The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-07-04
THE STORY OF YATES, THE MISSIONARY.

| School Board of the southern BaptlSl
| Convention Mt Nashville, Tenn. 1t is q
| handsome volume of three hundred pages
illustrated with picture of Matthew
T. Yates standing, pictures of the
| churches and schools and mission rooms
| in China built during the forty-two years
| he was a missionary in the Celestial
Empire, and a picture of the humble
home near MorrisYille, Wake county, in
which he was born.
| This Sabbath, July 3rd. 1898 has been
| spent by me in Il Sabbath's days journey
| from Mt. Pisgah Baptist church in Wake
coutny, near which Matthew Tyson
| Yates was born on the Sth day of Jan
uary. 1919. to Shanghai, China, where
| this man of God laid deep and broad the
foundations of Christianity in wonder
| a century. 1t has been more than Il
| Sabbath days journey in knowledge of
| the mission work. in obtaining Il clearer
| insight into the heroism of that soldier
| of the Cross who carried the gospel
| to those who sat in darkness, and in APP
probation of the character and labors of
| a North Carolnian who deserves Il place
| in the pantheon of its great sons.
Dr. Taylor has done his work well.
He was embarrassed by the abundance
of material, for Yates had written much,
and his private letters and letters to the
churches and the press, most of which
have been preserved, would alone fill a
large volume. DR.. Taylor's task WAS to
let extracts from these letters tell TIE
story of the life. and in this way his
book. as he says, 'would almost warrant
the title of an autobiography. 1t COM
bines all the merits of an autobiography
with the attractions Of n biography from
sympathetic friend. who, seeking to
hide himself and let the reader see only
the virtues of his hero. has given Il vol
ume of such rare interest that / could
not bring myself to quit its perusal I'M
til the last chapter had been finished.
it move people?" The only true test of
biography is Does the writer put the
reader into such relationship to the sub
ject that he is made a living soul, and
his deeds absorb and charms" BY this
test DR.. Taylor's life of Yates is a sue
cess. if l am any judge. Boswell did
.fn olrsai af.
lection than does DIR. Taylor, and yet
there is nothing Of the Boswell in his
inspiring story of the Wake county youth
who won Immortality because he forgot
himself in his sacrifice for his Master.
When I had completed the last page
and remarked to friend that it was Il
career that ought to make the name
Yates as dear in our North Carolina an
nails as the name Of Nathaniel Macon, |
was asked what influence was it that
prompted Yates to go to Gilman the
answer was, "He was called of God rs
truly as Samltel was called to the priest
hood" There is no doubt of it. In the
days Of Yates youth there were no mis-
sonary societies in the churches, and |
suspect that if the pastor of Mt. Pisgah
church. after the monthly service at
which the people did not tire ut two
the people could stand sound doctrine in
allopathic doses had given out a notice
that ''The Woman's Missionary Society
will hold its regular monthly meeting to-
morrow afternoon at o'clock"-I say
/ expect such a notice would have taken
the breath of the most devout deacon.
the jealous missionary spirit was not in
fluencing the churches to any great eX-
tent, and if Mt pisgah had ever given
ten dollars in all its history to the cause
of foreign missions it was the exception
among the country churches of 60 years
| ago. In fact, in nearly all the churches
| then there was a distinctive anti-mission
sentiment where the Indifference was
| penetrated by zeal or hostility
| The father of Yates was a Christian
| man, a leader in the church, and as n
| boy the future missionary heard rich men
as Robert r. Daniel, p. G. Howell,
'Tom" Armstrong, John Purefoy and
Z. w. Down preach-and the last named
| was one of the giants of his day, but it
| does not appear that any of them
influenced the youth to foreign
mission work. Except Rev. John Pure
| foy it is not probable that any of them
| spoke to the boy about his own salvation.
| That good man put his hand on his head
and said MAY the Lord make preach
! err of him." This impressed young Yates
deeply, but the human influence to mis-
sion work came from reading the life of
Mrs. Judson. He writes of his religious
| experiences and impressions, showing that
| he was finding his way to God after the
| old-fashoned way Of repentance and con
| triton. Some of his experiences are
| not unlike Bunyan's. There is depth
| of conviction, II sincerity while yet a
boy that shows he was being led and di-