I HAVE just returned from a trip to Tsung Ming, a large island in the mouth of the Yang-tze-kiang. I had planned to start for the island on Wednesday, having previously consulted the time-table to ascertain upon which days the boats went to Tsung Ming. However, upon arriving at the wharf to take the boat, I was informed that as this is a “small month,” the boat schedule is not in effect as usual, and consequently the boat would not leave until the next day.
About the middle of the following forenoon we left Shanghai, and arrived at Tsung Ming at five o’clock in the afternoon. I found conditions there much different than I had expected. Although there are several steamboat lines connecting with the mainland, and one would expect to find things reasonably modern, the state of civilization is about what it was ten or fifteen years ago, before China was open to foreign influences as it has been for the past few years.
As soon as I landed, men, women, and children began to flock about me, and followed me to the inn. And they did not stop at the door of the inn, nor even at the door to my room, but crowded in so closely that I could scarcely get my bed prepared for the night, though I was tired and wished to retire early. However, after their curiosity had been satisfied to some extent, I was able to persuade them to allow me to retire.
I was just getting nicely settled when I was visited by the police and some soldiers, who wanted to know what my business was and when I expected to leave. They also asked to see my passport, which I had not thought necessary to take along, Tsung Ming being such a short distance from Shanghai. I assured them that I would make no trouble, and upon my statement that I expected to leave the island the next day, they consented to take their departure.
We had had a colporteur at Tsung Ming for some time, so the few matters I had to attend to were easily disposed of. Among these was the securing of a building for a permanent chapel and evangelist’s quarters.
Ours is the only Protestant mission on the island at the present time, so we consider this a most desirable opening. Having established our work at Tsung Ming, we shall be able to scatter our literature in the cities on the north side of the river, and thus gradually prepare the way for an evangelist to open a chapel and publicly teach the gospel there.
The Lord has greatly blessed our literature workers during the past few months. Our sale of the Chinese Signs alone has increased more than sixfold. One of our colporteurs often sells as many as fifteen hundred copies of the monthly issue of this paper, on the streets of Shanghai and other large cities.
GROUP OF WOMEN ATTENDING A BIBLE INSTITUTE CONDUCTED BY SISTER B. MILLER
We have recently moved two of our station chapels into better buildings, located nearer our believers; but we are still in very undesirable quarters at Kading. One of our people there has recently given a large plot of ground in the heart of the city, on which to erect a chapel, school, and rooms for the evangelist and teachers. The transfer of the title has already been made, and registered in the American consulate. All that prevents our having a clean, light building for our meetings is the lack of funds with which to build it. We are hoping that money for this purpose will be forthcoming soon after the first of the year. Our landlord evidently thinks we are permanently located where we are, as he has recently doubled our rent. We are unable to better ourselves in any rented quarters, so we must remain until we can move into our own premises.
The future promises steady growth for our work in this mission. We now have more openings than our laborers can fill. In one large inland city there are more than ten new believers who are calling for a worker to come and teach them more fully the truths of our message. I have just received a letter saying they were making arrangements to provide a small meeting place where they can gather for their Sabbath services.
Thus far this year, we have baptized twenty-seven new members, and we have a class of twenty-five who are preparing for baptism. Half this number will, doubtless, receive this rite before the close of the year.
