is methods. This devoted evangelist
told me that a poor woman, a Kachin Christian, in whose welfare he felt
deep personal interest, was, he greatly feared, dying from
blood-poisoning at a small Christian village one hour's ride up the
river from Bhamo; and he had little doubt that some surgical
interference in her case would save her life. I at once offered to go
and see her. I had received great kindness from many American
missionaries in China, and it would give me great pleasure, I said, if I
could be of any service.

The missionary professed to be grateful for my offer, but, instead of
arranging to go that afternoon, named seven o'clock the following
morning as the hour when he would call for me to take me to the village.
At the time appointed I was ready; I waited, but no missionary came.
There was a slight drizzle, sufficient to prevent his going to the sick
woman but not sufficient to deter him from going to market to the
Irrawaddy steamer, where I accidentally met him. So far from being
abashed when he saw me, he took the occasion to tell me what he will, I
know, pardon me for thinking an inexcusable untruth. He had written, he
said, to the poor woman telling her, dying as he believed her to be, to
come down to Bhamo by boat to see me.

In Bhamo I stayed in the comfortable house of the Deputy Commissioner,
and was treated with the most pleasant hospitality. To my regret, the
Deputy Commissioner was down the river, and I did not see him. He is
regarded as one of the ablest men in the service. His rise has been
rapid, and he was lately invested with the C.I.E.--there seems, indeed,
to be no position in Burma that he might not aspire to. In his absence
his office was being administered by the Assistant Commissioner, a
courteous young Englishman, who gave me my first experience of the Civil
Service. I could not but envy the position of this young fellow, and
marvel at the success which attends our method of administering the
Indian Empire. Here was a young man of twenty-four, acting as governor
with large powers over a tract of country of hundreds of square miles--a
new country requiring for its proper administration a knowledge of law,
of finance, of trade, experience of men, and ability to deal with the
conflicting interests of several native races. Superior to all other
authorities, civil and military, in his district, he was considered fit
to fill this post--and success showed his fitness--because a year or two