they were receiving a great favor in my coming, and not as though they were conferring a favor.

"And now, the farewell meetings for a part of the 'China Band' have actually begun; it all seems too wonderful to be true. Arrangements have been made for the two young -men of the party, C. Floyd Appleton and George H. Scofield, to sail November 18th. The farewell meeting for them was held at Greenville College, November 5th, and then the next morning they came on to Chicago. How our prayers will follow them to that far-away land where as yet we have no mission home in which to receive them! But I have always proved God to be faithful, and I believe He will provide a home for them."

CHAPTER XXXI.

OUTWARD BOUND.

The hour has come. Strong hands the anchor raise;
Friends stand and weep along the fading shore,
In sudden fear lest we return no more:
In sudden fancy that he safer stays

Who stays behind; that some new danger lays
New snare in each fresh path untrod before.
Ah, foolish hearts! in fate's mysterious lore
Is written no such choice of plan and days;
Each hour has its own peril and escape;
In most familiar things' familiar shape
New danger comes without or sight or sound;
No sea more foreign rolls than breaks each morn
Across our thresholds when the day is born:
We sail, at sunrise, daily, "Outward bound."

-Helen Hunt Jackson.

The following persons were selected by the missionary board to constitute our "China Missionary Band," the first that the Free Methodist church ever sent to that field:

Miss Clara A. Leffingwell, superintendent, who had spent seven years in China as a missionary, and had also traveled for two years in the United States and Canada in the interest of the "China Mission."

C. Floyd Appleton, from Bracebridge, Ontario, born August 10, 1880; converted March 1, 1899;

educated at Seattle Seminary, which he entered in September, 1901. He was accepted by the board at their meeting in 1903, and when the date for the sailing of the China band was postponed, he attended Greenville College, at Greenville, Illinois,

FRONT-MR. AND MRS. HONN AND CHILDREN, MISS PETERSON, MR. AND MRS. SCOFIELD AND BABY.

BACK-MISS MILLICAN, MISS GRAVES, MR. APPLETON.

for a while. He was unmarried when he went out, and is still so at the time of this writing.

George H. Scofield, Greenville, Illinois, born att Stanford, Connecticut, August 11, 1879; converted in 1897, and afterward attended Taylor University. He also attended Greenville College for a while when the sailing of the band was delayed. He was unmarried when he went out, but has since married Miss Florence B. Meyers.

Mr.

Rev. N. S. Honn and Mrs. Alice Honn. Honn has been for ten years past an ordained preacher in the California conference of the Free Methodist church. He and his wife had for years felt a special burden upon them for the salvation of the Chinese. They had been nearly all these ten years studying the Chinese language, always under great difficulties; but so persistent had been their efforts that before their departure for China they were able to hold services among the Chinese who are to be found in such large numbers on the Pacific coast. They had also for several years done considerable mission work among them as their ministerial and family duties would permit. They have six children; the four younger of whom they took with them to China, while the two older ones were left with special friends to complete their education. They did not, however, sail with Miss Leffingwell, but were delayed until the following September, and did not reach the field until after Miss Leffingwell's death.

Miss Florence B. Meyers. She was born in Indiana, October 15, 1879. When she was only nine years old the Lord intimated to her that she should be a missionary. She taught school some years, and afterward attended Taylor University. She met Miss Leffingwell at one of her many missionary meetings, and they were much drawn to each other. She applied to the board for a place among the "China Band," and was accepted. She has since been married to Mr. George H. Scofield.

Miss Edith Graves. She was born November 5, 1876, in Minnesota, but in 1894 her parents

moved to Oregon. She attended Seattle Seminary from 1897 to 1901, graduating from that institution. She was converted at a camp-meeting held at Portland, Oregon, in 1894.

Miss Lillie Peterson, of Seattle, Washington. She is the daughter of Mr. Peterson, who is very greatly interested in mission work, especially in China, and who has made large contributions for the work in that field. Miss Peterson did not go out with Miss Leffingwell as was expected, but went out one year later, in company with Miss Laura Millican, also of Seattle, both of whom are now at the time of this writing on the field engaged in active missionary work.

The two young men of the party sailed November 18th, as had been arranged; and, after a very stormy voyage and considerable delay, arrived at Shanghai, December 31st. They were kindly received and given much assistance by the China Inland Mission, and they were sent inland to one of their stations where they might study the language and become acquainted with practical missionary work under the instructions of experienced missionaries.

Miss Leffingwell had expected that all of the party would go out together, and she had hoped that they might get away in the early fall, but for some reason the rest of the party were delayed, so that Miss Leffingwell and the two ladies did not get away until the following April. In her judg ment, this time of sailing was inopportune, as it would bring them to China in the hot season.

The following extract from one of her letters to