e call it "Doy Shin;" "Doy" means
"Stove," "Shin" means "god." Every family worships the stove-god at the
cooking place. The first of every month they burn some punk, and twice
every month make a fresh cup of tea, which is left standing on the
stove. I found that several thousands of punk had been burned during my
absence, and the ends of the sticks were left in the bowls. I felt very
sorry for it; so I tore up the paper and break the punk-sticks in pieces
and burn them up. My wife felt very indignant, and was afraid the
stove-god might be angry and make me sick, and punish me. I say:
"Nothing to be afraid of. But I am only afraid that the true God in
heaven will punish me if I do not tear up the paper and burn up the
punk-sticks." I say: "I must entirely abandon this superstition and must
give this testimony for Christ. For he is the only God that can preserve
my life, and the only one that can take it away."

In the mean time, a Chinese preacher who was supported by the Methodist
Mission was very sick. His children were very small and his wife cannot
walk. There was nobody to go after a doctor for him. So he sent for me
to call doctor and get medicine. He and myself were the only Christians
inside the walls of the city. Outside in the villages were a few
Christians, but fifteen or twenty miles away. My wife advised me not to
go to his house lest I get sick also, for my health was not very good. I
say to her, that only he and I are Christians in this place. I _have_ to
go to his house. I rather die than not go. In about twenty days he die.
We sent for the Christian friends, from different parts--some thirty to
fifty miles away--some nearer. So we bury him the Christian way. The men
carry the coffin. They charge four dollars to bury him, because he is
Christian. The others they charge only two dollars. We also hire music
for the funeral--different from the heathen funeral. Several hundred
people were standing on the way, watching us pass by. Some say: "How
funny the burying of the Yason dog,"--_i.e._, the Jesus boy.

After the funeral I was very sick, and my whole body trembling with
cold. Many blankets put upon me, but cannot make me warm. My wife begin
to cry. My cousins and all said it was because I went to the dead man's
house and catch the sickness. Some of them said it was because I tore up
the paper and burned the punk-sticks of the stove-god. But my wife,
sitting on the bed-side crying, suggested the medicine wh