hirty years of age, from similar causes, seems to have acquired the
appearance of nearly fifty (John viii. 57).

"Recently, especially during the last year, it was manifest, at least to
others, that his physical strength was fast giving way. Yet he could not
be prevailed upon to leave his field for a season for temporary rest, or
even to lessen the amount of his work.

"I never knew a more incessant worker. He was a man of most extensive
general information. I think I have never met with his equal in this
respect. He was acquainted with several modern European languages and was a
thorough student of the original languages of Holy Scripture, as witness
the fact of his study of the Hebrew Bible, even after his last sickness had
commenced. As regards the Chinese language, he was already taking his
place among the first sinologues of the land. We were indebted more to
him, perhaps, than to any other one man for the success of the recent
General Missionary Conference (at Shanghai).

[At this first General Conference of the Protestant missionaries of China,
held at Shanghai in May, 1877, Dr. Talmage preached the opening sermon and
read a paper, the title of which was, "Should the native churches in China
be united ecclesiastically and independent of foreign churches and
societies?"]

"As a member of the Committee of Arrangements he labored indefatigably by
writing Ietters and in other ways to make it a success, and though
comparatively so young, he well deserved the honor bestowed on him in
making him one of the presidents of that body. 'Know ye not that there is
a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?'

"This is a great blow to the English Presbyterian Mission in this place.
It is also, because of the intimate relations of the two missions and the
oneness of the churches under our care, a great blow to us. It is a great
blow to the whole mission work in China--greater, perhaps, than the loss
of any other man. You will not wonder that I, from my long intimacy with
him, feel the loss deeply, more and more deeply every day and week, as the
days and weeks pass away without him."

CHINESE GRANDILOQUENCE.

An episode in connection with the visit to China in 1878 of Dr. Jacob
Chamberlain, of the Arcot Mission, is described in a letter to Dr. Goyn
Talmage, as follows:

"Dear Goyn: I suppose I told you about the pleasant visit we had from Dr.
Chamberlain and family. The Doctor went with me to Chiang-chiu. While