Another Chinese preacher came from Canton to my district to take the dead preacher’s place; also, to live in his house.  Next day, he and his wife and boy all taken very sick.  They grow worse and worse, every day appointed to death.  I felt very much dismayed because many people say, “The Death Spirit make them very sick because they will not worship him.”  But I pray to God to make him well.  I say:—­“Oh Lord, if you let this family die also, all the people in this place will not like to hear thy Gospel, and I also may be tempted by the superstition.  I ask thee, oh God, let thy mercy be upon them and not let this family going to die; so let all this people of darkness see thy power, and thy glorious light appear to their sight.”  I believe that God answered this prayer, for they grew better and better every day, though they were so sick they expected to die.

I will tell you of another trial which I encountered.  I live inside the wall, and all the people inside are divided into six societies.  I belong to No. 4.  Once in three years we have what we call festival.  So a man who had charge asked me to sign my name to give twenty-five cents to buy some pork and other things for offerings to the idols.  The temples have some property, but they use the temple money for other expenses.  I refuse to subscribe.  So he advised me and said:  “While you are in the foreign country, imitate foreign customs, but now you are in China, you have to obey Chinese customs.”  They try to compel me to give.  I stand up and say:  “If these six societies could not have this festival to the idols because I refuse, do the people depend on me?  If so, then all the people are without hope, and may despair of the blessing of the idols.  Is that what you believe?  Because you worship the idols you give offerings to them, and expect blessing from them.  I do not worship the idol, and he would not give me the blessing.  I do not wish for the idol’s blessing.  It is not because I am stingy that I will not give to the offering of the idol, but because it is against the true God in heaven, whom I trust, and whose blessing I do greatly desire.”  So they could not compel me to give, and they let me alone, but they felt very much indignation and were hostile to me.  A Christian in China has sometimes a very hard time.  “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”  Yet more and more are believing the Gospel of Christ every year in China.

A year has passed since, this brother returned to America; but is there any hazard in affirming that those towns-people of his in China have thought more or less, even to this day, of the stand he took and the God in Christ to whom he testified?

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BUREAU OF WOMAN’S WORK.

MISS D.E.  EMERSON, SECRETARY.

MASS MEETING OF THE WOMAN’S HOME MISSIONARY UNIONS.