Smyrna times., 1885-12-09

ney, reaching our friends at Nanziang
early Monday morning. 1t will be
remembered that / was hastily sum-
moned about a year ago to attend this
family in the illness of several of their
number at that time. Here we spent
a pleasant day in visiting the boarding
school and learning of the progress of
their work in general. Reaching
our home the following afternoon,
we had much to be thankful for in the
blessings of our journey and safe re-
turn.
Since my return have spent most
of my time among the sick. Often the
crowds in the yard and on the YER
anda are more than l can attend to.
One day, through the kindness of Mr..
and Mrs. Davis in helping, with my as
sistant, teacher and two of the largest
bows in Mrs. Davis school, | succeeded
in treating one hundred and fifty-six
patients, spending my whole time in
diagnosing the cases, the others filling
the prescriptions as rapidly as possible.
The following day among the patients
was an old lady who said she was here
the day before and that on their boat
which came a long distance there were
thirty sick ones, but the number of pa
tients in the yard waiting was so great
that only one of their number succeed
ed in getting in to see me. They then
left, she refusing to go home, staid all
night in Shanghai among some rela-
tives and so came the next day. The
very next number l treated was a
younger woman, who said she came
the day before and on their boat there
were twenty-siX sick ones, and on ac-
count of the press not one of them was
able to get in to see me, but all re-
turned home excepting herself and
her two children who stopped in the
neighbOrhOOd over night among
friends. All this was going on outside
unknown to me, while | was working
so hard within. These two companies
alone made over fifty who were obliged
to go away without treatment in one
day. 1t has now become very
generally known through the country
| that / treat the Beri-beri cases on Mon
days, many coming several times for
treatment, others again having recOv-
cred, bring their friends and sometimes
whole neighbOrhoods with them.
If you could see them coming very
early in the morning to get the first
numbers at the gate, you would think
them truly in earnest. As many of
the first ones as can possibly be seated
are then brought in the room where
the blind preacher Ching San breaches
to them. He sits in an arm chair and
makes a venerable appearance with his
long robes gray beard and sightless
eyes. As the Chinese respect the aged
they generally listen very quietly
though sometimes they ask him many
questions about what he is saying.
One morning he was telling them SC
pleasantly about our Heavenly
Fathers love, when a woman said ovel
and over, as though to herself: Oui
Heavenly Father, our Heavenly
Father" and then spoke out to the
preacher and asked him what he meant
by talking Of a Father in Heaven. He
was glad to explain to her of the One
above whose love exceeds an earthly
fathers and she listened to take il
every word. So the gospel is daily
preached to the numbers that come fol
bodily relief That many may learr
of the Great Physician is our daily
prayer.
Very truly yours in the work,
ELLA F. SwINNEY.
Shanghai, China, Aug. 3rd, 1885.