Catoctin clarion., 1917-02-01
News From The Orient.
Miss Firor Tells Of Her Trip To
The Far East.

1
Beginning with this week we will pub
lish number of letters written by Miss
Marion Firor, daughter of Rev. and Mrs.
Marion Firor of Sabillasville, who is now
at Shanghai, China, doing missionary
work. Miss Firor is reported getting
along very nicely and extremely pleased
with her work. While her letters will
be censored at Sabillasville, what comes
to US will no doubt prove very interest
ing. Watch for them.
Tokyo Shimonoseki Special.
September 16, 1916.
| Dear Father
Have been thinking lot about
you and home today, SO to feel little
bit nearer I'll talk to you in the only way
possible now. On Monday morning we
reached Yokohama and were met by
our missionaries. An invitation to visit
our mission at Sendai, as the guest of
Miss G, was awaiting me here. 1t was
such a pleasure for me to accept for |
knew what a wonderful welcome was
awaiting me. After travelling all day
Tuesday we arrived in Sendai g. p. m.
Such crowd from the Girls School an d
our own missionaries met Us. And what
song do you think was the first l heard
here? Why! it was "John Browns
Body" played by the Jap school boys on
their bamboo pipes. In every Jap store,
even in the ten cent stores, you see pict-
ures of Washington and Lincoln. They
are great heroes to the Jap school boys
as we'll as our own.
After nights rest and breakfast, we
went to chapel then to our Girls School.
What work we IRE doing here. If only
our people in the homeland could see and
know how wonderful is the work and how
great the opportunity. At the Methodist
Orphanage nearly lost my heart to the
children. Such petting and hugging
time as we had. Miss &. and l called
upon dear little Japanese lady, a doc
tors wife. You should have seen me
take off my shoes, get down on my knees
and scrape the floor. But l managed it
successfully. Already l have become so
accustomed to being bowed at constantly
that unconsciously l sometimes bow even
to an empty chair. Had the pleasure of
reading newspaper today. The three
days in Sendai passed all too quickly.
On Friday, September 18th, we left Sem
dai and reached Tokyo 6.l5, and all day
have been travelling thru beautiful Japan.
Have seen many wonderful sights. The
mountains of Japan are lovely, the cir
cular farms and quaint villages very at
tractive and picturesque, but l will be
glad to reach China. The train on which
| am at this moment is so like fine
American train that feel l must be in
the U. S. A.
You should see me count the Jap money,
the sen and the yen. 1t is quite laugha-
BILE, but simple enough if you just stop
and think. have found the sign Ian
guage very useful and sometimes have
lots of fun making myself understand.
All railroad officials are required to know
a little English, which is not saying much
in some cases. Tomorrow we will reach
Nagasahi. There l will meet many of
the Tenyo's passengers. We will take
ship and leave for Shanghai, China, on
Sept. 18th. 1t is now Sunday night,
early Sunday morning at home. | will
think of you going about your many
church duties while am speeding thru
lovely Japan. Now | know what it means
to be foreigner. for l am foreigner
Your aft ectionate daughter,
M. P. F.