By Dr. Donald MacGillivray, The following reminiscences by one who knew Mr. Cornaby intimately for many yeats are a welcome addition to what we were able to publish on Wed—nesday.
good Methodist and a" deeply spiritual Christian has passed on. Two of his sons went over the top in the prime of their youthful vigour and died; and now the father has also gone over the top, worn out in the service of his King. One of his books is called "In Touch with Reality." He is now in touch with reality in a "deeper sense than that of his book.
Tue ForMuta ror SrrycHNine.
In early youth he seems to have excelled in chemistry, and was always proud to recall that he had discovered the formula for strychnine, but he turned his back on scientific research and came to China to preach the Gospel under the Wesleyan Missionary Society. But research was still a passion, mot into noxious gases and uncanny substances, but into the mysteries of the Chinese characters and customs. The desire to write seized him carly and "The String of Chinese Peachstones" saw the light. At the time the apostolic David Hill was his Chairman, and the young missionary foolishly imagined that the saint would frown on such labours, and so much did this notion work on his mind that the whole of the INS. was written during the hours when all, including the saint, were asleep. © The labours of the day were, of course, not slackened, otherwise the dreadful secret would have leaked out!
Dr. Timothy Richard, ever on the alert for promising talent, soon discovered Cornaby and he asked him to take charge of the '"Christian Review,"" published by—the Christian Literature Society. Cornaby was in his element, so afterwards it was not hard to secure him for permanent work in the C.L.S. in Shanghai, which he joined in 1904, and Kao Pu-chen {AU), his Chinese name, soon became well known among C.L.S. readers. He worked first in 44 Boone Road, and then in_ the Society's new offices at 143 North Szechuen Road.
2,000 Cuaracters @ Day.
Most literary workers when they first join the Society make a wild attempt to write their MSS. with their own hand, but presently discover that so much of their nervous energy is oozing away owing to this strain that they are glad to dictate to a Chinese scribe to whom the art of writing is an easy matter. By having Chinese experts to do this mechanical part of the work they are able to devote their energy to other parts in the execution of which they must say good-bye to their Chinese writers. It oftens happens then' that one. member of the staff can keep busy a number of Chinese writers. But our friend Corzaby, from the very
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.