Mr. Chang No. 4 was of a species supposed in some quarters to be non-existent—the self-supporting Christian preacher. He had ay salary from any person or society, and his whole ambition was to preach the great truths he himself had learned. Political and other remedies were to him mere nostrums. Such a man, endeavouring day by day to live strictly accord ing to Christ's teaching, becomes an interesting personality. In his home city there were those who smiled at him, and those who disliked him—as 'a certain woman disliked John the Baptist—but all respected him.
Not long ago he had a feeling that his work in his native city was finished, so he set out quietly to visit some other places. He was successful in a way, but when over 100 li from his home, he found it necessary to spend the night in one of the many rest houses built along the road by benevolent persons. The night was cold, and there was some straw in the place, so be lit it and sat thinking for a long time.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.