Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-07-17
WORK FOR COD ANDHUMANITY
Our Young Woman Teacher Abroad
Writes Her Experiences

Our Young Woman Teacher Abroad
| Writes Her Experiences
/ DEAR EDITOR AND FRIENDS: Recently
/ news came to me that the letter sent
you shortly after arriving last Septem-
Der, for some unknown reason, never
| appeared in the columns of the paper.
said to myself at once, it is not fair;
no not even right TO disappoint an
xious. expeetant friends in that way"
For this reason am now sending again
the same letter which should have
reached you last October. | am not
writing another, for still owe this one.
4 AS you perhaps know, we left Van
couver on August 8, and after fifteen
days OF cold, foggy weather reached
fokahama, Japan. During our stay
here, few of US went by rail the short
distance OF eighteen miles to pay visit
to the capital city, Tokyo, which has a
| population Of over one million inhabi-
tants. This short ride across the coun-
try was pleasant one and gave us a
! good view of japanese country life;
their little rice fields, we'll kept garden
! patches, curious homes and so on The
day IN Tokyo was spent mostly in the
art gallery and museum. Having never
visited museum before, | found the
mummles, gorgeous royal robes, mas
sive chariots in which preceding en-
perOrs rode, and otheI ancient relics in
tensely interesting.
The next place of note was Shanghai,
China. The country about Shanghai is
perfectly fiat and presents no unusual
scenic beauty. However, the touches
here and there of Oriental life, its typ
ical Chinese streets and shops offer
many Interesting attractions 10 fore
! igners. ! wish you could have gone
with me to the Chinese orphange, where
fifteen hundred girls and an equal mum.
Der or boys were trained in the differ
ent industrial arts. We spent consid-
cradle time in the embroidery depart
ment and were amazed at the degree of
artistic PROJECTIONS to which this line
OF work Is carried. Large designs of,
it seemed, almost every conceivable
/ phase in nature were embroidered with
fine, silk thread. When finished, they
were so life like as to give the same
effect as paintings. One of these
! pieces, which was worth several hund
red dollars, required to complete it
from three to four months work of
seven hours day. So artactive was
this exhibit of arts and crafts that we
were loathe to leave Shanghai, but, as
I the saying goes, thine and tide wait
| for no man. So the tide relentlessly
bore US from Shanghai, and time at its
leisure brought us to Hongkong. The
harbor OF this great eastern port is
surrounded by lofty mountains on whose
sides and very peaks are built the hos
/ pital and residences. Leading to these
homes are beautiful roads lined with
immense trees and other luxuriant,
! tropical vegetation. Up one of these
| peaks we climbed one afternoon at sun
set. Can you imagine anything more
! inspiring than sun set witnessed from
a mountain top? Below US in the hol-
J low and hooks were the large reservoirs
cleaning like miniature lakes. Farther
out was the beautiful harbor rejecting
the glowing colors of the sunset sky.
| Oh, it was magnificent No wonder
Jesus, who appreciated nature so much,
so often retired to the mountain side
for rest and meditation Even to me,
the majestic grandeur of the scene
brought inspiration. With regretfuI
longings, left this lovely spot won
dering if Singapore would be like this.
Not quite, yet so different is Singapore
from Hongkong that comparison is
hardly possible. Palms and ferns are
in greater evidence; Towering plants
less. Added to the Chinese element is
that of the Indian or Tamil and Malay
"a strange mixturel
The climate of Singapore is delight
full. The most significant feature is
the copious rainfall. This being our
rainy season, a day seldom passes with
out shower. However, we do not
dislike the rain. | have often heard
people say, 81 wish il would start rain
ing and rain all day." It's the re-
freshing showers, the nice, gentle sea
breeze and the cool nights which make
this climate surprisingly agreeable. As
| mentioned above, the population of
Singapore is truly cosmopolitan in its
make up. The yellow-skinned China
man, the black, shiny Tamil, who was
formerly native of India, the some
what fairer Eurasian, and the pale
Europeans and Americans all plod down
the middle of the street together. Side
walks are unknown. All these ma
tionalties, although mostly Chinese, are
represented in the Anglo Chinese Mis-
sion school. This institution is for
boys and has over thirteen hundred en-
rolled, two hundred and { hty of whom
have under my supervision. assure
you find them very, very interesting.
There is something so distinctly hu-
man about them as to draw out ones
sympathy and consequently brush away
the barrier of racial feeling. Remem-
bering that these boys, with few ex-
ceptions, come from idolatrous homes
with their consequent moral ta:=ts, |
consider the opportunity of working
with them a priceless privilege and
moreover, it is one without which |
should not be happy. send my love
to all and remain, Sincerely yours,
EMMA OLSON.
Singapore Strait Settlement, June /.