Untitled

"""WORK FOR THE HIGHER CLASSES. 71cordially received. Visits have been paid by the missionary s wife to numbers of ladies in their homes andreturn visits have been received. Very friendly relationshave been established in not a few cases. At a receptionheld recently over thirty wives of officials were met byseveral missionary ladies.With regard to results of this side of the work ofthe Institute, it is a matter for encouragement that theattitude of the officials has been increasingly friendly.In the words of a well known writer Its :agencies helpto create an atmosphere favorable to Christianity."In 1906, during an epidemic of anti-fcreign rumoursof a vile and dangerous character, the authorities tookeffective action to dispel the misapprehensions and fearsof the people. Since that time the attitude manifestedhas been of a growingly cordial character.Officials from over a great part of the Empire aremet in the Institute, and we have good reason to believethat an influence in favour, not only of theforeigner,"but also of the Christian faith, goes with these men tomany distant parts of China.The late Viceroy, H. E. Yang Shih-hsiang, while hewas Provincial Governor of Shantung, and again, whilehe was Viceroy of Chihli, stated that he was not unfavourable to the progress of Christianity. On one occasion, in speaking of a section of Shantung Province whichhas given much trouble to the authorities, he said : Itwould be well to have Christians there ;Christians fearGod." H. E. Yang not only expressed his interestand sympathy in the work of the Institute in words butalso in a practical manner. The present ProvincialGovernor, H. E. Sun Pao-chi, has gone over the wholeof the Institute, and members of his family have paidrepeated visits.This short report refers, as stated in title, only tothat side of the activities of the Institute which aim atinfluencing members of the official classes. It may,however, be well to state with regard to its dominautly