30 JANUARY 1892, Page 13

John Kenneth Mackenzie. By Mrs. Bryson. (Hodder and Stoughton.)—Dr. Mackenzie,

a native of Yarmouth, of mingled Highland and Welsh parentage, spent some thirteen years as a medical missionary in China. At first he was stationed at Han- Kow, but afterwards saw reason to ask for a transfer to Tien-tsin. Here, for a while, he was in great difficulties. There were no funds available for the purchase of drugs, and a memorial asking for help addressed to the Viceroy, Li Hung Chang, seemed to pro- duce no effect. Then the opportunity came. The Viceroy's wife became seriously ill, and was given up by the Chinese physicians. In this extremity etiquette was set aside, and Dr. Mackenzie was called in. He treated the patient with good effect, and a lady- physician carried on the treatment which he prescribed,—another proof, by-the-way, of the great call there is for female practitioners of medicine in the East. After this, things went smoothly. Un- happily, Dr. Mackenzie overworked himself, and died when his work seemed to promise beat. His loss was a most serious one, and yet the work has not been stopped, but has continued to prosper. This story of his life is remark- ably interesting, and has the advantage of being told by a writer who is well acquainted with the country where the work was done. We cannot think that Mrs. Bryson is right in insisting that it is of the very essence of conversion to be sudden; that, in fact, no conversion is genuine unless it is sudden. There are some genuine saints whom such a dictum uncanonises. The lines, "the alma' table-lands

To which our God Himself is moon and sun,"

were not written by Dr. Farrar.