The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-07-06
(C TRISTAN KOREA
: By FRANK G. CARPENTER


and south, are carrying on a great
work, and the English have a we'll
managed mission at the head Of which
is a bishop. In addition there are the
mission Of the Russian Greek Church
in Seoul, the Young Mems Christian
Association and the Salvation Army,
whose advance guard came here last
fall. All Of the larger missions have
schools and hospitals, and all have
many native AS l have
said, the movement has SO advanced
that the most of the foreigners are
now employed in directing native
Christians, who have become the chief
element in the evangelization of the
country.
The Koreans at Church.
You religious Grones Of the United
States, who stay at home from church
and prayer meeting whenever it rains,
should come out to Korea to learn
what live Christians means! Take for
Instance a native cllurc which I at
tended this week. It was that of DR..
j. S. Gale, belonging to the Presbyte-
rian in Seoul. The church stands on
a hill, not far from the palace Of the
emperor, and above the big technical
school which the Japanese have just
founded. It's audience hall is sixty feet
wide by eighty feet long, and it seats
about fifteen hundred. This church
was built by native contributions, and
its members gave $4,000 to its sup
port last ear. In connection with the
two other native Presbyterian con-
gregatiOnS, its members are support
irS two mission churches outside the
city. This church has a regular attend
ance Of 1900, and when l entered it
last sunday there were more than that
in the audience room. Fully six hun
dred Of those present were men. I
doubt much if any United States city
of 2n0 000 hos q CipO1n h11ro u-ifh
six hundred men among it's regular
attendants; and more than five hun
dred of these Korean men had come
70 Sunday chOOl as we'll as to church.
They were fully that many women.
But how do | know that the men
and women were equally divided?
That IS easy in a Korean congrega-
ton. The men all sit together on one
half the church floor, while the women
are squatted on the other half, a wide
canvas screen being stretched from
one end of the church to the other
between them. The women are sup
posed not to be seen by any men but
their husbands. They come to the
church with green cloaks
around their heads and they put these
Oh upon going out.
The church floor is covered with
white mating. Ali take off their
shoes as they come in and lay them
beside them on the floor as they listen
to the ernno At the front Of the
hall IS a rcstrun supporting q pulpit,
from the middle Of which the screen
extends through the church., so that
both men and IN car see the pas
tor and he can see them. 1t was on
this rOstrum l sat.
The congregation comprised all
classes of Koreans. Among the men
were cabinet ministers, governors and
princes, sitting side by side with COM
mon coolies and others of the lower
classes. The same difference of con-
ditions were observed among the wo-
men. The men al Wore hats: and, Of
the Women all We're bareheaded. The
men had on gowns of white, rOSe-pink
or Sky-blue grass clothes or cotton,
with white cotton under trousers and
White padded stockings. Their hats
We're Of black horse hair, SO braided
together that their tOp-nots could
tie seen through the mcshes. The
women wore Jackets and skirts of
white. lilac, pink and sea-green, and
ticlT hair was carefully combed.S Some
Of the women had babies with them.
and l heard a slight equal now and
then. Before the sermon began one
little girl stood up with her baby sis
ter tied to her back. The little one
was crying. The girl arose and fell
on her toes to quiet it.
l have never seen such attention in
any cmurch. The faces of the peo-
pie fairly shona as one of the elders,
nicknalGed the Wisest man in Korea,
once q member of the Korean legation
IN Washington. addressed them. There
was not a snore to be heard. and of
the whole twelve hundred not one
went 10 sleep. The preacher held them
from start to close. now and then
bringing out laughter. After this a
hymn was sung, the preacher stand
Ing IN his CfnnEJnr foot hiU hot ~
long gown on the rOstrum, while q
Korean girl played the organ, a little
affair so small that at the close the
sexton carried it out on his shoulders.
Hymn books were used by all. and
every one in that congregation is able
to read. Indeed, the church will not
take IN any one who cannot read the
ScrintJ1rac Who, ~