Morning Calm v.21 no.126(1910 Oct.)

The King and H.N.F.

NOTHING could have given greater satisfaction to everyone than that His Majesty should continue to be Patron of the Hospital Naval Fund, in which he has shown his interest for so long. This he has graciously consented to do. It is sincerely to be hoped that His Majesty's patronage will be the means of arousing even more interest in this department of the Foreign Mission Field than hitherto among the officers and men of the Royal Navy. It is a very serious thing for the hospital at Chemulpo that it has not, for the past year or two, received the same measure of support as in former years.

Cho-sen.

"Korea" has ceased to exist. Japan has now formally annexed the peninsular, and has decreed that it shall henceforth be known as Cho-sen. Whether the annexation will in any way affect the work of Christian Missionaries we cannot say. The Bishop has sent the following extract from a local paper, which we quote with his Lordship's comment :--

"’Local Japanese contemporaries state that Viscount Terauchi, the new Resident General, lays great stress on the importance of the religious question in this country. His Excellency thinks that in order to secure for Korea lasting peace and prosperity. the faith of the nation must be firmly established. He has invited the opinions of authorities on this problem, and has decided to look carefully after the evangelisation of Koreans, which, according to contem-poraries, has hitherto been given comparatively indifferent attention. With this view, the new Resident General will give the best possible treatment to Christian Missionaries, and, aided by their co-operation and support, hopes to lead the Korean people to progress and en-lightenment. At the same time Japanese religionists will be induced to come over to this country in order to engage in propagandism.'

"What element of truth there is in this statement we can only test by experience, but it shows a realisation of the power of Christianity."

Medical Work.

As will be seen from Dr. Weir's report on the work of Work the Hospital at Chemulpo, there is considerable anxiety as to whether “ends will meet" this year. We are faced with the fact that the H.N.F. has not been able lately to provide the same amount of support as in former years. This is a very serious thing for the Hospital, the more serious since the cost of mainten-ance is likely to increase rather than to diminish. Added to this there are now two Hospitals--or there will be as soon as Dr. Law's is complete at Chin-Chun. We appeal, therefore, most urgently for a very considerable increase to the General Fund; for upon this we must fall back to make good any deficit there may be. We fully endorse all that the Secretary of the A.P.W. says in her letter about what lies before us in these next three months. A sum of at least ￡500 is required before the end of the year, if the estimates, accepted by the Executive Committee, are to be met. The more we can do, the more we shall relieve the minds of the Bishop and the authorities at 15 Tufton St.

The Conference at Seoul.

The Bishop has sent home a copy of the resolutions passed at the Conference last June. Lack of space at Seoul prevents their being reported in full. One, however, calls for special comment. It is : "That the Conference recommends that a Fund be started at once for the purpose of building a cathedral in Seoul, and that the Bishop be requested to press upon the Central Committee at home the urgency of this need.” All who were present at the Annual General Meeting will remember Mr. William McCarthy's strong recommendation in favour of such a building, as the outward and visible sign of the presence of the Church. He said: "Perhaps it seldom strikes us that a great Central Church Building is one of the most valuable assets to any Mission. A large and handsome building, wherein services can be conducted with dignity, has an indefinable, and yet none the less real, influence on the Oriental. We ought not to forget the uses and influences of the cathedral. With it as the centre of Diocesan life and thought, the Christian Church will grow up in the schools and colleges under the shadow of the symbol of Christian life and doctrine." These words, coming from one who knows the mind of the Oriental, together with the Bishop's own admission that the present accom-modation for Divine Service in the capital is quite inadequate, should convince us of the wisdom of providing a suitable building as soon as may be.

The Death of the king.

THERE is no need for any long dissertation on the loss the nation has suffered in the death of our King, but we cannot pass over the event in silence. He has left us when we seemed to need him most, but he has left us all an example of self-sacrifice, of devotion to his work, of love of his country and people, which will be a constant incentive to us who remain. He has passed through the veil, and we cannot but believe that he will be more than a mere "witness" of the work of his successor and the welfare or trouble of his people. We pray that he may rest in peace, but we believe that his life there will be as strenuous as was his life here.

TEMPORARY CHURCH EXECTED FOR THE MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR HIS LATE MAJESTY KING EDWARD VII AT SEOUL.

The memorial service in Seoul was largely attended, and, owing to the care and trouble taken by our Consul General, was impressive in spite of its simplicity. The large tent, erected on the lawn, was made as Church-like as possible. The service was similar to the one held in memory of Queen Victoria and was read by the Bishop, while the musical parts were taken by Mr. Cooper to the plainsong music, Over a thousand came to the service : bluejackets and marines from H.M.S. Flora, sent from China by the Commander-in-Chief for the occasion, a detachment of Japanese troops, representatives of the Consular body, of the several missionary bodies here, of the Resid-ency General, and of the Korean Court. The Imperial band played Chopin's and Beethoven's Funeral Marches and accompanied the hymns. The Last Post was sounded by the bugler from the Flora and then by the Japanese buglers. We felt how little it was we could do to render honour to the memory of one who had done so much for us as a nation, and for all nations as the great Peacemaker of his time, but what we could do we did with all our hearts. In addition to this great public service we had our Eucharist early in the morning, when we thanked God for our late King's example and work, and prayed for his rest and reward. We cannot think of him who has gone without thinking of him who has taken his place, and our prayers were for him, too, that he may worthily follow in the footsteps of his father. He has been President of the Hospital Naval Fund, as you all know, and so we seem to have a personal as well as a national interest in him, and we hope that he will in the future take as keen an interest in the Hospital work here as he has done in the past, in spite of the increased responsi-bilities of his position. Anyway, we shall feel that we owe it to him to make our prayers very real that God may give him wisdom and strength for all that lies before him. [His Majesty has graciously consented to continue to be Patron of the Hospital Naval Fund. --Ed. M.C.]

The Bishop's Letters.I.

SEOUL, KOREA . MY DEAR FRIENDS,--

Our Diocesan Retreat and Conference are just over. We have held them now for four years, and owing to the difficulty of getting together we have heretofore combined the two. There are disadvantages in doing so. Business and Devotion are somewhat too closely combined, and whether the Retreat precedes or follows the Conference, we hardly get the full benefit of the former or can sufficiently divert our minds from the many interests that crowd into them in connexion with the Conference. Next year, therefore, we intend to separate the two and to hold the Conference as soon after Trinity as possible, and the Retreat in the autumn. I hope both may be, in this way, more helpful to us all. One advantage in having them together is that we have been able to secure the help of some priest outside the Diocese to conduct the Retreat for us, and have received in Conference much assistance from such a visitor, who may have had more experience of the work in the East than we have. Archdeacon King and Bishop Boutflower have been of the greatest help to us in this way, and this year

D 2  

Mr. Norris of Peking was just the man we needed, inasmuch as questions were considered of which he has had more experience than most men out here, both in educational matters and in diocesan organisation, which were the most important matters before us.

I will leave the educational question for the present and write only of the organisation of the Diocese. This matter is growing in importance as our members grow, and it becomes increasingly necessary for us to have the help and advice of our Korean Christians in the settlement of questions which continually arise. So far all matters of greater or less importance have been settled by the Bishop's ipse dixit or by the Conference of foreign members of the staff. We have had the unofficial opinion of the catechists on many points, but no Korean representation officially. Parish councils have been started in Kanghwa and Sou Won to help the priest-in-charge locally, and they are gradually finding themselves, but no central conference or synod has been found possible. This year we decided that we would set to work definitely to start three grades of councils in the Diocese: Parish councils for the smaller centres, such as Ankol, Taouni. and Paikchön in the Kanghwa district, or Pyungtaik and Poutori in the Sou Won district ; District councils, composed of representatives from the parish councils; and a Diocese Conference, which should act as a council of advice for the Bishop, in connexion with which also a clerical conference may be held at the discretion of the Diocesan. As to the former two, their inception will depend upon the priests-in-charge as they see the advisability of starting them in various centres, and as to the latter, a committee was appointed to consider the calling of a diocesan conference if possible next year.

The objection may be made that the Koreans are not yet ready for any large share of sell-government; but, on the other hand, the sooner we begin to initiate them into the rules of debate, to show them how to confer together for the benefit of the Church at large, and to make then take their share of responsibility, the sooner will the Church develop itself on Korean lines within the unity of the Church Catholic.

Another step forward in the matter of organisation was taken by the appointment of a Standing Committee to consist of three Priests and three laymen, one priest to be appointed by the Bishop, the other five members to be elected by the Conference. I appointed Mr. Hillary, and the Revs, J.S. Badcock, A. S. Sharpe, Drs. H. H. Weir and W. F. Scranton and Mark Kim were elected. Here we have the first element of Korean representation on a central committee. In these matters we cannot expect to have everything in full working order all in a day, but we hope and pray that God will give us wisdom gradually to develop all that is necessary for the future welfare of the Church.

In addition to this extremely important question, matters of discipline were discussed, the position of catechumens, the age of candidates for Confirmation, regulations re marriage and fasting.

No change was found to be necessary as regards catechumens, but one or two points were cleared up which we hope may prevent the confusion of different usages in different stations. The points discussed re Confirmation were (I) the age of candidates and (2) what space of time, if any, should intervene between Baptism and Con-firmation. As to the age, experience so far tends to show that it is better not to wait too long, especially when the family is a Christian one and all the surroundings are favourable. I agreed to accept younger candidates so long as the priest-in-charge could assure himself that they were able to understand what was being done for them. As to the interval between Baptism and Confirmation, we have held the theory all along that the two Sacraments are complementary and should be coincident where possible ; but practically we find that some interval is necessary in most cases, if the Bishop is to be the minister of Confirmation, i.e. if he is not to devolve the administration of the Sacrament to the Priest, as is done in the Eastern Church and here in Korea among the Roman Catholics. Then, too, an interval, longer or shorter, with some special instruction is found helpful to the candidates, enabling them to realise more fully the grace they receive. The grace given is the same in each case, but the faith that grasps that grace with understanding is able more fully to use it to the glory of God. Mr. Norris told us that in some of the dioceses in China the theoretical oneness of the two Sacraments was giving way to the practical difficulties, and in one Diocese at least a year's interval was the ordinary rule.

The question of rules for fasting days and for marriage to be put out with authority were referred for further consideration, for they both necessitate more consultation with the Koreans than we had time for. Marriage questions were referred to a committee to report at the next Conference; rules re the observance of fast days, to the various clergy to report to the Bishop.

The name by which our branch of the Church Catholic should be known in Korea has been under discussion before, and a name had been provisionally adopted; but in view of the use of a differ-ent name in Japan and the almost certain adoption of the same name in China, as was shown by the discussion at the Conference in Shanghai last year, we felt the matter must come up again, and the name adopted was one consisting of five Chinese characters, which translated mean "The Holy Catholic Church in Korea." In each country we feel that the taking of the name "Holy Catholic Church," by one branch of the same, seems impertinent in view of the presence of other and far stronger branches; but in each case this objection has been considered and put on one side, as the pre-fixing of the name by the name of the country in which it is used is felt to minimise what might appear to be arrogance on our part. It is difficult to exactly transliterate the characters, but in each case the last three characters are the same, while their local pro-nunciation is different. In Japan the name is Nippon Sei-ko Kwai (ai -- y as in "why"); in China, Chung Hwo Shung Kung Hway: in Korea, Tai Han Sung Kong Hway (Tai Han being, as you know, the new name given to Korea some ten years ago. when she became independent of China, and the Korean King took the title of Emperor, to put himself on the same level and use the same title as the Emperors of China and Japan).

This is in some ways a small matter, but it is important as an outward sign to all concerned of a movement we thankfully recognise, that the Missions of the Church in England and America in the Far East are gradually trying to make real the bond that unites them all. In this matter we owe a great deal to Bishop Corfe, who throughout his episcopate kept this ideal of unity in view, and did all in his power to bring about a real union of discipline and order as well as of doctrine, and I do not think it is too much to say that when the work is completed, the result will be largely due to the foundation of the diocese of Korea and to the initiation of its first Bishop. This letter is quite long enough, and I must leave all mention of other matters discussed to another letter. I am yours truly. ARTHUR B. TURNER, Bishop.

II.

SEOUL, KOREA. MY DEAR FRIENDS, --

Referring once more to the Conference. The point of most importance was that of Education. In the discussion of this we spent some time, but I do not feel that we made very much progress. As I said in my letter last quarter, we had hopes of a temporary arrangement for a year or two by which we might, by payment of a share of the expenses, get partial control of one of the secondary schools in the town, from which we might go on to better things; but this scheme has fallen through. The starting of a secondary school is a big undertaking, and though we have the promise of £3000 from the Pan-Anglican Fund, and a grant from the Marriott Fund for £200, we shall need to see our way to the necessary support of the school when it is built before we can make any definite plans. Meanwhile we determined to keep our eyes open for what is necessary for any future school, the land on which to build it. It is not easy to get land in the city extensive enough for what we should need, and if we went outside the city it might involve building a boarding school, which would mean very much larger initial expense. We felt, therefore, that without further consideration we were hardly ready to present any scheme to the authorities at home, and the matter was referred to the Standing Committee.   The whole matter raises many questions which cannot be con-sidered separately, but which hang together and must be considered together. The land we hold at present in Seoul at Chongdong is not large enough for all our needs. It might, perhaps, be made to hold a Church sufficient for our needs for many years, a Mission House in which the Bishop could live (and one or even two priests so long as they were unmarried), a house for the Sisters and a small orphanage ; but there would be no room for a school or even for a catechists' school. I had hoped to buy land near at land which would have sufficed, but we are surrounded by the Palace, and they will not let us have any of the land at present. We are now looking out for land elsewhere to which we could either move altogether, if we can get a bit sufficiently large, or on which we could put a school and houses for the teachers, &c. If we do this the school would not be near the church, which would be in many ways a great misfortune, but perhaps unavoidable. Whatever happens we must have the catechists' school near the church. Land is not dear in Seoul just now, and, if we can get it, we ought to buy soon, as all agree that the price is likely to go up rather than down. I am afraid that we shall hardly get things straight before Messrs. Hodges and Standfast come out here ; but perhaps they will be able to help us when they arrive, and we shall in the end do better for their advice and help.

This brings up a matter of some importance which Mr. Bridle brought forward at the Conference. There is no doubt that we want a better church in Seoul than we have at present, and we passed a resolution that the need should be brought before our friends at home. With the constant claims we are making on you all I feel reluctant to mention any other, and there was a feeling on the part of some members of the Conference that there were other needs more pressing ; but there is no doubt that the present building is becoming inadequate for the people attending. especially on the women's side, and more than that, we lose in the eyes of the Koreans from the fact that we have no church worthy of the name where we can meet together for any central or important service. For example, for the memorial service for our late King we had to put up a temporary erection on the Consulate lawn to enable us to accommodate those who wished to attend. This is not as it should be, and I am writing more fully to the Committee on the matter. There are other matters about which I should like to write to you, but they must remain over for another opportunity.

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

Association of Prayer and work for Korea.

ONE's first feeling on reviewing the work of the last three months is one of disappointment, we have done so little ; and yet taking into consideration that the summer months are always the least active, we certainly have some cause for thankfulness in (a) the increase of our members, (b) the sales of work held, (c) the opening of a new A.P.W. centre at East Grinstead. We much regret the loss of two Secretaries. Miss Kent has for some years made herself responsible for the large number of members who are unattached to any locality, and for this the Association owes her a debt of gratitude. As General Secretary I shall especially miss the very considerable help she has given. We can also ill afford to lose Miss Goodall, who has been obliged to resign the Local Secretaryship at Farnham. I hope that before many weeks have elapsed some one will have been good enough to offer to take her place. It is impossible at a distance to fill these gaps which must occur from time to time in the ranks of our Secretaries, and therefore I am truly grateful to Mrs. J. C. Moberly, who has been instrumental in finding a Local Secretary at Bassett, and to Miss Starkey, who has promised to carry on Mr. Rudge's work there.

Miss Alice Rice, whose sister is working in the Hospital at Chemulpo, has a warm welcome from the Association, and many good wishes for the success of her work at East Grinstead. Miss Prosser and Miss Seccombe are to be congratulated on the result of their sales for Korea, without their help, and a very welcome sum of over £8 taken at a sale at Binbrook, our quarterly returns would have been poor indeed! We want more Prayer and more Work for Korea.

I hope that during this autumn and winter members will be able to help me in adding considerably to the number of our A.P.W. centres. The Association cannot grow to the extent which we wish it to do unless there is a steady growth in the number of our Secre-taries, and surely among our members there must be some, at least, who will be willing to make the duties of a Local Secretary their special work for the Mission. We need not limit the number of Secretaries to one in a given locality, and there are so very many places in which the Association ought to have representatives but has none. Will all members please make this a subject of special thought and prayer, not forgetting the Children's Branch, which has received so very little support in the past.

With the question of the extension of the Association comes the fear lest we should be superficial, and aim only at numbers, without realising the responsibilities of membership. In order that we may be in closer touch with one another, and with those in Korea, all members should either take THE MORNING CALM or have an opportunity of seeing a copy each quarter. I hope that full use will be made of the services of those clergy who have kindly promised to preach or speak for the cause, and that no Secretary will be content to let this winter go without at least considering the possibility of a meeting, a sale, or some special effort on behalf of the Mission.

I am asking all Local Secretaries to be good enough to send in a complete list of their members with addresses early in January, either to their County Secretary or to me, and to fill up the small papers which will be distributed, so that we may have a complete summary for the year from every centre.

Working parties having met again, I should like to acknowledge with grateful thanks the pretty and useful work done by the members of St. Nicholas' Girls' Guild at Newcastle, who I hope will be able to continue their good work this winter.

Those who had a share in the bicycle which was sent to Mr. Bridle will be glad to know that a letter was received from him some weeks ago, in which he asks that his thanks may be conveyed to the kind donors of the bicycle. He was delighted with it, and had already begun to find it a valuable help in his work.

Miss H. E. Merriman asks me to draw special attention to her new address : 33 Whitehall Road, Thornton Heath, Surrey.

Before the issue of our next number St. Nicholas' Day, December 6, will have come and gone. Will Secretaries ask their clergy to remember Korea at the Holy Eucharist either on that day or within the octave? May we all make it a time of earnest Intercession for the Mission ! MAUD I FALWASSER, General Secretary. P.S.--Since writing the above I have heard of the resignation of Mrs. Prendergast as Local Secretary for Sidbury. We are sorry to lose her, but very grateful to her for providing a successor in Miss Blanche Stenner.

NOTE.--A copy of the Weekly Times would be valued in Korea ; if anyone is willing to send it each week, will they kindly communi-cate with me?

Children's Branch.

DEAR CHILDREN,-- The holidays are now ending, and by the time you get this letter you will all have settled down to school and work again. Perhaps some of you will be preparing for a sale of work or getting up some entertainment for the winter evenings to help forward the work in Korea. A very charming little musical play has been sent to me for the children's branch. So if any see their way to getting up a play, will they write to me, and I will send this copy for them to see.

In this letter I want to put before you and explain just what your part of the mission work is. It is always so much more inspiriting to have a definite object before one, and if you get to know just where your help is needed, you will find it more interesting--do you not think so ?--and be keen to do all you possibly can. Some of you may already know, but as the subject has not been written about just lately in the letters, for the sake of the new members I will write this account. The money collected by the children's branch of A.P.W. is given to the Orphanage, but there is one part of that work which

BOYS' SCHOOL.--CHIN-CHUN.

relies solely on your help. Some of the orphans are separately supported by the general subscribers, or are adopted by friends of the Mission at home and known by name to them, and so interest is taken in them. But it happens that there are a number of quite small babies brought to the Orphanage to be cared for--babies neglected and found in a state of destitution, hungry and ill. On the whole, the Koreans are fond of their children and kind to them; but there are these babies who seem to have no one to look after them, or whose mothers do not know how to look after them when they are so ill. These are found by the hospital porter, who knows where to take them; sometimes by the native police and others who know of the hospital: and till there is some chance of these little ones living and growing, they are not included amongst the regular orphans. Sister Nora writes that they have now five little ones from six

D 3   months to six years old, and that they are such a merry little band, having forgotten the rough treatment that they have suffered in their short lives. They are at this time at the most expensive age, having to be fed on Nestle's milk or Mellin's food. When they are older, rice and vegetables are given to them, which is much less expensive. Do you know that milk is very difficult to get in Korea? One or two people have lately begun to keep cows, but before all the milk was tinned. Sister Nora said also that a lady leaving Seoul had just sent them some old dresses, and that the children looked quite English in their white overalls. A cooler dress, too, for them than the usual Korean dress, though in the hot season the Koreans let the little ones go about with no clothes on. If only you could see the transformation in these little ones after a while in the Orphanage, and how happy they are, you would realise, Sister Nora says, the definite good you are doing in helping these little waifs, and that your help being so really needed, you would do all you could by your prayers and alms, and get other children to join with you. I do not mean that you children of the Association may not now be doing what you can, but this letter being in the magazine may fall into the hands of children who are not yet interested in mission work, or into the hands of those who may see their way to starting fresh branches, and it is to them that I appeal. It is not always easy to pray and to give, is it? But you will remember those words of Our Lord. "Suffer the little children to come unto Me," and "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of one of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." These little children when brought to the Orphanage are baptised, and when old enough are taught to value their Christianity. The help given is really like en-dowing a cot in a hospital, only in Korea there are no cots, and babies and grown-up folks are all happier lying on the warm floors. As far as I understand, the floors are brick and under one part, which is raised, is the fire, and on the hot bricks the mattress is laid. Just at the time of writing we are hearing of the annexation of Korea by the Japanese, and so these little ones we are interested in will grow up under a different régime to their fathers and fore-fathers, and we want to plant in them the seeds of Christianity as the foundation of their lives, and to which they may look for help in their trials and difficulties.

Believe me Yours affectionately, MABEL SEATON. Beavor Lodge, Hatch End: September, 1910.

Children's Acadent with the collection at Chil Apna Wod Novo Rev. A. G. Bee Attench of Child P.W. bas les started at East Gasted, and add in d e  

LIST OF CLERGYMEN WILLING TO PREACH OR SPEAK FOR THE MISSION TO KOREA.

London and The Rev. Canon Brooke, Bishop's Commissary, elsewhere, St. John the Divine Vicarage, Vassall Road, with long S.W. notice. The Rev. A. G. Deedes, Vice-President A.P.W., St. John the Divine Vicarage, Vassall Road, S.W. The Rev. W. E. Robinson, I Eagle Mansions, Stoke Newington, N. Der Adrat od Lenti Lastly) Cornwall and The Rev. Canon Corfe, Trevné, Truro. elsewhere, with long notice. Lincolnshire The Rev. H. F. Gofie, Thoresway Rectory, Caistor, and elsewhere, Lincs. with long notice. Midlands. The Rev. M. N. Trollope, Bishop's Commissary, Birmingham St. Allan's Vicarage, Birmingham. and neighbour- Rev. L Mitchell, Curdworth Rectory, Birmingbood. ham Northumber- The Rev. H. H. Barff, The Vicarage, Wylam land. R.S.O., Northumberland Durham. The Rev. W. M. Wykes, St. Andrew's Vicarage, Spennymoor, Co, Durham. In and near The Rev. F. Fleetwood-Crombie, 21 Royal Scarlxorough. Avenue, Scarborough. In and near The Rev. T. E. B. Guy, Fulford Vicarage, York York. Diocese of The Rev. W. E. Kingsbury, Clergy House, Wigan. Liverpool Neighbourhood The Rev. L. S. Staley, Rosliston Vicarage, BurtonBurton-on-Trent. on-Trent. Worcestershire. The Rev. J. H. Waugh, St. John's, Worcester. Diocese of The Rev. S. Addleshaw, Gorefield Vicarage, - Wisbech. Sussex. The Rev. F. H. Brewin, 26 Brunswick Road, Hove, Sussex. Wiltshire. The Rev. C. L. Sanders, Charlton Vicarage, Salisbury. The Organising Secretary will gladly go anywhere, so far as his engagements allow him to do so. Ely.  

St. Luke's hospital, Chemulpo.

THE last quarter has been a busy one, especially the inpatient work. The number of outpatients has not been greater than in several past years, but when once the hospital had got fairly well filled up it remained so, and the fact of having the women's ward, in addition to the two male ones, has resulted in having a daily average number of cases in hospital for the whole quarter of over twenty-six, while we have several times reached as many as thirty at one time. Of course these numbers are not large compared with some hospitals, but they are enough to give plenty of work to both foreign and Korean staff. Not only have we had a much larger number of beds full than in the past, but, which is more important, we have succeeded in getting many patients out more quickly, with the result that the number of admissions so far this year is nearly double anything that we have before experienced in a similar time. This is partly due to the in-creased number of beds in use, allowing us to take in a number of cases which in the past we should have had to treat as outpatients, and these have not stayed in long ; and partly to the fact that more patients have been coming to us early in their illness (at any rate comparatively so), enabling us to secure a cure, whereas if they had waited they would have reached the hospital in a chronic state, much more difficult to treat satisfactorily. This increase is therefore a double cause for satisfaction, for it not only means that the utility of the hospital is greater, both as helping physically a larger number, and putting them in a good position to learn something of Christianity, but also that the people are tending to become more alive to its value and to use it more intelligently.

The total number of operations performed has not increased, but the average severity of them has done so, quite a number being very serious ones. A strange point in the Korean character has been brought out incidentally. In one case--a severe abdominal one--it was found at the operation that a cure was impossible, though the operation was able to prolong life and to secure comparative comfort for some weeks. About the time at which this patient died.   another case of advanced cancer came in, in which it was just possible that an operation might be successful, though extremely doubtful, while life without an operation could not be long and would be very wretched. The case was stated as plainly as possible to the patient and the decision left to him, and as he begged at once to have the operation, it was performed. Unfortunately be also died, and these two deaths, coming near to one another, apparently caused several incurable cases, in which no operation could possibly do any good, to beg that they also might be operated on. ‘Though I die it does not matter, please operate and kill me,' was an almost daily prayer from them until the end, and it seemed impossible to convince them that, though we were willing to do anything that had the least chance of success, we did not indulge in operations as a means of euthanasia. It is probably well known at home by now that we do not expect to see much result to the religious work, though we believe that it occurs after the patients have passed out of the reach of the hospital, but quite a number of patients and, in some cases, their families have been attending church with a certain amount of regularity, and it is probably true that the work being done is more thorough and effective than it used to be. Probably the majority of inpatients, on leaving, express a wish to believe, and on asking a new-comer in the surgery whether or not he is a Christian, it is quite common to get the answer, 'From now I am going to believe,' though in both these cases it is more than likely that a desire to please, or simple politeness, is the only motive. Still, we can only hope, and it is something that so many should even go to this length, for, at any rate in the case of inpatients, it means that they have realised that Christianity is a force in the lives of those who have been tending them, and something which they at any rate regard as valuable. The seed is sown, and God's Word will not return void.

Among other things during this quarter we have had a small epidemic of suicide. It began with a case of opium, reason unknown. A young man who went out one night and came back all right was found the next morning to be ill, and as his friends found a small wound at the tip of his little finger they suspected he had taken opium and charged him with it, when he admitted that it was so. Probably it is well known to some, but I must plead ignorance as to the significance of the wound in the finger. He was cured without very much difficulty, though with a good deal of hard work, and then came in three cases of soda poisoning. The English text-books say that poisoning with caustic alkalies is exceedingly rare, but they would have been more accurate if they had added the words ‘in England,' for in Korea it is extremely common. The fires of the country are nearly all of wood, and from the wood ash a crude soda is extracted, which is universally used in washing, and it is quite the ordinary thing for a young girl whose mother-in-law is making life too unbearable to take a good drink of this. It is also used, in the way common in the Far East, as a means of revenge, the aggrieved persons attempting to kill themselves from spite ; and this is parti-cularly frequent after a family brawl. It is not often that these cases come to the hospital at first, though those that survive may

KOREAN MOUNTAIN SCENERY.

come later, as the result of scarring is that they cannot swallow, but lately we had three cases almost at once, though only one was from a quarrel, and the others more intelligible to European minds. A man, finding that the could not get work, went out on to the hillside, and with a most extraordinary amount of deter-mination, chewed a lump of soda, with the result that, when he was found and brought in, he was in a terrible condition. The women of his household came to the conclusion that there was nothing left for them to do but follow his example, though only one of them actually did so.

The great cause for anxiety at present is the financial position of the hospital. This has always been more or less the case, but is now becoming acute. The increasing number of inpatients, in other ways such a great cause for thanksgiving, is in this particular a difficulty, for it means more mouths to feed and the food is the expensive matter. Lately we have been spending about £2 a week on food alone, apart from milk and such like extras, and this in spite of the fact that for some time we have been reducing expenses by giving only two meals a day of regular diet. This may sound rather a bad thing to do, but it is quite usual for Koreans to do it at home, though of course when anyone is asked about it in connexion with the hospital they cannot be got to admit it. Certainly the day from early morning till evening in the summer does seem very long to go without anything to eat, but it is a fact that those who are fairly convalescent and stay long enough, get fat on it ; and those who are most inclined to complain are the ones who do not manage to make any payment. The charge for inpatients is such that when it is paid it covers the food and leaves a little over, but it is only some of those who stay a short time who pay anything like their full fee, and, indeed, most of those who stay any length of time could not possibly afford to produce all. In fact, when the hospital is at all full the week's takings both from out- and in-patients do not come to much more than half the food bill. While this is the case in Korea there is a corresponding difficulty in England. It is true that S.P.G, has this year for the first time made us a grant, and that a number of sums have been given for cots, and for the women's ward, and so on by various friends, and for these we are more than grateful ; but apart from them we are in great difficulty. So far this year only £50 has been drawn for the hospital work from the sum of £400 estimated to be provided by H.N.F. and S.P.C.K., and this, when drawn, was really borrowed from other mission funds as the account in the books of the Mission showed a debit balance. The result Is that, in spite of the kindness of others who have helped, the hospital is rapidly getting into debt. Of course this is partly due to the fact that sums are required out here to be spent all through the year and are often paid in later at home, but, as will be seen from the annual report, the H.N.F. has been badly supported lately, and, In spite of all the efforts of its workers, has not been able to produce Is full amount, so that it is not possible to count on that and draw it in advance, the more so as the needs of the Mission are so great that the other funds have nothing to lend. There is therefore a very urgent call to prayer that the work may not be seriously interfered with.  

St. Peter's Community foreign Mission Association.

CONTRIBUTIONS towards the Korean Stall at the Bazaar on December I and 2 will be most welcome, and should be sent to the Secretary at St. Peter's House, Kilburn, by November 15. A large consignment of curios is on its way from Korea, including many that are novelties in England, and as they are becoming exceeding rare and difficult to procure, each year adds to their value. There are some fine pieces of inlaid work, very handsome and old, and not to be had now except accidentally : besides some very good brass, silver, and iron work/ I would again impress on kind purchasers that the place of the Bazaar has been altered to the Grosvenor Hall, Buckingham Palace Road. The day of Intercession and Thanksgiving which is always held on the first Tuesday in December falls this year on F. of St. Nicholas. December 6, but we hope that this happy coincidence will make it all the more possible for a large number of friends of the Mission, both of Prayer and Work and our own Community Association, to join the Reverend Mother and Sisters at St. Peter's House on that day. SISTER HELEN CONSTANCE, General Secretary, S.P.F.M.A.

JUNE, JULY, AUGUST RECEIPTS. . t iu Coli : Miss . Daniel 10: The Hon. Nes Hand | || | | | | | | | | | | | HNF T he Battle Sar k , Last Club Sat ML C E G Club at Beer, T . Totalt for the 138

Sou Won Girls' School.

To the Editor of THE MORNING CALM.

DEAR SIR,

The Girls' School at Sou Won has been open in its new building more than a year, and as I have, as yet, never written any account of it, it may interest some of the readers of MORNING CALM if I do so now. The building itself has been most satisfactory every way, and now, by the generosity of the same friend who built it, we have added a playground and a well, for both of which we are most grateful.

A year ago we had only three Christian children, now we have thirty. There are at present sixty-two children, of whom fourteen are boarders. The boarders are the children of Christians who live far away in our country districts, and two are sent by Mr. Gurney from Chin-Chun. There is no limit to the number of boarders who would come if it were not for the payment, but though the payment is very small the people cannot afford it, or are afraid to promise it, and we cannot take them free.

We keep two children by our needlework, but even that is rather difficult for we don't get many orders. The Koreans pay so little for needle-work that it is not worth doing, and there are the foreigners here, but we occasionally get orders from Chemulpo, Seoul, and England. Dear old Hannah, the mother of the flock, is a real treasure ; in spite of all the trials of a house full of children and the constant work it involves, she is always patient and kind and smiling, and I think it is thanks to her good influence that the children are so happy and good, and have given comparatively no trouble at all, She is an excellent manager too, and feeds them well on four shillings a month each. We have taken a girl whose husband has left her, to help Hannah, as the work was more than she could do, and her daughters and the other big girls have to study hard and can't do very much housework.

I should like to mention several children, but will be content with one only. Martha is one of the Chin-Chun children, who came here to be prepared for Baptism and then went back to her own Church to be baptised, but, by her own wish, returned the next day. We chose her name, but indeed she could have no other, unless it were her nick-name of Cinderella. She is busy from morning to night, everyone's right hand, ugly, dirty, sore eyes, chapped hands, ragged clothes, but perpetual smile, and the kindest, most willing heart that ever a child possessed. She is given the same clothes as the others, but they don't remain the same long, and as many as possible are thrown off, as unnecessary luxuries. She never misses her lessons, but as soon as they are over she is called for right and left, and now the neighbours know her so well that they always say, "If you send Martha, I will give you such and such a thing" ; and poor Martha goes and comes back with some heavy stone jar on her head, very tired but just as smiling. She knows everyone's house, and is everyone's favourite. At the first stroke of the first bell for every service she runs off to Church, and is often the first to go, and waits for over half an hour till the service begins. The only time she ever misses is when some woman wants a troublesome baby "minded” and refuses to trust her baby to anyone but Martha, who, after her first disappointment at not going to Church, will give her whole mind to amusing the baby for two or three hours, till its mother returns. The man will be fortunate who gets Martha for his wife, and that fortunate man is Mr. Gurney's cook. She is only thirteen, and in another year. I believe, she is to be married. Our latest comer is a dear baby of six, full of fun and life. She is a little orphan, and we have called her Susie in memory of a little girl in England who died, and in whose memory our little Susie is being paid for this year. The parents of our two little girls in Paradise are now all baptised.

Mary Kim converted her parents on her death-bed, and she was then baptised and died in a fortnight, and her parents have ever since been most regular, and were baptised with her brother and sister at Whitsuntide. Agatha Kim, of another family was also baptised on her death-bed, and her parents are also now baptised.

I must mention our teacher, Agatha Kim; she still continues to do very nicely, and works very hard, as we have now a teacher from Seoul who teaches Agatha and two pupil teachers, and expects a great deal from them. He also teaches the first and second classes Chinese and Geography, they have made great progress since he came.

I think and believe the school is doing what it was intended to do. It has brought a large number of people to join the Church and the children of the Christians are being educated. Many of the clever girls will, I hope, turn out good teachers and missionaries amongst their own people. Amongst the heathen children, who get the same religious teaching, there are many who will never be happy till they are baptised, and with our prayers to help they may be the means eventually of bringing their own parents and many others to know and serve God.

I would thank all who have taken such a kind interest in the school, and ask your earnest prayers that God's blessing may rest on the school and on every member of it.

CECIL. Sister Community St. Peter's.

Local Notes.

For the last two years we have had a great deal of help in preparing the local news for MORNING CALM from Miss Pooley, who has been acting as Local Editor. She has had little enough thanks, I fear, for all the trouble that she has taken on our behalf. Now she has retired from office, and Miss Rice has consented to take up her work for a time. We wish to express our thanks to Miss Pooley for what she has done for the improvement of the magazine, and, from what we have heard from home, we think that all will agree that it has improved. So far as that improvement is due to what has been done here in Korea, the credit is hers.

SEOUL.--On Whitsun Eve there was an English Confirmation in the Church of the Advent, when five foreigners were confirmed by Bishop Turner. On the same day the Rev. J. S. Badcock baptised a number of koreans in their own Church--men, women and children ; amongst the latter were two orphans--Dinah and Elizabeth--lately brought in. On June 25, a Confirmation was held in the Korean Church.

A number of those confirmed and baptised came from villages some distance from Seoul, so remained the night. Nearly all made their first Communion the next morning, and, in addition to the ordinary congregation, showed that the temporary church, now a third time enlarged to the fullest extent--is yet too small.

The villagers from Poungnammi, about ten miles off, at the farther side of the Han River were amongst those baptised and confirmed. They had been catechumens several years, but had so far given up their Christianity that they had been left to them-selves for six months, after which they again asked for instruction, and proved themselves diligent and earnest. A Sunday school has been re-opened and undertaken by Yee Angela. As a considerable number of girls from a Korean day school have been brought by their master to join it, it may come to a larger undertaking than she expected.

From July 4 to 25 there were special instructions given by a Sister to mission women and others who have been teaching in Seoul and Chin-Chun districts. These women having never been at school, or taught anything until lately, it is difficult to get them to impart, knowledge intelligently. They have now had to beam to hold a class on each subject taught them, and we hope they have mastered at least one idea : "We thought we could teach, but now know we could not."

CHEMULPO.--The work of the Mission has suffered a serious loss, to the possibility of which we referred last quarter. Mr. Guttridge has done so much for us all individually, and in Church matters as well, that his removal to Yokohama to work with a new firm leaves almost as great a blank as if we had lost an accredited member of the Mission. One great thing he has done for us is that he has, with Dr. Weir's help, got the mission accounts here into shape ; and we hope that we shall be able to keep them in such a way that, hereafter, they will be clear to ourselves and the world at large, and that whoever takes them over in the future will find them easy to understand and to keep in order. It is the first time since the beginning of the Mission that this is so, and we cannot be too grateful to him for his help. Then he has helped us in the Evangelistic work among the Japanese, and he will be much missed at the Wednesday evening classes which he used to conduct, and we already miss him from his accustomed place in church, for among so few so regular an attendant is a loss to us all. We can only wish him well in his new work in Yokohama and Tokyo, and we are glad to hear that his value as a worker has been already recognised by his firm. He will also, we hope, find time to help the Church there as he has done here.

The work of taking services is being more and more left to the catechist, Saw Mattai, which is a great relief to the hospital work. Both he and his wife continue to do excellent work, and seem to be thoroughly settling down in their uncongenial surroundings.

Several new men, some of them older than the most of our people here, have been attending fairly regularly for some time, and if they continue and show signs of real repentance and faith they should be a great strength, as the work in Chemulpo has always suffered from the lack of men of age and stability. A boy who had been a long time in hospital and who was incurably ill, was prepared as well as his physical condition would allow for Baptism and received that Sacrament on Whitsunday. He was well enough at the time to go to church, which was more than had been expected, but he made too much use of his improvement, and got rapidly worse again, so that he died about a month later. There was also another funeral service during the quarter, of a Kanghwa Christian, who came down very ill and died in hospital.

A good deal of help in services was received from Mr. Gurney. who was laid up in hospital for about a fortnight, but managed to get to church and officiate many times. KANGIWA.--At Onsoutong there have been twenty-three men baptised, fifty-six women, and twenty-three children. At Ankol twenty-seven men, thirty-two women, and twenty-three children. In the City itself fourteen men, fourteen women, and twelve children. In Taouni, eight men, fifteen women, and ten children.   The Bishop held Confirmations at the following five centres : -- At Onsoutong, seventy-seven; Ankol, fifty: in the City, twenty-six : Taouni, twenty-three; and at Rukchun, fourteen. Three new chapels have been opened, also two new school-houses. SOU WON.--In April the Bishop visited nine mission chapels, celebrated Holy Communion in five places, and confirmed sixty-nine people. The bicycle given by Mrs. W. C. Gibbs arrived in May after many adventures, including free passage in five of H.M.S. men-of-war. It came at a favourable time, as owing to the serious and Continual illness of the catechist at St. Stephen's, a good deal more visiting of out-stations by the clergy has been necessary, and the bicycle has proved invaluable. Within ten days of its arrival it carried Mr. Bridle over 100 miles. During April and May the whole country suffered much from want of rain, and at the request of the Korean Christians, May 30 and 31 were observed at Sou Won as days of perpetual prayer for rain. Each morning the Litany was sung in procession out of doors, followed by a celebration of Holy Communion in church. For the rest of the day a short service was held every hour, the intervals between each service being filled up by private prayer. Just after the last service on the 31st the rain came, and although it was too late to be of much benefit to the barley crop, there is every promise of an abundant rice crop. Two of Mr. Gurney's chapels have been given over to the charge of the Sou Won clergy, as it appears they can be more easily worked from Sou Won than from Chin Chun. The annual sports day for St. Stephen's boys’ and girls' schools was held on Whit Monday. The weather was beautiful, and the Sports a great success. The ground, the tents, and a good number of the prizes were given by Koreans, and they also provided two meals for the scholars--more than 110 in number. The event of the day was a fight between four teams of schoolboys. Each Combatant was provided with a straw truncheon and had a large round biscuit fastened on the front of his cap. The object was to smash the opponent's biscuit while safe-guarding his own. The spectators got most wildly excited, more so than the boys them-selves, and one was forcibly reminded of the New Year stone fights in the good old days. The yearly examinations both for the boys and girls took place in July, and were very satisfactory. The work of both schools, however, is much cramped for lack of funds. A teacher well up in modern methods of study is urgently needed for the boys' school, but there is no money to pay his salary, while the Sisters here have for the last three months been paying one of the girls' school teachers out of their own maintenance allowance. Country work is still growing, but in places is hindered by the over officiousness of the Japanese police. In one district the Japanese policeman demanded that every visit of the Priest, and its duration, should be reported to him; also, that anyone joining the Church must submit their names and addresses to him! The gentleman no doubt exceeded his duty, but the Koreans, whose hatred and fear of the Japanese is intense, are not likely to realise this, and there is often a good deal of trouble in consequence. CHIN-CHUN.--Since Easter there have been 340 Baptisms and 120 Confirmations in this district. The Bishop has dedicated the chapel at Song-Hyen (St. Peter's).

INTERIOR OF CHURCH.--CHIN-CHUN.

His lordship was compelled to abandon the greater part of his tour, owing to the indisposition of the priest-in-charge. The re-maining Confirmations and the dedication of several other chapels is arranged (D.V.) to take place in the autumn. Dr. Laws is engaged in attending to his patients, and the building of a hospital, which will be ready, we hope, for dedication to Almighty God on the Feast of St. Luke. The clergy of Sou Won, with the Bishop's consent, have most kindly arranged to take over the westernmost part of our district. This includes two chapels and two schools (very elementary and inefficient). Mr. Hewlett is progressing steadily with the language. His English night school has been a great success, small and keen. With a view to improving the educational standard of our school   in Chin-Chun, we have dismissed one teacher and eighteen of the boys (for whom other provision is being made), retaining only the head master and five of the senior scholars. We hope to collect a few more boys of bright intellect from other parts of the district, and so gradually work up to a standard, which will enable us to send the pick of our lads to the High School to be established in Seoul. Eventually the best of the High School boys may proceed to our Catechists' Training College (to be founded shortly), and thus the ladder is complete.

JAPANESE WORK.

Since writing my last report, most of my time has been spent at Fusan. The original catechist there has given place to a priest (Mr. Shiozaki) from Japan, and as there was a long interval between the departure of the one and the arrival of the other, this was just the opportunity I was seeking to get further acquainted with the Christians there. The impression with which I went was that they were a somewhat slack lot, whom it was difficult to either move on manage. But I found this was not quite correct, and it was with very real regret that I left them to return to the other parts of my work. There has been a lack of definite teaching there, but they are most ready and even eager to learn, and willingly came to listen to lectures, e.g. on the Prayer Book and Church Doctrine. At the time of the death of his late Majesty, of their own accord they asked for a Memorial Service, when it had not been my intention to suggest it. The insurance money on the life of the late Rev. S. Cartwright has generously been given to the Church in Fusan, and this has enabled them to buy a fine plot of ground for the erection of a church, and they are now zealously doing their best to raise funds for this.

Miss Elrington also has been working at Fusan even longer than I have. I think her experience has been much the same as mine, but she is writing her own report.

The coming of this new priest to Fusan ought to mean a general advance all round, not only in his own district but elsewhere, since his being there sets us free for more work in other places. He is beginning excellently, and I would ask all who are interested in this work that they would specially pray to God that he may be enabled to continue as well when the novelty of his position wears off.

As I have been mostly at Fusan, I have not much to report of the other stations. Mr. Okagaki, the catechist at Seoul, bas been quietly but most efficiently carrying on the work during the absence of the priest. We are at present contemplating great material changes here, but it is too early to write of them. The present inadequacy of our equipment is a great hindrance to us.   At Chemulpo, Miss Pooley, with the help of Miss Inaba from Seoul twice a month, has held together her women's classes and Sunday school; but we cannot expect to reap there until more labourers are sent.

JAPANESE WOMEN'S WORK.

SEOUL, July, 1910.

In Seoul the women's work has gone on much as usual. Two Catechumens have been admitted, the wife and sister-in-law of one of the Christians. There have been no Baptisms during the last quarter, as three, whom we hoped would be ready, have been kept back by home difficulties. As to Fusan, the last three months have seen very great changes and perhaps only the beginning of still greater ones. The arrival of the newly ordained Japanese priest, the Rev. A. N. Shiozaki, who will live at Fusan, is indeed an answer to many prayers. Through the kindness of the Australian Mission at Fusan-Chin (three miles out of Fusan), with whom I stayed for some weeks. I was able to get to work sooner than I could otherwise have done. I went in to Fusan by train, or sometimes in the "hasha," a little truck minus springs, and somewhat recklessly driven by a Korean boy, which plies between Soryo station and the Japanese settle-ment in Fusan, taking one about half the distance.

I found a very satisfactory prospect of opening up the women's work, which had got very much behindhand owing to the lack of a woman teacher. It is now a case of working up from beginnings, and a good many of the women are most responsive, exceptionally so indeed. But there are others again whose cases present great difficulties, as they have evidently forgotten everything, and to all appearance have lost interest in anything spiritual. It is truly a matter for earnest prayer that the light of Faith may be rekindled in the hearts of such as these.

The foundation of secular education, which the majority possess makes the task of teaching Japanese women an absorbingly inter-esting one : everyone can take down dictated notes and Scripture references more or less easily, and many of them are most keen on having these notes or outlines of the instruction given.

Mrs. Yasutake, a lawyer's wife in Fusan, though but a recently baptised and confirmed member of the Church (April 1909), has helped me to the utmost of her power. Her home circumstances leave her with a good deal of spare time, and she seems anxious to use it to help on mission work. In paying first visits the com-pany of a Japanese is generally indispensable, and Mrs. Yasutake has been most helpful in taking me to houses.

The Church attendance of the women is far from what it should be, but there is improvement lately and certainly more reverence. There are some girls of fifteen or sixteen (children of Christian parents) attending the Middle School. They are sadly ignorant of their Christian faith and duty, and the pressure of school life, with its constant examinations, makes it impossible to do more than try to hold them till they leave school, and then set to work to prepare them for Confirmation.

The Fujui-Kwai or Women's Meeting, which had been in abey-ance for a long time, was re-opened on July 7, and, after an address by the Rev. A. Shiozaki, a consultation was held as to how we could best help towards the furnishing of the new church. It was decided to start a work party, and try to get orders for Japanese kimono-tea-jackets, cushion covers and other things, which they would be able to make, as it would not be easy to find a market for foreign sewing. I shall be glad to receive orders for any of these. There is a distinct advance in the desire for a better church which may be consecrated entirely to the worship of God, and one cannot help feeling that with a resident Priest and a prospect of better buildings, that a new era in the Church life of Fusan has begun already. BEATRICE ELRINGTON.

Wants.

SEOUL.--Small crosses and crucifixes for Christians to wear. Small bright coloured scared pictures. Address, "Sister Edith Helena, St. Peter's Mission House, Seoul."

CHEMULPO.--China or enamel graduated measures for Dispensary, one pint and one quart. Fifty yards dark red or green art serge for the Church. Address, St. Luke's Hospital, Chemulpo."

CHIN-CHUN.--Coloured slides for lantern (not Bethlehem or Calvary scenes). Portable Mensa for use on tour from Pratt & Son, 9 Tavistock St., Covent Garden. Oxford Church Text Books : "Mediaeval Church Minions," “The Future State," "The Apostles' Creed” – Is. each, Rivingtons, Covent Garden, Address, "Rev. W. N. Gurney, Chin-Chun, Korea."

Acknowledgments.

SEOUL.--Parcel of wool for Orphanage from Miss Borrett. CHEMULPO.--Flannel bed jackets for women's hospital from Mrs. Holt. Measure glasses for dispensary from Miss Bright. ￡2 for Japan work from M.A.R. CHIN-CHUN.--144 crucifixes from Mr. David Jones, Clyduck Vale.  

The Spirit of Missions.

COURAGE AND STEADFASTNESS.--"Two years ago a village con-sisting of about 150 souls placed themselves under Christian in-struction. The converts had no worldly motives apparently, and I went into their village often, and received them into our Church. This was gall and wormwood to the landowners of the village, whose land the converts cultivate for very meagre wages in kind. All sorts of persecutions were devised. The converts were roundly abused and threatened; they were turned out of the lands they cultivated; next, the produce of their cultivation was taken away from them, and their houses, too, were robbed by night. Complaints were made to the village officials, but they, being enemies of Christianity, put the complaints down as false and due to the Christians' imaginations. In spite of all this, the converts are true and firm in their faith, and we are building a schoolroom and chapel for them in faith and hope, and they in their poverty give their labour for the building free."

At the C.M.S. Annual meeting, in the Albert Hall, the Archbishop of Canterbury said : -- "What a strange and most immeasurable change has come over the story of mission work, say, in the last forty years ! This hall was built, I think, some forty or more years ago. Contrast the days when its walls were rising with the days we are now spending, as regards the possibilities that we possess for bringing the Christian message to bear on different parts of the world ! Take one or two for a moment: China forty years ago and China to-day! The sullen hostility, the closed doors, the difficulties of every sort and kind, and the absolute mystery of it all which beset people then. And then, when that had passed, the strife, the confused news, the government rolled in blood, which we can all remember in some anxious days and weeks which seem so far off now, because the facts look, for the hour at least, so different to-day. And now the call, the opportunity, the open door, the apparent welcome, on the one side of the wall--and behind it all a certainty that we know so little of what may come at any time; perhaps that the open door may be shut ! God gives us grace to use our power for His cause while it is time !

"Or take that land, which of all the world presents the most marked contrast with forty years ago, the island empire of Japan. Contrast what was happening then and what is happening now. Look at the records of what missionary work meant in Japan half a century ago; what those who went out there then had to contend with, and now--the Japanese Church of our own Communion, though there is, of course, that wide-spread ignorance which has still got to be overcome, but is being overcome. And then--thank God and take courage !--we have the contrast of Uganda forty years ago and now. Then, a wild track for the slave-hunters amongst savage tribes ; to-day, 300 representatives of 70,000 Christians of our Communion, meeting once more to thank God and take courage."

INDIA'S DEPRESSED CLASSES--Extract from a Letter from Father Nicholson, S.S.J.E., Poona.--"There is a good deal heard in Western India now about the 'Backward Classes' and the 'Depressed Classes.’ The backward classes are all who are not Brahmins. Some one was telling me that in the whole of the numerous Mahratta caste, which is one of the backward classes, there are probably not twenty graduates, whereas in the small Indian Christian Com-munity in this part of India there are about ten, and the number will, of course, increase. The depressed classes are the ‘untouch-able’ castes, such as Mahars and Mangs. Recently a society has been formed for their elevation and education; its president is the Gaikwar of Baroda. This movement, of course, strikes at the very root of the caste system, and it is interesting to notice the attitude adopted towards it by The Mahratta, which represents the conservative Hinduism and the extreme party. It says, ‘The only ground or basis which is absolutely free from doubt or dispute, and even cavil, in respect of the problem of the depressed classes is, in our opinion, education'; 'the untouchables in India are not beyond the pale for the purposes of education ; it is no sin to teach the rudiments of knowledge to them '; 'it cannot be said that our Acharyas and Dharma Gurus are at present against educa-ting the untouchables, though you can hardly look for their co-operation if you raise the question direct of recognising them as of the same caste or of the upper classes.' Then it frankly goes on to say, 'Now we know that the result of educating the depressed classes must be in the long run to weaken, if not utterly to destroy Caste.’ It is something that a paper like The Mahralla does not feel able to oppose the education of the depressed classes, although it is sufficiently wideawake to see what in the end the education of the depressed classes will lead to, namely, the destruction of the caste system. Now this movement, which has sprung largely from the Prathana Samaj, is another movement which is indirectly due to the presence and influence of Christian missions. It has been said over and over again that Christian missions have paid their attention to the out-castes, and thereby have made it difficult for the higher castes to become Christians ; but here you have, chiefly owing to the influence of Christian missions, Hindus, some of them of the highest castes, engaging in a work which, according to its own representations, must lead to the destruction of the caste system. Of course the work of the society has hardly begun, and the difficulties in its way may be unsurmountable, but if, by its Influence, the barriers of caste amongst the different classes of   Hindus are broken down, eventually this must make it easier for Hindus of higher caste to accept Christianity. "It is indeed a matter for great thankfulness that Christian missions and their influence should have made such a thing possible as that Indians of high education and noble birth, although at present a very minute percentage of them, should be found ready and willing to engage in efforts for the elevation, the amelioration, and the education of the ‘untouchable’ classes."

A WHOLE VILLAGE ASKING FOR BAPTISM.--Miss A. M. Jones writes of wonderful openings in the Tsang-sheng District, South China :--"I went one day to a village situated in rather a high valley in the hills, with the colporteur for a guide. The whole village has asked to be received into the Faith--men, women and children, in all over 200. As far as we could judge, they seemed real and earnest in their desire to worship the One True God. They have given us the ancestral hall for a chapel. Since my visit in June the hall has been cleaned and whitewashed, and converted into a chapel, with a rest-room for the pastor and missionaries. "When these people were making up their minds, weighing things old and new, they said to the colporteur. ‘There is one thing which keeps us back.' He asked, ‘What is it?' 'Our ancestors will not confess us,’ they replied. The colporteur quoted our Lord's words to them about confessing and denying Him before men, and told them not to trouble about their ancestors. Soon after my visit the Dragon Festival was held, and I almost feared for these new-born babes in Christ. Would they remain firm? Pastor Mok happened to be in the village at the time of the festival, and he told me afterwards that not one worshipped the idols."

INFLUENCE OF MEDICAL MISSIONS." There is no doubt that medical mission work is one that appeals to the practical minds of the Chinese, and whatever doubts they may feel as to the truth of the ‘Jesus doctrine,' as expounded to them by pastors and cate-chists, they feel none as to the benefit to themselves of being relieved of some painful malady, and are ready to lend a willing ear to the one who does this for them when he speaks to them of the glorious truths of the Gospel." ONCE A FAKIR, NOW A CHRISTIAN,--"The Rev. R. Force Jones has a large district at Batala, Punjab, with many catechists, and was rejoicing in many recent baptisms and in a great spirit of inquiry in the villages. He related many happy things about his people, but of one only will I tell. He introduced me to a fine-looking Punjabi, who was once a Fakir but is now a Christian, and a keen one. This man owns a piece of land near the main road. On it there is a well. By it he sits for hours, and as travellers pass he draws water for their refreshment ; having won their regard by his kind action, he then gets them to rest whilst be preaches Christ to them. Though he cannot read, yet he knows St. John's Gospel by heart, and will hold people entranced for hours by singing the Gospel story in inspiriting song."

A TOUCHING LETTER.--At a recent meeting of the Grahams-town Diocesan Synod, a message of affectionate remembrance and respect was sent to those clergy who were debarred from attendance by age and infirmity. One of these writes in reply as follows: “My dear Canon--Thank you very much for your most kind letter of sympathy. I have never failed to attend Synod before, but the loss of one eye makes me very careful to keep the other as long as I can. The fact is, I am now a mere wreck. The injuries received when Bishop Key and I were working together are telling on me now. Twice I was drowned (sic): I was lost upon the Drakens-burg Mountains for fourteen days, starving all the time; I fell while putting on our church roof and injured my spine: I was stabbed by a witch-doctor three times: I was thrown out of a cart, the last time with disastrous results. And now I am left with one leg and one arm (partially paralysed), a rick in my back, no teeth, and only one eye, and at times with a dreadfully confused head. My dear old friend the Bishop suffered worse than I did, and a cart-fall at the last killed him. I hope you will be able to read this. I generally get my wife to act as scribe, but I feel bound to answer your very kind letter myself."

LAYMAN'S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT.--"Is it not strangely significant and providential that, just at a time when multitudes were wondering and doubting whether the great Christian verities were true, other multitudes of masculine thinkers have made up their minds that they are true, so true that we belie ourselves if we do not proclaim them, so true and so potential for righteousness that the world cannot do without them, so true that we stultify ourselves and go back on twenty centuries of progressive civilisation if we stop where we are. That is the underlying significance of this movement as I understand it. It is a return to religious sanity and consistency. It penetrates below our ecclesiastical differences. It rises above our academic disputations. It says Christ is, the Church is, Christ and His Church are, the most powerful and the most magnificent forces for truth and righteousness that the world has ever seen. The world must have them and they must have the world."--Bishop of Chicago. "The Rt. Hon. James Bryce, His Majesty's Ambassador at Washington, is said to be keenly interested in the Laymen's Move-ment, and he has succinctly given his reasons in the following words:--'The evangelisation of the world in this generation is one of the most urgent of questions, because the moment in which we are living is perhaps the most critical of any in the history of the non-Christian races. The Christian races are permeating every part of the world for material profit. But if the best results of both Christians and natives are to follow this tremendous movement--if the Christian nations are to develop national wealth in peace and under the best possible conditions to all concerned--then they must carry the evangelical truths of Christianity to all these non-Christian people!’"

THE MEASURES OF THE STATURE OF THE FULNESS OF CHRIST. --"The Christ incarnate is yet to be manifested as the Christ incorpor-ate. He is to be embodied, expressed, fulfilled, not in a single human form, but in a living membership of which He is the Head, and which in its perfection is to set Him forth on a scale and in a glory which will exceed anything that has yet been seen. That was St. Paul's great thought, the master light of all his seeing. That was what he meant when he spoke of the ‘mystery of Christ,’ which had been hidden for ages and was now to be revealed. It was for that that he was thankful to be allowed to toil and to suffer. ‘For the Body's sake' he traversed seas and continents, as no religious teacher had ever done before. If any had said to him, ‘Why not stay in Antioch, or in Jerusalem, or Corinth, or Ephesus?' we know what his answer would have been. ‘Nay, Nay! the members of Christ must be taken from the entire race : there is need not only of Jews, but of Greeks and Romans, of Stythians, and barbarians, bond and free, I must witness to all, and call them to take their places, in preparation for the day when the Son of Man shall come to be glorified in Hiss aints.’” --Rev. A. W. Robinson, D.D.

THE ENGLISHMAN IN INDIA.—The Rev. Norman Tubbs, of St. John's College, Agra, writing of his own experience of the Anglo-Indian, says: "In certain circles at home it seems a strange pleasure to some Englishmen never to say a good word for their fellow-countrymen abroad who are' bearing the white man's burden.' I do not hold a brief for everything the Anglo-Indian does-by no means ! and no doubt in his personal attitudes towards Indians there is much to be desired, but he has many virtues, and again and again one is proud of one's fellow-countrymen in India, with their strong, clean lives, their strenuous work, their sense of justice and uprightness, and their untiring zeal to work for the uplifting of the nation and the highest interests of the country. The present generations of Anglo-Indians are not unworthy successors of the great heroes of the Mutiny and the times when we built up and consolidated the Empire. Lack of sympathy and the kindly ‘personal touch' seems to me in no way peculiar to the Englishmen of this country, but is a blemish in our national character which is developed more freely out here owing to the special conditions !"

A LIVE-AND-DEATU STRUGGLE WITH ISLAM.--Mr. A. E. Ball, of Bida, Northern Nigeria, writes :--"There is a big village called Edo Roga about a mile and a quarter from here. The chief is a pagan, and so are most of his people. They are from Old Kipo, and   well remember the Bishop (Crowther) and his workers there. Some of them were actually ransomed from the Bida Moslems after their raids into the districts, and most of them have sought refuge in the mission compound. Yet to-day they have adopted Moham-medan names, many wear their charms, and soon will be joining in the Mosque services. On Sunday mornings I go there to preach and the people come out in good numbers to listen. The Mallams are always present, and I have been told that they also are preach-ing to the people and using the substance of my addresses, adding their own tenets and trying to persuade the people to accept their creed. We are praying and fighting, and I personally feel as though I am engaged in a life-and-death struggle for the souls of these people."

OUR FAILURES.--"I have to-day had a visit from a Chinaman from Sibu, Borneo, Poor man, he represents a small colony of Chinese from Fuh-chow, who have a plantation on the river Rejang. They were converted in China and are confirmed members of the Church of England. For years they have been asking us to help them, and for a like number of years we have been putting them off. Now they ask for 100 dollars, to which they will put another 100 dollars and purchase a house, which we can use as a chapel. We have no station on the Rejang, which is handed over to the Roman Catholics and American Methodists. Our friends have had every inducement to leave us and throw in their lot with one of the other Missions, but they have stood firm, and now by the kind help of the Borneo Mission Association funds, I am able to promise them 100 dollars if I get a favourable report from the agent. 1 am sending up to see the proffered house."

PERSECUTION OF CONVERTS.--Some idea of what converts from Mohammedanism have to face, even in India, may be gained from the following sad story told by the Rev. R. H. A. Haslam, who is working at Kangra, in the Punjab. He writes :--"Two very bright converts came forward for baptism last year. The day of her brightest testimony to Christ some time after baptism was the day of the disappearance of one of them. We do not know her fate. In spite of the closest search we have not been able to find her, though we have heard on two occasions that she is living. Her husband, who blankly refused large bribes of money and land if he would recant, remained for some time with us. He failed in health and his mind was threatened. He went to his brother's house, who told him that if he would read the Kalima, i.e. the formula, 'There is no God but one God; Mohammed is the apostle of God,’ he would restore his wife to him. We heard three things of him subsequently: first, that he read the Kalima ; second, That the Mohammedans said his doing so was only deceit, and that they would have nothing to do with him; and, third, that he died of a broken heart (more likely of poison)."   OUR FAILURES--The Rev. W. S. Walsh writes that China is on the verge of great changes, and that many are looking to Christianity for light. He was obliged last year to refuse 200 students from the Anglo-Chinese School at Fuh-chow for want of accommodation. He says :--"That all these students were all willing to place them-selves under Christian teachers, to attend Christian services and Bible classes, and to pay good fees for their instruction, but I have had to send them away to schools where the name of Christ will be unknown, where in many cases the faint spiritual light now burn-ing in them will be quenched in evil, and from which they will come forth in due time to be the Church's most formidable, because educated, antagonists in her holy war. As I turned them from Christian School, one by one, with their eager, bright faces, and their anxious pleading ‘just to make room for one more,' I could not help wondering what the angels think, what our Lord think. Of one thing I am certain, and that is, that such a state of things should not be allowed to continue, or God's blessing will leave us."

COLOUR ANTIPATHIES.—" The Catholic Church of Christ does not recognise caste—does not, that is to say, recognise within the sphere of its fellowship distinctions of class, colour, or nationality. The Church is the Body of Christ: the several members differ indeed in function, and according to their varying functions they may be regarded outwardly and conventionally with different degrees of estimation, but essentially all have an equally necessary value for the life of the whole. This is merely to illustrate by way of St. Paul's own metaphor the truth that the Church is catholic and not anything else.

"As a matter of history the Church came to realise its own catholicity in the first stage of its existence. The characteristic of the Church of the older covenant was exclusiveness. It was hedged and fenced about with ordinances which all went to mark it as exclusive. When our Lord came preaching the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth, the more zealous of the Galilean middle-class who followed Him can have had little idea of any-thing beyond their own nation. Yet He continually pointed to a wider outlook: ‘Many shall come from the East and from the West, and shall sit down (privileged guests at the feast) with the children of Abraham in the Kingdom. "Such ideas are slow to penetrate. Even the last great com-mand, so unmistakably clear, to go to all the world and make disciples of all nations, must have fallen on ears that at the time had no consciousness of understanding."--ROBERT F. CALLAWAY. in East and West.