Chinese Diamonds for the King of Kings — Sketch X--The Blind Famine Refugee

*The Blind Famine Refugee* The winter of ---- was a sad, bitter one for those living in Eastern Shantung.

The great Yellow River, truly called "China's Sorrow," had burst its banks, devastating a large area of thickly populated country.

In spite of well organized famine relief administered by missionaries and other representatives of foreign countries (some of whom lost their lives from famine fever when engaged in this work), many people perished from starvation, fever or exposure.

Early one morning towards the end of February when the weather was still bitterly cold, a sad thing was happening inside a little wayside temple not far from one of the villages in this famine region.

On the cold brick floor just in front of the idol's shrine lay a dying beggar.

Famine was claiming one more victim.

Beside him knelt his blind wife, swaying backwards and forwards moaning piteously.

On the opposite side, nestling close to his dying father, as if for protection and warmth, slept a little boy of about six years of age.

All through that cold pitiless night the poor woman had knelt there listening to the hard breathing which told what she could not see,--that the end was near.

As the day dawned the last struggle ceased.

Quietly, with the quietness and numbness of despair, the woman arose, felt for her child, awoke him, then grasping her stout beggar's stick with one hand and laying her other on the child's shoulder she motioned him to lead her away.

Reaching the road she hesitated.

Where should they go to?

Death from starvation seemed to await them on every side.

As she stood there hesitating there came into her mind the remembrance of what someone had said long before--that a long way off, about one hundred miles distant, lived a man who could give sight to the blind.

Quickly with a sense of desperation the poor blind beggar woman resolved to try to reach that man.

The sufferings of that journey can only be faintly imagined.

They had no protection from the bitter winds by day, nor the cold frosty nights, but thin, torn, beggar garments.

No resting place by day or night, but the roadside or the shelter of a wayside temple.

Sometimes a whole day would pass when they failed to obtain even the few crumbs of black mouldy bread (made chiefly of chaff) usually thrown to them.

Later, when attempting to tell the story of these days, the poor woman seemed able to recall little else than the ever present dread she had, lest when they reach the doorway of the wonderful man who could give sight to the blind, it would perhaps be closed against them.

Needless to say these fears were groundless, for when at last the mother and child reached the Mission gate almost dead from starvation and exhaustion, kind loving hands received them.

They were taken into the Women's Hospital, cleansed, clothed, and fed.

The day following their arrival one of the missionaries went to Mrs. Ma, for such was the blind woman's name, and said: "Mrs. Ma, I have been sent to tell you that the doctor has great hopes of restoring your sight.

But you are far too weak for the operation yet.

He says you are to have all the food you can eat, and that I am to get you anything you fancy.

Now just tell me what you want."

At first the poor woman could not take it in.

Then when Mrs. S----,

repeated what she had said, and the meaning began to dawn upon her, she stretched out her hands and with an indescribably touching cry in her voice said, "If it is true indeed that I can really have what I most crave for, then oh, please just give me a little SALT!"

Reader, you, who have never known want, can scarcely comprehend the full significance of that request.

"Just a little salt!"

What deprivation, what agony of want is revealed in that word!

To those of us who had seen something of the sufferings of famine victims, it meant volumes.

With tender loving care Mrs. Ma was nursed back to strength and health;

but many weeks passed before the doctor pronounced her fit to stand the operation.

Sight was restored to one eye, the other being quite beyond recovery.

With glasses she was able to learn to read.

The woman's gratitude knew no bounds.

At first her eagerness to hear the Gospel and learn to read was largely due to this intense gratitude, but gradually the "True Light" entered her soul, and she became a sincere, earnest, humble Christian.

Later she was appointed matron of the Women's Hospital where for twenty years she worked faithfully for the salvation of the women in the hospital.

Mrs. Ma's little son was put into the Boys' School soon after their arrival.

As the years went by he passed through one Mission School into another, until he reached the Union Medical College of Peking.

His whole life as a student had been such that the missionaries felt amply justified in paying his expenses through his medical course.

He received his M. D.

, graduating with high honors in 19--.

A large hospital had just been erected in an important city in North China.

Dr. Ma was asked to become house physician of this hospital.

Soon after his appointment to this position he married a fine Christian girl, one of the most promising graduates of the Women's College of Peking.

It was in Dr. and Mrs. Ma's cosy home near the hospital that the writer last saw old Mrs. Ma who was there on a visit to her son.

She had long been too frail for active work.

Her sight was gone, but the reflection of an inner light illumined her countenance as we recalled together the goodness of the Lord since the day she arrived at the Mission gate a poor starved Blind Beggar Refugee seeking Light.

*SKETCH XI*