Morning Calm v.19 no.115(1908 Jan.)

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The Bishop's Letters.Ⅰ.

LETTER from the Bishop to the Corean Church as to his pro-posed visit to England NEXT YEAR for the purpose of attending the Lambeth Conference and the Pan-Anglican Congress: In the Name of the Lord. May His grace be with you. There is a question of great importance on which I wish to speak to all the members of our Church in Corea, but as I cannot speak to each one face to face I am writing you this letter. Although it is very difficult to leave Corea at present, it is advisable for me to go home next year as there are many important matters on which I wish to consult with the authorities of the Church and the Missionary Society which sends us out here to preach the Gospel. But, further, there is additional reason why I should go next year. Every ten years all the Bishops of our Church throughout the world meet to consult upon the work of the Church, and to decide how best to enable it to do its work better in all lands. They come from England, North and South America, Canada, Africa, India, Australia, China and Japan, and I think it would not be right that our only Bishop in Corea should not be present. Do you not agree with me? We are at present one of the smallest dioceses in communion with the Church of England, but we shall not always be so I hope, and I am anxious for you all to know about this meeting because it will help you to realise that though we are not so numerous as other Churches here, yet we belong to a Church which is very great, very wide-spread, and which we believe to be a branch of the great Catholic Church which Christ Himself founded, and a Church which retains the marks of the true Church and teaches the doctrines handed down from the Apostles, more completely and more fully than any other. While I am away the work here in Corea will be left in the hands of the priests in charge of the various districts, Mr. Hillary in Kangwha, Mr. Bridle in Sou Won, Mr. Gurney in Choung-chung Province, and as to Seoul I have asked Mr. Trollope, who used to be here, to come out and take my place in Seoul and Chemulpo, and I hope that all the mem-bers of the Church in my absence will do their best to help on the work.

There is one other point that I would call your attention to. At the time of that meeting there will be a united service in the greatest church in London, St. Paul's Cathedral, at which an offering of money will be given from each diocese in each Country, and I have asked the priests in charge to ask for your offerings and to send them to me that I may take them with me to England to present them to God at that service. Our members are not numerous or rich, but I think I ought to ask you to give according to your power, one and all, while at the same time you do not neglect to support your own needs in your own villages. Will you then, as the priest in charge directs, do what you can to make our offering from Corea one we shall not be ashamed of? You may ask to what will this be given? We might give it to a special object in this country, but I think it will be well to give it, as many other dioceses are giving it, to the central fund. A committee will be appointed to administer this fund and to distribute it to such purposes as it thinks fit in different countries

I would ask you to remember this great gathering in your prayers, asking God to guide the counsels of the bishops to the glory of God and the advancement of His Church. I am yours truly, ARTHUR B. TURNER, Bishop. ________________________________________

II.

CHONG DONG: SEOUL, COREA. MY DEAR FRIENDS,--

It is impossible for me-- I do not say it would be possible for another in my position--but for me, to write to you as I ought. I have had complaints from our readers that my letters are hurried and not properly thought out. I know it is true, I ask your pardon for that in so far as it is my own fault. But I want to ask you if it is all my fault. The fact of the matter is that I have too many things on my hands to make it possible for me to do my work as I ought to do it, as I would wish to do it. It is absolutely necessary that I should have some one here in Seoul to help me. I pray that this may come into the hands of someone who may offer himself, or of someone who will bring influence to bear on a friend, to come out here. Do you not know some one who might come and whom you might influence to that end? He may say: “I cannot come. I am too old to learn the language.” I would answer that what with Chemulpo and Seoul and the help such an one could give to the Mission in many other ways, that such a man could do work which would be as valuable as the work he is doing at home. Others would say, “Have you done all you might to get men to come?” Again I would answer that my faults and shortcomings do not excuse the failures of others. God grant that help may come!

One word more. I am very anxious to go home next year. I feel I ought to go, but it is very difficult as you may imagine. However, I have had great encouragement by a letter from Mr. Trollope saying that, if he can get leave for a year from his parish at home, he will try and come to help here while I am away. I have not had an answer to my telegram saying “Welcome,” but I am hoping he will be able to come. Then I shall hope to see you next summer ; but if he comes alone he will find it almost impossible, as I find it, to do what he will wish to do, and I would ask you if it is fair to let him overdo himself out here as he has been doing at home, even though it is at some sacrifice to yourself that you decide to accompany him?

I cannot write more now, and will only repeat the prayer and ask you to use it often yourselves, “God grant that someone may come to our assistance."” I am yours sincerely, ARTHUR B. TURNER, Bishop. ________________________________________

ΙΙΙ.

KANGHWA: COREA. MY DEAR FRIENDS,-- I came down here partly for a rest, partly to see if there was anything I could do to help in settling Mr. Hillary into his new work in the Island, and partly to do some transla-tion work or look through it with him and the Corean helpers down here. I had nearly finished my work so far as I could do it, and was going up to Seoul next day, when there was a sudden outbreak on the part of Corean soldiers and their sympathisers in the town and neighbourhood. You have heard that the risings and troubles in Seoul had made the Japanese decide to disband the troops all over the country, and the soldiers here heard that the disbanding force was on its way up the river and they determined to oppose them. They killed one Japanese policeman and broke into the armoury to obtain the rifles and ammunition, of which there was a great store, as not long ago the troops stationed in the town were some 8oo in number. Luckily they had been reduced and only fifty were there at the time. Having the guns they distributed them to any one they could prevail upon to take them, and the night was spent in firing wildly into the sky, as many of the people were handling them for the first time, and wanted to practise to be ready for the Japanese when they arrived, and some of them were drunk. I did not realise that there was any likelihood of danger arising for us foreigners, and as I was anxious to get to Seoul for my work there, I tried to get away to Chemulpo next morning. I got as far as the river, but only just ahead of some of the soldiers and civilians who were coming down to Kapkochi to oppose the Japanese. The boatmen then refused to start, and while I was trying to persuade them, one of the Coreans who was very drunk threatened to shoot me. Luckily he could not manage the gun properly, and before he had the cartridge fixed some of the others interfered, and after a time I was able to get safely into the city again. I was indeed thankful I had not gone, for that after-noon the Japanese troops to the number of forty came up, and the Coreans fired two or three volleys at them, killing and wounding eleven. They then let them land and fell back on the Town, but seeing the Japanese following up with a machine gun, they mostly ran away that evening, and though there were shots being fired till past midnight we slept well till daybreak, when the Japanese troops took possession of the hill just opposite our house between the east and south gates and began firing on any one they could see. They kept this up for two or three hours, and then sent men down into the town as they found there was no reply to their firing and no one appeared at whom to fire. When I saw this I went up to see the captain, and told him all I knew of the matter, and sent him up some beer for his men as a peace offering. He was suspicious at first, but came to see us in the afternoon and talked freely of what they meant to do, but in the afternoon some relief troops came up with a superior officer in command and he was superseded.

When the firing began many of the women had come to the Sisters and brought their valuables for safety; and some slept here and a few men at the church waiting-room. On the Sunday morning we had to forego the usual service as the firing was going on all the time; but we were able to meet in the church in the evening, and after that were able to keep up the ordinary daily service, but stopped the bell so as not to call too much attention to ourselves. However, the soldiers were, on the whole, very good to us and to our people, and while some of the camp followers stole some valuable goods from the houses, our losses and those of the people attached to us were merely nominal. When the major arrived with the relief from Chemulpo I went to see him, with Mr. Hillary, to ask him what he was going to do, as I thought we might be able to make the people understand better than his interpreters, and also might induce them more easily to fall in with his orders, and so save trouble. He told us all the rifles which had been stolen must be brought in next day by twelve noon, and if they were not a house-to-house search would be instituted, and if any arms or other soldiers' implements were found the house would be burnt. We told him that it was impossible to collect all the guns as most of them had been taken away, while many had been thrown into the water, or buried in the fields, or thrown away on the hill sides, or carried off to neighbouring islands or the mainland. How-ever, he held to his orders, and we sent word to all we could to tell our people to bring in what they could find, and had to trust that it would not be so bad for the people as he seemed to make out. On Monday morning Mr. Hillary and I went down again to see him, and he offered to send us away if we were afraid. We replied that we were not afraid of the Coreans, and he said we need not be afraid of the Japanese, so we said we would stay. Indeed there was nowhere to go; but if there had been we could hardly have left the Coreans, who were depending on our protection. We then held a council of war and decided to leave the Sisters' house empty while the town was being searched ; and for the other members of the party, Sisters Margaretta and Cecil, to go up to be with Mr. Hillary and his wife at the main house while I went up to the church where a few men had collected; while several of our women had gone into the church itself. The search began at noon, and after setting fire to a house in which they found a soldier's coat, they came up to the church and took away two of the boys who had been in our school and were working in the printing-office, because they had their hair cut and they thought they might have been soldiers. They were rather frightened, but were only detained all day and were released in the evening. Then they went round the town and burnt one more house and the old powder magazines, blowing up the powder on the hillside much to the alarm of the women in the church and of Mr. Wilson who saw the smoke from a hill at On Sou tong. The next day and the next a further examination of the houses was made, and with the help of members of the Il-chin-hwai, a pro-Japanese society, they caught one or two men who had taken part in the outbreak and put them in prison, among them the man who had tried to shoot me. He was afterwards let out, but he was known to be such a scoundrel that, as I hear, they have been trying to catch him again.

I felt that it would be an assistance to Mr. Hillary to stay down in the Island a few days longer, and that it would help to settle the minds of our people if I did not run away at once, though I do not know that my presence was of any real value, for the Japanese were on the whole by no means cruel to the people though, of course, there were individual cases of hardship. The worst part of it for us was that it was hard to get information from outside or let our friends know how we were getting on, until at last the head of the police came down from Seoul and gave orders for his men to help us all they could, and then they were very good to us and sent letters and obtained stores for us, but for some days we were shut up in the town as no one was allowed to go out, though any one who liked could come in. We have much to be thankful for in that we suffered no harm and had really so little hardship to put up with. Deo Gratias.

As to our people, only one or two had had anything to do with the outbreak and they against their will, being forced by men they met to carry guns and only one of them used his, the others returning them to the armoury as soon as it was dark enough. They all escaped scot free, and very thankful they were they had taken our advice not to mix themselves up with the very doubtful politics of the town. Our friends, the American Methodists, were not so fortunate, as some of them were strongly suspected by the Japanese of taking part in the rising. Whether they had done so or not I do not know for certain, but they had abused the Il-chin-hwai and the Governor, and being disliked by the former some of them were caught, and by some unfortunate mistake, among seven prisoners who were being taken up to Seoul by the police four were shot.

There were many interesting, and some amusing, things that happened during those days of which I cannot write now, but I must mention that we were able to give a certain amount of practical help to the Coreans, for during the three hours' firing on the Sunday morning four people were wounded. One died before he could be brought in ; one, a boy of seventeen, died that night in the Sisters' house, while two others, a woman of fifty and an old man who remembered the French and American attacks on the island, were taken into the school and the Japanese doctor attended them regularly till they were able to go home. Mr. Wilson had gone down to Onsoutong and we were anxious as to how he was getting on. He could get little news of us, but when he came in he was able to assure us that all was quiet down there, and except for the difficulty in getting food he had had no serious trouble in spite of several alarms on the part of the Coreans.

Please in your thanksgiving add a word of thanks to Almighty God for His care of us.

I am yours truly, ARTHUR B. TURNER, Bishop. ________________________________________

Association of Prayer and Work for Corea.

THE last quarter of the year is generally a busy one in the way of sales of work, meetings, work parties, &c, and this year seems no exception to the rule. Missionary exhibitions have been held in many places, and are such a great source of arousing interest that we wish more districts could arrange to have them. The Mission to Corea has been represented lately at exhibitions in Manchester, Brixton and Leatherhead, and we hope for others to be held in the near future. A most successful sale of work at Bath has sent in over £20 to swell our funds, and a small one at Newquay also did very well; we are most grateful to all who helped to make them such a success. A Bromley thirteen members made garments for St. Peter's Sale of Work. The announcement in the July number of Morning Calm of Bishop Corfe's willingness to address meetings on behalf of the Association has not resulted in many invitations from Local Secretaries. Such, however, as have been received have led to very encouraging gatherings. On October 17 Miss Ransom organised a meeting at St. Cross, Harleston, where, by the kindness of the Rector (an old naval colleague of Bishop Corfe), the Church room was crowded. The good people of St. Cross have been amongst the foremost of our supporters from the first. Both Bishop Corfe and Bishop Turner have repeated visited the parish, where a hearty welcome has always awaited them. On November 2 and 4 the ever eager and watchful   County Secretary of Somerset organised two successful gather-ings--on the former day at Bath College, where, by the courtesy of the Headmaster, Bishop Corfe was permitted to exhibit the revised series of magic-lantern slides to the boys of the College and a number of friends. On November 4 Mr. and Mrs. Castel-lain--people who delight in doing good works--gave the use of their drawing-room for an afternoon meeting, which was well attended. I commend the example of Miss Drake to other secretaries, local and county. Finally, on Sunday, November 3, Bishop Corfe was invited to preach in St. Saviour's Church, New Swindon, where for years the congregation and especially the children have been warm supporters of the Mission. The sermons at the children's service and at evensong were followed by collections, which were sent to Miss Falwasser. The Rev. W. B. Glennie has most kindly undertaken to be Local and County Secretary for Hereford, left vacant owing to Mrs. Taylor's resignation. Rev. J. H. Waugh is leaving Harvington, so will be unable to carry on his work for the mission in that neighbourhood. We hope that a new Local Secretary will soon be forthcoming for that part, and are very grateful to Mr. Waugh for all he has done for us in the past; perhaps he will be able to arouse interest in the Mission at his new parish. The County Secretary for London reports that a meeting was held on October 31, at 22 Onslow Gardens, by invitation of Mrs. Duff, when the Rev. M. N. Trollope gave an address on the Corean Mission to the members of the St. Peter's Cranley Gardens’ Missionary Guild. A branch of A.P.W.C. is now started in connection with this Guild, and Mrs. Robertson Mac-donald, of 35 Tregunter Road, is kindly acting as our repre-sentative; there was a good attendance at the meeting, and we hope that any members living in South Kensington will attach themselves to this group and help to form a centre of Corean interest in that neighbourhood. Miss Badcock, who has worked for so many years at Streatham, is now leaving, having found a successor in Mr. Pittman; we are quite sure that when Miss Badcock is settled in her new home at Herne Hill she will continue to work for the Mission as zealously as she has hitherto done at Streatham. GERTRUDE M. SECCOMBE.  

Children's Branch of the Association of Prayer and Work for Corea.

MY DEAR CHILDREN,--

I told you in my last letter what a delightful day the Corean Orphans had in the country at the beginning of the summer. It seemed to do them so much good, that afterwards three delicate children were sent into the country to stay for three weeks, but this time, instead of going a few miles from Seoul in a tram, they were taken to Kanghoa, which I expect you know is an island, about as large as the Isle of Wight, on the west coast of Corea. There is a town in the island known as Kanghoa city, but these orphans went to a cottage quite in the country to stay with some Corean Christians. A lady very kindly paid the money for the railway journey and for their going across to the island by boat, and they thought the travelling great fun. The three who went were Salome, Mary. who has only one arm, and Helena, who is ten years old, and has been in the Orphanage since she was a baby. How much they must have had to tell the other children when they went home again! The orphans seem to have had a happy summer altogether, for the Consul-General very kindly invited them to go and play in his grounds, which are quite near; so they went every Saturday and played games there for an hour and a half or two hours,

Now of course it is winter in Corea as it is with us, and very cold too, and all the pennies you have been able to give to the Orphanage will be specially wanted now for firing to keep the little people warm, and for rice, which is so much dearer than it used to be. You will like to know what your money has been doing lately. For the last year you have been taking care of a little baby called Agatha, who was picked up in the street in January, and also of Joanna, whose name was chosen for her by the elder children. Her little legs are so weak that she cannot stand, and the bigger children carry her about on their backs ; but she is getting better, and will, I hope, soon be able to walk alone. The 5s. you were able to get in your collecting box, Bridget, will be very helpful, and so will the other 5s. from Rose, Ada and Kathleen, made by those nice woollies sent me for the sale. I am so glad, Lizzie, that you, too, remember the Children's Fund, and that so many children both at Harvington and Swindon have given their pennies to Corea. I hear, too, that at Swindon some of you meet together for basket and sewing classes, and that you have already made and sent a good many useful things to Corea. Besides the woollies I had two other nice parcels sent me not long ago : one had in it dolls from Bella, Maud and Winnie, that I am sure will please the little orphans very much, and the other, six pairs of nice warm cuffs ; but I could not thank anyone for these, as I do not know who sent them.

Now look at the end of this letter and I expect it will make you very glad to see what a long list of new members we have At Great Berkhamsted, where sixteen of you joined the Association last summer, there are now sixteen more members, so you have just doubled your number, and I hope that you have also doubled your strength--the strength that you are using as missionaries for Jesus Christ. There are still two new members that I have not forgotten, and this letter is written to you, William and Richard, just as much as to all the others.

I wish each and all of you a very happy New Year, and I know that we all wish a great deal of happiness for little friends in Corea. But we are going to do something more than wish, we are going to pray, for them and for many others in Corea and elsewhere, that Jesus Christ will "fetch them home to His flock" and teach them to know and love Him, for we know that He alone can make them really happy. Good-bye, dear Children.

I am, Always your affectionate Friend, MAUD I. FALWASSER. Ashurst, Winchester: December 1907.

NEW MEMBERS

Great Bro s Gravestock, Nancy Popple, Avies Plan, Mejor Pal, Mural Phyl Eto, talian Sothes, Winifred Sewel, Hill W e Dulce Norris Ade ton, WardGrace Watertoa, Karlien tiond, Starie Kobie William Thor Ricardo

CHILDREN'S FUND

de Curtis, Children at Harving Calls at Swindon Grock, Ada Tinand Kalec fond, Total Scarle, ale  

hospital naval fund.

THE Executive Committee met at the Royal United Service Institution at 3. P.M., on Wednesday, October 9. Present: Admiral Hon. Sir E. R. Fremantle (in the chair); Captain Henry Campbell, Commander A. Havergal, J. R. Clark, Esq., Rev. S. Kenah, and C. E. Baxter, Esq. Letters of regret were read from the Chaplain of the Fleet, Bishop Corfe and Captain J. H. Corfe. The following resolution was passed : "That in future the Morning Calm be sent quarterly to all subscribers of £1 1s, or more, if not in arrears, except officers afloat, and that the number containing the yearly report and statement of accounts be sent to all Vice-Presidents." A sheet to be used as "Literature" has been drawn up by Bishop Corfe and approved by the Committee: it will be used by Bishop Corfe when preaching or speaking for H.N.F., and sent out to the chaplains of all H.M. ships in commission for the same purpose ; anyone else interested in the work of the H.N.F. can have copies on application to Bishop Corfe or to the Hon. Secretary. Captain Henry Campbell has joined the Executive Com-mittee. The Committee regret to report the decease of two of the Vice Presidents of the Fund: Admiral of the Fleet, Right Hon. Earl of Clanwilliam, and Admiral T. Le H. Ward." Easter 1908 falling late, no alteration in date of the Easter meeting is required. CHARLES E. BAXTER, Hon. Sec. Ex. Com. H.N.F.

hospital naval fund.

St. Luke's Hospital, Chemulpo, July to September 1907. AT last, after waiting about two years, the work on the new women's ward has been begun. The Corean Government has at last got to the end of its oriental delays and has granted the Mission a lease of the ground for a period of twenty-five years at a nominal rent, so that it is now possible to begin getting it ready. The actual ward cannot be begun this year as there is a good deal to do in the way of preliminaries, but it is hoped to get them all completed before the frost begins, and then the   foreign-built ward can be begun as soon as the winter is over. The work already begun is that of building a retaining wall along the lower edge of the new property, as without that there would be no foundation, and then of building new houses for John and Eunice, who at present live in two of the houses previously bought on the property, and who will have to move to the further end of it to make room for the ward. It would in any case have been necessary to build new houses for them soon, and indeed when they were first put in the ones they now occupy it was only intended to be a temporary step until the ground could be obtained, as it would not be possible to call their present dwellings by any other name than hovels, even if they are worthy to be called as much for no one engaged in teaching could have been asked to degrade themselves by occupying such places had it not been that it was expected all the time that any day the land would be granted, and it was not worth while to do much to houses which were about to be destroyed. When these houses have been removed the ground will also have to be levelled, and it is hoped to enclose it on two sides with a wall which will make the whole compound at last complete. There is a sum of about £200 in hand, including £30 recently paid into the Hospital Naval Fund for this pur-pose, which is being used for the work, but it will certainly not suffice for the whole, and when built the ward will need fittings and furniture, so that a further sum of at least £300 will be required. The need of the ward is very great, and though there have been several women in-patients they have not been able to receive proper attention owing to there being no proper place for them, and others who needed severe operations have had to be refused treatment altogether as it would not have been safe to attempt what was necessary under the conditions available. Those who have ever had to submit themselves or their friends to surgery at home, or even those who have only been ill, will realise what it means to these poor women to be treated in conditions rather worse than most slums, even if it were not necessary to refuse to take the risk of treating them at all, and perhaps may be moved to take some part in building and equipping this ward, which is now only in need of some of their money after having been for so long a time impossible but eagerly looked forward to. It would indeed be sad if there had to be a further delay for want of funds. Should any of those who may read this wish to take a share in the ward they should send subscriptions to Bishop Corfe at the Church House, West-minster.   The work of the hospital for the quarter has been very much what was expected as the out-patients have been fewer than the corresponding period of last year, but not by any means in pro-portion to the reduction in the time devoted to them. The operations have, however, materially increased, and the numbers of in patients admitted and the average number in hospital have been more, so that the alteration made in the spring has been quite justified, though there is still difficulty in making the best use of the opportunities afforded by the hospital for reaching the people spiritually. One of the greatest, if not the main trouble, is that the work of the Church services takes up nearly all the time which ought to be given to work among the patients, and, indeed, so long as lack of language makes it necessary to pre-pare everything which is going to be said to someone not used to the speaker, all the available time for such preparation is taken up by the services and none remains for the hospital. Efforts are also being made to trace the homes of in- patients so that on leaving the hospital it may be possible to refer them to some missionary near their home, and perhaps to write to him and get him to take the initiative of finding them and trying to follow up what has been done in hospital, and perhaps win them. This is likely to prove difficult as addresses in this country are a bit vague, and it is likely to be at least very difficult to find the late patient unless he present himself. Still, it is something and may open the way for something more, and further help may perhaps be obtained from the recently estab-lished Corea Medical Missionary Association which has ap-pointed a committee to consider the best way of making the medical work a powerful evangelistic agency. The solution of this problem and the obtaining of a good catechist are two matters at present needing much prayer. For the first time since the hospital was re-opened the quarter has ended with a deficit. One has often been very imminent, but on all previous occasions it has been averted by the receipt at the end of the quarter of the fee from the Consu-late. This time, however, the amount needed was too great and though, for the first time, bills were sent to private patients at the end of the quarter instead of only at the end of the half-year, there is still a matter of some £7 required to make both ends meet. It is true that there is a certain amount of rice and of coal in hand, but there will be drugs to pay for in the coming quarter, so it appears likely that the present deficit will be rather increased than diminished before the end of the year unless something be received locally as donations.  

Correspondence.

ST. STEPHEN'S Mission HOUSE, SU Won, KOREA: November 11, 1907. DEAR SIR, -- The temporary Mission church here is so hopelessly inadequate for the accommodation of our people, that, although separate Mission services for men and women catechumens are held on Sunday mornings, the men more than fill the church, and during this next winter I anticipate the necessity of dividing the men and holding three services instead of two. Quite apart from the strain upon the preachers and catechists, it is not at all desirable to cut the congregation into three divisions, and a new permanent church has become an absolute necessity. The price of material and labour here has more than doubled lately, and prices are still rising, so that the cost of a plain, substantial church, 100ft. by 40ft., will be about £1,000. To-wards this some £70 have so far been subscribed in Korea, and it is hoped that the local contributions will reach £100. An anonymous friend of the Mission has also given £100, and with the consent and cordial approval of our Bishop I appeal to readers of Morning Calm to subscribe the remaining £800. We ought to commence building next spring, so no time is to be lost, and I earnestly beg that every reader of Morning Calm will do his or her best to enable the permanent church of St. Stephen to be erected in 1908. The £1,000 will only pay for the fabric of the church, so that if anyone would like to give some of the church furniture, altar vessels, linen, frontals, &c., in addition to their subscription, I should be very grateful. All subscriptions or offers of gifts of furniture should be sent to (MISS) F. E. ROBERTSON MACDONALD, 1 Mardale Crescent, Edinburgh, and will be duly acknowledged in Morning Calm. I am, yours sincerely, GEORGE A. BRIDLE  

St. Peter's Community foreign Mission Association.

The Annual Meeting of the Association, held on the afternoon of December 3, was even more largely attended than usual, and many new friends were added to the number of members. The full account of the speeches, &c., will be published as usual in a separate leaflet and sent to each member, and to any who are interested, on receipt of a stamped envelope. The Rev. A. G. Deedes was chairman, and, while commenting with his usual kindness on the steady support given to the Corean Mission by S.P.F.M.A., emphasised the fact that special objects must not be allowed to supplant the general fund, which has decreased somewhat during 1907 from various causes, e.g., the death of old subscribers and the loss of the regular alms from parishes in which the new incumbents are not interested in Corea. As was shown from the Report read by Rev. J. B. d'Arcy, Sub-warden of the Community of St. Peter, the sub-scriptions for the General Fund in 1907 will barely amount to £250; whereas the sum for which the Association is pledged to Bishop Turner is £300. This deficit is partly accounted for by the smaller sum received by the Corean Stall as compared with 1906. The Rev. J.S. Badcock gave some most interesting facts on the difficulties and possibilities of the work in the Mission. The Rev. W. E. Field, Chaplain of St. Peter's House, Woking, Rev. A. P. Leary, and Rev. R. C. Kirkpatrick also spoke appreciatively and encouragingly of the work of the Community in connection with the Mission. The address at the 12 o'clock Service of Intercession was given by Rev. Darwell Stone, Warden of the Community, and the sermon at Evensong was preached by Rev. J. W. Doxat, one of the original staff of the Mission. The offerings through-out the day amounted to £8 9s., less £2 for expenses. Intercession for Foreign Missions was maintained in the Chapel from 9a.m to 9p.m., and similar days were held at St. Peter's House, Woking: St. Peter's Grange, St. Leonard's. on-Sea ; and St. Peter's House of Rest, Wolverstone. As already mentioned, the curios did not realise so large a sum at the Bazaar as in former years, partly from the smaller quantity sent over, and also the increasing difficulty in procuring them in Corea, and they are perhaps beginning to pall a little in England. However, the sum of £90 was gratefully received   from the stall, and the warmest thanks are due to Mrs. Robertson-Macdonald, the Misses Trollope, and their helpers for all their indefatigable work. A list of all those who so kindly contributed to the stall is added. The prayers of the Members of the Association are asked for the Reverend Mother of the Community of St. Peter, who will travel with Sister Isabel on her return from her furlough, and will pay a short visit to the Mission Houses in Corea. They will travel by ss. Kleist, leaving Genoa on January 1, and hope to arrive in Corea about February 5. 1908. Gifts acknowledged.--A rug for the Oratory, Kang Hwa, from Miss Rawson; many gifts for the women and children for Christmas. Note. -- Change of Address. -- Until further notice, the Secretary's address will be St. Michael's Home, Axbridge, Somerset. SISTER HELEN CONSTANCE, Secretary, S.P.EMA

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The need for men in the Church of England Mission to Corea.

AN APPEAL FROM THE BISHOP. SINCE my consecration in 1905 I have had a staff of six priests, the Rev. J. S. Badcock, Rev. F. R. Hillary, Rev. G. A. Bridle, all of whom (with eleven years' service) can speak Corean well; Rev. W. N. Gurney, who (with three years' service) can now take charge of a mission station; Rev. F. Wilson, who (with two years' service) is well advanced as a Corean student; and Rev. S. H. Cartwright, an experienced priest, who joined the mission from Japan and is in charge of all our Japanese work in Corea. Dr. Weir, who acts also as lay reader, completes the European staff of men workers. Stations. -- The five clergy engaged in Corean work are distributed among five stations -- in the villages round which are a growing number of Christians and inquirers. 1. Seoul, the capital, where I make myself responsible for the European work and help in the Corean services during the   absences of Mr. Gurney. Mr. Gurney has an itinerating work amongst villages which have sprung up around Seoul during the last year and over a large district, sixty or a hundred miles from Seoul, of which I hope one day to put him in permanent charge. Seoul is also the headquarters of Mr. Cartwright, who helps me in the European work when he is not visiting the Japanese in Chemulpo (two hours by train) or our largest congregation in Fusan (ten hours by train), in which last place he is assisted by a paid Japanese catechist. 2. In Chemulpo, the port of Seoul, there are Corean, Eng-lish, and Japanese services every Sunday in the same Church. I am responsible for the oversight of the Corean and English work, with Dr. Weir as my assistant. Mr. Cartwright has here an unpaid Japanese lay-helper. There are possibilities of developing the work in this neighbourhood, if only we had a resident priest. 3. In Kanghwa (sixty miles from Seoul) lies our chief work and our largest body of Christians. There are two groups – (a) Kanghwa city, in the large Church of which a hundred were confirmed last spring. There are twelve out-stations within a radius of ten miles. During the temporary absence of Mr. Badcock this important work is in the hands of Mr. Wilson superintended by Mr. Hillary, who is the priest in charge of (b) On Sou Tong (nine miles south of Kanghwa city), where the work is growing satisfactorily. Within a radius of eight miles there are twelve out-stations, all of them having groups of Christians or Catechumens. Services conducted by three paid catechists are held on Sunday and weekdays in many of these out-stations for those who cannot come to the central Church at On Sou Tong. Here, as also in Kanghwa city, native volunteers assist the catechists. These are an immense help, but they are, like the catechists themselves, not suffice-ently instructed to be put in responsible charge of work. 4. Sou Won (two hours by rail from Seoul)--the newest station--where, last Easter, there were thirty-nine baptisims, for the first time. Here, and in ten widely scattered sub-stations, the work is most promising. Hundreds of men and women are asking for instruction which Mr. Bridle, assisted by three half-trained native helpers, is quite unable adequately to give. He requires at least two men to undertake the district work, and so to enable him to reside constantly in Sou Won where the people are but young in the faith.   Japanese Work.--One more priest is wanted at once for this work, with a third in prospect, to assist Mr. Cartwright in the itinerating work which has to be undertaken among the few Japanese Christians scattered all over the country. In addition to the catechists at Fusan (where there are twenty communi-cants), another is wanted for Seoul, a third for Chemulpo, and a fourth for the various country districts. These catechists, which are among our greatest needs, must come from Japan, where, however, the Church in Japan, always short-handed, has the first claim. Training of Corean Catechists.--The clergy being so few and so entirely engaged in pastoral work, are unable to devote much time to the training of catechists. A priest is wanted at once for this work, which, even before he had mastered the Corean language, he could apply himself to in helping the clergy to give their individual instructions in a more systematic and uni-form manner. All the connected instruction that we have been able to give our catechists collectively has been by classes held once a year during about a fortnight. The want of men may thus be summarised: 1. One priest for Seoul to relieve the Bishop of some of the English work and to set Mr. Gurney free for the country work. 2. One priest for Chemulpo. 3. Two more priests for the districts round Sou Won. 4. One priest devoted more especially to teaching and to preparing men for the ministry, 5. One priest, at least, for Japanese work. Women's Work.--Since so much depends upon whole families being admitted to the Church and since, in Corea, women can only be reached by women, this work must always be prominently represented on the Mission staff. In Seoul three Sisters of St. Peter's Home, Kilburn, are in residence, one of whom only is available for evangelistic work, which she attempts in Seoul, in Sou Won, and nominally in Mr. Gurney's district. In Kanghwa city there are also three Sisters resident, one of whom only is free for evangelistic work. At On Sou Tong Mrs, Hillary gives her husband most efficient help. At Chemulpo Mrs. Weir, assisted by a native Bible-woman, takes charge of the women’s work. Corean Christian women help in all the stations, but they will require a great deal more instruction themselves before the help which they give can be of much use to others. Why the need is so pressing now. --During the last two years the occupation of the country by the Japanese has very much altered the condition of affairs in Corea. It has evoked a strong   national and patriotic spirit which may have been there before, but till then was dormant. To-day the cry is for the recovery of their independence, and people of all classes are anxious to find something or someone on whom they can lean for help. For education, even if it involves Christian teaching, they are turning naturally to the foreigner. Some would like to have the teaching without the religion, but many ask “Why, if Christianity has done so much for other countries, it should not do as much for them?” Thus, there is now an opportunity which may never recur of presenting to Corea the faith of the Gospel. We who are here realise this, and we ask those who are at home to listen to our cry for help, our claim for consideration. The occupation of Corea calls upon us also to do more for the Japanese. One feels that in their new surroundings they are more open to the influence of new teaching, of which also they now stand in greater need since, separated to a large extent from old customs, they fall more readily into sins from which they are protected in their own country. There is no doubt that contact with a people less developed and less educated than themselves has a demoralising effect upon them. All the more need is there then for us to help them at the time and in the way they most require.

A. B. TURNER, Missionary Bishop of the Church of England in Corea. Seoul: July 1907. ________________________________________

Report of Mission Station of St. Stephen,

Sou Won. PRESENTED TO THE CONFERENCE IN SEOUL, October 11, 1907.

THE Report which I have the honour to submit to you this morning is a very short one, and for the sake of clearness I have divided it into two sections ; the first part dealing with the work at Sou Won and the neighbouring villages, and the second part with the work at the out-stations. Ⅰ. In Sou Won itself the work has been going forward steadily for the past year, and at Easter twenty-five men and women   were baptized--the first fruits of the work here ; on Whitsunday six more adults received that Sacrament, and these, together with George Han, a boy whom I baptized at Chemulpo six years ago, were confirmed by the Bishop--on one of his exceedingly rare visits to Sou Won--on St. Bartholomew's Day. Between forty and fifty people are now under special in-struction with a view to Baptism, and I trust that the larger number of them, if not all, will be baptized at Christmas. During the past six months only sixty people have been admitted to the Catechumenate, but many are under instruction, and will probably be admitted on Advent Sunday. The number of catechumens at present is about one hundred and eighty. There has been a large influx of Enquirers lately, and this I think is partly due to the conduct of the Japanese soldiers and lower-class Japanese civilians, whose treatment of the unfortunate Corean peasants has not been all that one could desire. One rather remarkable feature in the work here is the comparatively small number of city people who attend the services; more than two-thirds of the congregation is composed of country people, and, although as a whole they are less intelligent than the town people, they are much more zealous in the performance of their religious duties, and attend services with regularity. Four men who live nearly four miles from the church, have only missed attending the Sunday celebration at 6.30 A.M. twice since their baptism, whilst some of the city people have often missed two Sundays together, and contented themselves with coming to the mission service at 9 A.M. There are several important villages near the city where we have quite a number of people. Weekday services were held in these villages twice a month last winter, and we hope to start them again as soon as the harvest is over. In addition to this work, Sunday afternoon meetings will be held at the villages of Ko-Saiki, Po-T'eu-Nay, and Mon-Nay. The present church is most inadequate for Sunday Mission Services, and for some time the morning service has been doubled, the men coming first and the women later. Even with this arrangement, the men are often crowded out, and after the harvest is over it will be necessary to have two men's services I am glad to say that a subscription list has been opened, to which foreigners in Corea have subscribed somewhat liberally; a certain amount also will be forthcoming from the Coreans,   and I confidently hope to get the balance from friends of Corea in England, so that by next October we may (D.V.) have a large substantial church at Sou Won.

II. Coming now to the country districts. Paul Kim has charge of three Mission Stations, two of which are at present very feeble, but the third--Chul Kol, a village 60 li from Sou Won--is flourishing, and the people hope to build themselves a prayer-room next Spring. In this district the catechumens number twenty-five and the Enquirers fifty-four. Peter Kang has charge of four stations, his headquarters being at Pyeng Taik city, 100 li from Sou Won, where there is a Mission House and Chapel dedicated to St. Mary the Virgin. In this place there are sixty-five catechumens--some twenty of whom will, I hope, be baptized in Advent--and the Enquirers number forty-two. At Chil-Won and Chi-Chay-oul there are prayer-rooms belonging to the Mission and in each of these places regular Sunday services are held, and Peter pays a visit to each village fortnightly. Paik Sok P'o is a large village on the seashore about 40 li from Pyeng Taik city. Since the completion of the railway a good deal of its trade has been diverted, but even now it is an important place, as most of the rice for many miles round is shipped here for Chemuipo. The number of adherents is at present small, but they have shown a good deal of zeal and earnestness, and I am hoping we may be able to build a chapel there next Spring. Of John Chun's work in the Chun-an district I cannot speak too highly. As the direct result of his preaching, we have now a large and rapidly-growing work in the district of Chun-an, about 180 li from Sou Won. In Chun-an city, services have been held every Sunday for the past two months, and there are seventy Enquirers. Already they talk of building a church for themselves, but nothing definite will be settled until after next winter. At Pou To-Ri, 10 li from Chun-an city on the north, our people have collected 90 yen, and this, with a sum of 80 yen given by the Bishop, has been used to build a chapel which (D.V.) will be opened in November under the dedication of St. John the Baptist. There are over 100 Enquirers here, and I hope to admit some forty of them to the Catechumenate when the Chapel is opened   At a large village, So-il, near the hot springs, 20 li from Chun-an to the south, work has just commenced and I have the names of some forty men who attend. I regret to say that up to the present I have been unable to visit them, but (D.V.) I hope to go next week. Toun Po village is the station that has given us more trouble and worry than the whole of the other stations put together. It began well with a small number, but about eighteen months ago there was a large influx of Enquirers, and one Sunday when I paid a visit I had a list of over 150 names given me, and at the meetings held that day considerably over 100 were present. Further investigations, however, showed that the movement was largely a political one, so the whole thing had to be broken up and restarted, and for some six months all went smoothly, and last spring twenty-four men were admitted to the Catechumenate. The place of meeting was most inconvenient, being a sixteen feet by eight room, used on weekdays as a doctor's shop; and when market day and Sunday happened to coincide, worship and instruction became almost an impossibility. The Catechumens and others obtained a house, but spent the money allowed them for rebuilding it, in pulling it down and moving it to their village. They behaved very badly all through the matter, deceiving both the Bishop and myself; I need not go into details, but the upshot is that I have closed the station until next spring and told them to attend service at one of two villages each of which is about three miles away from Toun P'o. I cannot close this report without expressing my deep gratitude to the Sisters of St. Peter for the valuable work they have done amongst the women in this station. The Sister Superior has been most kind and sympathetic, and has paid us two visits, whilst, under God, we owe the flourishing work amongst the women of Sou Won and the outlying districts to the zeal and energy shown by the Sisters Margaretta and Isobel. A girls' school is needed badly in Sou Won, but it cannot be started unless there are some Sisters here to super-intend it. My earnest hope is that in the near future two or three Sisters may be spared to live in Sou Won altogether and so be able to deal more effectually with the women's work here. GEORGE A. BRIDLE, Priest in Charge, St. Stephen's Sou Won.  

Local Notes.

Political.--The condition of the country, in many ways, may be said to be unchanged, and yet every day there is made some small change, at any rate in Seoul, and there the tendency becomes more and more towards accepting the Japanese control of affairs as a fact against which it is no good to struggle any longer. But in the country districts the struggle goes on unabated, in spite of the fact that the Coreans have no chance at all when they come into actual contact with the Japanese troops, and hundreds of them have been killed and hundreds of houses have been burnt as a punishment for their owners having joined or harboured the insurgents. The result is that many men have joined them who would not otherwise have thought of doing so, and it is feared that there will be terrible suffering in the ensuing winter for the women and children, who, having no houses to go to, are scattered among the hills with which that part of the country is covered, and are living in caves and holes dug out of the hillsides. It fills one with sadness when one thinks of them, as one realises the hopelessness of the struggle, and the suffering and loss it entails on the whole country. God grant that it may not last much longer ; but one hardly sees what is to put an end to it, for no lack of arms or training and no fear of death deters the fighters, and the country is an ideal one for the sort of guerilla warfare that goes on.

We have been brought into close contact with it in three ways. First, in Kanghwa, where the first outbreak occurred outside the capital, of which you will see something in one of the Bishop's letters. Then Mr. Bridle has seen something of it at and near Sou Won, for the disturbed area comes down to a few miles from the town, though Sou Won itself has been free from any attack and a fairly strong force of Japanese soldiers and police is always stationed there. He had an unpleasant experience, as he was, without any provocation, attacked by a Japanese soldier and struck, but for various reasons it was impossible to get any redress. Then, too, further to the south and east, where Mr. Gurney has been travelling from time to time, the people have suffered very severely, and one or two of the people connected with us have had their houses burnt; but, on the whole, our people have been well dealt with, both by the Japanese and the Coreans. There is, however, some cause for fear that during the coming winter much more suffering will come, as many bands of robbers seem to be springing up, who respect neither friend or foe.

The insurgents are generally favourable to the Christians, and some amusing stories come to hand, of which the following is one. A Christian teacher was coming up to Seoul, and on his way fell into the hands of one of the wandering bands, and was hailed before the leader. He said: "You claim to be a Christian; if you are, recite the 11th chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians." He could not do it, and said so. Then the leader said: "Well, at any rate, you can recite the Ten Commandments.” The man could not, and began to tremble for his life. Again the leader said: "Well, anyhow, you know the Creed?" But this was too much for him; and he only got off by stumbling through the Lord's Prayer, which he managed to do in spite of his fright. You can imagine his joy and relief when he arrived in Seoul safe and sound. The Japanese, on the other hand, suspect the Christians of being antagonistic to them, and in some cases, which seem to be well authenticated, they have suffered considerably at their hands. We are thankful to be able to report that our people have, so far, not suffered much; and now the centre of the trouble is being forced back further to the East, and there we have no followers to speak of. But the prayers of all interested in Corea are earnestly requested that this trouble may be soon put down, and the people generally be led to accept, what is indeed inevitable, namely, the Japanese control and rule of the country, exercised, as we hope it will be, as much as is possible, through Corean officials; though for some time it will be necessary for Japanese to be advisers, and more than advisers, for it is absolutely impossible for them at present to get their advice attended to unless they have also the power and authority to see that it is carried out.

In the Court many changes have been made. The old Emperor was forced to abdicate in favour of his son, the Crown Prince, the son of the late Queen. His son, by one of the palace ladies named Lady Om, has been made Crown Prince. He is a smart little fellow, and is shortly to go to Japan with Prince Ito, where he will probably attend the Peers’ School, which will be greatly to his own benefit, but, of course, is a great sorrow to his old father. But the greatest change in the Imperial house is the publicity of their life just now. Years ago it was not unusual to see the Emperor making periodical visits to the tombs of his ancestors, amid crowds of attendants and onlookers, Then, after his removal to the new palace in Chongdong, these processions became more and more rare. But now they are taking to going out a great deal, for one reason or another, seeing and being seen by their people. Lately the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince have gone to live in the East Palace, and the ex-Emperor will live in the Pyet Koung near by.

The first occasion of their public appearance was the visit of the Japanese Crown Prince to Corea, when the new Emperor and the Crown Prince went down to Chemulpo to welcome him. This was an event of real importance to both countries--to Japan, for it is the first time that he has been out of Japan, and it is, as it were, the final step in the story of the seclusion of the Japanese Court life; and to Corea, because it enabled those, at any rate, among the Coreans who think, to realise that the Japanese Government really intend to maintain the honour of the Imperial House of Corea if they will accept the in-evitable and submit to the control of the Japanese Government. It is not, it cannot be now, independence as they have known it for centuries past, and this they do and will find hard to bear : but it means that a great deal is being left for them if they will accept the fact that "half a loaf is better than no bread." The result was, on the whole, favourable, and especially did it seem so when the little Crown Prince of Corea, who is only some ten years old, made a good impression on all the Japanese visitors.

The story goes that the Crown Prince of Japan, seeing the boy's fear of going up the side of the man-of-war, on board of which he was to take farewell of his visitor, took him up in his arms and carried him on board, setting him down on deck, and then personally showed him round the ship and explained all the details to him himself. Another story goes that when he came back from his first visit to Chemulpo he came running in to his father, and said: "These people here who told me it was dangerous know nothing about it. It is not dangerous at all: it is jolly, and as safe as can be. I should like to go every day!" This visit gave the boy the time of his life, and he will never forget it.

But it did not end there. He has been out several times since, to open a new school, to attend the athletic sports of all the schools in Seoul and the neighbourhood, at which some 7,000 boys and young men were gathered on the drill-ground of the Houlyungwon, inside the East Gate. And finally, as his last public act before going to Japan, he laid one of the corner stones of the Y.M.C.A building in connection will Prince Ito. They each laid one stone, and it was a remarkable   fact that the representative of the Court of the Hermit Kingdom, whose grandfather not long ago was persecuting the Christian Faith and doing all he could to stamp it out, was encouraged and accompanied by the greatest statesman of the Far East, one of the greatest of the whole world (in whose kingdom the same course was being pursued not so very much earlier), and should publicly acknowledge the benefit that the institutions connected with this despised and persecuted religion bring to people of their country, non-Christian though they be. Of course, there were many who objected to his coming, but the objections were overcome, and many were there in attendance on the Crown Prince who, probably for the first time in their lives, heard a prayer addressed to the One God, and had certainly never heard a public profession of faith in our Lord such as that made by the Corean who responded to the address that Prince Ito delivered. That, too, was a notable delivery, for he spoke as if he realised that the work of Christianity was not only for the physical and intellectual benefit of the young men of the country, for that is easily realised by any thinking man, but that it meant more, that there was a higher side to it--a benefit to the spiritual life of man. He showed that he realised the unseen as well as the seen, that the material world was not all, but that he himself looked deeper, and wished others to do likewise.

There is no doubt that, looking at the general condition of affairs here now, there is an exceptionally hopeful outlook for Christian work. There are several ways in which we could get into touch with the men of the city, but I shrink from taking any definite steps, for even if we did open up any new work, is there any hope of our being able to give it that constant and direct personal supervision which it would need if it is to be brought to really good result? The hopefulness as regards the work itself is there, but without the men to oversee it what is the use of starting new schemes with which to over-burden our already over-tasked workers? And as to our Corean helpers, there is at present no one to whom one could entrust any work of real importance, if at the outset he had not some foreign help to stiffen him and help him to carry it out wisely and successfully. A superficial success would be easy to attain to, but the deeper, more real success to which we look in our work would be almost impossible without firm control, especially in the present condition of affairs, when it would be only too easy to make mistakes which, while leading to temporary success, would really mean failure in the long run, and that we shrink from even more than abstaining altogether. But it is hard not to take advantage of the openings that are given, and hard to restrain the eagerness of our own Corean members, though that may not be entirely according to knowledge.

Mission Conference.--The event of this autumn so far as the Mission is concerned was the conference of all the members of the Mission, which we tried as an experiment. It was preceded by a Retreat for us all which was conducted by the Rev. A. F. King of St. Andrew's Mission, Tokyo, who came over at con-siderable personal inconvenience to help us. It is always a pleasure to see him, and we feel we owe him a great deal for his kindness in coming and for the words of counsel, warning and comfort he spoke to us. He was with us, too, for our conference, and was able to help us out of the fulness of his experience of twenty years in Japan. As to the conference itself, the main fault was that we had allowed too short a time for it. We had only one day, and meeting in the morning in the Sisters' large room, after some introductory remarks from the Bishop, received reports from all the stations, read or delivered extempore, by the priests in charge of them, Dr. Weir telling us about Chemulpo. The general impression was one of good cheer. There was no doubt that the work was spreading fast, the only fear being lest it should spread too fast for the small number of men we have to direct it all. If the work is to be lasting it should be laid on good foundations, and the men we are receiving now into Church should be well taught so that they may hand on to others the "form of sound words"; and the question arose in one’s mind, Can these few men devote enough time to these many incomers? And further, Is there not danger of their breaking down from trying to do too much? These questions we would specially press on our friends at home, and remind them that with them lies a great deal of the responsibility in this matter. We are here, we cannot offer to come out over again, we want our friends to offer themselves and come to help us out of this difficulty. Some people might say, “Why do so much ?” but here we see also the other side of the question. How can we leave these men who come to us for instruction without the help they are crying out for, even though we can not give them all we know they need, all we long to give them? We feel we must give them all we can, even if it is inadequate. Then, too, we realise that though they are not all we would wish in knowledge or in strength of character, the Corean helpers we have are year by year doing more and more to bring others in and to teach them at least all that they themselves have learnt, and so we go on in hope.

In Kanghwa the reports we had then, and those that have come in since, show that Mr. Hillary and Mr. Wilson have all they can do to keep pace with the developments of the work, especially as the pastoral work is growing more and more exacting. There are naturally not so many new places opening out, but there are many places in which the work is getting a firmer hold and these places demand a great deal of supervision. The women's work too, under the Sisters and Mrs. Hillary, is more than they can do thoroughly, for the distances are consider-able and the roads are bad, even if you can call them roads, and means of conveyance are non-existent, except chairs, donkeys and Shanks' mare.

Then in Sou Won and the neighbourhood, the claims on Mr. Bridle's time and energy are growing greater and greater, the places from which he gets applications for admission and for teaching more and more numerous, and though he and his Corean assistants do all that they can and more, yet they are only able to touch the fringe of what might be done if he had one or two or three helpers

In Seoul, too, in spite of the difficulties that are always inseparable from a big town, the demand for more help is grow-ing greater, and in the neighbourhood there are many places in which we are being asked for help, and though Mr. Gurney described himself and his Corean helper as “a knock-kneed couple leaning on each other for support,” yet he has been able to get together larger congregations than we have ever had before, and to give instruction to many, of whom some, at any rate, show real appreciation of what they have learnt and give signs of true repentance. And from Chemulpo, too, the reports from Dr. Weir show signs of progress. These are small compared with the other stations, but they give one hope for the future. Of the Hospital, reports have been given from time to time in these pages and there is no need to say anything more here.

In Choung-chung.do (the "Do" means province or county) Mr. Gurney has many villages calling out for teaching, and so far he has been able only to visit them from time to time, but he hopes to go down soon for a month or so and try to give them more regular teaching during that period, and then to go down again in the spring, spending Christmas in the capital.

The women's work is just as important as the men's and here, too, we are feeling how hard it is to do all we would without the labourers. The Sisters from Seoul and Mrs. Weir at Chemulpo indeed do all they can, but it is at the expense of a great deal of strength and one fears sometimes health. We shall indeed welcome Sister Isabel when she comes back and shall be delighted to show the Reverend Mother all that is going on, so that she may tell about it and think it over and see if in any way she can help us. Even if she cannot send more workers, a visit from some one outside is always a great help, and she will be able to see perhaps how we can better use the material we have already to hand.

In the afternoon we had a conference of the clergy only with Dr. Weir. Here, again, it was impossible to more than touch upon the fringe of what we had to discuss, and another year it will be necessary to close down all work that necessitates the priests' presence in their various spheres and hold our conference for a fortnight, or at least the inside of one. So many subjects were discussed that it is difficult to pick out what were of special importance. The delay in producing the new Prayer-Book was especially criticised, and the Bishop acknow-ledged that this was largely due to himself, and promised to hurry on its production as much as possible. Mr. Bridle had sent in his revised edition of the hymn-book, but the Bishop said that he felt it would be necessary to go through it once more, and in this he was backed up by Mr. King, who said they had found that the more hands such a book went through, the better in the long run, even though it caused delay and incon-venience in the present. Matters of ritual were touched upon, and the advisability of one use so far as it was possible was pressed by the Bishop, but nothing more definite was done, and he asked that all the priests would consider the matter and report to him before he went home on any changes which from experience they had found to be advisable, that he might take that opportunity of discussing such matters with men who know more than any of us out here know on the subject of what is allowable and reasonable, and, using the word in its true sense Catholic. Other important matters like the admission and regular instruction of catechumens, and the position and stand-ing of those who are acting as catechists and readers and helpers generally in the work, were left over from lack of time, but it is hoped that next year before the Bishop goes home it may be possible to get together again and devote some days to the many subjects that have not yet received the attention they require as the work develops. We broke up with many thanks to God for all the blessings of the past year, and many good resolutions to try and devote ourselves and all our powers of body, mind and spirit to the work to which God has called us, and to strive to do it more and more in the right spirit of self-surrender, of patience of perseverance, of humility, and so losing sight of self to render all glory and honour to God, relying on the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit to direct and strengthen us.

Chemulpo Hospital.--In addition to Dr. Weir's report in which he speaks of his need of more money, we are glad to hear that he has received a private gift of £20 from one of the oldest residents in the town who is just leaving for home. Mr. Wolter has helped us before and we are sorry to lose him from Chemulpo, as he has done a great deal while he has resided there to make it a desirable place of residence, and we shall personally miss him and his family socially, for their house was one where we always felt there was a welcome for us. In church matters we shall miss them all, too, for Mrs. Wolter was able to help us in the singing and in a small place we miss one voice greatly, and Mrs. Weir's Sunday-school is halved by the disappearance of the children. We hear also that there is a prospect of more help coming to the Hospital through a concert which is being arranged in Seoul by Mrs. Cockburn, our Consul General's wife, and Dr. Hahn, our dentist.

The Orphanage.--Sister Nora may have written to tell you that she has had some very substantial help towards the work. First, a concert arranged by Dr. Hahn brought in some £20, then an entertainment given by the manager of the main hotel in Seoul brought in £4, and finally the Crown Prince of Japan, when he was visiting the city, gave us £100. How this last gift will be used is not settled yet as it was received only a few days before Sister Nora left for Japan, on her way to Hongkong, for a short holiday and rest which she very much needed.

The Japanese branch of our work has but little to report this quarter. Mr. Cartwright was away for some months, part of the time lying ill at a friend's house in Japan. We are thankful to have him back among us again. Miss Grosjean and Miss Elrington have been hard at work at the language, but without Mr. Cartwright were able to do but little. Now we are more hopeful, for with all the staff at work again, as they shortly will be, and with the advent of a Bible-woman who has promised to come over at the new year, we hope to be able to do some real work. In addition to this, a Y.M.C.A. worker belonging to our Church has come over to work among the railway men, and he promises to help us all he can. The ladies are also at present rejoicing in the presence of a Japanese lady, a member of St. Hilda's Mission in Tokyo, and our only regret is that she cannot stay very long with us, but her visit will be a real help. Her name is Miss Sakai. ________________________________________

The Spirit of Missions.

“No one who follows the work of the various Missions can fail to be aware of the remarkable growth of the desire for unity; or, if unity be at present unattainable, for a comity amongst Missions which shall render rivalry and competition less disastrous, and co-operation in certain departments of Mission work more possible. . . . In England we have lately seen the actual reunion of some of the lesser subdivisions of Methodism; Scottish Presbyterians have come to terms of union; in Canada two great Christian bodies have come to a working arrangement. In every part of the Mission field there is evidence of the spread of a more generous feeling than has marked the various bodies hitherto, of a desire that the unity which is the ideal of Christ for all who are named by His name may come to be a reality. “ It is a tendency which the circumstances of the Mission field make almost inevitable. Even at home, the pressure of unbelief and indifference, no less than the growing realisation of the futility and waste of effort involved in division, is leading earnest men to desire to close up their ranks to operate as one army. And abroad, the consciousness of the greatness of the enterprise, a consciousness which deepens as the Mission field becomes more and more occupied, the re-awakening of old religions and philosophies in face of the advancing Cross, the feeling of fellowship between the few Christians of whatever name, who find themselves engaged in a like enterprise against overwhelming forces--all these things make for the longing for unity. "We shall hope much from the ultimate results of conference. Conference among missionaries has undoubtedly its dangers, since in the friendliness which it endangers men are apt to make concessions which they afterwards regret, and which compromise the Church at home. But conference for purposes of counsel, and for the discussion of problems which confront all missionary bodies alike, cannot but effect good. And they have an influence upon the civil authorities which cannot be   ignored. For example, in such a country as China. . . . It will not be disputed that in the development of missionary zeal among all Christians lies one of the greatest hopes for reunion, since it is in the Mission field that the evils of disunion are most evident, the soundness of Catholic methods most clearly demonstrated, and the spirit of love and sacrifice most fostered." -- (From the “Church Times," quoted in Canadian " New Era.")

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A MESSAGE FROM CHINA.—"A series of striking articles appeared in the Times, written by Lord William Cecil, who has lately visited China with the object of studying Mission work on the spot. He has personally inspected no fewer than fifteen Mission hospitals ‘all excellently managed,' and he writes ‘Medical Missions have done a stupendous work in China. More than any other form of Mission, they have shaken the prejudice against the West.’ Again, he defends the action of missionary societies, in sending out women missionaries to China, in face of the assertions made by members of the social community ‘that it is wrong to expose white women to the danger of death and torture, Lady Florence Cecil herself made enquiries into the condition of Chinese women which she found very pitiable' and visited girls' schools of every grade. Her husband's words on the subject are ‘If such work as this is to be undertaken at all, it must be by women. This world is, to my mind, a brighter and holier place since I have learned that it contains many whose sense of duty and pity are so strong, that they do not even consider their own lives in comparison. I wish the ten thousand useless, idle women in England would think a little of these lives of unnoticed heroism.’”—(Quoted in C. M. "Gleaner.")

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A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.--"Lord William Cecil also speaks of the thoughtful faces of many of the well-bred young men in China whom he has seen lately. He says ‘They are not members of the lower class; they are highly educated men, men conversant with all that mass of learning and wisdom which China has accumulated during two thousand years, and they have lately added to that enormous weight of knowledge some of the newer knowledge of the West. They are convinced Christians. The knowledge of the West and East which they possess would enable them to fill any of those well-paid posts where West and East meet, and where it is essential therefore   to have a man that possesses the education of the East as well as of the West; but these men have preferred to cast all thoughts of worldly wealth behind them and to become preachers to their fellow countrymen. I look at them with deep respect when I realise that they are men who may head the great move-ment in Chinese thought that this marriage between Western and Eastern science must produce. . . . China is no longer the stationery nation of the East; she who claims to command the thought of a fifth of the world's minds, is about to change that thought; this is obviously a position that commands the closest attention of all thinking people.' Lord William goes on to say that all the best of the training colleges are at this moment in the hands of Americans. The English Missions are crippled for lack of funds. He adds ‘Though I can speak no word of derogation of those excellent works, I must feel that England has something to offer that no other nation can offer; that there are among us grand traditions which will suit the cultured and conservative Chinaman better than the bustling con-servatism of the United States, and that we ought to offer it at a time when there is every reason to think that such an offer will be most acceptable."--(From an article in the “Nationas Review.") ________________________________________ THE OPPORTUNITY IN CANADA.--"The Bishop of Durham speaking at a meeting of the Colonial and Continental Society said: 'Did anyone fully realise how amazing was the volume of emigration from this and other countries which was now setting in towards Canada? Within the last few years it had sprung of a sudden by leaps and bounds of the most astonishing character into hundreds and thousands a year. It was probable that within the last forty years the area of the Colonies of the Empire had grown. It was calculated that within the last forty years 40 per cent of the present Colonial Empire had come in, and the population had increased in an almost corresponding degree. The difficulty was to follow the new settlers with the ministrations of Christ; but the opportunity to do so, if it could be taken, was perfectly priceless in its greatness. In the vast majority of cases it was found that the newly-arrived settler, with the feeling of the homeland strong upon him, gave a welcome to the minister of Christ which he very likely would not have given in England. The new settler was glad to have the Gospel message, and the Church's minister put as nearly as possible within his reach; but let the years gather, and alas! the feeling wore off amid  the stress and tear of life, and a hardness and unresponsiveness set in, which might prepare him for practical heathenism.’” (Greater Britain Messenger.) ________________________________________ A LONDONER ON THE PRAIRIE.—" The following extract is from a letter of Mr. Gosden's. He was formerly Scripture Reader in the Rev. J.B. Barraclough's Parish, St. Thomas, Lambeth; he is now working in Saskatchewan. He says : ‘Visiting out here is a fine opportunity of dealing with individual souls who have no opportunity of hearing the Gospel unless they walk eight to ten miles. This, I am sorry to say, is the exception rather than the rule. People in Canada's early days used always to attend God's house, but now (due to the indifference of the Church in the past) people survey lands for homesteads, go fishing, shooting, &c., drifting away from the truth. I often feel the terrible responsibility of the work. I am visiting them to-day; it may be six or twelve months before I have another oppor-tunity of saying a word for the Master. Please pray that I may have courage to deliver it. I can hardly tell what a help it is when alone in a bachelor's shack with the old, old story, to realise that at home the friends are bearing me up in prayer. The 'Lambeth Palace,' 12ft by 18ft, is nearly finished, and we hope to move in by Monday or Tuesday next week. It is so small that we are wondering where we shall put our stuff. We have, however, the consolation that it will be easy to keep warm.'"--(Ibid.) ________________________________________ NEWS FROM UNGAVA.--" The Rev. S. M. Stewart, the devoted missionary to the Eskimo at Fort Chimo, Ungava, thus writes: 'A few days ago five skin-boats arrived from the Far North, and over 200 Eskimo. These are the people I have been longing to see for several years. Hardship and starvation have played havoc with these poor people, and many died of hunger. The survivors told me they had to eat the bodies of the dead. This is a grand opportunity now for evangelistic work. I hope to spend most of my time this winter with these people, teaching them and instructing them. They leave for the North next year. I shall be able to clothe many of them and make them happy. To-day they are crowding into my house for warmth and food.’ ”—(Ibid.) ________________________________________ ON THE CANADIAN LABRADOR.--"Few missionaries have harder lives than those who minister to the struggling fisher-   folk living along the Canadian and Atlantic coasts of Labrador. Each of these clergymen works along at least a hundred miles of coast, getting from place to place in summer by means of sailing boats, and in winter by dog-sledges. What should we think of the hardships of a missionary who had to cover a distance from the Thames to the Wash, putting out to sea in all weathers, and visiting settlements in all the creeks and bays? If we can suppose the same coast icebound in the winter, the land covered deep in snow, without railways or roads, and only to be traversed in bitter cold by means of snowshoes for oneself and a dog-sledge for one's belongings, only in such a case should we arrive at a conception of what these brave men endure."--(Ibid.) ________________________________________ A GENEROUS OFFER.--"One of the Australian agents of the Colonial and Continental Society asks to be allowed to give a month's pay towards the work in North-West Canada. What an example of self-sacrifice to us who live at home! The following is his letter: 'I have been greatly interested in reading of the needs of Canada just now, and the effort made to meet the needs. I have rejoiced to see the response to the call for service, and wish to have some share in it. Would it be possible to keep a month's grant to this district as a small contribution towards the great needs there? If it can be so arranged, it will avoid unnecessary sending of money. . . . As I read of Canada I think how like conditions are in our Bush; but one thing we are destitute of--here there is absolutely no religious life to work on or with. It is sadly true that the folk do not look forward to their minister's visits, save from a social point of view which regulates their pleasure, according as he is a ‘good fellow’ or otherwise. No artistic gifts are wasted, but all can be used to win confidence and allow opportunities of speaking His message. But when religious topics come up, one realises keenly how destitute they are of any interest in spiritual things. One needs to be kept constantly in touch with the Living Vine, that there may be no hindrance to the life giving sap when the occasion presents itself of helping the needy.’ ”--(Ibid.) "Note.--Several additional £50 churches have been given by kind friends for Saskatchewan since our last number."—(Ibid.) ________________________________________ NURSES’ WORK IN NEW GUINEA.—"A Mission nurse has not only villagers under her care; there are her fellow workers who often require her attention, and that may mean that she   has to perform some of the sick missionary's duties in addition to her own. Then there are passing traders, miners, or some-times Government officials, who know they have only to ask for assistance to have it. . . . It has, alas! been the duty of Mission nurses to watch by the side of heathen men and women dying in their darkness. But they have also joyfully witnessed the simple faith of native Christians leaving this troublesome world for the Land of Everlasting Life. There are, of course, many difficulties to be faced in the work. Worst of all is the fact that no doctor has ever offered to join the Mission. The good he might do is simply incalculable."--(Occasional Paper, New Guinea Mission.) ________________________________________ Morning Calm, 4d. quarterly, or 1s. 4d. per annum (post free), may be obtained from Miss B. Atkins, 24 Overton Road, Brixton, S.W., Miss Day, Lorne House, Rochester, or Messrs. Spottiswoode & Co. Ltd., New-street Square, E.C. ________________________________________

ASSOCIATION OF PRAYER AND WORK FOR COREA.

I think the notice about Bishop Corfe in the last number of MORNING CALM must have been overlooked by the Secretaries and others interested in the Mission. It was to the effect that Bishop Corfe had, at the request of Bishop Turner, undertaken to speak and preach on behalf of the Mission. The number of requests for this help has been very meagre, and that at the time of year when activity among Missionary Societies is expected to be much in evidence. The advantage of securing Bishop Corfe's assistance is a solid one. He comes straight from the Mission field with a clear grasp of the problems to be faced there and an intimate knowledge of the present organisa-tion and work. In three or four months we shall have Bishop Turner among us, and we want to use that time for arousing Fresh interest and gaining new adherents. Bishop Corfe expects to be abroad till the middle of January, but now that he is freed from the responsibility of the Diocese of Chichester, which the Archbishop entrusted to him, he will be glad to hear from any secretaries to whom he can be of service. ARTHUR G. DEEDES, Vice-President, A.P.W.C.