The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-01
The
Safeguard
BY PETER C. TIsDALE


the news came that the Chinese peopl,
We're vibrating between monarch.
and a republic. Emerson was cler
gyman and had done ten years mis-
slonary work among the Celestials.
asked him II In his opinion the Chimes,
were fitted for free government.
mo people," he replied, ARE fitted
for a 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
AFFECT superstition. When l first went
to China I had good deal to learn
about the people there. Twas soon In
itiated. Do you see that paperf
He pointed to scrap OF paper about
8 by 10 inches In size hanging on the
wall. On it were written Chinese char
meters.
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 fell in with very
intelligent mandarin who seemed TO
take a 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 APP
peared to be very much interested In
what said to him, but l could not
bring him to the point of declaring
himself a Christian. l believed, how
ever. that 1t 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 could not tell what It was.
In bidding allen to me he handed me
that slip of paper you see hanging ON
the wall, telling me that II l got into
trouble with. his people to produce it
and 1t would protect me from harm.
Being new to the country, did not I'M
derstand what was written on 1t.
folded 1t 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 | was Mortified by |
one of my converts telling me with |
fear and trembling that In distant |
village the heat had killed all the |
foreigners and hundreds of converts.
THAT day all the converts at the sta
ton went away, | knew not where, but |
| perceived they We're hiding from the
wrath to come, for 1t 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
red only just previous to our departure
Dnes had then come to us. The sues-
ion was whether we should remain
where we were or go elsewhere. We
lecided thas awe We're as safe where we
we're as In any other location. Our
station might not be attacked, while
mother to which we would fee might
20 down under the mob of Infatuated
lends, SO we concluded to remain.
Every day, at last every hour, we
heard of massacres nearer and nearer
o US. But when the storm came 1t
,roke all at once. One morning | f
heard distant din, and very soon a
lowing mob came down the street.
THE mind is a queer working bodily
implement, and since what 1t did for
ne on that eventful morning I have
cit sure that there is a lot about 1t
hat we don't understand | had put
he paper the mandarin had given me i
4 tin box where | kept other docu- {
nents and had forgotten all about it. a
as I heard those yelIs and {
hrieks ii popped into my head. / re- 8
1embered its donor had told me that t
got into trouble with his people to '
reduce 1t. t
II went to the tin box that contained u
!, took it out and unfolded it. You see
hat it is large enough to be read from t
ONE distance. The point with me was
ow to enable the mob to see II and s
that it was before they murdered me- h
We were on the lower floor. My wife n
ras as white as sheet, and confess p
was no more self possessed. Ny |,
ands trembled so that | could scarce II
! hold the paper. | ran to the window p
nj placed it on pane, the writing
1T toward the street.
There / stood while the bloodcurd-
ng yells came nearer and nearer My D
ife, woman-like, ran to the door and
cked it. No protection was thus af-
,rded, for one kick would have broken
open. Il
Presently | saw the scattered adj Sc
ince of tie mob coming like white in
ouds shooting up in the sky before Il
Irricane. Then came a man bespat- T
red with the blood of his fellow III
en-, and he made straight for the mis- la
on. l saw by the expression of his CO
ce that he knew it was the residence
the hated missionary. He was In :
antly Joined by others. all making
r the door. One turned the knob. but
bile doing so saw the paper / was
'lding against the window He stop
d short and pointed to the paper
Il read II, paused and passed on. q
hers came and wondered why the
alton had not been destroyed till they
W the paper.
Il held IL thus for half an hour,
eading lest some fiend should murder
before Seainr n Uhar .ha Ior4