The Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal. January, 1897. Shanghai: The Presbyterian Mission Press.
The twenty-eighth volume of the Recorder opens appropriately with an article on "Mission Day-schools for the Chinese," by the Rev. D. N. Lyon. With New Year thoughts fresh in our mind, and recognising the importance of good beginnings in missionary effort, as well as in all other work, we have impressed on us the importance of Mr. Lyon's subject. The day-school," he points out in his introduction, ' bears relation to our general work of evangelisation very like that of the mountain rivulet to the great river. It is one of the sources that go to make up the volume of Christian influence that some day is going to sweep away all the driftwood of superstition and idolatry from this land."
Mr. Lyon gives the following as reasons why day schools may be expected to yield good results if properly conducted and pered in:—(1) They: are a thoroughly Chinese institution, and as such are not Tiable to be objected to as foreign agencies foisted upon the people against their long established customs. (2) In many parts of China they are the only means of ottaining an education. (3). They afford an admirable means of spreading a knowledge of the Gospel among the masses of the people and of opening new places to Gospel effort. (4) They enable. us to reach the children at the earliest or formative period of their lives, whilst they at the same time withdraw the children, for a large portion. of each day, from the influence of. heathen.surroundings. (5) They are less expensive than boarding-schools, arid not open to the objection that naturally lies against the latter that they train the pupils to ideas of dependence on the church for support. (6) They store the minds of children with Christian truth that may some time.germinate and bear fruit in renewed lives. (7) They are recruiting camps for candidates for higher education, if such education be desirable. (8) They form a nucleus, around which a Christian congregation may be gathered.
If, as is often the case in small, villages, they supplant the heathen.. schools entirely, it gives Christianity..a leading place in-that neighbourhood. (10) They supply a felt need, especially in the country districts. Schools in villages of from one two hundred people are the exception rather than the rule. Thousands of children will grow up in complete illiteracy unless we give them this opportunity to learn." eer In the course of his article Mr. Lyon points out that day schools. must be-distinctly Christian schools, with Christian teachers, studying Christian books,: aud taught according to more civilised and Christian methods; of teaching... Same' interesting details are given.of the Trimetrical Classic," The Book of Family Names," "The Thousand. Character Ciassic," and. The Boy's Book of Poetry,"—books generally taught in Chinese day schools.
In "Chinese Women from a: Chinese Standpoint," we get the benefit of Mr, Headland's literary wanderings through eld paths seldom trod by. Western. students. A perusal of "the Pan-Religious Convention" article, makes us wish the author had looked at all sides of his subject. Ju his retrospect he. is apt to magnify in his mind's eye certain phases which, whilst unpleasant, were not likely to have a lasting harmful effect whilst several incidents connected with the Parliament of Religions'are regrettable and open to criticism. Wo must not forget the many. advantages.accruitig from the display of the candour and confidence which led to the inviting. of representatives of the several religions to come, and hear, and compare, Many received" a helpful impulse in getting near to their fellow men, and no, more than before of their thoughts, beliefs, hopes, fears, and sufferings. 5 After a discussion of suitable and unsuitable: symbols, under the heading '*Communion Wine," by the Rev..C. Hartwell and a plea for the adaptation of Roniani colloquial in rpandarin-speaking districts, by A.0.; we find a further instalment of "China in the Light of History," by Dr. Faber. In chapter: XVIII," Stars of Hope," the following reform measures are suggested:—"* I. Utilivetion. © 1. OF all natural resources. "2. OF every work power. LI. Remorat. 1, Of all profi the imperial palace and among the nobel 2, OF extravagant expenditure 'cérinected with. idolatry, etc. 3. Of public misery. 4. Of vice, opium, gambling, ete, TH. Prevention. 1. By education. 2 By sanitary arrangements. 3, By means of communication. 4. By military protection. IV. Promotion of General Welfare. administration of justice." 2. By duties And. taxes, to. most the needs' df the state 3. Simple habits and customs. 4. Marriage," and training of children, 5, "Religious liberty, though barring any degeneration. 6. Regulation of the poor' lays, hospital regulations, and insurance me-
In the educational department, Professor Headland writes of the 'New Psychology." He gives us the reply of Professor Sctipture, of Yale, as' to the reason why the mental sciences' to-day are two hundred years behind the physical sciences: Be-Zause the science of mind itself, psychology, owing to the late introduction of experiment, has: not achieved the development it should have done. It is to the introduction of experiment that we owe our electric car and lights,.our bridges and tall buildings, our steam power and factories, in fact, every particle of our modern civi-usation that depends on material goods. It is to the lack of experiment that we must attribute the medieval condition of the mental sciences."
In his reference to China and this new method of study Mr. Headland says: ' Ail who-have been engaged in educational work in China know with what interest the Chinese watch experiments in. the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.