For some time past, in the district of Qhiuchou, at the east. of this province, a has teen disturbing the peo me mover of which has, it is reported, induced Inrge numbers to follow his, or her, lead The lo der is said to be " bearded woman, but those who are familiar with what is going on, aver that it is a man, who hes: ssumed female orb, for the sake of effect, and also 10 ide his own personality. Be thin as it may, the instigator of this restlessness affirms that she—or he is an incarnation of a fairy, who has purposely assumed human shape und voice, in o-der to teach the people magic and sorcery. She claims to able to exercise fox devils, in wh Chinese are profound believers, as the roxders of Giles' "Stranze Stories" will find ample evidence of. Further, she teases to foresee future events, and foretell what of good, nad what of evil, will befall mortals in the coming days. Moreover, like the leaders wf the 8.xer move. ment, she promises immunity to all her followers from bullet and sword thrust and from fire and water. What the ultimate purpose of the followers of this st oder may be does not yet appear, but she is gathering her followers and organising them into an Association, Already more than ten thousand followers are reported to have enrolled their names, many of whom were local robbers and marauders. The braver spirits of the organisation have already begun to rob, and have looted some rice stores and some banks. The well-to-do people of the district are beginning to take alarm, and, gathering all their moveable valuables together, they are escaping into quieter districts in the neighbourhood. It is not easy to discover how far the above account actually represents the bare facts of the case, but there can be no doubt that some agitation is on foot. and some party in course of formation, whose aim is robbery and desolation of others, whilst they themselves. will be able to live on the loot which they can obtain, Whether it will develop into something more threatening remains to be soon, but these insurrections some-imes have an unfortunate habit of coming to an unpleasant head when least expected and giving a good deal of trouble and doing much damage.
A Memorable Christian Service.
Some time xgo a young man of the town of Heungshan, aged twenty, was converted to the Christian faith He beeanis at once ious to win his entire family, comprising his gr wether, father and mother, and three sisters.
As, however, the family lived at some distance froma Christian church, the youth arranged with "loc missionary, that, "n his usual vi into the district, the rite of baptisin should be tered in the house. Lhe service was arranged, but the whole family was not baptised because some of them had not yet clearly apprehended the full meaning of what baptism implied. The grandmother, gentle-spoken old lady of seventy-six, was sv eager to be received? that the minister baptised her, Tt was sight that stirred the thoughts, and suge gested what will happen in China, on wider scale sooner or later. The "has was an ordinary Chinese one, by no means well furnished, though the father appeared to be fairly well off. By the tickering light of red guttering candles, the entire failly stood up to be examined, and though the reception of the majority was deferred till the next visit, the beaming face of the old lady will not soon be forgotten, The father had arranged an elaborate feast and had invited some of the native preachers, and some of the elders of the chapel, wud among these the missionary sat, un hoaoured guest, for whose special benefit foreign Knives and forks had been secured. Chis little picture of what goes on and is going on all over China, far from the madding crowd, furnished food for reflection, and, for those whose life's work it iv to publish Christivnity, creates visions of hope,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.