ns
might be eliminated, that in her death, as in her life, she might witness
clearly and unmistakably to her loyalty to Christ.

When the last call finally came, on the sixteenth of March, it found her
ready and glad to respond. She told her sister that she had heard the
beautiful music and seen the great light and wanted to go. "That evening,"
reads a letter from one of her co-workers, "we missionaries all gathered in
the reception hall of their little house, together with her relatives and
more intimate friends. It was one of the most touching scenes I have ever
witnessed, for we were all drawn together by the bond of grief over the
loss of one we loved."

Although, in accordance with Anna's wishes, her funeral was conducted with
the utmost simplicity, the funeral procession caused universal comment. One
of the missionaries describes the scene: "As the procession of almost forty
chairs passed down the street all stopped to watch it pass, and despite the
unrest due to the recent riots at Nanchang, we heard nothing but kindly
remarks. The fact that foreigners were following one of their own people to
the grave, paying the Chinese girl the honour they would have shown to a
great man among themselves, seemed to impress the Chinese in a peculiar
way."

Another writes: "During the day the neighbours, Christian and non-Christian
alike, came to pay their respects.... A very large company of people
attended the funeral, including a number of missionaries of other
denominations. There was a procession of forty sedan chairs to the
Christian cemetery, which is about two miles beyond the East Gate. For the
half mile from the home to the city gate both sides of the street were
lined with people, who stood quietly and respectfully while we passed. The
absence of the numerous heathen symbols, and of any cover for the casket
save the floral tributes, was observed; and the fact that even the
foreigners had their chairs draped with white, 'just like us Chinese,' was
also noted. An English gentleman from the foreign concession, who was to
pay a call on the captain of one of the war vessels the next morning, said,
'I shall tell him that I have witnessed a procession to-day which will do
more to bring peace and harmony between the Chinese and foreigners than all
the war vessels will do.'"

Measured by years, Anna Stone's life was short. Measured by the time which
she was enabled to give to her work after her return to China, her service