Evening journal., 1915-03-05

I
OF this city, now a missionary in
China has just been received by Mrs.
JEANNE r. Field and proves to be an
| interesting account of the life in the
/ Orient as Miss Smith finds il. Miss
Smith, who is a Wilmington girb
lis a graduate of the Chicago Train
ing School and was sent TO China last
year as missionary by the Wilmington
district of the Woman's Foreign
| Missionary Society. The letter fol-
lows:
Nanking. December 5.
Dear People in America: Two or
three very interesting things have
happened recently. Ever since
came to Nanking the missions and
Christians have been preparing for
the Eddy meetings. Dr. Eddy, the
Y. NJ. c. A. secretary for Asia has
been holding campaigns in many of
the large cities. You will hear re-
ports of these meetings in America
but you will not hear of the great
work of preparation before Mr.. Eddy
goes to a city. Both men and women
were in training two months ahead
TO be able to teach the Bible classes
which would be enrolled. Also a
large number of personal workers
were prepared to help in the meet
ings Chinese people came to the
city, some from a city up the river
400 miles distant Since most of our
Chinese teachers at the Language
Schools are non-Christians we had no
school that they might attend the
meetings. Tickets had been distrib-
uted beforehand TO the ladies of Off
cial families (called tai-taiel for
Christianity is now making its ap-
peal to China's educated classes. The
meetings were held in the old the
atre ON the exposition grounds
. building which held 1000 people
That first day Of the women's meet
: ings when / got there half an houi
early almost all the seats were TAX
en-. There were mission and govern
:, ment school pupils and teachers, Of
ficials' wives and some poorer wo-
men, but of these a small number.
: am sure II was the first time some
of them had ever been 10 a public
meeting but the new woman of China
is not TO be kept within the walls
= of her mother-in-law's house But
{ just about time for the meeting to
:, open, excitement reigned outside the
i building for down the street rushed
4 messenger in true Oriental style
announcing that the du-du's wife
military governor of the city, was
coming. Then followed another mes
Z senger with huge bouquets of roses
. and back of him soldiers on horse
who rode up with a big flourish. Next
was the lady's carriage in which she
and one of our Christian Chinese
doctors rode. Her slaves and ladies'
3 in-waiting followed The police sep
arated the crowds and when her
4 guards had lined up on either side
she alighted and after much bowling
on all sides came to the building AS
she entered the people all arose, the
band played and our Oriental lady
was escorted to the platform. Sh,
had evidently seen some foreign
styles of wearing apparel and ap
preparation what she liked, but tn
mixture of East and West was yer.
funny. She had her hair parted
and drawn down over her cheeks
touching the eyebrow and entirel.
4 covering the ear; out only a littl
of her hair could be seen for sh
& wore a dark green wool-cap a Gro
cheted affair like our cheap doll:
Il have. On one side was a bunch o
81 purple and yellow chrysanthemum
n treal fiowers). Her cheeks, lips an,
@ eyebrows were all painted and shl
X wore large dark blue spectacles. (B.
the way that Is a usual New Yea
gift for a child) Her dress was o
i gray brOcaded satin with tight skir
z instead of the usual plated one ant
very high collar which stood ou
at the sides way above her ears lik
y the pictures of Dickens characters
> Her foreign nun and shoes complet
ed the very unique costume. Mrs
Eddy wore plain coat suit and tn
American coLsuls wife who also sa
on the platform looked very youni
and pretty. The tai-taie made
speech, which of course | did not un
derstand but Mrs. Eddy spoke In
English with DR.. Stone as her inter
prefer. II was a wonderful meeting
When the announcements were mad
for the next days meeting we wer
asked to leave the building prompt,
that the crowd who had been wait
ing outside for two hours nigh
come in. When we finally reaches
the street we found the police hold
ing the crowd back until the build
ing should be emptied. On accoun
of the opposition of the city official
the campaign was not as successful
as we had all hoped for and yet W
feel It is only the beginning of
great evangelistic work in the city
| had an interesting experience toda.
at Chinese feast. One of the literar
men who teaches at the girls schoO
has a new daughter and so today sh
being a month old they gave feast
That is a different attitude from tn
old days when the baby towers wor
used, isn't it? / have often passe
these old towers in the eastern par
of the city. The feast was schedule
for 10 o'clock but II isn't polite T.
go for half an hour after the sc
time. We all looked at the baby frs
"a dear little thing bundled mp il
gaily colored wadded garments wit
a flOwered bib under its little chiT
: None of the family sat down with tn
guests In fact they were not even Il
!, the room most of the time. Chimes
never use table cloths and all tha
is on a table is a cup of tea and chOl
sticks at each place. The catere
brought in little bowls of oil for >oacl
one and a china spoon about as larg
as a dessert spoon. First course
green plums (candied) oranges ant
pears Gus in small pieces. candle
peanuts. salted watermelon seed
cranberry jelly cubes. l like al
these things but it is just the sam