The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-03-09

Il "a . COuIo ACuI LIZ" OhocO hC1eh
ems treat their women folks they'd
certainly look upon Japan as fresh
fields. had the greatest notion TO
write Susan about it. urging of her
to sail over and settle matters there
now that she'd got things pretty well
Strengthened out in this country.
For with women voting out West,
and settin' on juries, and being law
yers and what not, I think this country
could spare her spell, and welcome.
1t was surely worth fully so cents
not to be a Japanese woman, and l
was right glad l had done the square
thing and concluded to give accord
ing to my blessings.
But when heard how their houses
were furnished l was taken all aback.
They amt furnished at all. You have
to sit on the floor, and sleep on the
floor, and use a wooden pillow, which
would be dreadful hard on my roomy-
tiz. Specially in winter weather it
would be apt to lay me up entirely.
1t did seem it was worth good deal
more than so cents to escape the
roomytiz, and I'd be willing to give
a dollar any day to have some furni-
ture in the house, and not have to
always sit on the floor. Meantime
the little verse kept Fostering NE with
what shall render to my God
| For all His gifts to me?"
tried hard not to think about it,
because I plainly see if that woman
kept on talking and Ihad to tally up
my blessings on a hard cash basis,
I'd be q financial wreck an hour from
hence. Then there was that command
to give according as the Lord had
blessed kept rising up in my mind in
spite of me. So for peace sake I
agreed with myself to give $3.50.
Fifty cents for not being born a
Jap, and a dollar for being blessed
with furniture and not having to sit
on the floor. 1t was worth it, I felt
l had got off cheap at that.
She continued on to relate about
their vittals. They don't use meat,
owing to their belief in the transmit
grafton of your soul. They believe
when a man dies his soul, instead OF
going to heaven or elsewhere, locates
| in cow, or horse or other beast.
You see how that doctrine operates.
If you should kill your cow for beet
you couldn' teat a morsel, not even
the tenderest bit of steak in the
whole carcass, not knowing but
what that cow was the residence OF
your grandfather, or uncle, or some
other near relative.
didn't mind the meat doctrine so
much because could manage to get
along without it after a fashion,
provided the butter was good. But
my hopes were blasted by the informa-
ton that they didn't use either but
ter or meat or cheese. l knew that
would have broken me clear up. /
never could have stood it if l had
been born q Jap. / couldn't rate
the blessing of good yellow but
ter, and rich thick cream for
coffee and oatmeal in the morning at
less than IS cents. 1t seemed rather
small at such a price, but the way
that blessing bill was running up
was more than Icould stand, though
it was nothing but fair that I should
try to pay it. You see I'd never
thought before about it being the
Christian religion which gave us COM
forts and enabled us women folks to
stand side by side with our brothers
as companions and helpers, instead
of sitting at their feet as servants.
To be sure, I heard in experience
meetings time out of mind, and even
said it myself in a sort of general way,
that all our blessings came from the
Lord. But law me! Christian people
do say a sight of good sounding
things and never stop to think what
they mean. If we'd just put brains
and heart into our words we'd be
somewhat different Pm thinking.
Then there was the climate. 1t is
SO damp where the Japs live that
yon daresn't leave q book outside
the bookcase over night, cause in
the morning it would all be covered
with moisture and in case of a
nice binding would be liable to be
ruined. Ifyou stood an umbrella in
the corner of the hall over night
next morning you'd be apt
to find it covered with a fine
mold. You have to keep all your
clothes packed in tin-lined boxes.
The missionaries cover these boxes
with cushions and make lounges of
them. Sometimes their friends send
the missionaries presents of kid
gloves. They have to put them in
glass cans and screw the tops on
tight to keep them from the atmos-
phere that's in the air, else they
would mold and be ruined in q short
time. This idea ofcanning kid gloves
was certainly the beateree. SEE to
myself: "Clemenzy, you will have to
own up that q decent climate along
with other modern conveniences is
considerable of a blessing. It's worth
60 cents: "a day. If you're going to
do the square thing and give accord
ing to your blessings you darsent-
leave out the climate.
Conscience is generally pretty thor
ough in all it's undertakings, and it
kept nagging me steadily about
those missionaries. lift was worth
so cents not to be Jap, it was
worth twice that much not to be
born a missionary. If you'd been
born Jap you'd very likely be used
to it by this time. But the mission
aries amt All the time that text
hammering away at me about giving
according as / had been blessed, and
l was just deciding l ought to give
dollar because | wasn't q missionary
when the lady said:
Don't you think, friends, these
missionaries ever get homesick? No
matter how busy they may be they
will never be so busy they
cannot find time to think Of
home, over here in Gods country.
When the twilight gathers don't you
suppose they know how is at home,
then-the neighbors dropping in for
q friendly chat and the dear familiar
fanoa rathorod round tho ovaninr