Carstairs Douglas -His Closing Days (The Amoy Mission--1840-1951)

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Memorials of Douglas Carstairs
Part 5 His Closing Days

CONTENTS
Part 1. LIFE, EDUCATION,TRAINING, OBJECTS, HABITS,WORK
Part 2. Extracts from his LETTERS
Part 3. PREFACE to his AMOY DICTIONARY
Part 4 Extract from AMOY DICTIONARY
Part 5. His CLOSING DAYS, by REV. WM.McGREGOR, Amoy
Part 6. His MISSIONARY CAREER, by REV. W. S. SWANSON, Amoy
Part 7. Extract from LETTER of REV. DR.TALMAGE, Amoy
Part 8. Extracts from LETTERS of REV. H. L. MACKENZIE, Swatow
Part 9. Missions in China of PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF ENGLAND;STAFF, STATIONS,and LONDON OFFICE-BEARERS
Part 10. Statistics of whole PROTESTANT MISSIONS IN CHINA, and of the SHANGHAI MISSIONARY CONFERENCE

HIS CLOSING DAYS. A Letter from the Rev. Wm. McGREGOR, Amoy, one of the Missionaries of the Presbyterian Church of England. AMOY, 31st July, 1877.

FOR nearly a year Dr. Douglas had not been robust. Last spring he was at one time very much reduced in strength, and what he needed was to return home and have an entire cessation from work of every kind. He would not, however, even take a change to Japan. He had to attend the Missionary Conference at Shanghai in May, and this he thought would be a sufficient change. In one conversation I had with him he indicated that he would be prepared to come home in 1878. Before he went to Shanghai he was considerably stronger, and, although he had a great deal of work at the Conference there, it was work of a different kind, so that his health then was very good.
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LABOURS OF HIS LAST WEEKS.
Before he left, both Mr. Gordon and myself had pressed him to go on from Shanghai to Japan. He was inclined to go to North China, but what he needed was a withdrawa4 from all Chinese associations and Chinese study, and we urged Japan. He promised to go if he should feel himself still weakly at the close of the Conference; but as at its close he felt himself much better, he came right back to Amoy, arriving here on the I3th of June. He was certainly much benefited by his visit to Shanghai, and although there was a sad want of the vigour and elasticity of old times, yet, during these last six weeks he was with us, he was, I think, as well as I have known him during these past three years. He was also in excellent spirits. Although the Chin-chew case and some other matters continued to trouble him, still there was very much in connection with the work of the mission to cheer him. A native minister, of tried and sterling character, had just been harmoniously settled at Pechuia. Thian-khe, another admirable man, had been appointed his successor as students'
tutor; and only a week before his death, we decided on adding six young men of much promise to the number of our students. A gospel boat, for evangelistic purposes on the Chin-chew river (long a fondly cherished scheme of his), had just been built, and on every side openings for the gospel were presenting themselves. All this cheered him very much, and I believe the last few weeks of his life were very happy weeks. He was, as you are aware, staying in Mr. Swanson's house, and had for some months had Mr. and Mrs. Sadler, of the London Mission, staying with him, as they, on their return to China, had no house accommodation of their own. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon lived just next door, and, of course, saw him often; while, however often Mrs. M'Gregor or myself had seen him during the day, we could count almost with certainty on his looking in sometime in the cool of the evening, cheery and happy. Still he continued to work too' hard.
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When not engaged in active mission work he was hard at work in his study almost the whole day. The second Sabbath before his death he spent at Aw-paw, one of our newly-opened stations to the south-west. Then, after spending most of the week hard at work in Amoy, he was next Sabbath at Leong-bun-see. Both these places involved journeys trying in hot weather. He came back from Leong-bun-see on Monday in high spirits, because he had found the congregation there in a cheering condition, and giving evidence of spiritual life. He could not rest until he came up in the evening to tell us about it, and brought Mr. Gordon with him, that we might talk over some matters connected with the mission work, which required to be immediately decided. On Tuesday and Wednesday he was equally well and cheerful. On Wednesday afternoon he made a number of calls among the foreign community in Kolongsoo, but took a sedan-chair, as the heat was rather great. At eight o'clock that evening he met with us at the usual weekly prayer meeting, held in the (English) chapel in Kolongsoo. After the prayer meeting he walked to his own house along with Mrs. M’Gregor and myself, talking about matters connected with the Chin-chew chapel. We then went all into Mr. Gordon's house, and sat talking some time, separating before ten o'clock. He was then quite well. Next morning, about half-past five, his Chinese boy, as usual, took a cup of tea to his bed-room for him. He found him still lying down, and he told him that he had had an attack of diarrhoea at four o'clock, but that it was a mere trifle. I ought to mention that cholera has been very prevalent - among the Chinese in Amoy for more than a month. Two Europeans have died, one from a gun-boat and one from a sailing vessel in the harbour; and one European resident was seized, and recovered. The mortality among the Chinese was a good deal on Dr. Douglas's mind, as was shown by his conversation.
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GREEK TESTAMENT; HEBREW BIBLE; CHOLERA.
About half-past six he had a second attack of diarrhoea, and then, apprehending danger, he called Mr. Sadler to give him medicine. Mr. Sadler at once administered thirty drops of chlorodyne in a wine-glass full of brandy—that being the treatment medically recommended in the first stages of cholera.

He then lay down again in his bed, and asked Mr. Sadler to hand him his Greek Testament—he had previously been reading in his Hebrew Bible. He also gave Mr. Sadler a note which he had himself written to Dr. Manson,[Dr. Patrick Manson] our medical adviser. After sending off this note Mr. Sadler sat with him a few minutes, and then, leaving a small bell by his bedside, went down-stairs. In a very short time the bell rang, and, when Mr. Sadler went up-stairs, he found Dr. Douglas's boy arranging his bed and -rubbing his legs. Cholera-cramps had set in, and he afterwards told Dr. Manson that he knew it was cholera when the cramps began. Mr. Sadler at once administered a second dose of brandy and chlorodyne, and the Chinese boy ran in for Mr. Gordon, who, in a few minutes, was in the room. His limbs now required' incessant friction, and, from this time to well through the afternoon, there were generally four persons rubbing them. Dr. Manson arrived (about 7.30), and, on seeing Dr. Douglas, at once sent off a messenger for his younger brother, who shares with him the medical practice of Amoy.
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When I reached the house, a few minutes past eight, I found both doctors there. They had injected morphia below the skin, but it did not seem to do any good. The illness was cholera of the most virulent type, and Dr. Douglas was already in a state of collapse; his pulse almost gone, and his stomach incapable of assimilating anything.

HIS CLOSING DAYS; CHOLERA.
About this time Dr. Talmage came in, then Mrs. M'Gregor, and to each of them he expressed himself to the effect that he was feeling better. No doubt he was suffering less pain. All the missionaries were in Amoy and able to see him.

From about eleven o'clock he began to sink very rapidly. He gradually ceased to make any remark. During the afternoon he continued very low, circulation in the limbs being to a slight extent kept up by friction. I do not think he suffered very much pain, but kept restlessly tossing from side to side. The two doctors were most attentive; one or other of them was in the room the whole day.

HIS CLOSING HOURS; DEATH.
After five a change came over him. He tossed about less, and towards half-past five a peculiar quivering indicated that he was labouring for breath. He then turned himself on his back, stretched himself out nearly straight, and at twenty minutes to six, quietly breathed his last. So giveth He his beloved sleep.

During the few hours he was ill, Dr. Douglas spoke little. Almost from the first he was so prostrated that to speak was trying to him. This being apparent to all, we felt that it would have been cruel to press conversation upon him; and, in regard to the one great matter of his trust in the Saviour and acceptance with God, we were able to rejoice that all this had been settled long ago, and that we needed no death-bed testimony. Yet we were not left without such testimony. When his medical adviser told him that the result of his illness was very doubtful, and that if he had anything to arrange he had better do it, apparently fearing he might alarm him too much, he added, "but you must, not excite yourself, you know; you are a philosopher." Dr. Douglas here at once checked him, and said, "I'm a Christian;" then, pausing for breath, added, "that's better."
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HIS LAST WORDS; FUNERAL; LABOURS.
Mrs. M'Gregor, standing by his bedside, quoted the promise: "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee." He replied at once, with great emphasis, "He does sustain," and then, after a slight pause, "perfect peace." Mrs. Gordon was not allowed by Dr. Manson to enter the room, but she sent through her husband the text:

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee." Dr. Douglas said, "On Sabbath forenoon my text was to have been—' The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.'" . Evidently he meant by this answer to indicate where his trust was placed, and whence the peace he enjoyed came. The senior native minister connected with the American mission called about some matter, and, finding Dr. Douglas ill, came into the room to see him. He stood some time by the bedside; but our dear friend's thoughts were occupied, and his eyes apparently dim, so that he did not readily observe who was by his bedside. Dr. Talmage then said, "Here is Yap-sian-si come to see you." Dr. Douglas, slightly raising himself, and holding out his hand, said in Chinese, " Ah, Yap-sian-si, be always ready ..... for the Lord's will....staying here we may benefit the Church .... to be with the Lord is far better."
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Some six hours after this he went to be with the Lord, and next morning we committed his dust to kindred dust, near where Sandeman lies, in the little graveyard in Kolong-soo, to sleep till that day when all that are in their graves shall hear the voice of the Son of Man, and shall come forth.

Only those who knew Dr. Douglas well can understand how entirely he devoted himself to that work, to which in the bloom of his youth he gave himself—the work of his Master, in China, With regard to it, he might emphatically have said, "This one thing I do." His studies, his work of every kind, even his hours of relaxation, were directed to the one end of building up the Church of Christ in this land. To this his conversation ever turned; on this his thoughts ever ran; and ran, not in the shape of vague day-dreams, but in the way of planning and arranging some practical work, or of preparing for such work.

EXCESSIVE UNRESTING LABOURS; COURAGE.
The amount of work he could get through was almost incredible: and no doubt the secret of it was that he never rested. He did the work of one man in active evangelistic labour, and another man's work in his study and with the mission students—all directed to the one end: the bringing of China to the feet of Christ. To this his whole time and strength were given. For this he lived, and for this he died: for (humanly.speaking) there can be no doubt that it was incessant toil which made him old before his time, and laid his constitution open to the attack of the fell disease that took him from us. But he had counted the cost, and was prepared to abide the result. I know that he had often before his mind the prospect of illness, and perhaps sudden death, at some one of our inland stations. But such thoughts never kept him from visiting them, even when in much bodily weakness, and at times when the weather was very trying.
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When laid on his death-bed all he said went to show that death had lost its terrors. He had no fear of death in the sense in which that expression is generally used; and, if his mind was at all troubled, I doubt not it was at the prospect of leaving the work he loved, while there was so much work to be done.

The Lord saw that his work was ended, but it must have been difficult for him to realise this, as it is for us still. Of our own loss and our own feelings I cannot speak. We have felt stunned, and the whole community has been impressed.

This blow to the work of Christ here is such as to fill us with dismay. Surely the Lord is laying His chastening hand heavily upon us. We seem never to have prized sufficiently our dear brother while he was with us. "Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts ; look down from heaven and behold, and visit this Thy vine."
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HELP the AMOY MISSION!!! This photo of the May, 2007 RCA China Missionary Reunion (courtesy of Wendell and Renske Karsen) show that some RCA folk are still around--and we need their help!
   The John Otte Memorial on Gulangyu Islet finishes with, "This stone may crumble, his bones may become dust, but his character and deeds are imperishable.” But too many characters and deeds will be forgotten if we don't record them while those who remember are still with us. Please E-mail to me stories and photos for the Amoy Mission site (and planned book) so present and future generations can appreciate the character and deeds of those who served in the Amoy Mission.
          Thanks!
Dr. Bill   Xiamen University MBA Center
E-mail: amoybill@gmail.com
Snail Mail: Dr. William Brown
Box 1288 Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian PRC   361005