The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1889-10-24
CoREA's IMPERIAL FAMILY.
Mrs. Hebron Who Was Not Sentenced
to Death, Gives Some Interesting Fact
Of Their Home Life.

OF Iu6lT 1dOue 4A1c.
BOSTON, October 14.-Mrs. Hattie
G. Heron, who with her husband, o
Tennesseean, went to Corea last year as
missionary and who was falsely
reported to have been sentenced to death
for teaching Christianity, has a very
interesting letter in the ECening
Traveller, which bears date Seoul, Sep
tember 3, and contains the following
gllmpscs of the home life of the imperial
family of Corea: "The King is Il man
of great strength of character, kindness
of heart and noble ambitions. More
over, this King and Queen have been
most cordial and generous in their per-
sonal treatment to DR.. Heron and my
self. They will do all in their power to
protect us. Our only danger is from
the ignorant and superstitious lower
classes, who, if aroused. might kill US
before the King could rescue us from
them.
Just one week ago the King invited
DR.. Heron and myself to attend ban.
quet at the palace, celebrating Her
Majestys safe return to the palace in
1882. when she had previously been sup
posed to have been killed. His Majesty
has shown his kind appreciation of DR..
Heron's medical work to himself and in
the royal hospital by twice comforting
Corean rank upon him, the last time
giving him the second rank in the king
dom, which corresponds to the title of
Duke in England. We are often invited
to the palace, and when l went alone to
see the Queen last fall she with her own
hands gave me some beautiful jewels,
which She wished me to wear as a re-
minder of her appreciation of some little
delicacies | had made for her during her
last illness. The Queen is quite small
and has an attractive face, indicating
great amiabllity, bright and yivacious in
its expression. Her questions show her
interest in the foreigners.
lone day she said she had heard that
our little threa-year old daughter talked
Corean and when DR.. Heron should
come to the palace next time she wished
him to bring her with him. So Annie
was presented at court and chatted away
to the King and Queen in her baby Co.
rean quite unconscious of her honors.
She carried her beautiful American doll
With her, and when the Queen, who had
never seen doll before, asked what it
was, she introduced it as 'Ha dull (my
daug ghter). This greatly amused the
Queen. Annie came home with her
hands full of little worked packets,
painted fans and silver ornaments.
"The Queen is very fine Chinese
scholar, which means that she shas a
perfectly finished education. The Prince,
who is seventeen years old, is just com
pleting his education under the care of
his Queen mother, and he, like all other
Corcan officials, must be examined by
those appointed by the King for the
purpose. There are many things of in
tercst which ! might write to you illus
trating the kindness and bencvolence of
the royal family, if had the time.
"But in closing let me say positively
that DR.. Heron and l arc not now
preaching or teaching Christianity, cX-
cept by an example which we earnestly
pray may be worthy of the name of
Christian. The laws of the land forbid
it, and through the United States Minis
ter about a year ago the American mis-
sinnarics were absolutely forbidden to
teach religion; but we long for the time
when our treaty shall be revised and
freedom of religion allowed. Uutil that
time we are doing all in our power to
gain the confidence and respect OF the
people, with what success you may judge
from my letter"