There must be many people still China who knew the late Mrs.
well. She died early in the present year, but has left behind a book of reminiscences "A Passport to China," just published by Hodder Stoughton which may recommended to all alike, as one of the most charming books on China tone can recall. "Brightness-upon-the-way" is the meaning of the 13 Chinese equivalent, "Lu si," of her Christian ' name "Lucy," and the appropriateness of is' apparent in every page Without her ever intruding herself Jor showing much of her emotions except where they were excited on some [behalf of other people, her book is Jan unconscious autobiography, a perfect reflection of what must have been a rare and beautiful character.
What strikes one first is her extraordinary courage. When. she went out in 1884 to marry the Present Professor of Chinese at Osford, then a young missionary at Wenchow, an explosion of antiforeign feeling due to the War with Francs, had destroyed all the for~ jeign houses at Wenchow, except the Consulate, which-was on an island the river. Antiforeign and especially anti-Christian feeling iwas very high and so remained for several years. It was implicitly believed "that the missionaries murdered babies for the making of charms; and they were also accused fof sending out converts to hide, among the crops, little images, which grew into huge demons to devour the harvests. Most unkindest cut of all, educated people. when passing Mrs. Soothill in the streets, would cover their noses and mouths to keep out the alleged Joleaginous smell of the foreign. For. days together Mrs. Soothill was' left entirely alone while her husband was up country founding loranches of the Mission. But if she ever felt any tremors, she serenely kept them to herself.
Several times she was in great Jdanger, once in particular when her journey to a Chinese wedding led "her through a particularly anti-foreign village. Another title, Jwhen making a little holiday trip with her husband, she landed into town lately briganded and hourly Jexpecting another attack. But she seems to have been much more interested in observing what was Jgoing on than in her own danger.
's sweet disposition Jand ready sympathies gained her the friendship of every Chinese she met. She was no sickly-sentiment-talist. She saw their defects and does not mitigate their occasional dreadful cruelties. But she also saw and reproduces. finely their many sterling qualities. She defends the old fashioned Mandarin's normal attitude to the foreigners, who ame goodness knew whence, Jconsorted mostly with coolies and presumed to teach him, a gentleman of letters. There is a great deal in it. "But the more one considers the /mandarins dispassionately, the more tone sees their point of view.
A good deal of the book is written sstand-
[Soothill's account of the heroism of some of the converts will be interesting. "These may well be paralleled in recent the many instances of missionaries who have owed their lives solely to the "selfless devotion of native Christians.
Tu 1007 Me, Soothill became President of Shans University and his wife saw a good deal of the great world, "She leaves us a wonderful vivid sketch of Sir Robert Hart, not' Unsympathetic, and certainly pot unmindful of his ability, but Jone wonders whether abe quite approved of him. She became very Intimate" with Mrs Lo,, wife of the "Manchu. Governor of "Shans, fand there. isan amusing account the first time she. invited. Sirs, Lo to dinner, and according to the then custom, the lady arrived. with a retinue of 70 people. Later on in the Revolution of 191i, when Manchus wore being hunted down everywhere, Mrs, Lo entrusted her entire. fortune' to Mrs, Soothill's Keeping. "One. in glad to say' that
cident was typical of the Fegan shevived to cain But the hat all Chinese bad for "Sirs "The book is well illustrated, and lightened with many. amusing touches, particularly, perhaps, the ory of her bread-making i the jeany days at. Wenchow—rather like Robinson Crusoe's struggles make himself a jug. In al vleis itudes Mes. Soothili continued: to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.