Sunday the 24th of September, being the anniversary of Dr. Griffith John's arrival in China fifty years previously, the London Mission converts at Hankow naturally laid hold of the opportunity for a demonstration in honour of the "Old Pastor." On approaching the Concession Chapel, at the hour of afternoon service, the courtyard was found to be filled with the ample proportions of many many-flounced congratulatory red umbrellas, and boards of honour standing in rows with inscriptions in crimson and gold, expressing sentiments quite as dazzling as the colours. Inside, the Chapel was tastefully decorated with scrolls and embroideries, and crowded to the door by a large congregation. It was astiting hot afternoon with that deadly oppressive feeling in the air which heralds the approach of a typhoon, but this appeared to have no effect on the animation of the native Christians, There was nothing ornate about the service. The vari country churches had each delegated a representative to present their congratulations, and "Dr. John's colleagues also wished to say a word. With so many there was time for nothing but speeches, and although each speaker was requested to confine himself to five minutes it took two hours and a half to got through. The leading thought in the native mind was that Dr. John's arrival in Hankow so long ago marked the beginning of a now era, From ancient times till then the Gospel was unknown, but by voice and pen all these years he bad made it known to countless numbers, and what change it had wrought. They spoke of how lives had' been transformed:"how churches were springing up' everywhere; how schools, colleges, and hospitals had been established; how the hostile -sentiments of officials and people had been changed, and how the hope was brighten. ing for s new and better China-'They thanked and glorified God for this, and were full of love and gratitude to the Old Pastor, and daily prayed that, ho might long be spared to be their leader and pattern. By a fortunate coincidence, Dr. Young J. Allen, himself a veteran of close on fifty years' standing, happened assing through Hankow and added terest of the occasion by his presence and taking part. Dr. John to all in foding terms, He was groatly touched by the love and affection of his people: for all the good that had been accomplished he ascribed the glory to God who had thus honoured the efforts of his colleagues and himself. To his mind there was no. career on earth which could for a moment compare with a missionary's and his highest ambition, as long as ho lived, was to labour with them and for them.
On the Thursday, on the invitation of the members of the London Mission, a reception was held at "The Rest" to ive Dr. John's foreign friends an opportunity of presenting their congratulations. The building was beautifully decorated with flowers and flags, while the daintily set out to over by the ladies of the mission, both pleased the eye and appeased the claims of four o'clock. The number present was largo, and would have been still larger had not the typhoon, which "followed on the hi of Sunday's heat, brought with it wet weather and a stormy Yangtze. The Rev, Arnold Fos. ter, B.A. Dr. John's' senior colleague, read and presented him with the following address
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.