Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1905-02-03
INTERESTING TALK
ON CHINA

WEb. uOyp T6tuTu6u MISSIONARY
from China. addressed large oongreQ
alton at Shiloh Reformed church
Sunday morning. Mrs. Hoy is the wife
of the Rev. William Hoy, both of
whom have been engaged in foreign
mission fields for nearly twenty years.
For fifteen years they were stationed
In Japan, but in 1908 they were trans.
ferred by the mission of the Reformed
church to Yoohow. Hanan, China,
where they have since been laboring.
Recently Mrs. Hoy returned to
America with her children for the pur
pose OF having them educated In this
country. They are now at schools in
Lancaster city, and the mother expects
to remain with them for several years.
Saturday Mr.. Hoy sailed from China
for the United States to visit his fam.
lily and native country.
Mrs. Hoy gave an interesting and
instructive talk. She was dressed In
Chinese costume, and exhibited aud
explained a large number of curios she
had brought home with her. She spoke
first of the social customs and manner
OF the Chinese. describing their oddi.
ties and peculiar characteristics, and
then referred at length to her own Ak
perienoe among that people, showing
how souls were saved for Jesus and the
great need of more missionaries in
that field. While showing All instru-
ment with which Chinese children's
feet are bound for the purpose of keep.
ing them from growing. Mrs. Hoy re-
lated touching story concerning that
cruelty. She had frequently heard
children screaming with agony when
their mothers and grandmothers were
tightening the instrument of torture
about their little feet. Their cries of
distress were pitiful to hear, and the
speaker had often been panied when
compelled to listen to them while pass.
ing along the streets. The foot bind
ers are drawn SO tightly that nearly
all the blood is kept from passing
through the veins of the feet. What
little there Is must be kept in circula.
tion, or the limbs of the child will de.
cay and drop off at the knees. To keep
the circulation up the child Is COM
PEELED to walk, and If on account of
the pain and agony it is enduring it re.
fuses to obey, the parents resort to more
cruelty. They stick pins and other
sharp pointed things in the child's leg
and compel 1t to keep moving around
on its shaokled feet.
The Chinese are very inquisitive aud
their superstition is beyond desorip-
tion. Their method of greeting each
other is very peculiar. The women in
stead Of shaking another person q hand,
will clasp their own hands tight
ly together and rub them up and down
the left side of their waists several
times. The men clasp both hands in
front of them, shake their arms from
side to side once or twice and then
raise them high above their heads. Af-
ter that and without unclaspiDg their
hands, they bow down until their heads
almost come in contact with whatever
they are standing on. The higher the
hands are raised and the lower the
bow, the more distinguished is the
person to whom the greeting is being
extended.
When Chinese enters house oc-
cupied by some foreigner, he going to
learn the name of everything in it and
the use made OF each article. He will
open the stove door, aud ask how the
dre got there. He will open oupboaids
and question the owner the name of
everything in them. Not being in pos
session of ornaments of their own, they
take delight in inspecting those in the
homes of the missionaries.
Their superstition is without limit.
Among the ourios Mrs. Hoy showed
was stick about 18 inches in length,
one eud of which was covered with
long white hair. When China is visit
ed by drought. famine or contag-
ious disease the priests march through
the streets and wave the stick in front
OF them, for the purpose of driving
away the evil spirits that has caused
the trouble.