Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1921-05-05

MISS MdflOn lfOT, missionary
In China. Tells OF Her Work
Among Chinese People. Ex
poets To Arrive Here In August
Yochow City, Human, China
Dear Folks
Our Chinese New Year vacation has
begun, which means for me a time fol
making out reports, working my book.
keeping up to date, and doing the hun
dred and one odd jobs which should have
been done long ago. But, thank good
ness, it does also give me little time tc
write some of the many letters which
hang over me by the dozens I'm afraic
that If don't soon answer some of them
l won't have any friends left in America.
Since last Autumn had been planning
to go to Shenchow this New Year, but
as several teachers have recently left,
III have new ones to train in. Besides
am opening new school at Hua Yung-
goli across the lake and must supt rim
tend that. So no ShenchoW for me now.
However, the Mission meeting has been
called for there on July 18th. If wait
till then won't get home until S pit. l,
but if | leave here right after school
closes. | ought to be home by the first
week in August. So it is hard to know
what to do. AS yet have no passage.
After living fathers letter, | decid-
ed not to wait for Mission meeting at
Shenchow on July 18th, but to 60 as soon
as exams are over in school. which means
if | can get passage on the Northern
route, | ought to be home by August l..
So you'd better begin to give that fatted
calf an extra handful of feed every day.
arrive for | have much to tell.
Across the lake from here we have an
out station, Hwa Yung. The people beg
ged and begged US to open a chapel and
school there. Several years ago an evan
gelist was stationed there. Now W, a e
going to open girls day school. On
Wednesday Mr.. Keller, Alice Traub. Hell
en- zimmerman and are going over. We
will travel part way by water and the
rest on horse back. The journey takes
about CAV and half, but when the
water is quite low with very fast horse
one can make it in day. We are going
over now to see the building and arrange
to have it fixed over. School will open
in the second month by the Chinese cal
endar.
Today is the last day of the old year,
and such gay time as it is. I've been
to two feasts today, am invited out at
o'clock, and at nine will excuse myself
to 60 on tie street to see what is going
on. I've persuaded some of the Others
to 90 too. Am especially anxious to visit
some temples. They say that just at
dawn is the most interesting time, so
expect to get up at four and chase off
again.
This afternoon, Mrs. Kellar, Helen and
| went for walk The streets were full
of people gambling. Candles and in cense
were burning before the idols and ances-
trail tablets and bowls of various kinds of
vegetables, meat, rice and wine were
placed before them. We went in one of
these temples and found the priests busy
for once You know the Chinese clean
house once year-at New Year. To-
night. when the New Year is ushered in.
the Kitchen Gods, who went to Heaven
some days ago, will return. and If the
house is not clean you will have bad luck,
sickness or trouble throughout the year.
So the priests were busy busting, scrub
bling and arranging things. or course
we visited the "Niang Niang per sa",
the one who bestows 'sons", also the
presiding deity of Yochow. l felt like
telling HIM hoped he would turn over a
new leaf and protect Yochow from all
these military troubles and if he didn't
he ought to be thrown out into the lake.
The longer | looked at him, the less
could understand how people could de-
pend upon such stupid looking fellow.
He seemed to me to be nothing but whis-
kers, a satin gown and long finger nails.
At present there. is no need for any
one to be anxious about US here even tho
things upon the street are by no means
peaceful. l heard that the house of one
of my day school pupils had been entered
by soldiers who started to carry off the
table. The mother objected too strenu'
ously to suit them so they put the table
down and took the woman instead.
On Sunday while at the Mich Ii Chiao
street chapel, | was attracted to the door
by loud commotion in the shop across
the street. Three soldiers had gone in to
make purchases and had given the WON
an who was waiting on the shop false
note. She refused too emphatically tt
accept it and they proceeded to beat her
One drew his dagger and threatened tt
stab her. Two men from the house came
running out. One began scolding the
soldier, but the other, by far the wiser
of the two, began to use mice talk te
placate them When left they were still
arguing excitedly.
March 20-Palm Sunday
When | think of the few letters | have
written you and of the lovely long inter
esting ones from you, | find myself blush
| ing with shame. But then, | am SUR
that all the people to whom am suppos
| ed to write, will agree that at least,
|