The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-08-21
NDoFA.NoBLELuE A.
An American Missionary's Remarkable
Labors Among the Chinese.

Labors Among the Chinese.
The Department of State at Washing
ton has received from the legation at
Pekin, China, under date of the Sd of
July, an account of the death and extra
ordinary life work of the Rev. J. Cros-
sett, an independent American mission
ary in China. His career appears to
have been very remarkable one, char
acterized by absolute self-deyotion. He
died on the steamer El Dorado en- route
from Shanghai to Tientsin on the 21st
June last. He leaves widow living at
SchnylerSville, New York. In speaking
of Mr.. Crossett Minister DENLY couples
his name with that of Father Damien,
the French missionary, who lately died
on the Island of MoloSai, and says:
''Mr. CroSsett's life wus devoted to
doing good to the poorest classes of
Chinese. He had charge OF. 4 winter
refuge for the poor at Pekin during
several winters. He would go out on
the streets the coolest night and pick
up destitute beggars and convey them
to the refuge, where he provided them
with food. He also buried them at his
own expense. He visited all the prisons,
and often procured the privilege OF re-
moving the sick to his refuge. The
officials had implicit confidence In him.
and allowed him to visit at pleasure all
the prisons and charitable institutions.
He was known by the Chinese as the
Christian Buddha.' He was attached
to no organization of men. He
was missionary pure and sim
pie, devoted rather to charity than
proselytism. He literally took Christ as
bis exemplar. He travelled all over China
and the East. He took no care for bis
expenses. Bood and lodging were vol
unfairly furnished him. Inn keepers
would take no pay from him, and prl-
vate persons were glad to entertain him.
1t must be said that his wants were few.
lie wore the Chinese dress, had no regu.
lar meals, drank only water, and lived
on fruit. with little rice or mlllet. He
aimed at translating his ideal Christ
into reality. He wore long auburn hair.
parted in the middle, so as to resemble
the pictures of Christ. Charitable people
furnished him money fol his refuge, ano
he never seemed to want for funds. He
slept on a board or on the floor. Ever
in bis last hours, being deck passenger
on the Ell Dorado, he refused to be trans
ferred to the cabin, but the kindly cap.
tain, some hours before he died, removed
him to a berth, where he died, still
speaking of going to Heaven and en-
treating the bystanders to love the Lord,
''As an instance of the character OF
the man will state that when on one
occasion / gave my annual dinner on
Thanksgiving day to the Americans, Mr:
Crosset wrote to me beseeching that
would have no dinner but would give the
cost to the poor. He attended the din:
ner, but touched nothing but water and
rice. >.
in theology he can hardly be said
to have been orthodox. He found gooo
in all religious. After long conversa,
ton with him one day, l told him be
was not Christian, but a Buddhist:
He answered that there were many gooo
things in Buddhism.
"The last important work OF Mr.
Crossett was an effort to provide for the
deaf and dumb To furcber this PROJECT
he travelled to Han-Kow and thence tc
Canton, establishing everywhere schools
for these unfortunates. He was success
full wherever he went.
''This man taught the pure love Of
God and of goodness. he completely
sacrificed himself for the good of the
poorest Of Of the poor-Hs acted out o'a'sis. / Il:
principles to the letter. He was as poo:
and lived as plainly as the poorest oi
his patients. On charitable subjects hi
wrote we'll. The ideal to him WI:
practical.
''Let this American, then, be en-
shrined, along with the devoted French
man, in the annals of men who lovet
their fellow-men.