them. How glad the welcome! Far away they could see the Yak tail waving and the helmeted figure sitting so erect drawing nearer and nearer until the glad moment was reached when the father dismounting, both the children were put in his place on the saddle and so rode proudly to the door of the little cottage on the steep hill, while the carter would bring up the rear with bags of needed supplies and no doubt the longed for home mail, always so welcome.

"Of such is the kingdom of heaven":
No glory that ever was shed,
From the crowning star of the seven
That crowned the north world's head,
No word that ever was spoken

Of human or godlike tongue,

Gave ever such godlike token

Since human harps were strung.

-Swinburne.

We have known sorrow-haply know it still;
Let us give reverent thanks that there is One
Whose strength unfailing and whose loving will
We all may lean upon!

-Scollard.

VIII

OUT OF THE DEPTHS

TO MEDINA FRIENDS:

Peking, March 2, 1893.

To-day I sit down to write you with a heavy heart and eyes weary with weeping. The dread destroyer has entered our home, and our dear and only daughter has gone to her long, long home. Her long battle with diphtheria ended at 9:30 o'clock, February 27th. It seems hardly possible that this strong, hearty and laughing girl is no more on earth. The pestilence is abroad in this dirty city, and loving a shining mark, it struck down our beloved one. Great grace has been given us to bear up under this terrible blow though it seemed to me for a while as though I could not breathe; but light is dawning and God never seemed more near or more gracious than at the present time. Kind friends have ministered to our comfort. The funeral was one of the most largely attended in Peking, and lovely flowers now cover Emily's sleeping place. But she is not there in the cold ground; she is basking in the light of the Saviour's presence. She is better there. Some of the friends in Medina will remember the little laughing maiden who loved all and was loved of all. Medina was the only place in the United States which she remembered, and often she mentioned it in her prayers. was not yet nine years old, but being large and strong was often taken to be much older. She was also quite mature and already had her class of little Chinese girls in Sunday-school.

She

Her Chinese friends offered many prayers for her recovery and now weep bitter tears at her departure. One foreign friend who knew of her love for the little girls comes forward and offers to give one hundred dollars towards founding a memorial school to continue the work she had begun. What pleasure this gives us and I trust the enterprise will not fail for lack of support. May it be true of her "she being dead yet speaketh." Dear child; she was an unspeakable comfort to her mother, entering sympathetically into all her plans for the Chinese and being a great support because of her unfailing good cheer and happiness. But now all this energy and strength can be put to the divinest service with the Master at hand. What advantage she will have that she could not have on this earth! Such a life may end physically but not in its moral influence and personality. I find myself trying to reproduce it by increased activity and great love in my lines of work. Little Willie, five years old, is still left to us, but he is not robust and in this malarial and pestilential atmosphere the odds seem to be against him in the struggle for life. But he belongs to God and we resign him to His Fatherly protection, and rest in that. He says he is so lonesome. A kind friend gave him to-day two white rabbits much to the joy of his heart.

Our work is progressing as well as could be expected. Heathenism presses down with awful weight and no human power can move it. But God can and He is. The spreading of the Gospel is bringing forth fruits apparent to all, none more apparent than the increasing disposition of the Chinese to contribute for the support of the church. Our mission college has just received quite a fine sum of money, and now we can put up appropriate buildings and proceed to have a large and flourishing school. Two hundred Christian Swedes are en route for North China to engage in mission work. China must be converted and we must all do our share. Keep the missionary spirit warm in your endeavor society, for that is the secret of sure growth, to pray and work for the world as Christ did. Yours in Christian sympathy,

W. S. AMENT.

Peking, March 21, 1893.

MY VERY DEAR MISS SCHIRMER:

Your long and lovely letter was like water to a thirsty soul and gives me a sense of fullness which I have not experi

enced for many a day. The news of the dear old friends revived all the sweet memories of long ago when we had such unselfish association in the great city. I have here not formed such relations. All persons here are busy with their appointed tasks, representing different missionary societies, and with different methods of work. Most of them are young, able people, and there is very little you can do for them, and you know as well as I that there is no genuine love between people where there is no sacrifice on the one side or the other. The Chinese are much dearer to me than all the foreigners put together, for the very reason perhaps that I invest my heart in them.

And now I can wait no longer to tell you of the great grief that has come into our lives and from which Mary and I are slowly recovering, if that is ever possible. Diphtheria has been raging in the city. Our children had always been so well and strong that we had almost ceased to be anxious about them. On Sunday, February 19th, our dear little Emily complained of feeling feverish and of pain in her throat. Smallpox was also in the city and we called a doctor and had her examined that evening. But on Wednesday, on looking into her throat, the doctor saw white spots which made him anxious, and on Thursday he pronounced it diphtheria. Emily was isolated at once and Mary and Miss Russell took their places at her bedside, and worked like heroes that they are for the dear life that was so precious to us and her many friends. Gangrene developed. Our hopes gradually sank. Oh, how we prayed for the dear child! She was as patient as an angel. The doctor said she was the sweetest little patient he ever saw. Emily called him "My little doctor." Everything was done that medical science could suggest. You know what a horribly insidious disease it is. Her heart was involved and began to beat irregularly. I was ordered out of the room, but I hung around the door and would rush in occasionally and wave a kiss to my loved child. She would smile in return. On Sunday, the 26th, we called a consultation of physicians, but all that Dr. P—, of the London Mission, would say was, "That is a very bad looking throat." That Sunday night I spent upon the floor of my study praying God to have mercy on us. The doctor ordered me up, saying I would take cold, but I could not sit up, and did not care what happened to me. The Chinese prayed for us in great numbers, holding little prayer-meetings by themselves in different places without our knowledge. Mary told the dear child