CHAP. U.] 



JESUIT MISSIONARIES. 



23 



aspirants, wlio are taoglit the languages of the countries 

 they are going to at Penang or Singapore. In China 

 there are said to he near a Bullion converts ; in Tonqnin 

 and Cochin China, more than half a millioii One secret 

 of the success of tliese missions is the rifrid economy 

 practised in the expenditure of tlie funds. A missionary 

 is allowed about ?>iH. a year, ou %vhich he lives in whatever 

 country he may be. This renders it possible to snpport a 

 Jai^^e number of missionaries with very limited means ; 

 and the natives, seeing their teachers living in poverty 

 and with none of the luxuries of life, are convinced that 

 they are sincere in what they teach, and have really driven 

 \\\\ home and friends and ease and safety^ for the jy;ood of 

 others. No wonder they make converts, fra* it must be 

 a great blessing to tlie poor people among whom they 

 labour to have a man among them to whom they can go 

 in any trouble or distress, who wiU comfort and advise 

 them, who visits them in sickness, who relieves them in 

 want, and who they see living from day to day in danger 

 of persecution and death entirely for their sakes. 



My friend at Dukit-tima was truly a father to his flock. 

 He i>roachud to them in Chineiie avQxy Sunday, and had 

 evenings for discussion and convei-sation ou religion during 

 the week. He had a school to teach their children. His 

 house was open to them day and nij^ht. If a man came to 

 him and said, "I have no rice for my fnujily to eat to- 

 day," ho would give him half of w'hat he had in the house, 

 however little that might be. If another said, " I havt; 

 no mone}' to pay my debt," he would give him half the 

 contents of his purse, were it his last dollar. So, when 

 he was himself in want, he would send to some of the 

 wealthiest among his flocks and say, " I have no rice in 

 tlie house," or " I have given away my money, and am in 

 want of such and such articles." The result was that his 

 flock trusted and loved liim, for they felt sure that he was 

 their true friend, and had no ulterior designs iu living 

 among them. 



The island of Singapore consists of a multitude of small 

 hills, three or four hundred feet high, the summits of many 

 of which are still covered with virgin forest. The mission- 



