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Show a? e n c l o s e d l e ta of p o i i t i c al as r e l i a b l e f well a b l e to d i s t u r b ed Lintsingchow,China. Feb.23thj 1912 My d e a r f r i e n d s , j I t is a g r e a t s a t i s f a c t i o n to t e l l you t h a t the t e r i s past h i s t o r y . It seeras q u i t e u s e l e s s to t r y to t e l l you c o n d i t i o n s in China for you are in a p o s i t i o n to r e c e i v e fully r e p o r t s as those couing to u s . P e r h a p s you are n o t , however, so p r o p e r l y discount the r e p o r t s.While you wera reading about the c a n d i t i o n s in Tient s i n we who were t h o r e saw very l i t t l e t h a t was out of the o r d i a a r y . T h e raost e x c i t è r e n t we had was about the Xirat of t a i s month when t h e r e had oeen bo*^l*throving in T i e n t s i a as well as in Peking and the author-i t i e s decided to take^ v i g o r o u s measures to prevent f u r t h a r d i s o r d e r . T h e pol-i e c e had ordera to serch any s u s p i e i o u s - i o o k i n g i a d i v i d u a l and tiiey seemed t o enj oy doing so.Our* p e r s d n a l t e a c h e r , a man f r o a L i n t s i n ^ / h o had eut ni s queue, was sefrehed twice in one day, and the next morning he took t r a i n for home.The a i r was M l of ramor* otffche approaching a b d i c a t i o n and of spéculat i o n as to what Yuan and Li and Sun were going to do. ffeoa the e d i c t was f i a a l l y issued F e b . I 2 t h t h e r e was no n o t i c a b l e change in l o c a l c o n d i t i o n s. There was however a p o p u l a r démonstration some days l a t e r , with bands and f l a g s and a b r i l l i a n t p r o c e s s i o n. Except for ariusjki coldness on the p a r t of nobbers in neighboring d i s t r i c ts and a l a r g e bank f a i l u r e in the al t'y i t s e l f L i n t s i n g ha s enjoyed a peaceful w i n t e r risuch l e s s moved by rumors than were ç i t i e s on t h e r a i l r o a d . I s t a r t ed back the day a f t e r the a b d i c a t i o n , but spent a number of days in Pang Chwang. We expect M r s . l l l i s and l i t t l e Preston,Miss E l l i s and my s i s t e r back any day and even hope t h a t Mrs.Eastman and lier wee Haffîet May w i l l be with us by the middle of March. fre are very thankful to be resumiag our work. The schools w i l l open as u s u a l . There i s a l a r g e s t a t i o n c l a s s for woman and g i r l s now being h e l d . There were f i f t y hère t o d a y . T h i s is wholly of Miss Ting and the Bible-women.ay médical work seems by the weeks I hâve been away. I reached h è r e at eight ~:y f i r s t c a l l was before s u r p r i s e the next morning. How t h a n k f u l I was that I was h è r e to go.The opening of the h o s p i t a l i s announced for day a f t e r t o - rnay never need to be closed a g a i n . The number of peo4 i n breaking off opium i s aoticable.Would t h a t we had , and h o s p i t a l force to do for thera what they need.The t h e c i t y i s a p r o g r e s s i v e young man and issa* e s t a b l i s h ed t h e l a s t c i t y he served. He may wish to do the same hère un der the d i r e et ion not g r e a t l y e f f e e t ed of c l o c k one evening. marrow and I hope it p i e applyinglfor help s u f f i c i e n t e'quipment new h e a d - o f f i c i â l cf an opium JntfXaga ir and may ask help of the foreignjé h o s p i t a l force as he did t h e r e. I t is w i t h j oy t h i t we r é a l i s e t h a t a i l over the world there are thousands of C h r i s t i a n s who ire r a i s i n g s p é c i a l p é t i t i o n s in behalf of China in t h is time of h e r great a e e d . P l e a s e continue to pray for l i e r ; for htir l e a d e r s that they may be t r u e p a t r i o t s and t r u e statesman, for her coraraon people that t h e y may hâve opportunity and d é s i r e to f i t theraselves for seif-government, for the church that i t may take i t s place of s p i r i t u a l l e a d e r s h i p in t h is l a n d , for our schools and a i l m i s s i o n a r y i n s t i t u t i o n s that they may be used by God in making nen and women of higli i d e a l s of deep purposes and of strong c o n v i c t i o n s withoixt whom no n a t i o n can be t r u l y great.And you w i l l s u r e l y be much in p r a y e r for us who hâve corne from other lands to teach Christ h è r e. We would t h a t our every thought and word and deed should be such t h a t mea s h a l l know t h a t ve hâve something which they need, and s h a l l corae t o d é s i re f o r themselves and t h e i r n a t i o n not merely some of the f r u i t s of C h r i s t i a n i ty but Christ Himself.We stand in awe as we consider the p o s s i b i l i t i . e s of God's purpose for t h i s n a t i o n. S i n c e r e l y yours, a-**--*- ce~~- Jô t *¥ %^tX*-k. |