1 as an evangelist1 by the ,presbytery of ,marion1 in session at ,delaware4 ,on ,december #bg1 #ahfb1 he was married in ,delaware1 at the home of her uncle1 to ,miss ,julia ,a4 ,brown1 of ,mt4 ,gilead1 ,ohio4 ,two years before they were already sufficiently well acquainted to interchange friendly letters2 later their friendship ripened into mutual love2 and now1 after an eight months' engagement1 they were united for life4 ,mateer says in his ,journal1 8,the wedding was very small and quiet2 though it was not wanting in merriment10 and navely adds1 8,found marrying not half so hard as proposing40 ,julia1 as he ever afterward calls her1 was a superbly good wife for him4 ,in her own home1 in the schoolroom1 in the oversight of the ,chinese boys and girls who were their pupils1 in the preparation of her 8,music ,book10 in her labors for the evangelization of the women1 in her journeyings1--hindered as she was most of the time by broken health1--she effectively toiled on1 until at last1 after thirty-five years of missionary service1 her husband laid away all of her that was mortal in the little cemetery east of the city of ,tengchow1 by the side of her sister1 ,maggie 7,mrs4 ,capp71 who had died in the same service1 and of other missionary friends who had gone on before her4 ,when they were married they were still left in great uncertainty as to the time when the ,board could send them out1 or1 indeed1 whether the ,board could send them out at all4 ,they went on their bridal trip to his parents' home in western ,pennsylvania1 reaching there on ,wednesday1 ,december #ca4 ,just a week afterward he received a letter from the ,board announcing their readiness to send them to ,china4 ,the record of his ,journal deserves to be given here in full4 ,scarcely anything in my life ever came so unexpectedly4 ,a peal of thunder in the clear winter sky would not have surprised us more4 ,the letter was handed me in the morning when ,i came downstairs at grandfather's4 ,after reading it1 ,i took it upstairs and read it to 8my ,jewel40 ,in less than three minutes ,i think our minds were made up4 ,her first exclamation after hearing the letter ,i shall not forget3 8,oh1 ,i am glad60 ,that was the right ring for a missionary3 no long-drawn1 sorrowful sigh1 but the straight-out1 noble1 self-sacrificing1 8,oh1 ,i am glad60 ,i shall remember that time1 that look1 that expression4 ,if ,i did not say1 ,i felt1 the same4 ,i think ,i can truly say ,i was and am glad4 ,my lifelong aspiration is yet to be realized4 ,i shall yet spend my life and lay my bones in a heathen land4 ,i had fully made up my mind to labor in this country1 and most likely for some time in ,delaware2 but how suddenly everything is changed6 ,the only regret ,i feel is that ,i am not five years younger4 ,what a great advantage it would give me in acquiring the language6 ,but so it is1 and ,providence made it so4 ,i had despaired of going1 and despairing ,i was greatly perplexed to understand the leadings of ,providence in directing my mind so strongly to the work1 and bringing me so near to the point of going before4 ,now ,i understand the matter better4 ,now ,i see that my strong persuasion that ,i would yet go was right4 ,god did not deceive me4 ,he only led me by a way that ,i knew not4 ,just when the darkness seemed to be greatest1 then the sun shone suddenly out4 ,how strange it all seems6 ,the way was all closed2 no funds to send out men to ,china2 and ,i could not go4 ,suddenly two missionaries die1 and the health of another fails2 and the ,board feels constrained to send out one man at least1 to supply their place2 and so the door opens to me4 ,and ,i will enter it1 for ,providence has surely opened it4 ,as ,i have given myself to this work1 and hold myself in readiness to go1 ,i will not retrace my steps now4 ,having put my hand to the plow1 ,i will not look back4 ,i do not wish to4 ,it is true1 however1 that preaching a year and a half has bound strong cords around me to keep me here4 ,i cannot go so easily now as ,i might have done when ,i first left the seminary4 ,it will be a sore trial to tear myself away from the folks at ,delaware4 ,they will try hard1 ,i know1 to retain me2 but ,i think my mind is set1 and ,i must go4 ,i must go2 ,i am glad to go2 ,i will go4 ,the ,lord will provide for ,delaware4 ,i commit the work there to his hands4 ,i trust and believe that he will carry it on1 and that it will yet appear that my labor there has not been in vain4 ,yesterday ,i was twenty-seven years old4 ,i hope to chronicle my next birthday in ,china4 ,the ,lord has spared me twenty-seven years in my native land4 ,will he give me as many in ,china6 ,grant it1 ,o ,lord1 and strengthen me mightily to spend them all for thee6 ,this strong1 persistent1 conscientious1 self-controlled1 consecrated man had found his life work at last4 ,,iv ,,gone ,,to ,,the ,,front 8,if there had been no other way to get back to ,america1 than through such another experience1 it is doubtful whether ,i should ever have seen my native land again40--,,autobiographical ,,sketch1 #ahig4 ,the choice of the country to which he should go as a missionary had been with him a subject of earnest consideration and prayer4 ,he says in his ,journal1 under date of ,september #ab1 #ahfb3 ,the ,board wished me to go to ,canton1 ,china1 at first4 ,this was altogether against my inclinations and previous plans2 but the ,board would not send me anywhere else1 until in the last letter they offered to send me to ,japan2 ,i have long had thoughts of northern ,india or of ,africa2 and especially have ,i wished to go to some new mission where the ground is unoccupied1 and where ,i would not be entrammeled by rules and rigid instructions4 ,the languages of eastern ,asia are also exceedingly difficult and the missionary work is peculiarly discouraging among that people4 ,two days later1 however1 he sent the ,board a letter saying that he would go to ,japan4 ,when his field finally was specifically designated1 it was north ,china4 ,he was to be stationed at ,tengchow1 a port that had been opened to foreign commerce in the province of ,shantung4 ,the ,mateers remained at ,delaware until late in ,april4 ,until that time he continued in charge of his church4 ,in a touching farewell service they took leave of their people1 and traveled by slow stages toward ,new ,york4 ,going to live in ,china was then so much more serious a matter than it is now that we can scarcely appreciate the leave-takings that fell to the lot of these two young missionaries4 ,the hardest trial of all was to say good-by to mother and to father1 and to brothers and sisters1 some of whom were yet small children1 and for whom he felt that he might do so much if not separated from them by half the distance round the world4 ,at length on ,july #c1 #ahfc1 they embarked at ,new ,york on the ship that was to carry them far to the south of the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 then eastward almost in sight of the northern shores of ,australia1 and finally1 by the long outside route1 up north again to ,shanghai4 ,they were one hundred and sixty-five days1 or only about two weeks short of half a year1 in making the voyage4 ,during that long period they never touched land4 ,it needs to be borne in mind that in #ahfc the ,suez ,canal had only been begun2 that the railroads across our continent had not been built2 and that no lines of passenger steamers were running from our western coast over to ,asia4 ,no blame1 therefore1 is chargeable to the ,board of ,missions for sending out their appointees on a sailing vessel4 ,the ship selected was a merchantman1 though not a clipper built for quick transit1 was of moderate size1 in sound condition1 and capable of traveling at fairly good speed4 ,accompanying the ,mateers were ,hunter ,corbett and his wife1 who also had been appointed by the ,board1 for ,tengchow4 ,there were six other passengers1 none of whom were missionaries1 and1 besides the officers1 there was a crew of sixteen men4 ,at best the voyage could not be otherwise than tedious and trying4 ,the accommodations for passengers were necessarily scant1 the staterooms1 being mere closets with poor ventilation1 and this cut off in rough weather4 ,the only place available for exercise was the poop deck1 about thirty feet long2 thus walking involved so much turning as greatly to lessen the pleasure1 and many forms of amusement common on larger vessels were entirely shut out4 ,food on such a long voyage had to be limited in variety1 and must become more or less stale4 ,of course1 it was hot in the tropics1 and it was cold away south of the equator1 and again up north in ,november and ,december4 ,seasickness is a malady from which exemption could not be expected4 ,when a company of passengers and officers with so little in common as to character and aims were cooped together1 for so long a time1 in narrow quarters1 where they must constantly come into close contact1 a serious lack of congeniality and some friction might be expected to develop among them4 ,the ship also1 on that voyage1 encountered distinctive annoyances and dangers4 ,for weeks after they sailed they were in constant dread of ,confederate privateers4 ,once they were so sure that they were about to be captured by a ship which they mistook for one of these destroyers of ,american commerce that they hastily prepared as well as they could for such a catastrophe4 ,when they sailed from ,new ,york1 the battle of ,gettysburg was in progress and still undecided2 and it was not until ,october #ae when they were overtaken by a vessel which had sailed eleven days after them from ,new ,york1 that their anxiety as to the result was relieved1 and their hearts were thrilled with exultation1 by the news that ,meade was victorious1 and also that ,vicksburg had fallen4 ,out among the islands to the northeast of ,australia the ship was caught in a current1 and was forced so rapidly and nearly on the wild1 rocky shores of an uncivilized island that the captain himself despaired of escaping wreck4 ,providentially a breeze from the land sprang up and carried them out of danger4 ,they were overtaken by no severe storms4 ,several times their patience was sorely tested by protracted calms2 in the ,pacific it once took them seventeen days to make three hundred and forty miles4 ,all of these things lay beyond the control of the officers and crew1 and the missionaries accepted them as trials to which they ought quietly and patiently to submit4 ,but imagine as added to this a half year's subjection to the arbitrary and autocratic rule of a captain who was ignorant except as to seamanship2 who was coarse and constantly profane in speech2 who was tyrannical and brutal so far as he dared to be1 and yet when boldly faced by those who were able to bring him to account for his conduct was a contemptible coward2 who skimped the people on board of food adequate in quantity or decently fit in quality1 partly because of stingy greed1 and partly from a desire thus to gratify his malignant disposition2 who hated missionaries and seemed to have a special pleasure in making their lives on his ship as uncomfortable as possible2 who barely tolerated such religious observances as the asking of a blessing at meals1 or a service for social worship on the ,sabbath in the cabin1 and who forbade all attempts to do any religious work1 even by conversation1 among the crew2 who was capable of descending to various petty meannesses in order to gratify his base inclinations2 and who somehow yet managed to secure from officers under him a measure of sympathy and coperation in his conduct4 ,when we have as fully as possible grasped these things1 we can understand why ,dr4 ,mateer1 half a lifetime afterward1 wrote to his college classmates that if in order to reach ,america it had been necessary to repeat the experience of that outward voyage1 it is doubtful if ever again he had seen his native land4 ,but at last this voyage was nearing its end4 ,they might have reached port some days earlier1 had it not been that all the crew except three or four had--through lack of proper food and other bad treatment--been attacked by scurvy1 a disease already then having been almost shut out even from sailing vessels on long trips4 ,on ,december #af they had the happiness of going ashore at ,shanghai1 where they soon found a welcome in the homes of missionaries and of other friends4 ,corbett was not well1 and ,mateer always believed that the health of both ,julia and ,corbett was permanently injured by the treatment received on that outward voyage4 ,on the voyage the missionaries warned the captain that they would surely hold him to account for his conduct1 when they reached ,shanghai4 ,they kept their word4 ,after consultation with the missionaries on the local field1 with a lawyer1 and with the ,american consul1 they determined to proceed with formal charges against him4 ,learning of this1 he lost no time in coming to them1 and1 with fear and trembling1 he begged that they would have mercy on him4 ,a second interview was appointed1 but ,corbett was too unwell to see him1 and ,mateer had to meet him alone4 ,in his ,journal he says3 ,i took the paper which had been read to the consul1 and read it to him giving copious comments and illustrations1 at the same time asking him to explain or correct if he could4 ,i never in my life gave any man such a lecturing4 ,i just kept myself busy for an hour and a half telling him how mean and contemptible a scoundrel he was4 ,i then offered him as a settlement of the matter a paper which ,i proposed to publish1 stating in it that he had apologized and that we had agreed to suspend prosecution4 ,from this he pled off in the most pitiful manner1 saying that he would be ruined by it4 ,the third day he came again and made such an appeal for mercy that ,mateer's sympathy1 and also his desire to avoid detention at ,shanghai1 led him to agree to accept a private apology1 and to refer the matter to the interested parties at ,new ,york4 ,years afterward ,mateer1 on going aboard a coasting steamer bound for ,shanghai1 discovered that this man was the captain4 ,he at once cancelled his passage1 and went ashore until he could secure a place on another vessel4 ,tengchow is distant more than five hundred miles from ,shanghai4 ,the only way to reach it was by a second voyage northward along the coast to ,chefoo1 and thence overland4 ,on ,january #c1 #ahfd1 the ,mateers and the ,corbetts went aboard the little coasting steamer 8,swatow10 bound for ,chefoo4 ,they had a head wind1 and the ship was almost empty of cargo4 ,they suffered again from seasickness1 and from cold on account of lack of bed-clothing4 ,on the evening of the third day out1 at about half-past eight1 they were sitting around the stove expecting soon to be at ,chefoo1 when suddenly the vessel struck the bottom and the bell rang to reverse the engine4 ,bump followed bump1 until it seemed as if she must go to pieces4 ,the captain1 though not unfamiliar with the route1 had allowed himself to be deceived by the masts of a sunken ship1 and supposing this to be a vessel at anchor in the harbor of ,chefoo1 had gone in1 and his steamer was now hard and fast on the bottom1 about fifteen miles down the coast from his destination4 ,we will allow ,mateer in his ,journal to tell his own story4 ,all was a scene of indescribable confusion4 ,the captain lost all self-possession and all authority over his men4 ,most of his crew and servants were ,chinese or ,malays1 and on such an occasion the worst features of their character shine out4 ,they refused to do anything and went to packing up their few goods and at the same time seizing everything they could get hold of4 ,they went everywhere and into everything1 pilfering and destroying4 ,meanwhile the waves were striking the vessel at a fearful rate1 and threatening to break it into pieces4 ,we knew not what to do1 or what we could do4 ,the mates and two passengers 7a merchant and an ,english naval officer7 lowered a boat and1 pushing off1 succeeded in landing and in making a rope fast from the ship to the shore4 ,they found that we were much nearer the land than we had supposed4 ,we were now in a great quandary what to do1 whether to remain on the ship1 or get in the boat and go ashore4 ,we mostly inclined to remain1 but the captain urged us to go ashore4 ,while the wind remained moderate we could stay on the ship with safety2 but if the wind should increase before morning we might be in danger of our lives4 ,the captain said that he thought that it was not more than eight or nine miles to ,chefoo1 and he was anxious that word should be sent there4 ,we at length yielded to his advice1 and about eleven o'clock got into a boat and managed to get ashore through the surf4 ,it was a bitter cold night1 and we loaded ourselves with blankets which we supposed would come into requisition to keep us warm4 ,our party consisted of nine passengers 7we four1 ,rev4 ,williamson and wife and child1 and ,rev4 ,mc,clatchie--all missionaries--and ,mr4 ,wilson1 a merchant1 and ,mr4 ,riddle1 a naval officer7 and six ,chinamen4 ,our hope was to set out in the direction of ,chefoo1 get a lodging for the ladies and ,mr4 ,corbett by the way1 while the rest of us pushed on to ,chefoo to obtain assistance4 ,we started off according to this plan1 but soon found our way stopped by fields of ice1 and we were compelled to turn from our course and seek the hills which towered up in the distance4 ,the walking was very fatiguing2 indeed1 the ground was covered several inches with snow1 and at many places there were large cakes and fields of ice4 ,after long and weary tramping and turning and disputing about the best way1 we at length reached the hills4 ,i mounted to the top of the first hill and tried to get the party to go up over the hill and directly inland until we should find a house or village4 ,other counsels prevailed1 however1 and we wandered along the foot of the hill the best part of a mile4 ,at length ,i got in the lead1 and persuaded them that no houses would be found unless we went inland from the barren beach4 ,we then crossed the ridge at a low place and retraced our steps on the other side of it1 and finally1 after much urging1 persuaded those who wanted to sit down until morning to follow on inland on the track of some of our ,chinamen4 ,we soon came to a village1 which was indeed a welcome sight4 ,we were cold1 and our feet were wet1 and we were very tired1 especially the ladies4 ,our troubles were not over yet1 however1 for we could not induce any of the ,chinese to let us in4 ,it was now four o'clock1 and we were suffering from the effects of five hours' wandering in the snow and cold4 ,yet they persistently closed their doors and kept us out4 ,mr4 ,williamson and ,mr4 ,mc,clatchie could talk to them some1 yet they refused to receive us4 ,at last1 after shivering in the cold about an hour1 we succeeded in getting into a sort of shanty1 which1 however1 afforded but very poor comfort4 ,there was a heated kang in it1 and the ladies managed to warm their feet on this4 ,when it began to get light ,mr4 ,riddle and ,mr4 ,wilson started to ,chefoo1 thinking the city was only half a mile distant4 ,this was what ,mrs4 ,williamson understood the natives to say4 ,some time after ,mr4 ,mc,clatchie started1 supposing it was three miles4 ,we made breakfast on boiled rice and sweet potatoes which the people brought us4 ,i started back to see what had become of the ship1 and to look after our things4 ,i found the vessel all sound and everything safe4 ,i succeeded in getting several trunks of mine and ,mr4 ,williamson's landed on the beach1 and got some of them started up to the village1 which was at least two miles from the ship4 ,mr4 ,williamson then went down and succeeded in getting a variety of other things brought off and carried up to the village4 ,it was a beautiful calm day1 but we feared that a gale might spring up1 as gales were frequent in this region at that time of year4 ,in such a case the vessel must quickly be broken in pieces1 and everything destroyed4 ,we now began to look around for the night1 and it was not a very comfortable prospect4 ,some ,english people came from ,yentai 7just across the bay from ,chefoo7 to survey the wreck of a vessel that had been cast away some time before at the same place1 and they very kindly sent us some supper--their own1 in fact--and also brought us a supply of furs and blankets4 ,we had one large kang heated1 and on this five stowed themselves1 covering themselves with the blankets1 while ,i made a bed and slept on the ground4 ,the rest of the little room was filled with trunks and ,chinese rubbish of various kinds4 ,we slept very comfortably1 however1 and as we were very tired and had not slept a wink the night before1 our sleep was sweet and refreshing to us4 ,we had great cause to be thankful for even such accommodations in the circumstances4 ,we made our breakfast on two dozen boiled eggs and some bread which the ,englishmen had left us4 ,i started immediately to the ship1 intending1 as the day was fine1 to try and get as much as possible of the goods belonging to us off the ship1 and to store them there until they could be taken to ,yentai4 ,as ,i came over the top of the hill and looked out on the sea1 ,i saw a steamer coming which ,i knew was the ,english gunboat from ,chefoo4 ,my heart bounded with joy at the sight4 ,at last we were to get help1 and to reach ,yentai without going overland4 ,all our goods also would no doubt be saved4 ,by land it was twenty-eight miles to ,chefoo1 instead of the short distance supposed by the men who started to walk1 but they had persisted2 and at their instigation the gunboat had come to relieve the party left behind4 ,after some failures the gunboat succeeded in pulling the 8,swatow0 into water where she again floated safely4 ,the party out at the village returned1 and the goods were brought back and put on board the gunboat1 ,mateer remaining over night with the steamer and coming up the next day to ,chefoo4 ,he notices in his ,journal that although ,corbett was in a very weak state1 he seemed to suffer little or no bad effects from the first terrible night on shore2 nor were the ladies apparently any the worse for their exposure4 ,he mentions also that while some of the natives at the village were disposed to annoy them as much as possible1 others of them were very kind1 and he adds1 8,never before did ,i feel my helpless condition so much as among those natives1 with whom ,i could not speak a single word40 ,of course1 they received a hearty welcome from the missionaries at ,chefoo4 ,on the following ,wednesday they started for ,tengchow1 fifty-five miles away1 traveling by shentza--a mode of travel peculiar to ,china1 and developed largely because of the almost complete absence of anything like good wagon roads4 ,it is simply a sort of covered litter1 sustained between two mules1 one in advance of the other2 in it one reclines1 and is jolted up and down by the motion of the animals1 each going after his own fashion over rough paths which lead without plan across the plains and hills4 ,mateer's ,journal says of that trip3 ,we rode about fifteen miles and stopped for the night at a ,chinese inn4 ,we had brought our eatables along1 and1 having got some tea1 we made a very good supper1 and we went to bed all together on a ,chinese kang heated up to keep us warm4 ,next morning it was bitter cold1 and we did not get started until about ten o'clock4 ,i made them turn my shentza and ,julia's around that is1 with the open front away from the wind or ,i do not know what we should have done4 ,about five o'clock our cavalcade turned into an inn1 and we soon found to our chagrin and vexation that we were doomed to spend another night in a ,chinese inn2 which1 by the way1 is anything but a comfortable place on a cold night4 ,we made the best of it1 however1 and the next morning we were off again for ,tengchow1 where we arrived safely about two o'clock4 ,at last our journeying was over1--set down on the field of our labor4 ,they had reached the front4 ,this was early in ,january1 #ahfd4 ,v ,,the ,,new ,,home 8,our new house is now done1 and we are comfortably fixed in it4 ,it suits us exactly1 and my impression is that it will suit anyone who may come after us4444 ,my prayer is that ,god will spare us to live in it many years1 and bless us in doing much work for his glory40--,,letter ,,to ,,secretary ,,lowrie1 ,december #bd1 #ahfg4 ,tengchow is one of the cities officially opened as a port for foreign commerce1 under the treaty of ,tientsin1 which went into actual effect in #ahfj4 ,although a place of seventy thousand or more inhabitants1 and cleaner and more healthful than most ,chinese towns1 it has not attracted people from western nations1 except a little band of missionaries4 ,the harbor does not afford good anchorage2 so it has not been favorable to foreign commerce4 ,when the ,mateers came to ,tengchow1 missionary operations had already been begun both by the ,southern ,baptists and the ,american ,presbyterians1 though in a very small way4 ,in fact1 throughout the whole of ,china1--according to the best statistics available1--there were then on that immense field only something more than a hundred ordained ,protestant missionaries1 and as many female missionaries4 ,there were also a few physicians and printers4 ,the number of native preachers was about two hundred and fifty1 and of colporteurs about the same4 ,few of these colporteurs and native preachers were full ministers of the gospel4 ,there were sixteen stations1 and perhaps a hundred out-stations4 ,the ,chinese converts aggregated thirty-five hundred4 ,in all ,shantung1 with its many millions of people1 the only places at which any attempt had been made to establish stations were ,chefoo and ,tengchow1 both on the seacoast4 ,the ,baptists reached the latter of these cities in the autumn of #ahfj4 ,they were followed very soon afterward by ,messrs4 ,danforth and ,gayley and their wives1 of the ,presbyterian ,board2 and the next summer ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,nevius came up from ,ningpo and joined them4 ,the natives seemed to be less positively unfriendly than those of many other parts of ,china are even to this day2 yet it was only with protracted and perplexing difficulties that houses in which to live could be obtained4 ,not long after this was accomplished1 ,mrs4 ,danforth sickened and died1 and was laid in the first ,christian grave at ,tengchow4 ,then came a 8rebel10 or rather a robber invasion1 that carried desolation and death far and wide in that part of ,shantung1 and up to the very walls of ,tengchow1 and left the city and country in a deplorable condition of poverty and wretchedness4 ,two of the ,baptist missionaries went out to parley with these marauders1 and were cut to pieces4 ,next ensued a period during which rumors were rife among the people that the missionaries1 by putting medicine in the wells1 and by other means1 practiced witchcraft2 and this kept away many who otherwise might have ventured to hear the gospel1 and came near to producing serious danger4 ,after this followed a severe epidemic of cholera1 filling the houses and the streets with funerals and with mourning4 ,for a while the missionaries escaped1 and did what they could for the ,chinese patients2 but they were soon themselves attacked2 and then they had to give their time and strength to ministering to their own sick1 and to burying their own dead4 ,mr4 ,gayley first1 and then his child1 died1 and a child of one of the ,baptist missionaries4 ,others were stricken but recovered4 ,the epidemic lasted longest among the ,chinese1 and this afforded the missionaries opportunity to save many lives by prompt application of remedies2 and so tended greatly to remove prejudice and to open the way for the gospel4 ,ten persons were admitted to membership in the church1 the first fruits of the harvest which has ever since been gathering4 ,but a sad depletion of the laborers soon afterward followed4 ,mrs4 ,gayley was compelled to take her remaining child1 and go home2 ,mr4 ,danforth's health became such that he also had to leave2 the health of ,mrs4 ,nevius1 which had been poor for a long time1 had become worse and1 the physician having ordered her away1 she and her husband went south4 ,this left ,rev4 ,mr4 ,mills and his wife as the only representatives of the ,presbyterian ,board1 until the ,mateers and ,corbetts arrived1 about three years after the beginning of the station by ,danforth and ,gayley4 ,when the ,mateers and ,corbetts came they were1 of necessity1 lodged in the quarters already occupied by the ,mills family4 ,these consisted of no less than four small one-story stone buildings clustered near together2 one used for a kitchen1 another for a dining room1 a third for a guest room1 and the fourth for a parlor and bedroom4 ,each stood apart from the other1 and without covered connection4 ,the larger of them had been a temple dedicated to ,kwan ,yin1 whom foreigners have called the ,chinese god of mercy4 ,according to the universal superstition1 the air is full of superhuman spirits1 in dread of whom the people of ,china constantly live1 and to avert the displeasure of whom most of their religious services are performed4 ,kwan ,yin1 however1 is an exception in character to the malignancy of these imaginary deities4 ,there is no end to the myths that are current as to this god1 and they all are stories of deliverance from trouble and danger4 ,to him the people always turn with their vows and prayers and offerings1 in any time of special need4 ,partly because the women are especially devoted to this cult1 and partly because mercy is regarded by the ,chinese as a distinctively female trait1 the easy-going mythology of the country has allowed ,kwan ,yin1 in later times1 to take the form of a woman4 ,when the missionaries came to ,tengchow1 the priest in charge of this temple was short of funds1 and he was easily induced to rent it to them4 ,he left the images of ,kwan ,yin in the house4 ,just what to do with them became a practical question2 from its solution a boy who lived with the ,mateers learned a valuable lesson4 ,when asked whether the idols could do anybody harm1 he promptly replied 8,no02 giving as a reason that the biggest one that used to be in the room where they were then talking was buried outside the gate6 ,at first a wall was built around the other idols1 but by and by they were all taken down from their places and disposed of in various ways4 ,mateer speaks of a mud image of ,kwan ,yin1 about four feet high1 and weighing over two hundred pounds1 still standing in his garret in #ahgj4 ,the coming of these new mission families into the ,mills residence crowded it beyond comfort1 and beyond convenience for the work that was imperative4 ,the ,mateers had the dining room assigned to them as their abode1 this being the best that could be offered4 ,of course1 little effective study could under such conditions be put on the language which must be acquired before any direct missionary labor could be performed4 ,under the loss of time he thus was suffering1 ,mateer chafed like a caged lion2 and so1 as soon as possible1 he had another room cleared of the goods of ,mr4 ,nevius1 which had been stored there until they could be shipped1 and then set to work to build a chimney and to put the place in order for his own occupation4 ,thus he had his first experience of the dilatory and unskillful operations of native mechanics4 ,the dining room was left without a stove1 and1 on account of the cold1 something had to be done to supply the want4 ,in all ,tengchow such a thing as a stove could not be purchased2 possibly one might have been secured at ,chefoo1 but most probably none could have been obtained short of ,shanghai4 ,the time had already come for ,mateer to exercise his mechanical gifts4 ,he says3 ,mr4 ,mills and ,i got to work to make a stove out of tin4 ,we had the top and bottom of an old sheet-iron stove for a foundation from which we finally succeeded in making what proves to be a very good stove4 ,we put over one hundred and sixty rivets in it in the process of making it4 ,i next had my ingenuity taxed to make a machine to press the fine coal they burn here1 into balls or blocks1 so that we could use it4 ,they have been simply setting it with a sort of gum water and molding it into balls with their hands4 ,thus prepared1 it was too soft and porous to burn well4 ,so1 as it was the time of the new year1 and we could not obtain a teacher1 ,i got to work1 and with considerable trouble1 and working at a vast disadvantage from want of proper tools1 ,i succeeded in making a machine to press the coal into solid1 square blocks4 ,at first it seemed as if it would be a failure1 for although it pressed the coal admirably it seemed impossible to get the block out of the machine successfully4 ,this was obviated1 however1 and it worked very well1 and seems to be quite an institution4 ,this machine subsequently he improved so that a boy could turn out the fuel with great rapidity4 ,the house1 with the best arrangements that could be made1 was so overcrowded that relief of some sort was a necessity4 ,the ,corbetts1 despairing of getting suitable accommodations for themselves1 went back to the neighborhood of ,chefoo and never returned1--an immense gain for ,chefoo1 but an equally immense loss for ,tengchow4 ,mills preferred to find a new house for himself and family1 and--after the usual delays and difficulties because of the unwillingness of the people and of the officials to allow the hated foreigners to get such a permanent foothold in the place--he at length succeeded4 ,but that was only a remote step toward actual occupation4 ,a ,chinese house at its best estate commonly is of one story2 and usually has no floor but the ground and no ceiling but the roof1 or a flimsy affair made of cornstalks and paper4 ,the windows have a sort of latticework covered with thin paper2 and it is necessary to tear down some of the wall1 in order to have a sufficient number of them1 and to give those which do exist a shape suitable for sash4 ,the doors are low1 few in number1 rudely made1 and in two pieces4 ,a ,chinese house may be large enough1 but it is usually all in one big room4 ,it fell to these missionaries to get in order the house which ,mills secured2 and to do this in the heat of summer1 and during a season of almost incessant downpour of rain4 ,they were obliged not merely to supervise most unsatisfactory laborers1 but also to do much of the work with their own hands4 ,eventually ,mills fell sick1 and ,mateer alone was left to complete the job4 ,yet he records that on the first day of ,august his associate had gone to his new residence1 and he and ,julia were happy in the possession of the old temple for their own abode4 ,unfortunately both of them were taken down with dysentery4 ,of the day the ,mills family left he says in a letter to one of his brothers3 ,julia was able to sit up about half the day1 and ,i was no better4 ,you can imagine what a time we had getting our cooking stove up1 and getting our cooking utensils out and in order1--no1 you can't either1 for you don't know what a ,chinese servant is when of every three words you speak to him he understands one1 and misunderstands two4 ,however1 we did finally get the machine going1 and it works pretty well4 ,here they remained three years2 and1 here1 after they had built for themselves a really 8new home10 they long continued to carry on their school work4 ,but experience soon convinced them that a new dwelling house was a necessity4 ,the buildings which they occupied proved to be both unhealthy and unsuitable for the work they were undertaking4 ,the unhealthiness arose partly from the location4 ,the ground in that section of the city is low1 and liable to be submerged in the rainy season4 ,a sluggish little stream ran just in front of the place1 passing through the wall by a low gate1 and if this happened to be closed in a sudden freshet1 the water sometimes rose within the houses4 ,there was a floor at least in the main building1 but it was laid upon scantlings about four inches thick1 these being placed on the ground4 ,the boards were not grooved1 and as a consequence while making a tight enough floor in the damp season1 in the dry it opened with cracks a quarter to half an inch wide4 ,the walls were of stone1 built without lime1 and with an excess of mud mortar1 and lined on the inside with sun-dried brick4 ,the result of all this was that the dampness extended upward several feet above the floor1 and by discoloration showed in the driest season where it had been4 ,the floor could not be raised without necessitating a change in the doors and windows1 and it was doubtful whether this could be made with safety to the house4 ,it is no wonder that1 under such conditions1 ,mrs4 ,mateer began to suffer seriously from the rheumatism that remained with her all the rest of her life4 ,added to the other discomforts1 were the tricks played them by the ceiling4 ,this consisted of cornstalks hung to the roof with strings1 and covered on the lower side with paper pasted on4 ,occasionally a heavy rain brought this ceiling down on the heads of the occupants2 and cracks were continually opening1 thus rendering it almost impossible to keep warm in cold weather4 ,an appeal was made to the ,board for funds for a new dwelling4 ,happily the ,civil ,war was about over1 and the financial outlook was brightening2 so in the course of a few months permission for the new house was granted1 and an appropriation was made4 ,the first thing to do was to obtain a suitable piece of ground on which to build4 ,mateer had in his own mind fixed on a plot adjoining the mission premises1 and understood to be purchasable4 ,such transactions in ,china seldom move rapidly4 ,he bided his time until the ,chinese new year was close at hand1 when everybody wants money2 then1 striking while the iron was hot1 he bought the ground4 ,long before this consummation he was so confident that he would succeed that1 foreseeing that he must be his own architect and superintendent1 he wrote home to friends for specific information as to every detail of house-building4 ,nothing seems to have been overlooked4 ,he even wanted to know just how the masons stand when at certain parts of their work4 ,early in ,february in #ahfg he was down at ,chefoo purchasing the brick and stone and lime2 and so soon as the material was on hand and as the weather permitted1 the actual construction was begun4 ,it was an all-summer job1 necessitating his subordinating1 as far as possible1 all other occupations to this4 ,it required a great deal of care and patience to get the foundations put down well1 and of a proper shape for the superstructure which was to rest upon them4 ,in his ,journal he thus records the subsequent proceedings3 ,when the level of the first floor was reached ,i began the brickwork myself1 laying the corners and showing the masons one by one how to proceed4 ,i had no small amount of trouble before ,i got them broken in to use the right kind of trowel1 which ,i had made for the purpose1 and then to lay the brick in the right way4 ,i had another round of showing and trouble when the arches at the top of the windows had to be turned1 and then the placing of the sleepers took attention2 and then the setting of the upper story doors and windows4 ,the work went slowly on1 and when the level was reached we had quite a raising1 getting the plates and rafters up4 ,all is done1 however1 and to-day they began to put the roof on4444 ,i hope in a few days ,i will be able to resume my work again1 as all the particular parts are now done1 so that ,i can for the most give it into the hands of the ,chinese to oversee4 ,the early part of ,november1 #ahfg1 the ,mateers lived 8half in the old and half in the new40 ,on ,november #ba they finally moved4 ,that was ,saturday4 ,in the night there came up a fierce storm of snow and wind4 ,when they awoke on ,sabbath morning1 the kitchen had been filled with snow through a door that was blown open4 ,the wind still blew so hard that the stove in the kitchen smoked and rendered cooking impossible4 ,the stair door had not yet been hung1 and the snow drifted into the hall and almost everywhere in the house4 ,stoves could not be set up1 or anything else done toward putting things in order1 until ,thursday1 when the storm abated4 ,but they were in their new house4 ,it was only a plain1 two-story1 brick building1 with a roofed veranda to both stories and running across the front1 a hall in the middle of the house with a room on either side1 and a dining room and kitchen at the rear4 ,much of the walls is now covered by ,virginia creeper1 wistaria1 and climbing rose4 ,it is one of those cozy missionary dwellings which censorious travelers to foreign lands visit1 or look at from the outside2 and then1 returning to their own land1 they tell about them as evidence of the luxury by which these representatives of the ,christian churches have surrounded themselves4 ,yet if they cared to know1 and would examine1 they would out of simple regard for the truth1 if for no other reason1 testify to the necessity of such homes for the health and efficiency of the missionaries1 and as powerful indirect helps in the work of social betterment among the natives2 and they would wonder at the self-sacrifice and economy and scanty means by which these worthy servants of ,christ have managed to make for themselves and their successors such comfortable and tasteful places of abode4 ,illustration3 ,,tengchow ,,mission ,,compound1 ,,from ,,the ,,north ,extreme left1 ,entrance to ,dr4 ,hayes' ,house4 ,behind this1 part of back of ,dr4 ,mateer's ,house4 ,foreground1 ,vegetable ,gardens belonging to ,chinese ,the ,mateer house stands on the compound of the mission of the ,presbyterian ,board1 which is inside and close to the water gate in the city wall4 ,about it1 as the years went by1 were erected a number of other buildings needed for various purposes4 ,the whole1 being interspersed with trees1 combines to make an attractive scene4 ,there was nothing pretentious about the house1 but it was comfortable1 and suited to their wants2 and it was all the more dear to them because to such a large degree it had been literally built by themselves4 ,here for more than thirty-one years ,julia presided1 and here she died4 ,after that ,dr4 ,mateer's niece1 ,miss ,margaret ,grier1 took charge previous to her marriage to ,mason ,wells1 and continued for some years subsequent to that event4 ,to this house still later ,dr4 ,mateer brought ,ada1 who was his helpmeet in his declining years1 and who still survives4 ,this was the home of ,dr4 ,mateer from #ahfg to #aijd4 ,it was in it and from it as a center that he performed by far the larger part of his life work4 ,here the ,mandarin ,revision ,committee held its first meeting4 ,it was always a genuine home of the most attractive type4 ,what that means in a ,christian land every reader can in a good degree understand2 but where all around is a mass of strange people1 saturated with ignorance1 prejudice1 and the debased morality consequent on idolatry1 a people of strange and often repulsive habits of living1 the contrast is1 as the ,chinese visitors often used to say1 8the difference between heaven and hell40 ,but what most of all made this little dwelling at ,tengchow a home in the truest sense was the love that sanctified it4 ,dr4 ,mateer used in his later years frequently to say3 8,in the thirty-five years of our married life1 there never was a single jar40 ,nor was this true because in this sphere the one ruled1 and the other obeyed2 the secret of it was that between husband and wife there was such complete harmony that each left the other supreme in his or her department4 ,here many visitors and guests received a welcome and an entertainment to which such as survive still revert with evidently delightful recollections4 ,this seems to be preminently true of some who were children at the time when they enjoyed the hospitalities of that home4 ,possibly some persons who have thought that they knew ,dr4 ,mateer well1 may be surprised at the revelation thus made4 ,one of those who has told her experience is ,miss ,morrison1 whose father was a missionary4 ,he died at ,peking1 and subsequently his widow and their children removed to one of the southern stations of the ,presbyterian ,mission4 ,it is of a visit to this new home at ,tengchow that ,miss ,morrison writes4 ,she says3 ,two of the best friends of our childhood were ,dr4 ,calvin ,mateer and his brother ,john4 ,we spent two summers at ,dr4 ,mateer's home in ,tengchow1 seeking escape from the heat and malaria of our more southern region4 ,it could not have been an altogether easy thing for two middle-aged people to take into their quiet home four youngsters of various ages2 but ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,mateer made us very welcome1 and if we disturbed their peace we never knew it4 ,i remember ,mrs4 ,mateer as one of the most sensible and dearest of women1 and ,dr4 ,mateer as always ready in any leisure moment for a frolic4 ,we can still recall his long1 gaunt figure1 striding up and down the veranda1 with my little sister perched upon his shoulders and holding on by the tips of his ears4 ,she called him 8the camel10 and ,i imagine that she felt during her rides very much the same sense of perilous delight that she would have experienced if seated on the hump of one of the tall1 shaggy beasts that we had seen swinging along1 bringing coal into ,peking4 ,dr4 ,mateer loved a little fun at our expense4 ,what a beautiful1 mirthful smile lit up his rugged features when playing with children6 ,he had what seemed to us a tremendous ball1--,i suppose that it was a football1--which he used to throw after us4 ,we would run in great excitement1 trying to escape the ball1 but the big1 black thing would come bounding after us1 laying us low so soon as it reached us4 ,then with a few long steps he would overtake us1 and beat us with his newspaper till it was all in tatters4 ,then he would scold us for tearing up his paper4 ,i remember not quite knowing whether to take him in earnest1 but being reassured so soon as ,i looked up into the laughing face of my older sister4 ,of other romps she also tells at length4 ,several old acquaintances speak of his love of children1 and of his readiness to enter into the playfulness of their young lives4 ,he dearly loved all fun of an innocent sort2 perhaps it is because of the contrast with his usual behavior that so many persons seem to put special emphasis on this feature of his character4 ,in those early days ,pei-taiho in the north1 and ,kuling and ,mokansan in the south1 had not been opened as summer resorts4 ,chefoo and ,tengchow were the only places available for such a purpose1 and there were in neither of them any houses to receive guests1 unless the missionaries opened theirs4 ,tengchow became very popular1 on account of the beauty of its situation1 the comparative cleanness of the town1 and the proximity to a fine bathing beach4 ,as a usual thing1 if one mentions ,tengchow to any of the old missionaries1 the remark is apt promptly to follow3 8,delightful place6 ,i spent a summer there once with ,dr4 ,mateer40 ,pleasant as he made his own home to his little friends1 and to veterans and recruits1 he was equally agreeable in the homes of others who could enter into his spheres of thought and activity4 ,he was often a guest in the house of ,dr4 ,fitch and his wife at ,shanghai1 while putting his books through the press4 ,he was resident for months in the ,china ,inland ,mission ,sanitarium1 and in the ,mission ,home at ,chefoo4 ,dr4 ,fitch and his wife1 and ,superintendent ,stooke of the ,home1 tell with evident delight of his 8table talk10 and of other ways by which he won their esteem and affection4 ,when the summer guests were flown from ,tengchow1 the missionaries were usually the entire foreign community1--a condition of things bringing both advantages and disadvantages as to their work4 ,on the one hand1 the cause which they represented was not prejudiced by the bad lives of certain foreigners coming for commercial or other secular purposes from ,christian lands4 ,on the other hand1 they were left without things that would have ministered immensely to their convenience and comfort1 and which they often sadly needed for their own efficiency1 and for their health and even for their lives4 ,this was largely due to the tedious and difficult means of communication with the outside world4 ,for instance1 it was six weeks until the goods which the ,mateers left behind them at ,chefoo were delivered to them at ,tengchow4 ,letters had to be carried back and forth between ,tengchow and ,chefoo1 the distributing point1 by means of a private courier4 ,when1 by and by1 the entire band joined together and hired a carrier to bring the mail once a week1 this seemed a tremendous advance4 ,the cost of a letter to the ,united ,states was forty-five cents4 ,but the most serious of all their wants was competent medical attention4 ,how ,mateer wrote home1 and begged and planned1 and sometimes almost scolded1 about sending a physician to reinforce their ranks6 ,in the meantime they used domestic remedies for their own sick1 or sent them overland to ,chefoo1 or in case of dire necessity brought up a physician from that city4 ,mateer soon found himself compelled to attempt what he could medically and surgically for himself and wife1 and also for others1 and among these the poor native sufferers4 ,one of his early cases was a terribly burnt child whom he succeeded in curing2 and another was a sufferer from lockjaw1 who died in spite of all he could do2 and still another case was of a woman with a broken leg4 ,he tried his hand at pulling a tooth for his associate1 ,mr4 ,mills1 but he had to abandon the effort1 laying the blame on the miserable forceps with which he had to operate4 ,later he could have done a better job1 for he provided himself with a complete set of dental tools1 not only for pulling teeth and for filling them1 but also for making artificial sets4 ,all of these he often used4 ,on his first furlough he attended medical lectures at ,philadelphia and did a good deal of dissection4 ,a closet in the new house held a stock of medicines1 and by administering them he relieved much suffering1 and saved many lives1 especially in epidemics of cholera4 ,the physicians who1 in response to the appeals of the missionaries1 were first sent to the station at ,tengchow did not remain long2 and for many years the most of the medicine administered came out of the same dark closet under the stairs of 8the ,new ,home40 ,,vi ,,his ,,inner ,,life 8,i am very conscious that we here are not up to the standard that we ought to be1 and this is our sin4 ,we pray continually for a baptism from on high on the heathen round us2 but we need the same for ourselves that we may acquit ourselves as becomes our profession4 ,our circumstances are not favorable to growth either in grace or in mental culture4 ,our only associates are the native ,christians1 whose piety is often of a low type2 it receives from us1 but imparts nothing to us4 ,mentally we are left wholly without the healthy stimulus and the friction of various and superior minds which surround men at home4 ,most whom we meet here are mentally greatly our inferiors1 and there is no public opinion that will operate as a potent stimulus to our exertions4 ,it may be said that these are motives of a low kind4 ,it may be so2 but their all-powerful influence on all literary men at home is scarcely known or felt till the absence of them shows the difference40--,,letter ,,to ,,the ,,society ,,of ,,inquiry1 ,,in ,,the ,,western ,,theological ,,seminary1 ,october #a1 #ahfg4 ,we have now reached a stage in this narration where the order of time can no longer be followed1 except in a very irregular manner4 ,we must take up distinct phases of ,mateer's life and work1 as separate topics1 and so far as practicable consider each by itself4 ,this is not at all because in him there was any lack of singleness of aim or of persistence4 ,this man1 from the time when he began his labors in ,china until he finished his course1 without interruption1 put his strength and personality into the evangelization of the people of that great empire4 ,but in doing this he found it necessary to follow along various lines1 often contemporaneously1 though never out of sight of any one of them4 ,for our purpose it is best that to some extent they should be considered separately4 ,but before we proceed further it appears desirable to seek an acquaintance with his inner life4 ,by this ,i do not mean his native abilities1 or his outward characteristics as these were known and read by all men who came much into contact with him4 ,it is from the soul life1 and especially the religious side of it1 that it seems desirable to lift the veil a little4 ,this in the case of anyone is a delicate task1 and ought to be performed with a good deal of reserve4 ,in the instance now in hand there is special difficulty4 ,mateer never1 either in speech or in writing1 was accustomed to tell others much about his own inward experiences4 ,for a time in his letters and in his ,journal he occasionally breaks over this reticence a little2 but on ,november #bg1 #ahgf1 he made the last entry in the ,journal2 and long before this he had become so much occupied with his work that he records very little concerning his soul life4 ,still less had he to say on that subject in his letters2 and as years went by1 his occupations compelled him to cut off as much correspondence as practicable1 and to fill such as he continued with other matters4 ,nothing like completeness consequently is here undertaken or is possible4 ,a notion that is current1 especially among 8men of the world10 is that a missionary is almost always a sentimental dreamer who ignores the stern realities of life4 ,it has been my work to train a good many of those who have given themselves to this form of ,christian service1 and to have a close acquaintance with a good many more2 and ,i cannot now recall one of whom such a characteristic could be honestly affirmed4 ,i have in mind a number of whom almost the opposite is true4 ,certainly if to carry the gospel into the dark places of the earth with the conviction of its ultimate triumph is to be called dreaming1 then every genuine missionary is a sentimentalist and a dreamer2 and ,mateer was one of them4 ,but in meeting the experiences of life and in doing his work1 he was about as far removed from just accusation of this sort as anyone could be4 ,indeed1 he was such a matter-of-fact man that his best friends often wished that he were less so4 ,i have carefully gone over many thousands of pages of his ,journal and of his letters and papers1 and ,i recall only one short paragraph that savors of sentimentality4 ,it is so exceptional that it shall have a place here4 ,in a letter written to a friend 7,julia1 ,i suspect71 in the spring of #ahfa1 he says3 ,i have lived in the country nearly all my life1 and ,i much prefer its quiet beauty4 ,i love to wander at this season over the green fields1 and listen to the winds roaring through the young leaves1 and to sit down in the young sunshine of spring under the lee of some sheltering bank or moss-covered rock4 ,i love to think of the past and the future1 and1 thus meditating1 to gather up courage for the stern realities of life4 ,this is not very distressingly ,wertherian1 and surely ought not1 ever after1 to be laid up against the young man1 the fountain of whose thoughts may at that season have been unsealed by love4 ,but we sadly miss the truth if we infer that1 because he was so matter-of-fact in his conduct1 he was without tenderness of heart or depth of feeling4 ,dr4 ,goodrich in his memorial article in the 8,chinese ,recorder0 of ,january1 #aiji1 says of him3 ,i do not remember to have heard him preach1 in ,english or ,chinese1 when his voice did not somewhere tremble and break1 requiring a few moments for the strong man to conquer his emotion and proceed4 ,his tenderness was often shown in quiet ways to the poor and unfortunate1 and he frequently wept when some narrative full of pathos and tears was read4 ,the second winter after the ,boxer year the college students learned to sing the simple but beautiful hymn he had just translated1 8,some one will enter the ,pearly ,gate40 ,one morning we sang the hymn at prayers4 ,just as we were ending1 ,i looked around to see if he were pleased with their singing4 ,the tears were streaming down his face4 ,this sympathetic tenderness was as much a part of his nature as was his rugged strength4444 ,he dearly loved little children1 and easily won their affection4 ,wee babies would stretch out their tiny arms to him1 and fearlessly pull his beard1 to his great delight4 ,his students both feared him and loved him1 and they loved him more than they feared him2 for1 while he was the terror of wrongdoers and idlers1 he was yet their ,great-heart1 ready to forgive and quick to help4 ,how often have we seen ,dr4 ,mateer's students in his study1 pouring out their hearts to him and receiving loving counsel and a father's blessing6 ,he loved his students1 and followed them constantly as they went out into their life work4 ,a lady who was present tells that when the first of his 8boys0 were ordained to the ministry he was so overcome that the tears coursed down his cheeks while he charged them to be faithful to their vows4 ,his mother's love he repaid with a filial love that must have been to her a source of measureless satisfaction4 ,julia could not reasonably have craved any larger measure of affection than she received from him as her husband2 and later1 ,ada entered into possession of the same rich gift4 ,one of the things that touched him most keenly when he went away to ,china was his separation from brothers and sisters1 toward whom he continued to stretch out his beneficent hand across the seas4 ,he was a man who believed in the necessity of regeneration by the ,holy ,spirit in order to begin a genuinely ,christian life4 ,this is one of those great convictions which he never questioned1 and which strengthened as he increased in age4 ,when he united with the church in his nineteenth year1 he thereby publicly declared that he was sufficiently sure that this inward change had passed upon him to warrant him in enrolling himself among the avowed followers of ,christ4 ,but of any sudden outward religious conversion he was not conscious1 and made no profession4 ,in the brief autobiographical sketch previously quoted he says3 ,i had a praying father and mother1 and had been faithfully taught from my youth4 ,i cannot tell when my religious impressions began4 ,they grew up with me1 but were very much deepened by the faithful preachings of ,rev4 ,i4 ,n4 ,hays1 pastor of the church of ,hunterstown1 especially in a series of meetings held in the winter of #aheb-c4 ,as to his external moral conduct there was no place for a visible 8conversion02 he had no vicious habits to abandon1 no evil companions from whom to separate himself4 ,it was on the inner life that the transformation was wrought1 but just when or where he could not himself tell1--an experience which as to this feature has often been duplicated in the children of godly households4 ,the impression which ,i formed of him while associated with him in college was that he lived uprightly and neglected no duty that he regarded as obligatory on him4 ,i knew that he went so far beyond this as to be present at some of the religious associations of the students1 such as the ,brainard ,society1 and a little circle for prayer2 and that he walked a couple of miles into the country on ,sabbath morning to teach a ,bible class in the ,chartiers church4 ,if ,i had been questioned closely ,i probably would have made a mistake1 not unlike that into which in later years those who did not penetrate beneath the surface of his life may easily have fallen4 ,i would have said that the chief lack in his piety was as to the amount of feeling that entered into it4 ,i would have said that he was an honest1 upright ,christian2 but that he needed to have the depths of his soul stirred by the forces of religion in order that he might become what he was capable of1 for himself and for others4 ,possibly such an expression concerning him at that time of life might not have been wholly without warrant2 but in later years it certainly would have been a gross misjudgment1 and while ,i was associated with him in college and seminary it was far less justified than ,i imagined4 ,on ,october #ac1 #ahef1 he began the ,journal which1 with interruptions1 he continued for twenty years4 ,in the very first entry he gives his reasons for keeping this record1 one of which he thus states3 ,i will also to some extent record my own thoughts and feelings2 so that in after years ,i can look back and see the history of my own life and the motives which impelled me in whatever ,i did1--the dark and the bright spots1 for it is really the state of one's mind that determines one's depressions or enjoyments4 ,he records distinctly that the ,journal was written for his own eye alone4 ,one in reading it is surprised at the freedom with which occasionally he passes judgment1 favorable and unfavorable1 on people who meet him on his way4 ,concerning himself also he is equally candid4 ,most that he has to say of himself relates to his outward activities1 but sometimes he draws aside the veil and reveals the inmost secrets of his soul and of his religious life4 ,as a result we discover that it was by no means so calm as we might suppose from looking only at the surface4 ,in this self-revelation there is not a line that would be improper to publish to the world4 ,a few selections are all that can be given here4 ,a certain ,saturday preceding the administration of the ,lord's ,supper was kept by himself and other college students as a fast day1 and after mentioning an address to which he had listened1 and which strongly appealed to him1 he goes on to say3 ,i know that ,i have not been as faithful as ,i should4 ,though comparatively a child in my ,christian life1 as it is little more than a year since ,i was admitted to the church1 yet ,i have come to the table of the ,lord with my faith obscured1 my heart cold and lifeless1 without proper self-examination and prayer to ,god for the light of his countenance4 ,i have spent this evening in looking at my past life and conversation1 and in prayer to ,god for pardon and grace to help4 ,my past life appears more sinful than it has ever done4 ,my conduct as a ,christian1 indeed1 in many things has been inconsistent4 ,sin has often triumphed over me and led me captive at its will4 ,i have laid my case before ,god1 and asked him to humble me1 and prepare me to meet my ,saviour aright4 ,o that ,god would meet me at this time1 and show me the light of his countenance1 and give me grace and strength2 that for the time to come ,i might lay aside every weight and the sins that do so easily beset me1 and run with patience the race that is set before me6 ,there seems to be some unusual interest manifested by some just now2 so that ,i am not without hope that ,god will bless us and perhaps do a glorious work among us4 ,many prayers have this day ascended to ,god for a blessing1 and if we are now left to mourn the hidings of ,god's face1 it will be because of our sins and our unbelief4 ,i have endeavored to keep this as a true fast day2 yet my heart tells me that ,i have not kept it as ,i should4 ,sin has been mingled even in my devotions4 ,yet ,i am not without hope1 because there is ,one whose righteousness is all-perfect1 whose intercessions are all-prevalent4 ,blessed be ,god for his unspeakable gift4 ,the next day1 however1 among other things1 he wrote3 ,i think that ,i have never enjoyed a communion season so much4444 ,this day my hopes of heaven have been strengthened1 and my faith has been increased2 and if ,i know my own heart1 7,o that ,i knew it better671 ,i have made a more unreserved consecration of myself to ,god than ,i have ever done before2 and may he grant me grace to live more to his glory6 ,surely1 the young man who thus opens to our view the secrets of his inner religious life was not lacking seriously in depth of feeling4 ,one is reminded of the ,psalmist's hart panting after the water brooks4 ,in the seminary he still had seasons of troubled heart-searching and unsatisfied longings for a better ,christian life4 ,after reading a part of a book called 8,the ,crucible10 he says3 ,i have not enjoyed this ,sabbath as ,i should4 ,my own heart is not right1 ,i fear4 ,i am too far from ,christ4 ,i am overcome by temptation so often1 and then my peace is destroyed1 and my access to a throne of grace is hindered4 ,i am ready to exclaim with ,paul1 8,oh1 wretched man that ,i am1 who shall deliver me from this body of death60 ,would to ,god ,i could also say with the assurance he did3 8,i thank ,god1 through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ40 ,at the same time there is evidence that he was advancing toward a higher stage of religious experience1 and that he was leaving behind him the elements of repentance and faith1 and going on toward 8perfection40 ,he reads the ,life of ,richard ,williams1 the ,patagonian missionary1 and then sits down and writes3 ,he was a wonderful man2 had a wonderful life4 ,his faith transcends anything ,i have ever had4 ,his communion with ,god was constant and joyous1 at times rising to such a pitch that1 in his own words1 8he almost imagined himself in heaven40 ,his resignation to ,god's will and consecration to his service were complete in the highest4 ,in his life and in his death is displayed in a marvelous manner the power of ,god's grace4 ,reduced almost to the certainty of death by scurvy1 in a little1 uncomfortable barge or float1 with scarce any provisions1 far from all human help1 in the midst of storms and cold1 this devoted man reads ,god's ,word1 prays to him from his lowly couch1 and deliberately declares that he would not exchange places with any man living6 ,what godlike faith6 ,what a sublime height to reach in ,christian life in this world6 ,i am more and more convinced that our enjoyment of ,god and sweet sense of the presence of ,christ as well as our success in glorifying ,god depends entirely on the measure of our consecration to him1 our complete submission of our wills to his4 ,my prayer is for grace thus to consecrate and submit myself to his will4 ,then ,i shall be happy4 ,i do not think that ,mateer had any disposition to follow in the footsteps of ,williams by tempting ,providence through doubtful exposure of his life and health to danger2 it was the consecration to the service of ,god that he coveted4 ,he seems about this time to have made a distinct advance in the direction of an increasing desire to give himself up wholly to the service of his divine ,master1 and to submit himself entirely to the will of ,god4 ,a most severe test of this came to him in the questions of his duty as to foreign missions4 ,first1 it was whether he ought to go on this errand1 and whether he was willing4 ,nor was it an easy thing for him to respond affirmatively4 ,he was a strong man1 and conscious of his strength4 ,for him to go to the unevangelized in some distant part of the world was to put aside almost every 8fond ambition0 that had hitherto attracted him in his plans for life4 ,opportunities to do good were abundantly open to him in this country4 ,tender ties bound his heart to relatives and friends1 and the thought of leaving them with little prospect of meeting them again in this world was full of pain4 ,to go as a missionary was a far more severe ordeal fifty years ago than it is in most cases to-day4 ,bravely and thoroughly1 however1 he met the issue4 ,divine grace was sufficient for him4 ,he offered himself to the ,board and was accepted4 ,then followed another test of his consecration just as severe4 ,for a year and a half he had to wait before he ascertained that after all he was to be sent4 ,there were times when his going seemed to be hopeless2 and he had to learn to bow in submission to what seemed the divine will1 though it almost broke his heart4 ,when1 late in #ahfb1 one of the secretaries told him that unless a way soon opened he had better seek a permanent field at home1 he says in his ,journal3 ,it seems as if ,i cannot give it up4 ,i had such strong faith that ,i should yet go4444 ,i had a struggle to make up my mind1 and now ,i cannot undo all that work as one might suppose4 ,what is it8 ,why is it1 that my most loved and cherished plan should be frustrated8 ,god will do right1 however2 this ,i know4 ,help me1 gracious ,god1 to submit cheerfully to all thy blessed will2 and if ,i never see heathen soil1 keep within me at home the glorious spirit of missions4 ,it was a severe school of discipline to which he was thus sent1 but he learned his lesson well4 ,one cannot think it at all strange that under the conditions of the outward voyage he suffered at times from spiritual depression4 ,november #ai1 #ahfc1 he made this entry in his ,journal3 ,spent the forenoon in prayer and in reading ,god's ,word1 in view of my spiritual state4 ,i have felt oppressed with doubts and fears for some time1 so that ,i could not enjoy myself in spiritual exercises as ,i should4 ,i have had a flood of anxious thoughts about my own condition and my unfitness for the missionary work4 ,i began the day very much cast down2 but1 blessed be ,god1 ,i found peace and joy and assurance in ,christ4 ,in prayer those expressions in the #hfth ,psalm1 8ready to forgive10 and 8plenteous in mercy10 were brought home to my heart in power4 ,i trust ,i did and do gladly cast myself renewedly on ,jesus1 my ,saviour4 ,just before dinner time ,i went out on deck to walk and meditate4 ,presently my attention was attracted by ,georgie 7,mrs4 ,b's little girl7 singing in her childish manner the words of the hymn1 8,he will give you grace to conquer40 ,over and over again she said it as if singing to herself4 ,they were words in season4 ,my heart caught the sound gladly1 and also repeated it over again and again1 8,he will give you grace to conquer40 ,i thought of the parallel ,scripture1 8,my grace is sufficient for thee40 ,the ,spirit of ,god was in those words1 and they were precious4 ,my fears were all gone4 ,i was ready to go1 in the strength of this word1 to ,china1 and undertake any work ,god should appoint4 ,i went to my room1 and with a full heart thanked ,god for this consolation4 ,out of the mouth of babes thou hast ordained strength4 ,i am glad that ,i gave this season to special seeking of ,god2 it has done me good4 ,lord1 make the influence of it to be felt4 ,i had much wandering of mind at first1 but ,god mercifully delivered me from this4 ,o1 that ,i could maintain habitually a devotional spirit1 and live very near to the blessed ,jesus6 ,though he but dimly understood it then1 the ,lord was in the school of experience disciplining him in qualities which in all his subsequent work he needed to put into exercise3 to rest on the promises of ,god in darkness1 to wait patiently under delays that are disappointing1 and to endure in the spirit of ,christ the contradictions of the very sinners for whose higher welfare he was willing to make any sacrifice1 however costly to himself4 ,on his field of labor he was too busy with his duties as a missionary to write down much in regard to his own inner life4 ,nor is there any reason to regard this as a thing greatly to be regretted4 ,the fact is that during the decade which extended from his admission to membership in the church to his entrance on his work in ,china1 he matured in his religious experience to such a degree that subsequently1 though there was increasing strength1 there were no very striking changes on this side of his character4 ,in the past he had set before himself1 as a mark to be attained1 the thorough consecration of himself to the service of ,god1 and it was largely because by introspection he recognized how far he fell short of this that he sometimes had been so much troubled about his own spiritual condition4 ,henceforth this consecration1 as something already attained1 was constantly put into practice4 ,he perhaps searched himself less in regard to it2 he did his best to live it4 ,in connection with this1 two characteristics of his inner life are so evident as to demand special notice4 ,one of these was his convictions as to religious truth4 ,he believed that the ,scriptures of the ,old and ,new ,testament are the ,word of ,god1 and he was so sure that this is radically essential in the faith of a missionary that he was not ready to welcome any recruit who was adrift on this subject4 ,he believed also with like firmness in the other great evangelical doctrines set forth in the symbols and theologies of the orthodox churches4 ,his own creed was ,calvinistic and ,presbyterian2 yet he was no narrow sectarian4 ,he was eager to coperate with the missionaries of other denominations than his own2 all that he asked was that they firmly hold to what he conceived to be the essentials of ,christianity4 ,because he believed them so strongly1 these also were the truths which he continually labored to bring home to the people4 ,in a memorial published by ,dr4 ,corbett concerning him1 he says3 ,nearly thirty years ago ,i asked an earnest young man who applied for baptism1 when he first became interested in the truth4 ,he replied3 8,since the day ,i heard ,dr4 ,mateer preach at the market near my home1 on the great judgment1 when everyone must give an account to ,god4 ,his sermon made such an impression on my mind that ,i had no peace until ,i learned to trust in ,jesus as my ,saviour40 ,an able ,chinese preacher1 who was with me in the interior1 when the news of ,dr4 ,mateer's death reached us1 remarked1 8,i shall never forget the wonderful sermon ,dr4 ,mateer preached a few weeks ago in the ,chinese church at ,chefoo1 on conscience40 ,this was the last sermon he was permitted to preach4 ,salvation through faith in the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 man's sinfulness and need of immediate repentance1 and faith1 and the duty of every ,christian to live a holy life and constantly bear witness for ,jesus1 were the great truths he always emphasized4 ,he died in the faith of the blessed gospel he so ably preached for nearly half a century4 ,hand in hand with these great convictions went an absolute loyalty to duty4 ,to this he subordinated everything else4 ,the reason why he toiled with his own hands1 on buildings1 on machinery1 on apparatus1 was not because he would rather do this than preach ,christ1 but because he was convinced that the situation was such that he could not with a good conscience refuse to perform that labor4 ,it was not his preference to give long years to the making of the ,mandarin version of the ,scriptures2 he did it because plainly it was his duty to engage in this wearisome task4 ,he fought with his pen his long battle for ,shen as the word to be used in ,chinese as the name of ,god2 and even when left in a commonly conceded minority1 still refused to yield1 only because he believed that in so doing he was standing up for something that was not only true but of vital importance to ,christianity in ,china4 ,his unwillingness under protracted pressure to introduce ,english into the curriculum of the ,tengchow school and college1 the heartbreak with which he saw the changes made in the institution after its removal to ,wei ,hsien1 were all due not to obstinancy but to convictions of duty as he saw it4 ,a man of this sort1--strong in intellect1 firm of will1 absolutely loyal to what he conceives to be his duty1--travels a road with serious perils along its line4 ,a loss of balance may make of him a bigot or a dangerous fanatic4 ,even ,dr4 ,mateer had 8the defects of his qualities40 ,he did not always make sufficient allowance for persons who could not see things just as he did4 ,he sometimes unwarrantably questioned the rectitude of others' conduct when it did not conform to his own conception of what they ought to have done4 ,but these defects were not serious enough greatly to mar his usefulness or to spoil the beauty of his character4 ,his wisdom as a rule1 his rectitude1 his entire consecration to the service of ,god in the work of missions1 his wealth of heart1 after all1 were so unquestionable that any wounds he inflicted soon healed2 and he was in an exceptional degree esteemed and revered by all who came into close touch with him4 ,was ,dr4 ,mateer a very 8spiritually-minded man08 ,it is not strange that this question was raised1 though rarely1 by some one who saw only the outside of his life1 and this at his sterner moments4 ,he even did much of his private praying when he was walking up and down in his room1 or taking recreation out on the city wall1 and when no one but wife or sister knew what he was doing4 ,one had to be admitted to the inner shrine of his heart to appreciate the fervor of his piety4 ,,vii ,,doing ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,an ,,evangelist 8,i have traveled in mule litters1 on donkeys1 and on foot over a large part of the province of ,shantung1 preaching from village to village1 on the streets1 and by the wayside4 ,over the nearer portions ,i have gone again and again4 ,my preaching tours would aggregate from twelve thousand to fifteen thousand miles1 including from eight thousand to twelve thousand addresses to the heathen40--,,autobiographical ,,sketch1 #ahig4 ,the first thing which ,mateer set himself to do1 after he arrived at ,tengchow1 was to acquire the language of the people4 ,the difficulties which the ,chinese tongue presents to the foreigner are too well known to need recital here1 nor was it easier to ,mateer than to other persons possessed of good ability and thorough education4 ,in ,january1 #aijb1 at the request of ,secretary ,speer1 he prepared for the use of the ,board of ,missions a paper on the subject of 8,missionaries and the ,language40 ,in it he does not profess to be telling his own experience1 and yet it is largely an exhibit of what he had himself done4 ,in the introductory paragraph he says3 ,one of the tasks1 and to many one of the trials1 of missionary life1 is the learning of a new1 and often a difficult language4 ,so far as the message of the gospel is concerned1 the tongue is tied until the language is learned4 ,i set it down as a first principle1 that every missionary should go out with a distinct and fixed determination to learn the language and to learn it well4 ,let there be no shrinking from it1 no half measures with it4 ,laxity of this purpose in this matter is unworthy of anyone who is called to be a missionary4 ,when ,i hear a young missionary1 after a few weeks or months on the field1 saying1 8,i hate this language2 who can learn such outlandish gibberish as this80 my opinion of his fitness for the work at once suffers a heavy discount4 ,every young missionary should consider it his or her special business to fall in love with the language as quickly as possible4 ,then he proceeds to lay down certain general principles and thoroughly to elaborate them2 insisting that everyone can learn the tongue of a people1 not merely well enough to make some sort of stagger at the use of it1 but thoroughly2 and giving directions as to the best method of accomplishing this result4 ,at the same time he recognizes the fact that by no means all missionaries are able to acquire the language so perfectly that they are competent to contribute to the permanent ,christian literature of the country4 ,in his case there were exceptional difficulties as to this preliminary work4 ,printed helps were few and not very good4 ,competent native teachers were almost impossible to obtain at ,tengchow1 and were liable at any time to abandon their work4 ,besides1 so long as the ,mateers were hampered by their narrow quarters1 along with other missionaries1 in the old temple1 and while he was compelled to give almost the whole of his strength to the repairs and construction of buildings1 for him to accomplish what he otherwise might have done in this line was impossible4 ,under date of ,december #bd1 #ahfd1 almost a year after his arrival at ,tengchow1 he wrote in his ,journal3 ,i have been studying pretty regularly this week1 yet to look back over it1 ,i cannot see that ,i have accomplished much4 ,learning ,chinese is slow work4 ,i do not wonder that the ,chinese have never made great advances in learning4 ,it is such a herculean task to get the language that a man's best energies are gone by the time he has himself prepared to work4 ,it is as if a mechanic should spend half his life1 or more1 in getting his tools ready4 ,before ,i came to ,china ,i feared that ,i would have trouble acquiring the language1 and ,i find my fears were well grounded4 ,this confession is very notable1 coming as it does from the pen of him who subsequently1 as one of his associates said after his death1 8became not only the prince of ,mandarin speakers among foreigners in ,china1 but also so grasped the principles of the language as to enable him in future years to issue the most thoroughgoing and complete work on the language1 the most generally used text-book for all students of the spoken tongue02 and it may be added1 who was selected by the missionaries of all ,china1 in conference1 to be chairman of the committee to revise the ,mandarin version of the ,scriptures1 and who in all that work was easily the chief4 ,the diligence with which he improved every spare moment in the study of the language is shown by a letter of ,mrs4 ,julia ,mateer1 in which she writes of reading aloud to her husband in the evening while he practiced writing ,chinese characters4 ,really he was making better progress than probably he himself imagined4 ,on ,january #ad1 #ahfe1 he began to go regularly into the school1 to teach the children a phonetic method of writing the ,chinese characters4 ,he records that on ,february #g he took charge of the morning prayers1 and adds3 ,it seemed very strange indeed to me to pray in ,chinese1 and no less awkward than strange4 ,i found1 however1 less embarrassment in doing it than ,i at first supposed4 ,i might easily have begun some time ago1 but our school-teacher performs the duty very acceptably1 and so ,i left the matter to him until ,i was fully prepared4 ,i trust that it will not be long till ,i will be at home in using ,chinese4 ,tengchow is the seat of one of the competitive literary examinations for students1 and at the season when these are held thousands of candidates present themselves4 ,under date of ,march #aa1 of that year1 he says3 ,a goodly number of the scholars have come to see me1 to get books and to hear 8the doctrine40 ,i have had opportunity to do considerable preaching1 which ,i have not failed to embrace4 ,some of them understood me quite well4 ,i find a great difference between talking to them and to the illiterate people4 ,they understand me a great deal better4 ,most of them listen with attention1 and some of them with evident interest4 ,they all treated me with respect4 ,i gave them books2 they promising to read them1 and to come again at the next examination4 ,these occasions continued to offer like opportunity in succeeding years1 and he took all the advantage of it that he could4 ,only rarely did students give him any cause for annoyance4 ,on ,may #bb he went to a fair that was held just outside one of the gates1 and tried his hand at preaching to that miscellaneous audience in the open air4 ,in the forenoon he talked himself tired1 and returned in the afternoon to repeat the effort1 but with what effect he could not tell4 ,rain came on and he had to stop4 ,he added in his ,journal1 8,oh1 how ,i wish that ,i could use ,chinese as ,i can ,english1--then ,i could preach with some comfort60 ,on ,sabbath1 ,june #ai1 he preached his first sermon before the little ,chinese church organized at ,tengchow4 ,the notice he had was short1 ,mills having been taken ill1 and sending him word that he must fill the pulpit4 ,he says3 8,i could not prepare a sermon1 and translate it carefully and accurately4 ,i had just to get ready some phrases1 and statements of the main points1 and depend on my ,chinese for the rest4 ,i got on better than ,i expected ,i should1 though to me at least it seemed poor enough40 ,we need not follow the process of his acquisition of the language any further1 except to say that he never ceased to study it1 and to seek to improve in it1 although he came by and by to be able to use it1 in both speaking and writing1 so well that the ,chinese often took more pleasure in hearing and reading his productions than if he had been a native4 ,as the senior missionary1 ,mills had charge of the church organized at ,tengchow1 and any preaching that ,mateer did in it was occasional4 ,it was not long before a movement was organized for evangelistic work on the streets1 and he gladly took part in that method of work4 ,he was anxious also to obtain a room which he could use as a chapel4 ,his first efforts to secure such a building were rendered futile on account of the intense opposition of the people1 and the disinclination1 or worse1 of the officials to enforce his legal rights in this matter1 under the treaty4 ,it was not until the middle of ,april1 #ahfg1 that he succeeded in opening a room where he and his ,chinese assistant could have a regular place for preaching and selling books4 ,it stood on a principal street1 and was1 therefore1 as to location1 well suited for the work to which it was set apart4 ,the opening of it was the occasion for the gathering of a crowd of rowdies who threw stones at the doors1 and otherwise created disturbance2 but prompt arrest of the ringleader and the haling of him before a magistrate brought the rowdyism to a close4 ,of course1 the school afforded another local opportunity for evangelization1 and it was from the very first effectually employed4 ,tengchow itself was not very responsive to the gospel4 ,the demand for books was soon satisfied to such an extent that sales became small4 ,the novelty of street preaching and of the chapel services gradually was exhausted4 ,the little church did not attract many on the ,sabbath1 except the regular attendants4 ,true1 a city of so many inhabitants might seem--notwithstanding such limitations as existed--a sufficient field for all the labor that could be put upon it by the little band of missionaries located there4 ,but beyond the walls was all the rest of the province of ,shantung1 with none to evangelize it save the missionaries at ,chefoo and ,tengchow4 ,that province is in area about one-third larger than the ,state of ,pennsylvania2 and it now has somewhere in the neighborhood of thirty millions of inhabitants1 mostly scattered in innumerable villages1 though frequently also concentrated in cities4 ,the climate is about that of ,kentucky1 and the productions of the soil are not very different4 ,part of the surface of the country is hilly and some of it rises into mountains of moderate height2 but most of it is level or slightly rolling4 ,writing to one of the secretaries of the ,board1 under date of ,may #aj1 #ahfi1 ,mateer thus expressed himself as to the strategic importance of ,shantung in the tremendous enterprise of evangelizing ,china3 ,i think it is almost universally admitted that ,tsinan fu the capital1 situated about three hundred miles southwest of ,tengchow offers the most promising field for missionary effort in ,china4 ,the region in which this city lies is the religious center of ,china4 ,here both the great sages of ,china1 ,confucius and ,mencius1 were born4 ,at ,tai ,an1 a short way to the south1 the great religious festival of ,china is held1 and there are unmistakable evidences that there is a religious element in the people of this province found nowhere else in ,china4 ,i feel like saying with all my might1 ,let the ,presbyterian ,church strike for this province4 ,it has given both religion and government to ,china in the ages that are past1 and it is going to give ,christianity to ,china in the future4 ,these pioneer missionaries in ,shantung as promptly as possible sought1 first by itineration1 and later by opening new stations1 to carry the gospel far and wide over the province4 ,in this they labored under one serious inconvenience from which their brethren in much of south ,china are exempt4 ,down there it is easy to travel extensively on the rivers and the numerous canals4 ,in ,shantung the one great river is the ,hoang1 or ,yellow1 running from the west toward the east2 and the one important canal is the ,grand1 running north and south2 and both of these are so far remote from ,chefoo and ,tengchow that in the itineration of the missionaries from these places they were of little use4 ,as a consequence they had to adopt the other methods of travel customary in that region4 ,even to-day1 though a railway runs from the coast at ,kiaochou1 across ,shantung to ,tsinan fu1 and another across the west end of the province and passing through ,tsinan fu is almost completed1 much of the territory is no more accessible than half a century ago4 ,the traveler can hire a mule1 or more probably a donkey1 and--throwing his bedding across the packsaddle--make his way1 with the owner of the animal running along as driver1 to the place where1 if he proceeds farther1 he must hire a second mule or donkey2 and so on to the end of his journey4 ,one can also travel by wheelbarrow4 ,these conveyances are considered to be quite genteel1 and are much patronized by ,chinese women4 ,the wheels are big and clumsy1 and1 being innocent of oil1 creak fearfully1 and as the wheelbarrows are without springs the passenger is jolted excruciatingly4 ,they are propelled by a man pushing by the handles1 and often with the aid of another1 and sometimes a donkey in front1 and it may be with a sail to catch the wind4 ,in the hilly regions the shentza1 or mule litter1 is common4 ,in describing this conveyance ,mateer said in one of his ,sunday-school letters3 ,the motion is various and peculiar4 ,sometimes the mules step together1 and sometimes they don't4 ,now you have a plunging motion like the shaking of a pepper box1 then comes a waving motion like the shaking of a sieve2 and then a rolling motion like the rocking of a cradle1 and then by turns these various motions mix up and modify each other in endless variety4 ,i have often thought that if a man had a stiff joint1 one of these shentzas would be a good thing to shake it loose4 ,you are completely at the mercy of these two mules4 ,if you are sitting up you think that you would be more comfortable lying down1 and if you are lying down you think that you would be more comfortable sitting up4 ,there is no relief from incessant shaking but to get out and walk4 ,the most genteel mode of travel is a two-wheeled cart1 provided always that the track called a road is wide and level enough to permit it to be used4 ,i fall back on the ,sunday-school letter for a description of it3 ,a ,chinese cart is heavy and clumsy to the last degree4 ,it has no springs1 no seat1 no cushions1 and is only wide enough for one to sit in it4 ,the only way to keep your arms and head from being broken by the top1 is to wedge yourself in with quilts and pillows4 ,passenger carts are usually drawn by two mules1 one in the shafts and the other directly in front1 hitched by two long ropes to the axle--one passing on each side of the shaft mule4 ,the driver either walks1 or rides on the back part of the shafts4444 ,i took one ride in one of these big carts1 which ,i shall remember while ,i live4 ,we had all gone to a country station1 one hundred and twenty miles from ,tengchow1 to a meeting of ,presbytery4 ,after ,presbytery we wished to go on to another station forty miles distant4 ,there had been a great rain1 and the ground was soft1 and we could get no conveyance4 ,at length we got a big cart to carry our luggage and ,dr4 ,mills and myself4 ,for it they rigged up a top made of sticks and pieces of matting4 ,the team consisted of a mule1 a horse1 and two oxen1 with two drivers4 ,mrs4 ,mateer had a donkey to ride1 and ,mrs4 ,capp had a sedan chair4 ,dr4 ,mills and myself took turns in walking with the native elder and assistant4 ,when we got all our effects1 bedding1 cooking utensils and so forth1 in the cart there was only room for one to sit1 and the other had to lie down4 ,the first day we dragged through the soft earth fifteen miles1 but in order to do it we had to travel an hour after night4 ,it was pitch dark and we had no lantern4 ,we came very near losing our way1 and finally had no small trouble in reaching an inn1 and when we did reach it what a fuss there was before we got stowed in and got our suppers6 ,we obtained a small room for the ladies1 but ,dr4 ,mills and ,i did not fare so well4 ,we had to sleep on the ground in a sort of shed which had no doors4 ,the next day we got an early start1 and found the roads a little better1 and managed to make the other twenty-five miles4 ,during the day we crossed a sandy river which was swollen by the rains1 and there was some danger that we might stick fast in the sand4 ,the native assistant crowded into the cart4 ,the elder put one foot on the end of the axle1 which in a ,chinese cart projects several inches beyond the hub1 and supported himself by holding on to the side of the cart4 ,the second driver perched himself in the same way on the other end of the axle4 ,the chief driver stood erect on the shafts1 astride of the shaft mule4 ,he flourished his whip with one hand and gesticulated with the other1 and both drivers hurrahed at the top of their voices4 ,the team got excited1 and with heads and tails erect1--with a splash and a dash1--we went safely through4 ,there is one other mode of travel1 and perhaps then still the most common of all1 even with missionaries when itinerating1 and that is to walk4 ,when the traveler on foot comes to a river if he has long patience he may be ferried across2 but if the stream is not very deep he may have to wade4 ,mateer1 however1 had a good strong physique and simple tastes1 and was entirely free from any disposition to fret over small annoyances4 ,in those earlier itinerating days he cheerfully took his full share in roughing it with other missionaries out in the province4 ,he repeatedly took trips when all the provision he made for eating was a spoon and a saltcellar2 the food he ate was such as he got at the inns and from place to place4 ,his experiences in this line of evangelistic efforts had an important influence on his work in the school and the college4 ,certainly it was a great help toward that remarkable acquaintance with colloquial ,chinese which is shown in his literary labors4 ,his first trip to the country was made on ,october #ad1 #ahfd1 and therefore before he had learned the language sufficiently to enable him to do much missionary work4 ,in reality it was just a visit by the entire foreign force stationed by both the ,baptists and ,presbyterians at ,tengchow out to a ,chinese ,christian residing ten miles away4 ,in a measure1 however1 it was a typical journey4 ,the roads were execrably bad1 and ,mateer and another missionary had one mule between them1 so that each walked half the way4 ,on ,august #bb of the ensuing year he1 and ,corbett1--who had come up for the purpose1--started on a genuine itinerating tour4 ,it was in one particular an unfavorable time4 ,a ,chinese inn at any season is apt to be uncomfortable enough to a person who has been accustomed to the conveniences and comforts of western civilization4 ,in the ,sunday-school letter already quoted ,mateer said3 ,the inns in ,china are various in size1 but similar in style4 ,you enter through a wide doorway which is in fact the middle of a long1 low house fronting on the street4 ,on the one side of this door1 or passageway1 is the kitchen1 which is usually furnished with one or two kettles1 a large water jar1 and a few dishes1 with a meat-chopper and chopping block4 ,usually there is a little room partitioned off at the far end1 which serves for office and storeroom4 ,on the other side is a wide1 raised platform about two feet high1 made of mud brick4 ,it answers for the muleteers and humbler guests1 to sleep on4 ,inside of this front building is a court or yard with a long shed at one or both sides1 and troughs for feeding mules and donkeys4 ,at the further end of this court1 and sometimes at one side1 are rooms for guests4 ,these rooms contain no furniture but a table and a bench or two1 and sometimes a chair1 with a rough board bedstead1 or a raised brick platform to take the place of a bedstead4 ,no towel1 soap1 or other toilet necessaries are furnished4 ,they usually have one washbasin1 which is passed round1 and is used besides for washing the sore backs of mules1 and for such other necessary uses4 ,there are no stoves or other means of warming the rooms4 ,sometimes they build a fire of straw under those brick bedsteads1 which invariably fills the room with smoke4 ,or1 you can order a pan of charcoal1 which will fill the room with gas4 ,the houses are all one story and have no ceiling4 ,the rafters are smoked as black as ink1 and are always festooned with cobwebs4 ,the rooms never have wooden floors4 ,in the more stylish inns the floors are paved with brick1 but in ordinary inns the floors are simply the ground4 ,in the summer fleas and mosquitoes are superabundant1 and they attack all comers without respect of persons4 ,every night there is in the courtyard a musical concert which continues at intervals till morning1 and is free to all the guests4 ,the tune is carried by the mules and donkeys1 and the scolding and swearing of the muleteers make up the accompaniment4 ,voices of great excellence are often heard in ,america1 but for real pathos and soul-stirring effect there is nothing like a dozen or two ,chinese donkeys1 when they strike in together and vie with each other for the preminence4 ,no common table is set1 but meals are prepared to order and served to guests in their rooms4 ,they are generally charged for by the dish4 ,unfortunately ,mateer and ,corbett had selected for their first itineration a time of year when the mosquitoes and fleas and other vermin are at their worst1 and they suffered accordingly4 ,they were gone just four weeks2 and during that period they traveled two hundred and twenty-five miles4 ,much of the time it rained4 ,at ,laichow fu for this cause they were detained a week2 and they had to lodge in a room whose roof leaked so badly that they had to protect themselves with oilcloths and umbrellas4 ,the water was three feet deep on the floor4 ,one day they crossed twenty-two streams1 none of them large1 and yet often of such a character as to render passage very troublesome4 ,for a while they had a shentza borne by a couple of crowbait mules1 one of which was blind and had the trick of suddenly lying down for a rest1 and occasionally fell flat into a mudhole1 or tumbled its rider over a steep bank4 ,they met with a variety of treatment from the people1 but mostly it was not unfavorable to the prosecution of their work4 ,foreigners were still a curiosity in the region1 and that often attracted a crowd to see them1 and to ascertain by hearing and by reading what might be the nature of the ,christian doctrine4 ,once it became necessary for ,mateer to use force to repel a man who persistently tried to seize a book4 ,each of the missionaries preached about forty times1 and at all sorts of places4 ,their largest evident success was in disposing of books2 these for the most part by sale1 the total of pages distributed amounting to two hundred and seventy-seven thousand4 ,the details of the tour are given in ,mateer's ,journal4 ,if preserved1 they will one day be of extreme interest to the ,christians of ,china1 as records of the very beginnings of the teaching of the gospel in ,shantung4 ,again1 the next spring ,mateer and ,corbett1 accompanied by ,chinese assistants1 went on another tour of preaching and of book-selling4 ,mateer left ,tengchow on ,april #e1 and reached home on ,may #ai4 ,they started with twenty-eight boxes of books1 each weighing about seventy pounds2 and1 because they had exhausted the supply1 they had to turn back before reaching the place to which they had originally intended to go4 ,one of the noteworthy things in their itinerary is that it brought them for the first time to ,wei ,hsien1 now one of the largest of the ,presbyterian mission stations in north ,china1 and the site of the ,college of ,arts of the ,shantung ,university2 and to ,tsingchow fu1 the site of the ,theological ,college4 ,in both towns the ,presbyterians and the ,baptists are united4 ,all that ,mateer said in his ,journal concerning ,wei ,hsien is3 ,we did not go through the city1 except the suburbs4 ,the streets were full of people1 and they were not sparing in their expressions of enmity and contempt4 ,we saw a great number of elegant memorial arches near ,wei ,hsien and learned that it is a very wealthy place4 ,this was indicated by the many elegant burying grounds around it1 and by the good condition of the walls4 ,the country all around1 and indeed most we passed through to-day1 was very rich4 ,a man on the road who appeared to know told us that one individual1 the richest in the city1 was worth three million taels then more than as many million dollars4 ,tsingchow fu receives from him a much more extended notice4 ,he speaks of the city--although very much smaller than evidently it once had been--as still large and filled with business4 ,the surrounding country wins from him great admiration4 ,indeed1 at several places he was much attracted by the prospect which spread itself out before his eyes2 and some of it reminded him even of the natural scenery of his 8,old ,home0 in ,pennsylvania4 ,of course1 it must not be supposed that all the region they traversed was the equal of this2 much of it was far less attractive in almost every particular4 ,on this journey they had a great variety of experiences1 some of them far enough from pleasant4 ,nearly everywhere they went1 curiosity attracted crowds of adults and of children4 ,this seems to have been especially true in the neighborhood of ,wei ,hsien and ,tsingchow fu4 ,at the inns where they stopped1 privacy was almost impossible2 the people peering in at the windows and bolting into the room they occupied4 ,sometimes they were compelled to expel the intruders with a dash of water or with an uplifted cane4 ,harder to bear were the opprobrious epithets applied to them4 ,mateer said3 ,every village ,i come to1 the term1 8devil60 8devil60 comes ringing in my ears4 ,not that they always called it at me1 but to one another1 to come and see4 ,frequently1 however1 it was called out most spitefully1 for me to hear4 ,i think that within the last two days ,i have heard it from at least ten thousand mouths4 ,it is strange how such a term could have gotten such universal currency4 ,it expresses not so much hatred to the gospel as it does the national enmity of the ,chinese to foreigners4 ,happily at the present time foreigners are seldom saluted by this epithet4 ,at ,chang ,tsau they had two serious disturbances4 ,the first was caused by some sort of soothsayer1 in whom the people had much confidence4 ,while ,mateer was surrounded by a crowd of men to whom he was selling books1 in rushed this man1 brandishing an ugly looking spear2 and1 using the ,chinese expression of rage1 8,ah6 ,ah6 ,i'll kill you60 he drove the spear straight at ,mateer's breast4 ,in those early days of his missionary work ,mateer carried a revolver for self-defense when going to places where he might be attacked1 believing that he had a moral right to protect himself from assault by evil-minded persons4 ,on this occasion the revolver was drawn instantly4 ,as the man came closer ,mateer seized the spear1 and warned the intruder of the consequences if he advanced a step farther4 ,the risk was too great for the courage of the soothsayer1 and he went away crestfallen1 but cursing the missionary1 threatening to return and kill him1 and launching his anathemas against anybody who bought the books4 ,after the disturbance the people were not so eager to buy1 and an official tried to induce ,mateer to cease his efforts1 but1 partly to show the futility of such interruptions1 he continued1 until at length weariness compelled him to stop4 ,the other incident occurred in connection with the selling of books at a market4 ,a man took advantage of a moment when the missionary was receiving pay from a purchaser1 and snatched away a book1 but ,mateer seized and held him until the book was restored4 ,this led to an altercation between the ,chinese assistant and the thief1 and blows were struck4 ,the disturbance began to spread1 and several of the crowd seemed disposed to lay hands on ,mateer1 when a significant reference to the revolver brought the movement to a prompt termination4 ,in order to show the people that the missionaries were doing only what is lawful under the treaty1 and that they would not put up with insult or wrong1 they sought satisfaction through the official having jurisdiction1 and warned him that the case would be brought to the notice of the ,american consul at ,chefoo4 ,there is no record of any itineration again until the latter part of ,february1 #ahfi4 ,that trip was not long in duration or very extensive in its territory4 ,julia and her sister ,maggie accompanied ,dr4 ,mateer and were able to reach large numbers of women with the gospel4 ,july #ba of the same year he and ,julia went on a tour of twelve weeks1 their main objective being ,chow ,yuen1 where ,miao1 a zealous young convert1 was opening a chapel4 ,the story as to him can most appropriately be told in another chapter4 ,on ,november #aj of the same year ,dr4 ,mateer and ,julia began a journey which lasted twenty-four days1 during which they traveled about two hundred and fifty miles1 some of the road being very hilly and rough1 and the weather cold4 ,their course was directed to certain localities where there were converts1 and where a beginning had been made by these native ,christians to give the gospel to their neighbors4 ,one of these places was ,laichow fu1 at which two of these had been spreading the light around them1 one of them having given a commodious chapel1 with a guest room attached1 in which the ,mateers lodged4 ,during a stay of three days they preached to large numbers2 and especially on the last day all opposition was swept away1 and men and women came in crowds4 ,in a village in the district of ,ping ,tu they conducted service in a little chapel on the ,sabbath4 ,in a letter to one of the secretaries of the ,board he said3 ,the chapel was so crowded that we were barely able to have any regular service for the benefit of the native ,christians4 ,we had finally to postpone our principal service till after night4 ,i baptized five1 the four who had previously been accepted1 and one other who1 though not very well instructed1 was so earnest in his profession of faith that we did not feel that it would be right to refuse him4 ,after this the ,lord's ,supper was administered4 ,the circumstances made it one of the most interesting services of the kind ,i have ever been privileged to conduct4 ,at the farthest point at which the gospel has yet got a foothold1 in a house set apart by a native ,christian for the worship of the true ,god1 the majority of the company having never before participated in such a service1 the circumstances were altogether such as to make the occasion one long to be remembered4 ,on ,february #ac1 #ahgc1 he and ,crossett began a tour that lasted about three months and carried them far into the interior of ,shantung4 ,they traveled in all about a thousand miles1 and preached and sold books in over a hundred cities and towns4 ,once a man threatened ,mateer with a manure fork1 and once he was struck by a stone thrown in a crowd by some unknown miscreant4 ,the usual epithet for foreigners saluted them2 but1 on the whole1 they escaped any serious molestation4 ,on this trip they visited ,tai ,an1 the great temple1 and the sacred mountain1 and ascended the steps to its summit4 ,for a week they remained preaching in the temple to the crowds4 ,they also went to the tomb of ,confucius1 and to the magnificent temple dedicated to the sage1 in that neighborhood4 ,at that date not many foreigners had seen these ,chinese shrines2 but now they have been so often described that it would scarcely be justifiable to cite the full and interesting record made by ,mateer in his ,journal as to what he saw and did at these places4 ,thence they proceeded as far as the capital1 ,tsinan fu1 where ,mateer remained for eighteen days1 while ,crossett went on a journey still a couple of hundred miles farther to the north and west1 in company with an agent of the ,scottish ,bible ,society1 which had been canvassing the province for six or eight years4 ,at the close of this tour they regarded the work of book-selling for most of ,shantung as so far completed as henceforth to deserve a more subordinate place4 ,during part of his stay at the capital ,mateer preached and sold books1 and part of the time he remained in his hired lodgings to receive visitors1 of whom he had not a few4 ,to him one of the interesting sights was the ,yellow ,river4 ,on their return journey they took in ,tsingchow fu1 and also ,ping ,tu1 where the ,christians then were terrified by persecution4 ,after this he made only one more exclusively evangelistic itineration4 ,the care of the infant churches and other duties called him to continue to go longer and shorter distances from home2 and in connection with this he did a great deal of preaching here and there by the way4 ,for instance1 in #ahha he attended a meeting of the ,mission at ,tsinan fu1 and incidentally he preached in a hundred and sixty-three villages4 ,it was travel for the specific purpose of carrying the gospel into wholly unevangelized regions that he ceased to perform4 ,in a friendly letter written to his cousin1 ,mrs4 ,gilchrist1 as early as ,june #bh1 #ahge1 he said3 ,the first years ,i was in ,china ,i traveled a good deal1 and preached and sold books in the streets4 ,i have not done so much of it the last two or three years1 having been more closely engaged in my school4 ,the younger men in the mission have been doing it chiefly4 ,i am preparing a number of books for the press1 and this has taken a good deal of time1 and will take time in the future4 ,that final evangelistic itineration was made in #ahgh1 and lasted from the middle of ,october to the middle of ,november4 ,it was out toward the general region of ,ping ,tu and ,laichow fu4 ,the party consisted of ,mateer and ,mills1 ,mrs4 ,mateer and ,mrs4 ,shaw1 and a couple of ,chinese assistants4 ,mrs4 ,mateer and ,mrs4 ,shaw visited the native ,christians while the men went to districts where there were no churches4 ,in a letter to the ,board ,mateer said3 ,we each hired a donkey to carry our bedding and books1 while we walked from village to village1 and preached in the streets4 ,i preached in this way in one hundred and ninety villages1 and ,mr4 ,mills in about as many4 ,we went aside from the great roads into villages never before visited by any foreign missionary4 ,we had audiences of from eight or ten1 up to two or three hundred4 ,in many cases we had a goodly proportion of women as hearers4 ,our reception was very various1 for which in most cases we have no means of accounting4 ,in some cases many came out to see and hear us4 ,in other cases no one seemed inclined to pay any attention to us1 and a considerable time would elapse before we would succeed in drawing a company to preach to4 ,in one village ,i failed entirely to get anyone to listen4 ,a goodly number saw us1 but they passed by without stopping4 ,one boy ventured to ask where we came from1 when instantly a man near by at work reproved him for speaking to us4 ,my assistant and ,i sat and waited about half an hour1 and then went on to the next village4 ,we carried a few books in our hands as a sort of advertisement of our business1 and to give to such as would accept them4 ,sometimes the books were readily accepted1 and we could have given away any number2 but frequently not a soul would accept a book4 ,no doubt some would have liked very well to have a book1 but they were ashamed to accept it from the hated foreigner in the presence of so many of their neighbors and acquaintances4 ,only in two or three cases was any open hostility shown us1 and in these it was confined to two or three individuals who failed to carry the crowd with them1 so that in spite of their attempts to scatter our audience we still had plenty of hearers4 ,then as to the value of this kind of missionary effort he added an estimate from which he never deviated1 and which in substance he continued to repeat3 ,this method of work is very excellent1 and at the same time very laborious4 ,it reaches obscure places1 and a class of people--those who stay at home--not otherwise reached4 ,to be successful it must be pursued at a time of year when the people are somewhat at leisure4 ,,viii ,,the ,,tengchow ,,school 8,the object of mission schools ,i take to be the education of native pupils1 mentally1 morally1 and religiously1 not only that they may be converted1 but that1 being converted1 they may become effective agents in the hand of ,god for defending the cause of truth4 ,schools also which give a knowledge of western science and civilization cannot fail to do great good both physically and socially40--,,the ,,relation ,,of ,,protestant ,,missions ,,to ,,education2 a paper read before the ,shanghai ,missionary ,conference of #ahgg4 ,the ,tengchow ,school in #ahhd was authorized by the ,board of ,missions to call itself a college4 ,for several years previous to that date it deserved the name because of the work which it was doing in its advanced department4 ,on the other hand1 it did not cease at that time to maintain instruction of an elementary and intermediate grade4 ,in the present chapter we will for convenience confine our attention mainly to the twenty years lying between the opening of the school and the formal assumption of the name of a college4 ,beyond the end of that period lies the story of the institution under the title of the ,shantung ,college1 for another twenty years at ,tengchow2 and since then1 of the ,shantung ,union ,college1 at ,wei ,hsien4 ,under date of ,april #b1 #ahfd1--less than three months after the ,mateers arrived at ,tengchow1--,dr4 ,mateer made this entry in his ,journal1 8,we have it in prospect to establish a school40 ,their plan at that time was to leave the ,mills family in possession of the old ,kwan ,yin temple1 and to find for themselves another house where they could reside and carry on this new enterprise4 ,but when1 during the latter part of that summer1 they were left in sole possession of the temple1 they proceeded at once so to fit up some of the smaller buildings in the court as to make it possible to accommodate the little school4 ,in ,september the first term opened1 with six little heathen boys1 not one of whom had ever been to school before2 and with quarters consisting of two sleeping rooms1 a kitchen1 and a small room for teaching4 ,chang1 who was ,mateer's instructor in ,chinese1 was set to work also to teach these boys2 and a native woman was put in charge of the cooking department4 ,to ,julia he always attributed the initiation of this entire work4 ,for the first ten years the school was almost entirely hers1 he being otherwise at work4 ,in a conversation with ,mrs4 ,fitch1 of ,shanghai1 many years later he said3 ,when ,julia began the boarding school for boys in ,tengchow ,i thought it a comparatively small work2 but as it enlarged1 and also deepened1 in its influence1 ,i saw it was too much for her strength alone4 ,i knew that we must put our own characters into those boys1 and ,i could do nothing less than give myself to the work she had so begun4 ,almost half a century ago1 when the school was started1 and for some time afterward1 mission boards and missionaries had not settled down into their present attitude toward education1 lower or higher1 as an agency in the evangelization of the non-,christian world4 ,there were some very earnest and intelligent workers who insisted that for an ordained minister to engage in teaching a school was for him to be untrue to the calling for which he had been set apart4 ,to sustain their position they appealed to apostolic example1 and pointed to the small results as to conversions in the instances in which this method had been tried4 ,among the advocates of schools also there was a lack of agreement as to the immediate object to be sought by the use of this agency4 ,ought it to be so much the conversion of the pupils1 and through this the raising up of a native ministry1 that all other results should be regarded as of small importance8 ,or1 ought the school to be looked upon as an efficient means of preparing the soil for the good seed of ,christian truth to be sown later by preaching the gospel8 ,in the paper from which the quotation at the head of this chapter is taken ,mateer ably and fully discussed all of these questions1 bringing out fairly both sides of them1 and then presented his own convictions as he held them from the beginning of his missionary career1 and as he unswervingly adhered to them all the rest of his life4 ,he disclaimed any intention to exalt education as a missionary agency above other instrumentalities1 and especially not above preaching the gospel2 and claimed for it only its legitimate place4 ,as to this he laid down and elaborated certain great principles involved in the nature of the case and verified by experience4 ,education1 he said1 is important in order to provide an effective and reliable ministry2 to furnish teachers for ,christian schools1 and through them to introduce into ,china the superior education of the ,west2 to prepare men to take the lead in introducing into ,china the science and arts of western civilization1 as the best means of gaining access to the higher classes in ,china1 of giving to the native church self-reliance1 and of fortifying her against the encroachments of superstition from within and the attacks of educated skepticism from without4 ,on the last of these propositions he enlarged with wise foresight3 ,so long as all the ,christian literature of ,china is the work of foreigners1 so long will the ,chinese church be weak and dependent4 ,she needs as rapidly as possible a class of ministers with well-trained and well-furnished minds1 who will be able to write books1 defending and enforcing the doctrines of ,christianity1 and applying them to the circumstances of the church in ,china4444 ,again1 as native ,christians increase in numbers1 and spread into the interior1 they will pass more and more from under the direct teaching and control of foreigners4 ,then will arise danger from the encroachment of heathen superstition1 and from the baneful influence of the ,chinese classics4 ,superstitions of all kinds find a congenial soil in the human heart1 and they often change their forms without changing their nature4 ,the multiform superstitions of ,china will not die easily2 and unless they are constantly resisted and ferreted out and exposed1 they will commingle with ,christianity and defile it4444 ,the day is not distant when the skepticism of the ,west will find its way into ,china4 ,the day when it shall be rampant is not so distant as might be supposed4 ,error is generally as fleet-footed as truth4 ,to repel these attacks1 and vindicate the truth in the face of heathen unbelief1 will require a high order of education4 ,an uneducated ,christianity may hold its own against an uneducated heathenism1 but it cannot against an educated heathenism4 ,we want1 in a word1 to do more than introduce naked ,christianity into ,china1 we want to introduce it in such a form1 and with such weapons and supports1 as will enable it to go forward alone1 maintain its own purity1 and defend itself from all foes4 ,in view of these ideals with regard to the object of such schools1 he concluded his paper by urging that they should be of an advanced grade rather than primary1 though not excluding the primary2 that the natural sciences should be made prominent in the instruction2 and that the pupils should be of ,christian parentage1 rather than of heathen4 ,his prophecy as to skeptical books from the ,west is already in process of fulfillment4 ,it needs to be recognized that the substance of all this was in his mind when he opened that little elementary school4 ,but he had to begin with something that fell almost pitifully short of his ideal4 ,the first thing that was necessary was to secure a few pupils under conditions that made it worth while1 in view of his object1 to teach them4 ,one of these conditions was that the parents of the boys should formally bind themselves to leave them in the school six or seven years1 so that they might finish the studies prescribed4 ,otherwise they would stay only as long as suited them or their parents1 and they would all the while be exposed to heathen influences that likely would nullify the ,christian instruction received4 ,on the other hand1 this arrangement made it necessary for the school to furnish gratuitously not only the buildings and the teachers1 but the food and lodging and clothes of the pupils4 ,gradually this was so far modified that the parents provided their clothes and bedding and books4 ,to meet the running expenses of the school the average cost of each pupil was ascertained1 and an effort was made to secure from ,sabbath schools in the ,united ,stales a contribution of that amount4 ,the plan of designating a particular boy for support by a particular ,sabbath school was suggested from home for consideration1 but was discouraged1 on the ground that it might often prove disappointing1 through the uncertainties as to the conduct of the boy2 and it was rarely1 if at all1 practiced4 ,in order to secure these contributions each year a letter had to be carefully prepared1 and then duplicated1 at first by hand1 and later by lithographing process1 and sent to the ,sabbath schools that shared in giving for this purpose4 ,these letters were of a very high order1 taking for the theme of each some important phase of ,chinese life and manners or of mission work4 ,they might to advantage have been gathered into a volume2 and if this had been done1 it would be entitled to rank with books of the very best kind on the same general subject4 ,the preparation of these letters and their multiplication and distribution cost very considerable time and labor2 to lighten this for her husband1 ,julia rendered valuable assistance1 even to the extent eventually of taking upon herself the entire work1 except the printing4 ,the average expense of a boy was at first estimated at forty dollars1 but with the rise of prices as the years went by1 this estimate had to be raised4 ,the scheme worked well enough to enable the school not only to go on1 but gradually to increase its numbers as other events opened the way4 ,nor was there any difficulty in obtaining all the pupils that could be accommodated4 ,at the beginning all were from families who were too poor to educate their boys in native schools1 and to whom the fact that in addition to the good education received1 their boy was also clothed and fed1 proved inducement sufficient to overcome the opprobrium of allowing him to fall under the influence of the hated foreigner4 ,it really meant no little in those early days1 and1 in fact1 in all ante-,boxer times1 for parents1 even though ,christians1 to send their boys to the ,tengchow school4 ,an honored native pastor who was at one time a pupil there wrote3 ,when my parents first sent me to school1 there was a great protest from all the village4 ,they tried to scare my mother by saying that the foreigners were vampires who could extract the blood of children by magic arts4 ,nevertheless ,i was sent2 though ,i must own that ,i was a little scared myself4 ,when ,i came home at ,chinese ,new ,year vacation1 ,i was most carefully examined by all these prophets of evil2 and when they found that not only my pulse was still a-going1 but that ,i was even rosier and in better flesh than before1 they said that the three months ,i had been there were not enough to show the baneful results2 only wait6 ,after the ,germans took ,kiaochow and began the railroad1 the rumors in that region became worse4 ,under each sleeper a ,chinese child must be buried4 ,to furnish axle grease for the 8fire-cart0 human fat must be tried out--anyone could see the great boilers they had for the purpose2 and under those great heaps of fresh-turned earth they buried the bones4 ,at the time of the ,tientsin massacre it was currently reported that ,mateer was fattening boys for the purpose of killing them1 and then taking their eyes and hearts to make medicine with which to bewitch the people4 ,nevertheless the numbers were always full1 except at brief intervals1 when reduced by popular disturbances1 epidemics or such causes4 ,the school in its second year had twelve pupils1 just double the number with which it began its work4 ,it will be remembered that in #ahfg the ,mateers built and occupied their new home4 ,this vacated the old ,kwan ,yin temple premises4 ,in the application to the ,board to erect the new home ,mateer said3 ,we do not propose to vacate the old premises1 but to appropriate them to the school1 for which they would be admirably adapted4 ,we look forward with confidence to an increase of the school4 ,our present number of scholars1 however1 occupy all the room we can possibly spare2 if we increase we must build not only sleeping rooms1 but a large schoolroom4 ,this would not1 it is true1 cost as much money as a foreign house1 but it would not come as far below as perhaps you might suppose4 ,the main building would make one or two most admirable schoolrooms1 which will accommodate any school we will likely ever have4 ,one of the side buildings would make a very convenient dining room and kitchen1 and the other1 with additional buildings made vacant1 would with a very little refitting furnish at least ten new rooms besides what we now have4 ,it will probably be many years before we will have more than these4 ,with all his largeness of vision he did not yet foresee the coming ,tengchow college2 though he was planning for greater things for the mission as well as for the health and comfort of himself and wife4 ,because the language employed was solely ,chinese1 at the beginning neither ,mateer nor his wife could take part in the instruction2 all had to be done by the ,chinese assistant1 who was a professing ,christian4 ,it was not long1 however1 until both the ,mateers were able to help2 though at no time did he give himself exclusively to teaching4 ,the boys were taught to read and write in their own language1 so that for themselves they might be able to study the ,bible and other books which they were expected to use4 ,arithmetic was a part of this course in the elementary department with which the school began1 and it was one of the very first of the branches of which ,mateer took charge4 ,mrs4 ,mateer had a class in geography1 and widened their vision of the world by informing them of other lands besides ,china4 ,three times a week she undertook the peculiarly difficult task of instructing them to sing4 ,of course1 there was morning worship4 ,this was held in the schoolroom4 ,the service consisted of a hymn1 of a chapter in the ,new ,testament read verse about1 and a prayer4 ,there was also evening worship4 ,on ,sabbath morning all attended the little native chapel4 ,in the afternoon a sort of ,sunday school was held1 and in it ,mateer taught the bigger boys1 and ,mrs4 ,mateer the smaller1 in the ,scriptures4 ,at worship on ,sabbath evening he questioned them all in turn about the sermon in the morning4 ,such was the very humble way in which the school was nurtured in its infancy1 and started on the road to become what has been pronounced to be the very best of all the colleges in ,china4 ,three months after the first opening the six pupils admitted were reduced to three1 because the fathers of the other boys were unwilling to sign the obligation to leave them in the school the required number of years4 ,a decade after the school was begun ,mateer said in a ,sunday-school letter3 ,our boys are from nine or ten to eighteen or twenty years1 and a number of them have been in school seven or eight years4 ,if they have never been to school1 we require them to come for twelve years1 but take them for a less time if they have already been several years in a native school4 ,we try to get those who have already been to school1 as it is a saving both of labor and of money4 ,at the end of a quarter of a century after the school was begun he said3 ,during these years we took many boys into the school who came to nothing4 ,some were too stupid1 and we had to send them away after they had learned to read and knew something of the ,bible4 ,others were bad boys1 and we had to dismiss them2 and some got tired and ran away1 or were taken away by their parents because they wanted them at home to work4 ,we sifted out some good ones1 who were bright and promised to make good men4 ,the pupils they retained at the end of the first ten years were culled out of more than twice their number4 ,of the routine of the school he wrote3 ,the boys go to school at six o'clock in the morning1 and study till eight4 ,then all meet in the large schoolroom for prayers4 ,after this there is a recess of an hour for breakfast4 ,at half-past nine they go to school again1 and remain till half-past twelve4 ,in the afternoon they have another session of four hours4 ,during the shortest days of winter they have an evening session instead of a morning session4 ,these are the ordinary hours of study in the native schools4 ,at first we thought so many hours in school too much for either health or profit1 but after trying our plan for several years1 we were convinced that for ,chinese children and ,chinese methods of study the native plan is best4 ,the great business in ,chinese schools is committing the classics1 which they do by chanting them over rhythmically at the top of their voices1 each one singing a tune of his own1 and apparently trying to 8hollow0 louder than the others4 ,the din they make would be distracting to one of us1 but the ,chinese teacher seems to enjoy it4 ,the exercise it gives the lungs compensates1 perhaps1 for the want of more play hours4 ,when ,mrs4 ,mateer or ,i go into the school to hear classes1 we1 of course1 make them stop their uproarious studying1 and study to themselves4 ,about half the day our boys devote to ,christian and to scientific books4 ,they learn a catechism of ,christian doctrine1 8,the ,peep of ,day10 ,old ,testament history1 8,pilgrim's ,progress10 8,evidences of ,christianity10 and memorize portions of ,scripture4 ,they study also geography1 ancient history1 arithmetic1 algebra1 geometry1 trigonometry1 natural philosophy1 and chemistry4 ,they are trained in singing1 writing essays1 and debating4 ,the native books which they study are composed mostly of the maxims and wise sayings of ,confucius and ,mencius1 together with a large number of poems4 ,these books teach people to be honest and upright4 ,they teach children to obey their parents and elder brothers4 ,they also contain a great deal about the duties of the people to their rulers1 and of the rulers to the people4 ,they praise all good and virtuous men1 and exhort all to lead virtuous lives2 but they offer no motives higher than the praise of men4 ,they teach nothing about ,god or future life4 ,they are all written in what is called the classical style1 which is to a ,chinese boy what ,latin is to an ,american boy4 ,these books the boys commit to memory1 and recite to their teacher1 but without understanding them4 ,when a book has been memorized and a boy can repeat it from beginning to end1 the teacher commences to explain it to him4 ,he has neither grammar nor dictionary to help him1 but must learn all from the teacher's lips4 ,when a young man can repeat all these books and give the explanation1 and can write an essay in the same style1 the ,chinese consider him a scholar1 and when he can do this1 and in addition has mastered all the other branches of study mentioned above1 we consider his education finished1 and he graduates from our school4 ,a boy must have a good mind1 and be very diligent if he gets through in twelve years4 ,the clothes of the boys1 of course1 were entirely ,chinese as to material and style4 ,their food was of like character4 ,the dormitories were low rooms with earthen floors and the bedsteads were of dry mud4 ,the letter continues3 ,teaching the boys their regular lessons is but a small part of the work to be done in such a school as ours4 ,ways and means have to be provided to have their food bought and properly cooked4 ,the cook must be prevented from stealing it1 and the boys from wasting it4 ,their clothes have to be made in proper season1 and mended and washed1 and the boys watched that they do not destroy them4 ,then each boy's grievances have to be heard and his quarrels examined into and settled4 ,bad boys have to be exhorted or reproved1 and perhaps punished and every possible means used1 and that constantly1 to make the boys obedient and truthful and honest4 ,we also strive to train them to habits of industry1 perseverance1 and self-reliance1 without which their education will do them no good4 ,thus you see that to train up these boys so that they shall become good and useful men requires a great deal of labor1 patience1 and faith1 and prayer4 ,illustration3 ,large ,college ,building ,end of ,chapel ,college ,bell 7formerly ,kwan ,yin ,temple7 ,small ,schoolroom ,these are homely details1 but we cannot overlook them1 and understand the life of the ,mateers in its connection with this work4 ,discipline in any school composed of so many boys and of such varied age could not be an easy task2 in this ,chinese school it was peculiarly perplexing4 ,there were some unusual incidents4 ,falsehood1 stealing1 quarreling1 gluttony1 and even sodomy were offenses that had to be dealt with according to the circumstances attending each case4 ,one instance of discipline was so distinctively ,chinese that the description of it by ,mateer in his ,journal deserves a place here4 ,under date of ,april #i1 #ahfi1 he wrote3 ,one very distressing thing has happened within a month4 ,leon ,chin ,chi was being persecuted by his father in relation to the matter of his marriage engagement with ,shang ,yuin1 when in a fit of desperation he went and bought opium1 and took it to kill himself4 ,some of the boys suspected him1 and went to see4 ,they found him lying on his bed evidently in great distress of mind1 and refusing to answer any questions save to say that his affairs were all over with4 ,i inferred from this1 as also from his saying to one of the boys that he would never see him again1 that he had taken poison--most likely opium4 ,i went and got a strong emetic1 and mixed it up1 but he refused to take it4 ,i then got a stick and used it to such good purpose that in a very short time he was glad to take the medicine4 ,it had the desired effect1 and in a very short time he vomited up the opium4 ,he seemed to lay the beating to heart very much4 ,it was evidently a new idea to him to be put through in such a style4 ,after a day or two1 when he had gone to school again1 ,i gave him a formal and severe whipping in the presence of the school4 ,i thought very seriously over the matter of whipping him1 and concluded that it was my duty to do it4 ,i believe now that it did the boy good4 ,he was called before the session last week1 when he manifested a good deal of sorrow and penitence4 ,he was publicly reproved and admonished on ,sabbath morning4 ,i am sorry that he had such a weakness2 it greatly decreases my reliance on him1 and my belief in his genuine ,christian character4 ,it must be allowed that there is some little excuse1 in the way in which the ,chinese all regard suicide4 ,he had not got those ideas all educated out of him4 ,while ,mateer differed in opinion from those missionaries who favored schools simply as effective agents for the conversion of the pupils1 he regarded this as one of the leading results to be sought and expected4 ,it was almost two years after the opening of his school when he had the great joy of baptizing one of the pupils4 ,in describing the event to a secretary of the ,board1 he said3 ,he is the oldest boy in the school1 and is in fact a man in years1 though his education is not yet nearly finished4 ,he has been for two or three months feeling that it was his duty to profess ,christ1 but1 as he is naturally modest and retiring1 he did not make his wish known4 ,his mother1 to whom he was uncommonly attached1 died recently1 and this brought him to a full decision4 ,his examination before the session was most satisfactory1 showing that he has improved well his opportunities of learning the truth4 ,i have great hopes of his future usefulness4 ,he has a good mind1 and is a most diligent student1 and if he is spared1 and is taught of ,god's ,spirit he may be a great treasure to us in preaching to the heathen4 ,three months later he wrote again of this young man as exemplary in conduct and as growing in grace1 and added3 ,i am thankful that ,i can now say that another has since been baptized4 ,he is the most advanced boy in the school1 and is in fact very nearly a man4 ,his conversion was not sudden1 but gradual1 after the manner of almost all the ,chinese4 ,we trust1 however1 that he is a true child of ,god1 and we have strong hope that if he is spared he will make a very useful man4 ,the next year three more of the largest boys were received into the church4 ,the session examined two others1 but thought it best for them to wait a few weeks2 and a number more were hoping to be received1 but were advised to defer the matter4 ,thus the conversion of the boys gradually progressed1 until at the time when the school formally became a college1 all who had graduated1 and nearly all the pupils still enrolled who were sufficiently mature1 were professing ,christians4 ,julia's sister1 ,maggie ,brown1 came out to join the station at ,tengchow early enough to render valuable help in the initial stages of the school4 ,in #ahga she married ,mr4 ,capp4 ,one of the necessities which ,mateer recognized was that of a girls' school1 his reason being the vital importance of providing suitable wives for the young men whom he was training4 ,after her marriage ,mrs4 ,capp took charge of such a school1 and she and her brother-in-law1 ,mateer1 continued to coperate in that important enterprise4 ,for use in teaching she translated a mental arithmetic1 and in this she had his assistance4 ,dr4 ,corbett wrote3 8,in spite of all discouragements in the way of securing permanent and efficient heads1 and of the paucity of results1 he never wavered in his support of the girls' school1 and always planned for its welfare1 because he saw in it an element necessary to the final success of the ,christian ,church40 ,when ,mrs4 ,capp died1 she left her little all for the erection of buildings to be used by the school which he had encouraged1 and to which she had consecrated the maturity of her powers4 ,thirteen years went by before any of the young men graduated4 ,the first class consisted of three men who had completed the course1 which by that time had been enlarged beyond the curriculum already described so as to include astronomy1 the text-book used being a good1 stiff one1--no other than a translation of ,herschell's work4 ,of that first class ,mateer said3 8,they will probably teach for a time at least4 ,there is more call for teachers than for preachers at present40 ,under date of ,may #b1 #ahgg1 he wrote as to this first commencement3 ,we had a communion on the occasion4 ,the speeches made by the young men at graduation were excellent1 and the whole effect on the school was most happy4 ,the boys saw distinctly that there is a definite goal before them and their ambition was stirred to reach it4 ,the report for that year speaks as follows3 ,all of the graduates are men of excellent talents4 ,they are really fine scholars both in their own language and literature and in western science4 ,one of them goes to ,hangchow to take charge of the mission school there1--a school which had flourished well-nigh twenty years before the school in ,tengchow was born4 ,another of them goes to ,chefoo1 to teach a school for the ,scottish ,presbyterian mission4 ,the third goes to assist ,dr4 ,nevius in his extensive country work1 where ,i am sure he will render the most valuable service4 ,one of our former pupils1 who has been teaching in the school during the last year1 also goes to assist ,dr4 ,nevius in the same way4 ,this he does of his own free will1 knowing that he will have harder work and less pay4 ,we expect a large number of new pupils next year4 ,more are anxious to come than we can take4 ,we will try to do the best we can4 ,from ,may1 #ahgi1 to ,january1 #ahha1 the ,mateers were absent from ,china1 on their first furlough home4 ,during this period the school was in charge of other missionaries1 and a part of the time was without a regular superintendent2 yet it continued its work fairly well4 ,the return of the ,mateers was made the occasion of a reception that must have been exceedingly pleasant to them4 ,in the ,sunday-school letter for #ahha he described it3 ,from ,chefoo to ,tengchow we traveled in a shentza4 ,the weather was cold and the ground covered with snow4 ,we got along comfortably1 however1 and reached ,tengchow in safety4 ,the schoolboys had heard of our coming1 and were all on the lookout to meet us4 ,it was ,saturday afternoon1 and they had no school2 so they all came out of the city to meet us on the road4 ,they met us in companies1 and their beaming faces and hearty expressions of delight made us feel that we were indeed welcome back to ,tengchow4 ,their faces looked very familiar1 though some of the smaller boys had grown very much during our absence4 ,the next week the school closed for the year4 ,late in #ahha they were gladdened by the arrival of ,robert ,mateer and ,lillian as renforcements to the mission4 ,robert has been one of the most efficient of the ,presbyterian missionaries in ,shantung1 especially in evangelism1 and is still doing most excellent work4 ,lillian was attractive in person and proved herself an accomplished and successful teacher4 ,in the course of time she married ,mr4 ,samuel ,walker4 ,the failure of his health compelled their return home4 ,the year #ahhb seems to have been marked by a distinct advance all along the line4 ,the average attendance rose to sixty-five4 ,the new students were selected out of the possible admissions1 and consisted of such as gave most promise as to work and character1 some of them being already well advanced in their studies1 and full-grown men4 ,the secret of this was the enlargement of the constituency of the institution1 through the reputation it had already won for itself among the ,chinese in general1 and through the increase of native ,christians4 ,perhaps the most remarkable improvement was in the prosecution of their work by the students2 a state of things due to such causes as the presence of a larger number of select and advanced pupils1 with a fuller and higher and prescribed curriculum1 with formal public graduation at its completion4 ,so straitened had their quarters become that in the following year another building was obtained1 care being taken that its outfit should1 as heretofore1 be of so plain a character as not to lift the men who went out from the institution above their own people in their ideas and habits of living4 ,of course1 the growth of the school and its differentiation according to the stages of the curriculum necessitated a considerable increase in the force of teachers4 ,after graduates began to go out1 several of these were employed4 ,lillian ,mateer for a while helped in the school1 but it was not long until her marriage to ,mr4 ,walker terminated her connection with the ,presbyterian work and her residence at ,tengchow4 ,in the autumn of #ahhb very substantial and permanent help came by the arrival of ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,w4 ,m4 ,hayes1 whose large services will require further notice as this biography proceeds4 ,were it not that the story of the life of ,mrs4 ,julia ,mateer is told fully in a suitable volume1 much would be said here as to her remarkable achievements1 especially in the school4 ,mateer's work in connection with the school lay only in part in the classroom2 but whatever shape it took1 it was always of such a character as to impress his own individuality in a remarkable degree4 ,both he and ,julia regarded personal influence as of such vital importance that they were not quite prepared to welcome an increase of pupils so great as to hazard this element of training4 ,dr4 ,corbett says3 8,as a teacher he was enthusiastic and eminently successful4 ,he was always wide-awake and never dull2 so he was able to keep the attention of every student4 ,any attempt to deceive him was useless1 and students found no comfort in going to a recitation unless they had been faithful in their preparation40 ,the truth is that1 helpful as he gladly made himself to everybody who tried to conduct himself as he ought1 he was a terror to all triflers and evildoers1 old or young4 ,dr4 ,mateer's surname in ,chinese was ,ti4 ,the tiger is called ,lao ,hu4 ,it is significant that among themselves his students sometimes spoke of him as ,ti ,lao ,hu4 ,one thing he believed with his whole heart1 and endeavored to impress in every legitimate way on his pupils4 ,this is that the highest office to which a ,christian man can be called is the ministry of the gospel4 ,in all his conduct of the school his dominating desire was to raise up faithful1 able1 well-educated men1 filled with the ,spirit1 to go forth as ambassadors of ,christ to win ,china for ,him4 ,as ,dr4 ,corbett adds3 8,for this purpose he gave wise counsel1 intellectual effort1 unceasing toil and daily prayer4 ,he gave of his own money freely to help the destitute1 and make it possible for youths of promise to fit themselves for usefulness40 ,such1 briefly told1 is the story of the ,tengchow school4 ,in the two decades of its existence it had fully justified the consecrated wisdom of its founder and head4 ,from the little elementary department with which it had opened1 it had advanced so as to become also a high school1 and at length to do work of full collegiate rank4 ,at the time when it formally took the name of a college1 there was an average attendance of seventy-five1 including three day scholars4 ,it had educated more or less completely perhaps two hundred pupils1 who had come up from ,chinese families1 some of them ,christian and many of them heathen4 ,of those who remained long enough to be molded by the influences of the institution and were mature enough1 all made a public profession of their faith in ,christ4 ,they had been trained to live upright1 godly1 ,christian lives2 and they had seen one of their number die in peace through his faith in ,christ4 ,the character and the work of those who had gone out to do their part in the activities of the world were such as to command respect and confidence and influence4 ,for the graduates who were beginning to be sent forth there was a demand to fill positions of high importance1 much in excess of the supply1 and by no means limited to ,shantung4 ,besides all that had been achieved1 the prospect of far greater things in the future was assured4 ,,ix ,,the ,,press2 ,,literary ,,labors 8,making books is a very important branch of missionary effort1 which ,i would by no means depreciate2 but he who would undertake it should be sure of his call1 and should not begin too soon4 ,there is a temptation to forego active evangelistic work for the less laborious and perhaps more congenial work of sitting in a study1 translating or studying the literature of the language4 ,much precious time is sometimes wasted in this way1 especially in the earlier stages of a man's life1 before he is quite able to weigh himself against his work4 ,it is a rare thing indeed that a missionary should undertake writing or translating a book inside of five years1 and then he should be supported by the advice and approval of his older associates40--,,missionaries ,,and ,,the ,,language1 #aijb4 ,mateer was at no time a very prolific contributor to the home newspapers and periodicals4 ,for about ten years1 with some frequency1 he wrote for 8,the ,presbyterian ,banner0 letters concerning the work of the mission done by himself and others in ,china2 but after that he was too busy to continue such writing1 except at long intervals4 ,once or twice he sent to the ,united ,states more labored replies to what he considered misleading articles that had appeared in such periodicals as 8,the ,princeton ,review10 in regard to the condition of things in ,china4 ,he greatly deprecated laudation of matters ,chinese and unwarranted hopefulness as to the immediate future of their country4 ,he was strongly inclined to question the wisdom of the policy which the ,united ,states was pursuing in ,china forty or fifty years ago1 and he did not hesitate to express in print here at home his views on that line of topics4 ,beyond these fugitive contributions to the newspapers and periodicals he published little else in this country1 save a booklet or two1 one or more of which he prepared for the use of the ,board at their request4 ,sometimes he questioned whether his slight use of the home press might not leave the impression there that he was not doing as much as others who were more frequent in their contributions2 but all the same he gave himself to the other work which his hands found to do4 ,most of his contributions to current literature appeared in ,china and were written for 8,the ,chinese ,recorder40 ,his articles in this periodical extend over almost his entire missionary life1 some of them being brief1 but many of them being elaborate discussions of great subjects affecting directly or indirectly the work of evangelization in non-,christian lands4 ,his book on the ,chinese term for ,god was not published until #aijb1 and1 of course1 was in ,english1 though with copious extracts from ,chinese literature4 ,his only other ,english book was a review of ,dr4 ,nevius' 8,methods of ,missions40 ,his publications in ,chinese1 as we shall presently see1 were very considerable in number1 and were of large importance to the work of missions2 for he at no time allowed himself to be diverted to the production of any treatise that would not be helpful in the one service to which he consecrated his life4 ,but before he began to avail himself of the press for his own books1 he was somewhat unwillingly compelled for a while to take the management of a printing establishment4 ,down at ,shanghai there was already a mission press1 the funds for the establishment of which had in large part been contributed for that distinct purpose1 and which had been left hitherto to the management of the ,presbyterian missionaries of that general region4 ,the ,synod of ,china--by order of the ,general ,assembly of the ,presbyterian ,church in the ,united ,states--was organized in the autumn of #ahgj1 and the first meeting was held at ,shanghai4 ,the condition of the mission press at that place was brought before the synod1 and was by that body handed over to the foreign missionaries in attendance1 as more properly belonging to their control4 ,a plan covering the entire operation of the plant1 as drawn up by ,mateer in a committee and approved by the entire body1 was sent home to the ,board for sanction1 which in due time it received4 ,one of the things for which immediate provision was necessary was a man to take charge of the establishment1 and the choice1 after repeated efforts to secure some other suitable person1 and after his own refusal to take the place1 returned to him in such a way that he felt that he could not decline it1 if limited to a period of a year1 and with the privilege of spending some time as necessary up at ,tengchow4 ,of course1 temporary arrangements had to be made for the conduct of the school4 ,for this purpose ,julia's sister1 ,maggie1 was called into service2 and with such assistance as she could command she gave excellent satisfaction4 ,she was also in possession of the ,mateer home4 ,as to the work to which he was thus temporarily called at ,shanghai1 he said in his ,journal3 ,while it is a very great trial to me to come to ,shanghai1 it is not without some inducement4 ,it will increase very largely my acquaintance1 and will enlarge my knowledge of ,china and its affairs4 ,also ,i hope it may be the means of getting something of great benefit done for ,julia's health4 ,i am very sorry that the doctor who treated her before is not here now4 ,my great sorrow is that it will interfere with my ,chinese studies1 and prevent me accomplishing what ,i had designed4 ,it was not until ,august1 #ahgb1 that he finally went back to ,tengchow to resume his work there4 ,the details of his life while at ,shanghai probably would not interest most readers4 ,he said of it in his ,journal1 under date of ,january #bi1 #ahgb3 ,i neglected everything to do the work in the press1 and ,i worked with an assiduity that ,i have rarely given to anything in my life4 ,i had hoped when ,i went to ,shanghai to have some time to study1 but ,i found it utterly out of the question4 ,the demands for the press were imperative1 and ,i just gave myself to the work4 ,two sides of his capabilities were there brought into special requisition4 ,one of these was his efficiency as a business manager1--a characteristic due partly to his native qualities1 and partly to his habits of accuracy1 of wise forethought1 of careful oversight1 and of insistence on the faithful performance of duty by all employees4 ,this side of his character is brought out by his 8letter books40 ,separation by the space of half a globe from the base of supplies made it necessary to anticipate wants by eight or ten months4 ,for convenient reference he caused every business letter1 and many others1 to be copied4 ,especially as the school and college at ,tengchow grew on his hands he had to conduct what was in reality a large miscellaneous business1 under conditions that were very exceptionally difficult4 ,he had not only to provide for his own wants in his family and in his work1 but also to accommodate others by acting as their agent4 ,his orders had to go sometimes to ,shanghai1 but more frequently to ,london1 or to ,new ,york1 or to some place in the interior of the ,united ,states4 ,many are curiosities1 owing to the nature and the range of articles included--from a steam engine or a telescope or costly chemical supplies to a paper of pins4 ,some of the lists cover more than ten pages in the copy4 ,woe to the merchant or agent in ,london or ,new ,york or ,shanghai who by mistake or for other reason sent without adequate explanation any article that was not quite in accordance with the order6 ,he might expect to get a sharp letter1 and a demand to rectify the mistake if that were practicable4 ,service as treasurer of the mission also gave him drill4 ,shilly-shally workmen are one of the horrors which sometimes call from him in his ,journal groans of anguish4 ,when he had completed his charge of the press establishment1 including as it did a book department1 a job department1 a dwelling for the superintendent1 quarters for the workmen1 all of whom were ,chinese1 a chapel for these workmen1 and other equipments1 it was a well-organized business1 running regularly and smoothly1 and doing its work about as efficiently as was possible under the conditions4 ,the other side of his capabilities there especially called into exercise was his mechanical gifts4 ,as an illustration1 the following from his ,journal1 under the same date as that just given1 will answer3 ,i had to get a ,japanese dictionary started1 and it was a most embarrassing affair4 ,my predecessor had made promises which he could not fulfill4 ,the men were there to print1 and yet we had to send to ,england for paper to do the job4 ,also all the pronunciation marks for ,webster's dictionary were to be put in1 and we did not have the type or the matrices4 ,i had to have the letters cut on wood1 and matrices made2 this was a world of trouble4 ,some of the letters were cut over half-a-dozen times or more1 and after all they were far from perfect4 ,i also had a set of shaped music types cut1 and this took a deal of time and pains to get them all properly cut1 as also to get the matrices made4 ,i finally succeeded quite well in both respects4444 ,i also experimented not a little in stereotyping1 and succeeded in doing fair work4 ,i trained one boy who stereotyped ,matthew before ,i left4 ,in order to carry it on effectually and rapidly ,i had a furnace and press made and fitted up1 which after sundry changes worked very well4444 ,i also had a new style of case for ,chinese type made1 which ,i think will be an improvement on the old4 ,i also had a complete and thorough overhauling of the matrices1 reassorted them all1 and had new cases made4 ,this was a serious job1 but it will ,i am sure prove a very great help to the efficient working of the establishment4 ,he consented to manage the press only until a competent man could be secured to take it off his hands4 ,when casting about for such a person1 his mind had been directed to his brother ,john1 nearly a year before he was himself forced into this position4 ,john had hoped to go to college1 and to prepare for the ministry1 and to go out as a missionary1 but1 on account of certain tendencies developed as to his health1 he was compelled to abandon his purpose4 ,as to his mechanical gifts and his ability to turn them into use in a great variety of ways1 he resembled ,calvin2 and the latter was so confident that ,john could soon fit himself to be a competent superintendent of the press at ,shanghai that he advised the ,board of ,missions to make inquiry in regard to him4 ,the result was that eventually he was selected for the place1 and he arrived in ,china early in ,august1 #ahga4 ,before he could satisfactorily enter on his duties it was necessary for him to acquire some knowledge of the language and to acquaint himself with the business committed to his charge4 ,this detained ,calvin until late in that year2 and after a period of some three months spent at ,tengchow1 he returned to ,shanghai to assist ,john in moving the press to new and much better premises that had been purchased4 ,the moving proper was a heavy job1 requiring a week of hard1 dirty labor4 ,the distance was about a mile1 mostly by water1 but by land a hundred or more yards at either end4 ,while thus engaged1 although he was no longer officially at the head of the business1 he took the main charge1 so as to allow his brother to give his time chiefly to the acquisition of the language and to other things that he needed to learn4 ,the new place is the same now occupied by the press in ,peking ,road4 ,under the superintendency of ,rev4 ,g4 ,f4 ,fitch1 it has become the center not only of the ,presbyterian missions1 but of the general missionary activity all over ,china4 ,in writing to his brother as early as ,november1 #ahfi1 he said of this plant3 8,it is a very important place1 and would give you an extensive field for doing good4 ,the establishment is not very large1 it is true1 as compared with similar establishments in such cities as ,new ,york or ,philadelphia2 yet it is the largest and best of the kind in ,china4 ,it not only does all the printing for all our missionaries1 but a great deal of job work for others2 besides making and selling a large amount of type40 ,after he had completed his term of the management1 and while helping ,john to get into the traces1 he wrote to one of the secretaries of the ,board3 ,i am not in favor of enlargement1 but ,i would be very sorry to see the present efficiency of the press curtailed4 ,it is doing a great and a good work not only for our missions1 but for all ,china4 ,it has exerted a prodigious collateral influence both in ,china and in ,japan1 affording facilities for the production of all kinds of scientific books1 dictionaries1 and so forth4 ,aside from any general interest in the missionary work1 having at no small sacrifice left my proper work and given more than a year to the press1 and also having a brother here in charge of it1 ,i feel a lively interest in its future4 ,the last record that has come down to us concerning his work there is3 8,we have just sold to the ,chinese government a large font of ,chinese type4 ,they are going to use movable metal type4 ,this is a large step for them to take1 and it will do good4 ,china yields slowly1 but she is bound to yield to ,christianity and ,christian civilization40 ,at no subsequent period of his life had he any part in the management of a printing establishment1 but indirectly he continued to have much to do with the press4 ,he was a member of a joint committee of the ,shantung and the ,peking mission1 in charge of publications1 and as such he had to acquaint himself with what was needed1 and with what was offered1 so as to pass intelligent judgment4 ,unofficially and as a friend whose aid was solicited1 he revised one or more of the books which his associates submitted to him for criticism4 ,at the ,general ,conference of ,missionaries1 held at ,shanghai in #ahgg1 a committee1 of which he was a member1 was appointed to take steps to secure the preparation of a series of schoolbooks for use in mission schools4 ,not long afterward he published an elaborate paper on the subject1 discussing in it the character which such publications should have1 and especially calling attention to the need of peculiar care as to the ,chinese words which ought to be employed in the treatises on the sciences4 ,that committee diligently set itself to work1 and initiated measures for a rather comprehensive set of books by various missionaries to meet the want recognized in this general field4 ,he was himself called upon to prepare several books1 some of which he was willing to undertake2 others he put aside as not properly falling to him4 ,in one or two instances he claimed for himself precedence as to treatises suggested for others to write4 ,some friction occurred1 and when the ,conference met again in #ahij that committee was discharged1 and an ,educational ,association1 composed of missionaries familiar with the needs of schools1 and confining its functions more exclusively to the publication of books for teaching--largely under his leadership--was formed4 ,he was its first chairman4 ,this change he had warmly favored1 and he was an active member of the ,association4 ,in it he was chairman of a committee on scientific terms in ,chinese1 a subject of great difficulty1 and of prime importance in the preparation of text-books4 ,in the subsequent years he was so much occupied with the revision of the ,mandarin ,bible1 and with other duties1 that he could give to the technical terms only a secondary place in his activities4 ,still1 six years after he accepted this chairmanship he says3 8,i have collected a large number of lists of subjects for terms in chemistry1 physics1 mathematics1 astronomy1 geology1 metallurgy1 photography1 watch-making1 machinery1 printing1 music1 mental and moral philosophy1 political economy1 theology1 and so forth40 ,subsequently he continued this work4 ,the first literary production of his own pen in ,chinese was a tract on infant baptism2 this was called forth by local conditions at ,tengchow4 ,a small sheet tract1 entitled 8,a ,prayer in ,mandarin10 also followed early4 ,as chairman of the committee appointed by the ,educational ,association1 he made a report on chemical terms1 and recommended a new and distinctively ,chinese method for the symbols in that science4 ,this was printed4 ,in a preliminary report of the ,shanghai press1 made in ,september1 #ahga1 he1 in a list of books in course of preparation1 mentions under his own name as author the following3 8#a4 ,catechism on ,genesis1 with answers to the more difficult questions1--finished1 needing only a slight revision4 #b4 ,an explanation of the moral law as contained in the ten commandments1--half-finished4 #c4 ,scripture ,text-,book and ,treasury1 being ,scripture references by subjects1 supplying in great part the place of a concordance1--one-third finished40 ,all of these had been under way for several years1 but had been frequently shunted off the track by other imperative work4 ,very soon after that date the catechism was published4 ,he had a good deal to do with ,julia's 8,music ,book10 especially in coining appropriate terminology1 though he never claimed joint authorship in it4 ,along with ,dr4 ,nevius1 he published a hymn book for use in ,chinese services2 and down to the close of his life1 especially on a ,sabbath when he did not preach1 he now and then made an additional ,chinese version of a hymn4 ,in fact1 whenever he heard a new hymn that especially moved him he wished to enrich the native collection by a translation of it into their speech4 ,one which the ,chinese came greatly to like was his rendering of the ,huguenot song1 8,my ,lord and ,i40 ,a subject that was always dominant in his mind and heart was the call to the ministry1 and it was significant that one of the last things on which he worked was a translation of the hymn which has the refrain1 8,here am ,i1 send me40 ,it was not quite finished when his illness compelled him to lay down his pen2 but recently at a meeting of the ,chinese student volunteers1 constituting a company rising well toward one hundred and fifty1 that hymn was printed on cards1 and a copy was given to each of these candidates for the ministry4 ,in #aijg he had carried a theological class through the ,westminster ,shorter ,catechism1 and as an outcome his translation was published4 ,this is the last religious book he made in ,chinese4 ,during his long service as a missionary he taught a number of theological classes in various studies1 and his lectures were regarded as very superior1 but he published none of them4 ,his schoolbooks all originated in the necessities of his own work as a teacher4 ,the first thus to force itself upon his attention was an arithmetic4 ,he was already at work on it in #ahfh1 and it went to press while his brother ,john was superintending the plant at ,shanghai4 ,the preparation of such a book1 to one unacquainted with the conditions under which this one was made1 may seem to have been a rather easy undertaking1 and to have required little more than a sufficient mastery of the ,chinese language and of ,english2 yet there were some perplexing questions that arose in connection with it4 ,for instance1 the method of writing numbers horizontally was wholly unknown to the ,chinese4 ,should the new arithmetic use the western1 or should it retain the ,chinese method8 ,to retain the ,chinese would be to train the pupils in a usage that would be confusing in subsequent reading of western mathematics2 to abandon it would be equally confusing in printing the text of the book1 which1 according to ,chinese usage1 must be arranged perpendicularly4 ,the difficulty was gotten over by duplicating each pattern example1 giving it once horizontally and once perpendicularly4 ,pupils using the book were permitted to take their choice in performing their work1 but in the text proper all numbers appeared vertically4 ,such lines as those dividing the numerator and denominator of a fraction stood perpendicularly1 with the figures to the right and the left4 ,until he published his arithmetic1 the ,chinese numerals had been employed2 he introduced the ,arabic4 ,at the dawn of the new era subsequent to the ,boxer outbreak1 almost the first book in demand by ,chinese teachers and pupils outside the mission schools was a western arithmetic2 and among others put upon the market were many 8pirated0 editions of ,mateer's book1 printed on cheap paper and with wooden blocks4 ,the publishers had not yet learned the significance of 8copyright40 ,the circulation of the book1 however brought about1 had at least the effect of immediately increasing the reputation of its author among the scholarly classes outside the church4 ,of the editions issued by the press at ,shanghai tens of thousands of copies have been sold4 ,dr4 ,fitch writes that 8it is impossible to state the total number10 and that 8the book has gone into all parts of the empire40 ,in ,october1 #ahhd1 he submitted to the schoolbook committee of the ,educational ,association the manuscript of his geometry1 and in doing so he said of it3 ,it is the result of much pains and labor4444 ,the book is written in plain ,wen-li1 and much pains has been taken to make it smooth in style and accurate in meaning4 ,in the few equations used ,i have introduced the mathematical signs employed in the ,west1 of which ,i have given a full explanation in the beginning of the book4444 ,mathematical signs and symbols are a species of universal language1 used alike by all civilized nations1 and it is unwise to change them until it is absolutely necessary4 ,the young men who have given most effective assistance in the preparation of this geometry are decided in their opinion that we should not change or garble the mathematical symbolism of the ,west1 but give it to them in its integrity4 ,the only change made is in writing equations perpendicularly instead of horizontally1--a change which is necessitated by the form of ,chinese writing4 ,the book was published the following year4 ,to the same committee he reports in ,march1 #ahhb1 that his algebra was then all in manuscript1 and only needing revision and some rearrangement before printing4 ,the geometry was followed by his algebra1 first part4 ,these have had a large sale1 though1 because fewer studied this branch1 not the equal of the arithmetic4 ,on ,january #ad1 #aijh1 he sent to the manager of the press the preface to the second volume of his algebra1 which covers the same ground as the 8,university0 edition in the ,united ,states4 ,of this ,dr4 ,hayes says3 8,over twenty years ago he began the preparation of ,part ,,ii of his algebra1 and the draft then made was used in manuscript for many years4 ,other duties pressed upon him1 and he was compelled to lay it away unfinished4 ,yet he had not forgotten it1 but from time to time he would make a step in advance4 ,it was only a few months before his death that the work was completed and published40 ,there were a number of other books which he planned1 on some of which he did considerable work1 but none of which he completed4 ,one of these was so colossal in its projected scope and scholarship that it deserves special notice because indicative of the large things to which early in his missionary career he was already eager to give his time and abilities4 ,this was a ,mandarin dictionary4 ,in its preparation he sought to associate with himself ,rev4 ,chauncey ,goodrich1 of ,peking2 and in writing to him under date of ,june #f1 #ahgd1 he thus stated his conception of the work3 ,my idea of the book is a dictionary of the spoken language of north ,china1 in all its length and breadth1 including on the one hand all the colloquialisms that the people use in everyday life1--all they use in ,chi-li and in ,shantung1 and in all the ,mandarin-speaking provinces1 so far as we can get it1 noting1 of course1 as such1 the words and phrases we know to be local4 ,further1 let it include as a prominent feature all sorts of ready-made idiomatic phrases1 and in general all combinations of two or more characters in which the meaning coalesces1 or varies from the simple rendering of the separate characters4 ,considerable preliminary work had already been done1 when the death of ,mrs4 ,goodrich compelled her husband to withdraw from the partnership2 and the project was abandoned by ,mateer1 though with a hope that it might be resumed4 ,in #aijj1 however1 as the fruit of this and kindred studies he published an analysis of two thousand one hundred and eighteen ,chinese characters4 ,this little book was designed to help children in dictation exercises to write characters1 and is still largely used for this purpose by mission schools4 ,the huge dictionary1 though never completed1 had three direct descendants4 ,with ,dr4 ,goodrich it produced first a ,chinese phrase book1 and then a pocket ,chinese-,english dictionary1 which for brevity and comprehensiveness is a marvel1 and which is regarded by almost every student of ,chinese as a necessity4 ,in marked contrast with these two volumes is an immense dictionary left behind in manuscript by ,dr4 ,mateer4 ,it is wholly in ,chinese2 and as it lies unfinished it occupies more than a cubic foot of space1 and consists of a set of volumes4 ,no comprehensive dictionary of the ,chinese language has been published for two hundred and fifty years1 and the last issued had been mainly classical4 ,the object of this was to supply the evident need of a great new work of that sort4 ,one insurmountable difficulty encountered was a phonetic arrangement commanding common usage4 ,none had the requisite approval4 ,fortunately1 on this undertaking ,dr4 ,mateer did not spend his own time1 except so far as that was necessary to direct the preparation of it by his scribes when they were not otherwise employed4 ,in his letter to his college classmates in #ahig he says that he has 8well in hand a work on electricity1 and one on homiletics prepared when teaching theology40 ,neither of these was finished and published4 ,to his college classmate1 ,s4 ,c4 ,t4 ,dodd1 ,esq41 he wrote in #ahih that he was trying also to finish a work on moral philosophy4 ,in ,march1 #ahgh1 he wrote to ,dr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,p4 ,martin1 of ,peking3 8,you will remember probably that when you were here ,i spoke of my intention to make a natural philosophy by and by4 ,you said1 #8,go ahead1' and that you would retire in my favor by the time mine was ready1 say1 ten years hence4 ,if ,i am spared ,i hope to have the book ready within the time1 if not sooner4 ,as you know1 natural philosophy is my hobby1 and ,i have taught it more thoroughly probably than has been done in any other school in ,china4 ,i intend when ,i visit ,america to prepare myself with the material and the facilities for such work40 ,he was not able to find time for this work2 and when later ,dr4 ,martin invited him to write for the revised edition of his treatise the chapter on electricity1 this privilege had for the same reason to be put aside4 ,he had also advanced far toward the completion of a translation of 8,pilgrim's ,progress0 into ,mandarin4 ,his 8,mandarin ,lessons0 was published early in #ahib1 and immediately commanded a success even larger than its author may have anticipated4 ,ever since1 it has gone on toward a more general use by foreigners wishing to master the language1 and has now far outstripped every other work of its kind4 ,he was a quarter of a century in making the book4 ,june #bh1 #ahgc1 he made the following entry in his ,journal concerning it3 ,most of last week and this ,i have spent in making lessons and planning a much larger number than ,i have made4 ,mr4 ,mills urged me to work at them for ,dr4 's benefit1 as he did not seem to take hold of ,wade4 ,i did not think of what a job ,i was sliding into when ,i made three lessons for ,maggie a few years ago4 ,i have now laid out quite an extensive plan1 and if ,i am spared ,i trust ,i shall be able to finish it1 though it will take a deal of work4 ,i believe that ,i can produce a far better book than any that has yet been brought forth4 ,i was not intending to do this work now1 and cannot work much more at it1 as other matters imperatively demand attention4 ,guided by the hint in this quotation1 we are able to trace the book still farther back to its very beginning4 ,june #bj1 #ahfg1 he said in his ,journal3 8,maggie ,brown ,julia's sister has been pushing on pretty lively with the ,chinese4 ,i made her lessons for a good while1 which she studies1 and now she is reading #8,the ,peep of ,day4' ,i tried to make her lessons with a view to bringing out the peculiarities of ,chinese idiom4 ,it led me to a good deal of thinking and investigating4 ,i have a mind to review and complete the work1 and may some day give it to the world4 ,my great difficulty is in classifying the results attained40 ,as the years went by his ideas of the plan for the work took definite shape4 ,in one of his letters concerning it he wrote3 ,each lesson illustrates an idiom1 the word idiom being taken with some latitude4 ,the sentences1 as you will see1 are gathered from all quarters1 and introduce every variety of subjects4 ,i have also introduced every variety of style that can be called ,mandarin1 the higher style being found chiefly in the second hundred lessons4 ,the prevailing object1 however1 is to help people to learn ,mandarin as it is spoken4 ,i have tried to avoid distinct localisms1 but not colloquialisms4 ,a large acquaintance with these is important1 not to say essential1 to every really good speaker of ,mandarin4 ,it is1 of course1 possible to avoid the most of them1 and to learn to use a narrow range of general ,mandarin which never leaves the dead level of commonplace expressions1 except to introduce some stilted book phrase4 ,this1 however1 is not what the ,chinese themselves do1 nor is it what foreigners should seek to acquire4 ,many colloquialisms are very widely used1 and they serve to give force and variety to the language1 expressing in many instances what cannot be expressed in any other way4 ,i have tried to represent all quarters1 and in order to do so ,i have in many cases given two or more forms4 ,in the pursuit of his plan he sought the aid of competent scholars in the north and in central ,china1 so as to learn the colloquialisms and the usage of words2 also in the preparation of a syllabary of the sounds of characters as heard in each of the large centers where foreigners are resident4 ,to accomplish this he also traveled widely4 ,late in #ahhi1 after a summer spent in studying the dialects of ,china1 he1 in company with ,julia1 made a three months' trip to the region of the ,yangtse1 going down on the ,grand ,canal1 spending a month on the great river1 and remaining a month at ,nanking2 always with the main purpose of informing himself as to the current ,mandarin1 so as to perfect his book4 ,this tour enabled him to give it the final revision2 and in his opinion it 8more than doubled the value0 of the 8,lessons40 ,as finished1 they were a huge quarto of six hundred pages1 which with the help of ,mrs4 ,julia ,mateer he saw through the press down at ,shanghai4 ,in #aija1 assisted by ,mrs4 ,ada ,mateer1 he issued a more elementary work of the same general nature4 ,the protracted study and care which he put upon the 8,lessons0 were characteristic of him in all his literary productions4 ,upon this subject no one is better qualified to bear testimony than is ,dr4 ,george ,f4 ,fitch1 ,superintendent of the ,presbyterian ,mission ,press1 at ,shanghai1 who speaks from direct personal observation4 ,he says3 ,one very marked characteristic of ,dr4 ,mateer was the almost extreme painstaking with which he went over any work which he was getting ready for publication2 revising and re-revising1 seeking the judgment of others1 and then waiting to see if possibly new light might dawn upon the subject4 ,i remember reading shortly after ,i came to ,china the manuscript of a paper which he had prepared with great labor1 upon the much-mooted 8term question02 and in which he had collected1 with infinite pains1 seemingly a great number of quotations from the ,chinese classics and other native works1 bearing on the use of ,shen as the proper word for ,god in ,chinese4 ,i urged him to publish at once1 as ,i thought it might be useful in helping settle that question4 ,but he stoutly refused1 saying that it was not yet complete4 ,nor did it finally see the light1 in print1 until nearly twenty years afterward4 ,none of his books at all reveal the protracted and toilsome process of the preparation4 ,we see only the result of years of research4 ,for instance1 in his library there was a long row of ,chinese books each one of which showed a large number of little white slips at the top4 ,each one of this multitude of marks had been placed there by some student whom he had employed respectively to read works in ,chinese likely to use the word ,shen1 in order to indicate the passages at which he needed to look4 ,all these were canvassed1 and the different shades of meaning were classified4 ,from the 8,mandarin ,lessons10 and recently from the arithmetic1 he received substantial pecuniary returns1 though not at all sufficient to entitle him to be regarded as wealthy4 ,in his manner of living he would have been untrue to his training and impulses if he had not practiced frugality1 economy1 and simplicity4 ,as the means came into his possession he used them generously both for personal friends and for the promotion of the cause to which he had consecrated his life4 ,of his outlays for the school and college we shall presently need to speak4 ,the expenses of the ,yangtse trip came out of his own pocket4 ,march #i1 #ahie1 he wrote to one of the secretaries of the ,board3 ,the mission minutes spoke1 if you remember1 of my intention to erect a building for a museum and public lecture room1 and present it to the ,board4 ,this ,i intend to do at once4 ,it will cost about twelve hundred dollars1 possibly more4 ,i may say in the same connection also that my 8,mandarin ,lessons0 has fully paid all the cost of printing1 and so forth1 and ,i expect during the next year to pay into the treasury of the ,board one thousand dollars1 ,mexican4 ,this ,i do in view of the liberality of the ,board in giving me my time while editing and printing the book4 ,when the second edition is printed ,i expect to pay over a larger amount4 ,i need not say that ,i feel very much gratified that the book has proved such a success3 especially do ,i feel that it has been1 and is going to be1 very widely useful in assisting missionaries to acquire the ,chinese language4 ,my scientific books are also paying for themselves1 but as yet have left no margin of profits4 ,may #bj1 #aije1 he wrote to a secretary3 8,i may say1 however1 that in view of the great importance of the school both to the ,tengchow station and as a feeder to the college at ,wei ,hsien1 ,i have set apart from the profit of my #8,mandarin ,lessons' enough to support the school for the present year40 ,december #ac1 #aijf1 he wrote to a friend in the ,united ,states3 8,my brother is now holding a large meeting of elders and leading men from all the stations in this field4 ,there are about three hundred of them4 ,it is no small expense to board and lodge so many for ten days4 ,i am paying the bill40 ,in one of his latest letters to me he mentions this ability pecuniarily to help as affording him satisfaction4 ,x ,,the ,,care ,,of ,,the ,,native ,,christians 8,the need of the hour in ,china is not more new stations with expensive buildings and wide itinerating4 ,it is rather teaching and training what we have1 and giving it a proper development4 ,most of all we should raise up and prepare pastors and preachers and teachers1 who are well grounded in the truth1 so that the ,chinese ,church may have wise and safe leaders4444 ,there are already enough mission stations1 or centers1 in the province1 if they were properly worked4 ,the need of the hour is to consolidate and develop what we have1 and by all means in our power develop native agency1 and teach and locate native pastors1--men who are well grounded in the faith40--,,letter ,,to ,,secretary ,,fox1 of the ,american ,bible ,society1 ,january #f1 #aijf4 ,dr4 ,mateer believed that sooner than most missionaries anticipated the ,chinese ,christians will join together and set up an independent church4 ,he meant by this not merely a union of the ministers and churches of the various ,presbyterian denominations at work in the country1 such as has already been effected1 but an organization that would include in its membership all the ,protestant ,christians1 and that would leave little or no place for the service of foreign missionaries4 ,he regarded this as inevitable2 and for that reason he considered it to be of prime importance that such an effective preliminary work should promptly be done1 that this coming ecclesiastical independence might not be attended by unsoundness as to creed or laxity in life4 ,at the same time1 in holding up the care and the training of the native ,christians as so important a part of the work of the foreign missionary in ,china1 in anticipation of what is ahead1 he was only for an additional reason urging what he had in all his long career recognized as second to no other in importance4 ,of course1 at the beginning of the effort to give the gospel to a people it is indispensable to do 8the work of an evangelist02 that is1 to seek by the spoken word and by the printed book to acquaint them with elementary ,christian truth1 and to endeavor to win them to ,christ2 and we have already seen how diligent ,dr4 ,mateer was in this service1 especially in his earlier missionary years4 ,but he was just as diligent in caring for the converts when gained2 and in the school and college it was the preparation of men for pastors and teachers and evangelists that was constantly his chief aim4 ,the first body of native ,christians with whose oversight he had anything to do was that very small band that had been gathered into the church at ,tengchow4 ,mills was the senior missionary1 and as such he presided over that little flock until his death4 ,in #ahfg he was installed as the pastor1 and he continued in this office nearly twenty years4 ,during this long period ,dr4 ,mateer at times supplied the pulpit and cared for the church in ,mills's absence or illness1 but for most of the time it was only as a sort of adviser that he could render help in that field4 ,we have no reason to think specially unfavorably of ,chinese converts because some of those with whom he then had to do at ,tengchow1 or elsewhere1 proved themselves1 to him1 to be a discouraging set of professing ,christians4 ,were not a good many of ,paul's converts very much of the same grade when he traveled among the churches1 and wrote his letters8 ,did it not take much patience1 and fidelity1 and persistence on the part of ,christ to make anything worth while out of his select disciples8 ,yet these constituted the membership of the primitive church from which even the missionaries of our day have originated4 ,at any rate some of the earliest experiences of ,dr4 ,mateer with the native ,christians were of a very depressing sort4 ,in his ,journal1 under date of ,march #ag1 #ahfd1 he made this record3 ,since coming to ,tengchow there have been great difficulties in the native church4 ,several of the members were accused by common fame of various immoral practices1--one of smoking opium1 another of lying and conforming to idolatrous practices1 and another of breaking the ,sabbath4 ,the second of these confessed his fault1 and was publicly reproved2 the third also confessed1 and on his profession of penitence was restored to the confidence of the church4 ,but though the first confessed to the use of the ashes of opium1 he gave no certain assurance of amendment2 and he was suspended1 and so remains4 ,these matters gave us all a great deal of anxiety and sorrow of heart4 ,it is sad thus to find that even those who profess the name of ,christ are so much under the power of sin4 ,it is one of the great discouragements of the missionary work4 ,yet ,god is able to keep even such weak ones as these unto eternal life4 ,under date of ,september #ae1 #ahff1 he told of a worse case of discipline3 ,we had a hearing with the accused1 and gave him notice that he would be tried1 and of the charges and witnesses4 ,we wrote to ,mr4 ,corbett at ,chefoo1 to get depositions for us4 ,he did so1 and we met1 and tried him4 ,the evidence was sufficient to convict him of lying1 and of forging an account1 and of adultery2 notwithstanding1 he denied it all1 endeavoring to explain away such evidence as he was forced to admit4 ,we decided to excommunicate him1 and it was done two weeks ago4 ,it must not be supposed that there was a great deal of such discouraging work2 as a rule1 the native ,christians tried to live correct lives2 and the worst that could be said of most of them at those early dates was that they were 8babes0 in ,christ4 ,but we cannot appreciate what the missionary needs to do as to the professed converts unless we look at this depressing phase4 ,besides1 incidentally we are thus shown one of the methods by which the native ,christians were trained in the conduct of their own churches4 ,each case is dealt with just as is required by the regulations of the denomination with which the church is associated4 ,the same formalities and processes are employed as if in the ,united ,states2 the same fairness and fullness of investigation1 with witnesses and hearing of the accused2 and the same effort neither to fall below nor to exceed what justice and charity combined demand for the good of the individual and of the organization as a whole4 ,as to this1 in these particular cases no exceptional credit can be claimed for ,dr4 ,mateer2 but we can be perfectly sure that it commanded his hearty approbation4 ,this was a practical school also in which was called into exercise a quality of which a young missionary1 and especially a man of his type1 seldom has enough1--that of mingling a firm adherence to truth and righteousness with a forbearing kindness that will not break a bruised reed or quench the smoking flax4 ,gradually this became so characteristic of him that the boys in his school and the ,christians in the churches were accustomed to come to him and unburden themselves not only of sorrows1 but of faults1 with no expectation that he would condone wrong or shield them from its just consequences1 but confident that he would feel for them1 and help them if he could4 ,nor was it to these classes alone that his heart and hands opened4 ,as they came to know him better1 the professor in the imperial university sought his advice and the coolie turned to him in his need2 and never in vain4 ,but there was a brighter side to the experience of those early days4 ,several of the boys in the school were converted4 ,what joy this afforded1 we who live in ,christian lands cannot appreciate4 ,the little church at ,tengchow also steadily moved forward in those early days of its history4 ,in #ahfi it had risen to about fifty members1 and the attendance was such that a building solely for its services became indispensable2 and in due time an appropriation was made by the ,board of ,missions1 first for a lot1 and soon after for a house of worship4 ,pastor ,mills was then absent1 and by appointment of presbytery ,dr4 ,mateer acted as stated supply4 ,as such1 having first bought the lot1 he made an appeal to the ,board for the new edifice1 saying3 ,we hold our services in the boys' schoolroom1 which has been kept inconveniently large1 for this very purpose4 ,it is the only room that will seat all1 and it will not do it sometimes4 ,the desks have to be carried out every ,sabbath2 and all the benches1 chairs1 and so forth1 about the establishment carried in1 making a decidedly nondescript collection4 ,aside from the inconvenience1 two serious drawbacks are felt4 ,one is the want of sacred associations about the place4 ,all heathen are wanting in reverence1 and no small part of what they need is to have this idea instilled into their minds4 ,we greatly need in this work a house especially devoted to the worship of ,god4 ,the other drawback is the disorganizing effect the ,sabbath and week-day services have on the school4 ,the room being in the midst of the premises1 it is impossible to prevent a large amount of lounging1 gossiping1 and so forth1 in the boys' room before the service begins4 ,the superintendent feels that it is a very serious drawback to the school1 as well as an injury to the native ,christians4 ,any ,american who is familiar with students and their habits will perceive that in this matter ,chinese young men and boys are very much like those of our own land4 ,in that appeal there is another paragraph that deserves transcription here3 ,it has been said that the ,christians in heathen lands ought to build their own churches1 but this is impossible in the early stages of the work1 especially at the center of operations1 where the foreigner preaches and teaches in person1 and where a large part of his hearers are often from a distance4 ,the church at this place gives character to the whole work in the eyes of the people at large1 and must of necessity differ in many respects from churches in small places presided over by native pastors4 ,concerning these last we have already taken a decided stand1 requiring the natives to help themselves to a great extent4 ,dr4 ,mateer was appointed by the presbytery to serve a second year as stated supply of the ,tengchow church2 and had it not been that he was called in #ahgj to ,shanghai to take charge of the mission press1 he no doubt would have given his personal supervision to the erection of the new house of worship4 ,it was built during his absence1 and when he came back he rejoiced in its completion4 ,at the death of ,mills in #ahie1 ,dr4 ,mateer was chosen pastor1 and was installed as such1--a position he was able to assume because he had found in ,mr4 ,hayes a substitute for himself in the presidency of the college4 ,he remained pastor until he went with the college to ,wei ,hsien4 ,dr4 ,hayes had already for years worked quietly and efficiently in the school1 under the presidency of ,dr4 ,mateer1 and had shown himself to be a man of exceptional ability and energy--a man after ,dr4 ,mateer's own heart4 ,after he assumed the presidency ,dr4 ,mateer was still to assist in the college1 but he was so often absent or otherwise engaged that both the college and the preaching were largely in the hands of ,dr4 ,hayes4 ,according to the 8,form of ,government0 of the ,presbyterian ,church in the ,united ,states of ,america1 when a 8call0 is made out for a pastor it must be certified to have been voted by a majority of the people entitled to exercise this right2 and it must fill the blank in the following clause3 8,and that you may be free from worldly cares and avocations1 we hereby promise and oblige ourselves to pay to you the sum of 444 in regular quarterly 7or half-yearly1 or yearly7 payments during the time of your being and continuing the regular pastor of this church40 ,in the settling of native pastors over the ,chinese churches scattered through the country1 the filling of that blank1 and the actual subscription of the funds needed for this and other expenses of the organization1 usually require the presence of a missionary and of his earnest stimulation and guidance4 ,sometimes the pledges are very liberal1 if estimated by ability of the members2 and sometimes it is with great difficulty that they are brought up to the measure of their duty4 ,the salaries1 however1 are almost incredibly small1 and even according to ,chinese standards are scarcely sufficient for a livelihood4 ,we need to keep this state of things in mind in order to appreciate the amount that was inserted in the blank in ,dr4 ,mateer's call to the pastorate of the ,tengchow church4 ,in reporting the entire procedure to the ,board of ,missions1 he said3 8,the church in ,tengchow in calling me for their pastor promised a salary of cash amounting to fifty dollars1 which is to be used to employ an evangelist whom ,i am to select and direct40 ,of course1 he continued to receive his own pay as a missionary from the funds of the ,board4 ,the fifty dollars was probably a creditable amount1 as contributed by the native members out of their narrow means2 and as a salary for a native evangelist it was at least a fair average4 ,when reporting this pastorate to the ,board of ,missions1 ,dr4 ,mateer said1 8,this is work that ,i love to do1 especially the preaching40 ,when doing the work of an evangelist among the people at large1 sermonizing could have no place4 ,even formal addresses of any sort were rarely practicable4 ,the best that the missionary can do when itinerating is to get attention by any legitimate means1 and then to talk1 and hear and answer questions1 and bear with all sorts of irrelevancies and interruptions4 ,but when a church is organized1 a sermon1 consisting of a passage of ,scripture and a discourse built upon it1 is just as much in place as it is in one of our home houses of worship on the ,sabbath4 ,it was to the opportunity for that form of service that he refers when he expressed his pleasure in the pastorate4 ,in this also he greatly excelled4 ,some who knew him most intimately1 and who appreciated fully his great worth and efficiency1 did not regard him as a very eloquent preacher in an ,english pulpit4 ,he commanded the attention of his audience by his strong1 clear1 earnest presentation of the great religious truths which he believed with all his soul4 ,the personality and consecration of the man were a tremendous force when he stood in a pulpit in his own land2 what he lacked was the ability which some speakers possess of carrying his audience with him1 almost irrespective of the thoughts to which they give utterance4 ,but in preaching to the ,chinese he took on an extraordinary effectiveness4 ,there was in the man1 in the movement of his thought1 in his mastery of the language1 in the intense earnestness of his delivery1 in the substance of his sermons and addresses1 much that captivated the native ,christians1 and made others bow before his power4 ,mr4 ,baller1 who had heard him frequently1 says3 8,his sermons were logical1 direct1 a unit in thought and enriched with a copious vocabulary and illustrations4 ,his points were usually put from the ,chinese point of view1 so that a foreign air was conspicuously absent40 ,to this day some of his addresses are recalled as triumphs of real eloquence of speech2 perhaps the most notable of these being an address which he delivered at the opening of the ,english ,baptist ,institution at ,tsinan fu1 in #aijg4 ,it was an opportunity such as never before had come to a missionary in ,shantung1--all the highest officials of the province1 and half-a-hundred others of lesser degree1 being present4 ,he took as his theme 8,the ,importance of an ,upright ,character10 and more than rose to the height of the occasion4 ,one of his most memorable sermons was delivered before a convention of some three hundred women gathered at ,wei ,hsien from the native church members of that region4 ,his ministry at ,tengchow was fruitful of great good in many ways4 ,one of these was the growth of the church by the conversion of the natives4 ,just before he removed to ,wei ,hsien1 he recorded the fact that during all his pastorate there had not been one of the quarterly communions at which there were no additions4 ,the beginning of his pastorate was signalized by the accession of eighteen1--eight being from the college and six from the girls' school4 ,its close was marked by an accession of twenty-six1 of whom twenty-one were baptized1 the largest number up to that date ever receiving that sacrament1 at the same time1 in the ,tengchow church4 ,only one was from the college1 all the rest having come in through the labors of two associates in the station1 ,miss ,snodgrass and ,dr4 ,seymour4 ,just as soon as by evangelistic itineration and other means converts were made in the neighboring region1 outside of ,tengchow1 it became necessary for the missionaries to look after these scattered sheep in the wilderness2 and for a good while a large share of that work fell to ,dr4 ,mateer and his wife4 ,in fact1 it had been partly through their labors1 direct or indirect1 that these converts had been won1 and therefore they felt it especially a duty to care for their nurture4 ,that1 of course1 involved a large variety of efforts4 ,in the earlier years these frequently consisted in part of interposition1 so far as it was wise and practicable to shield native ,christians from gross wrongs to which they were exposed4 ,the hatred of the rulers and of most of the people for foreigners and the foreign religion was bitter4 ,even at ,tengchow the very tombstones in the little cemetery where the missionaries buried their dead were repeatedly broken1--an act regarded by the ,chinese as the most gross and cowardly insult that can be offered to a living man2 yet it was slow work to secure from the officials protection1 or justice as to the criminals4 ,the case of ,miao1 of ,chow ,yuen1 a district capital situated fifty miles to the southwest of ,tengchow1 is specially notable4 ,early in #ahfi the ,mateers and ,margaret ,brown1 with a ,chinese assistant1 went to itinerate1 and on the way they visited him4 ,when converted out in his native district of ,tsi ,hea1 he immediately began to endeavor to win others to ,christ4 ,so he sent word to his clansmen and friends that he had important business with them1 and invited them to come to his house4 ,this occurred while the missionaries were there1 and they witnessed what took place at the gathering4 ,miao made a reception speech1 in which he said3 8,i have sent for you1 and you have come4 ,i said nothing in my letter1 but for you to come1 and that ,i had an important matter to tell you4 ,it is this3 ,i have led you in serving the ,devil4 ,there was nothing ,i would not dare to do1 and nothing that you would not care to follow me in doing4 ,i have now found something better4 ,we have often engaged in doubtful enterprises4 ,i have now found something that there is no doubt about3 it is thoroughly reliable1 resting on the strongest possible proof4 ,i have left the service of the ,devil1 and ,i want you to leave it4 ,as ,i have led you in his service1 ,i want now to lead you out of it4 ,i want to show you the way and to present you to the true ,god4 ,examine for yourselves2 search to the bottom2 and know that ,i am not deceiving myself nor you4 ,this doctrine of ,jesus is absolute and unmistakable truth40 ,in writing of this1 ,dr4 ,mateer adds3 8,these words were spoken with a fervor and an emphasis that brought tears to my eyes4 ,i thanked ,god for them1 while ,i prayed that they might not be in vain4 ,rice was then brought1 and this young ,christian sat down with his friends and asked a blessing1--the first they had ever heard1--praying for them directly and specifically4 ,the whole village came to hear1 with many from neighboring villages4 ,save the time occupied in eating1 we preached to them nearly all day1 keeping it up till far into the night4 ,the ladies also had crowds to hear them all the time40 ,it was not long until ,miao1 partly of himself and partly at the instigation of other native ,christians1 came to ,chow ,yuen1 with the determination to establish himself there as a preacher of his new faith4 ,in ,august of the same year the ,mateers again visited him1 this time at his new place of residence1 and did what they could to help him in his chosen work4 ,his education and character were such as to promise well4 ,following the usual custom of a ,chinaman when about to start a new enterprise1 a feast was made2 some eighteen guests responded favorably to invitations to be present1 and at the close of the entertainment a sort of meeting was held1 and ,dr4 ,mateer made a brief statement of what ,christianity is1 what was the nature of this enterprise1 and what was ,miao's relation to it4 ,he told the audience that the mission would pay the rental of a small chapel1 but that ,miao would work gratuitously1 except so far as he might be assisted by the voluntary contributions of his friends4 ,all the ,chinese present1 with the exception of two members from the ,tengchow church1 were non-,christians1 yet the guests subscribed a sum sufficient to meet the expenses of the feast and to leave a surplus to go toward the support of the preacher4 ,some of his friends had already promised to help to support him1 and had presented him with a fine signboard to hang in front of the room he occupied as his chapel1 and another for the back of the stand where he stood when speaking4 ,all this was so exceptional and so hopeful that ,dr4 ,mateer came away rejoicing in this apparent readiness even of the unevangelized to welcome the gospel4 ,but here begins quite another turn of the story4 ,miao had continued but a few days at this work when a couple of constables seized him and the man from whom he had rented the room for a chapel1 and hurried them to the office of the magistrate4 ,the owner was accused of having rented a house to 8foreign devils10 and was forthwith beaten most cruelly to the extent of two hundred blows4 ,miao was then called1 charged with evil doctrines and practices1 such as kneeling in prayer and calling on unseen personages4 ,in reply he rehearsed the chief truths of the gospel1 and in answer to a taunting question1 whether ,jesus could suffer for him1 he said that he so believed4 ,the magistrate ordered him to be beaten fifty blows with the large bamboo and sent him chained to prison4 ,that evening he had a second hearing1 and the next morning he was marched off1 with a chain about his neck and his hands bound together1 thirty miles away to ,tsi ,hea1 but comforting himself in his weariness and suffering by singing ,christian hymns4 ,the morning after his arrival he was called before the magistrate and confronted with charges forwarded from ,chow ,yuen--such as being in league with foreign devils1 using false pretense of preaching religion1 seducing the people by artful works1 being possessed of secret magical arts1 taking forcible possession of a house1 influencing the people to form combinations dangerous to the state1 and a whole rigmarole of offenses1 big and little4 ,he was commanded to confess1 and when he would not1 he was first beaten three hundred blows with the small bamboo1 and then he received a hundred more in the face4 ,the second day he was recalled1 and when he still would not confess he was again beaten4 ,the magistrate being especially searching in his inquiry as to how ,christians prayed1 and as to what they prayed for1 ,miao as the best explanation he could give kneeled and prayed in his presence4 ,at this stage of the affair ,dr4 ,mateer1 having been informed of the situation1 arrived1 and secured a promise from the officer that he would go no further until he heard from his superiors2 and on his return to ,tengchow he reported the case to the ,american consul at ,chefoo1 though with little hope that under the prevalent policy of the ,american government anything would be done4 ,in an article in 8,the ,presbyterian ,banner0 he said3 8,i shall not soon forget my feelings when ,i saw this ,christian brother with a chain round his neck and his body disfigured with bruises for the gospel's sake4 ,i could not restrain the tears as ,i looked him in the face4 ,it is one thing to talk of persecution a thousand miles away1 and another to see it face to face4 ,i assured him of our sympathy and unceasing prayers in his behalf1 and that ,i would do my utmost to rescue him4444 ,numbers of the native ,christians have boldly visited ,miao in prison1 and some of them even prayed with him4 ,all have been stirred up to pray as never before1 and made to feel that their only hope is that ,god will interpose on their behalf4 ,this young ,christian has been guilty of no offense against the state4 ,the charges preferred by the officers are pure fabrications1 the inventions of malice and hatred to the truth1 and would never have been entertained by the officer had he not been only too glad of a pretext to get the ,christians in his power40 ,so soon as possible ,dr4 ,mateer went to ,chefoo to see the ,american consul1 and on his return home he learned that ,miao had been released1 under some restrictions as to his whereabouts2 but no amends were made for the gross injustice done4 ,there was still a long sequel to this affair4 ,after the period which has since intervened the story seems to be unworthy of the dignity of a full recital here2 though it might be interesting to some as an example of obstacles encountered by the work of missions away from places where foreign influences are commonly powerful enough to prevent them4 ,a condensed account must suffice4 ,it should be remembered that it was in ,august that the persecution of ,miao occurred4 ,the purpose of it1 at least in part1 was to shut ,christianity out of ,chow ,yuen4 ,to allow this would have been to inflict on that cause a blow that probably would encourage opposition of a like kind in other localities2 and therefore it evidently was the duty of the missionaries to prevent it if practicable4 ,especially was it true of ,dr4 ,mateer that he was too resolute a spirit to yield to such a violation of rights secured under treaty with foreign governments4 ,consequently late in ,november he went again to ,chow ,yuen1 in order to secure a house that could be used as a chapel2 for in the interval between these visits the room previously occupied for this purpose had gone into other hands and was no longer available4 ,the magistrate also had been promoted1 and another filled his place4 ,dr4 ,mateer soon found a house1 rented it1 and secured the approval of the magistrate4 ,then followed a series of chicanery1 brutality1 deceit1 low cunning1 and petty meanness running over several months1 and compelling two more trips by him in the dead of winter4 ,once he took with him two other missionaries1 and they went armed with pistols in order to defend themselves if attacked4 ,the old woman who rented the room to him1 and who in so doing had been animated by ill will to her relatives and by a desire for money1 was seized and beaten by members of her own family1 and likewise by the magistrate4 ,the same gang beat the middleman who1 according to ,chinese custom1 had negotiated the bargain4 ,the whole rental was only about ten dollars4 ,petty and miserable as the affair was1 it had its ludicrous features2 as1 for instance1 when ,dr4 ,mateer1 in his determination not to be ousted from the house until some satisfactory arrangement was made1 picked up the old woman and set her down on the outside1 where she exhausted her strength in billingsgate4 ,it was not until the beginning of ,march that the trouble at ,chow ,yuen was finally ended4 ,the issue was a triumph in the main for the missionary2 another acceptable room was1 with the official approval of the magistrate1 secured for a chapel1 and the money that had been paid for the rental of the other house was refunded4 ,the best of all was the fate that overtook the man who had been the ringleader in the long series of wrongdoings toward the representatives of ,christianity4 ,the magistrate did his best to shield this fellow1 but at last he had to yield4 ,he called the man into his presence1 and this is what was done1 as related by ,dr4 ,mateer3 8,he was required to knock head to me2 and then ,i took him in hand1 and though he tried to evade1 ,i compelled him to own up to his sin1 and to make a distinct promise of amendment2 and then the substance of what he said was put on record by the clerk1 and a copy was given me40 ,it all illustrates what a determined man who has right on his side may accomplish even in an out-of-the-way city in ,china4 ,it is characteristic of ,dr4 ,mateer that in one place in his ,journal during this wearisome affair he says that if it were not for his school he would go to ,chow ,yuen1 and stay there until a settlement is reached4 ,perhaps in later years ,dr4 ,mateer and his associates would have regarded it as inexpedient to go so far in the defense of a convert2 but in those earlier days this was a battle for toleration of ,christianity1 and not a mere struggle to right the wrongs of an individual convert4 ,other incidents of the dark side to the work of caring for the native ,christians might be given1 but ,i have thought it best to turn chiefly to the brighter phases of the subject4 ,of these there were many1 and they were of many kinds2 but they were of so unsensational a character as not now to be likely to awaken much interest in the reader4 ,they belong to the day of small things for the gospel in ,china2 but let them not be despised2 by and by they will be treasured1 if the record of them is preserved1 as the beginnings of the evangelization of ,shantung4 ,when they occurred they brought the joy of approaching harvest4 ,for example1 in connection with that last trip out to ,chow ,yuen1 ,dr4 ,mateer wrote3 ,as it was ,saturday1 however1 ,i felt ,i must try if possible to get home1 so that the ,sabbath service should not be neglected1 when so many inquirers were waiting to hear4 ,i found not only the ten who had come from ,ping ,tu1 but some seven or eight from other places4 ,i had1 of course1 to commence teaching them at once4 ,i gave the half of each day to them1 and continued it without interruption for three weeks4 ,they gave diligent attention to the business of learning4 ,at the same time ,mrs4 ,mateer had a class of women who were seeking admission to the church4 ,last week all who were considered ready were examined by the session and passed upon4 ,twenty were received1--fifteen men and five women4 ,they were all baptized together yesterday4 ,it was a new sight in ,tengchow1 to see such a number standing up at once to profess the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,i hope that we are all grateful as we should be for such a signal token of ,god's presence with us4 ,our hearts are enlarged to look for still greater things in the future4 ,our schoolroom was packed to its utmost capacity1 so that when the twenty rose up to present themselves for baptism1 it was with great difficulty that room could be made for them to stand4 ,let us hope that the day of small things is past in this part of ,china4 ,chinese officials may persecute us1 and foreign governments ignore us1 but they cannot restrain ,god's ,spirit4 ,there are still a number of inquirers4 ,in the earlier part of his missionary life he frequently made trips of greater or less length to various places in the province to help the native ,christians by organizing churches1 assisting their pastors1 holding services1 stimulating to work for the gospel1 administering the sacraments1 and in every other available manner forwarding the cause of ,christianity4 ,hospitality was gladly extended by the people2 and it was as gladly accepted1 though not infrequently it introduced to quarters that were odd and even uncanny4 ,dr4 ,mateer described guest rooms in which he was entertained1 and which were a strange combination of granary1 receptacle for lumber1 bedchamber and 8parlor10 crammed with all sorts of corresponding articles1 not excepting a coffin conspicuously displayed in a corner4 ,however1 in his own home he lived without ostentation2 and on his journeys he did not find it hard to adapt himself to the customs of his native entertainers4 ,in later years1 though for the most part he left itinerations to the younger members of the mission1 yet he did not entirely discontinue them4 ,in ,february1 #ahif1 for instance1 he wrote to the secretaries of the ,board of ,missions3 ,three weeks ago ,mrs4 ,mateer and ,i returned from a trip of seventeen days to the district of ,lai ,chow1 eighty miles distant4 ,our friends protested against our taking such a trip in the winter and in our state of health4 ,we acted on our own judgment1 however1 and went1 and are benefited rather than otherwise4 ,the trip was exceedingly profitable4 ,we confined our visit to two stations1 holding special services each day--morning1 afternoon and night4 ,i received eight to the church4 ,at one station a new church was organized1 with twenty-six members1 a branch from the older station4 ,at this older station there are many inquirers1 and the work is in a very hopeful condition1 very largely as the result of the influence of a young man1 an undergraduate of the college1 who has been there teaching a day school for three years4 ,one of his last journeys of this sort was made not long before his seventieth birthday1 and the following is his record concerning it3 ,from ,tengchow we came overland to ,wei ,hsien in shentzas4 ,i made it a point to spend the ,sabbath at ,lai ,chow fu1 and went out and preached morning and afternoon to our little church at ,ning ,kie1 which is three miles from the city4 ,dr4 ,mills and ,i were instrumental in founding the station some thirty-six years ago4 ,it has grown very slowly4 ,mrs4 ,mateer had visited it frequently in subsequent years1 and had taught the women1 and there are now a goodly proportion of women in the church4 ,in the earlier years evangelists were sent to labor in the region1 and to preach to and teach the people4 ,in those days opposition to the gospel was very great1 and progress was very slow4 ,in later years1 owing to change of policy1 evangelists were not sent1 save on an occasional visit1 and the church declined1 though it still lived4 ,a few years ago special efforts were made1 and the church increased somewhat1 and finally a native pastor was settled over this church1 in connection with another about fifteen miles away4 ,before the expiration of the first year the ,boxer uprising brought the arrest and beating of the pastor and much persecution to the church4 ,the pastor did not return4 ,the church was discouraged1 and the pastor was called elsewhere4 ,if we now had an available man1 he could be located at ,lai ,chow fu2 but there is no man4 ,his last country trip was made some time in ,december1 #aijg4 ,this is the record3 8,two weeks ago ,i went down on the railroad to ,kiaochow to assist our native pastors in a meeting for the women4 ,there were about seventy there from various other stations1 besides those in town4 ,the meeting was most interesting1 and must do a great deal of good4 ,it was projected and managed by the native pastors on their own account4 ,there were five native pastors present1 and helping in the meeting4 ,many women spoke and some made set addresses40 ,there were approximately one hundred and fifty present1 many of whom walked miles to be there4 ,his own speech was a plea to the mothers to consecrate their sons to the ministry1 and the tears ran down his cheeks as1 while making it1 he spoke of his own mother4 ,the reader needs to bear in mind that ,dr4 ,mateer did not operate as an independent individual1 but as the agent of a thoroughly organized system1 in conformity with the government of the ,presbyterian ,church and the regulations of the ,board of ,missions4 ,of these agencies there is one that lies wholly outside the constitutional provisions of the denomination1 but that is approved as a part of the machinery needed for the foreign field4 ,this is what is called the 8mission40 ,its members are the missionaries sent out by the ,board and residing near enough to meet together for the transaction of business4 ,to the mission belong such duties as to locate members and appoint their work1 to make annual estimates of funds and renforcements needed1 to receive the money from the ,board1 and to apply it1 according to directions1 general or specific4 ,dr4 ,mateer had much to do with inaugurating the 8executive committees0 now so widely adopted by the missions4 ,many questions affecting the operations sustained through the ,board1 of necessity came before the annual mission meeting for discussion and action4 ,lines of policy as to conduct of the work out in the field1 if involving important features1 are left for decision to the ,board2 but full and frank consideration of them by the members of the missions1 either when in session or as individuals1 is usually welcomed4 ,an important discussion in which ,dr4 ,nevius and ,dr4 ,mateer were especially conspicuous arose on their field over a theory advanced by ,dr4 ,nevius in his 8,methods of ,missions40 ,it was no personal controversy1 though1 of course1 the respective personalities of two such strong1 positive1 earnest men inevitably tinged it4 ,the question at issue mainly concerned the pecuniary support of native ,christians as agents in the evangelization of their own people4 ,no attempt need here be made to state with fullness the positions taken or the arguments employed4 ,broadly1 the policy advocated by ,dr4 ,nevius was that the main work of evangelization should be thrown on the native ,christians1 and that those who could read and understand 8the doctrine0 should voluntarily and without compensation instruct those who could not2 while the foreign missionaries1 paid as heretofore by the ,board1 should give themselves to a general superintendence and to periodical examinations of the catechumens and scholars taught by the native church members4 ,dr4 ,mateer was just as earnestly as ,dr4 ,nevius in favor of utilizing native ,christians in the evangelization of their people1 and was just as eager to develop among them self-support1 but he was thoroughly convinced that conditions were not ripe in ,china for the radical policy of withholding from native laborers1 as a rule1 all pay from the funds of the ,board2 and that an attempt of this sort before the proper time would result in serious disaster4 ,this brief statement will suffice to show that it was a question over which wise and good men might readily differ1 and that the fact that they discussed it earnestly and fully is a sign of healthy life4 ,it seems to me to be a problem that cannot be satisfactorily solved by theoretical argument1 or by votes in a mission1 or by even the decision of a board4 ,the only crucial test is actual trial4 ,all that needs to be said further as to this discussion is1 on the one hand1 to emphasize the fact that ,dr4 ,mateer1 in his care of the native ,christians and churches1 often labored hard and long to bring up congregations1 in the support of their pastors and evangelists1 to the measure of giving for which they were able2 and1 on the other hand1 that he thought he saw in certain fields evidence of the bad consequences of the policy he controverted4 ,until it is desirable to organize the churches of a given foreign missionary field1 after the order prescribed by the ,presbyterian form of government1 the mission must continue in the entire supervision2 but it is the practice1 just as soon as the way is open1 to set up presbyteries and synods1 and to commit to them those matters which belong to their jurisdiction4 ,in these bodies ruling elders1 as the official lay representatives of the native churches1 and all the native ordained ministers sit as the equals in authority with the ordained foreign ministers4 ,the ,board1 unless in exceptional cases1 has not been accustomed to turn over to them the administration of the funds forwarded for use on the field1 or such matters as concern the policy and plans it adopts2 but all that pertains to the organization of churches1 the settlement of pastors1 the acceptance of candidates for the ministry and their licensure and ordination1 and the administration of discipline for the ministers1 with complaints and appeals from the churches1 is left to the presbytery4 ,of course1 as converts and churches and native ministers increase1 the tendency is to put them1 as the majority1 in control in these bodies4 ,it is a system which opens the way for some dangers2 nevertheless it is1 in the nature of the situation1 the only course to pursue1 and unless abused1 it has a most wholesome influence on the native ,christians4 ,it brings home to them the fact that1 equally with the foreigners who have given them the gospel1 they have privileges as members of the church of ,christ1 and also their responsibility as such4 ,dr4 ,mateer believed with all his heart in the setting up of these regular ecclesiastical bodies so soon as possible4 ,late in ,november1 #ahfe1 he was one of the little band who organized the ,presbytery of ,shantung1 at a meeting held at ,chefoo1 when as yet there were no native ministers to take part4 ,the next meeting was held the following ,october at ,tengchow1 and he was elected moderator and stated clerk4 ,it is evident that if a presbytery is to be of any considerable value to a native member the language used must be his own1 not that of the foreign missionary4 ,with this understanding1 the following from ,dr4 ,mateer's ,journal concerning that meeting can be better appreciated3 8,it was voted that hereafter all the proceedings be in ,chinese1 and at it we went4 ,it was very awkward at first1 making and putting motions1 but after some practice we got along better4 ,we had a very pleasant meeting indeed4 ,one of the chief items of business was a call presented by the native church for ,mr4 ,mills1 which he accepted1 and we arranged for his installation40 ,it was ten years before such progress had been made out in the province that it was practicable to hold a presbytery in the rural regions4 ,in a letter to his mother1 dated ,december #bd1 #ahgg1 ,dr4 ,mateer said3 8,the meeting of the presbytery in the country marks an era in our progress in ,shantung4 ,many of the ,christians from all the region were assembled1 and evidently got much good from what they saw and heard4 ,our presbytery is getting to be an important event1 and a power among the native churches4 ,our desire is that it may be more and more felt40 ,sometimes the meetings were saddened by the cases of discipline1 after a native ministry began to be enrolled2 but if the case demanded it1 even deposition from the sacred office and excommunication from the church were imposed1 and the native elders and ministers were sturdy supporters of adequate sentences4 ,in contrast with this was the joy of receiving candidates for the ministry1 and sending them out to preach the gospel as they seemed to be ready for that work4 ,occasionally a man up in years1 and without thorough education1 but apparently qualified to be effective as a preacher1 is authorized by the presbytery to 8exercise his gifts02 but usually those who offer themselves are young men who after long courses of study1 and careful examination1 are sent on this errand4 ,for instance1 in his report for #ahgd as stated clerk1 ,dr4 ,mateer said3 ,considerable time was taken up in the presbytery by the examination of candidates for the ministry4 ,these were thorough1 and so far as they went were sustained with great credit4 ,one candidate was licensed to preach4 ,he is not young1 as licentiates usually are1 being about sixty4 ,he is1 however1 full of zeal for ,god1 and may yet do good service4 ,one of our licentiates was ordained as an evangelist4 ,this is the first native preacher who has been ordained by this presbytery4 ,it marks a new step in our work1 one for which we are devoutly thankful to ,god4 ,we have no more important work to do than to raise up well-qualified natives to preach the gospel to their countrymen4 ,we trust this one will soon be followed by others4 ,dr4 ,mateer was careful to treat the native elders and ministers as the equals of the foreign missionaries1 in the ecclesiastical bodies and elsewhere2 and as a consequence he commanded their confidence1 so that he was able sometimes to render important services by healing threatened dissensions4 ,this1 as might be supposed1 was especially true of his own 8boys10 who had as students learned to revere both his judgment and his fraternal spirit4 ,in writing to 8,the ,presbyterian ,banner0 concerning the meeting of the ,presbytery of ,shantung1 in ,september1 #ahfi1 he said3 8,the matter of the formation of a synod in ,china was discussed1 and a circular letter was prepared1 and ordered to be sent to the other presbyteries urging the propriety of such a step at once4 ,it is now twenty years since the ,general ,assembly took action looking toward and opening the way for the formation of this synod40 ,that body held its first meeting at ,shanghai in ,october of the following year4 ,the synod in the ,presbyterian system is the next higher organization above the presbytery1 and consists of all the ordained ministers of a larger district already containing three or more presbyteries1 and of ruling elders representing the churches2 or it may be constituted from delegates appointed by the presbyteries on a fixed basis4 ,it has the right to review all presbyterial action1 and also has authority to originate measures within its constitutional jurisdiction4 ,among the missionaries in ,china at that time there was a considerable number who regarded the synod as a sort of fifth wheel to the coach1 and as not likely to be capable of rendering a service worth its cost in money and time4 ,under indirect form this phase of the subject came into warm and protracted debate in that first meeting1 and may be said to have been fought out to a settlement4 ,dr4 ,mateer was a strong believer in the importance of the synod1 and in debate1 and in other ways1 he threw the whole weight of his influence avowedly on that side of the issue1 and helped to win4 ,other problems were of such a character as also to arouse his interest to a high degree4 ,ought the language used in the body to be limited to the ,mandarin or ought it to include local dialects8 ,on this question1 of course1 he stood for the ,mandarin4 ,ought a theological institution to be established2 and if so1 where8 ,as to this1 a sort of compromise was effected1 and an appeal was sent home for a share in the 8,memorial ,fund10 to establish in ,china one or more such schools1 but leaving location to be determined later4 ,the synod consisted of twenty-four members1 ten of them being foreign missionaries1 and fourteen native pastors and elders4 ,the proceedings had to be translated1 during the various sessions1 into several different dialects1 in order to be made intelligible to all4 ,the body sat for ten days1 and then adjourned to assemble the next year at ,ningpo4 ,it was in connection with ,dr4 ,mateer's attendance at ,shanghai that he was induced to take temporary charge of the mission press4 ,the second meeting of the synod was held at ,ningpo4 ,dr4 ,mateer was chosen moderator4 ,writing in his ,journal concerning that meeting1 he said3 ,the great difficulty of the synod was the language1 and this was indeed no small embarrassment4 ,as ,i was moderator1 ,i felt it more than any other4 ,it was all ,i could do to tell what was going on at times4 ,if it had not been for the practice ,i had through the summer in ,shanghai1 ,i should have been quite lost4 ,the most interesting discussion we had was on the qualifications of candidates for the ministry4 ,the native members insisted that they must learn ,english1 and the foreign members opposed4 ,the native brethren finally carried their point4 ,the discussion at some points of its progress was really exciting1 and not a little amusing4 ,the next meeting was held at ,chefoo1 and as the retiring moderator he preached the opening sermon4 ,in his ,journal he says3 8,i had prepared the sermon quite carefully1 having written it all out1 and so had to read it4 ,it is the only sermon ,i ever wrote out fully in ,chinese4 ,i found reading a ,chinese sermon very awkward and embarrassing40 ,a committee of which he was a member had been appointed by the preceding meeting at ,ningpo to prepare for deliberative bodies a compendium of technical terms1--for the lack of which in ,chinese they had been seriously hindered1--and also to formulate rules of order4 ,they made a report which was approved1 and authorized for use in the synod and in the presbyteries4 ,one other excerpt from the records of his pen must conclude the story of his work in the synod1 though it was continued down through his subsequent years4 ,he said3 ,delegates1 officially deputed1 were present from the mission of the ,presbyterian ,church ,south2 also from the mission of the ,united ,presbyterian ,church in ,scotland2 and from the independent ,presbytery of ,amoy1 composed of the missions of the ,american ,dutch ,reformed and the ,english ,presbyterian ,churches combined4 ,they all expressed a desire for mutual coperation1 and for the ultimate union of all the ,presbyterians in ,china into one ,chinese ,presbyterian ,church4 ,a committee was appointed to correspond with the various ,presbyterian bodies or missions in ,china1 and prepare the way for an ultimate union4 ,this union may not be accomplished for many years1 but that it should come as soon as practicable seems to be the almost unanimous opinion of all concerned4 ,in #aijg one long advance was made toward the realization of the desire so earnestly expressed by that synod a third of a century before4 ,after preliminary consultations extending over a number of years1 representatives of eight distinct missions1 operated by as many different ,presbyterian denominations of ,europe and ,america1 met together1 and constituted 8,the ,presbyterian ,church of ,china10 and also offered a welcome to any other ,chinese churches of like faith and practice to unite with them4 ,dr4 ,mateer thought that on account of the size of ,china and the consequent expense of travel and variety of speech1 it would be better to make two ecclesiastical bodies out of this material4 ,belonging to the new organization1 there were1 besides the foreign missionaries1 about a hundred native ministers1 and forty thousand communicants4 ,dr4 ,mateer was not a member of the body which met to declare and organize this union2 but1 being present1 he was invited to sit as a corresponding member4 ,under the regulations of his ,american denomination1 the names of ordained foreign missionaries entering such new churches on the foreign field as that just mentioned are enrolled in the minutes of the home ,general ,assembly on a separate list2 and these ministers are entitled to be received by the presbyteries without the examination required of those who come from other denominations in foreign countries4 ,this was the ecclesiastical status of ,dr4 ,mateer when he died4 ,he was a member of the ,presbyterian ,church in ,china2 but he was still enrolled by the church of his fathers4 ,the highest of all the organizations within the ,presbyterian system is the ,general ,assembly4 ,its supervision1 within constitutional limits1 extends over synods1 presbyteries1 and individual ministers and churches1 and it has other distinct functions pertaining to the entire denomination throughout the world4 ,dr4 ,mateer was a commissioner from his presbytery in ,china to the ,assembly which met in #ahhj in ,new ,york2 and again to the ,assembly which met in ,los ,angeles in #aijc4 ,in this last he was nominated for moderator1 but failed of election1 for reasons not in any way disparaging to him4 ,it is well understood that an election to that office is contingent on so many incidental things that the choice can seldom be foreseen4 ,local influences at ,los ,angeles were strongly thrown in favor of the successful candidate1 meaning by these the representation in the ,assembly and the ,presbyterian visitors from all the ,rocky ,mountain country and from the ,pacific coast4 ,besides1 to many of the commissioners ,dr4 ,mateer was a man but slightly known4 ,his work had been great1 but it had also been quiet4 ,nor when on his furloughs had he in speaking to the churches won renown by bursts of missionary eloquence4 ,he made a very creditable run for the moderatorship1 and was beaten by a man of high standing in the church4 ,he was appointed chairman of the ,judicial ,committee4 ,,xi ,,the ,,shantung ,,college 8,while ,i live ,i cannot cease to have a vital interest in the college4444 ,i cannot bear to be wholly away from the college to which my life has been given40--,,letter ,,to ,,secretary ,,brown1 ,april #aj1 #aijg4 ,the change of the name of the school which ,dr4 ,mateer had founded and nurtured for nearly two decades was made at the formal request of the members of the ,shantung ,presbyterian ,mission1 sent to the ,board under date of ,february #ad1 #ahha4 ,it was accompanied by a 8plan10 and that part of the paper was as follows3 ,i4 ,that the ,tengchow ,boys' ,high ,school be organized into and constituted a college1 to be called 8,the ,college of ,shantung40 ,,ii4 ,that it be carried on and governed by a board of six trustees nominated by the ,shantung ,mission1 and confirmed by the ,board of ,foreign ,missions4 ,,iii4 ,that the college embrace a six years' course of study in ,chinese classics1 general science1 and ,christian ethics2 including particularly 8,the ,four ,books0 and 8,five ,classics10 ,chinese history1 with ,biblical and general history1 mathematics1 physical1 mental and moral sciences1 evidences of ,christianity1 and so forth4 ,,iv4 ,that the aim of the college be to educate thoroughly both in ,chinese and western learning2 and to do this from the standpoint and under the influence of ,christianity4 ,v4 ,that the ,chinese language be the medium of instruction throughout the course1 ,english being taught only as an extra in special cases4 ,,vi4 ,that there be connected with the college a department to prepare pupils to enter it4 ,,vii4 ,that it be the ultimate design to make the students attending the college self-supporting2 and that in order to do this the style of living be strictly on the ,chinese plane2 and that natives be trained as fast as possible to man the college with efficient professors4 ,,viii4 ,that the college be located for the present at ,tengchow1 leaving open the question of its removal to a more central position at some future time4 ,for this request the main reasons were added in extenso4 ,they are too long to be given here2 but they can be1 in the main1 compressed into two general statements4 ,one of these was the need of a high-grade institution of this sort in northern ,china1 and especially in the great province of ,shantung4 ,it was conceded that ,tengchow was not as central a location as the college might ultimately require2 but1 being a literary city and a treaty port1 and as yet free from the special temptations and corrupting influences of a mixed foreign population1 it at least temporarily had marked advantages4 ,the other general statement is that the institution was already in fact a college by reason of its curriculum1 and was equipped with buildings and outfit suitable for the advanced work which a college ought to do4 ,in order that it might retain the position it had won1 and in order to secure endowment and reputation1 the new name was very desirable4 ,in a letter dated ,april #d1 #ahhe1 the mission appealed to the ,board for a new house to be built for the accommodation of the chief foreign assistant in the college1 and incidentally gave a statement as to the plant4 ,they said3 8,at a remarkably small cost to the ,board it has come into possession of plain but extensive premises1 which are very well adapted to the purpose4 ,with the small additions and changes proposed for the current year it will have good boarding and dormitory accommodations for eighty or ninety pupils1 with roomy yards and courts4 ,it has also two large schoolrooms1 three recitation rooms1 one large lecture room1 a philosophical apparatus room1 a chemical apparatus room with a shop and storeroom4 ,it has also a substantial stone observatory1 costing one hundred and sixty dollars40 ,in #ahid1 a grant for new buildings having been made by the ,board1 steps looking to their erection were taken4 ,writing of these1 ,march #bc1 #ahie1 ,dr4 ,mateer said1 8,we staked off the ground to-day1 and will make a start at once40 ,that year1 however1 on account of his duties on the committee for the revision of the ,mandarin translation of the ,scriptures1 he laid down the presidency of the college1 though he did not cease to assist in the instruction and in the management of it4 ,february #h1 #ahif1 he wrote to the ,board3 8,the headship of the college is now in ,mr4 ,hayes's hands1 and with it the major part of the work4 ,i am especially thankful that the interests of the college are in the hands of a capable man2 nevertheless1 when ,i am in ,tengchow a considerable share of the general responsibility still clings to me1 and no inconsiderable share of the work1 and ,mrs4 ,mateer's share is in nowise decreased4 ,our new buildings are finished1 and are an unspeakable convenience4 ,the wonder is how we did without them so long4 ,they have served to raise our college in the estimate of the people of the whole city40 ,these new buildings consisted of a main edifice of two stories1 dormitories1 and chemical laboratory4 ,the old temple structure was converted into a chapel and various alterations were made as to uses of the smaller houses4 ,the original estimate of the outlay was eight thousand dollars4 ,whether this sum was sufficient is not stated in any of the records that have come into my hands2 but inasmuch as nothing is said about a deficit1 it is probable that there was none1 except such as ,dr4 ,mateer and others on the ground met out of their own pockets4 ,the new buildings were supplied with steam heat and electric light from a house specially fitted for the purpose1 with a tall chimney that seemed as if a landmark for all the region2 and some other additions were subsequently made by means of special contributions4 ,taken altogether1 the plant1 into the possession of which the ,tengchow ,college eventually came1 though consisting largely of houses that were externally without architectural pretension1 and in part of the ,chinese order and somewhat inadequate1 was extensive enough to indicate the magnitude of the work the institution was doing4 ,one of the things on which the members of the mission laid stress in their request for the elevation of the school to the rank and title of a college was that it already had 8a good collection of philosophical and chemical apparatus1 believed to be the largest and best-assorted collection in ,china40 ,dr4 ,mateer also was accustomed to speak of this apparatus with a pride that was an expression1 not of vanity1 but of satisfaction in a personal achievement1 that was eminently worth while4 ,for instance1 in his letter to his college classmates in #ahig1 he said3 8,i have given some time and considerable thought and money to the making of philosophical apparatus4 ,i had a natural taste in this direction1 and ,i saw that in ,china the thing to push in education was physical science4 ,we now have as good an outfit of apparatus as the average college in the ,united ,states1--more than twice as much as ,jefferson had when we graduated2 two-thirds of it made on the ground at my own expense40 ,it was a slow1 long job to produce it4 ,early in his career as a teacher in the ,tengchow school he had little need of apparatus because the pupils were not of a grade to receive instruction in physics2 but it was not very long until he recorded his difficulty1 for instance1 in teaching pneumatics without an air pump4 ,some of his instruction at that general period was given to a class of students for the ministry4 ,he was always careful to let it be known that his school was in no degree a theological seminary2 he held it to be vital to have it understood that it was an institution for what we would call secular instruction1 though saturated through and through with ,christianity4 ,but again and again throughout his life he took his share in teaching native candidates for the ministry2 and before the college proper afforded them opportunity to study western science he was accustomed to initiate these young men into enough knowledge of the workings of nature to fit them to be better leaders among their own people4 ,thus1 writing in his ,journal1 ,february1 #ahgd1 concerning his work with the theological class that winter1 he said3 ,i heard them a lesson every day1--one day in philosophy physics and the next in chemistry4 ,i went thus over optics and mechanics1 and reviewed electricity1 and went through the volume on chemistry4 ,i practically gave all my time to the business of teaching and experimenting1 and getting apparatus4 ,i had carpenters and tinners at work a good part of the time4 ,i got up most of the things needed for illustrating mechanics1 and a number in optics2 also completed my set of fixtures for frictional electricity1 and added a good number of articles to my set of galvanic apparatus4 ,with my new battery ,i showed the electrical light and the deflagration of metals very well4 ,the ,ruhmkorff coil performed very well indeed1 and made a fine display4 ,i had an exhibition of two nights with the magic lantern1 using the oxyhydrogen light4 ,in chemistry ,i made all the gases and more than are described in the book1 and experimented on them fully4 ,they gave me no small amount of trouble1 but ,i succeeded with them all very well4 ,i made both light and heavy carbureted hydrogen1 and experimented with them4 ,then ,i made coal gas enough to light up the room through the whole evening4 ,altogether ,i have made for the students a fuller course of experiments in philosophy or chemistry than ,i saw myself4 ,they studied well and appreciated very much what they saw4 ,i trust the issue will prove that my time has not been misspent4 ,i have learned a great deal myself1 especially in the practical part of experiment-making4 ,it may be that ,i may yet have occasion to turn this knowledge to good account4 ,i have also gathered in all a very good set of apparatus1 which ,i shall try to make further use of4 ,it was in this way that the collection was begun4 ,as he added to it in succeeding years1 every piece had a history that lent it an individual interest4 ,much of it continued to be produced by his own hand1 or at least under his own superintendence1 and at the expense of himself1 or of his friends1 who at his solicitation contributed money for this use4 ,some of the larger and more costly articles were donated by people to whom he appealed for help1 and therefore peculiar personal associations clustered about them4 ,for instance1 when home on his first furlough1 he met ,cyrus ,w4 ,field1 on a voyage to ,europe1 and interested him in the ,tengchow ,school4 ,after reaching ,china again1 he wrote a letter to ,mr4 ,field and solicited from him the gift of a dynamo4 ,in the course of some months a favorable response was received2 and1 eventually1 that dynamo rendered most valuable service in lighting the buildings4 ,two friends1 whose acquaintance he had made in the ,united ,states1--,mr4 ,stuart1 of ,new ,york1 and ,mrs4 ,baird1 of ,philadelphia1--gave him money to buy a ten-inch reflecting telescope1 with proper mountings and accompaniments2 and when1 as so often happens in such matters1 there was a considerable deficit1 his 8,uncle ,john0 came to the relief4 ,in ordering through an acquaintance a set of telegraph instruments he explained that the ,board was not furnishing the means to pay for it1 but that it was purchased with his own money1 supplemented by the gifts of certain friends of missions and education4 ,this must suffice as to the history of that collection of apparatus4 ,it is1 however1 enough to show why he had so much pride in it4 ,it was in #ahie that he laid down the headship of the college4 ,he took this step all the more readily because in his successor1 ,rev4 ,w4 ,m4 ,hayes1 now of ,tsingchow fu1 he had entire confidence as to both character and ability4 ,on his arrival in ,china ,mr4 ,hayes was immediately associated with ,dr4 ,mateer in the school1 and showed himself to be a thoroughly kindred spirit4 ,he continued at the head of the college until #aija1 when he resigned his position in order to start for the governor of the province a new college at ,tsinan fu4 ,it may not be out of place to add here that the governor at that time was ,yuan ,shih ,k'ai1 a man of large and liberal views1 and that there was1 as to the new college he was founding1 in the requirements nothing that made it improper for a ,christian and a minister of the gospel to be at the head of it4 ,it is due to ,mr4 ,hayes to say that in accepting this position he was confident that he had the approval of nearly all the missionaries associated with him4 ,however1 it was not very long until ,yuan was transferred to the viceroyalty of the province of ,chi-li1 which dominates ,peking1 and a successor took his place in ,shantung1 who was of a different mind1 and who introduced such usages into the new institution that ,mr4 ,hayes felt conscientiously bound to lay down his office4 ,he is now one of the instructors in the theological department of the ,shantung ,christian ,university1 into which the college at ,tengchow has been merged4 ,in the request of the members of the mission for the elevation of the ,tengchow school to the rank and title of a college one of the articles specifically left the ultimate location of the institution an open question4 ,the main objection to ,tengchow was its isolation4 ,it is away up on the coast of the peninsula that constitutes the eastern end of the province1 and it is cut off from the interior by a range of rather rugged hills in the rear4 ,though a treaty port1 its commerce by sea has long been inconsiderable1 and gives no promise of increase4 ,at the time when that request was made1 it is likely that some1 though signing1 would have preferred that the college should be removed down to ,chefoo4 ,to any project of that sort ,dr4 ,mateer was inflexibly1 and with good reason1 opposed2 and it never assumed such strength as to give him much apprehension4 ,along in the later 8eighties0 and in the early 8nineties0 the question of location again arose in connection with the ,anglo-,chinese college which ,dr4 ,a4 ,p4 ,happer1 of the ,presbyterian missions in ,china1 undertook to found4 ,he progressed so far as to raise a considerable sum of money for endowment and had a board appointed for the control4 ,the project at no stage received the hearty support of ,dr4 ,mateer1 though1 of course1 so long as it did not threaten hurt to his own college or the ideas which it represented he did not make any fight against it4 ,dr4 ,happer had long been a missionary in southern ,china1 and was beyond question earnestly devoted to his work2 his idea was that by means of the ,anglo-,chinese college he would raise up an efficient native ministry for the churches4 ,the conviction of ,dr4 ,mateer was that1 so far as this result is concerned1 the institution1 by the very nature of the plan1 must be a comparative failure4 ,english was to be given a large place in the curriculum1 and for students it was to draw especially on such as could pay their own way4 ,in a long letter dated ,march #ah1 #ahhg1 called out by the question of the location of the proposed college1 and signed by ,dr4 ,mateer and ,mr4 ,hayes1 they frankly expressed to one of the secretaries of the ,board their reasons for believing so strongly that an institution conducted on the plan proposed could not realize the main object which its founder sought4 ,they had found it necessary years before1 in the ,tengchow ,college1 to meet the question as to the introduction of ,english1 and the decision was in favor of using ,chinese alone in the curriculum2 and so long as the school remained in charge of ,mateer and ,hayes1 they rigidly excluded their own native tongue4 ,when the ,tengchow school was just emerging into the ,tengchow ,college1 ,dr4 ,mateer thus expressed his convictions on that subject3 ,if we should teach ,english1 and on this account seek the patronage of the officers and the rich1 no doubt we could get some help and countenance4 ,we would be compelled1 however1 to give up in good measure the distinctively religious character of the school4 ,we would get a different class of pupils1 and the religious tone of the school would soon be changed in spite of us4 ,another result would also be almost inevitable1 namely1 the standard of ,chinese scholarship would fall4 ,the study of ,english is fatal to high acquisition in the ,chinese classics4 ,we would doubtless have great trouble in keeping our pupils after they were able to talk ,english2 they would at once go seeking employment where their ,english would bring them good wages4 ,tengchow1 moreover1 is not a port of foreign residents1 but rather an isolated and inland city1 and it would not be a good place to locate a school in which teaching ,english is made a prominent feature4 ,his observation since had served to confirm him in the conviction of years before1 and in the letter to a secretary of the ,board1 ,hayes united with him in stating clearly and forcibly their joint opinion on the subject4 ,in casting about for a location for the ,anglo-,chinese college1 the choice narrowed down so that it lay between ,canton1 ,nanking1 ,shanghai1 and ,tientsin4 ,chefoo was mentioned1 but not seriously considered1 yet even the possibility of location there1 although remote1 was so important a matter to the ,shantung ,college that it compelled the men at the head of that institution to be on the alert so long as the question was undetermined4 ,by and by ,dr4 ,happer became disposed to turn over the management of his projected college to some other person1 and he wrote to ,dr4 ,mateer1 sounding him as to the vacancy1 should it occur4 ,the scheme at that time seemed to be to locate the new institution at ,shanghai1 and to unite with it the ,shantung ,college2 and in a long letter in response1 written ,january #i1 #ahij1 ,dr4 ,mateer went very candidly over the entire situation4 ,among other things he said3 ,it will be necessary1 however1 to settle the policy of the college1 and also its headship1 before making any definite move4 ,whoever undertakes to make ,english and self-support prominent features1 and then aims at a ,christian college1 has1 as things are at present in ,china1 a difficult contract on his hands4 ,i for one do not feel called to embark in such an enterprise1 and my name may as well be counted out4444 ,nor can the school at ,tengchow be moved away from ,shantung4 ,we might go1 and the apparatus might be moved2 but not the pupils4 ,it is futile to talk of them or any considerable number of them coming to ,shanghai2 nor will pupils go from central ,china north to be educated save in exceptional cases4 ,the distance and the expense are both too great4 ,each section of ,china must have its own schools4 ,not long afterward the situation was such that ,dr4 ,mateer and ,mr4 ,hayes addressed to the trustees of the endowment a paper in which a suggestion was made that under certain conditions the fund raised by ,dr4 ,happer should be turned over to the ,shantung ,college4 ,in that paper there was a frank statement of their attitude as to ,english4 ,they were entirely willing to introduce that language1 but only under such conditions that it could not seriously alter the character and work of the institution4 ,the paper is too long for introduction here4 ,it will suffice to quote from a letter sent by ,dr4 ,mateer at the same time to one of the secretaries of the ,board1 and dated ,february #i1 #ahia3 ,there are one or two things ,i want to say in a less formal way4 ,one is that in case our proposition in regard to ,english is not satisfactory1 you will take care that the proposed school is not located in ,chefoo as a rival of the college in ,tengchow4 ,it would be nothing short of suicidal for the ,board to allow such a proceeding1 and would be a great wrong1 both to myself and to ,mr4 ,hayes4 ,we do not propose to engage in such a contest1 but would at once resign1 and seek some other sphere of labor4 ,again1 ,i wish to call your attention to what is the real inwardness of our plan for ,english2 namely1 to teach it in such a way1 and to such parties only1 as will insure its being used in literary and scientific lines4 ,we will not teach ,english merely to anyone1 nor teach it to anyone who wants merely ,english4 ,we will teach it to men1 not to boys4 ,lastly1 ,mr4 ,hayes and ,i have for several years had in mind the idea of a post-graduate course in applied science1 and have been waiting for my visit home to push it forward2 and even if the present endowment scheme fails1 we will still feel like pushing it1 and introducing some ,english as already indicated4 ,nothing came of the suggestion that the money should be turned over to the ,shantung institution4 ,dr4 ,mateer still continued to help in the college at ,tengchow1 as he had time and opportunity4 ,early in the 8nineties10 and after the movement just considered had failed to materialize1 he solicited from the ,board the privilege of seeking to raise an endowment fund1 but at that time he was unable to secure their consent4 ,at the beginning of #aijj the ,board changed their attitude1 and authorized an effort to be made to secure contributions for this purpose4 ,of course1 in order to be successful in this undertaking1 a satisfactory plan for the control of the college was a necessity2 and as to this ,dr4 ,mateer was consulted1 and he gave his opinions freely4 ,his preference was expressed for a charter giving the endowment a separate legal status1 but providing that the members of the ,board of ,foreign ,missions1 acting in this distinct capacity1 should be the trustees4 ,the general oversight of the institution he thought should be assigned to a 8,field ,board of ,directors10 composed of members of the ,shantung ,mission4 ,this was not a scheme that entirely satisfied him4 ,the specter1 on the one hand1 of a diversion of the college into a school for teaching ,english1 and1 on the other1 of making it a theological seminary1 would not altogether down2 but in the ultimate appeal to the members of the ,board of ,foreign ,missions he recognized a safeguard that was not likely to prove inadequate4 ,when he was on furlough in #aijc1 he spent a considerable part of his time in soliciting permanent funds for the college1 then already removed to its present location2 but he was unable to secure much aid4 ,ada was with him2 and she says of his experience in this work1 8,he was so accustomed to success in whatever he undertook that it was hard for him to bear the indifference of the rich to what seemed to him so important40 ,the transfer of the college to another location was a question that would not permanently rest4 ,so long as it was whether it should go from ,tengchow to ,chefoo1 or be swallowed up in another more pretentious institution at ,shanghai1 and not yet in existence1 it was comparatively easy to silence the guns of those who talked removal4 ,but at the opening of the twentieth century1 even out there in north ,china1 important changes indirectly affecting this problem had occurred4 ,the missions had been strengthened by a number of new men1 who came fresh from the rush of affairs in the ,united ,states1 and eager to put their force into the work in ,china in such a way that it would tell the most4 ,even ,china itself was beginning to awake from the torpor of ages4 ,in ,shantung the ,germans were building railroads1 one of them right through the heart of the province1 on by way of ,wei ,hsien to the capital1 and from that point to be afterward connected with ,tientsin and ,peking4 ,it is not strange that1 under the new conditions1 the young members of the mission especially should desire to place the college which loomed up so largely and effectually in the work to which they had consecrated their lives where it could be in closer touch with the swarming millions of the land and with the movements of the new times4 ,february #bf1 #aija1 ,dr4 ,mateer wrote to the ,board3 ,at a meeting of the ,shantung ,mission it was voted to remove the ,tengchow ,college to ,wei ,hsien1 and then give up the ,tengchow station4 ,being at ,shanghai1 engaged in the translation work1 ,i was not able to be present at the mission meeting1 and it seems incumbent on me to say something on a matter of so much importance1 and that concerns me so much4444 ,first1 with reference to the college4 ,the major part of my life has been given to building up the ,tengchow ,college1 and1 of course1 ,i feel a deep interest in its future4 ,as you can easily imagine1 ,i am naturally loath to see it moved from the place where ,providence placed it2 and to see all the toil and thought given to fitting up the buildings1 with heating1 lighting1 and the other appliances go for nothing2 as also the loss of the very considerable sums of money ,i have myself invested in it4 ,the ,providence which placed the college in ,tengchow should not be lightly ignored1 nor the natural advantages which ,tengchow affords be counted for nothing4 ,it is not difficult to make out a strong case for ,wei ,hsien1 and ,i am not disposed to dispute its advantages1 except it be to question the validity of the assumption that a busy commercial center is necessarily the best place to locate a college4 ,in view of the whole question1 it seems to me that unless an adequate endowment can be secured--one which will put the college on a new basis--it will not pay the ,board to make the sacrifice involved in moving the college to ,wei ,hsien4444 ,however1 ,i would rather go to ,wei ,hsien than be opposed strongly at ,tengchow4 ,on that part of his contention he lost2 and it would be useless now to try to ascertain the respective merits of the two sides to that question4 ,the second part of the letter just cited discussed the abandonment of ,tengchow as a mission station4 ,the plan of those who took the affirmative of this debate was to leave that city to the ,southern ,baptists1 who almost forty years before had preceded the ,presbyterians a few weeks in a feeble occupation1 but who had been entirely overshadowed by the development of the college4 ,for the retention of the station ,dr4 ,mateer pleaded with his utmost fervor and eloquence4 ,though the decision remained in uncertainty while he lived1 and the uncertainty gave him much anxiety1 large gifts1 coming since1 from a consecrated layman1 have rendered the retention of the ,tengchow station secure4 ,the wisdom of the decision is vindicated by present conditions4 ,at the close of #aiji the station reported a city church with three hundred members2 a ,sabbath school which sometimes numbers five hundred pupils2 thirty out-stations with about five hundred members2 twenty-four primary schools1 giving instruction to three hundred and sixteen boys and girls1 and taught by graduates of the higher schools of the station2 a girls' high school with an average enrollment of forty-six pupils1 and for the year then closing having twelve graduates1 nearly all of whom became teachers2 a boys' high school with an attendance of forty1 and sending up a number of graduates to the college at ,wei ,hsien or to other advanced institutions1 and having a normal department with a model primary department2 and also a helpers' summer school2 besides other machinery for reaching with the gospel the three millions of people gathered in the neighborhood of ,tengchow4 ,nor has the work of the ,presbyterians in the least hampered that of the ,southern ,baptists4 ,the actual removal of the college was not effected until the autumn of #aijd4 ,in the interval between the time when it was determined to take this step and when it was actually accomplished a number of important things affecting the course of ,dr4 ,mateer's life occurred4 ,mr4 ,hayes1 as elsewhere stated1 resigned the presidency2 and ,rev4 ,paul ,d4 ,bergen1 who had come out to the mission in #ahhc1 was chosen in his place4 ,dr4 ,mateer had been so closely associated with ,mr4 ,hayes1 and had such complete confidence in him1 that the resignation came almost like a personal bereavement2 but he rose nobly out of the depths1 and wrote home to the ,board3 8,mr4 ,bergen is clearly the best man that our missions in ,shantung afford for the place4 ,he is very popular with the ,chinese1 which is much in his favor4 ,the time is as auspicious as it is important4 ,educational affairs are taking a great boom1 and it looks as if ,shantung was going to lead the van4 ,if it is properly supported the college should do a great work40 ,during the interval here covered ,dr4 ,mateer came to the ,united ,states on his third and last furlough1 reaching ,china again in the autumn of #aijc1 and bringing with him some substantial fruits of his efforts for the college4 ,on his arrival he was confronted by another great problem as to the institution4 ,a combination had already been almost effected by the ,american ,presbyterians and the ,english ,baptists in ,shantung for a union in the work of higher education in the province4 ,the matter had already gone so far that1 although he feared that the scheme would bring about such radical changes as to endanger the real usefulness of the institution1 yet he made no serious opposition1 and it went steadily forward to consummation4 ,under the plan adopted the ,shantung ,christian ,university was established2 and provision was made for a joint maintenance of three distinct colleges in it1 each at a different location1 chosen because of mission and other conditions--a college of arts and science at ,wei ,hsien1 a theological college at ,tsingchow fu1 and a medical college at ,tsinan fu4 ,the plan also provides for a university council1 to which is committed the general control of the institution1 subject1 of course1 to certain fundamental regulations2 and of this body ,dr4 ,mateer was one of the original members4 ,the first meeting was held at ,tsingchow fu near the end of #aijc4 ,writing to one of the secretaries of the ,board of ,missions concerning this1 he said3 8,all were present4 ,our meeting was quite harmonious4 ,we elected professors and discussed and drew out some general principles relating to the curriculum and the general management4 ,theoretically things seem quite promising2 the difficulty will come in practical administration4 ,the buildings at ,wei ,hsien are all up to the first floor4 ,there should be no difficulty in getting all ready by next autumn1 at which time the college ought by all means to be moved40 ,early the next summer he wrote3 8,i started to ,wei ,hsien about a month ago1 overland4 ,i spent over two weeks taking down and packing my goods1 and so forth1 including workshop1 boiler1 engine1 dynamo1 and so forth4 ,i found it quite a serious undertaking to get all my miscellaneous goods packed up1 ready for shipment on boats to ,wei ,hsien4444 ,i remained in ,wei ,hsien twenty-four days1 unpacking my effects1 getting my workshop in order1 and planning for the heating and lighting outfit40 ,in the same letter he expressed himself as follows concerning the theological college at ,tsingchow fu3 8,it was certainly understood at the meeting of the directors last winter that it was to be much more than a theological seminary in the strict sense of the word4 ,it was understood1 in fact1 that it would have two departments1--a training school and a theological seminary proper4 ,in this way only can the full measure of our needs be supplied4444 ,with this organization it is not unlikely that the school at ,tsingchow fu will be larger than the college at ,wei ,hsien40 ,this narrative as to ,dr4 ,mateer and the ,shantung ,college is now approaching its close1 and most readers probably will prefer that1 so far as practicable1 the remainder of it shall be told in his own words4 ,december #ba1 #aijd1 he wrote to a friend3 8,the college is now fully moved to ,wei ,hsien1 and has in it about a hundred and twenty students4 ,the new buildings are quite fine1--much superior to those we had in ,tengchow4 ,mrs4 ,mateer and ,i have moved to ,wei ,hsien to live and will make this our home4 ,we are living in the same house with my brother ,robert1 making all one family4 ,this arrangement suits us very well4 ,i am not teaching in the college1 but ,i would not feel at home if ,i were away from it4 ,i hope it has a great future40 ,in his report for himself and wife1 for the year #aijd-je1 he says3 8,the greater part of the autumn was spent in overseeing the building and fitting up of a workshop1 and in superintending the setting up of a new thirty-two horse-power steam boiler for heating and lighting the college1 together with a system of steam piping for the same2 also the setting up of engine and dynamo and wiring the college for electric lights4 ,i also set up a windmill and pump and tank1 with pipes for supplying the college and several dwelling houses with water4 ,i also built for myself and ,mrs4 ,mateer a seven-kien house in ,chinese style1 affording a study1 bedroom1 storeroom1 box room1 and coal room40 ,this little1 narrow1 one-story house constituted their home during the rest of his life in ,wei ,hsien1 though they still look their meals with the other family4 ,they sometimes called this house 8the ,borderland10 for only a narrow path separated them from the small foreign cemetery at the extreme corner of the compound4 ,in ,november1 #aije1 he wrote to one of the secretaries of the ,board3 8,the college is1 of course1 delighted at the prospect of a ,science ,hall4 ,i take some credit for having prepared the way for this gift from ,mr4 ,converse40 ,in his report for the year #aijf he said3 8,during the early part of the winter ,i spent considerable time1 planning1 estimating1 and ordering supplies for the lighting1 heating1 and water supply of the new ,science ,hall at ,wei ,hsien40 ,we are at length face to face with the last stage in the active connection of ,dr4 ,mateer with the college4 ,february #bf1 #aijg1 he wrote to one of the secretaries of the ,board of ,missions3 ,i returned three days ago from the meeting of the ,college ,directors at ,tsingchow fu4 ,the meeting was prolonged and a very important one4 ,a number of important and embarrassing questions were before us4444 ,you will hear from others1 of course1 and from the minutes1 that ,dr4 ,bergen resigned the presidency of the college1 and that in our inability to find a successor ,i was asked to take the position temporarily1 until other arrangements could be made1 and ,dr4 ,bergen was asked to remain as a professor1 which he agreed to do4 ,this provided for the teaching1 and makes it possible for me to take the presidency without doing much teaching1 which ,i could not do under present conditions4 ,during the period of his service in this capacity the college not only did well in its regular work2 it also made some important advances4 ,the total attendance was one hundred and eighty-one1 and a class of ten was graduated at commencement4 ,at ,tengchow he had always valued the literary societies very highly1 and these now received a fresh impetus4 ,several rooms of the new ,science ,hall were brought into use2 two additional rows of dormitories were built1 one for college and personal teachers and workmen1 and one for students2 not to mention lesser matters4 ,nevertheless he found his official position in certain ways very uncomfortable4 ,some of the reasons of this were casual to the internal administration1 and cannot now be appreciated by outsiders1 and are not worth airing here4 ,others were of a more permanent nature1 and had to do with the future conduct and character of the institution4 ,the question of ,english had been for a while hushed to sleep2 but it was now awake again1 and asserted itself with new vigor4 ,in a letter dated ,december #ai1 #aijg1 he said3 8,i am strongly in favor of an ,english ,school1 preferably at ,tsinan fu1 but ,i am opposed to ,english in the college4 ,it would very soon destroy the high grade of scholarship hitherto maintained1 and direct the whole output of the college into secular lines40 ,his fear was that if ,english were introduced the graduates of the institution would be diverted from the ministry and from the great work of evangelizing the people to commercial pursuits1 and that it would become a training school of compradors and clerks4 ,later the intensity of his opposition to the introduction of ,english was considerably modified1 because of the advantage which he perceived to be enjoyed in the large union meetings1 by such of the ,chinese as knew this language in addition to their own4 ,he saw1 too1 that with the change of times a knowledge of ,english had come to be recognized as an essential in the new learning1 as a bond of unity between different parts of ,china1 and as a means of contact with the outside world4 ,looking at the chief danger as past1 he expressly desired that the theologues should be taught ,english4 ,at any rate he had been contending for a cause that was evidently lost4 ,at this writing the curriculum of the college offers five hours in ,english as an optional study for every term of the four required years2 and also of the fifth year4 ,dr4 ,mateer1 besides1 was not fully in sympathy with a movement that was then making to secure a large gift from the 8,general ,education ,fund0 for the endowment of the institution4 ,in the letter just quoted he says3 8,the college should be so administered by its president and faculty as to send some men into the ministry1 or it fails of its chief object4 ,i am in favor of stimulating a natural growth1 but not such a rapid and abnormal growth as will dechristianize it4 ,i do not believe in the sudden and rapid enlargement of the plant beyond the need at the time4 ,it would rapidly secularize the college and divert it entirely from its proper ideal and work40 ,these questions were too practical1 and touched the vitals of the institution too deeply1 to be ignored by earnest friends on either side4 ,some things as to the situation are so transparent that they can be recognized by any person who looks at it from not too close a point of view4 ,the entire merits of the argument were in no case wholly on one side2 and as a consequence it is not surprising that wise and good men differed as they did2 and the only decisive test is actual trial of the changes advocated by the younger men4 ,it is also perfectly plain that in this affair we have only another instance of a state of things so often recurring2 that is1 of a man who has done a great work1 putting into it a long life of toil and self-sacrifice1 and bringing it at length to a point where he must decrease and it must increase2 and where in the very nature of the case it must be turned over to younger hands1 to be guided as they see its needs in the light of the dawning day4 ,he can scarcely any longer be the best judge of what ought to be done2 but even if he were1 the management must be left for good or ill to them4 ,that evidently is the fight in which ,dr4 ,mateer came ultimately to see this matter4 ,he courageously faced the inevitable4 ,in this1 as in all other cases1 no personal animosity was harbored by him toward anyone who differed from him4 ,october #bg1 #aijg1 he wrote to an associate on the ,mandarin ,revision ,committee3 8,i have now dissolved myself from the management of the college1 and shall have very little to do with it in the future4 ,it has cost me a great deal to do it1 but it is best it should be so4 ,i am now free from any cares or responsibility in educational matters40 ,in a letter to ,secretary ,brown1 dated ,december #ba1 #aijg1 he said3 8,in view of the circumstances ,i thought it best to resign at once1 and unconditionally1 both the presidency and my office as director4 ,i have no ambition to be president1 and in fact was only there temporarily until another man should be chosen4 ,i did not wish to be a director when ,i could not conscientiously carry out the ideas and policy of a majority of the mission4 ,it was no small trial1 ,i assure you1 to resign all connection with the college1 after spending the major part of my missionary life working for it4 ,it did1 in fact1 seriously affect my health for several weeks4 ,i cannot stand such strains as ,i once did40 ,one of the striking incidents of his funeral service at ,tsingtao was the reading of the statistics of the graduates of the ,tengchow ,college1 including the students who came with the college to ,wei ,hsien4 ,these have since been carefully revised and are as follows3 ,total receiving diplomas1 #bje2 teachers in government schools1 #ch2 teachers in church schools1 #fh2 pastors1 #ag2 evangelists1 #af2 literary work1 #aj2 in business1 #i2 physicians1 #g2 post-office service1 #d2 railroad service1 #b2 ,y4 ,m4 ,c4 ,a4 service1 #b2 customs service1 #a2 business clerks1 #b2 secretaries1 #a2 at their homes1 #f2 deceased1 #bb4 ,these graduates are scattered among thirteen denominations1 and one hundred schools1 and in sixteen provinces of ,china4 ,about two hundred more who were students at ,tengchow did not complete the course of studies4 ,the institution since its removal has continued steadily to go forward4 ,the large endowment that was both sought and feared has not yet been realized1 and consequently the effect of such a gift has not been tested by experience2 but other proposed changes have been made4 ,a pamphlet published in #aiaj reports for the college of arts and sciences an enrollment of three hundred and six students1 and in the academy1 eighty4 ,the class which graduates numbers seventeen1 all of whom are ,christians4 ,down to that year there had been at ,wei ,hsien among the graduates no candidates for the ministry1 but during #aiaj1 under the ministration of a ,chinese pastor1 a quiet but mighty religious awakening pervaded the institution1 and one outcome has been a vast increase in the number of candidates for the ministry or other evangelistic work4 ,the pamphlet already quoted speaks of more than one hundred of the college students who have decided to offer themselves for this work4 ,it is appropriately added that 8such a movement as this amongst our students inspires us with almost a feeling of awe4444 ,our faith had never reached the conception of such a number as the above simultaneously making a decision40 ,it has recently been decided to bring all the departments of the university to ,tsinan fu1 the provincial capital4 ,in the theological college at ,tsingchow fu1 according to the last report1 there were eleven students in the regular theological department and one hundred and twenty-eight in the normal school4 ,in the medical college at ,tsinan fu there were thirteen young men4 ,the aggregate for the whole university rises to five hundred and thirty-eight4 ,on the ,presbyterian side this all began with those six little boys1 in the old ,kwan ,yin temple1 in the autumn of #ahfd1 at ,tengchow4 ,to-day it is a university1 and is second to no higher institution of learning in ,china4 ,it is said that ,dr4 ,mateer never led in prayer1 either public or private1 that he did not most earnestly ask that the ,lord would raise up ,chinese ,christian men1 who as leaders would bring many to ,christ4 ,his prayers during the forty-five years of his missionary life are receiving a wonderful answer at ,wei ,hsien and at ,tsingchow fu4 ,,xii ,,with ,,apparatus ,,and ,,machinery 8,the things most likely to be needed in ,china1 are first1 electrical engineering1 especially telegraphy1 and second1 civil engineering1 especially surveying and laying out of railroads4 ,special preparation in one or both of these things would be very valuable4 ,but what is more necessary for immediate use1 and as a preliminary to these things1 is a practical knowledge of scientific apparatus1--how to make and how to use it4 ,i have myself picked it up from books1 without any instructor1 but only at a great expense of time and labor40--,,letter ,,to ,a ,,prospective ,,teacher1 ,october #bi1 #ahhh4 ,whenever a group of the early acquaintances of ,dr4 ,mateer talked together about him1 one thing certain to be mentioned was his achievements with apparatus and machinery1 both with the making and with the using of them4 ,out in ,china his reputation for this was so great that it at times came near to being a burden to him4 ,we have already seen that the temporary superintendence of the mission press at ,shanghai was thrust upon him1 contrary to his own preference1 and because1 as he expressed it in a letter at that time1 the men in control considered him a 8,jack-of-all-trades10 able to do anything at which he might be put4 ,if they then did really think of him as no more than a man who with machinery could do a great many things without performing any of them thoroughly well1 they did him a great injustice1 which their subsequent knowledge amply corrected4 ,as the years went by1 and in this sphere of his multifarious activity he rose to larger and more difficult achievements1 his fame as to this spread far and wide among both natives and foreigners4 ,at no time1 however1 did he permit his efficiency in this line to loom up in such a form or in such a degree as to seem even to others to put his distinctively missionary labors into the background4 ,it is a significant fact that in the eulogiums pronounced on him at his death this feature of his character and work is seldom even mentioned4 ,he was--first1 last1 and all the time--a man whose life and whose abilities were so completely and so manifestly consecrated to the evangelization of the ,chinese that when those who knew him best looked back over the finished whole1 his remarkable achievements with apparatus and machinery scarcely arrested their attention4 ,dr4 ,mateer himself regarded his efficiency in this sphere as due in some measure to native endowment4 ,he had an inborn taste and ability for that sort of work2 and stories have come down concerning certain very early manifestations of this characteristic4 ,it is related that when he was a little boy he was suffering loss through the raids made by the woodpeckers on a cherry tree laden with luscious fruit4 ,he pondered the situation carefully1 and then set up a pole1 close by1 with a nice lodging place for a bird at the top1 and armed himself with a mallet down at the foot4 ,the woodpecker would grab a cherry1 and immediately fly to the pole in order to eat it2 but a sharp blow with the mallet would bring him from his perch to the ground4 ,so the boy saved his cherries4 ,it is also related of him that when a mere boy he had a friendly dispute with his father over the question whether a sucking pig had the homing instinct4 ,he maintained that it would return to its mother under conditions that proved the affirmative2 and in order to satisfy himself1 he placed a pig in a sack1 and took it a long way from its familiar haunts1 and turned it loose4 ,it had been agreed that the result was to decide the ownership4 ,to his delight1 immediately the pig started on a bee line for home1 and never gave up the race until it was back in its old place4 ,for the development and application of this natural gift he received almost no help from others4 ,probably if that old workbench in the barn at the 8,hermitage0 could speak1 it might tell something as to oversight and guidance of the boy by his father1 in making and repairing traps and tools for use in recreation and in work2 but beyond this he had no instruction4 ,in his day at college a chemical or physical laboratory was supposed to be exclusively for the professor to prepare his experiments2 the student was expected only to be a spectator in the classroom when the experiments were shown4 ,the man who occupied the chair of natural philosophy at ,jefferson when we were there had a gift for supplementing his scanty outfit of apparatus with the products of his own skill and labor1 and if the student ,mateer had found his way down into the subterranean regions where these were wrought1 he and ,professor ,jones would have rejoiced together in sympathetic collaboration2 but no such unheard-of violation of ancient custom occurred4 ,in the academy at ,beaver he first turned his hand to making a few pieces of apparatus which he craved as helps in teaching4 ,but it was not until he reached ,china that this field for his talent opened before him1 and continued to enlarge all the rest of his life4 ,in fact1 even when he was absent from ,china1 on his furloughs1 he did not get away from his work with apparatus and machinery4 ,during one of his earlier furloughs1 while he was looking up everything that could be helpful to his ,chinese boys1 he spent some time in the ,baldwin ,locomotive ,works1 by special permission1 in studying the construction of locomotives1 so that he might be able to make a model of one on his return to ,china4 ,in connection with this he showed such an acquaintance with the structure of these engines that he could scarcely convince some of the skilled mechanics that he had not been trained to the business4 ,dr4 ,corbett wrote concerning him1 after his death3 8,it was my privilege to meet him at the ,world's ,fair at ,chicago in #ahic4 ,he had spent nearly a month there examining minutely many things of special interest to him4 ,as my time was limited he kindly became my guide for a while1 and gave me the benefit of his observations4 ,we first visited the department of electricity1 which he had carefully studied in all its various applications4 ,we next went to ,machinery ,hall1 where he had spent days making drawings1 measurements1 and so forth1 of the most complex machinery4 ,he seemed to understand everything as though this had been the work of his life40 ,dr4 ,hayes says3 8,dr4 ,mateer's ability to meet exigencies was well shown a few years ago in ,wei ,hsien1 when suddenly the large dynamo failed to produce a current4 ,he unwound the machine until he located the fault1 reinsulated the wire and rewound the coil2 after which the machine furnished its current as usual4444 ,electrotyping was hardly in general use in the west until he secured an outfit of tools and taught a class of native artisans4 ,when electric fans came in vogue he purchased a small one as a model and proceeded to make another40 ,the time came when ,dr4 ,mateer had a shop equipped to do a great variety of work2 and though not on a large scale1 yet big enough to meet his needs4 ,already in #ahhf in a letter to his brother ,william he said3 8,in order to repair apparatus1 and in order to make many simpler articles1 ,i have fitted up quite a complete workshop1 entirely at my own expense4 ,i have invested in the shop1 in tools and materials quite one thousand dollars4 ,i keep a workman at my own cost1 whom ,i have trained so that he can do most ordinary kinds of work4 ,there are a great many small articles we can make here more cheaply than we can buy them4 ,there are1 however1 many articles we cannot make1 especially those that involve glass or the use of special machinery1 or special skill40 ,that shop continued to grow1 and the variety of its output increased4 ,writing of this1 ,mrs4 ,ada ,mateer says3 ,so soon as possible in addition to the room used for carpenter work1 a side house was devoted to the purposes of a shop1 which grew in completeness as time went on4 ,an upper story was used for storing finished apparatus1 for a painting1 varnishing1 and drying room4 ,the lower story was the shop proper1 with well1 smithy1 a long workroom1 private room for chemicals and so forth4 ,every conceivable amount of space in the shop--above1 around1 and below--was occupied with materials1 on boards hung from above1 in cases made of old boxes lining the walls1 and on the floor4 ,the shop contained not only materials for things that are to be1 but became also a tomb of things that were1 but are not1 as well as a hospital for things disabled4 ,what old histories were unearthed when1 after forty years1 this shop had to be moved to ,wei ,hsien6 ,up there it was perpetuated1 the main difference consisting in larger and better quarters1 with some improved conveniences4 ,his wife continues3 ,for every machine bought1 the market was canvassed by correspondence1 and the best selected4 ,especially was this true with reference to any tools or machinery used in the construction of apparatus1--as machines for turning1 blacksmithing1 plumbing1 screw-cutting1 burnishing1 electroplating1 casting1 and so forth4 ,his shop was thoroughly fitted with all appliances for the making of apparatus1 or electric or steam outfitting1 so that he was ready to do anything1 from setting up a windmill or water system1 or installing an engine and dynamo1 to brazing broken spectacle frames or repairing a bicycle4 ,so far as it was practicable he turned over the actual mechanical labor to ,chinese workmen1--a skilled foreman and apprentices under the foreman's direction4 ,why1 though a missionary1 did he employ so considerable a part of his time in this way8 ,especially at the outset of his missionary career stern necessity to meet his own needs and those of his associates drove him to this line of work4 ,had he been set down in ,china at some such place as ,shanghai1 where foreign articles could be purchased1 very likely his mechanical gifts would have remained largely dormant4 ,but at ,tengchow he helped to make a stove out of odds and ends1 because one was indispensable in order to keep warm4 ,for the same sort of reason he extracted teeth and made false sets1 cobbled shoes1 and acted as master workman of all the building trades in the erection of the 8new home40 ,sometimes he was thus compelled to do things which seemed strange even to him4 ,when1 in #ahfe1 little ,katie ,mills died1 he had to act the part of undertaker4 ,he said3 ,it fell to me to make the coffin1 which ,i did as well as ,i could from memory4 ,i could not tell the carpenter1 and ,i had to do the work myself4 ,he did the rough work1 and ,i did the cutting and fitting4 ,i had to go entirely by my eye1 and ,i found it no easy matter to get it in every respect in proportion4 ,we covered it with black velvet outside1 and inside with white linen4 ,it looked very well when finished1 and pleased ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,mills very much4 ,it is a work ,i never thought of doing4 ,at one point on the way through ,siberia when homeward bound on his last furlough the train was halted by some defect in the working of the mechanism of the locomotive4 ,dr4 ,mateer1 on account of the delay1 got out of his compartment and went to see what was the matter4 ,he saw that the locomotive was a huge ,baldwin1 with whose construction he had familiarized himself when in the ,united ,states on a previous furlough1 and he quickly discovered the cause of the trouble4 ,he could speak no ,russian1 and the men in charge of the engine could speak no ,english1 but he managed to show them the cause of the defective working of the mechanism1 and how to remedy it2 and soon the train was again speeding on its way4 ,the time never came during his long residence in ,china when a necessity did not occasionally force itself on him to utilize his mechanical gifts1 and not infrequently on the common utensils of life4 ,in ,wei ,hsien he often spent hours directing in such repairs as were needed for furnaces and the like4 ,few of his later and larger achievements in this field could be fairly regarded as works of necessity1 strictly speaking2 they rather were meant to be aids in the great enterprise of evangelizing the ,chinese ,empire4 ,he was thoroughly convinced that one of the most powerful agencies that could be employed for this purpose was the school and the college4 ,he was equally sure that of all the studies that could be introduced into the curricula of these institutions1 none could be so effective in opening the way for the gospel as that of the natural sciences1 and especially physics1 inclusive of modern mechanical appliances of its principles4 ,he believed that if bright young men were educated in that kind of knowledge1 and sent out under ,christian influences among their own people1 if they were also converted to ,christianity1 the outcome must be the dissipation of the existing blind adherence to the superstitions and ideas of centuries long remote in the past2 and that with this must come the opening wide of the door for the entrance of ,christianity4 ,that was his forecast2 and the present situation in ,china goes far toward vindicating the wisdom of it4 ,but to teach effectively the natural sciences he must have apparatus4 ,the only way he could secure this was by buying what he could1 and by utilizing his own ability to set this up1 and to add as much as possible for the outfit yet needed4 ,such was the prime object not only of what in a more limited sense constituted the apparatus of the school and college1 but also of such larger appliances as the plant for heating and lighting the premises4 ,these were far more than conveniences that helped to better work2 they were themselves constant exhibitions to the students and to the people at large of the principles of natural science1 and of their value in the affairs of actual life4 ,dr4 ,mateer utilized his outfit of apparatus and machinery as a means of reaching others besides the students in his own institution1 with the influence of modern science1 thus opening a way into their minds for the gospel4 ,as to one of his methods of accomplishing this object ,ada gives a graphic account3 ,at the time when the official examinations were held in ,tengchow1 a large number of scholars came to town1 hoping to secure a degree1 which should be the first step toward official preferment4 ,so many of these1 having heard the fame of the foreign machine1 came to see and to hear1 that ,dr4 ,mateer used to give up his time to them during the days they were at leisure4 ,finally the opportunity to do good in this way proved so great that a place was provided for the purpose1 which was also much used at the ,chinese ,new ,year1 when all the town and countryside give themselves up to recreation4 ,after the 8,mandarin ,lessons0 began to bring in money1 he devoted the profits to the building of a large museum1 with an entrance on the street4 ,one half was a big audience room1 so arranged that it could be darkened down for stereopticon or cinematograph exhibitions4 ,but it usually served as an audience room1 where the crowds could sit and listen to preaching1 while the detachment that preceded them was shown through the inner room by expert assistants4 ,what a chamber of wonders that inner room proved to them6 ,here was a man1 using a single hand to turn a small crank1 grinding corn as fast as a woman or a donkey could do it on the millstones with much more labor4 ,here in cases were birds stuffed1 and on the walls pictures of strange animals4 ,here was a man turning a large crank that in some mysterious way made a little iron car overhead first send out sparks1 and then run all around the room on a circular railroad4 ,they wondered if it would not have been easier for the man to drag the car around on the ground6 ,there was an oil engine at the end of the room1 that was a wonder1 no mistake2 and a 8shocking0 machine that shocked them indeed2 and untold other wonders4 ,when the tour of the room was finished1 the crowd was let out by another door1 their almond eyes quite round1 while a signal given by a steam siren showed it was time for the next group to go in1 and 8open-open-eyes10 as they call sight-seeing4 ,occasionally a mandarin of high order came to witness the marvels4 ,the report of the ,shantung ,mission for #aiji says that through the agency of the chapel and museum twelve thousand people were brought into touch with the gospel during the year2 so the work still continues4 ,another good account to which ,dr4 ,mateer turned this peculiar gift was that of starting industries for native ,christians and promoting self-help among the needy4 ,now it was a loom for weaving coarse ,chinese linsey or bagging1 or a spinning or a knitting machine1 that he ordered2 again1 he inquired for a roller press to be used for drying and pressing cotton cloth after dyeing2 and more than once he sent for a lathe for a ,chinese blacksmith4 ,in #ahif he interested himself in procuring an outfit for a flouring mill4 ,he said3 8,the enterprise of starting the mill was conceived by ,chinese ,christians1 and they are going to form a company to raise the money4 ,i do not think that there is a roller mill in ,china1--certainly not in north ,china4444 ,we personally will not make a cent out of it2 but we are interested to get the ,chinese ,christians started in an enterprise by which they can make a living1 and introduce improvements into their country40 ,his apprentices went out in many instances master blacksmiths1 machinists1 and electricians1 and had no difficulty in finding places4 ,a ,chinese general temporarily at ,tengchow employed one of these men as a blacksmith1 and his order was so evidently filled according to western methods that he paid a visit to the wonderful shop of this wonderful master4 ,the very last man for whom he obtained a place was his most skilled electrician and his latest foreman4 ,this man started a shop up at the capital of the province1 and for its outfit ,dr4 ,mateer carried on an extensive correspondence and procured large invoices of goods4 ,because of the provincial university established there under the new educational rgime there was imperative need of such an establishment1 and the outlook for success was excellent4 ,unfortunately for the proprietor1 however1 the ,chinese officials were equally alive to the opportunity and were jealous of a rival4 ,so they managed to compel him to sell out1 though they broke the fall a little for him by retaining him as foreman4 ,it is said that the thought of this workman's troubles lay heavy on the heart of ,dr4 ,mateer in his last illness4 ,it was usually for the poor that he interested himself after this practical fashion2 yet he did not refuse to lend aid to others in promoting enterprises that would be of general advantage4 ,for a wealthy ,chinaman who owned a coal mine that had been flooded with water he went to a great deal of trouble in order to put him in the way of securing a suitable pump4 ,but whether it was for rich or poor that the opportunity came to render such services1 he put aside all thought of his own ease or name or profit1 and did the best in his power4 ,he had special satisfaction in the manufacture of electrical machines1 though it was no easy matter to cut and bore the large glass wheels without breaking them1 and to adjust all parts so that the greatest efficiency was attained4 ,ada says3 ,when a machine was perfected1 giving an unusually long spark1 he always liked to take me over at night to the shop to see it perform4 ,i well remember the last time1--at ,wei ,hsien4 ,at one end of the shop was the windmill4 ,here he stopped to show me a way of equalizing the stroke of the windmill pump piston1 by hanging on an old kettle of scrap iron4 ,then he took me into an inner room1 where on one end of a long table stood the newly finished machine1--a beauty1 no mistake4 ,having forgotten some necessary key1 he took the lantern and went to get it1 leaving me in the dark4 ,i noticed sounds1 the dripping of water in the well2 but what was the ticking ,i heard8 ,on the return of the lantern ,i saw the cause1--a number of clock dials all hung on the wall1 and all to be run by one clock by means of electricity4 ,these were for the college recitation rooms when they should be finished4 ,then ,calvin made the new machine do its work4 ,adjusting carefully the mechanism1 and then measuring the spark1 he exclaimed with boyish glee1 8,there1 isn't that a beauty60 ,dr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,p4 ,martin1 of ,peking1 related in the 8,chinese ,recorder0 of ,december1 #aijh1 this incident as to ,dr4 ,mateer3 8,it was once my privilege to spend part of a vacation in his hospitable home at ,tengchow4 ,i found him at work constructing scientific apparatus with his own hands and wrestling with a mathematical problem which he had met in an ,american magazine4 ,when ,i solved the problem1 he evinced a lively satisfaction1 as if it were the one thing required to cement our friendship40 ,the problem was to find the diameter of an auger1 which1 passing through the center of a sphere1 will bore away just one half of its bulk4 ,it is easy to see that to a man of that sort his work and the scientific and practical problems constantly arising in connection with the making of apparatus and the adjustment of machinery must have been in themselves a rich source of pleasure1 though he never allowed himself to be so fascinated by his shop as to break in on what he conceived to be his higher work4 ,speaking of his last years1 ,ada says3 8,he would go out wearied with the baffling search for a way of expressing clearly in ,chinese a thought none too clear in the original ,greek1 his forehead grooved with the harrows of thought4 ,he would come back from the shop an hour later1 with well-begrimed hands1 a new spot on his long ,chinese gown1 a fresher pink in his cheeks1 a brighter sparkle in his eyes1 and his lips parted with a smile4 ,then1 having washed1 he would immediately set himself again to the work of revision40 ,he loved also to share this joy1 so far as it could be done1 with others4 ,at the ,synod of ,china with his apparatus he gave several exhibitions that were greatly appreciated4 ,at ,wei ,hsien he rendered similar services in the high schools1 and at ,chefoo in the school for the children of missionaries4 ,the ,centennial ,fourth of ,july1 being quite an exceptional occasion1 he celebrated not with ordinary gunpowder1 but by setting off a considerable quantity of detonating chemicals4 ,in the early days at ,tengchow a home-made electric fly whisk whirled above the dining table1 and a little pneumatic fountain playing in a bell glass rendered the room and the meals additionally pleasant to the family and to the guests4 ,ada writes3 ,but the thing that most of us will remember longest is an illustrated lecture on electricity delivered to the college in ,wei ,hsien1 and afterward to the foreigners there4 ,as we sat in a darkened room in the college watching the long sparks of fire1 the twisting circles of many-colored light1 half illuminating a tall1 white-bearded figure in a long black gown1 he seemed to us like some old magician1 learned in the black arts1 now become bright arts1 invoking to his aid his attendant spirits4 ,nor was the enchantment diminished when afterward1 more wonderful than a palmister1 he showed us by the x-rays the bones of our hands4 ,a few weeks later one of the ladies of the compound gave an evening entertainment in which each one in the station was hit off in some bright way1 and we were to guess the name4 ,one number of the programme was this3 ,a black-robed figure with cotton beard appeared1 leading a youth whom he seated in a chair4 ,then the venerable personage proceeds to examine the head of the stripling with a stereoscope covered with black cloth1 supposed to be a fluoroscope1 while an alarm clock in a tin pail near by supplies the crackling of electricity4 ,he gives a careful examination1 shakes his head1 and pronounces the verdict in one word1 8,empty40 ,in explanation of the tableau it only needs to be said that between the exhibition and the entertainment ,dr4 ,mateer had given the young men of the station their examination in the language4 ,,xiii ,,the ,,mandarin ,,version 8,i am mortgaged to the ,bible revision work4444 ,it cost me a great effort to engage in it1 but it will probably be the most important work of my life40--,,letter ,,to ,,secretary ,,brown1 ,june #ac1 #ahif4 ,to tell this part of the story of ,dr4 ,mateer's life satisfactorily1 ,i must begin with the first general missionary conference1 held at ,shanghai in ,may1 #ahgg4 ,for two years previous he had served on a committee to prepare the way for the meeting1 and in this capacity he had rendered much valuable assistance4 ,at that conference he read a paper in which he elaborately discussed the subject of 8,the ,relation of ,protestant ,missions to ,education40 ,the meeting was regarded as successful1 and a second was called1 to assemble at ,shanghai1 in ,may1 #ahij4 ,it was at this conference that the movement for a revision of the ,bible in ,chinese took actual measures toward realization4 ,for the sake of any readers not well informed as to the ,chinese language1 a few preliminary statements concerning it may be desirable here4 ,in a very broad and general sense it may be said that as to elements1 one tongue prevails throughout ,china proper2 but that there is also much important variation in this general tongue4 ,first of all1 it needs lo be noted that the language takes on two principal forms1--the classic1 or ,wen-li1 and the spoken1 or ,mandarin4 ,the classic has come down through the centuries from the times of ,confucius and ,mencius1 and remains comparatively the same as it is found in the writings of those sages4 ,this is accepted as the model for all writing2 and for that reason ,chinese students have been required to spend the greater part of their time in memorizing those ancient books1 so that they might not only absorb their teaching1 but also especially that they might be able to reproduce their style4 ,the classic ,chinese is stilted and so condensed that in comparison with it a telegram would seem diffuse2 and though many of the characters are the same as those used in writing the spoken language1 yet the meaning and often the sound of characters is so different that an illiterate person would not understand it on hearing it read4 ,the spoken language1 on the other hand1 may be compared with ,english as to its use4 ,good ,english is very much the same throughout the countries where it is the vernacular1 and though it takes on local dialects1 it remains everywhere intelligible4 ,so1 broadly speaking1 is it also as to the spoken ,chinese in a large part of the empire4 ,from the ,yangtse up into ,manchuria1 though the pronunciations differ very much1 the colloquial if put into writing is understood4 ,in other words1 with differences of dialect and pronunciation it is the speech of perhaps three hundred millions of people4 ,the regions excepted lie along the coast from ,shanghai down1 and inland south of the ,yangtse1 where the distinct tongues are numerous and are largely unintelligible except in their own localities4 ,it has been the rule in ,china that a mandarin must not be a native of the province where he holds office2 and1 of course1 it is essential that he should be acquainted with the speech which constitutes the lingua franca4 ,perhaps for this reason it is called ,mandarin4 ,but down to the time when missionary publications rendered it common in print1 it was not employed in that mode4 ,all books1 business or government documents1 the one newspaper of the country1 which was the court gazette1 and all letters were in the higher or1 as it is called1 the ,wen-li form1 the only exception being some novels1 and even these were streaked with ,wen-li4 ,this1 however1 ran through gradations1--from the highest1 which is so condensed and so bristles with erudite allusions that only a trained scholar can understand it1 down to a modification which is so easy that with a slight alteration of particles it is almost the same as the ,mandarin4 ,during the long period of the nineteenth century preceding the meeting of the second general missionary conference1 a number of translations of the ,scriptures1 some of them of the whole1 and some of parts1 had been made1 and had come more or less into use4 ,the men who did this pioneer work deserve to be held in perpetual esteem1 especially in view of the difficulties under which they labored4 ,among the missionaries who sat in that conference there was no disposition to withhold this honor1 or to disparage the value of these early translations2 but there was so widely prevalent among them and their associates at that time on the field a conviction that no existing version was satisfactory1 that they recognized it as a duty to take up the subject1 and to initiate steps looking to the production of a better4 ,an informal consultation as to this was held by a few men1 a couple of days before the conference assembled2 but inasmuch as ,dr4 ,mateer had not been invited1 he did not attend4 ,another consultation was held the following day1 and because of his great interest in the subject of a ,bible revision1 he attended without an invitation4 ,the views expressed clearly indicated that there was a general agreement that a revision was desirable1 but it also was made very plain that beyond this there was a wide divergence of opinion4 ,we will allow one of his letters to a representative of the ,american ,bible ,society1 under date of ,may #bf1 #ahij1 to tell the next step in this great undertaking3 ,as ,i walked home from the meeting1 and revolved in my mind the difficulty of the situation1 the idea of an executive committee1 to whom the whole work should be intrusted1 came across my mind4 ,when ,i reached my room ,i sat down1 and in a few minutes and without consultation with anyone1 wrote out the plan1 which without essential modification was subsequently adopted4 ,it seemed to strike all parties very favorably4 ,on the second day of the conference two large1 representative committees were appointed by the conference1 one on ,mandarin and one on ,wen-li4 ,i was a member of both these committees4 ,each committee had a number of meetings1 in which the subject was freely and fully discussed in all its bearings4 ,it was evident that there was a general desire for a version in simple ,wen-li1 and1 the difficulties being less in regard to the work already done1 a conclusion was first reached in regard to this version4 ,in ,mandarin the difficulties were greater4 ,an agreement1 however1 was reached4 ,the version in the higher classic style then gave the most trouble1 but a satisfactory basis for this also was agreed upon2 and the reports as to all three versions were adopted unanimously by the conference4 ,in the same letter he says3 8,i worked hard for these results1 and felt no small satisfaction in seeing such perfect unanimity in the adoption of the plan proposed4 ,i have never done anything in which ,i felt more the guiding hand of ,god than in drawing up and carrying through this plan40 ,the selection of translators for each of the projected new versions was handed over respectively to executive committees2 and ,dr4 ,mateer was appointed on that having charge of the ,mandarin1 and made chairman of it4 ,he heard that he was talked of as one of the revisers for that version1 but as yet he had not decided what was his duty1 if chosen4 ,it will again be best here to take up from one of his letters the thread of the narrative4 ,under date of ,december #ac1 #ahij1 he writes to ,dr4 ,nevius3 ,i can truly say that before ,i went to the conference ,i never even dreamed of what has come to pass4 ,it never occurred to me1 before the conference1 that ,i should take any prominent part in the matter of ,bible translation4 ,i felt that education was the only field in which ,i should come to the front4 ,i was never in my life so providentially led as ,i was in this matter4 ,i was selected chairman of the ,mandarin ,executive ,committee and have been pushing the getting of translators4 ,the first few months were spent in corresponding and comparing notes as to men4 ,we took a ballot recently1 which resulted in the election of five1 444 ,i being the only one who received a unanimous vote4 ,we are now voting for the others1 to make up the seven4444 ,my book of 8,mandarin ,lessons0 has no doubt brought me forward1 and its preparation has in a measure fitted me for the work4 ,my personal preferences are against the work of translation1 and ,i would fain decline it1 but ,i don't see how ,i can in view of the circumstances4 ,i feel my incompetency1 especially in ,greek and ,hebrew1 and you may be sure ,i am very loath to give up the educational and literary work on my hands4 ,much of it is half finished4 ,but if the ,mandarin ,bible is to be made1 some one must do it2 moreover1 the men who do it must have the confidence of the missionary body2 otherwise it will be a failure4 ,as it is1 circumstances have led me to the position1 and the strong opinion of the men on the committee1 and of others1 leads me to feel that ,i cannot lightly refuse4 ,in ,november1 #ahia1 the revisers met at ,shanghai4 ,dr4 ,mateer1 in a letter written in the following ,january1 said3 ,the scheme for the revision of the ,chinese ,bible set on foot by the conference is now fairly organized1 and approved by the three great ,bible societies4 ,the work of pushing the organization has fallen largely on me1 and ,i feel no small sense of relief now that it is successfully accomplished4 ,contrary to my own desire1 ,i am compelled to lake a share as one of the revisers in ,mandarin2 not that ,i do not relish the work1 but because it will of necessity interfere with many of my cherished plans4 ,we had a meeting of all the revisers of the three versions1 and it was a fairly harmonious and an altogether successful meeting4 ,a great work is before us which ,i trust we may1 in the good providence of ,god1 be enabled to accomplish4 ,the interval of about a year and a half between the general conference and the organization just mentioned was required because of the difficulty of selecting and securing the translators4 ,these for the ,mandarin version1 as that body was originally constituted1 consisted of ,henry ,blodgett1 ,george ,owen1 ,chauncey ,goodrich1 ,j4 ,r4 ,hykes1 ,thomas ,bramfitt1 ,j4 ,l4 ,nevius and ,c4 ,w4 ,mateer4 ,during the years in which this work was continued there were in the membership so many changes caused by death1 removal and other causes1 that ,dr4 ,goodrich and ,dr4 ,mateer alone continued from the beginning until the translation of the ,new ,testament1 the part of the ,bible first revised1 was tentatively completed4 ,mr4 ,baller of the ,china ,inland ,mission stands next in length of service1 having joined the committee in #aijj4 ,dr4 ,mateer in the work of revision had the assistance of two ,chinese ,christians whose services were so large and valuable that they deserve more than a passing mention here4 ,in a recent letter ,dr4 ,goodrich pays them the following just tribute3 ,dr4 ,mateer1 in the work of rendering the ,scriptures into a universal ,mandarin colloquial1 had two exceptionally fine teachers4 ,the first was ,mr4 ,tsou ,li ,wen1 an ordained pastor1 who left his parish to engage in this work4 ,mr4 ,tsou was trained by ,dr4 ,mateer in his college1 receiving his theological training under ,drs4 ,nevius1 ,mateer and others4 ,he was a man of beautiful spirit1 discriminating mind1 and a fine sense of language4 ,he was also a man of indomitable perseverance4 ,after a strenuous day's work of eight hours or more1 he would often toil by himself far into the night1 seeking for some phrase or phrases which expressed more exactly or more beautifully the meaning of the original4 ,and before the final review1 both he and my own lamented teacher 7,chang ,hsi ,hsin7 would bestow the greatest pains1 in the hours when they should have been sleeping1 in a careful inspection of the work4 ,thus did ,mr4 ,tsou toil1 while separated from his family for long periods of time2 his work on ,bible revision being as truly a labor of love as that of any member of the committee4 ,but alas6 ,mr4 ,tsou's life burned out all too soon in his exhausting labors4 ,but how ,i should like to see his crown1 and his shining face6 ,happily for the work1 ,dr4 ,mateer had another scholar1 trained also in his school1 ,mr4 ,wang ,yuan ,teh1 a young man of keen1 incisive1 logical mind1 who had read all the best books in the ,mandarin colloquial4 ,mr4 ,wang was quick to see any fault in the structure of a sentence1 and insistent on its being put right4 ,he also worked most faithfully in this translation1 refusing offers which came to him of a salary several times the amount he received4 ,i think he was held1 partly by ,dr4 ,mateer's personality1 which drew him strongly1 and partly by his own love for the work itself4 ,when the chariot of fire came for ,dr4 ,mateer1 he left us1 much to our regret and loss4 ,the work of these two men has entered largely into the present translation of the ,new ,testament1 and the influence of their work1 as of ,dr4 ,mateer's1 abides1 and will continue to be felt1 till the great work of rendering the ,bible into a universal ,mandarin is finished4 ,dr4 ,mateer himself1 in the preface to his 8,mandarin ,lessons10 makes acknowledgment of the valuable services rendered in the preparation of that work by ,tsou ,li ,wen1 and also by his own wife4 ,the ,mandarin ,committee1 at the meeting in #ahia1 after organization1 proceeded to divide up the books of the ,new ,testament among themselves for work1 and adopted a plan of procedure4 ,each man was first carefully to revise or translate his own portion2 and then to send it around to the others1 who were to go over it1 and write their suggestions of emendations1 each in a column parallel to the proposed text4 ,next1 the original translator was to take these emendations1 and with their help was to prepare a text in ,mandarin for submission to the entire committee4 ,broadly speaking1 this was the method pursued to the end1 though with some modifications compelled or suggested by experience4 ,it was hoped that comparatively rapid progress would be made2 but in reality the committee did not come together again until ,september1 #ahih2 and even then1 only the ,acts of the ,apostles was ready for general revision4 ,for this delay there were various causes1 such as the death of ,dr4 ,nevius and the resignation of others1 and the absence of ,dr4 ,mateer on furlough home2 but the chief cause was that every member was burdened with so much other work that only a fraction of his time could be given to this duty4 ,dr4 ,mateer1 for example1 found himself loaded down with other literary and missionary labors4 ,at the meeting held at ,tengchow1 in #ahih1 he was elected chairman of the committee4 ,this was an honor1 but it also carried with it peculiar duties which materially added to his burden4 ,the committee could muster only five members for that sitting1 but they proceeded with their work1 and at the end of two months and a half they finished the book of ,acts2 and then they separated4 ,illustration3 ,,mandarin ,,revision ,,committee ,,at ,,work ,,dr4 ,s4 ,,lewis 7,american ,methodist ,episcopal7 ,,dr4 ,,goodrich 7,congregational7 ,,dr4 ,,mateer 7,presbyterian7 ,m4 ,,baller 7,china ,inland ,mission7 ,that meeting by actual experience brought out distinctly not only the difficulties of necessity arising from the translation of particular books of the ,bible1 and indeed of every verse2 but also others of a more general character1 some of which had previously been more or less clearly seen4 ,should the new version take as its basis one or more of the translations already in existence2 or should it go back straight to the original ,greek1 and use the existing translations merely as helps8 ,in any case1 constant reference to the original was a necessity4 ,for this1 which of the published texts should be accepted as the standard8 ,the meeting also disclosed a wide divergence of opinion as to the style of ,mandarin that ought to be employed4 ,on that subject in #aijj1 ,dr4 ,mateer expressed himself fully and strongly1 in an article published in the 8,chinese ,recorder40 ,he said3 ,the ,mandarin ,bible1 in order to fulfill its purpose1 should be such as can be readily understood by all when heard as read aloud by another4 ,the fundamental distinction between ,wen-li and ,mandarin is that the former is addressed to the eye1 the latter to the ear4 ,in all ,protestant churches the reading of the ,scriptures has1 from the first1 constituted an important part of public worship4 ,in order that this reading may serve the purpose intended1 the ,scripture must be so translated as to be intelligible to the common people4 ,only thus will they hear it1 as they did its ,author1 8gladly40 ,it is not enough that those who know 8characters0 should be able to read it intelligently1 but rather that those who do not know 8characters10 and who in fact constitute by far the greater part of the ,chinese people1 should be able to understand it when it is read to them4 ,here then is the standard to be aimed at1--a version that represents the ,chinese language as it is spoken1 and addresses itself to the ear rather than to the eye4 ,he summarized the chief characteristics of the proper style thus3 that words should be employed which the people who commonly use ,mandarin can understand2 that sentences should conform to the model of the spoken language2 and1 concerning both of these requisites1 that such care should be taken as to brevity1 the order of words and clauses1 the connective particles1 and the evident movement of thought as expressed1 that the ,chinese would recognize in it a people's book2 and yet one that is free from undignified colloquialisms and localisms4 ,all this he held up as an ideal1 not likely to be fully realized by any set of translators1 but if distinctly aimed at1 more sure to be nearly approached4 ,toward the close of the work on the ,mandarin version still another question of a general nature arose4 ,throughout most of their labors the committee had before them the revised easy ,wen-li translation1 and for a part of the time they also had the revised classic ,wen-li ,bible4 ,ought the three revised ,chinese versions to be harmonized1 so as to eliminate all variations8 ,that1 of course1 would be ideal4 ,on this question the report of the ,mandarin ,committee1 which was as to substance prepared by the chairman1 took the negative4 ,it said3 ,the differences are not great1 and where they exist1 the versions will serve ,chinese students as a sort of commentary4 ,there are a multitude of questions in ,biblical interpretation which no translation can settle once for all4 ,moreover1 ninety-nine out of a hundred of those who use the ,mandarin will never look at any other translation4 ,two versions in perfect accord seem like a fine product1 but it is difficult of realization4 ,an attempt at reconciling the present versions would develop many difficulties4 ,a ,mandarin sentence especially is not easy to tamper with4 ,the change of a single word would often dislocate a long sentence1 and necessitate retranslation and adjustment to the context4 ,the ,mandarin committee of translators continued their tentative revision of the ,new ,testament until late in #aijf1 a period of fifteen years1 counting from the date of their first meeting for organization and assignment of specific duties4 ,they held eight different sessions1 being almost one each year after they were ready with actual work2 and none of the sessions were shorter than two and a half months1 and one of them stretched out to six months4 ,they assembled at ,tengchow1 near ,peking1 at ,shanghai1 and most frequently at ,chefoo4 ,in the final report is the record3 8,the chairman can say for himself that he has given the equivalent of about seven years all-day labor to this work4 ,he was present at every meeting1 and first and last missed but one day's session40 ,each of the meetings took on distinctive incidental associations4 ,the third was held at ,shanghai1 and from ,december1 #aijj1 ran over some months into #aija4 ,at that time1 on account of the ,boxer uprising1 missionaries were temporarily there as refugees from all the provinces directly concerned in the version4 ,the sittings were in a small upper room in the ,union ,church1 which came to be called 8the ,jerusalem ,chamber10 and visitors were many4 ,they saw two rows of men1 one on each side of a long table1 yellow faces being sandwiched alternately with white1 as each translator had1 as usual in this work1 his ,chinese assistant at his side4 ,often the discussions were carried on in ,mandarin1 so that these assistants might be able to understand and pass their opinion4 ,incidentally it may be noted that besides his work on the revision1 ,dr4 ,mateer often met with the refugee missionaries during this period and greatly gratified them by participating in the discussion of practical problems4 ,after the ,mateers returned from their furlough1 the sessions were all held at ,chefoo1 first in one of the rooms of the ,china ,inland ,mission ,sanitarium1 and later in a large upper room in the ,missionary ,home1 overlooking the bay4 ,usually at the commencement of their meetings they sat together for three hours in the morning1 and reserved the rest of the day for such private study as they wished to make2 but as the time wore on they would increase the sittings to as many hours also in the afternoon1 and crowd the private review into such odd moments as were left4 ,to anyone1 these protracted labors on such a work must have become exceedingly tedious and almost irksome2 but to no one was it more so than to ,dr4 ,mateer4 ,he knew ,mandarin almost as if it had been his native tongue2 but the ,mandarin which he knew had often to be modified and expressions adjusted1 so that a ,scripture written in it would suit other regions of ,china as well as those with which he was familiar4 ,in writing his 8,mandarin ,lessons0 and in preparing his educational books he had only to ascertain to the best of his ability how to express his ideas in ,chinese1 and that was the end of the search2 but here he had to do his best1 and then submit his product to the opinion of others1 and often with the result of changes which did not commend themselves to his preference4 ,yet1 on his return home from the sittings he would say3 8,i ought not to complain4 ,i get my way oftener than any other man does4 ,only ,i cannot help thinking of the work ,i have laid aside unfinished in order to do this40 ,after each meeting the year's work was printed1 marked 8,tentative ,edition10 and with a slip inviting criticism was sent to the missionaries in north ,china and ,manchuria4 ,these criticisms were all to be canvassed before the edition could be printed that was to be presented to the ,centenary ,conference1 to which they were to report4 ,the final meeting for the tentative revision of the ,new ,testament lasted for more than five months1 and the work was pushed with even more than the usual vigor4 ,the ,centenary ,missionary ,conference for ,china was only a year ahead when they began4 ,after the conference the revision was to run the gauntlet of criticisms1 and these were to be canvassed2 and thus at last the revision was to take its permanent form4 ,mrs4 ,mateer gives the following graphic account of one of the closing incidents of that session4 ,passage had already been engaged for the ,goodrich family on a steamer sailing north4 ,the baggage was all carried down1 the family all waited on the upper veranda1 with hats on1 and the ,doctor's hat was ready for him to seize as soon as he should get out of the meeting4 ,the 8rickshaw0 men were waiting1 ready to run with their loads4 ,but still no sound of approaching feet6 ,finally1 as it got dangerously near the hour of sailing1 ,mrs4 ,goodrich said1 8,i must go and hurry them up40 ,so she marched boldly down the hall1 listened a minute at the door1 and came back with her fingers on her lips4 8,those dear men are praying10 she whispered2 and tears filled our eyes as our hearts silently joined in the prayer4 ,of course1 every morning session was opened with prayer2 but this was the consummation of all these years of toil1 the offering of the finished work at the altar4 ,although the committee completed their revision at that session1 so far as this was possible until the conference should meet and approve or disapprove it1 there was very considerable work of a tedious nature left to ,dr4 ,mateer to perform4 ,the finishing touches yet to be put upon portions of the version were not a few2 but the thing that required of him the most protracted and delicate attention was the punctuation4 ,for this he introduced a new system which seemed to him to be best for the ,chinese language1 and which can be estimated fairly only by a scholar in that tongue4 ,to him also as chairman came the criticisms which were invited from all quarters1 most of which were welcomed1 but some of which touched him to the quick4 ,at length1 in the spring of #aijg1 the conference assembled at ,shanghai1 and the report of the ,committee of ,revisers was made to that body4 ,he wrote to a friend in the ,united ,states concerning it3 8,we had a grand missionary conference in ,shanghai1 which1 of course1 ,i attended4 ,there was more unanimity and less discussion than in the former conference40 ,the report received a hearty approval1 and the version was started on its course of examination by all concerned1 as preparatory to its final completion4 ,it was issued from the press at ,shanghai in #aiaj4 ,it was called a revision1 the aim being to offer it1 not so much as a rival to the older versions1 as an improvement upon them2 but in reality it was an almost entirely new translation1 though in making it advantage had been taken of the valuable pioneering done by the others4 ,writing to a friend after the conference had adjourned1 ,dr4 ,mateer frankly said3 ,please note that we still have opportunity for final revision1 in which many defects will be eliminated4 ,there are places not a few with which ,i myself am dissatisfied1 many of which ,i see can be improved4 ,i refer especially to texts that are excessively literal1 and where foreign idioms are used to the detriment of the style4 ,it must also be remembered that many terms and expressions that seem strange and perhaps inexpressive at first will on further use seem good and even admirable4 ,every new translation must have a little time to win its way4 ,that our version will appeal strongly to the great mass of the ,chinese church ,i have no doubt4 ,during the long years he was engaged in this great undertaking he learned some valuable lessons concerning the translation of the ,scriptures4 ,he came to speak of it as an art1 for which special training and experience are needed4 ,in an article which appeared after his death1 in the ,november issue of 8,the ,chinese ,recorder0 for that year1 he gave at length a discussion of 8,lessons ,learned in ,translating the ,bible into ,mandarin40 ,he pointed out difficulties that hamper the making of a version in the ,mandarin as compared with the ,wen-li in either of its forms4 ,to appreciate these1 one needs to be a master in those tongues4 ,but he also indicated others that lie in the way of a translation of the ,scriptures into any sort of ,chinese4 ,many of the very ideas of the ,bible on moral and spiritual subjects had never entered the ,chinese mind1 and consequently there are no suitable words or phrases to express them4 ,just as western science has to invent its own terms when it enters ,china1 so also within limits must the translator of the ,bible introduce a vocabulary suited for his purpose4 ,he believed that in the ,china of to-day prejudice had so far begun to yield that this could be effectively and wisely done4 ,in fact1 each branch of modern thought that has been grafted on the stem of the ,chinese has already brought with it new words1 so that hundreds of these have recently been coined and are on the tongues of the leaders4 ,along with the lack of an adequate vocabulary goes another thing that adds to the difficulty4 ,in the translation of other books the main need is to express the thought1 and in doing this considerable freedom is usually tolerated2 but accuracy of expression1 because of the very nature of the ,bible1 is of the first importance in a version4 ,besides1 the ,chinese ,christians seem especially disposed to insist on this quality4 ,the tendency of a translator is apt to be toward adapting the ,scripture to what is conceived to be the taste of the ,chinese1 to write up to the style with which the educated are familiar1 or down to the level of the uneducated speech4 ,another defect is to magnify or to minify peculiarities of expression originating in the region where the ,scriptures were written4 ,dr4 ,mateer thought that he recognized very distinctly tendencies of this sort in the older versions1 though abating in more recent times4 ,his article concluded as follows3 ,the ,bible does not need any doctoring at the hands of translators4 ,the ,chinese church is entitled to have the ,bible just as it is1 in a strictly faithful and accurate translation4 ,this they demand of us who translate it for them4 ,they do not want to know what the writers would have said if they had been ,chinese1 but what they actually did say4 ,this is the manner in which the ,chinese who have learned ,english are now translating foreign books into their own language1 and this is very evidently the spirit of the times4 ,the ,english ,bible1 especially the ,revised ,version1 is a monument of careful and accurate translation4 ,translators into ,chinese cannot do better than follow in the same line4 ,i have a number of times heard students when using commentaries1 or hearing lectures on various portions of ,scripture1 express their surprise and dissatisfaction that the ,bible had not been more accurately translated4 ,i have known ,chinese preachers1 when quoting a text which had a marginal reading saying that the original says so and so1 to remark with strong disapproval1 8,if the original says so1 why not translate it so1 and be done with it80 ,on one occasion in our committee1 when a question was raised about giving a metaphor straight or paraphrasing into a comparison1 one of our literary helpers said with vigorous emphasis3 8,do you suppose that we ,chinese cannot understand and appreciate a metaphor8 ,our books are full of them1 and new ones are welcome40 ,if we do not give the ,chinese the ,bible as it is1 they will condemn us1 and before long will do the work for themselves4 ,in conclusion1 it is worthy of remark that no one man can make a satisfactory translation of the ,bible4 ,there are limitations to every man's knowledge of truth and of language4 ,every man's vision is distorted in some of its aspects4 ,this is a lesson we have been learning day by day1 and are still learning4 ,if any man wishes to find out his limitations in these respects1 let him join a translating committee4 ,with regard to the difficulties in the way of this revision1 ,dr4 ,goodrich thus expresses himself3 ,no literary work of such peculiar difficulty has been undertaken in ,china since the first translation of the ,scriptures by ,morrison4 ,to produce a ,bible whose language shall run close to the original1 simple enough to be understood by ordinary persons when read aloud in the church or in the home1 and yet chaste in diction2 this work to be done by a committee chosen from widely distant localities1--from ,peking on the northeast1 to ,kneichow in the southwest1--might well frighten any body of men4 ,for the first years together the work was almost the despair of the committee4 ,their efforts to make themselves mutually understood and to unite on a rendering were often immensely prolonged and exasperatingly amusing4 ,but they were trying to do for ,china what ,wyclif did for the ,english and what ,luther did for the ,germans1--to make a translation of the ,bible into a vernacular form of national speech which would be everywhere intelligible2 and they took courage and pressed forward slowly but surely toward their goal4 ,in doing this they not only have accomplished the end immediately sought1 but they also have put into the hands of the people at large a model which will largely mold all their coming literature4 ,the conference at ,shanghai in #aijg approved the report on the ,new ,testament and decided to proceed to the revision of the ,old ,testament1 and appointed an executive committee to select the men to do this work4 ,the members chosen were the same five who had served toward the close of the revision of the ,new ,testament1 with the exception of a new translator needed because one of the old committee had gone home4 ,dr4 ,mateer was especially anxious that they might be saved from the necessity of breaking in and training several inexperienced members4 ,of course1 he had foreseen that he would probably be selected1 but when informed that this had been done he reserved his decision until he knew of whom besides himself the committee was to consist4 ,to ,dr4 ,goodrich of the ,american ,board1 with whom he had been so intimately associated1 he wrote several times1 urging him to accept2 and in one of these letters he said3 8,there is a variety of reasons why ,i am perhaps as loath as you are to do this work4 ,so far as money1 reputation1 or personal taste goes1 ,i should rather do other work4 ,but then it seems as if duty calls to this4 ,neither you nor ,i can ignore the fact that the experience and training of all these years have fitted us in a special manner for this work4 ,we can do it better and faster than new men40 ,he was again made chairman1 and as such he proceeded to distribute the first of the revision work1 for which he selected ,genesis and certain of the ,psalms4 ,he began his personal labors at the opening of the year1 and in the summer the committee assembled at ,chefoo to consider what had then been accomplished4 ,the ,goodrich and the ,mateer families went into residence during their projected stay1 and took for this purpose a house occupied usually as headquarters for the school for the deaf1 ,mrs4 ,goodrich1 because of the condition of ,mrs4 ,mateer's health1 having charge of the housekeeping4 ,the meetings were held in a little chapel of the ,china ,inland ,mission1 in the neighboring valley4 ,it was while so situated that ,dr4 ,mateer was stricken with his fatal illness4 ,in a letter which he addressed 8,to the dear ones at home10 on the occasion of his seventieth birthday1 he said3 ,god has also blessed me in enabling me to accomplish several of the leading purposes of my life4 ,from my boyhood ,i longed for a liberal education4 ,my next great desire was to give at least forty years to work in ,china4 ,soon after ,i came to ,china ,i began educational work on a very small scale1 but aspired to raise up a college that might be a power for good4 ,i early formed the purpose of becoming an adept in the spoken language1 and in aiming at this saw the need of a text-book for learning the language1 and set about making it4 ,all these purposes ,i have been enabled1 by the blessing of ,god1 to accomplish4 ,my great work for the last ten years has been to lead in the translation of the ,bible into ,mandarin4 ,this has been a most trying and laborious task1 which is not yet completed4 ,the ,new ,testament is nearly done1 but whether the ,old ,testament will be completed1 who can tell8 ,my desire and hope is to complete it4 ,to prepare a mature and approved translation of the ,bible for the use of two hundred and eighty millions of people will be for the glory of ,god in ,china4 ,,xiv ,,incidents ,,by ,,the ,,way 8,there are many trials and self-denials in missionary life1 but there are also not a few compensations and some advantages40--,,letter 8,,to ,,the ,,dear ,,ones ,,at ,,home10 at his seventieth birthday4 ,the statement just quoted is general1 and admits of application in the case of every faithful foreign missionary2 but ,dr4 ,mateer meant it especially as an expression of his own experience4 ,in the story of his life work as already here told we have seen it constantly exemplified4 ,there1 however1 still remain other instances that deserve permanent record4 ,in speaking of them as 8incidents by the way10 and in gathering them into a single chapter1 ,i do not mean to indicate that they are unimportant4 ,some of them concerned the depths of his life4 ,but his work after he reached ,china was chiefly along the lines that have been traced in the preceding chapters1 and those matters now to be related1 however important1 were incidents by the way4 ,of the trials that overtook him1 none were so keenly felt as his bereavements4 ,only two or three of these can be mentioned here1--such as occurred within the circle of his own relatives out in ,china4 ,the first was the death of ,mrs4 ,capp1 the sister of ,mrs4 ,julia ,mateer4 ,this occurred on ,february #ag1 #ahhb1 at ,tengchow4 ,she went down into the shadows with the tender ministrations of her sister and of ,dr4 ,mateer4 ,in writing to a brother of her deceased husband1 he said3 ,on ,sabbath afternoon1--yesterday1--we buried her on the hill west of the city1 with other missionary friends who have gone before her4 ,she was greatly beloved by the ,chinese1 and there were few of the ,christians here who did not weep to part with her4 ,mr4 ,mills conducted the funeral service in ,english1 and made some excellent remarks1 admirably adapted to the occasion4 ,one of our native elders made a very effective address in ,chinese4 ,her work is done1 and it is well done4 ,her memory will not soon die amongst the ,chinese in this city and neighborhood4 ,we will miss her1 oh1 so much1--her help1 her counsel1 her genial society1 her spiritual power6 ,her school will miss her the most3 her place in it cannot be filled4 ,she was ready to die1 and strong in faith1 yet she longed to live1 not that she might enjoy life1 but1 as she several times said1 that she might save some more souls4 ,she repeatedly assured us of her joy that she had come to ,china1 and declared that she had never counted it a sacrifice1 but a privilege4 ,i told the ,chinese over her coffin to imitate her as she did ,christ1--her zeal and earnestness in all duty1 and her untiring endeavor and desire to save souls4 ,sixteen years later1 almost to a day1--,february #af1 #ahih1--;,julia finished her earthly work and entered into the heavenly rest4 ,i have already mentioned that sorrowful event in the life of ,dr4 ,mateer1 and said something of her character4 ,her biography is soon to be given to the world in a distinct volume4 ,under these circumstances it would be superfluous to make any extended record concerning her here4 ,it is due1 however1 to her husband to quote at least a part of one paragraph from a brief memoir of her written by him shortly after her death4 ,in telling of her varied labors and achievements he said this1 which so far as it was known to her in life1 must have been an immeasurable satisfaction3 ,before the end of her first year in ,china she look an active part in opening the little school which ultimately grew into the ,shantung ,college4 ,to this school she gave the best energies of her life1 and to her in no small degree is due its continued success4 ,she was an accomplished teacher1 especially of young boys4444 ,she did far more than teach1 during the earlier years of the school2 she did fully two thirds of the work involved1 giving her time day and night to every detail4 ,she kept the accounts1 looked after food and clothing and a hundred nameless things4 ,to the end she was the confidante and adviser of all1 in their troubles1 trials1 and plans1 in their marriage alliances1 and in their spiritual exercises4 ,the thoughtful care she gave to all her pupils when they were sick endeared her to the hearts of all who were in the college4 ,she studied medicine on her own account1 and had no mean skill as a physician4 ,all the sick in the native church1 and all the sick in her own neighborhood1 heathen and ,christian1 came to her1 and she never refused a call4 ,there is no graduate of the ,tengchow ,college who does not have a place for her in his heart1 close by the side of that of his own mother4 ,during her illness there is probably not one of these young men1 scattered as they are over all north ,china1 who did not pray earnestly for her1 many of them in public as well as in private2 and many of them have written her the most anxious and affectionate letters4 ,on her sixtieth birthday1 last ,july1 the students of the college and graduates with their most imposing ceremony presented her with a decorated silk gown1 and placed a large title1 or sign1 in gilt letters over the front door of the house1 8,character-nourishing aged mother40 ,it was the proudest day of her life when these young men presented her with this most fitting token of their loving reverence and esteem4 ,in view of the hatred and prejudice which confronted her and her husband when they arrived in ,tengchow nearly thirty-five years before1 it must have almost seemed to her like the illusion of a dream4 ,we have previously seen that ,dr4 ,mateer's brother ,john became the superintendent of the mission press at ,shanghai in #ahgb4 ,he continued in that position until #ahgf1 when he returned home4 ,for a good many years he was in business in the ,united ,states1 and then he returned to ,china and took charge of the mission press of the ,american ,board at ,peking4 ,in ,april1 #aijj1 ,dr4 ,mateer was called by telegraph to come to that city as quickly as possible1 on account of the dangerous illness of his brother2 but ,john died the day before his arrival4 ,in a letter to the surviving brothers and sisters ,dr4 ,mateer1 after describing the funeral services1 added3 ,it is evident that his work here in the press was highly appreciated4 ,he was also held in high esteem by the members of the other missions1 and was well and favorably known in the ,american legation4 ,several of the speakers said that ,john's life was a well-rounded and successful one1 achieved in the face of great difficulties4 ,from the standpoint of worldly wisdom his life could scarcely be called successful2 but from the spiritual1 it certainly was4 ,in this regard he was probably superior to any member of the family4 ,his mind was clear to the end and filled with confident hope4 ,as his disease grew more serious he showed no fear1 and to the last he faced death without a tremor4 ,may ,god give unto each of us who remain grace to face the king of terrors with the same triumphant faith4 ,we buried him in the foreign cemetery1 just north of the city1 in the most beautiful spot in that cemetery1 and just by the side of ,rev4 ,mr4 ,morrison of our mission4 ,it did not fall to the lot of ,dr4 ,mateer to have any experience of perilous adventure and of hairbreadth escapes such as have come into the lives of missionaries in uncivilized lands1 and even in ,china4 ,still he by no means escaped serious risks4 ,in his earlier itinerations he was several times threatened with attacks from individuals or crowds1 and sometimes he armed himself in order to defend himself from assault4 ,the second year of his residence in ,tengchow1 because of negotiations going forward for the renting of a house near the south gate1 a meeting of as many as a thousand people composing the most influential clan in the city assembled in one of the temples1 and demanded of the officials permission to kill the man who controlled the house1 and the foreigners2 but the excitement passed away without any open outbreak4 ,in the summer of #ahfg there was a great scare at ,tengchow over the approach of a body of 8rebels40 ,these were in reality robbers1 consisting of the dregs left behind at the suppression of the ,tai-,ping rebellion1 who burned and laid waste large districts of country1 and mercilessly slaughtered the people4 ,their approach to ,tengchow had so often been reported that nobody knew what to anticipate2 but at length they1 sure enough1 made their appearance in the neighboring country4 ,the inhabitants crowded into the city by thousands1 bringing with them donkeys1 cattle1 and everything that could be hastily removed1 so that not only the houses1 but the streets and vacant places were crammed with them1 the mission premises not being excepted4 ,julia found in the situation a fine opportunity to give the gospel to the women2 and her husband was equally diligent among the men1 though he was unfortunately hampered by the absence of his ,chinese assistant4 ,a ,british war vessel called early in the scare and offered to remove the missionaries to a place of safety2 and later the 8,wyoming10 a ,united ,states naval vessel1 anchored out in the bay1 where she could bring her guns to play1 if necessary1 for the protection of ,american citizens4 ,happily1 after five days of this state of things the rebels again vanished1 but not without leaving in their trail sickness and desolation4 ,the missionaries do not seem to have been much alarmed at any time during the excitement1 though no one could tell what might happen4 ,in #ahgj there was a cruel massacre of a large number of ,french ,roman ,catholic missionaries and of some others at ,tientsin1 and much valuable mission property was destroyed4 ,the news of this spread rapidly over north ,china and kindled the animosity of the natives against foreigners to such a degree that the situation in many localities became very dangerous4 ,at ,tengchow rumors of plots to wipe out the missionaries there were frequent1 and the native ,christians and others who were friendly communicated to them information that justified serious apprehension4 ,a meeting of all the members of both the ,baptist and the ,presbyterian station was called1 and then another the next day1 and by an almost unanimous vote it was declared that it was the duty of all to take refuge in ,chefoo or elsewhere until the danger was substantially ended4 ,dr4 ,mateer in these meetings advocated brief delay and further inquiry1 but when he found himself in a minority of one1 he yielded his judgment to that of all the others4 ,just as soon as possible a message was sent to ,chefoo for a ship to come up and take the families to that place1 and a couple of ,british vessels promptly responded4 ,all valuables that could be quickly packed and easily removed were shipped2 and the premises at ,tengchow were placed in charge of as trusty ,chinese as could be obtained for the purpose1 and a promise was given by the chief official of the city that he would see that constables watched the property4 ,dr4 ,mateer did not go on the ship1 but remained a day along with a ,baptist missionary in order to complete the arrangements required for the proper keeping of the houses and goods1 and then he followed on horseback down to ,chefoo4 ,the prompt appearance of the ships in the harbor and the removal of the missionaries seem to have made a most wholesome impression on the people1 and the excitement soon subsided1 and a rather general desire prevailed1 even among the non-,christian ,chinese1 that they should return4 ,the ,american minister at ,peking also greatly gratified the refugees and their fellow-laborers from the ,united ,states by the to them somewhat novel experience of his taking an earnest practical interest in their welfare4 ,he advised them to return to ,tengchow1 and solicited the privilege of sending them back on an ,american warship4 ,after an absence of about a month ,dr4 ,mateer went thither on a preliminary trip1 and was pleasantly surprised at the friendly altitude of the people4 ,in due time the other missionaries and their families followed2 but at the meeting of the synod which ensued a little later he was compelled1 after a brief sojourn at ,tengchow1 to go down to ,shanghai and remain there for a year and a half in charge of the mission press4 ,just how real was the danger that caused this temporary flight to ,chefoo1 and how imminent1 is a secret that perhaps no man clearly knew1 and which certainly the missionaries never ascertained4 ,writing in his ,journal1 just after his return1 concerning his reluctant acquiescence in the vote of all except himself in favor of going1 he says3 ,nevertheless acquiescence was one of the hardest trials of my life4 ,my mind was filled that night with a tumult of emotions2 and ,i did not sleep a wink till the morning light dawned4 ,i did not know how much ,i loved ,tengchow1 and perhaps ,i overrated the damage our leaving would do to our own cause here1 especially to our schools4 ,i am not sure1 however1 that ,i did4 ,the future remains to be seen4 ,god may1 and ,i trust he will1 turn it to be a blessing both to us and to the native ,christians4 ,aside from the question of the actual amount of danger at that time ,i felt a strong aversion to going in any case1 unless when my life was in such instant peril that there was no possible doubt4444 ,i am not yet convinced1 however1 and though ,i do not wish to make any rash vows1 yet ,i think that ,i will not fly from ,tengchow again unless there is a great deal more imminent danger4 ,when1 in #ahid-ie1 the war between ,japan and ,china raged1 ,tengchow being a port on the sea1 and not far from ,japan1 was of course likely to be a place directly involved in the hostilities4 ,the missionaries elected to remain at their post1 and asked the consular agent of the ,united ,states at ,chefoo to notify the proper military official of their presence1 number1 calling1 and nationality1 and to say that in case of attack they would hoist the ,american flag over the mission premises1 and that if the ,chinese found themselves unable to defend the city they would exert their influence to have it surrendered without loss of life4 ,the ,japanese did come1 and they1 as a diversion from the seizure of ,wei-hai-wei1 bombarded the place on three successive days4 ,as to this1 ,dr4 ,mateer says in his autobiographical sketch for his college classmates1 8,i watched the progress of affairs from the lookout on top of my house1 but escaped untouched1 though eight shells fell close around the house1 and one went over my head so close that the wind from it made me dodge40 ,during the ,boxer uprising of #ahii-aijj1 though the movement originated in ,shantung1 the missionaries and native ,christians of that province suffered less than in adjacent provinces4 ,the reason for this is that after the murder of ,brooks in #ahii1 the anti-foreign governor1 ,yu ,haien1 was at the solicitation of the missionaries and the ,foreign ,office removed4 ,unfortunately he was not deposed1 but was merely changed to ,shansi4 ,this accounts for the terrible carnage there4 ,the new governor of ,shantung1 the since famous ,yuan ,shih ,k'ai1 did his best to hold the ,boxers in check in his own province1 and in the main was successful4 ,the prompt and efficient action of ,consul ,fowler1 of ,chefoo1 in removing the missionaries from the interior also helped to save life4 ,still it was bad enough in the western parts even of ,shantung4 ,the native ,christians in many places were robbed1 beaten1 and so far as possible compelled by threat of death to disown their faith4 ,the story of the destruction of the property of the mission at ,wei ,hsien1 and the narrow escape of the missionaries1 through the courage of one of their number1 is about as thrilling as any that is told of that period of widespread burning and carnage4 ,in the eastern side of the province1 beyond ominous excitement at such places as ,tengchow and ,chefoo1 there was no serious disturbance4 ,probably this was due in part to the wholesome respect which the ,chinese living not too far from the sea had come to feel for foreign war vessels1 and for the troops which they could promptly disembark4 ,just before the siege of ,peking began ,dr4 ,mateer had made his visit to that city1 to bury his brother ,john4 ,the earlier part of #aijj he remained at ,tengchow quietly at his work1 and sending his orders just as usual for supplies needed by the college and personally4 ,in ,july1 by order of the ,american consul1 the missionaries were brought down to ,chefoo on a gunboat4 ,dr4 ,mateer and ,mr4 ,mason ,wells1 however1 lingered behind for a while4 ,it was vacation1 and ,dr4 ,mateer occupied his time with the ,mandarin version4 ,among the ,chinese a wild rumor gained some currency that he was leading an army of many thousand men to relieve ,peking2 and the fact that his fiance was shut up there gave at least piquancy to the report4 ,later he went on down to ,shanghai1 and there spent six months on the ,revision ,committee2 and so he did not get back to ,tengchow until ,june1 #aija1 when the ,boxer uprising was at an end4 ,in a communication which he published in 8,the ,herald and ,presbyter0 later in #aijj1 he gave at considerable length his views as to the causes of that dreadful outbreak4 ,these do not differ essentially from the ideas which have come to be generally accepted in the ,united ,stales4 ,the missionary propaganda he frankly acknowledges to have1 by the very nature of its message1 aroused the malignity of evil men2 and this also to have been much aggravated by the habit of ,roman ,catholics of standing between their converts and the enforcement of ,chinese laws2 but he denied that this was the main cause4 ,he holds that the outbreak was chiefly due to the traditional hatred of foreigners2 to the territorial aggressions of the western nations in ,china2 to the ill treatment of ,chinese abroad and in their own ports by foreigners2 and last1 but by no means least1 to the ,german operations in ,shantung1 consisting of their revenge for the murder of some ,german priests1 the occupation of ,kiao-chow1 and the survey and building of a railroad through the province4 ,the high-handed encroachment of ,russia in ,manchuria and the construction of a railroad through that province1 and the guarding of it by ,russian troops1 added fuel to the flames4 ,summing up1 he says3 8,the whole movement is anti-foreign1--against all nationalities and occupations1 ministers of governments1 consuls1 merchants1 missionaries1 teachers1 and engineers1 railroads1 telegraphs1 churches1 schools1 and ,christian converts1--everything in short that is in any way connected with the detested foreigner4 ,it is the conservatism of old ,china rising up and bracing itself for one last desperate struggle to suppress the new ,china that is supplanting it40 ,another of the trials that touched deeply his heart was the contact into which he was brought with the sufferings of the people through famine4 ,in #ahgf1 #ahgg1 and #ahgh there was great scarcity in the general region of ,tengchow1 and consequently the prices for food rose so high that it was impossible for the poor to obtain the necessaries of life4 ,dr4 ,mateer1 as also other missionaries1 helped them to the extent of his ability1 and became the almoner of charitable people who sent money from western lands to buy food for the famishing4 ,but in #ahhi he was brought face to face as never before in his life with destitution in ,china4 ,the inconstancy of the ,yellow ,river was one cause of the terrible disaster4 ,twice within about a third of the nineteenth century it had changed its bed2 and as a consequence1 finding its new channel too small to carry off the waters in times of heavy and protracted rain1 it had repeatedly flooded vast districts1 often to a depth of several feet1 carrying destruction to the mud walls of the buildings and desolation to the cultivated ground4 ,drought also in a portion of northwestern ,shantung had prevailed to such an extent as to prevent the growth and maturing of grains and vegetables4 ,at last a climax was reached by these disasters2 and it was recognized by missionaries and others as so awful in its character and so vast in its sweep that a ,famine ,relief ,committee for ,shantung was organized1 and an appeal was made for help from ,great ,britain and the ,united ,states1 and from the southern ports of ,china4 ,at least two hundred thousand dollars came in response1 and it was especially in connection with the distribution of this that ,dr4 ,mateer was brought into direct personal contact with the suffering4 ,districts were assigned to missionaries and others1 and a careful canvass with the aid of reliable helpers was made4 ,they ascertained that many tens of thousands of the people had wandered away from their homes1 either to seek food or at least to leave to the more feeble and helpless such sustenance as might yet remain4 ,no one ever was able to form a definite idea of the number who had died from starvation1 either on their wanderings or at their places of residence4 ,the canvassers found multitudes trying to sustain life by eating the husks of grain1 the seeds and roots of grasses and weeds1 the bark of trees1 and the blades of wheat4 ,some of those who had been considered rich had provided themselves with poison1 so as to take their own lives when they must come to the point where to live would be to see their children perish from starvation4 ,the allowance furnished by the relief fund to an individual was fixed at about a cent a day in all ordinary cases1 and it was ascertained that on this allowance at least a hundred thousand lives were saved4 ,on some old1 faded ,chinese sheets of paper1 closely written with his own hand1 the record of a part of ,dr4 ,mateer's experiences in the famine canvass1 out in northwestern ,shantung1 has come down to us4 ,as it is all now a thing of the remote past1 there probably would be no good in recording the dreadful details here4 ,it is a story of children reduced to skeletons1 eager to lick up every crumb as big as a pinhead that fell from the bit of coarse bread given them2 of men and women falling down on their knees and begging for food for their families1 and bursting into tears at the prospect of relief2 of the sale of wives and daughters to procure something to eat2 of unburied corpses1 and of graves just filled with those who have perished4 ,he said under date of ,april #i1 #ahhi3 8,it is the hardest work ,i ever did in my life4 ,to look all day long on a continual succession of starving people1 and to be beset by their entreaties to enroll more names than you can1 is very hard on the nerves4 ,there is no end to the starving people40 ,again1 ,may #ag1 he said3 8,after seven weeks and two days ,i am at last about to leave for ,tsinan4 ,we have now enrolled about thirty-three thousand1 and the work of enrollment in this place is finished40 ,what as to the religious outcome8 ,the impression made upon multitudes even in excess of those who received aid was most favorable to ,christianity4 ,one of the leading ,chinese assistants in the work wrote to the people who furnished the aid3 8,this must be the right religion4 ,if not1 why is it that the followers of other religions do not do such things80 ,thus they were willing to examine into ,christianity1 and the more they examined1 the more they believed1 until they were converted to ,christ4 ,as an ultimate outcome1 several hundred were received into the churches4 ,the controversies which he had with some of his fellow-missionaries in ,china were a serious trial to him4 ,he was not by inclination 8a man of war10 but in connection with the prosecution of the missionary work in which he was engaged in common with his brethren1 questions of great practical and immediate importance arose1 and as to some of these he had strong convictions that were at variance with those of other wise and able men on the field4 ,it was best for the cause that these should be thoroughly discussed1 and there was much that could be fairly and earnestly urged upon either side4 ,all that could be rightly demanded was that the 8fighting0 should be open and honorable1 and that it should be conducted in such a manner as not to hinder the missionary work or to descend into personal controversy4 ,dr4 ,mateer1 as to ability and efficiency1 stood in the front rank of those who were giving their lives to the evangelization of ,china4 ,it was his duty to express his views on these questions1 and to do this in such a way that no one could misapprehend them4 ,if any fault could be found with him in this matter1 perhaps it would be that he saw his own side so vividly that he was not always able to recognize the entire force of that which was said in favor of what ran counter to it4 ,those who knew him well and appreciated the greatness and tenderness of his heart waived the sting which sometimes seemed to be in his words2 but perhaps some others who were not so well acquainted with him occasionally winced under its pungency4 ,everyone who was concerned in these discussions1 long ago has come to recognize him in these as an earnest1 capable man1 trying to do his duty as he saw it4 ,by far the most protracted of these controversies was over the word that ought to be used in ,chinese to express the idea of ,god4 ,under date of ,november #d1 #ahfe1 he made this entry in his ,journal3 8,this week ,i had a note from ,mr4 ,mills1 saying that a proposition was current at ,peking to get out a ,union ,new ,testament in ,mandarin1 and to use in it ,tien ,chu for ,god1 and ,sheng ,shen for ,holy ,spirit1 and that all but ,mr4 had signed it4 ,i cannot sign it at all2 ,i am utterly opposed to any such a proceeding4 ,i cannot conscientiously use these words40 ,that was his first gun in a battle that for him completely ended only with his life4 ,his contributions to the discussion were sufficient to be in substance1 as we have already seen1 gathered into a separate volume4 ,in #aijg his 8,letter ,book0 shows that he was still remonstrating against a request to the ,bible societies to employ for ,god and for spirit ,chinese terms that violated his convictions4 ,his very last recorded utterance on the subject was in a letter dated ,november #ag1 #aijg4 ,in it he expresses his gratification that in an edition of the ,new ,testament for ,china1 issued by an ,english ,bible society1 they were 8to use the terms ,shen and ,sheng ,ling for ,god and ,spirit40 ,he added3 8,this suits me4 ,these and these only are the right terms1 and despite all appearances will ultimately win in the really orthodox and evangelistic church of ,china40 ,it is not improbable that the drift of opinion for various reasons as to this was against him2 but it was in this faith that he died4 ,as to his part in the discussion concerning what came to be known as 8,methods of ,missions10 no more need be said here than that the men who took part in this were alike seeking the best solution of a difficult problem1 and never wavered in unbroken fellowship and confidence as comrades in the larger work of giving the gospel to ,china4 ,it was not until #aije that ,dr4 ,mateer published his book on this subject1 and then only when urged by some of his associates4 ,in the battle as to ,english in the college1 ,dr4 ,mateer had to yield to the majority who came into control after the removal to ,wei ,hsien4 ,he was great enough not to allow the new policy to chill his love for the institution1 or to stay his hands from such help as1 in addition to his occupation with the ,mandarin version1 it was possible for him to lend either by influence or money1 or even by physical toil4 ,in his final relations with the college he proved himself to be still its loyal and generous supporter4 ,it has often been remarked that one never meets a foreign missionary who has thrown himself or herself unreservedly into the work who is unhappy4 ,they are human1 and feel their trials often keenly2 but their faces shine with an inward peace1 and they rejoice over the one sheep1 or the many1 whom they have found in the wilderness and won to ,christ4 ,when ,dr4 ,mateer advanced in age1 and thought of what he had helped to accomplish for the evangelization of ,china1 he must have felt a satisfaction such as seldom possesses a soul4 ,in view of this supreme joy it almost seems out of place here to tell of the 8incidents by the way0 which ministered to his pleasure4 ,one of these consisted of the signs of appreciation shown him by men or bodies of men whose commendation meant something worth while4 ,we have seen how the missionaries on the field trusted and honored him by calling him to leadership in several most important enterprises looking toward large and permanent results4 ,but others besides missionaries recognized him as worthy of their honors and trust4 ,hanover ,college in #ahhj conferred on him the doctorate of divinity4 ,in #ahhh the ,university of ,wooster1 for his 8attainments1 literary and scientific1 philosophical and theological1 and for his success in his work as a ,christian missionary and teacher10 gave him the doctorate of laws4 ,at the centennial of his alma mater in #aijb1 ,washington and ,jefferson ,college also conferred on him the doctorate of laws1 in recognition of his 8distinguished ability and service as a scholar and minister of the gospel40 ,in #ahid1 the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society by making him an honorary foreign member gave him an exceptional distinction4 ,in ,august1 #ahih1 his lifelong friend1 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,p4 ,martin1 who had been called to the headship of the new ,imperial ,university planned for ,peking1 wrote to him1 asking whether he would accept the deanship of the school of engineering2 but in reply he declined1 on the dual ground that he was under obligation to continue in his missionary work and in the translation of the ,scriptures4 ,in ,december of the same year he received from the 8superintendent0 of the new ,imperial ,university at ,nanking an invitation to become the 8head master0 of that nascent institution4 ,coming as this did directly from that high ,chinese dignitary1 it was an extraordinary mark of respect and confidence2 but this also he declined1 and for the same reasons as in the preceding case4 ,in writing of these offers he said to one of the secretaries of the ,board of ,missions3 ,both these positions offered me a salary much greater than a missionary gets4 ,though not now doing much active work in teaching in the college1 ,i yet feel that my work and influence here are very important4 ,having embarked in the work of ,bible translation1 ,i cannot turn my back upon it1 unless the conditions of the work itself constrain me to do so4 ,also ,i am anxious to preach1--especially to work in revival meetings amongst the native churches4 ,i also value highly the opportunity ,i have to preach to the students of the college4 ,one of the minor but notable honors that came to ,dr4 ,mateer was the celebration of his seventieth birthday at ,wei ,hsien4 ,the ,chinese have a curious custom as to the birthday of the emperor1 and perhaps of other distinguished persons2 they celebrate it a year1 a month1 and a day in advance of the true date4 ,this custom was followed on the occasion of ,dr4 ,mateer's seventieth birthday4 ,an eyewitness has given the following graphic description of the affair3 8,the alumni and students of the college planned the 8birthday party02 and a most elaborate affair it was4 ,in the morning a long procession of hired rejoicers1 with gay banners and doleful native bands1 marched into the compound from the city and were reviewed at the great gate by ,dr4 ,mateer and the college faculty4 ,wasn't it a fortunate thing that the doctor-of-laws hood of ,dr4 ,mateer agreed so well with the ,chinese idea of crimson as the most appropriate color for any celebration8 ,at the chapel1 which was packed to the limit with natives and out-of-town guests1 presentation speeches which none but ,orientals would ever have sat through1 and responses were made1 world without end4 ,the most successful native pastor in this part of ,china1 who was once ,dr4 ,mateer's table boy1 spoke first4 ,the highest officials of the country were present in all their grandeur1 looking properly haughty and impressive1--though ,i shall never cease feeling that the typical expression of dignity and authority in ,china resembles the lime-in-the-mouth look more closely than anything else4 ,if a concrete argument for the existence of the college were necessary1 ,i can think of none better than a look at the alumni4 ,such splendid1 manly fellows they were1 with keen1 intelligent faces6 ,some have become wealthy business men1 who show their appreciation2 and many are native pastors and teachers4 ,a double quartet of college students furnished the music2 and it was remarkable how well they sang the complicated part tunes4 ,they have had no regular training1 but have kept at it by themselves1 and have surprised us all by their progress4 ,but for the music1 the real1 soul-uplifting music1 give me the native band6 ,imagine several bagpipes and flutes1 diminutive drums1 and two or three toy trumpets which sound only one note2 and then conceive of each player carrying on an independent enterprise1 and you may know something about the ,chinese native band4 ,it is too rare for words4 ,large bunches of firecrackers fastened on tripods1 and cannon crackers1 were used all through the festivities1 so that it seemed exactly like the ,fourth of ,july4 ,a ,chinese feast was given to all the invited guests1 and the rabble from the villages near by encamped on the compound and ate the lunches they had carried about with them all morning in their handkerchiefs4 ,it was a great day for the college1 and a great occasion for the village people2 but most demoralizing to language study4 ,the gold-embroidered1 scarlet banners were so many and so immense that since that one day in the church no place has been found sufficiently large to hang them40 ,in the general section of ,china where he lived he made many journeys4 ,over that part of ,shantung situated to the east of the ,yellow ,river he traveled often1 and far and wide4 ,several times he visited ,peking4 ,once1 as we have seen1 he went down the ,grand ,canal1 to ,nanking1 and the lower ,yangtse4 ,frequently he steamed up and down the coast to ,shanghai1 and once as far south as ,ningpo4 ,but those immense and populous provinces situated in the west and south of ,china he never visited1 not because he was not interested in them1 or could not afford the expense1 but because he could not spare the time4 ,in the spring of #ahfh the 8,shenandoah10 an ,american war steamer1 came to ,tengchow on its way to ,korea1 where search was to be made for any survivors that might remain from the 8,general ,sherman10 lost there two years before4 ,the 8,shenandoah0 wanted an interpreter1 and by general consent the duty seemed to fall on ,dr4 ,mateer1 so that he fell constrained to accept1 though the health of his wife and other affairs rendered this very inconvenient4 ,the cruise lasted about six weeks1 and carried them to several places on the west coast of ,korea1 and among these to the river ,pyeng ,yang1 since so familiar to readers of missionary journals1 and to those who followed the ,japanese troops on their march against the ,russians in the recent war4 ,that was then a 8forbidden land0 to foreigners1 and the expedition found it difficult to get into peaceable or forcible communication with officials or other natives1 and accomplished almost nothing4 ,in the light of the fuller present knowledge of that politically unhappy but religiously hopeful country the observations of the interpreter or of any of the other persons belonging to the expedition are now of little interest4 ,dr4 ,mateer came back to the ,united ,states only three times on furlough during the more than forty-five years that intervened between his sailing for ,china in #ahfc and his death4 ,the first of these absences from ,china began in ,may1 #ahgi1 and ended about the first of ,january1 #ahha4 ,under the rule of the ,board of ,missions he was entitled to a furlough home long before that time1 but he felt that he could not sooner leave his work4 ,he also held the opinion that there is usually no sufficient reason to justify this privilege to a young missionary so early as is established custom4 ,his wife1 on account of health1 had preceded him some six months4 ,he came by way of ,japan1 and brought with him two ,mills children1 their mother having died4 ,they crossed the ,pacific on a slow vessel1 but the voyage was delightful1 and in about as great a contrast as is possible with his experience on the ship which originally carried him to ,china4 ,he was made more than comfortable and the captain went out of his way in order to show him courtesies4 ,on arrival in the ,united ,states his time was spent in the main as by other home-coming missionaries1--in family reunions1 visiting here and there1 preaching to churches1 addressing ecclesiastical meetings of various sorts1 seeking recruits among theological students1 and other engagements1--the total of which so completely fill up the time that little is left for real rest and recuperation4 ,to this customary list he added two other items1--a period spent in attending medical lectures at ,philadelphia1 and a hasty trip across the ,atlantic to ,england and to ,paris4 ,his second furlough extended from ,july1 #ahib1 until ,october1 #ahic4 ,he went and came by the ,pacific route1 and was comfortable on these voyages4 ,julia was with him4 ,during that sojourn in the ,united ,states1 in addition to the occupations usually engrossing the time of a missionary on furlough1 he went to ,chautauqua and studied ,hebrew in order to fit himself better for revision work4 ,he also made at the ,world's ,fair at ,chicago that exhaustive examination of machinery1 and especially of electrical appliances1 of which ,dr4 ,corbett1 in the quotation previously given1 has told us4 ,one of the greatest pleasures that came to him on this leave of absence was the privilege of once more seeing his mother1 then advanced in years4 ,in the last of his letters to her that have come down to us he mentions that he and ,julia are at the writing just going into the harbor at ,chefoo1 and he concludes by saying3 8,we are very glad that we are at the end of our journey1 and back again in ,china4 ,this is where our work lies1 and this is where we ought to be40 ,it was on his arrival at ,tengchow that his students gave him that royal welcome already described4 ,on ,september #be1 #aijj1 he was married to ,miss ,ada ,haven1 who had been for many years a missionary of the ,american ,board at ,peking1 and as such was recognized as an accomplished ,chinese scholar and a successful and highly esteemed teacher in the ,bridgman ,school4 ,her engagement to ,dr4 ,mateer briefly antedated the siege of ,peking1 and she was one of the company of foreigners of whose fate the western world waited with bated breath to hear during the midsummer of #aijj4 ,in her book1 8,siege ,days10 she has given an inside view of the experiences of herself and of many others1 and as such it has not only a passing but also a permanent interest and value as a record of that remarkable episode of madness on the part of the 8old0 ,china4 ,after the relief of the city and a little season of recuperation from the strain of the siege1 ,miss ,haven came down to ,chefoo1 and the marriage took place in the ,presbyterian church at ,chefoo1 ,dr4 ,mateer's old friend1 ,dr4 ,corbett1 performing the ceremony4 ,as his wife1 ,ada rendered him valuable assistance1 by taking part in the preparation of the smaller book of 8,mandarin ,lessons40 ,she also greatly helped the committee on the ,mandarin version of the ,new ,testament by making a ,greek and ,english concordance of their first revision4 ,for eight years they two walked together2 and he had from her in his literary labors1 as well as in other ways1 an inspiration and often a direct help of which the world outside of their home can know very little4 ,his last furlough extended from ,june1 #aijb1 to ,august1 #aijc4 ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,mateer came to the ,united ,states by way of the ,siberian railroad and the ,atlantic1 so that when he arrived in ,china on his return he had a second time gone around the world4 ,in a letter written to me in ,april1 #aijh1 he says1 8,we went home seven years ago by the ,siberian railroad1 and it was exceedingly comfortable1--much more so than traveling in an ordinary ,pullman car40 ,perhaps in the interval that had elapsed the recollection of the discomforts that attended the first stage of that journey had somewhat faded from his memory2 or he may have had in mind only the part that lay through ,siberia proper and in ,european ,russia4 ,a ,chinese naval officer who had often come to his study to talk over various matters had expressed a desire to take him and his wife over to ,port ,arthur in a gunboat when they started on their homeward route4 ,the officer intended by this only one of those empty compliments which ,orientals are accustomed to pay1 without any thought that the offer involved would be accepted4 ,dr4 ,mateer was himself the soul of truth and honor1 and1 being such1 took what this officer said to him at its face value4 ,so1 in this case1 he sent word of acceptance of the offer1 but an answer came back that 8after all1 it would be inconvenient to take them just then1 and that orders had been left with a ,chinese junk to take them40 ,the junk could not come in to shore and they had to go out in a rowboat4 ,when they went aboard1 they found that there was no cabin1--nothing1 indeed1 at their command but a little hold about breast-high1 stowed full of ,chinese baggage1 some of it consisting of malodorous fish and onions4 ,in order to make room for them1 the onions were piled in stacks just above on the deck2 but even this change left for human occupation merely about a cube of five feet4 ,the boat was crowded with ,chinese passengers1 and it poured down rain1 from which the ,mateers could protect themselves only by hoisting an umbrella over the hatchway which was at the same time their only source of ventilation4 ,it was not until the third day that they reached ,port ,arthur4 ,it was characteristic of ,dr4 ,mateer that under these conditions he spent every moment of daylight in putting final touches on the manuscripts of the 8,technical ,terms0 and of the 8,chemical ,terms10 so that these might be mailed immediately to the printer4 ,they came very near missing the train1 and if this had happened they would have been compelled to wait a week for another opportunity4 ,the railroad had but recently been completed at that end1 and no regular schedule as to service had yet been established2 but with many delays and with various inconveniences1 after a week1 they reached the point at which they overtook an express train bound for ,irkutsk4 ,this was luxury indeed1 compared with the beginning of the journey4 ,from ,irkutsk onward the commendatory language of ,dr4 ,mateer was justified by the accommodations4 ,the ,mateers visited ,moscow and ,st4 ,petersburg2 then came on to ,berlin1 and thence1 successively1 to ,dsseldorf1 ,cologne1 ,paris1 and ,london1 the latter place brilliant with preparations for the belated coronation of ,king ,edward1 which took place while they were there4 ,from ,liverpool they crossed the ,atlantic to ,halifax1 and then entered on their ,american vacation4 ,a part of the furlough he spent in efforts to secure endowment for the ,shantung ,college4 ,in the prosecution of this work he visited various churches1 and in ,pittsburg he remained for six weeks4 ,it was during this furlough that he sat as a commissioner from his presbytery in the ,general ,assembly at ,los ,angeles4 ,among other celebrated spots which they included in their itinerary was the ,yosemite ,valley4 ,but the part of the furlough that probably afforded them both the most unalloyed pleasure was spent in a visit to the region of the 8old home40 ,his wife1 in a letter1 tells the story thus3 ,ever since our marriage it had been the cherished plan of my husband to take me on a wedding journey when we got to ,america1--a carriage journey1 to see all the spots familiar to his childhood4 ,by planning with this in view we were able to spend the anniversary of our wedding in ,mechanicsburg1 with ,calvin's cousins4 ,one of these made a feast for us4 ,many were the reminiscences exchanged1--a happy binding of past and present4 ,in a day or two we started on the long-promised journey1 in a 8one-horse-shay10 a journey of several days1 our stops at noon1 and again overnight1 always being with friends of his childhood4 ,but the friend to which most of all he wished to introduce me was his beloved old ,long ,mountain2 and as ,i looked first at that1 and then at his glowing face1 ,i saw whence1 next to his ,bible and catechism1 he had drawn his sturdy love of truth and freedom4 ,either on that journey1 or on subsequent trips from ,mechanicsburg or ,harrisburg1 we visited all the localities familiar to his childhood1--his birthplace1 where the wall that used to seem so high to him now appeared so low to the white-bearded six-footer1--the brook where the clover mill used to stand1--the ,silver ,spring church1 where he was baptized1 and its adjoining graveyard1 where lie many of his old ,scotch-,irish ancestors1 under quaint inscriptions4444 ,it rained hard the day we visited the battle field of ,gettysburg4 ,this trip we took in company with an old friend of ,calvin's1 a veteran of the war4 ,not less interesting were the surroundings of his second home1 the 8,hermitage40 ,almost more noteworthy than the house was the big 8bank-barn10--the mows for hay1 the bins for grain1 the floor where he used to ride on horseback around and around over the grain in order to thresh it1 the old workbench1 and1 above1 the swallows' nests4 ,the rush of memory was so strong that the white-haired missionary could not keep back the tears4 ,he showed me the little old schoolhouse1 the stream near by1 the old flour mill1 within an inner room of which he and his boy companions used to meet on winter evenings around a 8ten-plate0 stove for debate4 ,another place of great interest was the old haunted churchyard1 the fence of which he had mounted to fight his battle with the ghosts1 and from which he got down a conqueror1 never more to fear the face of man or devil4 ,but the most sacred of all the spots which they visited was the grave of his mother1 in the cemetery at ,wooster1 ,ohio4 ,from ,seattle they sailed to ,japan1 and thence after a short season of fellowship with the venerable translator of the ,old ,testament1 ,bishop ,schereschewsky1 and with other friends1 they came back to ,tengchow4 ,,xv ,,facing ,,the ,,new ,,china 8,china is a great land1 and has a great future before it4 ,i am thankful that ,i have had the opportunity to do what ,i could to make it what it ought to be4 ,the ,church of ,god is bound to have a great triumph here1 with great trials in the process40--,,letter ,,to ,,james ,,mooney1 ,november #bg1 #aijf4 ,when ,dr4 ,mateer wrote that letter1 the new ,china had not come4 ,nor has it yet appeared4 ,the utmost that can be said confidently is that there are signs of a spring thaw in the vast sheet of ice that for so many centuries has held that country in fetters4 ,some great rifts can be seen in the surface and sounds that are indicative of movement can be heard4 ,people who stand on the shore1 and some of those who are on the ice1 are shouting1 8,off at last60 ,it seems scarcely possible that the apparent thaw shall not continue until the streams are cleared and the land is warmed into new life by the ascending sun4 ,but how long it will be before this is accomplished it is almost useless for the best-informed men to attempt to forecast4 ,when the ice does really go1 will it be with a sudden rush that will carry with it great injury to much that is well worth preserving8 ,or will the change come so quietly and gradually that the ice will sink without a tremor1 and the frost will gently melt away into waters that only freshen the soil8 ,probably the new ,china is not far away2 as sure as progress is the law of civilization and enlightenment in the world1 it cannot be postponed much longer4 ,dr4 ,mateer lived long enough to recognize the signs of its approach1 and while he was glad because of this1 he also was deeply anxious4 ,his direct acquaintance with the old ,china extended over the long period of forty years1--from his arrival at ,tengchow in #ahfc to his return from his last furlough1 in #aijc4 ,during the five years immediately preceding his death he was face to face with the signs indicative of the ,china that is to be4 ,he was therefore exceptionally qualified to speak intelligently concerning the present situation in that country2 for it is not the man who now for the first time finds himself there1 amid the demand for railroads1 and telegraphs1 and up-to-date navy and army1 and schools1 who is most competent to interpret the movements of the hour4 ,we are more likely to learn the whole truth if we turn to veterans like ,sir ,robert ,hart and ,dr4 ,w4 ,a4 ,p4 ,martin and ,dr4 ,mateer1 who by almost lifelong experience know the real mind and heart of ,china2 which surely1 notwithstanding the occurrences of to-day1 have not been completely changed4 ,on the one hand1 there can be no doubt of the love which ,dr4 ,mateer had for the people of ,china4 ,to promote their welfare in this world as well as in the next he gave himself to the uttermost all his long time of residence among them1 and when death confronted him at last1 his only reluctance to obey that call of his ,master was because he would be unable to complete what he regarded as perhaps his greatest service for them4 ,as we have already seen1 in his explanation of the causes of the ,boxer outbreak1 notwithstanding his heartbreak and indignation for the horrors and outrages perpetrated1 he lays bare the secret of it1 as consisting in part of the wrongs done by foreign nations and persons to ,china and the ,chinese4 ,there were hundreds and perhaps thousands in ,shantung who revered him as a father1 and confided in him as they did in almost no other human being4 ,i mention this side of his attitude because there is another that must be brought out here so clearly that no failure to see it is possible4 ,he never allowed himself to be blinded as to radical faults of the most serious nature in the ,chinese4 ,it was about the same time as his entrance on his missionary work that ,americans were set agog by the 8,burlingame ,mission10 and indulged in very extravagant notions of the civilization of old ,china and very rosy anticipations of the future4 ,even missionaries caught the fever of the hour1 and for home publication wrote articles that seconded this view4 ,this was so completely foreign to the reality1 as ,dr4 ,mateer saw it1 that he responded with an elaborate article in which he calmly punctured these current notions4 ,it was the fashion then to regard the ,chinese as leading the world in past ages1 but in his opinion in none of their boasted achievements do they deserve such credit4 ,largely they have been imitators2 and in the realm of their own inventions and discoveries and organizations they have seldom shown themselves capable of making the applications that ought to have been so patent to them that they could not miss them4 ,perhaps--writing as he did in reply to overdrawn appreciations on the other side--he may have fallen into the opposite mistake1 to some degree4 ,perhaps also in later years he would not have gone quite so far in the direction he then took2 but he never wavered in his opinion that in the lapse of ages during which the ,chinese had lived so exclusively within themselves1 characteristics that are racial have been developed1 some of which must be overcome1 and others of which must be immensely transformed1 before ,china can take her place among the advanced nations of the world4 ,also1 ignorance1 prejudice and superstition stand in the way1 and cannot suddenly be dispelled4 ,he continued to believe that1 notwithstanding the present rush to introduce western appliances1 the hatred of the foreigner1 except among a minority1 remains in the heart of officials and people4 ,he believed too that1 because of their faithlessness to obligations which they had assumed toward other governments1 the apparent aggressions of foreign nations were not always and altogether without a measure of justification4 ,chinese law he considered to be still so much a mere whim of officials1 often corrupt1 that the time has not yet come for an ,american citizen1 whether missionary or merchant or mechanic1 to be left safely to the uncertainties of a native court4 ,dr4 ,mateer was one of the leading 8makers of the new ,china40 ,it is because of his 8,mandarin ,lessons0 that it is now1 in comparison with the olden times1 so easy to acquire the language2 thus not only the missionary but also the agents of modern civilization are helped to gain speedy access to the people4 ,he was the first to plant a college in the great province of ,shantung1 the birthplace of ,confucius and ,mencius1 and still the center to which the race turns as that from which has emanated their most dominant cult4 ,he took the lead1 even of all the missionary colleges1 in the place which he assigned to physical science4 ,with his own money he built a museum which he described as 8a kind of polytechnic1 for exhibiting foreign sciences and machinery to ,chinese students and visitors40 ,there they could see the appliances of steam and of electricity at work1 including a model railroad1 and the telephone and telegraph4 ,when the governor of the province organized his university at the capital1 it was the man whom ,dr4 ,mateer had made his successor in the college at ,tengchow who was at first placed at its head1 and five of the graduates were chosen to fill chairs in the new institution4 ,he prepared text-books in mathematics1 for which there is an enormous demand in the schools which are supplanting those of the olden time4 ,to him more than to any other individual is due the translation of the ,new ,testament into a form of the language which is just as intelligible to the man who can read but little1 as to the educated2 and which cannot be widely circulated without starting upward tendencies more mighty than those of railroads and western machinery4 ,it would be preposterous to claim for any one person that he has been the maker of the new ,china2 but there are not very many who1 as to the mighty transformation apparently not far distant1 rank so high up as ,dr4 ,mateer4 ,thus far in holding him up as one of these leaders ,i have not mentioned his influence as an effective missionary in the sphere usually occupied by the representatives of the gospel2 and for the reason that1 as to this1 he is a sharer with a multitude of others4 ,at present there must be about four thousand men and women--ordained ministers1 and lay men and women--in that line of ,christian service in ,china1 and there are about two hundred thousand ,chinese ,christians4 ,these1 though scattered far and wide among the hundreds of millions of the population1 are sufficient to be powerfully felt on the side of genuine progress4 ,though in rapidly lessening numbers1 their presence stretches back to the coming of ,robert ,morrison1 a hundred years ago4 ,dr4 ,mateer's own judgment as to the relation of the missionary work to the present situation is well worth attention4 ,in an article written by request1 about nine months before his death1 he said3 ,the nation is in a state of transition which1 when compared with her past and her traditions1 is nothing short of marvelous4 ,who would have predicted thirty-five years ago that such a state of things as the present would so soon prevail8 ,god has used a variety of powerful forces to awaken ,china from her long sleep1 not the least of which have been the presence and influence of the missionary4 ,aside from his main business1 which is the conversion of individuals and the upbuilding of churches1 he has had a powerful influence in a number of important matters4 ,first1 his residence in all parts of inland ,china has done far more than is generally known to remove prejudice and to familiarize the people with foreign ideas and things4 ,second1 he has been a main factor in starting the anti-foot-binding movement that is now sweeping over the land4 ,third1 he has been the chief mover in the remarkable anti-opium reformation that is now enlisting the utmost effort of the ,chinese government4 ,lastly1 in the intellectual awakening1 and in starting the wonderful educational propaganda now being pushed forward by the government1 he has been a potent factor4 ,missionaries have made the text-books1 and the graduates of their schools have set the pace for this remarkable movement2 and this has been done notwithstanding the intense prejudice that exists against ,christianity and its professors4 ,of the fact that he was face to face with a state of things that promised tremendous changes he was fully conscious4 ,no man could have been more alive to his environment during these last years of his life4 ,may #b1 #aije1 he wrote to a generous friend in the ,united ,states3 8,the state of things in ,china to-day presents a great contrast with what it was when ,i arrived here forty-one and a half years ago4 ,then everything was dead and stagnant2 now all is life and motion4 ,it is just fairly beginning1 it is true1 but there is the promise of great things in the near future40 ,september #a1 #aijg1 in another letter to a friend1 he says3 8,this great and massive people1 so long below the horizon of the western world1--a misty1 unknown land1--is looming large in the east1 and the eyes of the west are on it4 ,china is awakening from the sleep of ages4 ,her senses are still dull1 benumbed by the traditional customs and conservative follies of the past1 but her eyes are opening more and more1 day by day4 ,it is true she still wants to sleep on1 but she cannot4 ,the clamor of the world's progress dins in her ears4 ,giant hands are shaking her4 ,specters fill her imagination and groundless fears make her troubled4 ,she essays to rise1 but has no strength4 ,she is growing frantic at the realization of her own weakness and incompetence40 ,illustration3 ,,celebrating ,,dr4 ,,mateer',s ,,seventieth ,,birthday ,facing the new ,china he1 while gladdened on the whole by the outlook1 yet saw grave dangers in the way4 ,some of these are due1 in his estimation1 to characteristics that have rooted themselves very deeply in the spirit of the people at large4 ,in his article on 8,education in ,china0 he said3 ,it is a peculiarity of the ,chinese character that they are very hard to convince of the utility of a new thing1 and must always be doubly sure before they decide to act2 but as soon as the decision is made1 they at once grow recklessly impatient for the consummation4 ,the old educational methods and ideals are now abolished and the government is rushing headlong into new and hitherto untried measures4 ,they issue commands to their subordinates without providing the means of carrying them out4 ,the result is a chaos of more or less futile effort1 attended by burdensome taxes and illegal exactions that produce disaffection and rebellion4 ,the lack of competent teachers handicaps the whole movement4 ,to the eye of a western educator most of their primary and secondary schools are little short of a farce4 ,mission schools have trained a large number of competent teachers1 but in most cases the prejudice against ,christianity is so strong that heathen schools will not use them4 ,this prejudice is much stronger in the secondary schools than it is in the provincial colleges and universities4 ,the high officials generally take more liberal views1 and they are free from the social ostracism that prevents a small official or a private gentleman from employing a ,christian teacher4 ,on account of the characteristics just described1 while he rejoiced in the immense progress which ,christianity was making both in the conversion of increasing thousands and also in its indirect influence over multitudes more1 he had anxieties as to the near future of the church in that land4 ,writing to one of the secretaries of the ,american ,bible ,society1 in ,january1 #aijf1 he said3 8,if ,i understand the signs of the time in ,china1 it will not be many years--,i put it at ten to fifteen--until the ,chinese church will declare her independence of the missionaries1 pay her own expenses1 and make her own creed4444 ,what this creed will be1 will depend very much on the kind and number of preachers we train in the meantime40 ,the speeches made at the ,chinese ,students' ,alliance1 held at ,hartford1 ,august #bd1 #aiaj1 both by the ,chinese and by ,americans1 indicate a very strong tendency in this direction4 ,in view of the entire situation1 national and religious1 he iterated and reiterated that the most imperative duty of missionaries in ,china at present is the training of native preachers and teachers on a scale and in a manner that will fit them to meet the emergency1 and to take advantage of the opportunity for the evangelization of the land and the starting of the church that soon must be1 on a voyage that will not1 through lack of chart and compass and proper guidance1 wreck itself on the way4 ,here are some of his deliberate utterances within the last three years of his life3 ,allow me to say that at the present time in ,china ,i regard schools and the training of teachers and preachers as the chief thing1--much more important than the founding of new stations1 with expensive buildings1 in order to cover new territory4 ,this is not a passing thought1 but is said advisedly4 ,the time for training these teachers and preachers is limited2 before many years the native church will declare her independence1 when all will depend on the intelligence and soundness of her leaders4 ,again taking a view that includes the church1 but that is so broad as to sweep over the entire national situation1 he said3 8,china is fascinated by the power1 skill1 and knowledge of the west4 ,she covets these things1 and clamors impatiently for them1 but they do not come at her call4 ,she has caught up the idea that education will solve the problem and speedily lift her into the family of nations4 ,she issues edicts to annul the old and inaugurate the new4 ,she commands the opening of schools in every county1 not realizing that without teachers1 or methods1 or money efficient schools are impossible4 ,true to her character1 she is deceiving herself with a sham2 a mere pretense of knowledge4 ,the old is passing faster than the new is coming1 and there are ominous signs of danger ahead4 ,there are already a good many competent ,christian teachers in ,china1 and very few others2 but ,chinese conservatism hates and fears ,christianity1 and will not employ ,christian teachers if it can possibly be avoided4 ,china has still one great and fundamental lesson to learn1 namely3 that ,christianity is not her enemy1 but her friend2 that faithful and honest men are not made by simply teaching them geometry and chemistry4 ,she will presently learn1 however1 that ,christianity holds the only patent there is for the construction of high moral character4 ,she resents the idea now1 but sooner or later she will be compelled to admit it4 ,in the meantime she needs men to teach her1 and to show her the way4 ,never perhaps in the world's history was the saying of ,christ more conspicuously exemplified3 8,the harvest truly is plenteous1 but the laborers are few40 ,ever since he set foot on the soil of that country he had kept on pleading for reinforcements in his work1--now a physician1 then a teacher1 again a man capable of overseeing mechanical operations1 and always more ordained missionaries4 ,he entertained very common-sense notions as to the sort of reinforcements that are desirable4 ,he says in an old letter directed to theological students in the seminary where he was trained3 8,i might add more especially that missionaries should not be men of one idea1 unless perchance that idea be a zeal for saving souls4 ,the men needed are those who have well-balanced1 practical minds4444 ,the man of vivacious temperament1 pleasing address1 ready wit1 and ready utterance1 other things being equal1 will make the best missionary40 ,the language he did not regard as at all beyond the acquisition of any person with fair ability and faithful application1 though he recognized more than a moderate measure of these as essential to the writing of books4 ,as the new ,china loomed up before him1 his cry for help became1 if possible1 more earnest2 it came from the very depths of his soul1 and with an intensity which words could not adequately express4 ,before proceeding to relate the story of his death1 can ,i do better than to give the last of these appeals of which we have the records8 ,the letter from which ,i quote is dated ,wei ,hsien1 ,september #a1 #aijg1 just a year before his ,master called him home4 ,he said3 ,tell the young men of ,america for me1 that ,china now presents to the church the greatest opportunity of the ages4 ,god has opened the door1--opened it wide4 ,three hundred and fifty millions of people are ready to hear the gospel message4 ,this door has not been opened without great strife and effort4 ,in the face of steady and persistent opposition1 and through much suffering and bloodshed1 a large and lasting impression has been already made4 ,the dark and discouraging days are over and the future is bright with promise4 ,as ,i look back over the first twenty-five years of my missionary life1 it seems like a troubled dream4 ,the last fifteen years have wrought wonders in ,china4 ,old customs and prejudices are giving way4 ,the bright dawn of better things is upon us4 ,the most conservative and immovable people in the world1 persistently wedded to the old ways1 are getting used to new things1 and are ready to accept whatever promises profit and prosperity4 ,all ears are open1 and the preaching of the gospel is nowhere opposed or resisted4 ,i often wish ,i were young again1 just ready to start in on the bright opening campaign4 ,in a large sense the future of the church and of the world lies wrapped up in this great people4 ,why in the providence of ,god the gospel of salvation has not long ere this reached this oldest and greatest nation is an unexplained mystery4 ,these unconverted millions of the ,mongolian race will presently come into their inheritance of truth and grace1 and then who shall say what they will become1 and do8 ,their fecundity1 their physical stamina1 their patient persistence and intellectual vigor1 are factors that will count in the world's future history4444 ,as ,i look at the situation in the light of the past1 and forecasting the probabilities of the future1 a more inviting field for the exercise of consecrated talent has rarely1 if ever1 presented itself in the history of civilization4 ,very few people in the church in the west understand and appreciate the present condition of things in ,china4 ,the political forces and problems are better understood than the moral and religious4 ,it is still true that 8the children of the world are wiser in their generation than the children of light40 ,the faith of the long1 old centuries is passing rapidly away1 but what shall the new faith be8 ,this is the great ,christian question of the hour4 ,the young men of ,china are mad to learn ,english1 because there is money in it4 ,with ,english come books and newspapers1 sowing the seeds of agnosticism1 and skepticism1 and rationalism1 and so forth4 ,the cry is1 ,who will champion the truth8 ,who will administer the antidote8 ,who will uphold the cross8 ,who will testify for ,christ8 ,the call is urgent4 ,satan is in the field4 ,the opportunity is passing4 ,the time is strategic4 ,the changes of many years are now crowded into one4 ,young men1 it is time to be up and doing6 ,the march of events will not wait on your tardiness4 ,who will hear the ,master's trumpet call8 ,,xvi ,,called ,,up ,,higher 8,i have given my life to ,china3 ,i expect to live there1 to die there1 and to be buried there40--,,from ,,his ,,farewell ,,address ,,in ,,the ,,central ,,presbyterian ,,church1 ,allegheny1 ,pa41 #ahfb4 8,i expect to die in heathen ,china1 but ,i expect to rise in ,christian ,china40--,,another ,,farewell ,,address4 ,in the chapter on the ,mandarin revision we left the committee on the ,old ,testament1 in the summer of #aijh1 at work on ,genesis and the ,psalms1 down at ,chefoo1 with the ,goodrich and the ,mateer family keeping house together4 ,dr4 ,goodrich had been the dean of the ,union ,theological ,seminary at ,peking1 and so was thoroughly versed in the educational phase of missions1 still occupying so large a place in the heart and mind of ,dr4 ,mateer4 ,these two men also had served together on the revision of the ,new ,testament1 from the beginning to the end4 ,they were in many features of their character very different from each other1 and yet in their common labors and in their convictions they were in thorough harmony4 ,mrs4 ,goodrich and ,mrs4 ,mateer had come out on the same steamer in #ahgi1 to join the forces of the ,american ,board1 as unmarried missionaries2 and the subsequent years had served to cement their friendship4 ,the house in which they resided at ,chefoo during that summer looked out on a charming scene3 the 8island10 the bay1 and the passage1 with craft of all kinds1 ,chinese junks and sampans1 and steamers1 small torpedo boats1 and big battleships of every nation1 either riding at anchor or coming up into the harbor4 ,from the back windows the eye rested on a jagged range of hills1 crowned at the top by a curious wall1 so like the views of the ,great ,wall shown in pictures that ignorant sailors imagined it to be that famous structure4 ,one can easily understand that under such circumstances the two families greatly enjoyed the earlier part of the session of the committee4 ,dr4 ,goodrich1 in the following quotation from the article which he published in the ,january issue of 8,the ,chinese ,recorder10 in memory of ,dr4 ,mateer1 had in mind his entire acquaintance with him1 extending over thirty-five years1 but it is tinged especially with the recollection of the preceding summer4 ,he says3 ,much of the time we have been together in the protracted daily sessions of the committee1 as well as in the long evening walks1 when we talked on everything between the zenith and the nadir2 for then his thoughts were 8ready to fly ,east as ,west1 whichever way besought them40 ,if he were not widely read1 he had thought widely and deeply1 being at once conservative1 progressive1 and original4 ,he had strong opinions1 and was at times severe and stern in maintaining them4 ,but he loved those of a contrary opinion with a true and deep affection4 ,from first to last he was a royal friend4 ,dr4 ,mateer thought naturally in terms of logic and mathematics1 but not without a side in his nature for poetry and sentiment4 ,dr4 ,mateer's character1 especially during the later years1 was constantly mellowing1 and the past summer1 which our two families spent together in our own 8hired house0 at ,chefoo1 must ever be remembered as one of the happiest periods of our lives1 without a break or jar to mar its enjoyment4 ,was it a sort of unconscious preparation for the sweeter joys and more perfect fellowship in the dear upper home8 ,dr4 ,mateer worked on with his usual untiring faithfulness1 during the last summer1 though not quite well at times4 ,how he lived in the ,psalms1 upon which he bestowed loving labor6 ,sometimes he would look out from his little study to the room which held all too closely his beloved wife1 who has followed the ,bible revision with an interest scarcely less intense than his own1 and consult with her on some difficult phrase1 or tell her of some beautiful figure he had succeeded in translating4 ,in the early morning we took a dip in the sea--he was a good swimmer--and after he had 8talked with ,him10 at six o'clock he was ready for his teacher4 ,in the evening his walks were less regular and shorter than in other years4 ,in explanation of one sentence of the preceding it needs to be stated that by an accident ,mrs4 ,mateer was then so disabled that she kept her room4 ,during the summer he suffered from a chronic tendency to dysenteric diarrhea1 yet it was not until well toward the close of the session of the ,committee that he remained in bed for the entire day4 ,at first he worked on there1 upon the translation of the ,psalms1 which he was especially anxious to give to the people in such language that they could readily catch it with the ear1 and that the ,psalms might be to the ,chinese church the rich heritage they are to the ,english-speaking race4 ,at length it became evident that his case was fast becoming so critical that if medical aid under the most favorable conditions could save his life1 the very best that could be had must be secured at once4 ,so it was decided that he ought to go on a steamer down to ,tsingtao in the ,german concession4 ,it would require twenty-four hours to make the trip2 but when asked whether he was able to endure the journey1 he replied3 8,i must4 ,i shall die if ,i remain here40 ,the necessity for the change was not due to any lack of medical care or friendly ministrations at ,chefoo2 it was made in order to secure the superior advantages which a good hospital affords4 ,fortunately the voyage was quiet4 ,his wife went with him2 and ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,goodrich also accompanied them4 ,it was ,tuesday night when they reached ,tsingtao1 and friends were at the landing2 and1 supported in loving arms1 he was carried at once in a carriage to the ,faber ,hospital1 where ,dr4 ,wunsch1 a skilled physician1 exhausted his efforts to save him4 ,dr4 ,hayes was already there1 and at ,dr4 ,mateer's request spent each day in the hospital4 ,friday of that week was the anniversary of their marriage1 but it was impracticable for his wife to be brought to his bedside4 ,saturday it became evident that the end was not far away1 and she was permitted to see him2 and he seemed so comforted by her presence1 though he was too weak to talk much1 that they allowed her to stay4 ,in response to a telegram1 his brother ,robert and ,madge1 his wife1 came at once4 ,saturday afternoon his mind wandered1 and seemed to run on the affairs of the college4 ,sunday morning he asked ,robert to pray with him2 and in connection with this one of the great passions that had long possessed him manifested itself4 ,as on the journey down on the boat he lay exhausted1 he had said to ,dr4 ,goodrich3 8,they must do their best to cure me at the hospital1 so that ,i can finish the ,psalms4 ,that is all ,i have to live for now0--meaning1 of course1 by this1 only the work to which he had given himself4 ,now1 when his brother in his prayer asked that the sufferer at whose bedside he knelt might be given an abundant entrance into the heavenly rest1 ,dr4 ,mateer cried out3 8,raise your faith a notch higher1 ,robert4 ,pray that ,i may be spared to finish the translation of the ,psalms40 ,then he asked that ,dr4 ,hayes be called in1 and he requested him to pray for this2 and when this was done he added1 8,o ,lord1 may this prayer be answered60 ,on ,sabbath when some of his 8boys10 alumni of the ,shantung ,college1 who were living in the town came to see him1 he was so weak that he could only say to them1 8,good-by40 ,all those last days he took great comfort in prayer4 ,as he gradually went down into the shadow of death1 his faith continued firm and bright4 ,to an inquiry by his wife as to his trust in ,christ1 he replied3 8,yes1 ,i have nothing to fear40 ,some time before the end he said to his brother ,robert1 8,i have laid up all in my ,father's keeping40 ,the very last words which he was heard distinctly to articulate were indicative of a passion that possessed his soul even far more strongly than his desire to complete his work on the ,scriptures4 ,those who knew him most intimately recognized in him a man of extraordinary reverence for ,god1--for him whom1 from his childhood's memorizing of the catechism on to the end1 he believed to be infinite1 eternal1 and unchangeable in his being1 wisdom1 power1 holiness1 justice1 goodness1 and truth4 ,he was one of those who in the public services of a house of worship always stood in prayer1 though about him all might be sitting in their seats4 ,he thought no other posture except kneeling or standing appropriate in this act of social worship4 ,his whole conception of religion1 theoretical and practical1 was saturated with a holy fear of ,god4 ,to him ,god was his heavenly ,father1 who has manifested himself above all else in the person and work of ,jesus ,christ1 and unto whom he constantly turned with holy boldness2 but whenever he came consciously into the divine presence he was devoutly reverent4 ,it was in keeping with his whole religious life1 therefore1 that his last audible words1 were 8,holy6 ,holy6 ,true and ,mighty60 ,then--not long afterward--he fell asleep4 ,he died at #aj3be in the morning of ,september #bh1 #aijh4 ,among his papers a little book was found which when it was opened proved to be a collection of private prayers recorded in #ahfc1 the year in which he went to ,china4 ,the last of these prayers is the following3 ,permit not the great adversary to harass my soul1 in the last struggle1 but make me a conqueror1 and more than a conqueror in this fearful conflict4 ,i humbly ask that my reason may be continued to the last1 and if it be ,thy will1 that ,i may be so comforted and supported that ,i may leave testimony in favor of the reality of religion1 and thy faithfulness in fulfilling thy gracious promises1 and that others of thy servants who may follow after1 may be encouraged by my example to commit themselves boldly to the guidance and keeping of the ,shepherd of ,israel4 ,and when my spirit leaves this clay tenement1 ,lord ,jesus receive it4 ,send some of the blessed angels to conduct my inexperienced soul to the mansion which thy love has prepared4 ,and oh1 let me be so situated1 though in the lowest rank1 that ,i may behold thy glory6 ,this prayer1 which in his young manhood he had recorded in that little book1 was fulfilled so far as its petitions concerned his end upon earth2 and who doubts that equally fulfilled were also those petitions which looked forward to his entrance upon the eternal life8 ,at ,tsingtao a funeral service was held in the little ,chinese ,presbyterian chapel4 ,among those present were ,rev4 ,dr4 ,bergen and ,rev4 ,w4 ,p4 ,chalfant1 from the ,shantung ,presbyterian ,mission1 then holding a meeting at ,wei ,hsien1 representatives from the ,basel and ,berlin ,protestant ,missions1 and a large number of ,chinese4 ,after the casket was placed in the church1 former students of the ,shantung ,college came in with long wreaths of immortelles1 and so festooned these about the coffin that they could remain on the journey yet to be taken4 ,addresses were delivered in both ,english and ,chinese1 and were full of appreciation for the missionary just gone up higher4 ,the ,chinese speakers were some of his own 8boys10 who then testified to their appreciation of their 8old master10 as they were accustomed to call him4 ,after the service the casket was taken to the same steamer on which he had been brought down1 and thus was removed to ,chefoo1 in care of his brother ,robert and ,mr4 ,mason ,wells4 ,that evening the casket was escorted by a number of ,chinese ,christian young men to the rooms of the ,naval ,young ,men's ,christian ,association2 and the next morning to ,nevius ,hall1 on ,temple ,hill1 where it remained until the time of burial1 covered with flowers provided by loving hands4 ,during this delay the missionaries up at ,tengchow had1 in response to a telegram1 exhumed the remains of ,julia1 and caused them to be transferred to ,chefoo1 where they were placed in the vault prepared in the cemetery4 ,her monument1 however1 was left standing in the original burial place1 and the name of ,dr4 ,mateer has also been inscribed on it4 ,the funeral service was at #b4de ,p4,m41 on ,sabbath2 and the large1 new church on ,temple ,hill was filled to overflowing4 ,the conduct of this service was in the hands of the ,chinese1 ,pastor ,wang of the ,temple ,hill church presiding1 and ,pastor ,lwan of the ,tengchow church assisting4 ,in a sermon based on ,revelation #ad3ac1 ,pastor ,wang spoke of ,dr4 ,mateer's long and active life1 of his power as a preacher who addressed himself straight to the hearts of the people1 and of the enduring character of the work he had accomplished4 ,rev4 ,lwan followed in an address in which he dwelt upon the large number of people who would mourn the death of ,dr4 ,mateer1 and the many different places where memorial services would be held2 on his adaptability to all classes of men in order to win them to ,christ1 and on his unfailing assurance that the gospel would finally triumph in ,china4 ,the ,english service followed immediately afterward in the cemetery2 but on account of the large number of foreign missionaries who had come1 and the limited space1 announcement had to be made before leaving the church that of the many ,chinese who were present1 only those who had been ,dr4 ,mateer's students could be admitted4 ,one of the great regrets incident to the burial was that ,dr4 ,corbett1 who had come out to ,china with him on that long first voyage1 and who had been his close associate on the field in so much of the work1 and who cherished for him the warmest regard1 could not be present4 ,he was away in a country field when death came to ,dr4 ,mateer1 and the news did not reach him in time for him to return to the funeral4 ,in his absence ,rev4 ,dr4 ,w4 ,o4 ,elterich1 of ,chefoo1 conducted the service4 ,after he had spoken1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,p4 ,irwin1 of ,tengchow1--who had been associated with ,dr4 ,mateer in the same station1 and who as a consequence knew him intimately1--bore his testimony especially to the unceasing activity of the life of him whose body was about to be lowered into the grave1 and the impossibility that his work should have been finished even if he had lived to be a hundred years old2 to the warm heart hidden beneath an exterior that did not always reveal it2 and to the purpose now fulfilled1 but formed nearly half a century before by him and by her whose remains now rest at his side1 to spend their whole lives in giving the gospel to ,china1 and to be buried in its soil4 ,their graves are in a very beautiful spot1 directly in front of the upper walk leading in from the gate1 and in close proximity to those of ,dr4 ,nevius and of others of their missionary friends and associates4 ,illustration3 ,,at ,,the ,,grave ,,of ,,dr ,,mateer ,the tributes paid to his character and work were so numerous1 both out in ,china and in the ,united ,states and in other ,christian lands1 that all that is practicable here is to make some selections that may serve as representatives4 ,that of ,dr4 ,corbett deserves the place of precedence4 ,their strong attachment was mutual4 ,in an article filling several columns of 8,the ,presbyterian ,banner10 ,dr4 ,corbett paid his tribute to his deceased friend4 ,much of this is of necessity a condensed rehearsal of his life and of the leading characteristics therein revealed4 ,he concludes by saying3 ,personally ,i shall ever esteem it one of the greatest blessings of my life that it has been my privilege to have enjoyed the friendship1 and of being a colaborer with this great man for nearly fifty years4 ,more than forty years ago it was my privilege to spend with him weeks and months on long itinerating journeys1 preaching daily to hundreds who had never heard the gospel1 and at no place finding ,christians to cheer our hearts4 ,often after a long day of exhaustion1 preaching in the open air at great markets and on crowded streets1 in the evening we would kneel together at the inn and earnestly pray for ,god's richest blessing upon our efforts to bring men to a saving knowledge of the truth4 ,often the thought came into our mind1 ,can these dry bones live8 ,shall we live to see ,christian churches established and shepherded by ,chinese pastors8 ,his unwavering faith in the ultimate and universal triumph of the gospel in ,china was a tower of strength to all associated with him4 ,when the news of his death reached me at our inland station1 the thought rushed into my mind3 8,know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in ,israel80 ,the world will ever seem more lonely without him4 ,his sympathy and help could always be counted on in every kind of true missionary work4 ,his labors were crowned with success and honor continuously1 until he was summoned by the ,master to a higher and wider sphere where his saints serve him4 ,it seems to me that the man who is entitled to be heard next is the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,w4 ,m4 ,hayes1 now of ,tsingchow fu1 but formerly--after the resignation of ,dr4 ,mateer--the head of the ,tengchow ,college4 ,there is no one of his associates on the mission field in whom ,dr4 ,mateer had greater confidence2 and for years they were in such constant contact that they knew each other most thoroughly4 ,a few days after the burial a memorial service was held at ,wei ,hsien1 and at this ,dr4 ,hayes made an extended address before an audience including the students of the college4 ,the respective lines of thought which he first elaborated were his faithfulness to ,christ's service1 his resolution1 his attention to great matters1 and his industry4 ,in the conclusion he said3 ,let us strive to make his strong spiritual qualities our own4 ,of these1 the most conspicuous were three3 ,first1 his faith4 ,the morning he died1 replying to an inquiry of his brother1 he said1 8,i have left those things long ago in the hands of my ,father40 ,later1 and only a few hours before his death1 he said1 as if speaking to himself1 8,we are justified of the ,lord ,jesus40 ,it is not strange that with such a faith he fell asleep as a little child would in its mother's arms4 ,second1 his reverential spirit4 ,though he did not fear the face of man1 and was outspoken in his convictions1 yet1 especially in his later years1 as one who had served with him on the ,translation ,committee from the first remarked1 his reverence in approaching the divine presence was apparent to all4 ,this was characteristic of him to the end4 ,the last distinct utterance which he made was1 8,holy6 ,holy6 ,holy6 ,true and ,mighty40 ,lying prone on his couch1 it seemed as if he saw the ,king in his beauty1 and the vision filled his soul with godly fear4 ,third1 his forgiving spirit4 ,being a man of decided views1 and disapproving of what did not seem to him wise and good1 he did not always approve of the course taken by his colleagues2 yet if convinced that a man was working with a single heart for the interest of ,christ's kingdom1 he was ready to forgive1 and to hope for the best4 ,he loved the ,lord who had forgiven him1 and so loved those who had offended against himself4 ,this extended both to those with whom he labored1 and to those for whom he labored4 ,one of his marked characteristics was not to give over any man who had fallen away1 and he was always ready to give him another chance4 ,i have already noticed the intimacy of ,dr4 ,chauncey ,goodrich1 of ,peking1 with ,dr4 ,mateer4 ,the tribute which he paid his long-time friend1 and his associate and captain on the ,mandarin ,revision ,committee through the many years of their labors1 is perhaps the most comprehensive of all that have been published4 ,it filled fourteen pages of 8,the ,chinese ,recorder10 and touches all the leading features of the life and work of ,dr4 ,mateer4 ,what he says as to the ,mandarin version has especial weight4 ,his testimony was3 ,in the interest of truth it must be added that no man gave so much time and hard work1 or dug quite so deep4 ,his effort to produce a translation which should match the original1 to translate the figures and preserve their beauty1 was extraordinary4444 ,at these sessions ,dr4 ,mateer by his strong and masterful personality1 as well as by the thoroughness of his preparation1 did much to set the style of the work4 ,turning to some of his leading characteristics1 he proceeded thus3 ,first1 his personality4 ,in the ,conference of #ahij1 ,dr4 ,wright1 secretary of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 was with us4 ,he remarked that 8of all the men present at that conference1 there were two whose personality most impressed him40 ,one of these was ,dr4 ,mateer4 ,he bore himself like a sort of prince among men1 facile princeps4 ,he was born to lead1 not to follow4 ,having worked out his own conclusions1 he was so sure of them that he expected1 almost demanded1 their acceptance by others4 ,yet he was not arrogant and was truly humble4 ,moreover1 he could ask forgiveness for words that he felt had been too hasty or too harsh1 feeling much broken by giving pain to a friend4 ,in this he showed his greatness4 ,he could also forgive and forget4 ,but he was still a leader by the very force of his personality4 ,he had the quality of perseverance in a large degree4 ,having undertaken a work1 he held to it with unwavering and unconquerable persistence to the end1 444 and that not only because he gripped the work1 but because the work gripped him4 ,had his life been spared1 he would have worked steadily on through the ,old ,testament till the last verse of ,malachi was finished1 and the whole was carefully reviewed4 ,of ,dr4 ,mateer's habit of working till the end was reached ,dr4 ,hamilton writes3 8,not many months ago1 at a meeting of the ,shantung ,board of ,directors1 we had a considerable amount of unfinished business1 and the week was hastening to its close4 ,no one had more work awaiting him at home than the ,doctor4 ,yet when the question of the time of our dispersion was raised1 he said3 #8,i have always made it a rule1 when ,i attend meetings of this kind1 to finish up the business in hand1 no matter how long it takes4'0 ,united to this quality of perseverance was a kindred quality of thoroughness1 that appeared in everything he attempted4 ,dr4 ,mateer possessed a rugged strength of character4 ,he was almost ,spartan in his ability to endure hardships1 and in his careless scorn for the amenities and 8elegant superfluities0 of modern life4 ,yet 8beneath a rugged and somewhat austere exterior0 he had a heart of remarkable tenderness4 ,he was a block of granite with the heart of a woman4 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,baller also had been associated with ,dr4 ,mateer in the revision of the ,scriptures since #aijj4 ,he says of him3 ,he has left behind him an example of strenuous toil that it would be difficult to parallel2 of iron constitution1 he was able to do an amount of work that would have killed most men4 ,his devotion to the cause of ,christ was beyond praise4 ,his recreation consisted in change of occupation1 and he made all tend to the one end4 ,ada1 who in the last eight years of his life stood nearer to him by far than any other1 and knew his innermost life1 puts on record this supplement as to some of his traits not so fully brought out by the testimony of his friends3 ,next to his reverence1 the most noteworthy feature of his character was his love of truth3 truth in the abstract1 scientific truth and truth in the common conversation of life1 but especially in matters of religion4 ,he had no patience with the popular maxim that it does not matter what a man believes1 so long as he is sincere4 8,is there no such thing as truth80 he would say4 8,does it make no difference to a man whether the bank in which he invests is broken8 ,men are not such idiots in the ordinary affairs of life40 ,if it came to a choice between a polite lie and the impolite truth1 he would choose the latter4 ,he exalted truth above every other virtue4 ,his love of it freed him from that trammeling of conventionality which binds so many4 ,he would be the slave of no man-made custom4 ,associated with this characteristic1 perhaps a result of it1 was the kindred love of freedom4 ,one of his favorite texts was1 8,and ye shall know the truth1 and the truth shall make you free40 ,this sturdy independence he sought to impress on all minds coming under his influence4 ,he had no patience with that kind of education that simply trained the ,chinese to become 8lackeys of the foreigners40 ,how his lips would curl as he muttered that phrase6 ,he would waste money often in trying to help some one to assertive1 manly work in independent lines1 rather than as an employee4 ,this sturdy force in his character was like the magnetic crane1 which lifts pieces of iron1 even though they have been hidden in the ground4 ,it compelled the manhood in other men to assert itself2 though hidden from view1 yet to burst from its covering1 and to be drawn up higher4 ,as already noted1 the ,west ,shantung ,mission was in session at ,wei ,hsien when the tidings of ,dr4 ,mateer's death came2 and before they adjourned they adopted a highly appreciative minute concerning him4 ,in it they said1 among other equally strong tributes to his worth3 ,no one ever went to him in trouble without finding sympathy and help4 ,frugal in his style of living1 he gave generously of his personal means to many a needy man2 and he made many considerable gifts to the college and to other departments of the work he so much loved4 ,his name will long be a fragrant memory in our midst1 and the ,chinese will more and more1 in the years to come1 rise up and call him blessed4 ,the ,english ,baptist ,mission at their first meeting after his death adopted resolutions expressive of their deep sense of loss4 ,one of these will serve as an example of all3 ,combined with great strength of will and an enthusiasm which overcame all difficulties and opposition which stood in the way of the accomplishment of the great and arduous tasks1 he was endowed with much tenderness of heart and a devoted loyalty to the gospel4 ,he was a successful educator1 a fine administrator1 a powerful preacher1 and a distinguished scholar2 and his removal from amongst us has left a gap which will not soon or easily be filled4 ,the ,presbyterian ,board of ,foreign ,missions1 under whom he had served for forty-five years1 adopted an extended and highly appreciative paper4 ,in one of the paragraphs1 they say3 ,dr4 ,mateer was a man of unusual ability and force of character2 an educator1 a scholar1 and an executive of high capacity4444 ,the ,board records1 with profound gratitude to ,god1 its sense of the large usefulness of this great missionary educator4 ,it mourns that the work is no longer to have the benefit of his counsel1 but it believes that he builded so wisely and so well that the results of his labors will long endure1 and that his name will always have a prominent place in the history of missionary work in the ,chinese ,empire4 ,secretary ,brown1 of that ,board1 in a letter to ,rev4 ,robert ,mateer1 of ,wei ,hsien1 said3 8,i regarded him as one of the great missionaries not only of ,china1 but of the world40 ,scores upon scores of personal letters1 and a large number of articles published in newspapers and periodicals1 are available as tributes to his work and character4 ,necessarily1 they repeat what is said in the quotations already given1 though almost every one makes some valuable addition4 ,few of them were meant for publication1 and it is not because of a lack of appreciation that any of them are omitted here4 ,shall his biographer add his own estimate of the work and character of ,dr4 ,mateer8 ,if the writing of this book has been at all what it ought to be1 this cannot be still needed2 for1 if he has revealed the inner and the outer life of this great ,christian missionary as it deserves1 and as he has aimed to do1 then to turn back now and rehearse his characteristics would be a superfluity4 ,besides1 if ,i begin1 where shall ,i end8 ,i must tell of his personality2 his individuality2 of his physique and of his psychical nature2 of his peculiarities of intellect1--its vigor1 versatility and vision2 of his great heart1 and the tenderness of it that was not always externally manifest enough to command recognition2 of his will that yielded never to numbers or force1 but only to truth and duty2 of a conscience whose voice would have made him defy anything that man could do to him2 of a piety that rooted itself in the sovereignty and in the grace of ,almighty ,god1 and in the redemption which ,christ finished on the cross2 of a consecration that laid himself and all that he could bring upon the altar of divine service2 of the preacher1 the teacher1 the scholar1 the man of science1 the man of business1 and of the son1 the husband1 the brother1 the fellow-disciple and associate in ,christian service2 of his economy of time and of money1 and of his generosity2 of his conservatism and his progressiveness2 of his singleness of purpose1 his courage1 his persistence1 his efficiency2 of his weaknesses as well as of his strength2 of his many successes and his few failures2 and of how much more ,i cannot enumerate4 ,i would be justified in comparing him with the very foremost of the servants of ,christ1 living or dead1 who during the past century have consecrated their lives to the evangelization of ,china2 or with ,verbeck of ,japan1 or ,duff of ,india4 ,however1 ,i will here venture further1 only to invite as many as may to look well into the story of his life2 and ,i am confident that they will join with me in saying3 8,this was a ,christian2 this was as distinctively a missionary1 and as efficient as anyone of our age2 and at the same time this was as manly a man as our generation has seen40 ,in the 8,pilgrim's ,progress0 we read3 8,after this it was noised abroad that ,mr4 ,valiant-for-truth was taken with a summons by the same post as the other2 and had this for a token that the summons was true1 #8,that his pitcher was broken at the fountain4' ,when he understood it he called for his friends1 and told them of it4 ,then1 said he1 ,i am going to my ,father's2 and though with great difficulty ,i am got thither1 yet now ,i do not repent me of all the trouble ,i had been at to arrive where ,i am4 ,my sword ,i give to him that succeeds me in my pilgrimage1 and my courage and skill to him that may get it4 ,my marks and scars ,i carry with me1 to be a witness for me that ,i have fought ,his battle who now will be my rewarder4 ,when the day that he must go hence was come1 many accompanied him to the river side1 into which as he went he said1 #8,death1 where is thy sting8' ,and as he went down deeper1 he said1 #8,grave1 where is thy victory8' ,so he passed over1 and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side40 ,,index ,aground off coast of ,china1 #fc ,algebras1 #afd ,anglo-,chinese college1 #baf1 #bah ,anniversary of graduation1 #ci ,apparatus1 #bji1 #baa1 #bdd ,apprehensions as to ,china1 #cjh1 #cac ,arithmetic1 #afb ,baller1 ,rev4 ,mr41 #ahb1 #beh1 #ccc ,baptism1 infant1 tract1 #afj ,beaver ,academy1 #dc1 #bci ,bergen1 ,paul ,d41 #bbe1 #bbi1 #cbe ,birth1 #ae ,birthday1 seventieth1 #bgc1 #bie ,books in preparation1 #afj1 #aff ,boyish traits1 #ag1 #be1 #bcg 8,boxer0 uprising1 #bfd1 #bhd1 #bhf ,brown1 ,arthur ,j41 #i1 #ab1 #ccf ,brown1 ,julia ,a41 #ec ,brown1 ,margaret1 #ed1 #abc1 #adc1 #aec1 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