me to church, because there is no woman to
talk to them." She summed up the impressions of her trip in the words, "The
trip opened my eyes to the fact that the harvest is 'truly plenteous' and
the labourers are sadly few." At the same time her faith added, "But I am
so glad to know that my Master is before us who are few in number."
III
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
It is not surprising that with all her interests Anna Stone longed to live
and make use of the unusual opportunities which she had received. "If God
is willing I hope to work many years yet for Him," she wrote Mrs. Joyce
after she had been back in China a few months; and at the end of her second
year's work she said: "There are many things for which I am very thankful
in the past year, but perhaps the greatest was the joy in knowing that my
Heavenly Father has really allowed me a share of work.... I don't remember
that there were many days of work neglected because of ill health."
It was indeed remarkable that she was able to do as much as she did. One
who saw her in her work writes of the untiring enthusiasm and activity with
which she gave herself to it: "Her work was her very life. She talked to me
of her plans for the woman's school, and of her great desire to see a
revival here in the schools. I am sure you know of her work last summer
when the missionaries were all away--how, feeling that it was a mistake
that the native Christians should be without the helps of divine worship
and the weekly prayer meeting, she, with her sister's help, opened the
church and held services all through the hot summer, _doing the preaching
herself_ and thus holding the people together. I never met any one at home
or here whose whole soul was more on fire with a burning desire to win
souls than was Anna Stone's, and I have met a large number of prominent
workers in my work at home. She undoubtedly realized that her time was very
short and she must work all the time while she had strength. Her work was
not only in the school ... but she was at work in the day schools and
boarding schools, in the church, in the league, in the visitation, in the
hospital--everywhere where her life was able to touch others; and one felt
the influence of the Holy Spirit whenever in merest conversation with the
girl. That happy smile and merry laugh that so won the hearts of the people
at home were bestowed upon every one here, and I do not wonder she was able
to reach hearts where o
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