and I went down to Tientsin
and waited there a fortnight, but no tidings. At last on the
evening of Sabbath, November 29, a steamer's whistle was heard
miles away down the river. It was Mr. Meech's turn to preach. After
sermon he and I walked away down the river side to see what we
could see. After a while a light hove round the last bend, then a
green light, then the red light, then came the three lights of the
steamer! We listened. It was the high-pressure engine of the steam
launch which is used to lighten the deep-sea steamers before coming
up the narrow river. Fifteen minutes more and she was at the
landing stage. A friend went on board. Miss Prankard was on board
the Taku, which was still outside the bar, waiting for water to
bring her over and up to the settlement. The lighter was going to
unload and start down the river at five A.M., and Meech and I went
in her. About eight A.M. we met the steamer coming up, and when she
came abreast we saw Miss Prankard on board, but could not get from
our vessel to hers. The tide was favourable for running up, and
they were afraid to lose a minute, so would not stop the steamer;
we did not get on board till we reached the bund at Tientsin about
eleven A.M. We started for Peking next day, got there on Thursday,
and were married following Tuesday.

'Our honeymoon is now almost over. I am to have only a week of it.
I hope to start with Meech on a mission trip to the country on
Tuesday next.'

Miss Prankard's first view of her future husband was hardly what she
might have expected. Mr. Meech has also sketched that scene on the
river.

'The morning was cold, and Gilmour was clad in an old overcoat which had
seen much service in Siberia, and had a woollen comforter round his
neck, having more regard to warmth than to appearance. We had to follow
back to Tientsin, Gilmour being thought by those on board the steamer to
be the engineer!'

Two letters may be quoted in this connection. The first was to one of
his most intimate Scotch friends.

'London Mission, Peking,
'January 31, 1875.

'My dear----, Your kind, long, and much-looked-for letter dated May
12, 1873, and August 21, 1874, reached me on January 9, 1875. Many
thanks for it, but I think it would be