sionary's invitation
he entered, and sat down, and the two chatted pleasantly. The visitor
seemed interested in the foreigner, and asked him many questions that
showed a bright, intelligent mind. When he arose to go, Mackay invited
him to come again, and he promised he would. He left his card, a strip
of pink paper about three inches by six; the name on it read Giam
Cheng Hoa. Mackay was very much interested in him, he was so bright,
so affable, and such pleasant company. He waited anxiously to see if he
would return.
At the appointed hour the visitor was at the door, and the missionary
welcomed him warmly. The second visit was even more pleasant than the
first. And Mackay told his guest why he had come to Formosa, and of
Jesus Christ who was both God and man and who had come to the earth to
save mankind.
The young man's bright eyes were fixed steadily upon the missionary as
he talked, and when he went away his face was very thoughtful. Mackay
sat thinking about him long after he had left.
He had met many graduates, but none had impressed him as had this youth,
with his frank face and his kind, genial manner. There was something
too about the young fellow, he felt, that marked him as superior to his
companions. And then a sudden divine inspiration flashed into the lonely
young missionary's heart. THIS WAS HIS MAN! This was the man for whom he
had been praying. The stranger had as yet shown no sign of conversion,
but Mackay could not get away from that inspired thought. And that night
he could not sleep for joy.
In a day or two the young man returned. With him was a noted graduate,
who asked many questions about the new religion. The next day he came
again with six graduates, who argued and discussed.
When they were gone Mackay paced up and down the room and faced the
serious situation which he realized he was in. He saw plainly that the
educated men of the town were banded together to beat him in argument.
And with all his energy and desperate determination he set to work to be
ready for them.
His first task was to gain a thorough knowledge of the Chinese
religions. He had already learned much about them, both from books on
shipboard and since he had come to the island. But now he spent long
hours of the night, poring over the books of Confucianism, Buddhism,
and Taoism, by the light of his smoky little pewter lamp. And before
the next visit of his enemies he knew almost more of their jumble of
religions t
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