cisms of a more temperate nature. According to this majority the
missionaries do nothing but harm. Frequently of poor education, and
lacking altogether in tact and discretion, they thrust themselves in
where they are not wanted, they interfere in local matters, ignore
local customs, offend local susceptibilities, and by allowing young
unmarried ladies without experience and frequently without suitable
escort to wander about the country, to outrage all sense of decency,
thus generating ill-will which not infrequently leads to riots,
bloodshed and diplomatic trouble, while the good they do is
microscopic and the number of converts or "rice-Christians" coincides
with the amount of alms distributed, and who, when nothing further is
to be acquired, revert to the faith, or indifference, of their
forefathers. Building fine residences with the funds provided by
gullible folks at home, and constructing diminutive churches with the
few remaining bricks, drawing fat salaries which increase _pari passu_
with the number of their children, and taking long summer holidays in
Japan or in the mountains when business men must be hard at work,
nothing but condemnation is heard for the whole system which, they
say, should be forcibly suppressed by the various Governments
concerned.

While enough of this loud-voiced deprecation may be true to lend a
colouring to the whole, I have no hesitation in saying that the
opinions of most of the critics are absolutely worthless. In fact,
they know nothing whatever about either the missionaries or their
work, but simply repeat, with their own additions, things they have
heard from any and every source without ever troubling to verify them
personally. Never was there a clearer case of "giving a dog a bad
name," etc.

We civilians in China frequently lead far from model lives and are in
no position to throw stones, for which reason, probably, the mere
sight of a professional good man is worse than the proverbial red rag,
and the tendency is strong, I own, to disparage him and all his
works, while serenely forgetful of our own palpable shortcomings.

I have known one or two missionaries commit shady actions. I have
known several civilians commit crimes.

Missionaries, like ourselves, it must not be forgotten, are very
human, and contain in their ranks men widely differing in degrees of
fitness.

In various remote places I have met missionaries of many
denominations--Jesuits, Anglicans, Non-conform