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ESTABLISHED 1821.
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Is prophecy "more sure" than
miracle—the word of the Ohl Testament
Scriptures than the voice on the Mount
ot Transfiguration? 2 Pet. 1: 19 seems to
imply it.
The corruption which is in the world
is through desire, the apostle teaches us.
2 Pet. 1:4. Now, our desires are our
taking faculties. We ought to beware,
then, what and how we take. Taking
has danger in it: it is next-door neigh
bor to corruption—it may be corrup
tion admitted into our own door.
Julius Casar would have been, not
only a better man, but a greater, if freed
from his harshness in family relations.
The household is but a training school
for the grandest as well as the tenderest
feelings of the soul; and the heart that
does not rise to the height of these feel
ings there, will not rise to it anywhere
else. The great man will be the great
husband and the great father. How
much more is this true of the great
Christian!
What we do not use, at last we lose.
A species of parrot in New Zealand,
finding its food entirely on the ground,
has lost its power of flight. The wings
unemployed to bear it through the air,
are no longer able to do so; henceforth
it can only grovel on the ground it chose
for itself. So, the soul of man may lose
its power of flight—its power to rise to
spiritual things, because it loves and
seeks only tilings of earth. Oh! try your
soul’s wing, try it quickly, try it often,
lest >t lose unawares the power to bear
you to the higher life and the better
world.
We do not need that converse with de
parted Christian friends, of which Spirit
ualism, we think falsely, makes its boast,
to assure us that the flame of being in
them burns on unquenched. What
they webe leaves us no room to doubt
that they ahe. Hume’s declaration
that lie believed in immortality when
ever he thought of his mother is but a
faint image of the enhanced triumphant
certainty with which the godly soul, in
the season of bereavement, looks for
ward to reunion with those who have
gone before it into the land where no
death divides. It is absence that this
soul mourns—absence, not loss: and oh,
the glory and the gladness of the pres
ence which shall, by and by, sweep that
absence away forever!
“An Old Woman’s Outlook in a Hamp'
shire Village,” by Miss Young, records
the fact that a villager complains of the
disagreeable “hollering” of the nightin
gales, while another did not even recog
nize the bird by its note. This illustrates
the truth that what we lack is often
lacking through our own fault. Are
there not for all of us in our environment
nightingales whose music we too lightly
regard to trace it to its source, or too
perversely judge to hear it with ears at
tuned to a sense of its sweetness? Are
there not innocent and costless pleasures
of which we without necessity defraud
ourselves? Do we not thus by our own
act forge and fashion burdens to make
poverty itself more burdensome? Ah,let
us look out for the nightengales and list
en to them: we may be surprised to find
how many there are and how sweet their
song is.
Labor is the price of literary excel
lence. Witness two facts which we find,
from the pen of different authors, in a
single issue of “Current Literature."
The late Guy de Maupassant, the French
man, “wrote six and eight hours a day,
often rewriting the same nouvelle or
chapter many times before he felt satis
tied with the final form attained.” Gen.
Lew Wallace, the American, "frequently
rewrites a sentence twenty times before
he is satisfied with it, and what he
writes one day is subjected to a care
ful scrutiny the next morning, polished
and re-polished, until frequently it is re
duced to only a couple of hundred words.”
To the young writer especially these ex
amples are not unworthy of emulation;
anil writers for the Christian press, deal
ing with the gravest ami greatest of
themes, may well give these themes
whatever benefit might accrue to them
from this diligent aud patient care.
Strange divinities of language have
been employed in conferring authority
to discharge the functions of the Chris
tian ministry. Here is one instance.
We saw recently a license issued by “the
Church ofchristat Philadelphia, Spar
tanburg district, S. C„" dated Marell
12th, 1825, and signed by Moses IL
Smith, clerk. It runs as follows: “Be
lieving that a dispensation of the gospel
has been committed to the charge of
our beloved brother, we therefore toler
ate him to preach the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ, in any part of the
world where God in His providence may
call him." Evil indeed would be the
day to Christian ministers, if they should
receive bare "toleration” from their
brethren. This, certainly, was not the
case with the brother to whom the fore
going license was granted; hundreds
yet living in Georgia could testify of the
affection and reverence which he won
from them. The unusual word was
employed without any reference to its
implication of approval withheld; and
this fact only makes its employment the
more remarkable.
THE CHRISTIAN INDEX.
JAPAN AS MISSION FIELD-
BY’ WM. B. M’GABITY.
Nothing at the World's Fair has caused
greater surprise than Japanese exhibits.
It compares favorably with that of
France and Germany as to extent or
quality. This is specially gratifying to
those of us who are interested in our
mission there.
The Japanese empire has a surface
area of one hundred and fifty thousand
square miles, a little more than twice
the size of Georgia. The climate is like
the Atlantic States stretching from New
Jersey' to Florida. The atmosphere is as
clean and salubrious as that of Italy.
The people of Japan are the most
shrewd and energetic of the Asiatics.
They’ have taken the lead in casting off
an old form of civilization and adopting
what they consider the best in the differ
ent governments of the world. The
beautiful islands have made an aesthetic
people. The bracing climate has made
an energetic people, in the last twenty'
years they have built many universities
on the plan of ours, and now' say they
have no use for foreign institutions. In
government also they have shown a
shrewd intellect. The present imperial
cabinet is composed of broad-minded,
far-seeing men.
The religions of Japan are two. Sliau
terism. the most ancient, is simply a wor
ship of the objects of nature. This sys
tem has a strong hold on the people. Its
devotees are building a temple at Kyots,
at a cost of eleven million dollars. This
sect has sixty-three thousand preachers,
and the number is constantly increasing.
From 1884 to 1889 their increase was
half as great as the present membership
of all Japanese Protestant churches.
Buddhism is far superior to Shanterism
in giving a binding system of dogmatics,
and a code of morals that tends to ele
vate and purify life. This, though, is
simply an empty nothingness, a philoso
phy, not a religion, and can never sway
modern Japan. The greatest idols of
Japan are two statues of Dia Butz, one
sixty feet high at Kamakura, the other
slightly larger at Nara. The Buddhists
have ninety-two thousand preachers and
priests, and sixty-live thousand heads of
temples.
The work of Protestants has aroused
them to greater endeavor. Seeing how the
people are reached by' preaching, sing
ing, Sunday-schools and personal work,
the Buddhists have incorporated all this
into their worship. They have also be“
gun publishing papers advocating their
doctrines. There are now forty eight
published in the empire.
The mission work in Japan has been
phenomenal. Beginning in 1859; live
years spent in seed-sowing without a
single convert, in 1871 only ten converts,
in 1884 sixty-live hundred; now fifty
thousand nominal Christians.
The work of the American Baptist is
confined to the four main islands. The
American Baptist Missionary Inion
opened their first mission at Yokohama.
Here they now have eleven missionaaies,
six churches, with a membership of three
hundred and eighteen, and a theological
seminary, which sent, out the first full
graduate last year. Fourteen students
attended during the session.
The union has work in seven other
large cities, making a total of thirty-nine
stations, forty-two missionaries and
fourteen churches, with a membership of
twelve hundred. They have occupied
important places, and as far as possible
covered the territory.
Let us consider more carefully' the
w ork on the island Kiushiu, on which
the missionaries of the Southern Baptist
Convention labor. This island has a
population of nine million, ami is less
than a third as large as Georgia, tin
this small island there are three cities
with a population of over forty-seven
thousand each, two w ith over twenty
five thousand each, three with over
twenty thousand each, ami many others
with a populfition ranging from live to
fifteen thousand. Think of all these
people occupying territory one-third the
size of Georgia! <lur missionaries, breth
ren Brunson, McCollum and Walre, have
been greatly blessed. In less than two
years they have organized work at live
stations on the northern coast of this
island. The principal station is Kokura
where a flourishing church has been
constituted, with a constantly increasing
membership.
At present there are many hopeful in
dications in the Japanese mission work.
About two years ago the anti-foreign
ideas dominated everything. They wanted
no more western ideas about govern
ment, schools, or religion. The school
of missionaries wsa taken from them
and placed under the government. Great
fear was felt by the missionaries of be
ing sent, out of the country. This affect
ed Christian work very much. (Ippo
sition to < hristianrty grew out of I’nita
rianism, Universalism and German Ra
tionalism. Many so-called missionaries
contributed to this state of unrest by
denying the inspiration of the Scriptures
and the divinity of Christ. However,
this has passed over. The natives have
b gun to feel that they must have a
deeper religion than their old forms, or
Christianity as it is taught by Unitarians
and L’niversalists. However, let us re
member that Unitarians spent last year
eleven thousand dollars on Japanese
missions, while Southern Baptists spent
less than half that amount.
It has been said that Japan bears the
same relation to Asia that England does
to Europe. It is small, hence, easily in
fluenced: near the main land, yet inde
pendent. The people are hearty, well
trained in war, shrewd, industrious; pat
riotic, yet not bigotted; inquisitive, cul
tured, and speak one language. It may
be that Japan is the key to Asiatic races;
that when the thousands of Japan are
placed on the Rock of Ages, through
them the teeming millions of China will
be brought to Christ.
But at present, with all the progress,
only a portion of the middle class has
been reached. The upper and lower
classes have not been touched.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE WORLD
UPON THE PIETY OF THE
UHURUHE -
BY KEV. 8. G. HILLY EK, D. D.
lii a previous paper, September
28th, the opposition of the world
to the poeple of God was set forth
—first, in bloody attacks upon the
persons of Christians, and, second
ly, in unsparing attacks upon the
credibility of the Bible. Both these
methods of attack have thus far
failed. Persecution has well nigh
ceased in all civilized countries;
and in spite of unbelieving scien
tists, critics, and lecturers, with all
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. OCTOBER 12, 1893.
the aid afforded by the cold in
difference of the secular press, the
Bible to-day stands like Mt. Zion,
surrounded by its bulwarks and de
fended by its towns. Perhaps a
million of copies, representing
more than 200 languages, are annu
ally scattered among the nations.
This does not indicate any loss of
power.
But there is one other method
by which the world manifests its
opposition to the people of God,
and that is found in its influence
upon
THE PIETY OF THE CHURCHES.
The nature of this influence is
pre-eminently seductive. The world
stands to the churches precisely in
the same relation that the Canaan
ites occupied toward the people
of ancient Israel. It approaches
them in the guise of friendship,
and by its many seductive devices
draws thousands of church mem
bers away from Christ and en
tangles them in the meshes of its
own worldliness, which is idolatry.
Thus, under the guise, of friend
ship, the world becomes a modern
Delilah, who-e winning ways allure
only to destroy.
I'he opportunities for the exer
cise of this hurtful influence are
found in the conditions of human
life. The people of God, though
not of the world, are yet in the
world. They are connected with
it by many’ strong and interesting
t ies.
Among these ties we find, first of
all, t'ne ties of consanguinity—such
as unite husband and wife, parents
ami children, brothers and sisters,
and all the wide circle of kindred,
whether by blood or by marriage.
Another tie which unites the
churches with the world is found
in a common interest. Christians,
like other men, must live by labor.
Hence they must go forth with
other men along the established
lines of business, and earn subsist
ence for themselves and for their
loved ones.
Another tic is found in the social
relations which are sure to be
formed among people of the same
community. They give rise to all
the attachments of friendship.
Now, as before stated, the peo
ple of God are in the world. They
can no more fail to recognize the
relations which connect them with
it than they can cease to breathe.
Hence an act which is in harmony
with these relations cannot be in
itself sinful. They have their basis
in the constitution of our nature,
and in the conditions under which
we live. And God has given to us
all these things “richly to enjoy.”
And yet, paradoxical as it may
seem, it is from out these very re
lations which bind us to the world
that temptations, numerous as the
locusts on the fields ol Egypt, come
forth to assail the pietv of the
churches. l ake notice, the assault
is not upon the persons of Chris
tians, as in persecution, nor upon
their faith, as in attacks upon the
Bible, but upon their piety; and
it is all the more dangerous be
cause it is often unseen and un
suspected.
To illustrate these statements
and establish their truth, let us
notice a few cases .
'Die domestic circle shall furnish
our first example. If there bean
object on this earth which a Chris
tian may innocently love and freely
enjoy it is that little company
made up of parents and children—
the family circle. When dominated
by true piety, it is a little paradise
here on earth. But often, alas! too
often, the wily serpent finds a hid
ing place within its sacred enclos
ures. It may be the father is an
unregenerate man, while his wife
may be a church member, and, if
you please, a Christian. The hus
band is devoted to the world. He
may indeed love his wife, and be
very kind to her, but he has no
sympathy with her religion.
Through him, the world spirit
creeps like a serpent, unseen and
unsuspected into her heart. Under
its influence, how sadly her piety
is often so paralyzed that it affords
no coinfort to herself and no profit
to others.
In the way just described, or in
some other way, for the ways are
numerous, the influence of the
world enters into the domestic cir
cle, where it often exerts a wither
ing effect upon the piety of God’s
people.
Another illustration of the
world’s influence upon the piety of
God's people may be found in the
walks of business life. All the
avocations of business are, for the
most part, lawful and innocent, and
ought to be honorable. Some,
however, are inherently vicious ami
corrupting. Os these I need not
speak, as their evil influence is
generally admitted. I speak now
of those legitimate industries which
men must pursue in order to pro
cure for themselves and for their
loved ones an honest living.
In these avocations* Christians
are from necessity compelled to en
gage, and of course must meet all
the temptations incidental to these
secular pursuits. How easy it is
for one to become absorbed with
that which demands his daily at-
! tention ! Even a lawful business
1 may thus become a snare to the
| unwary church member. The
heart is so taken up with these
earthly cares that the things per
taining to godliness, if not easily
forgotten, are at least habitually
neglected.
But it is perhaps in our social re
lations that we find the world ex
erting its most extensive and most
hurtful influences upon the piety
of our churches. In addition to
what has already been said upon
this topic, it is important to notice
a few facts.
The first is, that it is for most
part in social life that we find op
portunity for what are called the
pleasures of the world. Secondly,
the methods by which these pleas
ures are sought have been invented
by the world and for its own use.
And thirdly, these methods have
not been planned in the interest of
godliness. Some of these methods
are so manifestly vicious that none
need be deceived by them. Indeed
they have none to defend them.
These we may omit to notice.
Others, however, have their apolo
gists ami defenders. For this reason
they deserve special notice.
Among these methods of seeking
pleasure are the theatre, the dance,
the opera and the parlor card-table.
1 mention these because they are
the most signal specimens of what
are called popular amusements.
Exactly how to deal with these
amusements has long been a vexed
question that has given our
churches much trouble. Many ef
forts have been made to settle it,
without success. These amuse
ments seem to be growing in popu
larity among church members, and
yet the more spiritually minded
disapprove them, and our pastors
are often grieved on account of
them. Surely it is desirable to
reach some conclusion that can be
accepted by all, and thus bring per
fect harmony to the churches. I
no not know that thus is possible ;
but however humble may be the
effort, I propose to give in my next
essay the thoughts which have
seemed to me to meet the difficul
ties of the subject.
73 Wheat street, Atlanta.
OVER FORTY YEARS IN CHINA.
IIHST VISIT TO TH I HIVIIAXII-
BV M. F. CRAWFORD.
VL
Howto gain access to the ears
and hearts of the people and lead
them to Christ, how to build up
churches oi living stones after the
New Testament pattern, was our
study, by day and by night. Re
leased from the environments of
our native country, we endeav
ored to work under our new and
peculiar circumstances without in
troducing unnecessary foreign cus
toms. In short, we tried to make
the New Testament Christianity
our model rather than its modern
type, yet yielding any
essential article of faith or practice
as held by our Baptist churches,
fully believing these to be in ac
cordance with the divine teach
ings. We presented Christ as the
only way of salvation to our serv
ants —to all who came to our house
for whatever purpose—to those
who assembled in the chapels—and
to those we visited in their homes.
In our daily walks for exercise we
frequently wended our way to
some village or cluster of farm
houses, where we found opportu
nities for offering the gospel. Such
were mainly our methods of labor.
After our severe illness in iSsw
we made a trip for recuperation to
the neighboring city of Ningpo.
Among the various missionaries
stationed there several belonged to
the Northern Baptist Board, with
all of whom we found warm anil
lasting friendships. At Ningpo
we had opportunities of seeing
many places of mission work, and
for taking counsel on difficult
points connected with it. It is al
ways helpful to look around upon
the methods of others. This was
especially so, in those early experi
mental days, when the great ques
tion was how to do it.
In the summer of 1857 it was
decided that brother Yates and
family should go home on a fur
lough. They had been on the field
ten years, and the board had in
vited them to return for a much
needed rest. Before they sailed
Dr. Burton strongly advised that
on account of my weak condition I
should accompany them. Mr.
Crawford being in less need of a
change of climate, it was deter
mined that he should remain for a
year in charge of the the church
left pastorless by brother Yate's ab
sence, before joining me in
America.
On the Ist of September the
party, consisting of Mr., Mrs. and
Annie Yates and myself set sail on
board the ship Ariel, Capt. Cutler,
bound for New York. Friends hud
previously said to us: “Are you
not afraid to set out now in the
very height of the typhoon season ?”
But our passage was engaged,—the
time of sailing was not under our
control, and so committing our-
selves to God we started on what
: proved to be the Ariel’s last voyage.
We learned afterwards that at our
departure the barometer was indi
cating the approach of a typhoon.
\\ hen about one hundred and fifty
miles from Shanghai the weather
I became so threatening that our
! captain anchored tinders belter of a
group ol islands called “The Sad
dies. ’ While here I embraced an
; opportunity for sending Mr. Craw
ford a note informing him of our
detention. After a few days the
captain weighed anchor, hoping to
reach the open sea or a more se
cure refuge before the approach
ing storm should reach us. But in
a few hours it burst upon us with
ever increasing fury, so filling the
sails and tightening the ropes that
it became difficult to manage the
ship. With as much sail up as
safety would sanction, the vessel,
almost on her beam ends, ploughed
through the raging sea with ter
riflic velocity. The tension was so
great that my hole frame became
rigid. I could only wedge myself
in betw’eenthe berth and the wash
stand, holding on to them with
clinched hands and awaiting I
knew not what. After some hours
of this race for life we anchored in
a channel among the Chusan is
, lands, where for a while we felt
secure. The physical relief expe
rienced upon the lowering of the
sails and the casting of the anchors
was wonderful.
But our sense of safety was of
short duration. As in all cyclones,
the wind soon veerd around to an
other quarter and we were exposed
to all its fury. By nightfall it was
found that our anchors were in
sufficient to hold the ship, and that
she was drifting along the channel
toward a perpendicular projec
tion of rocks from the adjacent
islands. The captain thereupon
decided to clean the ship of her
masts. The rigging on the weather
side was first cut loose, and as the
sailors’ axes struck the masts they
all three snapped off like pipestems
and fell into the water, though still
attached to the ship by the lee rig
ging. When this was severed the
masts,yards and their appurtenances
floated away beyond our vision.
All night the storm raged with
unabated fury. With ship’s head
to the wind the great waves struck
her prow with such violence as to
come dashing over the cabin in the
stern. The roar was fearful. On
deck no commands could be heard
unless shouted into the ears at the
j top of one’s voice. The next day
! the storm seemed even to grow
I worse and it was discovered that
j some of our anchors having “parted
j cable” we were again drifting to
ward the rocks. Early in the
afternoon it was announced that “a
dismasted junk at the mercy of the
waves was bearing right down
upon us.” A collision, which
seemed inevitable, would be certain
destruction to both vessels. Earn
est, silent prayer went up from us
while the sailors “playedout a haw
ser” at the stern to change, if pos
sible, the posit ion of our ship. She
veered a little in answer to the ef
fort and the junk passed by, miss
ing us by only a few yards. The
appeals of “save ! save ! save !” from
those poor helpless junkmen wrung
our hearts with pity while thank
ing God for our own deliverance.
The rain, spray and low hanging
clouds made it so dark that even at
midday we could see but a few
rods, yet we felt sure the unfortun
ate junk was soon dashed to pieces
against the shore toward which
she was rapidly driven.
We drifted at every flood-tide,
and at night the captain, full of
anxiety, ordered the steward to
place beside each of the passengers
ropes with ship knots, that when
the ship should strike the rocks we
might lash ourselves to some plank
or article of furniture as a last hope.
We were told that just as the tide
was beginning to ebb we were safe
for the next six hours until the flood
tide. The carpenter then said he
“would turn in, as he would as
soon go down in his bunk as any
where else.” The steward replied :
“I will sit up, for if we go down I
wish to see it.”
\\ e were exceedingly weary.
Knowing of the six hours’ respite
we lay down upon the cabin floor,
wedging ourselves securely be
tween table legs and sofas.’ with
our “earrings” (us the saliors called
the noosed ropes) beside us, and
committing ourselves into the hands
of a faithful God, we slept through
the night, all unconscious cf what
what was going on. At daylight
the steward came down, exclaim
ing, “The days of miracles are not
over ; we have drifted beyond the
rocks and are safe !”
In the afternoon the wind began
to abate, the clouds to part, and
at last a ray of the setting sun
streamed through the cabin win
dow. It seemed like the return of
a long lost friend. Mrs, Yates and
I looked at each other and burst
into tears, Extemporizing an ar
rangement culled “scissors” for
carrying sail we “slipped” our last
anchor and headed for the open
sea. Having nothing to steady her
the ship rolled heavily, but secur
ing ourselves firmly in our berths,
Iwe again slept all night. What a
. . contrast greeted our eves next
• 1 morning when we went on deck !
j The sea where we had lain during
| the storm was brown and thick
I with the mud from the great Yang
■ 1 Tsz river, ploughed up from the
1 bottom ot the shallow channel : the
heavens were black with wild scud
ding clouds, the jagged rocks men
aced us, and everything around was
forbidding in the extreme. But
now all these were gone, and we
were safe in the open sea. Not a
cloud was discernible, and the
bluest of seas laughed back at the
bluest of skies. Our hearts, with
rejoicing nature, went up in grati
tude to God who had heard our
prayers and spared His servants
for further work in this vineyard.
Before breakfast a barque was
sighted and our captain bore down
toward her as well as he could
The barque,seeing our disabled con
dition and flag of distress, also
“trimmed” for us. She proved to be
a Siamese man-of-war short of pro
visions, bound for Shanghai. She
j was requested to take the Ariel's
I passengers on board and have a
tug sent out to tow the hulk into
port. As there was still a heavy
I “swell" it was dangerous to ap
i proach very near, and the transfer
had to be made over a considerable
distance. It was unsafe for the
lour passengers to go all at once on
the little boat, so two trips were
necessary. As the frail boat
moved away with the Yates family ,
| all on our ship watched it anx
iously. Sometimes the great waves
would hide it from view for a pain
fully longtime, raising fears that it
was swamped. But she went
bravely on, until she reached the
barque, and the passengers were,
though with much difficulty, taken
on board. On the second trip, be
sides me. she carried sundry stores.
Little did wethen suppose that we
should be ten days on this barque,
and that she would again run short
of supplies. But her Siamese crew
was so inefficient that the English
captain felt under the necessity of
carrying but little sail, as in case
of sudden squalls no one could be
induced to go aloft. We were land
locked in the Chusan archipelago
for several days, constantly threat
ened by a fleet of fishing junks,
which, whenever suitable prey
offered, were ready to turn pirates.
Had we run aground, or from other
cause become helpless, we should
certainly have fallen into their
hands. As we approached Shang
hai we saw a steam tug going out
to sea. Next day in returning she
passed us in the river, towing the
dismasted Ariel, and our captain
j saluted them by dipping his flag.
During the typhoon Mr. Craw
ford had suffered agonies of anx
iety. He could hardly hope that
we had escaped the storm, and as it
raged and howled around his now
lonely dwelling, every blast sent a
fresh dagger through his heart. He
hail not yet received inv note from
the “Saddles, and therefore knew
nothing of our condition. The
' wind blowing up the river caused
| the water to overflow both banks
and flood the streets of Shanghai,
as well as the fields back of our
house.
After our transfer Captain Cut ler,
in the Ariel made his way slowly
toward Shanghai. Having reached
the mouth of the Yang Tsz he
anchored with one of his guns, got
into his “long boat” with its crew,
rowed up the river through many
difficulties and delays. On arriv
ing, all covered with mini, at
“I’oggjA Co.'s store, and being
asked “What is the matter?” re
plied in surprise, “Where are my
passengers.' Have they not arrived,
and have they not told you of our
trouble?” But nothing had been
heard of us, for we were at that
time land-locked among the islands.
He could only tell our friends that
he had placed us on board of a
Siamese barque, but had forgotten
to ask her name. Soon came news
that a Siamese vessel had been
wrecked off Ningpo, and all on
board had been drowned or mur
dered by pirates. We were sup
posed to be among the unfortunate
victims, thus giving Mr. Crawford
| several days of a fresh kind of
agony. I'he tug with the Ariel in
tow reached Shanghai a few hours
before us, and Mr. Crawford was
in the act of reading a note from
the editor of the North China Her
ald informing him of our safety
when the Sates family and 1
knocked at his gate. Great anx
| iety had been felt by all our
I friends, foreign and native, and
■ during the next few days many
were the visits of Congratulation
and thanksgiving for our deliver
ance.
But the necessity for the trip
home still remained, and we again
sailed for New 't ork, November 17,
on the clipper ship Nabob. This
time Mr. Crawford accompanied
, me beyond the mouth of the river,
and returned to Shanghai with the
pilot. A gale was blowing, and 1
noticed, as he sailed away, that the
pilot’s boat stood almost on her
beam ends. I should probably
have felt no great uneasiness about
the matter had I not overheard our
captain say: “Look at that fool-
VOL. 70—NO. 40.
1 | hardy pilot how he crowds on sail
in such a wind!” I thus knew
that even old seamen thought there
; . was danger, and I could not learn
I for many months whether that
’ ' boat and its one lone passenger
j finally reached port in safety.
Our voyage to me was a weary,
uneventful one of one hundred and
twelve days. On arriving in New
York, early in March, I found let
ters awaiting me from Shanghai.
They had gone via the Red sea and
England, which at that time re
quired two or three months, and
forty-live cents postage.
After our departure Mr. Craw
ford devoted himself earnestly to
his missionary work. A number
were baptized and good progress
was made in the infant church. It
was however deemed advisable for
him to make a visit to the United
States now rather than wait until
his health should be too much pros
trated by the climate. So on the
13th of August he sailed on the
Lizzie Tarvis for Puget’s Sound,
arriving at Port Townshend in
sixty days. After a stay here of
seventeen day- he took steamer for
i San Francisco and thence via
Panama and Cuba for New Or
; leans, reaching me near Starkville,
Miss., Into in November. His last
I letter had been sent by mistake to
‘Oak Grove” instead of “Hickory
i Grove,” and 1 therefore had failed
to receive them. 1 only knew,
through the secretary of the board,
that he had sailed for Puget’s Sound
anil his arrival found me still in
the dark regarding his movements.
Our main object while in the
1 nited States was to recuperate
and return as soon as possible to
our work in China. Opportunities
were continuously embraced to pre
sent the needs of our field to
churches and individuals in our
favored land. We spent some time
in 1 ennessee. and then went to
R ichmond, Va., for medical treat
ment. While there we attended
the Southern Baptist Convention
which met in that city, May 1859.
In December of that year we
proceeded via Cuba and Panama,
to San I rancisco, hoping to find a
vessel going direct to Shanghai,and
thus avoid the long sea voyage by
1 which we had first gone to China.
\\ e also visited brother Shuck, who
was then at Sacramento, laboring
for the Chinese, in addition to his
care of an American congregation.
Mr. C. accepted a call to supply a
little church at lone Citv, situated
among the foot hills of the Sierra
Nevada mountains.
Hearing of no vessel for Shang
hai, we sailed for Hong Kong, in
| April, on the ship Oracle, touched
| at Honolulu, and made the voyage
;in forty-nine days. After three
days'steaming we landed at Shang
-1 hat, taking our friends by surprise,
las nyws of our sailing had not
reaefibd them. Brother Yates and
! family had arrived two months be
fore us, having come by the old
I route, around the Cape of Good
I Hope. During our absence Mr.
! and Mrs. Cabiniss, greatly to our
I regret, hail left for the United
States, but the Holmes and Hart
well families had been added to the
1 mission.
The “John Brown raid” took
place just before we left the South,
and the political horizon looked
dark ; but we little thought that
this was to be the precursor of the
bloody, fratricidal war which soon
afterwards burst upon our country.
Tung Chow, China, June 30th,
1893.
For tin- Index.
FROM MEXICO.
On the sth of September the an
nual mission meeting of the minis
ters working in Mexico on behalf
of the Southern Baptist Board met
in the city of Toluca, capital of the
State of Mexico. Ten ministers
were present, including brother M.
Garraway, the newly appointed
missionary to our sister republic by
the board. The object of the meet
ing is to have prayer and spiritual
communion together, and to discuss
and arrange all matters of interest
regarding the Lord’s work in the
fields occupied by our missionaries,
the opening of new fields, etc.
The brethren and some of their
families were entertained at the
house of brother W. D. Powell for
several days, and during their as
semblies many important matters
were brought'forward and arranged.
Brother 1. N. Steelman, at pres
j ent located at Orizaba (State
j of Vera Cruz), was asked to offici
| ate as chairman, and brother 11. R.
Moseley as secretary.
Various committees were appoint
ed for the coming twelve months.
One original resolution proposed
and carried was that the brethren,
in addressing each other by writing,
should no longer use the word
j "reverend, as it has somewhat
the appearance of arrogance, in
compatible with the humility of
spirit which should characterize the
ministers of the gospel.
An interesting feature in this
mission meeting was the examina
tion and ordination of brother T.
del . Stephenson, a born Mexican
(but of English extraction), who
has been working with brother W.
(Continued on Bth page.)