The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-10-13
CHINA.

SNA~
and Of missionary influence is steadily
rising. Access to the people and to their
homes becomes easier, the welcome given
to the foreign teacher and to his message
is far more cordial, the character and er-
rand of the missionary force are better
understood and appreciated, the Christian
life and sentiment in Chinese hearts
and homes and villages are ACQUIRING in
door Of opportunity stands wide open
from one end of the empire to the other.
THE SHANSI MISSION.
The Shansi Mission enjoysIthe favorable
conditions observed elsewhere in China.
The people have come to know the mis-
sionaries' errand, to trust their character,
and to give reader hearing to their mes
sage. In hospital and dispensary, in
schools, IN chapels. and in village work,
the opportunities quite outrun the nu I'M
bers and strength of the laborers.
THE FOoCHoW MISSION.
The, Fooohow Mission has just celebrat-
ed its jubilee, aud has put on record the
story OF the tiftyFyears since Rev. Stephen
Johnson and Rev. L. B. Peet entered the
neld. The last year crowns the whole,
"'u PieSeuts SUCCESS alouR many lines
OF missionary work unparalleled in all
our labors in China, rarely equalled in
any field. The Kuoheng massacre two
years ago, in the field of the Church Mis-
slonary Society, adjoining this mission,
seemed to threaten the overthrow of all
Christian foundations. But the prompt
inquiry, and the vigorous punishment
reaction, and the spirit of prayer that
pervaded the mission field was followed
by wondrous results.
THE NORTH CHINA MISSION.
In the North China field, where at least
twenty million souls are directly DEEPEN
dent on the Boardlfor.the gospel, great
mission, ably manned and wisely admin
istered, is dealing with one of the SUI
preme missionary problems of the times.
Evangelistic labors cover the whole
field and employ the energies of many
native preachers, in addition TO the mis-
sionaries directly in charge. The schools
of the mission are carefully graded and
wisely planted, and from the kindergarten
to the college and theological seminary
are centres of Christian influence and a
great enlargement of the missions per-
manent power. Seven medical mission
aries, one at each station, use effectively
this arm of the service, and, through the
instruction given and the physical relief
afforded, extend the Christian influence
to scores of places otherwise unreached.
Success has attended all this varied labor
264 have been added to the churches,
making the total number. more than 2 900
there are 375 students in the higher
schools of the mission, seventeen of them
preparing for the ministry; and about
20 600 patients have been treated in hospi-
tails and dispensaries. 1sgfa
s1ssy3 a TURKEY. .e& ,@ae
Our missions in Turkey have enjoyed
a year of comparative quiet. Affairs in
Crete and Greece have drawn the atten-
ton of the government away from Asia,
and the outbreaks in Van, Tocat, and
Constantinople have been far more strict
ly controlled than were those of the pre- :
vious year. The results of those massa-
cres, robberies, and outrages have re-
mainedtto I'LL the land with suffering and
poverty and dread; and but for the
| charities of Christendom. scarcely rem
| nant of the stricken people could have
survived. The missionaries in Constan-
| tinople, in the summer of 1896, formed a
| plan for the rescue and training of the
| great numbers of orphans that wand cred
| homeless and helpless in the land; and
the gifts of many people in many land S
have made it possible to gather hundreds
| and thousands of these hapless on es into
comfortable homes, under Christian in
struction and supervision, and SO save
them for the church and for their own
people. Ihrere is, perhaps, no single
feature of missionary work in Turkey at
the present time that makes SO resistless
an appeal to the benevolence and SYM
pathy of Christendom, that yields SO large
immediate returns, or that promises SO
great things for the future. 1t has awak-
ened some ecclesiastical jealousy among
| the Armenian clergy, and some opposi-
tion on the part of the government, but
casts pleasing light upon scene other
wise most dark and pathetic.
Thus runs, in brief, tho story of the
work which the board is carrying on
among the unevangelized in twenty mis-
sion fields that belt the globe. In 1877
centres 543 missionaries, men and women,
assisted by a force of 2, 956 native preach
ers, teachers, and other helpers, are
preaching the gospel in twenty
evangelistie. educational, and medical
enterprise. In 470 churches there is gath
cred a total membership of 1905, of
whom 1919 have made. confession of
their faith this year. In seventeen theo-
logical schools 179 students are in direct
preparation for the work of the ministry.
In ll8 colleges and high schools 6,99l
picked youths of both sexes are in train
ing, under the most favorable conditions,
for share In the work and 1921 pupils
are under Christian instruction in 1,049
common schools. The medical work,
Invaluable in it's direct and indirect in
fiuence and constantly charging, reaches
more than 200, 600, while q steadily in
creasing volume of Christian literature
broadeps the sphere of influence and en-
hances the power of the gospel.
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L. A. w. Bulletin.
Baltimore, October I2.-Chairman Mott