as it is cheaper to buy them before the New Year.

Soon a line of old buildings will be pulled down and the lumber laid aside, the bricks sorted into piles, the dirt also saved to mix with the lime when building. It will be nice when the era of building is over, and we can settle down to straight work.

Sir Robert Hart says he thinks the Russians will back down at the last moment. News of the first battle came yesterday. Japan sank a small Russian cruiser.

Yours ever,

MARY.

Peking, Feb. 16, 1904.

TO HIS MOTHER:

This is Chinese New Year's Day and people are coming to make calls. First come the servants on the place and then some of the church-members. They present their red cards, say a few pleasant words and are gone. Soon the deacons of the church will be here and the preachers and colporteurs. After that the schoolboys will appear in their clean clothes.

We had a fine watch-meeting last night. Over a hundred were present, the chapel was warm and pleasant and all took hold to make the meeting a success. Dr. Atwood was here and told us something about Shansi and the resurrection of the church there. Some of the young men prepared a special song or so for the occasion and twelve o'clock arrived almost before we were ready for it after our three hours' meeting. The Emperor was on hand at twelve exactly to go to the temple of his ancestors.

Just now some of our best schoolboys came to call. They reflect honor on any school. They were clean and well dressed. One boy said his father and mother wanted him last night to worship the god of wealth but he refused to do so and came to our chapel to escape. A man just called who had been a Boxer, but is now a reputable member of the church.

The war has begun, but it does not seem to affect us in Peking. The ministers of five powers have announced that China is to be kept neutral and no other will be allowed to violate her territory. I have subscribed for Reuter's telegrams and expect to keep as well posted as possible. Dr. Morrison of the London Times thinks that great things are to take place in China and this war is to be the beginning of a new empire. If Japan is victorious, China will fall into line with modern

ideas and railroads and all modern improvements will be introduced. Whether this dream is realized remains to be seen. I have little hope for China except in the wide spread of the Christian religion. There must be new men before there can be a new China. I am glad you keep as well as you do and think you will carry out my plan for you to live many years.

DEAR DR. LEETE:

Peking, Feb. 17, 1904.

The new conditions entailed by the war now in operation seem to suggest that you might wish for information fresh from the "Storm Centre of the World." Perhaps there is no portion of this planet where opinions are changing and developing so rapidly as in China. A few weeks ago the Chinese were trembling for fear the Russian Bear would place his great paw right down on Peking. Threats had been made to that effect but, as the Russians said, it would be only to help the Chinese in keeping peace within their own boundaries.

Russia expected her plans to succeed. But there was one power which Russia did not seem fully to understand and that was Japan. The Japanese have proved themselves to be superior to all other nations in diplomacy. They have been wonderfully patient and lenient when we consider what they have had to endure. They have been obliged to see Russia absorbing Manchuria, a district conquered by Japan in fair conflict in 1894. They have had to see the mighty fortress of Port Arthur built up almost opposite their own coasts and they know that Port Arthur was theirs by all the laws of right of the world. Not only that, but they had been practically warned that they must expect to see their influence in Korea gradually decline as that of Russia increased. When these matters came up for discussion and decision, Japan had been waiting weeks on weeks, and the whole world was trembling for an answer. At the same time Russia has been pouring her troops and munitions into Manchuria and preparing for a desperate struggle. The fighting blood of Japan was aroused. She could endure the insults no longer. Japan had gained moral victories before the roar of cannon was heard. She has shown patience, wisdom, longsuffering and the spirit of compromise, all to no avail, and the only appeal was to the sword. So Japan struck the first blow and it was a hard one. Russia complains of "treachery," but could Japan quietly sit by and see these tremendous prepa

rations going on for her destruction? Since the Japanese victories began, and there has been a series, as you doubtless know the change in Peking has been most marked. The Chinese breathe more easily, as do we all.

Next Sabbath I expect to baptize ten men and take on many probationers. Our country work is growing finely and the whole field committed to us, which is over a hundred miles south and north, and fifty east and west, is in a healthy condition. I had a station class of ten men, all literary graduates, who have just returned to their homes. They were not all Christian men, but men who wanted to study Christian doctrine, and some of them dismissed their schools in order to

come.

We are all in good health and never enjoyed our work more. Crowds come to make New Year's calls. Best regards to all,

W. S. AMENT.

Mrs. Ament and I have just returned from the most delightful trip we have yet taken in China. Though we were gone a month or more we did not begin to touch most of our stations. We first stopped at Liang Hsiang, a city just this side of Cho Chou and a place we shall long remember, as all our Christians were killed except one old man. Hence this place is the last one at which we have begun rehabilitation. We shall have enlarged premises here and a contract was given for buildings which will accommodate schools, Bible woman and preacher. Calling on the official he said that if we should establish a school where Western knowledge was taught he would be glad to send his son to the school. If he does that, it would mean the support of the gentry and the popularity of the school. Hence we are looking out for the proper man for this important place.

Only a few miles away is the village of Pu An Tun where we have had work for years. We were more than pleased with the fine audiences here, and the presence of inquirers from many villages. In view of our losses in this village from Boxers and other thieves, I succeeded in securing from the magistrate immunity from the taxes for support of soldiers and the necessity of supplying carts for transportation. As the villages here are near the great road, north and south, these calls for carts had been frequent. They were duly grateful for this relief. were pleased while here to have a call from a village in Cho Chou district for a Christian teacher. For fear the Catholics would force them to start a Catholic school, of their own free will they took the entire funds in hand for a school and depos

We

ited it with the preacher in Cho Chou. We try to be patient with those who try to break up our work, and to show the people better results of our Christian teaching.

On the edge of the Wen An plain is the little village of the Fan family. Dr. Blodget gave it his loving care and prayerful interest and if he could look down from his heavenly home he certainly would be pleased to see the fine new chapel now in their possession. On Sunday there was a large gathering of over a hundred people. Near by is the government school started by the local official. The school is about equally divided between Christians and non-Christians. The teacher is very friendly and always brings his boys to service if there is a man to preach. We do not need to locate a distinctly church school so long as the government gives our boys an equal chance with the others. Thus ended our journey so full of blessing to ourselves, and we can trust some light was communicated to others.

The war does not seem to have any deleterious effect upon our work. Victory for the Japanese will doubtless mean much for the development of work in China, if the victory is properly used and not made an excuse for absorbing territory.

The annual reports of the mission, 1904, sum up in brief and compact form the progress of work. During the previous year progress had been made in building. The report is able to speak of a new street chapel, a fine large church in the compound for Sunday services, a boys' schoolroom with dormitory to care for fifty pupils, near the street front of the compound. At the North Church, new buildings, taking the place of the Emily Ament Memorial School, were prepared, and three new chapels were opened in the country villages.

The venerable Dr. Henry Blodget, first of the missionaries to enter upon work in the north, had passed away in February, 1904, forty years after his early entrance into Peking, fifty years since his arrival in China. Fitting services were held in Peking. Impressions and memories of this strong, faithful pastor and friend were