The books used had the Chinese
words on one page and the English sentences opposite. Sometimes
converts to Christianity are made through the medium of the night
school, but it takes time and patience to win a Chinaman from
the religion of Confucius. It is worth the labour, however. The
difficulties in the mastery of English are a great barrier to
conversions. Nevertheless they do occur. A Chinaman is readily reached
through his own language. Hence the importance of raising up native
teachers of the Gospel who can speak to the hearts as well as to the
understanding of their countrymen. As we observed in the foregoing
chapter, in the Orient, as in Syria and Egypt, Jews and Mohammedans
sometimes allow their children to attend the English schools, and to a
large extent from a worldly motive. The Syrian or Arab who can speak
English is in demand as a dragoman, an accountant, an office clerk in
the bazaar, or a camp-servant or boatman. Indeed a great revolution is
now taking place all through the East. Nearly all the young Egyptians
can talk English, and this is the first step towards their conversion
to the faith of the Gospel.
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