Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-08-29
Changed by Kindness.

Changed by Kindness
The old fable of the sun and the
wind striving for the mastery has been
we'll illustrated by recent events in
China. The wind blew its fiercest upon
the traveller without any other effect
than causing him to wrap his cloak
tighter about him. TIE sun, however.
simply shone upon the man with such
gentle force as to make him speedily
throw aside his cloak. China has for
many centuries carried out, so far as it
was possible, a policy of rigid exclusive
ness, which the western nations have
endeavored to overcome, when peace
able measures failed, by force of arms.
Though in the course of the last fifty
years many of the old restrictions on
foreign intercourse have been removed.
yet the mass of the people still regard
Europeans and Americans as sforeiQn
devils" while the Government in its
official dealings with the representatives
of Christian powers has ALWAYS assumed
certain air of contemptuous SUPERB
ority which has been at times both
laughable and irritating.
Such was the condition of affairs
when, in 1888, terrible food, followed
by an equally destructive famine, DESC
lated the province of which Shanghai
and Marking are the principle cities.
The sympathies of the English who
lived in that part of the Empire were
deeply touched by the sight Of so much
suffering, and they made urgent appeals
to their countrymen to aid them in sup
plying these starving millions with food.
Generous responses came from all
parts of the United Kingdom and India.
The Queen headed the Mansion House
fund in London with subscription of
one hundred pounds. The money re-
ceived was expended in the most careful
aud judicious manner, all engaged in
the work giving their services.
This was not the first time that the
English had relieved similar suffering
in China, but all previous charities
had been accepted with gracious con-
decension on the part of the rulers, as
if it were a kind of tribute paid by
vassals. A very different feeling, how
ever, manifested itself on this occasion
on the part both of high official and of
the Emperor himself.
The Viceroy of Marking sent memo
rial to Picking by special messenger
last autumn, in which he expresses the
warmest recognition Of the assistance
given by the Shanghai relief committee.
They spread the intelligence" of the
famine, it said "to the gentry and rich
people of foreign countries, who,
thinking upon the goodness of the
Sacred Dvna tv MARVIN II ;,,rr %1,o ,,,,;,o,,,>
did, even in the most distant places,
with one accord readily, and with joy
full love of charity, give donations"
The Niceroy calls especial attention
to the fact that the committee devoted
every iota of the amount collected to
the public good, without charging any,
thing for expenses He recommended
in closing that letter be written by
the 1amen of Foreign Affairs, thanking
the Queen Of England for the shark Of
her sympathy for our people," and that
Mr.. Drummond, the chairman of the
relief committee, be decorated with the
button of mandarin of the third rank.
A few years ago governor who had
dared to write such dispatch and to
make such recommendations would
have been instantly recalled to Picking
in disgrace.
Upon this memorial the Emperor,
using the vermillion pencil, wrote:
Let it be as requested, and let the
Yamen take note thereof. Respect,
this. The power of disinterested
charity in overcoming prejudice and
hatred has rarely been better illus
trated than by this incident.