The evening times., 1896-06-02

Nov Wing Wah is a Chinaman, 50 MS
name would Indicate, but lG Is uoupti"i u
nc himself yet realizes tndV Iact he Is "iiS
one year old. but when lie grows up ne
will pe "a better man Iiian dre ehe hhaihi.S
of his people, unless by a Sad misfortune
he s,iodld iai. iulo tine evil ways Oh tiie
Mclean man. AT any rate he gives carry
p.u.uise aul has at least began Ire rIsht.
the good people wno at.ehusH uiSine y Ut
services on last ouniay al the rlIso N"u
gIesauonai Cnurch saw lie otainanIe ny oi
ua.lisin i,iniinlsVe.eu 70 the iittie iehoW'
Al the ci,se OF TIE sermon Rev. DE- .. NJ;
Newman, pastor u! tine cnufcn, antouheeu
that lie hal a very happy duty TO perform,
an,! tie little Chinese paDy was p'o"6he
forward.
Ine novelty was no5 in the service ltScii,
hut i'll the fact tlat child OF neatnch
Ch,na was to be baptized a CHRISTIAN Tue
congregation stretched their necks TO Catcn
a glimpse OF the infant, for Cnnese papies
are not numerous in washington, ana tne
sight was an unusual one. "A sInai. ye1
really quite pretty little woman, with irln
figure dark, flashing eyes and jet black
iiaIt, held the subject for the Daptisnai
service
ii WAS the child's mother. Beside her ana
acting as sponsor "a his OFFSPRING sIrn
Mr.. Hop Wah, tie father. In broken Eng
lisli he made answer for the child.
AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY.
The ceremony was most impressive. anu
an object lesson in missionary work which
did not fail to have its effect up,n those
vino witnessed it. Moy is bright little
fellow aud seemed TO enjoy the service rs
much as IL the sa cred drops sprinkle upon
his head by the clergyman were nothing
but his morning lath. he diuh't even cry
In Chinese but renl8iIe ed perfectly Guict
during the administering of the service
as If 10 teach the golden virtue Of silence
to Caucasian babies VINO interrupt the
preachers -aratory with their screams.
In fact, he ought to have behaved nicely,
for he was dressed in Il beautiful silken
robe which came all the way from Pekin
for this special occasion, and he would
have hcen entirely ungratefui had he done
| otherwise.
This is not the first Chinese baby who
has been sprinkied at the Congregational
! Church. Mr.. Hop Wah. who is the only
member of the church hailiDg from the
| FlOwery Kingdom, has six other children
all older than little Moy Wing. and they.
too. have received the same religious
service.
Hop Wah. the father. is a Iaundryman. n.
| whose residence and place of business IS
| at No. l225 Ninth street northwest.
twenty-five years ago he kissed his little
| Celestial sweetheart goodbye in China
and sci sail for San Francisco Once in
| America. before Mr.. Geary. Of California
came TO he Congressman. he struck out for
| Chicago.
In a few years he had washed shirts and
collars enough To have saved a gOodly
number of American eagles Of the Frisco
mint variety. Then It was he iourneyed
allthe way back to heathendom for a wife.
When he threw the bag of gold down at
| her feet and asked her To he his. she would
promise only on one condition: That he
become CHRISTIAN During his absence
| the good missionaries had been at work
upon the one he had left behind. and she
| had been converted.
HE BECAME A CHRISTIAN.
Ont OF some hundred million Chinese lass
| les there wasn't one other Hop wanted, and
so he consented to accept his intended's re-
| liCious views. Ever since then Mt. Wah
says lie has been prosperous and happy
| His graphic recital of his conversion. told
in broken but intelligible English. would
draw missionary money from the pockets
of Russell Sage.
For the past eight or ten wears Hon has
| lived in Washington. He runs a cut-ratc
laundry and does flourishing business
and provides nobly for his large family. Hop
| is now an American citizen, and calls him
self a Chinese se-Americau.
For "a number of years he has been nat
| uraiized. and if lie lived anywhere IN this
great and glorious republic outside of the
| District of Columbia he would be entitled
to vote and hold office. As it is. he con
tents himself with ironing Mclean man,
shirts. and bringing up Christian family
or his seven children. five of whonla re bows
four attend the public schools and are ex
ceedingly bright. All go to the Sabbath
school at the Congregational church.
Hop himself is progressive Chinaman n
| dresses in American clothes. reads ana
| writes English and attends church as reg,l
| larry on Sunday rs the minister himself T.
He particularly deprecatps the gambling
| proclivites of his countrymen. and goes
among them. seeking 10 enlightep Their
| ways which are dark" In striking con.
| trlst last Sunday. while they were In wing
plans to desccrate the Sabbath with games
OF ian.tan and preparing themselves to bt
rafded by the notice. Hop was responding nj
the baptism Of little Moy
AS regularly as Hop takes his posterity
tochurch Just so re egnla v every two mont t
does he take them TO the tonsorial artist
anh the shears are administered to tho
| place where the pride Of all heathen China
men-the pigtail-ouGhtto to grow.
| No pigtail Chinese bows for Hon Hi
chlidren are Americans, he saws and sliaI
follow American customs and ma nncrs
Llttle Moy wing. the baptized ciiild, re
ceived many ca areSSes from the ladies' an.
ci1ldren OF the church after the consccrl
non services. and his growth to manhooi
wren ms parents expect to send him as 4
missionary to China, will be watcher witt
interest. ~