The San Francisco call., 1898-02-06

"'He is 53,' the Chinese woman re- l piled, with dignity.
 Before our arrival few of the peo- ! pie had ever seen a white woman, and
 to them we were objects of terror as
 well as curiosity. The women with
 whom we at first tried to converse Shrank from us as though our touch
 was pollution.
 "Others took US for Catholic priests
 several of whom had preceded us in
 this field of work. One day while
 travelling I alighted from my chair l and was walking past a house when a woman, sobbing and making the | sign of the CT ss, rushed out. Falling l upon her knees before me she began | had been guilty.
 T stopped her confession and ex- 1 plained that I was not priest. She hastily arose, and with perfect com- | posture told me if I was not a priest,
 only woman, I had better re-enter
 my chair and go on, as 1t would soon | be dark.
 Tn the locality where my labors lay 1 we iourneyed either in these cedan | chairs resting upon bamboo poles | borne by two men, or by boat. While | travelling in chairs l have suffered nu-
 merous accidents through the carriers | falling upon steep hillsides or slipping | in the paddy fields, which would result
 in my being thrown out amid broken
 poles and general wreckage. To avoid l these accidents I have frequently fol- | lowed my bearers through vast rice l plantations barefoot, as with shoes 1t 1 is impossible to stand upon the slimy ground.
 "Traveling by water is often unpleas-
 ant, though in the beauty of waving
 bamboo brakes and changing scenery l along the shores, one may momentar- | fly forget discomforts.
 Tn hiring a boat, the missionaries are in the habit of demanding a writ ten agreement from the Sho Son Shon Tehn, or boat lord as to the price
 paid for the boat and also that no opium shall be smoked during the voy- age, under penalty of forfeiting cer- tain amount of the sum agreed upon for the use of the boat.
 Instead of a cabin, these boats are provided with a covering along the center, which, like the sails, is made of finely woven bamboo. and in shape resembles the old-time prairie schooner of the plains. These boats are poled along and in certain places drawn by ropes, which are held by people upon the shore, and a swarm of men, women and children all tugging at the ropes of one boat is no uncommon sight. ITO be the guest of a jealous convert
 over night is not the most desirable ex- perience in the world, although, for the sake of my work, 1 once accepted the | pressing invitation of a Christion Chi | nese woman whose home lay in rural district To reach this from the city
 we were compelled to cross a swift. deep river upon a bridge the width of a single narrow plank. When the house was finally reached we encountered a
 new terror in a fierce looking, sharp horned water buffalo, which had taken it's station beside the entrance door. As
 soon as 1 was safely inside my hostess,
 with kindest intentions, set to work and prepared for me a dish of antique ducks eggs, scrambled in water, the taste of which fingers with me still. My talk that evening to the women | of the neighborhood, who my enter tainer assured me were all relatives of hers, lasted until II o'clock, prolonged | by the numerous questions by which
 we were usually met. When the last ! inquirer departed I was informed that there were only sleeping accommoda- | tions for the woman and her two adopted children, who, by the way, she destined should in time become
 husband and wife, and that one of her relations was expecting me.
 'This woman, anxious to make me comfortable, had heated water for a bath, which, with the conveniences of
 civilization, would have been most
 grateful after the weary day. But the bathroom of these Chinese houses Is