The Portland daily press., 1897-07-03
EIGHT YEARS IN CHINA.
Miss Mary Morrill, Welcomed Home After
Long Missionary Labor in the Flowery
Kingdom.

About three hundred ladies and gentle
men who are interested in mission work
assembled yesterday afternoon in the YES
try of the Second Parish church to well
come back home Miss May Morrill,. who
has been at the China mission field for
the past eight years.
Mrs Cole presided and called the as
sembly to order. After prayer, Mrs.
Carter, the state secretary, spoke in be-
half of the society," and in eloquent words,
expressed to Miss Morrill, the joy that
all present felt in her safe return. Mrs.
Carter said that all would have been
glad to have had Miss Morrill, return in
better health, but as it was they were
glad to see her face again. During the
years that she has been in China her let
tiers home have proved an inspiration to
all and one could not help reading be-
tween the lines of all the patient and
painstaking work that Miss Morrill, had
done since she left her home to go among
the heather women in far away China.
Rev. Mr.. Hack, the pastor of the church,
also spoke in an eloquent manner of the
work which Miss Morrill, had done in
China and of the joy that was felt by her
friends in her safe return. He asked that
the audience might offer up their prayers
for the safety and health of that other
sacrificing lady who hadsbeen left behind
in China by Miss Morrill,. Miss Annie
Gould had gone forth to labor in the
heather land with Miss Morrill,, but was
now left alone and the eloquent pastor
asked that the love and greetings might
be sent to her who is so far away beyond
the seas.
Mrs. Cole said that well might the Sec
ond Parish be called the emission
church," for during the past 65 years it
has sent nine missionaries into the
foreign fields and never has there been
time during all these years that the Sec
ond Parish has not had q missionary at
work in some far away heather land.
Mrs. Cole then introduced Miss Morrill,
and as the young lady arose to speak the
whole audience also arose and greeted
her Ey waving their handkerchiefs.
This warm greeting deeply affected
Miss Morrill,, and it was some minutes
before she could speak. She was dressed
in deep blue costume made after the Chi
nese fashion and wore in her hair some
odd ornaments which she said had been
given her by the Chinese women of her
mission before she sailed for home.
Miss Morrill, spoke for nearly 20 min
utes and every word she uttered was Of
the greatest interest. She told of how
grateful the Chinese women were to their
been sent them and in simple but touch
ing language she described the little mis-
sion band in which she had labored and
some of the Chinese methods of living
and Of worshipping. She told how the
Chinese women had formed little mis-
sionary society of their own to help the
women of the islands of the sea whom
they believed to be still more unfortunate
than they, and Miss Morrill, said that
this little band had sent considerable
money to aid in the work which was be-
ing carried on among these islands.
Miss Morrill, has been eight years mis-
sionary at Peking and was obliged to re-
turn to this country two years earlier
than was expected on account of i'll
health. Among those present in the au-
dience yesterday was the wife of DR..
Blodgett, one of the PIONEER missionaries
in the Pekingfu district. Dr. Blodgett
is now in China where he has labored for
40 years. He is native of Bucksport,
Me-
Miss Morrill, as soon as her health will
permit, will have interesting talks
to give before the missionary societies of
this vicinity.