MISS ELIZABETH BURTON Suffered martyrdom on July 16, 1900. To write a brief memorial notice of Miss Burton I find mine a task of sadness. Yet in the tribute-wreath here offered there need be only a spray of cypress, the rest shall be white lilies. Like God's people of old, with the willow branches we bring palms. We have not to moan over defeat and death. Here was a life of victory all through-victory over adverse circumstances, over many disadvantages and difficulties, and victory in its final witness. Her life has not ended. In the new call to faithfulness, in the deepened impulses to loving devotion, in the quickened purposes which are ours as we think of her, we find hers to be still a ministrant influence. My earliest recollections of Miss Burton are of a bright, lively, if somewhat shy girl in the Sunday School of my first pastorate at Sale, Manchester. She was brought to definite decision for Christ by a letter sent to her in common with other members of a Young People's Society. Quite early in her Christian course she showed signs of a pertinacity of character often evidenced in after-days. Desiring to enter upon active service, she applied for a Sunday School class; but there was not one vacant, and half jocularly she was told that unless she made a class of her own there could be no place found for her. Somewhat to the surprise of the officers, this young girl marched up to the school-door a week later with five mites whom she had herself gathered together. "I've made my class, please, as you told me," was her quiet remark, and forthwith she was installed as a teacher. After a year or two of steady work in school and church she attended a missionary meeting in Manchester, and was much stirred. Conscious of deficient education, she undertook a course of special study at home, and laboured with persistent effort. After due consideration, she applied for admission to Doric Lodge Training Institute. This training was invaluable in deepening and strengthening her both mentally and spiritually. At length, in September 1898, her long-cherished hopes were realised, and after a farewell meeting at Oakfield Chapel, Sale, she sailed for China. In what spirit she faced the future her own words will indicate: I should like you to have been at the ship, or rather on the docks, when we started. Those on the shore were singing, and we, too, were singing: Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest." I at once began to think: "The past behind," and now only a memory; "the future unknown"; but "Jesus we know, and He is on the throne ; and in my heart all this day there has been a calm joy and intense peace, altogether unspeakable. Just imagine, after nearly six years' waiting I am on my way to China. I still feel as though I am dreaming. I had such a loving, cheery letter from dear mother this morning; she informs me that though she feels the parting keenly, yet she feels it is an honour conferred upon her by God to have Him choose her child for this work. It is an honour! but oh, I feel so inadequate, so weak, and yet I hear Him say, "Go in this thy might, have not I sent thee?" Yes, He has sent me; if ever I felt God has called me in my life, I feel it to-night. In this spirit of child-like trust she lived and laboured for about two years and a half, chiefly in Shan-si. Her picturesque letters are full of brightness and hopefulness, and give evidence of steady growth in character on all its sides. One paragraph will show how she realised the unseen Friend's presence : Jesus is very real to me out in this land, and I would not change my present lot in spite of loneliness and occasional hardships. Truly, He more than makes up. And now I can understand the people, and they me a little, the joy is very great. Ease and luxury cannot make up for the real and lasting joy one has in this land. The love for the people is great, but when it is returned it is all the more precious, and the Chinese do love, in spite of what some people say. Her character was sweet and simple and strong. She had a clinging, loving nature and quickly won the love and confidence of her friends. Yet hers was no weakly emotionalism. She was dominated by a high, strong purpose, and possessed considerable energy and practical common sense. Her faith in God was wondrously direct and simple, but-or should one not rather write and therefore-was firm and rock-like. Love, deep, lasting love was the mainspring of her nature; love for God, for her friends, for her work. Those who knew her most closely, believed that in this combination of qualities there was material for an exceptionally fine and useful missionary. We thank God for her, knowing that He has worked His work in and through her. We refuse to think that a broken pillar is the emblem of her career, God has no broken pillars. He has transplanted flowers. And the fragrance of this flower is still gladdening and helping many souls. His servants still "serve Him." And the service of this martyred maiden is being rendered not only in heaven but here on earth in the many lives uplifted, purified, gladdened, and inspired by her faithful, loving character. CAREY BONNER. SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION, 56 OLD BAILEY, E.C. MR. AND MRS. DUNCAN KAY AND DAUGHTER JENNIE K'C-WU, SHAN-SI Suffered martyrdom on August 30, 1900. By the death of Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Kay, the China Inland Mission has lost two of its best workers. After a period of work in the region of the Yang-tsi Valley, owing to ill-health, Mr. Kay was obliged to go to the North. Here they were permitted to labour for eleven years, and by them the Gospel has been extensively preached in the district round K'ü-wu. Mr. Kay was a born evangelist, and in nothing did he delight more than in preaching the Gospel. Possessed of a more than ordinary knowledge of the language, both written and spoken, and with special gifts as a speaker, he could always have an interested hearing, not only from outsiders in the open-air work, but in a special degree from the native Christians in the more regular Church services. He had paid great attention to the art of illustration-an art especially valuable in China— which gained for him considerable fame as a popular preacher. I remember being surprised when I first saw the many books he had filled with cuttings, all being illustrations he had collected for use in preaching. He has impressed his personality upon the native Christians he had gathered round him, and one or two of them have learned from him the gift-most highly to be coveted the gift of clear and faithful preaching. Not less successful was he as a school teacher. As the Church grew, the question as to the education of the Christian children pressed upon him. After some years of careful and painstaking labour, he had a school, admired by all for its tone, excellent discipline, and good scholarship. At the last public examination at which I was present, several of the lads astonished their wondering parents, and foreigners too, by the way they construed and demonstrated on the black-board the forty-seventh problem of the first book of Euclid. The elder lads had been encouraged in Christian work and had already become acceptable speakers in the open air. In all this work he was well supported by Mrs. Kay, who was regarded as one of the best speakers in the province. The women's side of the work, of course, fell to her, both in the city and the villages which she constantly visited. |