entertained by the officer had he not been only too glad of a pretext to get the Christians in his power.” So soon as possible Dr. Mateer went to Chefoo to see the American consul, and on his return home he learned that Miao had been released, under some restrictions as to his whereabouts; but no amends were made for the gross injustice done. There was still a long sequel to this affair. After the period which has since intervened the story seems to be unworthy of the dignity of a full recital here; though it might be interesting to some as an example of obstacles encountered by the work of missions away from places where foreign influences are commonly powerful enough to prevent them. A condensed account must suffice. It should be remembered that it was in August that the persecution of Miao occurred. The purpose of it, at least in part, was to shut Christianity out of Chow Yuen. To allow this would have been to inflict on that cause a blow that probably would encourage opposition of a like kind in other localities; and therefore it evidently was the duty of the missionaries to prevent it if practicable. Especially was it true of Dr. Mateer that he was too resolute a spirit to yield to such a violation of rights secured under treaty with foreign governments. Consequently late in November he went again to Chow Yuen, in order to secure a house that could be used as a chapel; for in the interval between these visits the room previously occupied for this purpose had gone into other hands and was no longer available. The magistrate also had been promoted, and another filled his place. Dr. Mateer soon found a house, rented it, and secured the approval of the magistrate. Then followed a series of chicanery, brutality, deceit, low cunning, and petty meanness running over several months, and compelling two more trips by him in the dead of winter. Once he took with him two other missionaries, and they went armed with pistols in order to defend themselves if attacked. The old woman who rented the room to him, and who in so doing had been animated by ill will to her relatives and by a desire for money, was seized and beaten by members of her own family, and likewise by the magistrate. The same gang beat the middleman who, according to Chinese custom, had negotiated the bargain. The whole rental was only about ten dollars. Petty and miserable as the affair was, it had its ludicrous features; as, for instance, when Dr. Mateer, in his determination not to be ousted from the house until some satisfactory arrangement was made, picked up the old woman and set her down on the outside, where she exhausted her strength in billingsgate. It was not until the beginning of March that the trouble at Chow Yuen was finally ended. The issue was a triumph in the main for the missionary; another acceptable room was, with the official approval of the magistrate, secured for a chapel, and the money that had been paid for the rental of the other house was refunded.