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Show 93 able to give more time to the supervision of this work. The increasing work in the city has been so imperative in its demands, that it has held the present force closely occupied, and has given too little time for outside work. For years none has convened, because we insisted on self- STATION support. This year it was proposed to meet at the capital, BIBLE CLASSES and twenty-two men paid their own expenses and studied the FOR MEN. fun m o n t h . Four Chinese pastors and four foreign pastors lectured, besides which they enjoyed our popular educational lectures each week, one moving picture show at the Y.M.C.A., and a visit to the Temple of Heaven. The courses were thorough and some closed with examinations. No single impression was more helpful to them than the Sunday service in our beautiful church. The men gained a real idea of vital truth, and went back to their stations to live it out. Already there are manifest results of their achievements. One of the most conspicuous features in our annual meeting was that the reports from the various stations were given by young Christians. The preachers put the new workers forward. In this spirit of promise and advance may our thousand and more Christians intently hear and obey the Master's winning invitation; "Follow me." At the present time new customs and new ideals are arising "HALL OF among the women of China, especially in the cities, and there ILLUSTRIOUS is great need that we hold before them the highest ideals LEARNING. 0f tJ,e womanhood of to-day. We are glad for the connection with the new type of woman that comes to us through the work of the Ming Lun T'ang. More than twenty young women have studied there during the year, and have been gaining in many ways, in addition to their advance in knowledge. We have learned through this work much about the sorrows of women of the wealthy class, and especially have o m e to see the terrible shadow cast by the custom of bringing many wi?es into the home. This custom has increased much in recent years and its effects have become very noticeable, as shown in the unhappiness of life in many homes, in the impossibility of right training for children, and in the great lowering of the view of women. The stories of some of the young secondary wives who have come to us are often most pathetic. We have met some, now only nineteen or twenty, who were put in this position by their mothers, when mere children, and who have had no opportunity to plan life for themselves. Now, awakening to the knowledge of the insecurity of their position, they wish to study, perhaps to help themselves if need arise, perhaps to gain peace of mind. We rejoic? that the psace of Christ seems to be earning to some of them, and we are glad too for their persistence and courage. Other pupils, from happier homes, have still other difficultiej to meet, and we are glad for the opportunity to help with them. We find that there are endless sorrows in Chinese homes of wealth. The young Chinese teacher in the Ming Lun T'ang does much to influence these pupils by her friendship and her many talks with them. Several Bible Classes have been kept up by Mrs. Ament and Miss Reed, in which the pupils end a number of other ladies have been studying. When it is possible, informal lectures and entertainments are held in these rooms, and outside friends of the |
