An interesting case narrated in the life of W. C. Burns is that of Si-boo,
who afterwards went as an evangelist among his own countrymen at Singapore.
"On Mr. Burns' first visit to Pechuia, he found amongst the foremost and
most interesting of his hearers, a youth of about eighteen or twenty,
called Si-boo.
"Of stature rather under the average of his countrymen, with an eye and
countenance more open than usual, and a free and confiding manner, he soon
attracted the attention of the missionary. His position in life was above
the class of common mechanics, and his education rather good for his
position. His occupation was to carve small idols in wood for the houses
of his idolatrous countrymen, of every variety of style and workmanship,
some plain and cheap, and some of the most elaborate and costly
description. Had Si-boo been of the spirit of Demetrius, he would have
opposed and persecuted Mr. Burns for bringing his craft into danger. But
instead of that, he manifested a spirit of earnest, truthful inquiry,
although that inquiry was one in which all the prepossessions, and
prejudices, and passions of mind and heart were against the truth--an
inquiry in which all the influence of friends, and all his prospects in
life, were cast into the wrong balance. By the grace of God he made that
solemn inquiry with such simplicity and sincerity, that it soon led to an
entire conviction of the truth of our religion, and that to a decided
profession of faith at all hazards; and these hazards, in such a place as
Pechuia, were neither few nor small-far greater than at Amoy, where the
presence of a large body of converts, and a considerable English community,
and a British flag, might seem to hold out a prospect of both protection
and support in time of need, though such protection and temporal aid have
never been relied on by even our Amoy converts, still less encouraged.
"One of the first sacrifices to which Si-boo was called was a great one.
His trade of idol-carver must be given up, and with that his only means of
support; and that means both respectable and lucrative to a skillful hand
like his. But to his credit he did not hesitate. He at once threw it up
and cast himself on the providence of God, and neither asked nor received
any assistance from the missionary, but at once set himself to turn his
skill as a carver in a new and legitimate direction. He became a carver of
beads for bracelets and other ornaments, and was soon able to support
himself and assist his mother in this way. One advantage of this new trade
was, that it was portable. With a few small knives, and a handful of
olive-stones, he could prosecute his work wherever he liked to take his
seat, and he frequently took advantage of this to prosecute his Master's
work, while he was diligent in his own. Sometimes he would take his seat
on the 'Gospel Boat' when away on some evangelistic enterprise; and while
we were slowly rowing up some river or creek, or scudding away before a
favorable wind to some distant port, Si-boo would be busy at work on his
beads; but as soon as we reached our destination, the beads and tools were
thrust into his pouch, and with his Bible and a few tracts in his hand, he
was off to read or talk to the people, and leave his silent messengers
behind him."
During the same year (1854), Mr. Doty wrote a letter to Mr. Burns while in
Scotland, in regard to the awakening at Chioh-be, a large town of 30,000
inhabitants, eight miles northwest of Peh-chui-ia. An extract reads as
follows:
"But what shall I tell you of the Lord's visitation of mercy at Chioh-be?
Again, truly, are we as those that dream. The general features of the work
are very similar to what you witnessed at Pechui-ia. The instrumentality
has been native brethren almost entirely. Attention was first awakened in
one or two by I-ju and Tick-jam, who went to Chioh-be together.
"This was two or three months ago. This was followed up by repeated visits
of other brethren from Pechui-ia and Amoy. Shortly the desire to hear the
Word was so intense, that there would be scarcely any stop day or night;
the brethren in turns going, and breaking down from much speaking in the
course of three or four days, and coming back to us almost voiceless."