The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-03-03
Tells OF JOYOUS
XMAS IN CHINA
Miss Glassburner Desc, ibes Christmas
Celebration in China-chiIdren
and GroWnups Are Delighted
DOW CITY CONTRIBUTES BOX
Missionary Tells Of Receiving Christ
mas Box From Home, Being W
Largest Of Any Received.
Haitang. China, Dec. 20, 1914
NV Dear Mildred.

Haitang.' China, Dec. 20, 1871.
My Dear Mildred:
Our Christmas is over, or nearly so,
and want to tell you about it while
it is fresh lin my. mind, and perhaps
II would be, best to begin ut the end
"a II Chinese" and 60 backwards to
the beginning. One little part of our
Christmas remains to be finished up
This year our girls and women decid.
ed that they wished to give something
50 they subscribed ten dollars to be
used In giving gifts to some of our
poorest people. One OF the recipients
is an old lady OF perhaps seventy
years. who has only been christian
n year or two. Our girls discovered
her in. their Sunday school work
ragged, dirty, living in little hovel
with only one torn quilt for cover
Ing. That was what gave them the
inspiration of taking subscription.
The girls made her a warm wadded
garment and two other suits besides
shoes and stockings. 1t SO happened
was with the group who went to her
place yesterday. The girls thought it
great fun to dress the old lady up.
We were gratified when one OF the by
ISLANDERS said. Bring a towel to wash
Grandma's face" and glad that they
could see the incongruity between new
clothes and dirty face. No doubt a
full bath would have been beneficial
and the best kind OF an object lesson
to the village, but none OF the ncces-
Sary paraphernalia was available. nor
the room, and we were crowded for
time SO we compromised on the wash
ing OF her face. There are some very
ipaesthetic aspects Of missionary
work, of which missionaries do not
write or speak much. hope this ref
erence to one of them has not shocked
you-it came out rather unintention-
ally. Grandma" had never unbound
her feet, but she did so gladly in or
der to put on the new shoes, which of
course were made for unbound feet.
Her feet were not the tiny, tiny ones
SO she could easily unbind Another
one Of the objects Of our Christmas
giving is little beggar boy. who was
also found in our Sunday work There
are beggars and beggars in China, but
this baby of six does not belong to
the guild. He and his father live in an
old deserted temple. His father is
sick and lies in a corner wrapped in
rags while the little boy comes alone
q distance OF more than a mile into
town to beg the food to keep them
both alive. AS the contributions are
likely to take most any form he car
t'ies two medium sized baskets. bal.
anced on a load stick over his shoul-
doris. We overlook him the week be-
fore Christmas as we were going to
one Of our country appointments. Two
of the girls relieved him OF his bas-
kets and learned his story. which he
told very lucidly. for lie is a bright lit.
tie fellow. and decided that he must
share in our Christmas. They said it
would not do to give him new clothes
as his father would sell them for food,
SO We bought second hand suit ut
the pawn shop and pair of shoes
which We hope will keep him a little
warmer. Our cook found him in town
on the day of our Christmas program
at the church and brought him. putting
him on stool right in front, where
he could see everything. and of course
he was remembered with the other
children. We were glad to thus put
little brightness into his life and
We are wondering what influence our
touch may have upon his after life.