Before the next examinations came round, three years later, the missionary was well prepared for them. At first they came as before full of self-satisfied convictions that they were quite superior representatives of the most superior race. Curiosity alone led them to the foreigner's home. But no sooner would they catch sight of the large astronomical charts on the missionary's study wall than their attitude invariably changed. The missionary knew well the importance of reserving his ammunition till the right moment! The proudest of those scholars in face of those charts became like children.
As the man of God led them (at their own request) step by step on into the wonders of creation of which they knew nothing—often would come the cry, "Teacher stop, have pity on us—you make us feel like the man in the well who thought he saw the whole heavens!"
The change that came over hundreds of these students was truly remarkable. Just one instance of the fruit of this work. The missionary was touring far west of Changte and stayed with his party at a certain inn. The inn-keeper when asked for his bill as the party was leaving replied—"Honorable teacher, I could not accept anything from you. My son was at the recent examinations at Changte and has told me of his visit to your home and what you are doing for our people!"
One day early in 19— three of the missionary's children were gathered in front of a curious looking chart tacked on the wall of the study. It was a rough map of the Changte field, and over parts of the chart were red dots. The eldest child was counting those red spots and had reached to forty-nine when his father entered.
"Oh, father," cried the boy, "just look, there are almost fifty red places."
"Yes," said his father, "And do you know dear children that every red mark means a place where one or more Christians are, and where the light of the Gospel that can save men has entered?"
"Oh, won't it be lovely, father, when the whole map is red?" said a sweet fair-haired little girl as she threw her arras about her father's neck.
Oh kind Heavenly Father, who withheld from Thy children's human sight what Thou knewest was so soon to come upon them!
A few short weeks after the above scene the spirit of the little fair-haired child had returned to the God who gave it, the missionaries even fleeing before their would-be murderers—the Chinese Christians scattered. Many throughout China, both missionaries and Chinese Christians were witnessing a good confession even to cruel death for Christ's sake.
So the blood of the martyrs became in China, as in the early times, the seed of the Christian Church in China.