MRS. HOWARD TAYLOR Her Web of Time by JOY GUINNESS Foreword by AMY CARMICHAEL CHINA INLAND MISSION Agents: LUTTERWORTH PRESS London First Published in November 1949 Second Edition August 1950 Made in Great Britain Published by the China Inland Mission, Newington Green, London, N. 16, and printed by the Camelot Press Ltd., London and Southampton Trade Agents: The Lutterworth Press, 4 Bouverie Street, London, E.C.4 Contents Chap. Page FOREWORD, by AMY CARMICHAEL I INTRODUCTORY 3 I. EARTHLY FATHERS WE ALL HAD 6 II. AND THE CIIlLD • • • GREW 16 m. DO Tms, AND HE DOETH IT 22 IV. AND THE CIIlLD • • • GREW ON 26 V. HER FIRST AVOWED INTENT 33 VI. GENTLE IN THE MIDST OF YOU 37 VII. CLAY IN THE POTTER'S HANDS 43 VIII. AND THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME 49 IX. SHE HEARD ms WORD 60 X. ALL'S CLEAR NOW, ALL'S CLEAR 69 XI. THE REGIONS BEYOND 78 XII. GOETH FORTH AND WEEPETH 85 XID. WISELY ENKINDLED 96 XIV. RIVERS FLOWING I06 XV. TOGETHER II5 XVI. IN JOURNEYINGS 126 XVII. IN LABOURS 135 XVIII. IN HONAN • • • IN CHRIST 147 XIX. IN STRIPES 154 XX. CHANGES 162 XXI. HE WORKETH STILL 172 V Contents Chap. Page XXII. ALL THINGS • • • TO ENJOY 179 xxm. CAREFUL IN ms PRESENCE 190 XXIV. THE GROWTH OF A BOOK 197 XXV. THE LORD GAVE, THE LORD RATH TAKEN AWAY 208 XXVI. NOT QUICKENED, EXCEPT IT DIE 219 XXVII. LITTLE ONES TO lilM BELONG 224 XXVIII. NOT ASHAMED 235 XXIX. HELD AS HOSTAGE 249 XXX. LIFE • • • IS ENERGY OF LOVE 257 XXXI. AUSTRALIA 267 XXXII. WINE POURED FORTH 279 XXXIII. IN AMERICA-FOR CHINA 291 XXXIV. PLENTEOUS GRACE 308 XXXV. FORTITUDE 325 XXXVI. ANOTHER SHALL GIRD THEE 340 XXXVII. THE HOUSE OF STEPHANAS 354 XXXVIII. THE BEST IS YET TO BE 366 POSTSCRIPTUM 369 Vl Illustrations Facing page Frontispiece and signature H. Grattan Guinness in 1886 72 Minnie, aged fifteen, with Her Mother, Harry, Lucy, Agnes, Gershom and Phcebe 73 Geraldine Guinness just before sailing for China, 1888 88 With her Sister, Lucy, in Switzerland, when They were Working on The Story of the China Inland Mission in 1893 89 Geraldine in the Home at Chenchow 168 In their Taikang Home, 1896 168 Howard and Geraldine Taylor 169 North-west to Kansu 169 The Hill Country of South-west China 184 Frederick Howard Taylor, M.D., F.R.C.S. 185 vii With mercy and with judgment My web of time He wove, And aye, the dews of sorrow Were lustred with His love; I'll bless the hand that guided, I'll bless the heart that planned, When throned where glory dwelleth, In Immanuel' s land. A. R. COUSIN Foreword ELCOME to another C.I.M. book. W It would take far more space than should be given to a Foreword to tell what the C.I.M. books have been to the Dohnavur Fellowship. From the little booklets and yearly reports to the big books which all lovers of the Mission have read and re-read, they have been seeds of light to us. There was one which reached us just when it could be most helpful. It was Guinness of Honan-the life of the father of this very Joy who has given us this beautiful book. For it is a beautiful book. It deepens as it goes on, like a river flowing to the sea. In these shallow days, it is kindling to read of those to whom the word "compromise" was unknown, to whom obedience to their Sovereign Lord meant everything, and who felt nothing too much to give if only the other sheep of the Good Shepherd might be found and brought Home. And in these days of turmoil and talk it is restful to read something which has peace at its heart. The story is about two servants of the Master who lived only for the things which are the Lord Jesus Christ's. They were undistracted by anything else. It was costly service that was asked of them, but they were the Chosen Sowers whose sowing was to mean fruit unto Life Eternal for the people for whose sake they had given their all. And now about this lovely book. What can I say except the Lord bless it, and I know He will. It has been read to me as I was able to hear it, chapter by chapter, sometimes with gaps of many days between, a dull and trying way to read a book, but it was never dull or trying. It never lost its hold. As it was read to me I seemed to see the beloved Geraldine, with the hus­ band who was so worthy of her, moving quietly, steadfastly, through all the changeful scenes of life-peaceful everywhere. The Dohnavur Fellowship owes much to the C.I.M. I have I Mrs. Howard Taylor often wished that we were worthy to be one of its small relations . .But the books which so uplift us, humble us too, till we wonder, as we read of what men and women of God have gone through in China, whether we are missionaries at all. And yet India has her cup of tribulation for all who follow, even though faintly and afar, the Star which has led the C.I.M. from the beginning. God bless this dear book. May it go all over the world with its message of utter surrender, and sacrificial love, and the peace of God that passeth all understanding. AMY CARMICHAEL. DOHNAVUR, SOUTH INDIA. 2 Introductory EARS ago, a lady was hurrying with a New York crowd Yat the peak of the midday rush hour towards one of the toll bridges. She became gradually aware of something unusual about the figure of a woman in front of her which drew her attention and awakened her curiosity. As they reached the traffic control officer who was taking the toll fares, she watched while a little scene was enacted which was photographed on her memory for life. Her unknown companion paused a moment, and there seemed to be a brief calm in the vortex of New York; then she looked up at the entirely unemotional American policeman and said with an engaging smile: "I am so sorry, but I have left my purse at home and I must cross this bridge, as I am due to take a meeting in half an hour. May I come back and pay you to-morrow?" The tone of the voice and the influence of the personality worked. In telling the incident, the American lady said: "The extraordinary thing was that I believed her, and, what is more, the policeman believed her." She was allowed to pass the toll bridge, and the lady following her decided on a sudden impulse to follow her still further. She went to the meeting to hear her speak, and the impression made upon her that day influenced her whole after-life. The Englishwoman, for her voice betrayed her as such, was Mary Geraldine Taylor, whose life story this book attempts to tell. The incident is typical of her: that she had forgotten her purse, that she should pause a moment to confess the negligence to her Lord and ask His help, that she expected her fellow mortals to meet her with understanding and confidence, and that they responded to her trustfulness and believed her word. It is typical of her life too, that out of an apparently so trifling thing, a stream of grace flowed into another life. 3 Mrs. Howard Taylor Because her life had this quality of permanent, personal influence, the leaders of the China Inland Mission wished to have a record made which would allow her to go on speaking, though she has been cut off from a public ministry for many years through the limitations of old age. It seemed best to let her tell as much of the story as she could remember herself, and after it had been decided that the writing should be entrusted to me, I went from Sweden to spend fifteen memorable days at her bedside, listening while she recalled and clothed in words the experiences of a lifetime. At first she had recoiled from the thought. It is one thing to have been an epistle written with the Spirit of the living God upon tables that are hearts of flesh; it is another to have that epistle faultily written with ink to be known and read of all men. When she received the letter saying I was coming, she answered, "What can I say? Perhaps the best thing will be to tell you the word that has come to me from the Lord and greatly comforted me. It was the last verse in Daily Light yester­ day morning: 'My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.' To say that your letter was a surprise to me would indeed scarcely express my feelings. Such a possibility had never once entered my thoughts, and I hardly know now what to say about it. At first I felt that I could not consent; it filled me with astonishment that the Mission should desire it. On quieter reflection, however, I have come to a wider point of view and to desire only the Lord's will in the matter." But ten days passed between the writing of that letter and my arrival and the willingness was sorely tested. It was not until I was actually there that a word came that made the task of telling not only possible, but a delight.