The Chinese Minion.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 9157, 29 September 1898, Page 4

The Chinese Minion.

AN INTERESTING MEETING. • There was a large attendance at the Mary street Congregational, Church on Tuesday night to hear Miss Peters, of the New Zealand Baptist Indian Mission,' and Dr. _ Selwj n, of the London Mission Society ■■ ' 1/ prayer by the Rev. Ji Mac. keozie, jMiss Peters spoke. She was dressdd in the costume of an. Indian lady.; ; She said that in the opinion of miuiy ''ihere • was: a grdat ami. of romance about a missionary's life, but she could assume them that the ; reality had' very little romance tin it. Still notwithstanding its, many discomforts amd' even hardship, J the saying was quite trueOhbe a'missionary, always a missionary.": The women are the greatest sufferers through heathenism, aud yet are the bulwark of heathen worship, for the men often,leave them to perform its'rites and ceremonies. Education had little if any effect in winning, the people irom their 1 idols. Nothing but tne reception of the Scriptures was sufficient for this. Miss Peters finished her brief, but excellent address, by singing ! a native hymn, Miss Williams then rendered the solo from the Messiah " How beautiful are the feet ofthem that preach the gospel of peace'• very beautifully. At this • stage Mr Willie Wing, on behalf of the Chinamen residing at the Thames, gave a congratulatory speech: of welcome. !He siaid they had taken a deep interest in the addresses of Miss Peters, but were specially moved' by Dr. MacParlane's visit. Dr. McFarlane gave I)is ■ address from the top of a table, in order that he might see and be seen to greater advautage. He was dressed in full Chinese' costume, even to the peculiar shoes and ,pig tail, or more properly, queue, down hisback. He explained that his costume was that of an ordinary gentleman. . ' After explaining in humorotis fashion how contrary to ours were_ many ot their; customs, such as shaking their own hands instead of each other's when they met each pthet in .the street. They wear white for mourning, A scholar turns his back to his teacher when sayihg his lessons etc, etc, From;!-capacious pockets] capab'e of holding a' small»baby, he dre\y; .many' interesting things such as chop-sticks, a bridal dress, a piece of pchwkjdone' iff a native school shoes worn by Chinese wcraen etc. etc. Dr. Farlane's" work was near a city pronounced Gie-joe. "It was an agricultural district with a large population, where be' ! and his'wife, with two. others had'laboured there for the last 10 years. There .waß»great: ; difficulty in dealing with -tlie peOple for> they could not sing, it^wasiio use sayihg "let us pray" for„ they, could not understand, they knew nothing of the jbible, so it was no ifse reading the' scriptures. Teaching riiast-therefore' individually. After'^i^rin^' ! a group of. people by asking some one what his- honoiiFable name, he replies fi My itrlworthy is So and So/' and thus commences 'a conversation, and so you go : oti :: from one to another. He told an interesting story l of seven young men whej I 'while on a visit to Pekin, heard the gospel for the first time -in thir wav t 'Dr-Aitken was the missionary, and all these young men became true converts;'aiid'iid r their turn theyiaughl their ' neighbors.. After ten years' experience; ! with the people, lie could testify l 'that the Chinese, if kindly treated, are the 'jolliesfc and "most friendly people' you could have anything; to do;/with.' Medical' missions were a great power, and opened many a " door and many a heart. They had ioira hospital with 60 beds, 25 of which were for women. They, had now a church of 542 members, for they always kept the gospel to the front, even medical work must be second to this. They had'five sohools, )ne of them being for the training )f native medical students. The gong irhich summoned them to the various luties of the day was the gift of a: Mandarin, who' had been ourod by heir treatment, He then desoribed; he duties of an ordinary day, one item! )eing : half-past two to five, surgical! iperations, the native doctors knowing lothing of surgery, Eighty per cent.! )f his operations were upon the eye. [n conclusion, the Doctor made an sarnest appeal to his audience for heir sympathy and prayers. His iddress was deeply interesting throughout, sometimes humorous, at other hues pathetic, as ho told of the roubles of the natives or of his own, inch as the loss hy death of three of lis children out of five, Yet he loved he work, and 'should hasten back to it is quickly possible..... A hearty vote of thanks by acclamaion was passed to the Dootor and Wiss Peters for their addressos.

The Southland Education Board has decided to increase the capitation allowance to oommittee from 2s 6d to 3s Bd, and in the case of aided sohools from 5s to 10s. A oaele ; from Madrid states that the Spanish Government has decided to instruot its representatives on the Peace Comtrtissioii to resist the eeasiop of the Fhil'ppincs,