The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-19
MISSIONS At PEK|NG
TAKEN As MODELS
Both Blame and Praise for the
Compounds That Vie With the
Legations.
GREAT UNION ENTERPRISE
Denominations Unite in Educa-
tional and Medical Worl1-Sign
of Boxer Siege.
GREAT UNION ENTERPRISE
ny w. IT. ELLIS.

TVHE missions at Pekin are often
pointed out as models. And
with reason. The workers are
4 of higher grade than ordi-
nary, and they maintain pleas
ant social relations with the legation
people and with the few other Euro
peans In the capital. They are on
friendly terms with eminent Chinese,
Their work is substantially planted,
and housed in fine quarters. They
display degree OF denominational
corrity far in advance of what Is gem
orally to be found in America. AT
least one prosperous native church
exists, and medical and educational
service is rendered to the community
which commands the praise of all OBJ
| servers. There are serious grounds for
| criticism. also, and these will be men
toned later.
| The American missions are the
Northern Methodists, the Congrega-
tionallsts, and the Presby terians, tho
London Mission and the French
Roman Catholics represent the con-
tinent of Europe. Near Picking, and
group. are the Congregational Mission
| at Tung Chow, and the Presbyterian,
| Congregational and China Inland Mis-
sion ut Pao-Ting-fu, both OF which
cities were centres Of the Boxer out
I RACES. The year 1900 wiped the mis-
|
4 cases. there was not even yestige
l Of the former establishments left.
/ This accounts for the newness. ORDER
illness and attractiveness of tho much-
discussed mission compounds.
/ How Missions Get Together.
The most notable feature Of mission
work hereabouts is the union educa-
tional plan. In which all the missions
7 are united Thus the Congregational
81
college for men at Tung Chow, and
\ the college for young women at Peking;
i the Presbyterians, the theological
seminary. and the London Mission tho
great medical college and hospital ut
Peking The Methodists unite only in
the medical college. Each denomina-
ton has representatives on the faculty
Of nll these institutions, and they are
jointly managed Each mission main
tains Its own primary or day schools
as before.
; The result is an educational work
for tho Chinese which must evoke
the admiration OF every one who sees
: 1t. The Empress Dowager is n con-
J tributor to the medical school and
hospital. All the buildings are large
and we'll equipped. with the possible
exception. In the last particular, Of
) the Theological seminary. and 1t has a
; fine body Of students, and with high
teaching throughout, both In tho in-
stitutlpns mentioned and in tho Pekin
University. Is the strength of the en-
; terprlse. II there were room.
, should like to enumernte the men and
. . women who are pouring their power
into the creation Of new leadership
for China. Such teachers us Rev. DR.
t W. A. p. Martin, long head of the I'm
Q perlal University; Rev. DR.. D. Y. Shelf
5 field and Rev. DR.. j. Wherry, the emf
S nent authors and educators; Rev. DIR
8 c. Goodrich linguist and theologian
0 whose dictionary every student O
/ China knows; Miss Luella Miner, au.
: thor and leader in woman's education
a Prof Isaac Il. Headland. author o.
i books on Chinese folk lore and art
;, such as these would make any edu
Il cational work great.
= II there were room for particulars
y could tell incident after incident t.
Illustrate what all this means In TIL,
awakening of China. Glanced upol
ESSAY afternoon" ut the womans col
: lege, when the girls were having thei
: weekly social exercises. Now Chinese
Q girls look stupid; their expresslonless
t unattractive faces reveal nothing
+ Yet heard those girls set up an,
0 make speeches, without five minutes
: warming upon tho gCNeral subject o
II reform and progress, that would hnv
V made the statesmen of ten years az,
s call for the hendsmhn. me girls ar
Il studying foreign governments an
= reading their own newspapers, an
- what they had to say about the need
% OF Chinese government was so pointe
- and practical as to take ones breath
T. This Is the sort OF thing that no on
: Of Manchu reactions can overcome.
q How Chinese Get Religion"
h i dropped into two street chapel
II in pekins. one belonging to an inde
a. pendent native church and one al
~ tached to the American boar
- compound. The street chapel IL til
~ approved method OF reaching tn
= crowds In Chinese cities. 1t Is
!, typical Chinese room, open to tn
y street, where native or misslonar
u spends two or three hours every after
20 noon expounding Christianity to who
'r ever drops In and there Is del
rs OF coming and going, since It no longe
brings disgrace upon man to llsle
y to the preaching Of "the Jesus way"