‘For His Sake’: Elsie Marshall’s Life of Consecration and Devotion to China

Elsie Marshall served in China with the Church of England Zenana Mission Society until her untimely death in 1885. This is her story, told through extracts of her letters. My thanks to Redcliffe College for providing a copy of this public domain title for digitisation.

Elsie Marshall [1869-1895], ‘For His Sake’. A Record of a Life consecrated to God and devoted to China. Extracts From the Letters of Elsie Marshall, Martyred at Hwa-Sang, August 1, 1895, 6th edn. London: The Religious Tract Society, n.d. Hbk. pp.208. [Click to visit the download page for digitisation]

Contents

• Introductory Memoir

1. The Voyage Out
2. Arrival in China
3. At Fuh-ning
4. At Kulianf, on the Hills near Foochow
5. At Fuh-ning
6. At Ku-cheng
7. At Work in the District
8. Kuliang For Hot Months and Journeys
9. Sek-Check-Du
10. Work Disttributed by the Vegetarian Riots, Which Ended in the Massacre at Hws-Sang, Ku-Cheng, August 1, 1895
11. Extracts from Letters

Introductory Memoir

A short sketch of the life of the writer of the following record of missionary work in China will perhaps enhance its interest for the general reader, and make clear some of the personal allusions, which could not be well omitted without breaking the continuity of the letters. The letters themselves are published in the hope, and with the earnest prayer, in which it is certain the writer would (and perchance does) join, that their perusal may stir up still greater zeal in hastening forward the King’s business in the land of Sinim, which recent events-and not least amongst them the martyrdoms at Ku-cheng-will assuredly open up to the ‘ Divine Enterprise of Missions’; and lead many to adopt what she found to be the happiest of all lives: to give up home ‘for His sake,”in order to go and tell the love of Jesus to those who have never heard.

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