Putnam patriot., 1912-09-06
Fourth Letter from Chinese Vail Bag
BY MISS EDITH cRUFF OF THOMPSON
 Thai Yong, South China.

INAl Il Quk, NQuku
 July So,yl9l2.
 Dear Readers of the Psatadla P0triots I used to have a vague idea that the missionary took no vacation, that he or she all through the hot season still stood under tree beside the dusty wsyside preaching and passing out tracts. My first summer in China has taught me that missionaries can have the joliiest vacation imaginable and that the Father likes to see His child ren very happy. The first year in a strange land is one Of surprises, one of novel experience ,, one of queer sensa- lions and wondering what will come next, but l know one Farther Light that is finding il all most delightful.
 A few of us being language students we found it easy to get oti early in June with our teachers to the mount aims. What excitement slowing away in baskets the clothing, timed foods, bedding, in fact everything that we should need for three or four months, Stoves, chairs, bed, cameras, cooking utensils, teachers, babies, servantS,-a veritable salmaguudi which am not surprised the small river steamer at first considered 'too muchee bag gage. But think we were the ones to feel the baggage problem when we had to aehange cars so often. First stage we employed eoolieS to carry the baskets to the jetty, next stage a sam pan across the harbor, then .orty- mile trip on the small river steamer, fourthIy we somehow all get finally packed into four quite small river boats which we lived in for two nights. The third night we were entertained at the English Presbyterian Mission Compound some seventy miles inland. In the early morning We took chairs for the 2,o0O it. ascent of the neighbor- ing mountains, from whose snmmits we decended e00 it. to the little valley of THAI YONG arriving in q pour
 ing rain.
 But we enjoyed every minute of the journey through scenes of increasing beauty. The luxuriant growth of bam- boos along the river bank looked like clusters of hugh ostrich plumes, far more beautiful than ever graced any American millinery. The view from the mountains, the silvery waterfalls l sisH hal ha pen of Ruskin to describe it to you.
 The climax of it all was the beauti. ful little valley and the home. to be, all surrounded with mountains without number, whose sides are green-earpeted that we recall the words of the Psalmist, "He maketh grass to grow upon the mountains There is graceful old Saddle Back Mt, the clumsy broad backed Elephant, rug | ged Ben Hur, the four Bed Posts, the Panorama, Crystal Hill, Inspiration Point, North Peak and many others. i Do they not suggest tramps and climbs and picnics to you? Aye, and water. l fails to- There is a miniature Niagara, the Trident Falls, the Canyon, the Near Falls and beautiful stream of rushing shappy water that flows thro the midst of sthe valley right by oui
 very doors. That latter suggests sun
 rise dip and splash and frolic to me every morning as l awaken.
 But there are eVen more attractions l to make this garden of Eden an ideal summer resort There are gorgeous sunsets at the point where the mount aims seem to touch hands and the val.
 Icy melts away in perspective; there are exquisite cloud effects, from the 1 filmy bridal veil thrown over the near. by peaks to the ominous thunder
 bearing clouds that leave deluge ol tears in their wake as they rush down upon us; there is wonderful, sweet
 pure, cool air which knows nothing ol l automobile bestirred dust; there is | Beauty living everywhere. Easter | lilies grow wild in 'the ravines, the | stem of one gathered measured nine | blossom. Seven incense bearing blooms ! sometimes grow on one stem.
 | But humans cannot live in the | clouds all the time nor on the mount ain tops. We have six sensible, com | fortable foreign houses here and some 1 twenty to thirty fellow workers fol company. The inmates from our par | ticular house come from England, | Scotland, Ireland and America; four countries represented and,all here for the one purpose of saving souls in l China, our adopted country. Can you | imagine how inspiring are the quiet l walks and talks and the evening hour of worship together? Each one has brought small supply of summer reading which is freely circulated and ss freely discussed Five of us have been enjoying the Growth of Soup | the life-story of Hudson Taylor the founder Of the China Inland Mission. As our elders who werespersonally ac- | quainted with the wonderful man of | God, have told us of meeting him Tn the Mother-Country and of his pioneer work in Swatow iour hearts have | burned within us to beiat work too. But there are other incentives to con- secration and service that l do not like to mention. There are dark, dark places in the picture. Daily we are surrounded by reminders of what sin has done for this Eden. For here is a | native village, hlthy and wicked A