features of Chinese
life was the contempt for women. Of eleven Bible-women whom she had seen
at a meeting in China, there was not one who had not put an end to at
least five girl-babies."

A Jesuit missionary has published a quarto volume, running to more than
270 pages, and containing many illustrations of infanticide, and the
judgments of Heaven which always come upon those who commit this crime.

Finally, if you ask of any Chinaman, he will infallibly tell you that
infanticide exists to an enormous extent everywhere in China; and as
though in corroboration of his words, alongside many a pool in South
China may be found a stone tablet bearing an inscription to the effect
that "Female children may not be drowned here." This would appear to end
the discussion; but it does not.

To begin with, the Chinese are very prone to exaggerate, especially to
foreigners, even their vices. They seem to think that some credit may be
extracted from anything, provided it is on a sufficiently imposing
scale, and I do not at all doubt the fact that eleven Bible-women told
Mrs. Bird-Bishop that they had each destroyed five girl-babies. It is
just what I should have expected. I remember, when I first went to Amoy,
it had been stated in print by a reckless foreigner that crucifixion of
a most horrible kind was one of the common punishments of the place. On
enquiring from the Chinese writer attached to the Consulate, the man
assured me that the story was quite true and that I could easily see for
myself. I told him that I was very anxious to do so, and promised him a
hundred dollars for the first case he might bring to my notice. Three
years later I left Amoy, with the hundred dollars still unclaimed.

Further, those Chinese who have any money to spare are much given to
good works, chiefly, I feel bound to add, in view of the recompense
their descendants will receive in this world and they themselves in the
next; also, because a rich man who does nothing in the way of charity
comes to be regarded with disapprobation by his poorer neighbours.
Such persons print and circulate gratis all kinds of religious tracts,
against gambling, wine-drinking, opium-smoking, infanticide, and so
forth; and these are the persons who set up the stone tablets
above-mentioned, regardless whether infanticide happens to be practised
or not.

Of course infanticide is known in China, just as it is known, too well
known, in England and elsewhere. What I hope to b