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“I Am The Way, The Truth, and The Life." A Chinese Funeral. By S. C. Todd, Macao, China. Some one lias well said that the Chinese consider being well buried the most important event in life. It is a fact that the people groan under debt con tracted either for burial or marriage expenses. Near us is a large house, with spacious flower garden at the back, owned by a Chinese lottery. This gambling institution sells chances on the suc cessful candidates at the literary examinations. The house is rented from time to time to rich Chinese for either wedding or burial festivities. Last year the funeral of one of the wives of a wealthy gen tleman was held from there. Being within a stone’s throw of us we had opportunity to see the affair at the best. Our attention was called first to it by the con tinual heating of gongs. Sleep to some of us was impossible; the continual noise, the deep toned sounds jarred terribly on tired nerves. Next day servants frequently passed bearing paper figures in many shapes, such as the stork, devils, women servants, etc. The gathering crowds on the morning of the funeral told of the importance of the day. The small boy with unkempt hair, and wardrobe not too elaborate, was much in evidence. He is a prime factor in funeral processions, for it is he who car ries the lanterns, the banners and other parapher nalia. Women bearing varied and sundry ornaments were on every hand; here and there were Buddhist priests with their closely shaven heads and flowing robes; while the street was lined with open stands made of kingfisher feathers, an indispensable ad junct to a funeral procession. No doubt the family heart beat with pride over such an important day, for did not all this stir set forth in vivid picture their wealth and importance? To be sure, a woman is dead, and custom does not decree that she shall be signally honored, but Chin ese. like other people, are sometimes better than their customs, and in this instance a husband is heaping honors upon his wife. By the doorway stands a bamboo pole some twenty feet high, which is topped with a large paper stork, uuon whose wings the spirit of the deceased is supposed to have taken its departure. Over the door are suspended two large white globular lan terns with large characters in blue, these colors be ing the mourning emblems in China. On the wall are passed large sheets of paper which tell of the deceased, describe the route her spirit has taken and warn the people not to cross Ker path lest dis aster come to them. Standing in the street one can see men and wo men in coarse sack-cloth moving hither and thither within the house, while amongst the crowd is to be seen a servant woman with one of the little ones astride her back, the little mite garbed in cap and coat of the same. In questions of mourning the Chinese are past masters. The deepest is sack-cloth, which, after seven days, is discarded for white. White shoes, white robes, are worn, while a white button adorns the cap instead of the proverbial red one and a string of white braided into the queue. Blue is still a lighter mourning, there is a blue button for the cap, blue shoes, and blue appears in the queue, while the earrings of the women are of the same color. A son mourns a parent for three years, during 11® IHil BSIRf is The Golden Age for April 26, 1906. which no silk can be worn, and if he is an official he must resign and retire to private life. Upon the death of a sovereign, the whole nation goes into mourning for a hundred days, and during that time no one can be shaven and all go unkempt. The hour of the procession has arrived. A long line is formed, while on either side the crowd is dense, being held back by the police. Heading the procession are large lanterns inscribed with the family name, borne by small boys. Other dirty street arabs follow bearing upright red boards which carry inscriptions describing the family virtues, men on small ponies ride in single file; others car ry large silk banners which are embroideried with the deceased’s name in large velvet characters, while quotations from the classics are worked into the top folds. A dozen or more upright stands fol low, each borne by four men or women. These are of open work, and have many figures done in king fisher feathers, describing Chinese life and scenes. Their bases are left open, being used as recep tacles for foods and other offerings to the departed. Often you will see in these a roasted pig, with a red paper star stuck in his forehead; in another will be a complete meal, others carry oranges and va rious kinds of fruits. In one procession I saw a pyramid of oranges with a paper man standing on the top. These foods are in some way supposed to be transferred to the spirit world where the departed will have need of them. Then came Buddhist priests, friends carry ing lighted incense sticks, while numbers of Chin ese officials followed in their flowing robes, beaded necklaces and tasselled caps. The mourners in sack cloth followed the coffin; they walked beside an empty sedan chair to the back of which was sus pended a large picture of the deceased, while on the vacant seat incense is burning. What a contrast a Christless burial is to the Christian! 0 that they might know the true Savior and His presence that hallows in such hours. Dr. Chapman’s Dallas Meeting. By Rachel Kollock McDowell. Rev. Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman, corresponding sec retary of the General Assembly’s Committee on Evangelistic Work, has just closed a three weeks’ series of revival meetings in Dallas, Texas, which, according to the local pastors and the prominent Christian people generally in that city, haa been the most wonderful revival in the history of the city. Dr. Chapman, with a corps of assistants, includ ing eighteen evangelists and singers, came to Dallas direct from Mobile, Ala., where they conducted a two weeks’ evangelistic campaign, March 15, and the Dallas meetings closed Tuesday night, April 3. This last day was set apart as one of thanksgiving and prayer, and it is estimated that 25,000 people paused long enough from the toils and strife of everyday life to go to one of the churches, revival halls or tents and devote at least a few moments to prayer. At the request of the Dallas Pastors’ Association, Bryan T. Barry, mayor of the city of Dallas, issued a proclamation requesting that all the professional people of Dallas close their offices and places of business from 11:30 to 1:30 o’clock the last day of the campaign in order that they and their employes might during that time attend one of the mass meetings conducted by Dr. Chapman’s corps. Over 225 business houses had consented to close before the mayor’s proclamation was made public, and the result of the latter was that business generally was suspended for the two hours, and the city had the appearance of Sunday. At 10 o’clock in the morning of this eventful day, there was a thanksgiving service in the First Methodist church at noon. At noon there were two great mass meet ings, one in the Dallas Opera House, led by Dr. Chapman, and the other in the Majestic Theatre, led by Rev. Dr. Henry Ostrom. This wonderful day was but a fitting ending to the wonderful campaign. In many ways the simul taneous movement, of which Dr. Chapman is the originator and exponent, was an experiment. This was thought to be due to the fact that there are so many uneducated evangelists who rise up and in vade different parts of the 'South, that there is a certain prejudice against the profession. Dr. Chap man said that for the first ten days he and his as sociates felt there was a barrier in the way of the progress of the work, but that at the end of this time there was a sudden ami remarkable change. There were always crowded houses, and the last week the churches would not contain the crowds. Aside from the nightly meetings in six churches, various daily services, in Bush Hall, the Dallas Opera House and the Majestic Theatre, there were meetings of an unusual character, among which were several midnight theatre meetings. This is one of Dr. Chapman’s methods for touch ing “the masses” with the Gospel. The last Mon day night Dr. Chapman preached to a vast audience of colored people, at the Bethel African church after his regular district meeting. Rev. Robert A. Wal ton addressed working men at noon-day factory meetings. There were several services in Welsh for people of that nationality, led by Owen 11. Pugh, a native of Wales. Rev. and Mrs. William Asher, “the saloon evangelists,” reached over 1,500 persons in their saloon revival meetings, most of whom never attend church. They included lawyers, poli ticians, business men, cleiks and men of the world generally, and through services in the county jail, conducted by Mr. and Mrs. Asher, fifteen prison ers definitely decided to turn from their sin and live Christian lives. Mr. Schaeffer held numerous children’s meetings, and Dr. Ostrum conducted a special service for old people. At Oak Cliff, one of the districts, the meetings were held in a big tent. Among other expressions of opinions as to the results of the meeting, Hatton W. Summers, the County Attorney, said: “These have certainly been great meetings. I speak not so much from the fully religious stand point; others are in a better position than I to express an opinion as to that. The effect upon the body of our citizenship has been most elevating. I believe that Dallas will have braver, truer, better citizens by reason of these meetings having been held here.” In 1896 there were 22 members in the Baptist church at Kiehyand, China. To-day the church has 200 members. It is not only self-supporting, but maintains two missions in other parts of the city and two places of prayer. A revival began in Ran goon which has spread to the villages around. Such reports are coming in from every direction.—Ex change. “The Entrance of Thy Words Giveth Light." 3