It was in October 1899, when two men, climing to be the one a priest and the other a deacon, called at the home of an American bishop. They claimed that they had been sent out by a bishop of their Church to collect funds for the purpose of building schools, churches, and orphanages for the Armenians, who afew years ago suffered such awful persecution and slaughter at the hands of the unspeakable Turk." Their oredentinls to all intents and purposes were in good form 5 besides a very strong lotter of eodorsement feom ther bishop commending them to all benevolently disposed. This letter, as a paper purporting Lo be a passport, was written in some foreign language and was translated late the English language. The American bishop, man of large experience and world-wide travel, said: Very well, gentlemen, Tam glad to meet you and will investigate your case." went to his bookcase and took down an ecclesiasti directory, but falling to find the Orme: bishop's name, he turned to the "priest and informed him of the search. ' But," he raid, "never mind, that is a small matter, of course you have Po! letters from the American Consal in your country, and they will answer every purpose," Whereupon the "priest" suid 'ETE there is any question in regard to the genuineness of our credentials we will move 00, and not further Lrouble you." So they "moved on."
These men had in their possession a score or more of letters from as many different astors of several Churches in the United Btates; these letters commended them most heartily to all Christian people, and expressed great sympathy for them in their work. The bishop gave it as his opinion that these mon were systematically fleecing the " innocents," notwithstanding fraud was "writing letters large" all over them. One "innocent" gave it as his opinion that the "priest and the deacon" were worthy and the next dupe wont upon what the first dupe had said, and so they wont on prospering iv their "fleece gathering" from place to place. Since Ihave been in China, I have had reason to wonder if the "priest "and deacon" have crossed the seas"
The above is given to the public for what it may be worth, with the simple suggestion that preachers, missionaries, teachers, and all in authority should be very careful us to how they endorse and commend men and measures that they absolutely know nothing about, and of which they cannot know without much Been said, seemingly with some device of staking investigation. But it hes
tenth, that people love to be humbug -and I suppose if the "priest and deacon are not in the United States plying their trade they are somewhere else in the world with shears and flee-bag.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.