MISSIONS IN CHINA.
IN our April number we mentioned that our friend Mr. Parrott had sailed for Singan in China, taking with him his wife and two children, and having also accompanying them a devoted Christian lady. The party has arrived safely, and was on its way towards the great heathen city of Singan, when a call to labor for a short time in another station detained them.
"We started," says our friend, "in a large Chinese house-boat. It had four small rooms, two masts, and four boatmen, beside the captain. This boat was to carry us up the Han River to a large town about four hundred miles from Hankow, called Lao-he-keo, for just over four pounds, and to occupy about three weeks' time on the voyage. Can you fancy a journey of three weeks from London to Edinburgh, and for four pounds?
“When we had gone a week's journey, a special messenger from Hankow arrived with letters, urging us, if possible, to return to Hankow for the summer, and to take charge of Dr. Hodges' Medical Mission there, as Mrs. Hodges was seriously ill, and needed to be taken away as quickly as possible." As closing the two hospitals under Dr. Hodges' care would involve serious consequences to many sufferers, Mr. Parrott returned, and assumed the charge of the work. His Chinese soon came back to him, and a good opportunity was made for the two ladies to forward themselves in the language.
“We get all classes of people," he continues; "one of the chief magistrates of the capital of the Hupeli province sent his daughter to me a week or two ago. Yesterday I operated on a gentleman, a Confucianist, from the neighboring province of Ho-nan; others who come are too poor to even pay for their own food whilst they remain in the hospital.
“I have been here just upon two months, without one death occurring. The Lord has been very good to us in this respect.
“Today, in going round the wards, one man felt, and indeed was, so much better that he called me over to his bed as soon as I entered. ‘Doctor,' said he, by the great grace of God you have cured me of a very difficult disease. You chased it out of one lung into another, and then down towards my feet, and now it is gone!' This man is a friend of a Christian in the country, and appears to be interested in Christ himself.
"Last Sunday morning another patient, a man who is paralyzed in both legs, raised himself up in his bed when I went to him, and asked if this was not the day for worshipping God. I replied, the Christians worship God every day, and meet together specially on the first day of the week. He replied, ‘It is good to worship the true God, I worship the true God; ' and, as he spoke, he bowed himself many times, repeating the words, ‘I worship the true God.'
“While there is much to encourage, there is also much to sadden. The heartlessness of some of the people is hopeless. Missionaries have lived in this town of seven hundred thousand inhabitants for more than thirty years. There are some thirty missionaries here today, and yet when one walks in any part, excepting the two or three main streets, one is called foreign devil' by the children and men alike. We give them medicine for nothing, we restore life to several who try to poison themselves with opium, and, more, we tell them of the love of God, and show them love and interest in many ways, and still we are hated and reviled."
Now that Mr. Parrott is at work, and fitting himself and his co-helpers by the study of Chinese for the great object in view, mission labor in Singan, we can ask our readers to further the work.
The Chinese are very fond of pictures, and pictures illustrating the Bible will interest them considerably. They like long, narrow scrolls with writing or printing upon one side over and under the picture, and these they hang up in their houses as ornaments. It pleases them to have two of these, one to match the other. Now we are going to send out, to begin with, before Christmas, pictures of a blind man, such as was Bartimæus of Jericho; also one of a fisherman, such as was the apostle Peter; also one of a sower and one of a reaper of Palestine. Passages from the Bible applying to these subjects will be printed upon the scroll in Chinese, and thus those who help in this work will be able to send portions of the Word of Life, illustrated by some of the pictures from FAITHFUL WORDS, to the Chinese home.. The Chinese printing will be done in China, and Mr. Parrott tells us that the commonest paper we use in England will be better than that which can be obtained there. However, we shall send out the same paper as that which you now hold in your hands, so as to make our pictures look as nice as possible.