The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-04-29
A VOICE FROM CHINA.
Miss Kate Schaeffer Renews Acquaint-
ance With Our Readers.


extend my best wishes to you for sue
cess in your position as editor of the
TELEGRAPH COURIER and to send a
few lines through your valuable paper
to old friends in Kenosha county. The
TELEGRAPH COURIER receives a
| hearty welcome from me every week
(when not lost in the mails) as bearer
of news of many former friends, of
whom | should otherwise scarcely hear
at ALL
The present winter has been q more
favorable one for the natives Of Hainan
than the preceding one, as the rains
have made the rice and sweet potato
crops better, and the plague, which
made such ravages in Kiung Chow last
winter and in Hollow the winter be-
fore. has not broken out again.
Our winter is about over. 1t may
seem strange to some that there should
be winter worth mentioning in lati-
tude 200 north, but after a siege Of
wet, chilly weather, with the Their
mometer from 40 to IS F. most Of the
time, am prepared to pronounce our
winters genuine.
The foreign population of the island
consists of British and French consuls,
some German and French business
firms, the Customs staff, one Por-
tuguese Catholic priest and the mem
bers of the mission to which | belong
the American Presbyterian. The
French consul is a recent arrival whose
coming brings fear to many Il Chinese
heart as it is we'll known that France
has an eye on Hainan which lies so
near the French possessions across the
Gulf of Tonquin to our west. 1t is Il
mystery to some of our Chinese friends
that the Flowery Flag country (Amer-
ica) has no desire to acquire territory in
the far east.
A new hospital and residence for
mission purposes are approaching com
pleton. mission hospital furnishes
many interesting cases. One is that of
the fourth and tavorite wife of an eff
cial who died last fall. She, TO do
honor to her dead husband, drew d
razor across her throat twice. DR..
McGaudliss was called, stanched the
| flow OF blood ana sew7d up tho wound.
She was removed to the hospital as
soon as possible after she had reganed
little strength and is still there wait
ing for the hole in her Windpipe to
close In the meantime she has read
all of the new testament and nearly all
of the old, besides other books and
tracts. The questions she asks are
both numerous and deep. She has re-
Gently requested the anti-opium treat
menG for habit of six years standing
and is enduring the ordeal with great
fOrtitude.
My own special work for this year
is the third years course in the lang
uage, some work in Il small school for
women and girls, and evangeliStic
work. | think the most unnterested
opponent OF foreign missions could not
fail to be interested could he accom-
pany us on some of our visits. While
calling on some women yesterday, who
have welcomed us to their home almost
weekly for the past year. one of them
said with tears IL her eyes, " My huS
band and children are dead and | was
desolate until you came and loved me,
and told me that God loved me-"
During these spring days, the graves
Of their dead are being repaired by
placing Il round piece of sod on the top
Of the hay cock like mound; offerings
OF paper money, paper clothes, incense
and rood are also made for the de
parted The food is usually carried
back home and eaten by those more
aUpr9ciative of things SO material.
This repairing OF the graves often leads
to questions regarding the foreign or
barbarian manner of burying the dead,
and | have been searching for some
pictures Of our beautiful American
cemeteries to let them see, that tar
from entirely neglecting our dead, we
feAce the cemeteries, not permitting
COWS to Craze on the mounds, and that
we mark the graves with beautiful
headStOneS.
If some of my friends have any such
views Chose cut from illustrated papers
would answer nicely should receive
them most gratefully.
Lest this letter become too lengthy
for your columns, | will close abruptly
with a hope that you and all your
readers may enjoy pleasant and pros
porous year.
Respectfully,
KATE L. SCHAEFFER.
THAT BIKE PATH.