FRUIT AT PETALUMA.
Our Petaluma mission has for several years been apparently barren. Its first years were by far its best ones. It would have been abandoned but for the faith and self-denying persistency of its excellent teacher, Mrs. M. H. Colby. Throwing off 50 per cent. of the meagre salary promised her when she entered upon the work; soliciting aid from friends in Petaluma; interesting, as far as possible, her pupils to contribute, she has made her mission the least expensive of them all; and she has hoped against hope that the promise would sooner or later be fulfilled, and her labor be not in vain in the Lord. Others grew discouraged. Chinese helpers sent to work with her came back to urge that the work be suspended. The hearts were too hard. The families or clans represented in the Chinese population of Petaluma were too hostile one to another. There was too much gambling; there was too much opium. Even those who had attended the school for years, seemed no less averse to Christianity than those who had never entered the schoolroom door.
About three months ago the teacher was able to write me that she believed the ice was broken, and that three of her pupils were really asking after the true God and salvation. I had learned, however, by hard experience that the “heathen Chinee”—among other “tricks that are vain”—can play pious on occasions, and do it so well as to deceive the very elect. More than once have I been compelled, by the adverse reports of trustworthy Christian Chinese, to decline to baptise, or in any way to encourage in Christian profession, those whom American Sunday-school teachers had come to regard almost as model saints; and I feared that Mrs. Colby’s warm heart might have started hopes which a careful scrutiny would prove unfounded.
Accordingly I sent Jee Gam to visit these young men. He spent two Sabbaths with them. At another time Chin Kue, our faithful helper at Oakland, spent several days with them. The result of their inquiries brought joy to all our hearts. The new converts were found to be sincere, fervent, courageous and though sadly in need of instruction, yet earnestly desiring it. So they were organized into a branch of our Association of Christian Chinese, and were shown how to commence effective Christian work among their countrymen. Three weeks ago word came of another who seemed to be turning to Christ. His brethren were doubtful about him, but Mrs. Colby hoped quite strongly. This time Loo Quong, who has done so good service in an evangelistic way in our Northern missions, was asked to go and spend a Sabbath with them. His experience I give in something like his own idioms as he reported it to me. Speaking of this new convert he said: “Before I have chance to speak to him, the others told me that they had heard that he had been in the gambling places, but they were not sure about it. So my first question to him was this: ‘Do you wish to be a Christian?’ He said ‘Yes.’ ‘Have you been gambling before?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Don’t you know that gambling is wrong, and not fit for a Christian to do?’ ‘Yes, I found that out some time ago.’ So we went on, question and answer, till I found him truly sincere, and wanting to try to love the Saviour. So I made arrangements for him to be brought into the Association on Sunday evening. On Sunday morning five of us were going to the Congregational church. While we were passing through Chinatown some of our countrymen, about ten in number, standing by the doors of the Chinese shops began to make fun of us, calling us ‘cabbages.’ This means, in Chinese, a very dirty word, and at the same time, it has a sound very near to the word Jesus in Chinese. After they had called us all by this name, they turned especially upon Wong Tim Ban (the young Christian) saying to him: ‘Come, have a smoke of opium before you go to church.’ ‘Come play cards with us once more.’ In all this he kept silent, and so did all of us. After church was dismissed we came back the same way, and they came out to meet us again. They called Wong Ban a very bad name. But he only smiled and returned them a very kind word, saying: ‘Yes, I am a Christian now, no matter what I had done before. I am going to be a better man and do not mind your laughing.’” So when evening came he was welcomed to the Association by the vote of all the members. And so we stand rebuked for unbelief; and the faithful teacher’s perseverance is rewarded; and we take courage to work on though hearts are hard and for the time the field seems like unbroken fallow ground.
Those who remember my article of two months ago on Imperium in imperio, will be interested to know that the young Chinese maiden spoken of has been adopted into an excellent Christian family and is now at home with them in an Eastern State. It would not be wise perhaps to make a more definite publication of her whereabouts.
WM. C. POND.