The times., 1897-05-30
'CHR|sT|ANRlNG CHINESE
Three Institutions With This
Object in View.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Taught Alternately in Chinese and
English, Its Pupils Make Rapid
Progress In the Great Lessons of
christianity "A Teacher for Each
Scholar.


three Sunday schools, where the ideas ol
Old and young Chinese are taught to shoot
If not for the first time, at least in new
directions Ambitious scholars attend all
three, as one meets at / p M, one at 8
and the other at 6. The second. heldin the
Sunday school room of the Metropolitan
NJ +. Church, is the Oldest in the city. Its
foundation was established almost fifteen
years ago by MI II. 0. Hall, who began To
the parlor of thechurch, Muchinterest was
manifested in the work, which grew slowly
tut surely, being after a tine transferred
from the leadership of MI Hall 10 Mr.. Nc
Kee, present superintendent of The white
Sunday school. At last the classes as
s,imed such proportions that the pastor
deemed it necessary to organize a regular
school for the Chinese The office of super
intendent was created, and Miss Somers,
its present incumbent, was elected 10 the
position. During the three years she has
been in charge, her executive ability and
wonderful tact in dealing with natures so
different from our own have made her in
valuable to teachers and pupils.
Her chief assistant is Mrs. " D. Col
lins, a brilliant, energetic woman, who
has spent most of her life as missionary
in China. where her father, who follower
the same vocation, took her when she was
only four years old. Mrs. Collins has taught
i'll other cities OF the United states, and
came into the NJ +. school some time ago
Every Sunday afternoon SHE arrives early
at the school in order to welcome pupils
in their own language. This makes the
newcomers, especially those who under
stand little English, feel more at home.
Mrs. Collins has some time TO teach, but
she is constantly in demand with the other
teachers, who call her 10 explain in Chi
nese some knotty word or phrase which
the pupils limited knowledge OF English
makes him incapable of underst anding
Later in the afternoon She reads and ex-
plains Bible stories, repeating one line OF
English, then translating and explaining
in tie foreign tongue IL is interesting to
notice the expression on the dusky faces
charge from dullness to intelligence when
a pupil turns from wrestling with the ~
conversation with the gifted lady, who
knows the language with which he is more
familiar. She understands their peculiar
customs and characters, which TO us seen.
exceedingly narrow, and is thus able to
make them appreciate ours, and that, too,
IN such manner that their feelings may
not be hurt by any unfavorable conlpari-
sons. Mrs. Collins prefers to see the pupils
wear their native costumes, as they are
more comfortable and appropriate But for
Mrs. Collins efforts in their behalf many Of
the scholars would have been sent back
to China when the regulations We're being
strictly enforced in regard 10 registration.
She experienced some difficulty in getting
them to have their pictures taken, as re-
quired by law, many believing it was
equivalent 10 having ones likeness hung
up ih the rogue's gallery.
Among the hest teachers. and those who
have been longest connected with the
school, the following figure prominently:
Mrs Crosby, Mrs. Cole, Mrs. Moore, one ofits
sweetest singers Mrs. Bockoven, Miss Her
rick, Miss Mlans Miss Bowdoin, Mrs. Corn
ish and Mr.. Pond Mr.. Pond became liz
terested in the work through his brother,
whois superintendent for the American Mis-
sionary Association On the Pacific coast.
This gentleman also having charge of d
number of Chinese Sunday schools, which
are, OF course, on much larger scale than
any we have, owing to tie larger Chinese
population of that section Mr.. Pond has
in mind a project to establish here aninstitu-
ton similar to one in California. modeied
after the Y. NJ. c. A. 1t is exclusively for
Chinese Christians, who must pledge them
selves to abstain from the use of opium, in
toxicating drugs and kindred vices.
The scholars who com e to the Metropolitan
Sunday school belong chiefly TO the lower
class offarmers, who in this country become
laundryinen. AS a Iule, they aIe studious,
though, like other people, they sometimes
grow weary of we'll doing, sometimes re-
lapse into indifference, while some. after
making rapid strides in the right direction,
fall into evil ways The principal clans in
this city a1e the Moys and Lees. A large
majority OF the present pupils are new and,
as yet, learn little except language They
come principally to be educated, but the
conscientious work of faithful teachers oc-
casionally brings one into the army of
Christians. One pupil in the school has
been with ii from its commencement, an
other, who always takes up the Sunday
school collection, in which he takes great
pride, has not been absent more than
once or twice during three years He has
professed Christianity, and seems 10 lie
steady, industrious man. Aside from laun-
dry work, he INDUCES in Kite making, and
on an excursion given by the school he sent
UP fine specimen. thirty feet long
-hora ola. L..
ers is particularly interested. She thinks
THAT he has in him the material 40 make
an excellent missionary if he could be
educated He is a student of The Bible,
and has the greatest respect for Chris
tianity He is comparatively well educated
in bis own language. and has studied care
fully the doctrines of Confucius One man
declares he reads his Bible every night,
and another used 20 come ali the way from
Rockville to sunday-school in this city
They are slow to give up their ownideas
and embrace Christianity, and their con-
version is not always as complete and sat
isfactory AS one would wish. They seem
to get some idea of what is right and
wrong. but the abstract truths OF the re-
ligion are confusing to them.
Teachers often experience great diff
Guilty in explaining the meaning Of our
simplest words; for example, (which is
almost incomprehensibie to Some. In the
verse, blessed are the pure in heart
pupil could nOt comprehend the word
pure 1t was pointed out to him in n
Chinese dictionary, and be delightedly ex-
claimed, ''clean-clean.''
One family connected with the Sunday
school has attracted much attention IL Is
that of laundryman on Seventh street,