St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-11-29
Letter from China.
Dear friends auho read the Caledonian

nodtHen CnlDee, anu Wnlle WIFI you,
told you many more stories of the
Chinese, heather and otherwise. To-
day, have another "tale to unfold"-
the story of a Chinese girl, who is not a
heather, nor yet ga daughterin-law."
1t is not for want of opportunities, that
she has escaped the fate of the Chinese
girl, till she is now twenty-five years
old, for only the other day, old Chang,
who already has two of my girls in his
home as daughters-in-law, asked for this
one (who is not one of my girls however)
for his fourth SON. When Mary came
in, told her of the offer, and said what
shall 1 say to Mr.. Chang? She replied
in good English-"No, 1 thank you"
About eighteen years ago this girl,
whose name was "Kearig Pingzer," liv-
ed with her father and mother, an only
child, near the city of Nankin. The
rebels came, killing and taking prison
ers. Nankin was laid in ruins, and the
women and children from all the sur
rounding villages fled, the men having
been killed or captured. Mr.. Kearig,
the little Pingzer's father, was pris-
oner. His wife and child were refugees.
Pingzer (the name means Peace was
then, she thinks, between four and five
years of age. She has no birth day.
Never has known one. Young as she
was, she has some vivid recOllectiOns of
that time.
On their way to Shanghai, they stop
ped in temple, and while there, she
saw her father for the last time. Two
rebels were guarding him. He had a
band tied around his head, the badge
of the prisoner. He came into the
room where his wife and child were,
and sat for some time, looking at them,
but not speaking word. Nor did his
wife dare to speak to him. This was
the last time Pingzer saw or heard of
her father. Some of the rebels tried to
persuade the child TO follow them.
others said, "what do you want to drag
a child after us for.n When the refu-
gees reached Shanghai they found many
others there, and found shelter with
them in tents put up fol their use,
where bowls of rice Cruel were supplied,
either sold at a very low rate, or given
to those who had no money to buy.
81,
ON horseback, ride through their midst,
whom she called ''Kwatzer" (deviD.
The mother, from hunger and exposure,
soon fell sick and died. The child was
taken care of by neighbor, who had
fled with them.
She cannot remember how long she
lived this way, but says sit seemed
tremendous long time" The "Lord
knoweth them that are His" and He
who said Suffer the little children to
come unto me-" was caring for the lit
tie PingZer, tho she knew it not for
many years. Without father, mother,
or home, yet the child was not left
alone. The same foreigner she had
seen on horseback, had home near,
and the woman who had the care of
short consultation with the ladies (mis-
sionaries) she led her back to their
quarters. In few days she took her
again to the house, and left her there.
She, not realizing that the new home
was the best place for her, spent the af
ternoon and night in crying. The next
day servant led her away, telling her
falsely, that he was taking her back to
the woman who brought her there, to
get her to go along quietly. But he
was taking her to the house of another
missionary who was to keep her. After
a few days another little refugee girl
came to be a companion for her, and
she soon became happy in her new
home. She was called "Mary"-the
name she has borne ever since, and her
companion received the name Rebekah.
After two years, the missionary died,
and his wife returned to England. For
a few months Mary was in Christian
Chinese family, and then new home
was found for her with foreigners, and
again with missionaries. She was
brought to Chefoo by the first family.
Her next home was in TungchOw,
where she remained till she was fifteen
years old. Then, the lady who had the
care of her died, and the motherless
with Mary, were taken to the
United States by their father In about
a year the same family returned-one
of the number being left at home, (the
eldest SOM and new mother being
added. Their home was in Chefoo
about three years, when serious illness
made it necessary for the return of the
gentleman and his wife to the United
States,--the children and Mary finding
a home in the far south. Nearly three
years passed, and the same illness which
caused them to leave ChefOo prevented
the return of the parents, so the chill
dren went to them.
In the meantime the Heavenly Faith
er, was leading his child, Mary, through
the furnace of affliction. A long, weary,
painful illness of twenty months, with
the comfort of kind friends and loving
care, and better still, the comfort of
Gods presence, she now feels was the
discipline she needed. To gain strength,
a return to Shantung was prescribed.
She came few weeks before nv return