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Page 6
“...pushing through the wakened earth,
Under the seeming death the sap’s aflow.
Emity Howson Tayror.
Cornwall than from the heat of Jamaica. So he
wrote to a friend. But malignant fever got him in
its grasp, and the grasp was deadly. An honest,
straightforward, loyal Free Methodist and asincere
Christian was Richard Elijah Abercrombie. If we
sorrow for him, it is not as others which have no
hope. bee
The measure of our grief was not yet filled up.
Eleven days after the superintendent of our
Jamaica Mission entered into rest, our minister in
Bocas del Toro, Rev. Thos. Halliwell, fell asleep
in Jesus. Mr. Halliwell was little known in most
of our English Circuits. He had not itinerated
here. He was received into the ministry when
appointed to Bocas. But in Wigan where he was
best known he was highly respected, and had he
been spared to labour in the foreign field his name
would soon have been better known in the Con-
nexion, for “he was every inch a Missionary of
the noblest type.” Mentally and ...”
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Page 7
“...been much blessed during
the past year. Their continued and increased
efficiency demands effort on their behalf. During
the year Rev. James Proudfoot has gone out to
Sierra Leone as superintendent of our Missions
there, and Rev. C. H. Goodman, after a needed
furlough, has gone back to Tikonkoh. Rev. W.
S. Micklethwaite has come home for the same
reason, his homeward steps being quickened by
sharp attacks of fever. The East African Mission
has Leen strengthened by the sending out of Rev.
(. Consterdine and Rev. W. R Stobie has gone to
help the prosperous Mission at Wenchow.
Rev. Dr. Swallow is still with us, and has
received the highest possible proof of confidence
and esteem. Never before has a Missionary, home
on furlough, been raised to the Presidential chair.
Altheugh the veteran Thomas Wakefield enjoyed
the deserved honour, that was after an African sun
had burned on him so many years that he had to stay
in his native land. Our President, in his election,
discovers not only his brethren’s...”
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Page 8
“...their behalf’ Thus
he would torture himself. As long as his poor
old limbs would carry him it was his custom to
rise lone before it was day, and, while the city
slept, climb to our highest hill, and, there in
the pure light of morning, with the still quiet
city below him, he would pour out his soul in
prayer that his stalwart sons might be led to
cast away their idols of wood and of stone, and
learn to know ‘God and Jesus Christ, whom He
hath sent.’ * * =
“Stncz retiring from business, the Mission pre-
corner’ up by the stove, in which he loved to
doze away the cold days of winter.
# # ®
“Bur though the sons, and through them their
wives, persistently held aloof, yet they made no
objxction to the son of one of them, a nice lad
called Ding Shue, attending our day school, and
later were delighted to fallin with Dr. Hoge’s
offer that he should be apprenticed to learn the
profession of a doctor. Last year this boy’s
mother became seriously ill, and in their extrem-
ity the family turned—not...”
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Page 9
“...time of the year, but it having been
necessary for Mr. Proudfoot to go to Paitafoo, he
thought it best to proceed to Tikonkoh.,
* x *
Mr. Prouproot was delighted to see the cor-
diality with which the mission children at
Paitafoo welcomed back Mr. Micklethwaite. He
proceeds :—
* %
“Tae Mission eileen are fed and clothed,
the former mainly at the expense of Messrs. Good-
man and Micklethwaite, the latter through the
kindly labours of Samaria Dorcas Society. But the
mothers and fathers consider that they should
make a little profit out of the residence on the
Mission of their children, and frequently visit the
Mission House for begging purposes. A refusal
now and again leads to the loss of a child.
4 OUR FOREIGN FIELD.
“Mr. Mickuetawaire had acquainted me
with the losses the Mission had sustained, and
we endeavoured all the way from Waterloo to
Tikonkoh to get children. By getting them from
a distance they are less likely to be enticed away.
I was much pleased with the manner in which...”
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Page 10
“...seems
to be full confidence reposed in the Mission, and
all connected with it were always received with
evident pleasure.
* ” *
“ Turorompus Ruperts, the steward, is a faith-
ful, good man, and has been so long connected
with the Mission House as to be thoroughly known
and trusted. He could easily overtake more work,
and, indeed, gives promise of becoming a very
useful agent soon.
* * *
“ Avrur being a week at Tikonkoh, Mr. Mickle-
thwaite and Mr. Johnson accompanied ineto Gpan-
gumah. This town, in addition to 100 frontier
policemen, and many Freetown people, has a
population of about 38,000. I should ad-
vise the Committee to empower us to put
down an agent there at once. One of the largest
towns between Tikonkoh and Gpangumah is Boho,
or Bo. From the chief of that town I got his
favourite grandson, and have him with me now
in Freetown. He isa bright, intelligent boy of
eight or nine years of age, and I hope he will be
of service to the Mission in Mendi Country one
day.
* * *
“On our...”
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Page 11
“...Hogg says :—“ Iam very full of work,
having from seventy to ninety in attendance on
Jomeru.
Mission Chapel,
our dispensary day. Being now in our new dis-
pensary, I find working there a great comfort. It
is cool yet cosy, and walls, floors, etc., are clean
and bright. . . . IfIhad anassistant I should
be able to form a small medical class of some of
| our members’ boys, and train them in medicine as
MISSIONARY LEAFLETS,
Acain and again we have been applied to for
leaflets, giving information about our foreign
stations. This work has been taken in hand, and
we hope to have our first one ready for January.
well as in Bible knowledge, and so have a band of
native Medical Missionaries who would be a
great help to the Church, as well as a benefit to
It will give a map and facts about Wenchow.
This will be followed by one giving a brief sketch
of our Mendi Mission. It is being written by Mr.
the suffering people. With the limited time I
have I can only reach a fraction of...”
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Page 12
“...Missionary subjects. There are
plenty of such books published ; books full of the
incident and adventure which young people love
to read. In selecting prizes will our local Mis-
sionary Secretaries keep this point well in mind.
# 8 &
3. St rpzs ror Missronary Lectures. Do our
Sunday Schools and Young Peoples’ Endeavour
Societies know that our Book Room, London, has
four sets of slides, sixty in a set, illustrating, (1)
Our East African Mission, (2) West African
Mission, (3) China Mission, and (4) Missions in
Mendiland, with a prepared lecture on each
Mission. The charge made for the use of these
slides is very moderate. Rev. A. Crombie, 119,
Salisbury Square, will be pleased to furnish all
information respecting them. Every one knows
how pictures not only give pleasure, but aid the
memory in remembering a subject.
a * #
4. Hymns ror Missionary Servioxs. The
Book Room has also prepared a sheet of fourteen
hymns, all of a distinctive Missionary character.
The type is good, and the sheets...”
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Page 13
“...distant future.
Before we could reasonably expect them either
“to weep for themselves or their children,” suffi-
cient time must be allowed for the lessons of Chris-
goat
8 PENTECOST IN CHINA.
tianity to rouse their stolid natures, and quicken
their lethargic spirits.
Such were our thoughts. Like the fulfilment of
some wondrous dream, then, has come to us the
record of meetings recently held in the neigh-
bouring province of Fuh-Kien among the Chinese,
and in connection with the A.K.M. Mission of |
Foochow. The temptation to send an account of ~
these meetings for the Ecuo is too great to be re-
sisted. May the day soon come when we shall
have to rejoice over a similar rich outpouring of
the Spirit upon our Wenchow Church. Mean-
while, it does us good to hear of it ‘‘ by the hear-
ing of the ear,” and our faith is at least great
enough to believe that what has taken place once
among our Chinese friends can take place again.
The meetings were for the deepening of spiritual
life among...”
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Page 16
“...at impos-
sibilities, and cries ‘it shall be done!’”’
Now, it was in the steps of these heroic men,
that, three years after the first establishment of
the mission, John Hunt was called to tread. As
previously intimated, the call came to him whilst
yet a student in the Hoxton Training College, and
just at a time when the hearts of the students
were melted and moved by a gracious visitation of
the Spirit, touching them to a tenderness, and toa
fellow-feeling with Christ in His great redemp-
tive work that made them ready to accept as their
own the famous motto on the seal, “ For service, or
for sacrifice !”’
“In the beginning of February, 1838,” says
Hunt’s biographer,-in a passage descriptive of this
_ vulsed by some intense feeling.
THE HOLY GHOST. 11
momentous crisis of his religious history, “he
received a summons to the mission-house, where
he was asked if he would go to Fiji. Startled at
such an unexpected request, he returned to Hoxton
much troubled, and making his way to the room...”
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Page 17
“...Christ to the people !”
The last prayer which John Hunt himself put
up was a characteristic one, and shewed the ruling
passion strong in death. ‘Lord, bless Fiji! Save
Fiji! Thou knowest my soul has loved Fiji! My
heart has travailed in pain for Fiji!” And has not
that prayer been answered? Has not. the sub-
sequent history of Fiji—with its thousands of
Churck members and upwards of a hundred
thousand of interested and constant hearers of the
preached word, demonstrated to a certainty, that
the mission, from its commencement until now,
has had upon it the broad seal of the divine bless-
ing and approval? If so, then it is no mere figure
of speech—no mere flash of fine rhetoric—but the
statement of a sober truth, when we give to John
Hunt, and the bright brotherhood of his co-
labourers—Cargill, Cross, Lyth, Malvern, Williams,
Lawry, and last, but not least, the venerable
James Calvert—the designation of “Knights of
the Holy Ghost,” for such in deed and in truth
they undoubtedly were.
In the...”
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Page 19
“...perfect silence; jokes were passed from one to
another, the younger missionary giving and taking
as well as the rest, while his friend silently
enjoyed the sight of the children’s happiness.
Before the meal was ended a slight noise, like
that of a naked foot upon cemented pavement,
attracted the attention of the lads nearest to the
door which Jed into the large mission yard. The
next instant a part of the darkness (as it were)
stepped out of the night and waited hesitatingly
upon the threshold. It was an asikari—a native
who had been trained by the Hast African trading
company at Mombasa to perform the various duties
of soldier, policeman and messenger. He was
dressed in the uniform provided for him by his
English employers—a sandy coloured pair of
breeches and a tunic of the same material; a
leathern belt with a pouch fastened round his
waist and a short unsheathed sword hanging from
the belt. He held his polo cap in his hand as he
deferentially waited to be accosted by the white
men...”
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Page 20
“...ENDEAVOUR PAGE,
BY EDWARD ABBOTT,
|
LTHOUGH only on the threshold of the
year, the coming event of the National
Christian Endeavour Convention
already casts its shadow before.
Glasgow will be the Convention city,
and its programme is practically com-
~ plete. Amongst the topics are the
following :—‘‘ Christian Endeavour and Personal
Influence,’ “Christian Endeavour and Bible
Study,” ‘Christian Endeavour and Ohurch
Obligation,’ ‘Christian Endeavour and the
Foreign Mission Problem,” “ Christian Endeavour
and the Home Mission Problem,” “Christian
Citizenship,” “Systematic Giving,” “The Quiet
Hour,” “Family Endeavour,” “The Holy Spirit
and Christian Service.” A new feature in the
programme will be the “Pastor’s Hour.” Our
own denomination will be worthily represented by
Mrs. Wakefield (wife of Rev. T. Wakefield), and
Rev. J. W. Mawer.
Onty those who have anything to do with the
actual preparation of gatherings of this sort have
any idea either of the trouble or expense
involved. Our...”
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Page 24
“...anointed
my forehead; next she took a comb (a new one,
Rev. R. H. McLaughlin. See Page 17.
x hills for them! But,
i. iat thank God it had not
, been ‘love’s labour
lost,’ for our eyes had
been gladdened, and our faith strengthened, by
much ‘fine gold’ found in these mountain fast-
nesses.”
* * *
In a letter of an earlier date Rev. Ww. H.
Soothill writes to the Editor as follows :—
“My wife has spent some weeks at ‘The
Cottage,’ a charming retreat, built by Mrs. Stott,
of the China Inland Mission, and Mrs. Hogg,
while still Miss Bardsley. It is on a hill at the
mouth of the river, overlooking the Wenchow
Bay. And what a difference between there and
here. Though only twenty miles off, the ther-
mometer is from six to ten degrees lower, the air
fresh and ozoney, and the difference from this
steamy swamp almost incredible. I, too, have...”
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Page 25
“...communication from Rev. James
Proudfoot appeared in a recent issue of the Free
Methodist. I think it ot sufficient importance to
reproduce it here.
& * =
“Tx West Africa, as well as in England,
measures are being taken to increase both the
local circuit income and that raised for foreign
mission work. ‘The year closes in this district with
the end of September instead of the end of April,
as in England, so the result of recent efforts will
not be known for nearly twelve months yet.
Still, it may not be out of place if I put a few
facts and figures before the readers of the ree
Methodist.
* * *
“Tux local circuit income under the head of
class, ticket, and light collections (exclusive of
the Mendi Mission) amounts to £658 12s. 8d.,
an average of 4s. 9id. per member. Trust
revenue, poor fund, and special efforts amount to
nearly £260, and the missionary income is £409,
The Mendi returns will probably bring it up to
£440, which was the amount raised in 1896, an
average of 2s. 1lid. per member...”
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Page 26
“...towards the £15,000, with the brief sentence,
“ More to follow.” We heartily thank our unknown
friend.
WEST AFRICA,
Rev. J. Proudfoot writes in a most cheerful
strain in reference to our West African
Mission generally. In one of his last letters
he says, “On Friday, December 38rd, I am to
preach in connection with a new venture in a
rapidly increasing quarter of Freetown, called
Kissy Road. We have been losing members
through the trend of the population in that
direction, and during April, May, and June, in
company with Mr. Nichols, of Murray Town, and
afew Leaders in the Tabernacle Society, I was
looking out for a suitable opening. As it was
only a venture I decided to “say nothing until I
could say something.” Now, having succeeded
beyond our expectations, the Truscott Memorial
Mission is to be inaugurated on the date named
above. On Sunday, the 5th of December, the
Wesleyan General Superintendent has promised
to conduct one of the services. Land is dear, and
is rapidly increasing in...”
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Page 28
“...OUR
OUR MISSION IN NINGPO
BY FREDERICK GALPIN.
No. I.
CHINA A HOTBED OF SCANDALOUS RUMOURS.
SSGHE year 1870 opened out in its first
74 months with several signs of peace
4] and progress. On the first Sunday
of the new year I baptized seven
new Chinese members at our preach-
ing room in the city, and met with
many indications of encouragement as I travelled
MISSION IN NINGPO. 23:
Buteven amongst such good tempered audiences,
there were always a few who gave clear signs of
their sullen and hostile attitude towards foreign-
ers! And if we had paused to enquire into the
meaning of such marks of hatred and ill-will, we
should have discovered that they represented most
‘truly, the feelings of the ruling classes in China ;
and that their strong prejudice against us, made it
impossible for them to believe that any good men
came from the West. This anti-foreign feeling
usually gave expression to its thoughts in words
not addressed to us, but to the people who seemed
disposed to regard...”
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Page 29
“...24 OUR MISSION
we were charged with practices too revolting and
too offensive to mention in these pages. We also
saw statements that had been copied out of a vile
book and posted in market places, which ran
thus : “ Beware of the men from the West ! they are
provided with charms to mislead men and women,
the charm is either a white powder or a white
pill. It isa common custom for the barbarians to
hire native scoundrels who have lost all sense of
right, and have sold themselves for a few dollars.
They now act as tools and agents for the bar-
barians, who send them to put their diabolical
drugs into the wells, and other water supplies.
‘“‘ These unprincipled natives are also engaged to
kidnap boys and girls, and even men and women.
We shrink, and shudder, and tremble, as we con-
template the fate awaiting all who are victims to
the corrupt vices of these devils from the West.”
It was usual for Missionaries and others to pay
too little heed to such signs, strong in the convic-
tion of...”
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Page 30
“...physical danger—is a marked
characteristic of the Chinese. Buddhism, Taoism,
and Confucianism seem to have signally failed in
arousing that quick and active sympathy which is
such a marked characteristic of the inhabitants
of Christian countries. Does Christianity effect
a change in the conduct of the Chinese in this
respect? Undoubtedly yes! Let me tell you of
the conduct of those who profess to be Christians.
The boy who was so anxious to save the man had
been a scholar in one of our Mission schools.
Further, before we could suggest a change of
clothing, our servant brought out some of his own
clothes, and was not happy until he saw the poor
man eating some hot rice.
Another Chinese characteristic, viz., the taking
to heart of very small affairs, especially money
affairs, comes out in the story the rescued man
told. He was over sixty years of age, and had
come from his own village, a few miles from
Ningpo, to collect three dollars — about six
shillings—which a man in the city owed...”
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Page 31
“...26 LITERARY SKETCHES.
following up his request by a description of the
symptoms! He said that every night for almos
a fortnight a figure had appeared before him tha
at first assumed the form of a fly, very large and
bright in appearance. This figure gradually
changed into that of a headless man dressed in
garments of a flowered material which came and
danced before him! On being asked if the figure
had appeared to him on the previous night, when
he slept in the Mission compound, he said it had
not paid him a visit that night, a reply which was
quickly followed by one of the native Christians
saying this was because all in the compound
believed in Jesus and were not troubled by evi
spirits—for the cld man firmly believed he had
been visited by a devil. A likely solution of the
cause of the mysterious apparition, presented its-
self to our minds in the half-starved condition of
the poor man.
On being asked what his occupation was, he said
he was a maker of tinselled paper—which is used...”
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Page 32
“...the island of the same name a dis-
tance of some four miles in a north-
westerly direction, when it takes a sud-
den turn to the west, and after two and
a half miles it makes a second turn, this
time to the north.
It was at this second bend of the river, and on
the left of the west bank that the Mission station
of Msomwe was situate. The houses had been so
arranged that the village formed a large horseshoe,.
the white stone Mission house occupying a central
position. Running into the horseshoe and filling
a third or more of the space was a mangrove
swamp—in fact the village of Msomwe was sur-
rounded on three sides by swamps. These swamps
had played an important part in the history of
this Mission village, being cesspools of death to
many a white man, and for once in a while they
had served as excellent hiding places for slaves.
who crouched among the mikoko trees from their
cruel masters.
It was one hour past sunrise and the sky was
already assuming that indefinable hue which pro-
claims...”
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