Forty-five years in China, reminiscences

Front matter

laiTiiTiirMi'nrHiii ■T'~m'"rTTT -

— «a— gi r' iiie r ii »M iw i» W»<

ASIA

Dedication

To the Baptist Missionary Society, London, in whose service I have been since 1869 :

To the Christian Literature Societies of Scotland, England, and China, under whose auspices I have engaged in special literary work since 1891 :

To the many individual friends in England, America, and China who have generously aided me in all my life :

Introduction

The problem before the missionary in Chinaj a^ I found it forty -five years ago, was not only how to save the souls of a fourth of the human race, but also how to save their bodies from perishing at the rate of four millions per annum, and to free their minds, more crippled than the feet of their women, from a philosophy and custom which had lasted for many centuries and left them at the mercy of any nation which might attack their country. But, if the nation were liberated from the bonds of ignorance and harmful custom, and were to receive the light of education — scientific, industrial, religious — it might become one of the most powerful nations on earth. It was glad tidings of great joy that the missionary brought to its political and religious leaders. Many of these, after some years of hesitation and doubt, believed his message, but the majority were too fuU of ignorance and prejudice to take action till it was too late. Thus one of the greatest nations of antiquity or of modern times has become involved in revolution and anarchy from which it will take a long time to recover.

These reminiscences teU of sympathetic efforts made to guide the spiritual leaders of China to a vision of the Kingdom of God, with its promise of a htmdredfold in this world, and in the world to come life everlasting. These efforts have meant the uplifting of China in various ways, through better religion, better science, better means of communication, better international commerce, the institution of modem schools and colleges, the founding' of a modern Press, the establishment of new industries and manufactures over a coimtry as large as the whole

8 INTRODUCTION

of Europe. In all these departments I have taken some share, as will be seen in these reminiscences.

I should like to record my thanks to those who have given me so much help in this work : —

To my daughter Eleanor, for writing at my dictation, and putting the manuscript into shape for the Press ; to Miss Hilda C. Bowser, for the trouble she took to obtain some of the photographs, and for typing the whole ; and lastly to the Rev. W. Y. Fullerton, Home Secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society, at whose request 1 have written these reminiscences, for revising the work for publication.

TIMOTHY RICHARD.

Shanghai,

January 1916.

Contents

PAGE

INTRODUCTION ........ 7

Chapter I Early Years In Wales. 1845-69 . . . . .19

,1. Birthplace and Family. 2. Accidents. 3. Baptism. 4. School; ing. ""sTTeaciiing School. 6. Haverfordwest Theological College. 7. Starting of China Inland Mission. 8. Application to Baptist IMissionary Society.

CHAPTER H EARLY YEARS IN CHINA. STUDYING LANGUAGE AND CIVILIZATION . 30

I. Last Days in England. 2. Voyage. 3. Arrival in China. 4. Early Trials of B.M.S. in China. 5. Fellow-missionaries in Chefoo. 6. Tientsin Massacre. 7. Sterling Quality of First Converts. 8. Arrival of Dr. Brown. 9. Selling Gospels round Shantung Promontory. ID. Trip to Manchuria Selling Gospels : {a) Threatened Shipwreck ; (6) Sunstroke ; (c) Robbers ; (rf) Sa Ur Hu ; (e) Ling Kai ; (/) Lao Ch'eng, the old Manchu Capital ; {g) Extraordinary Confusion of Exchange ; (It) Some Features of Interest in Manchuria ; {i) Adventure at Korean Gate ; {J) Bad Government.

II. Street Preaching not Productive of Satisfactory Results. 12. Visit to Salt Manufacturer. 13. Fair at Hwui Lung San. 14. Attempt to Settle in Ninghai. 15. Visit to a Devout Seeker after Truth. 16. Striking Essay on Jesus Christ by a non-Christian. 17. First Visit to Chi-nan fu. 1873. 18. Baptism of Military Officer, ig. Mohammedans. 20. Mcllvaine, the first Protestant Missionary in Chi-nan fu. 21. Crossett, his Colleague. 22. Chinese Philanthropist Introducing Vaccination. 23. Medical Tour with Dr. Brown. 24. Demon Possession. 25. Black and White Sheep. 26. Second Visit to Chi-nan fu. 27. Roads and Modes of Travel in North China.

CHAPTER in PIONEERING AMONG SHANTUNG FARMERS. 1875-6 . . -76

I. First Connection with Li Hung-chang. 2. Journey to Ch'ing-

chow fu. 3. Medical Work. 4. Prefectural Treasurer. 5. Change

into Chinese Dress. 6. Acting as Master of Fengshui. 7. How I

g

Got a House. 8. Anti-foreign ex-Magistrate. 9. Study of Native Religious Book. 10. Intercourse witli Mohammedans. 11. Visit to Leader of Religious Sect. 12. Kindness of Country People. 13. Midnight Gathering of Women at Taoist Temple. 14. Visit to Hermit. IJ. First Converts in Ch'ing-chow fu.

CHAPTER IV

PAGE

I. Failure of Crops. 2. Posters Exhorting People to Pray to God. 3, Disturbances owing to Famine. 4. Asked to Head a Rebellion. 5. Methods of Distributing Money. 6. Second Request to Head Rebellion. 7. Proposals to Governor Ting Pao Chun to Avert Future Famines. 8. Donations from Chefoo. 9. Increase of Inquirers. 10. My Mission Policy Adopted by Dr. Nevius. II. Incidents in Famine Relief. 12. Subscriptions from Ports. 13. Serious Riot at Ch'ang Lo. 14. Interview with Official. 15. Pursuit and Rescue. 16. Dishonest Official Threatened by Women. 17. Distress during Winter. 18. Distribution of Relief with Officials and Gentry. 19. Arrival of A. G. Jones. 20. Proposals to Local Officials to Avert Famine. 21. Church Work. 22. Letter to Baptist Missionary Society.

CHAPTER V

I. Decision to Distribute Relief in Shansi. 2. Journey to T'ai-yuan fu. 3. Interview with Governor Tseng. 4. Questions to Roman Catholic Priests through their Bishop. 5. Extracts from Diary on Trip South of T'ai-yuan fu. 6. Difficulties of Grain Transport. 7. Arrival of C.I.M. Missionaries, James and Turner. 8. Co-operation with Chinese Officials in Famine Relief. 9. Proposals to Governor to Avert future Famines. lo. Suggestion to B.M.S. to Show Attention to new Chinese Ambassador. 11. Letter to Protestant Missions Proposing Organization and Co-operation. 12. Arrival of Hill, Turner, and Whiting, and Death of latter. 13. Distribution of Mansion House Relief Fund. 14. Arrival of C.I.M. Ladies. 15. Marriage with Miss Martin. 16. Gratitude of Chinese for Foreign Relief. 17. Famine Relief at Ping Yang Fu during Winter. 18. Roman Catholic Books in Chinese, ig. Lack of Organization in Protestant Mission Work. 20. Missionary Tracts Alienating Non- Christians. 21. Lost Christians Found in Ping Yang Fu. 22. Lu Tung Pin, Founder of the Sect of the Pill of Immortality. 23. Distribution of Tracts and Gospels throughout Province. 24. Prizes for Religious Essays at Triennial Examination. 25. Pastor Hsi. 26. Visit to Peking. Interview with Li Hung-chang. 27. Arrival of Dr. Schofield and other C.I.M. Workers. 28. A Regrettable Severance. 29. Biographies of Christians. 30. Unusual Measures to help the Shansi People.

CHAPTER VI

PAGE

WORK AMONGST OFFICIALS AND SCHOLARS. 1881-4 . . . 156

I. Attitude of Officials to Foreigners. 2. Better Equipment for Mission Work. 3. Lectures to Officials. 4. Visit of Prefect Wang. 5. Best Scholar in the Province residing in Compound. 6. Interview with Viceroy Tso Tsung T'ang. 7. Friendly Intercourse of Official with Missionaries. 8. Chinese Music. 9. Intercourse with Buddhist. 10. Visit to Wu Tai San — a B'amous Mountain. 11. New Governor — Chang Chih-tung. 12. Intercourse with Roman Catholics. 13. Journey to Shantung. 14. Dysentery at Chi-nan fu. 15. Harvest Thanksgiving. 16. New Churches in Shantung. 17. Fellow-missionaries — Mr. and Mrs. Kitts and J. S. Whitewright. 18. Difficulty with Anti-foreign Magistrate. 19. Robbery on Return to Shansi. 20. Death of Dr. Schofield. 21. Effect of Taiping Rebellion. 22. Hostile Attitude of Government and Persecution of Christians. 23. Visit to Peking with Mr. James. 24. Establishment of Evangelical Alliance. 25. Remarkable Korean Proclamation against Christianity. 26. Sir Robert Hart's Scheme. 27. My Various Reform Schemes 28. Interview with Sir Harry Parkes. 29. Proposals to Shansi Missionaries.

CHAPTER VII

1. Journey I to Coast. 2. Visit to Nanking with Hill. 3. Finding of "The; Awakening of Faith." 4. Storm on Voyage Home. 5. B.M.S. Annual Meeting. 6. Appeal for more Workers. 7. Educational Scheme Proposed to B.M.S. 8. Rejection of Scheme. 9. Suggestions for improved Mission Methods. 10. Special Course on Electrical Engineering at Home. Ii. Interview with Minister of Education in Berlin.

CHAPTER VIII

YEARS OF TRIAL AND SUSPENSE. 1886-9I ... 201

I. Talks with Pere Simon on s.s. Oxus. 2. Wife's Illness and Recovery from Sprue. 3. Criticism from Colleagues. 4. Departure from Shansi. 5. Work in Peking. 6. Marquis Tseng. 7. Interview with Li Hung-chang. 8. Mrs. Richard's Pupils. 9. Visit to Chief Lama. 10. Visit to Chief Buddhist Abbot. 11. Invitation to Work in Shantung. 12. Fever and Paralysis, Shantung. 13. B.M.S. Refuse Scheme of College, 1889. 14. Shanghai Conference. 15. Editing Chinese Paper. 16. Mrs. Richard's Biblewomen in Tientsin. 17. B.M.S. Deputation. 18. Invitation to S.D.K. in Shanghai.

CHAPTER IX

PAGE S.D.K. WORK IN SHANGHAI. 189I-4 ..... 2x8

I. Founding of the S.D.K. by Dr. Williamson. 2. Other Workers in the S.D.K. 3. First Methods of Work, 1891. 4. Plans for Increase of Interest. 5. Appreciation of Work by Chinese Officials. 6. Presentation of New Testament to Empress-Dowager. 7. Proposal to Municipal Council to found a Public School for Chinese. 8. The Anti-footbinding Society, g. Results of Rev. J. Lambert Rees' Work.

CHAPTER X INTERVIEWS DURING THE CHINO-JAPANESE WAR. 1894-S . . 229

I. The Chino-Japanese War. 2. Influence of S.D.K. Literature during the War. 3. Change of Attitude of the Chinese Booksellers. 4. Winter in Nanking. 5. First Interview with Viceroy Chang Chih-tung. 6. Second Interview with Chang Chih-tung. 7. Interview with Peace Envoy, Chang Yin-huan. 8. Third Interview with Chang Chih-tung.

CHAPTER XI

PRESENTATION OF MISSION MEMORIAL IN PEKING. 1895 . . 242

I. Memorial Committee. 2. Persecutions of Christians. 3. First Interview with Li Hung-chang. 4. Following Interviews with Li Hung-chang. 5. First Interview with Prime Minister. 6. Interview with Prince Kung. 7. Dr. Wherry and I Present Mission Memorial. 8. Obstructions to Granting our Request.

CHAPTER XII

THE REFORM MOVEMENT IN CHINA. 1895-8 .... 253

I. Kang Yu Wei. 2. The Reform Society in Peking. 3. My Reform Scheme for Weng T'ung-ho. 4. Sun Chia-nai, the Emperor's Tutor. 5. Interview with Chang Yin-hwan. 6. Kang Yi and Interesting Manchu Official. 7. Farewell to Weng T'ung-ho and Li Hung-chang. 8. Progress of Reform Movement. 9. Chinese Girls' School in Shanghai, lo. The Emperor's Wonderful Edicts. II. First Check to Reform Party. 12. Invited to Peking to Become Emperor's Adviser. 13. Coup d'Etat and Flight of K'ang Yu-wei. 14. Execution of Reformers. 15. Fate of Others. 16. Emperor's Decree of Abdication.

CHAPTER XIII

PAGE A JOURNEY TO T'IEN-T'AI MOUNTAIN. 1895 .... 269

I. A Great Religious Centre. 2. A Manchu Christian Proposes to Visit ttie Pope. 3. Strange Superstitions. 4. Splendid Temples at Hangchow. 5. Stiaohing, a City for Lawyers and Wine. 6. Travellers' Agency. 7. A Riot Averted. S. Laborious Method of Rice Cultivation. 9. Gigantic Images of Buddha. 10. Other Temples. 11. Temple Worship. 12. A Hermit's Hut. 13. Hvi;a Ting Sz. 14. More Hermits' Huts. 15. Chin Kwoh Sz. 16. Kwoh-Ching Sz. 17. Birthday of the God of War. 18. Men Reduced to Beasts of Burden. 19. A Remarkable Prescription. 20. Our Inn Accommodation.

CHAPTER XIV

MY SECOND FURLOUGH. 1896-7 ..... 286

I. Fellow-passenger with Li Hung-chang. 2. Visit to Madras. 3. Trip across India. 4. Delhi. 5. Paris. 6. Reception by B.M.S. Committee. 7. Appeal to the Missionary Secretaries' Association. 8. Other Appeals to the Religious Tract Society. 9. Other Forms of Work.

CHAPTER XV

THE BOXER MOVEMENT. I90O. . . . . .293

I. Visit to Peking. 2. Spread of Anti-foreign Feeling. 3. Militia Raised by Kang Yi. 4. Ecumenical Conference in New York. 5. Appeal to Twentieth Century Club. 6. Appeals to Washington and New York. 7. Return to China. 8. Telegrams to Shensi and Shansi. 9. Chow Fu's Action. 10. Interviews with Prince Ching and Li Hung-chang.

CHAPTER XVI THE SHANSI UNIVERSITY. 19OI-IO ..... 299

I. Reasons for its Foundation. 2. Attempts to Start a Rival University Foiled. 3. I Oppose Regulations Forbidding Teaching of Christianity. 4. Friendly Attitude of Governor. 5. Courses of Education at University. 6. Translation Department in Shanghai.

7. Promise of Yuan Shih kai to Help Translation of Textbooks.

8. Edicts to Establish Universities in Each Province. 9. Chang Chih-tung's Scheme of Education. 10. Principal Moir Duncan.

II. Visit to T'ai-yuan fu in 1907. 12. Resignation of Chancellorship. 13. Governor Ts'en Ch'un-hsiian. 14. Other Governors of Shansi. 15. Effect of Revolution on University.

CHAPTER XVII

PAGE CHANGING CHINA. I9OI-4 . . . . . • 311

I. Empress-Dowager Issues Emperor's Reform Edicts. 2. Visit to the North: {a) Chow Fu ; (6) Jung Lu ; (c) Lu Ch'uan-lin ; (d) Prince Su. 3. Appointed by Edict Representative of Protestant Missions. 4. Bishop Favier and Mission Regulations. 5. Public School for Chinese. 6. Visit to Japan : (a) Prince Konoye ; (b) Prince Tsai Chen at Peeress School ; (c) Japanese Ambition. 7. Loss of my Wife. 8. International Red Cross Society in Manchuria. 9. Visit to Peking, 1904. 10. Religious Conference in Shantung.

II. Suggestions of Chow Fu.

CHAPTER XVIII

RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS AND CONFERENCES. I9OS-IO . . 326

I. Welsh Revival. 2. World-Baptist Conference. 3. The Chinese Commissioners at Lambeth. 4. Dr. J. B. Paton. 5. China Missions Emergency Committee. 6. Centenary Conference in Shanghai. 7. Appeal of China Emergency Committee. 8. Deputations to China, g. Dr. John R. Mott. 10. The Edinburgh Conference. II. Edinburgh Conference Continuation Committee.

CHAPTER XIX HIGHER BUDDHISM ....... 334

I. Study of Buddhism. 2. Professor Lloyd. 3. Introduction of Buddhism into Japan. 4. Connection between Early Christianity and Lotus Scriptures. 5. Mrs. Gordon's Researches. 6. Visit to Koyasan. 7. Similarities between Christian and Buddhist Rites. 8. Visit to Korean Buddhist Monasteries. 9. Striking Shinto Rites. 10. "A Mission to Heaven." 11. Attitude of Prince Ito towards Religion. 12. Count Okuma. 13. Evening at Japanese Bank in Peking.

CHAPTER XX

WORK OF LATER YEARS ...... 348

I. Visit to Korea. 2. Prince Ito's Banquet. 3. Sun Yat-sen's Early Career. 4. His Schemes for Revolution. 5. Outbreak of Revolution. 6. Yuan Shih-kai's Measures. 7. Modern Religious Movement in China. 8. Interview with Mullah in Peking. 9. Religious Meetings in Shanghai. 10. Baptist Conference in Shantung. 11. Visit to Lao Shan in Shantung. 12. Monastery of Tai Ch'ing Kung. 13. Return to Tsingtao by Raft. 14. Changsha, the Capital of Hunan. 15. My Visit in 1914. 16. Intercourse with Buddhists. 17. Meeting of Educationists. 18. Other Meetings in Changsha. 19. Second Marriage. 20. A Trip to Java. 21. Hindu Civilization. 22. Arab Civilization. 23. Portuguese Civilization. 24. Dutch Civilization. 25. Chinese Civilization.

CHAPTER XXI

PAGE

MY CONNECTION WITH THE PEACE MOVEMENT . . . 367

I. First Ideas. 2. " League of Peace for Princes." 3. "Parliament of Man." 4. Proposal to Prince Konoye. 5. Prince Ch'ing. 6. Prince Saionje's Secretary. 7. Turkish Prince. 8. Peace Congress at Lucerne. 9. Lord Weardale. 10. President Roosevelt. II. China's Changed Attitude. 12. Interview with Prince Ito. 13. Carnegie's Speech at the Guildhall. 14. Treaty of Arbitration. 15. The Great European War.

ILLUSTRATIONS

TIMOTHY RICHARD AT 6o

. Frontispiece

FACING PAGE

TANyRESGAIR, THE FARM AT WHICH TIMOTHY RICHARD WAS BORN 20

TIMOTHY RICHARD AT 24 .

REV. A. G. JONES .....

THE REFORMERS K'ANG YU-WEI, T'AN TZE-T'UNG, LIANG CH'

MR. AND MRS. RICHARD IN 1884

TIMOTHY RICHARD AT 40 .

VICEROY CHANG CHIH-TUNG ....

WAN KWOH RUNG PAO .....

TIMOTHY RICHARD AND MEMBERS OF HANLIN ACADEMY

GOVERNOR TS'EN CH'UN-HSUAN AND HIS TWO SONS .

PRINCIPAL MOIR DUNCAN, M.A., LL.D. .

GRADUATING STUDENTS, SHANSI UNIVERSITY, I9IO .

SHANGHAI PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR CHINESE

TIMOTHY RICHARD AT 65

CHRISTIAN LITERATURE SOCIETY'S OFFICES .

■ 34 . 120

i-ch'ao 160

■ 193 200 234 254 256 300

305 306

317 332 354

CHAPTER I EARLY YEARS

I. Birthplace and Family.

I WAS born in 1845 in Ffaldybrenin, a small vdllag^e of Caermarthenshire in Wales. Its name means King's Fold, and there was a tradition that Llewellyn, last of the Welsh princes, hid there from King Edward's pursuit. Four miles away, between Punsaint and Caio, was a spot where the Romans had worked gold-mines, and an old Roman road passed within two miles of Tanyresgair, my father's farm. My ancestors, though of humble origin, were highly, respected. Being the youngest pf nine, the son of parents who were both the youngest in their respective families, I never saw my grandparents. My paternal grandfather, Richard, son of David Jones, was a blacksmith, as was also my father, Timothy Richard, in the early part of his life, but in later years he came into possession of a farm. One of his brothers, Jedadaiah, had some literary gift, and published a book in the Welsh language. He was the means of the conversion, in Caermarthenshire, of the first wife of Dr. Griffith John of China. A nephew of my father, Joshua Lewis, was the most famous of the family, and became a well-known preacher in the oldest Church in Pembrokeshire, the mother of most of the Independent Churches in that country.

My father had the reputation of being one of the most entertaining men in the district round. Rowland Williams, one of the writers in " Essays and Reviews," when professor at St. David's Colleg'e, Lampeter, five miles away, used often to ride out to see and talk with him. He was secretary and deacon of the Baptist Churches of Bethel and Salem, and was often in demand as a peacemaker between contending parties.

My maternal grandfather was a farmer at Llethercoch, and was deacon in a Baptist Church at Aberduar, near Llanybyther. Of my mother, Eleanor Llethercoch, the celebrated Welsh preacher Kilsby Jones wrote, in " Welsh Worthies," that he never met her equal for guilelessness and sweetness of disposition, nor her match in the making of pancakes. I often remembered her saying of any one who had done her a wrong or said an ill word against her, " Well, it is worse for them than for me."

2. Accidents.

My childhood, passed on the farm, though in the main uneventful, was not without the accidents that, usually befall boys of a. more or less adventurous spirit. One of the first I remember ,was putting my shoulder put of its socket. It was arranged that I should be driven to see the doctor, who lived five miles away. When the gig was being brought round, I was so excited by the prospect of the drive and the interview w'i,th the doctor^ that I ran to the door. But the floor was very uneven, and I stumbled anjd fell with a crash to the ground. The others were alarmed, thinking I had niade matters worse, but I jumped up and laughed, and they discovered that the fall had put my shoulder back into the socket. I was keenly disappointed, however, to find I had done myself out of the ride and the visit to the doctor. ■ ,

Between my eyebrows there is a scar I have carried all my life, that has branded me with the letter T, which might stand for my name, Timothy. People have often asked how I got it. When I was about four years old, I was one day in a field with one of my cousins who was ploughing. After a time, he left the plough to fetch something. I thought it a fine opportunity; and took hold of the plough, calling out to the horses. Off they started, and on they went till the plough grated against a stone which turned up and struck me between the eyebrows. Another time, when I was about eight years old, I was keeping watch over my father's horse, which was grazing near the hedge, in order to prevent him from eating any of the corn. The field was about ten feet above the level of the road on the other side of the hedge. I attempted at the same time to learn my school task for the next day, and when the horse began to take a mouthful of corn, I gave him a blow with my grammar book ; instantly he gave me a kick which sent me flying right through the hedge and down into the ditch of the road below. Happily there was no further damage than a good deal of bleeding and a permanent scar.

On another occasion, when I was about twelve, my brother Joshua had gone with a cart and two horses to bring coal from the coal-pits, over twenty miles away. I was sent with an extra horse to meet him, as there was a steep hill to chmb. After attaching" the third horse, I was allowed to drive them up the hill, while my brother talked with other carters who had been to fetch coal with him. With a fresh horse 'I soon gained upon other carts ahead of us, and drove up the steep hill for more than a mile. The road then turned suddenly down on the other side. Instead of waiting for my brother to come up, I went boldly on. But in going downhill, the fresh horse began to pull, and made it difficult for the shaft horses to keep back the ton load. I went up to the fresh horse to check him, and then I was obliged to go back to the others, but no sooner had I left the front Korse than he began pulling again. Thus the horses went from walking to trotting, and I knew that trotting down a steep hill with a heavy load behind was most dangerous. Seeing a tree in the hedge, and finding that I would not be able to keep up with the horses and guide them, I jumped into the hedg'e, caught hold of the tree, and let the horses rush past me. Now at the bottom of the hill was a river, and about a quarter of a mile beyond there was a village whence the people could see the horses tearing down the hill at a terrible rate . They expected some dreadful accident to happen both to cart and beasts. But to the astonishment of all, the fresh horse, in a marvellous way, got loose at the river and ran on and on with the traces dangling about him till he was stopped by the villagers, while the other two horses stood quietly in the river with the cart. Nothing was wrong, one lump of coal only having been thrown out .

3. Baptism.

During the great revival which swept almost Uke a prairie fire over America, North Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Norway, and Sweden in 1858-60, the most godless men suddenly breaking down and becoming converted, I was among a number who confessed their faith in Christ, and was baptized in the river near my home. Shortly after this, I had my first impulse towards missionary wonk from a sermon not particularly missionary in character. I well remember the text, " Obedience is better than sacrifice." On my way home from Salem Chapel, I told my brother Joshua, who was four years my senior, how during the whole sermon I had felt as if a voice had been commanding me to go abroad as a missionary. He wondered at it, for no such idea had been conveyed to his mind.

4. Schooling.

The first school I attended was in connection with a Congregational chapel, built in one of the fields belonging to my father's farm at Tanyresgair, and there I had lessons till I was fourteen years of age. When I was fifteen, my father wished me to help on the farm with my brother Joshua, but my mother and brothers thought I should continue my education. I told my father that if I were supported for one year at school, I would never ask for further help. So I was sent to a school kept by a cousin, at a place called Cross Inn, some twenty miles off. Besides the ususd lessons, I was given extra studies with the pupil teachers, and I also learned music in the Tonic Sol-fa notation. At the end of my year, an application was made to the schoolmaster for a teacher for the school at Penygroes, and I was sent. This was a mining place, and in addition to the day school for children, I had a night school, attended by, miners, some of them old enough to be my father. With' the money I received here I was able to pay for my tuition at a grammar school in Llanybyther. Here, when the schoolmaster had any occasion to be absent, he always put the pupils in my charge, and I may be pardoned for remembering that the neighbours used to say that they always knew who was teaching', as the boys were kept in far better order, and were much quieter with me than with the master. So when the schoolmaster at New Inn, a place a few miles farther south, suddenly closed the school there without giving any notice, and left for another post, I was asked to go at once to New Inn as temporary schoolmaster, the children having been told that afternoon that school would open as usual the next morning, but with a new master. After leaving' New Inn J was able to support myself at the Normal School in Swansea. I did not stay there long, as my brother Joshua, who had been at home on the farm, wished to go to school during the winter, and asked me to take his place at the farm. I was familiar with all kinds of farm work, from ploughing and mowing down to digging trenches, trimming hedges, and thatching haystacks. When the neighbours saw me come back to the farm, they remarked, what a pity it was that after I had received so much schooling*, I had nothing better than farming to do.

5. Teaching School.

One day, however, my eldest brother David brought me a paper containing an advertisement for a schoolmaster in an endowed school at Conwil Elvet. My brother Joshua was quite willing, if I obtained the position, to return to the farm. In answer to my application came a reply that sixty applicants had written before me. A week later there came another letter to say that only two satisfactory applications were being considered out of sixty, that of the son of the Baptist minister of the place and my own. A few days later I received a letter announcing that the appointment was mine. It was no small surprise to me as I knew no one in the neighbourhood. But the mystery was solved when I arrived. The son of one of the churchwardens of the place, who was on the School Committee, had been one of my classmates in Swansea. There was considerable feeling that the minister's son had not received the appointment, and many parents took away their children, so that I commenced my work with only twenty-one pupils. But after eighteen months three small village schools were compelled to close as they could not get pupils, while I had 120 scholars in mine. While there I had some interesting experiences.

One day there came a knock at the door. On opening it, I found some strangers who were bringing their children to school. Seeing a youth of about eighteen before them, they asked him if they, could see the schoolmaster. I replied that I was the master. They looked astonished and seemed not a little doubtful of my ability to manage a school.

At this time I had to deal with a boy of about twelve years of age who had been a constant torment to my predecessor. The only child of his parents, he had been badly spoilt, and was always quarrelling with the other children. The more he was punished the worse he became. One day I determined to try a new method of dealing with him. I told him to remain behind after the school was dismissed in the afternoon. His first look at me was one of defiance, as if to show that he did not care how much I punished him. I began the interview by asking why he was so often quarrelling with the other boys. He replied that it was because they were all unkind to him.

" Is there not one in the school that is good to you ? " I asked .

" Yes, there is one boy who is friendly to everybody. He is always kind to me," repUed the boy.

" I am glad to hear that," I said, "for I believe that if you make up your mind to be good to every one in the school, no matter what is done to you, you will find every one friendly with you, just as they are with that other boy. Now I want you to promise me that you will try this experiment for a week. Do not tell any one of it, and I will not tell any one. It will be a secret between you and me &nd God . Will you promise for a week to try and be friendly with all of them?"

I saw the boy's face soften, and he said he would try. " Very well," I added, " we will say no more about it for a week, and then you can comie and' report to me how the plan has worked."

From that time the boy's character seemed to have completely changed. He became one of the most cheerful and lovable boys in the school, and if ever I wished a boy to go on a mie'ssage, his hand would always be first put up to volunteer.