. New China and old : personal recollections and observations of thirty years. mostentirely in learning this difficult but not impossiblespeech. Some Missionaries again have acquired sothoroughly the tone and utterance of the Chinese, asto be mistaken by both Chinese and foreigners fornative speakers, when out of sight but within foreigners, however, are able to write or composein classical Chinese so freely and accurately as todeceive a reader, and lead him to think that a native-born Chinese scholar is the writer. If our Missions werebetter manned, and a full complement of worker
. New China and old : personal recollections and observations of thirty years. mostentirely in learning this difficult but not impossiblespeech. Some Missionaries again have acquired sothoroughly the tone and utterance of the Chinese, asto be mistaken by both Chinese and foreigners fornative speakers, when out of sight but within foreigners, however, are able to write or composein classical Chinese so freely and accurately as todeceive a reader, and lead him to think that a native-born Chinese scholar is the writer. If our Missions werebetter manned, and a full complement of workers wereattached to each department of labour, it might bepossible for some to acquire sound and accurate scholar-ship, and at the same time to become ready and idiom-atic speakers. But at present the paucity of labourersin the Mission field, and the great pressure of multi-farious work, renders it well-nigh impossible for menand women to do what Premare has laid down ashis noble ideal of a Missionary student—to learn Chineseas the Chinese do; to go to school once more ; to. Testimony to Missions. 309 become children again; if only we may thus savesome. Repuerascendum nobis est si volumus ChristumJesum his gentibus cum fructu annunciare. Quem,amabo, laborem, talis spes non leniat ? The testimony by the correspondent of the Times,writing from Tientsin in North China, is not withoutstrong significance in these days of shrewd observationand keen criticism. The good effected by Missionaries,he writes, is by no means to be measured by a list ofconversions. They are the true pioneers of is to them we have to look to carry the reputation offoreigners into the heart of the country ; and it is ontheir wisdom, justice, and power of sympathy that theRenascence of China very largely depends. A highhonour this, and a responsible trust ! And far higherstill is the office, far nobler the responsibility whichMissionaries, if faithful to their calling and promise,exercise and be
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