"Feb. 27, 1848. Today an old lady and her two sons declared themselves to
be worshipers of Jesus by presenting their idols to Bro. Pohlman. On the
evening of the last day of their last year they had burnt their ancestral
tablets. It was an interesting sight, said Bro. Pohlman, to see the old
lady, supported by one of her sons, breaking her idols and making a
voluntary and public surrender of them at the chapel.
"March 1st. When the old lady returned from the chapel on Sunday evening
she was full of zeal, and began preaching to her neighbors on the folly of
idolatry. She was so successful that another old lady living in the same
house with her has made a bonfire and burned all her idols except one.
This, being made of clay, was not combustible. This she presented to
Pohlman today. He asked her whether she gave it up willingly. She said
she rejoiced to do it. She said she had not yet destroyed her ancestral
tablets. Pohlman told her he did not wish her to do it rashly. She must
reflect on the subject, and when she became convinced that the worship of
them was a sin against God she must give them up immediately.
"March 29th. This afternoon Bro. Hickok and wife and Bro. Maclay arrived
at Amoy on their way to Foochow. They had a long passage from Hongkong,
having been out twenty-nine days." The distance from Hongkong to Amoy is
less than three hundred miles, and is made in twenty-four hours by an
ordinary coast steamer.