THE C.I.M.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 17, 3 May 1895, Page 6

THE C.I.M.

AT A MISSIONARY MEETING IN GOEJE. fßr One Who Was Thbbe.] Missionary enterprise is no new thing. The Apostles began the movement : it was thus Christianity gradually spread all over the Roman Empire. The travels of the Crusaders are known to every Bcbnolboy. Tho Dominicans and Franciscans, then new orders, went among the Mussulmans in the thirteenth century; and, Boon after, theBaal; was looked at from afar by Old World evangelists, who, however, were baffled by persecution in their efforts to get into touch with the people of Tartary, Thibet, and China. Then America was discovered, and the missionary turned his attention with enthusiasm to the New World. "When the way had bean prepared by tbe Spanish and Portugese armies, a crowd of friara of all orders 6et out for the West Indies, Mexico, Peru and Brazil, to spread Catholicism." Id tbe sixteenth century Francis Xavier, a celebrated Jesuit, headed a band that wont to India. Next, Japan was invaded, but after a 30 years' heroic struggle, persecution beat the preachers away. Towards the end of tbe sixteenth century " Father Kicci, of the brotherhood of Jesus, penetrated to Peking, and succeeded in gaining a firm footing, with the consent of the Chinese Emperor." Eventually, however, trouble arose— although earlier successes were considerable—and at length, in the early part of tho seveateenth century, the Boman Catholic missionaries were banished from the Flowery Land. Nothing daunted, aggressive action was again attcmDted, and in the second part of tbe oeventeenth century we find these indomitable Catholic pioneers sprain in China — though what success their efforts attained we cannot definitely say. The first foreign Protestant mission is believed to have been 1o Brazil in 1555. In 1620 John Eliot taught tho North America!] Indians. In the eighteenth century England was in lhe van in propagating societies " having for their object to search oat suitable places and means for the diffusion of the Christian faith as it is held by Pro fastants." The S.P.O.K. (nn Anglican institution) was founded in 1698, for whicJ body John Wesley labored iv the Southern State 3 of America in 1785-37. The Wesleyans sent abroad their first mission in 1786 — Dr Coke's party going to the West Indies. The Baptist Missionary Society was founded by Carey in 1792, who close India as his field. Three years later the London Missionary Society first saw light, an<i set to work among the islanders of the Pacific* In 1796 the Scotob Missionary Society was founded, and its first mission was among the Tartars, near the S.E. boundary of Bussia. The Church Missionary Society (Anglican), founded in 1779, confined (and still does) its operations ho Africa. The Established Church of Scotland sent Dr Duff as their first missionary to Calcutta ; the Free and U.P. Churches were not slow in following in the wake. The advent of the nineteenth century gave a great impetus to missionary enterprise, and the names of th?se societies to -day are legion ***** Many present residents of Southland who were here io the early '60s will remember Mr Henry Young, a gentleman who owned the Krme Dale station, near Riverton. In 1870 Mr Young also acquired the Otapiri station, on the Waimea Plains, lying between the Five Rivers and Glenure stations. Two ot his sons managed Otapiri, and the third Ernie Dale. In 1876 Mr Youcg, having disposed of his Southland properties, left the colony, and with bis family took up his residence iv Queensland. He eventually died in England ; his wife had predeceased him by fome years in Invercargill. One of his sonc, Mr Horace Young, has for many years owned a sugar plantation in Queensland, on which he employs a large amount oE Kanaka labor. There' are over 10,000 Kanakas thus employed in that colony. Miss F. Young (whj will coma into more prominence later in this sketch), a sister of Mr Horace Youns, lived aa the plantation with her brother. She and her eister-iu law, Mrs H. Young, became interested in tbe welfare of the Kanaka " boys " on the plantation. That was 13 years ago. They applied themselves for years to teaching tho dark skins the truths of the Gospel ; and, further, as a result of the ladies effort?, in January, 1867, a missionary was equipped to work among the Kanakas in Queeusland, and a second one in August of the same year. To-day, there is an average attendance at tho weekly classes of 2000 Kanakas, of whom over 900 have been baptized, Four years ago Miss Young, who3e life was now entirely devoted to mission work, was accepted as a worker in the China Inland Mission. The lady, by the bye, is a sister-in-law of Dr Deck, who was formerly a wellknown medico in Inveic&f gill (whose brother Air Samuel Deck, did much to draw attention to the beauties of Stewart Island, but waa formerly a dentist in practice in Invcrcargill). Miss E. Bavin (whose name also will figure prominently throughout this sketch) was born in New Zealand. Her father is Eev, Eaiueford Bavin, for mnny years a leading Wesleyan minister in New Zealand, but now located in Sydney. This lady's firat missionary experience was gained at Tonga, in thu South Sea Islands. After spending a year there, she waß accepted for work on the C.1.M., whe-e, like Miss Young, she has spent fnur years. Failing health necessitated Miss Bay.a seeking a change from the malarious climate of the Chineee rice-growing province in which she was working. Hence her present furlough} in which she is accompanied by Miss Young. ***** " The ladies will appear in Chinese drese, Admisaion me and no collection." There is magic in such aa announcement, It packed the local Weeleyan church on Wednesday evening, despite tho unfavorable weather, The people assembled to bear addresses by Misses Young and Bavin on •• MiEsiou Work in China." At 8 o'clock tho ladies emerged from the vestry, and took their seats on the pulpit rostrum. For the information of the fair sex, I may be permitted to append a description of the costume worn by each lady :— Miss Bavin was attired in a hundred-pleated skirt of black cashmere ; her upper tunic was of lilac-colored grass cloth, with dark trimmings, fastened on the right aido from the ahoulder downwards with real Chinese knots; the sleeves were very wide ; she wore a Chinese head-dresa of black silk crape j embroidered shoes of black eatin, and white cotton hose, Miss Young's ekirt was of black figured silk, made in plain style ; upper tunic of blue cotton, piped with black, fastened on the right side ; sleeves wide; embroidered black cotton shoes, and white ho3C Neither lady wore hat or gloves, as such would not be in keeping with the canoDß of Celestial etiquette. The opening preliminaries were bridly conducted by Key. W, Tintley. * * # * * " Dear friends, would you like us to eirg you a Chinese hymn?" was the simple manner, with winsome voice, in which Miss ISavin introduced herself, her companion, and her cubject to the audience. " We f ll sing you one which we found a ereat favorite in our Chinese meetings." lioth ladies then sang a Chinese hymn, to thd inspiriting tune which local Sundayschool boys and girls are familiar with, it being set to the tune accompanying the hymn "We're marching onward, singing as we go." For the benefit of young people desirous of learning by heart a specimen of pure Chinese, I append the first veisc in till its native idiom :— Omen ru-kin tseo clme t'ien-t'iuig till lv C'liuo ih-pei-tf>lf, 11a ili-pei-tsi' tv teh full O iao uea cliouf? p'ong-iu h»o-ti vi hu»ru X'en pull k'wi t'ouß tseo clme ih lv 'iViiig ni ]ai k'uui k'nai Jni Hsioli clme tuo, sliili-tsai lino Tseo chae lv nen^ foil full Ifeug i kiu slii n;n-tih miug. ( (ltepeat first four lines for Chorus.)

' The translation into English is as fol • lows :— > We are now walking this heavenly road During this lifetime and that lifetime to obtain happiness. I want to a?k all friends, " How is it with you at Che bottom t Are you wiling or not willing to walk with us j this read ? ' Please come, quickly come. Learn this doctrine, certainly good. ■> Walk this road to obtain happiness I It is able to save the lives of men. This selection was rapturously received* Observe the expressive beauty as emphasised in tho third lina : " How is it with you, at the bottom I "— meaning, for instance, " in the bedrock of your heart." miss bavin's addrkss. Then Miss Bavin went on to narrate, iv simple, telling fashion, why eha and others , had gone to China. The secret was in four words : " I believe ; I belong "—in God and to God, It was not because they liked tbe idea of going • there was no joy in such circuo?3tanc3 j but when they were away in that vast empire, all alone, they were very near God ; it was then they learned more than ever how trustworthy He was, and felt what a joy ib was to Berve Him. Some people said it was better to let tbe Chinese remain as they were. They talked about tbe Light of Asia ; bnt. there was no Buch Light, God never said to leave them abne ; and it, was because they believed in His promise that they went to that heathen laud. There was gnat need for Light there; they were really living in the shadow, ia tho darkness of heathendom. Such sad, sad lives 1 It was about threo nod a-half years ago since she aod Miss Young pined the 0.1.M. First of all they went to Shanghai, where they robed themselves as Chinese women, and they did not discard that attire again J until they recently left for Australasia. It would not be safe, in some parts, to appear otherwise than in Chinese dress ; besides, it nerved their purpose o£ more readily ingratiating themselves into the hearts of the people. Leaving Shanghai, they went up tk i STang Tsi river, and afterwards the Grand Canal, to the city of Yang Chau, with a Dopulaiion of 565,000. Here ia a training nome for C.I.M. ladic3. After studying at Yang Chau for six months, they were "designated'' — i.e., sent to thoir several stations. These stations extend over tbe vast empire in all directions— from north to south, east to weßt. They (Misses Young and Bavin) were " designated " to the pro» vinra of Kiang Si, with a population of 18 millions. Kiang Si is to tbe south of the Yang Tai river. To reach that province they first went up the river Yang Tsi in a large steamer to Kiu Kiang, then by a slow boat over the P'o Yang lake, and next up the Koang gin river, on which is established a chain of C.I.M. stations, Th?ir ultimate destination was Kuei K'i, a walled city on the Kuang Sin. From where they lived, to tbe next station where Europeans were, was a week'a journey. How did they like it? Well, ag Mr Hudson Taylor, the founder of tho 0.1. M. had i-ud :•' They were pot alone. Tho Lord of Hosts was with them." They lived in the bearfc o£ tho city in a S.roomed tenement. There was a large room in the centre of the hause, in which they held their meetings, and four smaller ones for classes, etc. There were no panes in Chinese windows — they weie m?rely ba;red apertures, with a paper covering in winter; neither did the house have wooden floors. •' We must go slowly in China, 1 ' said Miss Bavin ; but by dint of perseverance, they first of all were allowed to introduce wooden floors to their rooms, und afcciwards panes of glass to the windows. The bouses do not contain fireplaces either, although the climate oi the summer and winter seasons is extreme. As they itinerated from place to place, the natives flocked in crowds in the newly-opened towns ; at the older established stations they came and went as they ploased, open house being always kept. The anti»forolgn feeling was pronounced in some parts, and they had always to be tictful in order not to rouse the natural'y suspicious character of the natives, They (tbe missionaries) travelled from place to place either by sedan chair or wheelbarrow — generally the ktter mode — an 3 a Chiceso conld wheel them in a barrow 25 mileß in one day. The " Foreign Devils " wes a name frequently applied to them by these superstitious people ; and a person, no matter how y<?ung, with fair hair and light eyep, was everywhere regarded as being very old. They thought people with light eyes were blind. None of the women, except a few of tho better class, could read or write; they were very degraded. Infanticide wa9 fearfully rife. The female children only ware murdered, the males being always saved. The speaker knew of one woman who gave birth to 22 girls, of whom she murdered 20 one after another in their infancy. At this stage a fac simile of a Chinese lady's foot was exhibited. It was not more than four inches long, and pointed somewhat like the horn of an anvil at the part where tho toes " ought to be" The cruel fashion of deforming a female's feet was explained. It was generally done in infancy; the four smaller toes being bandaged tightly under the foot, and kept in that position ever after. In cases where mothers had neglected to bandage their girls until they wero four or five years of age, the bones invariably had to be broken. Often the poor children suffered exquisite torture, from whiou they were never free the rest of their lives. So strongly was the fashion of having Bmall feet regarded in China, that girls have been known to break the bones of their feofc, to allow of bandaging, rather than they should Puffer the indignity of possessing big feet, When Misses Young and Bavin walked our, the people often said of their feet : "Look at fche boats 1 " The young girls wore generally betrothed when of tender years— which often as not meant they had henceforth to live with their future mothers-in-law a life ef drudgery. Ib was no rare thing to hear one of these betrothed girls declare, •• To live is to eat bitterness," and in tho end alfcsmpfc to do away with herself. The Chinese beliove they have three souls, and that when they die, one of their souls comes back to earth, to torment those who have wronged them ia any way. " Do not say these women do not need the Gospel," urged Mibb Bavin. If tho doubters could only sea how these women** faces light up on hearing tbe joyful news, they would be convinced of the truth of the words : " All who look at the Lord have a light in their face." That was absolutely and literally trua of converted Chinese women. Nowhore waß the power of G-od'a spirit more manifest. MISS YOUNG'S ADDBESS. Miss Young hit tho nail on the head when she commenced her address in unhesitating tones, with " The China Inland Mission ia a wonderful witness to the reality of the God in whom we trust." Did anyono want proof P Well, here it was. The O. I. M. movetaont was started in 1865, by Mr Hudson Taylor, a returned Chinese Missionary. Until 1865 all the 91 Protestant missionaries in China were working at or near the sea* ooast districts, 11 out of the 18 provinces of the empire being untouched. Taylor was a poor man, but by God's help he started the C. I. M. He was avewe to collections, pave no salarieß, and contracted no debts. Yet money was sent in all the same towards the mießion. Each worker had to put his or her faith in God for their daily needs— just as did tho Israelites in the wilderness when fed on manna, and Elijah, fed by ravens. Tbe C.I.M. was undenominational, or rather interdenominational : in China they got wonderfully alike j it wag a grand place for pptting the corners of sectarianism rubbed < ff. "Or c thing," said Misg Young, " we c mfc do in China with a mutilatsd Bible. It needs to be God's word, and not man's." They had put this abundantly to the tost, and found it true. To-day, there were only two provinces where mission stations wore not established. There were 306 stations and outposts, 650 foreign missionaries, and 261 native workers. Tho income last year from ull sources wna 14)3,000, which wan made go as far as possible ; the sum of LSO a year would support one miceiouary. And tlwa

bad the 0. 1. M. grown, and been one long story of God's faithfulness. 11 If any person present does not believe in > the power of that Got! who will supply every need," said Miss YouDg, " let him try and raise L 4.300 for some fad, without: collections cr bazaar?, or any extraneotiß aid." Ther, after a deliberate pause, came her challenge, •'You can't." A string of coins was here exhibited, also a Chinese purse. The coins— "cah" tbev are called— are of Email value, 1061 of them being worth no more than 2s. The number of converts up to last year was 4700. The members of the C.I. M. numbered nearly cn>hal£ of all the mißßionniieß in China. There are a million people dying every month in China. Just let them think of that 1 One million 1 Djing without God I One million ! They had not given their addresses for the ' i mere amusement or entertainment of those assembled. Their mission and their reason i for giving their addresses to Dnglish^speaking people, was something more awfully real than that. Let them get into God's presence, and ask themselves, What were they doing for the poor idolatrous Chinese 1 What were they doing for God ? ♦ # # * * Then the meeting closed ; the audience broke up, and I went home convinced that these young women were noble examples of the many heross and heroines who have given their lives in order to rescue the perishing.