Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-05

low.
American Church Mission.
Soochow, China,
January -. 1908
Ny dear rrlends:-
You can nardly imagine what
pleasure II gives me to realize thai
you nave chosen me ami my work as
an object of heln aud study. Your
requests for letters from time to time
j assure YOU shall be granted AS
yet have not learned the language
ana my work does not amount To y
great deal. | spend most OF the time
with my Chipesc teacher trying to
Initiate the sounds he makcS
Just at this time / am not even doing
That. am just recovering from an
attack OF the measles. If you could
Just be transported for a moment
miles and miles across land and wa
ter. finally arriving at Toochood. Chi
iia, how differently things would look
from what you see all around you in
dear old Hampton. Toochood is a
city larger than Hampton indeed. |
think II Is larger than any city in Vir
GINA. Yet. If YOU come here. you would
probably not think SO. The streets Of
Hampton are not very wide are they?
] remember that the street cars pass
very close to each other: but here
the main streets of this city are not
large enough for even one street car
TO pass through; every one would
have 10 re-entcr the houses. but be-
licve il would break down the houses
In Hampton, you see ears and auto
mobiles and carts and wagons loaded
with different things. Here if any
thing Ia TO he hauled II is done on
the shoulders Of men: they have long
bamboo poles with ropes on each end
and baskets tied oil these You do
not see any carriages or automobiles;
the only way person can travel. is
to walk. ride II donkey. orNbe carried
in a sedan chair. which il kind of
little house resting on poles. and is
horne on the shoulders of men.
The roofs of The houses almost
meet in some places: the houses have
no yards; you can step right into the
street without even going down steps.
There is no, space between the houses.
each joins the other in n straight line
They do this 40 that the same side
will do for Two houses. The crowds
III the streets are very thick: you can
hardly push through. Occasionally
you Will see long poles sticking mp
in the air with little box on the end
These boxes are TO catch the devils
which the Chinese suppose come down
these poles; they also build walls In
front of their houses 10 keep tho
devils out. There is wall around
the city, in which there are four or
five gates. which are closed every
night. so il We are outside late we
sometimes have trouble getting in. We
have to walk IA half-miIe out OF our
way 10 go to the depot, because there
is no gate close 10 us. The Chinese al.
ways seem to have plenty OF time, are
never in hurry they will saunter
down the streets at 4 snails pace, or
stand still in the middle. absolutely
regardless Of the fact that some one
behind might want TO pass: and, as
The streets are so narrow and the
sidewalks very often wet, one does
not care to walk anywhere but in The
middle OF the street so it is II little
provoking when in a hurry to find a
big Chinamanin front of you who will
not get out Of the way; sometimes /
forget. and nearly run into them, in
deed, did run into two children and
knocked them down, but they had on
so many clothes, that they Were no.
hurt. The Chinese do not have fires
TO keep them warm. so they pile on
all the clothes they can get; and my!
some of them do have on n lot; they
are like the layers on an onion.
Superstition of the Chinese.
strange thing happened once
which will interest you, In one OF the
large cities OF China there was n
large hill in the main streets; under
every street in Chinest city there
Is supposed to be o protecting dra.
gon. Now the magistrate of this city
once thought he would have the hill
removed so the people would moi
have to climb IL. He did So soon af-
forwards he had Il sore mouth; lie
Gent for the Chinese doctor. who said
II wonder how you can expept not tc
he sick: you have been scratching the
dragons back by removing that hill
so he Is angry and has made You
eick SO the magistrate had the hi.l
put back and the people are laborious
ly climbing as before The magistrate
got we'll, as his mouth was not vciy
sore.
This is the funny part OF the Chi
nese. This is also busy town and
The people are very poor. Often SET
Deggars on the street. lame or main
ed in some way with hardly an.
clothes. Some of them cannot wall;