The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1913-03-12
"A Country Trip"
Picking Chin

what you may think about missionary
effort one thing is true, the missionary
knows the people and their condition
better than any other class. The rea-
son for this is that they approach
the native from the unselfish stand
point and he is quick to see this phase
of contact. Thus with prejudice re-
moved you stand much better chance
to secure the truth when questions are
asked.
We shall not soon forget our first
country trip in China. Each section
of this great republic has it's own
peculiar method of travelling. In north
China the most common way is by
cart. These heavy two-wheeled affairs
are usually drawn by a mule and that
not very large one.
If you ever so to China do not
miss the opportunity for riding in one
of these wagons. OF course there are
no springs. How would you know the
vehicle was moving if you had
springs? The axle, large wooden
beam. reaches out six or eight inches
on either side farther than the hubs.
A small platform is your resting place
with a covering to keep off the sun
will crowd a number of people into
and the rain. Although the Chinese
one of these carts, the foreigner finds
it none too large for the accommoda-
ton of one.
You climb onto your separate con-
veyance and shove back into your
safe retreat. The driver, who walks
and thus has the best of it, starts
things going by beginning to pound
the mule After awhile you are I'M
der way and wish you were not. The
driver has persuaded the mule into a
dog trot and every move of the ami
mails body has the effect of jerking
you backward and forward. About
this time one of the big wheels drops
into a rut and you are thrown with
such force against the bows of your
prison house that you feel as though
the side of your face has been
smashed in. Just as you are hoping
that this will not occur again the op-
posite wheel finds hole and the 9TH
er side of your head is treated in like
manner. Then the fun begins. Back
and forth, back and forth, you go un'
til it seems as though your brains
will drop out and you are not quite
so sure but what it would be well
coined that sensation might cease.
Finally you make up your mind to
walk, but by the time you have made
the driver understand your desire the
ruts are passed and he let's you out in
to soft sand that is difficult in which
to walk and very comfortable in which
to ride. You get behind and not know
ing what to say either to the man or
beast to get them to stop, you walk
and walk and walk. Relief comes
when you see he is waiting for you.
It is because little stream is to be
crossed You draw yourself up on
the platform, just in front of the
covering, and let your feet hang Off.
For this you are soon sorry. You did
not know before but now you do that
the mule is very particular to kick
mud and water on all who presume
to ride in such manner. Night
comes on and you do not care to walk,
much less to ride.
AS we were wondering how far it
was to the village where we should
spend the night our carriage sudden
Iy comes to a standstill. We climbed
out and saw, in the gathering gloom,
a river rushing madly by. We were
informed the river had to be crossed.
It surely was not inviting. Besides
we bad heard of the destruction and
misery that had SO recently followed
in it's path, native houses were swept
away, moving rice fields had been de-
stroypd, and as we stood there we
heard the plunging of the falling
banks. Our drivers were afraid to
cross without a pilot and we did not
blame them. How they knew that
such 4 man could be secured just
short way down the bank is a part OF
the great Chinese puzzle. True it is
that one of the drivers soon returned
With :, pilot who refused to take us
across without first investigating.
Whether this was honest caution or
an attempt to extract more money
from The foreigner is left to those who
are able to solve the Chinese mind.
Satisfying himself that we would
either survive or perish he took us
one at a time down the steep bank
into the rushing waters. 1t was then
we we're glad our carts We're big and
strong and heavy. Lest someone be
like the listener to the child who said: