Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-09-23
LETTER FROM CHINA.
KULING SANITARIUM,
NEAR KINKING,
KIANGSI PROVINCE,
CENTRAL CHINA.
Jrly 27M, 1897.
My Dear Nepher -

My Dear Nephe'c -
Your very welcome letter was re-
ceived somo time ago, and / feel
guilty in not having answered ere
this time. But | have been very
busy; the weather was hot the
mosquitoes hungry; ; and the bugs
swarming; so l have delayed until |
could get a cooler place with fewer
pests to impede my work.
You see L am not writing this let
ter from Chinkiang. We left there
on the l3th-two weeks ago tonight
and came up the Yangtsz Kiang
river to the port called Kinkiang.-
1t took us about two days and two
nights to get there. We then came
overland fifteen miles to this noun
tain top, which we call Kuling.-
The first part of this overland jour
ney-eight or nine miles-is com
paratively level tho remaining part
is up mountain 1000 feet high.
The climate up here is glorious
very much like that of the noun.
tains Of West Virginia. The sun
is hot during the day, but the air is
always cool in the shade and at
night.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and Euro.
peans-have bought lots up here and
are putting up houses in which to
spend the hot weather. There are
now two hundred or more here, in
Guiding children; and fifty or sixty
houses havo been put up, or are be-
ing built. The building material is
chiefly stone, and the roofing tin
All the wood and iron, including the
tin, has to be carried on the shoul-
ders Of Chinese from Kinkiang.-
Our provisions are brought from
there, too, by Chinese 'storekeepers.' ,
/, among the rest, have bought a
town lot, and our building, a three
room stone cottage on it. Who ever
thought that the first land and house
which would ever own would be
on high mountain top hundreds of
miles in the interior of China? But
just so, things turn out always as we
don't expect.
The latitude of this place is about
the same as Tampa, florida, but
feel sure the climate is much cooler.
The Sanitarium is located in beau
tiful, well-watered valley between
high mountain spurs. The scenery
is grand beyond description.
But | must not honor this place, |
am here for only few weeks, then
1 go back to my work and to the an
nual meeting of our Mission to be
held at Shanghai the first part or
September. Where | will be sent
after that ] do not know, nor do we
give ourselves any trouble about it,
as all our movements are in the
hands of God, and He will do all
things well.
My work at Chinkiang since l
went there last April year ago, has
been somewhat encouraging. have
had busy time, as have been the
only member of the station and
have had great deal of work on
my hands. have regularly
preached every day and held two
services on Sundays, and heard a
theological class twice day six days
in week. Besides this regular
work there is an almost endless
amount of other duties and business
that comes up daily.
Within the last year l have re-
ceived into the church twelve per-
sons: nine on profession and exami-
nation, and three children. This is
very small number, but the diff
culties are numerous. The prospects
for growth in the church, however.
are becoming better, and ! have a
strong hope that ere long there will
be many who arc willing to forsake
their idols and turn to the true God.
J,dy 2Sh.-To-night / will try to
finish my scribble. We received
little foreign mail to-day, but moth
ing from near the old home except
the faithful old " INDEPENDENTLY
The work on my little cottage is
making haste slowly. / spend my
days overlooking the work and read
ing, &C.
1t is interesting to watch the
clouds from this mountain top
Sometimes they are down below you,
sometimes above you, and very fre-
quently you are in the midst Of
them. The fog il at times so dense
that one can scarcely see one hun.
dred feet away. One can see the
clouds passing through the room
when the doors and windows are
open.
Should you send this to be printed
in paper, I would suggest that you
copy it and send the copy. My
style is not always very legiblo, and
the newspapers at home seem to be
fond of spelling Chinese names back
end first, upside down and inside