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Resea><^        School 

oi-C66\^ll     of 

Theology 
Library 


ary 


from     ike    libraru   of 

HAROLD  L.  WILSON 


K, 


CHINESE  BOAT. 


Dr.  Henderson. 


LIFE 


OF 


JAMES   HENDERSON,   M.D., 

w 

FELLOW     OF     THE    ROYAL     COLLEGE      OF      SURGEONS,     EDINBURGH; 

VICE-PRESIDENT   OF   THE   NORTH    CHINA    BRANCH   OF 

THE    ROYAL    ASIATIC    SOCIETY  ; 


fHetiual  filissionarg  to  ©fjina. 


NEW   YORK: 

ROBERT    CARTER    AND    BROTHERS, 

530  Broadway. 
1873. 


JOHN      WILSON     AND      SON, 
Catnbridge. 


CONTENTS. 
— • — 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I.    Autobiography 7 

II.     College  Life 75 

III.  Shanghai 106 

IV.  A  Visit  to  England 133 

V.     Earnest  Work 140 

VI.    Earth  Exchanged  for  Heaven 172 


'^. 


PREFACE. 


Among  Dr.  Henderson's  papers  the  following 
sketch  of  his  early  life  was  found.  It  was 
his  intention  to  have  completed  and  pub- 
lished it,  had  he  been  spared  to  return  to 
England  in  1867 ;  and  the  knowledge  that 
he  hoped  it  might  be  useful,  has  made  the 
fulfilment  of  his  design  a  sacred  duty. 

The  portrait  has  been  completed,  of  which 
the  outline  was  simply  and  faithfully  drawn. 

It  has  been  part  of  the  solace  of  a  deep 
sorrow  to  be  permitted  to  arrange  these  brief 
memorials  of  one  whose  zealous  and  success- 
ful devotion  to  a  noble  profession  was  all  the 
more  striking  from  the  unusual  difficulties 
surmounted,  and  the  singleness  of  eye  and 
heart  with  which  cultivated  ability  and 
scientific  attainment  were  consecrated  to 
missionary  service. 


I. 

AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

TN  a  little  cottage  on  a  bleak  moor  in  the 
North  of  Scotland,  and  distant  more  than 
a  mile  from  any  other  dwelling,  a  young 
widow  might  have  been  seen  sitting  down  to 
rest  herself,  half  an  hour  past  midnight  on  the 
11th  of  December,  1832. 

Three  days  previously  such  a  violent  snow- 
storm had  set  in,  that  in  less  than  twenty-four 
hours  after  its  commencement  all  the  roads  in 
the  district  were  impassable,  except  for  man. 
Three  hours  ago,  that  little  family  circle  has 
been  visited  by  one  who  spares  neither  prince 
nor  peasant,  and  who  has  taken  away  its 
head.  Nor  is  this  the  first  breach  he  has 
made  in  the  household,  for  eighteen  days  only 
have  passed  since  he  carried  off  the  youngest 


8  A  UTOBIOGRAPHY. 

member,  a  boy  nine  months  old ;  and  now  a 
widow  is  left,  with  three  children,  all  but 
destitute,  with  little  even  to  supply  their 
immediate  wants.  God  help  them  !  He  who 
now  lies  in  the  arms  of  Death  was  an  honest 
and  industrious  laboring  man,  earning  his 
living  and  that  of  his  family  by  the  sweat  of 
his  brow.  He  had  married  young,  and  is 
now  but  thirty-one,  and  he  and  his  wife  have 
had  quite  enough  to  do,  sometimes,  to  supply 
their  children  with  bread.  Ten  weeks  before 
this  time,  he  ruptured  a  blood-vessel  in  the 
lung,  and  lost  so  much  blood  then,  and  on 
subsequent  occasions,  that  four  days  ago  his 
case  was  considered  hopeless  by  the  surgeon 
who  visited  him.  Two  or  three  kind  neigh- 
bors came  to  render  what  help  they  could, 
till  the  violence  of  the  snow-storm  prevented 
them,  with  one  exception,  from  reaching  the 
dwelling,  and  save  for  this  assistance  the 
widow  has  had  to  watch  alone. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  day  on  which  her 
husband  died  he  said  he  felt  better,  and  it  was 


MV  WIDOWED  MOTHER.  g 

hoped,  as  night  drew  on,  he  might  have  some 
refreshing  sleep.  Towards  six  o'clock,  how- 
ever, when  darkness  set  in,  and  the  storm 
raged  in  all  its  fury,  a  decided  change  took 
place ;  the  breathing  became  quick  and  shal- 
low, the  countenance  pinched  and  sunken, 
and  in  broken  and  all  but  inarticulate  whispers 
he  called  his  wife,  and  told  her  that  he  was 
about  to  leave  her;  that  he  should  pass 
through  the  dark  valley  that  night ;  but  that 
God,  who  feeds  the  young  ravens  when  they 
cry,  would  take  care  of  her,  and  provide  her 
and  the  children  with  bread.  The  night  was 
so  stormy  that  no  help  could  be  obtained,  and 
at  nine  o'clock  the  spirit  took  farewell  of  the 
frail  tenement. 

No  burst  of  grief  is  heard  at  that  humble 
fireside ;  the  widow  is  calm  and  self-possessed ; 
she  is  very  pale,  and  a  close  observer  might 
notice,  under  her  quiet  manner,  a  current  of 
grief  too  deep  to  be  fathomed  —  too  broad  to 
overflow.  She  has  to  busy  herself  till  half- 
past  twelve  o'clock,  when,  for  the  first  time, 


lO  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

she  is  able  to  gather  her  children  around  her, 
and  try  to  explain  to  them  what  has  happened. 
For  the  last  five  or  six  hours  they  had  sat 
silently  round  the  dying  embers,  conscious 
that  something  unusual  was  going  on.  The 
eldest  girl,  seven  years  old,  evidently  under- 
stands the  sad  event ;  the  second,  five,  knows 
only  enough  to  make  her  ask  many  questions  ; 
while  the  youngest  child,  a  boy  scarcely  three, 
has  crept  to  a  quiet  corner,  where  he  sleeps  as 
soundly  as  any  healthy,  happy  child  ever 
slept ;  and  as  the  mother  looks  at  him,  lying 
so  calmly  amidst  the  storm  without  and  the 
sorrow  within,  she,  who  had  gone  through  the 
last  trying  hours  with  so  much  fortitude,  can 
bear  up  no  longer,  but  "  bursts  of  sorrow  gush 
from  either  eye.'*  She  now  begins  in  some 
measure  to  realize  her  position ;  the  thought 
that  she  is  now  a  widow  comes  up  in  all  its 
power.  She  remembers  that  she  and  her 
children  are  utterly  unprovided  for  —  that 
bread  is  very  dear,  and  she  has  little  to  pur- 
chase it  with ;    and  at  such   a  season  of  the 


■m\ 


MV  WIDOWED  MOTHER.  il 

year,  in  such  a  wilderness,  what  could  she  do  ? 
what  effort  could  she  make  ?     Her  situation 
was   sad    enough,    and    her    prospects    dark 
enough ;  but  she  knew  where  to  go  for  com- 
fort—  even  to   Him  who  is  "  a  very  present 
help  in  time  of  trouble."     She  remembered 
that  God,  who  does  all  things  well,  caring  for 
all  His  creatures,  has  a  special  regard  for  the 
widow  and   the  fatherless,  and  that,  though 
"  weeping  may  endure  for  a  night,  joy  cometh 
in  the   morning."     She  put   her  children   to 
bed,  and  then,  with  her  Bible  in  her  hand,  sat 
down  beside  the  body  of  her  husband,  and  the 
long  night  of  sorrow  was   spent  in   seeking 
comfort  from  that  Word  which  has  the  same 
promises  for  rich  and  poor. 

In  the  23d  and  46th  Psalms,  the  14th  of 
John,  the  12th  of  Luke,  and  the  8th  of  Romans, 
she  found  consolation,  as  if  fresh  from  the 
throne  of  God;  and  thus,  having  spent  the 
night  with  Him,  now  her  only  Friend,  He 
speaking  to  her  by  His  Word,  and  she  to  Him 
by  prayer,  the  morning  slowly  dawned  on  the 


12  AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 

solitary  watcher,  calm  and  pure,  for  the  snow 
had  ceased  to  fall,  the  wind  had  ceased  to 
blow,  and  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  from 
the  little  cottage  window,  nothing  could  be 
seen  for  miles  around  but  purity  and  white- 
ness. With  the  morning  came  one  or  two 
kind  friends,  when  it  was  arranged  to  make 
preparations  for  the  funeral. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  the 
sleeping  child  in  the  corner  is  the  subject  and 
writer  of  the  present  narrative. 

Many  kind  friends  came  long  distances'  to 
see  and  to  sympathize  with  my  mother  in  her 
great  sorrow,  and  there  was  scarcely  one  for 
many  miles  around  who  was  not  present  at 
the  funeral.  The  snow  was  very  deep,  and 
as  the  burying-ground  was  four  miles  distant, 
it  was  no  easy  matter  to  reach  it. 

In  the  month  of  March  following,  my 
mother  removed  to  a  small  cottage  kindly 
offered  by  a  farmer  in  the  neighborhood,  and 
there,  for  two  years,  she  kept  herself  and  her 


\l 


MV  GRANDFATHER. 


13 


children  by  doing  such  work  about  the  farms 
as  she  could  find,  teaching  my  sisters  and 
myself  to  read,  and  hearing  us  repeat  in  the 
evening  the  portions  of  Scripture  and  ques- 
tions in  the  Shorter  Catechism  which  she  had 
assigned  to  us  during  the  day ;  and  this  she 
never  omitted,  though  tired  enough  after 
working  from  six  o'clock  in  the  morning. 
These  two  years  were,  I  think,  the  season  of 
her  most  severe  trial ;  and  many  years  after,  I 
have  heard  her  say,  that  frequently  she  had 
come  home  at  night  and  found  she  had  so  lit- 
tle food  in  the  house,  that,  though  weary  and 
hungry,  she  went  supperless  to  bed,  and  often 
set  out  in  the  morning  with  only  a  crust  and 
a  cup  of  water  to  sustain  her.  At  the  end  of 
two  years  she  went  to  live  with  her  father, 
who  rented  a  small  croft  in  the  district,  his 
wife  having  died  a  short  time  previously. 
Here,  although  she  worked  hard,  she  seemed 
to  feel  her  burden  lighter,  as  my  grandfather 
took  such  care  of  my  sisters  and  myself.  I 
became  exceedingly  fond  of  him,  for  although 


14  A  UTOBIOGRAPHY. 

he  was  a  very  strict  disciplinarian,  he  was 
very  kind  to  me. 

Before  I  was  seven  years  old,  he  made  me 
read  whole  evenings  to  him  in  the  Books  of 
Kings  and  Chronicles,  and  in  Proverbs.  He 
took  special  delight  in  the  histories  of  David 
and  Solomon;  and  although  he  could  not 
read  a  word  himself  (I  do  not  think  he  knew 
a  letter  of  the  alphabet),  yet  he  could  correct 
rne  the  instant  I  said  a  wrong  word,  or  put 
one  name  in  the  place  of  another.  He  was  a 
very  intelligent  man,  and  his  opinion  was 
often  sought  by  the  people  around  him  when- 
ever they  had  any  thing  important  to  decide, 
and  often  would  two  or  three  neighbors  come 
and  spend  the  winter  evenings  with  him. 
He  had  an  excellent  memory,  and  had  trav- 
elled much  in  the  Highlands  of  Scotland  in 
his  youth,  and  had  many  traditional  stories, 
which  he  was  fond  of  relating.  On  some  of 
these  occasions  he  would  bring  me  from  the 
quiet  corner  where  I  always  sat,  close  by  him, 
with  my  old  Bible  on  my  knee,  and  make  me 


MV  GRANDFATHER.  15 

read  a  few  verses  from  his  choicest  passages, 
either  about  the  prowess  of  Samson  or  the 
wisdom  of  Solomon.  At  other  times  he 
made  me  sing  some  historical  ballad  con- 
nected with  the  "  Clans."  He  belonged  to 
one  himself,  and  when  I  came  to  an  exploit 
or  deed  of  daring  performed  by  his  own  clan, 
I  could  see  his  eye  kindle,  and  he  was  always 
pleased  if  I  put  more  than  usual  emphasis  on 
these  passages. 

I  lived  with  my  grandfather  three  years, 
when  he  died  from  a  disease  from  which  he 
had  suffered  for  more  than  fifteen  years ;  his 
constitution  was  strong,  but  he  had  latterly 
shown  symptoms  of  failing  health.  He 
seemed  to  have  a  natural  antipathy  both*' 
for  doctors  and  drugs,  for  he  would  never 
hear  of  either,  though  his  sufferings  were 
extreme.  He  would  not  even  see  a  surgeon 
till  about  three  weeks  before  his  death,  when 
it  was  too  late  to  take  any  decisive  measures 
to  cure  him.  He  died  in  December,  1838,  at 
the  age  of  fifty-six.     I  felt  his  loss  very  much, 


l6  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

and  followed  him  to  the  grave  with  many 
tears. 

The  little  croft  now  belonged  to  my  mother. 
She  married  about  this  time  a  very  excellent 
man,  but  quite  as  poor  as  herself,  and  I  con- 
tinued to  work  about  the  little  farm.  No  one 
ever  seemed  to  think  of  sending  me  to  school. 
My  late  grandfather  and  all  my  friends  thought 
I  had  quite  enough  education  when  I  could 
read  my  Bible.  Writing  and  arithmetic  were 
considered  quite  unnecessary  in  that  part  of 
the  country,  and  it  was  never  supposed  that  I 
should  require  either.  I  was  kept  busy  all  the 
summer,  and  in  winter  I  amused  myself  with 
shooting  hares  and  rabbits,  or  rather  trying 
to  do  so.  Game  was  very  abundant  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  the  laws  were  not  strictly 
enforced.  I  was  allowed  to  carry  an  old  gun, 
but  it  only  condescended  to  go  off  on  certain 
occasions,  so  that  I  did  not  much  damage 
the  game ;  more  especially  as  I  was  often 
entirely  destitute  of  ammunition,  and,  to  save 
the  little  I  sometimes  had,  I  usually  put  in 


EARLY  DAYS.  17 

but  half-charges.  In  this  manner  I  would 
wander  over  the  hills  for  days  together,  and 
thought  I  was  fortunate  if,  after  a  fortnight's 
walking  in  the  snow,  I  knocked  over  a  hare. 
After  some  time  I  acquired  considerable  skill 
as  a  sportsman,  and,  had  I  possessed  a  good 
gun,  should  have  been  rather  formidable.  I 
trust  I  shall  not  be  misunderstood  in  this 
matter,  for  at  this  time  I  had  no  idea,  nor  had 
any  one  in  the  neighborhood,  that  I  was  doing 
any  thing  wrong,  and  the  same  feeling  still 
prevails,  although  in  a  less  degree  than  twenty 
years  ago.  There  was  no  church,  no  clergy- 
man, no  school  or  schoolmaster,  and  no  mag- 
istrate within  a  distance  of  three  miles  from 
where  I  lived,  and  in  such  a  place,  among 
such  people,  every  man  is  a  law  to  himself. 
Nothing  seems  to  regulate  his  conduct  except 
his  own  judgment  and  sense  of  right  and 
wrong  (which  is  not  always  very  clear),  and 
the  opinion  of  his  neighbors.  Whenever  there 
was  a  disturbance,  which  was  very  seldom, 
people  never  thought  of  appealing  to  the  civil 


1 8  A  UTOBIOGRAPHY. 

power,  they  always  took  the  law  into  their 
own  hands,  and  the  poor  offender  often  found 
that  such  a  summary  system  of  laws  was  not 
the  most  lenient  for  his  person,  if  perhaps 
more  sparing  for  his  purse.  Feeing-markets 
were  the  usual  places  for  punishing  any 
offender  who  had  made  himself  disagreeable 
to  the  community,  especially  before  the  ex- 
cellent system  was  introduced  of  sending 
policemen  to  preserve  order.  In  1858-59, 
when  I  last  visited  this  district,  I  found 
decided  improvement  in  many  important  mat- 
ters, especially  in  having  one  day-school  and 
two  or  three  Sunday-schools,  all  in  a  tolera- 
bly prosperous-  state,  established  in  places 
where  I  am  convinced  that,  ten  years  before, 
they  would  either  not  have  been  tolerated,  or 
would  have  been  laughed  at  as  absurd  inno- 
vations. My  only  studies  at  this  time  were 
committing  to  memory  psalms  and  hymns, 
chapters  of  the  Bible,  and  the  catechism,  and 
reading  the  stories  that  were  occasionally 
brought    round    by    travelling    hawkers.       I 


EARLY  DAYS.  jg 

learnt  at  this  time  with  great  facility,  and 
often  do  I  now  regret  that  no  much  precious 
time  was  lost  when  I  might  have  been  stor- 
ing my  mind  with  useful  knowledge,  and 
training  it  to  habits  of  acuteness  and  applica- 
tion. But  it  was  the  fixed  idea  of  people  in 
those  parts  that  every  man  should  live  and 
die  as  his  father  had  done;  and  living 
amongst  these  people,  and  imbibing  their 
sentiments,  it  may  easily  be  imagined  my 
mind  was  exceedingly  contracted.  I  had  the 
most  absurd  notions  about  the  most  common 
things,  both  of  society  and  the  world  in  gen- 
eral. I  was  in  utter  ignorance  of  the  world, 
both  physically  and  morally,  for  no  one 
for  miles  around  had  any  book  on  history, 
geography,  or  science.  Indeed,  I  never  heard 
of  India  or  China  till  I  was  more  than  six- 
teen years  old.  I  had  heard  of  Napoleon 
Bonaparte  and  France,  but  had  no  idea 
whether  France  or  Erigland  was  nearest  to 
the  place  where  I  lived,  or  that  there  was  any 
water    between   the    two.       I    knew    nothing 


20  AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 

about  kings  and  queens,  or  the  constitution 
of  my  country ;  indeed,  till  I  was  sixteen 
years  old,  I  never  was  ten  miles  distant  from 
my  birthplace.  I  had  during  these  years 
an  unaccountable  aversion  to  strangers  and 
strange  places,  and  an  especial  horror  of 
towns  and  cities,  as  well  as  of  their  inhabi- 
tants. I  was  led  to  believe  that  all  the  bad 
and  worthless  people  found  their  way  to  the 
cities,  and,  in  short,  that  every  honest  man, 
and,  above  all,  every  countryman,  should 
keep  as  far  from  them  as  possible.  My  mind 
was  at  this  time  largely  tinged  with  supersti- 
tion, so  lamentable  was  the  ignorance  which 
prevailed  among  the  people  of  that  Highland 
glen.  So  many  strange  noises  were  heard, 
so  many  frightful  sights  seen,  and  so  many 
harrowing  stories  were  told  of  awful  and 
supernatural  objects  by  the  old  sages  of  the 
district,  that  the  mind  of  the  boldest  youth 
\vas  sure  to  be  influenced ;  and  if  not  fright- 
ened, a  shadow  of  mystery  and  doubt  was 
cast  over  his  spirit.     There  was  scarcely  an 


EARLY  DAYS.  2 1 

old  woman  in  the  neighborhood  who  did  not 
believe  in  the  omnipotence  of  witches ;  and 
there  were  very  few  indeed  but  could  tell, 
with  the  most  grave  belief,  of  occasions  when 
their  cow  was  under  the  awful  spell  of  witch- 
craft, and  of  the  means  used  —  some  of  them 
absurd  enough  —  to  break  the  spell.  When 
I  was  last  in  the  neighborhood,  I  was  very 
anxious  to  hear  if  the  same  things  were 
believed.  I  found  the  young  people  were 
sceptical,  but  afraid  to  speak  boldly  or  with 
decision  on  the  subject ;  but  their  elders,  and 
especially  the  old  women,  clung  to  their 
superstitions,  and  I  tried  in  vain  to  convince 
one  or  two  how  utterly  unfounded  was  their 
faith  in  the  old  stories. 

Such  were  the  people  among  whom  my 
early  years  were  spent.  How  largely  I  was 
influenced  by  them  let  any  one  judge  who 
knows  any  thing  of  the  human  mind,  and  how 
easily  it  is  impressed  in  youthful  days;  let  it 
be  remembered  that,  apart  from  my  Bible  and 
catechism,  I  had  only  stories  such  as  "Jack 


22  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

the  Giant-Killer "  and  the  "  Forty  Thieves." 
I  spent  much  of  my  time  alone,  my  only  com- 
pany through  the  day  being  a  fine  collie  dog, 
who  was  exceedingly  fond  of  me.  He  was 
always  by  my  side,  and  I  often  thought  I 
should  never  care  for  a  better  companion  or 
truer  friend.  My  mother  was  very  particular 
about  the  Vv^ay  in  which  we  kept  the  Sabbath, 
and  trained  us  from  earliest  infancy  to  keep 
it  holy.  I  would  read  no  book  on  that  day 
but  the  Bible  and  the  Shorter  Catechism, 
and  many  a  happy  Sabbath  afternoon  did  I 
spend  with  no  companion  but  these  books 
and  my  faithful  dog,  having  wandered  far 
away  from  the  cottage  and  sat  down  beside 
a  little  rivulet  or  mountain  spring.  Here  I 
read  for  hours  in  the  Gospels,  or  the  Book  of 
Revelation,  or  Genesis,  and  committed  many 
portions  to  memory.  I  had  special  pleasure 
in  learning  the  14th,  15th,  16th,  and  17th 
chapters  of  John,  and  the  chapters  concern- 
ing our  Lord's  sufferings  and  death,  over 
which    I   often    shed    tears,   when    my   poor 


MV  MOTHER'S   TEACHING, 


23 


dog,  lying  at  a  little  distance,  would  see  that 
something  was  amiss,  and  instantly  come, 
with  lhe  greatest  concern  in  his  looks,  licking 
my  hand,  and  doing  all  in  his  power  to  com- 
fort me. 

Dull  and  monotonous  as  my  life  may  seem 
at  that  period,  yet  I  cannot  look  back  upon  it 
without  much  thankfulness  and  gratitude  to 
God.  I  had  the  greatest  love  and  reverence 
for  my  mother ;  whatever  she  said,  I  most 
firmly  believed  was  right,  and  whatever  she 
intimated  I  ought  to  do,  I  was  only  too  glad 
to  do  it.  Nothing  could  give  me  greater 
pain  than  to  think  she  was  displeased  with 
me ;  nor  can  I  recall  to  this  day  one  single 
act  of  disobedience  to  her,  thank  God ! 
Amid  all  her  severe  trials  I  never  saw  her 
much  cast  down,  or  if  for  a  few  moments  she 
gave  way  to  grief,  she  was  most  anxious  that 
her  children  should  never  see  or  know  it. 
Habitually  cheerful  herself,  she  had  a  happy 
facility  of  lifting  sorrow  from  the  hearts 
of  others,   and    none   could   be   long  in   her 


24  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

company  without  feeling  their  burden  lighter, 
and  their  hearts  comforted.  She  would  say, 
"  Bear  a  little  longer,  this  trial  will  not  be 
lost,  you  will  yet  see  that  it  was  wisely  sent. 
Trust  in  God ;  wait  patiently  for  the  Lord." 
She  had  taught  me  to  read  and  reverence  the 
Word  of  God ;  she  had  largely  stored  my 
mind  with  passages  from  it,  and  with  many 
psalms  and  hymns;  she  had  taught  me  to 
pray ;  and,  of  all  her  lessons,  these  seemed  to 
be  the  uppermost :  "  Fear  God,  and  keep  His 
commandments ;  "  "  The  blood  of  Jesus  Christ 
cleanseth  us  from  all  sin."  And  among  her 
last  words  to  me  were  these,  —  words  that 
can  never  be  effaced  from  my  memory  —  that 
sounded  in  my  ears  as  I  stood  on  the  margin 
of  her  grave  with  my  heart  like  to  burst  before 
the  cold  earth  covered  up  her  coffin,  and  I 
almost  prayed  to  God  to  let  me  down  beside 
her,  —  words  that  have  often  set  me  right 
when  inclined  to  leave  the  path  of  duty  — 
that  I  have  found  verified  in  my  daily  and 
hourly   experience,  —  words   that   should    be 


MY  MOTHER'S  DEATH.  25 

written  in  letters  of  gold,  and  engraved  with 
the  point  of  a  diamond  on  the  heart  of  every 
young  man :  "  Never  forsake  God,  and  He 

WILL   NEVER   FORSAKE   YOU." 

Such  was  the  dear  mother  whom  I  was 
very  soon  to  lose,  the  heaviest  loss  I  have 
ever  sustained,  the  greatest  trial  I  have  ever 
known  :  her  price  to  me  was  above  rubies. 
On  the  8th  of  October,  1843,  after  being  in 
delicate  health  for  a  short  time  before,  she 
was  attacked  by  severe  shivering,  followed  by 
fever  and  prostration.  From  the  first  day 
she  said  she  was  sure  she  should  not  recover, 
and  after  enduring  much  suffering,  she  died 
on  the  16th  of  the  same  month,  of  that  most 
trying,  most  unmanageable  disease,  pyaemia. 
I  was  not  yet  fourteen  years  old,  but  such  a 
loss  almost  paralyzed  me.  I  felt  I  had  lost 
all  I  cared  for,  or  cared  to  live  for.  Three 
days  afterwards  I  followed  her  to  the  grave, 
and,  with  feelings  that  can  never  be  described, 
saw  her  body  laid  in  its  last  resting-place.  I 
felt  that  now  I  was  alone  in  the  world,  that 


26  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

for  the  future  I  must  think  and  act  for  my- 
self; an  indescribable  feeling  of  loneliness 
and  isolation  came  over  me,  and  I  was  ready- 
to  sink  under  its  weight.  I  stayed  about  the 
grave  till  every  one  was  gone,  and  in  the 
evening  walked  home  alone,  a  distance  of 
about  four  miles,  full  of  sorrow  and  sad 
thoughts.  I  went  to  bed,  and  spent  the  first 
part  of  the  night  in  prayer,  and  I  felt  myself 
more  in  the  presence  of  God  and  nearer 
to  Him  than  I  had  ever  done  before.  I  felt 
He  heard  every  word  I  uttered,  and  soon  had 
the  strong  assurance  that  now,  since  my 
father  and  mother  were  dead,  the  Lord  would 
take  me  up;  and  after  some  time  I  felt  my 
sorrow  lighter,  and  thinking  of  God's  prom- 
ises, and  trying  to  make  them  my  own,  I  fell 
asleep. 

Although  I  still  felt  the  loss  of  my  mother 
very  deeply,  yet  I  found  great  comfort  in  the 
Word  of  God,  and  never  after  did  I  experi- 
ence the  same  sense  of  desolation  as  on  the 
night  of  her  funeral.     I  had  the  fullest  confi- 


FIRST  START  IN  LIFE.  27 

dence  that  God  would  take  care  of  me ;  and 
since  then  this  confidence  has  scarcely  ever 
left  me  for  a  moment,  although  I  have  often 
grieved  His  Holy  Spirit,  and  proved  myself 
unworthy  of  His  watchful  care  and  love. 

My  step-father  was  very  kind  to  me ;  he 
seemed  to  feel  his  loss  as  much  as  I  did.  I 
remember  he  constantly  read  "  The  Afflicted 
Man's  Companion,"  which  a  neighbor  had 
lent  him.  Soon  after,  it  was  considered  best 
for  me  to  hire  myself  to  some  farmer,  as  I 
was  not  required  at  home,  and  I  should  thus 
have  my  food,  and  perhaps  earn  some  wages. 

My  step-father  went  with  me  to  a  feeing- 
market  seven  miles  distant,  where  I  was  en- 
gaged by  a  small  farmer  for  six  months,  at  a 
wage  of  twenty-five  shillings,  or  rather  less 
than  a  shilling  a  week.  At  this  place  I  had 
fifteen  head  of  cattle  to  feed  and  keep,  besides 
other  work ;  and,  in  fact,  I  had  so  much  to 
do,  that,  at  the  end  of  six  months,  I  was  so 
thin  and  changed  in  my  appearance,  that  my 
old  friends  scarcely  knew  me.    It  was  a  hard- 


28  A  UTOBIOGRA  PHY. 

earned  twenty-five  shillings,  but  it  was  the 
first  I  had  ever  won.  I  had  never  been  so 
rich  before,  for  the  largest  sum  I  ever  had 
was  fourteenpence,  and  this  was  all  I  pos- 
sessed when  I  first  left  home,  with  one  suit 
of  half-worn  clothes. 

I  had  resolved  to  have  another  master  long 
before  the  six  months  were  ended,  and  before 
my  first  term  expired  I  was  engaged  to  an- 
other farmer  for  thirty-five  shillings  for  half  a 
year.  Here  I  was,  on  the  whole,  tolerably 
happy,  and  remained  till  I  was  sixteen  years 
old,  when,  happening  one  day  to  be  in  a 
feeing-market,  a  well-dressed,  gentlemanly- 
looking  man  accosted  me,  and  asked  me 
what  work  I  could  do.  I  told  him  "  any 
thing."  He  then  asked  if  I  could  groom 
horses,  as  he  had  two,  and  wanted  a  smart 
lad  to  look  after  them.  He  could  not  afford 
to  give  much  wages,  but  a  young  man  who 
was  wishful  to  improve  himself  would  have 
ample  time  and  opportunities  for  doing  so. 
This  was  the  country  surgeon.      He  offered 


FIRST  START  IN  LIFE. 


29 


me  one  pound  for  six  months,  which  I  was 
pleased  to  fake,  for  I  was  tired  of  farming, 
and  never  liked  the  company  I  was  obliged  to 
keep,  and  I  had  no  time  for  reading  or  learn- 
ing to  write,  which  I  was  most  anxious  to 
do. 

I  soon  became  attached  to  my  new  master, 
and  also  liked  my  work  much  better.  The 
surgeon  spoke  to  the  parish  schoolmaster, 
who  gave  me  some  lessons  in  writing  and 
arithmetic,  and  as  I  had  good  and  useful 
books  to  read,  I  soon  began  to  find  out  that 
the  world  in  which  I  lived  was  very  different 
from  what  I  had  imagined  it  to  be.  In  a  few 
months  I  had  learnt  to  write  and  spell  a  little, 
and  do  simple  sums  ;  but  still  I  did  not  per- 
severe as  I  afterwards  thought  I  might  have 
done.  My  kind  master  gave  me  two  pounds 
the  next  six  months  (I  remained  with  him 
eighteen  altogether),  but  the  last  twelve  were, 
I  regret  to  say,  the  worst  spent  of  my  life,  for 
I  began  to  give  way  to  habits  of  idleness  and 
its  usual   accompaniments.     My  daily  work 


30  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

did  not  take  up  more  than  one-third  of  my 
time,  and  I  became  the  companion  of  those 
of  whom  I  ought  to  have  been  ashamed. 
For  a  time  I  omitted  my  religious  duties, 
and  often  tried  to  stifle  the  voice  of  con- 
science, but  this  I  found  was  no  easy  matter 
when  I  was  alone.  I  could  do  so  when  in 
company,  but,  like  many  who  are  further 
gone  in  sin  than  I  then  was,  I  was  afraid  of 
myself,  —  afraid  to  trust  myself  alone.  And 
one  who  knows  any  thing  of  the  history  of 
youth,  with  the  many  temptations  peculiar  to 
that  dangerous  period,  would  have  trembled 
for  me. 

I  was  led  on  Sunday  evenings  to  attend 
the  ministry  of  one  of  the  most  faithful 
preachers  I  ever  heard,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nicoll, 
the  Congregational  minister  in  the  village. 
He  was  verily  a  light  shining  in  a  dark  place, 
in  a  dingy,  moral  atmosphere.  This  good 
man,  whom  I  still  respect  and'  love,  had  gath- 
ered a  few  people  round  him,  and  preached 
Christ    to   them  in   all   faithfulness   and    ful- 


REV.   MR.   NICOLL. 


31 


ness.  Some  of  his  sermons  I  shall  never  for- 
get ;  more  than  once  he  made  me  tremble, 
and  I  do  not  think  I  ever  heard  him  preach 
without  forming  new  resolutions  to  live  a 
holier  life.  Every  sermon  I  heard  brought 
me  to  my  knees  before  I  went  to  sleep  ;  but, 
in  the  great  majority  of  instances,  the  light  of 
Monday  morning  broke  up  my  resolves,  and 
as  the  morning  cloud  and  early  dew  they 
passed  away.  Yet  I  look  upon  the  preaching 
of  Mr.  NicoU  as  the  means,  under  God,  of 
keeping  me  from  going  the  lengths  in  sin  I 
might  have  done,  and  preventing  my  con- 
science from  becoming  wholly  dead ;  and 
I  shall  ever  be  thankful  for  such  a  good  and 
faithful  minister. 

At  the  end  of  eighteen  months  I  began  to 
think  I  should  like  to  see  a  little  more  of  the 
world,  never  dreaming  that  it  was  dangerous. 
I  believed  that  my  master,  whom  I  had  served 
faithfully,  would  do  all  for  me  that  he  could, 
and  I  resolved  to  write  to  him,  —  the  first  let- 
ter I  ever  wrote,  —  explaining  my  views,  and 


32  A  UTOBIOGRAPHK 

asking  him  to  assist  me.  I  found  great 
difficulty  in  the  wording  of  my  letter,  and 
although  I  only  filled  two  pages  of  a  small 
sheet  of  paper,  I  required  nearly  a  whole 
afternoon  to  write  it.  I  learnt,  some  time 
after,  that  it  pleased  him  greatly,  and  that 
there  were  very  few  mistakes,  the  most  glar- 
ing being  that  I  entirely  omitted  to  sign  my 
name  !  Not  long  after  this  an  advertisement 
appeared  in  a  country  newspaper  for  "  a 
young  man  with  some  experience,  as  servant 
under  a  butler;  the  most  satisfactory  refer- 
ences required  as  to  his  moral  and  religious 
character."  My  kind  master  at  once  an- 
swered this,  recommending  me  highly ;  and  I 
was  requested  to  call,  which  I  did  in  a  few 
days,  at  a  house  thirty  miles  distant,  and  was 
at  once  engaged. 

I  shall  ever  have  a  grateful  recollection  of 

Mr.  P ,  because  he  was  the  first  man  to 

encourage  me,  and  give  me  an  opportunity 
of  planting  my  foot  on  the  ladder  of  advance- 
ment; and   I  cannot  look  back  on  his  history, 


FIRST  FRIENDS.  33 

his  rare  talents,  his  profound  professional 
knowledge,  and  his  kind,  warm  heart,  with- 
out feelings  of  admiration  and  gratitude.  He 
died  exactly  six  months  after  I  left  him.  He 
was  a  fine  specimen  of  a  surgeon,  as  far  as 
personal  appearance,  firmness,  and  kindness 
of  disposition  were  concerned ;  and  often 
have  I  wondered  how  it  was  that  a  man  of 
such  ability  should  remain  in  such  a  district, 
doing  the  work  he  did,  and  getting  so  little 
for  it.  But  I  now  believe  that  his  is  no  un- 
common case.  I  believe  there  are  many 
excellent  surgeons  in  our  country  districts, 
both  in  England  and  Scotland,  surgeons  who 
might  fill  efficiently  a  professor's  chair  in  any 
of  our  universities ;  and  the  reason  why  such 
men  continue  obscure  is,  that  settling  down 
in  a  quiet  neighborhood,  after  some  time  they 
become  so  absorbed  in  their  practice,  and 
every  hour  is  so  much  occupied,  that  they 
have  neither  time  nor  inclination  to  give 
much  attention  to  the  higher  branches  of  the 
scientific  parts  of  their  profession.  And  if  a 
3 


34  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

busy  country  practitioner  is  not  very  careful, 
he  is  apt  to  become  rusty  in  the  science  of 
his  profession,  and  fall  into  routine  practice. 

My  position  and  circumstances  I  described 
in  a  preceding  paragraph,  when  I  entered  my 
new  situation  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  It  is 
true  I  had  been  acting  for  myself,  and  had 
not  known  a  home  for  four  years ;  but  then  I 
had  always  been  among  country  people,  in  a 
quiet  country  place,  where  my  conduct  was 
watched  and  influenced  by  my  neighbors.  I 
had  had  the  trial  of  this  position,  and  I  had 
broken  down  under  it;  I  had  ceased  to  be 
guided  by  the  oracles  of  God,  and  I  longed 
for  greater  liberty  and  gayer  scenes,  where  I 
might  have  more  enjoyment.  I  was  in  much 
danger,  and  I  look  upon  that  period  as  the 
turning-point  in  my  career,  the  time  when  my 
character  was  to  be  formed  for  good  or  evil,  — 
for  I  could  never  be  neutral,  —  and  when  I 
was  to  choose  what  master  I  would  serve  for 
time  and  for  eternity. 

It  pleased  God  to  direct  me  to  one  of  the 


MV  NEW  MASTER. 


35 


best  houses,  and  to  give  me  for  my  com- 
panion one  of  the  best  men  I  have  ever 
known.  My  new  master,  Mr.  Grant  Duff,  had 
a  great  regard  for  religion,  and  was  careful  to 
observe  all  its  ordinances,  and  to  recommend 
and  inculcate  all  its  precepts.  The  whole 
household  was  conducted  with  the  greatest 
order  and  regularity,  and  was  very  different 
to  what  I  had  ever  seen  or  thought  of;  and, 
above  all,  for  to  me  it  was  a  special  blessing, 
the  butler,  who  had  conducted  the  establish- 
ment some  twelve  years,  and  into  whose 
hands  his  master  had  given  every  thing,  was  a 
sincere,  single-minded,  and  most  intelligent 
Christian.  He  had  an  education  far  beyond 
what  is  usually  found  in  his  sphere,  having 
been  educated  for  the  Excise;  but  the  gentle- 
man who  was  to  befriend  him  having  died,  he 
failed  to  obtain  a  situation  in  that  depart- 
ment. 

He  was  a  thorough  English  scholar,  an  ex- 
cellent arithmetician,  could  speak  and  read 
German  well,  and  knew  Latin  and  French. 


36  A  UTOBIOGRAPHY. 

I  have  often  wondered  and  regretted  that  a 
man  of  so  much  intelligence  should  remain  in 
such  an  obscure  situation.  He  was  a  hum- 
ble Christian,  and  a  high-minded  man.  He 
would  put  himself  to  any  inconvenience  to 
do  an  act  of  kindness  for  the  poorest  and 
most  unworthy.  For  young  men  especially 
he  had  the  utmost  anxiety,  and  would  bring 
religious  matters  before  them  with  such  deli- 
cacy and  kindness  that  he  seldom  failed  to 
enlist  the  heart  of  the  hearer ;  and  among  all 
the  devoted  and  excellent  men  I  have  known, 
I  never  saw  a  finer  or  purer  example  of  the 
follower  of  Christ. 

Like  his  divine  Master,  he  went  about 
doing  good,  and  the  more  I  knew  of  his  inner 
life  and  the  workings  of  his  mind,  the  more  I 
respected  and  loved  hiin.  I  have  described 
his  life  and  character ;  would  that  I  could  do 
him  justice,  for  I  owe  him  a  debt  of  the  very 
deepest  gratitude.  Under  God  he  became  my 
spiritual  father  in  Christ  Jesus  ;  and  another 
reason  for  alluding  to  him  so  fully  is,  that 


RESOLUTIONS. 


37 


others  may  follow  his  example,  and  serve  God 
faithfully,  whatever  their  position  may  be. 
Let  no  one  be  discouraged  because  it  is  hum- 
ble, but  strive  to  serve  God,  and  live  to  His 
glory. 

After  the  habits  I  had  formed,  I  felt  the 
restraint  of  this  quiet  household  very  much. 
I  had  left  all  my  rough  companions  behind 
me,  and  I  now  felt  myself  in  a  new  and  higher 
atmosphere ;  and  although  the  change  was 
sudden  and  decided,  and  not  at  all  what  I 
expected,  yet,  on  the  whole,  I  was  exceedingly 
pleased.  I  had  often  formed  resolutions  to 
live  a  better  life,  and  here  I  thought  was  the 
very  place  to  begin  to  gain  God's  favor  and 
work  out  my  own  righteousness,  prepare  my- 
self for  heaven,  and  make  myself  meet  for  the 
inheritance  of  the  saints.  I  knew  the  letter 
of  my  Bible  ;  but  as  little  of  its  spirit  as  of 
my  own  heart.  I  knew  that  God  was  good 
and  kind ;  but  I  did  not  know  Him  savingly 
as  God  in  Christ  reconciling  the  sinner  unto 
Himself.     I  had  looked  on  Jesus  as  a  general 


38  A  UTOBIOGRAPHY, 

Saviour,  but  I  had  never  been  able  to  say, 
"  He  loved  me  and  gave  Himself  for  me." 

I  was  at  once  struck  with  the  happy  and 
consistent  life  of  James  England ;  I  watched 
him  narrowly,  but  all  was  pure  and  genuine. 
His  holy  life  spoke  volumes  to  me,  and  made 
me  feel  that  there  was  a  reality  in  religion 
that  I  had  never  known  and  never  attained. 
He  soon  found  out  the  state  of  my  mind,  and 
the  extent  of  my  knowledge,  and  that  I  re- 
quired instruction  in  every  thing.  I  could 
read  very  well  in  my  own  way,  but  my  pro- 
nunciation was  not  suited  to  the  ear  of  the 
English  scholar ;  this  all  required  to  be 
revised  and  corrected,  and  I  found  it  more 
difficult  to  unlearn  than  I  anticipated ;  but  I 
bought  a  copy  of  Walker's  Pronouncing  Dic- 
tionary, and  began  to  study  it  carefully  every 
spare  moment.  I  soon  commenced  arithme- 
tic, and  with  my  friend's  help  persevered  in  it, 
so  that  before  long  I  could  do  any  sum  put 
before  me  with  the  greatest  readiness. 

I  had  not  been  long  acquainted  with  James 


CONSCIENCE  AWAKENED. 


39 


England  before  I  began  to  reflect  seriously, 
and  review  in  some  measure  my  past  life.  A 
very  cursory  review  showed  me  that  I  had 
done  the  things  I  ought  not  to  have  done, 
and  I  became  seriously  uneasy.  However,  I 
reflected  that  I  was  not  so  much  exposed  to 
temptation  as  formerly;  and,  with  such  an 
example  before  me,  I  felt  pretty  confident  that 
I  should  succeed  better  than  I  had  yet  done 
in  reforming  myself.  I  had  very  strong  faith 
in  the  power  of  the  will  ;  and  I  thought  if  it 
were  well  watched  and  well  directed  I  should 
go  a  long  way  to  become  acceptable  before 
God.  I  determined  to  read  and  study  the 
Scriptures  carefully,  to  have  stated  times  for 
prayer,  to  be  diligent  in  my  attendance  on 
public  worship,  to  be  faithful  and  exemplary 
in  my  duties,  and  carefully  to  take  accouni 
of  every  word  and  action.  I  had  a  strange 
and  deep  impression  that  God's  eye  was  evei 
on  me,  and  that  eternal  interests  hung  sus- 
pended on  the  present  issue,  and  I  was  fuU^ 
alive  to  the  vast  importance  of  making  m} 
calling  and  election  sure. 


40 


A  UTOBIOGRAPHY. 


I  was  thoroughly  in  earnest,  and  my  aims 
were  pure  and  good,  but  the  means  which 
I  was  employing  were  inadequate.  I  had 
entirely  mistaken  the  path  which  was  to  lead 
me  to  the  goal,  and  the  by-way  I  had  chosen 
would  never  have  conducted  me  to  it.  I 
entirely  forgot  who  was  the  way,  that  by 
faith  alone  a  man  can  be  justified ;  that  all 
the  work  has  been  already  done,  and  that  for 
His  sake  who  did  the  work,  the  Lord  is  well 
pleased,  and  is  ready  to  justify  sinners.  For 
fifteen  long  and  weary  months  I  struggled  to 
scale  the  sacred  heights  of  perfection,  and, 
discouraged  and  disappointed,  I  was  inclined 
to  give  up  in  despair.  The  more  I  pressed 
onwards  and  upwards,  the  broader  grew  the 
commandment;  and  with  every  new  effort 
the  law  of  God  seemed  to  rise  in  its  demands. 
At  last,  finding  all  my  efforts  vain,  in  working 
out  my  own  salvation  and  obtaining  peace  and 
happiness,  I  determined  to  speak  freely  to  my 
friend  James  England.  He  appeared  de- 
lighted to  find  me  inquiring  after  such  mat- 


Mv  sist£:j^'s  death,  41 

ters,  and  told  me  much  I  had  not  considered 
before ;    he   advised   me  also   to   call   on   the 

Rev.   Mr.  G ,  the    minister   of  the    Free 

Church  of  Banff  (where  he  was  a  deacon), 
and  open  my  mind  fully  to  him.  This  I  did, 
and  from  his  conversation,  and  that  of  Mr. 
England,  I  found  out  how  mistaken  I  was 
in  endeavoring  to  accomplish  what  was  im- 
possible. 

Very  soon  after  this  I  received  a  letter, 
written  in  great  haste,  telling  me  that  my 
second  sister  was  dangerously  ill  in  scarlet- 
fever.  This  was  a  great  shock  to  me,  as  four 
days  previously  I  had  seen  her  in  church. 
Two  days  after,  I  heard  that  she  was  dead. 
My  state  of  mind  was  indescribable.  The 
news  came  on  Saturday  ;  I  spent  much  of 
the  night  in  prayer,  and  soon  began  to  see 
that  full  acceptance  with  God,  and  perfect 
peace  of  mind,  could  only  be  found  through 
the  merits  of  another.  I  began  to  see  my 
Saviour  under  a  new  aspect,  under  a  more 
personal  relationship.     I  spent  much  of  the 


42  AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 

Sabbath  in  meditation  and  prayer,  and  that 
Sabbath  evening,  at  eight  o'clock,  22d  of 
March,  1849,  I  felt  the  burden  of  sin  fall  off 
my  soul.  I  felt  I  was  washed  in  the  blood 
of  Christ,  and  that  I  became  a  "  new  creat- 
ure in   Christ  Jesus." 

Some  people,  some  Christians  even,  may 
have  objections  to  thus  fixing  the  day  and 
hour  of  conversion  ;  some  may  even  condemn 
it.  Why  so?  Why  should  not  a  man  feel 
and  know  the  moment  of  this  great  change? 
No  doubt  there  are  very  many  Christians  who 
can  tell  neither  the  day  nor  the  hour,  nor  even 
the  year  of  their  second  birthday  —  but  there 
are  also  many  who  can;  and  in  my  case  I 
believe  it  was  less  strange,  as  I  had  been 
carefully  watching  my  actions,  my  words, 
and  even  my  thoughts,  for  months  previously. 
I  was  fully  convinced  at  the  moment  that  the 
great  act  was  accomplished,  and  all  my  ex- 
perience since  has  tended  to  prove  that  it  was 
so.  I  saw  God  as  a  reconciled  Father  in 
Christ.     I  felt  a  new  power  and  principle  in 


CONVERSION.  43 

my  heart.  I  felt  a  joy,  a  peace,  a  confidence 
which  I  had  never  experienced  before.  Re- 
ligion now  assumed  a  new  aspect,  and  I  felt 
that  new  motives  and  aims  were  to  regulate 
my  conduct  henceforward.  Before  this  time 
my  chief  desire  was  to  secure  my  own  safety 
and  happiness  for  eternity ;  but  now  I  felt  it 
must  be  to  glorify  God,  to  live  to  Him  who 
died  for  me,  to  serve  Him  who  suffered  for 
me,  and  to  count  all  things  but  loss  for  His 
sake.  Every  thing  was  now  reversed.  It  w^as 
no  longer  "  Do  and  live,"  but  "  Believe  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved." 
Faith  was  no  longer  to  follow  works,  but 
works  were  to  be  the  fruit  of  faith,  and  I  felt 
that  now  faith  was  to  work  by  love.  Love  to 
Christ  was  to  be  the  ruling  principle  in  my 
heart.  Having  passed  from  darkness  to  light, 
I  was  now  to  walk  as  a  child  of  light.  Hav- 
ing been  raised  to  a  new  dignity  as  an  "  heir 
of  God,"  I  must  walk  worthy  of  my  glorious 
privileges.  The  Holy  Scriptures  were  to  be 
my  standard,  from  which  there  was  no  ap- 


44  ^  UTOBIOGRAPHY. 

peal,  and  having  enlisted  under  a  new  Leader, 
who  had  laid  down  His  life  for  me,  I  must 
surely  endure  hardness  as  a  good  soldier  in 
my  Captain's  army,  and,  if  called  upon  to  do 
so,  most  cheerfully  lay  down  my  life  for  His 
sake. 

The  first  difficulty  that  I  had,  after  light 
dawned  upon  me,  was  one  that  is  not  un- 
common. I  could  not  always  see  that  the 
words  of  Christ,  spoken  to  His  followers,  ex- 
tended to  me,  or  make  these  promises  my 
own.  "  If  ye  shall  ask  any  thing  in  My  name, 
I  will  do  it."  "  My  peace  I  give  unto  youP 
"  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  youP  It  requires 
a  large  portion  of  the  Spirit  of  God  to  appro- 
priate to  ourselves  these  "  exceeding  great 
and  precious  promises."  Like  the  majority 
of  God's  works  in  nature,  sanctification  is 
progressive ;  the  path  widens  as  the  pilgrim 
advances,  the  light  increases  as  the  traveller 
proceeds.  I  had  many  interesting  conversa- 
tions with  my  pastor  and  my  friend  at  this 
period,  all  tending  to  enlighten   me   in   the 


CONSECRATION.  45 

knowledge  of  Christ,  and  build  up  my  faith 
in  Him  ;  and  on  the  last  Sabbath  of  April 
of  the  same  year  I  took  my  seat  at  his  own 
table  to  commemorate  His  dying  love.  I  did 
this  with  much  anxiety  and  self-examination, 
for  I  felt  it  was  no  light  matter  to  declare 
myself  openly  a  follower  of  Christ.  I  felt 
His  eye  upon  me  —  I  fancied  I  heard  Him 
whisper,  "  Lovest  thou  Me  ?  "  That  day  His 
presence  was  with  me  in  a  remarkable  man- 
ner. I  felt  a  peace  passing  all  understanding, 
a  joy  that  was  unspeakable  ;  I  sat  under  His 
shadow  with  great  delight;  I  was  sure  He 
would  never  leave  me,  never  forsake  me ; 
that  He  was  my  Shepherd  and  I  should  not 
want;  He  was  my  Guide,  and  would  be  so 
even  unto  death. 

A  few  months  afterwards,  I  began  to  think 
seriously  what  I  could  do  to  promote  the 
glory  of  God,  and  to  extend  my  own  in- 
fluence as  His  servant.  I  began  to  ask 
myself,  —  Is  it  possible  for  me,  at  this  com- 
paratively late  period  of  my  life,  with  every 


46  AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 

thing  to  learn,  with  neither  time  nor  means  — 
is  it  possible  for  me  to  obtain  an  education 
suitable  for  the  ministry?  I  never  thought 
of  any  thing  hdow  the  established  rules  and 
regulations  of  the  Free  Church.  After  some 
inquiry,  I  learnt  that  the  curriculum  of  study 
for  the  Church  was  four  years'  literary  study 
at  the  University,  to  be  followed  by  a  four 
years'  theological  course.  This  was  rather 
appalling  to  one  who  was  upwards  of  twenty 
years  of  age,  who  had  never  been  at  school, 
who  had  never  learnt  to  study,  and  who  had, 
moreover,  not  five  pounds  in  the  world ! 

Still  I  was  not  disheartened ;  I  adopted 
the  motto,  "  Where  there  is  a  will  there  is  a 
way."  Difficulties  as  great  had  been  over- 
come by  others,  and  why  not  by  me  ?  And 
it  was  about  this  time  that  I  began  to  think 
of  a  principle  which  it  is  very  hard  for  most 
men  to  adopt  —  namely,  that  there  is  nothing 
that  has  ever  been  accomplished  by  man  in 
past  times  or  ages  which  I,  as  an  individual, 
may   not   accomplish    or    perform,    provided 


DIFFICULTIES.  47 

other  things  are  equal,  that  is,  if  I  were  placed 
in  the  very  same  circumstances  as  the  indi- 
vidual who  succeeded  in  his  task. 

I  was  essentially  ignorant  both  of  ways  and 
means  to  accomplish  my  desires.  I  spoke  to 
two  or  three  clergymen  regarding  my  inten- 
tions, but  all  seemed  very  careful  not  to  give 
me  any  encouragement ;  all  hinted  that  what 
I  aimed  at  was  all  but  impossible.  One  was 
ready  to  bring  under  my  notice  this  difficulty, 
another  that ;  and  there  was  one  who  told  me 
of  several  excellent  young  men  who  gave  up 
their  occupations  in  order  to  study,  but  it 
would  not  do,  and  they  were  obliged  to  re- 
turn to  their  old  work  and  position,  having 
lost  health,  time,  and  money,  and,  worse  than 
all,  were  so  disheartened  that  they  could  never 
hold  up  their  heads  again.  Rarely  did  such 
experiments  succeed,  and  I  was  advised  to 
remain  where  I  was.  In  no  case  could  I 
get  the  information  I  desired,  namely,  what 
amount  of  Latin,  Greek,  mathematics,  &c., 
&c.,  is  required  before  entering  the  Univer- 


48  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

sity  ?  what  examinations  must  be  undergone  ? 
and  what  was  the  best  way  to  prepare  for 
them  ?  As  to  the  probable  expense  of  a 
University  education,  no  one  seemed  able  to 
enlighten  me.  One  young  clergyman  gave 
me  one  or  two  instances  he  had  known  of 
young  men  who,  by  dogged  perseverance, 
coupled  with  an  iron  constitution,  had  suc- 
ceeded in  gaining  educations;  but  they  had 
to  subject  themselves  to  the  most  trying  pri- 
vations, such  as  living  upon  three  penny  rolls 
a  day,  lodging  in  a  garret  at  eighteenpence  a 
week,  and  working  twenty  hours  out  of  the 
twenty-four. 

Such  pictures  might  have  cooled  the  ardor 
of  some  aspirants,  but  they  had  not  the 
weight  of  a  feather  with  me :  I  had  evidence 
that  such  a  thing  was  possible  ;  it  had  been 
done  by  others,  and  therefore  it  must  be  done 
by  me. 

I  commenced  learning  English  grammar 
and  the  rudiments  of  Latin  at  the  same  time. 
I  had  very  little  leisure,  and  found  the  new 


FIRST  EFFORTS. 


49 


work  slow  at  first,  my  mind  being  unsteady 
and  stubborn  for  want  of  training.  I  learned 
all  the  Latin  rudiments  when  I  went  out 
with  the  carriage,  and  in  the  performance  of 
my  daily  work  I  often  had  the  book  before 
me.  During  the  first  year  or  two  my  friend 
directed  my  studies ;  but  at  last  I  got  beyond 
him  in  Latin,  and  arranged  with  the  parish 
schoolmaster  to  give  me  a  lesson  for  half  an 
hour  two  or  three  times  a  week.  He  was 
very  willing  to  assist  me,  but  I  had  to  walk 
three  miles  to  his  house,  and  my  duties  never 
permitted  me  to  remain  more  than  the  brief 
time  I  have  mentioned ;  nevertheless,  he  as- 
sured me  that  I  was  making  tolerable  prog- 
ress, and  he,  though  a  young  man,  was  the 
first  to  encourage  me  by  saying  that  if  I  per- 
severed he  had  no  doubt  I  should  succeed.  I 
became  at  this  time  greatly  interested  in  the 
formation  of  a  Sunday-school  in  the  parish 
where  I  lived.  There  was  none  within  four 
miles  of  the  church,  and  large  numbers  of 
young  people  were  growing  up  without  relig- 


so 


A  UTOBIOGRAPHY. 


ious  instruction,  except  the  little  they  might 
learn  at  home.  I  ae^ked  a  farmer  to  allow  me 
the  use  of  his  kitchen  for  two  hours  on  Sun- 
day evening,  and  this  was  willingly  granted. 
I  called  upon  a  large  number  of  families,  and 
requested  them  to  send  their  children;  and 
the  first  evening  I  had  a  good  attendance.  I 
formed  them  into  a  large  class,  putting  the 
younger  on  my  right,  and  the  elder  on  my 
left  hand;  and  a  most  orderly  and  attentive 
circle  I  had.  During  the  week  curiosity  was 
excited  about  this  new  movement,  and  the 
following  Sunday  I  had  not  only  my  former 
scholars,  but  their  parents;  and  I  took  the 
opportunity  of  addressing  all  on  the  value 
and  privilege  of  Sabbath-school  instruction, 
and  urged  upon  them  the  claims  of  personal 
religion.  Every  one  seemed  pleased,  and 
many  assured  me  I  had  begun  a  good  work. 
From  that  day  my  school  prospered,  and  was 
attended  by  large  numbers  of  young  and  old  ; 
and  soon  after  I  left  the  district,  that  same 
place  became  a  preaching  station  of  the  Free 


FIRST  EFFORTS. 


51 


Church,   and   continues    so    to    the   present 
time. 

I  remained  in  this  situation  five  years. 
Early  in  the  beginning  of  the  fifth  I  made  up 
my  mind  to  leave,  in  order  to  devote  my  time 
to  study.  I  told  my  friend  James  England 
of  my  intention,  and,  strange  to  say,  he  most 
strongly  dissuaded  me  from  this  idea.  My 
master  also  found  out  my  purpose,  and 
declared  I  must  be  crazy  to  think  of  such  a 
thing;  and  when  the  time  drew  near  for  me 
to  leave,  he  was  so  fully  convinced  that  I 
should  change  my  mind  that  he  never  tried 
to  supply  my  place.  He  offered  me  many 
inducements  to  remain,  but  I  was  resolute, 
though,  to  please  him,  I  sta3^ed  a  week 
longer  than  I  intended.  I  left  with  much 
regret  the  home  where  I  had  been  so  happy 
for  five  years  ;  it  could  scarcely  be  otherwise, 
for  it  was  the  only  home  I  knew  on  the  earth. 
I  had  come  to  it  very  inexperienced,  ignorant, 
and  poor ;  I  had  now  acquired  much  valuable 
knowledge ;  I  also  felt  that  I  was  now  a  little 


52 


A  UTOBIOGRAPHY. 


independent,  having  more  money  in  my  pocket 
than  I  required ;  for  though  I  had  saved  but 
little  after  purchasing  many  books,  still,  with 
my  economical  habits,  I  felt  I  had  now 
formed  a  nucleus  that  would  never  entirely 
disappear,  and  subsequent  events  proved  that 
I  by  no  means  made  a  wrong  calculation. 
But,  above  all,  I  had  come  here  at  a  critical 
period  of  my  life,  when,  as  I  have  shown,  I 
was  in  great  danger,  and  here  I  had  found 
peace  and  rest  through  Christ  Jesus.  When 
I  was  leaving,  my  kind  master  told  me  always 
to  look  to  his  house  as  my  home,  and  when- 
ever I  had  any  leisure,  to  come  and  spend  it 
there. 

I  hired  lodgings  in  the  little  town  of  Mac- 
duff, determined  to  devote  all  my  energies  to 
the  study  of  Latin,  Greek,  and  mathematics. 
At  first,  I  thought  I  would  attend  the  Free 
Church  school ;  but  the  first  two  days  there 
entirely  changed  my  mind,  for  the  school- 
master, who  had  taken  some  prizes  or 
scholarships   at   the    Normal    School,   Edin- 


HARD    WORK. 


53 


burgh,  was  the  most  conceited  young  man  I 
have  ever  known.  He  and  I  could  never  get 
on  together,  and  I  toJd  him  so ;  he  pitied  me, 
and  shook  his  head,  and  tried  to  look  wise, 
and  said,  "  he  feared  I  had  taken  a  step  in  the 
wrong  direction,"  and  "  hoped  I  should  get 
on,"  and  bid  me  "  good-day."  I  went  at 
once  to  the  rector  of  the  Banff  Academy, 
who,  though  young,  was  an  accomplished 
scholar ;  he  seemed  most  willing  to  assist  me, 
and  although  he  could  not  teach  me  himself, 
he  recommended  me  to  one  of  his  assistants, 
an  M.A.  of  King's  College,  Aberdeen,  who 
agreed  to   help   me  in  my  studies   one  hour 

every  evening,  and  I  found  Mr.  P all  I 

could  desire,  both  as  a  teacher  and  a  friend. 
I  shut  myself  up  in  my  little  room  all  day, 
working   with    all   my    power,  went   to    Mr. 

P every  evening  to  have    my  exercises 

corrected,  returning  quickly,  and  studying  till 
long  past  midnight.  I  continued  this  from 
the  end  of  November  until  the  following 
April,  teaching  also  on   Sunday  in  the  Sab- 


54  ^  UTOBIOGRAPHY. 

bath-school.  I  lived  on  a  most  economical 
scale;  my  small  room  was  two  shillings  a 
week,  and  my  weekly  bill  for  food  seldom 
more  than  half-a-crown.  I  only  had  two 
meals  a  day,  but  notwithstanding  this  and 
the  close  confinement,  I  enjoyed  excellent 
health.  At  the  end  of  five  months  I  deter- 
mined to  go  to  Edinburgh,  though  I  had 
neither  friends  nor  acquaintances  there.  I 
thought  I  should  have  more  opportunities  for 
acquiring  knowledge,  and  I  was  also  anxious 
to  find  some  situation  where  I  should  have 
leisure  to  prosecute  my  studies,  and  at  the 
same  time  be  gaining  something.  In  this  it 
will  be  seen  that  God  guided  me  most  won- 
derfully, and  far  beyond  my  expectations. 

I  took  a  passage  in  one  of  the  steamers 
from  Banff  to  Edinburgh,  and  after  a  voyage 
of  twenty  hours  landed  at  Granton.  I  took 
the  next  train  to  the  city,  and  in  ten  minutes 
found  myself  standing  at  the  railway  station 
homeless  and  friendless,  an  utter  stranger, 
without  the  least  idea  where  to  go  for  lodg- 
ings. 


EDINBURGH. 


55 


Every  one  at  a  railway  station  seems  too 
much  occupied  with  his  own  affairs  to  have 
time  to  devote  to  others,  and  the  only  person 
I  could  venture  to  speak  to  was  a  porter,  who 
seemed  exceedingly  anxious  to  carry  off  my 
large  trunk  of  books.  I  asked  him  where  he 
meant  to  take  it,  because  if  he  knew,  he  was 
wiser  than  I.  He  at  once  assured  me  that 
there  were  plenty  of  places  in  Edinburgh 
capable  of  containing  me  and  all  that  I  had. 
He  must  have  seen  me  look  incredulous,  for 
he  immediately  seemed  puzzled,  and  fixed  his 
gaze  upon  me  as  if  there  was  something  not 
yet  explained,  nor  did  he  seem  much  relieved 
when  I  told  him  there  were  very  few  places 
in  the  large  city  that  would  suit  me,  that  I 
was  a  stranger,  and  feared  I  should  find  it 
difficult  to  obtain  suitable  lodgings.  Again 
he  looked  at  me  and  my  large  heavy  box,  and 
asked  whether  my  stay  would  be  long  or 
short,  and  whether  I  should  like  the  Old 
Town  or  the  New.  I  said  the  New,  and  that 
I  was  prosecuting  an  experiment  which  was 


56 


A  UTOBIOGRAPHY. 


of  very  great  importance  both  to  myself  and 
others,  and  if  matters  went  on  as  favorably 
as  they  had  hitherto  done,  I  should  most  cer- 
tainly be  successful.  In  the  mean  time,  I 
wanted  a  quiet  little  room  where  nothing 
might  molest  me,  and  as  my  experiment 
entailed  much  expense  and  hard  work,  I  must 
have  the  lodging  at  as  moderate  a  rate  as 
possible. 

He  seemed  at  once  to  comprehend  my 
meaning,  and,  after  a  little  reflection,  told  me 
he  thought  he  knew  a  place  that  would  just 
suit  me ;    and  accordingly   we    directed    our 

steps  to  F Street,  where  I  engaged  the 

rooms  he  recommended. 

I  had  brought  with  me  no  letters  of  intro- 
duction. I  was  never  offered  any,  nor  had  I 
asked  for  them  ;  they  are  of  little  or  no  use  to 
one  who  is  still  struggling  against  wind  and 
tide  for  a  position  in  the  social  scale.  Per- 
haps it  is  just  as  well  that  it  should  be  so  ;  it 
tends  to  keep  down  presumption,  and  throws 
the  young  man  more  on  his  own  resources, 


-     EDINBURGH.  57 

gives  him  more  confidence  in  his  own  inher- 
ent powers,  teaches  him  self-reliance,  without 
which  no  man  can  ever  rise  or  become  great ; 
for  how  can  others  have  confidence  in  a  man 
who  shows  that  he  has  none  in  himself? 
And  it  matters  very  little  what  opposition 
some  men  have  to  grapple  with  in  their  up- 
ward course  if  they  have  a  strong  will,  and  a 
cool  head,  and  a  steady  hand,  for  the  greater 
the  pressure  that  is  brought  to  bear  against 
them,  the  more  are  their  energies  stimulated, 
their  determination  to  rise  increased,  and  their 
confidence  of  success  doubled. 

It  almost  seems  that  the  first  position  of 
such  a  man  is  merely  accidental,  for  he  never 
feels  at  home  there,  even  when  he  knows  no 
other ;  but  like  water  which,  like  the  laws  of 
the  natural  world,  will  find  its  own  level 
wherever  it  is  placed,  so  will  such  a  man, 
by  the  laws  of  the  moral  world,  find  his  own 
level,  however  great  the  barriers  in  his  way. 

I  did  not  bring  a  letter  to  any  clergyman, 
preferring  to  go  from  church  to  church,  and 


58  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

attend  permanently  the  one  I  liked' best;  and 
after  many  weeks  I  decided  on  Free  St. 
John's,  where  I  greatly  enjoyed  the  ministry 
of  Dr.  Guthrie  and  Dr.  Hanna. 

Any  one  who  has  found  himself  for  the 
first  time  a  stranger  and  friendless  in  the 
heart  of  a  great  city,  will  remember  the  pe- 
culiar feeling  of  loneliness  and  isolation  that 
comes  over  him  as  he  walks  the  crowded 
streets.  Among  all  the  various  forms  that 
he  meets  or  passes,  there  is  not  one  he  has 
ever  seen  before.  Strange  thoughts  take 
possession  of  his  mind ;  he  feels  that  he  is 
as  nothing.  No  one  seems  to  see  or  care  for 
him,  he  may  go  where  or  when  he  pleases  ; 
no  one  will  miss  him  or  inquire  after  him. 

Two  years  before,  I  had  hurriedly  passed 
through  Edinburgh  with  Mr.  Grant  Duff,  and 
had  stayed  two  hoars  for  dinner  at  the  Cale- 
donian Hotel.  On  that  occasion  I  had  seen 
and  spoken  to  the  proprietor,  and  I  now  re- 
solved to  call  upon  him  and  inquire  if  he 
knew  of  any  situation  likely  to  suit  me,  in 


EDINBURGH. 


59 


which  I  should  have  leisure  to  prosecute  my 
studies.  He  was  very  kind,  and  promised  to 
help  me,  and  in  a  few  days  I  received  a  note 
requesting  me  to  call  on  a  well-known  Writer 
to  the  Signet,  whom  I  often  met  afterwards 
under  different  circumstances.  T  had  rather 
an  extraordinary  interview  with  him,  as  he 
asked  me  many  curious  questions  ;  among 
others,  Why  did  I  attend  the  Free  Church  ? 
and  what  objections  had  I  to  the  Established 
Church  ?  And  on  my  telling  him  that  they 
were  twofold,  —  namely,  surrendering  the 
power  of  the  keys  to  the  civil  magistrate, 
and  the  power  of  introducing  a  clergyman 
to  a  church  against  the  will  of  the  people, 
he  said  we  need  not  discuss  the  subject  more, 
and  we  parted.  Four  years  after,  when  1 
saw  him  again,  he  evidently  had  forgotten 
that  we  had  ever  met,  and  canvassed  such 
iitiportant  questions.  Two  other  very  good 
openings  I  declined,  as  I  could  not  secure 
sufficient  quiet ;  but  at  last  I  thought  I  had 
found  the  right  home  in  the  family  of  Dr. 


6o  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

B- .    However,  I  was  mistaken,  for  though 

he  was  very  kind,  I  could  command  no  time 
for  myself,  and  I  left  at  the  end  of  a  fort- 
night. This  physician's  son  afterwards  be- 
came physician  to  the  Royal  Infirmary,  and 
one  day  (two  or  three  years  afterwards)  when 
I  entered  his  ward  with  my  stethoscope  in  my 
hand,  and  proceeded  to  take  my  turn  in  the 
examination  of  a  patient,  he  looked  at  me 
very  hard,  and  then  shook  me  cordially  by 
the  hand,  saying  he  was  very  glad  to  see  me, 
never  mentioning  where  we  had  last  met. 
From  that  time  we  were  excellent  friends, 
and  he  often  flattered  me  by  asking  my  opin- 
ion in  any  doubtful  or  disputed  case. 

Soon  after  leaving  Dr.   B ,  I  had  the 

offer  of  two  or  three  situations  ;  but  one  per- 
son told  me  I  asked  too  high  wages,  and 
another,  that  she  feared  "  my  principles  were 
not  sufficiently  fixed  for  such  responsibility 
as  I  thought  of  undertaking."  I  remembered 
this  when,  three  years  after,  I  sat  as  a  guest 
at  her  table;    she  became  one  of  my  most 


EDINBURGH.  6 1 

valued  friends,  but  she  never  knew  the  ad- 
vantage I  had  of  her.  At  times  like  these  I 
could  not  but  feel  grateful  to  God  for  His 
wonderful  mercy  towards  me,  and  every 
fresh  incident  I  construed  into  a  token  of  His 
future  good  will  and  Fatherly  care. 

Having  wandered  about  for  six  weeks  until 
God  had  prepared  the  place  for  me,  I  at  length 
entered  a  situation  so  suitable  and  congenial 
to  me  in  every  vmy  that  had  I  been  asked  to 
describe  exactly  the  one  I  needed,  I  could 
not  have  named  any  more  appropriate.  I 
was  much  struck  at  the  time  with  the  mercy 
of  God,  and  the  more  I  think  of  the  wonder- 
ful arrangement  of  His  providence  in  this 
matter,  the  more  I  see  His  merciful  hand  in 
opening  the  way  for  me  and  leading  me  by  a 
path  which  I  knew  not. 

The  servant  of  an  elderly  lady,  then  in 
Edinburgh,  whom  she  very  much  respected, 
died,  after  being  with  her  upwards  of  six 
years,  and  the  one  she  chose  to  succeed  him 
was  discharged,   after   four  months'   service, 


62  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

for  dishonesty.  At  this  time  she  was  staying 
at  the  hotel  of  my  friend  Mr.  Burnett,  and 
she  asked  him  if  he  knew  any  one  likely 
to  suit  her.  He  immediately  sent  for  me, 
and  I  was  engaged,  receiving  higher  wages 
than  I  had  ever  dared  to  ask  previously. 
Nor  was  this  all ;  as  Mrs.  Ross  was  con- 
stantly living  in  furnished  lodgings,  or  at 
hotels,  she  arranged  to  pay  me  board  wages, 
and  these  were  ample,  even  had  my  habits 
been  less  economical  than  they  really  were. 
She  told  me  I  should  have  very  little  to  do, 
which  I  soon  found  out  was  quite  true,  my 
chief  employment  being  to  keep  her  accounts 
and  post  her  letters.  I  soon  found  in  her  one 
of  the  kindest  friends  I  have  ever  known. 
One  of  her  chief  delights  was  to  make  every 
one  around  her  happy.  She  had  met  with 
many  trials  herself,  and  had  experienced  bit- 
ter sorrow,  but  she  had  a  warm  and  gener- 
ous heart,  and  no  poor  creature  who  sought 
her  help  was  ever  sent  away  empty.  She 
was  ready  to  drop  a  tear  and  grant  substan- 


PREPARING  FOR   COLLEGE.  63 

tial  help  at  the  recital  of  every  tale  of  sor- 
row. 

I  had  not  been  long  in  this  new  home  be- 
fore I  began  to  look  out  for  some  one  to  assist 
me  in  the  prosecution  of  my  studies.  I  called 
on  several  private  teachers  before  I  was  satis- 
fied, for  even  then  I  was  not  easily  pleased  in 
the  selection  of  my  preceptors ;  and  I  became 
still  more  particular  as  I  advanced  in  my  cur- 
riculum. I  do  not  think  I  could  have  defined 
the  sort  of  man  I  wanted,  but  I  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  knowing  the  right  one  when  I  saw 
him.  I  first  arranged  with  one  to  assist  me 
for  two  hours  every  evening  in  the  study  of 
algebra  and  mathematics. 

He  was  one  of  the  strangest  men  I  ever 
met,  living  entirely  alone,  keeping  no  servant. 
His  mind  was  rather  contracted,  but  some- 
what speculative  ;  he  was  destitute  of  energy, 
but  had  some  originality.  He  had  given  a 
good  deal  of  attention  to  phrenology  and 
mesmerism,  and  was  most  anxious  to  con- 
vince me,  as  I  often  provoked  him  by  abso- 


64  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

lute  scepticism.  At  his  urgent  request  1 
frequently  gave  him  an  opportunity  of  prov- 
ing his  assertions  by  experiments  upon  my- 
self, but  I  need  scarcely  say  that  I  never  yet 
felt    the    least    influence    of    mesmerism.      I 

studied  with  Mr.  P two  years,  and  made 

considerable  progress  in  algebra  and  mathe- 
matics, but  as  he  was  no  classical  scholar, 
I  had  to  find  a  preceptor  for  Greek  and 
Latin  ;  and  after  some  little  trouble  and  in- 
quiry I  succeeded  in  finding  one  suitable  in 
every  way. 

Mr.  C had  been  a  very  energetic  and 

successful  teacher  in  Edinburgh  for  several 
years  ;  he  was  an  accurate  scholar,  an  excel- 
lent classic,  and  almost  worshipped  Herodo- 
tus, Homer,  and  Virgil.  He  had  a  large 
stock  of  humor,  and  could  tell  a  story  better 
than  any  one  I  ever  heard.  He  agreed  to 
devote  an  hour  every  afternoon  to  correct  my 
exercises  and  read  Greek  and  Latin  with  me. 
This  went  on  for  two  years,  and  so  pleas- 
antly  did    I   find   the    hour   pass   with    Mr. 


PREPARING  FOR  COLLEGE.  65 

C ,  that  after   I  commenced  my  medical 

studies  I  often  spent  an  hour  with  him  over 
the  Latin  poets,  and  before  I  was  twenty- 
five  years  old  I  could  write  Latin  more  cor- 
rectly than  I  could  write  English  when  I  was 
eighteen. 

The  two  years  I  spent  with  Mrs.  Ross  were 
not  passed  in  idleness,  luxury,  or  self-indul- 
gence. I  knew  that  there  was  a  long,  trying, 
and  expensive  course  of  study  before  me, 
and  consequently  I  set  myself  to  practise  the 
most  rigid  economy.  For  nine  months  before 
I  left  Mr.  Grant  Duff  I  had  subjected  myself 
to  take  only  two  meals  a  day,  and  had  en* 
joyed  excellent  health  ;  this  plan  I  carried  on 
at  Macduff,  and  I  had  now  been  accustomed 
to  it  for  fifteen  months.  I  determined  to 
continue  it,  and  every  month,  when  I  received 
my  wages  and  board-wages,  I  deposited  all  in 
the  bank  except  ten  shillings,  —  namely,  2s. 
6c?.  per  week  for  my  food.  But  for  the  bene- 
fit of  others  I  may  say  that  it  is  not  easy  to 
live  on  half-a-crown  a  week  in  Edinburgh, 
6 


66  AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 

and  I  should  not  like  to  go  through  the  same 
course  of  regimen  again  ;  but  like  some  other 
men  I  have  heard  of,  in  leading  a  forlorn 
hope,  I  was  determined  to  carry  out  what  I 
had  in  view,  or  perish  in  the  attempt.  My 
motto  was,  "  If  I  perish,  I  perish."  It  may 
seem  rather  strange  too,  that  on  entering  col- 
lege I  took  comfortable  lodgings,  and  began 
to  live  like  other  people,  and  this  after  sub- 
mitting myself  to  comparative  fasting  for 
three  years. 

After  being  in  Edinburgh  a  few  months,  I 
called  on  two  or  three  clergymen,  and  told 
them  that  I  intended  to  study  for  the  min- 
istry, but  the  same  difficulties  were  raised  as 
those  which  had  been  suggested  by  all  whom 
I  had  consulted  in  the  North  of  Scotland; 
and  there  was  the  same  anxiety  to  dissuade 
me  from  what  they  called  "  a  very  imprudent 
step."  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  that 
these  good  men  gave  to  the  young  student 
that  which  seemed  to  them  sound  advice  and 
good  counsel.     Eight   years  of  study  for  a 


CLERGYMEN'S  ADVICE.  67 

man  with  scarcely  any  means  of  support  was 
doubtless,  in  their  eyes,  a  very  formidable 
difficulty.  Nor  were  they  aware  of  the  princi- 
ple of  action  which,  as  I  have  said,  had  at 
that  time  taken  so  strong  a  hold  of  my  mind, 
namely,  that  whatever  has  been  done  may  be 
done  again.  But  I  do  not  think  I  ought  to 
be  blamed  if,  after  finding  so  little  encourage- 
ment among  those  in  whom  I  first  sought  it, 
I  began  to  think  of  transferring  my  energies 
from  them  to  a  class  whose  names  I  had  con- 
stantly heard,  especially  amongst  the  poor 
and  suffering,  associated  with  feelings  of 
gratitude,  and  often  with  a  prayer  that  God 
would  bless  and  reward  them  for  their  kind- 
ness and  attention.  I  could  scarcely  enter  a 
house  where  there  was  affliction  or  poverty, 
but  I  found  that  some  one  had  been  there, 
doing  all  that  possibly  could  be  done  for  the 
relief  of  the  body,  and  often  did  the  poor 
sufferer  declare,  that  but  for  his  kindness  he 
or  she  would  have  been  dead  long  ago ;  and 
I   began  to   think,  here  is   a  large  field    for 


68  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

usefulness ;  here  are  opportunities  for  doing 
good,  totally  unknown  in  any  other  calling ; 
here  the  child  of  God  may  absolutely  revel  in 
the  service  of  his  Lord,  and  constantly,  like 
his  Master,  go  about  doing  good ;  here  an 
avenue  may  be  opened  to  the  hardest  heart, 
whereby  the  most  unpromising  and  helpless 
may  be  reached  ;  here  a  spark  may  be  kin- 
dled which  may  gradually  glow,  and  continue 
to  shine,  enlightening  others,  and  growing 
brighter,  unto  perfect  day. 

It  was  with  feelings  of  the  deepest  interest 
and  diffidence  that  I  contemplated  the  study 
of  medicine.  I  had  always  looked  upon  this 
profession  as  involving  the  most  profound 
responsibility,  not  by  any  means  confined  to 
the  care  of  the  material  part  of  man.  I  had 
looked  upon  it  also  as  peculiarly  sacred,  and 
its  members  as  men  of  the  highest  order 
of  intellect,  education,  and  social  influence 
among  all  classes  of  society,  surpassed  by 
none,  and  equalled  by  few ;  and  when  I  had 
made  up   my   mind  to  study  medicine,  and 


CHOICE  OF  PROFESSION.  69 

began  to  read  medical  text-books,  my  previous 
opinions  were  fully  confirmed  by  the  follow- 
ing passage  in  an  introductory  lecture  in  one 
of  our  best  classical  books  :  — 

"  Is  a  study  noble  in  proportion  to  its 
breadth  and  depth,  and  diversity  of  the  knowl- 
edge on  which  it  is  founded  ?  Then  think  of 
medicine.  How  she  levies  her  contributions 
from  every  branch  of  knowledge !  The  human 
body  exhibits  a  machinery  so  perfect,  that  the 
most  skilful  mechanical  professor  may  take 
lessons  from  studying  it.  It  contains  a  labo- 
ratory so  diversified,  and  chemical  processes  so 
subtle,  that  therein  the  ability  of  the  most 
expert  chemist  is  far  surpassed.  But  the 
knowledge  of  the  student  of  medicine  must 
go  beyond  that  of  the  mechanical  and  chemi- 
cal philosopher.  He  must  study  those  vital 
properties  of  which  these  can  tell  him  noth- 
ing; he  must  become  acquainted  with  the 
attributes  of  life  operating  in  matter;  in 
animal  generation,  nutrition,  growth,  secre- 
tion, motion,  and  sensation,  in  the  variations 


fjO  AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 

of  these  processes,  in  their  decay  and  their 
cessation,  which  is  death.  He  has  a  compli- 
cated study,  peculiarly  his  own,  in  addition 
to  those  of  a  more  elementary  nature ;  he 
has,  besides,  to  contemplate  the  body  under 
disease,  and  to  bring  to  his  aid  the  three  king- 
doms of  nature,  and  almost  every  art  and 
every  science  for  agents  and  means  to  coun- 
teract and  control  that  which  disturbs  its  well- 
being.  But  is  the  body  the  only  object  of 
his  care  ?  No !  mind  and  matter  are  too 
closely  combined  to  be  studied  or  treated 
apart.  To  medicine  it  belongs  to  treat  the 
entire  man,  physical,  moral,  and  intellectual. 
See  its  effects  on  masses  of  mankind,  dis- 
played in  the  happy  discoveries  of  Jenner; 
see  how  even  barbarous  people  and  idolaters, 
Mussulmans,  Hindoos,  and  Chinese,  respect 
our  nation  only  for  the  medical  aid  which  it 
can  supply,  so  that  it  has  happened  that 
medicine  has  become  the  handmaid  of  relig- 
ion, a  bond  between  two  countries,  a  peace- 
maker between  nations.     Do  not  think  that  I 


A   HIGH  IDEAL. 


71 


overrate  the    profession ;    morally  and   intel- 
lectually, I  cannot  overrate  it." 

But  my  thoughts  on  the  acquirements  of 
medical  men  and  their  responsibilities  did  not 
stop  even  here.  I  looked  upon  the  physician 
as  pre-eminently  a  man  of  science,  a  man 
who  studied  the  laws  of  nature  in  all  their 
forms  and  phases.  A  man  whose  duty  it  was 
to  trace  every  possible  connection  between 
cause  and  effect.  A  man  who  especially 
should  never  rest  till  he  gets  to  the  root  of  a 
matter,  who  should  dig  through  every  con- 
ceivable barrier  in  order  to  reach  the  very 
foundations,  and  find  out  and  become  famil- 
iar with  the  first  cause ;  and  my  opinion 
regarding  the  researches  and  investigations 
of  the  physician  have  in  no  wise  diminished 
or  become  modified  during  an  experience  of 
six  years'  hard  study  and  observation.  On 
the  contrary,  the  more  I  have  pondered  over 
his  duties  and  responsibilities,  the  more  I  see 
the  urgent  necessity  for  the  versatility  of  his 
knowledge  and  acquirements.     In  other  pro- 


»J2  AUTOBIOGRAPHY, 

fessions,  extensive  and  collateral  knowledge 
are  only  needful  at  certain  seasons,  and  on 
special  occasions ;  there  is  usually  time  for 
reflection  and  further  research,  but  in  the 
practice  of  medicine  there  is  little  or  no  time 
for  either.  In  speaking  of  my  own  expe- 
rience, when  I  have  to  examine  and  prescribe 
for  between  one  and  three  hundred  patients  a 
day  on  my  own  responsibility,  as  well  as  to 
perform  the  most  delicate  and  dangerous 
operations  in  surgery  at  a  moment's  notice,  I 
sometimes  feel  that  a  medical  man's  knowl- 
edge should  be  almost  infinite,  not  only  of 
his  own  profession,  but  in  all  the  circle  of 
the  sciences,  physical  and  metaphysical,  and 
in  all  the  philosophy  of  the  age,  mechanical, 
natural,  mental,  and  moral. 

The  more  profound  the  knowledge  of  such 
a  man,  the  deeper  is  his  conviction  how 
slender  is  the  thread  on  which  existence 
hangs ;  how  true  it  is  that  man  is  "  fearfully 
and  wonderfully  made ;  "  how  complex  and 
delicate  the  mechanism  of  life ;  how  great  and 


A   HIGH  IDEAL. 


73 


constant  the  risk  of  disorder  and  decay  :  none 
hear  so  often  the  solemn  warnings  of  God's 
providence  proclaiming  the  insecurity  of  life, 
the  certainty  of  death ;  none  read  so  plainly 
the  scroll  that  fronts  all  sublunary  things, 
"  And  this  also  shall  pass  away."  On  no  ear 
falls  so  frequently  the  warning,  "  Be  ye  also 
ready."  Their  wonted  companions  are  pesti- 
lence and  disease,  contagion  meets  them  at 
every  turn,  and  death  to  them  is  no  stranger ; 
their  toil  is  heavy,  and  their  dangers  are 
great ;  but  their  profession  is  noble,  their 
privileges  are  many,  and  these  pertain  to 
time  and  to  eternity. 

In  sickness  the  heart  becomes  soft  and 
tender,  and  the  faithful  physician  can  often 
look  back  with  adoring  thankfulness  to  the 
time  when  with  one  hand  he  healed  and 
soothed  the  body,  and  with  the  other  pointed 
the  weary,  restless  heart  heavenward.  Con- 
version may  come  mysteriously  as  the  breeze, 
but  in  many  cases  it  is  dated  back  to  special 
providences,   and    how   often,   with    adoring 


74  AUTOBIOGRAPHY. 

gratitude,  to  some  sudden  sickness  or  lin- 
gering disease,  when  conscience  regains  its 
power  and  speaks  of  God! 

Memory  upbraids,  conviction  grows  deeper, 
and  the  good  news  is  eagerly  sought  after  and 
thirsted  for.  Then  is  the  sowing-time,  when 
the  heart  is  soft  and  watered  by  the  tears  of 
penitence  ;  then  it  is  that,  in  the  deep  furrow 
of  affliction,  the  good  seed  may  be  laid. 
Nourished  by  the  dews  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  warmed  by  the  rays  of  God's  love,  it 
takes  a  deep  root,  and  springs  up  to  the  glory 
of  his  name ;  and  blessed  is  the  physician 
through  whose  instrumentality  new  life  is 
given  by  God,  not  only  to  the  body,  but  to 
the  immortal  soul. 


II. 

COLLEGE    LIFE. 

T  TERE  Dr.  Henderson's  personal  narrative 
unfortunately  ends.  It  was  commenced 
in  busy  days  in  1860,  and  was  laid  aside 
in  1861,  to  be  completed  if  ever  he  came  to 
England  for  a  little  rest.  The  many  note- 
books kept  during  his  college  life  contain  but 
few  allusions  that  would  interest  the  general 
reader,  although  they  show  the  wonderful 
diligence  and  perseverance  that  characterized 
those  years.  The  results  will  appear  from  his 
after  career ;  but  it  may  be  mentioned,  that 
the  certificates  of  the  curriculum  of  the  Royal 
College  of  Surgeons,  containing  the  register 
of  his  attendance  at  the  various  classes  from 
1855  to  1858,  show  that  he  was  present  on 
every  occasion  when  the  roll  was  called,  ex- 
cept when  laid  aside  for  three  weeks  by  a 


76  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

dangerous  attack  of  small-pox.  There  are 
nine  or  ten  closely-written  books,  containing 
notes  of  lectures  by  various  professors,  and 
many  thoughts  on  subjects  that  specially  in- 
terested him ;  an  "  Essay  on  Insanity,"  read 
before  the  "  Hunterian  Society,"  for  which  he 
received  a  diploma  in  1858,  and  several  other 
pa,pers,  evidently  written  for  delivery  at  meet- 
ings of  that  society,  and  at  other  meetings 
with  his  fellow-students.  In  November,  1855, 
he  began  the  study  of  medicine  at  Surgeons' 
Hall,  Edinburgh.  His  kind  friend  Mrs.  Ross 
wished  him  to  remain  in  her  house  while  he 
was  at  college,  so  much  did  she  appreciate 
his  perseverance  in  study;  but  as  she  was 
alarmed  when  he  was  attacked  by  small-pox, 
he  took  lodgings  after  his  recovery ;  and  for 
three  years  his  life  was  one  of  incessant  toil. 
He  usually  read  till  one  or  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  as  his  note-books  show;  and  of 
necessity  his  life  was  a  very  quiet  one,  for  he 
had  no  time  to  spend  in  mere  pastime,  nor 
did  he  care  to  make  friends  of  any  who  were 


DIARY.  *j>j 

not  of  a  kindred  spirit.  Much  as  it  is  to  be 
regretted  that  there  are  so  few  records  of 
those  important  years,  it  is  scarcely  to  be 
wondered  at.  Severe  and  unceasing  were  his 
labors,  many  were  the  hidden  conflicts  that  he 
had  to  brave.  "  I  know  only  one  thing,"  he 
used  to  say  in  after  days,  "  that  could  have 
kept  me  from  falling  or  fainting  in  those 
years,  —  the  grace  of  God ;  that,  with  the 
memory  of  my  mother,  kept  me  up." 

Two  or  three  extracts  from  note-books  are 
introduced  here ;  they  were  written  at  the 
very  commencement  of  his  college  life  :  — 

"  SahhatJi,  November  18,  1855.  —  Went  in 
the  afternoon  to  St.  Thomas's  Chapel  to  hear 
Mr.  Drummond.  I  like  him  extremely.  He 
is  so  earnest  in  pleading  with  sinners,  shows 
so  well  the  vanity  of  the  world  when  com- 
pared with  making  sure  work  of  salvation, 
that  I  am  persuaded  that  it  cannot  fail  to 
have  a  deep  and  abiding  influence  on  the 
minds  of  all  who  heard  him.  I  am  glad  1 
went,  for  I  feel  more  secure,  more  indepen- 


78  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

dent,  as  far  as  worldly  things  go,  or  earthly 
comforts  or  happiness.  I  feel  that  since  God 
takes  so  great  care  of  me  as  He  has  hitherto 
done,  and  is  doing,  it  matters  little  where  or 
what  way  I  live,  provided  I  have  His  glory  in 
view,  devoting  my  time  and  talents  to  serv- 
ing Him,  which,  O  my  Father,  grant  that  I 
may  do  !  If  I  have  little  of  this  world's  goods, 
let  me  be  always  content  with  food  and  rai- 
ment ;  and  since  I  see  my  Heavenly  Father 
cares  for  the  flowers  of  the  field,  let  me 
ever  trust  in  Him  for  the  supply  of  all  my 
wants,  while  occupied  in  a  way  of  well-doing. 
"  Especially  it  becomes  me  to  trust  Him, 
for  hitherto  His  bounteous  hand  has  made 
my  cup  to  overflow  with  worldly  bliss,  and, 
what  is  infinitely  more  than  all  put  together, 
He  has  given  me  a  good  hope  through  grace 
in  my  Saviour  Jesus  Christ ;  and  seeing  He 
has  done  this,  can  I  be  so  stupid  as  to  doubt 
that  He  loves  me,  and  that  He  will  '  freely 
give  me  all  things,'  unworthy  as  I  am  ?  He 
has  more  than  made  good  His  promise  to  the 


LETTERS. 


79 


orphan  in  my  case.  When  my  father  and 
mother  left  me,  then  the  Lord  took  me  up." 

"  November  20.  —  Getting  on  remarkably 
well.  After  conversing  with  many  of  the 
students,  and  finding  to  a  great  extent  their 
amount  of  knowledge,  and  comparing  myself 
with  them,  I  find  myself  a  good  distance 
ahead,  with  one  exception,  and  he  tells  me  he 
v/as  attending  the  dissecting  rooms  a  month 
before  me.  Moreover,  Dr.  Noble  told  me  to- 
day that  I  was  getting  on  very  fast,  and  there 
was  not  one  in  ten  had  made  the  progress 
that  I  have  done.  Then  the  plain  truth  is,  he 
has  all  the  credit  for  that  himself,  since  he 
has  the  great  kindness  to  give  me  an  hour  of 
his  precious  time  every  day." 

The  following  extracts  from  letters  written 
in  1861  are  introduced  here  as  throwing  light 
on  this  period  of  his  history :  — 

"  I  have  not  seen  much  of  Scotland ;  I 
never  could  afford  time  to  travel  for  pleasure. 
All  my  years  at  college,  instead  of  taking 
advantage  of  Christmas,  and  the  holidays  be- 


8o  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

tween  the  summer  and  winter  session,  as 
most  others  did,  to  visit  the  country,  I  never 
lost  a  day  from  the  hospital,  the  library,  and 
anatomical  rooms ;  and  when  the  summer 
session  ended,  early  in  August,  having  con- 
stantly studied  for  nine  months  without  inter- 
ruption, and  when  all  classes  were  given  up 
for  three  months,  I  still  spent  my  time  among 
the  patients  in  the  hospital,  and  practised 
among  the  poor  of  the  city  till  the  1st  of  No- 
vember, when  the  winter  session  commenced 
again ;  and  I  felt  as  ready  as  any  one  to  en- 
ter with  all  zeal  and  energy  the  new  classes, 
and  to  compete  successfully  with  those  who 
had  spent  the  autumn  among  the  mountains, 
streams,  and  lakes;  and  although  I  was  in 
daily  contact  with  the  most  dangerous  and 
malignant  diseases,  and  saw  some  of  my 
dearest  companions  cut  down  by  them,  my 
God  preserved  me  through  them  all,  and 
made  good  His  gracious  promise,  '  As  thy 
day  is,  so  thy  strength  shall  be ; '  *  There 
shall  no  evil  befall  thee.' 


LETTERS.  8 1 

"  I  often  felt  very  sad  and  lonely  —  especi- 
ally did  I  long  for  some  kindred  spirit  on  the 
Sabbath.  My  work  and  my  college  compan- 
ions were  enough  for  me  through  the  week, 
and  I  had  some  very  dear  friends  amongst 
them  ;  but  God  was  always  with  me,  and  oh  ! 
how  often  have  I  rejoiced  in  His  love.  He 
always  sustained  me  and  raised  me  up  when 
sad. 

"  Should  not  you  like  to  go  to  Edinburgh  ? 
I  think  you  said  so  when  we  were  at  Ports- 
mouth. I  have  some  very  dear  friends  there 
—  Dr.  Handyside  and  his  family.  Dr.  Cold- 
stream and  his  family,  Professor  Miller,  Pro- 
fessor Balfour,  the  Honorable  Mrs.  Macken- 
zie, &c.,  &c.  Many  others  I  liked  extremely ; 
one  or  two  have  died  —  all  are  now  separated, 
and  have  commenced  the  great  responsibilities 
of  their  profession.  Still  I  should  like  to  see 
Edinburgh  again,  especially  with  you.  I 
think  I  should  feel  so  happy  and  grateful  to 
God  to  look  once  more  at  the  familiar 
places,  with  one  so  evidently  sent  to  me  by 


82  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

that  gracious  God,  who  evermore  watched 
over  me  and  kept  me  safe  and  secure,  amid 
all  the  dangers  and  temptations,  trials  and 
sorrows,  doubts  and  fears,  anxieties  and  vic- 
tories, of  that  beautiful  city." 

"  I  never  thought  of  being  a  medical  mis- 
sionary till  the  close  of  the  year  1856.  I  had 
always  been  looking  for  opportunities  to  serve 
my  God,  and  I  had  determined  to  study  medi- 
cine, knowing  that  wherever  ray  lot  might  be 
cast,  I  should  never  lack  opportunities  of 
doing  good  both  to  souls  and  bodies.  When 
I  was  just  half  through  my  curriculum  of 
medical  study,  I  went,  on  the  evening  of  the 
18th  of  December,  to  a  meeting  of  the  Edin- 
burgh Medical  Missionary  Society,  and  hear- 
ing many  interesting  remarks  on  the  value  and 
importance  of  medical  missions,  before  twenty- 
four  hours  I  had  fully  made  up  my  mind  to 
be  a  medical  missionary,  and  soon  after  I  spoke 
to  my  friend  Professor  Miller,  who  strongly 
advised  me  to  do  as  I  had  resolved. 

"  After  I  had  finished  my  studies  in  Edin- 


MEDICAL  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY.      83 

burgh,  I  was  offered  a  very  good  situation  as 
partner  with  an  old  gentleman  in  the  county 
of  Durhanri,  who  wished  to  retire  from  prac- 
tice. In  two  years  I  was  offered  all  the 
practice,  which  was  worth  more  than  j£700  a 
year.  Many  friends  advised  me  to  accept  the 
proposal,  but  having  determined  to  go  abroad, 
I  declined  it." 

The  following  particulars,  from  his  dear 
and  valued  friend  Dr.  Handyside,  of  the  Edin- 
burgh Medical  School,  complete  the  story  of 
his  college  life  :  — 

"  On  May  6, 1857,  he  was  introduced  to  me 
at  the  Maint- Point  Medical  Missionary  Dis- 
pensary, and  in  concert  with  Messrs.  Lowe, 
Robson,  Bell,  Johnston,  and  Carnegie,  assisted 
me  in  that  work. 

"  He  labored  with  great  zeal  daily  there  for 
six  months  during  this  year,  and  during  the 
autumn  of  the  next ;  and  on  Lord's-day  morn- 
ings assisted  at  a  service  held  there,  between 
eight  and  nine  o'clock,  among  the  poor  Irish, 
which    service    he     occasionally    conducted. 


84 


COLLEGE  LIFE. 


His  means  being  very  limited,  he  applied, 
at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  years,  to  be  adopt- 
ed by  the  Medical  Missionary  Society  as  one 
of  its  students,  in  virtue  of  which  connection 
he  would  have  the  remaining  fifteen  months' 
expenses  of  his  medical  education  defrayed 
from  their  funds.  After  due  inquiry,  he  was 
unanimously  accepted  by  this  Society,  and 
trained  by  them,  accompanying  me  to  the 
Cowgate  Medical  Missionary  Dispensary, 
when  the  Main-Point  institution  was  trans- 
ferred thither,  and  laboring  there  with  me 
•during  the  remainder  of  his  medical  curricu- 
lum. During  his  pupilage  he  became  a 
marked  student  in  the  Edinburgh  Medical 
School,  in  consequence  of  the  devotedness  of 
his  mind  to  study,  and  the  interest  which  he 
took  in  the  spiritual  progress  of  his  fellows. 
At  the  public  evening  meetings  (held  monthly 
by  the  Medical  Missionary  Society),  Mr.  Hen- 
derson was  on  two  or  three  occasions  called 
on  by  his  fellow-students  to  express  the  views 
of  his  friends  and  himself  on  important  Chris- 


MEDICAL  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY.      85 

tian  topics,  bearing  on  the  serious  call  to  stu- 
dents of  medicine  to  become  Christians  ajid 
medical  missionaries. 

"  As  a  student  and  a  pupil  he  was  uniformly- 
regular,  punctual,  and  diligent ;  conscientious, 
zealous,  and  laborious  ;  kind  to  the  poor,  and 
self-denying. 

"  In  passing  surgeon,  he  acquitted  himself 
most  creditably.  He  obtained  a  separate 
diploma,  as  accoucheur,  from  Dr.  Keiller,  his 
teacher  in  that  department;  '  who,  two  years 
before,  had  awarded  him  a  prize,  after  compe- 
titive examination  in  the  class.' 

"  Desirous  of  possessing  the  degree  of  M.D. 
(not  considered  necessary  by  the  Medical  Mis- 
sionary Society),  he  obtained  pupils  in  litera- 
ture and  the  classics,  to  enable  him  to  raise 
the  necessary  fees  ;  and  accordingly,  in  1859,  at 
St.  Andrews,  he  took  his  degree  as  physician. 

"  There  being  at  this  time  no  opening  in 
the  foreign  field  for  a  medical  missionary,  he 
settled  down,  in  August,  1858,  in  a  country- 
practice    at    Rhynie,   in    his    native    county. 


86  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

Here  he  met  with  the  most  rapid  success  dur- 
ing the  seven  months  that  he  remained ;  hav- 
ing found  it  necessary  to  keep  a  horse,  in 
order  to  overtake  his  professional  visits.  Dr. 
Henderson's  heart,  set  upon  labors  as  a  medi- 
cal missionary  in  the  foreign  field,  did  not  rest 
satisfied  with  his  prosperous  commencement 
in  practice  at  home ;  and  therefore,  in  follow- 
ing up  his  resolution  to  go  forth  among  the 
heathen,  he,  in  1859,  made  application  to  the 
Directors  of  the  London  Missionary  Society, 
through  the  Rev.  G.  D.  Cullen,  of  Edinburgh, 
one  of  his  valued  friends  ;  and  this  application 
being  accepted,  he  relinquished  the  bright 
prospects  before  him  of  attaining  eminence 
and  well-deserved  popularity  as  a  scientific 
physician  and  surgeon  in  his  native  land  ;  and, 
without  hesitation,  throwing  aside  these  very 
attractive  and  lucrative  prospects,  at  once 
engaged  himself  to  that  society  as  a  mission- 
ary of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  his  heathen  brethren 
in  China." 

Dr.  Henderson  thus  alludes  to  these   cir- 


LONDON  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY.      87 

cumstances  in  his  journal :  —  "  Went  in  Au- 
gust to  Rhynie,  Aberdeenshire,  where  I  began 
to  practise.  In  the  middle  of  February  I  was 
sent  for  by  the  Directors  of  the  London  Mis- 
sionary Society,  and  engaged  as  one  of  their 
medical  agents  to  China.  I  returned  to  Rhy- 
nie, settled  my  few  affairs,  spent  two  or  three 
days  in  Edinburgh,  and  arrived  at  Waltham- 
stow,  Essex,  on  the  17th  March,  1859,  where 
my  Society  arranged  I  should  read  theology 
six  months  with  the  Rev.  S.  S.  England  be- 
fore I  sail.  An  exceedingly  happy  arrange- 
ment for  me,  for  in  Mr.  England  I  have  found 
on^e  of  the  dearest  and  most  valued  friends  I 
ever  had.  God  bless  him,  and  make  him  a 
blessing !  "  To  this  friendship,  so  happily 
commenced,  and  continued  in  all  its  fresh- 
ness until  the  close  of  Dr.  Henderson's  life, 
Mr.  England  thus  refers  :  — 

"  It  was  on  the  14th  of  February,  1859, 
that  I  first  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  my 
late  much-lamented  and  beloved  friend,  Dr. 
James  Henderson. 


88  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

"  As  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  London 
Missionary  Society,  and  a  member  of  the 
Examination  Committee,  I  attended  as  usual 
the  fortnightly  board  at  the  Mission-house. 

"  On  that  morning  there  were  only  two 
candidates  for  missionary  service  appointed 
to  meet  the  committee.  One  of  them,  Mr. 
James  Henderson,  as  he  then  was,  especially 
excited  the  interest,  and  secured  the  sympathy 
and  respect,  of  the  examining  body. 

"  The  preliminary  papers  received  from 
him  were  highly  satisfactory,  the  recommen- 
dations as  to  character,  devoted  piety,  and 
university  and  professional  attainments  and 
skill  were  warm  and  decided ;  and  I  especi- 
ally remember  the  hearty  and  affectionate 
testimony  of  his  honored  pastor.  Dr.  Guthrie, 
of  Edinburgh. 

"  His  self-possessed  manner,  gentlemanly 
bearing,  and  frank  answers  to  all  the  ques- 
tions put  to  him  in  turn  by  the  several  mem- 
bers of  the  committee,  excited  special  interest 
in  him  as  a  man  ;  while  his  evident  simple- 


LONDON  MISSIONARY  SOCIETY.      89 

hearted  devotedness  to  the  great  work  of 
Christian  missions,  his  anxiety  to  consecrate 
his  talents  and  attainments  to  the  service  of 
Christ  among  the  Chinese  as  a  missionary- 
physician,  and  his  manifest  intelligence  and 
proved  energy  of  character,  secured  the  suf- 
frages of  the  whole  board,  and  he  was  unani- 
mously accepted  for  the  usual  probation  as  a 
candidate  for  missionary  service. 

"  The  next  question  was  an  immediately 
practical  one  :  Where  was  Mr.  Henderson  to 
spend  the  period  of  his  probation  ? 

"  To  my  great  surprise,  my  colleagues  in 
the  committee  determined  that  I  must  receive 
him  under  my  care  at  Walthamstow  ;  and, 
after  some  little  hesitation,  I  consented,  and 
was  thus  led  to  form  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing of  the  friendships  of  my  life. 

"  Before  leaving  the  Mission-house,  I  con- 
ferred with  Mr.  Henderson  as  to  the  arrange- 
ments which  this  decision  involved.  He  was 
unable  immediately  to  commence  his  new 
career.     The  practice  he  had  been  carrying 


90  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

on  as  a  surgeon  at  Rhynie  was  to  be  dis- 
posed of,  his  horse  and  furniture  to  be  sold, 
and  all  professional  engagements  wound  up. 
This  necessarily  occupied  about  a  month; 
and  after  a  brief  correspondence,  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  welcoming  him  on  the  17th  of 
March  at  Walthamstow. 

"  As  I  think  of  him  when  he  entered  my 
house  —  as  I  recall  his  quiet  energy  and 
happy  smile,  his  youthful  vigor,  maturing 
into  manhood,  his  beaming  eye  and  pleasant 
voice  —  I  can  hardly  realize  the  fact  that  the 
bright  and  useful  course  which  seemed  then  so 
rich  in  promise  has  been  so  quickly  finished. 

"  I  was  unable  to  accommodate  him  under 
my  owm  roof,  and  my  late  kind  friend,  Dr. 
Alfred  Evans,  of  Walthamstow,  at  my  re- 
quest, received  him  into  his  own  family  cir- 
cle, and  found  in  him  a  most  congenial 
companion,  sympathizing  with  him  alike  in 
his  scientific  investigations,  and  in  the  details, 
so  far  as  he  had  opportunity,  of  his  profes- 
sional practice. 


WALTHAMSTOW.  91 

"  We  soon  arranged  what  I  trusted  would 
prove  a  useful  plan  of  study,  adapted  to  turn 
to  the  best  advantage  the  six  or  seven 
months  which  I  expected  to  intervene  before 
he  should  receive  the  Director's  instructions 
to  embark  for  China,  to  take  charge  of  the 
Chinese  hospital  at  Shanghai,  formerly  under 
the  care  of  the  well-known  and  esteemed  sur- 
geon, Mr.  Lockhart. 

"  We  regularly  spent  together  four  morn- 
ings in  the  week.  We  always  prayed  to- 
gether, and  I  shall  never  lose  the  happy 
memory  of  his  simple,  scriptural,  eajnest 
supplications. 

"  I  asked  him  to  bring  me  at  each  lecture 
a  paragraph  from  the  Greek  Testament,  and 
a  portion  of  Paley's  '  Evidences'  and  '  Horae 
Paulinae.'  We  also  read  together  some  eccle- 
siastical and  general  history  and  systematic 
theology,  and  now  and  then  I  got  him  to  write 
me  a  sermon. 

"  I  confess  that  I  often  looked  at  him  with 
astonishment.     He  told  me  very  frankly  all 


92  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

his  previous  history,  and  when  I  saw  before 
me  that  educated  and  gentlemanly  man  of 
nine  and  twenty,  thoroughly  abreast  of  the 
intelligence  of  the  age,  so  free  from  the  com- 
mon faults  of  self-taught  men,  I  could  hardly 
believe  that  he  had  never  seen  the  inside  of  a 
school,  even  of  the  humblest  character,  and 
that,  twenty  years  before,  he  had  been  a  bare- 
footed lad,  herding  sheep  on  the  muir  of  Rhy- 
nie  ;  that,  some  thirteen  years  ago,  he  could 
not  have  written  his  own  name,  and  never- 
theless he  \\'dL^  forced  his  way  to  the  Univer- 
sity of  Edinburgh,  had  taken  prizes  in  classes 
of  two  hundred  medical  students,  received 
the  diploma  of  the  College  of  Surgeons,  and 
won  for  himself  the  respect  and  friendship 
of  men  of  the  highest  Christian  character 
and  professional  distinction. 

"  His  Greek  scholarship,  of  course,  was 
neither  extensive  nor  profound ;  but  the 
marvel  was  that  he  should  have  been  at 
home  in  the  Greek  Testament  at  all.  This, 
however,  I  think,  presents  one  clew  to  his 
character. 


WAL  THAMSTO  W. 


93 


"  He  had  learned  to  read  in  his  earliest 
childhood  at  his  mother's  knee.  The  Bible, 
the  Scotch  paraphrases,  and  the  Shorter 
Catechism,  had  been  his  chief  class-books. 
These  had  revealed  to  him  a  wide  world 
of  mental  and  moral  excitement  and  activ- 
ity beyond  the  horizon  of  the  moors  of 
Aberdeenshire.  He  thought,  resolved,  and 
prayed. 

"  He  determined,  by  God's  grace,  that  he 
would  be  a  good  man,  and  then  that  he 
would  be  a  useful  man,  and  in  order  to  this 
last,  that  he  would  be  an  educated  man. 
Education  and  his  lowly  lot  seemed  far  apart, 
but  the  resolution  was  formed,  and,  with 
characteristic  pertinacity  and  patience  and 
self-denial,  realized  ;  and,  then,  when  realized, 
with  the  same  quiet  determination  consecrated 
to  the  glory  of  God,  to  the  service  of  Jesus, 
and  to  the  good  of  his  fellow-men. 

"  With  my  people  at  Walthamstow  he  was 
a  universal  favorite.  Brief,  comparatively,  as 
was  his  sojourn  amongst  us,  lie  formed  friend- 


94 


COLLEGE  LIFE. 


ships  there  which  only  death  could  sever,  and 
which,  there  are  many  who  trust,  immortality 
will  perpetuate.  The  teachers  welcomed  him 
in  the  Sunday-school,  and  the  congregations 
at  the  week-night  services  often  heard  him 
with  pleasure  and  profit. 

"  At  the  beginning  of  May  I  expected  to 
be  absent  from  home  for  a  short  sojourn  at 
Brighton.  When  we  were  talking  over  his 
occupation  and  improvement  of  the  period 
of  our  separation,  he  suggested  that  the  time 
was  approaching  for  the  examinations  at  the 
University  of  St.  Andrews,  in  the  faculty  of 
medicine,  and  that,  possibly,  if  he  could  go 
to  Scotland  for  two  days  he  might  be  able  to 
obtain  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Medicine.  I 
conferred  with  the  secretaries  of  the  Society, 
Dr.  Tidman  and  Mr.  Prout,  and  we  all 
thought  that  if  such  a  step  were  successful, 
it  would  be  well  worth  the  expenditure  of 
time  and  money. 

"  Hov/  well  do  I  remember  the  calm  ear- 
nestness with  which  he  addressed  himself  to 


DOCTOR'S  DEGREE. 


95 


a  rapid  review  of  the  chief  subjects  of  exam- 
ination, the  modest  confidence  with  which  he 
anticipated  success,  and  the  characteristic  re- 
gard to  economy,  which  showed  itself  in  his 
choice  of  the  third  class  night-train  from 
King's  Cross  to  Edinburgh. 

"  A  fortnight  afterwards,  I  met  him  at  the 
Brighton  Station,  and  had  the  pleasure  of 
saluting  him  as  Dr.  James  Henderson.  The 
examinations  had  lasted  through  five  days  — 
three  of  them  devoted  to  written,  and  two  to 
viva  voce  tests  of  medical  knowledge. 

"  Inquiring  with  some  particularity  into  the 
matter,  I  found  that  while  nearly  forty  mem- 
bers of  the  College  of  Surgeons  had  presented 
themselves  to  the  examiners,  nine  of  them 
had  been  '  plucked ; '  and  thus  the  success  of 
those  who  had  been  called  up  to  the  college 
library  to  be  'capped'  was  all  the  more 
satisfactory.  With  characteristic  pertinacity, 
also,  he  secured  the  signature  to  his  diploma 
of  Sir  David  Brewster,  although  it  was  only 
obtained  by  persuading  the  great  man's  valet 


g6  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

to  take  the  document  to  his  bedside,  before 
the  train  started  in  the  early  morning  from 
the  seat  of  the  oldest  Scottish  University. 

"  At  length  the  month  of  October  came. 
I  need  not  recount,  although  affection  loves 
to  recall,  our  walks  and  words  as  parting 
drew  nigh  —  our  visit  to  the  docks,  our  ex- 
plorations of  the  little  cabins  in  the  Heroes 
of  Alma,  the  vessel  in  which  the  missionary 
band  of  brothers  and  sisters  embarked  for 
China  —  the  valedictory  service  at  Wal- 
worth, and  then  the  sad  yet  loving  words 
of  farewell. 

"  I  have  never  met  a  man  who,  where  he 
was  known,  inspired  more  thorough  confi- 
dence or  stronger  regard.  My  dear  wife 
would  heartily  endorse  every  word  I  have 
written.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Evans,  and  members 
of  their  family,  felt  towards  him  as  a  brother ; 
and  our  little  girl,  who  had  only  known  him 
as  a  child  five  years  of  age  can  know  her 
father's  friend,  cherished  for  him  such  tender 
love,  that  for  six  years,  until  she  heard  that 


> 


SAILS  FOR  CHINA. 


97 


his  earthly  work  was  finished,  his  name  was 
never  omitted  from  her  childish  prayers. 

"  Farewell  I  dear  brother  and  friend.  Too 
soon  for  us  thine  earthly  course  was  ended. 
Be  it  ours  to  catch  fresh  inspiration  of  love, 
and  fresh  consecration  to  duty  from  thy  happy 
memory  — 

*  Thus  saints  that  seem  to  die  in  earth's  rude  strife, 
Only  win  double  life  : 
They  have  but  left  our  weary  ways 
To  live  in  memory  here,  in  heaven  by  love  and  praise.*  " 

On  the  22d  of  October  Dr.  Henderson,  ac- 
companied by  his  dear  friend  Dr.  Evans, 
stepped  on  board  the  Heroes  of  Alma  at 
Gravesend.  A  large  party  met  there,  as  six 
missionaries  with  their  wives  were  to  sail  for 
China ;  and  many  relatives  and  loving  friends 
were  assembled  to  bid  them  farewell.  A  very 
touching  and  solemn  service  was  held  in  the 
saloon,  and  then  one  by  one  the  little  boats 
left,  filled  with  those  who  gazed  with  tearful 
eyes  at  the  dear  ones  from  whom  they  were 
so  soon  to  be  widely  separated.  It  was  on 
7 


98  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

this  occasion  that  Dr.  Henderson  first  saw  the 
lady  who  afterwards  became  his  wife,  who 
had  come  with  her  motlier  to  bid  adieu  to  a 
beloved  sister  and  brother-in-law.  As  the 
doctor  stood,  rather  lonely,  apart  from  the 
crowd,  they  just  before  parting  shook  hands 
with  him,  and  thanked  him  for  an  act  of  un- 
selfish kindness  done  on  behalf  of  their  dear 
ones,  little  expecting  ever  to  meet  him  again, 
but  it  was  otherwise  appointed,  as  a  leaf  from 
his  Journal  will  show. 

"  October  25,  Tuesday.  —  In  the  Downs  we 
encountered  a  very  severe  storm ;  while  just 
as  the  gale  was  commencing  eight  of  our  crew 
mutinied,  and  refused  to  do  duty  or  obey 
orders.  We  should  have  put  them  in  irons, 
but  had  only  two  pairs  on  board.  We  threw 
out  both  our  anchors,  which  were  very  heavy 
for  the  size  of  our  ship,  and  to  this,  through 
the  good  providence  of  God,  we  may  ascribe 
our  safety,  for,  notwithstanding  our  great 
anchors,  they  were  dragged  half  a  mile,  and 
some  of  our  sails  were  torn  to  tatters.     Two 


STORMY  PASSAGE. 


99 


vessels,  one  anchored  on  each  side  of  us,  were 
lost,  and  every  soul  on  board  perished.  For 
two  days  after,  we  saw  ships  being  tugged 
past  us  entirely  dismasted. 

''"November  4:^  Friday.  —  After  being  four- 
teen days  tossed  in  the  Channel,  and  after 
beating  past  Dover  to  Dungeness  three  times, 
and  all  these  times  driven  back  to  the  Downs  ; 
having  experienced  a  very  stormy  passage  to 
Portsmouth  from  Thursday  to  Friday,  we  got 
ashore  at  three  o'clock,  p.m.  Enjoyed  the 
evening  exceedingly ;  thanked  God,  and  took 
courage." 

Before  two  hours  had  passed,  after  the  pas- 
sengers landed,  the  telegraph  was  conveying 
to  many  homes  the  joyful  news,  "  We  are 
here  till  to-morrow,  can  you  come  ?  "  And 
among  the  few  who  could  obey  the  glad  sum- 
mons were  Mrs.  Dawson's  mother  and  sister. 
Very  wonderful  was  the  meeting  between 
those  who,  only  a  fortnight  before,  had  parted, 
as  they  supposed,  for  many  long  and  weary 
years;  and  a  happy  company  enjoyed  each 


lOO  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

other's  society  for  five  days,  for,  the  wind  con- 
tinuing unfavorable,  the  captain  did  not  think 
it  wise  to  start  again  till  the  9th. 

The  greatest  kindness  was  shown  by  the 
ministers  of  the  town,  and  several  members 
of  their  congregations,  to  the  little  band  who 
had  commenced  their  voyage  so  inauspicious- 
ly;  and  gratitude  for  their  safety  was  perhaps 
more  strongly  felt,  because  of  the  fearful  loss 
of  life  and  property  during  those  terrible 
storms.  On  the  night  when  they  were  kept 
at  anchor  because  of  the  mutiny  among  the 
crew,  the  Royal  Charter  was  lost,  and  daily 
were  the  papers  searched  with  anxious  eyes 
for  news  of  the  Heroes  of  Alma.  It  was 
therefore  with  no  ordinary  feelings  that  on  the 
Sunday  morning  the  missionary  party  and 
their  friends  united  around  His  table  in  com- 
memorating their  Saviour's  dying  love;  and 
on  Monday  evening  a  meeting  was  held  in 
one  of  the  chapels,  where  addresses  were 
given  by  several  of  the  party.  Dr.  Henderson 
being   among   the    number.       On    Tuesday 


PORTSMOUTH.  loi 

evening  he  was  invited  to  take  part  in  an- 
other meeting,  and  on  Wednesday  the  orders 
came  for  the  passengers  to  embark.  The 
bitterness  of  parting  felt  when  they  left 
Gravesend  was  not  repeated  on  this  occa- 
sion. The  past  five  days  had  inspired  them 
with  fresh  joy  and  courage  ;  and  in  Dr.  Hen- 
derson's heart  a  hope  had  arisen  which,  though 
not  fulfilled  for  twelve  months,  gave  a  new 
aspect  to  his  life. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  little 
group,  accompanied  by  their  friends,  walked 
to  the  beach,  where  the  boat  waited  to  convey 
them  to  their  ship ;  and  as  they  were  rowed 
away  the  sounds  of  their  voices,  uplifted  in 
hymns  of  praise,  fell  sweetly  on  many  listen- 
ing ears. 

To  one  or  two  incidents  of  the  outward 
voyage  Mr.  Dawson  thus  refers  :  — 

"  The  circumstances  under  which  we,  for 
the  second  time,  left  the  shores  of  England 
were  such  that  it  was  impossible  for  me  not 
to  regard  the  doctor  with  special  interest, — 


I02  COLLEGE  LIFE, 

those  five  days  at  Portsmouth  had  been  most 
eventful  ones.  There  is  nothing  like  a  long 
sea  voyage  for  bringing  out  the  real  qualities 
of  a  man's  nature  ;  and  to  such  a  man  as  Dr. 
Henderson  the  long  confinement,  and  the 
sheer  impossibility  of  active  service  of  any 
kind,  were  peculiarly  trying.  Never,  how- 
ever, did  his  happy  spirit  fail  him,  and  the 
impression  made  upon  my  mind  was  this, — 
that  though  among  our  company  there  were 
men  of  decided  character  and  high  attain- 
ments, his  character  was  most  remarkable, 
and  his  talent  most  conspicuous.  With  all 
his  opinions  I  did  not,  of  course,  agree ;  but 
I  always  felt  that  those  opinions  were  the 
result  of  earnest  thought,  and  knowing  noth- 
ing at  that  time  of  his  early  history,  I  cpn- 
cluded,  from  his  extensive  information,  his 
gentlemanly  bearing,  and  his  ready  wit,  that 
he  had  enjoyed  all  the  advantages  of  a 
lengthened  university  education.  One  result 
of  the  masterly  self-reliance  which  had  en- 
abled him  to  force  his  way  to  the  front,  was 


THE    VOYAGE,  103 

a  contempt  for  weakness,  which  sometimes 
made  him  seem  rather  severe  on  others ; 
caring  nothing  himself  for  the  opinion  of  the 
world,  and  accustomed  to  trample  upon  diffi- 
culties, already  a  veteran  in  the  world's  battle- 
field, and  conscious  that  he  was  none  the 
worse,  but  all  the  better,  for  the  struggle, 
he  had  no  patience  with  men  w^ho  evinced 
timidity  of  spirit,  or  want  of  energy.  During 
the  voyage  the  doctor  became  a  universal 
favorite;  though  very  studious,  and  reading 
as  closely  as  if  some  stiff  examination 
awaited  him  in  Shanghai,  his  genial  pres- 
ence ofttimes  made  us  gay,  when  otherwise 
dulness  w^ould  have  reigned  on  board.  He 
was  very  kind  to  me  when  I  w^as  so  ill,  and 
on  many  occasions  during  the  voyage  it  was 
evident  that  we  had  with  us  a  most  skilful 
medical  man. 

"  He  always  took  his  turn  in  preaching  to 
the  sailors,  in  which  I  think  he  excelled  us 
all,  having  perhaps  a  greater  sympathy  with 
them  in  the  roughing  of  life,  through  which 


I04  COLLEGE  LIFE. 

many  of  them  have  to  pass.  Many  a  time 
was  his  knowledge  of  Scripture  tested  when, 
towards  dusk,  the  evenings  being  fine  and 
warm,  we  declined  to  descend  to  the  cabin 
for  prayers.  I  was  generally  called  upon  to 
give  out  a  hymn,  and  he  to  read  the  Bible ; 
but  the  light  of  the  stars  was  not  sufficient  to 
help  us  with  our  books,  and  we  had  to  trust 
to  our  memories  —  his  never  failed. 

"  He  and  I  were  the  first  to  land  in  Shang- 
hai, on  March  23,  1860.  We  left  our  party 
in  the  boat,  whilst  we  went  to  find  the  Lon- 
don Mission.  It  was  pitch  dark,  and  the 
streets  were  ankle-deep  in  mud,  for  it  had 
been  raining  for  days.  We  entered  the 
lodges  of  several  Hongs,  but  of  course  could 
make  no  one  understand.  At  length,  to  our 
joy,  we  found  the  English  consulate,  where 
we  were  furnished  with  a  guide.  After  six 
months  he  came  to  board  with  us,  and  at  the 
end  of  a  year  we  arranged  to  occupy  the 
same  house,  —  a  happy  arrangement,  as  dur- 
ing my  absence  in  the  country  he  took  such 


ARRIVES  IN  CHINA. 


I  OS 


tender  care  of  Sarah,  who  was  at  one  time 
very  ill.  In  his  hospital  work  I  often  assisted 
him  in  a  small  way,  and  very  highly  did  I 
admire  his  skill  and  success,  his  firmness  and 
kindness.  I  need  say  nothing  of  my  own 
obligations  to  him  during  the  last  months  of 
my  stay  in  China,  inasmuch  as  all  our  friends 
know  well  that,  under  God,  my  life  is  owing 
to  his  assiduous  care  and  skilful  treatment." 


III. 

SHANGHAI. 

/^N  arriving  in  Shanghai,  Dr.  Henderson 
found  the  Chinese  hospital  in  the  charge 
of  the  Rev.  W.  H.  Collins,  M.R.C.S.,  who  had 
kindly  taken  the  supervision  of  the  work  there, 
after  the  departure  of  Dr.  Hobson,  early  in 
1859.  The  annual  meeting  was  held  on  the 
23d  of  April,  when  the  following  letter  was 
laid  before  the  trustees  :  — 

"  To  the  Trustees  of  the   Chinese  Sospital, 
Shanghai, 

"  Gentlemen,  —  Having  lately  come  to 
Shanghai,  as  a  medical  missionary,  in  con- 
nection with  the  London  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, I  shall  be  glad  to  undertake  the  charge 
of  the  Chinese  hospital  here,  in  the  same 
manner  as  Drs.  Lockhart   and  Hobson  for- 


HOSPITAL  REPORT, 


107 


merly  did.  —  I  am.  Gentlemen,  your  obedient 
servant, 

"James  Henderson,  M.D.,  M.R.C.S.E. 

''A-pril21,  1860." 

It  was  then  proposed  by  the  Rev.  E.  W. 
Syle,  and  seconded  by  Dr.  Bridgman,  "  That 
this  meeting  learns  with  gratification  the  offer 
made  by  Dr.  Henderson,  and  its  acceptance  by 
the  committee." 

The  simplest  and  best  account  of  the  daily 
work  in  the  hospital  is  found  in  Dr.  Hender- 
son's Report,  which  was  read  the  following 
January  at  the  annual  meeting. 

"  The  daily  work  at  the  hospital  is  as  fol- 
lows :  At  half-past  eleven  o'clock  the  hospi- 
tal bell  begins  to  ring  for  patients  to  assemble ; 
at  a  quarter-past  twelve  the  native  preacher 
belonging  to  the  hospital  begins  the  religious 
services  in  the  hall  where  the  patients  meet ; 
he  reads  the  Scriptures  and  preaches  till  one 
o'clock,  concluding  with  prayer.  I  begin  to 
examine  the  cases  at  one  o'clock,  by  taking 


Io8  SHANGHAI. 

first  ten  women  into  the  dispensary,  where 
they  sit  down,  and  each  is  prescribed  for  sepa- 
rately ;  ten  men  are  then  admitted  in  like 
manner ;  thus  ten  women  and  ten  men  are 
admitted  successively  until  all  are  seen.  Any 
case  requiring  a  surgical  operation  is  put  aside 
till  all  the  others  are  prescribed  for.  Cases  of 
accident  are  admitted  at  all  hours.  Chin  Foo, 
my  apothecary  and  house-surgeon,  is  all  I 
could  desire;  he  has  been  in  the  hospital  now 
about  eight  years,  and  assisted  Drs.  Lockhart 
and  Hobson ;  he  is  attentive  to  all  his  duties, 
very  intelligent  and  kind  to  the  patients,  has 
carefully  read  all  Dr.  Hobson's  medical  works 
in  Chinese,  and  were  it  not  that  he  wants 
practical  anatomy,  he  would  be  a  good  sur- 
geon;  but  owing  to  the  stupid  prejudices  of 
the  Chinese,  he  has  never  seen  even  the  inte- 
rior of  a  dead  body.  I  have  tried  to  teach  him 
from  anatomical  plates,  but  these  are  not  suf- 
ficient; he  can,  however,  perform  the  minor 
operations  well  under  my  directions.  There 
is  a  dispensary  coolie  who  assists   Chin  Foo 


HOSPITAL  REPORT. 


109 


to  make  up  the  medicines  which  I  order,  and 
give  them  to  the  patients.  There  is  also  a 
door-keeper,  who  gives  each  patient  a  ticket 
as  he  is  admitted  into  the  dispensary.  Chin 
Foo's  brother,  Keih  Foo,  is  the  native  preacher 
at  the  hospital,  and  is  very  attentive  to  all  his 
duties.  After  I  begin  to  see  the  patients  in 
the  dispensary,  he  commences  to  distribute 
tracts  to  all  who  can  read,  and  to  converse 
with  those  who  are  waiting  on  the  all-impor- 
tant truths  of  Christianity.  Soon  after  my 
arrival  here  I  had  fifteen  thousand  copies  of  a 
small  tract  printed  in  Chinese,  containing, 
within  a  short  space,  an  epitome  of  the  gospel. 
Each  patient  who  can  read,  and  very  many 
can,  receives  a  copy  of  this  ;  and  thus  during 
the  past  year  large  numbers  from  different 
parts  of  the  country  have  heard  the  glad  tid- 
ings of  salvation  through  the  Redeemer.  Last 
May  I  opened  a  dispensary  in  the  city,  where 
I  attended  for  two  days  every  week,  but  was 
obliged  to  give  it  up,  the  people  having  left 
the  city  on  account  of  the  rebel  panic.     One 


no  SHANGHAI. 

hundred  and  sixty-nine  patients  have  been 
treated  in  the  wards  of  the  hospital  since 
April  last,  more  than  sixteen  thousand  persons 
have  been  prescribed  for,  and  the  aggregate 
attendance  has  been  considerably  above  twenty 
thousand.  I  have  had  a  large  number  of  opium 
smokers;  of  these  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  expressed  a  wish  to  be  cured  of  the 
habit;  scarcely  half  the  number,  however,  had 
resolution  enough  to  persevere ;  forty-two 
have  been  permanently  cured,  but  twenty-eight 
cases  disappeared  after  a  few  days'  treat- 
ment. One  of  the  forty-two  was  a  respect- 
able man's  wife,  who  had  smoked  opium  for 
more  than  ten  years,  and  was  very  anxious  to 
give  it  up ;  she  was  under  treatment  twenty- 
nine  days,  and  expressed  the  deepest  gratitude 
that  she  was  cured.  I  have  visited  forty- 
eight  opium  shops  in  and  around  the  city, 
taking  notes  of  the  cases  which  I  meet  with 
in  these  shops,  and  investigating  individual 
cases.  These  would  form  a  curious  and  inter- 
esting chapter ;  but  I  must  say  that,  so  far  as 


HOSPITAL  REPORT,  m 

I  have  yet  seen,  my  experience  differs  con- 
siderably in  some  respects  from  that  of  others 
who  have  v^ritten  on  this  subject  —  the  effects 
of  opium  upon  man ;  and  I  am  glad  to  be 
able  to  say,  that,  except  in  two  or  three  in- 
stances, I  have  failed  to  see  the  pernicious 
effects  upon  the  Chinese  to  that  extent  which 
I  was  led  to  anticipate  from  hearsay.  Noth- 
ing seems  to  excite  the  attention  of  the  Chi- 
nese here  more  than  the  use  of  chloroform. 
In  all  the  larger  operations  I  have  given  it 
with  the  best  results.  Forty  or  fifty  Chinese 
may  be  seen  v/itnessing  a  severe  operation 
on  one  of  their  own  countrymen  in  mute  as- 
tonishment, scarcely  believing  their  own  eyes 
that  the  patient  is  in  a  quiet  sleep.  When 
the  operation  is  over  they  begin  to  chatter, 
telling  each  other  that  'it  is  twelve  parts 
wonderful.'  Perhaps  a  better  class  of  patients 
than  the  Chinese  could  not  be  found  ;  most 
of  them  seem  to  have  boundless  confidence 
in  the  foreign  doctor,  and  are  ready  to  do  or 
to  submit  to  any  thing  that  he  recommends. 


112  SHANGHAI, 

I  do  not  think  a  better  field  for  medical  mis- 
sions could  exist  anywhere." 

The  following  extracts,  from  a  correspond- 
ence commenced  at  this  period,  sufficiently 
portray  Dr.  Henderson's  inward  and  outward 
life  during  the  next  twelve  months  :  — 

'-''January^  1861.  —  This  new  year  has 
dawned  upon  me  with  the  happiest  feelings, 
and  greater  peace  and  joy  than  I  have  ever 
experienced.  I  have  always  brought  in  the 
new  year  praying  to  my  Father,  who  seeth 
in  secret,  and  throughout  every  day  of  each 
year,  therefore,  He  has  never  failed  to  reward 
me  openly.  My  hospital  gets  on  very  well, 
and  I  like  my  work  very  much,  partly  because 
I  am  passionately  fond  of  my  profession ; 
and  here  my  opportunities  of  studying  it  and 
watching  the  progress  of  disease  are  ample. 

"  February.  —  The  merchants  are  all  much 
pleased  with  the  hospital  proceedings,  and  tell 
me  that  they  will  support  me  to  any  extent  in 
the  good  work.  All  expenses  connected  with 
the  hospital  are  defrayed  by  them.     Robert 


LETTERS. 


113 


preached  to  my  patients  for  the  first  time  to- 
day in  Chinese ;  Mr.  Macgowan,  also,  one  of 
our  party  on   board  the  Heroes^  began  three 

weeks   ago.       He    and    R have   worked 

very  hard  at  the  language ;  very  few  are  able 
to  speak  within  the  first  year.  I  do  not  re- 
member whether  I  told  you  that  last  summer 
I  was  elected  a  member  of  the  North  China 
branch  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society  here,  and 
last  October  I  was  made  secretary.  Mr. 
Meadows,  the  consul,  is  president.  We  meet 
the  first  Tuesday  of  every  month,  and  discuss 
scientific  subjects.  All  our  papers  lately  have 
been  on  Japan. 

"  March  4.  —  I  am  charmed  with  the  way 
you  have  spent  Christmas.  You  have  kept  it 
exactly  as  I  think  it  ought  to  be  kept,  with 
those  we  love,  and  whose  society  we  delight 
in,  all  aiming  and  striving  to  make  each  other 
happy  in  every  possible  way.  This,  I  feel 
sure,  is  what  our  heavenly  Father  would  have 
us  to  do,  and  what  our  loving  Saviour  had  in 
view  when  He  left  His  throne  in  glory  and 
8 


114 


SHANGHAI. 


took  up  His  abode  among  us  for  a  time,  that 
all  joy  and  rejoicing  might  be  ours.  I  have 
often  thought  that  Christians  dishonor  God 
in  not  rejoicing  in  His  love  —  in  not  being,  as 
it  were,  transported  with  delight  in  the  con- 
templation of  His  love  —  what  He  has  done, 
and  what  He  will  yet  do  for  them.  In  medi- 
tating on  the  past  —  what  He  has  done  for 
me  ;  enjoying  the  present  —  what  He  is  doing 
for  me  ;  in  thinking  of  the  future  —  what  He 

will  do  for  me,  O  E I  I  am  so  transported 

with  joy  and  happiness  that  I  scarcely  know 
what  to  do.  With  such  feelings,  how  little 
worth  are  all  the  so-called  pleasures  of  this 
world,  which  perish  with  the  using.  How 
very  unsubstantial  all  these  seem,  and  how 
very  little  they  ought  to  influence  a  child  of 
God,  an  heir  of  glory,  a  prince  of  God,  for  it 
is  a  favorite  maxim  of  mine  that  all  God's 
children  are  princes  and  princesses,  for  surely 
he  is  a  prince  whose  Father  is  a  King ;  and 
so  every  child  of  God  should  appear  to  others 
just  like  the  family  of  Gideon.     When  Gid- 


LETTERS. 


"5 


eon  asked  Zebah  and  Zalmunna,  '  "What 
manner  of  men  were  they  whom  ye  slew  at 
Tabor  ?  '  they  returned  the  answer,  '-  As  thou 
art,  so  were  they  ;  each  one  resembled  the 
children  of  a  king.'  So,  my  darling,  I  think 
every  child  of  God  should  be;  you  and  I 
should  be,  and  will  ever  strive  to  be,  of  God's 
true  nobility,  as  belonging  to  the  peerage 
created  by  the  King  of  kings,  heirs  of  God, 
heirs-apparent  of  a  crown  and  kingdom,  and 
great  inheritance  ;  for  we  shall  yet  occupy  a 
throne,  and  wear  a  crown  in  our  Lord's  king- 
dom ;  nothing  is  more  sure. 

"  But  I  must  close,  for  I  must  go  to  the 
hospital.  I  have  a  large  attendance  every 
fine  day,  and  many  interesting  cases  —  I 
mean,  interesting  for  me. 

"  March  22.  —  To-day  is  my  second  birth- 
day. I  shall  have  been  a  soldier  of  the  cross 
for  twelve  years  to-day,  and  what  a  loving 
Captain  I  have  served  under !  What  won- 
derful tokens  of  His  love  and  favor  have  I 
received  from  Him  during  this  period !     Spir- 


Il6  SHANGHAI, 

itual  and  temporal  blessings  inexpressible. 
And  what  a  future  is  now  before  me ! 
"When  I  think  of  these  things,  the  burden  of 
delight  is  almost  too  heavy  for  me  to  bear. 

^^  April  4.  —  Very  large  numbers  of  people 
are  still  flocking  to  my  hospital.  On  looking 
over  my  book  I  find  I  prescribed  for  3512 
people  last  month.  Just  now  I  am  getting 
last  year's  report  translated  into  Chinese, 
and  printed  for  the  benefit  of  the  Chinese 
merchants. 

"  April  22.  —  Last  Saturday  I  had  212  pa- 
tients at  the  hospital  —  more,  I  believe,  than 
ever  attended  on  one  day  before.  Three  of 
them  are  candidates  for  baptism.  Robert  is 
to  examine  them  more  fully  with  the  aid  of 
the  hospital  preacher  to-day.  Every  day  I 
have  operations  on  the  eye,  giving  sight  to  as 
many  blind  as  I  can.  Thus,  you  see,  *  the 
blind  receive  their  sight,  the  lame  walk, 
the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  the  poor  have  the 
gospel  preached  unto  them.'  I  believe  we 
are  engaged  in  a  great  and  good  work,  doing 


LETTERS.  117 

the  Master's  will,  and  sorry  indeed  should  I 
be  to  leave  it.  I  want  first  to  try  and  do  all 
the  good  I  can  for  this  poor  benighted  people, 
and  prepare  the  way  for  the  advent  of  Him 
whom  I  strive  to  serve. 

"  I  told  you  I  had  begun  to  write  the  story 
of  my  life,  but  I  have  not  touched  it  lately; 
sometimes  I  think  I  shall  not  finish  it,  at  any 
rate  I  must  leave  it  for  a  more  leisure  time. 
.  .  .  I  believe  I  began  life  in  all  its  stern 
realities  before  I  was  fourteen  years  old.  I 
have  been  in  a  hard  school  ever  since.  A 
fair  enough  field,  perhaps,  but  certainly  no 
favor;  and  during  more  than  seventeen  years' 
hard  experience  I  have  seen  many  with  pros- 
pects far  brighter,  and  circumstances  far  more 
favorable  than  mine  ever  were,  trodden  down 
and  completely  crushed  under  the  pressure 
of  rivalry  and  competition ;  some  entirely 
crushed  to  death,  and  many  receiving  such 
physical  and  moral  injury  that  they  can  never 
lift  their  heads  again.  While  I,  '  having  ob- 
tained help  of  God,  continue  unto  this  hour ' 


it8  shanghai. 

the  happiest  and  most  hopeful,  and  with 
prospects  far  brighter  than  almost  any  of  the 
children  of  men.  Most  certainly,  beloved,  do 
I  consider  the  hardest  and  most  trying  por- 
tion of  my  life  past  and  gone.  I  have  met, 
and  fought  with,  and  conquered  foes  of  al- 
most every  kind ;  ghastly  hunger  has  often 
stared  me  in  the  face,  shouting.  Give  —  give 
—  when  I  had  nothing ;  fiery  and  fierce 
disease  has  pulled  me  down  and  laid  me 
prostrate,  and  death  has  stared  me  in  the  face, 
with  no  earthly  friend  near  to  help  or  comfort 
me,  and  yet  '  none  of  these  things  could  move 
me '  much,  for  I  had  always  the  friend  near, 
who  '  sticketh  closer  than  a  brother ; '  and 
now,  by  God's  grace,  and  past  experience  of 
His  goodness,  I  feel  so  strong  and  steadfast, 
ever  trusting  in  my  Lord,  who  '  doeth  all 
things  well,'  that  I  now  rejoice  with  a  joy  al- 
most unspeakable. 

"  Several  French  army-surgeons  have  at- 
tended the  hospital  with  me  occasionally  dur- 
ing the  past  months,  and  declare  themselves 


LETTERS. 


119 


much  interested.  I  have  now  a  daily  attend- 
ance of  from  250  to  320.  Last  Monday  I 
was  sent  for  by  the  '  Taouti,'  or  chief  magis- 
trate of  the  city,  to  see  the  wife  of  one  of  his 
officers.  He  sent  a  chair  and  coolies  for  me, 
and  I  was  received  with  great  ceremony  at 
the  house  of  the  official ;  and  after  having  tea 
and  pipes  brought  in,  the  first  of  which  only 
I  tasted,  1  was  escorted  through  several  rooms 
to  the  one  in  which  the  household  gods  were 
kept,  when  my  patient  was  brought  in,  at- 
tended by  twelve  or  fifteen  women.  I  pro- 
ceeded carefully  to  examine  her,  and  then 
told  the  husband  that  the  only  effectual  rem- 
edy was  the  knife,  as  she  was  suffering  from 
abscess  of  the  breast,  and  I  wanted  to  per- 
form the  operation  at  once,  promising  to  give 
her  chloroform.  All  the  by-standers  were 
horror-struck,  as  well  as  the  patient  herself,  at 
this ;  not  so  the  husband,  he  was  most  anx- 
ious to  have  it  done,  but  no  persuasion  would 
induce  the  wife  to  submit,  and  I  was  obliged 
to  leave  with  a  promise  to  put  her  under  a 


I20  SHANGHAI. 

course  of  palliative  treatment,  which  of  course 
will  be  less  satisfactory  and  efficacious. 

"  May  15.  —  I  am  very  busy  this  week, 
having    two    papers    on    hand  —  one   is    on 

*  Medical  Missions,'  for  the  bi-monthly  con- 
ference ;  the  other,  '  Notes  on  the  Physical 
Causes  which  Modify  Climate,'  to  be  read 
next  Tuesday  at  our  meeting  of  the  Royal 
Asiatic  Society.  ...  I  have  received  a  very 
kind  message  from  some  of  the  leading  mer- 
chants, offering  to  pay  my  salary,  and  asking 
me  privately  whether  it  would  be  agreeable 
to  me  —  they  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  hos- 
pital. I  shall  let  you  know  what  is  decided 
soon. 

"  June  1.  —  I  have  been  very  busy  and 
anxious  the  last  few  days,  for  dear  Sarah  has 
been  very  ill  indeed,  and  Robert  was  up  the 
country,  and  there  has  been  no  possibility  of 
sending  him  any  word.  God  has,  however, 
blessed  the  means  I  used  to  arrest  the  disease, 
and  she  is  now  out  of  danger.     My  papers  on 

*  Climate  '  and  '  Medical  Missions '  were  well 


LETTERS.  121 

received;  and  the  editorial  committee  of  the 
North  China  branch  of  the  Royal  Asiatic 
Society  have  written  requesting  to  be  allowed 
to  put  my  paper  on  '  Climate '  into  the  So- 
ciety's journal  in  full;  this  I  have  granted, 
because  I  hope  it  may  be  useful.  I  have 
done  nothing  at  the  *  Life,'  for  really  I  feel 
afraid  of  publishing.  Do  you  know  that  I 
have  a  great  distrust  of  what  I  read  in  books, 
especially  biographies ;  it  is  so  easy  to  make 
an  indifferent  character  look  like  an  angel. 
The  merest  shade  will  often  change  the 
whole  aspect ;  and  I  think  you  will  admit 
that,  as  a  rule,  only  the  good,  the  pleasant, 
the  attractive  side  of  the  individual  written 
about  is  given.  This  is  not  fair ;  it  is  very 
apt  to  mislead.  It  is  not  so  in  the  case  of 
those  characters  given  to  us  in  the  Scriptures. 
Many  examples  I  could  mention  ;  one  has  just 
come  strikingly  before  me.  .  .  .  You  must 
not  think  that  I  despise  biographies ;  I  only 
aim  at  putting  things  and  men  in  their  right 
places,  and  assigning  a  true  value  to  each 


122  SHANGHAI. 

and  all.  I  aim  essentially  at  searching  after 
TRUTH  ;  and  whatever  has  no  truth  on  its  side, 
may  God  help  me  to  destroy ! 

^^  July  2. —  Many  of  my  friends  here,  the 
young  merchants,  are  such  good,  delightful, 
gentlemanly  fellows,  that  I  am  sure  you  will 
like  them  very  much.  About  twelve  of  us 
meet  every  Sabbath  evening  for  reading  the 
Scriptures  and  prayer.  You  can  scarcely 
imagine  how  I  value  and  love  these  dear  fel- 
lows, far  away  from  all  home  influences, 
coming  here,  at  first,  with  the  prime  object 
of  making  fortunes.  You  can  fancy  how  de- 
lightful it  is  to  see  them  coming  boldly  out 
from  the  world  and  its  wicked  ways, —  alas! 
so  common  here, —  and  planting  their  foot 
firmly  on  the  rock  of  revealed  truth,  and  say- 
ing, '  As  for  me,  I  will  serve  the  Lord.' 

"  My  house-surgeon  is  just  now  laid  aside 
by  sickness,  so  I  have  all  the  work  to  do ; 
there  is  much  illness  among  all  classes,  but 
do  not  be  anxious  about  me.  I  can  stand  a 
great  deal  of  hard  work ;  indeed,  I  feel  only 


LETTERS. 


123 


in  my  element  when  both  head  and  hands  are 
as  full  as  they  can  hold. 

"e7w??/16. —  It  is  almost  impossible  to 
write,  on  account  of  the  heat  and  mosquitoes  ; 
I  am  literally  driven  out  of  my  study,  and 
have  taken  up  my  station  on  the  veranda  up- 
stairs. This  summer  is  very  much  hotter 
than  the  last,  and  large  numbers  of  people 
are  suffering  more  or  less  from  the  heat.  I 
have  ju-st  come  in  from  the  hospital,  where  I 
was  called  to  see  a  poor  fellow  who  had 
fallen  from  a  great  height  and  broken  his 
back ;  I  have  done  what  I  could  for  him,  and 
I  think  he  will  recover,  though  he  will  have  to 
remain  for  several  weeks  in  bed. 

"  July  31.  —  Last  week,  for  three  or  four 
days  I  was  exceedingly  anxious  about  Rob- 
ert ;  he  was  taken  ill  very  suddenly,  and  his 
state  was  most  precarious;  but,  thank  God, 
the  means  I  used  were  blessed,  though  I  can- 
not allow  him  to  sit  up  yet.  I  have  had  a 
very  busy  day ;  I  was  out  visiting  the  sick  in 
the  morning,  and  it  was  so  hot  that  my  chair 


124 


SHANGHAI. 


coolies  broke  down  three  times,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  walk ;  then  I  got  word  that  one  of 
the  ladies  in  the  American  Mission  had 
burnt  her  hand  severely,  and  I  had  to  take  a 
little  boat  and  go  across  the  river  to  see  her. 
It  was  a  quarter  to  one  when  I  reached  home, 
and  at  one  I  went  to  the  hospital,  where  two 
hundred  patients  awaited  me.  When  I  had 
prescribed  for  them,  and  performed  several 
surgical  operations,  it  was  nearly  four  o'clock, 
and  on  returning  to  my  study  I  found  a  small 
pamphlet,  with  a  note  from  the  editor  of  a 
weekly  paper,  asking  me  to  write  a  short 
review. 

"  At  half-past  seven  I  had  to  conduct  the 
weekly  prayer-meeting  at  the  chapel,  as  there 
was  no  one  else  to  do  it.  Then  I  went  up- 
stairs to  see  my  patients,  Robert  and  Mrs. 
Wilson,  who  are  progressing  favorably,  and 
sat  down  to  my  pamphlet.  Now  it  is  past 
twelve.  This  is  a  specimen  of  my  life  at 
present.  Nearly  every  one  is  down  with  the 
heat  —  all  our  mission  except  Mr.  Muirhead 


LETTERS. 


125 


and  myself.  Work  is  life  for  me,  and,  thank 
God,  I  feel  strong  and  fit  for  any  thing, 
though  I  sometimes  get  tired  and  weary,  as 
you  may  suppose. 

^'August  3.  —  Robert  improves  slowly,  but 
the  weather  is  not  good  for  invalids.  One 
more  month,  however,  and  the  worst  of  the 
hot  weather  will  be  over ;  but  autumn  is  the 
most  unhealthy  here,  if  great  care  is  not  ob- 
served. And  there  is  much  more  mischief 
done  by  ignorance,  imprudence,  and  presump- 
tion, than  one  could  have  an  idea  of,  unless 
he  is  a  close  observer. 

^^  August  15.  —  From  what  I  said  in  my 
last  letter  you  will  not  be  surprised  to  hear 
that  Robert  will  soon  have  to  return  to  Eng- 
land. He  gradually  recovered  from  his  pri- 
mary illness,  but  his  strength  is  so  reduced, 
that  to  remain  here  is  entirely  out  of  the 
question.  I  need  not  tell  you  how  grieved  I 
am  at  this ;  we  have  little  need  to  lose  such 
a  missionary,  so  earnest,  so  devoted  to  the 
work,  so  longing  to  bring  souls  to  the  Sav- 


126  SHANGHAI. 

iour  —  it  will  be  a  great  responsibility  for 
those  who  are  left  behind.  There  is  some 
talk  of  building  a  new  hospital,  which  I  ex- 
pect will  be  a  great  improvement  on  this  one. 
I  have  declined  the  kind  offer  the  merchants 
lately  made  me  —  to  pay  my  salary.  After 
much  consideration  1  think  it  best  not  to  ac- 
cept it.  And  if  I  retain  my  practice,  I  hope 
soon  to  be  able  to  return  my  salary  to  our 
Society  ;  that  is,  to  support  myself  by  my 
practice,  while  at  the  same  time  I  will  never 
slacken  my  efforts  in  missionary  work  in  any 
way,  for  although  my  time  is  much  occupied, 
I  could  do  twice  as  much  if  necessary.  Pas- 
time and  idleness  are  my  greatest  misery  and 
distress. 

"  October  23.  —  I  have  just  returned  from 
seeing  our  loved  ones  R.  and  S.  leave  Shang- 
hai. How  very  eventful  and  full  of  thrilling 
interest  have  the  past  two  years  been  to  them 
and  to  us!  I  went  down  with  them  to  Woo- 
sung,  and  returned  at  half-past  six  this  morn- 
ing.    You  may  imagine  how   lonely   I   felt, 


LETTERS.  127 

returning  to  the  house  and  finding  every- 
thing quiet  and  desolate.  But  the  feeling  did 
not  last  long,  for  I  betook  myself  to  Him  to 
whom  I  used  to  go  when  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances, and  He  helped  me  and  cheered 
me  and  comforted  me.  This  was  verily 
only  a  passing  cloud  crossing  the  calm  and 
serene  atmosphere  of  my  grateful  spirit,  and 
it  was  soon  gone. 

'*  November  4.  —  Last  Saturday  we  had  a 
meeting  of  the  trustees  and  supporters  of  the 
hospital  in  my  room.  The  present  site  of  the 
hospital  is  to  be  sold,  and  the  trustees  are 
going  to  buy  ground  and  build  a  new  one ; 
also  a  house  for  me.  The  hospital  and  house 
will  be  close  to  each  other,  and  much  nearer 
the  foreign  settlement.  I  have  just  been 
to  see  an  architect.  The  matter  is  not  quite 
settled  yet,  but  we  are  to  have  another  meet- 
ing the  day  after  the  mail  leaves,  and  then 
the  whole  will  be  decided,  I  have  no  doubt 
satisfactorily  enough. 

"  November  20.  —  The  meeting  of  the  trus- 


128  SHANGHAI. 

tees  and  subscribers  was  very  satisfactory. 
The  hospital  is  to  be  removed,  and  a  house 
built  near  it.  In  another  month  I  shall  have 
to  present  the  '  Annual  Report.' 

"  We  shall  be  obliged  to  leave  our  present 
houses  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  weeks, 
as  the  ground  on  which  they  stand  is  sold. 
A  new  house,  on  the  same  plan  as  ours,  is 
going  to  be  built  by  the  London  Mission, 
and  will  be  a  great  improvement  on  the  old 
ones,  which  are  very  damp  and  unhealthy. 
The  rebels  are  within  five  miles  of  the  city  at 
present,  and  have  written  to  the  English 
consul  that '  they  mufet  have  Shanghai,  and, 
should  the  English  make  any  resistance,  they 
will  come  and  destroy  the  whole  place.' " 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  office-bearers 
and  friends  of  the  Chinese  hospital  was  held 
on  January  2,  1862,  when  the  report  was 
read,  from  which  the  following  extracts  are 
taken :  — 

"  Two  or  three  features  connected  with  ihe 
hospital  seem  to  me  most  encouraging.    First, 


REPORT. 


129 


the  attendance  is  now  more  than  double  what 
it  was  ten  years  ago.  Secondly,  both  men 
and  women  are  quite  ready  to  submit  to  any 
surgical  operation  declared  to  be  necessary. 
I  have  observed  a  growing  confidence  in  this 
during  the  past  twelve  or  fifteen  months,  and 
am  inclined  to  ascribe  the  cause  to  chloroform, 
which  I  give  freely  to  all  who  are  to  undergo 
a  painful  operation.  Thirdly,  I  observe  a 
much  larger  proportion  of  women  than  for- 
merly, and  a  greater  number  of  tradesmen 
and  shopkeepers.  Lastly,  there  is  one  thing 
which  shows,  I  think,  the  favorable  change 
now  gradually  operating  on  the  native  mind, 
and  undermining  their  national  prejudices  — 
namely,  that  during  the  year  I  have  made 
several  post-mortem  examinations  of  patients 
who  died  in  the  hospital,  and  have  performed 
a  large  number  of  surgical  operations  upon 
the  dead  body,  as  tying  arteries,  amputations, 
tracheotomy,  &c.,  in  the  presence  of  some 
native  doctors  and  others. 

"  The  work  of  the  hospital  has  been  carried 


130  SHANGHAI. 

on  in  the  usual  way  during  the  year  —  432 
persons  have  been  admitted  into  the  wards, 
and  38,069  have  been  treated  as  out-patients. 
The  largest  numbers  presented  themselves  in 
the  month  of  August,  when  4701  attended ; 
the  fewest  in  January,  when  I  had  1716." 

After  enumerating  many  interesting  cases, 
with  the  mode  of  treatment  adopted,  the 
report  continues :  — 

"  Last  spring  I  operated  on  a  man's  eyes 
for  artificial  pupil.  For  several  years  previ- 
ously he  had  only  just  been  able  to  dis- 
tinguish day  from  night,  light  from  darkness. 
Three  days  after  the  operation  he  was  able 
to  read  the  ordinary  character,  and  on  the 
fifth  day  he  left  the  hospital.  He  was  a 
boatman,  and  lives  about  half-way  to  Nankin, 
on  the  northern  bank  of  the  Yangtsze  river. 
Two  months  afterwards  he  arrived  again  in 
Shanghai  with  his  boat,  and  brought  six 
blind  people  to  the  hospital,  ^yg  men  and 
one  woman,  from  his  own  neighborhood,  and 
they  not   only   wanted   to   have   their  sight, 


REPORT.  131 

restored,  but  made  inquiries  about  the  Chris- 
tian religion,  which,  they  said,  their  friend 
who  brought  them  had  told  them  about.  I 
operated  upon  five  of  the  six ;  three  of  these 
recovered  sight  so  as  to  be  able  to  read,  two 
were  considerably  benefited,  but  one  was 
past  all  hope.  A  large  number  of  junkmen 
come  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  speak- 
ing all  sorts  of  dialects,  so  that  my  assistant 
has  sometimes  considerable  difficulty  in  mak- 
ing out  what  they  mean.  Last  spring  I  had 
the  hospital  report  of  last  year  translated  into 
Chinese,  and  a  large  number  of  copies  distrib- 
uted among  the  better  classes,  which  I  think 
led  to  my  being  called  to  visit  several  patients 
at  their  own  houses.  A  rich  merchant  called 
me  to  see  his  child,  who  was  suffering  from 
gangrene  of  both  hands  and  one  foot.  A 
graduate  also  called  me  in  to  see  his  daughter, 
a  girl  of  sixteen.  Three  native  doctors  had 
been  attending,  but  had  pronounced  her  dis- 
ease necessarily  mortal,  and  some  of  her 
friends   had   commenced  to  make  her  grave- 


13 


SHANGHAI, 


clothes.  I  found  her  laboring  under  one  of 
the  most  severe  forms  of  typhus  fever.  There 
was  intense  restlessness  and  delirium,  and  the 
case  looked  very  unpromising.  I  put  her  un- 
der treatment,  and  twenty  hours  after,  there 
was  a  decided  improvement,  and  convales- 
cence proceeded  gradually  and  steadily." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  meeting.  Dr.  Hen- 
derson, having  intimated  that  he  desired  to 
take  advantage  of  the  present  circumstances 
to  go  to  England  for  a  short  period,  returning 
to  resume  his  work  in  the  hospital  very  soon 
after  the  building  was  completed  —  "  It  was 
agreed  that  the  present  time  was  favorable  to 
Dr.  Henderson  absenting  himself  for  a  short 
period,  as  no  hospital  work  could  be  carried 
on  at  present." 


IV. 

A   VISIT   TO    ENGLAND. 

TTAVING  obtained  the  sanction  of  the 
trustees,  and  the  necessary  leave  from 
the  directors  of  the  London  Missionary  So- 
ciety, Dr.  Henderson  left  Shanghai  on  the 
10th  of  January,  1862.  In  one  or  two  letters 
he  had  expressed  a  strong  wish  not  to  leave 
his  work,  and  had  suggested  that  his  intended 
wife  should  come  out  to  him.  For  many 
reasons  this  was  decidedly  objected  to,  but  at 
last  the  consent  to  this  proposal  was  given, 
and  the  letter  containing  her  resolution  ought 
to  have  reached  him  on  the  3d  of  January. 
By  a  remarkable  coincidence,  that  mail  broke 
down  near  Penang,  and  he  had  started  before 
it  arrived  in  Shanghai ;  and  thus  many  v/ho 
would  never  have  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
him  became  acquainted  with  him;   and  the 


134  ^    VISIT  TO  ENGLAND. 

memory  of  his  visit,  though  very  brief,  pos- 
sesses a  deep  and  pleasant  interest  for  them. 

On  Tuesday,  the  25th  of  February,  Dr. 
Henderson  reached  England,  and  after  a 
brief  stay  in  Yorkshire,  went  to  Lancaster, 
where  the  two  families  who  expected  their 
beloved  ones  from  China  met  to  welcome 
them.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  R.  Dawson  had  left 
Shanghai  in  the  Solent  on  the  22d  of  the 
previous  October ;  on  the  8th  of  March  a  tele- 
gram arrived  to  say  the  ship  was  in  the 
Downs,  and  on  the  10th  the  joyful  meeting 
took  place  at  the  house  of  Edward  Dawson, 
Esq. 

One  member  of  that  circle  writes:  — 
"  Ah !  what  a  day  was  that  in  our  family  his- 
tory !  None  of  us  who  were  there  can  ever 
forget  it.  The  joyous  and  yet  half  anxious 
anticipation,  the  impatient  eagerness  as  the 
hour  drew  near  for  the  arrival  of  the  longed- 
for  travellers,  the  group  gathered  in  the  porch 
to  meet  them,  the  beloved  parents,  the  brother 
and  sister   band.      Tears   and   smiles   were 


THE  RECEPTION. 


135 


there,  and  quivering  lips,  and  warm  embraces, 
and  thanksgiving  in  every  heart.  Not  one  of 
the  least  happy  among  us  was  the  beloved 
Doctor.  Having  left  China  after  them,  and 
travelling  by  the  overland  route,  how  pleased 
was  he  to  be  here  to  give  his  warm  and 
brotherly  welcome  to  those  who  had  parted 
from  him  on  those  distant  shores,  worn  and 
enfeebled  with  sickness,  or  fearfully  anxious 
with  watching  and  sorrow.  I  seem  even  now 
to  see  the  happy  group  as  they  stood  together, 
he  and  his  beloved,  whom  he  had  come  so  far 
to  claim,  and  take  to  her  distant  home ;  and 
the  two  bronzed  thin  faces,  returned  from 
foreign  toil;  and  I  see  them,  too,  as  they 
moved  merrily  round  the  magnificent  bonfire 
we  kindled  on  the  hill  at  night,  as  a  token  to 
loving  friends  far  and  near  that  the  exiles  had 
returned,  and  that  every  heart  was  rejoicing 
in  their  safety.  Cheeriest  among  the  cheerful 
that  night  was  Dr.  Henderson,  the  firelight 
glancing  on  his  '  bonnie '  curls,  and  beaming 
eyes  and  glowing  cheeks,  as  he  lent  a  hand  to 


136  A    VISIT  TO  ENGLAND. 

pile  yet  higher  the  blazing  logs  and  branches 
that  crackled  forth  their  welcome  home! 

"  And  the  happy  days  that  followed !  — 
only,  alas,  too  few  I  —  ere  the  betrothed  ones 
were  united  for  all  time  and  eternity,  and 
started  on  their  long  journey ;  days  in  which 
his  wise  mirthfulness  won  all  hearts,  and  his 
noble  character,  as  it  quietly  unfolded  itself 
in  the  home  circle,  was  more  and  more  truly 
appreciated." 

Amidst  this  quiet  gladness,  Dr.  Hender- 
son's heart  was  yet  longing  to  return  to  his 
work.  Before  his  marriage  he  went  to  Glas- 
gow and  engaged  passages  in  the  screw 
steamer  Lotus^  which  was  advertised  to  leave 
early  in  April.  He  also  visited  Edinburgh, 
and  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  many 
dear  friends  there,  and  being  present  at  a 
meeting  of  the  Edinburgh  Medical  Mis- 
sionary Society. 

On  the  27th  of  March  he  was  married,  and 
after  two  or  three  quiet  days  in  the  south  of 
England,  he  visited,  with  his  wife,  many  dear 


MARRIAGE,  1 37 

relatives  and  friends.  He  particularly  enjoyed 
seeing  her  grandfather,  the  Rev.  John  Clayton, 
and  hearing  him  preach,  and  often  afterwards 
referred  to  this  pleasure.  Two  or  three 
delightful  days  were  spent  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
England,  and  one  at  Walthamstow;  but  he 
much  regretted  that  the  illness  of  Dr.  Evans 
deprived  him  of  the  society  of  these  valued 
friends,  as  he  had  gone  with  Mrs.  E.  to  the 
Isle  of  Wight  for  change  of  air.  In  April 
the  travellers  went  to  Glasgow,  expecting  to 
sail  on  the  27th,  but,  as  is  not  unusual  in 
such  cases,  the  departure  of  the  steamer  was 
again  and  again  postponed.  A  week  was 
delightfully  spent  in  Edinburgh,  where  they 
were  joined  by  their  mother  and  sister  and 
other  friends,  and  greatly  did  Dr.  Henderson 
enjoy  showing  them  the  beauties  of  the  city 
of  which  he  had  so  often  spoken,  not  forget- 
ting to  point  out  some  of  the  narrow  lanes 
and  wynds  near  the  Cowgate,  where  so  many 
hours  of  his  time  had  been  spent  in  connec- 
tion with  his  work  at  the  Main  Point  Institu- 


138  A    VISIT  TO  ENGLAND, 

tion.     The  final  orders  to  be  on  board  were 
given  on  the  3d  of  May. 

On  Sunday,  the  10th  of  August,  they 
reached  Singapore,  and  on  the  17th  of 
August  landed  at  Hong-Kong,  where  a 
happy  fortnight  was  spent  with  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Legge.  A  journal  kept  during  the 
pleasant  voyage  thus  concludes :  — 

"  Shanghai^  September  11.  —  We  were  not 
fairly  off  from  Hong-Kong  till  six  o'clock  on 
Tuesday  morning,  and  the  following  Sunday 
we  passed  the  '  Saddle '  islands.  There  was 
too  much  bustle  and  excitement  for  a  public 
service,  so  the  Doctor  read  to  me  some 
favorite  passages,  full  of  thanksgiving,  hope, 
and  trust.  At  night  we  had  a  fearful  thun- 
der-storm, and,  as  no  pilot  came  near,  we 
anchored.  At  three,  p.m.,  on  Monday  we 
arrived  at  our  anchorage,  two  miles  below  the 
settlement,  and  the  Doctor  went  ashore  at 
once.  When  he  returned,  he  brought  the 
news  that  the  hospital  was  quite  finished,  but 
our  house  would  not  be  ready  for  five  or  six 


RETURN  TO  SHANGHAI,  139 

weeks,  so  he  had  gratefully  accepted  the  offer 
of  some  kind  friends  in  the  American  Mission 
to  lend  us  theirs  while  they  were  away  in 
Japan.  We  remained  on  board  all  night, 
and  next  morning  were  really  sorry  to  leave 
the  Lotus^  where  we  had  spent  so  many 
happy  days,  and  where  every  one  had  been  so 
kind  to  us.  It  took  us  some  time  to  reach 
the  settlement  in  a  little  '  san-pan,'  or  native 
boat,  and  I  was  surprised  and  pleased  with 
the  handsome  appearance  of  the  houses  as  we 
neared  the  Bund.  We  went  over  the  hospi- 
tal, and  looked  at  our  house.  Chin  Foo  is  ill 
at  present,  so  there  was  no  daily  attendance 
at  the  hospital,  but  to-morrow  the  Doctor 
begins  his  work  there,  and  the  numbers  will 
soon  be  as  large  as  ever.  He  is  overjoyed  to 
get  back  to  it  again,  and  every  one  has  such 
a  warm  welcome  for  him,  it  is  most  delightful 
to  me  to  see  it." 


EARNEST  WORK. 

lY /TUCH  as  Dr.  Henderson  rejoiced  to  return 
to  his  work,  and  to  his  numerous  friends 
in  Shanghai,  he  found  —  as,  alas!  is  so  often 
the  case  there  —  that  even  during  his  brief 
absence  the  circle  had  been  broken  by  the 
rude  hand  of  Death.  To  this  he  refers  in  a 
letter  written  at  this  time  to  his  wife's  youngest 
sister. 

"  Till  we  meet,  beloved  sister,  be  of  good 
comfort;  let  nothing  cast  you  down,  for  in 
every  thing  be  fully  assured  that  One  in  per- 
fect wisdom  and  perfect  love  is  working  for 
the  best,  and  the  time  will  yet  come  when  you 
shall  declare  that  all  was  done  in  love  and 
mercy  by  Him  who  cannot  err,  and  that  in 
looking  on  the  past  there  is  nothing  which  we 
would  have  changed  or  altered  in  any  wise. 


HOSPITAL  REPORT,  141 

You  know  this  great  and  blessed  truth,  though 
for  the  present  the  trials  are  not  joyous,  but 
grievous ;  but  have  patience ;  still  trust  in 
God,  for  you  shall  yet  have  cause  to  praise 
Him.  Emmie  will  have  given  you  the  account 
of  our  voyage.  Perhaps  she  did  not  mention 
the  dreadful  mortality  among  my  friends  here ; 
no  less  than  eleven  have  died  since  last  Feb- 
ruary. One  of  them  was  the  English  chaplain 
in  Shanghai, the  Rev.  Mr.  Hobson.  Alas!  alas! 
how  uncertain  is  life  in  China." 

The  improvements  in  the  new  hospital  are 
alluded  to  in  the  Annual  Report  for  1862. 

"  The  Sixteenth  Annual  Report  of  the 
Chinese  hospital  announces  the  removal  and 
re-erection  of  the  building  on  a  new  and  more 
convenient  site,  and  in  a  better  locality  than 
formerly.  The  hospital  itself  has  undergone 
no  essential  change,  either  in  appearance  or 
extent,  but  numerous  minor  improvements 
have  been  made,  such  as  elevating  the  floors, 
flooring  the  large  hall  with  wood  instead  of 
brick,  and  substituting  glass   for  oyster-shell 


142  EARNEST  WORK. 

windows.  Moreover,  having  the  surgeon's 
house  in  close  proximity  to  the  hospital  is  a 
matter  of  great  convenience,  as  his  attendance 
is  often  required  at  all  hours,  both  day  and 
night. 

"  Thirty  in-door  patients  with  their  attend- 
ants can  be  accommodated  with  ease  in  the 
six  wards.  There  is  a  ward  for  women,  one 
for  domestic  servants,  one  for  soldiers,  one  for 
beggars,  and  two  for  other  patients.  My  chief 
assistant.  Chin  Foo,  and  the  hospital  native 
preacher,  have  rooms  for  themselves  and  their 
families  over  the  wards,  at  the  east  wing  of  the 
building,  and  the  dispensary  and  hospital 
coolies  have  small  rooms  off  the  east  end  of 
the  hall.  This  hall  is  exceedingly  comfort- 
able, and  will  contain  about  three  hundred 
out-door  patients.  The  surgery  is  at  the  west 
end  of  it,  and  here  all  the  medicines  are 
prepared,  and  the  minor  surgical  operations 
performed  ;  while  the  larger  operations,  ampu- 
tations, &c.,  are  performed  in  the  centre  of 
the  hall." 


HOSPITAL  REPORT, 


143 


Two  days  after  Dr.  Henderson's  arrival  he 
began  his  stated  work  in  the  hospital,  and 
soon  the  number  of  patients  was  as  large  as 
formerly.  The  increased  space  and  comfort 
were  much  appreciated  by  him,  and  many 
plans  he  had  before  been  unable  to  carry  out 
were  now  commenced.  In  October  the  house 
built  for  him  by  the  trustees  of  the  hospital 
was  completed,  and  greatly  did  he  enjoy  the 
feeling  of  having  a  home  of  his  own. 

On  Wednesday,  the  3d  of  February,  1863, 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  friends  of  the 
Chinese  hospital  was  held ;  and  after  the 
statement  before  referred  to  with  reference  to 
the  removal  of  the  building,  the  report  con- 
tinues :  — 

"  The  work  of  the  hospital  is  carried  on  as 
formerly.  At  eight,  a.m.,  there  is  a  short  relig- 
ious service  in  the  hall  for  the  assistants,  and 
all  the  in-door  patients  who  are  able  to  attend. 
At  twelve,  the  native  preacher  and  a  m^^mber 
of  the  London  Mission  begin  to  read  the 
Scriptures  and  preach  to  the  out-door  patients. 


144 


EARNEST   WORK. 


I  go  into  the  surgery  at  one,  and  examine  and 
prescribe  for  them,  taking  ten  men  and  ten 
women  alternately,  while  the  others  wait. 
Cases  of  accident  and  serious  disease  are 
admitted  at  all  hours.  The  in-door  patients 
are  all  examined,  prescribed  for,  and  have 
their  wounds  dressed,  immediately  after 
attending  to  the  out-door  patients.  This  is 
the  daily  work  of  the  hospital  for  six  days 
every  week.  Some  might  think  the  work  un- 
interesting and  monotonous,  but  to  a  man 
who  is  fond  of  his  profession  it  is  the  very 
reverse ;  for,  apart  altogether  from  the  higher 
motive  of  healing  the  sick  and  helping  the 
poor  and  wretched  according  to  Christ's  com- 
mand, and  after  His  example,  to  me  there  is 
a  deep  interest  in  the  work  as  a  whole,  and 
something  interesting  and  new  may  be 
gathered  from  almost  every  individual  case. 
A  better  field  for  watching  the  progress  of 
different  diseases  and  the  effect  of  remedies 
could  not  be  found." 

After   detailing   the   means    employed    in 


HOSPITAL  REPORT.  145 

treating  various  forms  of  disease,  and  giving 
an  account  of  the  most  important  and  inter- 
esting cases,  the  report  continues  :  — 

"  It  would  be  an  easy  thing  to  multiply 
cases,  but  those  given  will  afford  some  idea 
of  the  work  carried  on.  I  am  frequently 
asked  if  the  Chinese  are  grateful  for  what  is 
done  for  them.  As  a  rule  they  are  not ;  indi- 
viduals occasionally  express  their  gratitude  : 
but  this  is  nothing  to  the  purpose  —  I  never 
came  to  China  to  gain  the  people's  gratitude, 
but  to  try  to  do  them  good ;  and  the  man 
who  expects  gratitude  from  the  Chinese  will 
be  wofuUy  disappointed.  But  though  the 
people  do  not  show  their  thankfulness,  they 
cannot  fail  to  see  that  the  aims  and  objects 
of  the  hospital  are  for  their  good  ;  and  though 
the  influence  is  silent,  it  is  steady  and  strong 
in  the  right  direction,  and  they  certainly  have 
great  confidence  in  the  institution,  and  the 
work  carried  on  in  it. 

"  Much  good  may  thus  be  done  by  healing 
the  sick  in  recommending  our  holy  religion 
10 


146  EARNEST  WORK, 

to  a  people  who,  above  all  others,  are  mate- 
rialistic, and  indifferent  about  every  thing 
beyond  their  immediate  bodily  wants  ;  and 
hence  the  opportunity  is  taken  by  members 
of  the  London  Mission,  and  by  the  hospital 
native  preacher,  of  putting  before  the  as- 
sembled patients  the  all-important  truths  of 
Christianity,  and  of  giving  them  portions  of 
Scripture  and  other  books  to  carry  to  their 
homes.  And  thus,  as  patients  present  them- 
selves from  almost  all  parts  of  the  empire,  a 
knowledge  of  the  Christian  religion,  more  or 
less,  is  spread  far  and  wide." 

The  history  of  many  cases  treated  in  the 
hospital,  and  Dr.  Henderson's  observations  in 
therapeutics,  though  out  of  place  here,  found 
great  acceptance  among  the  professional  men 
who  saw  the  reports,  and  are  highly  spoken 
of  in  more  than  one  professional  work. 
And  though  all  readers  found  much  to  in- 
terest them  in  these  brief  notices,  they  were 
even  more  valuable  to  those  who,  from  their 
medical    knowledge,    could    appreciate    the 


CHARACTER  AND  INFLUENCE.      147 

care,  the  pains,  and  skill  which  he  bestowed 
on  this  daily  work. 

Quiet  and  accurate  in  observation,  very 
methodical  and  punctual,  he  seemed,  to  out- 
side observers,  to  go  through  it  all  with  the 
greatest  ease  ;  and  yet  to  most  men  it  would 
have  been  almost  overpowering.  One  secret 
of  his  success  lay  in  his  untiring  diligence, 
and  constant  employment  of  every  moment. 
Time  was  a  precious  gift,  never  thrown 
away,  and  every  hour  of  the  day  had  its 
own  appropriate  duties  so  arranged  that  they 
never  seemed  to  clash  with  each  other.  He 
was  never  hurried  in  his  visits,  or  late  for  an 
appointment,  and  though  very  soon  after  his 
arrival,  he  was  busy  from  morning  till  night, 
he  still  found  time  for  professional  reading, 
and  those  studies  and  investigations  which 
he  considered  it  his  duty,  as  it  was  his  pleas- 
ure, to  pursue.  Little  did  some  of  his 
patients  guess  the  hours  of  careful  thought 
he  bestowed  on  them,  for  he  was  not  one 
to   make   a  display,   oftener    concealing    his 


148  EARNEST  WORK. 

anxiety,  and  being  most  reserved  on  those 
subjects  on  which  he  felt  most  deeply  and 
tenderly. 

His  "  seventeen  years'  hard  experience " 
after  his  mother's  death,  when  he  had  no  one 
to  whom  he  could  pour  out  his  joys  and  sor- 
rows, had  perhaps  produced  this  reserve  of 
his  deepest  feelings.  He  knew  the  world  too 
well  to  expect  or  claim  much  sympathy  from 
it,  and  yet  he  was  not  in  the  least  soured  or 
discontented.  He  was  remarkably  genial  and 
friendly,  and  though,  perhaps,  some  strangers 
might  think  him  indifferent  or  occasionally 
stern,  those  who  knew  him  in  his  own  home 
loved  him  very  dearly.  It  was  there  that  his 
character  shone  in  its  sweetest,  brightest 
colors,  and  those  who  enjoyed  the  pleasure 
of  his  society  there  will  not  soon  forget  the 
radiance  that  he  ever  brought  with  him.  No 
gloom  or  shade  seemed  possible  where  he 
was ;  he  was  so  hopeful  and  cheerful,  always 
looking  on  the  bright  side,  always  thanking 
God  for  His  great  mercies.     To  live  with  him 


CHARACTER  AND  INFLUENCE.      149 

was  like  dwelling  on  the  mountain-side,  above 
all  the  mists  and  fogs  of  lower  ground,  and  his 
influence  could  not  but  be  felt  as  a  great  help 
and  blessing.  The  secrets  of  his  inner  life 
were,  however,  rarely  mentioned,  except  to 
his  wife,  and  she  knew  as  none  else  the  anx- 
iety and  care,  the  thought  and  prayer,  be- 
stowed on  every  part  of  his  daily  work. 
Once  he  said  to  her,  "  Do  you  know,  I  have 
never  lost  a  patient  for  whom  I  have  been 
specially  drawn  out  in  prayer.  If  I  can 
plead  for  their  recovery  with  earnestness,  I 
hnow  God  will  restore  them ;  but  I  feel  some- 
times as  if  He  said  to  me,  '  I  cannot  grant 
this  prayer,  do  not  ask  for  life,'  and  then  I 
never  pray  for  restoration,  only  that  they  may 
be  ready  to  die."  It  was  beautiful  to  witness 
his  very  simple  and  child-like  faith ;  his  sure 
conviction  that  God  heard  every  petition. 
He  often  said  there  was  not  one  thing  he 
had  specially  prayed  for  that  had  not  been 
granted  him  ;  and  in  a  note  written  to  his 
wife,  the  first  Christmas  after  their  marriage, 


ISO 


EARNEST  WORK. 


he  expresses  himself  as  few  can  ever  do  in 
this  world.  "  Never  did  Christmas  morning 
dawn  so  joyfully  on  this  heart  as  this  Christ- 
mas. My  joy  is  now  complete,  my  heart  is 
now  full,  all  my  longings  satisfied,  I  can  wish 
for  nothing  more."  In  his  home  his  heart 
rested,  and  he  rejoiced  very  much  to  welcome 
there  the  friends  of  whom  his  early  letters 
had  spoken.  He  was  always  happy  when 
surrounded  by  them,  and  was  glad  of  every 
opportunity  of  affording  them  counsel  and 
sympathy.  To  the  opinion  of  the  outside 
world  he  was  indifferent,  as  far  as  it  con- 
cerned himself.  It  was  not  possible  that  in 
a  community  like  Shanghai  any  one,  espe- 
cially a  public  man,  could  escape  comment. 
When  the  criticisms  were  favorable,  he  was 
not  elated  —  when  the  reverse,  he  would 
quote  the  saying  carved  on  the  gateway  of 
an  old  castle :  "  They  say  —  What  say 
THEY ?  —  LET  THEM  SAY ! "  adding  —  "If  I  do 
my  duty,  I  care  not." 

He  did  not,  however,  forget  the  claims  of 


CHARACTER  AND  INFLUENCE.      15 1 

the  settlement,  for  whose  welfare  he  was  very 
desirous.  He  wrote  and  spoke  much  of  the 
necessity  of  a  general  hospital  for  foreigners, 
and  brought  the  subject  constantly  before  the 
community  ;  and  when  one  was  established, 
he  took  the  liveliest  interest  in  its  welfare. 
He  wrote  also  on  the  advantage  of  a  sana- 
torium for  Shanghai,  and  was  never  silent 
when  he  thought  his  voice  might  be  heard  to 
purpose. 

Though  living  a  quiet,  and  in  some  respects 
a  routine  life,  it  was  never  monotonous  ;  and 
there  was  always  something  fresh  and  interest- 
ing in  the  hospital,  which  was  his  chief 
delight.  He  knew  exactly  how  to  manage 
the  Chinese,  and  made  himself  acquainted 
with  all  the  in-door  patients,  spending  much 
time  with  them,  listening  to  their  histories, 
and,  through  the  assistant-surgeon  or  hospital 
chaplain,  giving  them  good  advice.  Many  of 
them  were  heard  of  in  after  days  by  letter  or 
message,  and,  if  visiting  Shanghai,  would 
come  to  "  chin-chin "  him ;   and  in   passing 


152  EARNEST   WORK. 

through  the  streets  with  him,  one  and  another 
could  be  heard  saying, ''  There  is  the  Doctor." 
His  friends  will  recall  many  an  amusing 
story  connected  with  the  work  of  the  hospi- 
tal, yet,  notwithstanding  the  trouble  he 
occasionally  had  with  his  Chinese  patients, 
he  liked  them,  and  they  all  knew  that  he 
was  their  friend.  He  rarely  passed  the  hos- 
pital without  turning  in  to  see  how  matters 
were  going  on,  apart  from  the  stated  times 
that  he  devoted  to  his  duties  there ;  and  dur- 
ing the  whole  period  of  his  residence  in 
Shanghai,  he  was  never  absent  from  it  for 
one  whole  day,  except  when  compelled  by  ill- 
ness to  keep  his  room,  and  to  go  to  Hankow 
for  ten  days  for  change  of  air  in  1864. 

After  Dr.  Henderson  arrived  in  Shanghai, 
he  was  frequently  asked  to  help  in  conduct- 
ing the  services  in  the  London  Mission 
Chapel ;  he  did  not  usually  preach,  preferring 
to  read  a  first-rate  printed  sermon,  than  give 
what  he  considered  an  inferior  discourse  of 
his  own.     He  judged  himself  rather  severely 


CHARACTER  AND  INFLUENCE.       153 

in  this  matter,  as  many  who  heard  his  one  or 
two  sermons  much  enjoyed  the  originality 
and  thought  they  contained. 

In  the  winter  of  1862-63  he  gave  a  series  of 
week-evening  lectures  to  the  English  soldiers 
stationed  in  Shanghai,  chiefly  on  historical 
subjects ;  and  the  Sunday  evening  meeting, 
which  he  had  referred  to  in  his  letters,  was 
resumed,  and  held  in  his  house.  Owing  to 
the  disordered  state  of  the  country,  and  the 
misery  in  the  villages,  caused  by  rebel  and 
imperialist  soldiers,  great  numbers  of  country 
people  flocked  to  Shanghai,  and  the  city  was 
crowded  with  refugees.  In  December,  1862, 
and  January,  1863,  there  was  fearful  distress 
among  these  poor  creatures,  many  of  whom 
could  find  no  habitations,  though  the  English 
settlement  was  much  encroached  on  by  houses 
built  to  meet  the  demand,  and  the  most 
wretched  dwellings  commanded  a  heavy  rent. 
Bamboo  and  mat  sheds  were  erected,  and 
subscriptions  were  raised  to  purchase  food 
for  the  starving  multitudes,  but  all  could  not 


154  EARNEST  WORK. 

be  reached,  and  one  scene,  among  many, 
shows  the  distress  that  constantly  met  the 
Doctor's  eye. 

A  letter  written  at  this  time  says :  — 
"  Just  as  we  were  going  to  chapel,  Mr. 
Sillar  came  running  up  to  the  Doctor,  and 
asked  him  to  go  with  him  to  see  some 
refugees,  about  two  miles  off,  who  were  in  a 
deplorable  condition.  He  started  immediately, 
and  on  reaching  the  miserable  shed,  divided 
into  two  compartments,  found  nearly  a  hun- 
dred poor  creatures  huddled  together ;  five 
were  dead,  many  dying,  others  very  ill,  all 
starving.  As  the  Doctor  drew  near  they 
screamed  for  food,  or  moaned  out  their  ail- 
ments. The  place  was  in  such  a  state,  that 
Mr.  S.,  unaccustomed  to  such  sights,  could 
not  enter.  Some  of  the  poor  things  had  been 
dead  seven  or  eight  days,  and  were  rotting  in 
the  filthy  straw  that  had  not  been  changed 
for  weeks.  There  they  lay,  with  limbs 
stretched  out  or  twisted,  just  as  death's 
agonies  had  left  them,  and  so  terrible  was  the 


STARVING   CHINESE.  155 

apathy  among  the  living  that  no  one  had 
thought  of  removing  them ;  one  little  child 
had  crept  between  two  dead  bodies  to  get  the 
shelter  of  a  mat  that  covered  them.  Coolies 
were  called  from  the  street,  but  they  would  not 
touch  the  corpses,  till  the  Doctor  with  his  own 
hands  brought  one  outside,  when  they  took 
courage  and  helped  him  with  the  rest.  After 
removing  thes6,  a  huge  bowl  of  rice  was  ob- 
tained, and  the  poor  things  clustered  round, 
and  fought  for  it  like  savage  wolves.  A  few 
days  after,  the  Doctor  went  with  Mr.  S.  to  see 
them  again.  The  place  had  been  thoroughly 
cleaned,  food  provided,  and  a  Chinese  Chris- 
tian was  taking  care  of  them.  They  were 
supplied  with  Testaments,  and  many  were 
reading  as  they  entered.  At  least  thirty  lives 
have  been  saved.  A  great  many  children 
are  brought  to  the  hospital  now,  found  in  the 
streets  in  a  dying  state.  One  little  fellow 
was  carried  in  a  few  days  ago,  who  would 
not  have  lived  through  the  night  had  he  been 
left  under  the  door-way  where  he  was  lying. 


156 


EARNEST   WORK, 


A  girl  about  twelve  years  old  was  sent  in 
lately  who  has  had  both  her  feet  chopped  off 
by  some  soldiers ;  poor  little  creature,  she 
smiles  quite  cheerfully  when  I  go  in,  and 
seems  so  fond  of  the  Doctor,  he  is  at  a  loss 
what  to  do  with  her,  and  also  with  another 
child  about  the  same  age ;  for  the  hospital  is 
not  a  fit  school  for  them.*  Whenever  the 
Doctor  has  to  go  out  in  the  night,  or  very 
early  in  the  morning,  he  is  sure  to  see  one  or 
two  dead  bodies  lying  in  the  roads.  Coffins 
made  in  the  rudest,  slightest  manner,  are  laid 
under  the  city  walls,  and  on  any  waste  piece 
of  ground,  without  attempt  at  covering. 
When  the  hot  weather  comes  there  will  be 
much  sickness,  w^e  fear,  among  the  Chinese." 
During  this  spring  Dr.  Henderson  employed 
his  spare  moments  in  writing  a  pamphlet, 
entitled  "  Shanghai    Hygiene ;    or.   Hints  for 


*  The  following  autumn  the  two  gMs  were  taken  to 
Hong-Kong  by  one  of  the  devoted  ladies  connected  with 
the  German  Mission  there,  and  when  last  heard  of  were 
happy,  and  giving  encouragement  to  their  kind  friend. 


CHOLERA.  157 

the  Preservation  of  Health  in  Shanghai."  It 
found  great  acceptance  in  the  community, 
and  was  very  favorably  reviewed  in  the  Medi- 
cal Times  and  Gazette. 

During  the  summer  cholera  was  very  se- 
vere in  Shanghai,  and  Dr.  Henderson's  work 
in  the  hospital  was  greatly  increased,  for,  in 
addition  to  the  large  numbers  who  crowded 
in  during  the  day,  he  was  constantly  called 
up  in  the  night  to  attend  those  whose  cases 
admitted  of  no  delay.  He  thus  refers  to  the 
visitation  in  the  annual  report  for  1863:  — 

"  Cholera  became  common,  and  assumed  a 
rather  unmanageable  type  about  the  middle 
of  June ;  the  great  heat  commenced  on  the 
24th  of  June,  and  lasted,  without  intermission, 
until  the  15th'  of  July ;  and  during  those 
three  weeks  the  mortality  among  the  Chinese 
was  very  great  —  seven,  eight,  nine,  ten,  eleven, 
twelve  hundred  daily,  and  on  the  14th  July  the 
mortality  reached  1500  in  twenty-four  hours." 

On  the  14th  of  July  Dr.  Henderson's  eldest 
child,  a  son,  was  born,  and  very  joyfully  he 


158  EARNEST  WORK, 

wrote  to  her  whom  he  now  loved  to  call  his 
"beloved  mother,"  telling  her  of  the  new 
gladness  that  had  come  to  the  home  already 
so  full  of  blessing ;  but  the  earthly  enjoyment 
of  that  precious  life  was  very  short,  for  at  the 
end  of  three  weeks  the  little  child  was  taken 
suddenly  ill,  and,  after  suffering  for  thirty-six 
hours,  the  Saviour  took  him  to  Himself. 
Very  characteristic  was  the  way  in  which  Dr. 
Henderson  told  his  wife  of  the  extreme  dan- 
ger of  the  attack;  he  called  her  from  the 
nursery,  and  sitting  down  beside  her,  said, 
very  gently,  "  Love,  would  it  not  be  an  honor 
for  us  to  have  a  little  son  in  heaven  ?  "  There 
was  but  one  answer  to  be  given  to  such  a 
question,  asked  in  a  tone  of  tender  love  and 
high  courage,  and  though  tears  came  fast, 
and  the  pain  of  parting  was  severe,  the  sacred 
sympathy  of  sorrow  brought  its  own  blessing 
with  it  both  from  heaven  and  earth.  Few 
persons  guessed  how  very  closely  this  new 
love  had  twined  round  the  father's  heart,  but 
months  afterwards  the  handkerchief  that  he 


SYMPATHY.  159 

had  used,  when  moistening  the  lips  of  his 
dying  child,  was  found  carefully  wrapped  up 
and  laid  aside,  and  the  sweet  memory  dwelt 
constantly  with  him,  though  he  rarely  alluded 
to  it  except  to  his  wife. 

The  rest  of  the  year  passed  without  inci- 
dent, its  busy,  happy  days  filled  up  with  duty, 
and  the  evenings  often  cheered  by  the  society 
of  friends.  It  was  his  greatest  refreshment, 
after  a  hard  day's  work,  to  sit  down  and 
enjoy  an  hour's  converse  with  any  one  with 
whom  he  sympathized,  or  with  them  to  listen 
to  a  simple  Scotch  ballad,  such  as  "  The 
Land  o'  the  Leal,"  or  "  Auld  Robin  Gray." 
He  had  a  happy  facility  of  entering  into  the 
joys  and  sorrows  of  others,  and  making  them 
feel  that  he  was  truly  their  friend,  and  under- 
stood them  ;  and  this  instinctively  drew  them 
out,  and  he  became  the  confidant  of  many 
who  came  to  him  for  advice  and  counsel,  and 
who  to  this  day  cherish  the  memory  of  his 
kindness. 

The  meeting  of  the  friends  of  the  hospital 


l6o  EARNEST  WORK, 

was  held  in  February,  1864,  when  the  report 
was  read,  from  which  the  following  extracts 
are  taken  :  — 

"  The  Chinese  hospital  has  now  entered  its 
eighteenth  year,  and,  without  any  invidious 
comparisons,  I  can  confidently  say,  that  no 
other  hospital  in  China  has  had  such  a  career 
of  continued  prosperity  and  success.  Similar 
institutions  have  had  their  ups  and  downs,  a 
checkered  existence  from  various  causes,  and 
some  have  ceased  to  be ;  but  with  the  excep- 
tion of  four  months,  during  its  removal  to  a 
more  eligible  site,  this  hospital  has  been  con- 
stantly open  to  the  sick  and  suffering  the  last 
seventeen  years ;  and  during  this  period  up- 
wards of  a  quarter  of  a  million  people  have 
received  treatment.  During  the  first  ten  years 
the  annual  aggregate  attendance  was  from 
ten  thousand  to  fifteen  thousand  ;  the  last  few 
years  it  has  gradually  increased,  and  last 
year,  it  will  be  observed,  the  aggregate  at- 
tendance was  close  upon  fifty  thousand. 

"  Opium  smokers  have  been  unusually  nu- 


HOSPITAL  REPORT.  i6l 

merous  during  the  year,  for  nearly  four 
months  preceding  the  middle  of  September 
the  attendance  was  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
daily.  About  this  period  I  made  it  a  rule 
that  every  patient  coming  under  treatment 
should  bring  his  opium  pipe  as  a  guarantee 
that  he  was  willing  to  stop  the  bad  habit. 
This  rule  modified  the  numbers  applying 
amazingly,  and  up  to  this  date  I  have  only 
got  twenty-eight  pipes.  Nevertheless,  I  shall 
strictly  enforce  this  rule  in  future,  as  I  believe 
it  is  perfectly  fair  and  just. 

"  Forty-four  cases  of  opium  poisoning  came 
under  treatment  this  year,  fifteen  men  and 
twenty-nine  women :  of  these  fifteen  men, 
seven  died  and  eight  recovered  ;  of  the  twenty- 
nine  v/omen,  seven  died  and  twenty-two  re- 
covered. Unfortunately  these  cases  are  not 
brought  until  all  the  skill  of  the  native  doc- 
tors is  exhausted,  and  hence  much  precious 
time  and  many  lives  are  lost. 

"  Many  operations  on  the  eye  have  been 
performed.  One  man,  a  shopkeeper,  who 
11 


1 62  EARNEST  WORK. 

had  been  blind  for  three  years,  readily  sub- 
mitted to  the  operation  for  cataract.  I  need 
not  say  that  he  was  much  delighted  when, 
on  the  twelfth  day  after  it,  he  was  able  to 
read  the  New  Testament  character  with 
facility.  This  man  left  the  hospital  in  very 
high  spirits,  declaring  that  he  would  make 
known  the  gospel  doctrine  to  all  his  friends 
and  neighbors." 

On  the  1st  of  March,  1864,  the  North  China 
branch  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  which 
had  fallen  into  decay,  was  formally  reorgan- 
ized. Dr.  Henderson  taking  an  active  part  in 
its  restoration.  Sir  Harry  Parkes,  K.C.B., 
was  elected  president,  and  Dr.  Henderson 
vice-president.  On  the  6th  of  July  he  read 
part  of  a  paper  before  the  society  on  "  The 
Character  of  the  Chinese,"  and  when  the 
society's  journal  was  published  at  the  close 
of  the  year,  his  paper  on  "  Climate,"  and 
another  on  "  The  Medicine  and  Medical 
Practice  of  the  Chinese,"  appeared  in  it. 
During  the  spring  he  was  much  gratified  to 


MEDICAL  HONOR.  163 

receive  a  letter  announcing  that  he  had  been 
elected  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  College  of 
Surgeons  of  Edinburgh.  To  this  Dr.  Handy- 
side  refers  in  the  following  words :  —  "  After 
Dr.  Henderson's  return  to  China,  in  1862,  his 
exertions  in  the  Chinese  hospital  and  the 
published  results  of  his  labors  there,  together 
witJi  his  scientific  accomplishments  as  vice- 
president  of  the  Asiatic  Society,  led  to  his 
being  proposed  as  a  Fellow  of  the  Royal  Col- 
lege of  Surgeons  of  Edinburgh.  The  presi- 
dent (Mr.  Benjamin  Bell,  secretary  to  the 
Medical  Missionary  Society),  and  Dr.  Handy- 
side,  proposed  him  for  election,  and,  after  the 
usual  formalities,  he  was,  in  1864,  unani- 
mously elected  by  ballot  to  this  honorable 
position  in  his  profession." 

He  was  greatly  encouraged  at  this  time  by 
the  munificent  donation  to  the  hospital  of 
1000  taels  from  a  gentleman  who,  though 
personally  unknown  to  him,  had  taken  great 
interest  in  the  hospital.  He  sent  the  money 
through   a  friend,  stating,  that  he  "  believed, 


164  EARNEST  WORK. 

from  careful  observation,  that  such  an  institu- 
tion did  more  good  among  the  natives,  and 
tended  more  to  remove  their  prejudices,  than 
any  other  he  could  name." 

During  the  summer,  Dr.  Henderson,  though 
actively  engaged  in  his  various  duties,  was 
not  in  his  usual  health  ;  his  appetite  failed, 
and  in  August  he  was  laid  aside  for  ten  days 
by  an  attack  of  low  fever.  He  was  strongly 
urged  to  leave  home,  and  try  the  effect  of 
change  of  air,  but  various  reasons  delayed 
him  till  the  8d  of  November,  when  he  very 
reluctantly  took  a  passage  to  Hankow.  From 
Kiukiang  he  wrote  to  his  wife,  who  had  re- 
mained behind  with  their  infant  daughter  :  — 

"  I  have  had  a  pleasant  passage  thus  far, 
beautiful  weather,  every  creature  comfort, 
very  agreeable  and  intelligent  companions. 
Among  others,  Mr.  Murray,  of  Hong-Kong, 
with  whom  I  have  become  very  friendly.  I 
am  glad  to  tell  you  that  my  appetite  has 
somewhat  improved,  and  I  expect  in  a  few 
days  to  be  still  better.     We  shall  probably  be 


ILLNESS.  165 

in  Hankow  on  Monday  night.  We  have  had 
a  strong  current  against  us  all  the  way,  as 
the  river  is  falling  fast.  This  steamer  will 
leave  Hankow^  on  Thursday  afternoon,  so 
that  I  may  be  with  you  this  day  week.  I  am 
longing  to  be  home,  for  notwithstanding  all 
the  comforts  here,  and  the  fine  scenery  of  the 
noble  Yangtsze,  I  find  it  not  the  least  pleas- 
ure to  be  away  from  you  and  my  beloved 
little  '  Daisy.'  God  bless  you  both,  my  only 
darlings." 

On  the  14th  of  November,  Dr.  Henderson 
returned  home,  and  though  he  seemed  rather 
better  for  the  change,  it  had  not  been  long 
enough  to  do  him  much  good.  Still  he 
passed  through  the  winter  without  complain- 
ing, and  only  those  who  watched  him  with 
careful  and  anxious  eyes  noticed  that  he  was 
not  so  well  as  usual ;  but  the  conviction  was 
forced  upon  him  that  ere  long  a  visit  to  Eng- 
land would  be  necessary  to  secure  a  continu- 
ance of  health. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  hospital  was 


1 66  EARNEST  WORK. 

held  on  Tuesday,  the  31st  of  January,  when 
Sir  Harry  Parkes,  K.C.B.,  H.B.M.'s  consul, 
was  called  to  the  chair;  and  after  the  treas- 
urer's account  was  presented,  the  report  was 
read,  from  which  the  following  extracts  are 
taken :  — 

"  There  is  perhaps  no  port  or  city  in  China 
where  the  natives  require  an  hospital  so  much, 
to  which  they  may  go  under  all  circumstances, 
as  Shanghai,  because,  ^rsif,  the  native  popula- 
tion here  is  larger  than  at  any  other  shipping 
port  in  China.  Intelligent  natives  say  it  is  at 
present  one  million  one  hundred  thousand,  or 
one  million  two  hundred  thousand.  Second^ 
the  number  of  natives  employed  by  foreigners 
is  larger  here  than  anywhere  else  in  China. 
During  the  past  year  upwards  of  six  hundred 
men  have  been  treated  at  the  hospital,  in  the 
employment  of  foreigners  on  shore,  and  about 
three  hundred  and  fifty  have  been  attended  to, 
who  reported  themselves  as  being  connected 
with  foreign  ships  in  the  harbor.  One  hun- 
dred and  eighty-seven  cases  of  accident  have 


HOSPITAL  REPORT.  167 

also  been  brought  this  year,  received  in  the 
employment  of  foreigners  in  the  settlement 
or  on  board  ships.  Thirds  owing  to  the  re- 
cent disturbances  in  this  province  during  the 
last  five  years,  large  numbers  of  wounded 
men  and  women  have  been  brought  to  this 
hospital.  The  hospital  has  been  open  from 
nine  to  ten  o'clock,  a.m.,  for  the  treatment  of 
Chinese  in  the  foreign  hongs  who  cannot  be 
present  at  one  or  two  o'clock,  p.m.  A  large 
number  of  house-servants  have  availed  them- 
selves of  this  arrangement,  and  the  same 
system  will  be  carried  on  during  the  year 
1865.  Accidents  and  acute  cases  of  disease 
have  been,  and  always  will  be,  admitted  and 
attended  to  at  all  hours,  day  or  night.  As 
usual  the  numbers  of  out-door  patients  have 
been  large,  averaging  from  sixty  to  three 
hundred  daily,  according  to  the  season,  and 
the  amount  of  sickness  in  the  locality.  The 
forms  and  varieties  of  disease  have  been  as 
usual  very  great. 

"  A  Chinese  merchant  walked  into  the  hos- 


1 68  EARNEST  WORK, 

jjiliil  Willi  M  miiiilx'r  of  Irii'inLs  ;  Ik' (k'(.'liiK'd 
to  nil  (idwii  anion^r  j|,(.  jiniulrod  and  lifly  ns- 
HiMiihlrd  ill  |Ih<  li;dl,  ImiI  \v:iIK(mI  ahniil  inaU- 
iii^  nl)srrvalioMs  on  llic  various  laltl(<ls  and 
placnrds  williin  liis  reach.  VN'licn  I  cnloird 
ho  adchvHsrd  ine  uml  n'tiucsled  llial.  his  grimt 
nlirK'tioii  should  receive  my  hcsl  allention. 
I  lis  lace  was  ail  drawn  lo  llic  rii;hl  side;  the 
lell  sid(<  ol'  (he  lace  had  iwallicr  niolion  nor 
Bcnsalioii. 

"  His  ease  w^as  earernlly  examined,  and  he 
was  lold  thai  if  he  Wi)uld  riMnain  in  \\\v  hos- 
pital lor  Iwo  or  llirce  \\«M<ks  h(»  would  be 
inncli  heiMHilcd,  il"  nol  cured;  lo  lliis  he 
riMdily  cons(>nled. 

'*  Al  llie  end  ol'  Ihis  nenod  the  man's  lace 
hail  rci^aincd  much  o{  its  original  form,  and 
h(*  and  lh(^  Iwo  iVicnds  who  remaiii(>d  with 
him  were  so  d(>lii;hled,  that  llicy  dcilart^l  the 
hospilid  the  hcsl  inslitulion  in  ('hina.  lie 
went  home  enred  ;  and  sv>me  weeks  after,  a 
number  of  eooli(\s  e!\me  io  the  hospital  carry- 
ing six  beds  coniplcic  (a  present  to  the  institu- 


nOSriTAL  K/':/'ORT.  169 

tion),  a  vcM-y  fat  goat,  and  four  pigeons,  willi 
a  l;»l)l('t  to  ho  phiccd  in  tiio  liospilal  hall  in 
coiinncmoralion  o{  llic  yvwv  and  ihc  iim)(>ii  in 
wliich  such  an  cxlraordinary  I'nrc  was  pci- 
fornicd.  Mere  is  a  Iransiaiion  of  the  Cliincst^ 
scntinuMils  on  Ihc  tahlci,  l)y  Mr.  A.  VVylic:  — 

"'Mkhit  mokk  Loi'TY  THAN    TiOO  OR   Pkkn. 

<"  In  the  Ihird  year  of  'rniig-clM'  (1S()1), 
first  of  \\w  cych',  mid-spring  nionlh,  being 
alllicicd  with  wind  in  \\\c  livor,  wiiich  ex- 
tended to  my  month  and  eyes  and  turned 
them  awry,  thanks  to  llwang-ehun-l'oo,  ho 
introduced  mo  to  Dr.  James  Henderson, 
under  whose  treatment   1  was  perl'eetly  eincd. 

'"Dr.  Henderson  lives  lor  the  henelit  of 
humanity,  steadily  ri'fnsing  all  aeknowledg- 
TiKMit.  llenee  1  have  indited  this  sentence  to 
!)(«  exhibited  in  this  establishment,  that  so  my 
feeling  of  gratitude  may  never  be  obliterated. 
Respectfully  inscribed  by  Koo-yue-ehe,  of  the 
city  of  Paowshan.' 

"  Six  hundred  and  smMMity-fonr  in-patient« 
have  been  treated  in  the  hospital  wards  dur- 


170  EARNEST  WORK. 

ing  the  year ;  their  period  of  stay  has  been 
from  two  or  three  days  to  three  months,  ac- 
cording to  the  disease  or  injury  sustained. 

"  Chin-Foo,  my  house-surgeon,  continues 
to  give  much  satisfaction.  He  has  been  up- 
wards of  twelve  years  in  the  hospital,  is  well 
acquainted  with  Dr.  Hobson's  works,  and  may 
almost  be  called  an  expert  in  the  treatment 
of  fractures,  dislocations,  gunshot  and  in- 
cised wounds ;  he  is  also  a  good  apothecary. 
His  brother,  Kieh-Foo,  has  been  hospital 
chaplain  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  and  though 
he  lacks  the  natural  talents  of  his  brother,  he 
is  earnest  and  persevering.  At  various  times 
during  the  day  he  speaks  to  the  patients  in 
the  several  wards  of  the  all-important  truths 
of  Christianity,  and  every  day  from  twelve  to 
two  o'clock  he  reads  the  Scriptures,  and  pub- 
licly preaches  to  the  out-door  patients  in  the 
large  hall.  Some  of  these  are  from  distant 
provinces.  I  may  state,  moreover,  that,  as 
the  fruit  of  his  labor  during  the  past  year, 
thirty  individuals  have  been  baptized  under 


HOSPITAL  REPORT.  171 

Mr.  Muirhead's  superintendence,  who  heard 
the  gospel  first  preached  by  Kieh-Foo  in  the 
hospital." 

After  a  long  list  of  interesting  cases,  the 
report  concludes  with  the  following  sen- 
tence :  — 

"  In  the  quiet  perfornaance  of  our  daily 
duties,  we  are  not  responsible  for  our  meas- 
ure of  success;  but  we  are  responsible  for 
the  character  of  our  motives.  Present  duty 
only  is  ours,  events  belong  to  God.  It  is  our 
great  privilege  to  leave  all  results  of  our 
work,  and  the  issue  of  all  events,  to  the  dis- 
posal, and  in  the  hands  of  infinite  wisdom 
and  benevolence  ;  and  thus,  whatever  our 
sphere  of  work  may  be,  we  can  all  look  for- 
ward to  that  great  day  of  universal  recogni- 
tion in  the  kingdom  of  our  Father,  when  the 
meanest  laborer  in  the  'Master's'  service 
shall  receive  his  or  her  reward,  and  when 
*  both  he  that  soweth  and  he  that  reapeth 
shall  rejoice  together.' " 


VI. 

EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HEAVEN. 

TN  March,  Dr.  Hendersoa  began  to  carry 
out  the  plan  which  for  some  time  he  had 
been  desirous  to  commence.  He  established 
an  orphan  school  for  boys,  who  were  often 
brought  to  the  hospital  in  a  miserable  state 
of  poverty  and  sickness.  A  house  desirable 
in  every  way  was  most  kindly  given  for  his 
use  by  his  dear  friend  Thomas  Hanbury, 
Esq.,  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  hospital ;  and 
four  boys  were  at  once  placed  there  under  the 
care  of  a  Christian  Chinese.  Soon  the  num- 
bers increased  to  ten,  and  the  change  that 
took  place  on  the  poor  little  fellows  was  sur- 
prising and  encouraging.  It  was  the  Doctor's 
intention  to  have  taken  in  twenty  or  thirty 
children,  to  have  them  taught  to  read  and 
write,  and  instructed  in  some  useful  trade ; 


LAST  ILLNESS. 


173 


but  he  was  not  permitted  to  see  the  fulfil- 
ment of  his  kind  designs.  It  is  pleasant  to 
know  that  they  are  still  cared  for,  being  under 
the  supervision  of  a  lady  who,  from  her  long 
residence  in  Shanghai,  and  devotion  to  the 
work  among  the  Chinese,  is  admirably  quali- 
fied to  train  them  wisely  and  well. 

As  the  warm  weather  approached,  the 
Doctor  seemed  to  lose  strength,  and  began  to 
feel  that  a  change  for  a  few  weeks  was  neces- 
sary. To  his  beloved  mother  he  wrote  in 
May:  —  "I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  go  to 
Japan  this  or  next  month.  I  want  a  decided 
change ;  I  have  not  been  quite  well  for  a  year 
now."  Often  during  the  spring  he  spoke  as 
if  he  should  not  live  long.  "  I  come  of  a 
short-lived  race,"  he  used  to  say.  "  I  shall 
not  be  surprised  if  I  do  not  live  to  be  thirty- 
six."  There  was  also  to  be  noticed  in  him  an 
extra  attention  to  little  matters  of  business, 
and  every  thing  was  so  arranged,  and  in  such 
perfect  order,  that  he  seemed  .like  one  waiting 
and   listening  for  an   expected   voice  to  call 


1 74  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HE  A  VEN. 

him  hence  —  yet  these  presentiments  had  no 
effect  on  his  spirits,  he  was  bright  and  cheer- 
ful as  ever,  for  to  him  the  thought  of  death 
was  always  sweet.  "  I  have  learned  to  love 
life  the  last  five  or  six  years,"  he  said  one 
day,  "  but  before  then,  I  used  to  think  that 
the  happiest  news  I  could  receive  would  be, 
*  You  shall  die  to-morrow,'  and  death  to  me 
is  only  like  going  out  of  this  room  into 
another." 

Often,  when  he  had  been  reading  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  a  sweet  and  heavenly  look  came 
over  his  face ;  enough  to  fill  other  eyes  with 
tears,  so  much  did  it  seem  to  foreshadow  that 
he  was  not  to  be  long  before  he  saw  the 
beauties  of  the  heavenly  city,  "  over  whose 
walls,"  to  use  his  own  quaint  expression,  "  he 
sometimes  peeped." 

It  was,  — 

"  The  shining 
On  the  beloved  face, 
As  if  a  heavenly  sound  were  whiling 
The  soul  from  its  earthly  place. 
The  distant  sound  and  sweet 
Of  the  Master's  coming  feet." 


LAST  ILLNESS. 


^1S 


On  Saturday,  the  3d  of  June,  he  came  in 
from  his  daily  work  at  the  hospital  quite  ex- 
hausted, and  speaking  of  an  operation,  said, 
— "  If  it  had  lasted  two  minutes  more  I 
should  have  fainted."  The  work  he  so 
dearly  loved  there  was  the  last  he  engaged  in 
on  earth.  The  following  day  he  was  very  ill, 
and  his  dear  friend  and  medical  adviser.  Dr. 
Johnston,  pronounced  him  suffering  from  low 
fever,  which  in  two  or  three  days  assumed  a 
typhoid  character.  The  disease  exhibited 
itself  in  extreme  prostration  more  than  in  any 
other  form,  for  the  head  was  clear,  the  mind 
unclouded ;  and  those  who  were  permitted 
to  enter  the  sick-chamber  will  remember  the 
unselfish  cheerfulness,  the  tender  considera- 
tion for  others,  that  made  it  a  true  privilege 
to  be  allowed  to  minister  to  him.  Still  sur- 
rounded with  his  favorite  books,  and  entering 
fully  into  all  around  him,  he  seemed  "  only  to 
need  strength,"  and  this  it  was  fondly  hoped 
might  be  restored  by  a  sea  voyage  and  visit 
to  Japan.     Accordingly,  on  Wednesday,  the 


1 76  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HE  A  VEN. 

14th  of  June,  arrangements  were  made  for 
leaving  Shanghai,  but  they  could  not  be 
carried  out,  as  the  accommodation  on  board 
the  steamer  was  not  suitable  for  an  invalid ; 
but  after  the  lapse  of  a  fortnight,  during 
which  his  strength  rapidly  declined,  the  offer 
of  some  kind  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cheshire, 
to  give  up  for  his  use  the  stern  cabin  in  a 
fine  vessel  that  was  just  starting  for  Nagasaki, 
was  gratefully  accepted,  and  at  two  hours' 
notice  every  thing  was  prepared  for  his  depart- 
ure. At  first  he  was  very  reluctant  to  go,  but 
at  last  yielded  to  Dr.  Johnston's  entreaties, 
saying,  with  very  touching  gentleness,  —  "If 
you  think  I  ought,  I  will  go ; "  but  though  he 
w^as  outwardly  cheerful,  he  seemed  to  have  a 
presentiment  that  he  was  leaving  home  for 
ever,  for  his  faithful  Chinese  assistant  men- 
tioned afterwards,  that  when  he  was  sent  for 
to  receive  some  orders  about  the  hospital,  the 
Doctor,  having  told  him  all  he  wanted,  said,  — 
"  Good-bye,  Chin-Foo ;  I  shall  never  come 
back  again."      He  was  carried  downstairs  in 


LAST  ILLNESS,  177 

the  chair  in  which  he  was  conveyed  to  the 
river;  and  for  a  moment  outside  the  door  the 
bearers  halted  while  he  bid  good-bye  to  his 
little  "  Daisy,"  w^ho,  in  the  arms  of  her  native 
Amah,  looked  half  amazed  at  the  bustle 
around  her,  till,  seeing  so  many  who  loved 
her  with  tearful  eyes,  she  seemed  to  under- 
stand that  something  sorrowful  was  going  on, 
and  a  troubled  look  crept  over  the  sweet  wee 
face,  on  which  the  father  looked  for  the  last 
time  on  earth. 

The  servants  and  assistants  in  the  hospital 
stood  round  with  anxious  faces,  little  think- 
ing they  would  never  again  see  the  master 
they  so  much  valued,  but  the  hurry  of  the 
departure  was  perhaps  good  for  some  rea- 
sons, in  that  it  spared  painful  partings  from 
many  friends.  He  was  accompanied  by  two 
to  the  ship,  and  when  they  had  tenderly 
placed  him  on  the  couch  in  the  large,  airy 
cabin,  and  he  said  that  already  the  air  had 
refreshed  him,  they  left,  hoping  and  praying 
that  he  might  soon  return  strong  and  well  as 
12 


178   EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HEAVEN. 

ever.  By  reason  of  head  winds,  the  voyage 
occupied  nine  days,  but  on  the  whole  the 
weather  was  favorable  for  an  invalid.  Nearly 
every  day  he  was  carried  on  deck,  and  every 
attention  was  shown  by  his  kind  friends,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Cheshire,  and  by  the  captain ;  and 
the  sailors  seemed  to  esteem  it  a  privilege  to 
be  allowed  to  carry  him  up  and  down  stairs.. 
Weak  as  he  was,  he  was  quite  the  life  of  the 
ship,  and  his  easy-chair  was  the  centre  of  hap- 
piness on  deck.  But  no  strength  came  with 
the  cool,  fresh  breezes ;  the  nights  were  very 
weary  and  restless,  the  appetite  failed,  and 
the  longing  after  home  and  his  little  child 
became  intense.  Immediately  on  landing  at 
Nagasaki  he  was  carried  to  the  Belle  Vue 
Hotel,  where  a  room  had  been  prepared  for 
him ;  and  his  friends.  Dr.  Head,  of  H.M.S. 
Barossa^  and  Dr.  Lilburne,  of  H.M.S.  Leop- 
ard^ called,  and  gave  him  from  the  first  their 
best  skill  and  kindest  attention.  He  seemed 
at  once  among  friends,  for  the  day  had  not 
passed    before   messages   and   notes   arrived 


NAGASAKI,  179 

offering  help,  or  luxuries  that  might  tempt  his 
appetite;  and  this  thoughtful  consideration 
was  most  warmly  appreciated  by  him,  and 
constantly  did  he  express  his  gratitude  that 
in  a  strange  place  he  found  so  much  to 
soothe  and  comfort  him.  At  first  the  doctors 
hoped  that  he  might  rally  from  the  severe 
attack,  and  for  a  day  or  two  he  seemed 
stronger,  but  on  Sunday  the  16th  of  July  he 
was  very  ill  indeed,  and  expressed  for  the  first 
time  the  feeling  that  he  might  not  recover. 
The  following  day,  however,  he  rallied,  and 
continued  better  all  the  week.  He  looked  for- 
ward with  special  pleasure  to  the  daily  visits 
of  his  medical  friends,  and  after  answering 
their  inquiries  in  as  few  w^ords  as  possible,  he 
would  start  some  subject  that  interested  him, 
and  converse  with  as  much  clearness  and 
calmness  as  in  the  days  of  health.  He  much 
enjoyed  the  frequent  calls  of  the  Rev.  C.  M. 
Williams,  the  chaplain  at  Nagasaki,  and  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Verbeck,  connected  with  the  Ameri- 
can Mission,  who  often   spent  half  an   hour 


l8o  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HEAVEN, 

with  him,  cheering  the  weary  days  by  con- 
verse about  the  subjects  dearest  to  his  heart. 
And  whenever  he  felt  equal  to  the  effort,  he 
liked  to  speak  to  those  who  called  to  inquire 
after  him,  never  wearying  them  with  a  history 
of  his  own  sufferings,  but  leading  them  with 
his  accustomed  kindness  to  some  pleasant 
topic,  so  that  they  usually  went  away  believ- 
ing that  "  he  must  be  recovering,  to  be  able 
to  talk  so  cheerfully." 

His  patience  was  wonderful,  for  he  had 
much  to  endure.  The  extreme  prostration  to 
which  he  was  reduced  was  at  first,  to  use  his 
own  expression,  a  "  terrible  humiliation,"  and 
the  long  and  weary  nights  were  very  dis- 
tressing. Sleeping  draughts  seemed  useless, 
and  the  intense  restlessness  was  worse  than 
pain ;  yet  sooner  than  disturb  the  watcher, 
he  would  remain  long  without  moving,  and 
when  obliged  to  ask  for  a  change  of  posi- 
tion, would  do  so  with  tender  apologies  for 
being  "  troublesome,"  that  were  touching  to 
hear. 


LAST  DAYS.  i8l 

During  this  week  the  Barossa  was  ordered 
away  on  a  cruise,  and  he  had  to  bid  farewell 
to  his  kind  friend,  Dr.  Head  ;  but  before  he 
had  to  leave,  the  Osprey  came  in,  and  Dr. 
Caldwell  took  his  place,  devoting  the  same 
attention  and  skill  to  the  case.  His  opinion 
was  evidently  unfavorable,  and  after  the 
lapse  of  a  day  or  two,  during  which  more 
alarming  symptoms  manifested  themselves, 
he  advised  speedy  return  to  England  as  the 
only  chance  for  prolonging  life.  On  Sunday, 
the  23d,  Dr.  Henderson  was  very  ill,  but 
spoke  cheerfully  of  the  prospect  of  going 
home,  and  of  his  many  and  beloved  friends 
there.  "  I  feel  my  work  in  China  is  done," 
he  said, "  but  God  will  find  me  something  for 
Him  to  do  at  home,  I  hope."  Little  did  he 
think,  as  the  quiet  shadows  fell  that  evening, 
and  the  glory  of  the  sunset  bathed  the  hills 
and  sea  in  beauty,  and  as  the  song  of  "  Jeru- 
salem the  golden  "  soothed  him  to  sleep,  that 
before  the  next  Sabbath  closed,  his  eyes 
would  "  behold  the  King  in  His  beauty,"  and 


1 82  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HEAVEN. 

he  would  be  walking  the  streets  of  the  celes- 
tial city. 

The  next  week  passed  with  but  little 
change,  except  that  the  power  to  take  nour- 
ishment almost  ceased,  the  stomach  rejecting 
every  kind  of  food.  On  Saturday,  the  29th, 
he  was  greatly  cheered  by  a  visit  from  Dr. 
Legge,  of  Hong-Kong,  and  in  the  evening 
his  kind  friend,  Mr.  Glover,  called,  to  induce 
him  to  leave  the  hotel  on  the  following  Mon- 
day, and  try  the  effect  of  the  air  on  the  hill 
where  his  pretty  bungalow  was  situated. 
The  proposal  was  gratefully  accepted,  and 
the  prospect  seemed  to  cheer  the  invalid,  as 
he  thought  this  step  might  be  the  first  on 
the  journey  home.  But  the  night  was  more 
than  usually  trying,  and  towards  morning  a 
little  difficulty  of  breathing  was  noticed ;  yet 
with  his  usual  forgetfulness  of  self,  he  said, 
"  I  don't  mind  being  left,  —  do  go  to  church  ;  " 
but  this  was  put  aside,  and  the  "  little  ser- 
vice" was  held  as  usual  in  his  room.  He 
listened  with  great  pleasure  to  the  Psalms 


LAST  MOMENTS.  183 

cxxi.  to  cxxxii.,  and  said,  when  the  reading 
was  finished,  "  How  very  sweet,"  and  after 
resting  a  little  he  suggested  that  "it  would 
be  delightful  if  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Legge  would 
come  in  the  evening,  and  we  could  all  have 
the  Lord's  Supper  together."  After  church 
these  kind  friends  called,  and  Dr.  Legge  had 
a  delightful  conversation  with  him.  He 
seemed,  however,  more  wearied  than  usual, 
and  nothing  was  said  about  his  proposal  for 
the  evening,  and  when  this  was  alluded  to 
afterwards,  he  said,  ''  I  am  glad  you  did  not 
mention  it,  I  scarcely  feel  able  for  it." 

About  four  o'clock,  complaining  of  short- 
ness of  breath.  Captain  Pendleton,  who  occu- 
pied an  adjoining  room,  and  who  had  shown 
the  utmost  kindness  and  attention  from  the 
first,  was  called  to  lift  him  into  the  easy-chair. 
As  this  was  being  done,  the  Doctor  fainted. 
As  remedies  were  being  used  for  restoration, 
the  doctors  entered,  and  the  means  they  rec- 
ommended were  for  the  time  successful ;  they 
left  in  about  half  an  hour,  after  he  had  been 


184  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HEAVEN. 

laid  on  his  couch,  promising  to  return  in  an 
hour  or  two.  Captain  Pendleton  also  with- 
drew, and  then  the  Doctor's  voice  was  heard, 
slowly  and  with  difficulty,  praying  with  ut- 
most tenderness  for  his  wife,  his  little  child, 
and  all  he  loved,  and  with  most  childlike 
trust  committing  his  soul  to  Jesus.  Again 
the  struggle  for  breath  came,  and  he  gasped, 
"  Two  more  of  these  will  be  death ;  raise 
me."  He  was  lifted  gently,  and  the  beloved 
head  rested  on  the  heart  which  had  been  so 
infinitely  blessed  with  his  great  deep  love,  and 
looking  for  a  moment  with  his  own  bright 
smile,  he  said,  —  "Oh  beloved!  if  kindness 
could  cure  me,  how  soon  I  should  be  well ! " 

At  that  instant  the  change  came  over  the 
features  that  no  one  can  mistake.  Captain 
Pendleton  was  hastily  called ;  as  he  entered 
the  room,  with  slow,  faint  voice,  the  Doctor 
said  —  "  You  are  very  kind,  God  will  reward 
you."  These  were  his  last  words.  He  lay 
quite  still,  and  did  not  seem  to  suffer  as  the 
breathing  became  easier.     One  knelt  beside 


LAST  MOMENTS.  185 

him  with  the  dear  hand  clasped  between  her 
own,  while  Captain  Pendleton  gently  fanned 
the  brow.     How  time  passed  on  they  knew 
not,  for  time  was  lost  in  the  near  presence  of 
eternity ;  there  came  around  a  holy  hush  and 
stillness,  and  no  sound  disturbed  the  silence 
of  that    quiet   room.     It   was    no    place    for 
weeping  or  for  words ;  peace  unbroken  was 
there,  and  Divine  strength  both  for  him  who 
was  crossing  the  river  and  those  who  watched 
him  on  the  banks.     Only  once  was  a  question 
asked,  "  Darling,  do  you  know  me  ?  "  and  a 
tender    movement    of    the    hand     indicated 
"Yes!"       Then    all    was    still.     It    almost 
seemed  as  if  the  Lord  were  standing  beside 
His   servant,  and  holy  angels  with   Him,   so 
much  did  the  watchers  realize  the  presence 
of  unseen    things ;    and  it  was   manifest  to 
them  that  a  glorious  vision  was  given  to  the 
faithful    pilgrim    just    before    his   foot   was 
planted  on  the  eternal  shore,  for  suddenly  his 
eyes  opened,  a  look  of  intense  delight,  sur- 
prise, and  unutterable  peace  shone  in  them, 


1 86  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HE  A  VEN, 

and  then  "  the  quiet  eyelids  closed,"  and  with- 
out one  sigh,  the  spirit  was  with  God. 

The  next  morning  all  the  flags  on  the  Eng- 
lish ships  in  the  harbor  were  flying  half- 
mast  high.  At  five  in  the  afternoon  the  large 
room  in  the  hotel  was  crowded,  where  a  short 
service  was  held  by  Dr.  Legge  before  the 
eofiin  was  carried  to  its  last  resting-place  in 
the  beautiful  little  cemetery.  The  procession 
was  greatly  increased  outside,  as  nearly  every 
foreigner  in  Nagasaki  paid  this  last  token  of 
respect  to  one  who  seemed,  to  use  the  ex- 
pression of  one  of  his  kind  doctors,  to  be 
"  loved  by  every  one  who  knew  him."  If  he 
could  have  chosen  the  place  or  mode  of  burial, 
none  would  more  have  accorded  with  his  own 
ideas  of  simplicity  and  love  of  quiet  beauty. 
There  were  no  trappings  or  outward  show, 
no  plumed  hearse  or  dismal  coaches;  in  the 
calm  beauty  of  the  summer  evening  the  little 
band  treaded  their  way  by  the  side  of  a  stream 
that  runs  between  two  hills,  and,  ascending 


LAST  RESTING-PLACE.  187 

slightly,  reached  the  place,  shaded  by  lovely 
trees.  There  they  stood  with  the  everlasting 
hills  around  them  and  the  blue  sea  in  the 
distance ;  and  in  the  holy  peace  of  day's  de- 
cline, committed  to  the  tomb  the  dear  remains, 
"  in  sure  and  certain  hope  of  a  glorious  resur- 
rection." 

When  the  grave  was  visited  the  next  day, 
some  hand,  loving  though  unknown,  had 
already  planted  two  rose-trees,  and  the  care 
of  others  has  been  since  bestowed,  so  that  the 
place  is  bright  with  flowers,  and  a  broken 
column  has  been  erected,  on  which  is  the 
following  inscription  :  — 

IN   LOYING    REMEMBRANCE    OF 

JAMES  HENDERSON,  M.D.,   F.R.C.S.E., 

OF   Shanghai,  China, 

Who  died  July  30th,  1865.     Aged  35. 

**  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord,     They  rest 

from  their  labors,  and  their  works  do  follow  them." 

When  the  news  reached  Shanghai  of  Dr. 
Henderson's  decease,  it  caused  universal  sor- 
row.    Those  who  liuew  him  mourned  truly ; 


1 88  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HE  A  VEN. 

and  those  who  were  only  acquainted  with 
him  by  report,  felt  that  an  earnest  and  sincere 
man  had  been  taken  from  their  midst.  The 
best  expression  of  the  general  sympathy  is 
found  in  the  following  quotations  from  news- 
papers published  in  Shanghai,  and  the  report 
of  the  next  hospital  meeting. 

The  North  China  Daily  News  contained  the 
following  notice:  —  "Dr.  Henderson  did  much 
for  the  Shanghai  community,  by  rousing  it 
to  a  sense  of  the  danger  in  which  it  stood 
from  climate  and  other  elements  of  disease 
and  death.  His  '  Shanghai  Hygiene  '  will  be 
a  text-book  in  this  place  for  many  years,  and 
will  of  itself  tend  to  preserve  the  memory  of 
one  who,  in  all  relations  in  life,  proved  himself 
an  honest  man  and  a  sincere  Christian." 

The  North  China  Herald  of  August  19th, 
says:  —  "Dr.  Henderson  had  rendered  him- 
self highly  popular  with  a  large  section  of  the 
foreign  community,  and  had  done  good  ser- 
vice by  the  publication  of  a  little  handbook 
of  medical  advice,  especially  suited  for  resi- 


GENERAL    SYMPATHY.  189 

dents  at  this  port.  He  left  Shanghai  some 
weeks  ago  after  a  severe  attack  of  typhoid 
fever,  and  it  was  hoped  that  in  the  healthier 
climate  of  Japan  he  would  rally.  Such, 
however,  was  not  the  case.  Despite  the  at- 
tentions of  his  family,  and  the  skill  of  the 
medical  officers  attached  to  the  men-of-war 
in  the  harbor,  he  rapidly  sank,  and  at  length, 
as  we  have  said,  died.  His  funeral  took 
place  on  the  following  day,  and  was  attended 
by  almost  every  foreigner  in  Nagasaki.  The 
coffin  was  borne  by  the  sailors  of  the  mer- 
chant ships,  and  was  lowered  into  the  grave 
by  four  of  his  old  Shanghai  friends.  All  the 
ships  in  port  kept  their  flags  at  half-mast  from 
eight,  A.M.,  until  after  the  funeral,  and  regret 
was  universally  expressed,  not  only  by  those 
who  knew  him  personally,  but  by  those  who 
knew^  by  report  of  his  skill  and  tenderness  to 
his  European  patients,  as  well  as  of  the  en- 
thusiasm with  which  he  devoted  himself  to 
the  troublesome  and  ill-requited  work  of  the 
Chinese  hospital." 


190  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HE  A  VEN, 

The  nineteenth  annual  meeting  of  the 
friends  of  the  Chinese  hospital  was  held  on 
February  3,  1866,  C.  A.  Winchester,  Esq., 
H.B.M.  consul,  in  the  chair. 

After  some  prefatory  remarks,  the  chair- 
man said,  —  "He  must  allude  to  the  un- 
timely death  of  Dr.  James  Henderson,  which 
had  inflicted  so  serious,  and  indeed  he 
might  say  irreparable,  a  loss,  not  only  on  the 
hospital,  but  upon  the  whole  community. 
He  (the  chairman)  had  not  had  the  pleasure 
of  Dr.  Henderson's  acquaintance,  but  Dr. 
Henderson  was  well  known  by  reputation, 
and  all  with  whom  he  had  come  in  contact 
were  unanimous  in  their  expressions  of  regret 
at  his  decease." 

Allusion  having  been  made  in  Dr.  John- 
ston's report  to  the  severe  loss  which  the 
hospital  had  sustained  in  the  death  of  Dr. 
James  Henderson,  it  was  proposed  by  the 
Rev.  C.  H.  Butcher,  seconded  by  Mr.  Thorne, 
and  carried  unanimously  —  "  That  this  meet- 
ing desires  to  record  its  deep  sense  of  the  loss 


PRIVATE  LETTERS,  191 

sustained  through  the  death  of  Dr.  Henderson, 
and  its  high  appreciation  of  the  value  of  his 
services." 

These  notices,  taken  from  several  sources, 
are  a  sample  of  the  feeling  excited  generally 
by  the  tidings  of  Dr.  Henderson's  removal. 
The  following  extracts  from  private  letters 
show  how  deep  and  tender  was  that  feeling 
amongst  those  who  knew  and  loved  him  per- 
sonally. The  first  is  from  Miss  Fay,  who 
undertook  the  care  of  the  Chinese  orphan 
boys : — 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  that  the  commit- 
tee have  decided  that  I  may  take  your  orphan 
boys.  Nothing  could  give  me  more  pleasure 
in  my  missionary  work  than  to  feel  that  I 
was  carrying  out  any  plan  of  usefulness 
devised  and  commenced  by  your  dear  and 
excellent  husband,  who  was  always  so  kind, 
so  wise,  and  so  judicious  in  all  his  varied  and 
manifold  labors  amongst  the  Chinese. 

"  How  mysterious  are  the  ways  of  our 
heavenly  Father,  and  what  an  irreparable  loss 


192  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HEA  VEN. 

is  your  sainted  husband,  not  only  to  the 
community  here,  but  pre-eminently  to  the 
Chinese,  who  looked  up  to  him  as  the  kindest 
of  friends  and  best  of  benefactors  ;  his  loss  as 
a  medical  missionary  will,  I  fear,  never  be 
made  up  to   Shanghai." 

"The  death  of  Dr.  Henderson,"  writes  an 
officer  in  the  army,  "  has  been  a  great  blow 
to  us  all,  for  while  quartered  in  Shanghai  we 
saw  a  great  deal  of  him. 

"  It  was  my  privilege  to  be  a  constant  guest 
at  his  table,  and  never  shall  I  forget  the  even- 
ings thus  spent.  Sunday  evenings  in  partic- 
ular were  looked  forward  to  with  special 
pleasure,  as  they  were  devoted  to  a  Bible 
class,  which  met  at  his  house,  and  which  some 
of  my  brother  officers  attended  with  me. 

"  The  Doctor  had  a  peculiarly  happy  way 
of  simplifying  an  apparently  abstruse  and 
difficult  subject,  and  his  thorough  realization 
of  the  grand  truths  of  Christianity  had  a 
most  encouraging  effect  upon  his  younger 
friends.     He    loved    to   invite    and   welcome 


PRIVATE  LETTERS. 


193 


young  men  to  his  home,  for  he  well  knew  the 
dangers  and  temptations  of  youth,  especially 
ill  China  ;  and  only  those  who,  like  myself, 
were  on  intimate  terms  with  him  can  realize 
the  good  influence  he  thus  exercised. 

"  I  can  scarcely  realize  the  whole  thing  yet. 
The  breaking  up  of  that  dear  home  will  be 
the  greatest  blank  that  could  come  over  me 
in  Shanghai.  You  scarcely  know  the  good 
he  did  by  bringing  within  our  reach  the  pleas- 
ure of  a  fireside  in  this  heathen  place.'^ 

From  the  Rev.  C.  M.  Williams  of  Nagasaki. 

''  I  shall  highly  prize  the  book  as  a  memento 
of  your  dear  husband.  The  remembrance 
of  the  few  hours  I  was  permitted  to  spend  by 
his  sick-bed  will  ever  be  precious  to  me ;  and 
the  lessons  of  trust  in  God  and  perfect  resig- 
nation to  His  holy  will  that  I  have  learned 
from  him  in  the  midst  of  suffering,  will,  I 
trust,  never  be  forgotten." 

From  Dr.  Johnston  to  Dr.  Henderson's 
mother-in-law. 

"  The  Doctor  was  one  of  my  dearest  friends, 


194  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HE  A  VEN, 

and  I  valued  highly  the  intimacy  I  was 
privileged  in  having  with  one  so  good,  so 
tender-hearted,  so  warm,  so  genial  in  all  his 
intercourse  with  those  around  him  ;  I  feel  that 
I  have  lost  a  brother.  Brief  and  meteoric 
almost  as  has  been  the  dear  Doctor's  career, 
he  will  leave  behind  him  no  transient  impres- 
sion, but  stand  out  clear  and  noble  and  last- 
ing, even  in  this  remote  part  of  the  earth.  I 
cannot  tell  you  how  much  he  was  loved 
and  valued  by  this  community ;  we  were 
comparatively  unaware  of  such  a  strong 
feeling,  till  he  was  suddenly  snatched  away 
from  us.  You  will,  I  am  sure,  derive  much 
comfort  from  the  description  of  his  inex- 
haustible gentleness  and  patience  during 
his  illness,  more  especially  his  triumphant 
end,  bright  and  beaming,  —  his  last  look 
directed  heavenward  as  the  gentle  spirit  took 
its  flight  to  regions  of  light. 

"  I  have  now  to  begin  a  very  painful  topic; 
my  heart  bleeds  to  think  of  it.  Darling 
*  Daisy,'    her    mother's    little   '  ewe-lamb,'    is 


DEATH  OF  ''DAISY." 


195 


very  ill  —  I  fear  sick  unto  death.  The  sweet 
little  babe  is  suffering  from  acute  hydroceph- 
alus. The  issue  is  in  God's  hands ;  but  I 
feel  despairing  about  her.  The  disease  has 
made  some  progress,  for  she  has  been  ill  six 
days.  She  does  not  suffer  much,  but  every 
day  the  little  form  becomes  more  attenuated, 
and  her  little  face  seems  smaller.  She  is 
tenderly  cared  for,  and  Dr.  Thin  is  watching 
the  case  with  me." 

Four  days  after  this  letter  was  penned,  the 
darling  '•  Daisy "  was  gathered  to  her  Sav- 
iour's arms.  Very  lovely  she  was  in  death, 
the  strong  likeness  to  her  beloved  father  being 
even  more  apparent  than  during  her  sweet 
brief  life.  As  she  lay  in  her  tiny  coffin  with  a 
fair  white  lily  in  her  hand,  looking  just  like  a 
saint  of  old,  on  the  anniversary  of  the  day 
when,  three  years  before,  her  father  landed 
the  second  time  in  China,  it  was  sweet  to  be 
able  to  realize  his  blessedness  with  his  beloved 
ones,  to  think  of  hopes  fulfilled  and  joys  made 
perfect ;  of  his  gladness  in  the  House  of  many 


196  EARTH  EXCHANGED  FOR  HEAVEN. 

mansions ;  of  the  fulfilment  of  his  words, 
written  four  years  before,  "  I  shall  yet  oc- 
cupy   A    THRONE    AND    WEAil    A    CROWN    IN    MY 

Lord's  kingdom.     Nothing  is  more  sure." 


Cambridge:  Press  of  John  Wilson  and  Son, 


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PIIIMTKOINU.S.A. 

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Henderson.   James 

AUTHOR 

l2£l.££James  Henders 

TITLE 


266.025 

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on 


DATE  DUE 


BORROWER'S  NAME 


266.025 

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