ne, the Confucian writings which had
been his constant companion were now neglected, and in spite of her
entreaties and fears, the family gods were destroyed.

During his stay at home he spoke constantly, both to her and in her
hearing to many visitors, of the teachings of this Jesus Who, he
explained to all comers, was the Son of the only True God.

* * * * *

Time passed, and gradually her fears were somewhat allayed, so that she
even consented to repeat certain sentences which, he told her, were to
be used night and morning, kneeling, and with closed eyes. Her
inclination to favourably regard what he told her grew, especially
during his absences from home; for, strange to relate, she soon began to
find herself under the influence of an unaccountable external power,
which compelled her on each occasion of a visit from her husband to fly
into an uncontrollable rage at the sight of him, and this despite her
most determined resolution to the contrary. To her husband it was most
distressing to see so gentle a woman thus transformed. As his own
spiritual experience increased, he recognised in this an onslaught of
the devil, and betook himself to prayer and fasting in order to discover
how they had laid themselves open to the attack. It was then that there
was brought to his remembrance the fact that, in a room at the top of
the house, there stood a small idol responsible for the health of the
family, whose existence Mrs. Hsi had been careful not to bring to his
remembrance, and which had been overlooked in the general destruction.
The shrine was instantly destroyed, and Mrs. Hsi was free of the
tormenting spirit, and shortly afterwards openly confessed Christ.

From that time their home in the Western Chang village was a centre of
Christian activity. Through intense suffering Mr. Hsi had freed himself
from the craving for opium, and he felt that, for the evangelisation of
his native province, some means might be devised whereby the treatment
of opium patients might be combined with widespread preaching of the
Gospel.

The more he thought of this the stronger the conviction grew that it was
of God, and when, through the agency of a dream, a system of treatment
was revealed to him, he accepted it as a revelation and at once prepared
the medicine which proved successful beyond his highest expectations.
After a time, men who had been delivered from the opium vice and led to
Christ through th