We have had a large gathering of missionaries from all the various denominations working in North China, at the Methodist Episcopal Mission during the second week of September. Mr. Mott who is now travelling over the world gave an account on Sunday evening at the regular service of the Volunteer Students' work in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Scandinavia, India, Australia, and Japat The lecture was crowded with statistics and showed the encouraging nature of the work among the Professors and students of the various colleges and universities in the above countries, There was a large attendance. The other meetings, three a day, lasted from Saturday the 12th to Thursday the 17th. The subjects discussed were Bible Study, Secret Prayer, and the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The meet ings were largely attended and much good is believed to have been derived from: the exchange of views.—The Rev. Gilbert Reid has undertaken the Editorship of the North China Church Neves, the organ of the North China Tract Society. The paper is issued mouthily at a cost of thirty cents per annum and is printed at the American Board Mission Press. The Editor begins his work with an article on the value of newspapers, besides an Editorial Introduction. This is No. 1 of the sixth volume of the periodical. Hitherto the Rev. W.S. Ament has been Editor. The new Methodist Church recently erected is capable of seating 2,000 persons. The older church, itself large and the largest of the Protestant Churches at the capital, and which had itself been enlarged, had to give place to the new structure to meet the wants of the daily increasing work. The Methodist Mission is by far the largest here now, although one of the latest to enter the field. The Mission seems to have the command of money to any extent, the activity of its members and the extent of the buildings seem to strike the heathen Chinese. Theother missions, we presume, are more hampered in resources. Each year the Methodist mission is visited by a Bishop of their church from the United States. This year the Bishop's period will embrace two years and in the meantime he proceeds to India to examine the stations in that country where the Methodists have also flourishing' missions. By such an arrangement the Bishop will be able to gauge the rate and progress of mission work and will be able to see the results of an action entered upon. The Methodist work embraces the evangelical, medical, educational, and industrial departments of the work, It
The Reciew of the Times, the admirable is thus a very sontlealy, furnished mission. monthly journal published'in Shanghai, is in increasing favour here, The book on the China-Japanese war published by itis highly commended, and is in demand.
THE REFORM SOCIETY AGAIN, The Reform Society or Official Book Depdt contemplates the establishment of a University at the capital, la the meantime, for the teaching of English; the establishment in each provincial capital of middle schools and in each district of grammar schools. The pupils under twenty years of age should be enrolled in the latter, in the middle schools till twenty-five, and after that age in the central or High School at Po The scheme looks fine on paper but is China sincere in wishing for this scheme and has she the money to. carry it out? Besides this school scheme, the Society has also in contemplation the starting of a newspaper Press in all the provinces; and the third of its plans embraces the establishment of an interpretorial depart ment for the translation of all sorts of scientific works into Chinese.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.