the providence of God the lives of a few missionaries had been spared
to return, and with the benefit of their experience, to help new workers
to an understanding of a situation which, mishandled, would inevitably
lead to disastrous consequences.

Nothing could give Mrs. Hsi greater pleasure than to hear from her
friend, Miss French, that Hwochow was to be her future centre. I, as a
new worker, was to accompany her, and together we reached the city which
was to be henceforth our home.

The reception given by the very few Christians who gathered to meet us,
was both cordial and critical. Miss French was welcome as being one
whose reputation had long ago reached them, who had already paid several
visits to the station, and whose Chinese, they soon remarked, was "as
good as Miss Jacobsen's!" Of me they knew nothing, and I had to meet the
gaze of many eyes and listen to the remark, before I opened my month to
speak, that it was impossible to understand my words. I had only one
asset, and that was the fact that this being my first station I should
belong to them, and when the day dawned that would release my stammering
tongue, the honour of having taught and trained me would be theirs!

FOOTNOTES:

[4] _Yamen_=law courts or Mansion House.

[5] From _Fire and Sword in Shansi_, by Dr. E. H. Edwards.

LIFE IN THE VILLAGES

"Great things are done when men and mountains meet;
These are not done by jostling in the street."
WILLIAM BLAKE.

"Arrived there, the little house they fill,
No look for entertainment where none was;
Rest is their feast, and all things at their will;
The noblest mind the best contentment has."
WILLIAM SPENSER.

CHAPTER V

LIFE IN THE VILLAGES

AN INTRODUCTION TO CHINESE HOME LIFE

THE house at Hwochow, which we were to inhabit, was still in the hands
of workmen. We therefore decided to delay the unpacking of our boxes,
and to spend several months in visiting the homes of the Christians
throughout the four counties for which we were then responsible. Our
travelling paraphernalia was simple, luggage being limited to the amount
that a small donkey could carry in addition to a rider. Clothes and
books were tied up in large square handkerchiefs and distributed as
evenly as possible, along with a folded, wadded quilt in a long bed