Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-06-02
Interesting Letter From Rev.
John Lake.
March 26, 1920.

\ sS{ CdHGUHp SHlHd,
March 26, 1920.
Dear Advertiser:
Ny typewriter ribbon is worn to a
frazzle, just like the patience of my
correspondents was before I got the
| typewriter. We had planned to go
to Hongkong, when 1 could have got
tenta new ribbon this week; but we
couldn't go. Anyway, I have by my
side a little typewriter with soul,
and when she writes for me, there
! are two advantages: people can read
what she wrote, and I can be attend
| ing ito other work at the same time
killing two stones with one bird! l
lam just at this moment going
Through a pile Of letters. getting
READY to start on a missionary jour
Iney Friday, and wife lets me dictate
Ito her while / am sorting the letters
~ wouldn't dare to try dictate to
her in any other way. Ha, ha! Don't
Iyou think Pm good to take down all
fthis SO meekly? c. B. L.)
i am writing this to thank you for
Esending us copy Of the Columbia
Estate, which we both read with great
Eiinterest and passed on to another
South Carolina missionary.
Isn't it hard to realize that it is
about thirty years since you and ]
EWere at college together? Why, man,
Ihaye just taken out insurance pa
|pers with the Annuity Board for old
preachers! The Edgefeld church Ii
|censed me to preach thirty years ago
|tiiiiisSyear. / only lack fifty years and
two ;ti q months and sixteen days of being
|a hundred!
V But speaking Of the journey, I'm
about toEtake, and speaking of get
ting along toward a hundred, what
Will you think when I tell you that
|I am to take part of that trip in an
airplaneg We are to go by boat to
Macao, where I have been asked to
preach Sunday. Then Monday we are; 1,e.,
BIO t + proceed sto that sisland q the
sSs Is
thers on, which. Isshave helped the
Chinese Christians to buy, and which
is to be used for a .leper colony. Did
/ write you that a few weeks ago DR..
WI Ting-fang, formerly ambassador
at Washington, handed me his check
for 5000 for this work? This trip
to the island is for a double purpose
to hold weeks meeting in the
one little fishing village on this island
where there is not yet a single
Christian; and to make thorough
survey of this magnificent property,
which has been decided to the Bap-
lists.
DR.. WI Ting-fang's gift paid for
the entire village and the entire Is
land of eight square miles, with per-
haps a square mile of land that can
be cultivated, fine stream Of fresh
water and plenty of stone and timber
for building material, etc.
There we hope to erect a big leper
hospital and other buildings. 1t may
be a year or two before the hospital
is erected and the lepers moved to
the island. They are now in their
miserable villages, scattered through
the large field of work wife and l
look after. This leper work will add
to the burdens of us two, for we are
already looking after nearly thirty
churches and chapels and half that
many schools for boys and schools
for girls. But we are glad to under
take it for the Master and for those
whom He so pitied when on earth.
Hitherto, we have gone to the is
land on gunboats and cruisers loan
ed us by the government. Some OF
you wrote US about reading Dr.
Loves description of his trip with
us, in the April, 1919, number OF
Home and Foreign Fields. But this
time we have secured the loan of
big 14-passenger American built
airplane for the trip. And wife and
Il expect to take this "fying visit"
along with Mr.. and Mrs. King and
Mr.. Galloway, of our Mission, and
three or.four Chinese friends, includ-
ing the Chinese physician who may
have charge of that hospital.
China's revolution, North against
South, drags it's weary length along;
o1oe +hora is q fipIt on be-