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[Illustration: A STREET SHOWMAN.]





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.

[Illustration]

          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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[Illustration]




CHAPTER I.

THE COUNTRY RECTORY.


[Illustration]

"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."

Sybil and Leonard had as yet only learnt a part of the story. They had
still to learn the rest. This going to China would not be all beautiful,
all joy for them, especially for Sybil, with her very affectionate
nature and dread of saying "Good-byes," for she and Leonard were only to
be taken out on a trip--a pleasure tour--to see something of China, and
to return to England to go on with their education at the end of six
months.

Mr. Graham then calling his wife, the children were again left alone.

It was no easy matter to go as a missionary to China. This Mr. Graham
well knew, for his father, although only for a short time, had been one
over there before him, and had discovered--what so many other later
brother missionaries have found out also--that to obtain even a hearing
on the subject of religion from a Chinaman, who has been trained and
brought up to be a superstitious idolater, very vain of his wisdom and
antiquity as a nation, and to look upon Europeans as barbarians, is
often a most difficult matter.

Eighteen years before Mr. Graham the elder went out to Peking as one of
the first missionaries to China, and his only son, who had then just
qualified for the medical profession, accompanied him.