lower series, and means or . I have come across the following examples in my own reading 2# | #, "people crowded the road to give in their submission to him." Again [, "stiff corpes succeeded each other (at every step)." Once more ****I. No doubt dozens of similar expressions are to be found in the Concordance. The character chuh has numerous exceedingly common meanings in history which are rare in modern composition. As for H, this, like many other, requires careful watching, for it has several nice meanings not given in Anglo Chinese dictionaries. Here it simply means, i.e. "going when (or until) you arrive." A parallel example is "when," or lors, the matter is talked of." In these senses it is (at least theoretically) read pi,' in the lower series; that is, bi.' In modern official usage means "following which," or "then I did" "instruct," &c., &c., Indeed, there is a combination, which means, not what Dr. Hirth's same pair of characters mean, but much the same as, that is "then when;" with this difference, that the latter rather speaks of, or relates, things past, and the former occurs in connection with things going on at present, thus: EMI "after that when there was," or "now that "there is more money in the chest," (I proposed, or propose, &c.). In another place Dr. Hirth mistakes for . This character, hien (not yao), referring as it does to "the Ts'in word for Heaven,” and "a Tartar (or foreign) god," may turn out to have philological importance, and the misapprehension cannot be passed unnoticed. Doubtless, when Dr. Hirth publishes his texts, there will be plenty of carrion for the critical vultures to swoop down upon; but, unless, as in the present instance, an important point is involved, it is altogether too early for the present race of Chinese students to pretend to sit in severe judgment upon each other's translations. We are none of us more than beginners in Chinese literature; nor was Julien himself much more. Note 1. Dr. Hirth informs me that, in addition to a French Orientalist some 40 years ago, Mr. Kingsmill has already worked out the Sir and Sin question; but, if my recollection does not fail me, he identifies Ts'in with Seres rather than Sinae. Anyhow, his name must not be lost sight of in this connection. Note 2. I have explained elsewhere how (Wak-tsi or Vak-tri) is identified with Báктpа or Vaktria. Further extracts from the Concordance prove conclusively that Yueh-chih, or Yüahtsi was Bactria, and these extracts will be soon forthcoming. IN MEMORIAM.-MRS. JOEL A. SMITH. BY MRS. HATTIE LINN BEEBE. THE members of the Central China Methodist Episcopal Mission are all saddened by the sudden death of one of their number. The annual Meeting at Shanghai was only just over and we had scarcely reached our various fields of labor and settled into the usual daily routine, when we were startled to hear from Kiukiang that Mrs. Joel A. Smith was very ill with a violent form of small pox. Anxiously we waited for the result, hoping for her recovery, but the skill of an experienced physician and the care of a devoted husband were both outdone by the terrible disease and on the twelfth of December 1884 she passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Smith and their two little ones arrived in China October 12th 1884 and it was my privilege to be with them during their voyage from America. We met for the first time the morning after we left Omaha and were almost constant companions for three months, on railway and ocean, and during our stay in Japan, Shanghai and Chinkiang, saying good bye only when the steamer left us here, at Wuhu, in sight of our own pleasant home, and bore them on to Kiukiang, where Mrs. Smith was eager to settle her home, and begin the work she was so anxious to do in this heathen land. I remember thinking when I first saw her that there must be a strong motive to self sacrifice in her life to prompt her to leave home and native land, with two little children and undertake such a work. On a further acquaintance with her I found that she had given herself entirely to her Lord, and counted it not a sacrifice but a blessed privilege to do His will in all things, and as she had cheerfully moved from one appointment to another in their conferences in the home work, so she had gladly answered God's call to go into a far country where the harvest is great and the laborers are few. In all places and under all circumstances the spirit of perfect submission and obediance to the will of her Heavenly Father as it should be manifested to her was evidently the ruling spirit of her life, and it could not be without its influence upon her. On the ocean the Missionary ladies held daily prayer meetings in one of our state rooms, and her prayer often was that while we were in ignorance of what was for us in the future, God would prepare us for what He was preparing for us. Her faith was perfect and her trust unwavering. She expected sacrifice and trial and was not disheartened by the great amount of work to be done among this degraded people or by the evident difficulties in reaching them. Those who knew her and loved her as their Conference Secretary in Nebraska will be glad to know that her missionary zeal did not abate in the least when she reached her field, but that it increased if possible with every day of her stay here. She said in a farewell address to the society of which she was President words which ought to reach the ear of every woman in our Church. "A happy year of work in Christ's Kingdom is almost at an end and changes will come as you begin another year. New Officers will perhaps take our places, and she which is now your President will be on her way across the sea to engage and move actively in the salvation of souls. But whatever changes may come, let us accept them as coming from a wise and just God. I would urge you to live near the foot of the Cross. May your hearts burn constantly with Christ's love and if such be the case your zeal and ardor will only increase in the Foreign Mission work. The language of my heart to night is this. "Lord obediently I'll go, gladly leaving all below, only Thou my leader be, and I still will follow Thee." I would entreat you to be earnest in the work, do not become discouraged or weary in well doing. I know it costs time money, and labor. But did not Christ give Himself for your souls and mine? Yea even for those heathen souls. And should we complain of the small part of our time, or small amount of labor we can bestow when perhaps somebody's soul is to be saved through this very instrumentality? God forbid. May you persevere even to the end and have many stars in your crowns of rejoicing." Mrs. Smith passed her 26th birthday while we were in Japan. She was filled with enthusiasm for the work to which she had consecrated her life, and as she had advanced the Redeemer's cause in the home land we know she would have done so here. To our human eyes it seems as if she could be illy spared, by her husband, her little daughters, and by the great work of establishing Christ's Kingdom in this Empire. While we sincerely mourn with her bereaved friends, it also seems sad that one so well fitted to do good work here should be taken even just as she had reached the field. But we put aside all questioning for we believe with Cowper : "Blind unbelief is sure to err And He will make it plain." It may be true God never takes away His believing children unless He can do more good by their death than their life. May the loving and sacrificing spirit of our sister possess all the hearts of those who knew her, and all who are working for the salvation of women in this and other darkened lands; then will hasten the glad day when all shall know Him from the least even unto the greatest. INFLUENCE OF THE WAR ON MISSION WORK IN FORMOSA AND AMOY. BY REV. THOMAS BARCLAY. DURING the summer of last year our Mission Staff, consisting of its families and two unmarried gentlemen (besides Dr. and Mrs. Maxwell who were on the mainland for some months) continued to reside unmolested in Taiwanfoo. It was considered by the Chinese an unhealthy summer, and Cholera was raging badly in the city and at various places throughout the country, so that we had cause of anxiety apart from the French scare. There were of course rumours of threatened disturbances, at one time a good deal of anxiety was caused by the discovery that an order had been given to workmen in the city for the manufacture of several thousand large knives, and so on. From our stations we heard of threats of persecution of the Christians because of their connection with the foreigners, though these were a good deal quieted by a proclamation of the Tau-tai's pointing out the difference between the English and French nations. Indeed throughout all we were glad to believe that the Authorities were willing to do all in their power for our protection, the only fear was whether they would be able to protect us in case of a popular rising. An additional cause of anxiety was that our Mission compound is situated in the East or landward quarter of the city, so that to reach the post of Anpeng where most of the foreigners live and where we might hope to find a Gunboat we would have been obliged to pass through about two miles of Chinese street and about as much on the open plain, which in case of disturbance might have been difficult. I am glad to be able to state, however, that from beginning to end we have in South Formosa met with no trouble whatever. Neither at our residence in the city nor at any of our 30 country stations has there been an outbreak or disturbance of any kind. This is a matter for which we are all profoundly thankful. At the same time our work has been very much hindered. During the month of August, after the bombardment of Kelung, travelling in the country, we saw little trace of any special excitement. During September, however, the authorities declined to grant passports for country travelling. About this time reports from the mainland grew more alarming, and it was generally felt to be not improbable that French men-ofwar might soon arrive off the port. Accordingly it was thought well that the ladies and children accompanied by some of the gentlemen, would cross over to Amoy where also our Mission has a centre. This was accordingly done so that in the beginning of October, Dr. Maxwell, Dr. Anderson and Rev. Mr. Shaw were left All alone in Taiwanfoo. At the same time the students in the College were dismissed to their homes, and it was arranged not to hold a conference which was to have met in the end of November. these movements caused some little excitement among the Chinese, but it soon passed over. The result of it all is, however, that with the exception of the hospital, there has been very little mission work done during the last quarter of the year, which is a matter of great regret in the present position of our Mission. We have not heard whether the excitement throughout the country has affected attendance at worship at our stations: it is something to know there has been no outbreak. In the North of the Island where the war operations have been carried on, things have not been quite so quiet. (In the South there has been no fighting yet, the French men of war have been simply lying off the harbours out of range of the forts.) On October 2nd, the bombardment of Tamsui began, and on the 3rd, the French occupied Kelung. In the excitement that followed on the 4th and 5th, Saturday and Sunday, gangs of roughs assembled in several places and attacked the chapels and Christians. Six chapels were entirely destroyed and two others were plundered: in one place two worshipers were put to death, and in other places some were badly used. This, however, was soon put a stop to, and I have not heard of any disturbances since then. In October Mr. and Mrs. Jamieson and Mrs. Mackay and family, of the Canadian Mission, at Tamsui, left for Hongkong at the time when all the foreign ladies were instructed to leave. Shortly afterwards Dr. Mackay of Tamsui and Dr. Maxwell, of Formosa left for the Mainland meaning to return immediately. Just then the blockade was proclaimed, and neither of them was able to return. So that for the last two months the only missionaries in Formosa have been Dr. Anderson and Mr. Shaw. We have had no letters from them for about a month: we are glad to learn through the consul that they are keeping well, though no doubt they feel the circumstances somewhat trying. In the Mission at Amoy there has also been no disturbance and things seem going on very much as usual. For some time after the bombardment at Foochow, when the movements of the French fleet were uncertain there was a good deal of excitement, which affected the work somewhat by preventing the missionaries, and colporteurs, from going journeys into the country as freely as usual, delaying the opening of some of the schools and lessening the attendance at others &c. But since the French have concentrated their efforts upon Formosa, things seem to have returned very much to their usual condition. Some time ago I spent a fortnight in |