The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1909-12-30
The Misat Mail Bag.
CHRISTI N CHINA.

eastern nations hop keep the essential
idea OF the seasOp the fore, and let
gift-making occnfa secondary place?
Dr. Percy T. Wpn, new medical
missionary in SIM emma, was amazed
TO find that the ne Christians, with
out any suggestifvhatever from for
| eigners, plan to hsa three days meet
ing al the holidaeason for distinctly
religious purpose Last year over a
thousand gathered his station in Fen
chow, some conn ~ miles on foot.
They slept on floor Iii the mission
buildings but, as Arthur Smith says,
Position in sleepDf no sort of conse-
querce. 1t woulte easy to raise in
China an army of nlllion men-nay, of
ten millions test by competitive ex-
jamnation as to ,r capacity to go to
sleep across threVheelbarrows, with
head downwards, ke a spider, their
lmouths wide opeand fly inside!"
IAnorber young wer in the Foochow
field. Edward H. 18th. writes: "You
can think of US dug the holidays going
from one church ant Their, keeping
with them the wd's great birthday
festival. Of court will be in Chinese
fashion, with fire-ckers, candles. Chi
mes pictures. pal and bamboos in all
tie churches, al the interminable,
many coursed feaswhich we have not
yet tully learned enjoy. But there
WI he the same ristmas spirit, and
that -lad heart fevship which we all
can Joy
IGNORED BY RED CROSS.
A the late anil meeting of the
American Red Crosof which President
Tat is President, was recommended
tia, silver medals given to DR.. F. D.
Shepard and Rev. R. Trowbridge for
their services in lnection with the
Adaia massacres April. Both men
ere American Boa missionaries. DR..
Shepard is one of e foremost physi-
cans in the Turk empire, and has
been in Aintab mornan Is years. Just
as the people of tn city were ready to
&c citrate the quar- centennial he was
summoned to pc patient in Aleppo
and hurried off say, THAT man life
is worth more thanl this celebration, :"
10 the exercises h to be postponed a
week. Then NOR than 5000 people
gathered, represeng all nationalities
am religions, to donor to himself and
wife All the 81 kers paid glowing
tributes to the wk of the hospital,
which he opened iAintab in 1883, and
emphasized the ia that he could easily
have won fortun,ad he used his re-
markable skill SIM to get gain. Mrs.
Shepard has render valuable service in
the industrial train of women. In the
linen en- broidery vk in Aintab alone
So, 600 women are nployed, OF whom
20, 400 are Mohamdans. Mr.. Trow-
bridge, the son Ga missionary, is a
young nan and hisescue of the pupils
pf one Of the Amer schools, when he
rushed INTO a crowd Infatuated ruffians
Iand stopped them pm destroying the
buildings and the hoes adjoining, would
doubtless entitle 3 n to a Red Cross
n-jaI. But his sile acts of heroism
Were only small TT of what he did.
II caring for the hdreds of refugees
afterwards both tand DR.. Shepard
showed eXecutive atty of high order.
They are still direclg relief work, es-
peciall the rebuildr Of homes for the
0omeie S.,
lie LEADERSP OF CHINA.
II recent adore before the Unita-
riar ub of Boston Of Bushnell Hart
IF I arvard, who hasust returned from
rip around the gbe, predicted that
t--pIe many years Cha would lead the
Id in power and 'ilization. Chris
schools there ha played an impor-
ut part in the edational revolution
w going on in the epire. DR.. Percy
Watson, one of t youngest of the
lmerican Board meal missionaries in
hansi. writes that mission academy
or boys in FenchoWhis headquarters,
as over i've times e applicants that
an be received, althgh there are eight
pew government schos in that one city.
early every templdn the place has
been turned into scbI, and the exam
nation halls where tkold Chinese liter
I'll received their drees, have been
inverted into eth factory. A
t=acher in this acader, Mr.. Watts O.
Fye another new recit of the Ameri-
an board, was offeretbout three times
is present salary if hwould teach En-
dish two hours dayn government
ahool. The officials nd it difficult to
s7eure good teachers Ten at large sal
aees. and in spite of + fact that some
them have been edu ted in Japan.
Il is recognized tt our Christian
-ehooIs turn out a sterior quality of
men both morally a. mentally, and
the aivantages are early sought 1t
vas great complimenwhen a govern
ment School-teacher in town Is miles
nom Fcnchow came ar asked for a po-
sltIon IN the academy5aying that he
was dissatisfied with hHife and wanted