The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-09-17
LOCAL WOMAN
WRITES OF CHINA
Following Letter Received From Miss
Mamie Gassburner by Relatives
Handed Review for Publication
PLACE OCCUPIED BY BANDITS
Miss GIassburner Travels in County
Where Much Innocent Blood Was
Shed and Receives Welcome
sa,hsien, Fukien,. China,

June %, 1919.
Dear Father, Mother, Brothers ant
Sisters:
We reached this city with its beau
tiful imposing walls last night about
5 O'Clock. Our journey up was un
eventful except that we were hailed
by the northern soldiers once They
asked to look at our baggage to make
sure that we were not brigands. We
knew that we were in no danger, and
yet was glad when they were gone.
One does not breathe quite freely in
the presenceof men who have been
beheading their own countrymen with
out any adequate trial, and mutilating
their bodies in ways too terrible to
tell. When we were drawing near to
this city where so much innocent
blood is being shed, the girls and I
read the ninety4first Psalm together
and had word of prayer that God
might see fit to use us while here to
comfort and help His people and some
how He whispered Peace" to our
hearts.
We had a royal welcome. The wife
LOT the district superintendent is
cousin of Bertha Lee, our school mat
ron, so their children all call me "Goi
+ or "Auntie Glassburner.'" I must
say, however, that the title sounds
much sWeeter and more musical in
Chinese than it would in English. It
is a part OF the promised hundred
fold "-these sweet relationships that
spring up on every side Of us out here.
This district superintendent family
have had the privilege of training in
our Foochow institutions, and of life
for several years in the capital city
of the province, so they have acquired
some little foreign touches" to their
hospitality that are especially CRATE
full when one is travel weary. For in.
stance, while we were still feeling
faint from the motion of the boat Mrs.
Gu poured us cup of steaming hot
water out of thermos bottle. l new
er knew before that plain not water
could taste so good. 1t certainly seem
ed nectar fit for the gods, and new
err stopped until I had finished my
second large cupful. A little later
there was basin of hot water for
our faces perfumed with kind of |
Florida water" that is sold on the
streets here. We surely did feel lux
urious, but oh how refreshing it was.
And this is Sunday It was a joy to !
be at the Sunday school, and have the
of speaking to the women
and girls, and later to note the well /
filed church with a goodly proportion
II women in attendance. The leaven
S working even here in Sa-shien,
which we consider in many ways our
most discouraging field. The day had
90 it's note of sadness. In the mid
lie of the afternoon as were were sit
ing together talking of the work the
'Oices were suddenly hushed and
ONE one said, There it is; they are
aking the men to be executed" 1t
vas sound had never heard before
nd one that can never forget-tiiat
low, measured death march. 1t 1
vent straight past the door Of the
hurch. did not go out, but some k
+ the men did, and they said there
we're five men. All of them had been
eaten nearly to death, and were bare I
Y able to walk. They were taken
Without the city wall, and after while IA
70 heard the return Of the marching k
Get, faster than before, and the *
ound of the lnuffled drums had CIV !
n away to the sound of the bugles, {
nd we knew that the souls OF those l
DOR men had gone out to meet the Il
cd who Is just and merciful and low +
lg. The truth Of Rauschenbusche's IT