Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-07-08
A LETTER,
FROM REV. CALVIN W. MATTER,
A Missionary in China, to the Sabbath
School Of the First Presbyterian
Church in this City,

The following letter from Rev. c. W.
Mateer, of Merchandising, Pa, mis-
sionary of the Presbyterian church
stationed at Tungchow, China, was read
10 the sabbath school of the First Pres
byterian Church of this citt,on last sun
day, bythe pastor, Rev. DIR. Cunningham.
Mr.. Natter is about TO return to this
country on visit. His wife is now visit
ing friends at their old home, having re-
Gently returned. The letter printed here
with is interesting, and no doubt those
who lid not have an opportunity to
hear it will be glad to read it, while
those who heard it read will be as eager
to have it in permanent form.
TUxGcmow, CHINA,Ap :, 1879.
My DEAR You've FRIENDs-ThrOugh-
ont the past year God has kept us all IN
health an,s safety. The pupils in the
school have studied well and behaved
well. Two were sent home for want of
talents. and several new pupils were re-
eel we'd. The School now numbers forty
pupils twenty in each department -Four
have been baptized during the year, and
several are now applicants Tor baptism.
We have great reason To- thank God Tor
his GOODNESS tn us, and the measure OF
prosperity he has given to the Tungchow
school.
You have no doubt heard that the
Chinese worship their ancestors, ana NJ
has occurred 10 me that nothing would
b, more instructive than To give you IN
this letter some account Ot this worship.
The truth is, the religion Of the Chinese
consists chiefly i'm the worship OF their
ancestors. 10 is impossible To tell when
or how this practice of worshipplng the
dead began. The first account given OF
il i'm Chinese history, is that about 1000
years before Christ. a famous king called
Iaou, when sacrificing 10 heaven, sacri-
feed also nj the same time 10 his parents
and other ancestors. Little more Is
known about it, however, until about
$500 years ago, when the present
method oi worship was introduced
The account given oft is this: \ good
king called Wun Wong, had Just died,
and his son called Woo Wong, succeeded
him. Woo Wong buried his father
without waiting tO perform all the reSu-
l1r ceremonies, and instead Of remain
ing i'm retirement and wearing mourn
ing Tor his father, for three years, as
was supposed proper, he at once collect
cd an army and was setting cut on an
expedition against neighbOrlng king.
Two aged sagcs went ont To meet him rs
he was starting, and rcproached Tor his
want of tilial piety, in thus neglecrns
his father, and starting off on an eXpe-
ditiOn OF conquest and murder before
his fathers body was cold. He did not
know exactly what To- do To put n good
face on the matter, when happily his
Younger brother Chew kung solved the
difficulty, by suggesting that he make 4
board i'm the form OF 4 tablet, and write
on il the name of their father, and place
il i'm a sedan chair, and have IL in front
of the army, giving out to the people
that their father approved of the eXpe-
ditiOn, and that his soul went out with
them them To the war, and that Tor the
accommodation OF his father he had pro-
yided this tablet and sedan. He was
successful in his expedition, but when
ne returned he did not know what 10 do
with the tablet which he hal been max
ing believe was his father, 81 he built
a sort of temple and placed the tablet IN
it, and worshipped it and sacrificed to 1t,
from time To time. lt'was not long TIL
all the high officers and then the people
made themselves tablets in imitation of
him. and these tablets were regarded
as the special resting place OF the souls
Of the persons whose names were writ
ten on them. The tablet consists OF a
small upright board about four inches
wide by ten or twelve inches high, fixed
AZ the bottom on an oblOng carved pc
destal, and generally surrounded by a
narrow ornamental frame. This board