Mexico Missouri message., 1900-11-08
but TWO "
~ HONEST MEN,"
BY W. X. LAMBTTH.

| W. hh"'h N'iuult' ENcTN dcPOUnt
had made an impression of bleak
and bare mountains, with little to
relieve the nakeducSS of their rock
v sides and bald heads. For cen
turies the Koreans had systematic
ally removed from the coast rang
es every sign of life, animal or
vegetable. This was to keep up
the bars and tighten the bolts
which walled in the little Hermit
Kingdom from the outside world.
Signal fires even were always in
readiness, as in the days of old
Troy, that the approach of the en-
emy might be flashed from peak to
peak on to the capitol upon the
Han River. But this has fallen
into disuse. Villages begin to APP
pear i'll the mountain coves, and
the curling smoke seen from the
deck of your steamer speaks of
rural life in the valleys of the
grand sierras which form the spi-
nal column of this peninsula. In
stead of barrenness. | found the
soil very fertile, yielding three
crops year, tho the poor people
are so oppressed by oflicialism that
they never know how much they
will reap Of what they SOW.
Between Russia on the north
and Japan on the south, Korea is
in danger of being ground as grist
between the upper and neither
milestone; or, to change the figure,
of being devoured by the Russian
bear on the one hand or mutilated
by the japanese shark on the 9TH
er. If we add to this the rapacity
of her own officials, we make out a
sad case indeed.
| heard of but two honest men
in Office, and they were father and
son. The latter was the Hon. Y.
ii. Yum, formerly student of
Vanderbilt University. He is the
prefcct of the city of Won san, on
the eastern coast. This quiet,
godly man lives in very simple
style, and his countrymen say of
him that he will never be rich, be-
cause he chooses to be honest. |
dined with him and his wife. We
sat down to Korean meal of rice.
Seaweed, fish, etc, eaten with chop
sticks. He made no apologies,
but bowed his head in Il prayer of
simple faith and gratitude to the
"Giver of every good and perfect
gift" This man, one of natures
noblemen, has IA national reputa-
ton for integrity of character and
high intellectually. ] thanked
God for a Christian Korean who
loved plain living, high thinking
and had the courage of his con-
victions. Given ten such men,
and Korea might shake off the
burdens which press her to the
earth. Let dear old Tennessee 90
Oh with her educational work, if
she will continue to make such
contributions to the worlds regen-
Grafton.
My readers may be surprised to
learn that Mrs. Yum is Chinese
lady. 1t was IL case of love, pure
and simple. He was in Shanghai
in Punishment, teaching in the
glo-Chinese college, and she
was Il pupil in Clopton School, es-
tablished by IA gift of Mrs. d. IL.
McGavock, who then lived near
Nashville on the Lebanon Pike.
Mr., Yum caught sight Of her one
day in church, and from that hour
sought her hand, and won his
suit, tho he was not permitted to
speak to her until after the we'd
ding. The marriage was all ar
ranged thru the miss ionary teach
ers, who, according to the custom
of the Orient, acted as middlemen.
Love was not blind in this
case. The young nobleman had
keen eye, and discerned in her a
character equal to his own. With
the removal of the sentence of
banishment, he returned to his ma
tive land, and was given high
Office, being twice member of the
imperial cabinet. Then came one
of those reactions which have made
Korea seem so much like tho era
ter of a volcano. A member of
the Liberal party and an advocate
OF reform upon moral basis, Mr..
Yum was hunted like beast of