A'Chu and other stories

Dedication

To My Three Children

Always My Best Interpreters

of the

Preface

" A'Chu and Other Stories " introduces the reader to the millions of China, the most populous, the most promising of all the mission fields of the world today.

The author has given her life in no stinted measure to these people whom she has learned to love as her own. Such giving of love and service is life's greatest privilege. In this way we follow in the footsteps of the Master whose gift for humanity was the outpouring of his life — the giving of himself in service and in sacrifice.

The author has departed widely from the beaten track, and instead of abstract descriptions of manners and customs, she has, by a series of true stories, introduced the reader to the real home life of the common people.

We learn from these stories that the mind of the Oriental is not essentially different from that of the Occidental. New and better means of communication have made the world much smaller than it used to be, and we are coming to realize more fully that notwithstanding racial distinctions,

" One touch of nature makes the whole world kin." The story of A'Chu and the baby made fat by his self-denial illustrates the heroism of everyday existence in China.

From the first chapter to the close, there is not a dull or tiresome sketch in the book. As we read, we find the author taking us along with her through the experiences she describes.

We make journeys by wheelbarrow, sedan chair, jinrikisha, the " rice-power " boats, and the mule cart.

We visit the heart of China by steamship and rail.

We stay for a time in Canton, and become acquainted with the boat people, who live on the rivers, and use for all purposes the muddy, polluted water.

We spend an instructive hour in a native village, and learn how the people live.

We see great strings of " cash," the most common coin of the country, giving a first impression of " plenty of money," until we learn that each piece is worth only about one twentieth of a cent.

A visit to a boys' school gives an insight into educational methods in China. ,

We become acquainted with the salt merchant, and learn that business failures are not confined to the West.

We witness betrothal and marriage, and sympathize with the child wives.

We learn the religious customs of old China, see the ancestral tablets, and witness acts of ancestral worship.

We attend a birthday party for an idol, and learn the trouble that comes from cherishing wrong imaginations.

Then comes the climax. Against the dark background of Chinese paganism we are made to feel the vital power of a life changed by the religion of Jesus Christ, as exemplified in the daily walk of a steadfast Christian.

If these stories shall serve to broaden the vision of those who read them ; if they shall stir hearts to lay their best upon the altar of service, as the author of this little book has done; if the missionary spirit shall be strengthened in behalf of this great people, the hope entertained by author and publisher will have been realized. The Publishers.