The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-10-23
az ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

The average American is at once the
most complacent and crudest, barring
perhaps the insular resident of the
British Isles, OF the representatives of
the nations. Here is a good illustra-
ton:
"A sightseeing visitor recently went
aboard a tramp steamer in the harbor,
says the San Francisco Argonaut. Not
ing that the deck hands were Chinese,
she approached one of them and said:
Me 60 your country soon. Me learn
speak Chinese, teach little boy and
girl You savvy Missionary" The
Chinaman looked at her a minute and
Madam. if you are not
more successful in mastering our lam
guage than you appear to have been
with your own, / fear that your at
tempt to enlighten our race will prove
but satisfactory. Good after
noon The Chinaman sought the other
side of the ship and the woman sought
oblivion. She had been addressing a
Yale graduate who was working his
passage back to China"
Strange as it may seem. many mis-
sionaries become socially sophistica-
led by residence in foreign countries
where they have gone to convert the
heather"
The girl from Rural Center who
feels an Irresistible call to minister to
the benighted OF far away countries
and who departs in a shirt waist with
a "hand-me-down" suit bought at the
county seat, will return five years
hence irreproachably groomed and feel
rather superior when she sits down to
the table where everything is served
at once.
The writer once knew a missionary
from Ohio, who wore his first dress
suit in the heart of Africa, weeks
journey from railroad. The mission
aries headquarters were in sort OF
quadrangle and every evening they
the heart of Piccadilly.
1t was an English missionary settle.
ment.
The Ohio Missionary was combed
down into a very civilized being after
a prolonged residence in the blacklist
Commiserating young married wo
man on being immured in a distant
land far removed from all the com
forts Of home" commiserator was
laughed down.
"Why, we're having the time of oul
lives" said the young married woman
II couldn't keep one servant up here
but down there have three. We meet
the consular people and there is very
agreeable society. Don't waste any
pity on us-we're having good time.
And 80 it goes"
This is not saying that missionaries
have not been useful.
They have done much, aside from
their religious activities. in the intro
duction of sanitary science, in the
treatment of physical ills and the erec
ton of hospitals. The medical mis-
sionaries have been the emissaries Of
enlightenment.
Missionaries in short, especially from
this country, have performed many
luuCLlOuS IudL SuOOlu AA Jul
consular service, SO handicapped by
the preposterous attitude the admins
traitors of this government takes to
ward proper representation abroad.
Admitting all this, however, it ii
true that too little consideration Is
given the intelligence and degree of In
tellectual and social advancement o.
those among whom they 60. This i.
the reason that missionary career
is educative.
1t is trite to say that countries tt
which representatives of religion:
bodies are sent have civilizations ante
dating ours countless centuries. THAI
they have ref1nements of art ant
ethics unknown to nations of more re
cent history That In Temperament
they may be as subtle and elusive a,
ether. That in habit they may be al
fixed as the stars. That in acumeI
they may surpass the most astute o.
diplomats.
Against this is frequently pitted the
sophistication of Rural Center, Indi
ana, or Ohio, or Maine, or any place
else.