they were very kind-hearted and willing to do anything to
help the poor Chinese. I also told her what they had done for the poor
orphans--given them a home, food and clothing; that sometimes they went
into the interior and found the blind children who might be useless to
their parents, and when they get them they have to support them. I
know several cases like that. These country people offer their deformed
children to the missionaries, as they are too poor to feed and take care
of them. I told her about their schools, and how they helped the poor
people. Her Majesty then laughed, and said: "Of course I believe what
you say, but why don't these missionaries stay in their own country and
be useful to their own people?" I thought it would be of no use for me
to talk too much, but at the same time I would like her to know of the
dreadful times some of the missionaries had in China. Some time ago,
two of them were murdered at Wu Shuih, in June, 1892 (a little below
Hankow), the church being burnt down by the mob. My father was appointed
by Viceroy Chang Chih Tung to investigate the matter. After much trouble
he caught three of the murderers and, according to the Chinese law, they
were put to death by hanging in wooden cages, and the Government paid an
indemnity to the families of the murdered missionaries. The year after,
1893, a Catholic church was burnt down at Mar Cheng, on the Yangtse,
near Ichang. The mob said they saw many blind children at the church,
who were made to work after having their eyes gouged out. The Prefect of
Ichang Province said it was true that missionaries did get the Chinese
childrens' eyes for making medicine, so my father suggested having those
blind children brought into the Yamen and ask them. The Prefect was
a most wicked man, and was very anti-foreign also. He gave the poor
children plenty of food, and taught them to say that the missionaries
did gouge their eyes out, but when they were brought in the next day
they said that the missionaries treated them very kindly and gave them a
nice home, good food and clothing. They said they were blind long before
they became Catholics, and also said that the Prefect had taught them
to say that the missionaries were cruel to them, which was not true. The
blind children begged to go back to the school and said that they were
very happy there.

Her Majesty said: "That may be all right for them to help the poor and
relieve their suffering. For instance, lik