Earlier text: PERCY T. MAGANKwang-tung Province, China
By W. C. HANKINS
The writer has had the privilege of visiting our brethren in Kwang-tung province since our general workers' meeting in Shanghai, which closed January 25. After a short trip of two days and a half from Amoy, I was met Thursday morning, on board the boat at Canton, by Brethren E. H. Wilbur and J. P. Anderson. Thursday afternoon Elder Wilbur and I went out to the station at Fat Shan, where Dr. Law Keem, with his wife and family, is located. As it is only about an hour's trip from Canton to this place, we arrived at the doctor's home about dusk. That evening a number of persons came in for the regular Bible study which the doctor holds two or three times each week, and an interesting lesson was given on the first chapter of Revelation. Dr. Law has been keeping up the evangelical work, and also wishes to push the medical work in such a way as to combine the two, thereby doing medical missionary work in the fullest sense of the term. Friday we returned to Canton to the prayer-meeting, which is held every Friday night in the chapel. It was raining quite hard, but there was a goodly number present, about sixty in all. The Sabbath-school was well attended the next day, and was very interesting, even to an onlooker who could not understand what was being said. After Sabbath-school Brother Wilbur interpreted for me while I spoke to them from Romans 6, and we all felt the presence of the Spirit of God as the necessity of dying to sin was dwelt upon, and the glorious promise that sin should not have dominion over us was presented from God's blessed Word. In the afternoon the brethren from Fat Shan met with us to celebrate the ordinances, which was a blessed season indeed. What a precious privilege this that God has given us to show our love for our brother and our loyalty to him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light! Sunday morning the regular business meeting was held, and church officers were elected, as follows: Elder, E. H. Wilbur; deacons, Dr. Law Keem and Lo To Chun; clerk and treasurer, Sister A. Vanscoy. In the afternoon a meeting of the local committee was held, and plans were laid for the work during the coming year. It seemed to be the general opinion that the Hakka and the Cantonese work should be separated as much as possible on account of the race prejudice that exists in the minds of the Cantonese against the Hakkas; so Brother Anderson is planning to move to Wai Chow Foo to carry on the Hakka work, and will take all but two of the Hakka workers with him. Of the two left in Cantonese territory, one will have charge of the work at Brother Wilbur's former station at Kongmoon, and the other will act as his assistant in translating. It is hoped that soon it will be possible to let the Hakka workers labor in Hakka territory, and have only Cantonese to labor in and around Canton. One of the most encouraging features at Canton is the girls' schools. There are two—one a day-school, with about twenty-five pupils, and the other is the Bethel school, which is a combined boarding and day-school. This school work was begun by Sister Ida Thompson, who was one of the first workers to come to China. She started Bethel school as a day-school, then as the numbers grew, it was seen that it would be better for the girls to be kept as much as possible from their heathen home influences, and to live in the school home, where Christian influences would be constantly brought to bear upon them. As Sister Thompson is in America for a time, both schools are now under the management of Sister Vanscoy. The total enrolment of Bethel school for this year is sixty-two and twenty-six of this number are boarding pupils. Naturally the boarding pupils are the most promising, as they more readily yield to their daily Christian surroundings, and thus are more easily taught the gospel. The boys' school is small this year, but there seems to be a good spirit, and we hope it may grow in strength and usefulness. We need some one who can give this part of the work a great deal of time to make it a complete success. Brother Wilbur is the only one left in Canton who can give any attention to this work, and he has his hands more than full with other work. We need more help for Canton at once. The Work Among the Hakkas
As most of the readers of the REVIEW know, the work among the Hakkas was started by five young men, from the Basel Mission, who, wishing to learn more of the truth, came to the Bible school at Canton, and after some months' study accepted the things which they heard. They were afterward baptized and received into the church at Canton. For some time most of them have been working for the mission, but their work is largely confined to the Hakkas of Canton and its vicinity. The result is that the work among the Hakkas is flourishing, but that among the Cantonese is not in such a prosperous condition, as the Cantonese do not wish to mingle with the Hakkas; so it is thought best, as far as practicable, to conduct the work for these peoples separately. Brother Anderson and I went to Wai Chow Foo to see about the advisability of making that city the center for missionary endeavor among the Hakka people. We left Canton Monday morning, and traveled by a native passenger boat, which was towed by a small steam-launch, so that we arrived in Wai Chow Foo about one o'clock that night, although we did not go on shore until the next morning. We spent most of the next day looking around for a suitable location, but did not find anything that we really cared to accept. It was decided, however, that one of the native workers, a canvasser, who was with us, should return at once and spend some time in looking for a good house, after which Brother Anderson should join him, and do what he could to find suitable quarters for a permanent location. Wai Chow Foo is quite a large city, and seems to us to be the natural center for work in that region. Tuesday evening we went to Bok lo, a city about ten miles down the river, intending to go, the next day, to a city in the mountains nearly ten miles from Bok lo, where there is a good interest, and where there are no other missions located. (It is planned to carry on the work there by native workers.) During the night, while at Bok lo, it rained hard, and continued raining the next day, making it impossible for us to continue our journey, the mountain roads being almost impassable, so we returned by launch to Canton. Ere this reaches you, four canvassers will be making a special effort to sell the Gospel Herald, and to obtain yearly subscriptions15 for it, and one native preacher will be located in the Hakka country, and we hope Brother Anderson will have found a house and by that time be located. We are all much in hopes that the Lord is going to raise up a strong man to help in this Hakka region. The first Sabbath the writer spent in Canton, an ordained pastor of the Basel Mission, who was acquainted with our young Hakka workers, some of whom had been his pupils, came to the services both in the morning and in the afternoon. This man had been a minister in the Basel Mission for twenty-five years, and according to their mission rules he is now entitled to half pay for life, and to do as he likes, not being accountable to them in any way for what he does with his time. He is about forty-five or fifty years old, is well educated, and is a good Bible student. He came to listen Sabbath, then on Sunday he went to the Presbyterian mission services, but during the next week he returned and requested Brother Wilbur to give him Bible studies on our faith. He is still studying, and seems very favorable to all he has heard. He has raised up many churches for his former mission, and will doubtless cause a stir in that section should he accept this truth. Let us all pray for him. Our last Sabbath in Canton was a day of blessings from the Lord. The writer spoke, in the morning, from 1 John 4:7-21, and the Holy Spirit was present with us. In the afternoon Dr. Law led one of the best praise and prayer services it has ever been my privilege to attend. It lasted about one hour and a half, and every moment was occupied by testimonies, prayers, and songs; sometimes two were praying at the same time. Not only did all our own members feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, but this visiting pastor felt it also, and spoke about it afterward. Monday evening I started for the north once more, and on my way stopped at Chow Chow Foo to visit the brethren there. Pastor Ang and family are loyally holding up the banner of truth in this region, but are very much in need of help. There is a splendid field for labor here, but it needs a strong man who will not fear persecution, and who has had experience in presenting the truths of this message in our organized conferences. Brethren, pray for us in this needy field, and that God will send laborers to fill these important openings, men of faith who can say, with David, “Thou art my hiding-place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance.” Ps. 32:7. Malay Peninsula
By G. F. JONES
INDIA and China will, no doubt, have a large share in the discussions of the General Conference; and possibly the Malay Peninsula, which lies between these two large nations, with Singapore as the capital at the south end, and Siam to the north, may also be a necessary study as a connection to the larger ones. Singapore is a half-way city, where these two very different nations clasp hands, and affiliate; here they knock off some of their differences, and dwell together in quietness under one government—the British. There are in Singapore over two hundred thousand Chinese, from the coastal parts of China; the remainder of the population is mixed—Indians, Eurasians, Malays, Arabs, Jews, Armenians, and about fifty other nationalities. This colony is an inviting field to the people of both India and China. Although the Chinese population is in excess of that of any other nation, yet the general stamp of the country is neither Chinese nor Indian, but Malay; and in this simple language, the many different people endeavor to understand each other, each in his own style, resulting in a broken Malay accent. English is the coveted language of the young generation, and is taught in all the schools. This British colony, with its educational system, has enabled us to sell many hundreds of our subscription books, such as “The Great Controversy,” “The Desire of Ages,” “Daniel and the Revelation,” “Christ Our Saviour,” and some medical books, as “Home Handbook,” “Man the Masterpiece,” “Ladies’ Guide.” We have also produced the first number of a four-page Malay paper, quarterly, to meet a few who can not understand English; but most people who can read the Romanized characters are able to read English, for while selling “Christ Our Saviour” in Malay, we found more buyers for the English copy. An interest is springing up everywhere following the sale of the books, but Singapore is the only place, as yet, where we have located a mission, and where there has been gathered out a small number of Sabbath-keepers. In connection with the mission we have trained several native workers, both men and women, about ten in all. Some are canvassers, some are Bible workers, some are tract sellers. Nearly all of these can conduct meetings. The places of labor are Singapore, Malay States, Java, Sumatra, Batakland, Borneo. The training of native workers in Singapore has proved a blessing to other fields of Malaysia, and thus far that place has served as a center for the Malaysia work. In Singapore the general interest is good, but the people, like all Asiatics, are slow to respond. Having no hall to which to invite the people to meeting, we have had to be content to use our small room in the mission house, which has generally been well filled on the Sabbath. The one thousand pounds which the General Conference has been so generous as to send us, has enabled us to purchase a lot where we can build a chapel for our purpose. The building has been begun, and will be completed in June. It is a great want supplied, and will be a source of much blessing to this field. The people in Malaysia think that if our work is established in Singapore, there is something solid to it. In the colony there are a million Chinese, five hundred thousand Malays, one hundred fifty thousand Tamil Indians, twenty thousand wild Sakai of the forest, and about twenty thousand mixed races. The denominations which have missions here are the Catholics, the Presbyterians, the Episcopal Methodists of America, the Plymouth Brethren, and the Church of England. Siam, to the north, has a population of six millions. The people are all Buddhists. I believe that only two of the missions established here, besides the Catholic, have schools. Bangkok is the capital, and is reached by steamer from Singapore. We have canvassed Bangkok with “Desire of Ages,” and are contemplating sending another canvasser soon with “Daniel and the Revelation.” It is a large, needy field, and should be entered before very long. We are longing now to get out among the people. I can speak quite a little. But where shall we go? is the question. It will take a little time to get the lay of the land, and make up our minds as to just what the Lord wants us to do. We are not idle. I am putting in full time studying, and some of my time is taken up with the Oriental Watchman. In a quiet, unobtrusive way we are trying to become acquainted with the Christian community and the missionary leaders here. The old, established missionaries, who have come to India to stay, have been imposed on so many times by strangers from England or America (enthusiasts with but little caliber, who, expecting to revolutionize things in a short time, soon find themselves wholly inadequate to the smallest part of the task, and come to nothing) that, adding the prejudice which exists against us as a people, it is very hard for us to gain an entrance. However, we are making progress. We have been able to meet most of the Christian workers in a social way; and I have been asked to give public speeches at Ramabai’s, the Y. M. C. A., and to take charge one night of the union prayer-meeting, which is held every Thursday evening. Of course I do not stake much on these things; they are only incidental. Still I am glad for the opportunity to give a good gospel talk, letting them see that we are evangelical, and have the name of Jesus at heart, as well as they. I have had an interesting experience at Ramabai’s. I gave a gospel talk one Sunday morning, before her sixteen hundred girls, that was very well received. After the meeting, Ramabai called me, and we had a long talk about our work. She told me of some unentered territory near here. She is about forty miles from Poona, and offered to help us locate. She has seven European assistants, among16 whom is some one prejudiced against us. The second day after I left, I received a good letter from her; enclosing a tract entitled “Seventh-day Adventists and the Atonement,” wholly misrepresenting us, and concluding that we do not believe in the atonement, saying that we never wrote one word about Gethsemane, Calvary, etc. I immediately sent her a copy of “Desire of Ages,” asking her to read the chapters on these subjects, and followed it later with a summary of our fundamental principles, as given in our Year Book, for which she had asked, and reviewed the tract. I wrote in a kind, Christian spirit. We have not yet received her reply, but feel thankful for the privilege of setting these things before Ramabai. By the end of this year, at least, I hope we shall be able to obtain a location out among the people. To sit in these towns where the people are gospel-hardened, is like working at arm’s length. I have been thinking of the advisability of going out in the districts with a tent next cool season, and touring around where we think there is an opening, and studying the situation and the people. Experiences in Eastern Polynesia
By B. J. Cady
[The following report was given at the General Conference, May 25, by Elder B. J. Cady.] In Deut. 33:25 we read, “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” This ought to be encouraging to the missionary. In verse 27 is the promise, “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” So the missionary has a refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Our work has been among that part of the islands known as the Eastern Polynesian mission, which takes in the Marquesas Islands. Pitcairn Island is in this group. It also takes in Easter Island, although we have not as yet reached that. I well remember when I received an invitation to make the islands our field of labor. After praying over it I became impressed that the call was from the Lord, and within twenty-four hours was on the way to make connections with the schooner “Pitcairn.” We found this ship somewhat different from our large ocean steamers. Our cabins were very small. Of course we passed through the usual ocean experiences, some of which were not very pleasant. But the Lord was with us in it all. Our first visit was at Pitcairn. Here we found those who loved the truth, and had an interest in us. But when we went on to the Gambier Islands, we found conditions different. We were warned that we should lock our cabins, as the natives had a habit of taking everything they could get. I have here a sample of their full dress. [Showing sample of blue cloth about three by five feet.] When we reached Raiatea, we went to visit the queen and the royal family and the governors. They were very glad to see us, and invited us to remain. They said that unless we did remain and teach them the gospel, their blood would rest upon our heads in the day of judgment. At that time they were not in harmony with the French government. The French had taken possession of a small part of the island. So when it was decided that Mrs. Cady and I should remain there, we told them that we would have nothing to do with politics, and they seemed pleased to hear us make such a statement. We lived in a house made of bamboo poles, about twelve feet square. We had poles for a floor, and hay for a carpet. Our goods were brought and placed in this little house. While we were getting them, a number of natives gathered around. They were asking, “What is in this box?” “I wonder if there is any sugar in this,” etc. They were anxious to sample the white man’s goods, to see what he had. In fact, I was told that it was hard work for those who were guarding the things to keep the natives from taking many of them. We found the natives anxious to come and visit us. From early morn till late at night they would remain, sometimes peeking through the bamboo poles to see how the white man and his wife were getting on. And they felt that they needed many things that the white man had. Mrs. Cady had two pairs of glasses, and they could not see why they should not have one pair. They wanted our broom, and, in fact, about everything we had. After being there a few days, the queen sent us an invitation one Sunday to visit her. When I reached the house, I found all the governors of the islands, and the leading officials. Their speaker said, “Well, Mr. Cady, we want to ask you some questions.” “All right,” I replied. “Where do you live in America, up in the mountains, or down by the beach?” They thought our country must be like theirs. Then they asked, “Are you a relative of the president of the United States?”—“No.” “Well, you must be a friend of his, are you not?”—“No, I have never seen him.” That seemed a wonderful thing to them. They had all seen their queen, and their former king, and why had I not seen the president of the United States? Then they went still further. “Now we do not like the nation that is trying to get possession of our island, and we want you to write to the president of the United States, and ask him to send a few men-of-war, and cast all these soldiers into the sea, and break up all their men-of-war, and then we will become Americans.” Now I have an idea that it is often the case that when people are making great pleas for the gospel, they have something behind it. I have had men come to me and say, “Mr. Cady, I believe in the gospel. I believe in the truth just as you advocate it. I am thinking of keeping the Sabbath and uniting with your church. We want you to come over into our district and hold meetings.” Then they would say, “Mr. Cady, we would like to have you come over to our place, but we haven’t a good house, and we would like to have you build us a wooden house. We have not the money, but we will help you a little, and we can live together. You can come and make your home there.” Others would say: “I am thinking of uniting with your people. I believe that you have the truth. But there is something I want you to do for me. I am in love with the daughter of such and such a man, and I want you to use your influence to get the father to consent for me to marry the daughter. When the marriage is performed, then I will unite with your church.” We have many instances like this. I have had people come again and again and say, “I would like to unite with your people. Now, Mr. Cady, can’t you loan me a dollar?” Or perhaps it may be five, ten, or twenty dollars. In the Society Islands we have an abundance of fruits, such as bananas, oranges, pineapples. But we have also other things that are not so pleasant. And whenever a person thinks of going to the islands of the sea to labor, he should not go with the idea of just eating17 oranges, or enjoying the good things. I have seen American missionaries who have gone to some of the islands, and after getting there they would say, “Has it come to this? If I were back in the United States again, you never would see me here.” I believe, dear friends, that when we go to labor in a field, we ought not to go expecting to be appreciated. We ought to go because we have the love for souls, and the needs of the people appeal to us, and we feel it our duty to do what we can to help them. I well remember our first school. The natives said they wished to be taught how to read, and also to be taught the gospel. So in our first school, they used to come, often with only their loin-cloth, and often without any clothing. Instead of having a fine school-house, we had only a small building with a ground floor, a bamboo hut. We had a map of the world, but no school-books. We had only a very small book with the alphabet in it. When we would talk to the parents about getting some books, they asked why we could not write the lessons in the sand. Such people do not know how to appreciate an education, but we must take them where they are, and do the best we can for them. As soon as possible, we had some tracts translated into the Tahitian language. We find that the natives read these eagerly. We did not wait till we could get them bound and in book form, but sent them out at first written on the typewriter or mimeograph. In going into a new field, we sometimes find that people are rather ambitious, and think that we must get out reading-matter in book form immediately. But I believe, dear friends, that it is well to get acquainted with the language and the people before we get out too much reading-matter. There was one missionary who could learn the language very readily. He soon thought that he understood it a great deal better than the rest of the missionaries there. As he went from place to place, he would tell how he could make the natives understand him. One day he met a company of natives who said to him, “We would like to have you tell us how old you are, and tell us about your wife.” Well, he wanted to tell them that his wife was seventy years old, but instead he informed them that he had seventy wives. They all stood aghast at this information, and were not sure that they wished to listen to such a missionary. Suppose this man had written out a Bible reading with such a limited knowledge of the language, what influence would it have had on the truth? I believe it is a good thing to go slow. Our experience in the islands goes to show that the youth whom we have helped by taking them into our homes, have become the most stable and useful members of our church. You may say, Now you have told us of some of the difficulties met in laboring for the people. Please tell us whether they accept the gospel, and remain true. Are they vacillating and untruthful and unreliable? In the South Sea Islands the natives often seek to cover up the truth with words; but when the truth of God gets hold of them, it transforms their lives, just as it does in the States. Much orange rum is used by some of the natives; and I have seen these drunkards, who are often addicted to an excessive use of tobacco as well, changed into earnest Christians. The truth is accompanied by a power that helps them to give up these things entirely, and to so change their manner of living that the people all around them testify to the genuineness of their conversion. I recall one case that I will tell you of this morning. A man who had once been a member of a church, who had been excommunicated because of his drunken habits, was converted, and led such a consistent Christian life that his associates recognized that he was indeed a changed man. The time came when his wife, who was a good Christian woman in another church, wished to become a Seventh-day Adventist. The officers of her own church wondered what they could do with her. They did not want to have her remain in the church in fellowship with them, so long as she kept the Sabbath; and yet they hardly knew how to excommunicate her, as they acknowledged that there was nothing that could be found against her, so far as her morals were concerned. So far as they knew, she was a good, kind, conscientious Christian woman; but she would insist on keeping all the commandments of God. She would not give up the seventh-day Sabbath. Finally they excommunicated her on the ground that she kept all of God’s commandments. This is an actual circumstance, and we rejoiced in knowing that they could find nothing worse against this sister than that she insisted on keeping all of the ten commandments, including the fourth. I will speak of a certain girl we had in our home at one time. Her parents had not been honest, and she worked as a clerk in our health food store at one time. One day she said to my wife and myself, as we were riding along, “I have something to tell.” “All right; we shall be glad to hear it.” We noticed that the tears began to run down her cheeks, and she hesitated. “Well, what is it?” we inquired. “O,” said she, “I should like to tell you, but, somehow, it seems very hard for me to do so!” “Well,” said we, “you ought to tell us, if you think that you should.” After a while she told us, brokenly, of how, while working in the health food store, she had wished some money, and had taken fifty cents; and then later, wishing money for something else, she took another fifty cents; still later another fifty cents, and another; and she had continued to take from the store funds, in amounts of fifty cents at a time, until she had taken eleven dollars in all. She told of her deep sorrow, and of her desire to repay us, but of her inability to do this just now; and she humbly asked us for forgiveness; and she added: “I want you should pray for me, that I may never, never do that again.” What do you think, dear friends, it is that causes a person to make such a confession as that? Do you think a native girl would make such a confession, when nobody knew about her wrong, if the Spirit of God was not in her heart? I believe, dear friends, that the Holy Spirit was working on that girl’s heart. Other girls have accepted the truth, whose parents have greatly opposed them. For instance, a certain girl came to our place, and said: “Mr. Cady, I have come to see you. I have been interested in the truth for some time, and I have felt as if I must keep the Sabbath. But father and mother say that I can not keep the Sabbath; and father has said that if I keep the Sabbath, I can not stay at home. I have been keeping it in the past,” she continued, “and I have not told father about it, because I knew he felt very bitter, and he has threatened me at different times; and so I have gone out onto the plantation, and have read my Bible and prayed, and thus have refrained from work on the Sabbath day. But now father has found this out, and he says if I do that again, and keep the Sabbath, I can not go home; and I feel that I must keep the Sabbath; and so I have come here to ask you whether you can help me and pray for me.” Well, what could we do? We said, “Certainly; we will make a home for you; come in.” We took her into our home; and I believe if we ever saw a person who loves the Lord, it is that young person. Once this girl told a story which illustrates her childlike, simple faith. She was crossing a lagoon near the bay, and was accompanied by a young man who was rowing the canoe. The place was noted for its sharks. The young man who was rowing said to the young woman, “I wish I had faith to believe in the Bible as you believe in it.” While they were talking thus, a great shark came up near the canoe. Sometimes these sharks upset canoes. The young man said, “Here’s a shark! What shall we do?” “Just keep quiet,” said the young woman, “while I kneel down and pray.” So she knelt down and prayed; and when she had finished praying, and arose, the man said, “The shark is gone.” Dear friends, I believe it is well for us to have simple faith in God. We have another young woman down there, whose father was very angry with her because she would keep the Sabbath. She was very young, but she used to send us her tithe and offerings, and she took a great interest in the cause of truth, notwithstanding her father’s opposition. One day, when I called to see him, he said: “Mr. Cady, I do not believe in the Bible. If there is any God, I believe the earth is God. See the old ocean heave to and fro. There are signs of life there, and I am constrained to believe that the ocean is God. But,” he continued, “if I were a Christian like you, I would write out my prayer, and I would write it somewhat as follows: ‘Lord, there are so many people to attend to, and you do not have time to look over the wants of every one; and if you ever wish to know what I want, you just look there on that piece of paper, and you will find out.’” “Let us look at this from another standpoint,” I suggested to him. “How many children have you?” “Ten.” Suppose your children should get together, and say that since you have so many children, you can not attend to the wants of them all, and so they will write out their requests on a blackboard or on a slip of paper; and then suppose that they would tell you that if at any time in your multitudinous duties you might wish to learn what they would be pleased to have you do for them, you could read their requests on the blackboard or the slip of paper. Would you like that?” “Well, I do not know that I would,” he acknowledged. In closing, I should like to tell you of some experiences I had a few years ago, during a visit to Pitcairn Island. We knew there would be head winds all the way, and we had no certain means of18 getting there. I found it possible to go as far as the Gambier Islands, in a little steamer; and the only means I had of going across to Pitcairn, three hundred miles further, was on a little seven-ton cutter, about thirty feet long, and about eight feet wide. Many assured me that should I attempt to go to Pitcairn in this little vessel, I would go to the bottom of the ocean; and so I made the matter a subject of prayer. I believe that sometimes the Lord helps people; in fact, I believe he always helps his people when they seek him in the right way. Out in those islands we have no committees, no presidents of conferences and others to go to for counsel; we have to look to the Lord for direction in all our ways. I prayed over the matter most earnestly. I remembered being awakened one night; I seemed startled. I saw a man before me, and just before I woke, I heard these words, “I will be with you all the way.” Well, when I awoke, the first thing that came to my mind was this: The Lord wants you to go to Pitcairn Island, and he will be with you all the way. It did not require very much faith or persuasion, so far as my mind was concerned, to go down as far as the Gambier Islands on the little steamer; but when I reached the Gambier Islands, and saw this little boat, the question arose, Shall I go in it?—it looked so very small. So I went out again and prayed earnestly. The same words came to my mind, “I will be with you all the way.” So we started out, and made the 300 miles in six days. Soon after leaving the Gambier Islands, the little cutter was found to be leaking badly. In fact, they were compelled to pump out the water every two hours. After reaching Pitcairn those in charge of the boat proposed that they go back to the Gambier Islands, and have their little cutter recaulked. They expected to return to Pitcairn within two weeks, and take me back to Tahiti. We went on with our work, and held meetings for two weeks. At the end of that time our boat had not returned. We waited another week, and continued our labors. Week after week passed by, until nine weeks passed, and no boat. I had been from home about three months and had received no word from there, and I could not communicate with them. The question confronted me, How can I return home? It is difficult to get away from Pitcairn. Sometimes it takes two years. I began to pray earnestly to the Lord that when my work was finished, he would send a boat. At the end of nine weeks the Pitcairn islanders called out, “Sail ho!” They had sighted the French missionary schooner that left Tahiti at the time I took ship for the Gambier Islands. She had come to Pitcairn for food and water, and we had learned that she had not yet reached the Gambier Islands. She had gone away out of her course, and had been lost. For three days they had been without water, under a tropical sun. Their food was nearly exhausted; they had been giving their sailors three tea biscuits a day, and had been praying to the Lord, “Send us food, send us food.” When 440 miles beyond the islands they were bound for, they met an American vessel. The captain told them where they were, gave them a small supply of food and water, and advised them to go to Pitcairn, only 140 miles distant, where they could secure water and plenty of food, and learn how to reach the Gambier Islands. So they came to Pitcairn Island, and we were very glad. We gave them plenty of food and water; we invited the leading minister on the boat to come and preach in our church; in fact, we treated them royally, and did the very best we could for them. The leading minister proposed that I go back with them to the Gambier Islands, free of charge; so they took me with six natives free. Upon reaching the Gambier group I learned from the merchants that no vessel would sail for Tahiti for two months, and possibly not for six months. I felt discouraged, and determined to seek for passage on the missionary schooner that had brought me thus far. But upon interviewing these friends whom we had treated so kindly, they hesitated, and refused me passage. For what reason I know not. The merchants, upon hearing of this, through the Pitcairn islanders who had accompanied us, advised these natives to take from the missionary vessel the food and water that they had given them; but when I learned of this, I counseled them not to do it. I assured them of my conviction that the Lord would provide some way. The missionary schooner was about to lift anchor and sail away without me, when we heard a call of “Sail ho!” The missionaries decided to wait, and so cast anchor again. The vessel that appeared was a French man-of-war from Tahiti. I went to the resident, and asked him to grant me passage on this vessel. He said, “I can not do this; for you are a foreigner. We can take only people who are in distress.” I replied, “I am in distress. I did what I could for your missionary ship flying the French flag, and now they refuse to take me any further.” “Well,” he said, “under those conditions I think the captain will take you.” The next day we interviewed the captain, and he agreed to take me, and gave me free passage. As it turned out, I arrived at Tahiti two weeks before the missionary vessel reached there. The little boat that took me from the Gambier Group to Pitcairn Island, never reached Tahiti. She went down at sea. Now, dear friends, people may say that God does not care for his people; but he does care for them, and if they trust him, he will care for them, even to the extent of sending a man-of-war to take them where they wish to go. That the Lord may be with us, and inspire us with faith in him, and save us in his kingdom, is my prayer. In one of the mission fields a physician had been the means of restoring to health a beloved child. In their gratitude the parents came and knelt at the feet of the doctor, worshiping her as if she had been a god. The missionary remonstrated, saying: “We are not gods. Worship the true God.” “You must be a god,” they said, “no one but a god could have saved our beloved from death.” The missionary then said: “Suppose that I wished to bestow a valuable gift upon you, and sent it by the hand of one of your coolies; whom would you thank, the coolie or myself?” “We should thank you, of course; the coolie is your servant.” “And so am I God's coolie,” said the missionary, “by whose hand God has been pleased to send this gift of healing, and it is to him you must bow and give thanks.” So at last their hearts turned to the true God.—Selected. Indian Women at the National Congress
The part which Indian women played in the recent national congress is causing comment. Over one hundred Madras Hindu ladies assembled at the social congress, where several read papers before a large audience of men. “This is the first time that a caste woman in Madras has ever spoken in public,” was the comment of a Brahman lady. The faces of the men were an interesting study; for the great audience seemed vastly amused, astonished, and pleased, to think that their women folk could speak so well in public. The papers read showed that thoughtful and careful consideration is now being given by Indian women to important domestic subjects. The papers were on “Marriage Expenses,” “The Raising of a Marriageable Age for Girls,” “Should English Be Taught Our Girls?” etc.—Madras Statesman.