The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1894-03-14
Dresses in Native Costume and
Lives In Native Houses with
Modern Furniture.
Sends Greeting to the Irvington
Brethren and Asks for Their
Prayers.
GETTING TO HIS WORK.

Dear Brethren, l sent you a letter
from Shanghai, but as have now come
to my place of work wish to send you
few more lines. We arrived at Chefoo
little more than week ago and after
five days travel find ourselves here in
Pingtu, 100 miles inland from Chefoo
Here we find DR.. and Mrs. Crawford
Bro. and Mrs. Bostic, Bro. and Mrs
Leagrie, Miss Fannie Knight and Bro
and Mrs. Sears The hearty welcome
these veteran missionaries gave us did
our hearts good We arrived Sunday.
the day before Christmas, and in the
evening our hearts were poured out be-
fore the Lord for His protection on our
long journey and for our safe arrival.
We had left home the first of November
and two months OF travel had made us
long for some settled place, but we say
that God has led us and we are safe.
This has been merry Christmas here,
though in the midst of the heather, |
am now writing in my study, native
room and right by is my bed room, also
native, and all of Bro. Leagrie's house is
native. The inside fitting is fixed ac-
cording to our own taste, but we are, ac-
cording to the principles of the gospel
mission, living in native houses. 1t is
comfortable, not peculiar nor conspic-
uous to the natives, is cheap and very
convenient. All of our party are at
present boarding with Bro. Leagrie and
we expect to spend the winter here in
the study OF the language. Not far away
is the house of the Crawfords and Bos-
tic and Miss Fannie Knight and on the
other side of the city is Bro. Sears
AS soon as spring opens up some of us
will move further west to some other
stations The fields are white unto the
harvest and the laborers are so few. We
do not hear firecrackers and general re-
joicing over Christmas as at home. No
Sunday, no Christmas, no Christ, no
God to love-needy we have come to the
place where there is need.
But let me go back and tell you some.
thing of Shanghai and other things on
the way. We were compelled to spend
about week in Shanghai because there
was no steamer going up to Chefoo. 1t
is one of the most wonderful cities in
the world. When you first land it looks
just like foreign city, electric lights,
fine high houses and so on, but back of
the bend or river front are native houses
in all their purity. You see the flag of
every nationality, almost, in the world,
and the river lies full of ships and boats
from everywhere. At the stern of a
ship of swan-like beauty I,see tapping
in the breeze, the stars and stripes, and
| strain my eyes to see it, for it looks
like home. English influence predomi-
mates in shanghai, all the foreigners, as
a rule, speak the English language. The
fact is the English, is the greatest and
most universal language in the world.
There are about seventy-fve mission
aries, Of all denominations, in Shanghai.
We have now only two, Mr.. and Mrs.
Latimer. Bro. Began will occupy the
house Bro. Herring left when he went
to America. There are very many for
eign residents in Shanghai and they, as
arule, are very great hindrance to the
gospel. But the missionaries have many
schools and hospitals and quite a good
work is going on. You cannot appre-
ciate how hard it is TO do this work till
you have seen and tried 1t. We left
Shanghai GU the China merchant YES
sci and came to Chefoo, native fare.
Foreign fare is about $22, native fare is
$l2. We had on native dress and Jared
very we'll. AS to native dress let me say
that nearly all the missionaries in China
wear it, except few in parts where the
Chinese are used to seeing foreign dress.
The dress is cheap, very loose and COM
Portable and saves one world of annoy
ance. am not wearing cue at present
but that makes no difference.
Chefoo is beautiful place by the sea-
side. There are several missions there
and two or three days would have been
pleasant there but for the fact that we
had been vaccinated at Shanghai and
were very sick until the time came for
to start for Pingtu. Bro. Leagrie had
come to meet us. He said we would
start Tuesday, but our train was fifty
years behind time, that is there is no
train at all, but we heard the braying of
some donkeys. A lot were engaged TO
be there Tuesday morning, and they ar
rived Tuesday evening and we could not
start till Wednesday morning and when
that time came the Chinaman sent word
he could not come.
Then Learie went out and engaged
some more and then the first man came
and there We were. Finally the second
man was taken. We started--a caravan.
Little bells tingled atthe donkey's necks,
their long ears Topped in the wind, the