The news of the death of the venerable missionary Dr, John Macgowan, which reaches us today through the London Mission, must not pass without a special tribute to the memory of one who was a great figure in China in his day and a contributor to the North-China Daily News" of the series of papers which, in volume form, have already become classics under the title of Lights and Shadows of Chinese Life" and " Chinese Folk-Lore."" In the preface to the former volume he speaks of the kindness of numerous people scattered through the Eighteen Provinces of China who have, in words that have deeply moved me, testified to the pleasure' and even profit as some have genviously declared, that th have derived from this portraiture of Chinese life." His style in w: ing was as mellifluous as his cism of China and her people was kindly. How greatly he, was revered and the affection in which he was held was shown on his departure from Amoy some ten years ago (at the moment of writing there is not time to trace the exact date) when the principal Chinese of the district presented him with the: full Court dress of a Viceroy, an honour which has been conferred on few if any other foreigners. The sorrow that will be felt at his death is mitigated by the thought that it has come to him at a n old age. The memory that leaves behind him is of one who, knowing the Chinese through and through, saw clearly the best that is in them and, without blindness to their possible weaknesses, hed ever faith in that best. That is no bad message from such a life to. transmit to us in these days of facile pessimism.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.