The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1910-05-19
The Mission Mail Bag.
IN HIS STEPS.

Perhaps no class of workers walk more
literally in the footsteps of Jesus than
medical missionaries in lands where hos
pitfalls are pitifully few. Here is a
graphic picture of the way DIR. c. D.
USHER goes about the streets Of Van in
Eastern Turkey. He writes: "We take
a circuit of the city, down one side and
up the other, visiting rich and poor as
they come First we enter a one-story
mud house whose earth floor has an oven
in it about three feet deep. This may or
may not contain hot ashes or Goals from
the dried manure burned in the morning,
according to whether the people are for
tunate enough to have gathered some in
the summer. They cover the oven with a
quilt and under it for warmth. A sick
woman lies on few rags spread on the
damp earth. The house consists of one
large room. and small dark closet lighted
only by a tiny papercovered window
near the ceiling. The one hen belonging
to the household, worth ten cents, is
perched on top of her body to share the
scant heat. The children, emaciated and
with swollen abdomens, sit around tucked
under the same quilt for warmth. The
youngest child clutches piece of bread,
| God forgive the name) made of mix
ture of bran and dirt sifted from the
soldiers -four, and linseed husks left over
after the oil has been extracted. No
wonder that all are suffering from gas
tritis and diarrhea. The poor mother
also has severe pneumonia, but when we
say Come 10 the hospital she replies,
4 cannot leave the children We per-
suade a neighbor to care for them, few
cents of relief funds sent by generous
American friends provides little food,
and the woman is then happy to enter
our-to her-palatial hospital.
The neighbors entreat US to see the
father of another family, sick for two
months and we find him in worse con-
dition than the woman we have just left.
He is covered with bedsores and filthy to
the last degree. His wife died month
ago and his only attendants are three
half naked, hungry children, the oldest a
girl of nine and the youngest four He
begs to be taken to the hospital and 0,
what joy it is if our funds suffice! If we
can also help his children to food and
clothing, through the generosity of friends
in the homeland, how much reader they
are to believe what we tell of Gods love.
Our next call is at the house of we'll
TODD merchant. The second story con-
slsts OF four large rooms, one each in the
four corners, wide cross-shaped hall
between. The rooms are furnished with
divans and rugs. In the corner nearest
the door is sheet iron stove, vertical
cylinder in which wood is placed standing
on end. This is lighted once or twice a
day, then the hot Goals are placed in a
brazier and put under low table-like
structure covered with large thick quilts.
Under this the sick lie Or the family sit
most of the day. Few use bedsteads;
nearly oil Spfedu Iuelr DeQulIlg Oh Lne
floor.
The next house is the home of an arti-
san. We enter through low door, and
at the end of long dark passage come
to room whose floor is below the level
of the ground. The walls are damp and
the patient has rheumatism which she
thinks is caused by being frightened in a
dream. Nearly every disease is attribu-
ted by the people to fear. AS we GO
back toward the street the son of the sick
woman calls out Humble yourself,
humble yourselfH But it is too late. My
head strikes a low beam and l drop to
my knees half stunned, and considerably
"humbled"!
During the year DR.. USHER and his
assistant visited 1907 patients in theil
homes. When the people were in better