The morning times., 1895-08-12
CHINAMAN In The PULPIT
Rev. Charles Bell Tsoong breaches
on Chinese Missions and Customs.
Native Practice of Binding Girls Feet
No Worse Than the American
Habit of Tight Lacing.

The pulpit of Mt. Vernon NJ. E. Church,
South, was occupied b. the Rev. Mr Tso9Eg,
q native Chinaman, who has assumed as his
! Christian name, Charles Bell. He was
educated at a Southern Methodist college
! In China and about four years ago came to
this country. Mr.. Tsoong is now studying
ut the Divinity school in Oxford, Georgia,
and lie viii, upon the completion of his
course, return to China, to preach and to
translate into his native tongue, theological
works and treatises.
He is q good talker and has fully mastered
the Idioms of the English language. In his
sermon last night lie referred TO the slnil-
arlty between the lower garment of the male
Chinese costume and the new womans di-
vilad skirt and while denouncing the Chinese
custom OF binding the girls feet, said that
ii was no more barbarous or inhuman than
the tight lacing OF English and American
women. BE said, in part:
Few Americans have an intelligible idea
of China as IL is IL Is very old country
and It's people are often referred TO as Old
This is no doubt because OF the fact that
the people hold 10 the customs that We're
in vogue when Solomon sat on the throne
of Judah. It's a monarchy, a II or the func-
tiUns or government being vested in the
emperor. Thus we are saved elections
and political parties and fights. The
present ruler is spoken OF as the Tiger"
bat i am glad to say he Is not blind
tiger" There are three classes OF people.
To the first class belong the wealthy ner-
chants, the officials, the teachers, and pro-
fessors; 10 the second the poorer merchants
and the farmers who own and tin their
own land; and TO the third the hUniblest
and most miserable people. II a man in
the lastClass becomes ricl he is DO longer
third-class man, but goes Immediately 10
the first
find this to be the case wherever 20.
The old Adam spirit is rife and wealth
levels ali barriers. In regard 20 customs,
many are just the reverse of those here
Tie men wear long coats and not short ones
like the Americans. The rest OF their attire
more closely resembles that now being
worn by the new woman," and what is
called divided SkiTts-boomers, or bloomcrs,
| believe is the real name by which they
are known. With the ''cue" you are all
familiar
y married woman combs her hair straight
back. while an unmarried one lets it fail
down in bangs. In this way you can tell q
married from an unmarried woman in
China, while in this country you can not
distinguish them at alh II Chinese boy
wants to get married he does not have
such a Eard time as the young man here.
His father selects companion for him
and they get married
The prettIest girls in my country are
considered to be those VINO have the
smallest feet. This is not brought about
by wearing iron or wooden shoes, but is
accomplished by binding the feet. There
is one thing in this couEtry which strikes
me as being as bad as the Chinese custom.
/ Will so long as / live preach against
binding the feet, but ! will also preach
against binding the waists Some OF your
women lock To Chinaman ike waSps. 4
girl in China sometimes will not go to
church because her feet are not bound,
and in this country / have seen foolish
uaidens who stayed away from the house
of God because they hadn't 10 cents worth
of powder smeared on their face and
their waists so tightly, laced that they
could hardly breathe.
Buddhism and the teachings of Confucius
enjoin morality, sobriety and respect to
the old. or the 3 600 crimes punishable
by law In China there is none that has such
penalties attached to it as that of DISC
bedience and disrespect To parents. In
some cases the penalty is death. / have
sometimes thought that less severe law of
this kind would be good thing in this
country. You will see party Ufold people
talking over things the young don't under
stand, when little dude, with hair parted
in the middle, light trousers, and cent
cigarette stuck i'll the northwest corner OF
his mouth will come up and give them al
points. The only points he carries are
those on his needle shoes and spiked coat.
There are many young men who would
be helped by being punished under a mild
form o this Chinese law. The Good Book
says, Honor thy fahter and thy mother
/ want 10 speak for the rest OF the evening
on the necessity of mission work in China
The first missionary To go to China was the
Rev. Dr. Morrison in 1907 and for six years
he didn't have u convert. Every door and
every heart was closed to him. Now the
war has opened everything, and come over
and help us. Some people are saying
that Western civilization will naturally
find its way in. But Western civilization
without Christianity is worth nothing.
Christians, come over and help us.