Meanwhile the distress grew. Many of the officials were so corrupt as to try to make money out of the calamities of the people. Transit by water was very slow, so it was long before relief came. At last we heard that kindly foreigners were bringing up some boat-loads of flour for the destitute people. It was when these boats arrived that I saw a foreigner for the first time in my life. There were two of them who attended to the transport of the rice from the boats to a temple. A strong force of soldiers prevented the rush of the hungry crowd, and the foreigners used to steal out late at night and early in the morning giving tickets to the destitute and taking care that they were not imposed upon by those whose need was not so great. [Illustration: Making idols in China. “The idols in the temple could not help.”] They told from time to time a strange story of a new religion of love, and of Someone called the Lord Jesus, who had sent them in to save the starving. They were very kind, and gave the people work, widening and draining the road. My new father was greatly impressed by all this, and I overheard him say that such a doctrine as this was worth listening to. It was at that time that my new-found friends determined to leave that part and retire to their home far away in the country. A long boat journey brought us at last to a small farm, lying at the foot of a steep hill, crowned, as is usual, by a temple. Here in this new home I began a new life. My friends were very religious, and belonged to the vegetarians. Nearly all the best and most spiritual people in China belong to this sect. They are earnest worshippers of idols, and give large sums of money to priests, and in their life are careful and self-denying. One of their chief reasons for becoming vegetarians was that they had no son. This they regarded as the sure sign of the wrath of the gods. To appease them they had made many pilgrimages to famous shrines, but without finding peace.