The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-06-26

Olstribntion Of Books nc tho Examination.
The examination for the third degree was
held in Peking the past week. II closed TINS
morning. Before daylight President flleheT,
Professor GameWel and myself, with dozen
or more OF the students, number OF chuIch
members aud teachers, with four carloads Oh
books. which had been granted by the NOfth
China Tract Society, started Tor the great
Examination Hall, where more than OVOO
picked students from all over the Empire
were struggling day and night over theH
theses and stationed ourselves az niue us
lance outside of the different gates.
In a short time after we arrived the gates
were opened. and those who had nhlshea tue
theses which were % determine Wletner tney
could hold Office OF uOt-prOVding they cOulu
get One-wero allowed 20 come out, among d
horde Of cart-drivers, policemen and soldiers
noticed "a policeman using whip without
raeroy over the shoulders Of driver VINO had
gotten out OF his place and was trying TO
raise % row because some one else would not
give him better one.
Zach student as he came out had a large
basket tied 10 his bed, and the whole slung
over his shoulder, or on wheels, dragging II
after him like a small boy
Here they were bounced upon by carriers or
men who wanted 90 carry their burden; and
0y the time they had arrived where we were
f1ey had hired a cart or a boy TO carry their
luggage. Our boys, after the manner Of street
advertising, politely offered them the books.
Very few refused them. Occasionally one
would take them and then throw them down,
0r Jay them on the cart as be passed IL.
Passages Of Scripture were illustrated by
several incidents. AS we passed along we
heard two men in conversation; one said:
"Ih0se foreigners are good men and want TO
do good3 the other insisted that we were bad
men. "S0me, therefore, cried one thing and
some another"
Our purpose being 20 give only to the gradu-
ltes on persons from a distance, we had 10
guard against the city residents Many would
come 10 the cart and ask for books. our first
question 20 such was;
"Where do you come frOmW
"brOm ohantung"
4Whon do YOU returng' (hui ch'u.)
III be- pronounced emu as though spelled
k'u, we gave him books; If not we did not
Ne caught one man on this shibbOleth, and
She crowd ali laughed and said: y on cannot
fool bin; he understands shantung talk"
When we asked another man he said he was
irJm san si, which, in the Picking dialect is
shan usi. Like Peter or the Ephraimites,
heir speech BETRAYED them.
some amusing incidents happened. "What
Kind Of books are theseY was a constant
question. After my assistant had tired OF
answering 10, be showed his native wit by
saying: Il viii tell you what kind Of books
these are, but don't you tell any one else; they
are good books"
Few things test the faith and courage Of
Christians more than this kind Of work. To
De seen on the street with a foreigner brings
r.dicule upon them. To be a "toreign devil"
IS bad, but the poor "deYil" cannot help IT.,
le was born 50, but TO be the servant or COM
panioR Of "a ''fOreign deyip is far worse
But so far as j know, not one OF them
linched or showed the least embarrassment.
FROM students Of seventeen or eighteen years
20 head carpenter preachers and Chinese
professors, not one hesitated 10 take an armful
~ books and present them one by one 10 these
"Dicked men OF the Empire" and explain
heir significance 20 the crowd Of bystanders,
4 would not want a better test of a mans
failh than voluntary service OF this kind.
NOt far from us was man distributing
books in the same way from some OF the
heather temples. our work, therefore, was
only part 0isthe religious work that was
being done. No bad books, however so far az
We know, were observation-disclosures 4. Head
laud, Professor In Peking University