Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-05
BOXERS AND AVENGERS HAVE
TRANSFORMED CHINA.

made in mission work since 1900 for rea-
sons that will be later explained: but for
direct results of the faithful testimony of
the many who heroically sealed their 10y
atty with their lives have looked in vain.
l have talked with the missionaries in
Pektng, Paoting-fu, Tung Chow and other
scenes of the worst massacres. They sadly
admit that they cannot trace any con-
versions to the shining heroism of the men
and women, native converts and foreigners,
who laid down their lives for the Gospel.
Instead, there are villages where all the
Christians were murdered in 1900 into which
the missionaries are now unable to pene-
trate. The people say that Christianity has
caused them enough suffering; they want
no more to do with 1t. In numerous COM
munities where mission work was con-
Quoted before the fmassacres there is no
mission work now. although the missionary
force had been increased. Similarly, for
years after the troubles it was found that
inquirers concerning 1.-The Jesus way who
had been reached through the street chap
els, medical work and otherwise were for
chilly prevented by their families and
friends from having anything to do with
the church. All this Is contrary to the ex-
pectation and preconceptions Of Christen-
dom: but the truth is more sacred than any
theory.
Certain manifest results from the Boxer
days are apparent AS already stated,
that uprising which was primarily directed
against Christians and secondarily against
all foreigners, was futile attempt to
stamp out the western religion. China now
knows that Christianity is here to stay, q
force to be permanently reckoned with.
This is an Unreasonable gain for missions.
The massaeres challenged ChristendOm.
Thew called a vigorous assertion O
the ages-old Christian faith and expecta-
ton of ultimate conquest AS one of the
finest of the Boxer martyrs, Horace Tracy
Pitkin of Poating-fu sent as his farewell
word to his little son the message that he
should one day come out to China to take
his fathers place, SO the churches general
ly answered China's defiance by increasing
their missionary forces and taking up the
work with new skill and resolution.
BY the wiping out of mission work in
north China all the tactical mistakes of
missions were obliterated. The mission
aries were enabled to map out an entirely
new plan Of campaign. With the wisdom
OF experience, the most strategical places
alone were reoccupied A readjustment OF
forces and methods followed, which has
borne fruit in a markedly increased sue
cess.
For the reasons enumerated, and because
Of the spirit Of progress which was i'm
parted to China at the bayonet's point, the
converts of the missionaries have not only
been more numerous since 1900, but also
Of a higher class as well. Before that time
while much-too much-was said about the
favor Of Ii Hung Chang, Of the presenta-
fact remains that the missions were reach
ing practically only the lowest class of Chi
nese. The rice Christian was far more In
evidence than today. Now the sons and
- TcI,1 fpol,I
mission schools. The social standing of the
missionary has vastly improved. In lung
Chow, for instance, the proportion Of
gentry belonging to the church far ex-
ceeds the proportion in the community at
large.
This state of affairs runs right up to the
top. Probably no foreigner, certainly no
foreign woman, has met the empress dow
ager so often as Mrs. I. T. Headland, one
Of the Methodist missionaries in Picking.
On one occasion Miss Sheffield of Tung
Chow met the empress. and that shrewd old
woman, who seems never to forget friend
daughter Of DR.. b. z shefield Of the
American board, who was so kind to Prince
So-and-So. and who treated him and his
house SO honorably during the foreign occu-
was correct. the empress sent grateful mes
sages to DIR. and Mrs. Sheffield and the
other American board missionaries, whose
conduct had been SO greatly the reverse of
property of one Of the imperial princes.
When, shortly afterward, Miss Sheffield was
married to DIR. Steele Of the same mission
the empress sent her sumptuous presents. II
is said, by the way, that the empress has
richly rewarded all who assisted her in that
hurried fight from the palace at the ap-
proach Of the allies.
One cannot talk for fifteen minutes with
anybody in China upon a missionary topic
without being brought face to face with
1900. A missionary's name is mentioned:
"You know he lost all his children in the
Boxer troubles" remarks your companion
You pick up a photograph from your hosts
mantelpiece and are informed That entire
family was wiped out, from grandparents
to little children; In the massacre Some
thing Is said about the capabifty of a ma
tive preacher whom you have met "It was
his brother, you know, who stood so loyalty
by DIR. Taylor and was killed with him,
although he might have escaped. This man
himself was through the siege at Tien-
Tsin."