barrenness is to pass under the belly of the bishop's or patriarch's horse. The passion for male and contempt for female offspring finds expression in many signs by which a woman may know whether her next child will be a boy. It will be so if she sees a snake during the first month, or if seeing one at any time she pulls her hair and the snake stiffens; or if, falling, she falls upon her face Otherwise she is to be afflicted with a daughter, and especially if one of the little children in the house should take up a broom and begin to sweep with it!

Married women whose husbands do not love them have their bewitching remedies, one of which is to add the leaves of milkweed to the fragrant flowers with which they decorate their hair. The husband's remedy in a similar plight is to burn his nail-parings and dissolve the ashes in water and manage to have his wife drink the solution unawares. A mother, anxious to ensure happiness in the family of her married daughter, must set a sieve upon the stairs, and, sitting in it, must utter all her wish.

If in any family the children die young, the parents, to avert for the future the evil influence, pour the blood of a black hen into a bottle containing water, then bury the bottle, corked, in a discarded cemetery. They will thus have buried the witch to whom they ascribe the choking of their infants.

The belief in the influence of evil spirits is very pervasive and operative, but none of the antidotes, so far as I know, are marked by cruel rites. The threshold is believed to be the special home of the fiends and witches; hence the mothers are exceedingly sensitive about the children's falling upon the threshold, nor will they strike them there, nor allow hot water to fall upon the threshold, lest they scald the witches' young ones, whose mothers will then be revenged on the children of the family. If any one should say "the devil" upon the threshold, he would at once go mad. The magic formula that neutralizes all these calamities is "in the name of the cross." Linked to the above is the strange belief in the influence of the "evil eye," another

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term for "envious eye." This dire influence is especially directed against handsome children and valuable animals or property. The children are protected by wearing charms (the same as the "greegree" of the African Moslems), and the animals by hanging large glass beads upon their necks; trees by hanging a piece of rag or of an old shoe. The name of God must always be coupled with every expression of admiration, else the speaker will be suspected of envy and of wielding to the injury of the person or thing admired an "evil eye." In case of sickness or other affliction, the first thing is to discover the person whose eye has been the cause. This is done by holding an open dish of water above the head of the afflicted person, and then pouring into it molten lead, which will reveal, as it congeals, the features of the guilty party. And then, to break the spell, a bit from one of his garments, gotten by stealth, must be burned under the nose of the stricken one; or a lump of salt may be thrown into the fire, and when it snaps the spell will have been broken.

Business is also superstitious beliefs. do for planting.

regulated largely by

Certain days will not Other days the house may not be swept, and on still other days a woman cannot comb her hair. No sieve or measure may be returned to its owner after sundown. Clothing cut out on a Monday will lead to poverty and debt, on Tuesday to natural death, and on Saturday to burning or drowning. On these three days, therefore, no clothing may be cut out. Washing may not be done on a Wednesday, etc., etc.

It is curious to observe points of similarity to our western superstitions running through many of these. He who spills salt must gather it up in the judgment day with his eyelashes. When you first see the new moon, show it some cash that you may have a plenty through the month. If your palm itches, it is a sign you will soon handle money. If you have a ringing (we say burning) in your left ear, some one is speaking of you. Name over your acquaintances, and when you have hit the right name, the ringing will stop. Rub a sty with a bit of

1889.]

been going on for a number of years and is likely to continue, while the work advances. If the salary is too much, let the Church say

So.

Give due notice beforehand, that there may be a voluntary surrender. On this point two things are worthy of consideration:

First. Some can bear the reduction much better than others. Some missionaries have aged parents depending upon them for partial support. Others, having themselves used the family fund in gaining an education, feel an obligation to help brothers or sisters at home, or they may have children of their own to whom they would like to give a liberal education.

Second. It is a fact that many, while they may accept the full salary, at the same time support various forms of work that might justly be charged to the Board if the funds on hand admitted of it. One hard-working brother has just said, while discussing the reduction to be made, "I cannot well spare any more. I have, in addition to other things, started a new line of work which I know the Church will approve of. I cannot now retract the promise even if I were willing." Another brother, since gone to his rest, was accustomed to pay for his itinerating expenses, also the wages and travel of his assistant preacher. One year, to his great chagrin, he found himself in debt to the mission. It was in this way the other members of the mission found out how much he had been paying out of his private funds rather than see the work in his hands suffer. Such cases may be rare, but they exist in greater or less degree in every mission.

Then come rents. But we are living among the heathen, who think as much of the silver as does any landlord in the home land. We in Chinanfu are living in native houses and are paying high rents. For twelve years we have tried to purchase property and have failed. We rent, even at the high rates, only after long delay and much trouble and not a little danger. We must pay our rent or leave. They remit not a cash.

Now look at another class of expenses, viz., salaries or wages of personal teachers, school teachers and native preachers. They are, by long-established custom of the coun

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try, engaged by the year, and cannot be dismissed at a month's notice. Their wages

are as low as we dare make them. The Church has already lost some well-educated men because they can get more elsewhere. I refer to teachers rather than to preachers. Last fall, at the meeting of presbytery, seven men were licensed to preach. They were graduates of Dr. Mateer's college at Tungchow, and had three years training in theology and in practical work. These men are paid by the mission about $75 a year, with some extra for travel. They could easily get more in another capacity. In justice to the men and ourselves, we cannot lessen any of the items on this list.

Then follow education, medicine and itineration. Where shall we cut here? Shall not the Church give her children at least a common education, different from that which might perhaps be obtained in purely heathen schools? These primary schools, each one, does not cost much; yet the reduction of a few hundred dollars in most of our stations would wipe them out of existence. Such a course would cause the Church on mission fields to be greatly the loser.

Medical work. Shall we withhold the precious medicine? It means health and joy and life to many a poor suffering creature. It is the means of removing opposition and prejudice, as well as leading not a few to seriously consider the claims and the spirit of Christianity. In the small dispensary here, the number of patients treated, according to last year's report, was 7120. The amount asked for to carry on this work for the current year was about $280 United States currency. This includes the wages of three students and assistants and other expenses. Shall we use the pruning-knife here? Surely not. But see! the treasurer of the station has already marked $50 against this item.

And so I might go on. The logic of the facts is plain: First. The present work must suffer somewhere. Second. The hope of advance for the present is checked. But the work must not stop. Let there be inspection all along the line. JOHN MURRAY.

CHINANFU, SHANTUNG, CHINA.

The bi-centennial celebration of the glorious return of the Vaudois into their valley of Piedmont was an imposing and successful feast. The feast, celebration and synod lasted eight days, commencing August 27. The weather served magnificently, showing to the best advantage the wild or picturesque scenery of those mountainous regions. The narrow passes followed by the Vaudois cohorts two hundred years ago, the deep gorges leaped over, the perpendicular and rocky hills they climbed, the caves they entered to hide in from the fierceness of their persecutors,-all these could be seen clearly by the beautiful sunlight of northern Italy. Seven thousand people gathered among those hills, coming in all kinds of vehicles for transportation, as they could afford and as the rugged paths would allow. Besides all the Vaudois who had at all been able to attend this feast of theirs, the Assembly had many lay and minister representatives from different nationalities. France, England, Scotland, Switzerland and America had their representatives, "each one speaking in his own tongue."

King Humbert, though a Catholic, rejoiced with his subjects at this feast, sending the mayor of Turin as his representative, and contributing to the fund for the erection of the Maison Vaudoise. He also sent a cordial and affectionate letter in reply to the invitation sent him to attend the celebration. Representatives, senators and mayors added dignity by their presence, and showed how deep a hold the Waldensian Church has taken on the Italian people. And not less important were many eminent ministers filled with the Spirit of God and of power to make this occasion one of much edification in their preaching and historical addresses. Many of these were descendants from that brave band who had recrossed the Alps. It was with natural enthusiasm and love that they spoke of their persecuted but undaunted ancestors, their firm faith in God in their perilous journey, and their love for his word which they always consulted as their guide-book in all their doings. The

best feature of the celebration was that it aimed not nor ended in eulogistic declamations on the heroes of two hundred years ago, nor in boasts of what the Waldensian Church had accomplished, still less in vindictive or unlovable allusion to their former persecutors, the Catholics. But far from this, the spirit of thankfulness to God for his wonderful preservation prevailed. A true spirit of forgiveness, reconciliation and love toward those who had formerly "hated them without a cause" was manifest in many things said and done. The spirit of sectarian rivalry had no room nor place in the charity and love which abounded. As Christians they felt the debt they owe to that brave band for the emphasis they had laid on the freedom of conscience and the value of the word of God as a guide. They had been the means not only of preserving a Bible, a gospel and a church to Italy and of hasting the day when Christian ministers would be welcome and favored in that dark land; but also of strengthening the faith of other Christians and churches in other lands where their heroism and endurance for Christ's name has been reported. Many went home from that gathering as from a pentecost where they had received the Spirit of God and went away to hold dearer than ever and proclaim more zealously the truth which had sustained the fugitive and yet conquering Vaudois. The seven hundred exiles and their one minister have now increased to five thousand communicants and thirty-eight pastors, besides colporteurs and teachers to the number of a hundred. They have struggled long with want of means to extend more rapidly their work of evangelization. Their poverty, due to repeated confiscations or reckless destructions of their homes and their all in days past, combined with an arid and rocky soil, is a hindrance somewhat diminished by outside aid. They welcome assistance in money of small or large sums, and put it to good interest in evangelization. They look to the great Presbyterian Church across the waters of like faith and form of worship with them

The old calendar or system of computing time, and the one still in quite general use, was based on the lunar month. The year contained twelve months. Some months had twenty-nine and some thirty days. Each month was divided into two parts of fifteen (or fourteen) days each, and in certain years an extra month was added, making two eighth months in that year. It was very awkward for foreigners to keep account of the months and days, and even the Siamese had to depend upon their memories or the priests in the wats. The wats doubtless kept about the correct time, for some of their ceremonies, as hair-shaving, etc., required the strict observance of certain days, and besides the Wan Phra or holy day came four times in each month, at the beginning and middle of each half month. Thus the

priests were quite likely to keep an accurate count. I do not know what method they employ to secure accuracy and prevent mistake. One method, and possibly the one they use, is to have a sort of calendar written on pasteboard, with little holes over the figures indicating the various days. A little wooden peg is used to indicate the day. It is stuck into the holes over the figures indicating the proper day, and is removed one place each day. My teacher has prepared a calendar of this kind for me that is quite

ingenious; by moving two or three pegs each day, it shows the time according to the old and new Siamese and English systems.

The new system or calendar was introduced on April 1, 1889. The new system is to be used in all business and legal transactions. The old is to be retained in the wats, in determining the time of religious ceremonies, etc. It will doubtless be used also by the common people more or less for a long time, for a change like this cannot easily be made here as it could in a country like America, but it will gradually come into general use.

The new system in its practical working corresponds exactly with our own system. They make the year to begin with April first, and have given hard Bali names to the months. But, on the other hand, their months correspond exactly in length with our own, and they have adopted the leap year, as in cur system; practically it is the same. It is to be hoped that they will soon adopt the names used by other countries, and make their year to begin with January. By supplying the Siamese name for the month, our English calendar will serve also as a Siamese calendar, new system. W. G. McCLURE.

PETCHABURI, SIAM, June 15, 1889.

LICSVILI

In every large city of two hundred thousand people there is a section thereof called Jewhillicsville. In some cities it has a dif ferent name. In one it is called Swampoodle; in another it is Poverty Flat; in another it is called Rat Row; but for substance all these indicate the same section of

a great city. No name so perfectly carries the whole situation in itself as this one (which is a name in one city), namely, Jewhilliesville. In this section of the great city the streets are narrow, the houses are onestory houses, and generally a row fronting on the main street and another fronting on