The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-07

perhaps live more than the apa-
thetic ones, who suffer less. In the
case under discussion possibly 1t would
be better for all civilized human beings
to steal little time from their work
or amusements to realize the full
measure of this Oriental catastrophe.
Possibly in some faint mlllennial dawn,
powerful nations will take the same
precautions with their citizens regard
ing permission for them to go unpro-
tected among ferocious heathens, as
they exercise in districts infected by
a noisome contagion. 1t is little
puzzlng to lay down plan for imme-
diate relief of few beleaguered
friends to whom life is sweet when
they are surrounded by millions of fan
atics, to whom life means nothing and
death, if it were possible, still less.
Most Christians believe in foreign
missionary work. 1t Is definitely
stated that the church, which takes
little interest in missions suffers from
atrophy and it's home destiny is mar
red. The awful conditions in China
today are enough to set even the most
impassioned advocate of foreign wnis-
sions to questioning: What chance
has handful of white missionaries
among more millions OF people than
are to be found elsewhere in the world,
and against whose fanatiCal impulses
no foreigner is competent to cope?
What good can the native converts do
if in those fearful uprisals they must
lose tn cir lives? Why do not Ameri-
cans in particular attempt more in the
way Of evangelization oC all the world
as it is brought to their own doors?
Any man who will go to the trouble
of learning the languages and who
will suffer the deprivations and mis-
| cry which he must undertake in mis-
sion work in China could accomplish
miraculous results amCng the multi
| tude OF foreigners who flock to this
country.
OF course it must be a wonderful
| thing to be able to say, as the mis-
| sionary can in the Orient, 81 secured
| 1,250 converts today. He could not do
that in America, yet there is reason
to believe the results Of his labOrs
here might be of more permanent char
acter.
The man who goes to China to save
souls for Christ. ana there meets IL
| tragic fate at the hands of the Boxers,
| a fare whose wretChe6nCss is infinitely
| increased perhaps by being forced to
witness the murder of his helpless wife
and little children, surely deserves a
martyrs crown, but we, looking from
our far, safe distance. shut the eyes
of our ina gination from the unspeak-
able horror of it all and wonder blind
| ly what is the use?"
| Do the heather in our own land find
us so angelic in our methods, so pure
in our motives, so wise in our deal
ings with each other and with them,
that our religion or our teachings
would seem worthy OF all desire ?
Would the heather, looking on the
North River, the other day when the
Hoboken piers We're burning, and when
burning men and women leaned fren-
Zied from narrow portfolios, and when
civilized and probable Christian tug
boat captain refused aid to drowning
victims-would the heather within our
gates then have been particularly inn
pressed with the desirability of our
civilization. our faith and wisdom? In
the restless, endless struggle of our
world between capital and labor and
the bitter war of the classes and the
masses would our special forms and
ceremonies appear any more dclectable
than those in which the myriad gods
of the earth and the sky and the sea
appear to the Oriental?
SAUCY BESS.