West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-11-08
GIN HIS SERVICE"
An Interesting Letter from a Preston
County Girl in.Far Away China.

nave wanted TO write you, Tor your
kindly interest in my welfare has
been shown in so many ways, that
know letter direct from me will
be appreciated, but have waited
for affairs to be more settled.
Now l shall wait no longer, for
the prospects are that it will be
many long month before this
strange war which is not war, is
over.
What has caused the gathering of
the nations at Pekin is one of the
most interesting questions of the
century. Any answer that does not
assume that this is great conflict
between the powers of light and the
powers of darkness fails TO satisfy
the close observer of affairs in China.
The opposing party has undoubtedly
for its head one who is called by
the people "The mother of our
Country" known to western nations
as the Empress Dowager. She and
her party are opposed to western
civilization, reforms and Christian
ity. During tie past three years
she has most relentlessly waged a
war of determination against the re-
formers of China. Young men of
intelligence and the true patriots of
the land have been beheaded for no
other oftense than the effort to
better the condition of their country
men. Then she conceived the idea
of discriminating at one stroke
Christians, Reformers and stopping
all progress toward western civiliza-
ton.
Having first taken the precautlon
to put into prominent Offices men
whom she could rely upon to carry
out her instructions, she might have
been far more successful than she
has been, had not two men taken
the responsibility of changing the
telegram from "deSfroy all Christ
ians" to "byotecf all Christians. "
These men were promptly beheaded,
as they knew they would be, when
II was discovered that a large part
of the Empire hal not obeyed their
royal Mistresses proclamation.
They gave their lives for their
country and by doing so all southern
China has remained quiet
Then we must not forget that
some officials were brave enough to
refuse to obey such a murderous
command even when they received
the order unchanged in the wording.
When the real facts are known in
regard to this conflict there will be
as many noble acts Of the common
people TO record as there are ignoble
acts of the government to record.
There is in this great Empire a
ne70 and an oH China, an cnlIghfenea
and an HAeaAghfcHed China, and
they have met in deadly conflict.
Had not the worlds powers been so
strangely drawn into the conflict.
there would be but little hope for
the new China. As it is there may
be a long and bitter struggle still
but as every struggle for light and
liberty in the history Of other nations
has been successful in the end, 50
will this struggle in China.
Had man the power to exteImi.
nate the Christian church, then
long since the church would have
been destroyed
Among our Chinese Christians arc
as true martyrs as the world has
ever known. When the heather
say to them Don't you know you
are all to be killed" they reyI,
Christians are the only people in
China who are ready to die, and va
are not afraid to die"
Here in southern China no more
harm has been done than the de.
stroying Of churches and the talk
which has been very threatening al
times, but among the people who
are not influenced by the govern.
ment there has been the same kind;
spirit we have always found
have repeatedly gone through tho
city and have no. heard or seen am
ili-disposed person our work ha.
been bot little inierfcrcd wtb and
AZ present all goes on as esua.
What the future has in store wa
know not but w. know that sRight
is right since God is Cod, and ylghl
at last must win, To doubt would be
disloyaily, to falter would be sin. "
in Ills Service,
JUtIA BoNAuElD.