a bit of light made it cheery.

'We travelled at those eighty miles four days, and rested one
Sabbath, five days in all. Within three-quarters of a mile of the
end of our journey our cart stuck in a mud-hole. We had passed,
shortly before, the cottage of a Christian, and, after we had been
some half-hour or more in that hole, this Christian suddenly
appeared on the scene. He is a great fellow for being neat and
clean. In a few moments he was in the mud, ordering about the
carter, shouting at the mules, and lifting at the stern of the
cart. Even the mules felt there was some new factor added to the
problem. They made a new effort and out the cart came. Would you
credit it? A cart had been upset there some days before; it was
said they had lost some thirty shillings in silver. The natives,
hoping to find the money, literally dug up the highway and left a
pit there. We did not know this, thought it was an ordinary pool,
and drove straight into it. The Christian touch at the beginning of
the journey, and the little Christian adventure at the end, made
the journey and its remembrance quite pleasant.

'I am now reading Moule's _Veni Creator_, which came a few days
ago. What helps me most just at present is the Psalms. I take a few
verses every morning (almost), and learn off the Chinese
translations of them. I never knew there was so much in the Psalms
before. I believe that even at the end of a long life, this
(discovery of more and more in God's Word) will hold true of all
the Bible, and then for the beyond there is the Inexhaustible
Himself--satisfaction for the present and plenty for the future.

'The endless sorrows and sufferings of this people here come home
much to me. I see much of their bodily suffering, and in some
feeble measure bear their sorrows and carry their griefs without
being able to relieve them much. How dead and dark they are to
things spiritual!'

Dr. Smith, who spent some weeks with Mr. Gilmour during this summer, has
sent the following most interesting sketch of his daily life at this
period. They were together for the most part at Ta Ss[)u] Kou.

'He always got up at daylight, folded up bedding, and then began
reading. About six a man arrived, selling hot millet and bean
porridge. He bought two bowls of this for early breakfast. He