The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-04-21
HOW WE FOUND Mr.. LEE.
MARASH.

PLATT, AT THE CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH, FEB. 10, 1882.
We arrived in Marash on Friday
and on Sunday afternoon we started
for church. 1t was great surprise
to me when came to learn that there
were so many churches and SO many
protesting christians in Marash.
There are three churches the first
having a membership of about 400 !;
the second church 200; the third
about 100. The congregations in all
three amounting to over a thousand
regular attendants. say regular at
tendants for it is significant fact, as
evidencing the primitive and as yet
undeveloped christianity of this
heathen people that they all go
to church regularly. Strange as that
statement may seem to us who have
attained to more advancement and
enlightment in the christian life,
they seem 10 look upon the house of
God and the maintenance of His wor-
ship as something independent of
and of far greater importance than
the consideration as to who breaches
and what kind of singing do they
have. They have kind OF impress
sion, in simple-hearted way, that
they ought to follow Christ and not
run after the minister, nor the choir,
nor the church with the biggest steeple
on it. But of course they are in the
bands of infancy as yet and there is
very little doubt but that as they con-
tinue to advance by improvement of
their christian privileges they will
certainly arrive at that point, where
they will conscientiously refuse to
have anything to do with the house
or worship of God, unless the man
who occupies the pulpit is one whom
they happen to like.
Well, as l was saying, we started
for church. 1t was nearly mile dis
tant. We could see the church door
open far down the hill across the val
ley which divides the city. The
bells were ringing, as we hear them
on Sabbath day at home. We
walked along in single file down the
narrow street, that crooked and turn
ed enough to have put snakes back
out of joint, picking our way slowly
among the loose stones, passing
through files of Turks squatted in
front of their little shops, whose
whole stock in trade you could have
bought for a dollar. women whose
dress looked as if they had just had
narrow escape from aburning house
and were running away in bed sheet,
boys and girls some Of whom when
they saw us set up shout and ran on
behind US. I asked Mr.. Lee what
they we're saying. He said, ooh,
nothing, only hat-wearers. Here
come the hat-wearers Make way
for the hat-wearers / don't know
how my companions felt about it, to
be chased through the streets by such
a rabble and having public attention
and criticism called to their hats.
But to me it was exceedingly agree
able, because had just bought new
hat of which was particularly proud.
1t was fine enough looking hat in
the first place, but when one Of the
missionaries, Miss Tucker, of Hadjin,
had further beautifed it by kindly
winding about it a turban of white
lawn, I thought in my admiration OF
1t that even Solomon In all his glory
was never arrayed in hat like that.
If the vagabonds had shouted "look
at them shoes |" / should have felt
differently for l was painfully con.
scious of an awfully big hole in one
of them, although I thought / had
let down my pants far enough to COW
er it. Or il their Mohammedan
scorn had fastened on to my panta.
looms, just where, after long ride,
had been patching them up for
Sunday, that would have been worse
yet, but when, by good luck, they
attacked me where I was stronges,
and shouted look at his hat, / was