t blessed | shore, | Oh! how this heart will
glow with | gratitude and | love.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XIII

MAN PROPOSES, GOD DISPOSES

IT is interesting to notice the various events which united, in the
providence of GOD, in preventing my return to Swatow, and ultimately led
to my settling in Ningpo, and making that the centre for the development
of future labours.

Upon reaching Shanghai, great was my dismay to find that the premises in
which my medicines and instruments had been stored were burnt down, and
that all the medicines and many of the instruments were entirely
destroyed. To me this appeared a great calamity, and I fear I was more
disposed with faithless Jacob to say, "All these things are against me,"
than to recognise that "All things work together for good." I had not
then learned to think of GOD as the One Great Circumstance "in Whom we
live, and move, and have our being"; and of _all_ lesser, external
circumstances, as necessarily the kindest, wisest, best, because either
ordered or permitted by Him. Hence my disappointment and trial were very
great.

Medicines were expensive in Shanghai, and my means were limited. I
therefore set out on an inland journey to Ningpo, hoping to obtain a
supply from Dr. William Parker, a member of the same mission as myself.
I took with me my few remaining possessions, the principal being my
watch, a few surgical instruments, a concertina, books for the study of
Chinese, which in those days were very expensive; but left behind in
Shanghai a portion of my money.

The country through which I had to pass was suffering much from drought;
it was the height of summer; and the water in the Grand Canal was very
low, having been largely drawn upon for the neighbouring rice fields, as
well as evaporated by the intense heat. I had determined to make the
journey as much of a mission tour as possible, and set out well supplied
with Christian tracts and books. After fourteen days spent in travelling
slowly through the populous country, preaching and distributing books,
etc., we reached a large town called Shih-mun-wan, and here, finding
that my supply of literature was exhausted, I determined not to linger
over the rest of the journey, but to reach Ningpo as speedily as
possible, _via_ the city of Hai-ning.

_August 4th, 1856._

There was no water beyond Shih-mun-wan, so I paid off my boat, hired
coolies to ca