Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1854-09-16
FROM CHINA.
LETTER FROM A MISSIONARY.

ary Board, Gos1ea Association:
DEAR BRoruER:-I again send you
s6me extracts from my journal which ]
sope may be of some interest to the
s.isnds Of tho cause in which we arc
engaged.
Nav the lo,h.-Bro. Crawford and
ladyiaad | and lady, spent the day in
ths city. a, Bro. C.'s huuse, where we
mot a large crowd Of tho neiglbors'
nost Of whom have children in sister
Grawfcrtl's school. As they now lis.
ten 10 religious truth with moro atten-
5tiontlau usual, sister Crawford goes in
frequently, aud think, is exert'ag an
sxcel,ent influence amons her female
neighbours. who seem To look up TO her
for advise and sympathyin these troub'
lesone tines. We talked to them a.
bouttlsc great salvation, and some seem
cd to be really in an inqniring state of
mind. noticed several Of the women
in particular. who, when told to entrust
their souls TO God, would ask time and
again" but how am to do itW a
quitcinlelligcnt woman, from Loo Chow
would say. II do believe Jesus doc
,,riue; but how can give my soul to
himl I want to do it, but don't know
how" Notwithstanding it was simpli-
fed by illustration, her difficulty was
not removed-.and in her perplexlty
she would say. II understand what you
tell me, but still can't do it myself"
This brought forcibly,omin the scenes
have witnessed at reyivals in America,
where anxious inquirers would, in like
perplexi,y, say DO want TO trust in
Jesus; ! try TO do it but cannot; eau
YOU tell me what / must do?" This
poor heather woman needs, just what
sinners in christian lands need the Ho'
ly Spirit to quicken her benighted un'
Outstanding.
While tho conversation was going on
sister Crawford's school teacher, who
Is
has read through the New Testament
and understands the doctrine ,heoreti-
cally. came up and thought he could
make it all plain enough. But finding
the poor woman still in the dark, after
all his explanations, he told Bro. c. it
was uscless,o be trying to explain such
! subjects fotthe women, as they could
only DO eomprchended by literary aud
intelligent men. 1t did not once occur
TO himthat he himself was practically
asgblind as bat OIL the subject.
ElMra took our little boy Asa along
who proved to be quite lion among the
women; many of whom had never
seen a foreign child before. They tho't
The little barbarian" very pretty
wanted to know his age; if his mother
nursed him; to feel his white skin: to
hear hin laugh and such like; conclud'
d |
ing with, she is very funny" Very
much to his mothers qualification, he
sa showed of" finely; laughing and
screaming a, the top of his voice, to the
great amusement of the crowd. be
fore we could get the people to pay at
1 ,sn,ion to preaching, we had to take
hin, out Of the room. In the afternoon
we visited the Yoh family, which is one
Of the weullhiest in the city. The old
le en.lemau is very uneasy as the rebels
make heavy demands on his purse ev'
eryweek. He has already paid them
$4,000, towards the support OF tue
war. He is very anxious TO got out OF
,he.cisy, but they will not allow him to
90. We gave him a New Testament
telling him though it was not in our
power to save his body, we could oilcr
him salva,ion for his soul.
May tho 13,h.-Spent the gay in tho
city. First went to a puAn'byeker' $
establishment, the superintendent OF
which, informed me very gravely, that
ho aud all the people in the city were
in hell, while those in tue foreign com
muni,y were in heaven. told him
his soul was Of much more value than
his body or his goods, apd he ought llfs'
10 look to the safety Of that. The CHI
nesenow fully realize tho advantage OF
having tho foreigners near them, and
all, who can, arc moving into tho Tor
eign settlement for projection. Whilt
4 now write women is begginglme tt
- u r