Twenty-five years in Honan . not as permanentresidents. This unfriendly disposition had tobe reckoned with in all subsequent plans tosecure a permanent foothold within the of Xhe attitude of the authorities was reflected People in the treatment accorded the missionaries bythe people. While they remained on the house-boats, ministering to patients and preaching theGospel, no serious opposition arose, but whensuggestions were made as to securing houses orland, a different spirit was revealed. But forthe fact that the landlords whose property waspiu^chased were men of grit and
Twenty-five years in Honan . not as permanentresidents. This unfriendly disposition had tobe reckoned with in all subsequent plans tosecure a permanent foothold within the of Xhe attitude of the authorities was reflected People in the treatment accorded the missionaries bythe people. While they remained on the house-boats, ministering to patients and preaching theGospel, no serious opposition arose, but whensuggestions were made as to securing houses orland, a different spirit was revealed. But forthe fact that the landlords whose property waspiu^chased were men of grit and courage, itwould have been extremely difficult, if not im-possible, to secure premises in which to live andwork. As it was, no sooner were these premisestaken possession of, than mutterings of dis-content were heard which soon changed to openhostility. So far as known, nothing was done by theauthorities to prevent the people from carryinginto action their hostile intentions. On thecontrary, the attitude of the common people. Retrospect, Outlook and Appeal 247 was evidently connived at, and their violenceinstigated by those who should have beenguardians of the peace. Obtaining and retaining a foothold necessi- o^^j^J^^ tated the expenditure of much valuable time. FootholdAfter the Mission had obtained possession ofpremises, it was necessary to strain every nerveto keep what it had secured. Had the mobsucceeded in expelling the missionaries the newswould quickly have travelled to other centresand evil-disposed men would have been en-couraged to adopt similar measures. When, however, it became known that theforeigners property was destroyed and that,notwithstanding all opposition, they remainedin possession of the Chinese premises, the situ-ation was distinctly disconcerting. Some of themissionaries had to go all the way to Tientsin toobtain a settlement of the difficulties which theyhad failed to arrange satisfactorily in , however, came in their places and thusthe ha
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectmissions, bookyear191
