We  are  in  a  similar  danger  of  counting  too  much  on  the  influence
of  the  help  benevolently  sent  in  time  of  famine.  These  Indian
famines  have  been  terrible  ;  the  sight  of  the  famine  camps  in  Arcot
and  Madras,  the  starved  skeletons  by  the  roadside,  the  tales  we
heard  from  those  who  had  been  through  the  suffering,  the  knowledge
of  the  vast  multitudes  that  perished,  were  heart-rendino-.  The
charity  that  rose  up  at  home  to  meet  the  need  was  magnificent,
and  it  has  left  a  deep  mark  upon  the  country.  Though  Gujarat
was  spared  the  severity  of  the  trial,  it  could  not  escape  the  poverty
caused  by  famine  prices,  and  we  saw  with  what  wise  forethought
the  missionaries  husbanded  the  resources  with  which  you  furnished
them  in  so  generous  a  sympathy,  to  what  advantage  your  gifts  were
used,  and  what  a  profound  impression  was  produced  by  the  un-


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selfishness  of  this  charity.  In  China,  where  the  famine  has  been
still  more  awful,  where  the  loss  of  life  may  amount  to  twice  the
population  of  our  island,  where,  within  the  stricken  region,  the  utter
desolation  is  indescribable,  and  where  such  horrors  of  ancient
famine  as  had  been  thought  scarcely  credible  are  daily  repro-
duced, the  charity  that  was  poured  in  (though  compared  with  India
the  stream  has  been  slender),  and  the  self-sacrifice  of  the  mis-
sionaries, have  already  wrought  some  change  in  the  attitude  of  the
people.  But  all  these  kindly  feelings  are  only  preparing  the  people
to  receive  the  Gospel.  They  will  not  effect  any  religious  revolu-
tion, or  touch  those  moral  sores  that  spread  over  the  Entire  body  of
th  ;se  heathen  nations.  It  is  only  from  the  Gospel  of  Christ  that
we  can  hope  for  what  these  nations  want ;  the  fight  with  the  gigan-
tic evils  and  superstitions  that  overspread  them  must  be  fought  in
the  power  of  His  Cross,  and  this,  the  true  help  we  bring,  we  must
bring  speedily.
