Just at this juncture I saw before me, at a turn in the canal, a
letter-boat going in the direction of Kia-hing Fu This, I concluded,
must be one of the Kia-hing boats that had been unexpectedly detained,
and I set off after it as fast as hope and the necessities of the case
would carry me. For the time being weariness and sore feet were alike
forgotten. After a chase of about a mile I overtook it.
"Are you going to Kia-hing Fu?" I called out.
"No," was the only answer.
"Are you going in that direction?"
"No."
"Will you give me a passage as far as you do go that way?"
Still "No," and nothing more.
Completely dispirited and exhausted, I sank down on the grass and
fainted away.
As consciousness returned some voices reached my ear, and I found they
were talking about me. One said, "He speaks pure Shanghai dialect," and
from their own speech I knew them to be Shanghai people. Raising myself,
I saw that they were on a large hong-boat on the other side of the
canal, and after a few words they sent their small boat to fetch me, and
I went on board the junk. They were very kind, and gave me some tea; and
when I was refreshed and able to partake of it, some food also. I then
took my shoes and stockings off to ease my feet, and the boatman kindly
provided me with hot water to bathe them. When they heard my story, and
saw the blisters on my feet, they evidently pitied me, and hailed every
boat that passed to see if it was going my way. Not finding one, by and
by, after a few hours' sleep, I went ashore with the captain, intending
to preach in the temple of Kwan-ti.
Before leaving the junk I told the captain and those on board that I was
now unable to help myself; that I had not strength to walk to Kia-hing
Fu, and having been disappointed in getting a passage to-day, I should
no longer have sufficient means to take me there by letter-boat, which
was an expensive mode of travelling; that I knew not how the GOD whom I
served would help me, but that I had no doubt He would do so; and that
my business now was to serve Him where I was. I also told them that the
help which I knew would come ought to be an evidence to them of the
truth of the religion which I and the other missionaries at Shanghai
preached.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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