One bright day last May we were coming down the Hwai River. The brightness of the day was in marked contrast to the spiritual darkness and terrible needs of the people surrounding us for hundreds of miles. We had almost forgotten, for the moment, the misery and distress among the people, but their sad condition was forcibly brought to mind as we sailed past a village. Here were gathered hundreds of people, eagerly waiting for something, we knew not what. Looking ahead of us, we saw hundreds of Chinese coming from every direction. As far as we could see, men, women, and children were hurrying as fast as they could toward the village. Boats of many descriptions were also going to the village, crowded as one never saw boats crowded anywhere else. Mile after mile we saw crowds of Chinese, all hastening in the same direction. The people were going to this village, I found, to obtain a few pennies, given them by the government, with which to buy rice to keep from starving.
This spring was a very hard time in China. In places rice and wheat were scarce, and what could be had was very expensive; starvation was spreading. For this reason there were riots in many places, as in Hankow and Chang-sha. In our vicinity, in the province of Anhwei, we noticed much distress. Many committed suicide. One whole family of eight persons ended their lives by putting poison into their food. Women were willing to sell their children for almost nothing. One woman came into our compound, and wanted to sell her child to my wife for about five dollars, in order that she might buy food. To be relieved of caring for their children, many kill them, and throw them away. The first day we arrived at our station, last spring, I saw a little girl about three years old, who had evidently been struck in the head, and thrown into the hole in which I saw her. She had no clothes on, and her bruised face in the cold clutches of death, looking up at mine, was a chilling picture of the distress in this land.
Coming down the river, we saw a dead man's body. A dog was chewing at his head; and, gruesome as the sight was, a woman near by, washing clothes, only laughed and pointed to it as she noticed the astonished expression on our faces. These things are the effect of long centuries of heathenism. But the Lord has some jewels in this dark land. Isaiah saw that some would come from China, and exclaimed, “Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth.”
Our station is located at Ying Shang Hsien, in the province of Anhwei. It was recently opened by Pastor Han, who accepted the truth by reading our papers. Through this man's influence, we now have a company of twenty-five Sabbath-keepers. Ying Shang Hsien is about four hundred miles northwest from Shanghai. It takes from twelve days to three weeks to reach there by boat. Traveling is slow, and not very comfortable; but one has the happiness of knowing that he is on his way to his place of duty. For nearly two months we lived in a typical Chinese house, with a straw roof full of bugs, and a cold, damp brick floor. There were no windows, except two square holes in one wall, which were covered with thin paper. Many times we had to light a lamp during the day, in order to study. We were alone among the Chinese, with not a person who could speak English. For nearly three months we did not see a foreigner, nor hear an English word spoken, except as my wife and I talked together. But we were happier than we ever had been before.
We now have a Chinese house fitted up with doors, windows, and a floor. This is more comfortable. We live in the midst of a Chinese city, filthier than an American can imagine. Under such conditions as these, many missionaries have sickened and died, or been forced to leave the field.
GROUP OF BELIEVERS ATTENDING A GENERAL MEETING IN NORTHERN CHILE
The $300,000 Fund is truly a life-saving fund. Not only will it save the lives of our missionaries, but by saving them to the work, it will save others to the message. Brethren, if you can not have an active part in saving souls in China, give of your means, which will also do much good.
