St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-03-28

thought if the richest man in the vii
lage is in such distress need not ask
about the poor Of course they are
in still more pitiable state.
Many of the refugees failing to get
by work or begging enough to sup
port life, are returning home to die.
Late one afternoon | overlook man
about fifty years old pushing a small
wheelbarrow On it was seated a
child of four or five years whose face
was distressingly sallow and thin
An unspeakably haggard woman
was YEARLY following on foot l
saw them stop at an inn. The inn
keeper was unwilling to receive them,
but he at last yielded to their impor-
turlitv. | followed them in and heard
the inn-keeper ask them what they
would have for their supper. They
answered, I'VE will neither eat nor
drink" | was sure they must be
without money, for otherwise how
could any one travelling on that bit
ter cold day fail to take a warm sup
per? So | went in and asked them.
The man replied, I'VE and two chill
dren fled from the famine, but found
no place where we could get enough
to retain life. We thought if we
must die, we wanted to die at
home. We exchanged our seven year
old boy for two shing of kauliary.
This we ground and made it into
cakes, thinking it would last us three
until we reached home, where we left
our father, eighty years old. | only
hope he has not yet died of starva
ton. Alas my wife fell sick and can
only travel three or four miles day,
and here we are still siXty-five miles
from home, and we have but one
cake left, so after all we must die by
the roadside" Hearing this l gave
them a small piece of silver, enough
to provide them food till they could
reach home.
Another time | met family of ref
ugees who had just sold their daugh
ter, seven years old, for one dollar.
This was to save her life and provide
food enough to enable the rest to
reach home to die. Some have sold
their wives. Such things as these
are of daily occurrence. 1t is impos-
sible to relate all and l have not told
the worst. | have seen many lying
by the roadside dead of starvation.
And | have seen others dying, whom
| had no way to help.
Much as we wish we cannot save
all who are suffering from this dire
calamity. They are more in number
than one man or one hundred men,
or one thousand, or ten thousand
can save.
This famine region is about fifty
miles wide and eighty miles long and
contains over one million inhabitants.
Since this calamity is SO widespread
and the suffering SO terrible, though
all the world should send money,
only part can be saved. Multitudes
must perish. But ten cash lone cent?
a day to buy good grain to add to
the dreadful things they eat will sus
tain life until wheat ripens thelast of
June. That is, one dollar and half
will save a life Therefore | write
this letter to beg benevolent people
every where by Gods love for the
lives of His creatures to exercise mer-
cy and compassion towards these
suffering people and send money to
save them. Because charity does
not make any distinction between
ones fellow country-men and foreign
ers. Furthermore these people are
perishing. 1t isnow mid-winter, and
they are without food or clothing,
and unless help comes speedily they
must all die | know all these things
to be true for have seen them with
my own eyes. Oh, send us help
quickly and ask your friends to help
us. Not only those you rescue will
be deeply grateful, but all China will
return you unbounded thanks. OF
all benevolent deeds is any greater
than this?
Very respectfully, your younger
brother,
Ii PING /