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THE CHRISTIAN NATION. Vol. 69.
London may or may notj have known of
THE FIRST FRUITS.
Greeley's way, but be says:
"And like such a survivor of old red War
By tbe Rev. W. J. McKnight.
"A message to China" has perhaps by this
who cries out, 'Let therie be no more War!'
time reached every Missionary in "far Cathay."
In each copy a printed letter was en­
So I cry out, 'Let 'there be no more poisonfighting
by our youth!' The way to stop
war is to stop it. Tbe way to stop drinking closed. It ran in part as follows: "It bas
is to stop it. We have with) great success been issued in the hope of shedding some
made a practice of not leaving arsenic and light on tbe Cbristian principles of civil government.
strychnine, and typhoid and tuberculosis
We sbould be glad to hear from
germs, lying around for our children to be
you that it bad reached its destination, and
destroyed by. Treat John! Barleycorn tbe
to have you write a note to tbe above address,
(2849 S. Salina St., Syracuse, N. Y.)
same way. Stop btim. Don't let himj lie
, around, licensed land legal, tO' pounce upon
our youth. Not of alcohblics nor for alcoholics
indicating the impression the booklet may
do I write, but for our youths, for
those who possess no more than the adventure
have made on your mind, and informing us
whether, in your judgment, it would be ad­
stings and 'the genial predispositions, the visable to bave practically the same material
social maiMmpulses, which are twisted all
recast for publication in the Chinese language."
Tbe letter also requested the per­
awry! by our barlbarian civilization, whiich
feeds tlhem poison, on all the comers. It was
for thisi reason that I voted for equal suffrage.
mission to publish the replies in case any
I voted that women might vote, be­
should be sent.
cause I knew that tliey would vote Joihn Barleycorn
out of existence and hack into the
historical limbo of our vanished customs of
Within the last few days replies to this
letter have begun to come in. The first, dated
Tsingstan, July 14. I will quote in full. It
savagery. If I thus seem to cry out as one
comes from the representative of the British
burt, please remember tbat I have been sorely
bruised and that I db' dislike tbe thought
and Foreign Bible Society. "Two messages
that any son or daughter of mine or yours
were sent to us recently. The one was
sbtiuld be similiarly bruffsed. Tbe overwhelming
a messagte to the Churcb militant from the
proportion of young men art so 'Disciples,' and the other was your 'Message
normally non-alcoholic, that, never having had to China.' Both messages bave impressed me
access to alcohol, they will never miss it. Tbey
as most important for both the Church and
will knoiw of tbe saloon asi a quaint old cusitom
similar to bull-baiting and tHe burning
China.
"Concerning the reproduction of the 'Message
to China' in the Chinese language, allow
of witches."
If this be Jack London's own life story—
and he Would 'have us believe that it is—be me to suggest two points: i. Do not allow
is a witness not one word of wHosie testimony
can the advocaM of tbe -saloon gainsay.
it to be printed into small type characters,
but in at least as large type as our (here occur
Moreover the book bears upon every page
two Chinese characters inserted for illustration)
type publications of the Mandarin Bi­
the imprint of trutb with years, of blood-red
suffering back of it. A pro-slavery preacher
once told Wendell Phillips that he ought to
ble. 2. Let it be translated into plain Mandarin,
go to Dixie and leam personally about slavery
and. if you find it becoming too bulky
before denouncing it, to whom Phillips a volume, shorten tbe original—wbich I believe
replied that he slhbuld go to the infernal reo-ions
can stand some cutting here and there
and get first hand information before
without losing its beauty or strength."
warning men of tbeir terrors. That precisely
is w.hat Mir. London has done. He has
On the same date a lady wrote from Foochow.
Ker letter is short but vigorous. In a
gone down into tbe depths, he bas had a
large acquaintance witb "Jobn Barleycorn" few lines she sketches the conditions; not
and has learned bis ways, His plans, and his only in China but everywhere else. "I gratefully
evil purposes, be has wrestled witb bim and
acknowledge a copy of 'A Message to
learned bis strength, and—one in a million— China,' " sbe says, "which also reads like
\m>s miraculouslly enabled to escape. This
an opportune 'Warning to America.' China
book is his reveille, summoning fathers and
is a Republic in solution, so there is hope
mothers to battie against tbe social glass, and
tbe saloon, and tbe iSquor tnaffic, in defense for her. America seems tO' have backslidden
of our sons and of our daughters. Millions from the conscience of 1620 and 1776! At
will read it, and shudder. May tbey also be
quick to respond, and rid our land of the
all events you have delivered your souls and
we can wish you 'Good Luck' in tbe name of
curse, that the coming generation may be
the Lord. I heard a sermon yesterday. The
bom under conditions that will save tbe children'
from having to walk tbe road that is
burden of it was 'AmpHus.' So we are fast
losing the idea tbat there is a strait gate and
now leading so .many to dealth.
a narrow way; in fact there is to belittle
distinction presently between light and darlcness,
etc. Still, 'The Lord reigneth' and oui
trust is in Him."
To my mind such a letter is a tonic,Thi:
woman is facing conditions, conceded to bt
dark, with a buoyant beart. And so must thi
rest of us.
Another letter written July 22, comes fron
the China Inland Mission, Hotsin, Shansi. I
covers six pages. It raises the questior
whether a constitutional acknowledgment 0
Christ in an utterly heathen nation would no
do more harm than good. It was a thought'
ful letter and I sent the writer a reply bv
return mail. His letter opens in this way^
"I have read with much interest your valu,
able little book, 'A Message to China.' I wa
not aware of tbe Reformed Presbyterial;
Church's position as regards tbe State's re
lation to religion. Your views fully coincid-i
with my own convictions and I am very glai'
to be enlightened as to your aims. But ther
are some important points worthy of you,
consideration before you decide to use time
money and much effort to bring this trutl
before the rulers of China at present." Her
he describes at some length the condition
that in his judgment forbid any definite step
of a very radical nature for the time bein|
among the lawmakers. He goes on, however
to add: "Tbe propagation of your view
through tbe Christian press, the tract socie;
ties and other ways cannot but do good." :
From Suitingfu comes a postal card datei
July 22, "Your booklet was received todaj,
Thank you. I have read it through. I thin!
it is very good and has power. Written11
this spirit of contrition for national sin b
patriots of that nation, it will be all the mor
convincing to any who may read it. It if
perhaps, rather long. Still, I think that i
put into tbe hands of all students, it woul
speak. I tbink a few words about individ
ual responsibility would be good, as nation
are made of individuals."
From the Church Missionary Society Ho=
pital, Hangchow, July 22: "I have rea
your 'Message to China' with much interes
and should like to see it, or most of it, trans
lated into Chinese, and I should love to se
the Chinese following it out in practice. 'W
are getting on, and God is wonderfully bless
ing the healing of the sick, our teaching an
preaching, to tbe salvation of souls, but ?
far only a very few lawmakers and officei
and governors bave been brought into tr