The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1897-06-18
Letter From Miss Hess.
MARAsH. MAY Q, 1897.

|
This is the last day of our vacation and
: wish to make the most Of IL; besides 1t i
the time when you. are always IN my mint
/ and so am writing to you. have JUS
} come from Sunday school and it is now ter
O'Clock or past. The bell rang at about
while we were at breakfast. II Is a Ions
hard road and the streets are very mudd,
and full of smells, ours. donkeys with loads
reaching nearly across the narrow road
soldiers and poor ragged children. At such
times one has to slip, dodge and push along
as best she can-very different indeed from
church going at home. had the ''plsas'
ure" of being stoned In the bargain. The
pleasure consisted In the fact that they did
not hit me and that l did not jump when
they evidently expected me to do SO. When
reached that little upper room and found
about 200 little ones waiting for me, felt
that 1t was worth while to come even though
one had to run gauntlet to get there. One
little girl was brought by her mother but re-
fused to come In or stay when she was
brought in, so the mother sat down with
her near the door and when 1t was over. in
stead of fleeing On my approach, she de-
murely came and told me she should come
next Sunday.
1t Is great fun to see the babies that are
brought In by their older brothers and sis
ters Some sit In little heap on the floor
chewing away at head of lettuce Qater it
will be cucumber as long as their ARM
and half as thick as a small cabbage. But
they don't cry much and IL they do some
little sister scarcely larger than themselves
hobs up from some class loads the little
thing on her back and Is out of the door in
twinkling. No one is disturbed by it In
the least; 1t Is part Of the program. like
to see the children sing. See them, mind
you, for hearing them is very different
thing. though the sight almost reconciles me
| to the sound. Those who do not come bare
footed leave their shoes at the door, and
their favorite position when they get carried
away with melody is to grasp one brown big
toe and lean back with their cunning faces
turned up to the teacher. How wish you
could see them sing 81 want to be an an
GEL" That is their favorite and next to
that comes song to the tune of "John
Browns body" AS watched them today
l could not help thinking that 'hs soul
does go marching on" even as far as Tur-
key.
An old venerable looking man brings me
nome, as our man has Sundays only with
his family. He walks a step behind me al
ways and today 1 became aware that two
were following me. turned to see an old
woman with sad, hopeless face looking at
me, and so L spoke to her. She said: "My
eyes are paining me so much am very mis-
CRADLE" looked at one which was tied up
up and such denseopacity was found that
fear she never can get her sight again in
that one, and the other is rapidly going.
asked her if she had been to doctor and
she said; "Will they look at me without
money. am aloEe, there is no man in my
family, ! tried to get kind of weed to
use. but they have been like this six weeks.
What shall l do?" (The last is never a
question but a common exclamation of de.
spair) She evidently expected nothing from
me. The lines came into my mind
Grown familiar with disfavor,
Grown familiar with the SAVIOR
or the salt with which men die"
L had pencil and paper along and could
write to the doctor to give her the necessary
treatment. She Is to come up in day or
two and report her condition.
When we came to the orchards below our
house the old man seemed impressed with |
the beauty of the scene contrasted with the
streets we had just left and broke ont with |
The old question how so beautiful world |
could hold so much sin and misery. l tried |
10 tell him of the sage who was asked by |
he young man for some motto that should |
De appropriate for every occasion and cir
'umstance in his life. The words given
read This, too, shall pass away" And
'eally have faith to believe that in this
yretched land tyranny and wickedDess will
pass away.
The Bodvilla told me today that 10 wo-
men are learning to read in the region of
MS church, but he says that one Bible wo-
nan cannot visit all who wish to learn and
hat next year there ought to be two. There
IS no doubt of 1t, nor any doubt that now is
)ur time to sow the good seed among the
The priests have shut up the
church where our teacher held meetings for
The Gregorian women and have forbidden
Them to come to our church, but they (the
wor,en) tell our teacher to pay no attention
to the priests at all but to come and have
the meeting in private houses.
The priests are very angry, indeed, and
say everything imaginable against us and
the Professionals. l am sure that none of our
station feel that the board can be asked to
support Bible woman here and so have
promised to pay for one next year. 1t will |
be $50 or $25. / have so much wished to |
give these people something besides food