[Letter from Young John Allen to Dr. Wilson]
Shanghai ChinaApril 3, 1880
My dear Dr. Wilson,
In a previous [deleted] recent [added] letter you requested me to make a note of such incidents and particulars in connection with my work as might prove of interest in connection with our purposed Bulletins of Missionary News. Accordingly I now send you the following items:
A recent letter from Tai-Yuen fu, capital of Shansi in North China, contains this note = “A gentleman just from Peking told me that the Tsung-li Yamen (Chinese Foreign Office) [added] are preparing a commentary (Choo Kiai) on your “China and Her Neighbors.” If true the [deleted] The full title of the work is as follows:
progress, by setting forth the motions and objects of Foreigners in coming to China, and the Spirit and Manner in which the demands of the situation should be met by the Imperial God, etc. etc etc.
(5 Thousand) etc. etc. etc.
The Questions discussed are as follows — the Commercial and Political relations of China and Foreign Countries and the Missionary and Mohammedian Questions — It is an original work and [added] so you will see it [deleted] was primarily designed for the officials. An Edition of five thousand copies was struck off in 1876 and nearly the whole of them have been disposed of [unclear] .
I knew it had found great favor in the eyes of the high Mandarins but it never occurred to me that such a reception would be accorded to it in the Capital. If true it has obtained precedence of any work hitherto published by Foreigners and is destined to far exceed my utmost hopes in regard to its circulation and influence in the Empire.
The same correspondent in a previous letter notified me that he had taken the liberty of republishing, for special distribution among the literati of the [added] Shansi province, my recent Greek Conference Essay, entitled “Rationale of Foreign Missions.” An Edition of 4,500 copies was speedily disposed of. The same Essay has since been adopted by our Chinese Religions Tract Society and will soon be issued in sufficient numbers to meet the demand.
A recent letter from the Agent of the Scotch Bible Society in Peking says that my paper, the Chinese Globe Magazine, and the work first mentioned above, China and Her Neighbors, have proven very acceptable to the Coreans who have quick exhausted his supply. More copies have been forwarded and it is hoped that that last of the hermit nations of the Earth will profit betimes by the lessons she is now purchasing so cheaply. What an engine is the press! Our books are preceding us into all this vast country and even going beyond into such places as Corea where never foot of Protestant Missionary has trod.
By last U.S. Mail I had a letter from a native [deleted] Chinese [added] Pastor in the Sandwich Islands. He is a regular reader [deleted] subscriber to my paper and now writes wishing to contribute $50. to our newly organized Reli [deleted] Chinese
Religious Tract Society and thereby secure a Life Membership. The Angel having [unclear] the glorious Gospel for the nations is now [gap 1 word illegible] all abroad. The signs of the times are full of triumph and glory to the cause of the blessed Redeemer.
In a previous letter I mentioned that the School would probably open with [gap 1 word illegible] of 20 pupils but to my utter embarrassment as well as astonishment [added] no less than 34 insisted on coming when the school began. That number is entirely too large for one teacher and would suffice to make two schools of the ordinary size. But want of funds forecloses the possibility of engaging a second teacher. So it has been arranged to utilize the services of one of the elder boys.
It still continues large and [deleted]
and interesting. My chief want now is competent teachers — which are not to be had. There was a time when I thought it might be necessary to subsidize the teachers of Day Schools in the vicinity in order to keep up a good Sunday School but I find that will not [deleted] no lack of pupils without.
Other items I reserve for a future occasion.
Yours faithfully
Young J. Allen
P.S. As you may not have seen copies of the books referred to above I send specimens copies [deleted] herewith.
Y.J.A.
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