Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1910-12-15
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.

evening, | came across an old temple
that was full of curious idols and
carving. There were no walls to
the temple, or wat" only wooden
pillars deliberately carved. which
supported the roof. Inside, the
pillars had been painted red, and
then gilded in intricate designs of
flowers. On ascending the brick
steps, one found oneself standing on
a floor made Of stone flags. At the
far end rose the altar. and one could
see in the shadow, faint outlines of
the idols. There is always at least
one, probably more large idols, and
at their feet are numerous smaller
images, which the people have
brought to make merit" These
are of all sorts of materials, from
the crudest Buddha, carved out of
wood, to really beautiful ones, of
rock crystal. Then there are others
of iron, painted wood, plaster, and
different compositions. But the
figure is always the same. the
placid, vacant stare, with legs cross
ed, one hand lying in the lap, and
the other falling down over the leg.
The people believe that Buddha, to
express his pleasure at the offering,
invests these images, though
Buddha himself taught that man
had no soul. A case where human
instinct is truer than the reasoning
of the greatest philosopher. when
not guided from above.
But am forgetting to tell you Of
the temple: One of the most inter.
esting things | saw, was a carving
of wood. 1t was raised platform,
approached by steps. and topped"
by an ornamental roof, on this plat.
form was a couch, on which reclined
sleeping Buddha, the only varia.
ton | know of, from the conven.
tional posture. Around the couch,
were bending in worship, half a
dozen priests, with their hands up
to their faces, in the Eastern form
of reverence. These little figures
of priests had been separately carv.
ed, and fitted into holes in the bot
tom of floor. The whole thing had
been painted red and gilded, and
was not more than sixteen inches
high, and not that broad. | should
like to possess it, it was so curious,
AS we descended the steps we came
upon very fine specimen of the
sacred "bo" tree, which you will
find in every temple enclosure. The
legend is, that Gautama was born
under one of these trees. and it was
under one, too, that he did a great
deal of his meditating, in which art
he was a past master" Under
this tree, was curious little birC
house'like temple, perched on a pole
Back in this was lonesome lookin|
idol, with some withered flowers a
it's feet, put there by some sympa
thetic worshipper.
When we passed out at the openin(
in the high brick wall, guarded Oh
each side by fierce looking griffins
and came back to real life. When
visit some of these temples, | feel a
if ] were living a thousand year
before Christ, land might well be
as far as the Christian enlighten
ment of most of these people is con
cerned. There is nothing | enjoy
as much as poking about old ruins
and there are plenty of ruins here
We are beginning to make plans
for annual meeting, which will bt
the first week in Dec The Callen
ders with their two children. are tC
be our guests. You may remember
they came out with us. and were
very kind to us. SO we thought WI
would like to entertain them. Th'
second family we invited are no
coming. so | don't know whether
we will have anyone else. or not.
You will be glad to know that tn,
insects were not bad for very long
have seldom seen as few mosquitoe
as we have here. though some o
our neighbors have more than We
But | will hardly have a bite once
week. w ,s;leep under the nets a
'Sth1u ST. " Is To- R1 aKaAc,