CHINA.

TWO MISSIONARY MEETINGS. OUR readers will be glad to hear a little about the meetings that were held in London lately in connection with our Chinese Mission. The first, for grown-up people, was held in Exeter Hall on Wednesday evening 1st May. A large number of people were present, about 2000, and they were addressed by our dear missionaries, Dr. Carstairs Douglas, and Dr. Maxwell, who told them a great deal about the wonderful work going on in China and Formosa, much of which you know, if you have been reading the Record carefully. You may be sure the people were all very delighted to see and hear for themselves these two devoted men, and to know from their own lips how good our Father has been to them in their laborious and difficult work. Dr. Maxwell spoke of the necessity of carrying about with him that valuable fever medicine, quinine, in his journeyings in Formosa. He said, "I could travel the whole length and breadth of the island without gold, but I dare not do so without quinine." He has some difficulty in procuring a sufficient quantity, on account of its great expense, and earnestly asked the friends at home to help him to buy more of it. Several of our ministers also addressed the meeting, and most affectionately urged those who were present to work more for, and give more to, the cause of Jesus, both at home and abroad.

The second of the two meetings was for the children; it was held in Dr. Edmond's church at Highbury, on the evening after the big meeting, and there was a good attendance of children from various congregations. Dr. Edmond was unexpectedly called to the country, and the Rev. W. Ballantyne presided, and Dr. Carstairs

Douglas, and Dr. Mackay, of Hull, gave addresses to the children. Dr. Douglas told them a great deal that was very interesting and amusing about Chinese boys at school. Only boys-for they never teach the girls there. The boys are not taught the alphabet at first, as you are here, for there is no Chinese alphabet; but the teacher repeats once to each boy two or three words, which he must go away and say over and over again in a sort of singing tone, till he has learned them thoroughly. There are in the room a number of little tables, and each child sits at one singing over his lesson. Only think what a noisy place a Chinese school must be ! Dr. Douglas went on to speak of several of the sinful rites and customs of the Chinese, mentioning ancestral worship, both of the tablets and at the graves of dead persons; the use of opium, and the killing of the infant girls. He impressed on the children the sad and wicked condition of these poor heathen-a whole nation of them-and the great necessity for telling them of the love of Jesus. He also gave an interesting account of some conversions, and how members of a family, after they themselves had believed in Jesus, did all they could to bring their wives and children to him also. Two brothers at Anhai, after becoming Christians, were much persecuted by their heathen wives. One of these women, in order to prevent her husband from attending the chapel on Sunday morning, would not give him a morsel of breakfast; but he did not mind that, and went off without any. When she saw this plan was of no use, the next Sunday she locked him up in a room, from which he could not escape; but happily he had his Bible with him, and so passed a very pleasant morning reading in his prison. One day, when Dr. Douglas was preaching in the chapel, she opened a

door which was close behind him, and suddenly threw over him a whole pail of dirty water. After patiently waiting and praying for their wives for some three years, these brothers had at last the great joy of seeing them both brought to the knowledge of the Saviour, and baptized as members of the church at Anhai.

Dr. Mackay spoke very earnestly and affectionately to the children, and urged the boys especially to give themselves to mission work. He said he would give them a ladder of four steps: the 1st, to give themselves to the work in China; 2nd, if they could not do that, to give all they could in money and prayers; 3rd, and before doing either of these other things rightly, to give themselves to God; and 4th, the way to do this is simply to accept his gift, the free gift of his dear Son. He spoke of Jesus as the key with which to unlock all the treasures of the Bible, and in conclusion gave a charming illustration of the substitution of the Saviour for the sinner. He had been trying to make a poor woman, one of his own congregation, understand this precious doctrine, and for some time could not succeed, when, pointing to her two children playing near, one of whom, John, was a strong healthy boy, and the other, James, very sickly and delicate, he said, "Now suppose your boy James there were guilty of some fault, and you said to him, 'If this happens again I shall punish you by a good whipping.' Well, James again does the wrong thing, and you are going to fulfil your word by giving him the punishment, when John steps in and says, 'Mother, you know I am much stronger than James, and much more able to bear the" punishment; do give me the whipping in his stead,' and he holds out his hand for the expected strokes. You punish him aš he desires, James all the while looking on.

Will you, after this has been done, immediately begin to inflict the same strokes on James?" "Oh no, sir," she replied; "I see it all now: his brother has borne his punishment, and James must be quite free." And this is exactly what our dear Saviour has done for you and me "He bare our sins in his own body on the tree, and with his stripes we are healed." The children then sang very heartily that wellknown hymn, "When mothers of Salem." It was pleasant to hear their bright young voices ringing out the sweet words so joyfully and clearly. Mr. Ballantyne pronounced the benediction, and the meeting closed at 8 o'clock.

INTERESTING STORY OF A FEMALE CONVERT.

A WOMAN was in the hospital some months ago, and at that time applied for baptism, but this was deferred that her profession might have some time to prove itself. She returned home, and a few weeks ago made her appearance again, begging to be allowed to remain here till the idolatrous festivals of the New Year season should be over. With much simplicity she told us how her husband had severely persecuted her because of her refusal to participate in idol worship, how he had driven her from home by threats that he would take away her life, that then she took refuge with her married daughter in another village, and that the husband commanded the daughter to expel her mother from her house, which, however, she would not do. But the poor woman came away of her own accord, and found her way here.

There

She is now an applicant for admission into the Church, and says she is quite ready. to lay down her life for the Saviour. are marks of sorrow in her countenance, but also the signs of a calm decision, which I trust is the fruit of the gracious Spirit's work in this precious soul. We pray and hope that the persecutor's heart may be turned to the love of Jesus, and that they may together, husband and wife, yet serve the Lord.-Letter from the Rev. W. Duffus.

HE July Number brings with it the annual list of offerings to the work of Christ in China; and the close of our mission year recalls much that has happened during its course, which should fill every reader with gratitude, and excite us all to still more earnest prayer and more active effort.

A year ago, our hearts were filled with alarm and anxiety because of the active opposition to foreigners and missionaries shown by the rulers of China. Remembering how the neighbouring Japanese, by awful cruelties, destroyed the Christian converts, and banished the gospel for two centuries from their country, it was feared that a terrible trial was in store for our beloved missionaries and the native Christians in China. But God in his mercy averted this. The decided stand made by the governments of our own country and America discomfited the plans of the enemies of our Lord.

Another danger threatened us. A rumour among the common people-encouraged, if not actually originated, by the rulers and literati-that the foreigners were poisoning their wells, excited the mob in several places to terrible excesses, resulting in the death of some and the cruel beating of others. By the good hand of our God, none of the Chinese Christians connected with our churches were injured; but the greatest alarm existed throughout all the churches, and for a time our missionaries were hindered in their work. This lasted for three months; but God removed the danger, and the mission year has closed on the mainland of China in a quietness and confidence, which could have been anticipated only by a faith that ever realizes that God is with

us, and is making all things work together for the good of his people. He heard the earnest prayers that were sent up by many in England and Scotland-by many of our own readers; and he has, in this case, made the very wrath of man to praise him. And, as our pages have testified, both at Amoy and Swatow the work of the Lord has advanced.

In Formosa, the triumphs of the gospel have been very remarkable. The simpleminded inhabitants of this island seem to be a people prepared of the Lord. Chiefly through the agency of those who have been patients in Dr. Maxwell's hospital, Christ has been preached throughout the length of the island. Seeking the cure of their bodies, these men have returned to their friends to tell of the Great Physician, by whose stripes their perishing souls have been healed. Our missionaries everywhere meet with earnest, anxious inquirers. Their progress throughout the island is really the triumph of the gospel. There are now thousands who are either rejoicing in the Saviour, or diligently seeking him, among a people who, five short years ago, did not know his Name!

The Moderator of the Free Church Assembly truly said, when referring to this work in China, in his address to the deputies from our Church, "that they represented a Church on which God had eminently set his seal. The spiritual success which had attended the China Mission was, in his humble judgment, unparalleled in the history of modern missions-in fact, it reminded him of the passage in the last chapter of John, in which, after toiling all night, the disciples had caught nothing; but on casting their nets, by the direction

of the Master, on the other side of the ship, they were unable to draw it up because of the multitude of fishes."

Verily God has greatly honoured our small Church in putting this great work into her hand. Each one who has a share in it, no matter however humble, is privileged in being a fellow-worker with Christ in such a work.

What has been done at home? The past year has been specially a year of prayer,— anxious, earnest, believing. A year, too, of answered prayer; for have we not seen how our Father has graciously averted the alarming danger that threatened the safety not only of the missionaries, but of every native Christian; and how, also, he has marvellously prospered the work?

It has been a year also of large gifts. True, we have not come up to the amount of the previous year by more than £100. No doubt this is to some extent accounted for by the fact that the remittances from several schools came too late for the year's accounts. Yet the deficiency is considerable, and our readers will, we trust, prevent its recurring another year, With this Record you will receive the Collecting Card for the year. We ask you to do this work for Christ. Remember that our first object is not to get your money for Christ, but to get yourselves. If the little ardent collector, who has given his shillings or even his pence during the past year, could give the whole of the £700 that has been given by the united efforts of so many, though this would be a great gift, it would not be accepted by Christ unless the boy or girl had already given himself or herself to him. Dear young reader, this closely concerns you. Is Jesus Christ your own Saviour? Have you peace with God the Father through the cross of Christ? Then his love constraineth you; and if you can do no more, even a cup of cold water given for Christ is

a gift highly prized by him. Your pence or your shillings are at the best small gifts to him who, having all the riches of heaven, became a poor one on earth for you.

Besides the great China Mission, our readers must remember that there are other mission works which demand their prayers and help.

Mrs.

There is the work carried on at Bauleah, about one hundred and fifty miles to the north of Calcutta, near the beginning of the great delta at the mouth of the Ganges. Our missionary, the Rev. Behari Lal Singh, has had a year of heavy trials, owing to his serious ill health, and his consequent inability to carry on vigorously the work. In the good providence of God, Mr. Singh's health has been greatly restored, and asistance has been given him from the Free Church Mission station at Calcutta. Singh's Orphanage prospers. This is an institution we would specially commend to the girls who read the Record. Many years ago, a little helpless infant was thrown away by her cruel parents to die from hunger near the famous temple of Juggernauth. One of our missionaries found the babe and took her home. The life of the little one was thus saved. She grew up an earnest Christian; and, in course of time, became the wife of our missionary. Remembering how she was saved from death, she established, some years ago, an orphanage for homeless children. Some fifteen live with her in bamboo houses connected with the mission. The expense of keeping them is very little. Would not some girls who read this like to help Mrs. Singh in saving Indian infants from a death of starvation; and, what is still better, in bringing them to the Bread of Life?

Then there is the Jewish Mission, to which the Rev. Theodore Meyer devotes his life. Is it not distressing that in our midst there are so many thousands of God's ancient