The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-10-26
Progress in China.
BY REV. NJ. II. HOUSTON, D. D.
HANGcHow, July 90, 1881.

-lI.U hAN1ChOW, July 20, 1901.
/ am again preaching the gospel among
the people of this land For this re-
joice greatly and thank God.
Returning to China after an absence
of six years, 1 see many signs of progress
among this people. In material things
there has been an advance. The China
Merchants Steam Navigation Company
now sends its steamers to California, and
tor the first time in the history of the
world the China flag flies in the middle
of the Pacific. This company has added
to its own feet of steamers on the Yang
ts-Keang by buying all the steamers of
the American company on that river. 1
hear that telegraph is soon to be erected
between Pekin and Shanghai, and rail
roads are expected soon to follow.
In missionary work the advance is
even more marked. During the six
years of my absence the number of COM
municants in the native churches has al
most doubled. In 1865, there were
about 10, 900; now, nearly 10000. Then.
see the favor obtained by medical mis-
sions at Tientsin. The hospital under
the care OF DIR. Mackenzie, of the London
Mission Society, has received no less than
$l5, 900, contributed by the Chinese.
One of the chief contributors is the
Vlc,eroy, Li-Hung- Chang. The hospital
under the care of Miss Howard is en-
tirely supported by Lady Lii, the wife of
the Vlceroy. She makes her contribu-
tons In payment of debt of gratitude.
She was very i'll. The best native physi-
clans acknowledged that they could do
nothing for her. DIR. Mackenzie was
proposed to the Viceroy, but the Chinese
dignitary, though in great distress, could
not consent to so gross a violation of
" the proprieties. The result was, Miss
Howard, medical missionary at Pekin,
was sent for, and she relieved the suffer-
ing lady. She was induced to remain at
Ilentsin and open a hospital under the
patronage of Lady Lii. Her work is
said to be in high favor, and doing great
good.
In our own mission here, I see the
good fruits of the active labors carried
on during my absence. There are new
faces at the communion table. The Sun
day School has grown. The attendance
at our Sabbath services has increased.
New chapels have been opened. It
seems to me that the people in general
show us more respect now than at the
time when | went away. A new feature
OF the great interest has been added to
our work. [ mean the neighborhood
schools. We now have six Of these in
the city, with two hundred and fifty
scholars. When 1 went away there was
not one. We had only one mission
boarding school. In these neighborhood
schools religious instruction is daily
given. On the first Sabbath after nv
return, had the pleasure of seeing a
union meeting of these schools. Our
church was full to overlooking. | heard
the children, gathered from different dis
tricts Of the city, repeat together the
Lords prayer, the ten commandments,
and the creed, and heard them examined
on the catechism The examination
brought out only part of what they
knew, but the recitation would have done
credit to any school at home.
Then, In our street chapels we have
attentive audiences. It is a common
thing now to meet Chinaman who has
gathered some of the main truths of
Christianity. l observe, too, in our
street chapels strong disposition on the
part OF some to combat the truth. Twice
since my return have heard men of in
telligehce argue with all their might
against us and the native preacher. We
hail this as another sign Of a growing in
terest.
On the whole, l am convinced that
there is not nobler mission field than
this in the world. -Missionn1.I