The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-29

NJ rar East stopped their presses
a4u destroyed . Who'll EDITION ~ :
teAt"ook il had been potrf.c
49, g 'nem that Il contained an un-
is mouse. the Commerce Pr-x<
Limited" has it, head ..T.. s.
shanghai and has more Il az "A teon-
SAN" branch Offices rhrouchau- IN.
country. Its are aetix.
christians and its stockholders are in
sympathy with christianity On. ~
the frm Is quoted a. saving: we
nave always intended 10 be q help .a
,hristlanltE. not = hindrance. and Ne
hold 10 II. though il means in this
instance a financial loss. Sach ac-
lioh was 10 ~ expected from a iirm
@hlch has always shown carSfeera-
tion Tor its employees, providing them
with "eH-lighted plant. short working
days. and observing sunday as . daT
OF rest In addition 10 these things.
recreation grounds are provided. tn
women III case OF illness are given a
vacation on pay. a hospital IS main
talned for he sick and mi. red and
lree schools are supported for the
children of the employees. The leaycn
OF a thriSt-like spirit seems to have
permeGted the whole business. and il
presents an admirable example Of
what business firms NAV 90 ia f1r-
Their real Christian living.
Advance in North Ci,ina.
) recent letter from Dr.. John II
korns. head OF Taianfu Methodist
hospital, says:
The work in this city las pro
crossed well curing the past six
months. At the district conference
OF the Taiarfu and Yenchowful dis
trlcts there were reported : large
number of accessions and increased
SAFES or ScTInt1rG Darrinne Tho
church and Sunday school ~attedance
averages 500 in Taianfu city. Seven
hospital patients joined the church in
one month. The boys school has by
far the largest enrolment of its his
tory.
The pilgrims 10 our sacred noun
tain, Taishan, We're far fewer than in
previous years, averaging less than
5000 a Gay, whereas in former years
there were 5000 TO 10000. The
spread of Christian principles and
western education, which, of course.
dlspels superstition, have "a distinct
influence in this matter One Of the
head Mohammedans in Taanfu has
become q real Christian, and is now
a steward in our church"
Foochow Met odism.
" AVE just closed a splendid
session of u annual conference
writes Rev. w. A. Main from Foo
chow. The ministers, on behalf OF
their churches, subscribed $4,000
toward a forward movement fund,
and it is anticipated that this amount
will be considerably increased"
Curious Marriage Customs of
China.
Marriage customs in China are
peculiar. DR.. G. j.. Tompkins of
Suifu was asked recently by one OF
| his converts a Vnlnp man of tuonfu
to find him q wife. In China this is
the proper proceeding, so the mis-
sionary FASTENED to help the young
man. IN the girls school a young
woman was found who was both
ready and willing, so negotiations
were started The gifts presented to
the u couple to each other teach
a good lesson in appropriate giving.
The young mans gifts consisted OF
ten pounds Of fresh pork, ten pounds
of sWeetmeats and tea, cotton cloth
for q dress, and two silver rings over
laid with gold leaf. In return the
young lady gave her future husband
cotton cloth for q suit of clothes, q
pair of shoes, a bag in which to carr,
money and a handkerchief.
According to custom the courtine
was all done by older people repre-
Sentlng the young couple, for the two
most interested do not correspond OF
see each other until they meet at the
wedding ceremony. The gifts of the
prospective groom were carried on &
tray by two servants to the house
where the compact was to be written
for the betrOthal rem is very
serious and binding. The representa-
tives of the interested parties met
pen and ink were brought, and {
Chinese teacher, opening a big rec
paper folder, richly decorated, in.
scribed in it the full name OF each
of the young people, together with
the year. month, day and hour o
their birth. In the four corners o
the page were written heaven long
and "earth DID," meaning as Ions
as the sun shines and the ages tn,
earth stands.
After this ceremony tea and cake.
We're served and the girls return gift
to the young man were placed on tn.
tray. Among the educated and pro
gressive classes, the old order i
changing and the style of the western
nations is being followed at the we'd
ding ceremonies. The bowling t
idols or ancestral tablets has alread,
been done away with, and a friend