Walley had but recently returned from England, and having been transferred to Chungking from Wuhu, his former station, was helping in the Nanking work before proceeding West. We sympathise very deeply with those who have been so sadly and suddenly bereft of their dear ones, and pray that the God of all comfort may be present with them in a special manner.

* * *

WE write this from the quarantine station (pest-house if you please, though that is an ugly designation of what is really a not unpleasant place) at Kobe, Japan. We came here on the French mail steamer, which, though it touched at Hongkong, yet took on no cargo or passengers; nothing but mail, which is said to have been fumigated.

The Japanese, however, have their own ideas as to quarantine, now that quarantine has at last been determined upon, and into quarantine all the passengers for Kobe must go while the ship is allowed to proceed to Yokohama. The furnishings of the station certainly do honor to the Japanese government-a good two-storey foreign built house with clean bedding (most of it entirely new), mosquito netting, well arranged bath houses for hot sulphur baths, superheated steam for disinfecting clothing and baggage, plenty of officers and attendants; in fact everything, except-and that except makes the whole seem a farce-we are not isolated, and our baggage was not fumigated! Friends from Kobe come to see us daily, and we mingle with them freely. Our food is furnished us from one of the Kobe hotels, and the attendants go back and forth constantly.

It is all but another illustration of how the Japanese, just emerging into the light of modern civiliWe fear zation, get things mixed. it is very much the same with the work of missions. Since stopping

here we have read in the Review of Reviews a notice of an article by the Rev. J. L. Atkinson, of Kobe, on the "New Theology" of the Japanese. It seems very much like this quarantine; some very good things about it, but badly mixed, and some most important items left out. The Japanese are in a transition state, politically and religiously, and while wonderful progress has undoubtedly been made in both lines it would be strange if mistakes were not made. We have great hopes, however, for Japan in both respects. We believe that her religious teachers (native) will gradually come to see their mistakes-learning sometimes from a sad experience-and that evena noble tually there will result Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

IN last RECORDER we expressed the hope of being able this month to refer to the self-supporting system followed at the Wesleyan Missionary Hospital in Fatshan. Just as we go to press the report for the year 1892 reaches us, and in it we find a general review of the self-supporting system.

Dur

ing the past six years the funds necessary for giving gratuitous treatment to the poor have been obtained by charging fees to those who could afford to pay, the financial arrangement customary between Chinese doctors and their patients having been adopted. "The results of the experiment," the report says, "have been in every way most satisfactory. It has widened our sphere of work and made our treatment more efficient; it has made our preaching of the Gospel to the patients more impressive, and in the town generally has markedly increased our influence. The converts we make are few, but they are, at least, as numerous as they were before, and the example of our hospital has had such stimulating influence upon our na

tive Christians in Fatshan that last year they undertook to support their own pastor and pay all the expenses of their Church without any assistance whatsoever from missionary funds. Beyond all this we have demonstrated the possibility of establishing self-supporting missionary hospitals in China, and so without any seriously increased demands upon the benevolence of Western Christians of multiplying these institutions and extending this work until the blessings of the Gospel, both physical and spiritual, are brought within reach of all the people of this land."

This subject has been fully discussed in several hospital reports as well as in the June number of the China Medical Missionary Journal. We think the conclusion of our medical contemporary a the that as very sensible one, system which has worked so well in Dr. Wenyon's admirably managed hospital is totally inapplicable to equally admirably managed establishments elsewhere, it is evident that the two conflicting systems must, under the varying conditions, go hand in hand, and the whole question resolve itself into one of individual discretion on the part of the individual medical missionary.

THE Report of the China Agency

of the American Bible Society for 1893 reaches us too late to notice in our "Book Table," but we take this opportunity of congratulating the energetic and genial agent of the Society on what has been accomplished. The sudden death of Dr. Wheeler, consequent changes of administration and serious diminution of the foreign colporteur staff caused a decrease in the circulation, but in spite of this there has been a total circulation of 192,215. Mr. Hykes is working hard to increase the efficiency of the Society's operations, and we notice that 231,900 volumes were published in 1893 and that 23,460 volumes of several much needed editions are being printed and will soon be ready for circulation. Mr. Hykes writes:

"I am satisfied that during my twenty-one years of service in China I never saw a deeper interest manifested in Christianity or more earnest, honest spirit of inquiry into the sacred writings of our holy faith. The great wave of persecution which has been surging over the central provinces of the empire has spread the knowledge of the truth and awakened in many minds a desire to search the Scriptures and see if this new doctrine be of men or of God. Thus God is overruling the wrath of the wicked for His glory."

THE CHURCH AT NEWCHWANG.

Mr. Gillespie sends the statistics of this station for the year ending 1st Nov., 1893, last. Six

were

baptised during the year, making a total of sixty-six members at the close; fifty-three of these are communicants. One hundred books and tracts were sold, and the contributions of the native Church amounted to £2. 6s. 11d.

-Rev. W. J. McKee died Saturday afternoon, July 21, of consumption, at his residence at Socorro, New Mexico. He was born Feb. 21, 1851, and early in life entered the ministry. For fifteen years he was located at Ningpo, China, as a missionary of the Presbyterian Church, and came to New Mexico only a few months ago in the vain effort to recover his health. His funeral took place

-From a report sent us of the Chinese girls' school, Singapore, we gather this information :

The work was begun by Miss Grant in 1843. The Chinese were then greatly opposed to Christianity, and Miss Grant was often in actual danger of her life, but when Miss Cook arrived, in 1853, all the difficulties had been removed, homes established, a staff of girls fitted to be teachers and houses opened to be visited. From this school have gone out not only Bible women but others have married Chinese catechists and pastors and gone with their husbands to China, Corea and other countries. It is interesting to note the success of this institution since its commence

ment fifty years ago. Miss Cook

writes: "The watchword of the Chinese girls' school has been, and I trust will continue to be 'Looking unto Jesus.'”

-The following particulars regarding the death of Rev. J. Wylie are extracted from the N.-C Daily News:

The Murder.

I have just returned from the funeral of the Rev. James Wylie, whose remains arrived from Liaoyang this morning, in charge of the Rev. Geo. Douglas. He was accompanied on his sad journey by the native Christian who bravely stood by Mr. Wylie when he was attacked; he himself receiving many blows. The soldiers, who are Manchus, in charge of an officer named Yi, attacked the chapel on the afternoon of the 10th August; they then, armed with the pieces of broken furniture of the chapel,

attempted to break in Mr. Wylie's compound. Failing in their efforts they passed up the street, joined by this time by the rabble of the city, to the compounds of the other foreigners. The hospital patients, terribly frightened, ran out of the hospital, and the two ladies, who live in the compound, hurried to the next compound where Mr. and Mrs. Douglas live. Mr. Douglas who happens to be 6ft. 4in. in height, went to the gate, opened it and faced the mob, who immediately retired. Meanwhile Mr. Wylie, perceiving a lull in the storm, proceeded with two natives down the north street to the magistrate's yamên, in order to obtain protection for his colleagues. Before reaching the yamén the soldiers caught sight of him, and attacking him with the broken furniture and sharp instruments, either knives or bayonets, they soon finished their ghastly work. He fell where he was attacked.

His Death.

On the 10th the attack took place; on the 13th he recovered consciousness sufficiently to ask: "How is the chapel?" and after a few more sentences he relapsed into unconsciousness and died on the 16th inst.

Local Officials Defied.

On the 11th Aug. the local magistrate demanded from Major Yi the surrender of the guilty soldiers, who, for an answer, promptly attacked him, causing him to flee for his life. A day or two afterwards the Governor and Tartar General telegraphed instructions cashiering the officer and ordering the surrender of the soldiers. But this order came too late. The soldiers had left for Corea.

The Funeral.

The funeral of the late Rev. J. A. Wylie took place on the 21st Aug., at 6 p.m. The burial service

was conducted by the Rev. John Macintyre, who spoke with great feeling. Everyone of the community was present from Mr. T. L. Bullock (H. B. M.'s Consul) down. After the service Mr. Macintyre went round to the mission compound to address many of the Chinese Christians, amongst them was a native deacon, Lieu Chunglan, who stuck to Mr. Wylie to the very last.

THE BLIND TEACHING THE SIGHTED.

A Touching Episode.

Towards the close of last year Mrs. Allardyce, of the London Mission, in the West City, at Peking, mentioned to the Rev. W. H. Murray that she was shortly expecting a class of quite ignorant farm-women to come to her from the country for a month's instruction. She said that each year she has, by the aid of her type-writer, prepared lessons for their use in the Roman alphabet. Now she asked whether Mr. Murray could prepare the lessons in his Numeral-Type for sighted persons, and then send one of his blind girls to teach her and her class. Needless to say he was delighted. It was agreed that his blind students should prepare the Union Catechism, a selection of hymns and some portions of Holy Scripture, and forthwith a party of blind girl-compositors set to work, preparing pages, which a sighted Bible-man printed off at night. Next morning the girls dispersed the type with the utmost neatness and accuracy and prepared more pages for the printer.

As soon as their task was complete Mrs. Murray took blind Hannah and the cart-load of lesson books thus prepared to the London Mission in the west city, and there left her alone with about twenty farm-women from another province (Shantung), whose very speech was strange to her. Yet so

simple is the system she had to teach them, and so well did she accomplish her labour of love that ere the close of one week Mrs. Allardyce herself and several of these women could read fluently, and a day or two later one woman wrote to Mr. Murray a clearly expressed letter with every tone correctly indicated. Ere the close of the month all could read with enjoyment and several could write well, and all loved their gentle blind teacher.

THE NORTH-CHINA MISSION OF THE

AMERICAN BOARD

That

Recently concluded its annual meeting in T'ung-cho. The mission was begun in Nov., 1860, in Tientsin, the port of Peking, thirty miles from the mouth of the Peiho. was the day of small things—one man and one station. Now the mission comprises seven stations, occupied by fifteen families and fourteen single ladies, besides which three families, one single lady, one physician with his motherless child and one mother with her children (her husband being on the field) are temporarily absent, but expecting

glimmering perception of spiritual truth and of a spiritual service which secures material righteousness in the daily life they are much like the glow worm in their remittent light. Taught the truth and helped to an understanding of the life there is a glow and warmth left alone in the darkness, and the inward light appears to fade away and merge into the indistinguishable gloom of superstitious surroundings. And yet there is a difference, there are, there always will be exceptions, for in every clime there are those who go back, and the difference is that the warmth returns, the gloom decreases, the glow gradually becomes the "light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."

As the reports from the different stations told of the progress of the work during the past year it became evident as never before that this result is in process of accomplishment. Three stations had been greatly blessed by a revival, while at all the stations there had been healthy and encouraging progress and spiritual quickening. An earnest and hopeful spirit prevailed among all the workers, foreign and native. Growth, expansion, development, had characterized all departments of effort. An increased sense of responsibility was manifest among the native Christians. There is a clearer apprehension of the true Christ-life and of the right application of Christian principles in daily life, accompanied with a growing desire so to live as to bring others into the right way. The goal is not nearly reached, but a heartier willingness to lay all upon the altar of consecration service for Christ and humanity is apparent.

The educational department is assuming greater prominence year by year. This is the natural and necessary result of successful

evangelistic labor through a period of years. A membership of over 1600, rapidly increasing, must be instructed in Bible truth and Christian living. To do this school teachers, preachers and pastors must be provided, who are able to divide aright the word of God. This the mission realized years ago, and in a small way began a central "training school," which has now developed into the "North-China College," and its crown, the Theological Seminary. Three classes have passed through the seminary, and are doing excellent service. The accommodations have been very contracted the last year or two on account of the growth of the school, but we have hope that the new building will be completed this summer, and the institution be in favorable conditions for work.

more

The mission has never had a more successful year of work, or a more promising outlook for the future. The increase in membership last year was 245. Not counting the doubtful scores probably there are now fully that number of hopeful inquirers, so that an increase of over 300 may readily be anticipated for the present year. On all sides are many promising openings. The working force, especially native, is not half adequate to the opportunities. More money is needed to push and enlarge the work. But above all the abounding or presence of the Holy Spirit is needed, consecrating the entire membership thoroughly unto the Lord. For this we ask the faithful prayers of God's people. Oh if we could only make them see and realize these opportunities I am sure there would be wanting neither workers, nor money, nor prayer, nor success!

Tientsin.

C. A. STANLEY.