“And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” – Matthew 6:28-29
When young, Hudson Taylor began an early love of flowers, birds, and butterflies, which continued with him through life. His beloved pastime was to go into the neighboring woods with his sister Amelia to study nature first-hand and bring specimens home. This devotion to the beautiful was a constant refreshment to him throughout his strenuous career. His letter home from China had many a reference to the flora and fauna of that land. It was to the care of a few chosen plants and flowers that he frequently turned for relief of mind when burdened with urgent and pressing duties.
(Source: Marshall Broomhall, HUDSON TAYLOR – The Man who believed God, p.21)