“A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.”—1 _Cor_., xvi, 9. What Paul experienced at Ephesus, we find to be true in our humble work among the Chinese in California. We are grateful that the door is open, and that it is as great and as effectual as it is. We cannot deny that there are also “many adversaries.” Our Chinese brethren think that some of these, among their own countrymen, and even among the pupils in our schools, are peculiarly annoying. Jee Gam was telling me, a few days since, of an experience with one of these, which I asked him to write out for the readers of THE AMERICAN MISSIONARY: “Several months ago, while Mrs. Lamont, Gin Foo King and myself, were busily engaged in teaching the other scholars at the Barnes school, our attention was diverted by the voice of one who was not studying, but talking aloud. He was a pompous fellow, who, though he is only a servant, dresses like a very rich man. Working for $16 per month, he wears a purple figured silk coat and a gold bracelet. He puts on the appearance, in the school-room, of high breeding and great learning. As we listened to him, this is what we heard: ‘What doctrine have the foreigners? They have no duty between Emperor and officials, parents and children, elder and younger brother, husband and wife, or even between friends; but we, Chinese, are taught by our great sage, Confucius. His teaching on these duties is above all that men ever taught on earth. The foreigner has not the son of heaven (meaning the Emperor). When he is 21 years old he leaves his home and thinks no more of his parents; not only so, but leaves them to take care of themselves. The husband lends his wife to his friends, who walk with her arm in arm on the street. The way of courtship and marriage is like that of beasts. He knows no politeness, no integrity, no modesty, and no shame; in fact, all foreigners are barbarians. Confucius said: “I have heard of barbarians becoming Chinese, but have never heard of Chinese becoming barbarians.”’ He continued at length in that way. Gin Foo King and I listened till patience failed us. ‘Where did you get your knowledge about the foreigners?’ I asked. ‘What do you know of the Bible?’ He gave no answer. ‘Who are these people that Confucius called barbarians? Were they Americans, or English, or Germans? Would you take your teacher, Mrs. Lamont, for a barbarian? Would you claim that you are more enlightened than she?’ I then explained to him that those whom Confucius called barbarians were people within the Chinese Empire; his China was a small country, covering only a few of the present central provinces, and all the people outside that district were esteemed to be barbarians. There were no Americans when he lived, and as to English and Germans, he knew nothing about them. He did not call _them_ barbarians.”