Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1868-11-12


preach every day to the Chinese,
said Mr.. Preston. Would you like to
see what sort of congregation I have ?"
By all means
We take our seats in Sedans, and are
carried through the streets, turning now
to the right, now to the left, so often
that / give up all attempts of keeping
track of our whereabouts, and trust
that we shall get back again all safe.
We came into one OF the principal
streets at last and stop before a little
store kept by the missionaries for the
sale of books. Dozens of people are
already there waiting for the opening
Of the doors. 1t is one o'clock, and the
tide OF life surging through the streets
is at its flood. A preacher wonld have
slim audience in State street at
| Change hour, but the Chinese are old
people their empire is finished, their
civilization complete, and time isa drug
foreign barbarians are worrying and
| huring ourselves to death. The doors
are opened and we enter the chapela
room with large window at the fur
| her end behind the desk, brick walls,
'ettees capable of seating two hundred
or more. In five minutes the room is
full. Sitting by the desk ] have an OPP
portunity to study the audience. On
the front seats are some literary stu
dents-young men who are studying
for official employment, well dressed in
white, clean frocks and trousers, their
pigtails neatly braided. Here at my
right hand, as l face the audience, is q
coolie with three bundles done up in
brown paper and porter bottle in his
arms. He has stepped in to rest him
self few minutes, to hear what the
81 foreign devil'' has to say. Behind
him is another coolie, wearing his
broad -brimmed hat. On the other
end of the bench, on my left hand, n
man with a moustache-a sign that he
is grandfather, for custom has estab-
l,shed it that none but grandfathers can
wear hair on their upper lip Men of
all ages-all conditions, from the we'll
to-do merchant down to the poor wretch
who lives on rice and snails-citizers
and strangers from mp country, com
posed the audience.
These men are actuated by various
motives-love of novelty, curiosity to
hear foreigner talk fuently in their
language. They are not accustomed to
hear public speaking they have their
story tellers. but n, gatherings were
arguments are put forth. Very few of
them are seekers after truth, and their
conceptions of the Christian religion
are exceedingly low, but yet every day
they flock to this chapel to hear this
American preacher, a short, thick set,
good natured man, who understands
their language thoroughly, and who is
read i'll their literature.
His subject is the conflict between
good and evil holiness and sin.
A young man with bright cyes--a
student breaks in:
eff your doctrine is true, Why don't
you foreigners practice it why do you
]
bring opium to China %
A home question, practical, right TO
the point The audience are alert to
hear what Mr. Preston will say.
"There are wicked men all over the
world and if foreigners bring opium TO
China you must have nothing to do
with it. :"
The laugh which goes up shows that
the audience appreciates the reply.
why did you make war upon
China ?" another one asks, while the
man with a moustache put this question;
why do you come and take the
Coolies and make slaves of them r.
The replies are evidently satisfactory,
for the audience maintains its good
humor to the end
This brief sketch OF the meeting is
sufficient to show those who support
missions that one great difficulty in the
way of missionary effort in this empire
is the attitude to England on the opium
|
question. The people are ready to
hear, but they suppose thatthe mission
aries are in the pay Of foreign Govern
ments, and that all their talking about
a now religion is political game. The