NORTH CHINA MISSION

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 31, 1893

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 19, No. 38.

NORTH CHINA MISSION.

MR. CHAPIN, writing from Lin Ching, April 8, reports a visit made by himself and his medical assistant, Mr. Chou, at two villages to which they went for the purpose of looking after some patients who had been in the Lin Ching Hospital, and who had manifested some special religious interest. At one of the villages they met two of their former patients who now manifested no special interest, but at Wang-kuang-Tun they were surprised and delighted at the attitude of some of the patients who had been treated and also at the hundreds and even thousands who came to see and hear and be cured. Mr. Chapin says:—

"In many respects this tour was the most remarkable that I ever made. Mr. Chou, a keen, shrewd young Chinaman, who usually takes in the situation at a glance, here failed to show his wonted sagacity by predicting that we would remain there at the longest not more than two days, whereas we stayed nine days, and then came away only because we had an engagement to fill elsewhere. It should be said here that many from this region have come to our hospital for treatment and consequently these were prepared to give a welcome. But not these alone; everywhere I went, in place of the reviling sure to be heard in a new place where foreigners have been but seldom, there were shown the utmost kindness and courtesy. The villages around Pang Chuang, where the missionaries are held in such high estimation, are not wont to display more good feeling than I received on this occasion.

"Owing to this attitude of the people we were able to do more than the usual amount of preaching. Services were held every evening at the inn, and our room was crowded with listeners. Mr. Chi, who joined us the second week and who remained to carry on the work after we left, soon preached himself hoarse. Tracts sold readily. Many knew something of the gospel before we went there, having heard it from those who had been at the hospital. One of the latter devoted the entire time while we were there to hunting up those who were interested and persuading them to accept the truth.

"As a result of this visit, upward of forty men have expressed a wish to join the church. That, however, must come later. Most of these inquirers are unable to read, and with our limited force of workers it will be a matter of great difficulty to give them the necessary instruction; but in one way or another it must be done. Another feature of the work was the number of patients, more than double the number treated at Chung Meng in the same time."

"On this trip I learned for the first time that there are in this part of China a number of 'counterfeit' foreigners. I was myself taken to be one of that class, because of an ability to make myself understood in Chinese. It seems that one or more enterprising Celestials have gone into the work of dispensing medicines, after the manner of the American physician. Usually two or three men go together. One of these dresses in foreign costume and talks a gibberish which is not understood by the natives and so passes for a foreign language. In imitation of American physicians all medicine is given away, but unlike that fraternity the bogus representative of America is quite willing to receive contributions of grain to feed the animal which helps convey him from village to village. In consequence grain pours in upon him by the quantity. This is disposed of by a confederate at the nearest fair, and then Ah Sin departs 'for fresh fields and pastures new.'"—Missionary Herald.