On Friday, April 10, a policeman came to the house with a summons to trial before the People's Middle Court the next day at half past two. In the afternoon, I went down to see the Consul, as he had asked me to keep him informed, and to show him the charges: selling reactionary books, helping anti-revolutionaries, etc. At first I had thought of the trial as if it had been in an English court, with witnesses, and counsel for the defense, etc. I asked if I should call a lawyer, which was simply unintelligible to the policeman. But I realized very quickly that the matter was of course already settled; and I entirely agreed with the Consul when he advised me simply to accept whatever they said. He then offered to be present, if it were a public trial.
Of course, I went to the Post Office, and there was a letter from my brother, and a note from a niece, sending me Psalm 56:33What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. (Psalm 56:3) and 9 "What time I am afraid I will trust in Thee" and "God is for me". And 2 Kings 6:16, 1716And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. (2 Kings 6:16‑17) "Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them". I could indeed truly say that Gal had been for me, and with me, all through. I wish I knew how to tell of all His love and care.
On the way back I bought some clothing of which I was in need, in case I was imprisoned. And I spent the evening sorting out and destroying papers. The verse that had come to me before I left Canada kept coming back to mind, "bonds and imprisonment await you." Was the time come for its fulfillment? I thought I had better look up the passage, as I had proved I sometimes did not really get the message from the Holy Spirit till I verified it in the Scriptures. So, I found the place, with which I was very familiar, Acts 20:2323Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. (Acts 20:23). And I found that all those years I had been quoting it wrong. It is "bonds and afflictions abide me". No word of imprisonment at all, and I was not a little comforted. I felt I had already been bound in my house, and had received some few afflictions, so perhaps the prophecy was already fulfilled. Next morning the verse on my French calendar was "Thy hand shall lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me". Ps. 139:10.
That night there was a tremendous gale and floods of rain. I wondered whether the buses would be running, and if not, how I could reach the court? But I knew I must be there, so I set out early, and found the buses still going in spite of the rain. As I went down I kept repeating the ninety-first Psalm, recalling what a stronghold it had been on many occasions, and wondering just where the "Secret Place of the Most High" might be. Wherever it was, I was determined to dwell there that afternoon, and the Lord gave me to "abide under the Shadow of the Almighty." There was a long wait, sheltering from the rain under the doorway of an office building. Then I saw the Consul arrive with his interpreter, and I followed them in. The court was a large room, divided into two by a low paling. It was a public trial, and there were about thirty men, all Chinese of course, sitting in the back half of the room. I was at the dock at the back of the upper part; the Consul was directly behind me, and it was a comfort to feel the British Empire with me. But the Lord Himself was directly with me, "a very present Help", and He delivered me from every feeling of fear. All through the trial my subconscious thought was, Stand up straight, do not let these heathen think that you, a Christian and a British subject, are afraid of them!
Soon the Court arrived. Three judges sat on the platform across the top of the room, a woman and an older man, and a young man in the middle who carried on the proceedings. At the side was the clerk, and the procurator who read out the charges. I had asked for an interpreter, so beside me was the young woman who had translated for me at first. For about an hour they went over the information collected during the questions, and asked me about differing points in my "Confession". Especially they dwelt on the Prophetic chart. Finally, they asked whether I confessed to these crimes, and whether I had anything to say for myself. In everything there was an element of truth, but everything was twisted to an evil meaning. I said that I admitted all the charges, but that nothing had been done with any intention to harm the State; I came to China, and I remained there, only because I wished to help the Chinese people. Their reply was to the effect that if I wanted to help China, it must be in the way they liked; and then the judges withdrew for deliberation. While they were away the translator read me her notes of the proceedings, and I suppose I signed them. After about half an hour the judges came back to sum up the matter and pronounce the verdict. The charges were that I had been carrying on anti-revolutionary activities under the cloak of religion-the charge against all Christians. In particular, so far as I can remember, I was charged with giving assistance to anti-revolutionaries, (gifts I had given to poor Pastors), selling books of an anti-revolutionary character (Wang Ming Tao's books), publishing Literature slandering the Communist State (our prophetic chart), not denouncing anti-revolutionaries, sending out information about China to Imperialist countries, stirring up the minority races and border regions (my contact with the Russians from Sinkiang and with the Border Mission).
Then the verdict was pronounced, that the Book Room was confiscated, and I was expelled from China. In answer to my questions, I was told that I might now go about and visit my friends, that I might keep my own personal property, and they would tell me later when and how I was to go. They said I had ten days to consider the verdict, and to decide whether I wished to appeal to the higher Court.
I had always felt that I simply could not bear it, if I had to give up the Book Room. Yet now, when it was taken from me, The Lord gave me perfect peace, and by His grace, I could say "As for God, His way is perfect". Ps. 18:30. I cannot say that the Lord comforted me, for I did not need it. He did not allow the sorrow even to touch me; I went through it dryshod. The Communists were only His instrument. For some reason the time had come to shut the door, and I knew that it was the "Good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God". Ro. 12:2. Of course we cannot expect grace to be provided for a trial until the trial comes; but we can always depend on our great High Priest to provide "grace for seasonable help" Heb. 4:1616Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) NT. To show something of the mercy of God to me, I must add that the American Roman Catholic Bishop, who was arrested the same time as I was, had his trial almost a year later, and was sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. The two Jehovah's Witnesses did not have their trial until August 1960, nearly two years after being taken, and were sentenced, one to five, and one to seven years imprisonment. The charge against them, according to the newspaper report, was the same as mine, "carrying on anti-revolutionary activities under the cloak of religion".
I had been awaiting this end for the past ten years, especially the last six months, so that when it finally came, it was somewhat of a relief. I had not much time either to repine or to rejoice. Sunday everything was flooded after the rain, but I got out to see some friends, and to the English service. There I heard that the subject for that Sunday's sermons was the wicked foreigner who had been carrying on anti-revolutionary activities under the cloak of religion. Those thirty at the trial were probably all Pastors, summoned for that purpose. I know the Anglican Bishop was there.
On Monday, the written copy of the charges and verdict was brought to me. I am sorry I did not venture to keep this. I was told again that I would have ten days to consider whether to appeal, so I was pretty sure I would not have to leave before ten days. Tuesday evening they telephoned that I must come down to the Court the next day to see the Judge. I went down the next afternoon, praying Nehemiah's prayer, "Prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day, and grant (her) mercy in the sight of this man". Neh. 1:1111O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer. (Nehemiah 1:11). He said I must send in an acceptance of the verdict, and dictated a form, to be prepared in four Chinese and four English copies, and delivered at ten A.M. the next day. He then told me that I might take, or dispose of my personal property; might take my own books; he still did not tell me how or when I should go, but repeated that I should hasten my preparations. And he demanded a report on the Book Room to be handed in the next day. He was very courteous, I felt my prayer had been answered, and I proved again that "the Lord is Good, a Stronghold in the time of trouble. Nahum 1:77The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. (Nahum 1:7).
Every day I was called to the court or the Foreign Office for some reason or other, and often I was away the whole day. In the evening, till two or three in the morning, I sat in the little inner room by the fireplace, sorting and burning papers and pictures. Every morning I was awake by five thirty. But I proved again "As thy days (and nights) so shall thy strength be". Deut. 33:2525Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be. (Deuteronomy 33:25). I could not eat either, though the dear Chinese friends provided me with almost impossible dainties. But my strength did not fail, and my mind was clear and alert: and it needed to be, there was so much to do, so many decisions to make.
On Monday morning, the twentieth, I was called to be at the Book Room by nine fifteen. There I was met by the Judge, the young man who had questioned me, and a translator. The whole place was covered with a thick gray dust. They went over the accounts, and the money in the safe, about $350.00. I pointed out that I had paid the rent of the Book Room out of my personal funds for the last six months, so it owed me about $500.00, since personal and Book Room funds must be kept strictly separate. Of course, I was quite sure they would not part from that money, now it was in their power-and so was I-but I was pleased to be able to make the claim. They could not think of an answer theft, but said they would let me know. A couple of days later, they explained that I had not been authorized by the court to make those payments, so I alone was responsible. And they also so wangled it that I must pay in several hundred more into the Book Room, I forget how much, or on what grounds. It did not really matter, I had plenty of money. I was allowed to take my personal belongings from the Book Room, sweater, dishes, that bag of knitting wool over which I had fretted, and books which had my name in them. I collected sixty-one, some of them very precious, but I was so hurried, I left some that I much regret. I noticed that they had removed from the lending library all the books written by my brother, "I was among the Captives", "To the Parents of my Grandchildren", etc. I hope they were much profited by reading them.
They called me a pedicab, and helped me in with my big bag of books and belongings; and told me to be at the branch book shop at two. When they arrived there, they had forgotten the keys of the door, and had a long search for a locksmith to open it. When it was open, the place was such a stench, shut up and intermittently flooded for six months, that they just looked in, and sealed it up again. Then we came up to the house, looked at the godown, and sealed it. At my house, I had tried to collect everything belonging to the Book Room in the big room downstairs. They looked upstairs, but did not attempt a search, and I promised to leave everything belonging to the Book Room in the downstairs room.
Tuesday morning, April 21St, I was called to the Passport office, and there I was told that I must be out of Shanghai before the 26th. That meant I must leave at latest by the train leaving Shanghai at six Saturday evening-five days and four nights, and so much to arrange and so many hindrances-tickets and permits to be procured, customs passed, personal belongings packed, other people's belongings dealt with, the contents of the house distributed, and the house disposed of. It seemed impossible. But long before the Lord had promised "The God of Israel will gather you up". Is. 52:12 margin, and now of course He did it.
I went at once to the Tourist Bureau to get a packer. This had formerly been almost obligatory for anyone leaving, but now not one was to be had. They said there were only three, one was sick, one had been sent to work in the country, and the third was working for one of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank staff who was leaving. I did not mind the packing, I preferred to do it myself, but it meant arranging transportation, passing customs, and most important, the packer would know what I might or might not take, and the restrictions were very strict, and most perplexing. Just then a Christian friend had a visit from her brother-in-law, a headman in the customs up north; would I like to see him? I certainly would. He was most helpful, answered all my questions, and I found I could take a good many things I had thought I must leave behind; and when the boxes were examined nothing was confiscated by Customs. Two big cases of valuable books, a trunk, and a camphor wood chest of my personal belongings, and a tiny chest of drawers I packed and sent out by sea. Tuesday was the day for customs inspection for sea freight; but the Tourist Bureau made special arrangements for me, and I spent Thursday afternoon at the sheds.
Every book was taken out, and the bottom and sides of the cases tapped; everything taken out of the trunks; two Chinese scrolls and a copper vase were held back for further examination in case they were valuable antiques, but I found them in the trunk when it arrived in Borneo. All freight is supposed to be crated; I asked the Tourist Bureau to do this, but they said it was impossible to get wood. We had plenty of wood at the house, but I found it impossible to buy nails. I could not even buy padlocks, except the most flimsy affairs. All metal was exhausted in the drive to make steel. So, I finally left coils of rope to wind around the boxes; and the Tourist Bureau promised to have them packed in matting. The Tourist Bureau arranged my ticket and exit permits, and the change of trains in Canton. But it meant endless journeys back and forth between house and Tourist office and Passport office.
Another great performance was at the Bank. Formerly one could take out some foreign currency. Now all money must be turned in at the Bank and changed into Chinese currency, and then a small amount of Hong Kong currency might be bought. One could take out twenty ounces of silver, no diamonds or platinum, not even engagement or wedding rings; this came hard on some ladies, but did not affect me. I had a good many Canadian and American notes, and endless bits and pieces of currency picked up all over the world, and all these had to be separately listed and exchange applied for. Then. I was allowed $3.00 Hong Kong (value fifty cents gold), enough to take me third class by train from the Border into the city of Hong Kong. I was allowed to take all my flat silver, and my small amount of jewelry. But several people had left silver with me, and this all had to be taken to the assayer’s office at the Bank and tested. They paid its value by the ounce, quite regardless of workmanship. It might not be sold anywhere else. Much of what I was keeping for others turned out to be electroplate, and had to be sent to the auction.
The disposal of the property was the most perplexing problem. I knew that the buildings were in such poor repair, and it was so difficult to collect rent, that it would not pay any agent to undertake it. I consulted the Consul, and he told me, from his previous experience, that whatever I did, they would find an excuse to get possession of the house within a year. I applied to the housing bureau, but they said that the man with whom I had dealt about it before was away. I prepared letters for him, explaining what I wanted done. Almost the last evening this man came up to the house to see me; I gathered that he had not been away at all, but things were held up till the last minute, till it was impossible to make any other arrangement. He allowed me to hold the English deed of the property, but all the Chinese documents he took possession of. So the house was gone. The Consul had been very sympathetic at our heavy losses, but I knew the Lord never allowed Himself to be any one's debtor. Just that week I received a letter from England telling me of the death of an old cousin. Years before she had told me that she was leaving me some money, as she wanted it used for the Lord's work. Soon after I reached Hong Kong I had the official notice from her executor that this cousin had left £1000 to me and £1000 to my brother. That was almost exactly $3000.00 Canadian money to each of us, exactly what we had put into the house twelve years before.
By Thursday evening all arrangements had been made, but there was still the contents of the house to dispose of. Friday morning the auctioneer came up, looked over the furniture, and promised to remove it. Saturday morning several Christians came in to buy bits and pieces, and I was delighted to let them have them cheap: it would not have been safe for them to accept anything as a gift. Several cases of what could be called rubbish were taken away by the poor Russians. Two big bags of lighter literature I sent to the Consulate library; two cases of valuable religious books went to the English Bible Class. A Christian man helped me clear out the remains, and empty the attic, and sold over three hundred pounds of waste paper. By Saturday noon the poor old house was stripped and empty.
A few friends ventured to come to say good bye. Others sent messages. One girl came asking if I could find some trace of her parents; she had last seen them six years before, and thought they had gone to Formosa, but was not sure where. There are many such sorrowful separations, but what can one do?
The train left at 5.45 P.M. I had been instructed to be at the station an hour beforehand to meet the police escort who was to see me out of the city. Soon after three we telephoned for a taxi: there was not one to be had. Then friends ran out to the road to find a pedicab: none to be seen. It was now almost four, and it was almost an hour by pedicab to the station. I must be there before five. I took hurried farewell of the household, refusing their eager offer to accompany me, or meet me at the station. I did not want any of them to fall into the hands of the police. Almost at once I picked up a pedicab, and started on the long drive, too full of anxiety as to getting there to grieve over the departure. It was a miserable day, with gusts of rain and a wind right against us. The pedicab pushed on in the face of it, and just at 4.45 we entered the station. I was still looking round in bewilderment for the place I was told to meet the police, when the young policeman came up, got a porter for my suitcases, led me over to the baggage department and settled about my trunk, which had been sent earlier, and then conducted me through the barrier to the train, and found me my reserved seat. He then disappeared, and I did not see him again, though I suppose he was standing by the door of the car. I was supposed to be leaving under police escort, but I did not see any further sign of it. I think probably the agents of the Tourist Bureau who met me in Canton and Shumchun, the border town from which we entered British territory, and whom I paid, were really secret police.
One Chinese Christian came down to see me off. bringing a big box of cakes made from Arabian dates. He told me that he no longer dared to attend the English service, but he found that the Gospel was still being preached in the Community Church. His last words to me were, We are still praying for revival. I have since heard indirectly of this man, and believe he did not suffer for his loving courage in coming to see me off. Then the wife of the British Consul came, bringing me sweets and magazines. And that also I very much appreciated.
I had arranged to travel "Soft", that is, in the best accommodation. I was in a four berth compartment, and I had the lower berth facing forward, a comfortable spring bed and mattress, with clean sheet and blanket. By the window was a little table with a pot of flowers, curtains on the window, carpet on the floor, a big thermos of hot water, constantly replenished. Opposite me was a young Hong Kong Chinese, a sailor returning from his boat, a Norwegian freighter that had landed him at Shanghai. He was a Christian, spoke good English, and was very friendly and talkative. The berth over him was occupied later; the man over me came in the night and went in the night, and I hardly saw him.
I had been given quantities of cakes and biscuits as farewell gifts, and was not wanting any supper. The young man was hungry, and went to find the dining car. He came back looking perplexed and annoyed, and said that he could not get a meal. He later got something on a station platform. In the morning, I asked the porter to bring me breakfast; I was soon served with a delicious meal of rice and fried egg, at a very reasonable price. The two men opposite asked for the same, and were told that no meals would be served to Chinese except in the afternoon. About four o'clock we all ordered again, and had an excellent meal of rice and vegetables and as much pork as would be a week's ration. All that Sunday we traveled through beautiful scenery, hills and valleys, many of them rocky and wooded. It was a delight after the fiat overpopulated ugliness of Shanghai, where I had so often longed for a hill. We went mostly through fairly wild country, but passed some little fields, being plowed by water buffalo, or being planted with rice by the patient fingers of women wading through the mud. There was not a sign of the huge cooperative farms, modern machinery, communes, of which so much had been said. All seemed the same as it had been for a thousand or more years.
About 5.30 Monday morning we reached Canton. I was met by the tourist agent, who conducted me across the platform to the train for Shumchun, and charged me not to leave it. The train was perfectly empty, and it seemed a long time till it began to fill up just before nine. Then it was very full. My seat-mate was the official messenger for the Indian Embassy in Peking, a very pleasant young Indian. He told me that many of the passengers were diplomats attending some Conference in Hong Kong. When we arrived about noon in Shumchun the tourist agent was busy with this diplomatic party, and I followed along in their wake. A soldier took me to a bench in the Customs shed, and told me to wait till I was called. There I waited while the Chinese passengers streamed past; I waited until there was no one left; at last I was called to the examining shed. First I was taken to a counter, and handed over all my Chinese money in exchange for a post office order on Shanghai to an old friend. Two officials went through my suitcases and my trunk, everything was opened and examined. Then one of the officials took me into a private room and questioned me about foreign currency concealed on my person. Many people have had a bad time here, and of course many have tried to smuggle out jewels and currency; there were special displays in Shanghai of smugglers tricks. But the official accepted my word, and I escaped without searching. Now the confusion of things had to be put back, and in the middle a man came with a card explaining that he was a baggage agent sent by my sister to bring my boxes. The things were bundled in anyhow, and in a few minutes the officials had disappeared, and I was crossing the little bridge over no-man’s-land into Hong Kong.
Many have asked, What did I feel as I passed out of bondage into liberty? I had a sort of feeling that I ought to be feeling something magnificent and heroic, but actually all I was thinking was, Now I shall see my sister. A minute more, there she was!
I should have been unspeakably disappointed if there had been no one there to meet me. I had no idea what an unusual thing it was to be met at the border; I believe that less than thirty passes had been issued. But "the kindness of God" had arranged even this for me. The Canadian Commissioner had not only arranged a pass, but had lent his own comfortable motor car, so that my sister and her husband might be at the border to receive me. So we had a swift and quiet drive in along the beautiful road winding along the sides of the hills overlooking the sea, instead of a scrambling trip on the little railway, beset by newspaper reporters. I think that some were almost disappointed that I did not have to be carried out on a stretcher, but arrived well and prosperous. That too was the kindness of the Lord my Keeper, Who had preserved my going in and my coming out. Ps. 121.
When I came out, and met so many-so many old friends, and so many strangers, and yet one in Christ Jesus, who had been praying for me; and as I travel through England, and Canada, and the States, and still meet more and more who have been praying for me, I can only give thanks to the Lord Who hears and answers prayer. I have been trying to tell you how those prayers were answered; and I entreat you to continue to pray for our brothers and sisters, and for the millions in the darkness, in that sad land.
"Can we, whose souls are lighted
With wisdom from on high,
Can we. to souls benighted,
The Light of truth deny?”
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