Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-05-01
MISS zURFLUH'S
ADDRESS
A Message From the Far-Off Land of
Buddha.

Unquestionably one of the most ed
flying and entertaining talks on Japan
and missionary effort in that far-off
country that has ever been heard in
this city was delivered in Shiloh Re
formed church Tuesday night by Miss
Lena Zurtiuh, a returned missionary
enjoying furlough in her native
land
Miss Zurfuh comes with message
almost direct from the land of Buddha.
In a tone OF deep commiseration she
described the spiritual needs of the
Japanese and their blind devotion TO
false religion. They are taught to
believe that at death the souls of the
departed pass from one body or con-
dition into another. There is nothing
i'll their religion to meet the yearnings
of the soul; there are no assurances
for the future. The condition Of the
people is one of great mental unrest
they are i'll constant anxiety concern
ing the welfare of the souls Of their
loved ones who are dead, fearing that
they may have passed into the body
of some one of the lower animals.
Not only at day, but during the dark
ness of the night they may be found
wandering YEARLY around in search
of their idols, praying for rest, for
peace of mind and finding it not.
Miss Zurfiuh during her lecture
wore the full dress of the native Jap
anese women, which added very much
to the interest of the lecture, and en-
abled her to illustrate topics that re-
lated to dress. She had with her
variety of articles that enter into the
daily lives of the people, including
odd contrivances for foot wear and
pillow, which oddly enough is made
of wood, yet upon which the japanese
rests and finds sleep at night.
The japanese know nothing of the
luxury of beds or chairs They sit
upon the floor and at night sleep up
on mats. The missionaries on entering
the country are obliged to take their
beds with them. The customs are all
odd. At marriage the girls blacken
their teeth and wear their hair in a
manner peculiar to their married sta
tion. The little infants are strapped
upon the backs of the older children
of the family. The little natives as
they attended the Mission Sunday
school were always burdened in this
way by their baby brothers and sisters.
The pleasant little story circulated
in civilized countries to the effect
that japanese children do not cry, the
speaker said, is piece of fiction.
She could bear witness to the fact that
they howl. 1t is at Sunday school
where the babes, strapped TO the backs
of their brothers and sisters, probably
protest the loudest. rhe noise they
create makes it at times almost i'm
possible to proceed with the lesson.
Miss Zurfuh said that during the
last year and half there has been
great spiritual awakening i'll Japan.
Fifteen years ago the ambition of the
natives was to acquire the manners
and customs of the Foreigners" as
the missionaries We're called. Thus
when a parent brought his daughter to
the Missionaries he wanted her to be
taught to sleep upon bed, to sit upon
a chair and to eat with q knife and
fork. The time has now come when
they begin to realize that the exterior
life is not all, and that the accompl-
ishments of civilization count for lit
tie without having under them the re-
filming and elevating influences Of a
Christian character.
\ girls school taught by the miss
ionaries which accommodated seventy
pupils and last year graduated twenty
seven, some time before Miss Zurtiuh's
departure burned to the ground, caus-
ing an interruption III the work which
is much deplored alike by the mis-
sionaries and the natives. On the
whole the speaker is much enCourag
ed with the result of missionary work
in Japan.
Notwithstanding the inclement
weather there was a good sized con-
gregation present who listened with
rapt interest to the speakers remarks.
Alfred Diehl, president of the Mis-
sionary society of Shiloh Reformed
church, presented report. Miss Am
anda Share, delegate to the recent
Missionary convention held at Halle
ton also presented her report. Both
reports were quite encouraging, reveal
ing a degree of interest in missionary
work, which is quite i'll keeping with
the spirit of the time.