ould be
willing to come out and labour here? Oh, for four
or five such helpers! They would probably begin to
preach in Chinese in six months time; and in
answer to prayer the necessary means for their
support would be found.

But no one came to help us then; and under the incessant physical and
mental strain involved, in the care of the hospital during Dr. Parker's
absence, as well as the continued discharge of my other missionary
duties, my own health began rapidly to fail, and it became a serious
question as to whether it would not be needful to return to England for
a time.

It was hard to face this possibility. The growing church and work seemed
to need our presence, and it was no small trial to part from those whom
we had learned so truly to love in the LORD. Thirty or forty native
Christians had been gathered into the recently organised church; and the
well-filled meetings, and the warm-hearted earnestness of the converts,
all bespoke a future of much promise. At last, however, completely
prostrated by repeated attacks of illness, the only hope of restoration
seemed to lie in a voyage to England and a brief stay in its more
bracing climate; and this necessity, painful though it seemed at the
time, proved to be only another opportunity for the manifestation of the
faithfulness and loving care of Him "who worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will."

As heretofore, the LORD was present with His aid. The means for our
journey were supplied, and that so liberally that we were able to bring
with us a native Christian to assist in translation or other literary
work, and to instruct in the language such helpers as the LORD might
raise up for the extension of the Mission. That He would give us
fellow-labourers we had no doubt; for we had been enabled to seek them
from Him in earnest and believing prayer for many months previously.

The day before leaving China we wrote as follows to our friend W. T.
Berger, Esq., whom we had known in England, and who had ever
strengthened our hands in the LORD while in that distant land:--

"We are bringing with us a young Chinese brother to assist in literary
work, and I hope also in teaching the dialect to those whom the LORD may
induce to return with us."

And throughout the voyage our earnest cry to GOD was that He would
overrule our stay at home for good to China, and make it instrumental in
raising up at least five