ned in a room from which there was no possibility of escape, and
in spite of my earnest entreaties my jailer would give me no reason
for this seemingly poor return for my services. At the end of the
fifth day, however, the mandarin sent for me, and, after professing
himself on the road to recovery, informed me that a terrible massacre
of Christians had been taking place, and if he had not afforded me the
safe shelter of his house I must certainly have perished among the
rest. As a mark of his gratitude for my skilled attendance he was now
sending me to the coast with a strong escort which had his orders to
convey me as speedily as they could to Hong-Kong.

"You can imagine my wild alarm at this terrible news, and my anxiety
to reach Tsi-chin to ascertain the fate of the mission and of my
family. The soldiers on the whole were sympathetic fellows, and they
consented to march by the hospital, though they assured me it would be
better for me if I could refrain from doing so.

"I will not attempt to describe to you the scene of desolation which
greeted me. My house was looted and wrecked, both church and schools
were a pile of charred ashes, and all my workers were dead. Not one
seemed to have escaped the general catastrophe. In the ruins of what
had once been my beautiful garden I found my wife lying with our
little Una in her arms and our boy close to her side; they had
evidently been trying to make their escape when they were followed and
murdered by the furious mob. Mary, I had no doubt, had also perished,
together with poor faithful Lao-ya and our other servant, but I could
not search further, as the soldiers, obedient to their master's
orders, tore me away from the terrible scene, and carried me, more
dead than alive, to the coast. There for many months I lay stricken
down with brain fever, and it was not until after more than a year's
rest, spent mostly in Japan, that I was able to take up my work again
in China.

"One of the soldiers, with kindly thoughtfulness, had cut the locket
from little Una's neck and placed it amongst my possessions. Perhaps
he was a father himself, and I think that my grief had touched him. It
contained the only portrait which I now possessed of my wife, and for
this reason I have worn it always upon my watch chain.

"From this account you will readily understand why I made no enquiries
for my other child, believing as I did that it was impossible for her
to have lived. My long illness a