Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-09-21
Mrs. John Lake Sends Charm
ing Message and Incident
from Canton, China.
Dear Edgefeld Sisters:

ing message anu
from Canton, China.
Dear Edgefeld Sisters:
We were in a hotel in Greenwood,
S. c.. having finished one speaking
engagement and having a day off be-
fore the next one, when my good
Edgefeld husband came in with the
morning paper, remarking, 81 see
that the w. M. U. sisters are going
to have an all-day rally today at Mo-
doc, and by taking this mornings
early train, we could be with them.
Would you like to go?
I readily agreed, and a few mo-
ments later found us on the COM
Portable train and not long after
wards at the Modoc station-almost
at the church door.
The day was bitterly cold, with a
strong wind and patches Of snow ~
ing here and there. Though the hour
for the meeting had not yet arrived
when we reached the church, there
was quite a good sized little group
already gathered-and on, what a
warm welcome they gave to these
two wayfarer missionaries who had
so taken them by surprise-we were
among friends-no doubt about that!
They told us that the two main
speakers that day were to come from
Edgefeld, nearly twenty miles away,
and over impossible roads; and more
than one said in a disappointed tone,
ttNo, they won't be able to get here
the weather is too bad" But they
did get there, coming in just as the
meeting was about to begin and al
most frozen!
Would anybody in Edgefield coun-
ty be surprised to know that these
two faithful ones were Mrs. Mamie
Tillman and Mrs. w. E. Lott? Never
shall / forget how the singing wind
made the tears roll down their cheeks
and how stiff their fingers were, as
they stood by the little wood stove,
thawing out. In order to be there on
time, they had arisen before day
Light, cooked a hasty breakfast, gone
out themselves and hitched up the
horse, and started their journey on
lonely roads in the darkness and bit
ing cold.
Right well did they rally, though,
and / remember what a good meeting
we had that day, largely because of
Che presence of these two, who
acounted not the COST
Now listen to the sequel-or, rath-
er, one of the sequels, for no doubt
there have been many sequels to the
story of that day: I for n have
never been able to get away from
the influence of the glorious, self
sacrificing spirit shown by those two,
though nearly seven years have pass
ed since then.
We held here on our mission COM
pound in Canton, China, the first
week in July the annual meeting of
our South China Woman's Mission
airy Union, lasting four days, and
with delegates coming from all parts
of these two Southern Provinces
(States), and travelling by ricksha,
sedan-chair, passage boat, train, or
on foot-some of them coming a dis
tance of four hundred miles or so.
From the very first session, the rain
poured in torrents the whole time
as it can pour only here in the trop-
les in "the rainy season"-but the
courage of those dear Chinese sisters
was dauntless. The ringing of the
big church bell would always find
Them in their places and ready for
business; and much was accomplish
ed in the name of the Lord during
those days.
On Saturday night a reception for
the delegates and visitors was held
in the assembly room of the women's
school, and "stunts" were the order
of the evening. My part was to "tell
a story"-in the Chinese language,
of course, and what do you suppose
I told them? About Mamie Tillman
end Fife Lott and that cold day at
Modoc! I made it just as vivid as I
could, stamping my feet, blowing on
my fingers, and wiping my eyes, while