Catoctin clarion., 1917-03-01
THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1917
News From The Orient.
Nanking, China, Feb. 27, 1917

Dear w.
In nv letter to mother told her
| had visited the Ming Tombs and the
Examination Halls. These latter consist
of thirty thousand stone stalls with bare
lv enough room to sit down. no room TO
stand up or even to stretch little. There
is little shelf in the wall, and there pen'
ink and paper were placed for the stu
dents. Imagine staying in one OF these
cages three or four days. Is it any Won
der so many students died? At intervals
among these rows of stalls are huge
towers where officials stayed and watch
ed to see that there was no communica-
ton. SO when you have an exam OF
half day in length, think OF what the
moor Chinese once endured. | wonder II
ever told you of the wonderful flowers,
particularly the chrysanthemums which
are in such abundance here. Such gorg-
eous colors | never saw before. One day
bought large pot full of big brown
and gold ones for seven coppers, about
three cents in American money. must
also tell you how passionately fond OF
birds the Chinese are. There are hum
dreds of cages of them harging up along
the streets and some of them are beauti-
full songsters. The children have some
of them tanned aad play with them. You
often see them carrying them around
with one leg chained to stick. What
amuses me is to see big men carrying
these cages around with them. Another
interesting sight is the great number OF
cooking shops set up in the streets. A
favorite dish is baked potato. The other
day several of US were out for while
and each one bought a great big baked
sweet potato and ate it on the street. 1t
was lots of fun, not only to eat it but to
see how interested the Chinese were in
these foreigners who were doing just as
they do.
December l3.
Just as | was leaving for school the
postman handed me ten letters. had a
fine time at recess reading them. We
foreigners out here are quite "chummy'
and many things in our home letters are
as interesting to others as to ourselves,
and so we all enjoy the coming of Amer
lean mail 1t seems to bring SO many
people who are interested in our work so
much the nearer to US.
can picture to myself the Xmas pre-
paration going on at home, and how
eager you are for the day to arrive. l
do wish you could see the wonderful
holly here. There is loads and loads OF
it and so full of such bright red berries.
If only could have sent some home IN
time for Xmas. Tell mother | wish |
had brought lot of Xmas services with
me. am helping the Foreign S. S. get
up its service and material is terribly
scarce. Recitatlons, songs, etc, for all
occasions are in great demand here. Also
tell mother will sing the beautiful Xmas
song when | get up Xmas morning, and
| will sing it in the evening about the
time imagine you are getting up. A
few days before Xmas we have our first
exam. This will be new experience
for US, and Wen feel more comfortable
and be better able to enjoy our vacation
when it over. Hurrah for peanut time
in China The streets are full OF ven
ders. | seem never to tire of them and
neither would you, for they are so awfully
good After all have told you of the
many appetizng dishes of which | have
partaken you will never again mourn and
lament for me because of my daily meal
of plain rice. Why! for dinner this even
ing we had feast of Chinese rabbit
The men are very fond of hunting and
are usually gone on their trips three or
four days. They come home with plenty
of wild deer, boars, and lots of other
wild game.
December 22
Dear R.
Have time for only short letter.
We leave at a. M, and will reach Yang
chow at noon. Yang chow is areal Chin
ese city; the seat of rebellions, the place
where, for long time no foreigners dar-
ed enter, and where the early mission
aries experienced troublous time. Miss
Wixon is 80 glad can take this trip, for
she says that | may never have another
opportunity and the place is one OF great
interest The Xmas tree from the home
land came last night and l am so delight
ed l cannot properly express my feelings.
Put red candles on it, and we burned out
one set while we were at dinner last
night. 1t looked beautiful and was great
fun. 1t will be great for me to use all
my life in China. If could not be an
American I'd refuse to be any thing but
Chinese.
Tonight | had such surprise. A big
stocking filled with gifts came from Yo-
chow. Each member of our.mission there
sent me remembrance. No wonder |
feel so happy. 1t certainly was thought
full and lovely of them to think so much
about me.
This afternoon we entertained our Chin
ese teachers and their wives and children.
They were to come at 4.30 and the first
over came twelve minutes of three. They