"That probably is the basis of Dr. MacGillivray's optimism in this report and one cannot but admit tha it is a genuine and well based optimism. If you take a vote amongst the British or other foreign officials who are brought into contact with the Chinese, you will find that the majority think well of them. Some find it hard to be patient and to conceal their disappdintment at seeing the absence of what might be, and the continuance of things which so easily could be removed if the people would only set about it in the way we should like to show them. Yet it is a question of the degree of impatience we show and how that colours our opinion of the Chinese. That again seems to me to be good ground for optim-
Mr. Barton concluded: The work of the Society shows a very gratifying increase and progress if judged by the figures, of sales. Fifty per cent. increase for last year surely must e a cause of great gratification and encouragement to the workers of the Society themselves and those friends who believe in it and support it. But what an extraordinarily smal] drop in the ocean it is when compared to the vast size of the work! There is still an' enormous task before the Society and every thinking foreign resident in China should recognize the necessity for the work and_ the duty that is upon all foreign Christians to support it to the best of their ability."
Dr. MacGillivray summarized and explained some items of the report which already have appeared in these columns, and referred feelingly to the death of the Rev. H. K. Wright. He gave it as his opinion that the young men: of China now were engaged more in thinking than in doing. and if at the present they could not go in one particular direction, they would eventually proceed on an intellectual pilgrimage. The Society was doing its best to accelerate. this movement. Its ambition was to make it possible for the foreign members some day to retire and leave it to the Chinese members to carry on the work. The "sinification" of the Society had begun auspiciously and they all hoped that it would continue. There had been a very satisfactory increase in the membership.
Dr. MacGillivray drew attention to a number of scrolls expressing good-will, hung around the walls, and which were the gifts of various well-known Chinese. He referred to one in particular, stating that he would not' mention the donor, but would leave it to be'translated by any present who knew Chinese. (The scroll actually is the gift of Tsao Kun and bears the presidential seal).
Congratulatory and encouraging addresses were given by Dr. Henry Hodgkin, Dr. F. L. Hawks Pott and Miss Pyle, the meeting then terminating.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.