The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-08-02
REV. Mr.. PRICE
TALKS OF CHINA.
Their Pride and Their Narrowness
lmpresses the Missionary.
LIKENED TO A GIANT ASLEEP,
But She is Beginning TO Awake and
the World Will Know It-When
They Become Christians They
Are Steadfast and Faithful.

Rev. =. Frank Price who preached at
the First Presbyterian church Sunday
morning and at the Church OF the Cow
enant Sunday evening has been Pres
byterian missionary I'm China for eight
years. lie is now on a leave Of absence
for twelve months. Mr. Price is ma
tive Of Henrico, having been reared just
below Fulton in that county. lie viii
spend a large part OF his vacation at
Marion Hnl the home Of his uncle Mr..
John W. Turner. He has been warmly
welcomed by his many friends In Fulton
and has expressed his appreciation OF
their cordlslity and hospitality. Mr..
Price IS deeply Interested I'm the Chinese
and talks entortainingly OF life IN the
Orient. lie furnished The Times yester-
day the following interesting account OF
his Impressions:
A GIANT SLEEPING.
NAPOLEON said Of China: There sleeps
n giant. let him sleep. China among the
nations Of the earth IS giant, vast.
hoary with the age Of centuries ana
teeming with an almost countless popu~
lation.
NO country ir the world has greater
natural resources from the mountains
of Szechuan on the west which are treas
uries of coal and iron and precious met
als. 10 the great plain on the east which
produces tea and silk for the world, and
where the land yields two crops year
as readily a. IL did a thousand years ago
Buildings In China ten centuries old
create no comment. Coins are in common
use that were stamped 1000 years ago
The grand canal a highway OF commerce
between Pckin the capital. and Hong
Chow. the centre OF the silk region. built
200 years before Christ when our fore
fathers were semi-savages on the Brit
ish Isles. In China we can never be out
of sight Of living Chinese or the grave
Of "a dead one. The giant has been asleep
a. long time. a real Rip Van Wrinkle. But
he is beginning 90 awake. and when the
Chinese awake they viii be the merchants
of the world and the world is going TO
feel g. And what viii their moral in
fuences be? They comprise one-third
of the human race and when that one
third Of the race begin 10 minge with
the other two-thirds. viii 10 be an up
lifting or contamination This ques-
ton ought 20 interest everybody, even
| If IT We're not true, which it Is. that
! they have no hope and are without God
| in the world. TWO things about the
! Chinese must strike every body. Their
| pride and their narrowness.
PROUD AND NARROW.
China is name applied by foreigners
| The Chinese have no such name for their
country They call themselves The Mid
die Kingdom that Is. they are the CEN
tire of the earth. and foreign nations are
! dots ON the border only. a foreign war
! is often spoken of as "a rebellion against
| the Emperor of China, who is the Son OF
Heaven and a god TO wOrshippcd. ana
/ rI
Emperor was received ON social equality
and shook hands with Prince Henry OF
Prussia. The Chinese call themselves
also the Great Pure Kingdom" They
naturally dislike foreigners and the rea-
son that more railroads have not been
built I'm China is that the Chinese can't
build them themselves. and they arc too
proud 20 give foreigners any of the glory
of t. We are the people, and wisdom
viii die with us. is the universal BELIEF
of the Chinese people.
elm strong contrast TO this is the mar
r0wness of their lives. They do not know
what the moon or the sun or the stars
are The learned class know nothing of
| geography Their doctors know nothing
of the anatomy of the body The heart
| is located in the stomach. They think
there is a kingdom where all are women
and another kingdom where people have
holes I'm their breasts. and are carried
about bv poles ON other peoples shout
dcrs Their streets are narrow Ike their
lives only about five feet wide The lives
of the women are narrower than all
where most of them, with painfully bouhd
feet. spend their lives between the IRON
and the back door of the unhomellhe
| homes. ..,,,,.,. ...,-,,t,t.,
a.rbo Chinese suffer from cold, for they
cannot AFFORD fires; from heat ln close
| nous. and from musquit0s; from poverty
most of the people feeding most Oh 'H'
,-.., ana rice greens and litue fish only
| and often not that from diseases OF all
sorts that good doctors and cleanliness
, might cure: from dirt, such as YOU never
dreamed Of one gentleman boosted ne
had not taken bath for seven years.
John Plowmln says we must avoid the
three D's-dcbL dirt and the de'h-ou'
tbe, obound everywhere in China. The
Chinese ideas of life are narrow A man
| Is only a thing that lives tiu he o'es and
tben he turns into some other thins into
"a rich man. or poor man. or COW. or
! n rat. or flea. according as be does
| good or bad. According 20 them only the
] priests can reach heaven and the priests
are a hard set. gamblers ana liars like the
rest
A little incident will show the narrow
| ness of their ideas. a little girl fell IN the
| canal one day. Her mother was agonized
and trying 20 save her plead with
passing hoatman to pull her out. and
/ would YOU believe g. that man made that
moor woman promise him @ s. fee before
| he would save that drowning child,
1.-THE Chinese axe, however not without
! good qualities. They are patient and
peace-loving and when they become
| Christians-their only hope-they are
steadfast and faithful The regeneration
Of China means the regeneration of the
| Chinese"
Tur Mr,u ccuOOl POOKc