The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-03-18
CALUMET YOUNG LADY IN
MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
MISS ETHEL N. LONG WRITES IN.
TERESTlNG LETTER OF
EXPERIENCES.

Miss Ethel NJ. Long, daughter g
! Rev. and Mrs. l.. h. Long of the Calu
met CONGREGATIONAL church. who wen
to Lintsing. China. last fan To engaS
in missionary work, writes home inter
estingly OF her struggles with the in
triCacies of the Chinese language
which she is cudcavoring To masts'
so that she maN DE better prepared fol
her work She is enthusiastic Over
the customs of the Chinese people and
gives the following interesting account
OF recent visit 10 the pagoda nearby:
The other day We had such an in
teresting trip 10 the TIA" or pagoda
which is about two miles north of Lin
Using. We went through two little vil-
lagos on our way aud al the pagoda
there are few houses the most inn
portant of which is that of the official
who collects tolls from the boats which
pass on the canal.
Ny teacher tells me that this pagoda
was built in the sung dynasty 4. D..
9dO-l2S0, and was repaired i'm the Min
dynasty. \. -, l367-l6il.
This pagoda can he seen for miles
around ana have been anxious eyer
since | came here 10 get out To see
it, 1t is so interesting as one draws
nearer To see the details grow
This pagoda is nine stories hieh
with four windows in each story look
ing i'm the four directions. The differ
ent stories are not built exactly alike
but nearly so. 1t Is built of stone, wood.
and brick and is i'm very bad state
of repair n present. Most of the out
side ornaments have fallen off ana
some Of the flooring ON the inside has
fallen through
From the first iioor we went mp a
very narrow dark hight Of slippery
stone steps. twenty-five or twenty
three in number. To the second floor
ON the way mp We passed little
opening i'm the wall leading TO tho
narrow ledge on the outside and We
were told that il was considered, nj
former times. very special act oil
merit for anyone 10 climb through this
Very narrow opening, it was not OK
planned just what the worShippcr did
after arriving on the outside ledge
perhaps he climbed mp to window
where ne could more easily climb down
lgain.
We climbed the eight flights of
'tcps, getting more beautiful view
,ver the surrounding country at every
anding. one person counted over
100 villages which were seen from one
window of this pagoda and this viii |
i've YOU some idea as to the frequen-
y with which the villages are scat
cred through the country. We could |
lot see So many for it was cloudy |
lay At many Of the landings i'm tho
agoda We're inches in which gods had
ormerly been placed and in some
laces pieces of the idols still remain
d, At nearly every landing there were
wo or three stone tablets covered
18th characters, some of which SEEM
Il 10 bear the names of those who had
ivcn money for building or repairing
ic building How we did wish we
'uld read all that was written.
we were SO interested i'm looking at
iines that we got to the top before
g knew it; ana then we had to come
1wn all those dark, narrow. slippery
cps again! ! was quite lame before
g got down and had a hard time 20
me down any stairs for several days
forwards. But | have such salts
'd feeling now every time ! see the
lgoda, (und we can see it very plain
from our compounO, To think that
really have been To the very top!"