The statistics of the work of the A. B.C. Mission of this region for the past year are encouraging. Twenty-four out-stations are reported as having had for eight months an average Sunday attondance of thirty-four. The leaders of these incipient churches receive something over half of their support from the members; 1,080 gold dollars is the total of contributions. The larger part of this represents new work, and in almost all cages considerable opposition has been shown by the Roman Catholics who appear to have been taught to regard themselves as "it" for all this region.
"Armed Brethren."
Tu the Tingchou region 10,000 gold dollars is probably a conservative estimate of the property destruction worked by these bands of armed brethren. Last summer the salt-shops were attacked, and being semi-officials, managers received, we understand, a solatium of several thousand taels. But now the people attacked and pillaged are chiefly of the every-day kind who, as the officials remark, are "very patient" and thus far all suggestions about indemnity are sternly frowned down. Perhaps some of us will be pardoned for thinking that China needs one or two very radical changes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.