wisest among the Chinese people. In this important labor, to know the usage of a sectary in our time residing in the plains of Shantung or Chili and confining his reading and thinking to one or two modern books, may be worth something, but to know what the whole nation thinks, and what the books say, is worth much more.

METHODS OF MISSION WORK.

LETTER VII.

BY REV. J. L. NEVIUS, D.D.

BEGINNING WORK.

TO missionaries beginning their work de novo, without native converts or enquirers, and without a knowledge of the language, many questions arise of the first importance, which have not been touched upon in the preceding letters. As the beginnings of work contain the seeds of future growth and development both for good and for evil, every step should be taken with deliberation and prayer. In addressing my younger brethren I take it for granted that they will not be unwilling I should use a degree of freedom in detailing some of my own observations and experiences.

The study of the Language. It may well be a matter of congratulation that the newly arrived missionary is exempt, for the first year or two, from the pressure and responsibility of deciding the many questions of mission policy upon which he must form an opinion at a later period. Whatever department of work he may devote himself to in the future, there is no room for doubt that his first duty is to give his time and energies to the thorough acquisition of the language as a necessary prerequisite to usefulness in work of any kind. For this, it is of the greatest advantage to be free, as far as possible, from cares and interruptions of every description.

It is very desirable to obtain the occasional assistance of some foreigner well versed in the language in guarding against mistakes which are almost sure to be made in pronunciation, tones, aspirates and idioms. None of these should be neglected. It is well to know from the first that the ear has to be trained as well as the vocal organs, and that in this one's own senses are not to be depended upon. It often happens, as two or three persons listen

to the same vocal utterance that each hears it differently, according to his individual habit or preconception. Of course all cannot be right. Where acknowledged authorities agree, if the learner follows his own ear in opposition to them, he will probably go astray in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred. Where authorities differ, it will generally be on comparatively unimportant points with reference to which it makes little difference whether you follow one or the other. Even the sounds of an intelligent native accurately heard and reproduced, are not as sure a guide as a thoroughly elaborated and consistent classification of sounds like that found in Williams' Dictionary, or Wade's Syllabary, or the dictionaries and phrase books representing the southern dialects of China. Variations of individual teachers from the standard pronunciation will probably be found to be localisms or personal peculiarities. The systems of pronunciation referred to are the result of the consensus of opinions of many foreigners, who may be regarded as experts, and of numerous trained natives, during a succession of many years or generations. A person may choose between Wade's system and Williams', in accordance with his purpose to speak the pure Peking Mandarin or a more general Mandarin. Either system is excellent and the differences between them are practically of little importance. They are much less than exist between the languages of many Chinese officials who can converse with one another without difficulty. While it is no doubt desirable sooner or later to become acquainted with localisms, it is perhaps better at first to master the standard form of the dialect spoken, whether the Mandarin or any of the southern dialects. Localisms will be easily and almost unconsciously acquired afterwards as they are needed. Taking this course will secure a man's being generally intelligible; while those with whom he is constantly associated in his home, where his dialect may not be spoken in its purest form, will prefer to hear him speak without localisms rather than with them; and will understand him almost if not quite as well. By adopting this course, Church members would gradually become acquainted with, and he able to use the standard form of their dialect: and thus indirectly the diffusion of Christianity would promote uniformity in the language of the people, and as a necessary consequence facilitate general intercourse.

A young missionary in acquiring the language should eagerly avail himself of all the "helps' at his command. Phrase books, grammars, dictionaries, a careful and well trained native teacher, and the assistance and criticism of some foreigner, are all important. The native teacher should be made to understand that giving

satisfaction to his employer and retaining his place, depend on his laying aside Chinese ideas of deference and politeness, so far as they would prevent his correcting the same mistake of his foreign employer fifty times if necessary, as it probably will be. It is a fact, as common as it is unfortunate, that a teacher sometimes learns. foreignized or individualized Chinese of the foreigner, who is led to suppose from the ease with which he is able to communicate with his teacher, that he is making rapid progress in the acquisition of the language; while he has unconsciously been playing a game with the Chinese teacher of "give and take." The result of this process is a kind of compromise between the English and the Chinese languages, made up of Chinese words with an admixture to a greater or less degree of foreign idioms, pronunciations, inflections, emphases, and aspirates or want of aspirates. The extreme result of a similar process is found in the " Pidgin English."

Frequent changes in methods of study are sometimes desirable in order to break up monotony and avoid weariness. Each individual will learn by experience the particular way of prosecuting his studies which suits him best. Most persons find that from one to three hours a day with a Chinese teacher in getting correct sounds from his lips, is as much as can be spent profitably at first. The great work, that of memorizing words and sentences, can be done better quietly by one's self. When a good beginning has been made in pronunciation and tones and aspirates, only the occasional help of a foreigner is required. In the course of from six months to a year most persons will find it very helpful to spend a good deal of time mainly or exclusively with natives, so as to force themselves to speak Chinese. At this period a tour into the country, or living for a time in the country without a foreigner, making a companion of one's personal teacher or a native preacher, very useful. In the course of a year or more, when one is able to converse with some freedom, it is generally desirable to change the teacher, as facility of communication with him will be partly the result and that unavoidably, of a mutual adaptation to each other. A change of teachers, or talking a good deal with natives generally, will enlarge the learner's vocabulary, and show him how far he has got on in acquiring the tongue of the people as it is spoken. With all the helps which can be obtained a man must depend mainly on regular, persistent, hard study. If he has a natural gift for languages it will of course be invaluable, but even this must not be trusted to as the chief dependence.

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In the course of two or three years or more, the missionary may form a permanent or general plan of study for his life time. Some

think it best to confine their attention to the Chinese spoken language, and regard an attempt to learn the written language or wen-li, (with probably a very imperfect and unsatisfactory result,) a useless waste of time, which might better be spent in mastering the vernacular and fitting themselves for effective preaching. One might indeed in this way save much time, and also find a sphere of great usefulness; as a large proportion of the population of China is only acquainted with the spoken language. To reach all classes however, and especially the influential classes, the knowledge of the wen-li is of immense advantage. It may be acquired, without any great loss of time, if the study of it is prosecuted methodically and persistently, and the missionary avoids burdening himself with so much and so many kinds of work as to make it impossible. I should strongly recommend from the first a regular exercise in writing characters, and in memorizing select passages of the classics.

Beginning Work. Here, if I mistake not, we are apt to be too hasty. After years of preparation at home we are anxious to commence our life work at once. We hardly realize that, aside from the study of the language, other special preparation for the work before us is still necessary. If a man has come from home designated to a particular department of work, or the exigencies of his field on his arrival constitute a call to some special work, the case is quite different. If there is no such call, I should as a rule, advise him to keep clear from the responsibilities and distractions of an independent, personal, work for three, four, or more years. One ought not to allow himself to be troubled with the thought that he is holding back and not taking his full share of labor, or with the fear that he may lay himself open to such imputations from others. I recommend this plan as the best course for securing the greatest usefulness. In the mean time while the young missionary may not be able to point to any tangible results of work of his own, he may have the satisfaction of doing good from the first, and that in many ways. He may bring a cheering gleam of sunshine from the home-land to those who are worn and weary, and perhaps disheartened by the pressure of accumulated and exhausting toil. In leisure hours he can relieve other missionaries of some kinds of secular work which he can probably do as well as they, leaving them free to devote more time to work for which a knowledge of the language is a necessity. In a godly, unselfish, Christ-like walk, he may produce deep and lasting impressions for good, both on natives and foreigners, before he can begin to speak in the native language. As he advances in his knowledge of Chinese he can

help his brethren in many ways, such as chapel preaching, teaching a class in a school, or accompanying and assisting older missionaries on itinerating tours. These kinds of work, and all kinds of work, while they will be a help to others and the common cause, will be a still greater help to himself;-just the preparation and training which he needs. I should advise a young missionary when he has acquired the language, or while he is still acquiring it, to visit different stations connected with his own mission, and stations of other missions, to acquaint himself by personal observation, as well as by a special course of reading, with the diverse methods employed, and not to be hasty in forming opinions and acting upon them until he has gathered sufficient materials upon which to found these opinions.

The opposite course is liable to many objections. Confining one's self to the place where he is located, subject to one set of personal and local influences, forming opinions and acting on them at an early period, is apt to make a man narrow in the beginning, and then confirm him in his narrowness. In taking up an individual work at an early period, he meets with difficulties and responsibilities which he had not anticipated; a great deal of time is wasted in the laborious and imperfect performance of work, which a few years later might be attended to with ease and success. Plans for continued study, for which it was supposed plenty of leisure would be afforded, have to be given up, in consequence of pressure of engagements, pre-occupation of mind, or exhaustion of body. By undertaking work which one is incompetent to, and the difficulties of which one cannot anticipate, important interests are imperilled; injurious impressions produced which it is difficult to efface; and health and even life may be sacrificed. It has been to me a matter of constant regret that a portion of time was not strictly reserved, especially during my first five or ten years in China, for laying a broader and deeper foundation for future usefulness, by a more extensive and methodical reading and memorizing of Mandariu and Classic literature. Suitable and adequate plans were made for such study, but other occupations in the form of direct missionary work, promising immediate results, were allowed to interfere with and set aside those plans. In this way, as in many others, we are too easily induced to sacrifice a greater future good to a less present one.

Independent individual work. Though the time of preparation for individual work may have been somewhat protracted, the missionary will feel at its close that he is all too imperfectly fitted for the task before him. He must now, however, without unneccessary delay take his full share of labor and responsibility.