The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-02-11
THE HEATHER CHINESE AT HOME.


Macaulay was right when he said
an acre in Middlesex is worth a prin,
cipality in Utopia. And to my mind
the poorest hamlet in the United
States is better than palace in
Peklnese surroundings. To know
heathenism one must see it and feel
ltsand hear it, and il this knowledge
is not satisfactory, the organs of
smell will speedily make know the
existence of very unwholesome
environment. l do not know which
is more disgusting, the vile Lam
guage OF the people or the worship
paid to senseless images. The mis-
sionary in active work cannot escape
these trials. After month, and
sometimes longer, when every hour
of every day he hears the most OBJ
scene language that mortals ever
uttered, he finds the strong need of
pure surroundings, and the boat
once turned homeward can never GO
fast enough.
During the past few weeks have
been III many cities and villages,
and the villages are unspeakably
vile. How human beings can herd
together with the other animals and
escape psstilence, is always mys-
terry. They seem to be lost to every
sense of cleanliness. Men dressed
IN silk, apparently Indifferent to the
FOUL sinks by the very door-steps.
But this result is inevitable. Darken
the spiritual sense, and both moral
and physical degeneracy follow.
Never were any people more com
pletely under the power of supersti-
ton. The first graduates in the
land as well as the poorest laborers
are dupes of ignorant priests and
fortune tellers. The words of the
Apostle are exactly applicable to
this nation: "All their lifetime
subject to bondage through fear of
death"
On my last journey to Kwonc Sal.
few months ago, the boat which
DIR. Kerr and myself occupied
struck rock and soon sank. We
lost nearly everything, but got
safely to shore, and by small boats
to Canton. The boatmen declared
the loss was due to the Captains
righteousness in not spending more
money in worshiping idols. The
nope OF earthly gain is at the base
OF all their worship. Large temples
are farmed out to spectators, who
affirm strongly the efficacy of their
particular idol, and charge the de-
luded people heavy prices for in
censesticks and wax candles. The
vast millions in the empire 90 on in
the old way, simply because they
know not the truth. They subscribe
money for idolatrous professions,
repairing and building temples,
chiefly because they believe they
will gain more money. In every
village the most snowy, costly and
conspicuous building is the temple.
either to their ancestors or some
idol. Every shop and house in every
town must contribute something for
idol worship. l sold Gospels in a
city, few weeks ago, where 81 ,OO0l
mad been subscribed to repair a |
temple dedicated to the heavenly |
goddess. And yet, many who con- |
trlbuted were no doubt too poor to |
enjoy one good meal a month. AS |
L pass by these large hills 1 can see
women bearing their heavy burdens
OF grass and sticks. They assembled
the steep slopes before the sun
arose, and now must carry 100
pounds many miles in the hot sun,
and all this for less than ten cents.
But part of this hard earned sum
must go for incense-stic1s. Women
sleep all night on the floors of some
OF their temples, to be the first to
solicit the IDOLS help A mission
airy, in the N. Y. Evangelist.