The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-07
DRIVEN FROM IH|BEI
Terrible Experiences of a
Missionary Family.
LUCE RIJNHART RETURNS
Leaving Husband and Child
in that Terrible Land.

San Francisco, Feb. 20-Lucie Rijnhart
a beautiful American woman, has pene
trated the Businesses of Thibet, 9TH
Great Closed Land before whose rock
and SHOWS and savage jewellers the ex
plorer Rockhin and his brave band fe
afraid
She lived for three months in a LAM
wher missionaries are murdered or driver
out at sight
She had reached the furthest point il
the Thibetan wilds ever trod by man. bu
she has paid terrible price for her hon
| ors.
In the white waists near the village o.
Ngachuka her baby lies buried. He dieC
Of hunger and cold.
Her husband was captured by ThibstaT
| robbers Whether they kid him for sport
! or whether they are torturing him every
day for greater sport she does not know
And because she does not know, Lucie
Rijnhart's beautiful face has become fur
rowed and her bonny brown hair, white
Il believe that angels with flaming
swords are guarding Tibet. as Eden was
guarded in days of DID," she says. God
has not raised the injunction Thou shalt
not enter here from that land of rocks and
snow"
Lucle Rijnhart has written from the
Chinese village Of Tachienlu TO the British
minister, asking that a relief expedition
be sent to Tibet in aid of her husband,
or to bring back his body. It is because
the Thibetans fear Great BrSain more
than any power in the world that she has
invoked the aid of the British minister
She wrote the Dutch minister because her
husband was a subject of Belgium s
crown.
She cannot lead an expedition back into
the Thibetan forests, even though it be TO
find the husband she loved. She is too
broken in mind and body for that p am
coming home" she writes. Home" to
Lucie Rijnhart Is a little French Cana
dian village on the borderland of the
United States and fringed by the mighty
forests OF Manitoba. Tt is three days ride
from the old trading post, Worthwhile.
Last summer she set forth happily on
the journey to the Great Closed Land"
Her husband and infant son were with
her She sang as she rode through the
forest. Her heart was young" Next
month she will ride back through the
forests. She will come alone. She will be
weeping instead of singing. For now her
heart is old"
Peter Rijnhart was a Belgium explorer
and missionary. He had the zeal Of
Columbus and the faith of a Marquette.
Because he wanted 10 be untrammelled
by any Instructions from society or church
he refused aid from any mission board
He tarried in Manitoba for a few months.
The golden gossips of the little farming
community said that Lucie Condos brown
eyes were the magnet that held the rest
less wanderer. They declared his heart
had been shared in the meshes of her
chestnut curls.
Peter Rijnhart and Lucie Condo were
married. They lived in little cottage on
the edge Of the forest. The rowing spirit
of the half-scientist half-missionary slept
After the little son, Pierre, was born, it
awoke.
Now let US go to the Great Closed
Land. Lucie," he said.
And Lucie answered gently, when the
boy is bigger"
They waited until Pierre was a sturdy
Young man of one year. Then they took
the long forest ride, and the train to Van
couver and the steamer across the lazy
Pacific. and a queer, fiat little boat, up
the river that crosses China. and threads
its way among the mountain walls OF
Thibet.
They QUILTED with a modest caravan
three servants, nine horses and a watch
dog, There was not much to awaken the
cup;dity OF strolling bands Of Thibetan
robbers.
Perhaps the poor caravan might have
passed without challenge. but every MORN
ing before they mounted their horses. Pet
ar Rijnhart knelt with face toward the
sun and prayed Sometimes there was an
lnbidden guest at these prayers \ vel
low face lit ny slant. black eyes, peered
around a ledge Of rock. The owner motto |
ed the strange attitude and heard the
strange words
He fTowned The next morning other
faces like his peered around the rocks,
and ears as hostile as his heard the pray !
ars TO the strange god. There were frowns
too. on these faces.
Little Pierre was a sturdy babe, used |
10 the Canadian SHOWS. But the wind that
pew over the SHOWS Of the Thibetau for
ssts Was as chill and deadly as the air |
rom long closed tomb. He breathed ii !
ana sickened. one day in September he |
lied. and they buried him in a frozen
lrft under great tree where the branch /
IS seemed to meet the sky.
Peter and Ducie Riinhart we're dufeter 1
after that. They sang fewer hymns as
hey rode along the mountain streams If =.
hey were quite sure the horses hoof-beats T.
would hide the sound they sighed. That (
Vas a lonely grave Of baby Pierre's in the /.
.rozen snow drift under the great tree .
whose branches reached the sky.
They distributed Bibles and tracts in /
he tent villages. They would have left
hem al the frown.ng stone monasteries 4
Il the Ruddhists. but some dark-browea .
nan in the rough stun sar5 Of ,he priests /