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the man came rushing along the street, escorted by constables and others, who beat back the crowd, and kept up a vigorous fanning, urging the man to keep dancing. After the short stay at the police-station they made a grand rush for the car, which stood on an adjacent street, and there the end of the sweep was

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lowered to receive its victim. Soon it was carried up again with the man attached. As he went up he clapped his feet and hands together in a measured way, and this he kept up during the whole performance. His ankles had jingles on them that could be heard as they beat together with a steady "ching, ching." Before carrying him up to the greatest height the pole was held horizontally and the man was carried around in a complete circle, swinging over the tops of

the houses. Then the car was drawn forward to the first corner, where it was delayed, that a kid might be sacrificed. Once in a while the man would draw up, with a rope, plantains and flowers and throw them down to the crowd below. In one place there was a ditch to be crossed and the jolt caused him to seize the rope that hung by his side, but with that exception he seemed to hang entirely by the two hooks in his back. The flesh was gathered up, showing great tension,

and his back was bent.

After an hour and a quarter the car returned to its starting-place, and the man was released. The hooks were not taken out, but were kept in that they might move the people to be liberal in giving presents to the performer. His pulse was good and his condition seemed normal, but the flesh of the back was so drawn up as to leave deep holes for the hooks. He put on an air of bravado and even offered to swing for a second time if a suitable present should be given. It was only in the evening that the hooks were taken out.

The image of the goddess was carried around on a wooden bull behind the car; but the great object was to get money, and for three months the man can have the hooks and cord and knife used to show to people and beg for presents.

It is said that the present attitude of the government of Madras is due to instructions from the Secretary of State for India. If that is so, there is no hope of our effecting anything here; it must be done in London. The manager

declared to the superintendent of police that he proposed to continue the swinging annually.

We utilized the occasion for street preaching to the best of our ability. A piece of land near the temple has recently been secured for the mission. The walls of an old hut were thrown down so as to make a high platform, and on this was erected a temporary shed of plaited cocoanut leaves. And there a force of men from the Madura and Battalagundu stations preached all the forenoon and until two o'clock in the afternoon, when the noise and excitement of the swinging prevented further effort. The days before and after were also utilized for preaching in the same place. On the principal day not less than 1,500 people listened to the preaching of the uplifted Saviour.

MADURA, October 23, 1891.

REV. JAMES HERRICK,1 OF THE MADURA MISSION.

FORTY-SIX years ago this beloved missionary with his bride set sail for India. With the exception of a single visit to the United States in 1864, they labored together in the Madura Mission, at Tirumangalam and at Pasumalai, till 1883, when they again visited the United States, not to return again to their mission. It was a great sorrow to Mr. Herrick that physical infirmities prevented his spending his last days in the work he so much loved. Deeply beloved by the 1 James Herrick, born at Broome, Canada East, March 19, 1814 (his father was a native of Brattleboro, Vt.); professed religion, West Brattleboro, Vt., May, 1834; graduated Williams College, 1841; Andover Seminary, 1845; ordained, Brattleboro, October 10, 1845; married Miss Elizabeth H. Crosby, November 2, 1845; embarked at Boston, November 12, 1845; stationed at Tirumangalam, afterward at Pasumalai, taking charge of the Seminary, 1850, and again at Tirumangalam, 1854; returned to United States, 1883; died of heart failure at West Brattleboro, Vt., November 30, 1891.

people for whom he labored, as well as by his missionary associates, it would have been a joy to him as well as to them could he have lived with them till called from earthly service. But he bowed trustingly to the will of God and spent his last years at West Brattleboro, Vt., the home of his youth, waiting for the Master's call, which came to him suddenly on November 30. He was a saintly man, whom to know was to love. The Rev. John E. Chandler, who went to India the year after Mr. and Mrs. Herrick did, and who was intimately associated with them in the Madura Mission, sends the following tribute to his beloved friend:

"It was my privilege to labor side by side with Mr. Herrick in the same mission field for more than thirty years, and when declining health compelled him to give up the work and remain in this country his loss was deeply regretted by all his associates, as well as by the natives who knew him. He was held in high esteem by a large circle of acquaintances. He was a man eminent for his piety and godliness, a man of prayer. I remember how impressively he said in one of the last prayer-meetings at which he was present: 'I sometimes, dear brethren, fear that we do not spend. time enough in our private devotions and in reading our Bibles.' loved to pray and always evinced the deepest sincerity, living as he prayed. He was an affectionate, loving friend. The warm grasp of his hand indicated the feeling of his heart.

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REV. JAMES HERRICK.

"He was exceedingly conscientious in little things, never failing to appreciate and to acknowledge any favor done to him or to any of his family. His carefulness never to wound another's feelings was conspicuous. The soft answers were far more frequent than grievous words. I have heard him make humble apologies to a native servant whose feelings he thought he had hurt. He was eminently a just man. To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God was his creed and seemed to be the aim of his life.

"He was a successful laborer. A good preacher in the vernacular language, he was fond of itinerating among the people and very persistent in urging the converts to support their own pastors. Self-supporting churches seemed to be his aim as the natural outcome of missionary labor. The first village church that was regularly organized in the Madura Mission was formed in Brother Herrick's field, and our first village pastor was ordained there.

"Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, . . . that they may rest from their labours: and their works do follow them.'"

THE EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN.

SINCE our last number was issued we have received letters and papers giving details of the appalling calamity which occurred in Central Japan on the morning of October 28. Letters from our missionaries at Kōbe, Osaka, and Kyōto report a great shaking of their houses, with the fall of several chimneys and the shattering of walls, but no serious damage occurred either to life or property. The first heavy shock was followed by almost numberless smaller shocks, occurring at intervals through several days, sixty-six having been counted on a single day. The whole experience is spoken of as one exceedingly trying to the nerves, even where no damage was done.

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It was in the district about 100 miles northeast of Osaka that the disturbance was central. The towns of Nagoya, Gifu, and Ogaki suffered most severely, while the earthquake extended northward to Fukui, in the province of Echizen. Gifu and Ogaki are towns having from 10,000 to 15,000 inhabitants each. It is reported that of the 4,434 houses in Ogaki 3,556 were completely overthrown and 765 were partly ruined. The fires which followed the earthquake destroyed many of these houses. In this town 741 persons were killed and 520 were

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seriously injured. At Gifu one fourth of the town was leveled by the shock. The Japan Mail of November 7 gives an approximate estimate of the casualties in the three provinces of Echizen, Mino, in which Ogaki and Gifu are situated, and Owari, of which Nagoya is the principal town, as follows: killed, 3,410; wounded, 4,230; houses wholly destroyed, 42,414; houses partially destroyed, 8,597. A statement received from Dr. Berry, dated November 14, nearly or quite doubles all these numbers. We give above a sketch-map of the section, showing by underscoring the towns which suffered most.

As soon as possible after the disaster the work of relief was begun. Dr. Berry, of Kyōto, organized at once a "Doshisha Relief Corps," consisting of three assistant surgeons, three nurses, and four Doshisha students, President Kozaki, and

Mr. Clark, of Kumamoto, assisting part of the time. A hospital was extemporized at Ogaki, where the wounded were treated as fast as possible. Dr. Berry speaks of the injuries treated as surpassing anything he had ever witnessed, and the scenes in the waiting-yard and in the clinic as simply appalling. The gratitude manifested by the sufferers as well as by all classes of people was most marked. Dr. Berry refers to the case of a woman, eighty-one years of age, who had suffered from her injuries for five days without help, but was easily relieved. Returning two days later Dr. Berry saw her standing aside where she could see him at work, and lifting her hands and bowing her head in prolonged worship. It was a pleasant duty, when this act was observed, to tell her that her worship should be directed not to the human agent but to the Father in heaven who had cared for her.

The government has acted promptly and generously in the matter of relief. Dr. Berry reports that at that date (November 14) the government was giving food to 157,815 people; that this would be continued about ten days longer, and that to every head of a family who had lost everything the sum of $2.50 would be given to erect a shelter. The rice crop is abundant, and the price of food will not be high. What is chiefly needed is clothing and shelter. A relief committee has been formed among the missionaries, and gifts from various sources are coming to them. It is touching to learn that the Okayama Orphan Asylum has sent its agents over the devastated region to gather up those who have been made orphans by the catastrophe. Gifts are needed with which to purchase clothing for the needy.

One of the most striking incidents that comes to us relates to the scene on the Tokaido Railroad, when the up and down trains were meeting at Gifu. Passengers on the trains were thrown to the floor, and supposed that a collision had occurred, but on looking from the windows they found the station and other houses in ruins, and large cracks in the ground, from two to three feet wide, opening and closing, throwing volcanic mud and ashes in all directions. In several places sections of the railroad sank one or more feet, and it was some days before the road was open for traffic.

This is certainly a great national calamity. Nothing like it has occurred in Japan since it was open to foreigners. So far as we learn no missionaries, except Mr. and Mrs. Van Dyke, of the Protestant Methodist Mission at Nagoya, were injured, and their wounds are not fatal. While we are grateful to God for his preserving care over our missionaries, we should sympathize most deeply with the stricken people who have suffered loss of kindred and property.

“PRAYER SHALL BE MADE FOR HIM CONTINUALLY."

BY REV. THOMAS LAURIE, D.D., PROVIDENCE, R. I.

As Evangelical Christians believe that these words are spoken of Christ, it is strange that so little prominence is given them in practice. If these words mean what they say, we should never forget them when we pray. Perhaps some think that this must surely be a mistranslation, but the same Hebrew words were used

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