Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1910-12-10
MORE NEWS
FROM SIAM
Miss Lucy Startling Writes
Entertainingly of Her
Experience.
IN FAR MISSION FIELD.
Extracts From Her Letters
to Her Parents Last
Summer.
IN FAR MISSION FIELD.

Chieng Mai, Laos. July p
Yesterday spent another pleasant
day at Ban Den with Mrs. Campbell.
There were only % christian fam
lilies in this village, so we finished
them up and will not have to return.
Most of the people do not seem az
thrifty, and are poorer than the
Nang Prateel people. | noticed the
difference in nothing so much as in
the looks Of the flowers at the latter
place. But a few of the houses
were very comfortable.
The most interesting home we
visited was that of one of our elders
who was formerly chief priest in a
Buddhist temple. 1t created great
stir and opposition among his friends
when he accepted christianity.
Shortly afterwards he lost his mind,
it was said, from some medicine that
was given him for that purpose. He
recovered, but don't believe his
mind has ever been as strong since.
| don't know whether these people
really do have medicine that will
cause one to lose his mind. but they
believe that whenever one is crazy,
they were given medicine to make
them so.
This old ex-priest had tea for us.
served with fried bananas and pine
apple. AS we had just eaten very
heartily, | could only drink the tea.
and, like Jack the Giant Killer, had
to slip the rest in my bag. At the
next place tray was brought out
on which were bowls, containing rice
cakes, cantaloupe, mangoes, and
pineapple. AT this juncture Mrs.
c. also had to call the bag into ser.
vice, and between US we stuffed it
full when our hosts were not looking.
These people made a great splurge,
and had on the tray one large dolly
and two small ones, and two fringed
napkins for our own use-all marked
with an embroidered R. We soon
found out that our host was until
recently table boy to Count Robert.
The old ex-priest was full of ques-
tons about our respective families,
ages, etc. When | told him the year
in which was born, he informed
me that it was the year of the rab-
bit. and that confequently | was
born to go fast, and not be afraid of
anything Every year is the year
Of some animal, whose Characters
tics children born in that year are
supposed to possess.
You can tell papa that have
killed three dogs lately, ali but one
with the first shot, and rid our place
of the nuisances. When we got here
Jan, l, dog had come in and had
four pups and Miss Gibson did moth
ing to get rid of them. Miss Buck
finally got the cJolie to take them
across the river and leave them, but
the mother and father were not 80
easily gotten rid of. Finally, when
they had eaten up one brood of
ducks and killed another old duck
who was sitting, got a gun and
killed them, and young dog, evil
IDENTIFY one of their pups. | think
the coolie has gotten tired of bury
ing dogs, and watches very carefully
now to see that none come on the
place.
| have been learning to make lace,
that might be able to overlook the
work of our girls, which was very
inferior last term because there was
no one to oversee.
| enclose this week a picture of
temple court in Bangkok. All the
figures are stone. Have | sent you
one or two views of our house? |
thought had sent two, but have
recorded only one. have one that
shows little of the school house in
the back, but If you have one. will
not send another.
Thank you for the pansies. When
| opened your letter. could seem TO
see them growing in the garden,
They are such faithful little bloom
ers.
don't think Laos is very fertile.