ASIA

An Indian Missionary Society" This is a most important movement commenced by the native Christians. "It is (1) interdenominational, different districts to be handed over to different bodies; (2) its agents Indian; (3) its money Indian; (4) its control in the hands of Indians, with the advice of a few missionaries till well under weigh." The movement begun in South India is spreading with enthusiasm all over the land, and has reacted as a spiritual force, carrying real revival wherever it has gone. The committee of advice includes the leading native Christians and most trusted missionaries.

A Confession that Costs

A missionary of the Church of England Zenana Missionary Society tells of a native lady in India who was ordered by her father to repeat the Mohammedan confession of faith. She refused, altho a hot iron was pressed upon her bare foot as a persuasive. "I can not," she said. "You will not!" thundered her angry father, and with that he heated the iron in the fire again. Pressing the hot iron upon the other foot, he triumphantly shouted: "Now you will!" The brave woman, white to the lips from pain, answered: "No, I can not, for I am a Christian." A conclusive answer. But let us envy the sturdiness at the back of it.

Memorial Chapel

NOWGONG, Central India, Jan. 25. This afternoon a little company of praying souls gathered in the new memorial chapel raised to the memory of Louise B. Pierson, and dedicated it to God. We felt that the first service must be one of prayer only, and that it was too sacred an hour for any one to come in who did not believe in prayer, so only a little company of Christians met together -nearly all of whom knew and loved Louise and God graciously poured

out His Spirit upon us in melting power. The glory of the Lord filled the house, and for about an hour holy confusion reigned.

DELIA FISTLER.

The Greatest Prayer-Meeting in the World Is held outside the great mosque at Delhi every Friday morning. It is attended by 3,000 to 4,000 men. It is

a

very impressive sight, these throngs in that large enclosure, all gathered with the object of worshiping one God. You see all those men in the first position of prayer, then in the second, and then in the third. But not a woman there. That is the sacred enclosure, and no woman would be permitted to go inside there. Among the Hindus every woman is taught to worship. her god. She has her household gods. Men have their household gods, too. The men's gods are consecrated, but the women's gods are not, for fear she should pollute them. Mohammedanism, on the other hand, excludes women altogether; and just outside the wall of that great enclosure in which there are three or four thousand men, you might see twenty or thirty poor old women, who come to get what little crumb of comfort they can outside the wall. That is what Mohammedanism does for woman. It excludes her altogether.

REV. GREGORY MANTLE.

Washing Up After a Missionary An old woman at Jhansi, in North India, a Brahman of strictest sect, and mother of a princess who is very ill, called in Dr. Blanche Monro, of the Woman's Union Missionary Society. She dismissed the lady doctor each time with smiles, thanks, and rich rewards, then grimly ordered her servants to wash everything the. foreign lady had touched-the floor, table, chairs, her own clothes, and finally herself. After she has taken a bath, she feels pure once more. Imagine the determination required by a Brahman who dares profess faith in Christ.

Representative Cases

The Indian Witness records five

"cases" a missionary met with during a recent tour in North India. (1) Á Brahman Sadhu, educated in a mission school, a lawyer for fifteen years, disgusted with the world and with Hinduism, wants to live with Christians to learn of Christ. (2) A Mohammedan of good position, convinced of the truth of Christianity and associates with Christians, a serious "inquirer." (3) A young Banya, educated in an "unpromising" mission school, resolved while there to be a Christian, now, years after, has been baptized. (4) A young Khatri, educated in a mission school, but received apparently no conviction there, afterward met godly laymen who convinced him. On speaking somewhat timidly to his wife, she told him that she (educated herself in a mission school) knew Christianity to be true, and agreed to be baptized with him. (5) An inquirer, son of a teacher in a mission school, educated in it himself. The facts, indicated in italics, show something of what the educational missionary is doing.

The Jubilee in India

Rev. J. Sumner Stone writes: "Fifty years of work are ending in a pentecostal revival; revival; 16,434 souls were added to the Church last year. If the first fruits of this year suggest the coming harvest, fully a score of thousands will be won for Christ when the Jubilate Deo is sung in December under the shadow of the Himalayas, where William Butler, fifty years ago, opened his evangel, and Dr. Humphreys, still living, baptized the first convert.

"There is an average of 3,000 converts a year for fifty successive years. William Butler's mantle is on the shoulders of apostolic successors. Bishop Thoburn, with faith's vision undimmed, and spiritual strength unabated, summons the Church to larger gifts and more heroic deeds. He says: 'I believe if

the Church would take the lesson to heart that God is teaching us, within ten years we might have ten millions in India who are worshiping idols to-day, either within the pale of the Christian Church, or inquir-. ing the way thither. But if my own poor life is spared till I see a million gathered within our native Church in India, then I shall thank God, and falter now, with unutterable joy shall these poor feet, which shrink and walk through the gates of day.

"Ye men of business, do missions pay? In 1856 the Church sent one missionary and his wife to the field. native workers in India. In 1856 the To-day we have 4,731 American and property of the mission was reported as valued at $112.02. Now the valuation is $2,000,000. In 1857 three members and three probationers were reported. In 1906 there is a membership of 160,000, and a Christian community of 200,000. The church-membership is being increased at the rate of nearly 20,000 a year as the flying years of the new century carry us on. From their poverty the Indian Church proposes to lay on the Lord's altar this jubilee year the sum of $50,000 as a thank offering. The home Church is asked to give $200,000 that a quarter of a million dollars may be devoted as a special fund for the pushing of the campaign for Christ in Hindustan. On May 13 the collection will be taken in all the churches for this cause."

A Witness After Fifty Years September 24 was the fiftieth anniversary of Dr. Griffith John's arrival in China. Here is his testimony:

"A missionary life is the greatest of all possible lives." "If a messenger from God should come and tell me my life was to be spared for another fifty years, China should have them all." "That Inner Voice I have always obeyed it, and it has never failed me. Even when, in earlier days, going into Hu-Nan with my life in my hands, I knew no fear

return alive or not, I knew this was the will of God for me."

"I learned a great secret many years ago Never judge a man by what he says, or even by what he may do. Judge a man by what he is, what I know him to be."

to myself: The rustling leaves of the trees praise Thee. The innumerable company of songbirds praise Thee! The chapel is finished, dedicated, and occupied. We have a good many varieties of work in progress here: 2 hospitals, 3 dispensaries, 2 board

secret of happy cooperation."

China Awaking

Chinese students are still making their way to foreign lands, to study the various methods in operation and gain educational advantages. Several young men have left Nanking to study modern law in Japan, the first out of some 300 to be sent by the local authorities within the next two or three years. Forty Hunanese are to be sent at once to spend five years abroad in the study of civil engineering. Seven Chinese students of good family have reached England-three to study at the Armstrong works at Elswick, two at the government rifle factory at Enfield, and two at Kynoch's ammunition works; eight others have gone to Germany, to Krupp's works, as apprentices, and ten are cadets in the Austrian army; 228 Chinese students are already in Belgium. The emperor has ordered a large number of Chinese youths to go to England and America with promises of royal "pleasure and consideration" on their return. The Chinese Ministers in foreign countries are enjoined to exert a paternal influence over such Chinese students and to furnish financial assistance in cases of need.

Everything is Encouraging

So wrote Dr. Eleanor Chesnut, a survivor of the little band of American Presbyterians in South China martyred in October. She says:

"A babel of sounds comes in through the open window-Wong Anyong teaching hospital patients in the room below and pupils in the day school studying aloud the Three and Four Character Classics. Copying the music of the Te Deum, I say

day-schools, training class for Bible women, and outside evangelistic work. Some translation is in progress besides. Everything is encouraging. Several officials were present at the dedicatory service of the new church. Dr. Machle had 3 magnates of Lienchow all waiting in his reception room, at once, for electrical treatment last week. The church is well filled on Sundays. Christians constitute a considerable part of the audience, and there are some outsiders who are favorably inclined to Christianity.

Dr. Hunter Corbett on China

Dr. Corbett speaks out of his personal knowledge of more than forty years, probably not equaled by any other man in this country and by few, not Chinese, in the world. "I am astonished to find educated and

generally intelligent people so ill informed in regard to China and the treatment she has received from for

eign governments. Unless Congress takes some action soon in regard to our relations with China there may be very serious trouble in the inland cities and towns where foreigners, especially missionaries, live."

The treatment we have been according to merchants, scholars, students, and other Chinese, not of the coolie class, is a disgrace to our civilization, and China has been stung into a sense of resentment and retaliation that may result in grave consequences. Better treatment is now being accorded these classes at our ports in accordance with the order of President Roosevelt, whose heart is right in this matter, but past mistreatment has gone so deep into the Chinese consciousness that it may take radical measures and a long time to remove the offense.

they bless the world or menace it? The answer largely depends upon the attitude assumed by the Christian Church.-China's Millions for February.

Chinese Guests of Missionary Board

The Chinese Imperial Commissioners, Prince Tai and Viceroy Tuan, with the Chinese Minister at Washington, and part of the Chinese retinue, were entertained at a great dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria, New York, February 2, by the Missionary Boards having offices in the city. Seven hundred and fifty leading clergymen and laymen greeted the distinguished visitors. The speeches of Secretary Arthur J. Brown and others were largely wasted on the Chinese, and then Viceroy Tuan read an address in Chinese, which was read in English by his secretary, and was highly appreciative of the commissioner's reception in America. It said: "We take pleasure in bearing testimony to the part taken by American missionaries in promoting the progress of the Chinese people. They have borne the light of Western civilization into every nook and corner of the empire. They have rendered inestimable service by the laborious task of translating into the Chinese language religious and scientific works of the West. They help us to bring happiness and comfort to the poor and the suffering by the establishment of hospitals and schools. The awakening of China, which now seems to be at hand, may be traced in no small measure to the hand of the missionary. For this service you will find China not ungrateful." We may add that less than one hundred years ago Robert Morrison landed in China: now there are 3,000 missionaries and thousands of converts to Christianity.

Signs of the Times in China

A people counting one in four of the world's population; an immense territory of unlimited resources; national characteristics of an extraordinary type-sobriety, patience, indus

try, cheerfulness, resourcefulness: a national feeling powerful, tho in the past unorganized. Childish superstitions, crude arts and a cramping educational system have dwarfed its life. But their spell is broken. Industrial changes are lifting the land to a new level of material civilization. And the mind is unleashed. An intellectual revolution is on. Old educational standards are abolished; national universities in each provincial capital are supported by tributary colleges in prefectures and districts; a national press gives expression and powerful stimulus to the new life. An expanding horizon makes of China a new intellectual world. REV. T. S. BARBOUR.

Tide of Reform Setting In

But

A year or so ago the world heard that the Chinese civil service was to be reorganized on a modern basis. The world thought it a good joke. now comes the word that the first mentioned reform is actually in operation. The civil service examinations for this year deal, not with Chinese classics, but with the most practical of live problems. Candidates will be asked, among other things, to state how the resources of China can best be developed; to describe the educational systems of western countries; to speculate on the bearing of the Siberian railway and the Panama canal upon Chinese interests; to explain the meaning of free trade and protection, and to describe Herbert Spencer's views on sociology.

Growth of the Y. M. C. A. in Japan

It started about twenty years ago, and is now divided into two partsnine city associations in some of the largest cities and fifty-six student associations in government and other colleges and universities. The pastors find it difficult to get the nonChristians to their services, so their conversion depends very largely on the Christian students. The Student Young Men's Christian Association Union of Japan joined the World's Student Christian Federation some years ago, and the Rev. K. Ibuka, the