The evening session was begun with Dr. Ashmore in the chair, who led in prayer, and Mr. Bryson acting as clerk.
the Chairman said that the meeting was to be devoted to missionary experience, and on motion the time for each reply to a question was strictly limited to two minute: not to exceed three minutes. The Chai man announced that the Business Committee had divided the questions into the topies missionary,' preaching,' medicine,' schools,' charity,' and miscellaneous.' In most cases the person who first answered 4 question did so by request.
the first question was asked of Rev. J. H. Taylor as follows; What docs medical authority and experience say as to the hygienic value of full Chinese dress?
A. Hunter was asked to reply, in the absence of Mr. Taylor. He said the idea seemed to be that the Chinese dress is dangerous. It does not affect the health. It is warmer in winter, and cooler in summer, and has every advantage in its favour.
Q'—Are there any arguments for Chinese dress in any case, other than the prevention of curiosity and sympathetic conformity to harmless customs?
A.—This does not require discussion. After ten years of Chinese costume, I char according to situation. It is matter of sel denial to most, persons, but a man who cannot deny himself to that extent, can hardly be a missionary.
Q.—Where Chinese dress is chosen, would not compromise be advisable—the adoption of articles hygienically uninjurious, the rejection of those not popular with sensible Chinese, and especially objection able for hygienic reasons A.—The Chinese dress is perfectly safe.
Mr. Hill was asked what reason there is for wearing the Chinese dress in a port, and replied that it was because a man very often had occasion to go out of a Q.—What should be our attitude towards Roman Catholics, foreign and native, whom we meet in the ports, or inland, especially the latter?
A.—Mr. Richard replied that it should be the same as to the Chinese generally. We feel that they are wrong, and should do all we can to lead them into the right way.
Q.—What is the opinion of the senior members of the Conference as to the average [length of time a missionary should ti the language before taking up work, either medical or evangelistic A.—Dr. Blodget said that no definite rules can be made, Some commence within one year and do well. Mr. Aitchison planned for a long life, and wanted to study five years, but did engage in work sooner. TE depends upon qualifications and natural gifts.
Q.—Is special study necessary for sermons to crowds in the street or in chapels A.—Mr. Hykes replied in the affirmative. No man should preach cither in the street or in chapels, unless he is prepared.
Is the iteration and reiteration of doctrinal preaching statements the kind of preaching that the power of the spirit attends 'A.—Mr. Hykes replied that all preaching should be doctrinal.
Rey. A. H. Smith was asked to speak, and said that he thought the truth of the unity of God all that an average Chinese congregation could take in the first time. The case of Rev. Win. C. Burns was cited, who was at first Very anxious to preach t] atonement to ignorant heathen, but who after some years of experience told a imi sionary in Foochow that he thought the reaching there too evangelical,' that is, yond the capacity of the hearers to take in.
Q.—Where there is no English service in a station during Sunday morning, do you think young missionaries should attend the Chinese service from the time of their arrival A.—Dr. Blodget replied that they should do so from the first day they set their foot in China, They should take pencils and paper and learn words and later get the character. Some can lead the singing by writing the sounds in Roman letters.
Rey. G. Reid said that if there was work at a port for sailors, it might be better to do that than to go to a service which one does not understand.
Mr. Bryant testified to the value of attending the services to catch the sounds. It is the best way for every missionary if he wishes to be a speaker.
Mr. Muirhead spoke to the same effect. The questions put at the close of the preaching were helpful also. _Q—Is it in accordance with Chinese ideas of reverence, to use the second personal pronoun (iti) in addressing the Deity?
Dr. Edkins said it was. "We should get out of the trammels of etiquette, when We get into religion and prayer.
Dr. Blodget said the Roman Catholics use it extensively, in translating Thomas a Kempis. It helps out the ditticulty if one gives the address to the Deity first. 'Too frequent use is repulsive to the Chinese. A native assistant, of twenty-four years' standing, will never use it. Some use " Heavenly Father."
Mr. Goodrich said that this very native helper always put him (Mr. Goodrich) out when he said the Lord's Prayer. A large proportion of our native Christians say ni not always but often.
Mr. Hubbard said that at Foochow the Christians use ' Father.'
Dr. Blodget added that if we do not use the personal pronoun, what we gain in reference we lose in nearness.
Q.—What is the opinion of experienced missionaries as to the value or otherwise of the slight medical knowledge obtainable by, soy, six months' training? and should such training if desirable be obtained entirely before coming out, or partly after arrival in the field?
Dr. Boone said he thought such training entirely worthless, 3 Boone. There are many simple scan san err said that he should differ from the mode of treating which could be wel studied while acquiring the language. Much good could be done if they would confine themselves to these simple diseases. A man, to have charge of a hospital or disly pen sary, should be Dr. Lyall said that if a man is going into the interior away from a doctor, he should ha a certain amount of training in a hospital If not separated from a physician, a mis: sionary shauld stick to his profession.
tried, and it all depended on whether the Mr. bs fred said that he had seen this man had a well-balanced mind. He had see some who began to give some simple re: medies, such as ointments, and before finished they would amputate a man's head Q.—Do you think it advisable to charge any fee for treatment or medicine in a mis+ sionary hospital Dr. Beet said he charged a fee for registering, 26 cash, Kerr said that it depended upon circumstances. In opening a new station he would not charge a fee. In Canton he charged in-patients 20 cents and outpatients nothing, unless they have separate rooms. We charge $3 per month for room rent, nothing for medicine or attendance.
Dr. Boone said we must be governed by circumstances. he believed we should teach the Chinese to help themselves. He never charged the poor. The rich he charged according to their means; those of moderato means pay the actual cost, and the poor who are-eight tenths of the number, pay nothing, Where they are able, it is a duty to make them pay.
Dr. Kerraddod s word as to the Wesleyan Hospital at Fatshan. He said that Dr, Wenyon was in the habit of making charges, and does net in consequence limit his prac-Bee he any conaiderab extent. His hos-P'De, Porter suid. that int Japan it is the ital is very nearly self-supporting,
practice of Japanese physicians to charge five cents a day for prescriptions, and missionaries conformed to it.
Mr. Hubbard said that in Foochow they had a fee, and their receipts for the year had been about $40.00.
Dr. Hunter said that after several years of free dispensing he changed his opinion, as he thought, wisely. He now charged for medicines half the cost price; and the receipts last year at Weilsien were over $200. It works better than free dispensing.
Q.—Do you think that heathen schoolteachers should under any circumstances be employed in country schools Mr. Jones said that he recalled the views of Mr. Lechler at the last Conference. Heathen teachers of Christian schools may be of great use. They should be used only in extreme circumstances-~if possible, never use them.
Dr. Edkins said we should employ them, as they may become Christians. Let us not lose the opportunity.
Dr. Blodget spoke of his discouragement in Shanghai, by seeing no results. He had a heathen teacher, and he now finds him the compradore of the Presbyterian Mission Press, and thousands of taels pass through his hands, and none of them stick.
Mr. Painter said that the teacher may become convinced of Christian truth.
Mr. Plumb cited a case of this sort in Foochow, in which the man is a valuable worker.
Mr, Muirhead said that such teachers have been converted to God, and have died happy deaths.
Q.~In starting boys' schools do you think it possible or practicable to attempt to work on a self-supporting basis, or to what extent would you advise putting the school on a self-supporting basis at first
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.