The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1916-02-11
INTERESTING LETTER
FROM MISS LORA CLEMENT.
Kong Moon, South China,

| last letter and things accumulate so
quickly that | want to write every day
so as not to leave anything out, but
you know | don't have time. | want
to start on the study of the tones next
week with the teacher here. The two
days-Monday and Tuesday-spent in
Hong Kong, we were mostly on our
feet from shop to shop doing the buy
deal of time looking for me ward
robe and bookcase and found a place
where | could get Teek wood ward
robe made for $500 in Chinese,
which is about one-half that in our
money. / hope to have bureau made
as soon as possible for l only have
box with curtain around and a small
shaving mirror to dress by and no.
where to put my things. We came
down from Hong Kong in a small
steamer with little accommodations
and the captain offered and insisted
on our taking his cabin on top deck
which we did, and didn't suffer, though
we did not sleep much on such hard
bed. He was a very nice young
Scotchman.
The Canadian Presbyterians have a
splendid compound here and two of
their women and Mr.. Sundstrom were
out at the docks to meet us at seven
the next morning. We came on down
to our simple Chinese brick house.
When these dear people heard from
DIR. Ray that | was coming, they be-
gan to renovate everything and move
around to give me a ROOM They
made study out of an old trunk, so
we have coZy place. My room has
a southwestern opening with two win
dowS and two doorS-one leading into
the sittin~ room and one into Mr.. and
Mrs. Sundstrom's. The doors are so
funny. If they happen to be as large
as ours, they make double doors ano
have hinges half way of each making
a sort of folding door in four places.
The smaller one piece doors large
enough for one to pass through are
fixed at the top and bottom with a
peg which turns in a slot.
Yesterday we vanished some ta-
bles and book shelves and when we
finished we took a walk up to the
mountain or foot hill near the back
of our house to give me a view of the
olace. We live out on the river close
TO the docks and are separated from
the city by the mountain. This is all
a large Delta formed by the West riv-
er and of course t,ere are many
branches of the river which corms
islands, etc. The mountain and hills
make the scenery beautiful and it was
quite cool up there.
We saw numbers of villages and
towns Most of the buildings are
thatched roof or clay tile and low.
Our front door for the day time is a
set of bars which slide back if we
want to go out and at night there are
heavy doors to close behind these. If
we didn't have the bars, people would
lust walk in and peer around. Our
floors downstairs are large square
tiles. We haven't any waterworks,
bat are supplied from the West river
by people who bring buckets of water
on pole thrown across the shoulders
This place is kept very sanitary and
the Lord has surely blessed these peo-
pie, for while they have been de-
prived of many things which others
have, and have waited so long for a
home, yet He has given them health
and they never have any flies, though
they are plentiful with the Chinese.
Hogs, pigs and chickens all run loose.
| want to buy an oil heater before
the weather gets very cold. We have
one coal heater in the home and when
it is moved a hole is punched through
the roof, as there are no chimneys.
The women all wear trousers and
loose sort of overshirt called a
SHAM, which comes half way be-
tween the hips and knees; high col
lars and long sleeves.
Mr.. and Mrs. Meyers of the Stand
ard Oil Co. live near US in a beautiful
home built by the Standard Oil Co.
They are from Buffalo, ~ V, and
have been to see me and invited us
to take Thanksgiving dinner with
them.
We have Chinese man cook, fat
and clumsy but cooks very well.
We attended service at Ngoi-Ho a
place down the river from here and
had to go in a boat. A great many
children and women gathered in for
Sunday school and later at the church
service we had three men and about
30 women, besides children to whom
Mr.. Sundstrom preached. Opposition
is great at this place. Some are very
faithful and the dearest little Bible
woman-Luk Koo, pronounced Look
Goo, from the higher class of women
works there among her people She
is supported by the mems Bible class
of the Northside Baptist in Spartan
burg. She is a treasure, so conse-
Grated and | wish she were mine. |
| not have time to tell you about
visit to two Chinese homes as nv
time is limited but il is all verv in