ed with the
character of the Chinese, who are generally most reluctant to risk their
money. Those on the letter-boat agreeing to the terms, I was taken on
board as a passenger. Oh, how thankful I felt for this providential
interposition, and to be once more on my way to Shanghai!

Letter-boats such as the one on which I was now travelling are of a
long narrow build, and very limited as to their inside accommodation.
One has to lie down all the time they are in motion, as a slight
movement would easily upset them. This was no irksome condition to me,
however; on the contrary, I was only too glad to be quiet. They are the
quickest boats I have seen in China. Each one is worked by two men, who
relieve one another continuously night and day. They row with their
feet, and paddle with their hands; or if the wind is quite favourable,
row with their feet, and with one hand manage a small sail, while
steering with the other.

After a pleasant and speedy journey, I reached Shanghai in safety on
August 9th, through the help of Him who has said, "I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee;" "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of
the world."

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XIV

PROVIDENTIAL GUIDANCE

IT now seemed very clear that the lost property--including everything I
possessed in China, with the exception of a small sum of money
providentially left in Shanghai--had been deliberately stolen by my
servant, who had gone off with it to Hang-chau. The first question, of
course, was how best to act for the good of the man who had been the
cause of so much trouble. It would not have been difficult to take steps
that would have led to his punishment; though the likelihood of any
reparation being made for the loss sustained was very small. But the
consideration which weighed most heavily was that the thief was a man
for whose salvation I had laboured and prayed; and I felt that to
prosecute him would not be to emphasise the teaching of the Sermon on
the Mount, in which we had read together, "Resist not evil," and other
similar precepts. Finally, concluding that his soul was of more value
than the L40 worth of things I had lost, I wrote and told him this,
urging upon him his need of repentance and faith in the LORD JESUS
CHRIST. The course I took commended itself to my Christian friends in
England, one of whom was afterwards led to send me a cheque for L40--the
first of many subsequently received from the