Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-06-29
Letter Read at Antioch Mission
Meeting and Published by
Request.

Request.
Canton, China, Apr. 20, 1921.
Our dear "Home-folks:"
We haven't anything particular tt
write about; but it just SO happen:
that on this rainy day in the rainy
season there is sort of lull and we
are neither travelling nor receiving
Chinese visitors least it has beer
half an hour or so since the last
callers left-two Chinese gentlemen
from one of our distant churches
Our home is little on the order
of an editors sanctum, plus a pas
tors study, plus a good many other
things in the homeland. Missionaries
come, business people come, and
Chinese of every class and condition
come-and they are all always well
come. The nearly ninety Chinese men
and women who give their entire time
in the field committed to us two, to
the work of our churches and schools
come the oftenest, for there are many
things for US to plan together, in a
complicated work like ours, in land
like this.
sOf course, our thoughts are con-
stantly turning to the old homeland
and the old home, and togo and
the friends and loved ones all. How
we wish you could drop in on this
rainy afternoon, and be with us at
the prayer meeting That will assemble
in this room at eight o'clock this very
evening! This is the regular Wednes-
day evening prayer meeting for the
members of the Mission, here on our
compound. We use the word COM
pound pretty much as we say cam
pus back at home, for right here in
the space of a few acres our Baptist
schools have UPWARDS of fifteen hun
dred students. The church on the
compound will seat about thousand,
when packed to the utmost-and
some thought it was too large when
we built it with the money that the
dear Sunbeams of the South gave one
year. Now this Sunbeam Church"
cannot possibly hold all the members
of the Sunday school, and hundreds
are turned away every Sunday from
the preaching services. The one of US
who breaches celebrated the Lords
Supper there this month; and if you
could have seen how much bread had
to be broken for that vast multitude
of. members, including teachers and
students you would have felt that
Christianity is taking deep root in
Canton now.
The papers at home have already
mentioned the fact that the first may
or of this great city of two million
peeplesis, with his wife, in full fellow
ship with one of our Baptist church
es. They live almost next door to US.
The mayors mother, who is the wife
of the president, is also an earnest,
humble Christian, and is one of the
most faithful members of our Bap-
tist church at Macao. The city treas
urer is Baptist, and so is Rev.
Frank w. Lee, who spoke at the State
Convention in Bennettsville several
years ago, and who occupies the I'M
portant Office of Commissioner for
Foreign Affairs. Several Christian de-
are represented in the
high official life of this city and state,
one of the most Jealous being the
Minister of Justice (Chief Justice),
who is a member of an Independent
Chinese church. He often breaches
before parliament (congress), and
has written a book on Christianity
When we tell you that we know all
of these personally, you will not think
we are dwelling too much on the fact
that Christianity is reaching the up
per class Chinese at last, for in the
next breath we shall tell you that the
gospel of Christ has reached to tho
lowest dregs, and that even the out
cast lepers are now coming into the
Kingdom. A few. days ago, while
President Suns wife and the wife of
the mayor were calling in this room
in our home, cast-off concubine with
her babe in her arms also called.
They were all treated exactly alike,
of course. You can see an account of
that mother and child in the little
pamphlet called "Ah Lai" which we