The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-07-15


although the Chinaman is paragon OF
honesty as an individual, he has never
learned to trust himself to corporate af-
fairs and China has suffered accordingly
for want of big enterprises.
Characterizing the new phonetic alpha
bet for China as the greatest discovery
since the invention of printing, Mrs.
Montgomery declared that within CEN
fury it would shove the thousands of
cumbersome old Chinese characters com
pletely off the map. 1t would open up
magnificent field to the mission worker
III land where there are now only 3J0-
600 Christians among a population of
some 600,0O0,0O0 generally illiterate peo-
pie. The new alphabet has only thirty
nine characters, and a leaflet that was
handed me at the exit says the language
can be mastered by any intelligent adult
In "a few hours" Here is a chance to
give yourself an efficiency test. Who
knows but that a hundred years from
now, Chinese will be POPULAR course at
Brattleboro high school.
1t Is inadequate to cut Mrs. Mont
gomery off with these two slight passages
Of her inspiring address but this story
must encompass other features, among
them the subject of Matches. Any addict
TO the tobacco habit is out of place at the
Mortified schools. As cosmopolitan as
the gathering was, with several returned
missionaries from foreign lands, it did
not appear that any of the ladies had
taken up smoking. Any mere man who
thruStS himself among them is advised to
bring his own matches. Even a girl
clerk IN store frowHed at me when |
asked If | could buy a box of matches
there. | had to drive thrice around the
big campus in my search for lucifer,
and finally to my JOY | discovered
hostler in one of the stables contentedly
EInnEgInU "a NH 10 aNrn limit
and l smoked out a half hour on the out
skirts of the campus.
As high-brow as some of the mission
airy delegates are, it is a relief to find they
are only human, after all They have
their failings. 1t appears that some of
them are kleptOmaniacs. Across the top
of all four pages of the little bill of fare
at the tea house where | had luncheon
there was inscribed the warning, please
acave the menu Those who had pro-
ceeded me had obeyed this injunction, but
the menu, apparently, was about all that
they had left. Iced tea and a peanut but
ter sandwich so i'll nOuriShed me that |
was unable to stay through TO witness the
famous Sunset service on Round Top.
But if this essay does not make me 50 un-
popular with the ladies that | am an I'M
welcome visitor again, there is still
chance that | shall report this pretty
evening ceremony on some other coca
sion.
If an outsider can catch a bit of the
missionary inspiration from a single sit
ting, how Satiated the regular week-long
attendants upon these meetings must be-
come. The passion for meetings is such
that scarcely is the rostrum vacated by
one group of speakers, before another
takes its stand. This goes on every day
1t sounds almost AZ gruelling as Il six
day bike race at Madison Sduare Garden.
But. in full sympathy and seriousness,
let it be said that the program furnishes
some mighty fine and inspiring things.
and with Mortified so short a run from
Brattleboro it is surprising that there is
not a bigger pilgrimage of local women
every day. The town is we'll represented.
was Yesterday at least, but we wonder
that it is not more so. Mrs Montgom-
ery'S lectures alone would make the trip
worth while, but the program reflects a
large variety of talent. Some of the spec
ialS include An India Evening" next
Saturday with two fine addresses. while
on Sunday the sermon will be preached
by Rev. Charles +. jefferson of the
broadway Tabernacle, New York. On
Monday evening address by Mrs.
Henry w. Peabody will be the feature, on
Union Colleges for Oriental Women" j
Mrs. Peabody is one of the leading wo- |
men of the Baptist denomination, and has
had that inspired passion for unity in
mission work that has given it the
strength it has today. As chairman of
the committee on United Study of For /
eIgn Missions. she has supervised the /
publications of the text books and made ,
this great enterprise self-supporting. Her /
talk on Monday evening is sure to be best
of the session.
The whole scene at Mortified is !
feast for the eyes As far sighted as was
the vision of its founder. DIR. Moody he !
unquestionably built better than he knew. |
The substantial character of the many /
buildings. the enormous spread of the 7
rolling camps, the little cities of tents
which the younger visitors have spread
among the trees, all remind one of the ,
flavor. again, of Tennysons Princess, |
though the purpose is of nobler aim. One !
cannot spend a day there without getting |
some spiritual upllft and acquiring a |
broader horizon. The returned mission |
aries spoke at Sage chapel in the after |
noon Of the great satisfaction it gave |
them to meet the earnest workers of the |
home base and well they might feel so, |
are not only the middle aged and some :
elder women, but a host of earnest girls |
anxious to find their Place in the great
endeavor.
Satisfied that the day was we'll spent,
/ was musing on the way home how /
too, might give foreign missions a lift by |
at least 4 little write-up of the day. As | |
turned off from the Mortified road for |
Brattleboro | saw we'll groomed young |
man who Locked wistfully at my Ford. |
four tiftbs empty. He was invited to get |
aboard, and he accepted lift as far as |
the passenger station. He confided that |