THE KING ’S BUSINESS
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lishing a mission in the province of Man churia. He was accompanied by a native Christian o f Peking to. assist him in his labors. With them they brought only their personal clothing, and Bibles and books for< distribution. I had never seen your brother before, but at my first inter view was impressed with the earnest sim plicity of his manner, and the cheerfulness which I afterwards noticed he at all times carried with him. A few days after this I went to visit him in the native town at a small inn where he was* then staying. I found him lying .down in 'a very small apartment, which was^destitute o f every comfort. He was ill, but arose to meet me. He would allow no expressions of -pity for the w an t-of these comforts, and soon made me forget them in listening to the history o f his labors at Peking, while making translations o f his various works. I was from that moment very fully im pressed with the genuineness o f the love which had actuated his motives in devoting his life to the work o f a missionary. A little later he had found a house wherein to begin his labors. His days were spent in preaching to the inhabitants in the streets, distributing and selling books. Sun days, he preached to the foreigners in the foreign settlement in the forenoon; and in the afternoon to the natives at his house, which for all intents and purposes was recognized as the Christian chapel^ It was- delightful to see how faithfully he per- .formed his duties—how on every Sabbath morning he appeared in our settlement punctual to-the hour, having to come nearly two miles through the heat, and through the cold, and often to encounter the bad roads o f the country. By his kindly man ner, his spotless reputation, his Christian earnestness, he drew a goodly number to listen to him. As he talked on, his face became all alive with the deep faith he had in the. truths he endeavored to communi cate; and his face often and often became radiant with a light, revealing the love which warmed him into eloquence. He seemed to possess a zeal which might have belonged to the earlier days, when apostles
went forth so fearless and with so much love. One could not but observe this peculiar power which he possessed. For a moment he would speak with great force, and then change to tones o f gentleness which were as impressive as they were childlike in their utterance. All this and far -more you must know. Observing these characteristics, led me to have confidefice in the impressions he was likely to give to the natives. Even in the short time he spent among them here, a few learned to inquire into the Christian doctrines. FALLS ILL. “Early in January he was taken ill with a cold which brought on fever, from which he never recovered. For weeks and months he lingered in helpless weakness. I went to see him often. One day he said, ‘I have been thinking that perhaps this is to be my last illness.’ From that time he fre quently told me o f his hopes and his fears. As he lay upon his bed, he thought out his plans for the future, and his sole desire to live seemed to be. that he might labor to carry them out for the good o f those he had come among. For a long time he would insist upon his assistant preaching in the next room, that he might listen. And nearly up to the time o f his death, he would have him and his servant—who, by the by, was becoming a Christian through his teaching—conduct the morning and even ing prayers by his bedside. When he spoke o f life, he said what he himself would do. When he spoke o f death, he prayed that others might be found to continue the work he had begun. When talking o f either he was equally resigned—always cheerful, always happy. I f he had fears at all, they must have appertained more to the things o f this world than to the other. And in preparing for this, he was preparing for the other. You know how he arranged for the support o f his native assistant after his death, and until such a time as a for eigner should arrive. I will not therefore repeat. HIS LAST HOURS “And now I come to speak o f the last hours. One evening about six o’clock I
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