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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
long. For Buddhism is on its lust, legs and, adopted it as the corner stone of their re Taoism is discouraged because its demons areligions faith. spiritless."
Men are often discouraged by the shortcomings | of our civilization and wearily conclude that it is a delusion. They are in a hurry for a paradise and seek to know the purposes of the Almighty. Some are confident that they could make a better world. One looks about him in the centres of the finest civilization and in social degradations, the inanities of fashion, in rotten drama and wolfish competition he reuds | decadance and decides that the life of the coolie is better. Men say and it may be true -that all civilization must flower only to decay; but amid the mutations of the social order and the crash of empires there is a remnant of virtue and strength and this men of faith believe to be the promise of a rehabilitated world. Christianity's dominance is attested by its vital principle. The pagan faiths have had great sway and onlookers have been dazed by their splendour, but once down, never live again. At different epochs Christianity has been obscured and made unlovely and defiled by the bigot, the mercenary and the sensual until just men have scarcely been able to follow its gleam"; but
HOW and anon through the centuries some brave, clear-visioned man has laid hold on the original teaching, dragged the divine thing from the human débris, and cried “Here is the Way!"; the undying nature of the message has reasserted itself, and once more the march has gone forward,
Culture is a good thing for the individual but culture has its perils; so we are not to reject civilization because it carries its peculiar evils.
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[March 15, 1909.
AN INTERESTING WEDDING.
OWEN SETH.
And what else will uplift China? Commerce, exploitation of resources, diplomacy, personal
On Mar. 9 a large congregation which included contact, secular education oven, have had thøir.
II. E. the Governor, assembled at St. John's way; they are hand-maids of truth, but they do not do the work. The Anglo-Saxon has Cathedral, Hongkong, to witness the wedding rubbed against the Chinese for a century in of Miss Phyllis Irene, second daughter of Mr. South China, yet the crudest forms of super- Supreme Court, to Mr. Mackerlich Cyril Owen,
ruthoon Soth, I..O. the Registrar of the - stition abound in almost every native home;
son of the Rev. Cyril Owen, of Julfa. The service, tawdry dragons are carried about the streets to
which was fully choral, was conducted by the Rev. expel the plague; polygamy and slavery are
F. T. Johnson, M.A., Mr. Denman Fuller being common, and one may only infer the dark scenes that must be enacted under a system whose
at the organ. The hymns sung were "The Voice that breathed o'er Eden," and "Oh heaven can be bought or whose hell can be.
Perfect Love." the ceremony concluding with averted by burning coloured sawdust and vain repetitions. You say that our American-Euro Mendelssohn's Wedding March. The brides- maids wero Miss Mabel Seth and Miss pean phases of these coast ports are no less abhorent,
Wo deny it absolutely. We confess Georgette Harker, while Mr. Engs Seth acted as best man. The bride, who was given away the sorry showing, but we point out the con- stant
by her father, was attired in a gown of protest. the disgrace attached it, the periodic
white liberty satin, the long train falling in the promise from the operation of Christian resistance and graceful folds, and draped at the sides with uplift elsewhere of better days to come in the chiffon and orange blossom intermixed with Far East. There is this all important differmyrtle, while her berthe and sleeves were of fine once: Pagan vice and ignorance are a dead in Florentine lace, embroidered with crystal and pearl. She wore a small wreath of orange enbus, with no hope from within. Paganism
blossom under a plain tulle veil, her ornaments unaided never improves. In a Christian com- munity where you find vice and degradation being a pearl earring, a pearl necklace (the gifts there is no peace, there is. recurring protest; of her parents) and a diamond star (the gift of someone is for ever carrying forward the the bridegroom). The bridesmaids' dresses were standard and bidding the line to come up; if
of pale blue ninon de soi made after one of the beautiful patterns the style of one generation does not relieve the iniquity. better men and women to follow us force the of La Maison Doucet, Rue de la Paix, The hats were of cream straw, improvement.
trimmed with pale pink roses and forget-me- nots and finished with pale blue ribbon. They also wore blue slippers. The bride's mother wore a dress of white lace over black silk and a black hat trimmed with variegated roses. The bouquets carried by the bride and bridesmaids were gold slippers containing pink and white roses tied with pjuk and blue ribbons,
Paris.
A reception was afterwards held at Norman Cottage, Peak Road, and was attended by a large number of guests who wished the young couple much joy, the Hon Mr F. H. May proposing the health of the bride and bridegroom in a very happy speech.
The happy couple left next day for Calcutta. where they will reside. The bride's going away dress was a brown cloth coat and skirt, tailor made, and brown hat trimmed with brown
No this Society and kindred projects bring the only hope poor old dead China can I know a man who reasons that because bar-rooms
ever know. Globe-trotters comfortably are most plentiful at the centres of education, ensconced by the hotel fire may conceive that material prosperity, refinement and church life because coolies patiently bear their chairs with a that therefore they must be a good thing. He smile and mothers with burdens in their baskets might as well say that insanity and suicide are and babies on their backs keep each other com- good things because they are more frequent pany up the precipice and divert their journey among overwrought minds of fine texture than
with good cheer, that therefore all is well; they among the stagnant intellects of South Sea do not know China. I have been in the interior Islanders. There is much flippant talk about
and seen the poverty, the unprogressiveness, the this civilisation that generations of godfearing disease, violence and death. As through village ancestors have worked out for us. We are
and walled town I have walked through the ungratefully thoughtless BS to what we dreary monotony of ravenous hunger, filth. have. What of the myriads of homes squalor, beggars and thieves-the pathetic triff- your country and wine, the scenes of plentying of soothsayers, and sad women kneeling to growth, peace, of mutual respect, of deference painted wood, and children - pleading with for women; what of intelligence, self-control; fiendish gods of stone: as I have lain at night mercy, truth, in the average man, woman and and heard the numeaning pounding of drums and child? If you lose your watch in the streets of cries of superstition and suffering. I have said your home town, why is the chance of recovery
"What, in God's name, is the solvent of this so good? If you fall down sick, why so many awful gloom, distress and decay?"; and I found strangers to care for you? Why do travellers but one cheer: that was in the little knots of feel safe in an English ship? They know if Chinese men, women and children gathered in Christ; in families happy in the new light and neat, clean, peaceful rooms and learning of the ambitious for their children; in schools taught hospitals where suffering was abated by nien 6 scent bottles. Mr Abdoolarhim, silver cruet. whose skill was mastered in (Tiristian countries. Mrs itken, 2 silver sult cellars Mr Apo, old Here for the few was the order, cleanliness, Chinese curio.
the quiet, the mercy and consideration that I know as the cominon lot; and I realized as◄ never before the meaning of the words "The truth shall make you free.”
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feathers.
The following is a list of the wedding pre- sents:----
Mr. Mrs and Miss Armstrong, set of silver Dr and Mrs Atkinson, 6 Japanese spoons. silver tea spoons. Mr L. S. Arathoon, silver umbrella handle. Mr A. V. Apcar, silver tea Mr and Miss Arathoon (Calcutta), silver entrée dish. Mr A. C. Arathoon, cheque. Mr.
set.
their child falls overboard, some Briton, care- less of his life, will plunge after it. They know if the Republic goes down, some aptain Seally will see the women and children off in safety. by men and women with love in their hearts; in aud Mrs Allen, table centre. Mr Adboolcader,
and stand by to go down with her. These things are not by chance, my
friends they were paid for with a price. Nations do not become strong and peaceful by the turning of a hand; no such scenes as I have instanced are common in paganism; and why? The motive power in man is the heart out of it are the issues of life, and heathen faiths have not so influenced those who know their power. The strength of Christian civilization is due to the sanctions of the Bible in which generations
have been trained. The Proverbs have made men cautious. The musings of Job have forced men to look to the stars in reverence. The warning of Isaiah have made them afraid. The grim, just, god-fearing figures of prophets and martyrs yet stalk in the souls of men who do not know it, and the God-man of Galilee still summons the sons of men to be pure, merciful and true to the end.
This society devotes its energies to the dis- tribution of the Bible to all nations. It is now printed in full or in part in over 400 languages. This work is predicated on the proposition that the man who shapes his life on the teachings of the book will come to the full stature of man- hood and that the people who make it their guide will slough off evils and take on benefits, We are especially interested in distributing the book among the Chinese; they are our neigh bours, and knowing and esteeming the qualites wa are almost a unit in saying no undeveloped peo- ple has the potentiality of these four hundred millions. We believe the book will do for them what it has done for the nations that have
you and
Mr and Mrs Bonnar, silver dessert knives. Miss Barker, Miss Maker, Miss Gorham and Miss
silver salt cellars. Gourlay.
r and Mrs
Blanche, grass cloth teu cloth. Mr and Mrs
Murray Bain, pair cloisoné vases.
Mr R. E.
The resolutions were carried unanimously. Mr. Humphreys proposed and the Rer. T. WO. Bird sily or frame. Mr Bowley, 2 silver sweet Pearce seconded a vote of thanks to the speakers clock. Mr. M. Brandao, cheese and biscuit stand. dishes. Sir Henry and Lady Berkeley, travelling and the Chairman. This was acknowledged Mr H. Murray Bain, set lacquered tea-poys. and the mecting concluded with the Doxology... Mr and Mrs J. M. Beck, silver. photo frame.
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A bill has been introduced into the Philippine Assembly providing that the legal rate of interest shall not exceed two per cent per month in monthly contracts and not over 15 per cent per annum in annual contracts. In a lengthy preamble to the bill its introducers explain that the Bill is taken from a law recently approved in the Spanish parliament for the purpose of putting an end to usury.
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There was an inaugural ball in the Carnival auditorium at Manila on the 4th inst in honour of President Taft and in the course of the evening the Executive Committee sent off the following telegrams: To President Taft. Washington:
Participants Manila inaugural ball hail their old chief as their new chief. Heartily wish him all success To Mrs. Taft, Washington :-
Participants Manila inaugural ball unite iu affectionately greeting the first lady of the land.”
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Miss
Bird, picture. Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Barrett, Japanese silver butter dish. Dr and Mrs R. A. Belilios, silver tea caddy. Mr and Mrs Bolles, 2 glass and silver yases. Mr Bryer, 2 Japanese plaques.
dishes. Mr
Mr and Mrs R. Chapman, silver sweet
Capt. St.
silver dish.
Clair, 2
sweet baskets. Mr Chan Chew, silver frame. Mr and Mrs Chapman 2 mother-of-pearl fruit B. Chapman and Miss M. Chapman, 4 silver pepper pots. Mr. G. G. Catchick, travelling clock. Mr and Mrs Craddock, 2 grass cloth tea cloths. Mr and Mrs Carter. 2 mother-of-pearl and silver sweet dishes. Mr Chau Long, silver bowl. Mr and Mrs Carvalho, pair silver vases. Mr C. Cooke, silver shoe horn. Mr and Mrs hao Leep Chee, 6 silver tea spoons. Mr than Siu Ki, ivory and silver belt. Mr Chan Ah King, roll of silk. Mr and Mrs George Caldwell, 2 silver vases. Sir Paul Chater, silver tea set, silver salver and
silver toilet set.
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