The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-08-03
LETTER PROM A MISSIONARY
Language School,
Nanking China
Mar 8. 1922


Ny Dear Friends:
According 20 the Chinese caien-
dar. this is the first day of the
summer 90 there is sure 10 be no
more very cool weather. for u does
seem that the Chinese do under
stand the weather here. We have
4 had a very nice spring. only a few
/ real warm days. but folks. say now
| % Tiil b. quite hot In a few days
But ] did not start this letter in
| tending 20 make you a weather re-
port want 10 tell you about our
visit 20 the temples e. Chinkiang
/ last week.
sixty of us went on the trip. AZ
| ter we reached the city o. Chin
klang We went IN two sail boats
down the river about two miles 10
| a beautiful island IN the Yang TIE
| called Silver Island" I don't know
why II was given that name. but
| o. IS a very beautiful palce. Il is
not very large. only a few acres in
/ extent but II is quite high. A
strong rock retaining wall has been
/ built entirely around II to neep
the river from washing any Of the
island away when the water IL
high and swift. There are two
large temples and some little rest
houses where one can stop and en-
| Joy the view as he comes TO the
top OF the island. but no one lives
on the island except the priests. II
IL owned entirely by the priests.
They received US very courteously
and while they did not put them
selves out to be nice 10 US. they let
us go every where and see every
thing that we wanted TO.
We did not know that we were
choosing a special worship day for
our visit. but II was a very great
day. We went through many
courts and passages beside which
there were altars for lesser idols,
and sleeping rooms for priests. Long
before we reached the main temple
we could hear bells and chanting
When we reached the main tenn
pie we saw lines and lines OF
priests and pilgrims walking back
and forth the entire length OF the
great room. ringing bells and gongs
and chanting. Even tho / have
begun, I feel like quitting right
now. What after all is the use "a
try 10 tell you anything about II?
can never give you the slightest
idea OF that immense room with
high arched ceiling. the gorgeous
colors Of the painted beams and
pillars, the gilded and painted idols
the long gray robes of the priests
each with 2 large piece OF colored
cloth thrown like a cloak over one
shoulder. the shayen heads OF the
priests and the twelve holes burned
into the scalp OF each one. cam
show you their dull expires
sionless faces. nor the flowers IN
the hair OF the women pilgrims.
can't make you feel the tapping oi
the little bells and the humping
on the wooden gongs. nor the wierc
mournful chanting. can't max,
you hear the shuffeling of man,
feet back and across the stone
floor. They kept up the watkins
and chanting for a long time theT
filed out into a cour and sat down
to rest for little while, then gel
mp and begin again. They kept 4
up with short intervals OF res
from early morning till night.
Out in another big room we saw
two large boats made OF paper In
the evening they would take thes'
|
them afloat and set fire to then
and they were supposed to afford
passage for the souls Of those who
had been drowned in the river. The
souls would come up out of tn,
water and board the burning paper
boats and so escape from the water
to the Blessed Islands"
As l stood and looked at II all
/ A.r 4
and helpless. wanted TO sprinI
upon that high altar in front of the
idols. | wished that | had a voice
like a thunder storm so that
might declare to them the error OF
their worship. | wanted to tel
them that there Is only One who
can save, and that He is not wor.
shipped with endless forms. but that
He is worshipped by doing good tC
others.
But | had to turn away and went
up TO the top of the island where
could see far out over the great
river and the beautiful country. al
new with the miracle of spring;
and my heart ached to see this
lovely place and the gorgeous tenn
pies in the hands OF error and hea'
thenism, and the churches of Jesus
Christ so few and small and un'
lovely.
In the afternoon we went up the
river to a place called Golden Is
land" II is not really an island
but is Just a high peninsula extend
ing out into the river.
Here there was a very large tenn
pie and a large pagoda nine stores
high tho | hear that Il is quite
old. II looks new. II is in perfect
state OF repair Most OF the pago-
das that | have seen look like they
are about to fall to ruin.
We went into one OF the large
idol rooms OF the temple and there
we saw a ceremony different from
any that | have seen yet. A man
whose father had been drowned
had come and paid the priests a
| great sam to rescue his soul. There