West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1898-03-10
FROM FAR AWAY CHINA.
A Letter From Preston County
Girl Engaged In Mis- si0nary
Work In The Dreamy
Orient.
To Ny Preston County Friends.

1t has been long time since i
have written you, but 1 have not
forgotten you. / want to tell YOU
how spent Christmas 1897.
l was spending few weeks on
the island Of Hai Sang. some forty
miles from the mainland. intend
ing to return for Christmas, but a
severe wind kept mo prisoner on
the island. so ! spent Christmas
there. This island is "A bleak dreary
place. swept by the ocean winds.
Very few trees are seen, and little
vegetation. The houses are low,
built entirely OF stoue, aud at dis
tance can not easily be distinguish
ed from the rocks which surround
them. The people are moetly fish
ermen. The sandy soil yields
abundant crops of sweet potatoes
and peanuts. The potatoes are
sliced aud dried and these form the
bread-stuf of the island. From
the peanuts are extracted an oil
which is used in cooking, they are
also eaten baked, boiled and raw.
And now for Cbristmas.-It was
an unique congregation that assem-
bled for this Christmas service, and
the room in which they meet was
In keeping with the company.
Mother earth for the floor, benches
without backs and OF such narrow
dimensions that one was painfully
reminded that wood is scarce i'm
that region.
The men all wear caps, turbans
or great hoods to protect them from
the wind. The women are hatless,
but flowers both natural and artifi-
cial, and immense fancy hair pins
decorate their hair. The entire
congregation are clothed IN coarse
blue cotton home spun. In com
pany oftwo hundred not more than
ten have clothes that are not patch
ed. They all wear number of
coats, some OF them padded the
men wear short thin cotton trous-
ers,and are III their bare feet. Here
and there is = we'll to do man who
wears a pair of shoes, and few
wear shoes and stockings which
mark them as educated men. Yes,
IL is an Oriental audlence and Nh
Oriental Christmas sermon to which
we are to listen. The text is Luke
2 :14-"Glory to God in the high
est, and on earth peace, good will
to men" After telling of the
birth Of Christ and emphasizing
the fact, that lie is the Saviour of
tho world, that the good udings
announced by the heavenly hosts
over eighteen hundred years ago,
was indeed good tidings to all peo-
pie, he turned to a picture Of the
Infant Christ and SAID, "Let us
consider what the coming of this
child 10 the earth has done for us
as individuals and a people," Thr-
~ years ago not one assembled
here to-day al ever heard Of HIM.
myself was then a worsbipper of
idols. SO were all of you who are u
mature age. The fear of evil spir-
it's was constantly over us. The
children suffered most. never
passed heather temple or saw an
idol procession without my heart
beating fast with fear. The chill
dren must be in the house before
dark or the evil spirits would harm.
How we used to go flying homo
ward from the pasture fields in the
twilight, verify believing the evil
one was pursuing US. But when
| WAS alone in my teens strange
ly dressed being came to our viii
lage. We knew not whether he
was man or devil, but he spoke our
language, and my uncle listened TO
his words as he told about this
Child jesus, and scce pied bis relig
ion casting away his idols, no
longer fearing them. Then my
uncle taught me that an idol Vas
nothing, aud ADVISED me to become
a christian. And so this Christ
whose birth we celebrate to-day
delivered me from the feaf Of evil
spirits, and ne has delivered you,
so is it not true that the good til
dings is for all people {?
In the field where | used TO at
tend the COWS, was a filth pit, deep
aud reeking with vile odors. Into
that pit saw several new born