Two weeks ago a party of twenty, mostly missionaries, visited Kushan Monastery. Kushan Mountain rises directly from the Foochow plain to a height of 2,900 feet. The monastery is about

CHINESE SEDAN AND BEARERS.

half way up. We from the city went by sedan-chair, and those from Nantai (south suburbs) and Chong Seng Island went by boat to near the foot of the mountain. Some of us had planned to spend the night at the monastery, and on our return the next

morning do some visiting at two villages on the route; but on reaching the monastery, we learned that a Chinese official was coming up early the next morning with a large retinue. We preferred to return that night, rather than take the chances of meet

A CHINESE OFFICIAL.

ing a small army of Chinese soldiers, who would be unpleasantly curious, if not rude. We are told that the object of his visit is this: Ten or fifteen years ago he was viceroy of this province, and as a work of merit he bought a cow and sent her up to Kushan Monastery, to be nourished there. Now, you must know that this is a Buddhist monastery, and the monks are strict vegetarians, never destroying life or eating animal food. Here is the home of cows, sheep, and swine, with domestic fowls, by the hundred, and a large fish-pond all alive with fish, mostly carp. These have mostly been brought and left there to enjoy a happy life, and die at a good old age. Even turtles and serpents are taken there and let loose. Of late years it has been reported that the monks sold the General's cow to a man who made beef of her. Last autumn he was sent here to defend this place against the French, and it had been reported to him that the monks had sold off his cow. He sent deputies to

KUSHAN MONASTERY.

investigate, and the monks assured them that the cow had died, and been buried, and the golden ear-rings which she had worn were shown as one proof. We saw a cock strutting about with ear-rings in his ears! But the general was still suspicious, so went himself to investigate. Whether he was satisfied, we did not learn. Perhaps the cow's bones were exhumed to satisfy the incredulous old man, who is over seventy years of age. It is commonly said that the upper classes in China are Confucionists, and have no faith in the low superstitions of the common people; but this officer is, next to Li Hung Chang, the greatest man in China. He is said to have lost a son in the following manner: — His wife was in feeble health, and the son had a piece of his flesh cut off for her to eat, as a strengthening medicine, and in consequence bled to death. According to Chinese ideas the son performed a most meritorious act, and secured great glory to his parents, who had trained up so filial a son. We saw at this monastery a young man of less than thirty years who has been there for six years, and in all that time has preserved perpetual silence. He stays in his room much of the time, and sits cross-legged on a raised platform, which is curtained off from the rest of the room. We, of course, had our information from the other monks. We asked, “Why does he keep silent — what merit is there in it?” . One answered that he was under a vow, and this vow of silence is said to be especially pleasing to the idols. One monk also told me that if he did not talk he would say neither good or bad, and in not talking he was also like the idols. “Yes,” I said, “in that he doesn’t speak, he is like them; but in that he can speak and doesn’t, he is unlike them. He has a precious soul, and they have none.” Some of our number gave the silent man a copy of the Sermon on the Mount. Another young person we saw who seemed to have gone crazy. He spends much of his time sitting in the presence of and contemplating Buddha. He looked excited. His lips moved, and his body rocked to and fro. First he would look up to the idol with such a beseeching look, and then down to the floor, and talk to himself; one moment looking pleased and happy, and the next with such a sad expression it was painful to look upon. His dress was odd – patched in curious shapes, and of various colors. If the time might only soon come when the ranks of these deluded and superstitious priests might be broken, and the entrance of God's truth might give them the light! He has said in his Word it shall. But a thing quite as desirable and more to be prayed for is, that the literati and gentry should be reached, and more from among them be led to give up their pride of heart.

Miss Hartwell writes from Foochow, China: “We who are out here are only Christians sent on picket duty to the remote points of the great battle-field of the Lord. We miss the enthusiasm, the drum-beat, and the steady march of the great army; but the Great Captain knows our hearts need care as well as those of the main force. Pray for us.

WERE I called to preach a short sermon this afternoon, dear sisters, I would take for my text four words found in the prophecies of Micah; the words are these, “With both hands earnestly.” But fortunately for us all, I propose to do no such thing. I only desire to bring these few words to bear upon our work of which we are talking. We watch the infant of a few months catching at his rattle with one hand, not knowing that soon he will need both hands to retain his more weighty treasures. We see the older boy tossing the pebbles into the brook with one hand; but when wishing to create a great splash, he must empty both hands, and put their united strength upon the great stone that is to do his bidding. Again why is it that the farmer holds his plow with both hands so steadily, but that his furrow may be dry and stright? And why, in felling the giants of the forest, does the woodman use all the strength in his brawny arms ? but because his work demands it. The tree is big, and strong, and hard, and he must put all his bone and sinew into each stroke of his axe, until the tree falls at his feet. So I would say in view of our work as a missionary society,+ in view of all we know and have heard of the needs of the heathen world, and in full view of our Saviour's command, I would say, My sisters, let us put both hands to this work most earnestly. This we can do, I am sure, only by a more complete consecration to Christ, which includes his work. And this consecration must come by the full ind welling of the Holy Spirit; by the emptying of self, and the filling up with the better things that pertain to the kingdom of God. We must pray for a holy ambition, and follow it up with a holy activity. We must pray for a spirit of self-denial, and then go from our knees to the practical ways of denying self. We must pray that our neighbors may be interested in missionary work in foreign lands, and follow up that prayer with visits, and with books telling of the wonderful success of preachers and teachers. We must pray that the Lord's treasury may be kept filled; and then we must see to it, “with both hands earnestly,” that we save our