THE KING’ S BUSINESS
689
“ Yesterday Dr. Johnson got a note from the governor saying he thought he had suc- . ceeded in putting a stop to all the trouble and that we foreigners need have no fear. W e feel that the military governor is a pretty^ strong character.” The letter o f Mr. Torrey, referred to in the above as being enclosed, follow s: I shall start a letter to you this evening and try and finish it tomorrow, although I have planned such a full day I do not know how I shall get it in. These last days have been crowded and I wish I could retire right now, but as soon as the Chinese have finished eating I must hold a service. “ To go into detail about the past few days .would bore you and there is not time for it, so I shall simply give a summary to let you see that I hatfe not been idle. I wrote you from Ma Yuan Dze and on the next morning we held a service and then went to Ma Miao Dze, getting, there by noon and eating lunch. At about 2, I went to a nearby village (the home o f-F u Yin Hsuh, who formerly worked for Dr. Mer- w in). The Christians and enquirers were nearly all in the fields at work but the ‘Sunday School’ tots had gathered and sev eral adults and we had a service. “ I talked with Fu’s wife, whose baby boy had died a few days before o f that trouble Dr. Merwin said was so common in Tsinan at present, fever and sore throat. Five chil dren in that village had died in the few days previous to my visit there. The term they used in speaking o f the death o f the children made me sick at heart for it was so expressive o f what is actually done with so many o f the poor little bodies. They did not say ‘si liao’ but ‘djivai lai liao’ (thrown away). Fin Dasao is very healthy looking; she says her trouble is quite well. - She is rather nice looking but big eyed and sad looking. She seemed mighty glad to see Hsii Hung Lly, he being from near her home. “From there we went, or rather I went back to Ma Miao Dze (Little Horse Tem ple) the Christians live,in* other towns. I for got that we stopped in a village on the way to visit an old enquirer. He was busy so we only chatted and had prayer. “ On the following •morning I held another service in the church and went back to Fu’shom e after lunch. Had.spent the morning' discussing various matters wifh two o f the elders. At Fang Divang we held a service and in the middle o f the afternoon left for Ding Don Er Djiyang. There is a large boys’ school there but the teacher (the man I wanted to have go with me as helper, etc.) had gone home for the day on business. “We had just gotten there and were rest ing ancl quenching our thirst as well as hot drinks are able to, when suddenly a terrific wind and dust storm hit us. It came almost like a clap o f thunder and everything got dark as the dirt swirled and, poured in at all the cracks, open windows, etc. “Drinking and reading were out o f the question, “so I went over to the school to visit with the boys. On entering the yard I. saw that most o f them were gathered in a small room and one boy was kneeling on the threshold facing into the room. I could not make out at first whether it was a hazing bee or a game. On entering the room I found it filled with , boys, some kneeling in the middle o f the room; others more or less prostrated on tables, benches and beds. They were having a prayer meet ing and apparently the storm was ythe main subject. I could not help but wonder what school o f thirty boys in America could be left for a day and two nights by the teacher and have the boys go on with their work and then gather for prayer that way. I stayed with them for nearly two hours singing and telling them Bible stories. In the evening I held a service with them. The next day was Sunday and I was up bright and early as I was staying in the church and wanted things straight by the time the first arrivals put in an appear ance.- W e had a good service that morning and I preached tpy first bona fide sermon, a new one on Christ, special for the occa-
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