To the Editor of the "Nonru-Cuiwa Dany News"
S;—May I trespass on your space on the chance of enlisting a little help from any survivor from the "Siege" in Peking in 1900 who m: be moved to help. Yao Chen-yuan, One of our very few successful messengers from the Legations to Tien tsin in 1900, now at the age of 83, is in dire want. He had three grownup sons who contributed to his support. The two elder died in Hongkew last year: the third is "missing," Probably also dead. He has one daughter-in-law and two little grandchildren. He is blind and nearly stone-deaf. He is in receipt of a pension from the Bible Society (he Was a Colporteur for over thirty years) of $40 a year. The above facts T can vouch for, In 1900 it would seem (from his account) that the only. Legation which rewarded his services-was the German Legation, which gave him Tls. 500. Neither the British nor the American nor any of the others seem to have contributed. This of course "I cannot vouch for—it is curious. But so far as I can learn he has never asked for help till now when another calamity has befallen his country and robbed him of the breadwinners of his family: and this inclines me to believe his statement.
I am afraid it is useless to apply io the various Embassies to-day: but if this catches the eye of any in vidual survivors I feel sure they will wish to do something, and I shall be very glad to act as their almoner. His account of his journey appears as chapter in Dr. Headland's "Chinese Heroes" published in 1902.
FRANK L, Norns.
Bishop.
Peiping Mar. 15.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.