The spring vacation in those days was still somewhat extended, allowing students the privilege of finding some active preaching work, thus materially aiding them in the expenses of the year. Mr. Ament used his senior vacation in visiting his home and in making fit arrangements for his early entrance upon his chosen work.

A letter to his New York friend, Miss Schirmer, the first in a long series that will interest us, tells of future plans: "On my arrival at home, after embracing my dear old mother, the first topic of conversation concerned my missionary plans. To my surprise and delight, my mother warmly commended my plans and advised me to go this fall. She says it is my life-work and the sooner I begin it the more I can accomplish. I have determined to depart in September."

Mr. Ament graduated from Andover in the early summer and returned at once to his mother's home to complete his preparation for service abroad. He writes to Secretary Clark from Owosso, August 7th:

"Mr. and Mrs. Pierson spent last Sabbath with us. He preached in the Congregational church in the morning and in the evening we had a large union service. Popular opinion on the subject of foreign missions is rapidly changing in Owosso. My mother is far more cheerful in view of my departure than I ever dared to expect. She astonishes us all with her serenity." Pierson, on furlough since early in 1876, was returning to Pao Ting Fu, with his charming wife, formerly Miss Sarah Dyer.

Mr.

On the 23d of August Mr. Ament was married, at Cleveland, to Mary Alice Penfield, daughter of Professor Penfield, who had long held the professorship of Greek and Latin at Oberlin. He now lived in Cleveland. Professor Penfield was a stepson of Prof. Henry Cowles. He had married Miss Wyett, daughter of an English

the teacher

gentleman. Of this mother there were a son and two daughters, Miss Mary being the younger. A maternal aunt, Miss A. M. Wyett, was for many years in painting and drawing at Oberlin College. Some years after the death of Mary's mother, Professor Penfield had married again and a third daughter was added to his family.

The ordination of Mr. Ament to the ministry and his dedication to missionary service was appointed for the 5th of September. To the people of Owosso and to the churches of Michigan, the setting apart of one so well known and admired, locally, might fittingly be called a great occasion. The pastor of the church was Rev. L. O. Lee, who later became a missionary to Central Turkey. The following newspaper clipping preserved by Mrs. Stewart, of Owosso, tells the story: "The ordination of William S. Ament as a missionary took place last Wednesday evening. The candidate passed a most creditable examination before an able council. The evening exercises were most interesting. The church was filled to overflowing, owing to the fact that Mr. Ament was brought up in Owosso and is universally esteemed as a young man of great promise for his chosen field of labor." Thus it was with a high sense of duty and with glad expectation of useful service that these young people began their journey with joy in their hearts.

From Oakland, Mr. Ament writes to his friend Miss Schirmer: "We sail October 17th. Our steamer is the China. I am favorably impressed with the Chinese whom we daily see. I await with impatience the study of the language that I may make known the riches of the Gospel. My mother seems to have grown in cheerfulness and serenity."

Is there some desert or some pathless sea

Where Thou, good God of angels, wilt send me?

Some oak for me to rend; some sod,

Some rock for me to break;

Some handful of His corn to take

And scatter far afield,

Till it, in turn, shall yield

Its hundred fold

Of grains of gold

To feed the waiting children of my God?
Show me the desert, Father, or the sea.

Is it Thine enterprise? Great God, send me.
-E. E. Hale.

III

P

LIFE AT PAO TING FU

AO TING FU was adopted as a station of the North China Mission in the spring of 1873, at the annual meeting held in Peking. It was especially attractive as a possible place of interior residence. It was the provincial capital and all the provincial officers were located there, though the governor, as Viceroy of Chihli, selected Tientsin for his main residence, spending only the winter months at Pao Ting Fu.

Rev. Isaac Pierson and Dr. A. O. Treat, stationed at Yü Chou in the mountains, felt their isolation and en route to Peking visited Pao Ting Fu. Their report was favor. able and the mission easily acceded to their request to be appointed to the new charge. Their coming attracted much attention. They were kindly received and found some friends. One incident is full of special interest. Rev. W. C. Burns, the missionary of the Irish Presbyterian Church, the well-known translator of the "Pilgrim's Progress" into the Mandarin speech, had passed through the city in his evangelistic tours south of Peking. He had visited a village fifty miles south of Pao Ting Fu, had taught a few men and women the gospel story. Among these was a Mr. Meng, a reading man, though

not a graduate. Some years later, Mr. Meng and two of his companions started out for Peking to find Mr. Burns. On the streets at Pao Ting Fu they saw the two foreigners and followed them to their inn. Mr. Pierson received them very kindly, told them that Mr. Burns was no longer living and invited them to come to them when they located in the city. Immediately after the mission meeting Mr. Pierson and Dr. Treat returned to Pao Ting Fu. They succeeded in renting an inn where they had chanced to stay and which ere long became the centre for Christian work. The inn was in T'ang Chia Lane, in the southwest portion of the city. The premises were of narrow, oblong shape, with a width of three shop fronts. On the right of the gateway was a native shop, on the left a room soon fitted up for a preaching chapel. In the rear of the shop were two considerable courts with doorways opening upon the cart way. The two small courts became the mission home for some years, while small rooms of the inn sufficed for rooms for helpers and servants. The work of the station slowly developed in this compact little inn. For two years Mr. Pierson carried on the work much alone, since Dr. Treat returned to the United States in 1874. For another two years during Mr. Pierson's furlough, the writer carried on the medical and evangelistic work. Mr. Meng and two companions were early received as members, the former proving a most valuable adviser and helper through many years of service until his death. In the autumn of 1876, he sent his son and another lad to the boys' school at Tungchow. The former after eight years of study entered the ministry, became the first native pastor of the Pao Ting Fu church and a proto-martyr of blessed memory. The second lad returned from school to be Dr. Peck's pupil in medicine and later his chief medical assistant both at Pao Ting Fu and at P'ang Chuang. At present he is in

charge of a sanitary department of the government in Peking. The autumn of 1877 was made busy and pleasurable in preparing for the return of Mr. Pierson, with his wife and sister, and for the new recruits, Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Ament.

The following letter will fitly begin the story of long service in China.

To N. G. CLARK, Secretary.

DEAR DR. CLARK :-Pao Ting Fu has been our home for two weeks. I am rejoiced to reach home after eleven weeks of travel. Our voyage to Japan occupied twenty-seven days of most delightful sailing. Good friends welcomed us all along the way. Our progress was uninterrupted until we reached the Taku bar, where we were delayed six days. At Tientsin Mr. and Mrs. Smith opened their doors to us. As the rivers were frozen over we were delayed several days in preparation for the journey. Three carts, three wheelbarrows and a mule litter for Mrs. Ament were secured for the journey of 130 miles. We had the usual experience with Chinese inns in very cold weather. We spent five nights on the way. Ament was the first lady who had travelled through this region. We found our home waiting for us with two rooms ready. Mr. Pierson had kindly set up a stove for us, so that warm rooms awaited us. I long to begin work in our nice little chapel.

W. S. AMENT.

Mrs.

Pao Ting Fu, North China, Feb. 18, 1878.

DEAR MISS SCHIRMER:

My life here is one of unalloyed happiness. Our little compound is the scene of activity from early morn till late at night. At nine o'clock our teacher comes and we wrestle with the language till one. I almost envy the beggars on the street, I so much long to master the language. Should you walk through the city at this time you would see many strange sights. Heathen processions in long array, lanterns of every variety, making the city as brilliant as tallow candles can. Men and women with bundles of incense and colored paper to be burnt before their idols. The Feast of Lanterns celebrates the close of their New Year festivities. It is the great event of the year. The most popular amusement is the flying of kites. These are