CECILIA CONTINUES HER STORY.
So many dreadful things have happened since last I told my story, that
if I had not promised Nina, I do not think I could have written any
more; but since the troubles began in China, Nina and I agreed to write
a little history of what is happening every day, and afterwards we shall
compare notes, and then, as Mother says, it will interest our friends at
home, and perhaps some of the Missionary papers may like the account for
their magazines.
It seems years since last I put down anything, and yet it is only a few
weeks ago since that day when we were all together at Cheng-si. How
true it is we know not what an hour may bring forth. I remember the day
of which I am speaking so well; it began so brightly, such a lovely
morning. Rachel and I got up early and went into the garden with
father. That hour seemed to me afterwards one of the most precious in
my life; it made one understand a little of what the disciples must have
felt when the dear Lord Jesus had been laid in the tomb, and they
thought of the last time they were with Him. How tenderly they would
recall His sweet, gracious words, and His loving looks.
I felt like this about father when he was parted from us. We had been
sitting in the garden with him, Rachel and I, and he had been telling us
stories, when all of a sudden we heard a noise, almost like the distant
roar of the sea, and Seng Mi told us the rioters were coming, and then
we had to say good-bye to father. I wished, oh, so much, to stay with
him, but I could not disobey him, especially when I knew it would only
have increased his pain and anxiety, but I crept out of the room where
mother and the others were, and went on to the verandah which overlooks
the court-yard. Oh, it was a dreadful sight! I had never seen such
fiendish, cruel looking people before. They had got hold of poor Daig
Ong and were going to beat her to death. Father did not know anything of
what was going on when he first came out, the crowd being so dense
between him and Daig Ong, but I was above them, and saw it all. They
dragged her along, shrieking for mercy; it was dreadful! I can hear her
screams now sometimes! and they tied her to one of the posts at the
entrance of the court-yard. I pitied poor Daig Ong with all my heart; I
would have done almost anything to save her, but when I saw father I
seemed to forget everything else but him. Just then he looked round and
saw me, and I cried out to him to come up to us. I could not help it,
though all the time I knew it was useless. When I saw that my being
there only made him miserable, I slipped back and ran to the room where
mother was and begged her to leave the others and come with me, and all
the time I cried to the dear Lord Jesus to help us, and protect poor
Daig Ong, and to save father from the cruel people outside. Mother
turned very white when I spoke to her. She did not know how to leave
little baby Anna. It was one of baby's bad days. She did not seem in
any pain, but she lay back in Nurse's arms very quiet and still, and
looked up at her with intently solemn eyes.
Mother had put on the Chinese dress, and all the others were dressed in
the same way; and appeared ready to start at a moment's notice.
Mother's face was very pale, but she had that patient, enduring
expression with which the martyr saints are always drawn; it was only
her eyes that were full of pain. I do not know why I wished her to come,
save that I had always been accustomed to think she could do anything,
and to save father.
When we got down to the portico he was nowhere to be seen. We stood on
the steps and looked out over a vast sea of cruel, wicked faces. At
first I felt no fear, partly because I was with mother, and then it was
such a relief to me to see that they had left off beating Daig Ong, and
that father was not there. I kept on wondering where he was, and felt
sure he had escaped with Daig Ong.
Now the great danger seemed to lie in the possibility of their rushing
the house. Mother had whispered to Nurse to take the others on the way
that had been arranged: through the Mission-house and huts, out of the
village, and we were to follow afterwards.
As we stood there a grave Chinese gentleman came up and took his place
at our side. I had seen him sometimes when he came to study with
father, but had never spoken to him. He came quietly up and stood
beside us, but he never once turned to look at us, though mother looked
up at him.
"Are you Mr. Li?" I heard her say.
"Yes," he replied, simply. I saw a great wave of relief sweep over her
face.
"Do stay with us, do not leave us," she said.
"I intend to remain here," he replied, quietly, but he did not even then
turn and look at us.
"And you will do what you can?--My husband?"
He did not reply to the last, but only said very simply--
"Madam, I came here on purpose to help you."
[Illustration: "I came here on purpose to help you."]
"God bless you," said mother, fervently, and I saw her lips move, and
knew that she was praying.
Mr. Li was not a Christian, but he was so struck by mother's wonderful
calmness, the peace in which she was kept when so many dreadful things
were happening all round her, that he felt he could hold out no longer,
and that very day he yielded his heart to Christ.
By-and-by, Mr. Li said he thought it would be best for us to get away as
soon as possible. He promised to do what he could to protect the house
and the native Christians, and when we again spoke of father, he said he
had seen him helping Daig Ong out at the back of the court-yard as he
entered.
"I will find him," he added, "and will let him know that I have seen
you, and he will soon overtake you."
And so we went away. The others had started, and we hurried after them;
but first mother made me put on the Chinese dress, and then, leaving the
deafening sounds behind us, we crept on into the Mission-house. We were
only just in time. As we left the room, which mother locked behind her,
we heard someone trying the other door, and knew that it would not be
long before they forced the lock, and then--
Mother hurried me on through the Mission-house, carefully locking the
doors behind us, on into the first house, where we saw poor Daig Ong.
Mother stopped to say a few words to her, and then we passed on again;
we dared not stay, for the rioters might guess at our escape and bring
us back again. House after house we passed through safely, for the
people in the village knew us and loved us, until at last we reached the
road for Wei-hai-wei, and caught a glimpse of Nurse and the others on
a-head. They were going very slowly, and we soon overtook them.