| OCR Text |
Show association. I hope that before this someone has visited the village. Another visitor at the time of the big fair was a lady from an. important city thirty miles to the east of us. She came in a fine cart with a serving woman to attend her for she is not poor. She too had been operated upon at the hospital for a cancer. She did not come to worship at the temples or buy at the fair but to attend the large church meeting that is held each spring, wishing to learn more of the doctrine and only Incidentally to have medical treatment for minor ailments. She told of how with the help of her son she had finished reading the catechism and how Iter little grandson and granddaughter had read it too and how she daily gathered all the family together for family prayers. She said "For many years our family has not worshiped idols and this doctrine seems Just what we were seeking." Mrs. Arthur H. Smith iras with us at that time taking charge of the preaching to the crowds of women that visited our compound, so this patient went day after day and listened to the fundamental truths of Christianity simply told. She returned home encouraged and blessed to take new light to the family of which she is the head. One of the pleasantest occasions of the week is our hospital prayer-meeting each Friday evening, which doctors, evangelists,'Bible woman, and nurses take turns in leading. The children of the families are brought too for there is no one with whom to leave them at home. There is bright-eyed Lien Oh'un who can follow in the Bible reading and Join in not a few hymns and there is his chubby, happy, little brother who usually goes to sleep and is put down, on the rug to nap until the meeting is over. • Then there is often Mrs* Sung's little grandson and the serious little son of the Liu home. They all like to come. Do you exclaim, "Remarkable"! Not at all. Part of the explanation is that there are low stools for them to sit on^and also at least one cookie for each child. More American children might enjoy prayer-meeting under those circumstances* One of the busy Fridays this spring it was my turn to lead the meeting. After hymn and opening prayer and Bible reading, according to a prearranged plan, I asked Mr. Liu, the evangelist, and Mrs. Sung, the Bible woman, to tell for the benefit of all of us about each of the in-patients. Mrs. Sung reported that most of the women were willing to be taught but there were some who listened or made an effort to learn only when they thought the doctor might be around. The brightest patient was a young woman with tubercular spine who was making |
