The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-04-27
CHRISTIAN CHURCH

clety Will have regular monthly
meeting at the home OF Mrs. Ruth
Drum Thursday, May 4th at 500
O'Clock p. M. The husbands and
friends and anyone Interested I'm
missionary work are invited TO come
and enjoy profitable study on
Latin America conducted by Mrs.
Il. l.. Fickel. Every member is ex-
pected to be present with report up
to date.
Last Thursday Mother Quinn"
invited the ladies of the church TO
visit her sister Mrs. Hattie Ire
maine, who has been visiting here
about three weeks All enjoyed the
acquaintance of the mother of one
of our foreign missionaries to China.
Pictures were taken of the ladies
In the afternoon. Mrs Tremaine
left for her home in Iuka. Kansas.
Sunday afternoon. We hope to re
ceive "a visit from her again.
The attendance at Bible School
was good. with a number of new
pupils. We are glad to hold the
attendance above 100.
Letters from Missionary
By Miss Stella TremaiRe. former
lly of luka, Kansas, now i'm Lam
guage School, Marking. China. un-
der appointment of the United Chris
titan Missionary Society. While TAX
ing language she mas n class of
boys in English. These very inter
esting and instructive letters will
appear from week to week i'm this
column.
Language School. Nanking. China.
Some of you have always thought
of China as a very ugly country.
but you mistake This entire sec
tion of China is full of surprisingly
beautiful scenery. 1t is appalling
the gross superstition that has
grown up around such beautiful
places. We see many pago1as that
have been built by men who have
money, to please the spirits of the
air They are not temples. They
contain no idols. The people can
go into them and look out over the
country. Near the Ming Tombs arc
large stone images at intervals on
either side of the road. These are
not idols but are merely ornamental
Some have the form of huge ele
plants, some of men in armor, etc
While up at Chu Chow we took Z
trip to a Buddhist temple. f"whi'
ten IL out in the country. "Ten IL
is about three miles out. A littlC
way out we passed the agriculture
experiment station which is largely
used for improving the variety o
cotton and for a nursery. Hun
dreds of little trees are planted OF
the hills every year.
We started up a little vale,
which presently became very mar
row, with rough rocky hills on eth
er side. 1t reminded me of tn
mountains in southern Arizona onl,
on a smaller scale Insead of sage
brush and cactus there was gras
where there was dirt enough for
. to take root.
From here we crossed over III
tie divide into another valley
There, perched upon the hillsld
: above a little water fall, among pro
tecting trees was the beautiful Budd
hist temple, Ian Vow 81.
The High Priest welcomed Il
: most graciously and we were serve
to tea in the guest room. He tol
us THAT many years ago foreig
doctor removed a cataract from HI
eye. We left some money on th
5 table to pay for our refreshment
but the priest was too polite to tax
it and could not be urged to do 81
! He took us around to the differer
! temples to see the idols. One /
told us was 1000 years old. II wf
made of stone whitewashed. TheI
e was the most wonderful collectio
u of idols l ever saw. The bacl
ground was plaster in the form {
waves of the ocean and on top :
n every wave was q little idol, hui
l. dreds of them. The longer v
looked the more we saw.
strange feeling of horror crept ov'
" me as / stood looking at them.
T. the last temple was a large glide
idol of the fat, smiling, seated Bu
dha. On his right and left we
o his two companions and range
r, along the walls were gilded lido
h of his eighteen disciples. | thougl
of the money and time and labor
took to build all these; of Il
hundreds who make long pilgl
= mage to worship here, and the mo
ey they spend out of their povert
for candles and incense, then
away with their hearts full of {
70 unsatisfied hunger. longing, as bi
/, u ter as ashes. The priest tried to e
n plain to us that our teachings a
alike, saying eve make images
honor their memory, while you
lie not, is the only difference" Mi
s. Warner, who speaks very go'
Is Chinese, told him Jesus cfed to sa
all men from sin, that He taug
us not to burn candles and incens
n but to love one another and do go'
le to others.
VI How / wish we might have bea
tiful churches that pepole won
want to come miles to see! All &
4 churches | have seen are so un5
IN tractive. | know that it is re
s. devotion to the beautiful ideals
Jesus that brings the Chinese the
to worship. | have heard of o
s beautiful Episcopal Cathedral on G
T. road to Shanghai the only one
OF know of. But, when Christians
IN America viii stay way from the
beautiful churches, warm in wint'
cool in summer, they cannot be c