ontier cities. I am constantly
forced to try and speak. Every day I have some visitors here whom I
must try and entertain. I feel stupid at times with them, and
perhaps they think I am; but, nevertheless, each day's experience
is adding to my vocabulary. And when so learnt, I know that people
will understand me when I speak.

'Gilmour is doing a valuable work. Every day he goes to the street
and sets out his table with his boxes of medicines and books. He
has three narrow benches, on one of which he sits, the other two
being for his patients. Of the latter he has any amount, coming
with all the ills to which humanity is heir. It is a busy street,
not of the best repute, for it is where all the traders in
second-hand clothes and dealers in marine stores spread out their
wares.

'For some weeks I went out at a certain hour to take care of
Gilmour's stand while he went and got a "refresher" in the shape of
some indigestible pudding made of millet-flour with beans for
plums. He generally left me with a patient or two requiring some
lotion in the eye or some wound to dress. Then I, being a
new-comer and a typical "foreign devil" (being red of hair and in
complexion), always brought a large following down the street with
me, and attracted a great crowd round the stand. At first it was
not pleasant to sit there and be stared at without being able to
speak to them; but after a while I got very interested in the
different faces that came round. On one occasion I noticed the
crowd eagerly discussing something among themselves, giving me a
scrutinising look now and then. Now and again one would turn to his
fellow and rub his finger across his upper lip as if he was feeling
for his moustache. I had only been here a week or so then, and knew
very little of the language; but I listened attentively, and at
last I heard them speaking the Chinese numerals, and then it all
dawned upon me that they were inquiring about and discussing my
age; so I up with my fingers indicating the years of my pilgrimage.
I never saw a crowd so amused. "Ah, ah!" they said, and opened
their eyes, highly delighted that I was able to tell them what they
wanted to know. Then I had my turn, and, pointing to a man here and
there in the crowd, I used what little of Chinese I had in gues