94 The Fundamentals “Then,” I said, “if you love Him, how can you do anything else but obey His command and go?” At this, she looked at me earnestly and said: “Do you think then that I may dare to go?” “Under the circumstances,” I replied, “I do not see how you may dare to stay.” A few days later Miss Stayner applied to the Mission; a few months later she was accepted for service; and shortly after her acceptance she went on her way to China. Miss Stayner, however, was not to have the easy time in China which many missionaries experience there. For a period all went well and happily. She was located at the in viting station of Wenchow; she entered into the old, well developed and very promising work at that place; she made remarkable progress with the language; and she gained the confidence and love of the people. But one night, when she was staying with her Bible-woman at an out-station, she was suddenly aroused from her sleep by lights and voices, and thereupon discovered that robbers had forced their way into her room and were stealing what they could lay their hands upon. Miss Stayner protested, whereupon one of the robbers Struck her with a bamboo pole. Later, she and the Bible- woman got out of a door at the back of the house, and, clad as they were and in the cold of the winter night, they fled over the hills to a clump of trees and bushes and hid them selves from view. There they remained for a long time, chilled and horror-stricken, until the robbers had sacked their house and departed. After this they were found by some of the vil lagers and brought back to their almost ruined home. Miss Stayner was seriously affected, physically, by this trying ex perience, arid it became necessary that she should visit Shang hai for quiet and rest. Just at that time I visited that place, and I was thus able, one evening, to ask her about her work and to hear from her lips the account of her recent experiences. After the tale had been told, I said: “Miss Stayner, may I ask you a question?”
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