The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24

an hour the hum OF those studying quite
/ rcSe mbles that of a crowded school room
| The scholars range in age from prob
! ably six to forty years. The younger ones
| are quite in the minority and consist of
/ but two or three children clad in ordinary
/ English dress Most of the Cinnamon are
! dressed in the familiar Chinese garb. in
| Guiding flowing blouse. loose trousers md
| embroidered velvet slippers Their queues
| are wound about their heads. One or two
I OF the regular attendants have discarded
their queues. The cutting of the Queue
! was once a mark of degradation, but
among the Chinese in this country it is
| not now generally so regarded
Probably the most noticeable thing
| about the Chinese is the keen interest
/ they take in the Sunday studies. A look
! of lively appreciation replaces the stolid
/ Indifferent aspect which characterizes
| them when encountered in their places Of
| business They laugh and chat with their
! teachers and with each other. Some of
| them pore over their Bibles without look
selves writing out in English verses from
the Testament. while still others listen to
explanations by the teachers of some I'M
familiar point encountered.
The Bibles used are interesting. They
are printed both in English and in Chi
nese. The English in one column of the
page and the Chinese in a column be-
side it. The pupil reads the Chinese
script and then the English. Some of the
older pupils are able to read particularly
well from an ordinary English Bible
attracts so many Chinese to the Sunday
school. They are persevering and untir-
ing in their efforts to master the Ian
guage. As a rule they learn quickly
There have been pupils in the school who
have mastered the English alphabet in
single afternoon The Chinese mind
is especially, retentive, and the lessons
once learned are never forgotten
In addition to the Chinese at study
there are three Greeks receiving in
struction every Sunday in one corner of
the room. They speak scarcely word
of English and are being taught on the
same system as the Chinese. After about
an hour of study another bell rings and
books are laid aside. All join in a
hymn. and then each pupil reads a few
sentences from the Bible. Those who
have but little knowledge of the lam
sulge are shy and stumble through their
lines as best they can. while some of
those who can read easily and distinctly
take great pride in their accomplishment
and read even more than their lessons
The Greeks read verses in English and
repeat the Lords Prayer in their native
tongue; then, led by one of the teachers
who has been missionary in China the
Chinese recite the Lords Prayer in the
short choppy cadences of their language
one of the pupils passes a collection box
Without a single exception each pupil
contributes a coin.
The Sunday school is more than self
supporting. Each year $50 is donated by
1t to the Chinese missionary fund An
other fund from it pays the expenses CT
a young Chinaman who is attending How
ard University.
The Metropolitan Sunday school is not
the only one of its kind in the city Chi
nese receive instruction at the Ascension
Episcopal Church every Sunday after
noon at O'Clock, and at Calvary Baptist
Church at O'Clock every Sabbath even
ing. Many Chinese attend all three serv-
ices. 1t is generally more for instruction
In English than anything else However
many Of them become converts to Chris
tianity.
There are five Chinese who are regular
members of the Metropolitan Church To
become Christian is to go directly
against the precepts of the Chinese race.
But il a Chinaman who becomes Chris
ton leads good life there is not much loss
of prestige involved by the conversion
Be he hypocritical he al once falls from
grace. as the average Chinaman is quick
to detect dishonesty.