Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-10
"LURE OF THE EAST" AWAITS
JACK TAR AT CHEFOO.

honor of a heather festival, while each
munched a beancake that had been bought
from a street vender.
Second thought, though, reminds one that
this white boy, who> like most missionary
children. speaks the tongue of the native
more freely than he does that Of his par
ents, is hearing from his playmate many
things which 1t is not considered healthful
for an AngloSaxon to know. Alongside of
the average white child in heather lands, in
the matter Of knowledge of what children
should not say or know, the New York
street gamin is Lii tie Lord Fauntleroy.
The white race, comparatively speaking,
has not learned the alphabet of evil speak
ing. 1t Is not seemly that American and
British children should be trained in this
school. short time'ago, in refined Amer
lean home in Korea, 1 heard a sweet little
girl Of six use a native word which doubled
up the servants with laughter. She does not
know Its meaning; neither will anybody
translate 1t to her parents; but 1t Is doubt
less of inexpressible vileness Not to speak
of such moral bacteria-and to overlook en-
ureiy the material germs in that beancake,
Tor the orient Is the home of gold-medal
germs-it Is found by missionary parents
unwise to rear children In the east, because
they fail to get the Anglo-Saxon viewpoint
atmosphere, bent Of mind or whatever else
you may call it. 1t is the unanimous opin-
lon Of all white people out here, whatever
their calling, that boys and girls must go
home to school by the time they have
reached the age Of thirteen or fourteen, or
eafHeI: nereln lies the nardShlp OF mission
airy life. People regard missionaries as he
roes and martyrs for undergoing difficulties
which scarcely exist at all, for of physical
hardships the missionary has few. The sep
IF people will insist on plying us" said
one missionary, "let them pity US for the
right things
X
Unquestlonably the children Of mission
aries have certain advantages. OF course
they know no slang. They are old beyond
their years, yet without priggishness. They
have a grown-up wisdom that is aston
ishing. l climbed Fujiyama, in Japan,
with fourteen-year-old boy as Interpreter
and companion, and for mental poise physi-
cal endurance and Astounding boyish en-
thusiasm have never seen his equal They
say that uniformly, despite certain lacks,
the children of missionaries rank high in
the home schools.
Their shortcomings and superiorities are
shown by story I heard in Korea. A
missionary youngster was home in Ohio
with his parents on a furlough, and he
was playing with another boy of his age
What is circus?" innocently inquired
the lad from Korea. His friend looked
at him in surprise and contempt. Then,
scornfully: What! Didn't you ever see
circus?"
Stung by the tone and manner, young
Korea bridled up. Huh! Did you ever see
a fleet Of warships? Did you ever see
torpedo boat? Did you ever cross an ocean?
visit India? Did you. ever see the pyra-
mids?" But before he had exhausted his
list of possible wonders, his wlde-eyed
playmate acknowledged himself squelched.
X *
To meet the peculiar conditions of the
missionary children, the China Inland Mis-
sion has established at Chefoo a school
which, in equipment and efficiency, ranks
as the best school in China and Japan. Its
inland mission, yet it's certificate admits
boys into the English universities. 1t is
patronized by missionaries of all bodies
throughout the far east, and there are
rolled, preparing for college, and sixty
three daughters Of missionaries. The stu
dents are required to leave at the age Of
sixteen years. The preparatory department
has fifty-seven children under nine years
and over five.
This indicates the peculiar circumstances
of the missionary's lot. Most of the China
inland missionaries dwell in native houses,
in small interior cities, towns and villages
where there are no other foreigners. For
the sake of the health Of the children, It
is necessary to send them away at this
early age Members of this mission do not
have to pay for the instruction or main
tenance of their children at Chefoo. The
latter place is considered a health resort,
and the China Inland Mission .sanitarium Is
situated here. Hither the missionaries come
for their summer vacation, in order to be
with their children. The school has only
one month of vacation in hot weather; and
it begins it's days routine with morning
swim at $50.
Despite the rigid school regulations,
which. for example. prevent the students
from speaking to the Chinese, the young
sters have good time Their long vaca-
tion of two months. occurs in midwinter,
when, presumably. the germs are frozen
up, and they may live in Chinese cities
with the minimum of danger to health
This school, it may be added, is only one
evidence of the completeness of the China
Inland Mission organization; it looks after
it's more than $40 missionaries with a COM
prehensiveness and paternalism such as l
have found In no other mission.
X X
The first self-supportfng and money-mak-
ing mission have yet encountered is the
Industrial Mission Of this city, run by Mr..
and Mrs. James Mcmillan. This is an en-
tirely independent enterprise, drawing no