THE EMPRESS DOWAGER'S GIFT TO MISSIONS.
WHEN the announcement was made some weeks ago that a gift of 10,000 taels (£1,400) had been made by the Empress Dowager of China to the funds of the new Union Medical College at Peking, the news was received with some incredulity. The fact has now been confirmed by Dr. Cochrane, who gives an interesting account of the circumstances leading up to this munificent gift. It appears that the suggestion of appealing to the empress was first made by the British Minister, Sir Ernest Satow, who has taken a warm interest in the whole scheme, and has himself given 1,000 taels to the fund. With the aid of a friendly Chinese official, a statement of the aims and needs of the medical college was carefully drawn up. This was sent to Prince Ch’ing, with a covering letter from Sir Ernest, asking that the matter might be brought before the notice of the empress, and vouching for the worthiness of the object. The result was a check for 10,000 taels. Dr. Cochrane ascribes the success of the appeal largely to the fact that the medical mission has for many years rendered occasional service to the officials of the palace. The head eunuch, whose power is very great, is on friendly terms with the mission, and promised to use his influence if an opportunity offered. It need hardly be said that the missionaries are profoundly thankful, not only for the gift itself, but for the indications which it suggests of a changed attitude on the part of the empress toward missionary work and for the influence which such an example will exert in official circles throughout the empire.—London Chronicle.