Peeps Into China Or: The Missionary's Children   By: Eliza Caroline Phillips

PEEPS INTO CHINA; OR, The Missionary's Children.

BY E. C. PHILLIPS,

AUTHOR OF "TROPICAL READING BOOKS," "THE ORPHANS," "BUNCHY," "HILDA AND HER DOLL," ETC.

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CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED: LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK & MELBOURNE.

[ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.]

To

MY DEAR PARENTS,

IN

LOVING MEMORY.

"Can I forget thy cares, from helpless years Thy tenderness for me?"

[Illustration: Contents.]

CHAPTER PAGE I. THE COUNTRY RECTORY 9

II. THE FIRST PEEP 21

III. THE RELIGIONS OF CHINA 44

IV. CHINESE CHILDHOOD 69

V. THE MERCHANT SHOWMAN 89

VI. LITTLE CHU AND WOO URH 100

VII. LEONARD'S EXPLOIT IN FORMOSA 114

VIII. THE BOAT POPULATION 134

IX. AT CANTON 153

X. A BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM 179

XI. PROCESSIONS 197

XII. THE LAST PEEP 208

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CHAPTER I.

THE COUNTRY RECTORY.

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"NOT really; you can't mean it really!"

"As true as possible. Mother told me her very own self," was the emphatic reply.

Two children, brother and sister, the boy aged ten, the girl three years older, were carrying on this conversation in the garden of a country rectory.

"But really and truly, on your word of honour," repeated Leonard, as though he could not believe what his sister had just related to him.

"I hope my word is always a word of honour; I thought everybody's word ought to be that," Sybil Graham replied a little proudly, for when she had run quickly to bring such important news to her brother, she could not help feeling hurt that he should refuse to believe what she said.

"And we are really going there, and shall actually see the 'pig tails' in their own country, and the splendid kites they fly, and all the wonderful things that father used to tell us about? Oh! it seems too good to be true."

"But it is true," Sybil repeated with emphasis. "And I dare say we might even see tea growing, as it does grow there, you know, and I suppose we shall be carried about in sedan chairs ourselves." She was really as happy as her brother, only not so excitable.

At this moment their mother joined them. "Oh, mother!" the boy then exclaimed, "how beautiful! Sybil has just told me, but I could not believe her."

"I thought the news would delight you both very much," Mrs. Graham answered. "Your father and I have been thinking about going to China for some time, but we would not tell you anything about it until matters were quite settled, and now everything seems to be satisfactorily arranged for us to start in three months' time."

"That will be in August, then," they both said at once.

"Oh, how very beautiful!" Sybil exclaimed. " I like my father to be a missionary very much. He must be glad too; isn't he, mother?"

"Very glad indeed, although the joy will entail some sadness also. I expect your father will grieve a good deal to leave this dear little country parish of ours, and the duties he has so loved to perform here, but a wider field of usefulness having opened out for him, he is very thankful to obey the call."

[Illustration: THE CHURCH.]

"And father will do it so well, mother," answered Sybil. "I wonder whether I shall be able to do anything to help him there?"

"I think you have long since found out, Sybil," was her mother's loving answer, "that you can always be doing something to help us."