In company with Brother P. J. Laird, who has had charge of our work in Chang-sha for several years, the writer visited that city about three weeks after the riot. We arrived after dark, and upon entering the city found things quiet, and business resumed in about as normal a way as we could expect.
We went to Brother Wu's house, where we were heartily welcomed. There we had a visit with the brethren before going to the mission compound. When the workers were driven from the mission, Brother Wu took them to his home, and cared for them in a truly Christian way, though he had but lately accepted the truth. He came directly from heathenism, and was an opium smoker. Both he and his wife are earnest Christians.
The brethren took us to the compound, where we found two soldiers, who were there to see that we were not molested. The accompanying illustration will give an idea of the appearance of most of the house as it looked the next morning. A great deal had been cleared up, so we could not tell just how it looked when the rioters left. The furniture was nearly all broken beyond repair. Several of the partitions between the rooms were broken out, and I think there was only one small window left whole in the house. Books, papers, eatables, broken glass, etc., were strewn all over the compound.
But we were more fortunate than many other missions. The large library was not seriously damaged. Though the books were strewn around, few were missing. Quite a quantity of drugs was usable. When we compare our losses with those of other missions, we thank God the Lord, and feel like pressing on more earnestly than ever before to give the message to these poor people.
Brother and Sister Laird lost the larger part of their clothes, dishes, etc., though the native brethren did noble service in saving the most valuable part of the goods. They even saved the mission property to the neglect and loss of their own. Of course the mission property was more valuable; but their action showed an excellent spirit.
On Sabbath we held a service with the church. Brother Huang, our native evangelist, preached. There seems to be an earnest spirit among the brethren. They are doing good work with our literature, even since Brother and Sister Laird went away. Brother Huang says there are still others who want to come and study the truth with him.
VIEW ACROSS THE COURT INTO BROTHER LAIRD'S STUDY. BETWEEN THE CROSSES A PARTITION WAS TORN OUT BY THE RIOTERS
Several of the other missions were both looted and burned, while others were only looted and smashed up. Only two small missions entirely escaped harm.
Besides all the loss in mission property, two or three fine Chinese government schools were also destroyed. The shore offices, godowns, and hulks of two large shipping companies were burned, cargoes and all. One shipping company was spared, the Japanese company, though I have since learned that the greater part of the capital in this company belonged to the Chinese. That is probably the reason it was spared. The indemnity asked will, no doubt, be very large; and when it is made known, it may cause more trouble.
We feel that the work in Hunan needs your prayers, especially at this time, that God may bless and sustain our native brethren, and that nothing may be lost on account of their being temporarily without foreign help. We pray that this crisis may even be to the furtherance of the work in Hunan, and thus help to hasten the Lord's appearing.
