The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-07-27

women. There, in the sun and wind
with little low mud huts all around us
and the yellow sand that the yellow
River has left on that much afflicted
region, stretching out before our eyes,
with only few green trees and the
clear gorgeous blue of the sky to give
color to the landscape, we had ;
quiet impressive service, followed b,
the communion service. After Mr.
Murray's address Mr.. Davies added 9
few words about the "Many Man
sions," and those poor people, most o.
whom had their homes visited by the
floods OF past years, and who are now
living in houses quite inferior, built up
after the waters subsidized, it must have
seemed very appropriate and comfort.
ing.
Our next visit was to a village where
Mr.. Bergen used to often go, and
where when he went away there was
just beginning to be a promise of
growth. We found new little chapel
and a boys school of thirteen promis
ing boys, taught by one Of our young
men from tn e Chinanfu Boys School,
and on the first morning of our stay
there we had the pleasure of seeing
the first woman unite with the little
church. When she was admitted to
the church and her pastor asked her
if she had given up her worship at the
idol shrines, the contempt she put into
her emphatic denial as she said
" That Why yes, long ago." was SO
real that though not like the conven-
tional answers one hears from people
at such times, it forced upon me the
idea Of sincere turning away from
her former rites and ceremonies.
At THIS station a poor dumb woman,
who seems to understand a great deal
of the truth, and is unable to express
herself, moved us to pity when the
others were singing or reading, and
she sat by with her eyes full of tears.
AT little service with the women |
told the story of the Prodigal Son and
one of the women said, why, that's
the best of all !" When she was ex-
amined for baptism the next day and
seemed not to comprehend one of the
most vital truths of salvation, and her
pastor put her off until next Autumn,
she came to us with tears and real sor-
row, bewailing that her husband could
90 to heaven, and she was thus shut
out, which proved two things to me,
one that she wasn't yet ready to be
taken into the church, and the other
that she was in earnest.
From there we went on four miles
further to the home of an old Christian,
where Mr.. Murray baptised the little
grandson, thus making three genera
lions in that family who belong to the
kingdom. AS one of our number said,
We know not whether the scene was
g ridi culously pathetic one, or a |
oathetica lily ridiculous one" The
,ather of the seven months old boy
vas not seventeen years old, and
much smaller and younger looking |
han the mother, who was about eigh- |
.een. The father is still school boy |
Ind looks but child himself, but |
both he and the little mother are
and though much embar-
.assed at the beginning of the service,
hey gave such bright and earnest
promises to guide their little one, and
o pray with and for him, that the
udicrous disappeared. and the pathos
seemed to come uppermoSt Later on,
ust as the two young parents were re-
lrning to their seats, an elderly wo-
nan stepped up before Mr.. Murray,
With an infant in her arms, saying,
Won't you ask the Heavenly Father
o bless this child too ?" 1t was most
The father was not present,
being in the city as one of the medi-
,al assistants, and the mother is not
Christians, and it was the child's
grandmother who craved the blessing
or the little boy.
From there we went still further on,
more than days journey, to another
station. where there is girls school,
ind where we examined the scholars,
ind were pleased with their progress
n their classical and religious studies.
Here too, two men made profession
If their faith in SO clear and joyful a
manner, that our hearts were warmed
With theirs. One question Mr.. Murray
lsked at their examination that is not
n the usual list. The Chinese have a
'umor that we foreigners bewitch our
Christians by giving them a potion to
lrink, that makes them wish to
become Christians. So Mr.. Murray
lsked before the crowd of outsiders
VINO througed the doorway Are you
ure that l have not bewitched you?"
o which most emphatic denial, and |
he accompanying exclamation Of dis
,ust, made a smile pass over the faces
II the congregation.
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