The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-11-06
The
Safeguard
ND. FLORIDA WEDNESDAY, NOV. z, 1917
By PETER C. TISDALE

and republic. Emerson was clei
gyman and had done ten years mis-
sionary work among the Celestials.
asked him If in his opinion the Chinese
were fitted for free government.
mo people," he replied, ARE fitted
for q free government except those
who have reached high degree Of in
telligence There are a few Chinese
who are up to the standard Of our
western civilization, but there are mil
lions Of them who are sunk In the most
abject superstition. When I FIRST went
to China I had a good deal to learn
about the people there. was soon in
it1ated. Do you see that paper1
He pointed to q scrap Of paper about
8 BY 10 inches In size hanging on the
wall On 1t were written Chinese char
acterS.
''That paper" he continued. 'ac-
counts for my being here at this mo-
ment. Without 1t l would not have
been here. Soon after entering upon
my work in China l fell in with a very
Intelligent mandarin who seemed to
take q liking to me. believed that II
! could make a Christian Of him he
would influence others, and set about
the work Of his conversion. He ap-
peared to be very much interested in
what l said to him, but l could not
bring him to the point Of declaring
himself a Christian. believed, how
ever, that it was because by doing SO
he would bring down upon himself the
anathemas Of his people.
"One day he called halt on our con-
versations. Something was in the
wind, but l could not tell what 1t was.
In bidding adieu to me he handed me
that slip Of paper you see hanging on
the wall. telling me that II got into
trouble with his people to produce 1t
and It would protect me from harm.
Being new to the country. l did not un-
derstand what was written on 1t.
folded It and put 1t in my pocket.
1T was not long after this that the
Chinese common people gave vent to
their hatred of the foreign devils In one
Of those massacres which from time to
time have occurred In that benighted
land. One morning I was horrifed by
one Of my converts telling me with
fear and trembling that In a distant
village the heather had killed all the
foreigners and hundreds Of converts.
THAT day all the converts at the sta.
lion went away, knew not where. but
I perceived they were hiding from the
wrath to come. for it was not likely
that the massacre OF which we had
heard would be the last Of the move
ment.
Mrs. Emerson and had been mar
r1ed only Just previous to our departure
from America, and none Of our little
ones had then come to Us. The Ques
don was whether we should remain
where we were or 90 elsewhere. W.
decided that we were as safe where We
were as In any other location. Oul
station might not be attacked, while
another to which we would dee might
60 down under the mob Of infuriated
nends, 80 we concluded to remain.
Every day. at last every hour, We
heard Of massacres nearer and nearer
to US. But when the storm came Il
broke all at once. One morning
heard a distant din, and very soon a
bowling mob came down the street.
"The mind Is queer working bodily
implement, and since what 1t did fol
me ON that eventful morning l have
felt sure that there is a lot about II
that we don't understand. had put
the paper the mandarin had given me
in tin box where I kept other docu
ments and had forgotten all about 1t
Suddenly as l heard those yells ant
ahrieks It popped into my head. l re
membered Its donor had told me tha
II got into trouble with his people tt
produce 1t.
II went to the tin box that contained
1t, took 1t out and unfolded 1t. You Sc,
that 1t Is large enough to be read from
some distance. The point with me wal
what 1t was before they murdered me
We were on the lower floor. Ny wifi,
was as white as a sheet, and l confess
was no more self possessed. NJ.
hands trembled 80 that could scarce
ly hold the paper. | ran to the window
and placed It on a pane, the writin;
out toward the street.
There ! stood while the bloodcurd
ling yells came nearer and nearer NJ.
wife, wOman-like, ran to the door ant
locked 1t. No protection was thus af
forded, for one kick would have broker
1t open.
presently | saw the scattered ad
vance Of the mob coming like whit
clouds shooting up in the sky before
hurricane Then came a man bespat
tered with the blood Of his fellow
men, and he made straight for the mis-
sion. saw by the expression OF hi
face that he knew 1t was the residenc
! Of the hated missionary. He was in
stantly Joined by others. all MAXIM
for the door One turned the knob, bu
while doing so saw the paper / wa
holding against the window. He stoI
| ped short and pointed to the paper
| 10