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SOME KONG MOON
COUNTRY trip! The very thing I had
looked forward to with real pleasure for
a long time. We decided to go earlier
in the spring, but owing to the heavy
rains which fall aj that season, the
streams were so swollen as to flood the
cities we wished to visit, and our trip
had to be postponed. Later the rains
ceased and on Thursday, the 21st of
A
June, we left (Macao for the country and arrived in
Kong Moon during the afternoon. This is a large
inland city, about fifty miles from Macao, situated
in the midst of one of the most fertile and prosper
ous farming districts of China and is a very large
center of trade.
During our stay there we stopped at a Chinese
inn, which is built very much like an American
village hotel, but the furniture was all Chinese.
There was a box-like bed, two large wooden set
tees, one round folding table and four stools.
We carried some bedding and some foreign food
with us, and apart from the noise, which is char
acteristic of Chinese inns, we fared very well.
Just after our arrival we went out on the ver
anda to get the benefit of the breeze, which at this
season is very acceptable in -South China. While
seated here the people began to gather around and
ask questions. As soon as the first company left
others came. Some of their questions were as
follows: “What is your name"?” “Where do
you live?” “Are you from America?” “What
kind of clothes are yours?” “How much did this,
and this, and this garment cost?” These are but
a few of the many questions that must be con
tinually answered by the foreigner in China.
The Cruelty to Lepers.
Soon our eye noticed a, man lying on a pile of
pavement stones near the hotel. When we asked
about him a Chinese very indifferently replied,
“Oh, he is a leper, and nothing can be done for
him!” For three days after our arrival this young
man, for such he proved to be, lay there without
shelter from sun or storm. Did he want anything?
No one knew. Neither loved ones or friends came
to minster to him, he was forsaken of all and cast
out to die. Did he suffer? Can you conceive of
any human being cast out as he was, without shel
ter from a tropical sun or blinding rain and with
an incurable disease, without bedding and without
food except when some one in pity is moved to
cast him a morsel, and not suffer intensely? After
we became acquainted with his condition Mrs. Todd
sent food to him, but then he was too far gone to
take it. Death soon came and he died forsaken
of all, with none to soothe or comfort. Even after
dying his body lay there for several hours and
none seemed to care whether he was ever buried.
Seeing their slowness, Brother Todd sent for the
hotelkeeper and made arrangements for the burial
at our expense. The coffin, coolie hire, and digging
the grave all cost a dollar and a half in American
currency!
Why do I speak in detail about this leper? Is
it to incite you to sympathy for this one poor,
leprous Chinese? Or is it to use an isolated object
of pity and sympathy to appeal to you in behalf
o-f missions? No, but for a much more important
reason. This man represents the bad condition of
multitudes in China; this picture shows something 1
of what the natural heart hardened by sin can be
come like; it shows something of the hard lot of
heathenism; it shows what men are like who have
never been influenced by the glad tidings of the
Gospel, who have never in any way come in touch
with or under the gentle influence of the com
passionate heart of the Divine One. Contrast this
picture, please, with that of one sick in a Chris
tian land. Why is the difference? The answer is
the 'Gospel of Christ! Did Jesus die for a part
of the world, or for all? “For God so loved the
world that He gave ” (John 3: lb). No ven-
der, then, under the- light of that truth, the Apostle
Paul could say, “I am debtor both to the Greeks
and'to the barbarians; both to the wise and to the
Th?. Golden Age for April 4, 1907.
By D. H. Olvings.
unwise” (Rom. 1: 14). The Gospel can transform
hearts and lives in China as well as in America,
“for there is no difference.”
Sights and Sounds of the Sabbath.
But let us pass on. Our first Sunday was an
interesting day for me. We awakened on this
beautiful Lord’s day with the noise of the restless
multitude ringing in our ears. There was absolute
ly nothing to remind one of the sacredness of the
day. Just in front of our hotel many boats were
arriving and departing throughout the day. These
were of various shapes and sizes, some were al
most round like a big log with several doors on
either side. As soon as the boats were safely
moored the men and boys came pouring out through
every door like bees out of their hive. The fol
lowing Tuesday being Dragon Day the people from
the surrounding villages and cities were already
coming in great crowds to attend the boat races.
Numbers of boats were being decorated, and that
on this beautiful Lord’s day. As we looked upon
this scene and realized in a degree the condition
of the people our hearts were sad indeed! It was
once said in Christ’s time, “See how the world
has gone after Him,” but now such could not be
said of these, but, rather, “How this nation has
gone after the dragon,” the devil. However the
Lord has not left Himself without witness. There
is a chapel of the Church of England here, with a
native preacher in charge.
Night Scenes.
The scene on the hotel veranda at night has
changed from that of the forenoon. Now the boats
are all moo-red, the boat people have eaten their
rice and washed the dishes in the flowing
stream by the side of their boats and put them
away underneath the narrow floor, opium lamps
are brought out and lighted for their devotees
and thus they smoke and sleep until morning.
On nearly every boat, of which there are thou
sands, an opium lamp is seen; also in nearly every
room in the hotel and in the various shops through
out the city men are everywhere smoking opium.
Truly this is China’s curse! As such conditions
of the human race come under our own observation
do you wonder that our heart cry is unto the Lord
of the harvest that He may thrust forth more la
borers to tell them the way of deliverance?
Kong Moon has many neighboring hills, and from
these a splendid view of the surrounding country
can be obtained, where village alter village nestles
in the adjoining valleys.
From one of these hills we counted twenty-nine
villages within a radius of eight or ten miles, and
these, combined with Kong Moon, contain a popula
tion of some three hundred thousand souls, and
amongst this great multitude there is only one
native church, while many of these villages are
without a single Christian. Turning' from the vil
lages to the encircling hills we are overwhelmed
with the view before us. These peaks are covered
with graves, and as we look upon them we could
but think of their moral and spiritual condi
tion.
The City of San Wui.
Our visit to Kong Moon so delighted us that we
were anxious to visit San Wui, a large wailed city
of more than seven hundred thousand people not
more than three miles from Kong Moon, and reach
ed by small river boats. These have their landing
just in front of our hotel, and we could but
be amused at the sharp competition between them.
The boatmen are very much like the cabmen in the
States, only this difference —passengers here al
ways “talk price”—and the amount agreed upon
is always considerably less than that which the
owner first asks. When we are ready to go a
Chinese friend arranges for us and the price is
ninety cents for the day, which means that four
of us have the services of two men all day and
their boat at a total cost of forty cents in Ameri
can currency! You will say, I am sure, “that is
by no means extravagant living.”
Our boat is some fifteen or twenty feet long, and
its four feet in width are arched over with a
palm leaf roof. Within this narrow space four of
us recline or sit in a stooping posture. The floor
is covered with a nice clean strip of matting, and
it is the invariable custom for the passengers to
take off their shoes on entering. As the tide is
with us we make the trip in an hour and a quar
ter. Reaching our destination we go at once to
the Presbyterian Chapel on the outskirts of the
city, but as it is closed we retrace our steps and
enter the city through one of the large gate-ways.
A few minutes’ walk brings us to a large heathen
temple, in front of which are a number of mat
sheds erected for some of their festivities. These
afford a fine place for resting and later preaching
the Gospel. iSoon a large crowd gathers to see what
the “foreign devils” are doing, and what we have
to say.
Leaving this congregation we go through the
business part of the city, distributing gospels as
we go. Nearby is a tea-house and we stop to
quench our thirst and satisfy our hunger, for it
is one o’clock. We four have enough to satisfy
all the wants of the inner man and that at a total
cost of seven cents gold!
Services at the Yamen.
We next stop at the Yamen. Within the grounds
is a large sheltered gateway, and this becomes a
welcome retreat from the burning tropical sun and
also furnishes a splendid place to preach the Gos
pel. Here the crowd was much huger than that
at the temple, and they were so eager to listen
that it was indeed an inspiration to talk to them.
Brother Todd seemed to forget himself, preaching
with that intense earnestness and zeal which char
acterized his ministry in the States. For an hour
or probably longer, these people listened patiently
to the “old, old story.” This was a most blessed
service to me, for while Brother Todd was preach
ing I had good opportunity to sell many gospels
and to talk to a number personally, as best I could
with my limited vocabulary. As I observed in this
simple way my heart was made to rejoice in the
Lord for His goodness to me in sending me to
China.
Wo next go to the Congregational chapel, which
seats) seventy-five. This, in common with) the
other chapels in the etiy, is under the. care of a
native preacher. In all this section, including many
walled cities and numberless villages, with a popu
lation of eight millions, there is not a resident mis
sionary. Think of this, young man, you who are
looking for an American pulpit —wiil you not come
to help? At our boat landing we meet another
crowd, in fact one can stop anywhere and there
are numbers who will at once gather to hear the
story of life. What opportunities!
Returning, the tide is against us, and so one of
our men must tow the boat while the other handles
the rudder. Towing is an interesting sight. The
man walks some hundred yards ahead on the bank,
across his chest runs a rope which, at the other
end, is attached to the mast-head of our boat. In
some cases, where the boat is a large one, a num
ber of men or women are required for the towing,
ami while the process is slow, yet it is faster than
rowing. As our little craft glides slowly along the
way our hearts have time to meditate upon the
goodness of God, and the privilege of this day
of service for Him. Truly it is blessed to be in
China sent of Him.
I wish there might be some way of bringing
these scenes before the eye of the Church at home,
and that she might be made to see her privilege
and responsibility. Such days as these make it
more apparent than ever that the Church must
give the Gospel to the heathen if we are to be
really Christian. Jesus left all, He gave all, even
His life, for the world, and His command is, “If
any man serve me, let him follow me.”
The restless millions wait, wait for you; Christ
also waits, waits for you to walk in His steps.
Will you?
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