1888-1889
Gibraltar, Algeria, Malta, Egypt, India, Burma, Singapore, China, Japan, Korea, Russia
February 22nd, 1889
French Packet "Sagahlein"
My Beloved Angee,
I had only time to drop Arundel a line yesterday morning before leaving Singapore to say all well to date – I had risen early intending to write your believing this steamer would not leave until the afternoon or evening one of the hotel servants came to my room before six a.m. to say it would leave at 8 giving me a couple of hours to get ready and be at the wharf which was 3 miles distant. The previous day had been a busy one and in the midst of all my packing up I heard there was a steamer that day at 2 for Bombay and none again for a fortnight after so I had to buy a passage for Rana and see to his departure – poor fellow he did not care about leaving and we both felt the parting – I believe he has been faithful and has done his best for me and you cannot keep from becoming attached to a servant where these qualities are found. I wondered what I should do without him, but had to face the new circumstances and buckle to with real purpose but it is no light matter to have 18 pieces of baggage to take care of – however the mountain soon became a table land and I was on board bag and baggage soon after 8 and at 10 we steamed very swiftly out of Singapore waters. It is a splendid ship and I have a grand cabin for my own use which is no small mercy. We expect to reach Saigon in Cochin China on Saturday evening and shall probably stay until Monday arriving in Hong Kong about Thursday. At the table I am seated next to a clergyman residing at Brisbane who is on a tour – an out and out High Church man – we have had several conversations about the truth but last night we kept at it for hours – I was keeping him to the Epistle of Galatians as closely as I could – he said he did not think so much of the words of Scripture as some, he believed the sacraments were the great means of keeping the soul supplied from God – he got a little warm once and said if the Lord did not mean water baptism in John III. on saying born of water that He was a very clumsy workman and if he did not mean what he and the High Church party believed it to mean that he would throw his Bible into the ocean at once and have nothing more to do with it. I never met a mind in such utter confusion and darkness as to the truth and was made to feel on retiring what a mercy and privilege is bestowed upon us to have had it made plain our souls, as the point of the Spirit's teaching Who was sent as the Spirit of Truth to guide us into all truth.
I was very thankful to get your dear letter the evening before I left Singapore, but very sorry to find that you were still suffering from the cold you have now had so many weeks – I have prayed that the Lord may graciously restore you again and strengthen your dear body not only for His own will and pleasure but for the joy and comfort of all our hearts – I hope you are taking good nourishing
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