{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_50609/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_50609","id":"gutenberg_50609","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50609","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: History - Other","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Travel Writing","Korea -- Description and travel","Missions -- Korea"],"text":"[Illustration: SENTINEL GATE AT PALACE. _Frontispiece_]\n\n\n\n\n  FIFTEEN YEARS\n\n  _AMONG_\n\n  THE TOP-KNOTS\n\n  _OR_\n\n  _LIFE IN KOREA_\n\n  _By_\n\n  L. H. UNDERWOOD, M.D.\n\n  _With Introduction\n\n  by_\n\n  FRANK F. ELLINWOOD, D.D., LL.D.\n\n  SECOND EDITION\n  REVISED AND ENLARGED\n\n  [Illustration]\n\n  YOUNG PEOPLE\u2019S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT\n  OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA\n  NEW YORK\n\n\n  Copyright, 1904,\n\n  BY AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY.\n\n         *       *       *       *       *\n\n  Copyright, 1908,\n\n  BY AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY.\n\n\n  THIS LITTLE VOLUME\n  IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED TO\n\n  MY HUSBAND\n\n  IN MEMORY OF\n  FIFTEEN HAPPIEST YEARS\n\n\n\n\nINTRODUCTION\n\n\nIt may be said at once, that Mrs. Underwood\u2019s narrative of her\nexperience of \u201cFifteen Years Among the Top-Knots\u201d constitutes a book of\nno ordinary interest. There is no danger that any reader having even\na moderate sympathy with the work of missions in the far East will be\ndisappointed in the perusal. The writer does not undertake to give a\ncomprehensive account of missions in Korea, or even of the one mission\nwhich she represents, but only of the things which she has seen and\nexperienced.\n\nThere is something naive and attractive in the way in which she\ntakes her readers into her confidence while she tells her story, as\ntrustfully as if she were only writing to a few relatives and friends.\nNecessarily she deals very largely with her own work, and that of\nher husband, as of that she is best qualified to speak. Everywhere,\nhowever, there are generous and appreciative references to the heroic\nlabors of associate missionaries. Nor does she confine these tributes\nto members of her own mission. Some of her highest encomiums are given\nto members of other missions, who have laboured and died for the Gospel\nand the cause of humanity in Korea.\n\nMrs. Underwood, then Miss Lillias Horton, of Chicago, went to Korea as\na medical missionary in 1888. As a Secretary of the Presbyterian Board,\naccustomed to visit our candidates before appointment, I found her a\nbright young girl of slight and graceful figure in one of the Chicago\nhospitals, where she was adding to her medical knowledge some practical\nexperience as a trained nurse. There was nothing of the consciousness\nof martyrdom in her appearance, but quite the reverse, as with cheerful\ncountenance and manner she glided about in her white uniform among the\nward patients. It was evident that she was looking forward with high\nsatisfaction to the work to which she had consecrated her life.\n\nThe story of her arrival at Chemulpo, of her first impressions of\nKorea, is best told in her own words. The first arrival of a missionary\non the field is always a trying experience. The squalid appearance of\nthe low native huts, whose huddled groupings Mrs. Underwood compares\nto low-lying beds of mushrooms, poorly clad and dull-eyed fishermen\nand other peasantry, contrasting so strongly with the brighter scenes\nof one\u2019s home land, are enough to fill any but the bravest with\ndiscouragement and despair. But our narrator passed this trying ordeal\nby reflecting that she was not a tourist in pursuit of entertainment,\nbut an ambassador of Christ, sent to heal the bodies and enlighten the\nsouls of the lowly and the suffering.\n\nAs a young unmarried woman and quite alone, she found a welcoming home\nwith Dr. and Mrs. Heron, and began at once a twofold work of mastering\nthe language, and of professional service at the hospital. Not long\nafter her arrival she was called to pay a visit to the queen, who\nwished to secure her services as her physician. The relation soon grew\ninto a mutual friendship, and Mrs. Underwood from that time till the\nassassination of the unfortunate queen was her frequent visitor, and in\nmany respects her personal admirer. She does not hesitate to express\nher appreciation of the queen, as a woman of kind-hearted and generous\nimpulses, high intellectual capacity, and no ordinary diplomatic\nability. Of stronger mind and higher moral character than her royal\nhusband, she was his wise counsellor and the chief bulwark of his\nprecarious power.\n\nThough Mrs. Underwood\u2019s book is of the nature of a narrative, yet its\nsmoothly running current is laden with all kinds of general information\nrespecting the character and customs of the people, the condition\nof the country, the native beliefs and superstitions, the social\ndegradation, the poverty and widespread ignorance of the masses. The\naccount of missionary work is given naturally, its pros and cons set\nforth without special laudation on the one hand, or critical misgiving\non the other. It is simply presented, and left to speak for itself,\nand it can scarcely fail to carry to all minds a conviction of the\ngenuineness and marked success of the great work which our missionaries\nin Korea are conducting.\n\nMrs. Underwood\u2019s marriage to Rev. H. G. Underwood, who had already been\nfour years in the country, is related with simplicity and good sense,\nand the remarkable bridal tour, though given more at length, is really\na story not of honeymoon experiences, but rather of arduous and heroic\nmissionary itineration. It was contrary to the advice and against the\nstrong remonstrances of their associates and their friends in the U.\nS. legation that the young couple set out in the early spring of 1889\nfor a pioneering tour through Northern Korea.\n\nFortunately for the whole work of our Protestant missions, the most\nfavorable impression had been made upon the Korean Court and upon\nthe people by the striking and most valuable service which had been\nrendered by Dr. H. N. Allen, our first medical missionary, and now U.\nS. Minister in Korea. He had healed the wounds of some distinguished\nKoreans, who had been nearly killed in a midnight conflict between the\nChinese and Japanese garrisons at Seoul.\n\nAlthough there were strong prohibitory decrees against the admission\nof foreigners in the interior, Mr. and Mrs. Underwood ventured to\npresume upon the connivance of the officials at their proposed journey\nto the far north. Traveling as missionaries and without disguise, it\nwas a plucky undertaking for the young bride, since, so far as known,\nshe was the first foreign woman who had made such a tour. The journey\nwas a protracted one and involved all kinds of hardship and privation.\nNothing worthy of a name of inn was to be found, but only some larger\nhuts in which travelers were packed away amid every variety of filth\nand vermin.\n\nThe curiosity of the people to see a foreign woman was such that the\nmob everywhere scrupled not to punch holes through the paper windows\nand doors to get a peep. After having been borne all day in a chair,\nnot over roads, but through tortuous bridle paths, over rocks and\nthrough sloughs, it was found well-nigh impossible to rest at night.\nAll sorts of noises early and late added to their discomfort. As to\nfood, the difficulty of subsisting on such fare as the people could\nfurnish may be well imagined. They were not wholly free from the fear\nof wild animals, for some districts through which they passed were\ninfested by tigers and leopards. But their greatest danger was that of\nfalling into the hands of roaming bands of robbers. Mrs. Underwood\u2019s\naccount of one experience of this kind will be read with thrilling\ninterest.\n\nFortunately, Mr. Underwood had already made one or two shorter tours\nthrough the country alone, and had baptized a few converts here and\nthere. The passports also which he carried with him secured the favor\nof some of the district magistrates, so that the two were not exposed\nwholly to hostile influences.\n\nIt is impossible in few words to do justice to the story related in\nthis interesting book, which was prepared by Mrs. Underwood at the\nrequest of the American Tract Society, or do anything more than commend\nin general terms its various presentations. One of these relating to\nthe experiences of a severe cholera season, during which missionaries,\nnot only medical but also clerical, remained faithfully at their posts,\nunmindful of the personal risks and of the heat, filth and discomfort\nof an unsanitary city in the most sickly months, in order to do all in\ntheir power to save the lives and mitigate the sufferings of the poor\nand despairing people. The account is given with great simplicity,\nand without ostentatious claims of heroism, and may be regarded as a\ntrue representation of the faithful service often rendered by our\nmissionaries in times of trial and great suffering.\n\nMrs. Underwood\u2019s book will be read with peculiar interest at this\ntime, when all attention is turned to the far East and especially to\nKorea, which seems likely to be the battleground in the war between\nRussia and Japan. The position of the poor Koreans, government and\npeople, is calculated to elicit the sympathy of all Christians and all\nphilanthropists. Every one wonders what will be the outcome for poor\nKorea. It is indeed a time for earnest prayer that the God of nations\nwill overrule all current events for the best good of this beleaguered\npeople and for the advancement of Christ\u2019s Kingdom.\n\n  F. F. ELLINWOOD.\n\n  NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 1904.\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\n\nThe chapters which are here given to the public are simply reminiscent,\na brief story of a few years of the writer\u2019s life in one of the most\nunique and interesting of all the Eastern countries, among a people who\nare singularly winning and lovable.\n\nI beg that in reading these pages it may be remembered that this book\nmakes no pretense whatever to being a text or reference book on Korea,\nor in any respect a history of Korean missions. The writer has simply\nstrung together a few events which have fallen under her own personal\nobservation during the last fifteen years. If more frequent reference\nis made to the work carried on by my husband and myself than to others,\nit is simply because it is only with regard to that which has been\nwoven into the web of my own experience that I can speak with exactness\nand authority. All it is hoped to accomplish is, that sufficient\ninsight into the customs and character of the people, and their moral\nand political atmosphere, with the results, opportunities and possible\nlimitations of mission work, may be given to induce the reader to study\nfurther, and perchance to question what his relation to it all is.\n\nI must acknowledge my great indebtedness to Dr. H. N. Allen\u2019s\nchronological index, by which I have been able to verify many dates.\n\nI am also indebted to the \u201cKorean Repository,\u201d and to the \u201cLife of\nDr. James Hall,\u201d for part of the story of the events connected with\nhis work in Pyeng Yang, both before and after the war, and for the\nofficial report of the trial of the queen\u2019s murderers at Hiroshima.\nMore than all, I am obliged to my husband, by whose assistance I have\nobtained from Koreans the particulars relating to the Emeute of 1884,\nthe Tonghaks, the Pusaings, the Independents, and the Romanists. He has\nalso given me many of the anecdotes of native Christian life, and as we\nlived it all out ourselves, this volume is as much his as mine.\n\n  LILLIAS H. UNDERWOOD.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\n  CHAPTER I\n\n        PAGE\n\n  First Arrival--First Impressions--The City of Seoul--Korean\n  Houses--Mission Homes--Personnel of Mission\n  in 1888--Beginnings of Work--Difficulties in Attaining the\n  Language--Korean Religions--Palace Women--First Interview\n  with Palace Women--Entertainment Given in my\n  Honor by President of Foreign Office--The Interdict--Confidence\n  Exhibited by Government in Protestant Missionaries--The\n  \u201cBaby Riots\u201d--Babies Reported to Have Been Eaten\n  at Foreign Legations--Restoring Confidence--The Signal--First\n  Invitation to Palace      1\n\n\n  CHAPTER II\n\n  The Palaces--The Stone Dogs--The Fire God\u2019s Defeat--The\n  Summer Pleasure House--Royal Reception Hall--Court\n  Dress of Noblemen--First Impression of the King--Appearance\n  of the Queen--The Queen\u2019s Troubles--The\n  Queen\u2019s Coup d\u2019\u00c9tat--The Verb Endings--The Queen\u2019s\n  Generosity--Stone Fight--Gifts--The Quaga--Poukhan--Its\n  Impregnability--Picturesque Surroundings of Seoul--Pioneer\n  Work--Progress of Work--The Queen\u2019s Wedding\n  Gift--Our Wedding--Opposition to my Going to the Interior--My\n  Chair--The Chair Coolies      20\n\n\n  CHAPTER III\n\n  We Start on our Wedding Journey--Songdo--Guards at\n  our Gates--Crossing the Tai-tong--Difficulties in Finding an\n  Inn--Korean Launderings--An Old Man Seeks to be Rid of\n  Sin--Mob at an Inn--A Ruffian Bursts Open my Door--Fight\n  in the Inn Yard--Pat Defies the Crowd--Convenience\n  of Top-Knots--A Magistrate Refuses to Shelter Us--The\n  \u201cCaptain\u201d to the Rescue--Pack-ponies--We Lay a Deep\n  Scheme--Torch Bearers--A Mountain Hamlet--Tiger\n  Traps--Tigers--A Band of Thirty Conspire to Attack us--Guns\n  Used by Native Hunters--A Tiger Story      38\n\n\n  CHAPTER IV\n\n  Leaving Kangai--We Choose a Short Cut--Much Goitre\n  in the Mountains--A Deserted Village--The Jericho Road--We\n  are Attacked by Robbers--A Struggle in the Inn Yard--Odds\n  too Great--Our Attendants are Seized and Carried\n  Off--The Kind Inn-Keeper--Inopportune Patients--A Race\n  for Life--A City of Refuge--A Beautiful Custom--Safe at\n  Last--The Magistrate Turns Out to be an Old Friend--The\n  Charge to the Hunters      60\n\n\n  CHAPTER V\n\n  Our Stay in Wewon--We Give a Dinner--Our Guests--Magistrates\n  Propose that we Travel with a Chain-Gang--Our\n  Trip Down the Yalu--The Rapids--Contrast Between\n  Korean and Chinese Shores--We Enter Weju--The Drunken\n  Magistrate--Presents and Punishments--Unpleasant Experiences\n  with Insincere People--Rice Christians--The Scheming\n  Colporter--The Men Baptized in Weju--The Lost Passport--Another\n  Audience at the Palace--Queen\u2019s Dress and\n  Ornaments--Korean Summer House--The Pocket Dictionary--Our\n  Homes      77\n\n\n  CHAPTER VI\n\n  An Audience at the Palace--Dancing Girls--Entertainment\n  Given after the Audience--Printing the Dictionary and\n  Grammar--A Korean in Japan--Fasting to Feast--Death of\n  Mr. Davies--Dr. Heron\u2019s Sickness--Mrs. Heron\u2019s Midnight\n  Ride--Dr. Heron\u2019s Death--Difficulty in Getting a Cemetery\n  Concession--Forced Return to America--Compensations--Chemulpo\n  in Summer--The \u201cTerm Question\u201d in China,\n  Korea and Japan--Difficulties in the Work      93\n\n\n  CHAPTER VII\n\n  The Mission in 1893--\u201cThe Shelter\u201d--Opening of Japanese\n  War--Seoul Populace Panic Stricken--Dr. and Mrs. Hall in\n  Pyeng Yang--Heroic Conduct of Native Christians--Condition\n  of Pyeng Yang after the War--Dr. Hall\u2019s Death--Preaching\n  the Gospel at the Palace--The Queen Seeks to\n  Strengthen Friendly Relations with Europeans--Her\n  Majesty\u2019s Generosity--A Little Child at the Palace--The\n  Slaves of the Ring--A Christmas Tree at the Palace--The\n  Queen\u2019s Beneficent Plans--The Post-office Emeute of 1884--A\n  Haunted Palace--The Murder of Kim Oh Kiun      106\n\n\n  CHAPTER VIII\n\n  Mr. McKenzie--The First Church Built by Natives--Mr.\n  McKenzie\u2019s Sickness--His Death--Warning to New Missionaries--The\n  Tonghaks--Mr. Underwood\u2019s Trip to Sorai in\n  Summer--Native Churches--Our Use of Helpers--Christians\n  in Seoul Build their Own Church--Epidemic of Cholera--Unhygienic\n  Practices--Unsanitary Condition of City      123\n\n\n  CHAPTER IX\n\n  Difficulty of Enforcing Quarantine Regulations--Greedy\n  Officials \u201cEat\u201d Relief Funds--Americans Stand Alone to\n  Face the Foe--The Emergency Cholera Hospital--The Inspection\n  Officers--We Decide to Use the \u201cShelter\u201d--A\n  Pathetic Case--The Jesus Man--Gratitude of the Koreans--The\n  New Church--The Murder of the Queen--Testimony of\n  Foreigners--The Official Report      136\n\n\n  CHAPTER X\n\n  The Palace after the Murder--Panic--Attitude of Foreign\n  Legations--The King\u2019s Life in Hourly Danger--Noble\n  Refugees--Americans on Guard--Mistakes of the New Government--Objectionable\n  Sumptuary Laws--A Plan to Rescue\n  the King--One Night at the Palace--Forcing an Entrance--Our\n  Little Drama--Escape of General Yun      153\n\n\n  CHAPTER XI\n\n  Customs Centering around the Top-Knot--Christians\n  Sacrificing Their Top-Knots--A Cruel Blow--Beginning of\n  Christian Work in Koksan--A Pathetic Appeal--People Baptize\n  Themselves--Hard-Hearted Cho--The King\u2019s Escape--People\n  Rally Round Him--Two Americans in the Interior--In\n  the Midst of a Mob--Mob Fury--Korea in the Arms of\n  Russia--Celebrating the King\u2019s Birthday--Patriotic Hymns--Lord\u2019s\n  Prayer in Korean      167\n\n\n  CHAPTER XII\n\n  A Korean Christian Starts Work in Haing Ju--Changed\n  Lives of Believers--A Reformed Saloon-Keeper--The Conversion\n  of a Sorceress--Best of Friends--A Pleasant Night\n  on the Water--Evidence of Christian Living--Our Visit in\n  Sorai--A Korean Woman\u2019s Work--How a King Acts at\n  Times--Applicants for Baptism--Two Tonghaks--In a Strait\n  betwixt Two--Midnight Alarms--Miss Jacobson\u2019s Death      183\n\n\n  CHAPTER XIII\n\n  Our Mission to Japan--Spies--One Korean Summer--The\n  Queen\u2019s Funeral--The Procession--The Burial by\n  Starlight--The Independents--The Pusaings--The Independents\n  Crushed      201\n\n\n  CHAPTER XIV\n\n  Itineration Incidents--Kaiwha--Christian Evidences--Buying\n  Christian Books instead of an Office--Seed Sowing--Moxa\u2019s\n  Boy in the Well--Kugungers Again--Pung Chung--Pyeng\n  Yang--The Needs of the Women      216\n\n\n  CHAPTER XV\n\n  Another Itineration--Christians in Eul Yul--A Ride in an\n  Ox-Cart--Keeping the Cow in the Kitchen--Ox-Carts and\n  Mountain Roads--The Island of White Wing--A Midnight\n  Meeting--Thanksgiving Day in Sorai--The Circular Orders--New\n  Testament Finished--All in the Day\u2019s Work--The\n  Korean Noble--Meetings of the Nobility      237\n\n\n  CHAPTER XVI\n\n  Furloughs--Chong Dong Church--Romanists in Whang\n  Hai--Missionaries to the Rescue--Romanists Annoy and Hinder\n  the Judge--Results--Interview between Governor and\n  Priest--The Inspector\u2019s Report--Women\u2019s Work in Hai Ju--Death\n  of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Miller      254\n\n\n  CHAPTER XVII\n\n  Historical Review--Korean Characteristics--Football between\n  Japan, China and Russia--Ill-advised Movements--Unrest\n  and Excitement--Korea Allied to Japan--Japanese in\n  Korea--Po an Whai--Kaiwha--Railroad Extension--Japanese\n  Protectorate--Petition to President Roosevelt--Removal\n  of American Legation--Education in Korea--Righteous\n  Army--True Civilization      272\n\n\n  CHAPTER XVIII\n\n  Present Status of Missions--Wonderful Progress--Education\n  for Girls--Medical Missions--Denominational Comity--Christianity\n  Spreading--Individuals at Work--Christian\n  Heroes--Character of Korean Christians--How the Work\n  Grows--Christian Influence--Training Classes--Circuit Work--Statistics--Rapid\n  Extension--Evangelistic Work--Joy and\n  Triumph--The Nation being Evangelized      300\n\n\n  CHAPTER XIX\n\n  Pentecostal Blessing--Special Meetings--Prayer Answered--Confession\n  of Sin--Revival in Schools--Great Meetings--Bible\n  Study--Effects of Blessings--Transforming Power--Holy\n  Spirit Revival--Comparative Statement of Growth--Features\n  of the Great Work--Union of Christians in Korea      335\n\n\n\n\nLIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n\n  SENTINEL GATE AT PALACE      _Frontispiece_\n\n  CITY OF SEOUL                                Opposite page      1\n\n  MAIN ENTRANCE TO PALACE                           \u201c    \u201c       10\n\n  KOREAN OFFICIAL IN CHAIR                          \u201c    \u201c       16\n\n  KOREAN STONE DOG IN FRONT OF PALACE GATES         \u201c    \u201c       20\n\n  THE KING OF KOREA                                 \u201c    \u201c       24\n\n  THE GREAT MARKET AT CHEENJU                       \u201c    \u201c       32\n\n  SURROUNDINGS OF SEOUL                             \u201c    \u201c       32\n\n  A STREET CROWD                                    \u201c    \u201c       36\n\n  TAI-TONG RIVER                                    \u201c    \u201c       44\n\n  FERRY BOAT                                        \u201c    \u201c       44\n\n  METHOD OF IRONING                                 \u201c    \u201c       48\n\n  PRINCE YU CHAI SOON, COUSIN OF KING               \u201c    \u201c       60\n\n  HIGH KOREAN OFFICIAL, KIM YAN SIK                 \u201c    \u201c       60\n\n  CARRIER OX                                        \u201c    \u201c       64\n\n  THE OX-CART OR TALGOOGY                           \u201c    \u201c       64\n\n  A KOREAN VILLAGE                                  \u201c    \u201c       68\n\n  A BUTCHER SHOP                                    \u201c    \u201c       82\n\n  BASKET SHOP                                       \u201c    \u201c       82\n\n  PLEASURE HOUSE                                    \u201c    \u201c       90\n\n  GATE IN THE WALL OF NAMHAN                        \u201c    \u201c       98\n\n  HOUSE USED BY MISSIONARIES ON TOP OF NAMHAN       \u201c    \u201c      104\n\n  DESERTED ROYAL DINING HALL                        \u201c    \u201c      112\n\n  MR. CHAY CHO SI                                   \u201c    \u201c      120\n\n  ELDER YANG AND FAMILY                             \u201c    \u201c      120\n\n  PARTY STARTING OUT IN MORNING FROM THATCHED INN   \u201c    \u201c      124\n\n  CHURCH AT SORAI                                   \u201c    \u201c      124\n\n  THE THREE STAGES OF MAN IN KOREA                  \u201c    \u201c      128\n\n  THE ROUND GATE, SEOUL                             \u201c    \u201c      146\n\n  A KOREAN TOP-KNOT                                 \u201c    \u201c      166\n\n  RUSSIAN LEGATION HOUSE                            \u201c    \u201c      172\n\n  INDEPENDENCE ARCH                                 \u201c    \u201c      172\n\n  KOREAN WOMEN AT WORK                              \u201c    \u201c      188\n\n  SCHOOL BOYS                                       \u201c    \u201c      192\n\n  GIRLS SEWING AND WRITING WITH NATIVE TEACHER      \u201c    \u201c      192\n\n  KOREAN STREET                                     \u201c    \u201c      198\n\n  HORSES IN AN INN YARD                             \u201c    \u201c      198\n\n  CANDY BOY                                         \u201c    \u201c      218\n\n  ELDER SAW OF SORAI AND HIS FAMILY                 \u201c    \u201c      234\n\n  MRS. KIM OF SORAI AND HER FAMILY                  \u201c    \u201c      242\n\n  CARRIERS WITH JIKAYS                              \u201c    \u201c      258\n\n  WOMAN WITH BUNDLE OF WASHING ON HER HEAD          \u201c    \u201c      258\n\n[Illustration: CITY OF SEOUL. PAGE 3]\n\n\n\n\nFIFTEEN YEARS AMONG THE TOP-KNOTS\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I\n\n    First Arrival--First Impressions--The City of Seoul--Korean\n    Houses--Mission Homes--Personnel of Mission in 1888--Beginnings\n    of Work--Difficulties in Attaining the Language--Korean\n    Religions--Palace Women--First Interview with Palace\n    Women--Entertainment Given in my Honor by President of Foreign\n    Office--The Interdict--Confidence Exhibited by Government in\n    Protestant Missionaries--The \u201cBaby Riots\u201d--Babies Reported to\n    have been Eaten at Foreign Legations--Restoring Confidence--The\n    Signal--First Invitation to Palace.\n\n\nI landed in Korea at the port of Chemulpo on a cloudy, windy March day,\nin 1888. My eyes fell on a rocky shore, back of which the bare sharp\noutline of low hills, whitened with patches of snow, was relieved by\nno trees to break the monotony of the scene. Dreary mud flats, instead\nof a sandy beach, lay reeking and slimy along the water\u2019s edge. As our\nboat neared the shore, for there was and is no pier, and ships even\nat high tide cannot approach very near, wild and strange-looking men,\nuttering wild and strange-sounding speech, came hurrying down the hill\nto inspect us.\n\nTheir coarse black hair was long and dishevelled, in some instances\nbraided in a single pigtail, in most cases, however, tied on top of\nthe head, where a careless attempt at a top-knot had been made, but\nelf-locks straying round the neck and face gave a wolfish and unkempt\nappearance. They were Mongolians with all the race features, not\ndiffering much from Chinese or Japanese except in dress, and being in\nthe main rather taller than the latter people. Their garments appeared\nto consist of a short loose jacket and long baggy trousers, of a dirty\nwhite native cloth. These garments among the poorer classes are never\nchanged oftener than twice in a month.\n\nThese were the people among whom I had come to work--this the country\nwhich I had chosen instead of the \u201cgroves and templed hills\u201d of my own\ndear native land. My heart swelled, and lifted up an earnest prayer\nthat it might not be in vain.\n\nIn justice to the Koreans, however, I ought to say here, that the\npeople whom I saw that morning were of the lowest and roughest class,\ntheir dress the poorest sort, and that Chemulpo, especially in March,\nis perhaps the most forbidding and unsightly place in Korea. Being\nthe main port for the capital, it is made up, as ports often are,\nvery largely of a mixture of various nationalities. Many sailors and\ntraders, and especially Chinese and Japanese merchants, have built\ntheir poor houses and shops in the main town.\n\nThe trip from Chemulpo to Seoul, about twenty-eight miles, was made\nthe following day, in a Sedan-chair carried by four coolies. The road,\nalthough a much traveled one, was very bad, but is now replaced by a\nrailroad which accomplishes the distance in about two hours and a half.\nThe country I found pleasantly rolling--comparatively few trees were\nseen, and the population thereabout seemed quite sparse. Here and there\nwere squalid mud huts thatched with straw. I found on inquiry that this\nlittle land, lying west of Japan, attached at its northern extremity to\nChina and Siberia, has an area of about ninety thousand square miles\nand a population of over fourteen millions of people, with a climate\nvarying from that in the north, like northern New York, to that in the\nextreme south, like southern Virginia.\n\nWe approached Seoul about four o\u2019clock in the afternoon, and I was\nthrilled at the sight of the first walled town I had ever beheld. The\nwalls are very picturesque--built of great blocks of stone--hung with\nivy, and give an impression of great age.\n\nAt the time of my arrival, and for some few years after, a very\ninteresting custom was in vogue with regard to the closing of these\ngates. Korea had for centuries a signal fire service, by which news of\npeace or war was with telegraphic rapidity conveyed to Seoul, and by\nnumber, frequency of repetition and other expedients a tolerably useful\ncode had been established. On the south mountain, within the walls,\nwere four beacons, one for each point of the compass, to which these\nlines converged. Every evening as soon as the sun had set, when the\nbright glow of these four beacon fires published the fact that all was\nwell in his majesty\u2019s dominions, four officials, whose business it was\nto report to the king the message of the fires, presented themselves\nat the palace, and with low obeisance, each announced that all was\nwell in the north--in the south--the east--and the west. On this, the\npalace band struck up its gayest airs, and when this music was heard,\nthe signal was given for the tolling of the great curfew bell in the\ncenter of the city. When the extremely sweet and solemn, low and yet\npenetrating tones of this bell were heard, the ponderous gates were\nswung to and barred, not to be reopened till the ringing of the same\nbell at the first streak of dawn gave the signal to the keepers.\n\nEntering through these gates, fortunately not yet closed, we saw\nnarrow, filthy streets, flanked by low mud houses, either thatched with\nstraw, or tiled. It has been aptly said that the city looks like a vast\nbed of mushrooms, since none of the Korean houses are built more than\none story high.\n\nThe common people are very poor and their homes seem to an American\nwretchedly poor and comfortless, and yet, compared with the most\ndestitute of London or New York, there are few who go cold or hungry\nin Seoul. Each dwelling is so arranged that the part of the house\noccupied by the women, which is called the _anpang_, or inner room,\nshall be screened from sight from the street and from those entering\nthe gate--for every house has at least a tiny courtyard, part of which\nis also screened off (either by another wall, or by mats, or trees and\nbushes) for the women\u2019s use.\n\nMany of the homes of the poor consist of but one room, with a sort of\nouter shed, which is used as kitchen. Such a place often has no window,\nor at most only a tiny one, and both window and door are covered with\nwhite paper instead of glass. These doors are usually very low and\nnarrow, so that even a small woman must stoop to enter, and within it\nis not always possible to stand upright except in the center, where\nthe roof is highest. These small rooms are easily heated by means\nof a system of flues built under the floor, which consists of stone\nand mud. A fire of brush and twigs is kindled under one side of the\nhouse, and as the chimney opens at the other side, the draft naturally\ncarries smoke and heat through the flues, the floor becomes very hot,\nand the whole room is quickly warmed. The fireplace is built in with\npots for boiling the rice--so that a great advantage is obtained in\nthe matter of economy, the one fire booth cooks and warms. Wherever\nit can be afforded, a _sarang_, or men\u2019s sitting room, which opens\ndirectly on the street or road, or upon the men\u2019s court, is part of the\nestablishment. Here any man may enter; male guests are entertained, and\nfed, and here they sleep. No men not members of the family or relatives\never enter the _anpang_.\n\nIt is needless to say that everything in connection with these houses\nis fearfully unsanitary, and many of them are filthy and full of\nvermin. All sewage flows out into the unspeakable ditches on either\nside of the street. Of late years efforts have been made to alter this\nstate of things, better streets have been laid, and the open sewers,\nwhich have existed for many years, are sluiced out by the summer rains,\nwhich are the salvation of the city.\n\nIt was a great and delightful surprise when suddenly, entering a gate\nin a mud wall, we left behind us these dirty streets and saw around us\na lovely lawn, flower beds, bushes and trees, and a pretty picturesque\nmission home. It was like magic. I found our mission in possession of\nnative houses which had been occupied in past years by wealthy but now\nruined or banished noblemen. They had been purchased at a ridiculously\nlow price in a condition of dilapidation, repaired at little expense\nand the interiors more or less Europeanized. The one which I entered\nhad, with great good taste, been left without other ceiling than its\nquaint and massive beams and rafters of blackened wood, the walls were\nprettily papered, and rugs and comfortable furniture and a few pictures\nand ornaments gave a homelike air. The rooms were spacious, and having\nbeen the dwelling of the rich, they were not so low or dark as those I\nhave just described.\n\nOur mission, which at that time had been established about four years,\nwas high in favor with the government. Dr. Allen first, and later Dr.\nHeron, were the official physicians to the king, who had established\na government hospital, over which he had placed them in charge. Miss\nEllers, lately married, had been appointed medical adviser to the\nqueen and had been placed in charge of the women\u2019s department of the\nhospital, both of which positions she had resigned after her marriage,\nand to both of which I had been appointed to succeed. The members of\nthe mission whom I found were Dr. and Mrs. Heron, Rev. H. G. Underwood\nand Mrs. Bunker (formerly Miss Ellers). Dr. and Mrs. Allen had returned\nto America on an official mission.\n\nWork had been well started, the hospital was daily crowded with\npatients, in addition to which Dr. Heron had a large foreign and native\npractice, as well as a hospital school for the instruction of future\ndrug clerks and medical students. Mr. Underwood had established an\norphan boys\u2019 home and school, had assisted Dr. Allen in his clinics\ntill the arrival of Dr. Heron, and was at that time, in addition to\nthe entire care of the orphanage, teaching in the government hospital\nschool, which it was hoped might be the stepping stone to a medical\nschool. He was holding regular religious services, and about thirty had\nbeen baptized. He had made a long trip into the interior, up to the\nnorthern borders, selling tracts and preaching everywhere. Language\nhelps were in preparation, and the Gospel of Mark in a tentative form\nhad been translated. Miss Ellers was in charge of women\u2019s medical\nwork up to my arrival, and was high in favor with the queen, who had\nbestowed rank upon her, and many costly presents. She had also begun to\nwork and train the first member of the girls\u2019 school.\n\nI found that help was much needed on all sides. The day after my\narrival saw me installed at the hospital with an interpreter at my\nside. Here work usually lasted about three hours. My home was with Dr.\nand Mrs. Heron, who with warmest kindness had fitted up a sunny room\nfor me. Here Dr. Heron and I had a joint dispensary, and here I was\nbesieged at all hours by women desiring medical attention. I soon found\nthat language study was continually interrupted very seriously by these\napplicants, who respected not times or seasons. I was of course called\nupon to visit patients in their homes, one of whom, the wife of the\nChinese minister of state, Prince Uan (now a very prominent personage\nin Chinese matters), must be seen every day with an amount of ceremony\nwhich took not a little of my precious time. However, finding that\nothers were being overworked, I consented to give two hours each day to\nteaching the little orphans arithmetic and English.\n\nOf course we made slow progress, and floundered not a little when the\nteacher knew no Korean, and the pupils no English. This institution\nhad the unqualified favor of the king, and except the hospital was the\nfirst institution in Korea which illustrated the loving-kindness of the\nLord. We hoped it might become a successful school, where souls might\nbe saved, ere they had been steeped for years in vice, and the first\nsteps taken in the preparation of evangelists and preachers. Our duty\nand chief desire was of course to acquire the language, but this was\nmuch interrupted by this other work. As we stood there, such a little\ncompany among these dying millions, we could not realize that hours of\npreparation then meant doubled usefulness in years to come, and so time\nand energy, that should have been spent mainly in study, were poured\nout in hospital, dispensary and schools.\n\nThe new missionaries of these later days are put in a language\nincubator as soon as they arrive and kept there till they emerge\nfull-fledged linguists, who have passed three searching examinations\nby the language committee of the missions. Then we sat down with an\nEnglish-Chinese dictionary (most scholarly Koreans know a little\nChinese), a Korean-French dictionary, a French grammar and a Korean\nreader with a small English primer on Korean, the Gospel of Mark and\na Korean catechism for text books. We were presented to a Korean\ngentleman knowing not one syllable of English, or the first principles\nof the constructions of any language on earth, or even the parts of\nspeech, and without the glimmering of an idea as to the best methods\nor any method of teaching, who yet was called, probably ironically,\n\u201ca teacher,\u201d from whom we were expected to pump with all diligence\nsuch information on the language as he was able to bestow. With\nscanty knowledge of French, more than rusty from long disuse, I\nlabored and floundered, trying now this plan, now that, with continual\ninterruptions and discouragements.\n\nBefore I could more than stammer a few sentences I was called upon to\nbegin religious teaching, so undertook a Sunday school service with the\nlittle boys, using a catechism which I could not yet translate, but\n(knowing the sounds) could hear the boys recite. Soon after I began\nholding a Bible class with a few women, with the aid of a little native\nboy who had learned English and a former sorceress who could read the\nChinese Scriptures. This woman would read the chapter, we all united\nin the Lord\u2019s prayer and in singing the few hymns then translated, and\nI talked to the women through the medium of my little interpreter. I\nstruggled and stumbled. The women were patient and polite, but to our\nFather it must have looked the spoiled tangled patchwork of the child\nwho wished to help, with ignorant, untaught hands, and made a loving\nbotch of it all.\n\nPerhaps right here a few words about the Korean religions may be in\nplace. Confucianism, Buddhism and Taouism all hold a sort of sway\nover the natives, and yet all have lost, to a great extent, the\ninfluence they once had. The majority have very little faith in any\nreligion. Confucianism, otherwise a mere philosophical system of\nmorals, has the strongest hold upon the people in the laws it enjoins\nfor ancestor worship. This custom, enforced by the strongest and most\nwidespread superstitions in the minds of the Koreans, binds them\nwith fetters stronger than iron. If ancestors are not worshiped with\nmost punctilious regard to every smallest detail of the law, dire\ncalamities will befall, from the wrath of irate and neglected spirits.\nThe servitude thus compelled is hard and wearisome, but not one jot or\ntittle must be omitted, and woe to the wretch who, embracing another\ndoctrine, fails to perform these rites. He or she is looked upon as\nmore than a traitor to home and friends, false to the most sacred\nobligations. Buddhism has fallen low, until very lately its priests\nwere forbidden to enter the capital, and they rank next to the slayer\nof cattle, the lowest in the land.\n\nA few Buddhist temples are maintained at government expense or by\nendowment, and women and children, and all the more ignorant, still\nworship and believe, to some extent. The same classes also worship and\nfear an infinite number of all sorts of evil deities--gods or demons,\nwho infest earth, air and sea, gods of various diseases, and all\ntrades; these in common with Satan himself must be propitiated with\nprayers and sacrifices, beating of drums, ringing of bells and other\nceremonials too numerous to mention.\n\nOver all other objects of worship, they believe, is the great Heavens,\nthe personification of the visible heavens, who, as nearly as I can\ndiscover, is identical with the Baal referred to in the Old Testament;\nbut everywhere their faith waxes more and more feeble in these old\nworn-out superstitions. In many cases only respect for ancient customs\nand public opinion keeps them even in appearance to the outward\nforms of worship. They are as sheep without a shepherd, lost in the\nwilderness, \u201cfaint and hungry, and ready to die,\u201d and so when the\ngospel comes, it finds many weary souls, ready to take Christ\u2019s yoke\nupon them and find his rest.\n\nAnd yet how hopeless looked the task we had before us in those days,\na little company of scarce a dozen people, including our Methodist\nbrethren, many of us able to stammer only a few words of the language\nas yet, attempting to introduce Christianity into a nation of fourteen\nor more millions of people, in the place of their long established\nreligions; and beginning with a few poor farmers and old women. But the\nelements of success, the certainty of victory, lay in the divine nature\nof the religion, and in the Almighty God who sent us with it. This\nknowledge inspired us and this alone.\n\nA few days after my arrival in Seoul a messenger came from the queen,\nto bid me welcome, and inquire if I had had a pleasant journey, and\nshortly after Mrs. Heron asked some of the queen\u2019s attendants to meet\nme at luncheon. These women are not, as in other courts, ladies of\nhigh rank, for such could never, under Korean customs, endure the\npublicity of the palace, but are taken as children and young girls from\nthe middle and lower classes, and entirely separated from all others,\nto the service of their majesties. They usually hold no rank, and are\ntreated with respect, only on account of their relations to the royal\nfamily. They wear on all state occasions immense quantities of false\nhair, which gives them a peculiarly grotesque appearance; are much\npowdered and perfumed, with pencilled and shaven eyebrows; wear long\nflowing silken robes, gilded ornaments in their hair and at their\nwaists; and present the sad spectacle of women whose very decorations\nseem only to add to and emphasize their painful uncomeliness.\n\n[Illustration: MAIN ENTRANCE TO PALACE. PAGE 20]\n\nKorean women as a rule are not beautiful. I, who love them as much as\nany one ever did, who look upon them as my own sisters, must confess\nthis. Sorrow, hopelessness, hard labor, sickness, lovelessness,\nignorance, often, too often, shame, have dulled their eyes, and\nhardened and scarred their faces, so that one looks in vain for a\nsemblance of beauty among women over twenty-five years of age. Among\nthe little maids and young wives (saixies), who do not yet show the\neffects of the heavy hand of care and toil, one often finds a sweet\nbright gentle face that is pretty, winning, and very rarely even\nbeautiful. But these poor palace women come not under that class;\nhardened, coarse and vulgar, their appearance only calls forth\ncompassion. I found to my surprise that they were all smokers, and\nthey were equally surprised that I would not accept their invitation\nto join them in this indulgence. They examined my dress and belongings\nwith childish curiosity, and deluged me with questions as to my age,\nwhy I had never married, whether I had children, and why not, and other\nthings equally impertinent and hard to answer; but were after all good\nnatured, friendly and well meaning.\n\nThis was my first introduction to Korean officialdom, and following\nthis within a very short time came another, in the form of a luncheon\nand acrobatic entertainment given for me by the President of the\nForeign Office, Kim Yun Sik. This invitation came for the following\nSunday--and troubled me, because I was afraid the official (who\nwas quite ignorant of our customs and was offering me a flattering\nevidence of courtesy and good will) would be hurt by my refusal to\naccept an invitation for that day, and would very likely misunderstand\nit. However, there was nothing else to be done, and with suitable\nexplanations, I announced my extreme regret at being obliged to refuse\nhis kindness.\n\nWith great good feeling, he then changed the day, and I was given\n_carte blanche_ to invite my friends, and of course asked the ladies\nof the Methodist mission, as well as our own. Several Korean gentlemen\nof high rank, including those in connection with the hospital, and\nothers, had also been invited by my host. The table, for in deference\nto our foreign custom, one long table, instead of a number of small\nones, had been arranged--was piled high with Korean dainties.\nChicken, pheasant and other cold meats, fish, eggs, nuts and fruits\nprepared in many fanciful ways, Chinese preserved fruits and candies,\na gutta-percha-like delicacy called \u201cdock,\u201d made of rice and oil\npounded well together, an alcoholic native beverage called s\u00fcl, and\nchampagne and cigars. It is needless to say that we Americans did not\npartake of these latter additions to the _menu_. A vast crowd from\nthe streets poured into the large courtyard, to see the acrobats,\nwho were a strolling band hired for the occasion. Their performance\nconsisted chiefly in tight-rope walking and tumbling, and was in no\nway remarkable. It lasted, however, nearly three hours, during all of\nwhich time we listened to the monotonous whining of the Korean band,\nmore like a Scotch bagpipe (dear cousins, forgive) than anything else\nI know of; and learned the Korean verb \u201canchera\u201d (sit down), which I\nheard that day repeated a thousand times, in all its moods, tenses and\ncase endings, in tones of exasperation to the irrepressible Korean boy,\nwho _would_ stand up to see, just for all the world like some boys of\nwhiter skin, nearer home.\n\nJust before this, Mr. Underwood and Mr. Appenzeller had started on a\nlong itinerating trip toward the north, the second Mr. Underwood had\nundertaken. While they were absent the wrath of the Korean king and\ncabinet against the Romanists reached the boiling point, and culminated\nin a decree forbidding the further teaching of foreign religions in the\nports. The country was not open to us (as it is not to-day, except by\nspecial passports). The Romanists, with their well-known love of chief\nseats and high places, failing to profit by their former experiences\nof trouble from similar causes in China, insisted upon choosing as\nthe site for their future cathedral one of the highest points in the\ncity, overlooking the palace, and adjoining the temple holding royal\nancestral tablets. The property had been obtained unknown to the king,\nthrough the medium of Korean agents, and though he used his utmost\nendeavors, both with the priests and with the French legation, to\ninduce them to change this for any other site, they remained obdurate,\nutterly refused to yield, and proceeded to lay the foundation of\ntheir church. The decree immediately followed, and the American\nminister advised, nay ordered, us to recall our missionaries, who most\nunwillingly returned. There were, indeed, those who asserted that this\nearly attempt to carry the Gospel into the interior had been, at least\nin part, the cause of the obnoxious decree, which made it look as if\nour work was, for a time at least, at an end. That this was not so was\nproved by the fact that Mr. Underwood had hardly returned ere he was\nwaited upon by a committee consisting of high Korean nobles and members\nof the cabinet, offering him the entire charge of their government\nschool, with a generous salary, and with the full understanding that\nhe would not hesitate to teach Christianity to the pupils.\n\nThis offer, displaying the great confidence, instead of the displeasure\nand suspicion which foreigners assured us was the feeling of the\nKoreans toward our evangelistic workers, was taken into serious\nconsideration, but was finally refused on account of its interference\nwith other work, and for other reasons equally important.\n\nIt remained to us all to decide upon our course of conduct with regard\nto the prohibitory decree. Some of our number--the majority--argued,\nthat as it was the law of the land, nothing remained for Christian\nlaw-abiding people but to obey it, to stop holding even morning prayers\nin our schools, to hold no religious services with Koreans, but to\nwait and pray, until God should move the king\u2019s heart, and have the\ndecree rescinded. By this course they believed we should win favor with\nthe authorities, while defiance or disobedience might cause our whole\nmission to be expelled from the country.\n\nA small minority, however, Mr. Appenzeller, now with the Lord, his\nwife, Mr. Underwood and myself, held that the decree had never been\nissued against us or our work, and that even if it had, we were under\nhigher orders than that of a Korean king. Our duty was to preach and\ntake the consequences, resting for authority on the word of God, spoken\nthrough Peter, in Acts, 4:19, to the rulers who forbade the apostles to\npreach, \u201c_Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken unto you,\nmore than unto God, judge ye, for we cannot but speak the things which\nwe have seen and heard._\u201d Others might stop, as they did, with sorrow,\nconscientiously believing that to be the best course; we continued to\nteach and preach, in public and private, singing hymns, which could\nbe heard far and near, in the little meeting-house. No attempt was\never made in any way to hinder us. Christians and other attendants on\nservices came and went unmolested. Christianity has grown much since\nthen, and is acknowledged as a factor in the politics of more than one\nprovince. No one ever thinks now of disguising or in any way concealing\nour work, yet _that law has never to this day been rescinded_. This is\nexactly in accord with Eastern customs. Laws become a dead letter, and\npass into disuse; they are not often annulled.\n\nAnother event of interest, which occurred during these first months\nafter my arrival in Korea, was the excitement culminating in what were\ncalled \u201cthe baby riots.\u201d Similar troubles in Tientsin, China, had some\nyears previously resulted in the massacre of a number of foreigners,\nincluding Jesuit priests, nuns and two or three French officials.\n\nSome person or persons, with malicious intent, started a rumor which\nspread like wild-fire, that foreigners were paying wicked Koreans to\nsteal native children, in order to cut out their hearts and eyes, to\nbe used for medicine. This crime was imputed chiefly to the Japanese,\nand it was supposed the story had been originated by Chinese or others\nespecially inimical to the large numbers of Japanese residents in\nthe capital. Mr. Underwood acquainted the Japanese minister with the\nrumors, in order that he might protect himself and his people; which he\npromptly did by issuing, and causing to be issued by the government,\nproclamations entirely clearing his countrymen of all blame in the\nmatter, which it was left to be understood was an acknowledged fact,\nand consequently the work of other \u201cvile foreigners,\u201d namely, ourselves\nand the Europeans. The excitement and fury grew hourly. Large crowds of\nangry people congregated, scowling, muttering, and threatening. Koreans\ncarrying their own children were attacked, beaten, and even killed,\non the supposition that they were kidnapping the children of others;\nand a high Korean official, who tried to protect one of these men, was\npulled from his chair, and narrowly escaped with his life, although he\nwas surrounded by a crowd of retainers and servants. It was considered\nunsafe for foreigners to be seen in the street. Marines were called up\nfrom Chemulpo to guard the different legations, and some Americans even\npacked away their most necessary clothing and valuables, preparatory\nto fleeing to the port. The wildest stories were told. Babies, it was\nsaid, had been eaten at the German, English, and American legations,\nand the hospital, of course, was considered by all the headquarters of\nthis bloodthirsty work, for there, where medicine was manufactured and\ndiseases treated, the babies must certainly be butchered.\n\nOne day, when returning from my clinic, my chair was surrounded by\nrough-looking men, who told my bearers that they should all be killed\nif they carried me to the hospital again; and such was the terror\ninspired, that these men positively refused to take me thither the\nfollowing day. So I rode on horseback through the city to the hospital,\nMr. Underwood, who also had duties at the hospital school, acting as\nmy escort. We went and returned quite unmolested, and it has been\nmy experience then and later, that a bold front and appearance of\nfearlessness and unconcern in moments of danger impress Asiatics, and\nact as a great safeguard for the foreigner.\n\nIn the meanwhile, however, the European foreign representatives\nhad awakened to the fact that a very real danger threatened our\nlittle community, and might ripen at any moment into destruction.\nProclamations from the Foreign Office were posted everywhere, but the\nearliest of these were mistakenly worded, leaving the impression\nstill that possibly some \u201cvile foreigner\u201d had instituted these awful\ndeeds, and that should he be discovered sore punishment would follow.\nAt last, however, a notice appeared, written at the dictation of these\nsame \u201cvile foreigners,\u201d in which it was positively stated that not only\nhad no such thing been done by any foreigners, but that should any one\nbe caught uttering these slanders, he would be at once arrested, and\nunless able to prove the truth of his tales, be punished with death.\nDetectives and police officers were scattered everywhere through the\ncity, people were forbidden to stand in groups of twos and threes, a\nfew arrests were made, and the riots were at an end.\n\n[Illustration: KOREAN OFFICIAL IN CHAIR. PAGE 16]\n\nBefore calm was restored, however, we had some uncertain, not to say\nuneasy, hours. On the evening of the day when the excitement had been\nat its highest, we received word from the American legation that should\nthere be evidence that the mob were intending to attack our homes, a\ngun would be fired in the legation grounds as a signal, and we were\nthen to hasten thither for mutual safety and defense.\n\nIt was a calm starlit July night. We sat in the little porch leading\ninto our compound, enjoying the cool evening air, when suddenly a\nterrific illumination of blazing buildings lit up the horizon, and\na fearful hubbub of a shouting, yelling mob assailed our ears. With\nbeating hearts we watched and listened. Some one said Korean mobs\nalways began by burning houses, and while we waited, wondering what it\nall meant, the air was rent by the sharp, quick report of a gun from\nthe American legation.\n\nThis seemed to leave no doubt as to the real state of affairs, and Mr.\nUnderwood and Mr. Hulbert at once repaired to the legation to make sure\nthat there was no mistake, but soon returned, with the welcome news,\nthat the firing of the gun had been accidental. The burning buildings\nalso proved to have been only a coincidence, and the noise nothing more\nthan common with a Korean crowd round a fire. In a way that still seems\nto be miraculous, the raging of the heathen was quieted, God was round\nabout us, the danger that looked inevitable passed away, and all was\ncalm.\n\nNot long after this came the first request from the palace for me to\nattend on the queen, to which I responded not without some anxiety,\nlest through some unlooked-for occurrence some misstep on my part,\nthe work of our mission so auspiciously begun should be hindered or\nstopped. As yet somewhat uncertain of our foothold, ignorant to a\nlarge extent of the people with whom we had to deal, we trembled lest\nsome inadvertence might close the door, only so lately and unwillingly\nopened. I had been told I must always go in full court dress, but\nwhen I came to open the boxes, which contained the gowns prepared\nfor this purpose, I found that both had been ruined in crossing the\nPacific and could not be worn. Alas! how inauspicious to be obliged to\nappear before royalty in unsuitable attire, which might be attributed\nto disrespect! But a far more serious trouble than this weighed upon\nmy mind as my chair coolies jogged me along the winding streets and\nalleys to the palace grounds. I had been strictly warned not to say\nanything to the queen on the subject of religion. \u201cWe are only here on\nsufferance,\u201d it was urged, \u201cand even though our teaching the common\npeople may be overlooked and winked at, if it is brought before the\nauthorities so openly and boldly, as it would be to introduce it into\nthe palace, even our warmest friends might feel obliged to utterly\nforbid further access to the royal family, if not to banish us\naltogether from the country.\u201d \u201cWait,\u201d it was said, \u201cuntil our footing\nis more assured; do not risk all through impatience.\u201d\n\nI saw the logic of these words, though my heart talked hotly in a very\ndifferent way; but I went to the palace with my mouth sealed on the one\nsubject I had come to proclaim.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II\n\n    The Palaces--The Stone Dogs--The Fire God\u2019s Defeat--The\n    Summer Pleasure House--Royal Reception Hall--Court Dress of\n    Noblemen--First Impression of the King--Appearance of the\n    Queen--The Queen\u2019s Troubles--The Queen\u2019s Coup d\u2019\u00e9tat--The\n    Verb Endings--The Queen\u2019s Generosity--Stone Fight--Gifts--The\n    Quaga--Poukhan--Its Impregnability--Picturesque Surroundings\n    of Seoul--Pioneer Work--Progress of Work--The Queen\u2019s Wedding\n    Gift--Our Wedding--Opposition to my Going to the Interior--My\n    Chair--The Chair Coolies.\n\n\nThe palaces, of which there were at that time three, and are now four,\nwithin the city walls, consist of several groups of one-story bungalow\nbuildings, within large grounds or parks, which are surrounded by fine\nstone walls, twelve or fifteen feet high, of considerable thickness.\nWithin these in closures were barracks for soldiers, and quarters for\nunder-officials and servants. A special group of houses stood separated\nfrom the others for women\u2019s apartments, and here might be seen the\naged and rather infirm dowager queen, who died about a year after my\narrival. The main gates in the walls of the palace I was about to visit\nare three, facing on the great main thoroughfare of the city. The\ncentral one, larger than the others, was used only for royalty; even\nministers of foreign states are expected to enter by one of the two\nsmaller ones on either side.\n\nThe fact that on one occasion the central gate had by special royal\norder been thrown open for the American minister is an illustration of\nthe kindness and favor always shown to our representatives. These\nentrances are approached by broad, stone steps and a platform with\nhandsome, carved stone balustrade, which is surmounted as well as the\nlofty gates by crudely chiseled stone images of various mythological\nanimals. Some ten or more paces in front of these steps, and on either\nside, are the great stone dogs, so called for want of a better name,\nfor they no more resemble dogs than lions. The story of their origin\nis as follows: The fire god, it was said, had a special enmity against\nthis palace, and repeatedly burned it down; various efforts had been\nmade to propitiate or intimidate him with little success; at length an\nexpensive dragon was brought from China and placed in a moat in the\ngrounds. While he lived all was well, but one ill-fated day an enemy\npoisoned this faithful guardian, and that night the palace was again\nburned. Finally some fertile brain devised these animals, no poison\ncould affect their stony digestion, no fear or cajoling could impress\ntheir hard hearts; so there they stand on their tall pedestals--fierce\nand uncompromising, facing the quarter whence the fire god comes,\nalways on guard, never sleeping in their faithful watch, and, as\nmight be expected, he has never been able to burn the buildings thus\nprotected.\n\n[Illustration: KOREAN STONE DOG IN FRONT OF PALACE GATES. PAGE 21]\n\nI was conducted, however, through neither of these three main gates,\nbut as a very strict rule was then in existence that no chair coolies\nshould be allowed within the palace walls, my chair was carried to\na small gate, much nearer the royal apartments, so that we should\nnot be obliged to walk so far. Mrs. Bunker and Dr. Heron accompanied\nme, and we were met by gentlemanly Korean officials, and taken to a\nlittle waiting room, furnished with European chairs, and a table,\nupon which were little cakes, cigars and champagne, all of which were\noffered to us ladies, though after a better acquaintance with us,\ntea was substituted in place of the tobacco and wine. It would take\nfar too long to describe all that engaged my eager interest as we\nwalked through the palace grounds. A beautiful and interesting summer\npleasure house--perhaps one of the most unique and remarkable in the\nworld--stands in the center of a large lotus pond. It has an upper\nstory and roof supported on forty-eight monoliths, the outer row being\nabout four feet square at the base; the inner columns are rounded, of\nabout the same diameter, and sixteen or eighteen feet high; the upper\nstory is of wood, elaborately carved, and brightly decorated; most\nof these buildings are covered with a beautiful green glazed tile,\npeculiar to royal edifices.\n\nThere were many other interesting buildings, among which the royal\nreception hall was probably the finest. We saw a great number of\nofficials, eunuchs, chusas, noblemen and soldiers, each kind and grade\nwearing a different attire from all the others.\n\nThe dress of the common soldiers was intended to be an imitation of\nEuropean military costume adapted to the ideas of the Koreans. The\nresult was a hybrid which had neither the dignity nor the usefulness of\nthe one or the other. It consisted of a loose blouse jacket, and badly\nfitting, baggy trousers, made of thin black cotton cloth, with scarlet\ntrimmings. The jacket was belted in, and a black felt hat surmounted\nthe top-knot, and was fastened insecurely beneath the chin by a narrow\nband. This unbecoming uniform has now been changed, and the Emperor\u2019s\nsoldiers are as well dressed as those of any European nation.\n\nKorean noblemen when in attendance at the palace wear a dark blue coat,\nwith a belt which is far too large and forms a sort of hoop in front\nof the person. An embroidered breastplate is worn over the chest,\nrepresenting a stork for civil office and a tiger for military rank.\nThe head-dress is a kind of hat woven of horsehair, with wings at\neither side, curved forward, as it were in order to catch every word\nuttered by royalty. Nobles and officials wear on the hat band, just\nback of the ears, buttons of various styles made of gold or jade, which\nindicate the degree of the wearer\u2019s rank.\n\nWhen the royal family were ready to see us, Mrs. Bunker and I were\nconducted through the grounds a short distance, passed through several\ngateways, and at length stood at the entrance of an anteroom half\nfilled with nobles, eunuchs and palace women, beyond which, in a very\nsmall inner room, were the king and queen, and their son, a youth about\nsixteen years of age. We passed forward to the audience-room, bowing\nfrequently and very low to the smiling party of three who awaited us.\n\nNever before had I, an American--a descendant of colonial ancestors who\nhad cast off the shackles of tyranny--bowed so low. Never had I thought\nto feel as I felt when first entering the presence of a real live king\nand queen. The royal family had most graciously risen to greet us,\nand at once invited us to be seated. At that time, at least, Korean\nnobles never entered the royal presence without prostrating themselves\nto the ground, and such a piece of presumption as sitting was never\ndreamed of; so we refused the offered chairs, having been especially\nwarned that not to do so might awaken jealousy and make enemies to\nthe cause of Christianity. The point, however, was insisted upon to\nsuch an extent that we could no longer with politeness refuse, and so\nwe found ourselves sitting face to face in a chatty sort of way, in a\nlittle eight by ten room, with the king and queen of Korea. The king\nimpressed me at that and every subsequent meeting as a fine-looking\ngenial gentleman. He was attired in a long touramachi, or coat of rich\nred silk (the royal color), with a cap or head-dress like those worn\nby the noblemen, except that the wings turned back rather than forward\nlike theirs.\n\nThe queen, of course, excited my deepest interest. Slightly pale and\nquite thin, with somewhat sharp features and brilliant piercing eyes,\nshe did not strike me at first sight as being beautiful, but no one\ncould help reading force, intellect and strength of character in that\nface, and as she became engaged in conversation, vivacity, na\u00efvet\u00e9,\nwit, all brightened her countenance, and gave it a wonderful charm, far\ngreater than mere physical beauty; and I have seen the queen of Korea\nwhen she looked positively beautiful.\n\nShe possessed mental qualities of a high order, as I soon learned,\nand although, like all Asiatics, her learning consisted chiefly in\nthe Chinese classics, she possessed a very intelligent idea of the\ngreat nations of the world and their governments, for she asked many\nquestions, and remembered what she heard. She was a subtle and able\ndiplomatist and usually outwitted her keenest opponents; she was,\nmoreover, a sovereign of broad and progressive policy, patriotic,\nand devoted to the best interests of her country and sought the good\nof the people to a much larger extent than would be expected of an\nOriental queen. In addition, she possessed a warm heart, a tender love\nfor little children, a delicacy and consideration in her relations,\nat least with us missionaries, which would have done honor to any\nEuropean lady of high rank. The queen, though a Korean who had never\nseen the society of a foreign court, was a perfect lady. It was with\nsurprise that I learned that as much difference exists in Korea between\nthe people of high birth and breeding and the common coolie as is\nfound between the European gentleman and the day laborer. Their\nmajesties kindly inquired about my trip to Korea, my present comfort,\nand my friends and family in America, showing the kindest interest\nin what concerned me most. The conversation was carried on through\nan interpreter, who stood behind a tall screen, his body bent nearly\ndouble in reverence, never raising his eyes.\n\n[Illustration: THE KING OF KOREA. PAGE 23]\n\nI learned later that Korean doctors, always men, who had treated\nthe queen, felt (?) her pulse by using a cord, one end of which was\nfastened about her wrist, and the other carried into the next room\nwas held in the doctor\u2019s fingers. The royal tongue, I was told, was\nprotruded through a slit in a screen for the physician\u2019s observation.\nI found the queen\u2019s trouble nothing more serious than a small furuncle\nwhich needed lancing; but as the mere suggestion of approaching her\nsacred person with any sort of surgical instrument was looked upon\nwith unspeakable horror and indignation by all who surrounded her, and\nwas flatly forbidden by the king, patience and slower measures were\nnecessarily resorted to.\n\nIt was hardly to be wondered at that all the queen\u2019s friends were so\nover-cautious and fearful for her safety. She had suffered long and\nmalignant persecution at the hands of a cruel father-in-law, whose\nwicked ambitious schemes and greed of power she had balked, and nothing\nthat a fertile brain and hate combined with wealth and influence could\ncontrive was left undone to bring about the ruin of this unhappy\nlady. Slander, assassins, insurrection, fire, conspiracy with hostile\nnations--were all resorted to; many and thrilling were her hairbreadth\nescapes. Once disguised and carried on the back of a faithful retainer,\nshe was taken from one end of the city to the other, and once in a\ncommon native woman\u2019s chair she was borne to a place of concealment\nand safety. Nearly her whole immediate family were destroyed at one\nfell blow, by means of an infernal machine cunningly devised, sent as\na present of great value from a supposed hermit, to be opened only in\nthe presence of every member of the family. Through some fortunate\ncircumstance the queen was detained away, but all present were\ninstantly killed and horribly mutilated. To understand the reason for\nthis ferocious enmity, one needs to know a little of the royal history.\n\nThe present king was the adopted son of a former childless king. His\nwidow appointed the present king\u2019s father to act as regent until\nthe majority of his son. The older man was greedy of power, keen\nand crafty, and not inclined to hand over the reins of government;\nhe therefore selected a wife for his son from a family of his near\nfriends, choosing a woman he supposed he could easily control; but he\nwas mistaken in her character and gifts. Years slipped by and time had\nlong been over-ripe for the king to assume the government, and yet the\n\u201cTai-won-kun\u201d gave no sign of relinquishing his clutch upon the reins\nof power; but the king, gentle and submissive to his father, as all\nKoreans are taught to be, was unwilling to force a resignation. One\nmorning, however, through a _coup d\u2019\u00e9tat_ of the queen, the old man\nfound himself displaced, and a new cabinet and set of advisers selected\nfrom the friends and cousins of the queen. His rage knew no bounds,\nand from that time forth he planned her destruction. How he finally\nsucceeded in carrying out his malicious intentions must be related\nlater. Thus far, the queen, equally shrewd and fortunate, had escaped\nhis toils.\n\nTo return to our palace visit, however. After examining into her\nmajesty\u2019s trouble, and prescribing a course of treatment, we took our\nleave, backing and bowing ourselves out of the royal apartments as if\nwe had been born and bred hangers-on of courts. I soon learned that\nall my verbs must wear a long train of \u201c_simnaitas_,\u201d \u201c_simnikas_,\u201d\nand \u201c_sipsios_,\u201d the highest honorific endings when visiting the\npalace. Each Korean verb has a generous collection of these endings,\nfrom which the confused and unwary stranger must select at his peril,\nwhen addressing natives of different ranks; but there is no doubt,\nfortunately, about what must be used at the palace, and one feels quite\nsafe if every verb is tipped with a \u201c_simnaita_\u201d or \u201c_simnika_.\u201d To be\nsure, there are high Chinese-derived words, which natives always use\nthere, instead of the simpler Anglo-Saxon--I should say, Korean--but\nuninitiated foreigners are not expected to know them, and are really\nmost generously excused for all mistakes. Koreans are in this respect\nmodels of kindness and politeness, and will often hear newcomers make\nthe most laughable and absurd mistakes without a single spasm of\ncountenance to show that they have taken note of the blunder.\n\nNot many days after this visit to the palace, an official appeared\nat my home with a number of interesting and beautiful gifts from the\nqueen, including a fine embroidered screen, embroidered pillow, and bed\ncushions, native silks, linens, cotton materials, fans, pockets and\nvarious other articles.\n\nHer majesty was extremely generous, and it was nothing unusual for her\nthus to bestow in most munificent fashion gifts upon the members of our\nmission whom she had met, and upon the ladies of the legations. Every\nKorean New Year\u2019s day any of us who were in the slightest way connected\nwith the palace or government institutions received many pheasants,\nbags of nuts, pounds of beef, large fish, hundreds of eggs and pounds\nof dried persimmons.\n\nOn the royal birthdays, too, dainties were sent to us, and at the\nbeginning of each summer dozens of fans and jars of honey water were\npresented. This open-handed generosity indicated not only the queen\u2019s\nkind disposition, but the favor with which all Americans were regarded\nby the Korean authorities, due largely to the favorable impression\nwhich Dr. Allen had made, and also perhaps to the fact that we belonged\nto a large and powerful nation, which had no object in interfering in\nEastern politics in any way to the detriment of Korea, and which might\nbecome an efficient ally and defender.\n\nDuring my first year I had the exciting and doubtful privilege of\nbeing present at a native sectional or stone fight, an experience\nwhich few covet even once--and which the wise and informed, at least\nof womankind, invariably forego. Once a year at a certain season,\nwhere two neighborhoods or sections have grievances against each\nother, they settle them by one of these fights. They choose captains,\narrange the opposing parties, and begin firing stones and tiles at\neach other. As one crowd or the other is by turns victorious, and the\npursued flee before their enemies, and as those who are at one moment\ntriumphant are often the very next the vanquished, hotly chased, it\nis almost impossible to find any safe point of vantage from which to\nview the conflict. At any instant the place one has chosen, as well\nremoved and safe, may become the ground of the hottest battle. Very\nlarge stones are often thrown, and people are fatally injured, though\nnot as frequently as one would think. It is a wonder that hundreds\nare not killed or wounded. In going from my home to visit a friend\none day, a few weeks after my arrival, I was obliged to pass a large\ncrowd of men, who seemed divided into two parties, and were very noisy\nand vociferous. I remarked upon this to my friend, and sending to\ninquire, we found it was the preliminaries of a stone fight which I\nhad witnessed. Her husband said it would not be safe for me to return\nalone, and therefore to my lasting gratitude offered to see me through\nit.\n\nWe soon found that the stones and missiles were coming our way, and\nwere forced to run for shelter to a Korean house. For a few moments\nthe fight was hot around us, and then as it seemed to have passed\non--quite far down the street--we ventured forth, only to find that\nthe tide had again turned, and the whole mob were tearing in our\ndirection. Mr. Bunker, for it was he, said there was nothing for it but\nto scale a half-broken wall into an adjacent compound, and run for it\nto the house of Mr. Gilmore, not far distant. So, reckless of my best\ngown, I scaled the wall with great alacrity, and we ran for it quite\nshamelessly. Missiles of considerable size were raining around us,\nand the possibility, or rather probability, that one would soon light\non our heads, accelerated our speed to no small degree. These affairs\nare often funny in retrospect, but smack strongly of the tragic at the\ntime, while the outcome is so decidedly uncertain. However, by much\ndodging and circling, frequently sheltering ourselves under the wall,\nwe at length reached Mr. Gilmore\u2019s house, when, in a somewhat ruffled\nand perturbed condition, I waited till the coast was quite clear and\nfound my way home, a wiser and deeply thoughtful woman.\n\nOn one occasion not long since an affair of this kind threatened very\nserious results for a hot-headed young compatriot of ours, who went to\nphotograph one of these fights. A cool-headed American recently snapped\nhis camera on a tiger here before shooting it, and it may have been\nin emulation of him, that our young friend made this attempt. He soon\nbecame convinced that he was the object at which all the missiles were\nsent, and that the bloodthirsty ruffians were all seeking his life.\nBeing unfortunately as well as unlawfully armed with a six-shooter,\nover-excited and alarmed, he fired into the crowd and fled. His\nbullet entered the fleshy part of the leg of one of the natives, who\nfell, as most of them supposed, mortally wounded; and now indeed the\nwrath of the crowd on both sides was directed at its hottest against\nthe thoroughly frightened young man. He ran for his life--the crowd\npursuing with yells of fury. Camera and overcoat were flung away--he\nhad nearly a mile to go to reach shelter in the American legation,\nwhich he at length managed to do, panting and almost exhausted. As his\nvictim was not seriously hurt, he escaped with the payment of a fine, a\nfew weeks\u2019 imprisonment, a most severe reprimand, and a polite request\nto leave the country.\n\nThe Koreans often evince considerable military skill in the tactics\nof these civil battles. Sharpshooters armed with slings will take\npossession of some high point, and others are sent to take them by\nsurprise and dislodge them, suddenly creeping upon them from the rear,\nor scaling the rampart in the face of the enemy\u2019s fire. These natives\nrepeatedly prove themselves good fighters and no cowards, when armed\nand facing not too unequal numbers.\n\nDuring this my first summer in Korea I was invited to attend a royal\nQuaga. This was a very interesting assemblage of Korean scholars, who\nmet in the palace grounds, and there in little tents or booths wrote\ntheses in Chinese on some subject given by the king. Those whose\npapers passed a successful examination were rewarded with some civil\nrank, supposed to be proportioned to the excellence of their standing.\nI should think that more than a thousand men from all parts of the\ncountry were gathered in these grounds, busily writing or copying\ntheir papers, some of which were then being handed to the judges.\n\nI was told, however, that in nearly all the successful cases money was\nnecessary to aid the judgment and clarify the minds of the judges. We\nwere treated with great kindness, invited to a fine pavilion, and later\noffered refreshments in the royal dining hall. This old-time (shall I\nsay, dishonored) institution has now fallen into disuse for some years.\nNo doubt in its honest beginnings a truly competitive examination for\noffice, it was good and useful, but abuses creeping in, rendered it an\nempty form to be finally abolished as a useless and effete remnant of\nancient days.\n\nAnother event of the summer was a little trip made to Poukhan, or the\nnorthern fortress, about ten miles distant from Seoul. It is said by\nKoreans that a secret underground road leads from it to the palace in\nSeoul, so that in case of any danger, or the investment of the city by\nenemies, the royal family could flee hither for safety. It is in truth\nan ideal spot for such a purpose. European soldiers have said that\nproperly fortified it would be for months, perhaps years, impregnable.\nOur visit was made in Korea\u2019s loveliest season, the month of May, which\nis, if possible, more beautiful than in any other land. Wild flowers of\nthe most exquisite hue and odor abound everywhere, but at Poukhan they\nseemed to be in greater quantities and lovelier colors. The mountain\nrises bold and rugged in outline, and its scenery is wild and in places\nalmost forbidding, but a beautiful brook dashes down its sides, leaping\nover huge boulders and turning everything into luxuriant beauty, like\nthe lovely maids of fairy lore, in whose footsteps the sweetest flowers\nsprang and from whose lips dropped fairest gems.\n\nThis brook flows from a spring which bubbles up in the top of the\nmountain, so that any garrison stationed there need never surrender for\nwant of water, nor indeed of food, for after a steep ascent of about a\nmile, the path suddenly pierces the rocks, and entering a picturesque\ngate in a more picturesque wall, all hung with ivy, dips into a verdant\nvalley surrounded on all sides by lofty barriers of rock. Here are\nfertile fields where food can easily be raised and stored against an\nevil time.\n\nSome of our missionaries often come here, and spend the hot and\nunhealthy summer weeks among the cool shades of these lofty rocks--in\nsome of the Buddhist temples. There are some delightful little\npavilions, near clear, cool pools of water, with scenery on all sides\nvery wild, beautiful, and picturesque.\n\nAt that time, in the history of our mission nearly every foreigner\npossessed a horse, most of them Chinese ponies, very gentle and easy\nto ride. Utterly unacquainted with the nature of the people, it was\nfeared by many that danger might suddenly arise, and that we ought to\nhave means of escape at hand. We found them very useful and pleasant\naccessories, and often when the hot afternoon sun was low we explored\nsome of the pretty and interesting surroundings of Seoul.\n\nThis city lies encircled by low mountains, whose treeless and bare\noutlines cut the blue horizon with a bold abruptness. Among the hills\nand mountain passes are pretty woods and groves--and here lies nestled\nmany a little hamlet, entered through some charming lane, bordered\nwith blossoming bushes of clematis, eglantine, hawthorn or syringa,\nin richest profusion. Mr. Underwood was often my guide on these\nexcursions; sometimes we walked on the city wall, and saw the distant\nmountains and the sleeping villages beneath us, bathed in glorious\nmoonlight, and thanked God for casting our lives in a land of so\nmuch beauty and among a people so kindly and teachable.\n\n[Illustration: THE GREAT MARKET AT CHEENJU]\n\n[Illustration: SURROUNDINGS OF SEOUL. PAGE 32]\n\nDuring all these months and the following winter foundations were still\nbusily laying, language helps and Bible translations were under way,\nand through hospital and school, as well as by direct evangelistic\neffort, people were being reached. The number of attendants upon the\nservices in the little chapel was daily increasing, and reports came\nfrom the natives working in the country of inquirers and converts\nthere, which made it seem necessary to make another extended trip as\nsoon as possible. A second trip had already been made by Mr. Underwood,\nselling books and simple medicines, and gathering in here and there\na little handful of converts. He met with great encouragement, but\nbaptized few. During his first trip he traveled to the northern border\nof Korea, stopping in all the large towns, Songdo, Anju, Pyeng Yang,\nKangai, Haiju, Ouiju. During the entire year less than twenty-five were\nbaptized, and from the first altogether up to that time hardly fifty,\nwhile Methodists and Presbyterians together up to 1889 numbered only\na little over one hundred. In April of 1888 he baptized seven men at\nSorai, a village in Whang Hai, where the Gospel had been brought in\nfrom China by a Mr. Saw Sang Hyen, a convert of Mr. Ross\u2019. Some of\nthese men had come to the capital in the spring of 1887 and three had\nbeen baptized after careful examination.\n\nThe seven who were received in their own village had been for more than\na year in preparation, and then were baptized only after Mr. Underwood\nhad spent ten days in their village, talking with and examining them.\nThis is mentioned to show that extreme caution was used in making the\nfirst admissions to the native church, in order that its foundations\nmight be laid securely, if slowly. In the trip made in November, 1888,\ncertain Koreans had been placed in a few localities to instruct, sell\ntracts and pave the way for the work of the foreigner on a succeeding\nvisit. One of these men was stationed at Pyeng Yang, one at Chang Yun,\nand one at Ouiju. Extremely encouraging, but in some cases exaggerated\nreports came from all these places as to the increasing number of\nhopeful inquirers, and it seemed imperative that a trip should be\ntaken as soon as spring opened, for the examination, encouragement and\ninstruction of these new believers, and to oversee the work of the\nemployed agents, who were necessarily unproved as yet.\n\nMr. Underwood and I had been engaged since the early fall, and we had\narranged to be married, and to start for the country on the fourteenth\nof March. The whole foreign community seemed to vie with each other in\ntokens of kindness and good will towards us on that occasion.\n\nOn the morning of the eventful day, the jingling bells of many\npack-ponies was heard in our courtyard, and I soon discovered that\nquite a train of the little animals had arrived with the gift of her\nmajesty. One million cash! It sounds like \u201cArabian Nights,\u201d but as at\nthat time 2,500 to 3,000 cash went to the making of the dollar, it\nwas not, after all, more than a generous Korean queen might easily\ngive, or a missionary easily dispose of. Their majesties arranged for\nseveral people from the palace to be present at the ceremony, the army\nwas represented by General Han Ku Sul, a nobleman of the highest rank,\nand the cabinet by Min Yeng Whan, a near relative of the queen, and in\nhighest favor with their majesties.\n\nA number of palace women were also present, behind screens, and of\ncourse some of the native Christians. The whole foreign community gave\nus their good wishes, and cable messages were put in our hands just\nafter the ceremony, from each of our respective homes in America.\n\nEarly on the morning of the 14th of March, 1889, we set out on our\nwedding trip.\n\nEverything except force had been resorted to by missionaries and\nforeigners residing in Seoul to prevent my taking this journey. No\nEuropean woman had, as yet, ever traveled in the interior of Korea,\nand not more than four or five men had ever ventured ten miles outside\nthe walls, except to the port. Tigers and leopards were known to exist\nin the mountains; the character of the natives was not well understood\nby most people; contagion in the inns, the rudeness of mobs, the\ndifficulty of obtaining good water, no means of speedy communication\nwith Seoul, the necessity at times of long marches, were all possible\ndangers, but were greatly overestimated. It was freely and frequently\npredicted, that if I came back at all, it would be in my coffin,\nand my poor husband fell under the heaviest of public censure for\nconsenting to take me. As he had made two trips and saw no difficulty,\nI felt I could trust his judgment, and as country work was exactly\nwhat I had longed to do, and what had been my ideal from the first,\nI looked forward with the greatest pleasure to a journey through a\nlovely country, to be filled with blessed service; it seemed to me no\nhoneymoon so rich in delight could ever have been planned before.\n\nIt was arranged that I should go in a native chair, which consisted of\na sort of box frame, high enough for me to sit in Turkish fashion; it\nhad a roof of bamboo covered with paper oiled and painted, the sides\nwere closed in with blue muslin, and there were little windows of\nstained glass on either side. A curtain in the front could be raised or\nbuttoned down to keep out the chill or the disagreeable piercing eyes\nof the curious sightseers or _kugungers_, as they are called in Korea.\nMy conveyance was made more comfortable by cushions beneath and behind\nmy seat, a shawl was draped around the inside to keep out draughts, and\nwith a hot-water bottle and foot-muff at my feet, I felt positively\nsteeped in luxury, and quite too much babyfied for a hardy missionary.\n\nI was carried by a couple of strong chair coolies, the poles on which\nthe chair was placed resting in straps, which hung from the shoulders\nof the carriers, so that its main weight came on them, rather than on\nthe hands, which grasped the poles. There were four bearers, two who\ncarried, and two who, by placing a strong rod under the chair, lifted\nits weight from the tired shoulders, for half a minute or so, once\nevery ten minutes. At the end of every three miles these lifting men\nand the others changed places, and so we easily made thirty miles or\nmore every day, without much fatigue on the part of these hardy men,\nwhose profession this had been for years.\n\nI\u2019m afraid they were a very rough set of customers, and undoubtedly\ngot us into trouble on more than one occasion. They were full of fun\nand spirits, and told long and fishy yarns, to the country folks, and\noccasionally played off practical jokes on these simple swains, to\nbeguile the tedium of the road. They aroused the awe and admiration of\nthe natives in the country villages, by telling them what wonderful\nthings we carried in our packs. There was nothing, according to them,\nthat we could not do, or had not got. \u201cWhy, even a boat,\u201d said they,\n\u201cis in that trunk. It folds up very small, but one blows into it,\nand it gradually grows hard and large, and lo! a boat.\u201d Thus was\nmagnified our rubber bath tub. That we finished our trip with so little\ndifficulty with such companions speaks well for the gentle good nature\nof the natives.\n\n[Illustration: A STREET CROWD. PAGE 35]\n\nOf course, I walked as much as possible, but many weary miles must be\nendured in the chair, with its tiresome jogging, interrupted regularly\nwith an upward jolt of several inches. The ordinary road soon came\nto be quite tolerable, but when the bearers in the half light of\nearly dawn (or worse still, the evening, when tired with a long day\u2019s\nmarch) picked their way over the narrow foot-paths, slippery with\nclay, between half-submerged rice fields, or jumped across intervening\nditches, the rear man going wholly by faith, I must say it was not easy\nor pleasant.\n\nWe had quite a little train. Mr. Underwood was on his horse, with a\n_mapoo_ to lead and care for it. These horses are all fed on a hot\nfood of beans and chopped hay, and very carefully attended to. We had\ntwo or three pack-ponies which carried medicines, tracts, at that\ntime mostly Chinese, which only scholars could read, our blankets and\nbedding, a few cooking utensils, and foreign food and our clothing.\nThe question of money and changes of horses was a difficult one, but\nit had been solved by an order from the Korean Foreign Office, to the\ncountry magistrates, to accept our receipt for any amount of money that\nwe might need, and also for horses in exchange for ours, all of which\nbills we were to pay in Seoul on our return. The money was so extremely\nbulky, it was impossible to take more than a couple of days\u2019 supply on\nour ponies. On previous trips Mr. Underwood had carried large lumps of\nsilver, which were exchanged in the towns for cash.\n\nThe little inns along the road never charge for rooms; the number of\ntables of rice and the number of horses fed are usually the only items\nin the landlord\u2019s bill. In addition to chair coolies and mapoos, we had\na young Christian helper, a cook, and a kesu. The two latter left us at\nPyeng Yang and returned home.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III\n\n    We Start on our Wedding Journey--Songdo--Guards at our\n    Gates--Crossing the Tai-tong--Difficulties in Finding an\n    Inn--Korean Launderings--An Old Man Seeks to be Rid of Sin--Mob\n    at an Inn--A Ruffian Bursts Open my Door--Fight in the Inn\n    Yard--Pat Defies the Crowd--Convenience of Top-knots--A\n    Magistrate Refuses to Shelter Us--The \u201cCaptain\u201d to the\n    Rescue--Pack-ponies--We Lay a Deep Scheme--Torch Bearers--A\n    Mountain Hamlet--Tiger Traps--Tigers--A Band of Thirty Conspire\n    to Attack Us--Guns Used by Native Hunters--A Tiger Story.\n\n\nWe started on our trip at early dawn, turning directly north, on the\nroad passing under the arch, which then marked the spot where the\nrepresentatives of Korea yearly met the Chinese ambassadors who came to\nreceive tribute. This custom was maintained until Korea\u2019s independence\nwas declared; in honor of which the old arch was then taken down and a\nfiner one erected. Beyond this arch lay the pass, a narrow, muddy and\nstony way, leading through the mountain. It was crowded with oxen and\npack-ponies, going to and from Seoul. Shouting mapoos and coolies added\nto the confusion, great rocks seemed just ready to fall from above and\ncrush the unlucky passers, and many which had fallen from time to time\nimpeded the road. Now a fine road has been made across the hill, and\nthe old way of danger and discomfort is closed up. From its darkness,\nits fiendish noises, gruesome odors and bad going it would not have\nbeen an unfit image of Bunyan\u2019s Valley of the Shadow of Death. The\nsnow still remained in sheltered places, for it was only March, and the\nmorning air was sharp and chill, but we found a very fine road all the\nway to Songdo.\n\nWe made our first halt at noon, at a small village between Seoul and\nSongdo, and I had my first experience of a native inn. The Korean inn\nis second only in filth, closeness, bad odors and discomfort to those\nin the interior of China. There is usually only one room for women,\nwhich has from one to four or five paper-covered doors or windows--they\nare nearly always the same size and bear the same name--opening into\nthe kitchen, the court and the sarang. This room is often not more than\neight by ten or twelve feet large, and very low. The paper which covers\nthe door is commonly blackened with dirt, so that few indeed are the\nrays of light which manage to struggle in a disheartened way into these\ngloomy little apartments. They boast little or no furniture, perhaps a\nchang or Korean cabinet (most unique and antique-looking chests, much\nornamented with brass or black iron hinges, locks, etc.) stands against\nthe wall, upon which are piled a great many bright-colored quilts and\npillows, not the wooden ones sometimes described and much used, but\nlike old-style long sofa pillows, and very much more comfortable. At\nthe center of the ceiling, just under the roof tree, may be seen a\nbunch of dirty rags, feathers and sticks, where the household Lares and\nPenates are supposed to roost. A wharrow or charcoal fire-pot with a\nsmouldering fire probably stands somewhere on the floor. This should\nbe promptly removed, as its presence often causes severe headache,\nand sometimes asphyxia, from which one of the missionaries was only\nresuscitated after repeated fainting and hours of effort on the part of\na companion.\n\nIn most of the inns very picturesque tall brass or wooden lamp-stands\nare seen. They consist of a rod about two and a half feet high, on\na good solid base with a little bracket at the top for a saucer of\ncastor oil, and an ox horn hanging below containing the main supply of\noil. The lamp or saucer contains a small wick which yields a very tiny\nlight, just enough to emphasize and make visible the darkness. Often\nthese lamps have a special niche, or little cupboard in the wall, where\nthey are enclosed during the day. Nearly always a stout bar crosses the\nroom about a foot from the wall, and three or four feet from the floor,\non which garments may be hung, and as commonly there is a wide shelf\nrunning around two or three sides of the apartment, very near the roof,\non which are sundry household utensils, winter vegetables, very likely\npiles of yeast cakes for the manufacture of beer, and, in fact, a\nheterogeneous collection, too numerous and varied to mention. Here lies\na dusty old book, there a work basket, and further on the wooden block\nand clubs used for ironing, a bottle of medicine, a pile of rice bowls,\nor a box of matches.\n\nThe mats which are placed over the oiled paper, or more likely directly\non the earth floor, are full of dust and vermin of all descriptions,\nwhich run riot everywhere. It is best not to begin to think how many\npeople have, in that room and lying on these identical mats, been ill,\nand died, of dysentery, small-pox, cholera or typhus fever, since the\nroom was even swept or the mats once shaken. A \u201creally truly\u201d cleaning\nthey are ignorant of. Fumigation and disinfection are as far beyond\nthe flights of their wildest imagination as the private life of the\nman in the moon. The miracle over which we never cease to wonder and\nadmire is that so many people of clean antecedents who travel through\nthe interior are able to resist the microbes, bacteria, germs and all\nsimilar enemies under whatsoever name which, according to all modern\nscience, ought to attack and destroy them in short order.\n\nIn most of the inns, tall earthen jars, from two to three, or rarely\nfour feet high, and two or three feet in diameter, in which Ali Baba\u2019s\ncutthroat thieves could easily hide, are ranged along the side of the\nwall, but more frequently in the courtyard. They contain various kinds\nof grain, pickles, beer, wine, and there are always several holding\n_kimchi_ (a sort of sauerkraut), without which they never eat rice.\n\nNumbers of dogs, cats, chickens, pigs and ducks are under foot in the\ncourtyard, oxen and ponies are noisily feeding in the stalls, under\nthe same roof with ourselves, only just outside the paper door, and if\none is to sleep it must be in spite of a combined grunting, squealing,\ncackling, blowing and barking, anything but conducive to repose. Most\nof the hotels have, as has been said, only one inner room, where it\nis proper for a woman to stay. Our helper, chair-coolies, mapoos and\nother travelers use the sarang, packed very likely like sardines in a\nbox, and the host\u2019s family turn out, and go to a neighbor\u2019s for the\nnight, unless the inn is a large one on the main road. A large and\nfashionable inn in Korea would have perhaps five, or even six, sleeping\napartments--though I do not recollect having seen so many.\n\nNow we travel with cot-beds which roll up and slip into heavy canvas\nbags, and take up very little room on the pack. These blessings keep\nus off the dirty floors, which are usually much too hot for health,\nunless, indeed, one has come in wet, cold, and aching from a long\ntramp, when they are a specific preventive of colds and rheumatism.\nOn that first journey, however, we had nothing of this sort, but we\nsent out for some bundles of fresh clean straw used for thatch--one\nthing, at least, of which there is plenty in every village--and piled\nthem at least a foot high. We spread thereon our bed, to the confusion\nand defeat of our little enemies, ploughing their weary way uselessly\nthrough the mazes of that straw all night. In this way we slept\npeacefully, except when the floor became intolerably hot, and our bed\ncorrespondingly so, then we rose, piled our straw in another place,\nremade our couch, and composed ourselves again to slumber. We never did\nthis more than three times in one night, and it was a mere diversion.\n\nThe situation, however, develops into something quite beyond a joke,\nas was hinted in a former chapter, when one is forced to travel in hot\nweather. The rice and beans for men and animals must be cooked, which\nmeans--in nine cases out of ten--that a fire must be built under your\nroom, and you must sleep on the stove, although the thermometer is\nalready in the seventies before it is kindled. The room, you remember,\nis small and low, the windows opening to the court probably few. You\nlook longingly at the open porch or _maru_, but there are leopards and\ntigers that prowl at night, or wanting these, no lack of rats, ferrets,\nand snakes; there are foul smells and rank poisonous vapors, pools of\ngreen water and sewage all about, a famous place in the damp night air\nto soak a system full of malaria, more deadly than wild beasts; so with\na sigh you turn again to your oven, prepared for the worst. Up, up,\nsteadily climbs the thermometer, your pulses throb, your head snaps,\nyou gasp and pant for breath, and at length toward morning, when the\nfire is dead, and the hot stones a little cooled, you fall into an\nexhausted feverish sleep. But an early start is necessary to make the\nnext stage, and by four o\u2019clock at least a new fire is built to cook\nmore rice, and you rush out of doors, to draw a whiff of pure air and\ncool your burning temples.\n\nSo even if it were not for the rains, flooded roads, and overflowing,\nunbridged rivers, we should not travel except from dire necessity\nin the summer. Tents have not been found practicable among the\nmissionaries in the rainy season, and their use has been followed in\nseveral instances by severe and even fatal illness. One of the chief\nannoyances, especially on this our first trip, at the inns were the\n_kugungers_ or sightseers. The paper doors are speedily made available\nas peep-holes for the foe. From all quarters the word \u201cforeigner,\u201d and\nabove all \u201cforeign woman,\u201d spreads like wildfire. Never did a lion\nor an elephant create such excitement in an American village. The\nmoment we entered an inn the house was instantly thronged, besieged,\ninvested. Every door was full of holes made by dampening the finger and\nplacing it with gentle pressure against the paper. It was dismaying,\nwhen we fancied ourselves quite alone, to see all those holes filled\nwith hungry eyes. Never since have I cared to visit a show of wild\nanimals or human freaks. I sympathize with them so fully, that there\nis no pleasure in the satisfaction of curiosity at such a cost. We\nwished to meet the people, but we could not talk with such a mob, in\nany satisfactory way, as their frantic curiosity about us made it\nimpossible for them to attend to what we had to tell until they were in\nsome measure satisfied. But to return to our trip.\n\nSome twenty miles this side of Songdo the road crosses the Imgin river,\nwhere a ferry boat is in readiness to carry the traveler and his\nbelongings to the other side. A story is told here of the patriotism\nof a nobleman who lived in a magnificent summer house on the bluff\noverlooking the river, at the time of the Hedioshi rebellion. His\nking, fleeing from the Japanese, arrived here at midnight, and to light\nhim and his escort to the ferry this man set fire to his beautiful\nhome. As a result of this, the king crossed in safety, and escaped his\nenemies. In token of his gratitude, he therefore ordered that a summer\nhouse should be kept perpetually in memory of his loyal friend on the\nsite of the one which had been sacrificed, and loaded him with honors\nand rewards.\n\nThe city of Songdo is one of the largest in Korea, and from a Korean\nstandpoint probably the most important commercially, as well as the\nrichest. Here is grown the ginseng, so highly prized by Koreans,\nChinese and Japanese, and sold--the best--at forty-five dollars a\npound; more than its weight in gold. Though Songdo was formerly the\nnation\u2019s capital, a successful rebel general, making himself king,\nestablished his seat of government in Seoul.\n\nWe arrived in this ancient city about sundown, and shortly afterwards\nmet ten Christian inquirers. In a few days we sold all our books, and\nmedicines, which we expected would last for the entire trip, and had\nto send back to Seoul for more. We were besieged by large crowds of\npeople during our stay, so that we were obliged to ask for a guard at\nthe gate. We admitted fifty at a time, and when their curiosity had\nbeen sated, their diseases treated, and they had bought as many books\nas they wanted, they were dismissed, to make room for another pushing,\nstruggling, eagerly curious fifty. Mr. Underwood baptized no one, but\nmet, examined and instructed inquirers, and directed and corrected his\nnative helper\u2019s work.\n\nSongdo is about forty-five miles from Seoul, and has about two hundred\nthousand inhabitants. Thus far the Southern Methodists are the only\nones who have a station there, though just why we other missionaries\nnever started work in so important a center it would be hard to say;\nexcept that it did not seem to develop there at first as promisingly,\nshall I say, as insistently, as in some other places, where need was so\npressing we never could obtain workers enough to supply the demand, far\nless start new centers.\n\n[Illustration: TAI-TONG RIVER. PAGE 45]\n\n[Illustration: FERRY BOAT. PAGE 43]\n\nSongdo has no gates. It is said that they were removed, with the\nprivileges as well of the Quaga, because the people of that city so\npersistently continued to despise and treat with contempt the authority\nof Seoul. Whereas it is the custom to speak of going _up_ to Seoul,\nthey would refer to going _down_ to that city; they would not measure\ntheir grain from right to left, as in Seoul, but from left to right;\nand worst of all, from having constantly referred to the king as a pig,\nthey came to speak of a pig by the king\u2019s name!\n\nFrom Songdo, we proceeded north, by short stages to Pyeng Yang, which\nwas the next place of importance, where Mr. Underwood looked for\ninquirers and where there were already a few Christians. We reached\nthe Tai-tong River, which lay just below the city gates between us and\nit, in a driving snow storm. Long and loudly did the various members\nof our party try their lungs in the effort to obtain a boat, but at\nlength, when patience was quite exhausted, the ferryman, or one of\nthem, arrived with a great flat-bottomed boat, which accommodated us\nall--ponies, packs, coolies, chair, helpers and missionaries--and\nlanded us in mud and safety on the other side for a few cash. I had\nalmost forgotten, however, to speak of the beautiful road leading up\nto this ferry, with its noble overarching trees and its variety of\nbeautiful bushes and flowers. Even at that bleak and wintry season\nit was lovely, and a month later, when we returned, it was charming,\nwith its green woodland shade and its wealth of sweet-scented\nblossoms. Now, alas! it is quite shorn of its beauty, for during the\nJapanese-Chinese war, the trees were all cut down.\n\nWe were no sooner within the city gates than a very noisy and\nconstantly increasing crowd followed close at our heels, growing ever\nmore annoying and demonstrative, till its dimensions and behavior were\naltogether too much like a mob. Respectable and frightened inn-keepers\none after another turned us from their doors until the uncomfortable\npossibility of being obliged to spend the night in the streets\nsuggested itself. However, after a time we found a refuge, and with\nthe aid of a policeman from the magistracy we managed to keep the mob\nat bay, seeing only a stated number at a time, as in Songdo. It rained\nduring most of our stay, and I could with no comfort or safety go out\neven in a chair to see the town, for if I so much as peeped out, some\none caught sight of the foreign woman, and at once a crowd gathered\nwhich made it impossible to move or to accomplish anything. Once before\nwe left I accompanied Mr. Underwood to a pleasant spot outside the\ngates, which he thought would be a good site for a sub-station, and we\nmade a visit to the mother of one of our Christians. She was extremely\nsick, and as she recovered not long after we were very happy in having\nleft a good impression and a grateful family behind us.\n\nI had a practical illustration of the inconvenience of Korean methods\nof laundry in this town, for giving out a number of articles to the\ntender mercies of a Korean woman, they were returned minus all the\nbuttons. They had pounded the garments on a stone in some stream, and\nas a precaution had removed all these little conveniences before doing\nso. There was no starch, no bluing, and no ironing. Korean clothes\nbefore ironing must be ripped, and are then pounded for hours on a\nsmooth piece of wood until they obtain a beautiful gloss. Koreans are,\nhowever, not without _iron_ irons. They have quite a large one, which\nholds hot charcoal, and two sorts of small ones, not more than half\nan inch wide by two or three inches in length, with a long handle,\nfor pressing the seams of sleeves, and of garments which it is only\ndesirable to press on the seam.\n\nAfter a stay of about a week in Pyeng Yang, during which time we saw\na great many visitors, most of whom came from curiosity, but none of\nwhom went away without a printed or spoken word about the gospel, we\nagain started out on our journey north. Oh, if one prophetic vision\nmight have been granted us of what was to be in such a few years! If\nwe could have seen those dreary and heart-sickening wastes of humanity\ntransformed into fields of rich grain waiting in harvest glory for the\nsickle, if we could have seen the hundreds now gathered yearly into\nthe garner, how our hearts would have burned within us! \u201cBut the love\nof God is broader than the measure of man\u2019s mind,\u201d and though we saw\nvisions and dreamed dreams, we hardly dared hope they would all be\nfulfilled. God kept the future hidden as a sweet surprise. Just after\nleaving this city an old man of seventy-six came three miles to inquire\nof us \u201cconcerning the religion by which a man could be rid of sin,\u201d one\nof the first fruits of that later harvest, which God permitted us to\nreap.\n\nErnsan, one of the small villages at which we spent the night, turned\nout to be a very rough sort of place. We were obliged in many of these\ntowns to use the Foreign Office letter to obtain the shelter of the\nmagistracies, as often the inns would not receive us or would prove\nno defense against the rudeness of the curious mobs, and we had no\nChristian constituency to fall back upon. At this particular place the\nmagistrate was away, and the \u201c_chabin duli_\u201d (roughs) were not under\nordinary restraint.\n\nIn the morning, as the time for leaving drew near, a crowd of about one\nhundred men and large boys assembled in the little courtyard waiting\nfor a _kugung_ (sight) of the two curiosities. My husband, well aware\nthat a woman who permits herself to be viewed by strange men is not\nrespected or respectable in Korea, had my chair brought into the house,\nand the door closed, so that I might be shut in there and pass out\nunseen. On finding themselves thus balked of perhaps the one great\nopportunity of their lives to behold these strange, wild animals,\nsome of the baser fellows could not restrain their curiosity, and one\nof them, probably egged on by the others, broke open the door of my\nbedroom. Than this, no greater breach of law or propriety is recognized\nin the land, and the guilty wretch is amenable to almost any punishment\nthe injured woman\u2019s friends may choose to inflict. My husband, standing\nnear the door, lifted his foot as the proper member with which to\nexpress his sentiments--the tongue being incapable of sufficient vigor\nand the hand too good--and this, though only a demonstration--the man\nwas not touched--was sufficient encouragement to my chair coolies, who,\nconsidering their own honor bound up with mine for the time being,\nrushed forth to punish the \u201cvile creature\u201d who had insulted us all.\n\nOne of them, a brawny fellow whom we called Pat, from his resemblance\nto gentlemen of the nationality which favors that name, at a bound had\nsingled out his prey from the midst of the crowd and dragged him forth\nfrom his encircling friends and protectors.\n\nHe dragged him forth in the usual approved Korean method, under such\ncircumstances, by the top-knot, a very convenient and effective handle,\nfor a man once in the grasp of his enemy in this way is practically\nat his mercy. He was soon on the ground being pummelled. But it must\nbe remarked that we were but a little party, four coolies, one helper,\none missionary, one woman, and they were a hundred or more strong. Our\ncalling and dearest hopes forbade our using severe measures, nor would\nthey, even firearms, have availed for long, but would only have served\nto make enemies for us on all sides, supposing we had frightened this\ncrowd into order. So it behooved us to make peace, and speedily, for\nthere were black looks and angry and threatening murmurings as the\nfriends of the culprit drew near, preparing to defend him.\n\n[Illustration: METHOD OF IRONING. PAGE 46]\n\nSo Mr. Underwood rushed down into the crowd, drew off our exasperated\ncoolie, and quieted the rising storm. But Patrick could not depart\nwithout giving some expression to his indignation, and waving his chair\nrod like a shillalah in the air around his head, he stood at the top of\nthe steps, his back to the crowd (the pure Korean method in quarrels),\nvociferously announcing to whom it might concern his opinion of such\nactions in general, and this one in particular, and bidding them, in\nthe spirit of James Fitz James at the ford\n\n    \u201cCome one, come all, this rock shall fly\n    From its firm base as soon as I.\u201d\n\nBut my husband saw that it would be best to get away while we could\nwithout exasperating them further, and before the temper of the crowd\nshould change again for the worse. A similar occurrence in either China\nor Japan would almost certainly have ended very differently for us.\n\nThe Koreans do not bear malice, nor are they very revengeful or cruel\nwithout great provocation. We merely had to do with a rough crowd,\nwho gathered thinking we were probably a base sort of people; and\nwhen they saw that we behaved as quiet, decent Koreans would do, they\nrespected our reserve and curbed their curiosity, though a few boys\nthrew stones and hooted, and they all followed us a few rods outside\nthe village, but we soon found ourselves peacefully alone.\n\nBefore passing on I must say a few words on the general effectiveness\nof the top-knot method. It is a great pity men do not wear their hair\nin this way in America. We women who favor women\u2019s rights would soon\nfind it a mighty handle by which to manage them, for in the hands of a\ndiscerning woman it is indeed an instrument of unlimited possibilities.\nWho would care to wield a scepter abroad, who could wield a top-knot\nat home? By one of these well-tied arrangements have I beheld a\njustly irate wife dragging home her drunken husband from the saloon;\nand firmly grasping this, I have seen more than one indignant female\nadministering that corporal punishment which her lord and master no\ndoubt richly deserved. The Korean wife stands and serves her husband\nwhile he eats, she works while he smokes, but when family affairs come\nto a certain crisis, she takes the helm (that is to say, the top-knot)\nin hand, and puts the ship about.\n\nAt another of our stopping places on this road we found a magistrate\nwho had been so long in the interior and who was so ignorant and\nilliterate that he neither knew the uses of a passport, nor could read\nit when presented. This was serious, indeed, for here with a rough and\ncurious crowd to be refused the shelter of the magistracy might mean\nour being subjected to mob violence, and would almost certainly insure\nour passing the night on the road. Here we must exchange exhausted\npack-ponies for fresh ones, here we must obtain money for the next\nstage, and food and fire for our tired coolies and ourselves. So when\nour helper returned with the disquieting news that the magistrate would\nnone of us, \u201cthe captain\u201d donned his harness, and passport in hand,\nstrode into the presence, gesticulated, I am afraid, stamped, waved the\npassport in the air, flung it to the ground, and by dint of noise and\nvehemence succeeded in impressing the astonished little official with a\nsense of the dignity and importance of the Foreign Office passports in\nthe hands of strenuous Westerners.\n\nHe promptly and politely gave us rooms, money, ponies, everything we\nneeded, in order to rid himself of us and our arguments, I suppose,\nand no doubt he still recalls us as the most remarkable and alarming\nintruders who ever disturbed his quiet and uneventful life.\n\nBut although sheltered by the magisterial walls our annoyances were not\nover. Word had been passed far and near of the arrival of foreigners,\nand the crowds gathered thicker and thicker. They were only rude\nand good-naturedly curious, but curiosity is a strange passion when\nreally aroused, as only those who have been its victims know. Men will\ntravel miles, will undergo unheard-of fatigues and surmount great\ndifficulties, and will pay very little regard to the convenience,\ncomfort or even safety of those who try to oppose them in their desires\nto gratify this passion.\n\nAware that we were besieged, we hung shawls and rain coats round\nthe room, before the doors and windows, hoping to prevent the usual\npeep-show made by perforating fingers, and thus fortified, seated\nourselves in front of our trunk, which served for a table, to partake\nof our meal during the short respite thus gained. A smothered titter\nmade us look quickly around. Long slender rods had been pushed through\nthe peep-holes, the curtains lifted, multitudes of eyes applied to new\nholes, and we were well in view. I must honestly confess that in some\nof these baffled moments, in the hot fire of the enemy\u2019s ungenerous\ntriumph, I have thought with glee of the execution which could be done\nwith a syringe well aimed at those eye-filled holes, if we were just\ncommon travelers and not longing to win all hearts and ready to bear\nall such small annoyances with patience for the love of these poor\npeople, even the most annoying of them. And now that I am more fully\nseasoned, I endure these rude intrusions into my privacy with more\n_sang froid_, excusing and understanding it.\n\nAbout this stage in our journey our provisions ran very low, and among\nother things sugar gave out. Natives do not have this article of food,\nbut we were able to get the Korean buckwheat honey, than which I have\nnever tasted any more delicious, and we found that it improved the\nflavor of the finest tea.\n\nHere in these far recesses of the interior, where we were uncertain of\nthe temper of the people, and where many more than doubtful characters\nwere known to be in hiding, the magistrates thought it necessary to\nsend at least one, sometimes two, officials with us.\n\nAt the town of Huiju we found the scenery growing quite wild, the hills\nrising into mountains (though not very high ones), the road zig-zagging\nup and up, while a brawling, hurrying brook ran noisily below. Here\nwe found the first spring flowers under the lingering snow, and above\nthe snow were butterflies darting about in the sunshine, quite sure\nthat they were in the right place, since the Father sent them, even\nthough it did look a little cold and bleak; and then if one only looked\nup, there was the sun. Just here in the steepest, dizziest and most\ndifficult part of the ascent, two of those poor little pack-ponies\nwhich I had been pitying all along for the terrible way their\nrelentless mapoos overloaded them, began fighting (loads and all),\nand after kicking each other in the liveliest fashion for some time,\nsquealing like little fiends, while the poor mapoos were dancing and\nvociferating around them trying to bring about a truce, they finally\nscampered off in different directions, and then and there my heart\nhardened, and never since has pity for these animals entered it. They\nare, I firmly opine, as self-willed, spoiled, obstinate, quarrelsome,\nuncertain, tricky and tough little beasts as ever carried a load.\n\nAmong many other people treated at this little village, a woman came\nsixteen miles for medicine, and carried away as well the news of the\nGreat Physician. Thus the mission to the body proves effective to the\nsoul, and the seed is scattered far and wide. How that little seed\nprospered He only knows who has promised that those who cast it upon\nthe water shall find it after many days.\n\nHere, after we had eaten our supper, Mr. Underwood and I conceived a\ndeep scheme to escape the stuffy little cage-like room and take a walk\nby moonlight in the midst of that lovely scenery. It would of course be\nfutile to go out of the gate, for then the alarm would be given, and we\nshould be hounded by the entire able-bodied portion of the populace.\nBut the wall was low, and waiting till we supposed every one had\nretired for the night, we stealthily crept like a couple of criminals\nout of our quarters, surmounted the wall, and were at last free, and\nfor once alone, away from staring eyes, to enjoy the sweet air and\neach other\u2019s company. But alas! we had hardly gone twenty paces when a\nKorean cur (than which only a Korean pig is more detestable) espied or\nnosed us, and at once set up a loud and continuous bark. We hurried on,\nhoping to escape, but it was not to be; one white form after another\nappeared at the doorways, soon a quickly swelling stream of people\nwere in our wake, and the game was up. We returned and retraced our\nsteps, attended by a long retinue, entered by the gate, and hid our\ndiscomfiture within the walls of our little dungeon.\n\nFrom Huiju our road led up farther, over a still higher mountain, and\nhere we were provided, according to the conditions of our passport,\nwith oxen instead of ponies to carry our loads (being stronger and\nsurer footed), and also, as for all travelers belated and overtaken\nby darkness, torches of blazing pine knots or long grass carried by\nsome of the villagers to a certain distance, where it was the business\nof others to meet us with new ones. The men who provide the oxen and\ntorches are given the use of certain fields by the government in\npayment for such services, but often they are unfaithful. The belated\ntraveler pounds long at their gates in vain. Some neighbor appears to\nsay the man is sick or away. At length, when a reward has been given,\nand when patience has not only ceased to be a virtue, but ceased to\nexist at all, he or his wife appears and deliberately prepares the\nlong-desired torch.\n\nOn the other side of this mountain, as we descended into the valley, we\nfound a village which presented a very different aspect from any we had\nyet seen. The houses were not made of a basket work of twigs filled in\nwith mud, like the ordinary native dwellings, but of heavy logs. The\nlittle compounds surrounding each house were enclosed with high fences\nmade of strong timbers, each sharpened to a point at the top and firmly\nbound together, instead of the usual hedge of blossoming bushes or\ntile-covered mud wall. It all looked as if these farmers and foresters\nwere prepared for a siege, but from what enemy?\n\nThere were no Indians or wild tribes here. It was a most picturesque\nplace. The mountains rose grandly above us, all around were woods,\nand a beautiful stream rippled along between them and the village. It\nwas a glorious moonlit night, the atmosphere seemed fairly to sparkle\nwith brilliancy. Again, after supper, we prepared to take a walk. Few\nindeed had been our opportunities for such honeymoon observances as\nthis, which are supposed to be the peculiar privilege and bounden duty\nof all the good newly married. As has been noted already, the large\ncrowds which watched our every movement, and from whose observation not\nthe smallest motion was lost, precluded any such folly on our part, but\nhere, far off in the wild recesses of the woods and mountains, in a\nvillage whose inhabitants seemed nobly exceptional in the praise-worthy\nhabit of keeping at home, here we might wander at will, in the\nenchanting light, listening anon to the silvery cadences of the stream.\nSo we sauntered along in the most approved fashion of honeymooners\nuntil a few steps beyond the confines of the village, where woods\nclosed in on all sides.\n\nWe had observed here and there as we passed along what looked like\na sort of huge pen made of logs, weighted with great stones on top,\nstrangely constructed, as if for the housing of some large animal.\nNow as we stood on the edge of the brook trying to decide whether to\ncross into the woods, a sound as of heavy and yet stealthy footsteps\non the dry leaves in the shadow of the trees arrested our attention.\nAn uncanny mystery seemed to hang over everything. Slightly startled\nby the sound, we awakened to the fact that the pens we had seen must\nbe tiger traps, that this was a famous tiger tramping ground (they\nwould naturally come to the brook to drink), that the enemy against\nwhom the village was so strongly fortified were these beasts of prey,\nand that it would be in every way profitable to us to postpone our\nmoonlight rambles for some more propitious time and place. So with a\nless lover-like and more business-like pace we returned to the prosaic\nbut welcome shelter of the huts.\n\nKorean tiger skins are very fine when the animal has been killed in\nthe winter, but unfortunately the natives do not understand the proper\nmethod of preserving them, and those which are taken away, as well as\nthe leopard skins, very soon become denuded of hair. The natives prize\nthe claws very highly, and often remove them as soon as the beast is\nkilled. They are found from the Manchurian border through the whole\ncountry, among the mountains; more than once have they been seen in\nthe capital since my arrival, and only a few months after I landed a\nleopard was seen in the Russian legation compound next to our house.\nAs our homes were all bungalows, and the extreme heat of summer nights\nnecessitated open windows, I often lay awake after this for hours\nat night, certain that I heard the stealthy, heavy tread and deep\nbreathing of one of these creatures in my room.\n\nBut to return to our experiences in the tiger valley, which were not\nyet done. While Mr. Underwood and I were taking a walk together that\nevening we heard in the valley below us the sharp report of a gun. The\nhouse in which we were was on the side of a hill, while our servants\u2019\nquarters, and indeed most of the village, was in the valley just below.\nShortly some one came running to tell us that a tiger had just been\nshot. This was slightly exciting, but turned out later to have been\na mere excuse to quiet any alarm I might have felt on hearing the\nexplosion of the gun.\n\nThe real facts were, it seemed, that a band of some thirty men,\nprobably fugitives from justice, and robbers, had conspired to visit\nus that night at midnight and destroy the vile foreigners who had\ndared to intrude into the sacred precincts of this mountain land, and\nthus warned, no more strangers should trouble their shores. They had\ndrunk together to the success of their plot, and the leader had rather\noverdone this part of it. Far gone in intoxication, he had been too\nmuch fuddled to keep to the plan, had come several hours in advance of\nthe time, had loudly boasted in the little inn of their intentions, and\nfired his gun in a fit of bravado. At the command of the head of the\nvillage he was immediately seized and locked up and his gun taken away.\nIt was a poor old-fashioned affair, arranged with a long fuse wound\naround the bearer\u2019s wrist, lighted when ready to fire, and inserted in\nan arm held up by the trigger, the pulling of which raised and removed\na small cap which protected the priming powder and dropped the fuse\nupon it, thus firing the gun. It is with these awkward and clumsy\nweapons that the cool Korean hunters face and shoot the most formidable\nleopards, tigers, wild boars and bears which abound in the mountains of\nKorea. The Korean nobles use tiger and leopard skins on their carrying\nchairs, and the teeth and claws for ornaments, while the bones, when\nground up, are supposed to be unrivalled as a tonic.\n\nMany are the tiger stories told by Koreans; their folklore abounds\nwith them. One very brief one is all I have time to insert. Once\nupon a time a fierce tiger crept stealthily into a village in search\nof prey. But every one was in bed, the cattle and pigs well guarded\nbehind palisaded walls, not a child, a dog, or even a chicken lingered\noutside. He was about to retire in despair of finding a supper there\nwhen he spied through the small aperture at the bottom of a gate, such\nas is found in all gates for the egress of dogs and cats, a small and\ntrembling dog. His majesty tried in vain to squeeze through this hole,\nand finding it hopeless, took a careful survey of the wall. It was\nhigh, it is true, and sharply spiked, but sharply set too was the royal\nappetite, and he resolved to try the leap, after carefully reckoning\nthe height to be surmounted and his own strength. He was a great agile\nfellow, and with the exertion of all his might he jumped, barely\nescaping the spikes, and landed safely inside the inclosure, quite\nready for his supper, well aware that he must snatch it quickly and be\ngone ere the hunter in the cottage should espy and shoot him. But puppy\nhad gathered his tail between his legs, and with loud and long kiyies\nhad slipped through the opening to the outer side of the wall. Nothing\nremained for our hungry prowler but to try another leap, only to find\nthat his supper had again given him the slip. Alas, that his brains\nwere not equal to his perseverance and industry! I grieve to be obliged\nto relate that this greedy fellow vaulted back and forth in pursuit of\nhis meal, his anger and appetite growing with every leap, until he died\nof exhaustion and fell an ignominious prey to his small and elusive\nfoe, illustrating the fact that might does not always win and that the\nsmall and weak need not always despair in the contest with size and\nstrength.\n\nIn the little hamlet where we met the adventure with the man who meant\nto kill us we were treated to fine venison and delicious honey. All\nthrough the woods we found anemones and other spring flowers and saw\nspecimens of the beautiful pink ibis, belonging to the same family as\nthe bird so often worshiped in Egypt. On the road hither and all around\nus we saw stacked and ready for sale cords of fine dark hard woods, of\nwhich we did not know the names, but much of which looked like black\nwalnut. No one who has traveled through this part of the country could\npossibly say there was a dearth of trees in Korea, or of singing birds,\nor sweet-scented flowers, or gorgeous butterflies.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV\n\n    Leaving Kangai--We Choose a Short Cut--Much Goitre in the\n    Mountains--A Deserted Village--The Jericho Road--We are\n    Attacked by Robbers--A Struggle in the Inn Yard--Odds too\n    great--Our Attendants are Seized and Carried Off--The Kind\n    Inn-Keeper--Inopportune Patients--A Race for Life--A City of\n    Refuge--A Beautiful Custom--Safe at Last--The Magistrate Turns\n    Out to be an Old Friend--The Charge to the Hunters.\n\n\nOur next stopping place of importance was the town of Kangai. This was\na walled city of between ten and twenty thousand inhabitants in the\nnorthern part of the province of Pyeng An Do. Being in the center of a\nrather turbulent and independent community, at least at that time--and\nwhen were mountaineers not so?--and quite near the Chinese border, its\ngovernor was invested with almost provincial authority, had a large\nnumber of soldiers always under arms, and surrounded himself with\nthe greatest possible show of power and state, having a numerous and\nobsequious body-guard, a gun fired whenever he left his office, and a\ngreat retinue of menials and officials who constantly attended him. He\ntold us that all this was necessary to overawe the people and establish\nhis prestige and dignity. He was a relative of the queen, and I had met\nhim at the palace.\n\nAs we approached the city and about three miles outside of it, we\nsaw in the distance a little company of soldiers with flying banners\nand sounding trumpets, awaiting us apparently at the foot of a hill.\nWhat this might portend we were at a loss to guess. It might mean\nfetters and warder for intrusive foreigners, it might mean an order to\nreturn, it might mean our immediate extinction, but so kind had been\nour reception everywhere, barring sightseers, that we did not entertain\nany serious misgivings, although greatly puzzled as to what the\ndemonstration could possibly signify. However, we marched right up, as\nif this martial array concerned us not in the least. As soon as we came\nwithin saluting distance the leader of the little company made us the\nmost profound obeisance and announced that he had been sent to escort\nus to the city. So we proceeded with this rather cumbersome addition\nto our modest suite, and not only this, for small boys are the same\nall the world over, and a motley throng of them, attracted both by the\nsoldiers and the circus (or, shall we say, the menagerie?), closed in\naround us. A mile farther on a second attachment of military, with its\ninevitable corps of small boys, was awaiting us, and on we went, the\nhubbub ever increasing, drums beating, trumpets sounding, flags flying,\nwooden shoes clattering over the stones, louder, it seemed to me, than\nall the rest, as I cowered in the shelter of my closely curtained chair.\n\n[Illustration: PRINCE YI CHAI SOON, COUSIN OF KING.]\n\n[Illustration: HIGH KOREAN OFFICIAL, KIM YAN SIK. PAGE 23]\n\nMomentarily the formidable dimensions of the crowd increased, while\nother bands of soldiers joined us at intervals, for which I was\ndevoutly thankful, for while the crowd seemed good-natured and simply\nwildly curious, at the same time we were strangers, to whom Koreans\nhad the reputation of being inimical. With so large a crowd a small\nmatter may kindle a blaze of fury, and as we were rather inexperienced\nand ignorant of the character of the people, I felt that whatever the\nintentions of the magistrate might be, the hand of the responsible\nofficial would be gentle compared with the hands of the mob. And\nyet looking back on it all now, in the light of all that has since\noccurred, it was not altogether inappropriate but in a way fitting,\nthat the first heralds of the gospel and the advent of Christianity to\nthis province should be with banners, trumpets and great acclaim. The\nKingdom had come, if only in its smallest beginnings, and had come to\nstay.\n\nThe wonder of it, which will grow, I think, more and more through the\neternal ages, is that God should allow us, his poor creatures, to share\nwith him in a work far greater than the creation of a universe, even\nthe founding of an eternal and limitless kingdom of holiness, glory and\npeace.\n\nBut to return to our noisy procession. Within the city the noise and\nexcitement (\u201cyahdan\u201d the Koreans would say, and nothing expresses it\nso well) were far greater than ever. Dancing girls and hoodlums of\nevery description swelled the crowd, laughing, shouting, pushing,\njostling. High points of vantage were occupied to the last inch with\nsmall boydom, booths or screened seats had been rented for the use of\nthe ladies, and the streets were hardly passable. I shivered. I felt\nlike a mouse in the power of a playful tiger. It is not a pleasant\nthing to feel one\u2019s self the object of desire--even if merely in a\nsightseeing way--of thousands of strange people. Many in that crowd had\ncome more than ten miles to behold us. My husband to protect me from\nthe unpleasantness, to say the least, of falling into the hands of so\nlarge and eager a mob, hastened to the gates of the magistracy, quickly\ndismounted and bade the guards be ready to close them the instant my\nchair had entered. This was promptly done, the gates well bolted and\nguarded, and proud of our victory over the small boys, we hastily\nretired to our rooms. But hark! what noise was that, like thundering of\na waterfall, or of a river dashing away its barriers? Alack! it was\nthe boys. They had scaled the wall on each other\u2019s shoulders, and were\nliterally pouring over it into the compound.\n\nI looked around the little room for some means of escape, like a hunted\nanimal. Its windows and doors were double, the inner one sliding into\nthe wall, but both were composed simply of a light frame of slender\nsticks covered with stout paper, and already the dancing girls and boys\nwere tearing away the outer coat preparatory to forcing an entrance.\nSuddenly I espied a small door, which I found opened into a long dark\ncloset, full of the dust and dirt of unclean centuries. Hither I fled,\ncowering in its farthest recesses. Those who looked in the windows, and\nsaw nothing of the strange animal _genus Americanum_, concluded she\nmust be in some other place, and so a short respite was granted, which\nMr. Underwood and the deputy magistrate made good use of in guarding\nour house doors. The deputy himself was obliged to take his station\nthere, and threatening with awful penalties any soldier who should\npermit the \u201c_chabin duli_\u201d (roughs and crowd) to enter uninvited.\nHenceforth during my stay in that town I was comparatively untroubled.\n\nA very epidemic of diseases, however, seemed to have smitten the place.\nEvery one needed the doctor, and old, almost forgotten complaints were\nresurrected and rubbed up, or if none existed new ones were invented\nto furnish an excuse for an introduction. People stood in long rows\nfrom morning till night to see this popular doctor, and had I been\nmedicining for money, I might have charged almost any price and filled\nhigh our coffers; but I was only too glad to be able to tell them of\nthe great Physician, whose unspeakable gift is without money or price.\n\nThe magistrate treated us very kindly, and one day made a dinner\nfor Mr. Underwood at a little summer house outside the city. Here,\nafter partaking of various Korean dainties, he asked him a great many\nquestions about America and Americans. My husband had thus a fine\nopportunity to enlighten the man on our own mission and work. He of\ncourse listened politely, but the Korean noble is very difficult\nto reach. He is bound so rigidly by so many social, religious and\npolitical fetters, that he usually will not allow himself to consider\nfor a moment the possibility of casting them off.\n\nWe were much disappointed at not finding here any of the inquirers\nof whom we had been told so much, and to examine and instruct whom\nMr. Underwood had turned so far aside from the main road to his final\ndestination, Weeju. We could only conclude that they had either been\ntoo shy to approach us in the public quarters in which we were located\nor that we had been entirely misinformed, and we were forced very\nreluctantly to accept the latter as a fact.\n\nThe magistrate sent a number of presents to us ere we left--a box\nof cigars, though we were not smokers, another of candied Chinese\nginger, honey, flour, beef, vinegar and potatoes. These were articles\nwhich they found by diligent inquiry from our attendants that we were\nfond of. They scoured the country for potatoes, though except in the\nmountains, where rice will not grow, few Koreans cultivate or eat them.\n\nOn leaving Kangai we could either take a long road around the\nmountains, well known and much traveled, or a short cut through and\nover them, much less frequented, but which the magistrate assured us\nwas now quite safe, as he had recently passed through there himself\nand believed that everything was now quiet and orderly. The locality\nhad a bad reputation, being off the main lines of travel in the\nrecesses of the mountains, where escaped criminals were wont to hide,\nand where a band of robbers were said to have made their lair. But time\npressed, work was urgent, the magistrate\u2019s statements were reassuring,\nand we decided to take the shorter road. We were provided with a police\nofficial and a soldier, who, our host told us, would be respected and\nfeared, and our entire safety would thus be assured.\n\n[Illustration: CARRIER OX. PAGE 54]\n\n[Illustration: THE OX-CART OR TALGOOGY. PAGE 197]\n\nOur road on leaving Kangai passed directly over the mountains, through\na region more sparsely populated and more wildly beautiful than\nanything we had yet seen. There were a few stray farms where sparse\ncrops of potatoes were raised, but the mountains hemmed us in closely\non all sides. They were covered with magnificent trees; here and there\na woodcutter was seen or heard, but the evidences of human life were\nfew. We had noticed with interest through the mountain districts a\nlarge number of people for these sparsely settled regions who were\nafflicted with goitre.\n\nAt night we reached a small village of scarce a half dozen houses,\nestablished by the government as a place of rest for travelers, since\nthere was no other place within convenient marching distance. A subsidy\nwas given in return for which these natives were bound to provide\nrefreshments, horses, oxen, or torches for those who bore passports\nor official orders. But travel was rare and they had come to consider\ntheir duty a tyrannical exaction, their subsidy as their right; so when\nwe arrived an ominous silence reigned over the place, and we found it\nhad been completely deserted and that not long since everything had\nbeen dropped and the people had fled and hidden. This inhospitable\nreception was a very definite sign of ill will, a plain refusal to\ngive the shelter and assistance they were so well paid to bestow. Of\ncourse it did not auger well, but there was nothing to be done for\nthe present but to try to supply our needs. Fires were built, horse\nprovender found, and rice for coolies, mapoos and attendants cooked,\nwhile for ourselves we fared well on the contents of our box of stores.\nSome of the villagers returned that night to their homes.\n\nEarly next morning, having paid for what we had used, we started away.\nBut the necessity for haste, as our stage that day was a long one,\nand our want of suspicion of any serious danger led us into making a\nmistake; we divided our small party, Mr. Underwood, the soldier and\nmyself hurrying on ahead on what we afterwards called the Jericho\nroad, leaving helpers and constable with the pack-ponies and mapoos,\nwhich traveled more slowly, to follow at a distance of several miles.\nWe planned to reach our noon rest place early, and order food and\nprovender (which it always takes an hour to cook) in advance, so that\nall might be ready on their arrival and a speedy departure insured.\nThe day was a very fine one, the mountain air exhilarating and\ndelightful, and there were no sightseers, so that Mr. Underwood and I\nwalked together a long distance, laughing and chatting and gathering\nthe pretty spring flowers, of which there were many, especially the\nsweet-scented violets, which I was surprised to find growing thus wild\nin the mountains. We arrived early at the little hamlet which was our\ndestination, and were immediately installed in the one tiny inn the\nplace could boast.\n\nI am not sure how much time elapsed before our loads appeared, but it\nwas not very long, and when word was brought that they were coming\nmy husband slipped a small revolver (our only weapon) from our\ntraveling-bag into his pocket. I understood too little of the language\nto know what message he had received, but he told me that some rough\nfellows were coming with our party and that there might be trouble, in\nwhich case he might need the revolver. He had received a message, while\non the way to the inn, that robbers had overtaken our people and were\nfollowing us. It seems that as soon as we were out of sight a number of\nmen had overtaken our loads and charged one of our mapoos with theft,\nsaying that they had come to reclaim their stolen property. They bound\nhis hands, took possession of our ponies and loads, and followed us\nto our inn. I peeped out through a crack where the door stood ajar,\nand saw what was not reassuring, a party of twenty or thirty country\nfellows, wilder and ruder looking than any I had yet seen, their hair\nfalling in matted locks around their evil faces instead of being\nfastened in the usual rough top-knot, and their angry eyes fierce and\nbloodshot. Each carried a short stout club, and they were all shouting\nin angry tones at once, while our mapoo, his hands bound, my husband,\nthe constable, soldier and helper stood in the midst of this wild\nthrong. The tiny place seemed filled with the men and the hubbub, while\nthe frightened villagers peeped in at the gate or over the wall; our\nbrave chair coolies had hidden away, for which we were later extremely\nthankful.\n\nThe attacking party with loud and angry voices accused our mapoo\nof having stolen their money, a hat and a bowl; and when asked for\nevidence, pointed to the man\u2019s own shabby old hat, then on his head, to\na rice bowl, placed on top of the packs (he said by their hands), and\nto our own large and heavy bag of Korean cash, fastened and sealed just\nas we saw it placed on the pony\u2019s back in the morning. They refused to\nrelease the mapoo unless these things were delivered up. Mr. Underwood\ntold them that the hat and money were ours, but that he would go with\nthem before a Korean magistrate and leave the whole matter to his\ndecision, only they must unbind our mapoo. This they would not hear\nto and continued to insist on our giving them the money. My husband\nabsolutely refused to do this. Meanwhile, having placed himself, with\nthe brave little soldier at his side, in a narrow space wide enough\nonly for two, between the wall of the compound and the house, he bade\nthe latter cut the mapoo\u2019s bands. The mob threatened to kill him if\nhe did so, but he turned to Mr. Underwood and said, \u201cDoes the great\nman bid me cut?\u201d and receiving the affirmative reply, he at once cut\nthe ropes which bound the mapoo. The ruffians made a rush, but Mr.\nUnderwood, hastily pushing the mapoo behind him, managed with the aid\nof the soldier at his side in that narrow place to push one man back\nagainst the others and keep them off for some time.\n\nWhile his whole attention was thus engaged, however, with those in\nfront, some of the party found a way to the rear, and coming up quietly\nbehind, suddenly pinioned his arms back and held him helpless, while\nthe others carried off our poor mapoo away outside the village, their\nvoices dying away in the distance. In the awful silence that succeeded\nthe uproar we waited what would follow. After what seemed an age of\nsuspense they returned without the man and seized and carried off our\nconstable. Again that fateful silence, that agonizing suspense; again\nanother raid, and our other mapoo was dragged away. If these and our\nother companions had shown half the courage of the little soldier and\nmade any effort to defend themselves and us, and especially had the\nchair coolies stood by us, the ruffians would very likely have been\nbeaten off. As it was, we were practically helpless, the only question\nwas who was to be attacked next. Mr. Underwood was very doubtful of\nthe wisdom of producing the little revolver until the very last\nextremity. One by one they carried away the members of our party till\nonly Mr. Underwood, the little soldier and I were left.\n\n[Illustration: A KOREAN VILLAGE]\n\nWe learned afterward that they were a set of wild men, many of them\nfugitives from justice, probably an organized band of robbers, into\nwhose hands we had fallen, and the fear that lay like ice at my heart\nwas that when all our friends and defenders were one by one removed\nthey would carry away and murder my husband too. So I waited, scarcely\nbreathing, for the next return. What I dreaded they did in fact propose\nto do, saying it was the right way to treat foreigners. They said they\nhad robbed and killed a Japanese officer some years ago, and having\nnever been punished, would be quite safe in treating us in a similar\nway. On our return to Seoul we found by inquiry that this was true,\nthat while the government had been forced to pay a heavy indemnity,\nthey had never been able to identify and punish the murderers. Had we\nbeen overtaken before we reached the village perhaps our fate would\nhave been that of the Japanese; but when the affair reached this point\nthe villagers interfered and forbade. They said they had allowed\nthem to carry off our Korean servants and our money, but should we,\nforeigners, known at the palace and carrying a passport, be killed\nthere, their village would have to bear the penalty, and we must be\nspared. They were only a few men, but probably people who, knowing\nthe haunts of the criminals and able to identify them, had them to\nsome extent in their power. The men therefore sullenly filed away, or\nat least most of them. One or two of the fiercest and most repulsive\nstill hung about, and one of them walked into my room (an insult in the\neyes of all Koreans) and insolently stared until my husband, entering,\nordered him out.\n\nThe inn-keeper was a little man not five feet high, who did all in\nhis power to reassure and make me comfortable, as if such a thing\nwere possible with our poor friends in distress, if not dead, and our\nown fate only too uncertain. It was twenty-five English miles to the\nnearest magistracy, and doing our best, it would be difficult to reach\nit that night; but we knew that if any help was to be had for the\ncaptives it must be secured at once, aside from the fact that we had\nno assurance of safety with so small a party until within the walls of\nthe yamen. So it was decided to start as soon as possible. My scared\nchair coolies had sneaked out of their hiding places in a sufficiently\nwell-preserved condition to be able to partake of a hearty meal, and\nwere soon ready to start. My husband had a Korean pony which possessed\nthe rare virtue of kicking and biting every one who attempted to touch\nhim, except his mapoo and his master; to which quality we were indebted\nfor his being left us that day. One other pony we were able to obtain,\nbut as it of course could carry only our rugs and bedding, the rest of\nour belongings we were compelled to leave behind.\n\nWe asked the host to take them into his house and take charge of them,\nto which he willingly consented. His son, in an agony of terror, begged\nhim not to do so, as the robbers had threatened to come and burn down\nhis house if he sheltered either us or our goods. The stout-hearted\nlittle fellow, whose soul was much too large for his body, laughed\nat the threat, and bidding one of the very men who had attacked us\ngive a lift, he carried our trunks into his house and said he would\ntake good care of them for us until we should send for them. In the\nmeanwhile Mr. Underwood had been urging me to eat, which I tried in\nvain to do, as a large lump of something hard had become fixed in my\nthroat, would neither go up or down and no food could pass that way. In\nfact, I may as well admit I was a very much frightened woman, and my\nwhole desire was to run away as fast and as far as possible from that\ndreadful locality. It sounds, and is, disgraceful, but as this is a\nnarration of facts it may as well be confessed. My chief grief was that\nwe must leave our poor friends behind. That, indeed, seemed cruel and\nunthinkable, yet there appeared to be no other way to relieve or help\nthem.\n\nJust as we were ready to start two or three country people came and\nasked for medicines for trifling complaints. Was anything ever so\nill-timed? Surely we could not wait then, when the lives of our poor\npeople as well as our own perhaps depended on our speedy departure. But\nnot so, counseled my husband. These men and women needed help which we\ncould give. It was our duty to show that we, as the servants of Jesus,\nhad come in a spirit of brotherhood and love, and it gave us a fine\nopening to deliver a message and to distribute the printed Word--it\nwould not take long, and in any case were we not in God\u2019s hands? So not\nknowing what moment the ruffians might return to drag us away to share\nthe unknown fate of our attendants, perhaps death, surely torture, I\nprescribed. Alas! I hope none of my patients were poisoned; but with\nso distracted a mind did I work that it was very difficult to fix my\nthoughts on afflicted eyes, ears and throats, etc. At length all had\nbeen seen, the medicines repacked, when another patient appeared; again\nwe waited, I diagnosed and prescribed and Mr. Underwood prepared the\nmedicine; but still another and yet another appeared, till I began\nto think we should not be able to leave that day at all. At last,\nhowever, all were satisfied, and we started with our race with time,\nconsiderably after two o\u2019clock.\n\nWe had twenty-five English miles to travel before we could reach the\nnearest magistrate, on a road leading through and over the mountains.\nIt was wild and exceedingly beautiful, but correspondingly rough and\ndifficult. Sometimes it was only the narrowest foot-path, running\nalong a ledge of rocks overhanging the stream; sometimes it was almost\nlost among great boulders, which must be skirted or surmounted. The\nloveliest wild flowers were all around us, but for once they did not\ntempt us to linger. We had barely left the confines of the village\nbefore we saw in the road before us the prostrate and apparently\ninanimate body of a man, whom we soon recognized as our constable. He\nproved to be not dead, but simply fainting from the cruel beating he\nhad received. He soon revived a little and begged us to hurry on for\naid. He was too much exhausted and bruised to be carried on with us,\nunless we abandoned our purpose of reaching the magistracy that night,\nwhich it seemed for the best good of all to do; so most reluctantly we\nleft him to the mercy of the villagers. It was a sore alternative, but\notherwise help for the others would have been delayed many hours.\n\nWhen we had proceeded two or three miles farther we saw a line of armed\nmen half kneeling barring the road in front of us, with their guns\naimed apparently at us. I of course concluded that my last hour had\ncome, but we decided that to advance with no signs of fear or doubt\nwas the only course to pursue, and found a few minutes later that our\nformidable-looking opponents were only some hunters waiting game that\nwas being driven towards them by others. Our road steadily ascended,\nand was more and more difficult. Where it was worst I walked to relieve\nthe tired coolies, for even with four men and a light burden it is\nno easy matter to carry a chair up the mountain side on a warm April\nafternoon. When sunset was almost due, and we had many miles yet to go,\nthe coolies insisted on waiting for supper. I dreaded the possible\nnecessity of being obliged to spend a part of the night unsheltered in\na country that seemed so hostile, added to which the other thought of\nthe necessity for speed made it seem impossible and wicked to delay for\nsuch a paltry thing as food.\n\nWhy the men who had seemed so bitter and cruel at noon had not followed\nand attacked our weakened party I have never been able to entirely\nexplain. I can only surmise that, like most Asiatics, they were firmly\nconvinced that Mr. Underwood, in common with all foreigners, always\nwent heavily though secretly armed, and that any attempt to injure our\npersons would result in awful calamity. In addition, our passport and\nthe well-known fact that we were on very friendly relations with the\npalace may have made them fear the consequence of harming us, even\nthough they were more than half resolved to do so. More than this, the\nvillagers who forbade them to touch us probably knew their haunts and\nwould be able to hunt them out; and lastly, the fact that Mr. Underwood\nstoutly resisted them and showed no signs of fear undoubtedly had a\nmarked effect upon their treatment of us. Witness the fact that even\nthe little soldier, the only man of our native party who fought them\nand showed no fear, was the only one of the Koreans who escaped unhurt.\nIf we had at any moment shown ourselves afraid of them they would have\ntaken it as sure proof that we were defenseless. Had they seen our\nlittle revolver, and known it for our only weapon, they would have\ncounted us, as we were, practically helpless, and our fate might have\nbeen decided very differently.\n\nAt the time I felt certain they were not through with us, but having\nweakened our party, they would attack us in the lonely road, far away\nfrom the friendly village, and finish their work.\n\nWe could scarcely hope to distance them, handicapped as we were, but I\nfelt we could not put too much space between them and us, and many a\nbackward glance I cast, expecting to see them emerge any moment from\nsome rock or tree. Good for man or woman it is to feel one\u2019s self cast\nutterly on God\u2019s mercy, and entirely in his hands, to know one\u2019s self\nbeyond all human aid, with him alone to look to for succor. As I turned\nto my husband that day and said, \u201cWell, there\u2019s nothing left to do but\nto trust the Lord,\u201d it flashed over us both how commonly we only trust\nhim when there is nothing else to do, as if his help were the last we\nshould ever invoke, a last forlorn hope. How far, far too much, we fall\ninto the habit of trusting in an arm of flesh and all the frail little\nhuman makeshifts with which we encompass ourselves and fancy we are\nsafe. But how near he seems, how strong the uplift of the \u201ceverlasting\narms,\u201d when the soul is left alone to him.\n\nWe were forced to wait some time while our tired coolies fed, the\ndarkness meanwhile coming on rapidly. At length, rather than waste\nany more time, I started, walking in advance and leaving the coolies\nto follow; eat I could not. Soon the road divided into two, one a\nshort cut over the mountain, the other a much longer one around it; we\ndecided to take the shorter road, which also leading through the woods\nbecame extremely dark, so that in a short time we were obliged to call\nfor torches, the road too turning out to be very bad. It was barely a\nfoothold, circling and twisting down the precipitous mountain side.\nMr. Underwood soon concluded that he would rather trust his own feet\nthan his pony\u2019s, as we heard the displaced stones go rattling down into\ndepths far below; but as for me, though I would have much preferred to\ndescend from my chair, which had some time before overtaken us, I was\nnow so tired that it would have delayed us too much and added nothing\nto my safety.\n\nStill it was rather an uncomfortable thing to be carried along on the\nbrink of a precipice, down a slippery, uncertain path, in a darkness\nwhich was scarcely relieved, only made visible, by the flickering\ntorchlights, especially as they invariably burned out before the next\ncame up, and we were obliged at times to proceed a quarter of a mile\nor more--it always seemed more--in total darkness; and yet worse than\nthis is probably often experienced by people traveling in the mountains\nfor pleasure. At last, however, after nine o\u2019clock, Mr. Underwood came\nto the chair and bade me look up. There above us on a hill in relief\nagainst the starlit sky stood the walls and gate of the little city. A\ncity of refuge indeed, and we realized that night, a little at least,\nof the joy of the hunted, who, closely pursued by the avenger of blood,\nfound himself safe within protecting walls. The gates were hospitably\nopen as our messenger had arrived, and we were expected.\n\nWe were told that it was a custom in many towns in the north to set a\nlamp in each doorway as a token of welcome to expected guests who for\nany reason were persons of importance. As we passed down the street and\nsaw these bright little beacons before each door our hearts were deeply\ntouched. Although it was too late for a formal audience, and the gate\nof the magistracy was closed, my husband insisted on being admitted at\nonce. The request was granted and he hurried in and began the usual\nceremony of introducing himself, when a familiar voice exclaimed, \u201cAnd\ndon\u2019t you know me?\u201d Then for the first he looked closely into the face\nof the official before him, and found that he was an old friend from\nSeoul, who had often been entertained at our house.\n\nAll was now easy. The events of the morning were carefully related,\nwith the request that the police should be sent at once to rescue and\nbring back our people, reclaim our goods and arrest, if possible,\nthe criminals. This he promised to do at once, and in fulfillment,\nimmediately ordered up the hunters, a guild of brave men who know\nthe woods and mountains for miles around, and who fear nothing. His\nspokesman then called out to them in loud tones, which thrilled through\nthe clear starlit night, the order to go at once, find and arrest the\nrobbers, and bring safely our attendants and goods in three days\u2019 time,\nor lose their heads. To which they replied in a sort of chant in a\nminor key that they would so arrest, reclaim, and bring back in three\ndays\u2019 time or would lose their heads. The last syllable long drawn,\nrolled, rippled, and re-echoed, seeming to die away somewhere among\nthe stars. The condition about the loss of their heads was, of course,\nmerely for rhetorical effect, or very likely the echo of an old custom,\nthe address and reply being probably a form hundreds of years old.\nAt any rate, though they returned after three days had passed, their\nmission not fully accomplished, there was no talk of beheading, or\nthought of it in any quarter.\n\nIt may be noted that not much has been told in this chapter of\nChristian work and its results, but it must be remembered that\nconditions were somewhat unfavorable. Owing to the fears of our\nAmerican minister, Mr. Underwood had been forbidden to preach in the\ncountry at this time, so that his work was limited to studying the\ncountry and the people and their possibilities, laying plans for future\nwork, examining, instructing and encouraging converts and supervising\nand testing the work of native helpers. As for me, the effort to make\na favorable impression through the treatment of the sick and the\ndistribution of tracts was the limit of my usefulness.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V\n\n    Our Stay in Wewon--We Give a Dinner--Our Guests--Magistrates\n    Propose that we Travel with a Chain-Gang--Our Trip down\n    the Yalu--The Rapids--Contrast between Korean and Chinese\n    Shores--We Enter Weju--The Drunken Magistrate--Presents\n    and Punishments--Unpleasant Experiences with Insincere\n    People--Rice Christians--The Scheming Colporter--The Men\n    Baptized in Weju--The Lost Passport--Another Audience at the\n    Palace--Queen\u2019s Dress and Ornaments--Korean Summer House--The\n    Pocket Dictionary--Our Homes.\n\n\nHere, then, in the hospitable little town of Wewon we rested, made\nfriends whom we hoped to draw into the friendship of our Leader, and\nministered to sick bodies and souls, as opportunity was given. Here in\na few days were brought our boxes and a few of the men who had attacked\nus. Still later, for they were unable to travel for some time, came our\npoor attendants, who had twice been cruelly beaten with clubs and left\ntied up all night in a painful and agonizing position. The mapoo\u2019s arm\nwas broken, and our helper never entirely recovered from the injury his\nback had suffered. Those of the criminals who were found were sent up\nto the provincial capital to be punished by the governor.\n\nBefore leaving Wewon we gave a dinner to the magistrate in order to\ngratify his curiosity and that of his friends. We wished to show in\nsome way our appreciation of his kindness and hospitality, and Mr.\nUnderwood, who had considerable experience and much skill in camp and\nbachelor cooking, undertook, in the face of some odds, to manage the\nmatter; and we found our ingenuity well taxed in evolving a feast from\nthe now scanty remnants of our larder and the few obtainable native\narticles out of which a foreign meal could be manufactured. However,\nwe prided ourselves that we did quite well, with some six courses,\nincluding soup, fish, a bewitching little roast pig, well decorated\nwith wreaths and berries, served with apple sauce and stuffed with\npotatoes, chestnuts and onions. Our dessert, marmalade spread on\ncrackers, was sufficiently light to please the most \u00e6sthetic, and we\nintroduced a novelty, coffee sweetened with honey, never whispering\nthat our sugar was gone. The magistrate came with a huge crowd of\nretainers, who filled our tiny room and flowed over into the kitchen,\npeered into and fingered everything, and nearly wrecked the courses,\nwhich our overtried servant was attempting under many difficulties to\nserve. With nothing but a bowl of charcoal in lieu of a stove, and no\nproper kitchen utensils, it was by no means easy to achieve such a feat\nof culinary art in the far interior of the hermit kingdom, but we did\nnot stop to consider a little inconvenience or bother, nor regret a\nlittle extra work where we could thereby make or strengthen friendship\nwith Koreans. Trifling as it may look for missionaries to be planning\n_menus_ and giving dinners to country magistrates, there are more ways\nof furthering the cause than preaching only. The hearts of the people\nmust be won, and he who wins most friends wins the readiest and most\nattentive audience, one inclined in advance to favor and accept what he\nhas to teach, and nothing is trifling which helps.\n\nAfter the return of our men and belongings, and as soon as the former\nwere able to travel, we felt we must hurry on to Weju. The magistrate\nof Wewon proposed that when we departed, the eight criminals who had\nbeen captured should be chained together, two and two, and led in\nadvance of our company during the rest of our journey. Thus should we\nmarch through the land like conquerors, instilling awe and terror in\nall hearts, and none who looked on this tableau would ever again dare\nassail a foreigner. Now this was of course exactly the impression that\nwe wished to produce as missionaries! We pictured ourselves going about\npreaching the cross, with such an object lesson as this, trying to win\nthe hearts of the people, while driving their compatriots before us in\nchains, and we enjoyed the vision hugely. It would hardly have been\npossible to have obtained the relief of our Koreans without the arrest\nof the criminals, several of whom were identified as notorious men,\nwhose seizure was necessary to the peace and safety of the community.\nBut we never would have had them punished on our own account or to\ngratify revenge, so we politely thanked the magistrate for his tactful\nsuggestion, but begged to be excused.\n\nWe found the town of Chosan, where we stopped on the evening after\nleaving Wewon, quite a unique and interesting little place. It is\nsituated near the Yalu, or, as the Chinese call it, the Amno River,\nwhich forms the boundary line between Korea and China. Two \u201c_kisus_,\u201d\na sort of soldier police, were sent out three miles to meet us, and\npreceded us into the town, blowing trumpets all the way, to our\nhelpless annoyance and disgust, for they either could not or would not\nunderstand that this sort of demonstration was most distasteful to us\nboth.\n\nAs at Kangai, more and more soldiers met us at intervals. There were\nflags, music, crowds, and again we entered the town like a circus. The\ncrowds, however, were kept well back, the place was much smaller, and\nwe were undisturbed at the magistracy. As soon as we entered the house\na small tray was brought, with cups of hot ginger tea, most restful and\nrefreshing, the kind thought of the magistrate, who, unlike others, did\nnot force himself at once upon us, but considerately waited until we\nwere a little rested and refreshed. We found here a custom which we had\nnot met elsewhere, that of sounding a bell every morning at a certain\nhour, when all morning fires must be extinguished, not to be relit\nuntil late in the afternoon.\n\nWe were compelled to go on some miles farther to obtain a boat for our\nshort trip down the Yalu. In rainy weather the rapids between this\npoint and Weju are rather dangerous, but at this time it was only a\nswift current, which made the trip the pleasanter. We found a Korean\njunk, which served our purpose as well as any that were to be had,\nwhich was flat-bottomed, and thirty feet long by three wide. This would\ncarry our attendants, our packs, two or three boatmen and ourselves.\nSome mats were rigged on bamboo poles above us for an awning, and\nothers stretched across the middle of the boat for a partition, which\nleft one half for the use of the natives, while we reserved the other\nfor ourselves. Here we spent three days and nights; during the latter,\nhowever, we always anchored near the shore. Provisions in plenty were\nobtained from the villages we passed, when a great many people came out\nto kugung; but here we had the advantage, and while quite able to talk\nto them from the boat, were not forced to permit more than we liked to\nexamine us and our belongings.\n\nOne night we were wakened with the cry of \u201cPull, pull!\u201d \u201cFire, fire!\u201d\nand found the boat was on fire. Some one had fallen asleep while\nsmoking and dropped hot ashes among combustibles; but we were close to\nthe shore, there was plenty of water and people to use it. The blaze\nwas soon out, and nothing thrilling came to pass. Thus was it ever with\nour adventures. While danger in one form or another made itself known,\nas if to prove beyond a doubt our Father\u2019s care, we were kept as safe\nand unharmed as a child in its mother\u2019s arms; and were we not with the\neverlasting arms underneath us?\n\nAs we drifted down the Amno those lovely spring days, with China\nlying on one side of us and Korea on the other, the contrast was\nwonderfully marked, almost as much, indeed, as if the two nations had\nbeen separated by oceans rather than a river. This difference too was\nalmost as marked in the physical features of the country as in national\ncustoms. On the Korean shore the trees were mostly of pine; on the\nChina side, of oaks and other deciduous varieties. The Korean peasants\u2019\nhuts were of mud, straw thatched; the Chinese houses of brick or stone,\nroofed with tile. Koreans dressed in white were plowing with oxen;\nChinese farmers in blue were plowing with horses. Rhododendrons gave\na lovely roseate tinge to the rocks and hills on either side. It was\neasy for the passing traveler to see which country bore the greater\nappearance of prosperity and thrift.\n\nOn the evening of the 27th of April we reached Weju. Fortunately no\nofficial notice had gone before, and there were no trumpets, drums,\nharps, sackbuts, psalteries and all kinds of music at hand to make our\nlives a burden. A chair was hired for Mr. Underwood, and in the kindly\nprotection of the deepening twilight we surreptitiously entered these\nconveyances and were carried into the city as quietly and unobtrusively\nas happy common folks.\n\nAnd now, to return a little, soon after leaving Pyeng Yang we had met\na Mr. Yi, of Weju, an agent of the Bible Society, then on his way to\nSeoul; but when he heard where we were going he concluded to return\nwith us. Mr. Underwood was at that time trying to decide whether\nWeju or Pyeng Yang would be the better place for a sub-station, with\na half-formed plan to purchase a house, to which we could go when\nitinerating, in charge of which we might place a care-taker, who would\nalso be helper, intending to select from among the converts in that\nregion, if possible, one of the most capable and earnest. This plan\nwas in part communicated to Mr. Yi, and seemed to strike him most\nfavorably. He shortly proposed to precede us to Weju and select such\na place. Mr. Underwood, however, told him plainly that he must on no\naccount purchase or promise to purchase any such house for us; that, as\nour plans were indefinite, we could not buy until we had seen the city\nand the Christians, and, in a word, until we had some data by which to\ndecide whether we needed such a house there at all. And even then the\nlocality and the house must first be seen by us.\n\nWe, however, consented that he should go in advance and arrange at\nsome inn or Christian home for our entertainment, so that we could be\nquietly and quickly housed on entering the town. We also consented\nthat some inquiries should be made as to what houses in localities\nconvenient for work were purchasable, and at what price, so that\nwe might have something definite to consider on reaching there.\nAccordingly he left us before we reached Kangai and hurried on to Weju.\nWhen we arrived, therefore, he met us and conducted us with much \u00e9clat\nto a very commodious and nice bungalow, which he said was his own. Here\nwe were introduced to his consumptive wife, his aged father, and his\nlittle children.\n\nAccording to custom, we sent our passport to the magistrate as soon as\nwe arrived. This scarcely reached his office before an order was sent\nout for the arrest of our servants and helper, who were forthwith\ndragged off to the yamen, beaten and locked up. We had hardly received\nthis disconcerting news when it was announced that some messengers had\narrived from his excellency with a very generous present of chickens,\neggs, nuts, fruit and other edibles. These articles again had barely\nbeen received and the messengers not well out of sight when officers\narrived with orders to arrest our host and have him beaten. This very\ncontradictory conduct was certainly disquieting, and we were at a loss\nto conjecture what it meant.\n\n[Illustration: A BUTCHER SHOP]\n\n[Illustration: BASKET SHOP]\n\nHowever, we had not long to wait. The deputy or vice-magistrate\nwas shortly afterwards announced, and before he left, he gave Mr.\nUnderwood to understand that his honor the magistrate had been imbibing\nrather freely and was not altogether responsible for his honorable\n(?) conduct, and that he, the deputy, hoped, therefore, that we\nwould overlook his slight playfulness in arresting and beating our\npoor innocent people. These little aberrations were, he said, quite\nfrequent, and of course when once we understood what was to be expected\nand the reason, no concern need be felt. We were, of course, immensely\ncomforted and soothed by this explanation, and rested with quiet minds\nin the happy consciousness that it was entirely uncertain what sort of\nmagisterial and honorable earthquake or cyclone might strike us next;\nassured it would be all right, as he intended no harm in his sane\nmoments. The poor deputy, in a strait betwixt two (the magistrate near\nat hand, and the Foreign Office in Seoul, represented by our passport),\nhad been trying to smooth over the magistrate\u2019s uncivil reception of\nthe passported foreigners, by offerings of said chickens, eggs, etc.,\nand this was the explanation of the strange combination of presents and\npunishments.\n\nDrunkenness is, I am sorry to say, very common in Korea. The people\ndo not, as in Japan and China, raise tea, and even the wealthiest have\napparently only recently learned the use of either tea or coffee, which\nthe common people are far too poor to buy. Milk, strange to say, they\nhave never used, and they are therefore without a harmless beverage\nwhich they can offer their friends on convivial occasions. As it is,\nthey resort only too generally to wines and some very strong alcoholic\ndrinks, which they make themselves.\n\nWe had had Christian workers at Weju for some months, one of whom Mr.\nUnderwood had appointed and two who had constituted themselves such, of\nwhom we were doubtful then, and later had cause to be more so, and who\nnow hoped to prove themselves so useful to us that we would give them\nsome good-paying position in the mission. Several of our experiences\nat Weju were very bitter and disappointing to us, for the insincerity\nof men whom we trusted was made clear, and yet at the same time they\nwere instructive, for they taught us to be very slow and cautious in\ninvesting men with responsibility, and to be very guarded both in\nreceiving converts and in using money, and helped to strengthen us in\nthose ideas of rigid self-support which Mr. Underwood had already,\nfrom the study of Dr. Nevius\u2019 book, begun to consider deeply and to\nsome extent follow. One of the self-appointed begged us to start a\nChristian school in a place where as yet there was no opening for it,\nand to put him in as teacher with a good salary. \u201cBut,\u201d Mr. Underwood\nobjected, \u201cwe are not yet ready for such a school, and I cannot start\na school merely to give you a living.\u201d Such unconcern for his material\ninterest grieved him sorely. Long he pleaded his need and begged with\ngreat na\u00efvet\u00e9 that we would then inform him how he was to subsist, with\nrefreshing guilelessness rolling the whole of the responsibility of his\nexistence upon us. We were obliged to tell him with some emphasis that\nwe were not here to provide incomes for indolent men, but to further\nthe gospel.\n\nAnother man whom we had trusted had given us altogether exaggerated,\nand we feared intentionally false, accounts of the interest in Kangai,\nof which we had failed to find any signs. He did not suppose we would\ngo there to verify the reports which were to accrue to his credit.\nBut another and still more annoying experience awaited us. The agent\nYi told us that the house we were in belonged to us, that in spite of\nour repeated injunctions he had bought it for us, and had sold his own\nlittle home in part payment and installed his family here. This was now\nthe only shelter of his aged father, his sick wife and his helpless\nlittle ones. The scheming fellow had indeed placed us in a serious\npredicament. To turn these weak and helpless people into the street\nfor the sins of this man was not to be thought of; to allow the man\nto profit by his dishonest trick would be to encourage every covetous\nhypocrite who sought to make gain out of the church and to misuse\nconsecrated funds. Fortunately within ten days after a sale the money\nor deeds may be demanded back, and so we made him ask back his own\nhouse and return the one we had used, with a slight extra payment, to\nthe original owner. It is due to the British Bible Society to say that\nthey were of course deceived in this man, as we are all liable to be at\ntimes, no matter how careful. The distance from his employers at which\nhe was working made supervision almost impossible.\n\nWe were visited by a great many people, mostly men, who seemed deeply\ninterested in Christianity and eager for baptism. Over one hundred\nsuch applicants presented themselves. Mr. Underwood examined them with\ngreat care, and found that all had studied the Scriptures and tracts\nwith great assiduity, and nearly all were well informed in the cardinal\ntruths of the gospel. One man was quite a phenomenon of a rather\nuseless kind of Biblical erudition. He knew the number of chapters and\nverses in the Old and New Testament (Chinese, of course), the number\nof characters, the number of times the name of God and Christ occur,\nand a variety of similar facts, showing he had an extremely facile\nmemory, but proving nothing with regard to his conversion. I could not\nhelp regarding the poor man with compassion. It seemed too bad that he\nshould have taken so much pains and spent so many hours of toil to gain\nnon-essentials when the sweet bread of life and honey out of the rock\nmight have been had so simply and easily, had he only really wanted\nthem, had he learned enough of their wondrous value to desire them.\nI am afraid that this man and some of the others that we questioned\nhad no inkling of what Christianity really is, but supposed it was a\nphilosophy, fine and good, no doubt, which if adopted would bring them\nin touch with rich and influential foreigners, and find them speedy\nemployment as teachers, helpers and what not.\n\nWhat we anxiously, longingly sought for in these applicants were the\nsigns of a sincere change of heart, of a real love for the God who was\ncrucified to save them, and of the fruit of this belief in a change\nof life and character. Out of the hundred applicants we selected\nthirty-three, not those who answered most glibly or showed the greatest\ninformation, but those who gave almost unmistakable evidence of\nsincerity of heart and true knowledge of Jesus. I say almost, for it is\nwell-nigh impossible not to make mistakes at times.\n\nWe had been forbidden to baptize in Korea, under our passport, and we\nall crossed the river into China, and there held a communion service, a\nvery solemn and deeply felt occasion to us, and Mr. Underwood baptized\nthese men, the only ones baptized during the whole trip, a larger\nnumber than he ever received before, or after that, for some years.\nThese numbers, rather large so early in the history of the mission,\nwere afterward much exaggerated by rumor. No one was able to visit this\nlittle company of newborn souls for two years. No response from the\nchurch at home to urgent pleas for help; exacting demands of work in\nSeoul, sickness which took us to America, made it impossible for any\none to go and strengthen, encourage and uphold them. With no pastor,\nfew books but Chinese, they were sadly neglected, and humanly speaking,\nit would hardly be surprising if they were scattered and lost as sheep\nwithout a shepherd. We had hoped to visit them at least once a year,\nbut had no idea how the work near home would grow and how impossible\nit would be to leave. These men were not of the city of Weju, but from\nsome little hamlets at some distance, some of them fifteen or twenty\nmiles away. Several of the men were already well known to Mr. Underwood\nand had been under instruction for more than a year, and some had been\nreported ready for baptism by Mr. Saw, who had been employed by Mr.\nRoss when he came to Seoul three years before.\n\nThis is to show that a horde of new professors, of whom we knew\nnothing, were not rashly baptized in zeal to increase the list of\nchurch-members, as was stated by persons who were ignorant of the real\nfacts. All were rigidly examined, all had been long prepared, and\nalthough two missionaries who paid a visit to Weju on their way to\nChina two years later, and one who made a long stay eight or nine years\nlater, said they found none of these Christians, we believe God was\nable to keep his own. It would not be easy, knowing neither the names\nof the men nor the villages where they lived, to find them, especially\nwhen we remember the roving, almost nomadic character of the people,\nmost of whom had probably moved quite away, the Japanese war having\nworked marvelous changes. More than half of the population of Weju and\nvicinity seemed to melt away during that disastrous war.\n\nWhen our work in Weju was done we started on our return trip to many\nwaiting duties in the capital. The magistrate had not restored our\npassport, so we sent for it, but it was not forthcoming. We waited some\ntime, and again meekly requested it; still it was withheld, and at\nlength we learned that on the night of our arrival the magistrate had\nbeen in such an irresponsible condition that he had no recollection to\nwhose care he had confided it, and, in fact, _the passport was lost_.\nThis was indeed a serious state of affairs! To travel without one would\ninvolve great risk, to wait for another from Seoul would take more\ntime than we could afford to spare. And, indeed, whether we should\nbelieve that it was really lost, or that this was only the excuse of an\ninimical magistrate who meant to detain us there for some dark purpose,\nwas a question. After some annoying delay, however, it was found and\nduly returned, and with sad farewells from our friends, but with the\nhope and intention of returning soon to feed these lambs of God\u2019s fold\nwe left Weju, to _which we have never as yet been permitted to go back_.\n\nMr. Underwood and I discussed long and earnestly on our return trip\nthe comparative merits of Pyeng Yang and Weju for the establishment\nof a sub-station. In the one the opening was more hopeful, the other\nheld the more advantageous position. We at length concluded to leave\nthe matter open and allow future events to decide where we should\nstart our station. We returned to Seoul by the main road, with as few\ndelays as possible, and had an uneventful trip, troubled by no mobs or\nrobbers. The season was somewhat advanced and the inns were very hot,\nbut the country was beautiful, with many varieties of the loveliest\nflowers. Lilies of the valley we found growing in masses not ten feet\nfrom the roadside, lilacs, eglantine, sweet violets and quantities of\nother sweet-scented flowers filled my chair. We found ourselves safely\nat home near the middle of May, having been absent over two months,\ntraveled more than a thousand miles, treated over six hundred patients,\nand talked with many times that number.\n\nWe were dismayed to find on our return that one of the too loyal\nmissionaries had, in supposed obedience to the edict, closed the little\nroom, where services had been held with the natives, and they were\nworshiping secretly in one or another of their own little homes. We at\nonce threw open our own house and regularly gathered the Christians\nthere, till all the mission were willing to use the little chapel again.\n\nShortly after our return the queen invited me to a private audience, in\norder to give me a very unique pair of gold bracelets, which she had\nordered made for a wedding present, and which had not been ready before\nwe went to the country. She also gave a ring set with a beautiful\npearl for my husband. She kindly asked about our trip, and was, as\nusual, all that was friendly and considerate. I wish I could give the\npublic a true picture of the queen as she appeared at her best, but\nthis would be impossible, even had she permitted a photograph to be\ntaken, for her charming play of expression while in conversation, the\ncharacter and intellect which were then revealed, were only half seen\nwhen the face was in repose. She wore her hair like all Korean ladies,\nparted in the center, drawn tightly and very smoothly away from the\nface and knotted rather low at the back of the head. A small ornament\n(indicating her rank, I suppose, as I have never seen any other woman\nwear one) was worn on the top of the head; fastened by a narrow black\nband. One or two very ornamental long hairpins of gold filigree set\nwith coral, pearls or jewels were stuck through the knot of hair at the\nback. She usually wore a yellow silk _chogerie_, or jacket waist, like\nthose worn by all Korean women, fastened with a pearl or amber button\nand a very long flowing blue silk skirt. All her garments were of silk,\nexquisitely dainty.\n\nHer majesty seemed to care little for ornaments, and wore very few. No\nKorean women wear earrings (except young girls in the north, who wear\na large silver hoop), and the queen was no exception, nor have I ever\nseen her wear a necklace, a brooch, or a bracelet. She must have had\nmany rings, but I never saw her wear more than one or two of European\nmanufacture, set with not so many nor so large diamonds as numbers of\nAmerican women of moderate means and station often display. She had any\nnumber of beautiful watches, which she never wore. According to Korean\ncustom, she carried a number of filigree gold ornaments decorated\nwith long silk tassels fastened at her side. So simple, so perfectly\nrefined were all her tastes in dress, it is difficult to think of her\nas belonging to a nation called half civilized.\n\nOn the occasion of this visit she gave me a fresh proof of her\nthoughtful kindness. I was wearing my wedding dress and very thin satin\nslippers, and as I was leaving it suddenly began to rain. My chair\nwas nearly half a mile distant, waiting outside the gate, according\nto rule. The queen, whom nothing escaped, noted the rain, and my\ndifficulty. She came in person to the window and imperatively ordered\nword to be sent to the gate for my chair to be brought to the waiting\nroom.\n\n[Illustration: PLEASURE HOUSE. PAGE 22]\n\nBut this was too much. The officials who attended me there said that\nsuch an exception as this in my favor would awaken bitter criticism\nand jealousy, that one of the highest officials in the land was at\nthat moment waiting at the gate for the shower to pass so that he\ncould attend at an audience, and would be obliged to walk through the\nrain. They therefore begged that I would wave the fulfilment of the\nqueen\u2019s order and walk to my chair. I saw the reason and the good sense\nin their protest, and of course at once consented, as much comforted\nby the queen\u2019s kind intention as if my slippers and silk gown had\nbeen well protected. This rule for the exclusion of chair coolies\nwas changed soon after, and my chair was brought close to the royal\napartments.\n\nThat summer was passed on a high bluff on the banks of the river, in a\nKorean summer house, which belonged to the king, which their majesties\nhad allowed our mission to use a previous year, and which favor was\nnow extended to us. It was situated on the rocks about fifty feet\nabove the water, and was one of those charming, cool and picturesque\nsummer refuges which Koreans understand building to perfection. Its\nroof, with artistically upward curving corners, was supported on\nseveral stout pillars, but its walls were all windows of light wood,\nin fancy open-work designs, which were covered with paper on one side,\nand which, being made to swing out and hook to the roof, formed a\nvery effective awning. Here with a breeze always sweeping through,\neffectively screened from the sun, with a perfect view of the mountains\nand the Han River, with its lovely green valley, Mr. Underwood worked\nnearly all summer on his small dictionary, Mr. Gale or Mr. Hulbert\ngiving him much useful help at times. My husband had been at work on a\nlarger dictionary, which he planned to make a very full and complete\none, for nearly three years, and had already many thousands of\ndefinitions of words with synonyms. It was to be both Korean-English\nand English-Korean, not like the French, merely the Korean into the\nforeign tongue. It was a darling scheme of his heart, on which he was\nputting all the time that could be spared from direct mission work; but\npersuaded by his brethren that something was sorely needed immediately\nby missionaries now beginning to arrive, he laid his _magnum opus_\naside for the present, not without regret, but without a backward look,\nand working without cessation from early dawn into the night hours all\nthat long summer, prepared and finished the small dictionary, for the\nconvenience at the present indigent moment of those who were struggling\nwith the language.\n\nThe following fall, the loved secretary, Dr. Mitchell, and Mrs.\nMitchell visited our mission and gave us all much advice and help, for\nwhich we were most grateful. We were not then quite so well housed as\nnow. Our homes were mud-walled and rather damp, often leaking badly in\nrainy season and admitting much frosty air through numerous cracks in\nthe winter. Many of our windows were not glazed, but merely covered\nwith paper. During the doctor\u2019s visit there came one night a heavy\nstorm of wind and rain, which beat against the window near our bed,\nand thoroughly demolished it, the rain pouring in on the floor. The\nroof leaked over us, but with umbrellas and waterproofs we kept quite\ndry. In the morning, however, at the sight of the flooded floor and\nthe paper windows hanging in shreds, Dr. Mitchell gave us a severe\nreprimand for our carelessness, warning us that missionaries are far\ntoo expensive commodities to be so ill protected. A lesson it were well\nfor all young missionaries to learn, but which, as a rule, alas! they\nare too slow to heed.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI\n\n    An Audience at the Palace--Dancing Girls--Entertainment Given\n    after the Audience--Printing the Dictionary and Grammar--A\n    Korean in Japan--Fasting to Feast--Death of Mr. Davies--Dr.\n    Heron\u2019s Sickness--Mrs. Heron\u2019s Midnight Ride--Dr. Heron\u2019s\n    Death--Difficulty in Getting a Cemetery Concession--Forced\n    Return to America--Compensations--Chemulpo in Summer--The \u201cTerm\n    Question\u201d in China, Korea and Japan--Difficulties in the Work.\n\n\nEarly in the fall of 1889 I was invited to another audience at the\npalace, with some of the foreign state officials and their wives.\nAfter the audience a dinner was served, and later, a performance by\ndancing girls was given. And right here I must say, that although on\nseveral occasions at the palace I have seen dancing girls in these\nentertainments, I have never beheld anything at such times in their\nactions that was improper or even undignified. Their motions are\ngraceful, usually slow, circling around hand in hand or in various\ncombinations of pretty figures. They wear high-necked and long-sleeved\njackets or coats, and long skirts, the figure quite concealed by the\nfashion of the dress. And yet, thus to appear in public, allowing their\nfaces to be seen by strangers, is the gravest breach of propriety in\nthe eyes of all Koreans, and these girls are, alas! as depraved as\nwomen can be. Like those of their class in all countries, they are the\nmost pitiable and hopeless of women, but unlike those who have thrown\nthemselves away, they deserve small blame mixed with the compassion one\nfeels for them, for these poor girls have been sold by their parents\ninto their awful lives, and were given no choice of their destiny. Many\na poor little Korean child is sold into slavery for a few bags of rice,\nto be trained as a dancing girl, used as a common drudge, or married to\na man she has never seen, while she is hardly larger than our little\nones playing with their dolls in the nursery.\n\nBut to return to our palace entertainment, from which I have made a\nrather long digression. The guests were seated on the veranda, or\n\u201cmaru,\u201d in front of the dining hall, and in the grounds before us\nappeared a pretty boat with wide spread sails, in which were seated\nsome gaily dressed girls. Others now appeared, dancing to slow native\nmusic, a stately figure, almost in minuet fashion, with waving of\nflowing sleeves and banners. They were evidently the spirits of the\nwind, and the boat was waiting the favoring breeze. The music grew\nquicker, while faster and faster stepped the dancers, more and more\nswiftly fanning the sails with sleeves, skirts and scarfs, till at last\nthe boat slowly moved forward, and with its attendants moved out of\nsight. When the boat had been thus gracefully fanned away, a couple of\nmammoth lotus plants were brought out, with great closed blossoms seen\namong the leaves.\n\nFollowing them came a pair of gigantic storks, extremely well\nsimulated. The birds came forward slowly, advancing, retreating,\nsideling, mincing, waiving their heads and long bills about, all in\ntune to the music, wavering and uncertain, yet evidently with some\ndefinite, not to be resisted, purpose in mind. At length, after long\nhesitation, one of them plucked up courage and gave a vigorous peck\nat a lotus bud, which forthwith burst open and released a pretty\nlittle child, who had been curled up at its heart. The other stork,\nwith similar good fortune, discovered another little one. I was much\ninterested to find this stork and baby myth here in Korea, centuries\nold; but those hoary nations of the East are ever reaching down into\nthe apparently limitless depths of their remote past, and dragging\nforth some fresh surprise whereby to convince us there is nothing new\nunder the sun.\n\nLate in November of the same year we went to Japan to publish Mr.\nUnderwood\u2019s grammar and dictionary, as there were no means of printing\nsuch books in Seoul. In Japan we were forced to wait while type was\nmade, and during this delay Mr. Underwood perfected the grammar, adding\nwhat is now the first part. A Korean teacher or scholar accompanied us,\nbut great was his distaste for Japan and all her ways, and herculean\nour toils and efforts, as each steamer sailed to prevent his returning\nto Korea.\n\nRice is the staple article of food in China, Korea and Japan, but it\nis cooked and eaten differently in all three countries, and no one\nof either will, except under dire necessity, eat the rice prepared\nby one of the other nationalities. Our literary assistant was of the\n_Yangban_, or noble class, he had never soiled his hands in labor, or\ncooked anything for himself, but after enduring a Japanese hotel with\nmany and doleful complaints for a very short time, he begged us to\nfind him a room and let him keep house for himself. That a _Yangban_\nshould make a proposition like this showed to what straits he had been\nbrought, so we at once complied with his request, and from that time on\nhe prepared his rice with his own gentlemanly hands. He was a Chinese\nscholar of fine attainments, and his learning was much respected in\nhigh Japanese circles. He was often invited out, and was distinguished\nby an invitation to the house of the governor of the city.\n\nNow, when Koreans attend a feast, they expect to finish an incredible\namount of food on the spot (nor is it altogether unusual, in addition,\nto carry away as much in their sleeves and hands as strength will\npermit). Sometimes they fast for several days previous in order to\ndo full justice to the entertainment, and generally, I believe,\nquantity is considered of far more import than quality. Not so with\nthe Japanese, among whom our teacher visited. If his word was to be\nbelieved, they had developed the \u00e6sthetic idea quite to the other\nextreme, and provided a few tiny cups and dishes of supposedly delicate\nand rare viands for their guests. So on this occasion to which I refer,\nit was almost pathetic, the poor Korean fasting to feast, with visions\nof quarts of rice and vermicelli soup, pounds of hot rice bread, nuts,\nfruits, fresh, dried and candied; meats with plenty of hot sauce,\n\u201c_kimchi_,\u201d or sauerkraut, etc., etc. Alack the day! A few microscopic\ncups of tea, a few tiny dishes of articles which knew not Korea (among\nthem no doubt raw fish), and for the rest, a feast of reason and\nflow of soul. Next day, a wiser and a thinner man, he sadly told Mr.\nUnderwood that he now understood why Japanese prospered, while Koreans\ngrew poor. \u201cKoreans,\u201d said he, \u201cearn a hundred cash a day and eat a\nthousand cash worth, while Japanese, on the contrary, earn a thousand\ncash a day and eat a hundred cash worth.\u201d Never were truer words\nspoken, with regard to the Japanese at least. If these people have a\nvirtue, which their worst enemies cannot gainsay, it is their industry\nand thrift.\n\nJust what is the ordinary number of slight earthquakes in Japan per\nmonth or year, I do not know, but during the six months of our stay\nthey averaged one every three days. During one twenty-four hours of\nour experience there were eleven. They were not, of course, severe,\nbut sufficient to swing doors, set chandeliers clattering and rocking\nchairs in motion,, and to convince me more than once that the house was\non the point of tumbling about our ears.\n\nJust before we returned to Korea we were shocked to hear of the sudden\ndeath by smallpox of Rev. Mr. Davies, a brother greatly beloved in the\nLord, who had arrived early the previous summer and had made phenomenal\nprogress in the language, whose gifts and learning were unusual, but\nwere all excelled by his spirituality and consecration. His zeal never\npermitted him to spare himself in the least. He seemed to link himself\nat once, heart to heart, with Mr. Underwood, and together they planned,\nstudied, worked and prayed for the salvation of the people. It was as\nif death had entered our own family when news came of his loss, and a\nblack pall seemed to lie across our path. We knew God does all things\nwell, and his ways are not our ways, nor his thoughts ours, and yet in\nthe weakness of the flesh, which cannot see, with all those unsaved\nmillions dying around us, we felt we could not spare Mr. Davies, and to\nus, to whom he had been confidant, sympathizer, counselor and friend,\nthe personal loss was bitter. But we have learned that often when we\nthink, or come in any way to feel that his cause depends on a man, God\nremoves him, to teach us that his cause depends on no man, that he can\nbless the efforts of the weakest and poorest and feed five thousand\nfrom the basket of a little boy.\n\nOn April 26, 1890, the books were finished, and we started at once for\nKorea, reaching here in May. Soon after our return from Japan we were\nvisited by Dr. and Mrs. Nevius. We all recognized Dr. Nevius as a king\namong men, with a mind so clear and broad, a spirit so genial, a heart\nso full of charity and with a record of such long years of faithful\nlabor that we were glad to sit at his feet. The sense of ignorance,\nincompetence, inexperience, combined with a realization of awful\nresponsibility, is almost overwhelming to the young missionary on a new\nfield, and it is only by constantly leaning on the almighty arm that he\nis kept from despondence and despair. At such times the advice of such\nan elder brother is invaluable.\n\nThe little missions had by this time been reinforced by several\narrivals, and the following summer, which was very warm, many of them\nwent to Namhan (Southern fortress) to spend the hot months. Seoul\nlies in a basin, encircled by mountains, and is extremely unhealthy\nin summer, its festering pools and ditches overflowing with filth,\nsteaming a very witches brew of evils upon the sickened air, with\nodors unspeakable and undreamed of in civilized lands. Namhan is about\nseventeen miles distant from Seoul, on top of a mountain, not quite\ntwo thousand feet high. It lies on the further side of the Han River,\nbut is fairly easy of access, reached by a steep road winding up the\nmountain.\n\nDr. Heron had taken his family there, and frequently traveled back\nand forth to his duties in Seoul, which was doubtless too much for\nhis strength in those hot and humid days. He was soon attacked by\ndysentery, which did not at first seem serious, and was consequently\nignored too long. It finally developed into the most malignant form\nof the disease, which resisted every effort of the physicians, Drs.\nScranton and MacGill, who were unremitting in the struggle in which\nthey were steadily worsted. As soon as the symptoms began to look grave\nMrs. Heron was sent for. In great distress and alarm, she set off that\nvery evening, in a terrible storm of rain and wind, a very carnival, no\ntorch or lantern could be kept alive, the wind howling around the frail\nchair as if to tear it from its bearers\u2019 hands. The roads, steep\nand difficult in pleasant weather, were really dangerous when slippery\nwith mud and water, in darkness so absolute that not one step in\nadvance could be seen, while in the woods and valleys the coolies were\nsometimes up to their waists in water. Drenched to the skin, this poor\nafflicted young wife arrived at her home near morning, after traveling\nall night in this terrible storm, to find her husband fatally ill.\nAfter a little more than three weeks\u2019 sickness and great suffering,\nDr. Heron passed away, to the grief and loss of the whole foreign\ncommunity, as well as that of the Koreans (and they were many) with\nwhom he had come in contact, to all of whom he had endeared himself by\nuntiring kindness.\n\n[Illustration: GATE IN THE WALL OF NAMHAN. PAGE 98]\n\nThe government had never set aside any land for a foreign cemetery near\nSeoul, although in accordance with the treaty they should have done so\nlong before. A strong superstition and very rigid law forbid the burial\nof the dead within the city walls, and hitherto the few Europeans\nwho had died had been buried in the cemetery near Chemulpo. But to\ncarry remains thirty miles in the heat of July, to the port, with no\nconveyances but chairs, to be forced to bury our dead so far away,\nwas unnecessary, inconvenient and expensive, as well as an additional\ntrial to hearts already sore. As soon, therefore, as Dr. Heron\u2019s death\nseemed inevitable, a request was made that the government would set\napart a place near the city for this purpose. This, with characteristic\nprocrastination, they failed to do.\n\nOn the day of Dr. Heron\u2019s death they offered a place which we found\naltogether impossible, beyond the sand beds across the river, a\nlong distance off, in very low ground. It was then decided that as\nsomething immediate must be done, we would make a temporary resting\nplace on a piece of ground belonging to our mission, where there was\na small house, occupied just then by Mr. Underwood\u2019s and Dr. Heron\u2019s\nliterary helpers. As soon as they heard of this plan they objected\nmost strongly, saying it was against the law, and as the body must be\ncarried through the streets to reach there, there would probably be a\ngood deal of excitement and trouble.\n\nWe then ordered the grave dug on Dr. Heron\u2019s compound, back of his\nhouse, sending word to the Foreign Office that as they had provided no\nother place, we were forced temporarily at least to make this disposal\nof the remains. The time for the funeral was set for three o\u2019clock, and\nabout a half hour before the literary helpers again came to us in a\nstate of the wildest excitement and terror, tearing their hair, weeping\nand trembling. They averred that the people in that quarter were\nplanning to mob us all, to burn down their house, beat and kill them,\nand very likely kill us too, if the body was buried within the walls.\n\nIt seemed cruel that no place could be found where we could lay our\ndead. Our hearts were torn with grief for the poor burdened sister,\nwho ought to have been able to claim a quiet and decent burial for\nher dear one\u2019s remains, as well as the sympathy of every one, that\nshe must be refused a place for his repose, and assailed by all this\nwrangling and confusion. We were hotly indignant with the teachers, who\nwe thought ought to have risen above heathen superstition on their own\npart and kept the secret from the people. It was now uncertain where\nDr. Heron\u2019s remains could be laid, and they were therefore embalmed and\nhermetically sealed. The Foreign Office, however, on hearing that it\nwas our intention to bury on the compound, at once came to terms and\ngave us a large field on a fine bluff overlooking the river, about five\nmiles from Seoul. This was obtained through the indefatigable efforts\nof Dr. Allen of the United States legation, who besieged the foreign\noffice and insisted on this concession.\n\nDuring all these months the work was steadily going forward; more\nthan we had dared to hope were added to the number of believers\nand inquirers; a Bible translating committee, of which Dr. W. B.\nScranton of the M. E. Mission and Mr. Underwood were members, had been\nappointed; a girls\u2019 school in each of the two missions had been started\nlong before, and both were steadily growing (though the Methodists\nwere far in advance here), the boys\u2019 orphanage had been changed to\na boys\u2019 school, and hospital and dispensary work in both missions\nwas flourishing; with an increase of confidence of the people in our\nfriendship and trustworthiness.\n\nIn the early fall a new member of the mission appeared in our family,\nmaking life richer, in a measure absurdly disproportionate to his\ndimensions and weight. Some months after this, sickness, growing more\nand more threatening and intractable, followed, until the doctors\u2019\nverdict was that a return to America was the only condition, and (that\na doubtful one) on which life could be saved. The kindness and goodness\nof the whole community shown to me were beyond expression. Here in the\nEast, where the ordinary conveniences of large cities are not to be had\nfor money, where we are very dependent on each other\u2019s kind offices,\nmutual love and service draw and bind us very closely together.\n\nI was nursed, and friends and neighbors helped my husband pack away\nour goods, for a year\u2019s absence means that everything must be nailed\nor locked or sealed up from mildew, moth, rust, rats and robbers.\nFurniture must be compactly stowed away so that the house may be\noccupied by other homeless missionaries waiting for an appropriation\nfor a house. They sewed for baby and me, and spared neither pains nor\ntrouble to help us. Two of the ladies, Mrs. Bunker and Miss Rothweiler,\nwent with us to Chemulpo, a journey which I made, carried by six\ncoolies to ensure steadiness, on a long steamer chair, stopping over\nnight, half way, at a primitive Japanese hotel.\n\nI can never tell with what regret, shame and pain I left Korea. I had\nlooked forward with pleasure to a return after a long period of years,\nwhen the work had been well begun and the appointed time had come,\nwhen something had been accomplished, but to go _now_, a _failure_, to\nleave my work scarcely begun, perhaps never to return, was bitter. But\nmore bitter still was the thought that I was dragging my husband, in\nthe freshness of his health and vigor, back from a life of usefulness,\nwhere workers were pitiably few and calls for help from all sides were\nmany and loud. Christian tracts and hymn books were needed, the Bible,\nas yet not translated, the dictionary not half finished, schools to\nbe established, a fast growing band of Christians to be nourished and\ntaught, and when I thought of it all, it looked dark.\n\nBut God brought a blessing out of it, as he always does from every\nseeming misfortune, for through that return to America several\nmissionaries were obtained, a new mission established and greater\ninterest in Korea aroused in the minds of American, Canadian and\nEnglish Christians.\n\n    \u201cMan\u2019s weakness waiting upon God its end can never miss,\n    For man on earth no work can do more angel-like than this.\n    He always wins who sides with God--to him no chance is lost;\n    God\u2019s will is sweetest to him when it triumphs at his cost.\n    Ill that he blesses is our good, and unblest good is ill,\n    And all is right that seems most wrong, if it be His sweet will.\u201d\n\nOn our return to Korea most of the summer was spent at Chemulpo, as\nour baby was very sick. We stopped in a so-called \u201chotel,\u201d kept by\nChinamen. The long hot nights were rendered almost intolerable by the\nnoise and odors of such a place. From early in the evening till past\nmidnight we were tortured by the high falsetto singing of the actors\nin a Chinese theatre across the street. The sailors returning to the\ngunboats in the bay kept the dogs in fits of frenzied barking, which\nwould have effectually murdered sleep had it ever ventured near. By the\ntime the dogs had begun to regain their composure, the Japanese venders\nof vegetables, fish, etc., with a devotion to business which under any\ncircumstances ought to have won high praise, began with loud strident\nvoices to call their wares under my window until it was time to rise\nand face a new day.\n\nAll day I brooded over my starving little son with an aching heart,\nlooking out across the long reaches of dreary mud flats to the sea,\nwatching for the steamer that was bringing the only food that he could\ndigest, and prayed it might not come too late. Day by day the little\nlife trembled in the balance, but at last the ship came in, and never\nwas argosy from the Indies laden with gems and treasures untold half so\nwelcome. Never could ship come to me with half so precious a cargo as\nthat which brought my baby strength and life.\n\nIn the meanwhile Mr. Underwood toiled in the city, overseeing the\nrepairs on our house, for we must be builders, contractors, carpenters,\ngardeners and jack of all trades, and throughout the summer working\nunremittingly on a hymn book which the little church now greatly needed.\n\nThe \u201cterm question\u201d is a vexed problem which as yet has failed to find\na solution that secures the assent of all missionaries. This question\nrelates to the proper word to be used for God. China, Japan and Korea\nalike use the Chinese characters and have words which mean \u201cgods,\u201d or\nthings worshiped, but they do not have either a definite article or\ncapitals, such as those by which in English we can change \u201cgods\u201d into\n\u201cthe God\u201d or \u201cGod.\u201d They also have _names_ (quite a different matter)\nsignifying the chief god of heaven (Sangchai or Hannanim), the god of\nearth (Tangnim) and others.\n\nSome missionaries hold that by using this name of the chief god of\nheaven and explaining it by instructing the people in the character and\nattributes of him whom they ignorantly worship, they will more easily\nunderstand and more readily accept our teaching. Many also believe that\nthe name really refers to the great God of heaven, although of course\nit is impossible to claim that it refers to the one only God, since all\nthe heathen who worship this one also worship countless other smaller\ndeities.\n\nOn the other hand are those who conscientiously believe that the\npersonal name of a heathen deity should not in any way be applied to\nthe Eternal Jehovah, that such a course is in direct conflict with\nGod\u2019s own word. Then aside from their convictions on this matter they\nbelieve that the use of a heathen cognomen of one of these gods, be\nhe of heaven or earth, applied to the great \u201cI am\u201d may, in addition\nto being forbidden, lead to dangerous mistakes in the minds of the\nmembers of the infant native church. They believe, in short, that a\nfalse thing can never be right, and that to address Jehovah by a name\nnot his, but another\u2019s, cannot be right or result well in the end. This\nview has been adopted by missionaries of all creeds in Japan, a large\nminority of Protestants, and all Romanists in China, and by all the\nEpiscopalians and Romanists in Korea. They use the name Jehovah for\nGod.\n\n[Illustration: HOUSE USED BY MISSIONARIES ON TOP OF NAMHAN. PAGE 98]\n\nAlmost the entire body of the Presbyterian and Methodist missionaries\nin Korea, and a majority of them in China, belong to the other party,\nalthough quite essentially different words are used by the Chinese\nmissionaries from those used in Korea. The Chinese use Sangchai; the\nKoreans, Hannanim.\n\nIt is with no controversial intent that this matter is referred to\nhere. It is indeed a vexed question, but one whose satisfactory\nsettlement is to be devoutly hoped for. No little feeling has been\nawakened, because it is a question which has involved in the minds of\nmany some very deep principles.\n\nThe only reason for referring to this matter is that men and women in\nChristian lands may gain a little glimpse of some of the difficult and\nperplexing problems which confront the workers in some of the mission\nfields. These problems vary in different countries, but they all have\ntheir difficulties.\n\nImmediately after our return Mr. James Gale\u2019s Grammatical Forms was\npublished, and about a year later his Korean-English dictionary, so\nthat the mission was now supplied with several language helps. Much\nstress had been laid from the first upon securing a thorough mastery\nof Korean, and each missionary was required to pass three very rigid\nannual examinations. A course of study for first, second and third\ngrades was made out for each year, to assist students, and members of\nthe examination committee and others were appointed to oversee and aid\nthe language study of the newcomers.\n\n\nCHAPTER VII\n\n    The Mission in 1893--\u201cThe Shelter\u201d--Opening of Japanese\n    War--Seoul Populace Panic Stricken--Dr. and Mrs. Hall in Pyeng\n    Yang--Heroic Conduct of Native Christians--Condition of Pyeng\n    Yang after the War--Dr. Hall\u2019s Death--Preaching the Gospel at\n    the Palace--The Queen Seeks to Strengthen Friendly Relations\n    with Europeans--Her Majesty\u2019s Generosity--A Little Child at\n    the Palace--The Slaves of the Ring--A Christmas Tree at the\n    Palace--The Queen\u2019s Beneficent Plans--The Post Office Emeute of\n    1884--A Haunted Palace--The Murder of Kim Oh Kiun.\n\n\nIn the fall of 1893 we moved too early into a house recently repaired\nand not yet completed, with wet mud walls and no windows fitted in some\nof the rooms. It seemed a necessity, but resulted in continued sickness\nthrough the entire winter for the little one and myself, so that I was\nlargely debarred from the good work going on among the Koreans. Many\nof the middle and lower classes were coming into the church, men\u2019s and\nwomen\u2019s meetings were well attended, and even the little boys in the\nschool seemed full of Christlike zeal, and spent some of their holiday\nand play hours in telling the good tidings and distributing tracts. One\nof our missionaries, Dr. Moffett, had been appointed to Pyeng Yang,\nother appointments of Presbyterians to the same place soon following,\nas well as that of Dr. and Mrs. Hall from the Methodist Mission.\n\nOn my own part, a little, very interrupted medical work was done, and\nwomen\u2019s meetings were begun and carried on with great difficulty on\naccount of deficient knowledge of the language, but little by little,\nin trying ever so lamely to use what I had, I rapidly gained more and\nmore, so that I could soon talk and pray with freedom, if not always\nwith perfect elegance and correctness, and as my chief aim was to be\nunderstood by the Koreans, not to display myself as an accomplished\nlinguist, I was satisfied and happy when I had proof of this. Other\nwomen by this time were prepared to do this work well, in all three\nmissions; and our poor native sisters were being reached in various\nquarters. I had been invited to the palace several times, my child was\nalso asked there, and petted and loaded with kindness.\n\nThe Bible translating committee had been enlarged and now included Rev.\nH. G. Appenzeller (M. E.) and Mr. James S. Gale (Presby.), in addition\nto Dr. Scranton and Mr. Underwood. Lesson leaves were prepared for our\nBible classes, and a number of tracts were being translated by various\nmissionaries. Before our return to America in 1891, and for some years\nafter, it was the cruel custom among wealthy natives to put servants,\ndependents or strangers at once on the street, if afflicted with any\ninfectious disease, and it was the commonest occurrence to find poor\npeople lying by the roadside, either exposed to the bitterest blasts\nof winter or the blazing heat of midsummer. Sometimes a friend or\nrelative had erected a rude hut of thatch over the sufferer, sometimes\na whole family together occupied such a hut, the dead and living lying\ntogether. It was our heart\u2019s desire to obtain in some way the means to\nbuy or build a hospital for such cases. While we were in America small\nsums were put at odd times into our hands \u201cfor the work,\u201d and as these\nsums increased we decided to use the money for this long-cherished\npurpose.\n\nSoon after our return, we were able, at a very low price, to buy a\nbeautiful piece of ground on a breezy hillside, covered with fine\ntrees and with a good tiled house having six or seven rooms. This\nwas large enough for our present purpose, and money in hand was not\nsufficient to build the sort of hospital of which we dreamed. So we\nrepaired the old building and added a caretaker\u2019s quarters. We made the\ninstitution undenominational, arranging that any one might place cases\nof infectious disease there, which should be attended by any doctor\ndesired. At the same time a little dispensary, given in memory of her\nonly son by Mrs. Hugh O\u2019Neil, of New York, was opened not far from the\n\u201cShelter,\u201d as it was called, on the main road to the north. Here, in\naddition to medical work in a small way, women\u2019s Bible classes were\nheld, men\u2019s and women\u2019s evening prayer meetings, and often Sabbath\nmorning services. July of 1894 saw the beginning of the China-Japan war\nin Korea, and the capture of Seoul by the Japanese. We were awakened\none morning by the sound of firing, and soon learned that the palace\nwas in possession of the Japanese. Excitement rose quite high among\nboth foreigners and natives.\n\nAll the legations ordered up troops from the port where our gunboats\nlay, for our protection, although it is difficult to see how, in a\ncase of serious danger, such small numbers would be of any service.\nThere were fifty Russians, forty Americans, forty English and nine\nGerman marines. The natives, high and low, were in a state of panic.\nThe nobility fled from their homes in large numbers and in all sort\nof disguises, and sought refuge at the foreign legations, or in the\ncountry; and to the country the common people started _en masse_. Every\nshop was closed, the city had the look of a plague-infested place. A\nsolemn procession of men, women, chairs, pack-ponies, a continuous\nthrong, in dead silence, with rapid steps, and set, terror-stricken\nfaces, poured through the main thoroughfares and out of the gates.\nMany pathetic little groups were to be seen; little children, whose\nparents in wild fear had deserted or lost them in the crowd, trotting\nalong with tear-stained faces, alone; women with babies on their backs\nand babies hanging at their skirts; men carrying all their worldly\ngoods on their shoulders, here and there coolies with the chair of\nsome frightened rich man or fine lady, shoving aside the crowd. High\nand low, rich and poor, hurrying away from the dreaded Japanese, the\nancient enemy of their nation. How it made one realize the great\nmultitude of unsaved peoples, pushing its way along the broad road and\nthrough the wide gate that leads to destruction. \u201cAnd when he beheld\nthe multitudes he had compassion on them as sheep having no shepherd.\u201d\nThe servants in every family gave notice; they dared not stay, they\nsaid, since to remain would be to be killed by Chinese or Japanese. We\nreminded them that we were neither afraid nor making any preparations\nfor flight, and at last only persuaded some of them to remain by\npromising that we would never go and leave them, which we had fully\ndecided upon on account of the native Christians.\n\nSome very exciting and trying events had in the meanwhile been taking\nplace in Pyeng Yang. In the previous May Dr. William James Hall of the\nM. E. Mission took his wife and baby to that city to start a station,\nand to take up a permanent residence. They were almost mobbed by the\ncurious throngs, whom they were unable to control. No police could be\nobtained from the governor, who in addition, on the second or third day\nafter their arrival, arrested and threw into jail Dr. Hall\u2019s helper and\nthe man from whom he had bought his house. This is the approved method\nof forcing a man to give up a house or piece of ground to which he\nholds a good title, but which Korean officials object, for any reason,\nto his keeping.\n\nDr. Hall had selected this property because it was in a thickly\npopulated part of the town, where he believed he could do most good,\nbut he had positively refused to pay a tax, which former owners had\nalways paid to a certain devil-worship and sorceress house in the\nvicinity.\n\nDr. Moffett\u2019s helper and the former owner of his house were also cast\nin jail, and his native Christians cruelly beaten, at the time when\nDr. Hall\u2019s men were seized. It was evident missionaries were not to be\ntolerated in Pyeng Yang. One or two other M. E. native Christians were\nthen also arrested and beaten. Dr. Moffett was in the capital, and the\nHalls were quite alone in this large town, among many enemies, several\ndays\u2019 journey from Seoul and help. The situation was grim. Dr. Hall was\nobliged to leave his helpless wife and baby alone in the unprotected\nhouse while he visited the governor, or the Chinese telegraph office\n(both long distances away), or in trying to relieve or help the\nChristians in the jail.\n\nAs soon as his first message arrived in Seoul, a general meeting\nof all the missionaries was called at our house for united prayer\nfor the Halls and our poor tortured native brethren. Dr. Scranton,\nDr. Moffett and Mr. Underwood at once hastened to the American and\nEnglish legations, and obtained through them an order from the Foreign\nOffice to the governor, to release the Christians and pay damages\nfor the injured property. Although this was wired at once to Pyeng\nYang, the only apparent result was that the natives were more cruelly\nbeaten and water-carriers forbidden to take water to the Halls, their\nhouse stoned and the walls torn down. The natives bore their cruel\ntreatment heroically, and refused to give up their faith; they were\nthen removed to the death cell, and the governor sent them word of his\nintention to execute them. Two despatches from Seoul had been received\nby the governor, but still no signs of change. In the meanwhile it\nwas decided that some of the missionaries from Seoul should go to\nDr. Hall\u2019s help. Mr. Moffett claimed the right to go, as his native\nChristians were there in trouble, and Mr. McKenzie, from Canada, was\nallowed to accompany him, being an unmarried man, although several\nothers stoutly urged the best reasons why they should go, like boys\nbegging for a holiday rather than men going to face a very serious and\ndoubtful situation.\n\nWe all feared that Dr. and Mrs. Hall, as well as the Christians\u2019 lives,\nwould be sacrificed to the malice of the mob and the governor before\nsufficient influence could be brought to bear by our legations through\nthe Foreign Office to save them. By the time the two men from Seoul\nhad arrived there, however, five days later, the Christians had been\nreleased, after being again badly beaten and stoned. Dr. and Mrs.\nHall for a month following treated patients and preached the Word,\nbut when war seemed imminent they were ordered back to Seoul, where\nthey returned, as well as Mr. McKenzie, Dr. Moffett following somewhat\nlater, having lingered as long as possible to encourage and hearten the\nChristians. Pyeng Yang was now in the hands of the Chinese, and Seoul\nin those of the Japanese. The summer was a very hot and unhealthy one,\nand there was scarce a family among the foreigners where there was not\none or more cases of severe and prostrating sickness. Two little ones\ndied, and there were long hours of agonized watching, when dear lives\nseemed for hours to be slipping over the brink. None of us could leave\nthe city to seek for purer air or water, no pure milk could be had, and\none poor young father, whose little child was literally starving for\ndigestible nourishing food, remembering his father\u2019s farm with its good\nmilk cows, remarked pathetically, \u201cIn my father\u2019s house there is food\nenough and to spare, while I perish with hunger.\u201d\n\nOn the first of October, after the defeat of the Chinese, the\nPresbyterian missionaries and Dr. Hall returned to Pyeng Yang to look\nafter the interests of the stations left so long, in a city which had\npassed through such a hard experience.\n\nPyeng Yang was in a fearfully unhealthy condition. One of the\nmissionaries wrote, \u201cThe decaying bodies of men, horses and cattle were\nso numerous, that no matter whatever direction we went we came across\nthem constantly, so that the atmosphere was foul beyond expression.\u201d\nAnother wrote, \u201cIn one place I counted over twenty bodies, literally\npiled one on top of another, lying just as they had been shot down....\nIn another place, where a body of Manchurian cavalry ran into an ambush\nof Japanese infantry, the carnage was frightful, several hundred bodies\nof men and horses lying just as they had fallen made _a swath of bodies\nnearly a quarter of a mile long and several yards wide_. It was three\nweeks after the battle and the bodies were all there unmolested.\u201d\n\nAccording to a native superstition that the city is a boat, and to\ndig wells would sink the boat, there were no wells in Pyeng Yang; but\na large number of bodies of men and horses were lying in the river,\npolluting for weeks the only water supply. In this dreadful situation\nour brave missionaries remained and worked, and on October 17th Dr.\nHall wrote the following cheerful words, \u201cWe have very interesting\nservices, the hymns of praise that less than a year ago brought cursing\nand stones are now listened to with delight, and carry with them a\nfeeling of security similar to the sound of a policeman\u2019s whistle in\nNew York. Comparatively few of the Koreans have returned to their\nhomes, but every day brings fresh additions. Every day numbers of those\nwho have returned and those from the surrounding villages and towns\nvisit us. They buy our books and seem far more interested in the gospel\nthan I have ever seen them before.\u201d\n\n[Illustration: DESERTED ROYAL DINING HALL. PAGE 121]\n\nVery soon after writing these words Dr. Hall returned to Seoul;\nthe boat on which he came was full of sick Japanese soldiers.\nThere were cases of typhus fever and army dysentery, the water was\ndoubtless poisoned, and he reached Seoul, after numerous most trying\nvicissitudes, fatally ill with typhus fever. Quite early, articulation\nbecame very difficult, but every halting sentence spoke of perfect\npeace and joy, and almost his last words were, \u201cI\u2019m sweeping through\nthe gates.\u201d Tears dim my eyes while I write, for we all not only loved,\nbut reverenced Dr. Hall, and we felt that he possessed a larger share\nof the Master\u2019s spirit than most of us. His very entrance into a room\nseemed to bring the Lord nearer, and his looks, words and conduct\nunexceptionally revealed the power and beauty of Christ. No one ever\nheard Dr. Hall speak a harsh or bitter word, no one ever heard him\ncriticise a brother Christian, no one, to the best of my information,\never knew of him anything that was not noble, true, faithful and\nChristlike. His face beamed with a celestial light, and without his\never assuming to be in any way better than others, we all felt he was a\nholy man. Europeans and natives alike testified to the same impressions\nof him, the same love for him, his sweet spirit drew all hearts to him,\nso that he was both universally loved and honored.\n\nWhile we who were in Seoul had all suffered more or less from ill\nhealth, everything was quiet and orderly, and the Japanese deserve\ngreat credit for the fine discipline of the army, and the good order\nand comfort of natives and foreigners in a city entirely at the mercy\nof the victorious troops of an Eastern nation.\n\nDuring the fall and winter of \u201994 and spring of \u201995 the queen sent for\nme very often, asking many questions about foreign countries and their\ncustoms, and chatting most affably. Frequently we dispensed altogether\nwith the formality of an interpreter, and the king and crown prince,\nwho were often present, were quite as frequently elsewhere, so with\nher majesty so friendly and kind, I at times almost forgot that I was\nnot having a _t\u00eate \u00e0 t\u00eate_ with an intimate friend. I of course felt\nmy great responsibility heavily, and was overwhelmed at times with the\nthought of my duty and inefficiency. At length I asked the prayers of\nthe missionaries that an opportunity to speak to the queen about Christ\nmight be given me, and that I might realize it and make the best use of\nit. And now my anxiety and trouble of mind passed away and a restful\ncontentedness took its place. I felt sure that I was to be guided and\nled at the right time.\n\nOn the day before Christmas the queen sent for me and asked me to\ntell her about our great festival, its origin and meaning, and how\ncelebrated. Could any one ask clearer guidance or a better opportunity?\nIt would be impossible not to tell the gospel story under such\ncircumstances, and so I told her of the angels\u2019 song, and the star,\nand the little babe that was laid in a manger, of the lost world to be\nredeemed, of the one God who so loved the world, and the Redeemer who\ncame to save his people from their sins.\n\nShe listened intently, and with deep interest, turning from time to\ntime and repeating it in a most animated and sympathetic way to the\nking and prince, who did not understand my accent so well.\n\nA few days later, after asking many questions about my own country,\nshe said rather sadly, \u201cOh, that Korea were as happy, as free and as\npowerful as America!\u201d Here was another opportunity which I tried to\nimprove by saying, that America, though rich and powerful, was not the\ngreatest or the best, attempting to picture that better land without\nsin, pain or tears; a land of endless glory, goodness and joy. \u201cAh!\u201d\nexclaimed the queen, with unspeakable pathos, \u201chow good it would be if\nthe king, the prince and myself might all go there!\u201d\n\nPoor queen! her kingdom threatened on all sides, at that time in the\nhands of an ancient foe, traitors and relentless enemies among her\nown people and kindred, and some of the men whom she had raised and\nadvanced ready and plotting then to betray her to death. No wonder she\nsighed for that haven of peace and rest. But I was forced to tell her\nvery sadly, that no sinners might enter there. \u201cNo sinners!\u201d Her face\nfell, the bright look faded, for she knew, accustomed though she was\nto almost divine honors, that she was a sinner. Then as silence fell\nin the room, I told her the good tidings, that all who would trust in\nJesus were forgiven and purified through him, and so made holy and fit\nfor that country. She listened very thoughtfully, and though no other\nopportunity came to talk further on this subject, I was unspeakably\nthankful that I had been permitted on these occasions to point out\nclearly the way of salvation.\n\nI think that in this time, when her nation\u2019s helplessness and weakness\nwere emphasized, the queen sought to strengthen friendly relations with\nEuropean and Americans. She gave several formal audiences to European\nand American ladies, and all who met her felt her powerful magnetic\ncharm and became at once her friends and well-wishers. Twice during\nthat winter the queen bade me ask all my friends to skate on the pond\nin the palace gardens, graciously asking me to act as hostess in her\nplace and serve tea in the little pavilion near-by.\n\nOn Christmas day her majesty sent a beautiful sedan-chair, which had\nbeen her own, covered with blue velvet and lined with Chinese brocaded\nsilk, and with it any number of screens, mats, rolls of cloth and\ninteresting and curious articles of Korean manufacture, with great\nquantities of eggs, pheasants, fish, nuts and dates, and on the Korean\nNew Year\u2019s day five hundred yen, which the queen requested me to use in\nthe purchase of pearls, or something similar, for myself, and a gift as\nwell for my little son.\n\nHe was then between four and five years of age, and the palace women\nwere constantly urging me to bring him with me to the palace. This, of\ncourse, I would not do without a special request from their majesties,\nand at length one day the queen asked why I had never brought him,\nexpressed surprise that I considered an invitation necessary, and\nbade me bring him next day. I therefore took him to the palace, and\nno sooner had the coolies lowered my chair than the women, who were\nevidently on the watch for us, clutched him up and bore him away in\ntriumph, I, his mother, knew not whither. Some few minutes elapsed\nbefore I was asked to go from the waiting room to the audience, during\nwhich I employed my time in lively conjectures as to what was happening\nto my kidnapped son. When I was called for a little later I found him\nwith the royal party, the center of an admiring circle.\n\nBoth the king and queen have always shown a passionate fondness for\nchildren. Only a few months ago the king spent nearly four hundred\nthousand dollars on sorcerers and temples in trying to mollify the\nsmallpox god, which had attacked the youngest son, a boy of about six.\nSo no wonder they were kind to the small American. The queen ordered\nnuts and candies brought in, and insisted on his eating then and\nthere, although, knowing that it was bad form in the eyes of Koreans\nas well as of foreigners to eat in the royal presence, and fearing for\nhis health as well (for he had never as yet eaten nuts), I begged her\nmajesty to allow this treat to be postponed. His looks and actions\nwere praised far beyond their deserts, and every expression noted and\nremarked upon. The queen drew the child to her side in a motherly\nfashion, placing her hand on his forehead, remarked anxiously that it\nwas too hot.\n\nWhen we were ready to go, the king, to my amazement, actually knelt\ndown in front of the baby, and with his own \u201cjade\u201d fingers buttoned\non the little coat and made a brave attempt to tie the cap strings,\none of which, I blush to confess, in the unfamiliar tug was quite torn\nfrom its moorings. Of course I was overwhelmed with confusion over the\nbad conduct of the ribbon on such an occasion, but the king overlooked\nit, and farewells were said and again the child was spirited swiftly\naway by the palace women. I found him in the women\u2019s quarters handed\nround like a curio from one to another, petted, caressed, discussed,\nhalf-frightened, but demure.\n\nPoor palace women! with no homes or children, living such an aimless,\nshut-in life, a child in their midst was a godsend indeed. But all\nKoreans are extremely fond of children. A child is an open sesame to\ntheir hearts and homes at all times. God blesses the missionary babies,\nand these little preachers open doors that yield to no other touch\nthan their little dimpled fingers. From palace to hovel I never found\na woman whose heart would not soften, whose eyes would not brighten,\nwhose interest could not at once be enlisted by the sight of a child.\n\nThat evening as we returned home through the narrow and winding streets\nof Seoul we were quite an imposing procession. A number of palace\nlantern bearers accompanied us, each carrying the gayly-colored silk\nofficial lanterns of their majesties, and preceding us were a train of\nservants, carrying on their heads great trays of oranges, nuts, dried\npersimmons and candies. It took little imagination, looking at those\nmen in their Eastern attire, at the lanterns and streets, and even\nour own chair with its oriental splendor, to transport ourselves into\nthe middle of a chapter of the Arabian nights, with a little Aladdin\nsitting in my lap and the slaves of the ring attending us home.\n\nSoon after Christmas I dressed a Christmas tree for the royal family,\nbut to my great vexation, the effect was quite spoiled because their\nmajesties were too impatient to wait till dark to view it, and one\ncannot lock the doors on kings and queens and forbid them to do as\nthey will in their own palaces. There were no heavy hangings or means\nof darkening the room, and so the poor little candles flickered in a\nsickly way in the glaring daylight, and I felt that Western customs\nwere lightly esteemed in the critical eyes of the East.\n\nIndeed, in our superb self-satisfaction we often deceive ourselves in\nfancying that Orientals view with open-mouthed admiration everything\nEuropean or American. I am reminded of a Korean nobleman, who, on being\nasked, after his return to Seoul from America, how he liked New York,\nreplied, \u201cOh, very well, _except the dirt and the smells, which were\nhorrible_.\u201d Another similar instance was that of one of the Koreans who\nwent with us to Chemulpo and Fusan, who saw the two-story houses, the\nships in the harbor and various wonders of civilization, and exclaimed,\n\u201cPoor Korea, poor Korea;\u201d but when he heard a foreign band play at the\nJapanese consulate, remarked with delight, \u201cAt least there is one thing\nin which Japan cannot rival or compare with us, our music!\u201d\n\nThrough the whole winter I was at the palace very often, as were the\nladies of the American and Russian legations, and Dr. Avison of our\nmission, who was physician to the king, was frequently consulted, and\nthe recipient also personally of many royal favors. In the spring the\nprime minister came, saying the queen had sent him to ask Mr. Underwood\nto draw up plans and estimate the cost of a school for the sons of the\nnobility. The site selected was between the east and west palaces. Her\nmajesty proposed to erect dwellings for the teachers, whom my husband\nwas asked to recommend and send for to America. The queen was prepared,\nthe minister said, to give at once thirty thousand dollars for the\nschool, and twenty or thirty thousand dollars a year for the running\nexpenses.\n\nMr. Underwood drew up the first plans and made estimates, which were\nsent for her majesty\u2019s criticism and approval. These were again\nreferred to Mr. Underwood, the final plans were being prepared, and\nonly two weeks before they were to be sent for the queen\u2019s approval the\ngreat blow fell which put an end to all her beneficent and enlightened\nschemes for the advancement of her people.\n\nBefore proceeding further I must go back a few years and recall one or\ntwo events which occurred before my arrival, in 1884, in order that my\nreaders may understand more clearly some of the events which are to be\nrelated in the next two or three chapters.\n\nIn that year the progressive or reform party in Korean politics was\nled by a man called Kim Ok Kiun, but they were continually foiled in\nall their attempts towards advance and reform by the conservatives,\nand at length received reliable information (so they claimed) that a\nplan had been formed to murder all their prominent leaders at midnight,\non December the fourth. On this evening a banquet was to be given in\nhonor of the opening of the Korean post-office, and the progressives\nresolved to forestall the plans of their opponents, and just before\nthe dinner they cut down Min Yung Ik, the queen\u2019s cousin, and the most\ninfluential man in the kingdom. He would have died had it not been for\nthe prompt assistance given by Dr. Allen, then of our mission. The\nother conservative leaders were then ordered to the palace, as they\nsupposed, by royal command, but were there (five of them) assassinated\nby the progressive party, who, headed by Kim Ok Kiun, then seized the\npalace. The post-office was burned on the same night, and with it the\nnew stamps which had been used only once.\n\nThe Japanese minister and other foreign officials were now invited\nto the palace, which invitation was accepted only by the former, who\nbrought one hundred and forty soldiers. Here the Japanese and the\nprogressive party were attacked by three thousand Koreans and between\ntwo and three thousand Chinese. As the event grew more than doubtful,\nthe king was allowed to go over to the other party, in the belief that\nif he was released the fighting would cease. Although this was not the\ncase, the little party of Japanese fired a mine, dispersed a large\nnumber of the allies, and then forming a square, with the progressive\nleaders and the Japanese minister in the center, fought their way\nthrough the enemy, and the hostile streets, first to the Japanese\nlegation, and after that to the river, with the loss of only five men.\nAfter much difficulty in obtaining boats, they crossed the river, made\ntheir way to Chemulpo, and from there escaped safely to Japan.\n\nThe picturesque palace, with the remarkably beautiful park which\nsurrounds it, was not occupied again by the queen. Her majesty averred\nthat it was impossible to sleep there at night for the mournful wailing\nof the voices of her murdered friends, which she heard continually\ncrying, \u201cWhy was I killed, why was I killed?\u201d So now the wind whistles\nand moans through the deserted rooms, grass and weeds push their way\nthrough the crevices of the beautiful marble steps, green mould grows\nthick on the once lovely lotus pond, and the charming little summer\npavilions are falling to ruins, while snakes and lizards slide about\nthe stone seats. The wide reaches of lawn are overgrown with long\ngrass, and tigers and leopards are said to make their lairs in the\nnoble woods and grottoes. The gateways fashioned in various charming\ndesigns to form frames as it were for the beautiful vistas beyond, are\nchoked with a wild overgrowth of vines and weeds. Fancy has not to look\nfar, or listen long, to read in all this deserted and neglected beauty\nthe story of that one night of blood and horror, and to hear in every\nchilled whisper of shuddering foliage the word \u201chaunted.\u201d\n\n[Illustration: MR. CHOY CHO SI]\n\n[Illustration: ELDER YANG AND FAMILY]\n\nTen years had passed, the refugees were still in Japan, but Eastern\nvengeance does not tire or sleep, least of all forget. A man named\nHong, probably employed by the government, went to Japan, ingratiated\nhimself with Kim Ok Kiun, decoyed him to Shanghai, and there murdered\nhim, and on April the 12th, 1894, a Chinese gunboat brought the\nassassin and his victim\u2019s remains to Chemulpo. Arrived in Korea,\nthe body of the murdered man was divided and sent through the eight\nprovinces. Two of the other refugees had gone to America, and one Pak\nYung Ho remained in Japan. All three are to be heard from again. While\nwe all shuddered at and deplored this revolting deed, a stain upon\nany government, it must be remembered that the man was a political\ncriminal of the blackest dye, and that while any nation would under\nsimilar circumstances, if possible, have executed him as a traitor\nand assassin, the Korean government was that of unenlightened Eastern\npeople who have not learned that revenge has no place in just\npunishment.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII\n\n    Mr. McKenzie--The First Church Built by Natives--Mr. McKenzie\u2019s\n    Sickness--His Death--Warning to New Missionaries--The\n    Tonghaks--Mr. Underwood\u2019s Trip to Sorai in Summer--Native\n    Churches--Our Use of Helpers--Christians in Seoul Build\n    their Own Church--Epidemic of Cholera--Unhygienic\n    Practices--Unsanitary Condition of City.\n\n\nIn the meanwhile, in the fall of 1894, Mr. McKenzie, who had arrived\nfrom Canada in the winter of 1893, and, as we have said, had gone to\nDr. Hall\u2019s relief, after his return decided to go to the interior, the\nbetter to learn the language and people, and to live there as much as\npossible in every way like a native. Mr. Underwood advised him to go\nto the village of Sorai, or Song Chun, then under his care, where he\nhad baptized almost the first converts ever received in the Korean\nchurch. Here he found a few Christians who received him as a brother.\nHe made his home with one of them, and at once began to preach Christ\nby example. Long before the people understood his broken Korean they\nread his beautiful life, and little by little a change came over the\nwhole community. We all thought of him often in his loneliness in that\nfar-off hamlet, where, though he was a great light to the people, there\nwas no real companionship for him. At Christmas we sent him a box of\nhome-made bread, plumb-cake, canned fruits and vegetables, tea and milk\nand sugar, for we knew he had no foreign food and that he was living\nsolely on Korean diet, but we did not know that it consisted of rice\nchiefly, with a chicken once a week, and occasionally a few eggs.\n\nWhen our box reached him, he handed the contents all over to the\nKoreans. He wrote that he _dared_ not taste them, knowing that if he\ndid it would be impossible to go back to native food. Meanwhile one\nand another of the villagers and people in the vicinity were giving up\ntheir old heathen idols and turning to Christ.\n\nSome years before the Christians of that village had asked Mr.\nUnderwood to give them a church, but, like the young man who came\nto Jesus, they went away sorrowful, when told they must build it\nthemselves. Now, however, they again took up the idea in a different\nspirit. Near the village was a rising piece of ground on which stood\na little grove, in midst of which had been for many years the shrine\nwhere the village deities were worshiped. This had long been neglected\nand destroyed, and here it was decided to build the new church. Every\none gave as the Lord had prospered him, gladly, enthusiastically, and a\nheathen master builder undertook to direct the erection of the building\non half pay, because it was for the great \u201cchief God of heaven,\u201d as he\nunderstood. Very likely he knew little enough of the one only God for\nwhose service it was raised, but not very long after he learned both to\nknow and love him.\n\nThe little meeting house was not a very imposing or lofty structure.\nIt could boast nothing of the magnificence of our American churches,\nno doubt it would blush to be called a church at all in such a stately\ncompany, so I will call it a chapel, and even then it was an humble and\nunpretentious one, _but it was the best building in the place_. The\npoor people put into it their best wood, stones and tiles, the loving\nlabor of their own hands, with fervent prayer. When it was finished no\ndebt hung over it, and God, who does not see as man sees, blessed\nand honored it by filling it to overflowing with simple-minded,\nsincere, earnest people, who came with hearts ready to receive with\nmeekness his word.\n\n[Illustration: PARTY STARTING OUT IN MORNING FROM THATCHED INN. PAGE\n199]\n\n[Illustration: CHURCH AT SORAI. PAGE 124]\n\nIn the early summer of 1895, Mr. McKenzie wrote, asking Mr. Underwood\nto go and dedicate the church and receive a number of applicants for\nbaptism. This he promised to do, but just before he was to start, one\nsad day in July, when a number of us had met to hold a day of fasting\nand prayer, a messenger came with the news of the deadly illness of our\ndear brother, Mr. McKenzie. The pitiful letter, written with his own\ntrembling fingers, showing in every sentence the evidence of terrible\nsuffering and of a mind already unhinged, was followed immediately by\nthe shocking news of his death. The blow fell like a thunderbolt. Such\nzeal, consecration and usefulness cut short so soon!\n\nIt was strange, and yet there was a lesson in it for the noblest class\nof missionaries. And here let me say just a few words of warning to\nsome who may have the foreign field in view, and to some who are\nperhaps already on the field. There are men and women, who, being\nJohn the Baptist sort of people, enter the work with such zeal and\nenthusiasm and allow themselves to become so overwhelmed with the\nawful responsibility for these dying millions (which indeed every true\nmissionary feels only too heavily), that they forget the just demands\nof the body of this death. They forget that a solitary life gradually\nunseats the intellect, and that a body which has reached maturity, fed\non plenty of nutritious food, cannot suddenly be shifted to a meagre,\nunaccustomed and distasteful diet of foreign concoction, and retain\nits power to resist disease, and to accomplish the heavy work they\nmercilessly exact from it, like Egyptian taskmasters demanding brick\nwithout straw. They forget that the spirit cannot remain united to the\nbody unless the claims of the latter (in which are included those of\nthe brain) are satisfied, and so they drop, one by one, our noblest and\nmost needed laborers. But even so, they do not die entirely in vain,\nthey leave an example of Christlikeness and devotion which preaches\neloquently, and is an inspiration to all their brethren.\n\nAnd yet if they could only have gone on living and preaching, as\nthey might, had they been able to mix with their enthusiasm and\nconsecration, wisdom and temperance! During my short experience I have\nseen several illustrations of what Mr. McKenzie\u2019s death brought home so\nstartlingly to us all. We learned afterwards that he had been sick for\nsome weeks, his mind had been somewhat affected early in the history of\nthe disease, the progress of which had not been very rapid, but as he\nhad no companion who could observe the danger signals, and no doctor to\nhelp, his invaluable life was lost.\n\nThe more intelligent natives urged him to send for a doctor, but he\nhesitated to call others from their work to undertake a long difficult\ntrip in the unhealthy summer season, lest it should prove to be only a\npassing temporary ailment. And so he went on doctoring himself (just\nas any missionary alone in the interior is tempted to do), delaying to\ncall for help, from his very unselfishness and conscientious fear of\ngiving trouble.\n\nz\u201cTake care of your head. Don\u2019t work too long in the sun,\u201d he said to\nan old woman by the roadside, \u201cor you may lose your mind as I have.\u201d\n\nHe related to his friend, the Korean leader, accounts of long nights\nof anguished struggle with Satan, and then again of hours of ecstatic\njoy with his Saviour. The intolerable agony in his head grew steadily\nworse, until the end. The Koreans felt the terrible blow deeply, but\nthey have never ceased to love and revere Mr. McKenzie\u2019s memory. They\ncannot speak of him now after a lapse of several years without tears.\nTheir loving hands prepared him for the grave and covered his bier\nwith flowers. They held a funeral service as best they knew, after our\ncustom, with prayers and hymns, and laid his loved remains in a quiet\nplace, not far from the little church which he had been the instrument\nin God\u2019s hands of building. His influence is still felt in the village\nand for miles around. He lived Christ and laid the foundations of that\nchurch on a rock. He had a reputation for great courage and prowess,\nand it is said that his presence alone saved Sorai from invasions of\nTonghaks.\n\nThis society played a conspicuous part in the opening of the\nChina-Japan war, its name means literally Eastern doctrine, and its aim\nwas in brief, \u201cthe East for Easterners,\u201d or \u201cKorea for Koreans.\u201d They\ndeclared their desire and intention to down all Westerners, Western\nideas, reforms and changes, and to restore and re-establish old laws\nand customs. The sudden organization and wonderful popularity of this\nsociety was doubtless caused by the outrageous conduct of many corrupt\nofficials, who ground down the people mercilessly with unjust taxation\nand brought about a general feeling of unrest and bitter discontent.\n\nThey were in many respects like the Boxers of China, and believed\nthey had immunity from death and could not be hurt by bullets. They\nsoon spread all over the land, a terror to officials, and the Korean\ngovernment was powerless to stop them. They gave up the worship of all\nminor deities and honored only the Lord of the heavens. They forced\npeople everywhere to join their ranks and subscribe for their support,\nlevying taxes on small and great. Starting like many other movements,\nin a good and patriotic determination to do away with abuses and\ninstitute reforms, it grew into a great evil and terror in the whole\nland. Bad and unprincipled men, of whom there are plenty in all\nclimes, who are restless and ready to throw themselves into anything\nwhich promises a change, knowing that no change can be for the worse\nfor them, joined in large numbers, and many companies of Tonghaks\ndiffered only in name from bands of robbers. As has been said, the\ngovernment could make no headway against them, and whether or not the\naid of China was officially sought, I am not prepared to say, but the\nfact that China did send troops to Korea, nominally to control this\nuprising, was used by the Japanese, who claimed that a mutual agreement\nexisted between Japan and China that neither should introduce troops\ninto Korea without the consent of the other, as a _casus belli_, and\nthey forthwith sent an army to Korea, seized the palace, and sunk a\ntransport bringing Chinamen to Chemulpo.\n\nSo much for a brief explanation of the Tonghaks. Large companies of\nthese men threatened on three different occasions to raid Sorai while\nMr. McKenzie was there. To show that he leaned on no earthly defense,\nbut only on the arm of the almighty God, he took his gun all to pieces\nwhen he heard of their approach. They were told of this, and were\ndeeply impressed; and were so thoroughly convinced that if he was\nleaning on some mysterious power with such strong confidence, it would\nbe useless and worse to attack him, that they gave up their plan. The\nthird time they decided to attack the place they were said to be ten\nthousand strong, but after coming part way, they turned back, and never\nagain threatened Sorai, which was the only village in that section\nwhich was never raided.\n\nOne day Mr. McKenzie heard that a tiger was prowling around in the\nvicinity, and started out with his shotgun to hunt the beast, but\nfortunately did not have a chance to try conclusions with that weapon,\nwhich, however useful in killing partridges, would not be likely to do\nmore than tease a tiger. As soon as we received news of his death, Mr.\nUnderwood and Dr. Wells started that very day for Sorai, to arrange\nhis effects, make sure the death had been as reported, and comfort and\nencourage the native Christians. Before they returned, Mr. Underwood\ndedicated the little church, which was packed almost to suffocation,\nwith crowds standing around the doors and windows. He baptized on that\nday quite a little company, as well as admitted a large number of\ncatechumens and held a memorial service for Mr. McKenzie.\n\n[Illustration: THE THREE STAGES OF MAN IN KOREA\n\n1. MARRIED MAN 2. ENGAGED BOY. 3. YOUNG BOY]\n\nMr. Underwood was kept longer than I expected on this trip, and there\nwere no means of postal or telegraphic communication. We women, whose\nhusbands go hundreds of miles into the interior, realize that we must\ntake strong hold on God, and learn patience and faith. When the time\nfor Mr. Underwood\u2019s return had passed, and no news came, I remembered\nflooded rivers, bands of Tonghaks, the various forms of deadly disease\nthat may attack the man who travels in the country in July or August,\nand the waiting and suspense grew harder every day.\n\nEvery morning I looked up the road, where it curves around the hill, to\nsee if he were coming. Every evening when the hateful twilight hurried\ninto darkness, I strained my aching vision along the awful emptiness\nof that road, and all night long I listened for the plash of oars on\nthe river, or almost fancied I heard his voice as the boats rounded the\npoint, for he might come in a boat. Sometimes I saw Japanese coming\nin the distance, and deceived by their dark clothes, thought it was\nhe. Once a native chair came up the road near the house, and they told\nme he had come, but it was only a stranger, and the chair passed on.\nYet my case was not harder than that of many women in the homelands\nwho must all learn what anxious suspense and long vigils mean, but at\nlength, fearing he was seriously sick, I concluded that I would go and\nfind him.\n\nTo do this secrecy was necessary, for none of my foreign friends would\nallow me to go at that season, if they were informed of my intention.\nSo I called up Mr. Underwood\u2019s trusted literary assistant, and arranged\nwith him to hire ponies. I planned to start from our house in Seoul (we\nwere then at the river cottage), and as nearly every one was out of\ntown, expected to be able to get away without any one\u2019s knowledge. But\non the very day, word came that he had already started, and was well\non his way home, his ponies had returned, and he, coming by water, was\nalmost due. No use to go now, and in a day or two he was safe among us\nagain, and again in contrition I heard the gentle rebuke, \u201cOh ye of\nlittle faith, wherefore did ye doubt?\u201d\n\nThe church in Sorai was the first built and paid for by the natives,\nwas in fact the first Presbyterian church built in Korea. The Christian\nnatives in Seoul had met in a little guest-house on our place, and\nin similar rooms in other sub-stations. So, Sorai in the van set the\nmarching order, and all others, with almost no exceptions (in the\nPresbyterian missions), have followed in their lead.\n\nPaid pastors none of them have, but all the stronger ones employ\nevangelists, whom they often pay in rice or fields or wood, to\nsystematically carry the gospel to their heathen neighbors. It is our\ncustom to select in each church the most earnest and intelligent of the\nChristians as a leader, who takes charge of the services, and oversight\nof the flock, and reports progress to the missionary in charge. The\nleaders are gathered once a year, at the time when farmers have most\nleisure, at some central place, and instructed in the doctrines of the\nBible, church government and history, and careful exegetical Bible\nstudy. They are carefully trained in conducting religious services and\nin preparing illustrated Bible readings. In every way possible the\nmissionary tries to fit these men for their duties. Mr. Underwood is\naccustomed to hold one of these classes in the city for those who live\nnear enough, and one in the country for those who are at too great a\ndistance to attend the city class, and I believe nearly all the others\ndo the same.\n\nSuch is the interest felt in the gatherings and the thirst for more\nlight, that many who are not invited, and who hold no office in the\nchurch, travel many miles, bringing their own rice, to attend these\nclasses, which are often crowded to overflowing. The church leaders are\nrarely paid any salary, even by the natives. Each missionary engaged in\nevangelistic work is allowed one paid helper, at five dollars a month.\nThis man employs his whole time in this way, and some missionaries who\nhave a large field under their care are allowed two such assistants.\n\nMr. Underwood has always had a good many men, who freely gave the\ngreater part of their time to the work, or who were paid by the native\nChristians, or were provided by him with some means of gaining their\nliving which would admit of their giving much time to the work. Some\nwould peddle quinine, at sufficient profit to make a good living.\nEach bottle is wrapped with a tract, and pains were taken to insure\nonly the best article being placed in the hands of these dealers.\nSome of these men are placed in charge of little book shops, without\nany salary, some in charge of a chapel or dispensary, the privilege\nof occupying the house their only pay. There are always a number of\nyoung men around him glad and proud to be asked to serve on a special\nmission here or there, and the young men\u2019s missionary societies band\nthemselves together for systematic gospel work, so that they each week\nvisit some village, distributing tracts and preaching. All these, with\nthe leaders, who are always at his disposal for work in their own\nvicinity, form a valuable corps of helpers. This plan, or something\nlike it, I believe, is carried out by all the evangelistic missionaries\nin the Presbyterian missions. Mr. Underwood, also, copying from the\nMethodists, established a circle of class meetings among the Christians\nunder his care in and around Seoul.\n\nThe class leaders meet with him once a week, each bringing his\nbook, make a report of attendances, absences, sickness, removals,\nbackslidings, deaths and conversions. The class leader, being, as far\nas we know, the best man in his class, and in a way responsible for it,\nbecomes again a very useful helper.\n\nDuring the spring of 1895 the Presbyterian church in Chong Dong, Seoul,\ndecided to build themselves a place of worship. The people were all of\nthem poor, even according to Korean ideas, paper-hangers, carpenters,\nsmall retail shopkeepers, farmers, policemen, soldiers, interpreters,\nwriters, copyists, even chair coolies, gardeners and peddlers, the\nrichest of them rarely earning more than five dollars in gold a month.\nSo we missionaries decided to raise the most of the two thousand yen\nnecessary among ourselves, encouraging the natives to give as much as\nthey could.\n\nMr. Underwood, however, in trying to impress them with the duty of\nsupporting the Lord\u2019s work liberally, was met one day with the remark,\nthat this was called a foreign religion, and so it was difficult to\nconvince natives that foreigners should not pay its way. \u201cAnd so it\nwill continue to be regarded,\u201d said my husband, \u201cjust as long as you\nallow foreign money to be used in carrying it forward. When you build\nand own your churches, send out your own evangelists, and support your\nown schools, then both you and others will feel and realize it is not a\nforeign affair, but your own.\u201d\n\n\u201cThen,\u201d said the deacon, \u201cwe will build the Chong Dong church\nourselves.\u201d Mr. Underwood was astonished. \u201cHow can you build such\na church?\u201d said he. The deacon replied, \u201cDoes the pastor ask such\na question of what relates to God\u2019s work? With God all things are\npossible.\u201d Nothing, of course, remained to be said. The missionaries\ndecided that it would be wiser for them to own the land, in case of\npossible political complications, but the building itself would cost\nthe whole of one thousand yen. The people went to work with a will, the\npastor and one or two other missionaries took off their coats and lent\na hand at the work, boys hauled stones, Korean gentlemen, scholars,\nand teachers who had never lifted anything heavier than a pen, set\nthemselves to work on the building, carpenters gave their skilled labor\nevery alternate day, working for their own living only one out of\nevery two, women saved a little rice from each bowl prepared for the\nfamily until enough was laid aside to be sold, and gave the money thus\nearned, and so in manifold ways the money came in and the work grew. At\nlength, however, there were no more funds and the building came to a\nstandstill. No one was willing to go into debt, even to borrow of the\nmissionaries, and it was decided to wait until the way opened.\n\nJust when everything seemed hopelessly blocked, the epidemic of Asiatic\ncholera broke out. Why Koreans do not have this every summer raging\nthrough the whole country is one of the unsolved problems. All sewage\nruns into filthy, narrow ditches, which are frequently stopped up with\nrefuse, so as to overflow into the streets, green slimy pools of water\nlie undisturbed in courtyards and along the side of the road, wells are\npolluted with drainage from soiled apparel washed close by, quantities\nof decaying vegetable matter are thrown out and left to rot on the\nthoroughfares and under the windows of the houses. Every imaginable\npractice which comes under the definition of unhygienic or unsanitary\nis common. Even young children in arms eat raw and green cucumbers,\nunpeeled, acrid berries and heavy soggy hot bread. They bolt quantities\nof hot or cold rice, with a tough, indigestible cabbage, washed in\nditch water, prepared with turnips and flavored with salt and red\npepper. Green fruit of every kind is eaten with perfect recklessness\nof all the laws of nature, and with impunity (and I must say, an\naverage immunity from disastrous consequence) which makes a Westerner\nstand aghast. Any of us would surely die promptly and deservedly if\nwe presumed to venture one-tenth of the impertinences and liberties\nwith Dame Nature which a Korean smilingly and unconcernedly takes for\ngranted as his common right.\n\nThe only solution I have ever reached, and that I hold but weakly, is,\nthat in accordance with the law of the survival of the fittest, none\nbut exceptionally hardy specimens ever reach adolescence, or even early\nchildhood, and that having survived the awful tests of infancy, they\nare able to endure most trials which befall later.\n\nBut even these, so to speak, galvanized-iron interiors are not always\nproof. It takes time, but every five or six years, by great care and\nindustry, a bacillus develops itself, so hardened, so well armed, so\ndeeply toxic, that even Koreans must succumb, and then there is an\nepidemic of cholera. Eight years before, in 1887, the plague swept\nthrough the land, and thousands fell. Christians, both missionaries\nand natives, united in prayers that God would stay the scourge.\nPhysicians pronounced it contrary to the laws of nature that it\nshould stop before frost came to kill the bacilli, but, in wonderful\njustification of faith, the ravages of the plague were abruptly checked\nin the midst of the terrible heat of the last days of August and the\nfirst of September.\n\n\n\n\nChapter IX\n\n    Difficulty of Enforcing Quarantine Regulations--Greedy\n    Officials \u201cEat\u201d Relief Funds--Americans Stand Alone to Face\n    the Foe--The Emergency Cholera Hospital--The Inspection\n    Officers--We Decide to Use the Shelter--A Pathetic Case--The\n    Jesus Man--Gratitude of the Koreans--The New Church--The Murder\n    of the Queen--Testimony of Foreigners--The Official Report.\n\n\nAnd now again the rod was to fall. The disease began with terrible\nviolence, men in full vigor in the morning were corpses at noon,\nseveral members of the same family often dying the same day. It cropped\nout in one neighborhood after another with a steadily marked increase\nevery day, that was frightful in its unrelenting, unswerving ferocity.\nThe Japanese and many of the more enlightened Koreans took the alarm\nearly, and seeking the counsel of European and American physicians\nplanned to establish quarantine and sanitary regulations for the whole\ncountry, but as an astute young Korean sadly remarked, \u201cIt is easy\nenough to make the laws, it is more than doubtful whether they can be\nenforced.\u201d\n\nIf officials and soldiers are sent to enforce quarantine, there is\nlittle doubt among those who know customs and people that only too many\nof them will be susceptible to a very small bribe. When the necessity\nfor quarantining Seoul from Chemulpo was mentioned, the high officials\nthemselves said it would be impossible on account of the importance\nof the trade between the two places. One instance will show the\nhopelessness of the attempt to carry out sanitary regulations.\n\nIn the effort to prevent the enormous and insane consumption of green\napples, melons and cucumbers, the sale of these articles was forbidden\nwith a penalty for buyer and seller, and notices of the law posted\neverywhere. And yet, soon after, my husband passed a stand where they\nwere being sold in large numbers, over which one of these very notices\nwas hung, and several policemen among the buyers were munching the\nforbidden fruit with a calm relish, edifying to behold. It is due to\nthe government to say that they seemed thoroughly awakened to the\nsituation and were doing all in their power, but were handicapped by\nthe deplorable corruption of many officials. Twenty thousand yen (ten\nthousand dollars) were granted to fix up a temporary emergency cholera\nhospital, enforce sanitary laws and prevent the advance of the plague,\nbut this money was, to use a common Korean phrase, \u201ceaten\u201d by greedy\nunderlings on all hands. In the preparation of the hospital, more\nthan twice the number of carpenters needed were employed, and these\nmen passed their time making little articles for private sale, or in\nstanding about doing nothing. A number of petty officials were hired\nto do little, and improved on their commission by doing nothing but\nreceive their pay.\n\nAt a general meeting of the physicians then in the city, European,\nAmerican and Japanese, Dr. Avison having been chosen by vote director\nof this emergency hospital and the sanitary work, the Japanese all\nwithdrew, saying they did not care to work under a Westerner, and in\nthe end the Americans only were left to face the foe.\n\nAfter many discouragements and hindrances an old barracks building\nwas roughly prepared to receive patients, and a corps of nurses and\ndoctors, composed of quite a number of missionaries (Methodists,\nBaptists and Presbyterians, with the assistance of hired Koreans) was\nformed. The building was very poorly fitted up for such an exigency,\nthe haste with which it was necessary to get it ready, and the\ncharacter of the place, precluded the possibility of making it very\nsuitable for the purpose. It was open, damp and chilly, with no means\nof warming or secluding the patients. It was only scantily furnished\nwith such absolute necessities as could be had at short notice in the\ncity. And think not, Oh civilized medical community in America! that\n\u201cnecessities\u201d according to your ideas are synonymous with \u201cnecessities\u201d\naccording to our possibilities in Asia. Perhaps you have a fossilized\nidea that beds and sheets and pillows are necessities. By no means. Our\npatients lay on the floor, covered with small cotton wool rugs, and\nback-breaking business it was to nurse them.\n\nBut the discouragements connected with our work was not merely the lack\nof conveniences and almost dire necessities, or the want of proper\nenforcement of sanitary regulations and of co-operation, and although\nDr. Avison and the foreign staff under him worked heroically, and with\nunwearied devotion, it was an unequal struggle. The majority of natives\nare not willing to go to hospitals, and it would have been dangerous\nto try to force them, while many will not permit foreign doctors to\ntreat them even in their homes, or else use Korean medicines with ours.\nBut alas! in many cases the disease is so violent as to defy all that\nscience, aided by every advantage, can do.\n\nIt is the most desperately, deadly thing I ever saw, and often\nmedicines seem useless to do more than slightly defer the ultimate\nresult. The poison attacks the nerve centers at once, and every\norgan is affected. Terrible cramps contract the muscles, the heart\nfails, the extremities grow cold, the pulse becomes imperceptible,\nthe mind wanders, or suddenly, without previous symptoms, the victim\nfalls and dies at once. Or, after the most violent symptoms of the\ndisease have disappeared, vomiting and pain have ceased, the pulse has\nbecome almost normal and the patient nearly ready to be discharged, a\nmysterious change comes, and the poor victim dies of pneumonia, ur\u00e6mic\nconvulsions, or some of the other sequell\u00e6 of this frightful disease.\n\nMr. Underwood was placed in charge of inspection offices, which were\nopened in different districts over the whole city, and all cases\nreported there received immediate attention. Several of his young\nChristians were trained by him to carry on this work, he himself at\nfirst going out with them, hunting up infected localities, using\ndisinfectants, and teaching the helpers and residents how to purify\nthe premises. These young men worked indefatigably, with intelligence,\nenthusiasm and courage. The inspectors and all the doctors and nurses\nwore a badge, consisting of the red cross over the Korean flag, so that\neven in heathen Korea the sign of the cross was carried everywhere, and\ndominated the emblem of the Korean government.\n\nThe people picked up the idea that lime was a mysterious agent in\npreventing disease, so it was not uncommon to see a handful of it\nscattered, a few grains here and there, along the edges of some of the\nfilthiest ditches, or a gourd whitewashed with lime hanging by the door\nas a sort of charm to drive away cholera.\n\nKoreans call it \u201cthe rat disease,\u201d believing that cramps are rats\ngnawing and crawling inside the legs, going up till the heart is\nreached; so they offer prayers to the spirit of the cat, hang a\npaper cat on the house door, and rub their cramps with a cat\u2019s skin.\nThey offered prayers and sacrifices in various high places to the\nheavens--Hananim--and some of the streets in infected districts were\nalmost impassable on account of ropes stretched across, about five feet\nhigh, at intervals of about every twenty-five feet, to which paper\nprayers were attached. As my coolies, trying to pass along with my\nchair, broke one of these, I could not help admonishing the owner who\ncame to its rescue, \u201c_Better put them up a little higher_.\u201d\n\nAye, put them up higher, poor Korean brother, they are far too near the\nearth! One of the most pathetic sights in connection with this plague\nwere these poor, wind-torn, rain-bedraggled, paper prayers, hanging\nhelplessly everywhere, the offering of blind superstition to useless\ndumb gods who can neither pity nor hear.\n\n    \u201cThey reach lame hands of faith and grope\n      And gather dust and chaff.\u201d\n\nEarly in August it was decided, as the plague seemed on the increase,\nto fill the \u201cShelter\u201d with cholera patients, and Dr. Avison assigned to\nDr. Wells, Mr. Underwood and myself the supervision and care of this\nplace.\n\nThe \u201cShelter,\u201d situated on a good high site outside the walls, with a\nnumber of comfortable rooms, with the possibility of hot floors (which\nproved an unspeakable benefit to the poor cold, pulseless sick), seemed\nan ideal place for the purpose. It was not very large, it is true, but\nas most of our patients were either quickly cured or quickly succumbed,\nwe were able to receive a goodly number. Mr. Underwood and Dr. Wells\nworked indefatigably, stocking it with everything obtainable which\ncould be of use.\n\nMy husband arranged for a corps of voluntary native nurses. As the only\nmissionaries available were at work elsewhere, and we had seen too\nmuch of hired native official nurses, he decided to ask some of his\nChristian helpers to do this service for the love of Christ. Cholera is\na loathsome disease, only love makes it easy to nurse faithfully and\ntenderly these poor afflicted creatures, without overwhelming disgust.\n\nSome of the men thus approached belonged to the scholar and gentlemen\nclass, who had never done manual work of any kind, and at first they\nhesitated. However, they at last decided to undertake the task, and\nwith willing hands and a little training, they turned out to be very\nsatisfactory nurses, faithful and devoted, never shirking the most\ndifficult and repelling work. Every evening a service of prayer and\nsong was held in the central court of the Shelter, where all who were\nconscious could hear, and we believe that the blessing on that work\ncame in answer to these united prayers, and the public acknowledgment\nof absolute dependence in God. Here, too, the workers gained new\nenthusiasm and the strength born of faith and hope.\n\nDr. Wells\u2019 brilliant management deserves the highest praise. The\nnecessity of caring for my little one, lying sick five miles away,\nallowed me only alternate nights of service at the hospital, so the\nlabor for the other two members of our trio was severe, but while the\nneed lasted strength was given.\n\nUnspeakably pathetic were many of the scenes we were forced to witness.\nOne poor woman, only that day widowed, with three little ones to care\nfor, was brought in cold and almost pulseless. We spent the night\ntrying to save this poor mother. Early in the morning her eldest, a\ndear little fellow of eleven, came to watch with and take care of\nher. To see the anxious little face (a child\u2019s face in the shadow of\na great sorrow is the saddest thing on earth) as he chafed her hands\nand affirmed, half interrogatively, how much warmer they were now\nthan before, and as he looked eagerly to us, every time we entered\nsaying, \u201cWill she live, will she live?\u201d was enough to make one ready\nto die for that life. We felt that woman must live. And yet--. After a\nlong contest the pulse revived, the extremities grew warm, nearly all\nuntoward symptoms disappeared, we all dared to hope. \u201cShe will live\nnow,\u201d joyfully said the child. \u201cOh, if I could live, it would be good!\u201d\nsaid the now conscious mother. But alas! next day the three little\nones were motherless and fatherless, and another sad funeral, with one\ndrooping little mourner, joined the awful procession, which nightly\nfiled through the city gates, and covered the surrounding hills with\nnew-made graves. One poor old father watched and tended his boy of\nfourteen with agonized devotion. The only one left to his old age of\nwhat was a few days before a large family. We all worked over the lad\nwith strong hopes, so young, and many of the old had recovered, so much\nneeded, surely he would be spared, but at length the cold young form\ngrew a little colder, the tired little pulse ceased to flutter, and a\nbroken old man followed his last hope to the grave.\n\nAnd yet we had great cause for devout thankfulness that so many of\nour patients were spared. Sixty-five per cent of recoveries is almost\nunheard of, and yet this was our record at the Shelter.\n\nUnder God we ascribed this large percentage of cures, mainly to the\nthree following causes: The use of salol as early and in as large doses\nas possible. Keeping the patients on the very hot floor till warmth\nreturned and circulation improved. And the conscientious and untiring\nnursing by the native Christians.\n\nOf course this is not the place, nor have I the time, to go into a\nminute description of the various remedies and forms of treatment used.\nWe believed we were reaching the case with salol, but various other\nremedies also were used to control the symptoms. In fact, everything\nwe knew was done, and all must be done quickly or not at all. Many of\nthe cases brought to us were in a state of collapse when they arrived.\nOften the pulse was not perceptible, and yet repeatedly, where we felt\nthat treatment was hopeless, the hot floor and vigorous chafing, with\nhypodermic administration of stimulants, brought about sufficient\nreanimation to make it possible to take the salol, and this seemed to\nact miraculously. It was in obedience to Dr. Wells\u2019 suggestion that\nwe tried this drug which proved such a blessing. In one case, that\nof a young man of high rank, his family despaired of his life from\nthe first, and finally went home to prepare his grave clothes, but\non returning with them in the morning, found him, to their joy and\namazement, quite out of danger. Another striking case was that of an\nold lady nearly seventy years of age. Her son and daughter, as a last\nresort, but quite hopelessly, brought her to us. She was far gone,\nunconscious, and almost pulseless. We rubbed her cold extremities\nwith alcohol, keeping her quite warm on a fine hot floor (she lay\npractically on a stove all night), and to the astonishment of all,\nafter a few hours, steady improvement began and she was soon restored\nto her delighted friends.\n\nI insert here our medical record, for the benefit of medical readers,\ngiving all the uninterested the privilege of skipping. We received\naltogether 173 patients, of whom 61 died; of those received, 18 arrived\ndying or dead; 95 were taken in rigid, of whom only 42 died; 35 were\nverging on collapse, of whom 2 died; 4 were in partial collapse, of\nwhom none died; 20 were in the first stage, of whom none died. Of\nthose who died, 25 never reacted, 2 had puerperal complications, 2 were\nalready affected with tuberculosis, 3 developed cerebral meningitis, 1\ncomplication of chronic cystitis, 1 chronic nephritis, and 2 received\nno salol.\n\nAll these recoveries made no little stir in the city, especially as\nelsewhere nearly two-thirds of those affected died. Proclamations\nwere posted on the walls, telling people there was no need for them\nto die when they might go to the Christian hospital and live. People\nwho watched missionaries working over the sick night after night said\nto each other, \u201cHow these foreigners love us, would we do as much for\none of our own kin as they do for strangers?\u201d Some men who saw Mr.\nUnderwood hurrying along the road in the gray twilight of a summer\nmorning remarked, \u201cThere goes the Jesus man, he works all night and all\nday with the sick without resting.\u201d \u201cWhy does he do it?\u201d said another.\n\u201cBecause he loves us,\u201d was the reply. What sweeter reward could be had\nthan that the people should see the Lord in our service. Surely the\nplague was not all evil when it served to bring the Lord more clearly\nto the view of the souls he died to save.\n\nA tolerably fair count of the deaths inside the walls each day was\npossible, since all the dead are carried through two or three gates.\nThe numbers rose gradually to something over three hundred a day and\nthen gradually declined, the plague lasting not quite six weeks.\nThe extra-mural population is probably as large as the intra-mural,\nincluding the people within the two miles radius outside the walls. All\ntaken together there are between three and four hundred thousand people.\n\nWhen the plague was nearly over the following very grateful letter of\nthanks from the Korean office of Foreign Affairs was sent through the\nAmerican minister.\n\n  THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.\n  504th Year, 7th Moon, 3d Day.\n\n  August 22d, 1895.\n\n  _Kim, Minister of Foreign Affairs,\n  to Mr. Sill, United States Minister._\n\n    SIR: I have the honor to say that my government is deeply\n    grateful to ---------- and his friends who have spent a great\n    deal of money for medicines and labored in the management of\n    cholera, resulting in the cure of many sick people. I trust\n    your excellency will kindly convey an expression of thanks to\n    them on behalf of my government. I am, etc., etc.\n\n  (_Signed_)      KIM YUN SIK.\n\nGifts were sent to the missionaries, who had assisted at the hospitals,\nof rolls of silk, fans, little silver inkstands, having the name of the\nHome Office and the recipient engraved upon them, and most interesting\nof all, a kind of mosaic mats made of a peculiar sort of reeds grown\nfor the purpose at the island of Kang Wha. These mats have bits of\nthe reeds of different colors skilfully inlaid to form the pattern,\nand that on those which were given to us was at one end the national\nemblem, at the other the red cross and the name of the Home Office.\n\nThis was of course extremely gratifying. No, more, it was a thing for\nwhich to be profoundly grateful that government and people recognized\nthat we, the representatives of our Lord (however inefficient and\nunworthy), were their friends, and, as far as in us lay, their helpers.\n\nThe best, however, was to come. The names of the Koreans who had nursed\nand served at the Shelter and inspection offices were asked for, and\nthe intention to pay them stated. We told them that the men had done\nthis with no expectation of pay, but to this they would not listen\nand insisted on rewarding them handsomely. On the receipt of this\nunexpected, and, for them, large sum, almost all the Christians (quite\nvoluntarily, and to our surprise) put it all into the fund for the new\nchurch, considering it a gift of God, specially sent in answer to\nprayer, to help them in the enterprise undertaken in faith.\n\nThey were, therefore, now able to go on and finish the church, which\naccommodates, with crowding, two hundred people. It is an unpretentious\nbuilding, entirely native, substantial as possible with mud walls,\ntiled roof and paper windows, yet built and finished much in the style\nof the best Korean houses, none of which knew, at that time, what it\nwas to boast of a pane of glass, or brick or stone walls. Into it the\nlittle congregation flocked, and with glad hearts dedicated to God the\nwork of their hands, which through sacrifice, love, faith and prayer\nwas more costly and precious in his sight than gold or ivory, which had\nnot been so sanctified.\n\nNot long after the cholera epidemic, and the events connected with it,\noccurred the tragedy at the palace--the murder of the brilliant and\nprogressive queen, the friend of progress, civilization and reform.\n\nHer majesty was a brilliant diplomatist, and usually worsted her\nopponents. The Japanese, after the war, had indeed proclaimed the\nindependence of Korea, yet seemed in practice to desire to establish\na sort of protectorate and to direct her policy at home and abroad.\nMany public offices were filled with citizens of Japan, or Japanese\nsympathizers as far as possible, and a large body of the Korean troops\nwere drilled by and under the command of Japanese officers.\n\nRealizing that in the patriotic and brilliant queen they had to meet\none who would not readily submit to their plans for the Japanizing of\nKorea, they objected to her participation at all in the affairs of\ngovernment, and were promised, under compulsion we were told, that\nthese orders should be obeyed. Naturally this was not done, and the\nqueen continued to be a source of confusion and rock of offense\nto them and their plans. Finally a decided change was made in the\npersonnel of the Japanese embassy. Count Inoye, who, in the name of\nhis government, had hitherto promised to the queen the support and\nprotection of Japan was recalled. He was replaced by Count Miura, who\nwas a man of very different tendencies. Count Miura was a very strong\nBuddhist, and passionately devoted to the supposed interests of Japan\nas against those of any other nation.\n\n[Illustration: THE ROUND GATE, SEOUL]\n\nOne morning, the 8th of October, 1895, we heard firing at the palace.\nThis was in time of peace, and such sounds we knew must be portents\nof evil. All was confusion, nothing definite could be learned, except\nthat certain Japanese troops had arrived at about three in the morning,\nescorting the Tai Won Kun (the king\u2019s father and the queen\u2019s bitter\nenemy), and had driven out the native royal guard under General Dye\n(an American) and were now guarding the palace gates. The air was full\nof ominous suspicions and whispers, but nothing more definite could\nwe learn till afternoon, when meeting a Korean noble, he told us with\nface all aghast, that it was currently reported that the queen had been\nmurdered.\n\nIn a few hours this news was confirmed with particulars. The Tai\nWon Kun was at that time under guard, in exile from the court, at\nhis country house, for conspiracy against the king in favor of his\ngrandson, and he of course readily consented to become the leader of\nthe plotters against the queen, to enter the palace at the head of\ntheir troops and take possession of the persons of their majesties (and\nthe government incidentally), necessarily, of course, doing away with\nthe queen. The troops therefore marched with the old man in his chair\nto the palace gates, where all had been made ready. Ammunition had been\nsecretly removed, native troops trained by Americans had been mostly\nexchanged for those trained by Japanese, and after a few shots, and\nscarcely a pretence of resistance, the attacking party entered. It was\nsome distance to the royal apartments, and the rumor of disturbance\nreached there some time before the attacking party. Her majesty was\nalarmed. She was a brave woman, but she knew she had bitter, powerful\nand treacherous foes, and that, like Damocles, a sword suspended by\nonly too slight a thread hung over her life.\n\nThe king\u2019s second son, Prince Oui-wha, begged her to escape with him by\na little gate which yet remained unguarded, through which they might\npass disguised to friends in the city. The dowager queen, however, was\ntoo old to go, and her majesty nobly refused to leave her alone to\nthe terror which occupation of the palace by foreigners would insure,\ntrusting no doubt to the positive assurances of protection that had\nbeen made to her through Count Inoye, and the more so, as one of the\ncourtiers in waiting, a man by the name of Chung Pung Ha, had assured\nher that whatever happened she might rest confident that the persons\nof their majesties would be perfectly safe. This man was a creature of\nlow origin, whom the queen had raised and bestowed many favors upon,\nand in whom she placed great reliance. He advised her not to hide,\nand kept himself informed of all her movements. With no code of honor\nwider or higher than his pocket, he of course became a ready tool of\nthe assassins, and there is much evidence to show he was a party to the\nconspiracy.\n\nThe queen therefore remained in a good deal of uneasiness and anxiety,\nbut only when the Tai Won Kun and the hired assassins rushed in,\ncalling for the queen, did she attempt, alas! too late, to hide.\n\nThere was some confusion, in the numerous verbal reports which reached\nus, but two foreigners, a Russian, Mr. Sabbatin, and an American,\nGeneral Dye, who were eye-witnesses of nearly all that occurred, both\nagreed in the statement, that Japanese troops under Japanese officers\nsurrounded the courtyard and buildings where the royal party were, and\nthat the Japanese officers were in the courtyard, and saw the outrages\nwhich were committed, and knew all that was done by the Japanese\n_soshi_ or professional cutthroats. About thirty of these assassins\nrushed into the royal apartments crying, \u201cThe queen, the queen, where\nis the queen?\u201d\n\nThen began a mad and brutal hunt for their prey, more like wild beasts\nthan men, seizing the palace women,[1] dragging them about by their\nhair and beating them, trying to force them to tell where the queen\nwas. Mr. Sabbatin was himself questioned and threatened with death. The\n_soshi_ and officers who wore the Japanese uniform passed through the\nroom where his majesty stood trying to divert attention from the queen.\n\u201cOne of the Japanese caught him by the shoulder and pulled him about,\nand Yi Kiung Chick, the minister of the royal household, was killed by\nthe Japanese in his majesty\u2019s presence. His royal highness, the crown\nprince, was seized, his hat torn off and broken, and he was pulled\nabout by the hair, the _soshi_ threatening him with their swords while\ndemanding where the queen was.\u201d[2] At length they hunted the poor queen\ndown, and killed her with their swords. They then covered her body,\nand bringing in various palace women, suddenly displayed the corpse,\nwhen the women shrieked with horror, \u201cThe queen, the queen!\u201d This was\nenough; by this ruse the assassins made sure they had felled the right\nvictim.\n\n[1] \u201cKorean Repository,\u201d 1895.\n\n[2] From official report of \u201cKorean Repository.\u201d\n\nSoon after, the remains were taken to a grove of trees not far off,\nkerosene oil poured over them, and they were burned, only a few bones\nremaining.\n\nLater developments all went to prove that the murderers were actually\nguilty of the inconceivable folly of imagining that by this means it\nwould be possible to conceal the crime and their share in it.\n\nStories of all sorts were circulated, as that her majesty had escaped\nand was lying concealed, or that she had simply been removed for a\ntime by the Japanese, who could bring her back at any moment. In the\nofficial account of the murder, and of the trial of Count Miura and\nthe _soshi_, held in Hiroshima, Japan, for which I am indebted to\n\u201cThe Korean Repository\u201d for 1895, the following words occur: \u201cThe\naccused Miura Gow assumed his official duties ... on September 1, 1895.\nAccording to his observation, things in Korea were tending in the\nwrong direction, the court was daily growing more and more arbitrary,\nand attempting wanton interference with the conduct of State affairs.\nDisorder and confusion were in this way introduced into the system of\nadministration that had just been reorganized under the guidance and\nadvice of the Imperial government. The court went so far in turning its\nback upon Japan that a project was mooted for disbanding the _Kurentai_\ntroops (Koreans under Japanese officers) and punishing their officers.\nMoreover, a report came to the said Miura that the court had under\ncontemplation a scheme for usurping all political power by degrading\nsome and killing others of the cabinet ministers suspected of devotion\nto the cause of progress and independence. Under these circumstances\nhe was greatly perturbed, inasmuch as he thought that the attitude\nassumed by the court not only showed remarkable ingratitude towards\nthis country, which had spent labor and money for the sake of Korea,\nbut was also calculated to thwart the work of internal reform and\n\u2018jeopardize the independence of the kingdom.\u2019\u201d\n\nThe report then proceeds to state that the accused felt it necessary\nto apply a remedy which would on the one hand \u201csecure the independence\nof the Korean kingdom, and on the other _maintain the prestige of this\nempire in that country_!\u201d The report further proceeds to state, that\nconferences were held with the Tai Won Kun and with Japanese officials,\nat one of which, October 3rd, \u201cThe decision arrived at on that occasion\nwas that assistance should be rendered to the Tai Won Kun\u2019s entry\ninto the palace by making use of the _Kurentai_, who, being hated by\nthe court, felt themselves in danger, and of the young men who deeply\nlamented the course of events, and also by causing the Japanese troops\nstationed in Seoul to offer their support to the enterprise. It was\nfurther resolved that this opportunity should be availed of for taking\nthe life of the queen, who exercised overwhelming influence in the\ncourt.\u201d\n\nAfter further particulars in the completion of the plan the Japanese\ndocument continues: \u201cMiura told them (the men who were to escort\nthe Tai Won Kun) that on the success of the enterprise depended the\neradication of the evils that had done so much mischief to the kingdom\nfor the past twenty years, and instigated them to despatch the queen\nwhen they entered the palace.\u201d The report then goes on at some length,\ndescribing the various steps taken in carrying out the conspiracy,\nand continues: \u201cThen slowly proceeding toward Seoul the party met the\n_Kurentai_ troops outside the west gate of the capital, where they\nwaited some time for the Japanese troops.... About dawn the whole party\nentered the palace through the Kwang-hwa gate, and at once proceeded to\nthe inner chambers. Notwithstanding these facts there is no sufficient\nevidence to prove that any of the accused actually committed the crime\noriginally meditated by them.... For these reasons, the accused, each\nand all, are hereby discharged.... The documents and other articles\nseized in connection with this case are restored to their respective\nowners.\n\n  Given at Hiroshima local court by\n  YOSHIDA YOSHIDA,\n  Judge of Preliminary inquiry,\n  TAMURA YOSHIHARU,\n  Clerk of the court.\n\nDated 20th day of the first month of the twenty-ninth year of Yeiji.\n\nThis copy has been taken from the original text.\n\n  Clerk of the local court of Hiroshima.\u201d\n\nThis document needs no comment. Count Miura was recently restored to\nall his titles and dignities which had been temporarily removed.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X\n\n    The Palace after the Murder--Panic--Attitude of Foreign\n    Legations--The King\u2019s Life in Hourly Danger--Noble\n    Refugees--Americans on Guard--Mistakes of the New\n    Government--Objectionable Sumptuary Laws--A Plan to Rescue the\n    King--One Night at the Palace--Forcing an Entrance--Our Little\n    Drama--Escape of General Yun.\n\n\nIn the meantime the king and crown prince were held prisoners in their\nown palace by a cabinet composed of Koreans who were favorable to the\nJapanese government. Immediately after the death of the queen, before\nthe soldiers and assassins had dispersed, the Japanese minister had\ncome to the palace and requested an audience. According to the official\nreport, Count Miura, with his secretary, Mr. Sugimma,[3] the Tai Won\nKun, and a Japanese, who had led the _soshi_, were all present at\nthis audience, and presented three papers to the king for signature,\none being that the cabinet should henceforth manage the affairs of\nthe country, one that Prince Yi Chai Miun should be minister of the\nroyal household, and the other appointing a vice-minister of the\nhousehold. The king shaken by the events of the night, and helpless in\nthe hands of his enemies, signed all three. Then the Japanese troops\nwere withdrawn, and the _Kurentai_ alone left on guard. Soon after the\nministers of war and police departments were changed for pro-Japanese,\n\u201cso that all the armed forces of the government, and even the personal\nattendants of his majesty\u201d were under the control of the opponents of\nthe royal person and family.\n\n[3] See \u201cKorean Repository\u201d official account of the murder of the queen.\n\nMr. Waeber, the Russian minister, and Dr. Allen, Charg\u00e9 d\u2019Affaires of\nthe United States, having heard the firing, arrived at the palace,\nwhile the Japanese minister was still there, and were made acquainted\nby the king to some extent concerning the occurrences which had just\ntaken place. The poor king was in a state of shock amounting to almost\ncomplete prostration, which was pitiable to behold, after the awful\nexperiences of the night and the brutal murder of his idolized queen.\n\nThe friends and connections of the royal family, officials, soldiers,\nservants and hangers on about the palace, of whom there were several\nthousands, were all in the wildest panic. Every one was rushing in\nmad haste to escape from the confines of the palace grounds, and\nuniforms or anything that could distinguish men as belonging to the\ncourt were recklessly torn off and thrown away. The American, Russian\nand English legations were thronged with people, anxious for shelter\nfrom the hands of those who composed the band of Korean traitors. The\nforeign representatives felt and showed much indignation over the cruel\nassassination of her majesty and sympathy for the king.\n\nFor some time they visited the palace every day. As they refused to\nrecognize the rebel government, they probably felt obliged to see his\nmajesty personally, in order to know his wishes and policy, and it is\nalso most likely that, feeling much uncertainty as to the intentions of\nthe persons in whose hands the king was, they wished to keep themselves\ninformed, and perhaps to keep in check any plans of violence toward the\nremaining members of the royal family. Mr. Underwood was requested to\naccompany the United States minister as interpreter, while the French\nbishop acted in the same capacity for the representative of France,\nsince none of the native interpreters could be trusted under such\ncircumstances.\n\nAnd right here I would stop to ask, why is it that in matters of such\nextreme importance as the affairs of state between our own government\nand Eastern nations, there have been up to this time no trained\nAmerican interpreters, and our highest officials are obliged to depend\nupon the more than doubtful native interpreters, who even when not\nwilfully for their own purposes, or through their own cowardice,\nmisrepresenting communications of the greatest importance, may through\nincapability entirely misconceive the idea to be expressed, or through\ncarelessness omit the most significant part of the whole sentence?\n\nThe king was to be seen only under the strictest surveillance of the\ncabinet, and apparently was under extreme coercion, so that he did not\nconsider it expedient to say anything contrary to their orders and\npolicy. On rare occasions, when their attention was called for a few\nmoments by some of the visiting party, his majesty contrived to convey\nto Mr. Underwood a whispered message, a sign, a tiny note slipped in\nhis palm, by which he briefly communicated his desires, or plans, or\nhis real replies to questions which had already been answered publicly\nin accordance with the views of his enemies. As the king stood in\nhourly fear of poison, and not without reason, since his unscrupulous\nand unnatural father, the Tai Won Kun, was most desirous to replace\nhim by his grandson, through another son, and as so many of the\nconspirators surrounding the king had now so much at stake, were in so\ndangerous a position, and were men who had already proved they would\nstop at nothing where their own interest was concerned, he would take\nno food for some time but condensed milk brought in sealed cans and\nopened in his presence, or eggs cooked in the shells. Hearing of this,\nand glad to take advantage of an opportunity however small to show our\nsympathy, the ladies from one of the European legations and myself\nalternated in sending specially prepared dishes, such articles as\ncontained the greatest amount of nourishment, as well as of agreeable\ntaste.\n\nThey were sent in a tin box, provided with a Yale lock. Mr. Underwood,\nwho was now going as interpreter and messenger between the legations\nand palace, sometimes twice a day, carried the key, and placed it in\nthe king\u2019s own hand, while the box was carried in at any convenient\ntime by the ordinary officials. It was only a small service, but it was\nto some extent a relief to be allowed to do anything for those who had\na claim upon our loyalty, and who had been so shockingly outraged.\n\nOne day as Mr. Underwood was going in to his majesty he met the old\nTai Won Kun, who said, \u201cWhy do you take all that good food in to him?\nHe doesn\u2019t need it. I am old, my teeth are gone, I need it far more\nthan he.\u201d The crafty and cruel old human tiger\u2019s teeth and claws were\nstill only too serviceable, alas! For a long time after the death of\nthe queen, nearly seven weeks, Americans, one or two at a time, were\nasked to be at the palace every night, as it was thought that with\nforeigners there as witnesses, the conspirators, whoever they might\nbe, would hesitate to commit any further outrages. There is little\ndoubt that had they thought it necessary to commit regicide, the lives\nof the witnesses would have been sacrificed as well, but Easterners\nstand in considerable fear of the wrath of the Western nations, when\ntheir citizens are killed, and no doubt the chances of violence to\nhis majesty and the crown prince were somewhat diminished by the\npresence of the missionaries, who night after night, two and two,\nleft the congenial task of preaching the gospel of peace to insure the\ncontinuance of it (or that small fraction which at that time was left\nto poor Korea).\n\nWe wives at home, keeping lonely vigil, while our husbands sentineled\nthe palace, listened with sharpened ears for sounds of ill-omen from\nthat direction. But both they and we were glad of this service,\nrejoicing to prove that we were the friends of the people and the\nrightful ruler, from highest to lowest, and we were specially glad\nthat those who had been called disloyal, because they refused to obey\nthe decree which forbade preaching the gospel, were now able to show\nthemselves the most active and unwearied in serving the king.\n\nThe day after the assassination, the king\u2019s second son, Prince Oui-wha,\nsent to ask refuge in our house, where, this being American property,\nhe would be safe from arrest. The legations were all full of refugees\nof high rank, and several were staying in our Korean _sarang_ or guest\nroom. We were, of course, delighted to receive the young prince, and\nalso to have this further opportunity to prove our regard for him. In\nconsequence of the presence of these refugees we were honored by being\nkept under continual espionage by the pseudo-government, our compound\nconstantly watched by spies at all exits, by day and night. It seemed\nmonstrous to me, who had never known any of the class whose movements\nare watched by detectives, nor ever dreamed of coming in any way\ninto collision with any government (much less of being of sufficient\nimportance to do so), but perhaps it was the spirit of revolutionary\nforefathers which made me believe, that if governments were wrong,\nright-minded people must oppose them, and that if sheltering the\nfriends of the just and lawful ruler from a company of conspirators\nand traitors was standing in an attitude of hostility to the powers\nthat be, it was both right and our unavoidable duty to do what we could\nto shield them from violence and death.\n\nIn the meanwhile the new government was appointing new officials,\ntrying, torturing and executing innocent people as the accused\nmurderers of the queen, in order to shield themselves--useless crimes\nwhich deceived no one--making a number of new offices and placing\nJapanese in them on large salaries, and making new and farcical,\nas well as injurious and objectionable, laws. Women were not to be\nallowed to go on the street with covered faces, pipes must be of a\ncertain length, sleeves must be shortened and narrowed, coats must\nbe of a particular color, and hat brims a certain width. This was\ncalled \u201cKaiwha\u201d or reform. Large numbers of Japanese flocked to this\ncountry and made their way to the capital or into the interior, in the\nindustrious pursuit of wealth, which we were informed was not always\nlimited to legitimate measures, or the possession of sinecures.\n\nMissionaries returning from the interior reported that they had heard\nlamentable tales on all hands, of farmers strung up by the thumbs,\nfor the extortion of money or deeds of lands and of women dealt with\nbrutally. The poor country people were like sheep in the midst of\nwolves, their shepherd gone, their fold broken down.\n\nOne of the measures taken by the pro-Japanese government, which excited\ngreat feeling and probably did more than anything else to arouse\nprotest, because so cruelly calculated to wound the desolate and\nstricken king, was a decree sent through the whole land in the king\u2019s\nname declaring the queen a wicked woman and degrading her to the lowest\nrank. This they asked the king to sign and seal, but shaken as he was,\nhe absolutely refused so to insult his dead consort, and the cabinet\nwere obliged to forge his signature, and seal the paper themselves.\nThis act bore the stamp of the Tai Won Kun, whose insatiable hate was\nnot satisfied with the murder of the queen, but followed her with\ninsults to the grave.\n\nIn the midst of these days of confusion and excitement, the loyalist\nparty, or at least some of them, made an attempt to rescue the king.\nThis all his friends ardently desired, but it was very difficult to\naccomplish, as his majesty was surrounded constantly by spies and\nguards, whose interest as well as whose business it was to keep him\nunder the strictest surveillance.\n\nNumbers of Koreans came to my husband with various schemes for the\naccomplishment of the king\u2019s release, seeking his advice and aid, but\nwhile he was very willing to express his sympathy with their object and\nhis disapproval of the rebel government, he did not consent to any part\nin any of their projects, partly because he did not know whom to trust,\nand partly because none were such as he, a missionary, could take part\nin or support. I do not doubt, however, that if he could have seen a\nway to do so, he would gladly have sacrificed much to have assisted the\nking to escape to a place of safety, where he could establish his own\ngovernment without fear of the combinations formed against him.\n\nThe plans of the rescue party were made very secretly, so that none\nof the missionaries at least knew anything of them, though two of the\nleaders, General Yun and another, were in our house till a late hour\nthe previous night, and perhaps to this fact was due the conviction\nwhich a number of people entertained that my husband was concerned\nin the loyal but unfortunate plot. The enemies of the king, however,\ngot wind of the plans of his friends, and through spies and treachery\nferreted it all out, and prepared themselves fully. One of the\ntraitors, an army officer, who pretended to be ready to open the gates\nand assist the rescue party from within, really disclosed everything to\nthe false cabinet, and was prepared with troops to receive and repel\nthe loyalists. On the evening set for the rescue of the king, just\nbefore my husband\u2019s return from the palace, where he had been all the\nafternoon, he found Dr. Avison, of our mission, here at his home, with\nnews that the Koreans were preparing to attack the palace that very\nnight, as he had just learned from one of the party. Mr. Underwood\nwas hardly willing to credit the idea, sure that all his feelings\nand sympathies were so well understood, he would have been informed\nhad this been the case; but while Dr. Avison was still in the house,\nthe secretary of the American legation called, at the request of the\nAmerican minister, to say that they had authoritative information of\nthe same thing, and as the king would no doubt be much alarmed, and\nwould be in great danger from the traitors, should the attack succeed,\nthe American minister asked that Mr. Underwood would spend the night\nnear the king\u2019s person.\n\nAs the gate would probably be closed and admittance refused to every\none, the minister had sent his card for Mr. Underwood to present in\norder to gain admission. It was of course understood that this was\nonly a suggestion, and that Mr. Underwood was perfectly at liberty\nto refuse, but he was really glad to go, and felt honored in being\nselected for this service, so he at once consented, and asked Mr.\nHulbert, now of the government school, to accompany him. Dr. Avison\nhaving been called for professionally, also joined them, and the three\nmen met at the palace gates, where the guard at once refused to admit\nthem, positive orders having been sent forbidding the entrance of any\none. Our minister\u2019s card was shown to no apparent effect, except that\nthe officer on guard offered to go up to the palace with it and obtain\npermission. This Mr. Underwood knew would be futile, for the cabinet\nwould almost certainly refuse, so he replied, \u201cNo, I must be admitted\nat once and without delay, I came at the request of the United States\nminister, and if you choose to refuse his card, and his messenger, you\nmust take the responsibility; I shall return at once and give him your\nreply.\u201d As an officer had been severely punished only a few days before\nfor refusing entrance to a foreign diplomat, who had left the palace\ngates in awful wrath, the men now on guard hesitated. \u201cDecide, and at\nonce,\u201d said Mr. Underwood sternly. This conquered, and the Americans\nhurried in. They went directly to the king, and making known that they\nhad come for the night, asked his wishes, and were requested to wait in\nGeneral Dye\u2019s rooms, close at hand, to be ready on the first alarm to\ntake their places near his person.\n\nThe _three guardsmen_ then repaired to the general\u2019s room to await\ndevelopments, where Mr. Underwood had some conversation with General\nDye, and the traitorous Korean officer, who even then suspecting that\nMr. Underwood had some part in the friendly plot, tried to entrap him\nand to induce him to betray himself and the others. But as my husband\nknew nothing of the persons engaged, or any of their plans, and was\nhimself quite innocent of any complicity in their scheme, it was\nimpossible for any information to be elicited from him. Suddenly at\ntwelve o\u2019clock the report of a gun was heard, springing up, he ran to\nthe king\u2019s apartments, followed closely by the other two. A line of\nsoldiers was drawn up, standing shoulder to shoulder along the path,\nwho called \u201cHalt,\u201d sharply, as he approached; paying no attention\nhe ran swiftly past them, and before they had time to realize, or\nto decide what to do, Dr. Avison and Mr. Hulbert had followed. At\nthe door just beyond stood a couple of officers with drawn swords\ncrossed. Mr. Underwood struck the swords up with his revolver and\nrushed through, the other two men entering immediately behind him, just\nas they heard the king calling, \u201cWhere are the foreigners, call the\nforeigners.\u201d \u201cHere, your majesty. Here we are,\u201d replied the three men,\nentering the room, where the king grasped them by the hand, and kept\nthem on either side of him the whole night.\n\nAs for the poor half-armed party of the king\u2019s friends, they were\nallowed to proceed until well within the prepared ambush, and when they\ndiscovered the trap, it was almost impossible to escape. Many were\ncaptured, some killed, the rest fled in all directions. This of course\nseated more firmly in power the rebels whose position had till now been\nmore than questionable. Many arrests were made, and executions and the\nseverest punishments meted out to those who were convicted of having\ndared to attempt the restoration of the king.\n\nWhile Mr. Underwood was at the palace we were having our own little\ndrama at home. A new missionary, a tall Westerner, had undertaken the\nprotection of the household, and armed with a big six-shooter, we\ndoubted not, he was more than equal to any ordinary emergency. Our\nchief source of anxiety (as far as our home was concerned) was the\nsafety of the prince, who with one attendant only, occupied a room in\nan ell at the further end of the house, distant from our apartments.\nWhat if when all attention was concentrated upon the palace, he should\nbe carried away or murdered in our home, by the enemies of the country!\nWe felt we were a lamentably small party of defense, still we hoped our\nnervous fears were groundless.\n\nJust as we were about to retire, however, at about ten thirty, a\nsharp rap came at the door of our missionary guest\u2019s room, which\nopened to the garden. This was evidently some stranger, as any of our\nacquaintances would have come to the main entrance. I was called at\nonce, with the added information that a Japanese officer was waiting to\nsee me!\n\nI found a fully armed Japanese in uniform, who asked for the prince.\nMy suspicions were of course aroused, especially as I could only\nconjecture how many battalions he might have concealed around the\ncorner of the house. I inquired who he was and why he came at that\nhour to see the prince. He replied in good Korean, that he was his\nparticular friend, and gave me a name which was that of a Korean whom I\nknew to be a friend of our guest, adding that he had dined at our house\nthat day, handing me a card engraved with Chinese characters. This was\npalpably false, as the friend of the prince had long hair, done in a\ntop-knot, with a Korean hat above it, this man\u2019s hair was cut short\nlike a Japanese. The Korean wore white silk garments, this man was from\nhead to foot a Japanese soldier.\n\n\u201cThis card is Chinese, I cannot read it,\u201d I replied coldly. \u201cYou are\na Japanese officer whom I have never seen before, you cannot see the\nprince at this hour, you must go away and return in the morning if\nyou have business with him.\u201d The man, however, was very insistent\non seeing the prince then, in fact he seemed determined to take no\ndenials, and the more he persisted, the more I became convinced that\nonce acquainted with the prince\u2019s whereabouts in our house, he would\ncall up his concealed assassins and arrest or kill him. With the\nstrengthening of suspicion, my temper rose, and my verbs took on lower\nand lower endings, until I finally ordered him with the most degrading\nterminations in the grammar, to leave on short order. All through\nthis conversation our Westerner, who understood no Korean, had been\nrepeating at intervals, \u201cShall I shoot, Mrs. Underwood? If you say so,\nI\u2019ll shoot,\u201d brandishing his big revolver in an excited way, dangerous\nto all concerned. So at last our visitor considering his attempt to\nfind the prince hopeless, reluctantly went away. We felt we had won a\ngreat victory, and covered ourselves with glory, in thus dispersing the\nenemy.\n\nIn the meanwhile the prince, whose door opened also in the garden,\njust opposite the one where we stood, heard the arrival, the long\nconference, the clash of a sword against the steps, and stood guarding\nhis chamber door, while his attendant with drawn sword guarded that\nof the closet, which happening to be locked they supposed also opened\non the garden. Next morning, when I showed the prince the card, he\nrecognized with high glee the name of his Korean friend, and shortly\nafterwards the individual himself appeared. He had for purposes of\ndisguise cut his hair that very day, and had donned garments which\ncompletely changed his appearance. It was owing to the success of this\ndisguise that he had been ordered from our door with most injurious\nverb endings. I did not apologize very abjectly, however, for aside\nfrom the fright he had put me in, he had robbed me of all my glory, and\nthe occasion of all its romance, and dropped it to the level of low\ncomedy, and while the laughter of the family was ringing in my ears, I\nfelt I could not forgive him.\n\nThe morning after the attack on the palace found General Yun, the\nleader and promoter, in our sarang, whither he had fled for shelter,\nwell knowing it would be worse than useless to go to his own, or any\nKorean house. He inquired who had been captured, and on learning how\nmany there were, remarked, \u201cThen I am a dead man,\u201d well knowing the\nmost merciless torture would be used to extract from the prisoners\nthe names of all concerned, and if his whereabouts were known, the\nAmerican minister would be compelled to give search warrants to the\npolice. He was an old friend of my husband, who promised to conceal him\nas long as possible, and get him out of the country soon. The Russian\nminister, who espoused the king\u2019s cause as warmly as any of us, and\nwho had refused to recognize the new government, was consulted, and\na plan was formed to get General Yun to China. Next to our house lay\nthat of another Presbyterian missionary, and adjoining that the Russian\nlegation, just beyond which is a kind of diplomatic club-house, and\nonly a few steps further one of the smaller city gates.\n\nSo Mr. Yun was lodged in the Rev. Mr. M----\u2019s gate-quarters (between\nhis house and ours), and that night Mr. Underwood shaved and dressed\nthe general and his friend in Mr. M----\u2019s and his own clothes, a fur\ncap well drawn down concealed his face. Mr. Underwood conducted the two\nmen thus disguised through the Russian legation, the club grounds and\nthen through the gates, where they were never suspected to be other\nthan what they looked. A short distance beyond the gates chairs were in\nwaiting. Mr. M---- and a Bible Society agent met them and escorted them\nto Chemulpo, where they were met by a guard from a Russian gunboat, on\nwhich they were conveyed to Chefoo, and there transhipped, and finally\nlanded safe in Shanghai, where they were gladly received and hospitably\nentertained in the house of a M. E. missionary, until the king was\nrestored to power.\n\nMr. Underwood was bitterly accused in Japanese newspapers of having\npromoted, and even led the harmless attack on the palace, and though as\nhe was not only absolutely innocent, but ignorant of it, and not one\nparticle of evidence could be found, he was obliged to endure a great\ndeal of slander, which he would not have considered worth a second\nthought had it not been made to reflect on his profession and the cause\nhe lives only to forward. The two facts that General Yun was at our\nhouse the night before, and that Mr. Underwood, at the request of our\nminister and the king, was at the palace on the eventful night, were\nused to give a show of probability to stories widely circulated, and\nallowed to remain uncontradicted by those who knew the facts.\n\nThe conspirators having defeated the restoration party, now carried\nthings with a high hand indeed, and among the other obnoxious and\ntyrannical sumptuary laws, which they proclaimed as furthering\n\u201cKaiwha,\u201d they ordered the summary removal of all top-knots, from\nthe palace to the hovel, and it was reported that even the highest\npersonages were compelled, in spite of useless protests, to undergo\nthis humiliating treatment, and certain it is that the attempt was made\nto shear every sheep in the flock. The explanation of what this meant\nmust be reserved for another chapter.\n\n[Illustration: A KOREAN TOP-KNOT. PAGE 167]\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI\n\n    Customs Centering around the Top-Knot--Christians\n    Sacrificing their Top-Knots--A Cruel Blow--Beginning of\n    Christian Work in Koksan--A Pathetic Appeal--People Baptize\n    Themselves--Hard-hearted Cho--The King\u2019s Escape--People Rally\n    around Him--Two Americans in the Interior--In the Midst of a\n    Mob--Mob Fury--Korea in the Arms of Russia--Celebrating the\n    King\u2019s Birthday--Patriotic Hymns--Lord\u2019s Prayer in Korean.\n\n\nMany of the most revered, common, and firmly settled of the customs\nand superstitions of the people of Korea are, as it were, woven,\nbraided, coiled and pinned into their top-knots, on which, like a hairy\nkeystone, seem to hang, and round which are centered society, religion\nand politics. The pigtail of China is nothing like as important, for\nit is really a mark of servitude, or was such in its origin, a badge\nlaid on the conquered by the conquering race. But not so the top-knot,\nwhich is many centuries old, and which, according to ancient histories,\npictures, pottery and embroideries, goes as far back as the existence\nof the nation.\n\nWhen a boy becomes engaged, or is on the point of being married, a\nsolemn ceremony is performed. In the presence of proper witnesses,\nand at the hands of proper functionaries (among whom are astrologers\nor soothsayers), the hair, which has hitherto been parted like a\ngirl\u2019s and worn in a long braid down the back, is shaved from a small\ncircular spot on the top of his head, and the remaining long locks\ncombed smoothly upward, and tied very tightly over the shaved place.\nThey are then twisted and coiled into a small compact knot, between\ntwo and three inches high and about one in diameter. An amber, coral,\nsilver, or even gold or jewelled pin is usually fastened through it.\nThe _Mangan_, a band of net, bound with ribbon, is then fastened on\nround the head below the top-knot and above the ears, holding all stray\nhairs neatly in place (when a man obtains rank a small open horse-hair\ncap is placed over the top-knot), and over all the hat, which (being\nalso of open work, bamboo splints, silk or horsehair) permits it to be\nseen. Fine new clothes are then donned, especially a long coat, and the\nboy has become a man! A feast is made, and he goes forth to call upon\nand be congratulated by his father\u2019s friends. Either on that day or the\nfollowing he is married, although, as has been said, some boys have\ntheir hair put up when they become engaged.\n\nNo matter how old one is, without a top-knot he is never considered\na man, addressed with high endings, or treated with respect. After\nassuming the top-knot, no matter how young, he is invested with the\ndignities and duties of a man of the family, takes his share in making\nthe offerings and prayers at the ancestral shrines, and is recognized\nby his ancestors\u2019 spirits as one of the family who is to do them honor,\nand whom they are to protect and bless. And right here, to digress a\nlittle, it is interesting to note that so intimately is this custom\nconcerned with their religion that many of the Christian converts are\nnow cutting off their top-knots when they become converted, regarding\nthat as the one step (after destroying their idols) which most\neffectually cuts off the old life and its superstitions, and marks them\nas having come out from their family and acquaintances as men set apart.\n\nThey have begun doing this quite of their own accord, with no\nsuggestion from the missionaries, and in some cases in opposition to\nthe advice of some of us, who dislike to see them laying aside old\ncustoms needlessly. But it is growing more and more general among new\nbelievers to sacrifice this dear object of pride and veneration, and\none young fellow told my husband it was impossible to break away from\nhis old evil associates until he cut his hair. They then believed he\nwas in earnest and let him alone. But it costs much, and in these cases\nis done quite voluntarily, not in forced obedience to the mandates of\nconquerors and traitors, which is a very different matter.\n\nAgain, far down in the social scale, lower than the boy with the\npigtail, whom every one snubs, ranking next to the despised butcher,\nwho daily defiles his hands with blood and gore, and with the touch\nof dead bodies, is the Buddhist priest _who wears his hair shaved_, a\ncreature so low, that he was not at that time allowed to defile the\ncapital city by entering its gates. To this grade were all the sons of\nKorea now to be reduced. Tender associations of early manhood, honored\nfamily traditions, ghostly superstition, the anger and disgust of\nancestral spirits, the iron grip of long custom, the loathing of the\neffeminate, sensual and despised Buddhist priests, all forbade this\ndesecration. Their pride, self-respect and dignity were all assailed\nand crushed under foot. Sullen angry faces were seen everywhere, sounds\nof wailing and woe were heard continually in every house, for the women\ntook it even harder than the men. Farmers and carriers of food and\nfuel refused to bring their produce to market, for guards stood at the\ngates, and cut off with their swords every top-knot as it came through.\nMen were stationed also in all the principal streets, cutting off every\ntop-knot that passed, and all public officials and soldiers were at\nonce shaved. There was a voice heard, lamentation and mourning and\ngreat weeping.\n\nIt was a cruel blow at personal liberty, which Anglo-Saxons would die\nrather than suffer, and which the helplessness of this weak nation made\nthe more pitiful and inexcusable. It was struck shrewdly too, at one\nof the specially distinguishing marks of Koreans, setting them apart\nfrom Japanese and Chinese, designed, we could not help thinking, as\none of the first and important parts of a scheme to blot out Korea\u2019s\nnational identity, and merge her into one with Japan; but if this was\nthe intention, never was anything more mistakenly planned. It was hotly\nresented to the very heart of the country, and added still deeper dye\nand bitter flavor to the long-nourished hatred Koreans felt for their\nancient conqueror and foe. As for us (some of us), we put ourselves\nin the Korean\u2019s place, recalled our national experience and harbored\nnumbers of Koreans on our place, protecting them from the knife as long\nas possible. The cup of iniquity was nearly full. The queen, looked\nupon as the mother of her people, had been murdered, the king virtually\nimprisoned, the country ruled by the dictum of conspirators and tools\nof her conquerors, and now this last blow at every family in the nation\nwas too much. A deep spirit of anger and revolt stirred the whole\ncountry; yet they had no leaders, no arms, no organization and knew not\nwhat to do, a poor down-trodden simple folk, who knew not on whom to\nlean for help, and who had not learned to cry to him who hears, defends\nand takes up the cause of the poor and needy.\n\nBands of Tonghaks again ranged the country, insurrections broke out\nin various localities, some of the shaved magistrates who went to the\ncountry were sent back by the mobs, who refused to receive them as\nrulers, some were actually killed, and the magistracies destroyed, the\nsoldiers were powerless to subdue the disturbances, and things seemed\nto be growing from bad to worse. Marines were ordered to the legations\nfrom Chemulpo (where there were many foreign gunboats and war vessels),\nand no one knew what next to expect, when suddenly an entire change in\nthe whole situation took place.\n\nBut now I must return for a while to other matters. In the district\nof Koksan, in northern Whang Hai Do (Yellow Sea Province), about two\nhundred miles north from Seoul, a very interesting Christian work had\nstarted, as so much of our work has, through God\u2019s own direct dealings\nwith the people, by his word and Spirit. A man from that place having\ncome up to Seoul on business, and receiving some small kindness from\nMr. Underwood, which he desired to acknowledge, felt that he could do\nnothing more delicately complimentary and grateful than to make a show\nof interest in his \u201cdoctrine,\u201d and so bought four gospels in Chinese,\nwhich he took home in his pack, and forthwith shelved unread. Here they\nremained for months, I am not sure how long.\n\nFinally one day, a friend noticed them, took them down, all grimy with\ndust, and asked what they were and whence they came. The owner replied\nthat he had never read them, but that they were books containing a\nnew doctrine taught by foreigners in Seoul. Dr. Cho\u2019s curiosity was\naroused, he borrowed, took them home and fell to reading with more\nand more avidity the further he proceeded. I would not give up the\npriceless heritage of Christian ancestry, the struggles, prayers and\nvictories of godly forefathers, and all that Christian training from\none generation to another for centuries means, but yet I would give\nmuch to have been able once to read the four gospels as that heathen\nread them, with no preconceived opinions, no discolorations of red,\ngreen or even blue theological glasses, no criticisms or commentaries\nof \u201cWorldly Wisemen,\u201d or bigoted fanatics, reading their own ideas\nbetween the lines, but with an absolutely unbiased mind so as to be\nable to receive that wonderful revelation as a sweet glad surprise;\nsentence after sentence, truth after truth blooming into sudden glory,\nwhere the darkness of ignorance had reigned.\n\nOne almost envies that heathen his compensations. He received the\nword with joy, wondered and adored. Here was a man well read in the\nphilosophical teachings, the empty husks of Confucianism and Buddhism,\nbut who had never heard one word from any Christian teacher. Here was a\nmind free from prejudice, and this was the result of contact with God\u2019s\nWord. He believed and accepted it for God\u2019s truth with all his heart,\nand gave himself unreservedly to Christ, turning completely away from\nhis old superstitions and systems of philosophy. Quickly the good news\nspread, not more from his glad telling of his new-found joy than from\nthe wonderful change in the man himself.\n\nOthers also soon believed, and an appeal was sent to Seoul for\nsome one to come and teach them more, lest something should remain\nmisunderstood, or unfulfilled of their dear Lord\u2019s commands. But in\nSeoul, and elsewhere, workers were few, hands were reaching out from\nall directions for help, the Macedonian cry was ringing pathetically\nfrom many quarters, the harvest great, the laborers few. The Bible must\nbe translated, work already started must be cared for and watched, in\na word, there was no one who could go. Again and again came that call,\nand at last a letter which brought tears to our eyes. \u201cWhy,\u201d said they,\n\u201cwill no one come to help us, is no one willing to teach us, have we\nso far sunk in sin that God will not allow us to have salvation?\u201d\nMr. Underwood started almost at once, with Dr. Avison, about one month\nafter the promulgation of the laws for cutting the top-knots. The\nexcitement had somewhat abated in the city, and the call from Koksan\nadmitted of no delay. Making short stops along the road for medical and\nevangelistic work, going on foot, they reached Koksan about three weeks\nafter leaving Seoul.\n\n[Illustration: RUSSIAN LEGATION HOUSE. PAGE 174\n\n[Illustration: INDEPENDENCE ARCH. PAGE 38]\n\nThey found a little company of earnest simple-hearted believers, who\nhad thrown away their idols, ceased their ancestor worship, and were\nin all things, as far as they knew, obeying the Lord. But \u201cthe washing\nrite,\u201d as baptism was translated, puzzled them. \u201c_He that believeth and\nis baptized shall be saved._\u201d What then was this? They pondered and\nstudied. God showed them it was in some way a sign of washing from sin,\nand when after long waiting, no teacher came, they agreed that each\ngoing to his own home should wash himself in the name of the Father,\nthe Son and the Holy Ghost, praying for himself and his brethren, that\nif in anything they had sinned in this rite, God would forgive them.\nAnd so the missionaries found them, and though for the sake of due\norder they were baptized in the prescribed way, it was felt that in\nGod\u2019s sight it had already been done.\n\nWhen for the first time they all sat down to commemorate the Lord\u2019s\ndeath in the service of bread and wine, there was not a dry eye in the\nroom. Tears streamed from the face of Dr. Cho, and later one of his\nneighbors said, when speaking in an experience meeting, \u201cOld Cho, known\nas \u2018hard-hearted Cho,\u2019 who as a boy never uttered a cry when his father\nflogged him, who never wept when he laid his aged mother in the grave,\nwhose eyes never moistened when his beloved wife died, or when he\nburied his eldest son, on whose cheek man never saw a tear, Cho weeps.\nWhat miracle has brought tears to his eyes?\u201d\n\nWhile Dr. Avison and Mr. Underwood were in Koksan, wondering and\nworshiping over the proofs of how God blesses his word, applied to\nsimple hearts, startling things were taking place in Seoul. The king,\nwho had now been four months helpless in the hands of his enemies,\nsuddenly made good his escape to the Russian legation!\n\nThe story, as we heard it from one near the king, was as follows:\nWearied and sick at heart of affairs of state, his majesty retired to\nthe women\u2019s apartments, where he spent his entire time, escaping thus\nto some extent the detestable espionage of his enemies, who delegated\ntwo elderly women, one the wife of the Tai Won Kun, and another, whose\nduty it was to watch his majesty in turn, one by day, the other by\nnight. Their vigilance was, however, in some way sufficiently eluded,\nso that a plan for the royal prisoner\u2019s escape was arranged with two of\nthe palace women, which was successfully carried out as follows:\n\nOn a certain birthday festival, both of the duennas who, as was said,\ntook turns, watching and sleeping, were invited to celebrate with\nthe king, and to partake of a great feast, with plenty of wine and\nprolonged amusements. All night the king\u2019s watchers revelled, both\nfalling into a heavy sleep before dawn. This is the story, but I like\nto think that as one of the women was probably the king\u2019s mother, her\nheart was tender toward her unhappy son, and that she purposely relaxed\nher watch. It would gild a little the long dark tale of all that\npreceded to find a touch of sweet human affection right here. At any\nrate, when every one in the palace was off guard, supposing the king\nand crown prince asleep, they entered a couple of women\u2019s chairs which\nwere waiting. The bearers of these chairs had been specially selected\nand paid with a view to their carrying two, and thought nothing of it,\nas the palace women often went out to their homes in this way. So in\neach chair a woman sat in front of its royal occupant, screening him\nfrom view should any one glance in. The sentinels at the gate had been\nprovided with hot refreshments and plenty of strong drink, and were so\nfully occupied that the chairs with their valuable burden passed out\nunnoticed and unhindered. They were expected at the Russian legation,\nwhere one hundred and sixty marines from the port had just been called\nup, and there they speedily made their way, arriving at about seven or\neight in the morning of February 11, 1896.\n\nThis meant the downfall of the usurpers. With the king\u2019s person went\nall their claim to authority and power, and it also meant that Japanese\ninfluence in Korean affairs was over for a time, and that the country\nhad been almost thrown into the arms of Russia, by the short-sighted\npolicy of the minister, who had desired to \u201cestablish the prestige of\nJapan.\u201d\n\nAs our compound was very close to the Russian legation, and fronting\non the same street, we were soon aware that something very unusual had\noccurred. The whole road, as far as the eye could reach, was filled\nwith a surging mob of soldiers, commoners, and the chairs and retainers\nof the nobility. Guards and sentinels were stationed every few paces\nalong our street, and there was a loud and almost terrifying babel of\nshouting voices, in the din and confusion of which it was impossible to\ndistinguish anything. I sent at once for one or two of Mr. Underwood\u2019s\nwriters and literary helpers, who told me that the king had arrived a\nshort while before at the Russian legation, and had assumed the reins\nof government, and that the army, officials and people were rallying\naround him, each anxious to precede the other in protestations of\nloyalty and devotion.\n\nThen I thought rather busily for a few seconds. My first reflection\nof course was, \u201cHow will this affect the absent missionaries?\u201d How\nwould it affect Japanese (now distrusted) and through them all\nforeigners in the interior? Would the people in the country not be\nlikely to wreak the vessels of their wrath upon them, and would they\ndiscriminate between them and others wearing similar clothing? I\nfeared not, and that the probabilities were that Dr. Avison and Mr.\nUnderwood might be in considerable danger, as soon as the news of the\nking\u2019s escape, and the fall of the pro-Japanese party became known.\nWord must then be sent, and soon, in order if possible to reach them\nbefore the news reached the natives. I sent a letter to our very kind\nfriend, the Russian minister, with a message to his majesty, inquiring\nwhether anything could be done for the protection and safe return\nof the two missionaries. I knew an immediate reply could hardly be\nexpected, such was the rush of business, and the number of visitors\nand claimants on their time, so, to leave no means untried, I called\nup one of the copyists, informed him of the necessity for speed, and\nhad the satisfaction of seeing him start that very hour with a letter\nand warning message to my husband. A short time after, fearing that\nsomething might occur to detain one messenger, I sent another by a\ndifferent road. The second man was stopped by Tonghaks, looking for\nforeigners, who for some reason suspected him, searched him, ripped\nopen his clothes, where they found my letter (which of course they\ncould not read), and forced him to go back to Seoul.\n\nOn the day following that on which my messengers had started, a kind\nletter from the Russian legation came, saying that the king would at\nonce send a guard to Koksan to bring back the two Americans, and at\nabout the same time, a wealthy nobleman in Songdo, a friend of both,\nand brother-in-law of General Yun, knowing where they were, and fearing\nfor them, also sent a special posse of men to see them safely home.\n\nHaving done all that I could, the most difficult of all tasks, that of\nwaiting, remained, but I remembered that I had a sister in the same\nsituation, only that she probably was not quite as well informed as\nmyself of the exact state of affairs, and did not know that any word\nhad been sent to our husbands. The street running in front of our house\nwas packed with excited people, but I decided to make my way through\nthem in my chair and go down to Mrs. Avison, where she was living at\na long distance from the rest of us, and try to set her mind at rest\nby telling her what measures had been taken for the safety of the\nabsentees, and of what was happening at our end of the town. I soon\npassed the crowd in our neighborhood, who were in no way concerned with\nme, and in a little while reached the great street, which runs toward\nthe palace, and crosses that on which the hospital and Dr. Avison\u2019s\nhome stood.\n\nAs we reached the corner, I saw a great mob of the roughest and wildest\nlooking men, with flushed faces and dishevelled hair. They came tearing\ntowards us shouting to each other, \u201cThe Japanese soldiers are coming,\nthey are firing. Run, run, run!\u201d I did not fancy the company of these\ngentlemen any more than their looks, nor did I care to be a target\nfor Japanese troops, who were supposed to be chasing them. So I also\nadjured my chair coolies with some emphasis to \u201crun.\u201d The whole mob\ncame sweeping round the corner, into the thoroughfare on which we\nwere. It was not a dignified or desirable situation, a Presbyterian\nmissionary in the midst of a wild scramble, and with a panic-stricken\ncrowd of roughs escaping for dear life, from the avengers of justice,\nbut there was no help for it. My coolies needed no urging, they were\nas anxious to get away as any of us, but they certainly deserved great\ncredit, that under the circumstances they did not leave me to my fate,\nand try to save only themselves. A few moments running brought us to\nthe hospital gates, where we turned in hastily, and were safe. It was\nnot cold, and yet I found myself shivering like an aspen. Strange!\n\nMrs. Avison and I were soon laughing, however, over my late escapade,\nand as soon as my errand was finished I hurried home another way, none\ntoo soon, for the streets were full of angry-looking men, some of whom\nscowled at me, and muttered, \u201cforeigner.\u201d That night we learned that\ntwo of the pro-Japanese cabinet had been killed on the street and torn\nto pieces by the mob; that mob which, having finished its awful work,\naccompanied me down the street that afternoon. A young Japanese was\nalso stoned to death on the street that day. In a few days Dr. Avison\nand Mr. Underwood were with us quite safe. My faithful and fleet-footed\nmessenger had taken a short cut, and reached Koksan in an amazingly\nshort time.\n\nThe news filled our husbands with anxiety for us, not knowing how far\nmob violence might go, and they made the distance of near two hundred\nmiles in sixty hours, walking nearly all the way (the pack-ponies go\nmuch too slow), sleeping only an hour or so at night, and eating as\nthey walked. They missed both the king\u2019s guard and the posse from\nSongdo, which had taken a different road, but met many poor frightened\nnatives along the road, who knew not where to turn or to whom to look\nfor protection, with Tonghaks on the one hand and pro-Japanese on\nthe other. Later we heard of many sad tales of Japanese citizens,\novertaken in the country, who were very summarily dealt with by the\nexasperated people. Japanese troops were sent by their minister to\nbring back all who could be found, and large sums were demanded from\nthe Korean government in payment for the lives thus sacrificed. To\nwhich demand, it has been suggested, the reply might have been made,\n\u201cWho is to indemnify Korea for the life of her queen?\u201d\n\nThus ended for a time the unhappy reign of the Japanese, which, after\ntheir victories over the Chinese, had seemed to begin so auspiciously,\nand which, had they been contented with a temperate and conciliating\npolicy, would probably have grown stronger and stronger.\n\nThe king remained for a year at the Russian legation, where he was\ntreated with the truest courtesy, for instead of being in any way\ncoerced or influenced for the benefit of Russian interests, he was\nallowed the most perfect liberty and interfered with in no particular.\nTo such an extent did the true gentleman who acted as the king\u2019s host\ncarry his scruples, that he refused to advise his majesty in any way\neven when requested to do so. On the occasion of the king\u2019s birthday,\nwhich came in September, it occurred to my husband that it would be\na good opportunity to give the Christians a chance to express their\nloyalty, and at the same time advertise Christianity more widely than\never before at one time. The idea did not occur until a day or two\nbefore the time when we were reminded that the royal birthday was close\nat hand.\n\nThe time was short, but permission was obtained to use a large\ngovernment building near the Independence Arch, which would hold over\none thousand people, and advertised widely that a meeting of prayer and\npraise would be held there by the Christians to celebrate the king\u2019s\nbirthday. A platform was erected, the building draped with flags, and\nspeakers obtained, among whom were members of the cabinet, several\ngifted Koreans, and foreign missionaries.\n\nHe sat up all night preparing tracts, of which thousands were printed\nat the M. E. Mission Press for that special occasion, and also a hymn,\nto be set to the tune \u201cAmerica.\u201d\n\n\nI.\n\n    For my dear country\u2019s weal,\n    O God to Thee I pray,\n    Graciously hear.\n    Without Thy mighty aid\n    Our land will low be laid.\n    Strengthen Thou this dear land,\n    Most gracious Lord.\n\n\nII.\n\n    Long may our great king live,\n    This is our prayer to-day\n    With one accord.\n    His precious body guard,\n    Keep it from every ill.\n    Heavenly Lord and King,\n    Grant him Thy grace.\n\n\nIII.\n\n    By Thy almighty power,\n    Our royal emperor\n    Has been enthroned.\n    Thy Holy Spirit grant\n    Our nation never fail.\n    Long live our emperor,\n    Upheld by Thee.\n\n\nIV.\n\n    For this Thy gracious gift,\n    Our independence, Lord,\n    Bless we thy name.\n    This never ceasing be,\n    While as a people we,\n    Nobles and commons all,\n    United pray.\n\n\nV.\n\n    To Thee, the only Lord,\n    Maker and King Divine,\n    We offer praise.\n    When all shall worship Thee,\n    Happy our land shall be,\n    Powerful, rich and free,\n    Beneath Thy smile.\n\nEarly in the day Christian men and boys were distributing copies of the\ntract and hymns throughout the whole city, and long before the hour of\nmeeting men of all classes began flocking toward that vicinity, and\nwhen the speakers and missionaries arrived it was almost impossible\nto obtain access. The building was soon packed with a solid mass of\nstanding people, and all the wide exits were thronged, the steps and\nthe immediate vicinity.\n\nThe services were opened with prayer, addresses (mainly religious) were\nmade, hymns were sung, and finally were closed by the Lord\u2019s prayer,\nrepeated in concert. It was thrilling to hear those words repeated\nreverently by so large a number of people.\n\nI will give an interlinear translation of the prayer, so that readers\nmay know just what are the words used by Korean Christians:\n\n  Hanalau Kaysin oori abbachi-sin jah yeh, Ihrahme keruk\n\n   _Our   Father,   who art in heaven,        hallowed_\n\n  hahsime natanah op se myh, narahhe im haopse myh, tutse\n\n       _be     Thy      name.    Thy kingdom come.   Thy_\n\n  Hanalaya-saw chirum dahaysoh deh iroyohgeita, onal nal\n\n    _will be done on earth as it is in heaven.    Give_\n\n  oori ai gay il young hal yang sik eul, choo apsego, oori ga\n\n   _us      this   day       our    daily     bread.    And_\n\n  oorigay teuk chay han charal, sah hayah choonan kot\n\n     _forgive     us         our    debts     as_\n\n  katchi, oori chayral, sah hayah chu up se myh. Oori ga\n\n       _we      forgive    our    debtors,   and  lead_\n\n  seeheumay teul jee mal kay hah up seego, tahman, ooriral,\n\n      _us      not     into     temptation,      but_\n\n  heung ak ay saw, ku ha ap soh soh. Tai kay, nara wha,\n\n     _deliver    us       from  evil,    for Thine_\n\n  quansay wha, eing guanqhi, choo kay, eng wani it\n\n    _is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,_\n\n  sa-ap-nay-ita Amen.\n\n   _for ever.   Amen._\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII\n\n    A Korean Christian Starts Work in Haing Ju--Changed Lives\n    of Believers--A Reformed Saloon-keeper--The Conversion\n    of a Sorceress--Best of Friends--A Pleasant Night on the\n    Water--Evidence of Christian Living--Our Visit in Sorai--A\n    Korean Woman\u2019s Work--How a Kang Acts at Times--Applicants\n    for Baptism--Two Tonghaks--In a Strait betwixt Two--Midnight\n    Alarms--Miss Jacobson\u2019s Death.\n\n\nIn the late fall of the same year Mr. Underwood and I started again\non a trip to the interior, the first we had made together since\nour wedding journey, but now we were accompanied by our child, six\nyears old, and a native woman, who acted as cook, nurse and general\nassistant. She rode in a native \u201c_pokyo_\u201d or chair with the child, I in\nanother, while Mr. Underwood walked or rode his bicycle, as opportunity\npermitted. Our first destination was Haing Ju, a dirty little fishing\nvillage on the river, about ten miles from the capital. Work had\nstarted here just after the cholera in the fall of 1895 through the\nteaching of a native named Shin Wha Suni, a poor fellow who had,\naccording to his own confession, been hanging around us for some time,\npretending to be interested in Christianity, in the hope of getting\nsome lucrative employment in connection with church work.\n\nAfter the cholera hospital was opened, he was there on several\noccasions, and was much surprised to find that foreign women would\nspend whole nights nursing sick Korean coolies. When he chanced to see\none weeping over a poor man, whom all her efforts had failed to save,\nhe went away astonished and impressed with the idea that \u201cthere is\nsomething in that religion that makes them love us like that, something\nthat forgets self, something that I have never dreamed of before,\nsomething mysterious, glorious, oh, that it were mine!\u201d\n\nHe hungered and God fed him. He sought and found the Saviour, and\nwhen he had found him, he set forth at once to tell the good news to\nothers. Taking a jikay, the frame which Koreans wear on their backs to\nfacilitate the carrying of heavy loads, and which all native carriers\nuse, he started forth to the country to earn his living in this humble\nway while _chandohaoing_ or \u201cpassing on the Word.\u201d He went as far as\nHaing Ju, and there on the sand of the river bank he talked to scoffing\npeople all day.\n\nAt night, when it was dark, one of the men who had seemed to treat\nhis message lightly, came and asked him to come to his house and talk\nthe matter over at more length. He went, and soon another believer\nwas gained. \u201cOh, it was good, the taste of a soul saved,\u201d said the\nnew preacher. \u201cNow it seemed to me I could never be satisfied with\nanything else; could never rest until I had more.\u201d The man who had been\nconverted offered the use of his house as a preaching place. The men\ngathered in one room, the women in another, and Shin read the gospels\nand the tracts and taught them the catechism and hymns. The number\nof Christians grew from week to week, and the little meeting place\nbecame too small and had to be enlarged. The whole tone of the village\ngradually changed, and from being known as one of the hardest and most\ndisreputable places on the river, it now became a model of decency and\nrespectability.\n\nTestimony to this effect was offered by some farmers, who appeared\none day in my husband\u2019s study and asked him if he had anything to do\nwith the Christians in Haing Ju. He replied in the affirmative, half\nafraid the people had come with some charge against them. \u201cWell,\u201d\nthe strangers said, \u201cwe should like to buy the books which teach the\ndoctrine they are practicing there, we want to learn that doctrine in\nour village too.\u201d\n\nTheir village, Sam Oui, was not quite three miles away, and in former\ntimes they had been much troubled by the brawls and bad character of\nHaing Ju. Their vegetables had been stolen from the fields, their fruit\nand chestnuts from the trees, \u201cbut now,\u201d said they, \u201cthe people not\nonly do not climb the trees for the nuts, but the boys leave those on\nthe ground untouched.\u201d\n\nHere was power in a faith which kept hungry boys from carrying off\neven nuts lying temptingly in reach. This was something the like\nof which they had never seen or heard; they had been taught not to\nsteal, especially if likely to be discovered, but a power that could\nprevent men and boys from wishing to steal was miraculous. One of the\nsaloon-keepers of Haing Ju, a man whose only source of livelihood\nwas in this trade, became thoroughly converted, and at once realized\nthat he could no longer sell drink to his neighbors, nor could he\nconscientiously dispose of his stock in trade at wholesale to other\ndealers, so he emptied it all on the street. He was able to obtain\na little work now and then, but he was not strong enough for coolie\nlabor. He had no trade and no farm, and at times his need was great,\nand often the family were on the verge of starvation, but the man\u2019s\nfaith never failed, he never gave up his hold on God. Finally sickness\nattacked him, he became very lame, and hearing of the hospital in\nSeoul, managed to be conveyed thither, and while there we heard his\nstory, and as I needed just then a caretaker for my dispensary, we\nengaged him and his wife to live on the place and do the light work\nnecessary. His leg did not improve much at the hospital, nor did the\ndoctor give him much hope, but this, too, he made a subject of prayer\nand faith, and erelong rejoiced in a complete recovery.\n\nThis is the character of the faith of these hardy fishermen and farmers\non the river. As we approached the village we were astonished to hear\nthe strains of a Christian hymn, \u201cHappy day, happy day, when Jesus\nwashed my sins away.\u201d It was a band of little boys whom Shin had been\ntraining, and who had come out to meet us. We spent two or three days\nin this place, women and men crowding into the little building to every\nmeeting. Mr. Underwood baptized thirty-eight people, a young couple\nwere married, one hundred and thirteen catechumens were received, and\nsome babies baptized.\n\nSpeaking of babies reminds me of a sad little incident which occurred\nwhile I was holding the first meeting there with the women. Hoping to\nwin their interest, knowing how many little dead babies are carried\naway from Korean homes, I told them of the Saviour\u2019s love for little\nones, that he held them in his arms and caressed them when on earth,\nand had said that the spirits of these little ones do always behold\nthe face of the Father; so that would they only believe and give their\nhearts to him, they should see their little ones again in heaven.\n\nA great sob broke from one of the women who commenced passionately\nweeping. As soon as she could speak, she told me, her voice broken with\nviolent emotion, that she had been a sorceress, and in a moment of\nfrenzy had dashed her only child, a baby, to the floor and killed it.\nShe, a mother, had killed her child, and could she ever be happy again,\ncould God forgive such as she, could she ever be permitted to see her\nmurdered child again? She feared she was too wicked. All of us wept\nwith her, and she was told of the great mercy and pardoning love of\nGod, and found peace in Christ.\n\nMr. Underwood also visited Sam Oui, the village which had learned of\nChrist through the example of Haing Ju, and baptized a handful of\nChristians there, enrolling a number of catechumens. When people do\nnot seem quite ripe for baptism, yet have put away idolatry, keeping\nthe Sabbath, putting away concubines, and living a life of apparent\nconformity with the ten commandments, they are enrolled in this class\nof catechumens. While I was engaged during the morning with the women,\nthe \u201camah\u201d was charged to take care of our little boy, but when the\nservice was over, as he was nowhere to be seen, we started out to find\nhim. As we walked down the lane we saw coming toward us a row of some\nseven or eight boys of his age (the dirtiest in the town, I am sure),\nhe in the center, an arm around one on either side, all chatting and\nlaughing together in the merriest mood possible. How could we help\nlaughing, how help being half pleased, even while horrified at what\nsuch contact might portend, how many varieties of microbes, not to\nmention other things.\n\nFrom Haing Ju we took a Korean junk down the river to Pai Chun. We went\non board at night, and as it was bitterly cold, we were told we must\ngo down under the deck, as there was absolutely no sheltered place\nabove where we could sleep. The hole to which we were relegated was\nnot attractive. There were odors of fish ages old, the space was not\nhigh enough even to sit upright in, and barely wide enough for Mr.\nUnderwood, our child, our \u201camah\u201d and myself to lie packed side by side\n(no turning or moving about) in the stern.\n\nA lantern glimmered at the other end, it looked very far. There was\nwater there, and perhaps rats, and certainly great water beetles and\ncockroaches, and sometimes, hours and hours after we had been packed\nin that gruesome place, a boatman came and crawled over us, and dipped\nout buckets of water. Men were tramping back and forth over our heads\nall night. I felt sure that some of them would come through, and there\nseemed to be enough racket to indicate a storm at sea, a collision or a\nfire--at times I was almost convinced it was all three. If it had been,\nwe certainly could never have made our escape from the trap in which we\nwere wedged like sardines. However, as we were merely sailing down a\nbroad, but not very deep river, and could easily have neared the shore\nbefore sinking in most circumstances, things were not so bad as they\nseemed, and next morning when we emerged into the bright sunlight what\nhad been a night fraught with awful probabilities was now simply an\namusing episode.\n\nAll day Sunday we sat on the deck in the sun, singing and enjoying the\nbrilliant atmosphere. From Pai Chun we proceeded on foot or in chairs\nto Hai Ju, and thence to Sorai, where a theological leader\u2019s class was\nwaiting for Mr. Underwood. Everywhere the warm-hearted welcome which\nawaited us was a delightful surprise to me. People, even women and\nchildren, came out miles to meet us, and followed us in crowds when we\nleft, as if they could not bear to let us go.\n\nThere were only a few beginnings of work in Hai Ju at that time. It\nis the capital of the province and rather a demoralized town, even\nin a heathen country, full of hangers-on of government officials,\npeople accustomed to getting a living out of the people through fraud,\nbribery, oppression, \u201c_squeezing_\u201d and all sorts of political dirty\nwork and corruption; evil men and still more evil women spreading the\ncancerous disease through the little town, until every one appears to\nbe steeped in \u201cthe lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the\npride of life,\u201d and worshipers of the god of this world.\n\n[Illustration: KOREAN WOMEN AT WORK. PAGE 191]\n\nAs a special day had been set for the beginning of the class in Sorai,\nand people were coming from all directions to meet us there, we\nhastened on to be in time. Walking along the main road thither, Mr.\nUnderwood overtook a young farmer, with whom he opened conversation\nin a friendly way, and asked if he had heard of the Jesus religion.\n\u201c_Yayso Kyo?_\u201d \u201cOh, yes,\u201d was the reply, \u201cI have heard much of it,\nmany people in this province do that doctrine, it is very good.\u201d \u201cDo\nyou believe also?\u201d said my husband. \u201cOh, no, I cannot be a believer,\u201d\nreplied the man. \u201cThese Christians spend their time and money doing\ngood to others, I must do for myself, I cannot afford to practise this\ndoctrine.\u201d This was unintentional witness borne to the fair fruit of\nChristianity in the man\u2019s believing friends and neighbors. A little\nfurther on, as my chair was set down to rest the coolies, an old\nwoman ran out of a neighboring shanty to _kugung_ the foreigner. I\ntold her who I was and why I had come, and asked if she knew of this\ndoctrine. \u201cOh, yes, it was good, very good.\u201d \u201cThen why do you not\nbelieve?\u201d \u201cOh, I sell liquor, that is my business. I cannot do that\nand be a Christian.\u201d Another involuntary testimony to the lives of the\nChristians of Whang Hai, and to the sincerity of those who had been\ntaught that the way must be made straight and clean for the coming of\nthe Lord.\n\nWhen we arrived at Sorai I found the Christian women all gathered to\nmeet me in the house of one whom I had known before in Seoul. They\noffered refreshments of their best, persimmons, pears, chestnuts and\neggs, and expressed their pleasure over our coming in the most cordial\nand heart-warming way. Most of them I had never seen before, but we\nseemed to love each other at first sight, for the bond in Christ is a\nvery strong one.\n\nMr. Kim Yun O, the wealthy man of the village, one who had been a\ngreat sinner but was now one of the strongest and most earnest of the\nleaders, had invited us to occupy his new sarang or guest room. It was\nquite a commodious sunny room, and we were pleased to find it was quite\nnew, so we need fear few of our little enemies.\n\nWhile Mr. Underwood was holding his classes with the men in the church\nall day, patients of all kinds came to me in the mornings for several\nhours. Then I taught the girls and boys how to sing the hymns, for they\nhad never known what it means to sing, and though they made a joyful\nnoise to the Lord, it was not joyful to the fleshly ear at all, but a\nmost awful combination of discords, flats and sharps, mixed up in the\nmost hopeless confusion, whole bunches of keys on one string, moanings,\ngroanings, sounds of woe as if all the contents of the pit had come\nforth before the time, or all the evil spirits exorcised from the\nvillage had returned to spoil their praise.\n\nThe young people were the most hopeful to begin with, and were\nsoon doing remarkably well. Every afternoon we women had a Bible\nclass together. Most of those who came were baptized Christians or\ncatechumens, though some unbelievers were always present. About\ntwenty-five crowded into Mr. Kim\u2019s anpang each day. It is delightful to\nbe allowed to teach such women, so hungry for truth, so eager to learn,\nso full of humble loving interest in every word, with such a spirit of\nchildlike faith.\n\nMrs. Kim, in whose house we were staying, was a busy woman, and her\nlife was not an easy one. She was small and frail, with two children,\nher husband and old mother to work for, with one servant to help. The\npreparation of food for her own family and many Korean guests (for a\nKorean gentleman\u2019s guest house is always well filled at meal time) was\nin itself no light matter. The rice comes in very rough, only partly\nhusked, and must be pounded a long while in a great wooden vessel, with\na heavy club, larger at either end, which is almost all that a woman\ncan lift (a fine exercise for athletic women\u2019s clubs). Water is usually\nbrought in on the head from quite a distance, brass bowls and spoons\nkept bright, garments must be washed and smoothed, with what pains I\nhave already described, animals cared for, fires made.\n\nBut the country women work in the fields, too, helping to sow the\ncotton, tobacco, rice and barley. When the cotton is ripe they pick\nand prepare it, and only after much toil is it ready for use. Then\nthey weave their own cloth and make up their own garments, in the dark\nlittle rooms in which the women live and work. They prepare and dry\ncertain vegetables for winter\u2019s use, and with much labor, themselves\npress out the castor oil which they use in their tiny lamps. In the\nfall they make their kimchi for the whole year.\n\nTimely hints dropped now and then, and the example of a Christian\nhusband\u2019s care for his wife, have done wonders among the native\nChristian homes, and much lightened the hard lot of the women. Of\ncourse we did our own cooking in all these little villages, our\npersonal entertainment adding nothing to the work of the poor house\nwife. The people at Sorai are extremely generous and were constantly\nbringing us presents of chickens, eggs, persimmons, etc. We were much\nembarrassed by all this bounty, for we knew the people were poor and\nthat such gifts cost a large sacrifice on their part.\n\nWhen one\u2019s wages are not more than ten cents a day a chicken means\nquite a good deal of money. Yet we could not refuse their offerings,\nfor when we tried to do so they felt so hurt we found it was\nimpossible. The people already at that time were paying the running\nexpenses of a Christian day school, which they had endowed, by setting\napart the income from certain fields for this purpose, and if the crop\nwas poor and the income insufficient, they made it up to the required\namount.\n\nWhile here in Sorai we had a new and rather unpleasant experience with\nthe working of the Korean _kang_, which we thought we knew well. In the\nmidst of winter the wind suddenly turned in the wrong direction for our\nfires. The fire being built at one side of the house and the chimney\nopening at the other, we made the very chilling discovery, that when\nthe wind blows into the smoke vent a fire cannot be coaxed to light.\nOur room was bitterly cold, and it is surprising how a floor, which can\nbecome intolerably hot, can also under the proper circumstances become\nso cold and damp. I was obliged to wrap my rheumatic frame in furs and\nrugs, while they brought in a great bowl or wharrow full of glowing\ncharcoal fire, with which I was comparatively unacquainted. However,\nthat night the room began dancing about in the giddiest kind of way,\nall grew dark--and my husband spent several hours with me in the cold\nnight air outside our room, in the effort to ward off successive\nfainting attacks. When our child, too, complained of headache and\ngiddiness, we no longer questioned the cause, and henceforth preferred\npure cold air to carbon dioxide.\n\nIt was interesting in the cold, sleety, snowy weather to see how the\nChristians managed to attend church, even from long distances. The\nwomen would fold up their clean skirts and put them with their shoes\nand stockings on their heads, roll up their pajies or divided skirts\nquite high out of the reach of wet, and with a thin cotton apron, or\nno outer wrap at all over their heads and shoulders, trudge miles\nthrough snow and mud, facing a cutting wind. Quite a number of people\nwere examined for baptism while we were there. One old woman, whose\ncase seemed rather doubtful on account of her ignorance, was asked\nwhat was her dearest wish. \u201cThat I may be with Jesus always\u201d was the\nreply. \u201cAnd how do you know you will always be with him?\u201d \u201cBecause I am\nholding close to him now, and will hold close all the way.\u201d She had at\nleast learned that Jesus supplies the soul\u2019s whole need, that to be in\nhis felt presence is heaven, and that to hold and be held by him is the\nonly way to reach and be kept there. Surely she had the end and aim of\nall theology in a nutshell.\n\n[Illustration: SCHOOL BOYS.\n\n[Illustration: GIRLS SEWING AND WRITING WITH NATIVE TEACHER. PAGE 191]\n\nI will copy a few notes from my diary on the testimony given by some of\nthe people who applied for baptism at this time.\n\nNo. 15, Mrs. Kim: Said her relatives and friends had all been trying\nto induce her to believe, but her heart had grown harder and harder,\nand she had determined she would not be a Christian; but suddenly one\nnight she saw herself with awful clearness, a great sinner, had that\nmoment yielded her heart, almost involuntarily (so irresistible was\nthe impulse), to Christ, and from that time had had perfect peace and\nblessedness. Asked if she had spoken on this subject to unbelievers,\nreplied in affirmative. Has now been trusting Christ a year and three\nmonths. This woman has done since then much devoted voluntary service\nfor her Master.\n\nAnother: At a time when those who wished for prayer were asked to raise\ntheir hands, she says she raised hers, and at that moment felt as it\nwere a knife through her heart. From that time she has felt that she\nbelonged to Christ, and since then her mind has been at peace. She\nprays regularly three times a day, but is praying all the time in her\nheart. While she is praying she never falls into sin, but if through\nsome inadvertence and lack of prayer she sins, she asks God to pardon,\nknowing that he will.\n\nAnother, No. 5: \u201cWhy do you believe?\u201d \u201cBecause Jesus forgave me and\ndied for me.\u201d \u201cHow do you know you are forgiven?\u201d \u201cBecause the Bible\nsays he will forgive all that come to him.\u201d Said he used to have a\nwicked heart and worshiped devils, but now his heart and mind were\nquite changed. Asked what repentance is, replied that it \u201cwas mending\none\u2019s conduct and eating a new mind.\u201d Asked if he had told the good\nnews to others, said he had, but no one in his neighborhood yet\nbelieves. He cannot read, and asked who Jesus is, says he is God\u2019s\nonly son. Asked why he died for us, says he doesn\u2019t know. \u201cDo your\nneighbors know that you do not sacrifice any more?\u201d \u201cYes.\u201d \u201cDo you\nknow you cannot have a concubine?\u201d \u201cYes.\u201d \u201cHave you suffered anything\nfor Christ?\u201d \u201cThey abuse me behind my back.\u201d (He was the richest and\nchief man of his district.) \u201cIf you have to suffer severely what will\nyou do?\u201d \u201cI will bear it, God will help me.\u201d He pays the expenses of\nwell-taught Christians to go to his home and preach to his neighbors.\nHe comes a long distance to Sorai to church and seems anxious about his\nneighbors\u2019 souls. He came to the class bringing his own rice.\n\nNo. 6: Says he trusts Jesus because he knows he has forgiven his\nsins. Knows they are forgiven because his heart is changed, his old\ncovetousness is all gone, it is now easy to do what Jesus commands. \u201cDo\nyou ever forget Jesus?\u201d \u201cHow could I forget him? How could I forget my\nLord?\u201d\n\nAnother: Says that since spring, when Christ came into her heart, all\nhas been at peace. Asked, \u201cWho is Jesus?\u201d Replies, \u201cGod\u2019s only son.\u201d\n\u201cWhat is he to you?\u201d \u201cWe are brethren since we have one Father.\u201d \u201cHow\nis God your Father?\u201d \u201cAll believers are now his children.\u201d \u201cAre your\nsins forgiven?\u201d \u201cEntirely forgiven.\u201d \u201cHow do you know it?\u201d \u201cMy mind is\nnow at peace. I am entirely happy.\u201d \u201cAre you not sad since your husband\ndied?\u201d \u201cSince after death we shall all live again at God\u2019s right hand I\nfeel no anxiety.\u201d \u201cWhat if difficulties should arise?\u201d \u201c_I don\u2019t know\nabout the future, but God takes care of me now, and I think he will\ncontinue to do so._ I\u2019ll tell Jesus and ask his help.\u201d \u201cDo you commit\nsins now?\u201d \u201cOn account of the flesh I cannot escape from sin, I cannot\nsay I do no sin.\u201d Her father-in-law is not a believer, but though she\nlives in his house she keeps the Sabbath and attends worship regularly.\n\nNo. 37 was a Tonghak, rebel and robber. Has believed nearly two years.\n\u201cWho is Jesus?\u201d \u201cHe is God\u2019s son.\u201d \u201cWhat has he done for us?\u201d \u201cHe died\non the cross, and through his precious blood my sins are forgiven.\u201d \u201cDo\nyou know this?\u201d \u201cI know it.\u201d \u201cHow do you know it?\u201d \u201cI cannot read the\nBible, but as I was a criminal, and Jesus has made me live, I know I am\nforgiven.\u201d \u201cWhere is Jesus?\u201d \u201cAt God\u2019s right hand.\u201d \u201cAnywhere else?\u201d\n\u201cThere is no place where he is not.\u201d \u201cWhat is Jesus doing for us?\u201d\n\u201cI don\u2019t know, I only know I am saved.\u201d \u201cHave you told others about\nJesus?\u201d \u201cI am always saying, Here was I a criminal, and Jesus forgave\nme, and saved me from punishment, and gave me peace of mind, how can I\nhelp but believe.\u201d\n\nThis man comes ten miles to church in all weather. Even when twenty\nmiles away at work, he would come in late Saturday night to be at\nchurch, stay all day, without his food, and go back at night over a\nhigh mountain pass. He was one of two rebels, who came to the leader\nand said they wanted to be followers of Christ and be baptized.\nThe leader said that if they were sincere Christians they must make\nrestitution by giving themselves up to justice. One of the two then\nwent to the Romanists, and is now one of the most notorious of the gang\nof robbers and desperados under the lead of Father Wilhelm. The other,\nthis applicant, gave himself up, was thrown into jail and condemned\nto death. While in jail he astounded the jailers and prisoners by\ncontinually singing hymns of joy and praise. The prisoners declared he\nwas mad, as no one could sing like that in such a case. While he was\nin jail the king escaped to the Russian legation, all prisoners were\nset free and he was released. He has been a happy, consistent Christian\never since.\n\nAnother is a young man of nineteen, has only lately begun to trust in\nChrist. His father is a believer, his mother and wife are not. Baptism,\nhe says, is a sign of faith in Christ. He thinks it would never do not\nto be baptized, but insists he is saved now. Says he knows and feels\nit in his heart. He has destroyed all idols, and keeps the Sabbath. He\ngoes over the mountain three miles to church and allows no laborers to\nwork for him on Sunday, though he is obliged to pay them for the day\u2019s\nwork as though they had. He comes at his own expense to attend the\nclass.\n\nThe above are given merely as a few specimens of the kind of questions\nand replies commonly heard at these examinations. Only those whose\nchanged lives were witnessed to by leading Christians who know them\nwere baptized. After a delightful stay with these simple-hearted\nChristians, where the world and all its evils seemed far removed, and\nGod very near, we were obliged at the close of the class to start back\nto the capital. Our three temporarily hired coolies had forsaken us,\ndisliking to wait so long (about three weeks) without work, and it was\nan impossibility to replace them in that neighborhood, where nobody\never rides in a chair.\n\nSo we had to hire an ox-cart or _talgoogy_, the most primitive of all\npossible wheeled conveyances, and in it, with our loads tucked in with\nall our mattresses, quilts, rugs and pillows, was placed our little\ntreasure, our only child, with the woman servant.\n\nWith great difficulty a man was found who consented to help my own\nservant carry my chair. But soon an unlooked-for difficulty arose. I\nfound the ox-cart had gone by a different road from that on which I had\ncome in my chair, for the former could not cross the narrow bridges\n(mere footpaths for one) over the rivers, but must take the fords, far\ntoo long a distance for the chair coolies. Nor could the cart take\nthe narrow paths over precipitous passes, which the chair must follow\nto shorten the road for the carriers. I was assured that all would be\nwell, the helpers and Christians were with the child, and was forced to\nsubmit to what could not now be helped. Mr. Underwood, after seeing me\nwell started, paced at a flying rate across to the other road to see\nthat all was well with the boy, and then back again to the wife.\n\nAt about five o\u2019clock we reached a place where the two roads meet,\nbut no signs of the _talgoogy_. It was fast growing dark, a mountain\npass lay yet before us, the road was wild and lonely, we wished our\nlittle one was with us. At length we went on to the village just beyond\nthe pass and waited. Time passed, but no tidings of the cart and its\nprecious contents. Darkness fell, the cold was bitter. Koreans were\nsent out with lanterns to light the way for the belated, or render any\nneeded help. Still no word. At length Mr. Underwood himself, unable to\nwait longer, went out to look for the party. And now with them both in\nthe lonely mountain, and night upon us, I had double need to trust in\nGod. One always knows that all will be well, will be for the best, but\nas one cannot see whether that _best_ means God\u2019s rod or his staff, the\nheart will flutter in dread of the pain. Just to wait without fear upon\nhim, takes a calm, strong soul, and a full measure of grace.\n\nAt last, thank God, they both came back quite unharmed, only hungry and\ncold, but the thought of tigers, leopards and robbers, that might have\nmet them, only made me realize more fully the mercy which brought them\nsafe to my arms.\n\nThat night we slept in a small Korean inn quite like all the rest,\nonly a little smaller and dirtier than most, with domestic animals\nand fowls of all sorts quartered round us, the paper door of our room\nonly separating between them and us. Suddenly, about two or three in\nthe morning, we were startled out of our sleep by the most terrific\nroaring, and the sounds of a general panic in the inn; the excited\nshouts of men, women shrieking, and such a chorus of barking, yelping,\ncackling, squealing as cannot be described. But the awful roaring,\nand a stamping and hustling distinguishable above all, made it seem\nprobable that one or more wild animals of some sort had invaded the\nhostel. Mr. Underwood hastily extinguished our light, which shining\nthrough our door, might attract notice, and went out to discover the\ncause of the uproar. He soon came back, saying that a couple of oxen,\nusually so meek and tractable, had been fighting, had pulled themselves\nloose from their stalls, and had now escaped, one chasing the other\nout of the inn. They are enormous creatures, at times like this as\ndangerous as any wild beast, and it was remarkable that no one in the\ninn was seriously hurt, as they could hardly have escaped being, had\nthe oxen remained fighting in the cramped confines of that little\nplace.\n\n[Illustration: KOREAN STREET. PAGE 18]\n\n[Illustration: HORSES IN AN INN YARD. PAGE 198]\n\nNothing worthy of note occurred during the remainder of our return\ntrip, except one night, when camped in the tiniest and most comfortless\nlittle room, we were again wakened by an awful roaring. The sort of\nroar that every mother hears with a quaking heart, and knows right well\nwhat it imports. She knows it comes from a wild beast in her child\u2019s\nthroat, and jumps to the rescue. Croup in a hut with paper doors and\nwindows full of cracks and holes, where the wind steals in on all\nsides, many miles from home, is not too easily defied. But we soon had\na wharrow fire and hot water, a croupy child\u2019s mother always has ipecac\nand flannels close at hand, and while we changed hot applications\nfor an hour or so, we were forced to draw on our benumbed inventive\nfaculties for novel stories to interest the half-suffocated child. The\nfollowing day we were obliged to continue our journey, for exposure and\ndiscomfort there exceeded what must be met on the road, but the child,\nusually slow in rallying from those attacks, on this occasion made an\nespecially quick and favorable recovery.\n\nIn April of this year, 1896, Dr. J. McLeavy Brown, of the English\nCustom\u2019s Service, was placed in charge of the nation\u2019s finance by a\nroyal decree, a post which he continued to fill for a long time to the\nbenefit of all concerned, except the squeezing officials, who, now that\ntheir opportunities in that line were curtailed, proceeded to squeal\nlustily instead.\n\nIn the summer of 1896, Miss Jacobson, an enthusiastic young missionary\nnurse, who had learned the language with wonderful quickness, and won\nthe hearts of Koreans on all sides, was very ill with dysentery for\nseveral weeks. She recovered apparently and returned to her work, but\nwas soon attacked by violent fever, which refused to yield to the usual\nremedies, until at length the existence of a local organic disease\nwas developed, which in spite of every effort carried our dear sister\naway. But her deathbed was a place of rejoicing rather than mourning.\nMore than one exclaimed it was good to be there. Bitterly as we knew we\nshould feel the loss of so helpful and sympathetic a sister later, we\ncould but enter into her joy at that hour. Her bedroom seemed like the\nante-room to the throne-room itself. Her face was wreathed in smiles,\nand a look of unearthly glory lay upon it. Her words were all of joy\nand hope, and full of the rapture the realized presence of the Lord\nonly can give.\n\nWe felt we had no right to make place for selfish mourning there, she\nwas so manifestly happy, and to depart was so far, far better. When\nher remains were taken to the cemetery, now becoming rich with much\nprecious dust, her casket was carried on the shoulders of the native\nChristians, who sang joyful songs of the better land all the way. It\nwas like the return of a conqueror, and the country people, as they saw\nand heard, asked what kind of death or funeral was this, all triumph\nand joy? Where were the signs and sounds of despair that follow a\nheathen corpse?\n\nTo carry a dead body is looked upon as very degrading. So the fact that\nthe native Christians insisted on doing this, and would not allow hired\nbearers to touch the dear form, showed how they all loved and honored\nMiss Jacobson; and I have told it to show the kind of feeling which\nexists between the people and their foreign teachers, as well as to lay\na little tribute to the memory of a noble and devoted fellow-worker.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII\n\n    Our Mission to Japan--Spies--One Korean Summer--The Queen\u2019s\n    Funeral--The Procession--The Burial by Starlight--The\n    Independents--The Pusaings--The Independents Crushed.\n\n\nIn the following spring Mr. Underwood was asked to go to Japan, with\ninstructions to assist his highness, the second prince, to leave for\nAmerica.\n\nIt was thought best that he should there, under Christian tutors,\nprepare for college, or a military training, and my husband, realizing\nof what immense importance this plan well carried out might be to Korea\nin the future, gladly consented to accept the mission. All arrangements\nwere made by the government in Seoul, and Mr. Underwood was instructed\nexactly as to the wishes of his majesty. To our combined amusement\nand indignation, we soon discovered we were followed everywhere by\nspies from the day we left home. Mr. Underwood\u2019s letters to gentlemen\nin Tokyo, although mailed with care and secrecy, were read by others\nbefore they reached the hands of those to whom they were addressed. We\nwere shadowed everywhere, and even had the creepy pleasure of knowing\nthat a detective slept on the landing just below our room.\n\nThus for the second time in our lives were we honored by being made\nthe special objects of espial, connected in the respectable mind with\ncriminal courts, jails and all sorts of ill odors and combinations of\nthe unutterable. However, as we had nothing on our consciences, I\nbelieve we rather enjoyed our detectives, aside from a slight indignant\nsense of insult. We certainly took a mischievous pleasure in the hunt.\nThere were undoubtedly those who considered it to their interest to\nkeep the prince in Japan, but when the king\u2019s commands were fully\nunderstood, no further difficulty was made, and the long-desired end\nwas gained, as far as a departure for America was concerned, but as\nthrough influence beyond our control, and without our knowledge till\nlater, a Romanist interpreter was sent with him, the plans and hopes\nfor his royal highness in America were destined to disappointment.\n\nIn the following summer sickness entered our home, a debilitating fever\nwhich would not yield to treatment kept my husband week after week\nconfined to his bed. His strength of course steadily failed, he became\nextremely emaciated and unable to retain nourishment in any form. We\nwere at the river Han, in a house on a bluff, where we usually spend\nthe hot and rainy season; but it was several miles distant from the\ncity, advisers and remedies. It was lonely work, not knowing what turn\nthe disease might take, with friends and helpers so far away.\n\nAt length, one night my trials seemed to reach a climax. The rain\npoured down, more like a foe with iron blows besieging a fort than\nwater from the clouds. The wind blew with almost hurricane fury and the\nlightning was constantly accompanied by terrific claps of thunder. My\nhusband was too ill to notice and in a heavy stupor. Soon, however, the\npoor thatched roof began leaking like a sieve, while water flowed in\naround the window and door casements.\n\nThe invalid lay in a heavy bed, extremely difficult at any time to\nmove, still more so with his weight and the necessity of moving it as\ngently as possible. Our cousin, a lady of no great size or strength,\nand I managed by exerting all our combined force to shove the lumbering\npiece of furniture to a place where water did not drip on it and the\ninvalid; and then ran to find pieces of sacking, bath towels, sheets,\nwaterproofs, etc., to soak up the flood that was constantly pouring in\neverywhere and dripping through from the second floor to the first.\n\nThe kitchen was almost emptied of utensils, which were placed under the\nwaterfalls all over the house. While every now and then my husband\u2019s\nbed must be pushed or dragged to a new place. The frail house rocked\nas if it must surely fall before the fury of the storm. It was one of\nthose occasions which probably every one experiences, once or twice\nin a lifetime, when inanimate nature seems to join with untoward\ncircumstance, and even God himself seems to have hidden his face, and\nall the seen and unseen powers of the universe to have combined against\nbody and soul. But he who has drunk the very dregs of every bitterness\nwe ever taste never forsakes us no matter how dark things look, and I\nknew on that awful night we were not as desolate as we seemed.\n\nIn the morning Dr. Avison came out from the city and kindly invited me\nto have Mr. Underwood taken there to his home, which was on a hill with\nplenty of breeze, and where I should have advice and medicines close at\nhand. So our sick man, placed on a long cane chair with poles attached\nto each side, covered with waterproofs, blankets and umbrellas, and\ncarried by eight coolies, was taken back to Seoul.\n\nNot more than a week later our little one was stricken with the\nsame fever. Both father and child were desperately sick for another\nfortnight, but both were spared, and after weeks of prostration moved\nabout like pale skeletons, whom nobody found it easy to recognize.\n\nAbout this time a great deal of uneasiness was beginning to be felt\namong certain classes over the king\u2019s long stay in a foreign legation,\nespecially by all pro-Japanese, and in October, 1896, the king was\nformally requested by a Council of State to change his residence. In\nthe following February, at about the time when Mr. Waeber was leaving\nthe country and another Russian representative coming to take his\nplace, the royal household was removed to the Chong Dong palace, near\nthe English consulate and American legation. Russian officers were in\ncharge of all Korean troops, and Russian influence predominant.\n\nIn October of 1897 the king assumed the title of emperor, and\nimmediately after the dead queen\u2019s rank was raised to that of empress.\nIn the following November, her imperial highness\u2019 funeral took place.\nIt is common among people of high rank to keep the honored remains\nembalmed and sealed for months, or even years, until a suitable time\nand place for burial has been pronounced by soothsayers, and so two\nyears after decease, after repeated consultations with these costly and\nghostly advisers, who repeatedly changed their directions, a grave site\nwas finally decided upon and prepared and a day set.\n\nTwo weeks before this, daily sacrifices were offered in Kyeng-won\npalace, and on the first and fifteenth of each month since her death\nspecial sacrifices had been offered. All court officials wore heavy\nmourning and all citizens wore half mourning.\n\nThe grounds selected for the grave site were about three or four miles\nfrom the east gate outside the city, and many acres in extent. Money\nflowed like water, and no pains or expense were spared to make the\nservice and everything connected with it as magnificent and stately as\nthe queen\u2019s rank and the king\u2019s devotion to her memory required. The\ngrave was prepared of solid masonry at the summit of a mound fifty\nfeet high, a costly temple for the temporary shelter of the remains,\nwhere the last rites were to be performed, was erected near its foot,\nand a number of other buildings were put up for the accommodation of\nthe court, the foreign legations and other invited guests, for the\nfuneral was to be held at night. Refreshments and entertainment was\nprovided for Koreans and foreigners, officials, friends, soldiers and\nservants to the number of several thousands.\n\nA courteous invitation was sent from the Foreign Office to the\nlegations, inviting the private residents (foreigners) of Seoul to\nshare this hospitality. The casket in a catafalque was carried from\nthe palace at eight o\u2019clock on the morning of the 21st of November,\nattended by five thousand soldiers, four thousand lantern bearers,\nsix hundred and fifty police, and civil and military dignitaries of\ninnumerable grades. The scene was one of extreme and varied interest.\nThousands of people crowded the streets, arches were erected over\nthe road at intervals. There were numberless scrolls recounting the\nqueen\u2019s virtues, magnificent silk banners, beautiful small chairs,\nwooden horses (for use in the spirit world), which, with all the varied\naccoutrements of ancient and modern arms, and the immense variety in\nthe dress and livery of court and other officials, retainers, menials,\nchair coolies and mapoos, made a scene quite beyond description.\n\nThe emperor and crown prince did not follow the bier until one o\u2019clock\nin the afternoon. His majesty had sent us a special invitation to be\npresent and go in the procession, but we preferred to go quietly later,\nas humble private mourners for a loved and deeply lamented friend, in a\nspirit which had nothing in common with the brilliant procession.\n\nWhen we arrived at nearly eight o\u2019clock in the evening, we found the\nextensive grounds lighted by red and yellow (the royal and imperial\ncolors) native lanterns, not two feet apart, in double rows, along a\nwinding and circling road for a distance of three miles. Brilliant\nbanners streamed forth on the air, and here and there all over the\nfield were brightly blazing fires of fagots, where groups of soldiers\nstood warming themselves, for it was bitterly cold. It was a starlit\nnight of crystal, sparkling clearness.\n\nThere is much that is fitting in this custom of holding funerals in\nthese calm and holy hours of night, when things of time and sense\ndwindle and look insignificant, when the world\u2019s bustle is all\nhushed, when the unsympathetic glare of happy day is veiled, and\nonly the soothing balm of the quiet and darkness in harmony with the\nsorrow-stricken heart is to be felt. In that hour the divine presence\nseems to be most imminent, or more fully realized, and eternity and the\nspirit world close around us.\n\nAfter six sets of prayers and sacrifices, and a final ceremony of\nfarewell, the remains were to be interred. At three o\u2019clock A.M.\neverything was in readiness. A beautiful yellow silk imperial\ncarrying-chair, for the use of the royal spirit, was first taken up the\nhill in great state, by the appointed bearers. Then followed another of\ngreen silk, and lastly the royal casket on its bier. Long ropes were\nattached to the latter, held by men standing as closely as possible to\neach other, along the whole length, in order to insure the greatest\nsteadiness. In addition, of course, were the regular bearers, while one\nstood on the front of the bier directing and guiding all. Everything\nwas done with beautiful precision, there was not a misstep nor a jar.\nIt is said that on such occasions a bowl filled to the brim with water\nis placed on the bier, and if a drop overflows severe punishment and\ndisgrace falls upon the carriers.\n\nA solemn and stately procession of soldiers and retainers, bearing\nbanners and lanterns of alternate red and yellow, accompanied and\nfollowed the casket, marching in double file on either side and in\nclose ranks, all uttering in unison a low and measured wailing as they\nadvanced. Thus all that remained of our brilliant queen was carried to\nits rest.\n\nNothing could be more impressive, solemn and beautiful than this\nprocession, circling up the hill, beneath the clear faithful watch of\nthe stars and the fathomless depths of limitless space, in that dark\nhour just before day. After the bier followed the king and prince, who\npersonally superintended the lowering of the precious remains into the\ntomb, even entering the crypt to see that the casket was well rolled\nback under the great block of granite which covered it.\n\nSacrifices and prayers were again offered, the gigantic wooden horses\nwere burned, and the mourners retired. An audience given to all the\ndiplomats and invited guests, for the expression of farewells and\ncondolences, ended the ceremonies at about eight o\u2019clock in the morning.\n\nFor some time before and after the removal of the king to his own\npalace in Chong Dong, a growing feeling of anxiety and distrust\nwas felt over the preponderance of Russian influence, which found\nexpression in the formal request made to the king to leave the legation.\n\nWhile his majesty was still residing there, and before the uneasiness\nwith regard to Russia had arisen, the \u201cIndependent Club\u201d had been\norganized by Mr. So Jay Peel, with the consent of the king, to\nemphasize Korea\u2019s independence of China. The old columns, where tribute\ncollectors from that nation were received, were pulled down and a\nnew Independence Arch erected, as well as a large building for the\nofficial business of the club, called Independence Hall. The crown\nprince contributed a thousand dollars for this purpose. The club was\nimmensely popular with all classes and many of the nobility as well\nas the commoners were members. But the real object of the club was\nto keep Korea independent of _all_ foreign powers in general, and of\nRussia and Japan, as well as China, in particular; to protest against,\nand prevent, if possible, the usurpation of office and influence by\nforeigners, to stand for the rights of the people, the autonomy of the\nnation, its gospel being in a word, \u201cKorea for the Koreans.\u201d\n\nSo that now, when the menace seemed to shift its quarters from the west\nto the north, the Independence Club began to make itself heard against\nRussia.\n\nA word with regard to one or two of its leaders may be of interest.\nMr. So Jay Peel had previously belonged to the progressive party, and\nhad been obliged to flee to Japan, where after a short residence he\nwent to America. He was of very high rank and a wealthy family, but\nhis property having been confiscated he worked his own way, graduating\nfrom a first-class college with highest honors. Then taking a civil\nservice examination, he had become an American citizen. He obtained a\ngovernment position, which gave him light work with sufficient salary\nto enable him to take a course in medicine, after which he received a\nvery fine government medical appointment, on a competitive examination.\n\nBut his heart turned to his country, and after the Japanese war and\nthe establishment of Japanese prestige, he returned to Korea, where\nhe became adviser to the king, and soon after started a newspaper\ncalled the \u201cIndependent,\u201d which was printed half in English and half\nin the native character. Mr. So proved himself a gifted, brilliant and\neloquent man, full of enthusiastic devotion to the emancipation and\nwelfare of his country, perhaps too impatient and precipitate in trying\nto hasten the accomplishment of these great ends, a fault common\nwith young and ardent patriots. Mr. So was the first president of the\nclub, and was succeeded by Mr. Yun Chee Ho, a son of General Yun, who\nhad led the attack on the palace for the rescue of the king. Like Mr.\nSo, he had been for some years away from Korea, having been educated\npartly in China in an American Methodist Mission school, and partly\nunder the same auspices in America. Both he and Mr. So are members of\nAmerican Protestant churches. Mr. Yun, who, however, still retains his\nKorean citizenship, is also both a fine writer and speaker, and an\nenthusiastic patriot and progressionist. He afterwards succeeded Mr.\nSo in the editorship of the \u201cIndependent.\u201d Their following consisted\nquite largely of impulsive, eager young men, many of them Christians,\nvery many of them students, and probably included the majority of the\nbrilliant, energetic, and sincerely patriotic young men of the capital.\n\nAs has been said, after Mr. Waeber\u2019s removal and the king\u2019s departure\nfrom the Russian legation, and a new Russian minister had arrived,\nKorea became more than ever subject to Russian influence. Russians\nswarmed in the palace, the army and the treasury were completely in\ntheir hands, and their absolute supremacy seemed only a question of a\nfew brief weeks or months.\n\nAt this time, February, 1898, the Independence Club offered a\npetition to the king asking the removal of all Russians from the army\nand government offices. The Russian minister requested the king to\nstate his wish in this matter, and soon after, being informed in the\naffirmative, the Russians were all withdrawn for the time. April 12,\n1898, coincident with this, Port Arthur was ceded to the Russians by\nJapan, a fact which it was thought by many had much to do with the\nretirement from Korea. It is most improbable that the action of Russia\nwas in this case out of consideration for the preferences of Koreans.\n\nThe Independence Club now grew more and more popular and held frequent\nloud and clamorous meetings, at which public affairs were discussed\nwith great freedom, the wrong doings of high officials severely\ncensured and held up to public scorn, and unpopular laws sharply\ncriticised and bitterly inveighed against. They were full of hope and\npatriotism, their aim and expectation seeming to be to have all wrongs\nrighted, all abuses done away with, and Korea remade in a day a free\ngovernment and people.\n\nThe Independence Club held large mass meetings. The shops were closed,\nthe whole population was stirred, and even women held meetings,\nincredible as it may seem. As a result of which a written petition was\nsent to the government, asking for seven reforms, abolishing torture\nand other objectionable customs, and granting more liberties.\n\nThe cabinet approved the request, the king added six more new rules for\nreform, and Yun Chee Ho was made vice-president of the Privy Council.\nAt once another general meeting of the public was held, and a committee\nappointed by them printed tens of thousands of copies of the new laws,\nand distributed them everywhere. Among the thirteen new rules, it was\nsuggested and consented to that there should be established a sort of\npopular congress, a law-making body, with powers advisory (certainly\nvery limited), composed of one hundred people, fifty of whom were to be\nelected by the popular vote, and fifty to be appointed by the king. But\nnow the government began to take the alarm and to realize that they had\nopened the sluice gates of a flood which threatened to overwhelm them.\n\nThe night before the first election to this body was to have taken\nplace at Independence Hall, seventeen leading members of the club were\narrested. It was the intention of the minister of law to put these\npeople to death, but the populace rose _en masse_, crowded and excited\nmeetings were held everywhere, and so much feeling shown, that the\ndecision was changed, and they were sentenced to banishment instead.\nBut the populace continued to rage. Large masses of people, who, while\nthey did not arm themselves or resort to violence, were angry and\nthreatening, gathered in front of the government offices in all public\nplaces, demanding the release of the seventeen or that they themselves\nshould be arrested. At length, after five days\u2019 of threatening\ndemonstrations and angry mobs, the seventeen were released. Now,\nindeed, the Independents felt they had gained a victory, the government\nhad been defeated, and the people henceforth could accomplish anything.\n\nThe demand for the fulfilment of the king\u2019s still unfulfilled promises\nof thirteen reforms was again renewed. On this the officials in person\npresented themselves before the crowds, commanding them to disperse and\npromising everything that was asked if they would do so, as a result of\nwhich the people quietly dispersed.\n\nAfter long and patient waiting, without result, no promises kept or\nreforms instituted, and on the contrary, the bad officials who had\nbeen put out of office again reinstated, the people assembled again\none month later at Chong No (the great thoroughfare) to renew their\ndemands. The police were then called up by their chief and told to go\nto Chong No, and regardless of consequences draw their swords and put\nto death all of the unarmed multitude who would not disperse. Almost to\na man, the police began throwing off their official badges, saying they\nwere one with the people, and absolutely refusing to obey such orders.\n\nThe soldiers were then called out, large bodies of troops stationed in\nthe main thoroughfares, and the crowds dispersed at the point of the\nbayonet.\n\nThe Independents then asserted it must be bad officials, and not\nthe king, who were thus oppressing them, and that their petitions\ncould never have reached his majesty. They, therefore, according to\nlong-established custom with petitions for royal favors, all convened\nin front of the palace. Thousands of men sat there quietly, night and\nday, for fourteen days waiting to be heard.\n\nIt was a thrilling and impressive sight. There was nothing laughable\nabout those rows of silent, patient, determined citizens. Many had\ntheir food brought to them, some had little booths or tents where they\nprepared meals or slept, while others watched and waited, a few went\naway to take food, only to return as speedily as possible. The people\nhad come to the palace to stay, until an answer could be had from the\nking.\n\nAfter the Independents had been camped for some days thus in front of\nthe palace, the \u201c_Pusaings_,\u201d or \u201cPeddlers Guild,\u201d gathered and camped\nin another part of the city, with the avowed intention of attacking\nthem.\n\nThe \u201c_Pusaings_\u201d are, as their name indicates, a guild of peddlers,\nbound together as a secret society for mutual benefit and protection.\nThey have connections and branches all over the country, and are sworn\nto render each other assistance whenever needed. Like the Masons, they\nhave secret passwords and signs, by which they make themselves known to\neach other, and any member of this great guild meeting another, even\nfor the first time, is bound to help him to the full extent of his\nability. In this way they soon become extremely powerful, and feared\nby high and low, rich and poor. They could assemble a formidable army\nat short notice, and their reputation as a ruffianly body of men has\nlong been established. During the reign of the Tai Won Kun, that crafty\nand astute old politician decided to make friends of this dangerous\nguild, rather than antagonize them, and accordingly granted them a\nnumber of special privileges, one of which was the right to collect\ntaxes of certain kinds of merchandise, in return for which they were to\nbe regularly organized by the government and to place themselves under\nthe control of governors of provinces and other officials, holding\nthemselves ready for service at any time. They wear a peculiar straw\nhat and a somewhat different dress from other Koreans, so that they are\neasily recognized where ever seen.\n\nOn the appearance of this large body of \u201c_Pusaings_\u201d the king sent\nword to the people, in order to calm their suspicions, that they need\nhave no fear of the Peddlers, as the police should be ordered to keep\nthem back, and a cordon of police was therefore drawn around the\npetitioners. At length, however, the \u201c_Pusaings_\u201d made an attack one\nday at an early hour in the morning, when some of the Independents,\nwho had retired during the night or had gone to their breakfast, were\naway, and the number considerably reduced. The police were immediately\nwithdrawn, and the whole assemblage of Independents were driven away,\nand many of them seriously injured. When they attempted to return the\nway was barricaded by soldiers, and their enemies, the \u201c_Pusaings_\u201d\nwere being feasted with food sent out from the palace. The populace\nthen assembled in large numbers, with the determination to drive away\nthe Peddlers, which they did, wounding and killing a few. Shortly\nafter, however, a second battle was fought, in which the people were\nforced to retreat and one of the Independents was killed.\n\nThe people\u2019s party then again assembled at Chong No, when the king\nagain sent, promising he would give all they asked if they would\ndisperse, which they accordingly did once more. Ten days later the king\ncalled them to meet before the palace. On that occasion he came out to\nthem, standing on a platform built for the purpose, with his officials\naround him, and the members of the foreign legations occupying a tent\nat one side, and a large number of other foreigners also present. This\nwas indeed a new thing in the history of so hoary a nation for the\nking to come out to confer with the populace on matters of state. The\npresident of the Independents at that time, Kung Yung Kun, and the\nex-president, Yun Chee Ho, were called up and presented by the king\nwith a document printed on yellow imperial paper, in which he solemnly\npromised the establishment of the thirteen reforms.\n\nThe meeting then dispersed, and the people waited another thirty\ndays, _but nothing came to pass_. With wonderful determination and\npersistence, worthy of success like the widow in our Lord\u2019s parable,\nwho waited long on the unjust judge till by continual coming she\nwearied him and obtained her desire, they again assembled at Chong No\nand renewed their demands.\n\nHad they only possessed a Hampton, a Cromwell, a Washington, or a\nRoland, history might have repeated itself once more. And yet perhaps\nit was no more the want of leaders of the right fearless stamp, than\nthe need of thousands of such determined dauntless, unconquerable souls\nas those who stood back of Cromwell and Washington.\n\nThey, however, renewed their requests, and insisted they would allow\nno government business to be done until the king\u2019s promises were\nfulfilled. Soldiers were sent out from time to time and dispersed them,\nbut they gathered again and again.\n\nAt length the government accused them of scheming to establish a\nrepublic and elect a president, and bodies of soldiers and police were\nplaced all over the city. Wholesale arrests were made, little groups of\neven three or four were dispersed by the use of detectives and a very\nwide system of espionage, meetings were prevented, the Independents\ncrushed, and their buildings and property confiscated. Thus, for the\ntime at least, ended what looked like the beginnings of a revolution,\nbut the people were not ready and the time not ripe.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV\n\n    Itineration Incidents--Kaiwha--Christian Evidences--Buying\n    Christian Books instead of an Office--Seed Sowing--Moxa\u2019s Boy\n    in the Well--Kugungers Again--Pung Chung--Pyeng Yang--The Needs\n    of the Women.\n\n\nAnother long trip into the interior was taken the following year, some\nnewly arrived missionaries from Canada who wished to study methods and\npeople accompanying us. Just before this Mr. Underwood had revisited\nthe river villages where there were Christians under his oversight,\nand found as usual a steady growth everywhere, not that there are no\ndrawbacks, none who have backslidden or proved insincere, but that such\ninstances are marvelously rare, and that the encouragements far exceed\nthe discouragements, that the little groups are steadily growing in\nnumbers, in enlightenment and the home life is vastly higher in tone.\nAt Haing Ju a commodious new chapel had been built, a fact which the\npeople had kept as a surprise for the missionary. As usual he found new\ngroups of believers which had sprung into life since his previous visit.\n\nThe beginning of one of these at Kimpo, as related by Mr. Shin, was\nvery interesting. Mr. Shin said that one night as he lay asleep he\nthought he saw the Moxa come up to him, with the long walking-stick\nin his hand which he uses on his country trips. Prodding the sleeper\nvigorously with it, he said, \u201cCome, come, why don\u2019t you go to work; get\nup and go over there (pointing across the river to Kimpo) and pass\non the Word.\u201d Shin woke up, but fell asleep again, and again the Moxa\ncame back and even more urgently bade him get up, and go and carry the\ngospel to Kimpo. Again he awoke, and the third time fell asleep, and\ndreamed as before. He knew no one at Kimpo and had no reason to think\nthere was any more hopeful opening there than elsewhere, but the dream\nimpressed him so strongly, that he felt he must go. When he reached\nthere, he found one or two families whose interest had become awakened\nthrough some books, and who were longing for some one to come and\nteach them more. One man, once a burly and notorious prize-fighter, is\nnow the leader among the Christians in that vicinity, and one of the\nshining lights among the river villages, and this same Kimpo is one of\nthe most promising centers of work.\n\nThe training class, the instruction of which was part of Mr.\nUnderwood\u2019s business in the interior that fall, was to be held in Hai\nJu. The class was taught five hours each day, and women who would come\nwere met and taught by me in my room. One hour after the men\u2019s class in\nthe afternoon was given to street preaching, our Canadian friends, Dr.\nGrierson and Mr. McRae, helping immensely with music and singing and\nin the distribution of tracts. A general meeting for prayer and Bible\nstudy was held in the class room every evening.\n\nWhen the class had adjourned, we proceeded to make the usual circuit of\nthe part of the province under our care. As on the river, so here along\nthe sea and in the mountains, the numbers of new centers of gospel\ngrowth were amazing. \u201cIt springeth up he knoweth not how.\u201d In one place\na couple of old men, travelling along rather weary, sat down by the\nroadside and as they rested sang a hymn. A farmer whose house was near,\noverhearing the strange words of the song, came and questioned, and\nere long became a believer, with his family. From this household the\nblessing overflowed for neighbors and friends. In another case a young\nbride made a strong stand for Christ in the heathen family into which\nshe had married, until she had won over the entire family to the same\nfaith, and they again had brought others. These are only a couple of\nexamples that were paralleled in many communities.\n\nSome of the answers of these poor half-taught people when catechised\nwere given in a previous chapter, another that of an old woman I\nthought significant and touching. When asked where Jesus was, she said\npromptly, \u201cHe\u2019s right here with me all the time.\u201d \u201cYes, but where else\nis he?\u201d Confused and troubled that she could not satisfy the Moxa, she\nsaid, \u201cI\u2019m only a poor ignorant old woman, I don\u2019t know where else\nhe is, but I _know_ he is right here in my house all the time.\u201d The\ndevotion of the people to us, because through our hands had come the\nbread of life, was to me exceedingly affecting, and everywhere the\nrelation existing between the people and their Moxas is a peculiarly\nclose and tender one. When one of the missionaries was sick for some\ntime, the women in the country villages through a large section held\nunited daily prayer for her for several weeks. This without her\nknowledge, quite spontaneously, and without prearrangement among the\ndifferent localities.\n\nThe following year I was providentially hindered from making the\ntrip to the country with my husband, but in 1900, with Dr. Whiting,\nMr. Underwood and our little son, I was again able to go to Whang\nHai province. We started in February, and as there was now a little\nsteamer which had begun to ply between Hai Ju and Chemulpo, we decided\nto profit by it, as this would be both easier and cheaper than the\nold way. _Kaiwha_ (as they call progress) had \u201c_twessoed_\u201d (become)\nconsiderably since our last trip. A railroad had been laid between\nSeoul and Chemulpo, with trains traveling about fifteen miles an\nhour. The steamers referred to are a marvel also as specimens of said\n_kaiwha_. About the size of an ordinary despatch boat, or small tug,\nthey are not too commodious.\n\n[Illustration: CANDY BOY]\n\nThere are two cabins, neither of which is high enough for tall people\nto stand erect in, one of which, with hardly room for three or four\nto occupy it with comfort, is packed with the unhappy second-class\npassengers. The other is somewhat larger, about twelve feet long by six\nwide. This room contains a table and six chairs, and in it are often\nstowed from ten to twenty first-class passengers. Here one meets \u201cthe\nworld.\u201d Korean officials, Korean, Chinese or Japanese merchants, French\nRomanist priests, strolling acrobats, singers, dancing girls, and\nProtestant missionaries. All except the latter smoke until the air will\nslice nicely, and many of them indulge in native or foreign liquor till\ntheir society is almost past endurance.\n\nThe boat follows the river northward past the historical island of\nKangwha, with its picturesque walls and gates, till it flows into the\nsea, an arm of which our course crosses at this point to reach the\nshore on which lies the little village which is the port for the city\nof Hai Ju. On the day in question, when we profited for the first by\nall these contrivances of _kaiwha_, the ice was still in the river,\nours being only the second trip made since it began to break. Nothing\ncould be seen on all sides but great blocks of ice, much larger than\nour little craft, and all in a conspiracy apparently to prevent our\nadvance, banging and pushing us, now on one side and now on the other.\nWith much panting and puffing, occasionally sustaining a pretty severe\nshock but quickly gaining advantage lost and shoving aside her clumsy\nopponents, our boat steadily forced her passage onward and gradually\ngained the clear waters of the sea. This trip lasted only sixteen\nhours, while it would have taken three days overland.\n\nWe landed at half past eight on the edge of a long stretch of mud\nflats, covered with slimy boulders and stones, all of which now lay\nunder a foot of half frozen snow, which hid the rocks and made the\ngoing very precarious in the darkness. There was only one warm room to\nbe had and no food, while the \u201cwarm room\u201d was only a little less cold\nthan out of doors. Thoroughly chilled, tired and hungry, and somewhat\ndispirited, as hungry folks are apt to be, we all retired to the floor,\nto rest finely, and waken in a better mind next morning, none the worse\nfor our seafaring.\n\nAt Hai Ju the believers gathered around us with the warmest welcome.\nThey were all mourning the loss of a beloved leader who had died a\nshort time before. We of course held meetings with them during the two\ndays, which were all we could spare at that time, saw and talked with\nall who would come, trying to strengthen and comfort the believers, and\npromising if possible to remain longer with them on our return. One\npoor young wife whose husband had given up Christianity and gone back\nto the his old life, and whose heathen mother-in-law was persecuting\nher cruelly, excited our pity. Pale, emaciated and tearful, she came\nbegging our advice and help.\n\nFrom Hai Ju we proceeded to Chang Yun Eub, where the training class\nof leaders was to be held this year, and where Dr. Whiting and I\nhad planned to hold a somewhat similar class for women. On the way\na stranger, seeing my husband was an American, asked if he knew \u201ca\ncertain \u2019_Un Moxa_\u2019 (Preacher Underwood) who sometimes came down that\nway and taught people to be good and kind to each other,\u201d showing that\nhe had been reading from the book of native Christian practice. All\nalong this road, where only a few years before there was absolute\nignorance of the gospel, we found evidences of the dawning light. Here\nand there in a wayside inn we found a Christian book, or a family\nhalf timidly beginning to believe. Everywhere they had heard of \u201cthe\ndoctrine,\u201d and heard well of it.\n\nEverywhere there was a pleasant welcome for us and a ready ear for our\nstory. At Chang Yun Eub, quite a number of Christian women had gathered\nto meet and welcome us. One or two days after reaching there I took a\nten-mile ride in a bitter wind to visit a sick woman, which resulted in\nsevere influenza and bronchitis, which, though I managed to fight off\nfor five days, at length confined me to my room and bed for three long\nweeks. Many of the women had come from five to twenty miles on foot\nto study with us, so it was bitterly disappointing, but Dr. Whiting\ndid her own part and mine, too, nobly. Nearly all the villages in that\ndistrict were represented by the local leaders and pastors at Mr.\nUnderwood\u2019s class. They at this time organized a missionary society,\nwhich they themselves originated and planned in part, before our\narrival. They perfected their scheme with Mr. Underwood\u2019s advice.\n\nTaking a map of the district, they arranged to work in couples, and to\neach man was assigned four heathen villages, each to be visited once a\nmonth, each man pledging himself to do this work every Sunday during\nthe year. Two superintendents were appointed to oversee the general\nwork, advise and help these missionaries, and report to Mr. Underwood.\nAll were to go at their own expense.\n\nBy the time the class was over I was able to be carried along the road\nin my chair, and only one who has been shut in for three weeks, in a\ntiny room not eight feet high, without a pane of glass in it, quite\nalone most of the time, can realize how glad I was to be released into\nthe fresh, sweet air and sunshine. Before leaving Chang Yun we bade a\nlong farewell to one of the Christian women, who with a smile and the\nsweet words, \u201cIt\u2019s all grace, it\u2019s all love,\u201d fell gently asleep in\nJesus. Dr. Whiting, in accordance with previous plans, did not go with\nus further, but returned to Seoul. After leaving Chang Yun, our first\nstop was made at the village of On Chang, where we met quite a little\nhandful of believers. One of these, a woman who was the first convert\nin that place, had been much troubled and burdened with a sense of\nguilt. At length she heard that in Chang Yun there were people that\ncould tell her of One who could forgive sins. She went forthwith and\nlearned of Jesus and found peace and pardon, and came back to spread\nthe good tidings and \u201cpass on the word\u201d to her neighbors.\n\nOne of these women was a peddler, a class who have to make some\nsacrifices to keep the Sabbath. Nearly all their business is done at\nthe little fairs or market days, which take place every five days at\none or another of the hamlets in a certain circuit. Quite often one of\nthese days falls on a Sunday, and so a whole five days\u2019 profit is lost.\nBut this makes no difference, the day is cheerfully kept; another who\nkept an inn as cheerfully decided to sell no more liquor, her chief\nsource of profit.\n\nOur next stopping place was at Cho Chun, and as soon as we neared the\nvicinity, we were met by men, women and children, who had walked out\nto meet us and conduct us to the home of the leader, in this case the\nrichest and chief man of the whole neighborhood. People professing\nChristianity gathered here from several small villages, were examined\nand many baptized. It seemed too hard that we had only so short a time\nto stay in these places where we were needed so much. Most of the\nwomen actually wept when we were obliged to say farewell, and the men\nand boys followed us miles, sometimes to the next stage in our journey.\nThey are touchingly grateful for the little we do for them, while we\nthank God for allowing us to learn from them, their simple childlike\nfaith and entire dependence on him.\n\nMrs. Ha, the wife of the leader, was the only one in the village who\ncould read, and she taught the other women beautifully. Calm, strong,\nintelligent, she seemed to me a rare type of a Korean woman, and one\nwho was destined to be very useful if she were only better instructed.\nShe was well acquainted with the Gospels and Acts, the only Scriptures\ntill quite lately in their hands, and with nearly all the hymns. But\nher opportunities for study and instruction were also very few.\n\nAfter leaving Cho Chun nearly twelve miles distant was our next\ndestination, a little country town of about two thousand people, which\nwe reached after a few hours\u2019 travel. Here we lodged in a neat and\ncomfortable little building consisting of two rooms, with a lean-to\nkitchen, which the natives had built for us near to the church, half at\ntheir own expense. The steps by which we ascended to our rooms were the\nfamily ancestral worship stones, which the Christians had once greatly\ntreasured, but for which they had no further use. The women flocked in\nto greet me, and next day I had the larger room, sixteen by twenty-four\nfeet, crowded with heathen women who came to see the foreign woman and\nchild, but were willing to hear about Christ. Gifts of candies, fruits\nand other food poured in as usual.\n\nMany were examined for baptism, and gave most satisfactory evidence of\nconversion, but among them all one deaf old woman interested me most.\nShe was very deaf and stupid. It seemed almost impossible for even the\nKorean leader to make her hear or understand the questions. She was\nmost anxious to be baptized, but how to learn whether she knew enough\nof the gospel, we were at a loss to discover.\n\nAt last a question seemed to reach her, \u201cWhere are you going when you\ndie?\u201d Her face brightened and the answer came, \u201cI\u2019m going to Jesus.\u201d\nMark, not heaven, but Jesus. This is the keynote that is always struck,\nJesus, their stay now, and hope hereafter, their wisdom, righteousness,\nand sanctification.\n\nThe first news of the gospel was brought here to Eul Yul by a man of\nhigh family, considerable wealth and official connections, who went to\nSeoul with the intention of buying an office. He heard about Christ,\nhowever, while there, and instead of an office, bought a donkey load of\nbooks, which he took back to Eul Yul, and there distributed among his\nneighbors. About the same time a certain magistrate, just appointed,\nand going down there to his office, who was a friend of my husband\u2019s,\ninvited him to visit him at Eul Yul when in the country. Mr. Underwood\nthanked him, but replied, \u201cYou know if I go it will be only with the\none purpose of preaching.\u201d \u201cCertainly, come and preach,\u201d was the answer.\n\nSo Mr. Underwood promised he would do so if his friend, the magistrate,\nwould see that a large and convenient official building was placed at\nhis disposal for services while there. This was willingly promised at\nonce, so the class was appointed to be held there that year, and with\nthe rally of Christian leaders, and the earnest preparatory work of\nthe man who had preferred Christ to an office (of which Mr. U. had\nnot previously been informed), Christianity in Eul Yul began most\nauspiciously. Up to the present time, however, he who had been so\nearnest in preaching the gospel, and so generous in supporting it,\nhad never been baptized. The difficulty was that he had two wives,\nwith neither of whom could he bring himself to part. These concubines\nhave a strong hold, and justly so, on the men who had made them\npart of their family, and on whom they are dependent. All a man\u2019s\nmagnanimity, generosity and tenderness are appealed to on behalf of\nthese women, who, unlike the dancing girls, have in the eyes of the\ncommunity a certain share of respectability, and are usually not bad\nor unprincipled, but have been taught to look with toleration and\ncomplaisance on such a life, the common custom.\n\nHowever, now, at last, he decided while we were there to take the step\nand put away the second wife, providing her with a home and fields\nenough to give her a good income. So he and his wife and baby, and\nhis grown son with his wife and little one, in company with a number\nof others, were baptized. The people of Eul Yul had built their own\nchurch, as well as one-half of the guest house, for their missionary.\nWhen we left, every believer who could walk came to bid us farewell,\n\u201c_Pyeng anikasio_\u201d (Go in peace). We had a last prayer and praise\nservice, and parted with mutual good wishes and regrets, a long train\nof men and boys as usual streaming out along the road, with and behind\nus.\n\nOur next station was Pak Chun, six miles away (the distances used to\nbe twenty and thirty miles, now six, eight or twelve), but before we\nreached there we must stop and meet a little band of Christians at\na farm where seed had been dropped by passing believers and where a\nwhole family had been converted. Here we met a young bride from another\nhamlet not far distant, who with her husband had lately become a\nbeliever. At Pak Chun we were received with the usual hearty welcome.\nHere I found Mrs. Kim of Sorai like a ministering angel going her\nrounds of self-appointed, unpaid ministration of the Word, teaching\nthe gospel to these poor women, not one of whom could read. A good\nmany from neighboring villages were examined here, and we held a\nbaptismal and communion service just before leaving. The church was as\nyet unfinished and extremely damp and cold, as well as uncomfortably\ncrowded, so I sent our little son out of doors to play until we should\nfinish. But scarcely had the meeting well begun when word came that\n\u201cthe Moxa\u2019s child had fallen in the well.\u201d Mr. Underwood rushed to\nthe rescue, giving out a long hymn as he started, to keep the crowd\noccupied. However, by the time we reached the scene he had emerged from\nhis cold bath and been taken to our room.\n\nThe ox-cart with all our packs was standing at the door, just about\nto start for the next place. It was the work of a few moments to pull\ndown the whole load, open our trunks, and get out dry garments, only\ntoo thankful that it had not already trundled several miles on. I\nfound a dripping, shivering little animal awaiting me as I rushed into\nour quarters, but no harm was done, he was soon quite dry and warm,\nhis wet apparel dangling from the ox-cart acting as an excellent road\nsprinkler. Just before leaving I saw a child quite naked, covered with\nsmallpox pustules in full bloom, standing near our door. I asked one\nof the natives if there was much of that disease in the village at\npresent. \u201cIn every house,\u201d was the concise reply. \u201cWhy there is none\nin the house we are in,\u201d said I, with confidence. \u201cOh, no, they took\nthe child out the day you came in order to give you the room,\u201d was\nthe reassuring answer. We had eaten and slept in that infected little\nroom, our blankets all spread out there, our trunks opened, everything\nwe had exposed. We had even used their cooking utensils and spoons and\nbowls before our own packs had arrived. For ourselves we had been\noften exposed, and believed ourselves perfectly immune. Mr. Underwood\nhad nursed a case of the most malignant type, and I had been in contact\nwith it among my patients, but our child! So we sent a swift messenger\nwith a despatch to the nearest telegraph station, twenty-four hours\naway, to Dr. Wells, in Pyeng Yang. He at once put a tube of virus into\nthe hands of a speedy runner, who arrived with it a week later.\n\nWe found the country full of smallpox, measles, and whooping cough, and\nadded to our smallpox experience, an exactly similar one with measles.\nThe record of one of these little villages is much like another. At\nPung Chun, a place with a magistracy, we found the crowds almost\nunbearable, especially as the magistrate was away and his substitute\nunwilling to help us. No foreign woman or child had ever yet been\nthere, and we were fairly besieged by people who after any fashion,\nlawful or otherwise, were determined to see the curiosities. Too tired\nthat night to do more than hold a brief meeting with the few Christians\nwho lived there, we barred, barricaded and curtained ourselves in.\nHow often under such circumstances I have been able to sympathize as\nnever before with our blessed Lord, who was forced to withdraw to\nthe mountains and desert places for a little rest and quiet from the\nimportunity of the eager selfish crowds, who thronged him and followed\nhim even there in thousands. We read \u201cThey had no leisure as much as\nto eat,\u201d and that he forbade the people he healed to spread the news\nabroad. Quite uselessly. What weariness, what longing he must at times\nhave felt for a few hours of quiet and peace, only the hunted can\nrealize, yet how patient, gentle and compassionate he was!\n\nThe next day I talked to a room packed full of heathen women, those who\ncould not force an entrance crowding around the doors and windows,\nas many as could get a view or hearing. They listened with interest\nand attention for more than an hour, asking intelligent questions\noccasionally, and treating me with perfect respect.\n\nIn the afternoon I had another and smaller company of those whom Mrs.\nKim of Sorai had culled from among those she had been visiting and\nteaching as the most hopeful cases. With these we talked, sang and\nprayed, trying as usual to make the most of the few hours we could be\nwith them. A few people were examined and two or three baptized of\nthose who had been believing for some time.\n\nFrom Pung Chun we passed through a lovely valley and over a beautiful\nmountain pass to a village nestled right up in the mountains. Here the\ninterest had extended to two villages of hardy mountaineers, all of\nwhich had been started by an old woman from Sorai. She cannot read, but\nshe continually preaches Christ to every one whom she meets. Her son is\nthe local leader, and his family are all Christians.\n\nThus far Mr. Underwood had during our circuit examined one hundred\nand fifty people and baptized seventy-five. About half of the other\nseventy-five were received as catechumens. At Pung Chun we were greatly\ninterested to learn that the Koreans have a custom of sprinkling\nblood on the door posts, and above the door of the home to drive away\nevil spirits. When I told my class at Chang Yun how the Jews did this\nbefore leaving Egypt, and what it meant, they looked at each other and\nexclaimed with surprise, \u201cWhy, that is our custom, too.\u201d But at Pung\nChun we found that it had only recently been done at the very inn where\nwe stopped, and were told that it was quite a common custom in that\npart of the country. The natives also have a cold rice festival, much\nlike the feast of unleavened bread.\n\nThe scenery from Chil Pong to Won Tong is very beautiful. The road\nwinds through the mountains, accompanied by a charming little river\nmost of the way. There is a wonderful restfulness in the quiet of these\nmountains, where no rattle of the world intrudes to break the divine\nsilences, or to interrupt the voices of nature, which only emphasize\nthe peacefulness that envelops one. One feels God near and communion\nwith him easy. The heart lifts itself with no effort in scenes like\nthese.\n\nFrom Won Tong we passed to Sorai or Song Chun, to which reference has\nalready been often made in these pages. We were lodged in the school\nroom next the church, a sunny, pleasant apartment. This Sorai school\nwas already famed through all the country round, and Christians were\nsending their boys from other villages to obtain the advantage of\nChristian teaching. Next morning early a company of little girls and\nboys were waiting outside my door, dressed in new clean garments of the\nbrightest possible colors (starched, dyed, and pounded to a miraculous\ncrispness, gloss and glory of tint, chiefly scarlet, green and yellow),\nespecially for this occasion. We had a singing class with them every\nmorning after that, and a Bible story was told and explained, too. The\nwomen\u2019s class was held immediately after the children\u2019s, but many women\ncame to the children\u2019s class, and most of the children came to that\nheld for the women. In the afternoon the women came again for another\nBible lesson, and in the evening men, women and children met for united\nprayer, praise and Bible study with Mr. Underwood.\n\nI was again taken very sick here at Sorai, but recovered when that\nresult seemed most unlikely, through God\u2019s answer to the prayers of\nour native Christians, one of whom, Mrs. Kim, spent the whole night in\nprayer for me. Such love and devotion makes the tie between pastor and\npeople very strong.\n\nAs soon as I was able to travel we hurried back to Hai Ju and Seoul,\nfor word had come, bringing the sad news of the death of Mr. Gifford in\none of the country villages about sixty miles from Seoul. He had gone\nalone with a Korean helper, and after a brief illness had passed away\nsuddenly at night, probably scarcely aware that he was seriously ill.\nHe was loved by all the Koreans, who could not fail to recognize his\nspirituality and consecration. Mrs. Gifford was then in an extremely\nweak state, having never recovered her strength after a violent attack\nof Asiatic dysentery the preceding summer. She had just begun to\nimprove a little, and we to hope that at last we might look for her\nreturn to perfect health.\n\nA native messenger, all unannounced, rushed into her presence and told\nher that her husband was dead. She never saw his face again, or had\nthe sad comfort of a message, or one of these little souvenirs which\nwomen prize and console their aching hearts withal. She wilted like a\nlily, rudely snapped from the stem. When the first shock was over and\nher mind became a little composed, several days later, after friends\nhad left her for a peaceful soothing night\u2019s rest, a Korean servant\nentered the room and told her that her husband had been neglected and\nslighted in his last illness, and had died alone quite uncared for.\nShe never rallied from this blow. Sweet, calm, uncomplaining, she grew\nweaker and weaker, and only one month after her beloved husband passed\naway her gentle spirit followed. They had been extremely congenial and\nwell suited, and it seemed a gracious providence that they were so soon\nreunited.\n\nMrs. Gifford was a woman greatly beloved by every one, and one of\nthe most effective and consecrated women workers on the field, with\na modest unassuming quiet spirit, but with untiring devotion and\nself-effacement. She worked here ten years for Christ. The Koreans,\nwhom she had loved so well and served so faithfully, bore her to her\ngrave and laid her beside her husband. We all felt that the loss to the\nwork was beyond expression, and from a human view point irreparable.\n\nIn the following fall we visited Pyeng Yang for the first time since\nour wedding journey in 1889. The annual meeting of all the mission\n(now grown quite extensive) for the discussion and settlement of plans\nfor work for the coming year was to be held there; so we all risked\nour lives on a crazy little steamer, which, however, contrary to\nprobabilities, landed us safely not far from our destination.\n\nGreat were the changes we beheld. Missionaries in comfortable pleasant\nhomes, a large church (paid for with native money), newly built,\nable to accommodate nearly two thousand people, and great gatherings\nof simple earnest farmer folk, which it did one\u2019s soul good to see\nand hear. To us, who on our last visit looked on that great waste of\nheathenism, and discussed the advisability, or otherwise, of starting\na sub-station there, it was almost overwhelming. To us, one of whom at\nleast had come to the country in the very beginning of the history of\nour Protestant missions, and to whom in the light of the records of\nwork in other fields the task looked so stupendous, so overwhelming,\nto find here in the far interior the wonderful evidences of the power\nand goodness of God filled our hearts with joy and awe. How could we\never shrink or doubt, or fear again, or do aught but ascribe \u201cglory and\nhonor, dominion and power, to him who sits upon the throne and to the\nlamb for ever.\u201d\n\nI regret that I have not personally seen more of the work of God in\nnorthern Whang Hai and in Pyeng Yang provinces, so that I might give\ninteresting incidents which would put my readers more in touch with the\nChristians there, but I copy from the reports of Pyeng Yang and Syen\nChyun stations for the year 1901 and 1902 the following:\n\n\u201cIn the whole territory covered by this station, Pyeng Yang, there are\n3,100 baptized adults, 3,737 catechumens enrolled, and over 12,000 who\nattend more or less regularly and in various ways come in touch with\nthe gospel. The total number baptized this year is 642, and the number\nof catechumens received 1,363. There are in the Pyeng Yang city church\n1,153 members and catechumens, with a congregation of from 1,200 to\n1,600 on the Sabbath.\n\n\u201cThere are besides this eight country circuits, including Ool Yul\ncircuit, in the Seoul station work, and 184 out-stations, with 5,684\nmembers and catechumens.\n\n\u201cThere are 40 primary schools, one academy and 42 teachers--37 men\nand 5 women--with an attendance of 740 pupils. Thirteen schools\nwere organized this year. All the country schools but one are\nself-supporting, and that nearly so. There were 9,094 persons in\nattendance at the hospital, also a medical class consisting of 4\nmembers.\n\n\u201cApart from those held in Pyeng Yang, 107 special Bible classes were\nheld, bringing about 2,300 under instruction; 20 were taught by the\nmissionaries, 87 by native helpers and leaders. All these classes were\ncarried on at the expense of the Koreans.\n\n\u201cThere are now 136 chapels, 21 having been built this year, at a cost\nof 5,367 nyang contributed by the Christians unaided.\n\n\u201cThe total native contributions for all purposes (excluding the\nhospital) amount to 43,949 nyang, about 5,860 yen (or $2,930 United\nStates gold).\n\n\u201cThe working force to look after and carry on this work consists of\n7 ordained missionaries (one on furlough and one newly arrived on the\nfield), one medical missionary, 4 single lady missionaries and 7 wives\nof missionaries.\n\n\u201cThere are also 21 unordained native preachers or helpers, 7 Bible\nwomen and 15 colporters and other assistants doing evangelistic work.\u201d\n\nFrom the general report of the Syen Chyun station for 1901-2 I also\nquote, \u201cWe now have organized groups in 15 of the 21 counties of the\nprovince, and believers in at least 4 more of the other 6. The groups\nthat have been organized by a missionary\u2019s visit, and organized with a\nseparate roll and church officers, number 44, but there are at least\n8 other places where Christians gather for worship every Sabbath, and\nwhere the helpers visit regularly.\n\n\u201cThe number of persons baptized during the year, July to July, was\n267, which is the largest ingathering we have yet been permitted to\nsee in one year. All of these 267, with the possible exception of 3 or\n4 old persons, had been catechumens on probation for at least a year.\nThe harvest would have been much larger had it been possible to visit\nthe western Eui Ju Circuit this spring, where a very large number of\ncandidates are waiting for baptism.\n\n\u201cThe number of infants baptized was 15. The number of catechumens\nreceived amounted to 696. All of these had been believers at least for\ntwo months, and in most cases for a very much longer time, and were\nreceived only after a very careful examination, under which, at the\nvery lowest estimate, 150 candidates were deferred. During the same\ntime 5 church members were suspended and 5 excommunicated, and 16\ncatechumens dropped.\n\n\u201cJuly first, therefore, there were on the church rolls 677 church\nmembers, 25 baptized infants and 1,340 catechumens, or a total of 2,042\nenrolled Christians, who with the unenrolled believers make a total\nof 3,429 adherents in all. But of the above church members, 11 are\nunder suspension, and 8 more, unless they show signs of repentance,\nwill be disciplined when the missionary next visits their groups. These\n19 amount to 2.8 per cent of the church membership. Amongst the 1,340\ncatechumens there are 109, or 8.1 per cent, whose names are retained\non the books, although at present they have lost their interest in\nChristianity. Experience has taught us that it is well to retain such\nfor at least three years, unless they have been guilty of some grave\nsin whereby the church is brought into disrepute, as many of them\ncoming under some new influences are often won back to a Christian\nlife.\u201d\n\nThe above quotations show how the church is growing, and, especially\nthe Pyeng Yang report, how well they are giving both in labor and money\nfor the support of the gospel, and for its advancement among their\nheathen neighbors. I will also insert a paragraph taken from the above\nreport for the same year, on the subject of self-support.\n\n\u201cJust as soon as the native church produces ordained pastors she must\nsupport them. For this the church is being prepared. In this station\nbut one helper is entirely supported with foreign money, and four or\nfive receive a part only; all the rest of our unordained preachers or\nhelpers are entirely supported by the native church. With a single\nexception, all of the thirty-five country schools are entirely\nsupported by the native groups where such schools are carried on. It\nhas long since been the rule for the native Christians to provide\ntheir own house of worship, the only exception being a few cases where\na little help seemed wise. Every possible means is being employed\nto develop the same idea in the academy, thus putting the highest\npossible value upon education, creating the sentiment that it is an\nacquirement for which the student may well labor or pay. It is being\nappreciated, too, so far as it has been acquired at a respectable cost.\nEven the hospital is on a fair way to become self-supporting to the\nextent of paying for medicines and treatment.\n\n[Illustration: ELDER SAW OF SORAI AND HIS FAMILY. PAGE 230]\n\n\u201cIn every way the Korean Christians have shown themselves not only\nable, even during a famine year, but also willing to bear their share\nalong the line of support. They have not only borne the running\nexpenses of the various groups, supported their own country primary\nschools, contributed to the academy, paid the salaries of the\nunordained preachers, sent representatives to the training classes at\nPyeng Yang, and delegates to the council at Seoul, but have given a\nconsiderable amount to help the poor and contributed liberally to the\nCommittee of Missions.\u201d\n\nOne more extract from these reports, that of Miss Chase of Syen Chyun,\nI feel must not be omitted. It ought to touch the heart of every\nChristian woman who reads it. It is as follows:\n\n\u201cThere are 199 baptized and 588 catechumen women, and as a conservative\nestimate 1,200 Christian women, in north Pyeng An province. I have been\nable to go to the merest fraction of this number. Those whom I have met\nare much that we desire to have them be, and much not to be desired,\nbut as I think of them individually and collectively, every other\nthought is eclipsed by the deep impressions they have made upon me by\ntheir yearning to be taught. The need for another for this field speaks\nfor itself. We request the mission to consider the urgent need. In some\nplaces there has been manifest murmuring among the people. They say\nthey have waited long for a visit from their pastor, they have waited\nlong to receive the examination for the catechumenate, they have waited\nlong for a woman to teach them. Every time that women come in from\ndistant places they beseech me to promise to visit their groups the\nnext time I leave Syen Chyun.\n\n\u201cMany a woman who has attended my classes has said with tear-stained\nface, \u2018As for believing, I believe. I am clinging to Christ for\nsalvation. I have no desire for any trust but in him, but I am so\nignorant. I know so little about my Bible. I know not how to read its\nthoughts with my dark mind. I know so little about the great Jesus\ndoctrine. How can God be pleased to call me his child, when I know\nnot how to glorify him?\u2019 They say the men stand out far on the other\nside of the curtain[4] and teach great and wonderful things which they\ncannot comprehend, but a woman can sit in their midst and listen to all\nof their unlearned questions, and they are not ashamed to let a patient\nwoman see how little they know! It is not easy to hear these heart-felt\nburdens and be helpless to meet their need in any adequate manner.\u201d\n\n[4] Churches are divided by a curtain down the center, with men on one\nside and women on the other. The preacher can see both sides.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV\n\n    Another Itineration--Christians in Eul Yul--A Ride in an\n    Ox-Cart--Keeping the Cow in the Kitchen--Ox-Carts and\n    Mountain Roads--The Island of White Wing--A Midnight\n    Meeting--Thanksgiving Day in Sorai--The Circular Orders--New\n    Testament Finished--All in the Day\u2019s Work--The Korean\n    Noble--Meetings of the Nobility.\n\n\nWe left Pyeng Yang about the 26th of September, 1900, by one of the toy\nJapanese steamers, and reached Chinampo, a half-Japanese, half-Korean\nport, at night. We were accompanied by three young ladies, one of whom,\na new arrival, wished to study methods; one who needed the bracing\neffect of out-of-door country life in the north for a few weeks; and\none who had previously arranged with me to carry on a women\u2019s training\nclass in Eul Yul that fall. We were obliged to spend the night in\nChinampo, but arriving late, we did not know where to find an inn, till\nwe met an old friend, Rev. Mr. Smart, of the Church of England mission,\nwho kindly found us a Japanese hotel. Here, after telling them our\nnationality, our ages, our condition, past lives and future intentions,\nand having been forced in spite of all protests to remove our shoes,\nthey condescended to receive us as guests, at an outrageous price. We\nmust not use our own camp beds, but the mats which had served no one\nknew whom before us; nor might we have water in our rooms, but must\nperform all our ablutions in the public hall on the lower floor.\n\nNext morning we gladly bade our too particular hosts farewell, and\ncrossed the river in a wretched old junk, which looked as if it\nwere on the brink of dissolution. Fortunately, the weather was fine\nand mild, and the river calm, else I am sure we should all have been\ndipped, for even I had never yet beheld so dilapidated a craft. We were\nall day on the river, only able to land after dark, thanks partly to\nthe nature of our vessel and partly to the tides, for which we were\nforced to wait before landing.\n\nThe following night was hot, the inns nothing more or less than ovens,\nand morning found us all in an unusually wilted condition, and to add\nto the general misery, the young ladies of our party had made important\nadditions to their luggage, which threw us all four into the utmost\nconsternation. That evening we reached Eul Yul, where both men\u2019s and\nwomen\u2019s classes were to be held. As usual the people crowded in to meet\nus as soon as we arrived. Although harvesting was on and it was one of\nthe busiest times of the year, quite a number of women came to study\nwith us. They were so bright and receptive, it was a pleasure to teach\nthem. I had some very interesting visits with the women in their own\nhomes, and was edified to see the bright and practical way in which the\nChristian who accompanied us talked with some of the unbelievers. One\nwoman was hesitating, fearing she was too ignorant or too wicked to\nreceive salvation, to which our native friend said, \u201cWhy, if you are\nhungry, and a bowl of rice is set before you, you eat right then, and\njust so if you want salvation, you have only to take and eat.\u201d\n\nThe listener\u2019s eyes filled with tears, it seemed too good. All the\ntime we were talking, another Christian woman sat with bowed head\nasking God\u2019s blessing on the word. In the examination of applicants for\nbaptism, I was much interested to see how carefully our native leaders\nquestioned them. \u201cYou say you sin daily, but ask God to forgive, and\nso have a happy and calm mind. Is it then no matter that you sin?\u201d\nAgain, to a woman who said her past sins were forgiven, and her present\nsins were confessed every day, he said, \u201cWell, then, what sin have you\ncommitted to-day?\u201d She could or would only speak in a general way, and\nafter various questions, mentioned nothing in particular. \u201cBut,\u201d said\nKim, \u201cis that honoring God, to go and confess you have sinned, and\nask him to forgive you know not what?\u201d On Sunday twenty people were\nbaptized. During the communion service all eyes were streaming, and\nsome sobbed like children at the thought of what the Lord had suffered\nfor them.\n\nIn the afternoon our native elder, Mr. Saw, gave us a delightful\nillustrated Bible lesson on the Christian armor, with illustrations\ndrawn and colored by himself, and with most appropriate references.\nThe native Christian was first represented in ordinary dress all\nunarmed, and in succeeding pictures, one after another of the needed\narticles, helmet, shield, sandals, breastplate and sword were added.\nThese illustrations were unique to the last degree and extremely well\ndrawn. In the evening an experience meeting was held, when one after\nanother told what the Lord had done for them. Some had been the slaves\nof drink, and had fallen again and again after repeated attempts to\nresist, in their own strength, but now for years had been free men in\nChrist, and were looked upon as miracles of grace by their friends and\nneighbors.\n\nOne man told something of his home life. He had been a dissolute\ngambling fellow, whose reputation was well known through all the\nsurrounding counties. When he went home at night, after days of absence\nand dissipation, his angry wife would scold and reproach him, and he\nin return would beat and maltreat the poor little woman. \u201cIt was all\nmisery and discomfort, but now, all peace and love.\u201d A neighbor who\ncame in often remarked on this exceptionally happy home life, wishing\nhopelessly for something like it in her lot. She could not believe the\nhappy wife when she told her it had once been so different, and that\nall this came through Jesus.\n\nThen Mrs. Kim called in her husband and bade him tell if this was\ntrue. \u201cWhy,\u201d said he, \u201cI\u2019ll do more, I\u2019ll give my bond for it, bring\npaper and pen and I\u2019ll write a bond to any amount you choose to name,\nthat if Jesus comes into your home there\u2019ll be peace there.\u201d \u201cWhy,\u201d\nsaid he, \u201cpeople say if the Lord were only here now to do some of his\nmiracles every one would believe, but I tell you the Lord is doing\ngreater miracles now than he ever did on earth when he takes a vile\nwretch like me and changes his heart.\u201d One man had been afflicted with\nan apparently incurable disease for over forty years, and now the Lord\nhad healed him; and one had been such a liar that no one believed his\nhonest statements, and yet now was implicitly trusted by every one.\n\nIt was decided before we left Eul Yul that the native Christians of\nthat district should employ two helpers or evangelists to work among\nthe ignorant believers of that vicinity, and that twelve Bible or\ntraining classes should be held in the different districts in that\nprovince during the year, six to be in charge of Mr. Saw, and six\ntaught by Mr. Kim Yun Oh, our most intelligent leader. From Eul Yul we\nwent to Pung Chun, while Mr. Underwood visited several smaller places\nmore difficult of access. Miss Chase and I divided the meetings, and\nwere most thoughtfully and attentively heard, the little room being\npacked whenever we announced a service.\n\nOur quarters were not of the best, as the only place assigned us for\npreparing our food was a little corner of the cow\u2019s stable. We have\nheard of people who \u201ckeep the pig in the kitchen,\u201d but to keep the cow\nthere was certainly a degree worse than our flightiest fancy, and we\nat length rebelled, with the result that a more sanitary place was\nfound for our culinary performances.\n\nAfter Mr. Underwood arrived, eleven people were baptized here. The\nfirst public service for all was held in a hired room in the largest\ninn in the place. The chief man, after listening to all that had been\nsaid, arose and spoke to the crowd as follows: \u201cWe all know that what\nwe have heard is true, there is nothing left for us to say but that\nfrom to-day on we will believe.\u201d Some of the men who attended this\nmeeting remained outside the door at first, unwilling to be seen in\nsuch company, as they were respectable gentlemen. After listening\nawhile they condescended to step inside, and before the service was\nover they had seated themselves in the front row, and admitted it was\nvery good.\n\nAside from our kitchen arrangements, and a little anxiety lest the cow\nshould conclude to visit us in our bedroom at night, and the persistent\ncock crowing at my head from two in the morning, we had a lovely time\nat Pung Chun.\n\nAgain at one of the little villages up in the mountains some of our\nchair coolies deserted us, and there was nothing left for it but for\nour two young ladies to ride in an ox-cart. They were a little doubtful\nabout this new mode of procedure, but the Koreans assured us it was\nquite safe, and as our little son had traveled miles that way, we\nencouraged them to try it, especially as it was a last resort. So with\nmany misgivings they perched themselves on top of the loads, and the\nox, a great spirited animal, was brought up. When Miss Chase asked if\nhe was to be trusted, they assured her with the statement that he could\nfight any ox in the country. It was supposed a good deal of harnessing\nwould follow, but when a noose was merely slipped over a hook, and\nwith no warning the steed literally galloped off, we were all somewhat\nstartled, and the young ladies gave themselves up, with such a team\nrunning away.\n\nThe ox-cart is extremely primitive, its two wheels have only the\nclumsiest attempt at heavy wooden tires. The soft mud roads are full of\ndeep ruts, so that under the most favorable circumstances the bumping\nand jolting are unspeakable. When therefore their mettlesome animal was\nat length of a mind to pause a little in his mad career, they lost no\ntime in the order of their descent from that vehicle, and started off\nat a brisk pace, evidently decided to walk all the way back to Seoul\nrather than jeopardize their lives in such a contrivance and behind\nsuch a creature again. However, the way was long, and before night\nthey changed their minds and resigned themselves to the ox-cart, when\nhis bovine spirits were a little subdued by his journey, and he was\nsomewhat less light and frisky than in the morning.\n\nWe arrived at Chil Pong, one of the villages perched up in the\nmountains, early in the evening, but not so our loads, which the\ncountry people manage in some miraculous way to drag up the steep\nmountain roads on the ox-carts.\n\nIt turned out that the ox-cart in use that day was a very weak one and\ngave out entirely, breaking down half way up the mountain. Another\nhad to be brought from a distance, and long delays ensued, where the\naverage speed is a snail\u2019s pace, in spite of the experience with the\nlively animal the day before. Fortunately by this time we had obtained\nmore coolies for the young ladies, so that our party were all together;\nthe little son having become such a walker that he seldom patronized\neither chair or cart, and often walked twenty miles a day. One of the\nhelpers, Mr. Shin, said, as he came up with the loads, supperless\nand quite tired out, at twelve o\u2019clock that night, that had it not been\nthat he was determined the pastor\u2019s wife must not go without her bed\nand pillows, the cart would not have arrived at all. So tenderly do the\npeople care for the needs of their teachers.\n\n[Illustration: MRS. KIM OF SORAI AND HER FAMILY. PAGE 244]\n\nWe found the mountains more beautiful, if possible, than ever. It\nwas October, and hills that in the previous spring were rosy with\nrhododendrons and peach blossoms, were now scarlet, gold and purple\nwith the magnificence of autumn foliage, asters and golden-rod. There\nwas displayed on all sides some of the most brilliant coloring I ever\nsaw. There were quantities of bitter-sweet wreathing all over trees and\nrocks, berries of many varieties, and bushes reminding me of that which\nMoses saw in Horeb, burning but not consumed. And though in a different\nway, still I too felt that the ground was holy with the unseen but felt\npresence, and that it would be well to remove one\u2019s worldly shoes,\nwhich figuratively I did.\n\nA few days later we crossed a mountain pass at over two thousand feet\nelevation, where we found the scenery more and more beautiful and\nwild. The gallant and unwearied \u201cCaptain\u201d almost carried the rheumatic\npartner of his travels up the last steep ascent. The alternative was to\nsit in a chair and trust one\u2019s self to a couple of tired coolies, who\nmight stumble and dash one to atoms; or with chipangi (alpenstock) in\nhand, slowly drag one\u2019s self up and then down over the rocks and steep\nslippery road. Arriving at the foot on the other side, we were once\nagain in dear Sorai, where a good hot floor soon took out all the pain\nand weariness.\n\nIt had been decided that from Sorai we were to visit a certain island\ncalled Pang Yeng, or \u201c_White Wing_,\u201d where quite a number of people\nwere believing through the teaching of some of the natives. The story\nis worth telling. A man, who had been banished to this island for a\npolitical offense, had received a Christian book from his nephew, a\nMethodist, just before his departure. The young man told his uncle that\nthis religion was the basis of all civil liberty and civilization,\nso that the banished man in his loneliness proceeded to read it, and\nto publish and teach its doctrines among the islanders. He had been\ninformed that on the opposite shore at Sorai lived people who could\nfurther explain the book and its doctrines, so one of the natives, the\noldest and most honorable in the village, made a trip to Sorai, and\nbegged Elder Saw to return with him and teach them.\n\nThey were lamentably ignorant, and while believing in Jesus were still\ncarrying on heathen worship; they were as blind people only partly\nrestored, who saw men as trees walking. Saw was not able to go at\nonce, but after some time, when he visited them, he found the whole\nvillage assembled with all preparations made for offering their heathen\nsacrifices. He talked to them very earnestly and faithfully, and they\nthen at once gave up all their idolatrous worship, and in a body\npromised only to serve the one true God.\n\nThe elder could not, however, remain long, and several months later,\nwhen Mrs. Kim, the indefatigable voluntary evangelist, visited\nthem, she found that many of them seemed to have fallen back almost\ncompletely into old practices and beliefs. At first no one would\nreceive her in their homes, but she talked to the women outside the\nhouses so sweetly and winningly, that they at length invited her in,\nand gathered around her to listen. A great change was wrought through\nher teaching.\n\nWe made the trip in a little Korean sailing junk, which was rather\nsmall and uncomfortable for bad weather, but not at all out of the way\non such a day as that on which we started, with blue sky above, blue\nand sparkling water below, and charming islands studding the sea like\njewels.\n\nWe found that White Wing measured about twenty miles round the coast\nline and was nine miles long, with a capital and several hamlets. It\nis extremely beautiful and fertile, well fortified by bold picturesque\ncliffs along the coast, with delightful valleys and gently rolling\ncountry snugly nestled behind them. The people are all farmers, living\nin the simplest and most primitive way. Money is rarely seen, there is\nindeed no need for it, with no fairs or stores. Their wants are few,\nthey raise what they need for food, clothing, warmth and light on their\nlittle farms, bartering among each other to supply such simple articles\nas their own labor has not provided.\n\nAll appeared to have plenty of rice and firewood, and to be quite\ncontent. Drunkenness and dishonesty are almost unknown. The magistrate\ntold us they rarely needed even the slightest punishment, but were as\nthey seemed to us, a gentle, kindly, simple, honest farmer and fisher\nfolk.\n\nWe found a small church built on the hillside, and a little company of\nbelievers, who were waiting for examination and baptism. Although very\nignorant, they were most anxious to be taught, and Mrs. Kim, who had\ngone with me from Sorai, and I were kept busy instructing the women.\nLike the women everywhere in Korea, they especially enjoyed the hymns,\nand were most eager to learn them. The words were comparatively easy,\nbut the tunes were quite another matter. We realized the advantage\nin their learning them, both as a means of fixing divine truth and\npublishing it to others.\n\nWe were to leave very early in the morning to catch the tide, and the\nnight before we had a farewell service in the little church. When this\nwas over, and good-byes said, I went to the tiny room to pack our\nbelongings, and Mr. Underwood to one of the Christian houses to give\nlast directions and counsel with the leaders. About ten o\u2019clock Mrs.\nKim came to my door with one of the women, asking very humbly if I\nwould go to one of their homes and teach them a little more this one\nlast time, though it was late. \u201cWe are so ignorant and have none to\nguide and teach us,\u201d said they pathetically. Of course I was delighted\nto go, and followed them to a farmer\u2019s thatched cottage. It was one of\nthe poorest and rudest of the native homes; in one corner a farm hand\nwas lying asleep, in another a tiny wick burning in a saucer of oil\nwas the only light in the room. We sat down under this, and the poor,\nrough, hard-working women clustered round us as closely as possible.\nTheir faces and hands bore the marks of care, toil, hard lives and few\njoys, but they were lighted with a glorious hope which transformed\nthem, and this with the awakening desire for knowledge had banished the\nlook of wooden stolidity, which so many Korean women wear.\n\nWhile we talked of our Lord and his teachings and conned again and\nagain the hymns, a cough was heard at the door, and it was found that\na number of \u201cthe brethren\u201d were standing out there in the cold, frosty\nair of the November night, listening to such scraps of good words as\nthey could catch. So when one of the women asked if they might come in,\nalthough generally out of regard for Korean custom and prejudice, I not\nonly teach no men, but keep as much out of sight as possible, there\nwere on this occasion no two ways about it, they must come, and in they\nthronged. It was a picture which I shall never forget, the dark eager\nfaces, every one leaning forward in eager attitude, all seeking more\nknowledge of divine truth, hungering and thirsting after righteousness.\nA little dim humble room, and only such a poor feeble wick to light\nthem all. Such a poor feeble wick was I, and all were looking to me for\nGod\u2019s light. \u201cFeed my lambs,\u201d was his last command, and yet in many a\nhut and hamlet his hungry little ones are starving.\n\nNext morning at the first streak of dawn they again came, and with\ntears streaming down their faces, begged me to come soon again. \u201cOh, we\nare so ignorant, and so weak, how can we escape the snares of Satan,\nwith no one here to lead and teach us!\u201d they exclaimed.\n\nOur return trip was very different from our first crossing. A severe\nstorm of wind and rain came up, the little ship was tossed about on\nthe waves like a plaything, and Mrs. Kim and I were miserably sick,\nnot to mention being drenched with rain. It was impossible to make our\nport, and we were obliged to attempt the nearest coast, which offered\nno shelter from the wind, in addition to which, the tide being out,\nour boat was bumped about mercilessly on the rocks and stones with no\nchance of a landing for some hours.\n\nHowever, all things come to an end sometime, and we at length effected\na safe landing, and were soon dried, warmed and fed in a fishing\nvillage at hand, and reached Sorai next day. Before we left Sorai, the\nChristians held their annual Thanksgiving service. The church being too\nsmall to hold all the people, a tent was spread outside. After thanking\nGod for their bountiful harvests and growing prosperity, they offered\nthanks for the spiritual harvest he had given.\n\nDuring the year over two hundred and fifty people of the neighboring\nvillages had been baptized through the missions and labors of this\none little church, not counting a much larger number of catechumens\nreceived. They had enlarged and repaired their church and school rooms,\nbuilt a house for their school teacher, one for their evangelist and\nanother for the entertainment of strangers, who come from a distance to\nthe Sabbath services.\n\nThey are an open-handed people, and when they read of the famine in\nIndia they took up a collection, amounting to fifty yen. As their daily\nwage rarely amounts to more than ten cents gold, and as the community\nis small, this was a large gift. Several of the women who had no money\nput their heavy silver rings in the plate. These rings are in many\ncases their only ornaments, and are most highly prized, so that when\nthey were given, we knew that our people were giving till they felt it\ndeeply.\n\nIn the famine so severe in many counties last year, Sorai, which was\nmore blessed, helped many of its sister communities. On our return to\nHai Ju we had some interesting visits with the women both in their own\nhomes and at our rooms. We were allowed to help prepare the \u201cdock,\u201d\nor bread, which we found them making in one of the houses, for a\nprospective wedding. They were having a \u201cbee,\u201d a number of friends\nhad come in to help, and they seemed much amused and pleased when we\nasked to be allowed to assist. We were very clumsy and awkward, but we\ngained our end by making them feel we were one with them. Later we were\ninvited to the wedding, and forced to swallow an amount of indigestible\nfood, which at other times we should consider as simply suicidal. But\nwhen it is a duty, one simply shuts one\u2019s eyes to consequences, takes\nall risks, and comes through with an immunity which I verily believe is\nmiraculous.\n\nOne old woman, who attended the meetings very regularly and was very\ndevout, is quite a character. With a loud strong voice, but not the\nremotest glimmering of a notion of harmony, time or tune, she shouts\naway several lines and bars before or behind the rest, no consequence\nwhich, and quite often, if the hymn chosen is not in her book or\naccording to her mind, she chooses another and proceeds as zealously\nas ever. When gently remonstrated with, she replies, \u201c_Oh, that is no\nmatter, I\u2019m not following you, I\u2019m singing (?) by myself._\u201d\n\nWe had only been in Hai Ju a few days when a fleet-footed messenger\nfrom Eul Yul arrived with a letter containing the news that a secret\nroyal edict was being sent round to the various magistracies in that\nprovince, commanding all Confucianists to gather at night on the second\nof the next month (about fifteen days later), each at his nearest\nworshiping place in his district, and from thence to go in a body and\nkill all Westerners and followers of Western doctrine, and destroy\ntheir houses, churches and schools. A friend in the magistrate\u2019s\noffice, holding some petty position, happened to be present when this\narrived, noted the excitement and agitation which the official evinced\non reading it and the care with which it was guarded, and determined to\nlearn its contents. He contrived an opportunity to read it unseen, and\nas some of his near relatives were Christians, he at once communicated\nthe terrible news to them. One of the same family, a young man who was\na fleet-footed runner, was instantly sent to us with a copy of the\nedict.\n\nNo words can express our state of mind on receiving the news. Thought\nflew back to one peaceful little community after another, which we\nhad so lately visited, all rejoicing in the beautiful new life, all\ngrowing up toward Christ, like flowers reaching up to the sun, with the\nlight of a glad hope in their faces, happy, harmless, kindly people,\nthe aged, the little toddling children, helpless women, unsuspecting\nfarmers, all consigned to utter destruction. As for ourselves, we were\nin one of the worst of Korean cities, it was impossible to make the\nslightest movement without attracting the notice of every one, for we\nwere constantly the center of the observation of the whole town. It\nwould be impossible to make our escape if any one wished to detain us.\nTo make matters much worse, we had two young ladies and a child in our\nparty. Probably little danger threatened us personally, as the governor\nwas friendly, but our first duty was to send word to the American\nminister in Seoul, and it must be done quickly. To send a dispatch in\nany Eastern or European language would be futile, as, if suspicion was\naroused, there were means of interpreting any of them. We at length\nconcluded to send a Latin message, not to our minister, but to one\nof our mission, as less likely to attract attention either in Hai Ju\nor Seoul. This was done, and the message was at once carried to the\nAmerican legation.\n\nThe news was at first received with incredulity, so friendly had the\nattitude of the government always been, but when it was remembered\nthat recent Boxer disturbances in China might have suggested a similar\ncourse here, and that there were strong Buddhists high in influence\nat the palace who might have caused this strange measure, and when\nat the Foreign Office, through admissions and contradictions, it was\nmade evident that the circulation of such an edict was not unknown to\nthem, all doubt was over. Not long after it developed that from similar\nsources (that is, friends of Christians or of missionaries) the news\nhad been carried to missionaries in Kang Wha and in Pyeng Yang. That\nit was unadvisedly done, and speedily repented, was proved by the fact\nthat a few days later another edict rescinding the first was sent\neverywhere. Nevertheless and notwithstanding, I breathed freely and\nslept well for the first time since hearing the bad news, when I found\nmyself on the little Japanese steamer well started on my way back to\nSeoul. The supposed authors of the order were put under arrest, and I\nbelieve punished, the Korean officials vigorously protesting that it\nwas all a mistake and sent without the knowledge of the king or the\ngovernment.\n\nThese trips to Whang Hai province usually occupied six or eight weeks\nof our time, and full of delightful incidents and experiences as they\nalways were, did not represent more than a fraction of the work. In\nthe fall of 1900 the whole New Testament was given to the people. To\ncelebrate this event a large meeting was held in the Methodist church,\nthe largest audience hall in Seoul, composed of as many natives and\nChristians as could be packed within its walls. A suitable thanksgiving\nservice was held, and the board of translators and their native\nliterary helpers were presented by the American minister with copies of\nthe book, with very kind remarks on their work. The board now consisted\nof Rev. H. G. Appenzeller, Dr. Scranton, Rev. W. D. Reynolds, Rev.\nJames S. Gale and Mr. Underwood.\n\nIn addition to the editorship of a weekly religious newspaper, Bible\ntranslation, preparation of tracts and hymns, city training classes,\nweekly religious services and meetings, supervision of schools and\nlanguage class for missionaries, Mr. Underwood felt that a special\neffort ought to be made for the nobility and gentry, the hardest people\nin the country to reach with the gospel. This is the case, partly\nbecause officials who would retain office must go at regular intervals\nand offer certain prayers and sacrifices at royal shrines, partly that\nthe ideas of caste are so strong that the nobility are unwilling to\nseat themselves on the floor in our churches among farmers, peddlers,\ncoolies, merchants or even scholars, to listen to the gospel; and in\naddition, that their family life is grounded and interwoven on and in\nthe concubine system. All of them have two or more families, some of\nthem many. These numerous wives, their parents and progeny would make\nlife intolerable should the husband put them aside. His friends and\nrelatives would look upon him as too evil to live should he neglect\nto worship the ancestral tablets, and the spirits of his ancestors\nthemselves would follow him like harpies, with all sorts of misfortunes\nand diseases.\n\nEach man, too, looks forward with great complacency to being honored\nin his time as he has honored his dead parents, and seems to be\noverwhelmed with something like terror at the idea of having no one\nto worship his memory and offer sacrifices before his tablets, so\nthat childless men usually adopt sons to keep their memory green. The\nladies of this class, the first wives, are, as I think I have said\nbefore, very closely secluded, and are never seen except in their own\napartments or the anpang of their kin, whither they are carried in\nclosely covered chairs.\n\nIn such a state of affairs it is not strange that men should hesitate\nto listen to the doctrines of a religion which would turn their whole\nsocial world upside down, wreck their homes, cast upon them the\nblackest stigma, turn them outside the pale of court and official life,\nrob them of their income, and rank them with the common people. Knowing\nthat it was almost impossible to induce them to attend church, an\ninvitation was therefore issued, asking a large number of them to come\nto our house to talk over religious matters. To our surprise the call\nwas most heartily responded to, and two large rooms were crowded with\nhigh Korean gentlemen, all of whom came no doubt from politeness or\ncuriosity.\n\nThere were princes, generals, members of the cabinet, all men of the\nhighest rank and birth. All listened with the closest attention, many\nof them asking thoughtful questions, which showed their real interest\nin what was said by the missionaries who came to assist Mr. Underwood\nin receiving and talking with them. Some asked for books, and many came\nrepeatedly to talk over these matters in private. Meetings were held\nregularly Sunday afternoons, and a stereopticon exhibition was given,\nshowing a series of scenes from the life of Christ.\n\nOne result of these meetings was that Mr. Underwood was approached with\nthe suggestion that he should establish a Presbyterian state church. We\nwere told that a large number of officials would prefer (if they were\nto be forced into giving up their own religion and joining a foreign\nchurch, as at that time seemed likely) to make it one of their own\nchoosing, and connected with Americans rather than Russians. They were,\nof course, informed that we could not organize churches in that way,\nnor baptize men for state and political purposes. The suggestion was\nnot official, but if we had been willing to use opportunities of this\nsort, the roll-call among the high class of nominal members might have\nbeen greatly swelled.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVI\n\n    Furloughs--Chong Dong Church--Romanists in Whang\n    Hai--Missionaries to the Rescue--Romanists Annoy and Hinder\n    the Judge--Results--Interview between Governor and Priest--The\n    Inspector\u2019s Report--Women\u2019s Work in Hai Ju--Deaths of Mr. and\n    Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Miller.\n\n\nIn 1901 we took another furlough, during which we were brought in touch\nwith American Christians in nearly every large city in the country, and\nthus were able to make the church aware of God\u2019s wonderful dealings\nin Korea and to enlighten the public on the needs of this country. On\nour return, we missed among the faces of dear old friends who came\nto welcome us that of our work-fellow and beloved brother, Rev. H.\nG. Appenzeller. Mr. Appenzeller, the first evangelistic worker of\nhis mission, had labored with my husband, heart and hand, for over\nsixteen years, and they had taken their earliest itinerations to the\ncountry in company. The loss fell heavily upon both native and foreign\ncommunity, and seems to grow, as we feel the need of the enthusiastic\nand ready service everywhere. On our return our first attention was\ngiven to our dear Chong Dong (city) church, the members of which have\nfrom the first been marked as energetic, generous and full of faith.\nWith a membership, as has been said, of two hundred and nineteen,\nthey carry on five missions near the city, within a radius of five\nmiles. These are places where chapels have been built--but they have\nalso several other missions in districts where services are held in\nprivate dwellings. The church members conduct and take charge of all\nthese services. They have contributed during the past year (1902-1903),\nreckoned in gold dollars:\n\n  For their school                $75.80\n  Church running expenses          75.40\n  Evangelistic work                45.82\n  Charity                          20.66\n  Gifts of City Mission Society    50.50\n                                 -------\n  Total                          $268.18\n\nThis total, however, is not a complete report, not including the gifts\nof the largest mission, that of Chandari, a (from a Korean standpoint)\nprosperous little farming community outside the city. For the women and\ngirls, beside Sabbath services and regular prayer meetings, six weekly\nBible classes are held in different neighborhoods, all but two of which\nare well attended. There are a number of these women well fitted for\nChristian teaching, and one or another of them has repeatedly gone\noff on a six-weeks\u2019 trip, with some of the lady missionaries, asking\nnothing more than her bare expenses. They often go away on evangelistic\ntrips quite at their own instance, visiting village after village,\ndistributing tracts which they themselves have bought for the purpose,\nand teaching the country women who cannot read.\n\nVery soon after our return to Korea my husband was requested by the\nAmerican minister and the members of our mission to visit Hai Ju, in\nthe province of Whang Hai, on a mission of very serious importance. We\nwere sent to Hai Ju in February, and since the preceding September,\nit had come to be a matter of common report that the native Romanists\n(of whom there are said to be twenty thousand in that province)\nhad, under the lead of the French priests, been robbing, torturing\nand blackmailing the poor people of the province \u201cfor money to build\nchurches,\u201d resisting with arms, maiming, beating and even imprisoning\nofficers of the law sent to stop them, and establishing a veritable\nreign of terror through the whole district; so that the weaker\nmagistrates dared not lift a finger against any criminal favored by the\npriests, or belonging to that church, and fairly trembled for fear of\nthem, obeying with the alertness of terror their slightest behest.\n\nThe state of affairs grew so bad at length that the governor sent a\nmanifesto to Seoul, saying he could no longer carry on the government\nof the province in such a state of insurrection and anarchy. The\nfollowing is a translation, made for the Korea _Review_, of the\nofficial copy of a part of the governor\u2019s complaint:\n\n\u201cIn the counties of Sin-ch\u2019un, Cha-ryung, An-ak, Chang-yun, Pong-san,\nWhang-ju, and Su-heung, disturbances created by the Roman Catholics are\nmany in number, and petitions and complaints are coming in from all\nquarters.\n\n\u201cIn some cases it is a question of building churches and collecting\nfunds from the villages about. If any refuse to pay, they are bound\nand beaten and rendered helpless. When certain ones, in answer to\npetition, have been ordered arrested, the police have been mobbed\nand the officers of the law have been unable to resist it. While\ninvestigating a case on behalf of the people, I sent police to arrest\nCatholics in Cha-ryung. They raised a band of followers, beat off the\npolice, arrested them, and dismissed them with orders not to return.\nThen I sent a secretary to remonstrate with them. At that the Sin-ch\u2019un\nCatholics, a score or more of them, armed with guns, arrested the\nsecretary, insulted him, etc.\u201d\n\nOne of the priests, who is apparently most influential and has been\nmost notorious, whose Korean name is Hong, and who is known among\nforeigners as Father Wilhelm, told my husband that the native Romanists\nwere not to be blamed for all this, for they had only obeyed his\norders. Mr. Underwood had had a slight acquaintance with this priest\nfor some years, meeting him occasionally and knowing little of his\nlife, but supposing he was doing an earnest if mistaken work of\nself-sacrifice, he was unable to believe that the priest was cognizant\nof all that was being done by his followers, until he had both written\nand had a personal interview with him, when he was sorrowfully forced\nto see that rumor had not misrepresented his conduct.\n\nThis sad condition of things might have gone on, no one knows how\nlong, but some of the people so robbed and tortured were Presbyterian\nChristians, and there is something about Protestant Christianity that\nresists oppression and favors a growth of sturdy independence and a\nlove of freedom and fair play. One of these men was a particularly\ndetermined fellow who had been persistently seeking justice ever\nsince, and would not be discouraged or daunted. He first went to the\nmissionaries, who told him to take the matter to the Korean courts, but\nas the provincial courts were quite helpless against such a giant evil,\nhe went up to the capital. The officials at the capital, probably in\nawe of the French, dared not interfere. He and his companion, another\nsturdy farmer like himself, went from one missionary to another in\nSeoul, all of whom put them off, disliking to take up native quarrels,\nand on principle opposed to using influence with Korean officials, and\nnone of them realizing to what threatening dimensions the affair had\ngrown.\n\nThese poor men were not eloquent, they could only tell a plain, simple\nstory, but they knew that they and thousands of others were deeply\nwronged and were able to do one thing well, namely, to persist. Persist\nthey did with unwearied resolution.\n\nFailing to obtain any help or satisfaction, they at length decided to\ngo directly to the French legation and seek justice and relief there.\nThey were received, attentively heard, carefully questioned, given\na promise of redress, and sent politely away. They waited long and\npatiently, but no redress came, nor any sign of it. Again and again\nthey sought the fulfilment of the promises of the representative of\nFrance, only to be put off repeatedly with fair words and indefinite\nassurances.\n\nSo at length they published their whole story in the leading Korean\nnewspaper in Seoul. Then the French minister did indeed begin to act.\nHe immediately requested the Korean Foreign Office to have the men\nbeaten and imprisoned, _on the ground that conduct like theirs had\ncaused the Boxer trouble in China_.\n\nWhen affairs came to this crisis, the Protestant missionaries awoke to\nthe situation. Rev. Mr. Gale and Mr. Underwood went to the office of\nForeign Affairs and pled for the men, and also laid the matter before\nthe American minister, Dr. Allen. He gave it his careful attention and\nsucceeded in having a commission appointed by the Korean government\nto go to Hai Ju and investigate the charges. Dr. Moffett, of Pyeng\nYang, and Mr. Underwood were also requested to be present and attend\nthe trials. From the beginning to the end of this attempt to bring the\ntruth to light, the French priests by every art in their power tried to\nblock and delay the proceedings of the judge, to annoy and overawe him\nin Hai Ju, and (we were informed) by letters, special messengers and\ntelegrams, to limit his power, hinder his plans, and undermine him in\nSeoul.\n\n[Illustration: CARRIERS WITH JIKAYS. PAGE 184]\n\n[Illustration: WOMAN WITH BUNDLE OF WASHING ON HER HEAD. PAGE 246]\n\nHe was a sturdy, clear-headed, determined man, who had had long\nintercourse with Europeans in his post in the Foreign Office, and held\nhis own with much self-possession and _sang-froid_. It was said of him\nthat he carried on the trials more fairly and more in accordance with\nequity than had ever been seen before in Korea.\n\nThe priests arrested and tortured a policeman who had been sent to\nbring some of the accused to the court, hanging him by his wrists. They\nused all the influence they possessed in Seoul, through the French, to\nforce the Korean government to order the commission to yield to their\ndemands for the release of prisoners already in the hands of the law,\nand for the remittance of punishment as they should dictate.\n\nThey induced the commissioner to promise that he would not try to\narrest any one for a week, on the solemn assurance that they would\nthemselves bring all the accused to court, and then, although they had\ntwo of the most notorious malefactors in their house for several days\nbefore the week expired, they allowed them to escape.\n\nThey forced themselves into the commissioner\u2019s presence and with bluff\nand reiterated demands wearied him into sending his resignation to\nSeoul, which, however, the king refused to accept.\n\n\u201cFather Wilhelm\u2019s\u201d church is in a valley about ten miles from Hai Ju,\nentirely surrounded by high hills. The entrance to the valley at that\ntime was guarded by sentinels, and the points of vantage on the hill\ntops were occupied in the same way. When any one is seen approaching, a\nsignal is given, and the people (for the village is full of fugitives\nfrom justice) flee into the church, which it will be seen serves the\ntriple purpose of a court with torture chamber, a citadel, and a place\nof worship.\n\nWhen police were sent there with warrants of arrest for some of the\nworst miscreants, Father Wilhelm met them at the door with a revolver,\ndemanding what they wanted. When told, he requested to see the\nwarrants, denied that any such persons were there, would not allow them\nto enter, nor would he return the warrants, but with threats bade them\nbegone. On more than one occasion posses of armed men were sent by him\nto rescue criminals who had been seized.\n\nThe cruelest forms of torture, such as are used only by Korean\nofficials in cases of murder and treason, were used by the priests\nin their churches to force poor peasants to give over their money or\nthe deeds of their houses and farms. Mr. Underwood and Dr. Moffett\nspent some weeks in Hai Ju, carefully studying these matters and in\nclose attendance at the trials. In addition to the above facts they\ndiscovered that this was not a persecution waged upon Protestants by\nCatholics, but a system of blackmail laid on the whole community, and\nthat the number of complaints brought in by non-Christian natives were,\ncompared to those from Christians, as twenty to one. Again, that the\nFrench priests were (in the present instance, at least) demanding,\nas in China, a right to sit with a judge in a court of justice and\nmodify sentences. We learned further that the people were tormented\nto the verge of insurrection, and had planned to rise on a certain\nday, when the news that a commission had been appointed, and that the\nmissionaries had come down to see fair play at the investigations,\ncalmed and decided them to await further developments.\n\nThe results of the trials were very unsatisfactory. With the small\nforce of men at his command, with the priests foiling every effort\nto make arrests, few men were apprehended. Those who were brought to\ntrial, by their own admissions and self-contradictions, and by the\nconsistent and overwhelming testimony of many witnesses, were all\nproved guilty of the charges laid against them. The priests, and by\nfar the majority of the miscreants, including the ringleaders, who\ncould not be caught, went scot free. The commissioner made a report to\nthe Korean government, asking for the deportation of the two priests,\nWilhelm and Le Gac, which the Korean government did not ask, but\nwhich it would have been thought should hardly have been necessary.\nWere not the Koreans long suffering to a remarkable degree, as well\nas a feeble power, they would long since have risen and cast out all\nforeigners from their desecrated shores. In the light of what we have\nseen and heard here, the cause of the Boxer troubles in China is not\nfar to seek. Thus is national sentiment aroused against us; for long\npersistence in conduct similar to this was foreign blood spilled like\nwater there, and for such reasons are the gates of Thibet barred to the\ngospel.\n\nThe following official report of the interview between the priest and\nthe governor of Whang Hai province, in the presence of the inspector\nsent by the king, will show what a state of affairs existed.\n\n\u201cTranslation of the official report of the interview held between the\ngovernor of Whang Hai Do and Father Wilhelm, in the presence of the\nInspector Yi Eung Ik. Eighth day 2d Moon Koang Mu.\n\n\u201cIn the seventh year of Quang Mo in the second moon and eighth day, the\ngovernor of Whang Hai Do, Yi Yung Chick, and the French teacher, Hong\nSok Ku (Mons. Wilhelm), conferred. Hong Sok Ku said, \u2018The controversy\nbetween the governor and myself arose from the governor\u2019s not appeasing\nmy wrath by arresting Mr. Pak Chang Mou of Whang Ju, and punishing him.\nThis Pak, at night after dark, had thrown stones at the church of Han\nSinpu (a native Korean priest), and I therefore had spoken to the local\nmagistrate of Whang Ju and asked to have him arrested and imprisoned,\nbut Pak, through his local influence, had returned undisturbed to his\nhome, and as there seemed no other means of having him punished, I\nwrote a letter to the governor, asking that he would have Pak brought\nup to the provincial town of Hai Ju and severely punished. The governor\nreplied _that he could not have the people of local magistracies\nbrought up to Hai Ju_, and I therefore supposed that the governor had\nno power to arrest the people of outside local magistracies, and when\nI learned to my surprise that there was an order for the arrest of\nsome of the Christians (Romanist) of Shinampo by the governor, feeling\nsure that it was a false order, I released by force all those whom the\npolice were arresting, and at once ordered all my Christians, if any\none came out to arrest them again, to resist it utterly.\u2019\u201d\n\nThe governor replied: \u201cAs for the business of Pak of Whang Ju, since\nhe had been already arrested and imprisoned in Whang Ju, and there was\ntherefore no reason why he should be brought up to Hai Ju, I did not\ndo so as you had asked, and as for my reply in my former letter, that\nI could not arrest him, it was in accordance with the _Chibang Cheido_\n(Book of Laws) in regard to local and provincial jurisdiction, and the\nreason why, _after my people have appealed_, I can order them arrested\nto try the case, is in accordance with the _Chaipan Chang Chung_, or\nbook of rules for courts of justice, and if you had any doubts about\nthe earlier or later affair, while it would not have been out of the\nway to have asked a question, is it right with your followers to gather\na crowd and organize a band to arrest and carry off policemen, to\nrelease and set free those who have broken the laws, and to order your\nfollowers to resist authority, so making your people fall into sin,\nand making it impossible for the appointed authorities to administer\njustice?\n\n\u201cDesirous of instructing these ignorant people, I sent one of\nthe Chusas (high official next to the governor) attached to this\ngovernorship, but you sent out a company of men with firearms, twelve\nmiles, and after dark seized and carried off this official. A Chusa is\na national government officer, military arms are outrageous things;\nleaning upon what authority did you do such things as these, and\nby whose authority do you arrest and carry off Koreans and try to\nadminister justice?\u201d\n\nMons. Wilhelm replied: \u201cI myself know that these things are not right,\nand did them purposely. As far as the book _Chaipan Chang Chung_ is\nconcerned, I know nothing about it, but I simply relied upon the\nprevious letter which you had sent. I desired to understand the matter,\nand sent you another letter, and because you sent my letter back to me\nI still feel very angry.\u201d\n\nThe governor replied: \u201cBut your saying that you only recognized my\nfirst letter shows you simply know one thing and cannot know two; as\nfor your letter and my returning it without an answer, it was because,\nafter the arrest of my Chusa, I had sent by special messenger a letter\nto you, and you had given no answer and sent the man back emptyhanded,\nI was indignant. As I had no reply to my letter to you in regard to the\nChang Yung affair, why should I only answer letters? Because I thought\nit would be wrong for me to keep your letter that I did not answer, I\nreturned it.\u201d\n\nFather Wilhelm replied: \u201cBecause in the governor\u2019s last letter on the\nenvelope he had written _Saham_ I did not answer the letter.\u201d _Saham_\nis written outside of letters which are replies from one slightly\nsuperior in rank.\n\nThe governor replied: \u201cIs it right to allow questions to go\nunanswered; is it because you have nothing to say that you fail to\nanswer all these questions?\u201d\n\nFather Wilhelm replied: \u201cWhen Pak Chang Mou\u2019s wrong-doings had not yet\nbeen punished, is it right that he should have been made one of the\ntax collectors? When you have arrested and brought him to Hai Ju and\nseverely punished him, then only will my wrath be appeased.\u201d\n\nThe governor then said: \u201cIn the eighth moon of last year when I went to\nWhang Ju, I looked carefully into this affair of Pak\u2019s. _Although it\nwas stated that he had thrown stones, there was no sure proof, and yet\nhe had been locked up in the local jail and had been punished, during\nthe investigation_, how, then, can you say that he has gone unpunished?\nHow can you claim that giving him a petty office several months later\nis an injustice? Then, too, you took this man to your church and there\nbeat him, and still claim that your wrath has not been appeased.\nWould you have me arrest him, bring him here and make him and the\ncomplainants face each other?\u201d\n\nP\u00e8re Wilhelm answered: \u201cAlthough I did have him beaten with ten\nstrokes, it was not a punishment for his main crime, but because when\nhis magistrate sent Pak to confess his sins he was on the contrary\nimpudent, and therefore I punished him, but his former offence still\nexisted.\u201d\n\nThe governor replied: \u201cWhen you are not a Korean official, is it right\nthat you should arrest and beat Koreans?\u201d\n\nFather Wilhelm said: \u201cIt is because if I did not beat them I could not\nhold my position as superior that I do it.\u201d\n\nThe governor answered: \u201cYou, a private citizen, arresting and beating\nKoreans and doing wrong, and your written orders to your people, have\ncaused them to break the laws in eight different ways. They resist the\nauthority of the government, beat the underlings, and refuse to pay\ntheir taxes.\n\n\u201cIn addition, at their churches and meeting places they establish\ncourts of justice.\n\n\u201cStill further, without order, in companies they rush into the presence\nof magistrates to terrify them.\n\n\u201cStill again, of their own accord they arrest, beat and imprison the\npeople.\n\n\u201cAgain, calling it money for the building of churches, they extort\ncontributions by force from the people.\n\n\u201cFurthermore, at their own desire they cut down trees used for Korean\nspirit worship, they organize bands to forcibly bury the dead and move\ngraves; and still further, they force people, who have no desire to do\nso, to enter their church.\u201d\n\nFather Wilhelm replied: \u201cI will with great care stop these eight\noffences and will not allow them to do as before; have no fear.\u201d\n\nThus ends the report of this unique interview between the governor of\none of the most populous provinces of Korea and the French missionary.\nIt is to be regretted, however, that his ready promise in regard to\nnearly all the eight offenses was repeatedly broken within a very short\ntime after it was made. I will add one or two other transcriptions from\nthe official documents, which came directly from the commissioner\u2019s\noffice to our hands, and which translations appeared in the Korea\n_Review_, March, 1903. The first report of the imperial inspector to\nthe government:\n\n\u201cI have looked carefully into the disturbances among the people in the\ndifferent counties, and the various crimes up to this date noted in\nthe public records are only one or two in hundreds. Outside of two or\nthree counties, all the magistrates have been under this oppression,\nand with folded hands, are unable to stir. The poor helpless people\nsit waiting for doom to overtake them. Receiving imperial orders to\nlook into the matter, I have undertaken the task, and daily crowds with\npetitions fill the court. There are no words to express the sights one\nsees, the stories one hears. Depending on the influence of foreigners\n(French), the Catholics\u2019 issuing of orders to arrest is of daily\noccurrence; their runners are fiercer than leopards, and the torture\nthey inflict is that reserved for only thieves and robbers; life is\nground out of the people, goods and livelihood are gone. Unless this\nkind of thing is put down with strong hand, thousands of lives will be\nlost in the end.\n\n\u201cA French priest by the name of Wilhelm, living in Chang-ke-dong in\nSin-ch-un, a retired spot among the hills, has gathered about him a\nmob of lawless people. Their houses number several hundred. Many of\nthem carry foreign guns, so that country people are afraid, and dare\nnot take action. A number of those already arrested have been set free\nby this priest. Most of those who have slipped the net have escaped\nthere, and now form a band of robbers. There is no knowing where\ntrouble will next arise, and it is a time of special anxiety. Those who\nassemble there at the \u2018call of the whistle\u2019 (bandit) are outlaws, and\nmust be arrested. They may, however, make use of dangerous weapons, so\nwe cannot do otherwise than be prepared for them. This is my report.\nLook carefully into it. Send word to the office of generals. Wire me\npermission to use soldiers, and as occasion offers lend me a helping\nhand.\u201d\n\nWhile this painful business was on, and my husband was daily attending\nthe trials and listening to the harrowing tales of the poor, tortured\nand robbed people, and seeing heartrending evidences of the cruelties\ninflicted upon them, I was holding meetings with the Christian women\nwho came every morning to study the Bible. One visit only was made to a\nsmall village a short distance outside the city, where there were quite\na number of Christian families.\n\nAll the Christian women quickly assembled at the house of my hostess,\na wholesome farmer\u2019s wife, who came out to the road to welcome me,\ntook both my hands in hers with a long gentle pressure, and a look of\ngladness as bright as if I had been a radiant angel from heaven, or a\nreturned apostle. Her small rooms were soon filled with Christians and\nothers, who listened while we held a service and talked of the things\nconcerning the kingdom.\n\nThen they, with bounteous hospitality, brought in a store of the\nbest their homes contained of dainties. They feasted my two native\ncompanions and myself and all the visitors, both Christians and mere\nsightseers, and even my chair coolies were given as much as they could\neat, which is no mean amount.\n\nOne woman said that her eldest son had just returned from Sorai and was\nurging his father to sell his good farm and home and move there with\nhis family, so that he and his brothers might attend that school and\nchurch and learn more about God and his will.\n\nThe work in this hamlet all started through the instrumentality of a\nyoung girl in Hai Ju, not seventeen years old, who, having formerly\nlived here, after her marriage into a Christian household in the city,\nand after her conversion, often returned to her old home and begged her\nfamily to believe and accept Christ.\n\nThough they scoffed and reviled at first, after a while they began to\nlisten, and finally one, then another, yielded their hearts. After the\nmanner of Korean Christians, they \u201cpassed on the word,\u201d and so at\nlength seven families were trusting Christ.\n\nAfter seven weeks in Hai Ju we returned to Seoul, having done all that\nwas possible in the matters we had been sent there to look after, and\nhaving made it plain that Americans would not stand by and see the\nnatives persecuted and wronged without a strong protest; for while\nwe try not to interfere between them and their rulers (and this is\nat times extremely difficult), we do not feel the same obligation in\nthe case of French priests. Our hope now is that these outrages will\nhenceforth be somewhat restricted and that Protestants will at least\nremain unmolested, as the mere advertisement and bringing to the light\nof the evil would do much to prevent its repetition, the children of\ndarkness having an ancient dislike of the light.\n\nBefore we returned from Hai Ju we learned of the death by smallpox of\nour dear brother, Mr. W. V. Johnson, who had arrived early in February\nof that year, his consecrated young wife having died on the way to the\nfield, in Kobe, Japan.\n\nWe all felt the sweet devoted spirit of the earnest young brother, and\nknew that these two valuable lives were not given in vain, but that God\nhas accepted their sacrifice as if they had done all they planned, and\nhas chosen to call them to reward a little earlier, because they will\nbetter so fulfil his purpose, for, through and in them. Again, only a\nfew months later, we were all called to part with a dear sister, Mrs.\nF. S. Miller, whose loving sympathy and patient endurance of sickness\nand pain had endeared her to missionaries and native Christians alike.\nNot a month before her own death, her hands prepared the casket for\nthe cold little form of one of the dear little missionary babies, of\nwhom so many are now in heaven. And so, as was said at the time of her\nrelease, \u201cKorea seems a gate to heaven.\u201d Sure it is good to go from\nservice to the vision of the King.\n\nThis little chain of reminiscences is now at an end. Its object has\nsimply been to interest Christian people in this most interesting\ncountry, and to show what God is working here.\n\nIt has been necessarily limited, mainly to the experience of one pair\nof missionaries, because the writer has neither the knowledge nor the\nliberty to speak freely of the lives and work of all, and neither the\nability nor the space to write a complete history of mission work in\nKorea. It is hoped that although so restricted, as to be a mere glimpse\nof a small fraction of what is being done, it will serve to make plain\nwhat grand opportunities are theirs (_at present_) who would lead a\nnation out of bondage into liberty, the only liberty worth calling the\nname, or that sinful mortals can use, \u201cthe liberty of Christ.\u201d\n\nKorea, lying as she does so close to China (whose future is fraught\nwith such mighty possibilities of good or evil to the whole world),\nwith such close affinities and wide sympathies for that people, is, we\nhope, to be a polished shaft in God\u2019s quiver in conquering that great\nnation for his kingdom. But whatever his eternal purpose may be, there\nis no doubt as to our present privilege and \u201cpower to the last particle\nis duty.\u201d\n\nIf in these pages you have seen much that leads you to think the land\nis a difficult one in which to live, if you have read of political\nunrest, bad government, riots, robbers and plagues; if you have learned\nthat missionaries have died of typhus fever, smallpox, dysentery and\nother violent forms of disease, this will only serve to remind you that\nthe more valuable the prize to be won, the greater the difficulty and\ncost. If you desire to share in the joy of this great harvest, and are\nworthy, you will fear no danger, shrink from no obstacles, either for\nyourselves or for your loved ones, whom you are asked to give to the\nwork.\n\nGod placed an angel with a flaming sword which turned every way at the\ngate of paradise. Is the kingdom still thus guarded? Must we all who\nwould enter follow him who was made perfect through suffering? What\nwas our Lord\u2019s meaning when he said, \u201cThe kingdom of heaven suffereth\nviolence, _and the violent take it by force_.\u201d Some of us are ready\nto pray that God would place another such flaming sword at the gate\nof our mission fields, so that no man or woman who could or would\nnot brave such baptism of fire should enter. There is no more place\non the mission field for the fearful and unbelieving than in heaven\nitself. Like Gideon\u2019s army, let the applicants be reduced till only the\nresolute, the consecrated, those who believe in God, the people and\nthemselves, are accepted for this mighty privilege, this high calling.\n\nLet it only be remembered by all who would enter the Lord\u2019s army to\nwrest the kingdom of heaven from the rulers of darkness, that he, whose\nwe are, and whom we serve, he who never faltered on the thorny road\nthat led to Calvary, who trod the wine press alone, who came with dyed\ngarments through the conflict to victory, has bidden those who profess\nto love him, as one of his last commands, thrice repeated, feed his\nsheep.\n\n    \u201cLovest thou me? Feed my sheep.\u201d\n    \u201cLovest thou me? Feed my sheep.\u201d\n    \u201cLovest thou me? Feed my lambs.\u201d\n\n\nI.\n\n    Oh, never swear thou lovest me,\n      Who lovest not my sheep;\n    For he who would my servant be\n      My treasured flock will keep.\n\n\nII.\n\n    Oh, never vow thou lovest me,\n      As follower leal and true,\n    Who shrinkest in my paths to be,\n      Or fearest my will to do.\n\n\nIII.\n\n    Oh, never weep thou lovest me,\n      My lambs who feedest not;\n    Who wouldst my crowning glory see,\n      But hast the cross forgot?\n\n\nIV.\n\n    Nay, if thou lovest, feed my sheep,\n      On desert moors astray;\n    The charge I gave thee surely keep,\n      Until the final day.\n\n\nV.\n\n    Yea, if thou lovest me, thy Lord,\n      My feeble lambs feed thou;\n    They wander o\u2019er the world abroad,\n      Many lie fainting now.\n\n\nVI.\n\n    Then never swear thou lovest me,\n      Who loves not these of mine;\n    Who would my true disciple be,\n      Shall prove his love divine.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVII\n\n    Historical Review--Korean Characteristics--Football between\n    Japan, China and Russia--Ill-advised Movements--Unrest\n    and Excitement--Korea Allied to Japan--Japanese in\n    Korea--Po an Whai--Kaiwha--Railroad Extension--Japanese\n    Protectorate--Petition to President Roosevelt--Removal of\n    American Legation--Education in Korea--Righteous Army--True\n    Civilization.\n\n\nBefore making a brief review of events which have taken place during\nthe five years that have elapsed since the previous chapters were\nwritten, let us look a little further at the character of the Korean\npeople so that we may understand them perhaps somewhat better and judge\nthem a little more fairly as we scan their actions in reference to the\nconditions that follow.[5]\n\n[5] I have to thank Mr. Homer B. Hulbert for many of these facts and\ndates, having refreshed my memory by frequent reference to his \u201cHistory\nof Korea\u201d and \u201cThe Passing of Korea.\u201d\n\nAlthough through the influence of their progressive Queen the country\nhad been opened to foreigners in 1882, and although missionaries had\nbeen there since 1884, the impression made upon the people as a whole\nwas very slight, owing to the lack of newspapers and other means of\nappeal to the public, and though in the capital a few progressionists\nhad begun to feel the need of reform, the nation as such was still in\na kind of stupor under the baleful charm of the example of China, and\nthe influence of her classics and her civilization. Shut up for long\ncenturies in complete seclusion--even Japan had been open twenty years\nto the stimulating influences of the civilization of the West--still\nKorea in her belated \u201cMorning Calm\u201d slept on; while Japan had been up\nand catching her worms with the \u201cRising Sun,\u201d and the first rude shock\nwhich startled her from this slumber and made her begin to look about\nwas the defeat of China by her little neighbor.\n\nCoincidentally with the rapid march of political events, the Gospel\nwas making advances with constantly increasing momentum and where the\nSpirit of the Lord is there is liberty of thought and action, and\nto-day, stung into life by the sharp lash of adversity, Korea is awake,\nwide awake, to sleep no more, for her Macbeth has effectually murdered\nsleep.\n\nThe Koreans have been frequently spoken and written of as listless,\ndull, stupid, lazy, an inferior race; but I submit this has been said\nmainly by travellers who did not know them, or by those who were their\nenemies and had an object in making the world think them worthless,\nor by those who had contented themselves with looking merely on the\nsurface and had not studied them with a wish to know them at their\nbest. There is a certain excuse for these views, if one observes only\nthe rough coolies in the ports or the idle worthless \u201cboulevardiers\u201d\nwho lounge about the streets of Seoul, or live by sponging on the\ngenerosity of some relative better off than themselves. But such a\nclass can be found almost anywhere, even among the most advanced\nEuropean nations.\n\nTo the writer it seems that there is a close parallel between the\nIrishman and the Korean. Both are happy-go-lucky, improvident,\nimpulsive, warm-hearted, hospitable, generous. Take either in the midst\nof his native bogs, untutored, without incentive--he is thoughtless,\ncareless, dirty; drinking, smoking and gambling away his time with\napparently little ambition for anything better. Remove this same man,\nbe he Irishman of Great Britain, or Irishman of the East--Korea--place\nhim in a stimulating environment, educate him, instil the principles\nof Protestant Christianity, give him a chance to make a good living,\nand a certainty that he may keep his own earnings, and you will not\nfind a better citizen, a more brilliant scholar, a finer Christian.\nLook at the men of North Ireland and tell me if this is not so? Look at\nthe Christian Korean, self-supporting, independent, sober, faithful,\nindustrious, eager to study. Hear the testimony of the missionaries of\nall denominations.\n\nHear the testimony even of the foreign mining companies, who avow the\nKoreans are the best workmen of any nationality they have employed.\n\nHear the testimony of the American planters in Hawaii, who say that the\nKoreans are the best workmen, the most sober, well-behaved, cleanly,\ndomestic, peaceful and thrifty they have ever used, far superior to the\nJapanese, who are quarrelsome and unstable--or even the Chinese.\n\nWitness the young Koreans who have graduated from our American colleges\nand medical schools side by side with Americans, often carrying away\nthe honors.\n\nLet us keep these facts in mind and remember that if Korea has been\ncaught in the toils and has allowed her country to be usurped, she was\ncaught napping. The whole nation was still in the bogs, and twenty-five\nyears behind the rest of the world, in a time when a thousand years\nis as one day and one day as a thousand years. When China, the Titan,\nfound herself helpless in the hands of the new r\u00e9gime, what could be\nexpected of little Korea when she suddenly awoke to find herself shut\nin a trap with a foreign army in her capital and foreign guns at her\npalace gates?\n\nThe most brilliant speaker at the great international conference in\nTokio two years ago was unanimously by Japanese newspapers conceded\nto be a Korean, and an American told the writer that the grandest\nsermon he had ever listened to--and he had heard John Hall and the\ngreat Western divines--was preached in Korea by another Korean. The\nwriter also recalls at this moment still two others who are capable of\ncarrying any audience along enraptured, and whom she would not hesitate\nto rank with the best, most inspiring public speakers she has ever\nlistened to.\n\nWe know many Koreans who have been given opportunity, environment,\nadvantage, who have ability, energy, initiative and resource equal to\nthat of the foremost Americans and Europeans. They are not, perhaps,\n_par excellence_, fighters like the Japanese or merchants like the\nChinese. They have not the volatility and headlong impulsiveness of the\none nor the stolid conservatism of the other, but they are the equals\nif not the superiors of either. Which of the three evolved an alphabet\nand a constitutional form of government?\n\nThis is the conscientious opinion of one who has known them for\ntwenty years, closely, in every-day contact, through all sorts of\ncircumstances, in city and country, and it is an opinion almost\nthe opposite of that which was formed during the first years of\nacquaintance with them. It is the result of the developments of\ncharacter seen in individuals and the nation. That they are friendly,\nhospitable, long-suffering, patient, any one who studies them without\nprejudice for a short time will admit, but those of us who know\nthem best know that they have brilliant gifts and a high grade of\nintellectuality. The old simile of the rough diamond is a good one\nto apply to Koreans who seem perhaps worthless stones to the ignorant\ncareless observer, but, when polished, they shine as brilliant jewels\nfor the Redeemer\u2019s crown.\n\nConsiderable space has been given to this question of Korean ability\nbecause much has been made of the other side, as an excuse for what\nmight be thought otherwise inexcusable, and because it is right that\nthe public should know they are not unworthy of its sympathy and\ninterest. Nor should they be called cowardly because taken unaware by\nthe rapid succession of cataclysmic political events which have whirled\nthem along during the last few years. The \u201cMorning Calm\u201d is forever\ngone.\n\nKorea has for many years been in a diplomatic way a sort of football\nbetween Japan, China and Russia, and in 1903 affairs were rapidly\nculminating toward the Russo-Japanese war. Yi Yong Ik, the Korean\nprime minister, who had then lately returned from Port Arthur and was\nzealously pro-Russian, like most of the court and officials, now began\na series of attacks on Japanese interests.\n\nKoreans had always regarded their neighbors on the East with the\ndistrust which their not infrequent invasions warranted, and they\nbelieved that Russia, while she might invade, would not seek to\nRussianize; while she might plunder, would not colonize, or interfere\nat least more than incidentally or occasionally with personal right or\nprivate concerns as the others were almost certain to do.\n\nWhenever trouble seemed brewing between Japan and other powers,\nwhatever may have been the reason, the Korean government at least\nalmost invariably went with the other side, and at this time Korea and\nher royal family counted a long score of injuries and wrongs from Japan.\n\nThe murder of their Queen, the cutting of the top-knots, and the\nhard and burdensome laws enacted at that time, the indignities the\nEmperor had suffered in practical confinement and the insults heaped\nupon the dead Queen could not be forgotten. On the other hand Russia\nhad sheltered and protected the King on his escape, had favored his\ncomplete freedom of action even while he resided in her Legation,\nand when patriotic Koreans had complained that Russian influence was\nbecoming too great, had withdrawn all the causes of complaint, removed\nher bank, and the obnoxious officials, favored the departure of the\nKing to his own palace and left everything in the hands of the Koreans.\n\nSuch conduct, whatever its motive, could not but excite gratitude,\nand add to this the degree of certitude with which nearly the whole\nEast awaited the speedy defeat of the Japanese by mighty, all-powerful\nRussia, it is not hard to see why the Korean government were so\nstrongly pro-Russian.\n\nThis, then, by way of partial explanation of the attitude of Yi Yong\nIk and the Korean court and government and in fact of a great many of\nthe Korean people, though just here it may be said that multitudes of\nthe Koreans with all the Americans and Europeans, except perhaps the\nFrench, were pro-Japanese, believing that they would prove the saviors\nof Korea from all-absorbing Russia, that reform and progress, good\ngovernment and order would follow in their train, and warm were our\ngood wishes and hearty the delight with which we witnessed Japanese\nsuccesses at the opening of the war.\n\nThis attitude of the Korean government continued without change from\nthe beginning to the end of the war, and now was the time when they\nmight venture to show their real feeling and attempt some reprisals\nupon Japan.\n\nFirst of all, then, the minister took the ill-advised measure of\nforbidding the use of the notes of the Japanese bank in Seoul, causing\na run which came very near wrecking it. As the Japanese were in a\nposition to retaliate, this resulted in apologies and withdrawals by\nthe native government, but left a debt uncancelled for the Japanese to\nremember by and by.\n\nThe Russians were next given a concession to cut timber along the Yalu\nand soon after, on their asking the privilege of the use of the port of\nYengampo in using this concession, it was granted.\n\nAs is well known, Japan and the foreign powers now urged the opening\nof this port to all foreign trade, Russia opposing, and the Korean\ngovernment steadily refused. When, in addition, they soon after refused\nalso to open Wi Ju in accordance with the objections of Russia, it\nbecame quite evident that war alone would ever make Russia retire from\nKorean soil.\n\nIn October, Japanese merchants in Korea began calling in outstanding\nmoneys and from this time on the Koreans were in daily, hourly\nsuspense, awaiting the war which could bring, in any event, nothing\nbut disaster and loss, the only thing which they might hope for, being\na degree less of distress, humiliation and misery, in one case than\nthe other. Their country was to be the spoil of war, as well as its\nprobable seat, and devastation, rapine and bloodshed loomed darkly\nbefore them. The action of the Korean pawnbrokers, refusing to lend\nmoney at this time, added to the general distress, for many of the\npoor are obliged to pawn some of their belongings in the fall, in\norder to provide fuel and clothing for the winter, and it was now\nfeared that an uprising against all foreigners would take place, so\ngreat was the excitement and discontent. Guards were called to the\ndifferent Legations to protect their countrymen, and missionaries and\nothers were warned to come in from the country. \u201cThere was a great\ndeal of disaffection among the poorly paid Korean troops in Seoul. The\nPeddlers\u2019 Guild were threatening and capable of any excess and the\nunfriendly attitude of Yi Yong Ik toward western foreigners except\nFrench and Russians was quite sufficient reason for these precautionary\nmeasures.\u201d[6]\n\n[6] Hulbert\u2019s \u201cHistory of Korea.\u201d\n\nIt was at this time that an American vessel was sent to a northern port\nwith a message from the Legation to the missionaries to come to Seoul,\nbut while a few, for various very good reasons, did this, most of these\ndevoted men and women decided to remain and brave what war might bring\nin order to encourage, help and comfort the native Christians.\n\nThe same unrest and excitement which were evident in Seoul, were felt\nin the country and a serious movement began in two southern provinces\nwhere it was reported that a formidable insurrection was brewing.\nReports came from the north as well of the banding together of the\ndisaffected, and many wealthy natives in Seoul began removing their\nvaluables and families to the country.\n\nAnd now the distraught and corrupt government took another step at the\nbidding of Russia, and quite in keeping with the traditions of the East\nand the self-defensive, evasive diplomacy of the weak. They announced\na neutrality which seemed from subsequent developments to have been\na mere pretense in order to keep Japan out. While this neutrality was\nbeing insisted upon the Japanese announced the arrest of Koreans at\ndifferent times, said to be carrying messages from the Korean Emperor\nand his government to Russia, asking for aid in the form of troops and\nammunition of war. This is not at all unlikely, yet such are the dark\nways and devious devices of the East, that it would have been quite\nas possible for those who wished to make an excuse to prove that the\nneutrality was a mere pretense, to have made it, if necessary. There\nis nothing more certain, however, than that at that time the Korean\ngovernment was at heart wholly pro-Russian, of whatever overt acts she\nmay or may not have been guilty in breaking her neutrality. Whatever\nwere the facts, a most laudable excuse for the direct invasion of her\nneighbors\u2019 soil was now presented to Japan.\n\nThe beginning of 1904 was marked by the making of Japanese military\nstations every fifteen miles between Fusan and Seoul and the sending\nof a well-known Japanese general to Seoul as military attach\u00e9 to the\nJapanese Legation. Notices were posted in the city assuring Koreans\nthat their property and personal rights would be respected, promising\nimmediate justice if any complaint were made, and from this time on\nChemulpo harbor was blocked. Korean students had previously been\nrecalled from Japan and now the Japanese began rapidly landing troops\nin two southern ports of Korea. After the battle of Chemulpo, which\nsoon took place, the Japanese landed all their troops further north and\nwork was rapidly pushed on the Seoul-Fusan railway and also begun on\nthe road to Wi Ju.\n\nOn February 23d a protocol was signed by Japan and Korea, by virtue\nof which Korea practically allied herself with Japan. She granted\nthe latter the right to use her territory as a road to Manchuria and\nengaged to give them every possible facility for prosecuting the war.\nOn the other hand, Japan guaranteed the independence of Korea and the\nsafety of her imperial family. It was, of course, on Korea\u2019s side a\ncase of necessity, though many Koreans really accepted the Japanese\nas their friends and believed they would preserve their independence.\nHowever, willy-nilly, there was nothing to do under the circumstances\nbut to acquiesce for the time being, though the government and court\nwere still assured that Russia would undoubtedly be the ultimate\nvictor and the Russians were continually making use of corrupt Korean\nofficials who served only to complicate affairs with Japan.\n\nIt is more than doubtful whether this protocol, backed by arms, wrung\nout of the unwilling Koreans, was ever worth the paper on which it was\nwritten, even to keep up appearances to a people so unsophisticated at\nthat time as the Koreans. The Japanese were ready at almost any moment\nduring the war to enforce it and punish its violation, and the native\ngovernment were very likely quite as ready to avail themselves of every\nopportunity which might offer to break it openly, could either Russia\nor China have been depended on to assist. But let us not forget that\nthese were the acts of a corrupt government and not of the people,\nand that their sprightly neighbor had long odds, thanks to the almost\nforcible opening of their country thirty years earlier.\n\nMr. Hulbert says, \u201cThe Japanese handled the situation in Korea\nwith great circumspection,\u201d which they certainly did. The expected\npunishment did not fall on the pro-Russian officials. The perturbation\nof the court was quieted and Marquis Ito was sent with friendly\nmessages to the Emperor. The northern ports of Wi Ju and Yonganpo were\nopened and soon Yi Yong Ik who was a large factor in the conspiracies\nagainst Japan was invited to visit that country. The Japanese soldiers\nwere remarkably orderly and well behaved, a great contrast in this\nrespect to the Cossacks and Russian guard who had been at the Legation,\nwho conducted themselves most outrageously, so that they won the hate\nand fear of the whole native community, and the disgust and horror of\nall western foreigners.\n\nThe Japanese soldiers, we are told by Mr. Hulbert, all belong to the\nupper middle classes. \u201cNo low class man can stand in the ranks,\u201d and\nthis being the fact, the wide difference between their behavior and\nthat of the colonists can be well understood. Suffice it to say that\nin the main they did great credit to their country and their conduct\nreassured the Koreans and won for them as a rule tolerance and often\nreal good will.\n\nHowever, the reforms which the pro-Japanese had so hopefully expected\ndid not come. The monetary affairs about which the Japanese had\ncomplained as being so bad were not altered when they came into power,\nand in addition they now began to demand all sorts of privileges which\nbecame no small hardship to the Koreans. In Fusan the Japanese Board of\nTrade asked their government to secure the maritime customs service,\npermission for extra territorial privileges, the establishment of\nJapanese agricultural stations, etc.\n\nIn the meanwhile the tide of Japanese immigration was daily rising\nhigher and higher as to quantity, but the friends of Japan would\ncertainly like to think that the people who came could have represented\nonly her worst classes. This is not the place, nor are missionaries\nthe people to animadvert upon them or their conduct; nor perhaps did\nit seem possible with the war on their hands at first, and a hostile\nnative people to keep in check later, for the few Japanese officials\nto look into the cases brought before them, and deal out justice to\ntheir own offending countrymen. But I do say that had they been able to\ndo so, their task in Korea would be an easier one to-day, for Koreans\nare a long-suffering people. Moreover, when loud complaints concerning\nthe Koreans\u2019 unwillingness to yield to \u201clegally constituted authority\u201d\n(?) are heard, let the reader bear in mind that this same \u201clegally\nconstituted authority\u201d seldom, if ever, so far as the writer is aware,\nhas protected the Korean in his rights, or made him safe and inviolate\nin his home, when a home was left to him. We are not accusing the\nJapanese. They have undertaken a difficult task, in which older and\nmore civilized, more Christian nations have failed, and when we look\nat Poland and elsewhere, we do not see that they are more to be blamed\nthan the illustrious examples they have followed, but we do say, \u201cDo\nnot judge the Korean too hardly if he rises in self defense to do what\nhe can to make reprisals on invaders and to defend his own rights.\u201d\n\nIn connection with the laying of the railroads, large tracts of some\nof the best land in the country were practically confiscated, and in\nSeoul large blocks of the most valuable property in the city were taken\nat a merely nominal price, and hundreds of people lost practically all\nthey had in the world. In the north, where soldiers were quartered on\nKoreans, many of the women, whose custom it is never to be seen by\nstrangers, fled to the mountain recesses at a most inclement season and\nincurred untold suffering. Still the Koreans bore all these trials with\nremarkable patience and few complaints.\n\nMany, however, of the malcontents and those who had suffered loss\njoined the robbers, and large bands made frequent and destructive raids\nupon the smaller towns and villages, adding to the general distress of\nthe poor people who actually had no one to look to but the missionaries\nand Americans whom they regarded as their only friends, who could do\nlittle enough, alas, to help, but who could point them to God who\npities the helpless, and bid them hope in Him.\n\nAlthough many of the best Koreans who had trusted in the Japanese had\nbeen disappointed to see none of the promised reforms, great was their\nadded anger and alarm when on the seventeenth of June the Japanese\nauthorities made the suggestion \u201cthat all uncultivated land in the\nPeninsula as well as all other national resources should be open to\nthe Japanese. The Koreans now indeed raised a storm of protest. The\ntime was unpropitious. Koreans recognized that the carrying out of this\nwould result in a Japanese protectorate, though the latter had probably\nnot believed the Koreans capable of following out the logic of this.\u201d[7]\n\n[7] Hulbert\u2019s \u201cHistory of Korea.\u201d\n\nThey however, not being prepared at that time to carry matters\nto extremes, after repeated attempts at a compromise, at length\ntemporarily dropped it.\n\nThe Koreans, in order to oppose the encroachments of the Japanese,\nhad organized a society \u201cfor the promotion of peace and safety\u201d (Po\nan Whai) and many exciting discussions took place as to how to defeat\nthe purposes of the Japanese, while continually a stream of memorials\npoured in to the Emperor, beseeching him not to yield to the demands\nof the invaders. The latter, therefore, forcibly broke in on one of\nthe meetings and carried leading members to the police station, and\nat other times raided the meeting-place, arrested other members and\nconfiscated their papers. They further warned the Korean government\nthat these doings must be firmly put down, and insisted that those who\nkept on sending memorials against the Japanese must be arrested and\npunished. The position of the Emperor at that time, as ever since,\nwas certainly not an enviable one, and then if ever was it true that\n\u201cuneasy lies the head that wears a crown.\u201d Indeed the poor Korean\nEmperor\u2019s crown was sitting very loosely just then and there seemed no\nway in sight to keep it from rolling quite away.\n\nJapanese troops in Seoul were increased at this time to six thousand.\nThe members of the Po an Whai, on the other hand, sent circular letters\nthroughout the country. News spreads in a marvellous way in Korea,\nfaster than by mail, almost as by telegraph the human wireless flies\nfrom mouth to mouth, from hand to hand, and thousands of members were\nenrolled in every province.\n\nIn August Japanese military authorities asked for six thousand coolies\nto work on the railroad at handsome wages, but the report got out that\nthese men were to be on the fighting line. Perhaps they distrusted\ntheir employers, but, whatever the reason, only two thousand men could\nbe obtained and there were frequent bloody fights in the villages when\nthe effort was made to force men to work.\n\nThe tide of public opinion was now running high against them on account\nof the waste land measure and the violation of the right of free\nspeech, which had hitherto rarely been interfered with by their own\ngovernment in spite of all its faults.\n\nThe Po an Whai still continued to carry on its propaganda, so the\nJapanese started another, called the Il Chin society, protected\nby Japanese police and having only such members as were properly\naccredited by them; and following this another society was organized\nas the Kuk Min or National People\u2019s Club. Although their plans were\ngood, having no means whereby to carry them out they were laughed at by\nsome, but nevertheless they served to strengthen and unify patriotic\nfeeling, develop progressive ideas, and sow broadcast through the land\na general desire for advance and reform; to bid the people awake to the\ndangers threatening them and to stir up a general spirit of inquiry as\nto the best method to strengthen their country and finally deliver her.\nPerhaps not much wisdom was wasted here. The members were all more or\nless ignorant of such things, of almost anything, in fact, but Chinese\nclassics, but nevertheless a beginning must always be made, and this\nwas at least something.\n\nAnd now in connection with the societies and the universal cry of\n\u201cKaiwha\u201d--progress--one began to see everywhere a distressing admixture\nof foreign and native dress. Koreans had been for some time cutting\ntheir hair. Now hundreds were wearing foreign caps and shoes which with\ntheir own long white coats gave the painfully ridiculous appearance of\nsome one going abroad in night attire, having stopped only for foot and\nhead gear. Some wore no coats at all but very gaily colored foreign\nvests, with their baggy white trousers below. The transition stage in\nthe dress of eastern peoples is sad to a degree to the foreigner who\nloves them and holds their dignity and respectability dear as his own.\nThe more he cares for the people the more bitterly does he resent the\nharrowing and pitiful variety of incongruities evolved by the natives\nin their zealous efforts to imitate the foreigner.\n\nThus progress and pro-Japanese societies--names by some considered\nsynonymous--multiplied, but the poor common people were as sheep\nwithout a shepherd, a prey to the wolves and robbers on all hands.\n\nDuring that summer the Japanese made their first suggestions that\nKorea should recall her foreign representatives and that all Korean\ndiplomatic business be transacted through the Japanese Legation. This\nwas not, however, pushed at this time, but was simply a forecast of\nwhat was in store.\n\nA little later a Mr. Stevens,[8] an American citizen, was nominated by\nthem as adviser to the Korean foreign office. This was a move of great\ndiscernment, for Americans have always been particularly favored by the\nKorean court and people from the Emperor to the coolie, and the advice\nof an American would meet a far readier hearing at that time than that\nof a Japanese. This man, being the Japanese appointee and dischargeable\nonly by them, was more than likely, as it chanced, to advise Koreans\naccording to the wishes of the Japanese, indeed, for what other purpose\ncould his patrons have placed him there?\n\n[8] On March 23, 1908, a Korean member of the Religious Army attempted\nto assassinate Mr. Stevens at San Francisco, wounding him so seriously\nthat he died a few days later.\n\nIn accordance with this advice the Korean Emperor disbanded and\ndismissed most of the fifty thousand troops he then had under arms, as\nhe was reminded they were a needless expense. The Japanese had assured\nKorea\u2019s independence and a small body-guard was all that was needed.\n\nAbout this time, partly in response to the fast growing feeling of the\nKoreans themselves that one of their heaviest drawbacks was a lack\nof knowledge of Western sciences, a number of foreigners, including\nnearly all the missionaries, formed an educational association of\nKorea, their object being to prepare text-books for Korean schools.\nA little later a large number of Koreans also founded an educational\nsociety which did not attempt to do with politics but gathered together\nthose who believed education must be one of the important factors in\nputting Korea on her feet.\n\nIn September, 1904, the twentieth anniversary of the founding of\nProtestant Missions was celebrated.\n\nThe Seoul-Fusan Railroad was completed during this year and the\nSeoul-Wi Ju Railroad well under way, and although they were put through\nin the interests of the Japanese, missionaries cannot but believe that\nunconsciously they were the agents of the Almighty making straight\npaths for His own kingdom. The missionaries of the Cross were, with the\nJapanese troops, the first people to use these roads while they were\nstill in construction.\n\nAs the year advanced Japanese kept at work gathering the material\nresources of the country. The offices of the high Japanese officials\nwere said to be literally besieged by their insistent countrymen who\nhad no doubt come to Korea to make a great fortune one and all under\nthe \u00e6gis of their own victorious troops and there is little doubt that\nthe task of these officials, between their own rapacious nationals\non the one hand and the Koreans who must be kept quiet for a time at\nleast, till the army had done with Russia, was not too easy. Fishing\nrights along the whole coast were demanded and given, and next trading\nand riparian rights were seized.\n\nThe signing of the treaty of peace with Russia was the signal for a\nstill more active policy in Korea, and then immediate steps were taken\nfor the establishment of a protectorate.\n\nIt is a well understood and by a certain class of politicians well\npractised proverb that \u201cTo the victor belong the spoils,\u201d and had Japan\nsimply seized Korea at this time, it would neither have surprised\nnor greatly shocked the world at large, or the readers of universal\nhistory. But the somewhat clumsy attempt to place the Koreans in the\nposition of suing for this, was on the part of the usually astute\nJapanese a strange proceeding. It seems as incredible that they could\nhave expected to hoodwink the world as it was unnecessary. They\nmay have wished to produce a certain impression, to create a given\neffect on the large party among their own best people who desired the\npractical independence of Korea to be preserved and faith kept with\nthem. Whatever their reasons, the sheep\u2019s clothing was inadequate, and\nthe grim fact was only too patent to those who were concerned to know\nabout the matter.\n\nEarly in the autumn of 1905 the Emperor had been approached with the\nsuggestion of a protectorate. He was willing to recognize Japanese\npredominance in Korea, even acquiesced in Japanese advisorships, but\nwhen it came to turning the whole country over he refused. He knew that\nif he remained firm it could not be done without arousing indignation\nand perhaps some interference in his favor. He determined to lodge a\nprotest at Washington, turning naturally, as all Koreans do, first to\nAmerica and England, but England\u2019s treaties with Japan were so sweeping\nthat he knew it would be useless to look there. America\u2019s treaty,\nhowever, has the following clause, \u201cThat if either of the contracting\nparties is injured by a third party, the other shall interfere with\nher good offices to effect an amiable settlement.\u201d This could not\nbe done through the regular channel of the Foreign Office, as the\nbefore mentioned American agent of the Japanese was in charge there. A\npersonal and private letter was therefore sent direct to the President,\nasking him to investigate and help. This message was carried by an\nAmerican resident, but the Japanese, probably surmising what was being\ndone, hurried on the completion of their plans. Marquis Ito was sent to\nSeoul with definite instructions. Korea was to be induced or forced to\nsign away her existence \u201cvoluntarily\u201d (?).\n\nThough many conferences with the Cabinet took place, there was no\nresult. The Koreans stood fast for the treaty of 1904 in which Japan\nguaranteed independence. Not a member of the Cabinet consented. It\nis unnecessary to go into all the painful details, but at last by\nsurrounding the Cabinet and the palace with soldiers, by having\npreviously secured the consent of two or three men who were venal,\nafter repeated efforts and long discussions, show of armed force and\nhaving forcibly removed Han Kyu Sul, the strong Prime Minister (without\nwhose signature no measure can be legally passed) they managed to gain\na majority of one, and the seal being illegally fixed by the envoy,\nthe fact was declared accomplished and the authorities immediately\nannounced in Washington that Korea had voluntarily entered into an\nagreement granting Japan a protectorate. The American government almost\nimmediately recognized Japan\u2019s claim and removed the Legation from\nSeoul. The petition of the Emperor arrived in Washington before action\nhad been taken, but though its arrival was announced to the President,\nit was not received till too late.\n\n\u201cFor twenty-five years American representatives and residents had\nbeen reiterating that we stood for right against mere brute force,\nand Korea had a right to regard our government as the one above all\nothers to demur at any encroachment on her independence. But when the\ntime of difficulty approached we deserted her with such celerity,\nsuch cold-heartedness and such refinement of contempt, that the blood\nof every decent American citizen boiled with indignation. While the\nmost loyal, patriotic, cultured of Korean nobility were committing\nsuicide one after another, because they would not survive the death\nof their country, the American Minister (Mr. Morgan) was toasting the\nperpetrators in bumpers of champagne, utterly indifferent to the death\nthroes of an empire which had treated American citizens with a courtesy\nand consideration they had enjoyed in no other Oriental country.\u201d[9]\n\n[9] Hulbert\u2019s \u201cPassing of Korea.\u201d\n\nNews of this action was carried that night to the editors of one of the\nKorean dailies. They worked all night, well knowing that the result of\ntheir action would be confiscation of their presses and imprisonment\nat least, but thousands of copies of the paper containing a detailed\nreport of all that had happened were in the hands of the people\nscattered broadcast beyond possibility of recall before the Japanese\nwere aware. Every effort was made to destroy this publication and to\nprevent the spread of this story to other countries but it was too\nlate. Members of the Cabinet and Court told the story to Americans, and\nthough there existed a rigid censorship of telegraph lines and mails,\nit was carried by foreigners to China, so that even in the minds of\nthose who lend the most willing ear to the story told by the Japanese,\nthere must always remain at least a moiety of doubt.\n\nWhen, as soon as the fact of the protectorate was announced, the\nAmerican Legation was so suddenly removed, there went up as it were\na great cry from the heart of the people, \u201cEt tu, Brute.\u201d It seemed\nthe seal of their misfortunes, the certainty that their best friend\nremorselessly and with hopeless finality had deserted them.\n\nStrong men were sobbing, moaning, crying like women or little children.\nMany committed suicide. Shops were closed with emblems of mourning. A\nnation was in sackcloth and ashes, on its face in the dust. It was a\nbitter hour for Korea and for the humiliated Americans who for once\nwere not proud of their government so far as its policy in Korea was\nconcerned. Well was it for the cowards who had signed the agreement\nthat when they ventured through the streets it was with a strong\nguard of Japanese, for the people would have torn them to pieces, and\nas it was, numerous attempts were made on their lives. One of them\nattempted or pretended to attempt suicide, and to this step they were\nall advised by their compatriots. Japanese troops and artillery were\nparaded through the capital, with great show of power. Heavy guards\nwere stationed at various points, though no attempt at resistance was\nmade by the unarmed, unorganized, uncaptained mass of the citizens,\nagainst the victorious conquerors of Russia. Pro-Japanese societies and\nclubs suddenly collapsed. The party that had believed all along that\nJapan would keep her treaty and help Korea maintain her independence,\nwas now disillusioned, horror-struck and indignant. The missionaries\nunanimously did all in their power to quiet the unhappy people, to\nprevent useless uprisings and bloodshed, and to comfort them in their\nsore distress. Some of them were inclined to resent these efforts to\nprevent revolt and to think and say that these missionaries were false\nfriends who did not care for the welfare of the nation. Who could blame\nthem for casting such a reproach upon us, when our own government had\ndeserted them without even a word of commiseration or regret?\n\nTo add to the distress an epidemic of malarial fevers with typhus and\ntyphoid, took place, on account of the way in which the city drains\nhad been closed. The city had always been drained by open ditches\nwhich empty into a large drain flowing out under the walls. These\nsmall ditches were, in addition, periodically cleaned out by men who\ngather fertilizers; and, purified by sun and air, and washed out by\nthe rains, they were not so great a source of evil as they looked.\nBut the new-comers, by way of reform, and with the inevitable eye to\nappearances, ordered all these ditches covered. A protest, private\nand public, went up from every physician in Seoul. Appeals were made,\nbut in vain. The ditches were covered with boards and sod and left to\nferment and breed countless colonies of germs, with the result just\nmentioned.\n\nJapanese colonists were still pouring into the country by thousands[10]\nand the class who came, and came as conquerors, was such (as has been\nnoted) as to entail inevitable hardships on the natives. There is an\nimpression abroad that all Japanese are now civilized. This is a great\nmistake. While in the cities there are large schools and universities\nof Western learning, it must be remembered there are forty million of\npeople, most of whom live in the country and are very poor, who have\nnever been touched by the wave of civilization that has swept over\nTokio, Yokohama, Osaka, Nagasaki and the great cities. They are little\nif any different from their grandfathers as Commodore Perry found\nthem, and their customs of dress, their ideas as to the seclusion of\nwomen, their morals, their habits of thought, their animus is in every\nway diametrically opposite to that of the Koreans. Easier would it be\nto mix oil and water than these peoples.\n\n[10] There are now over 100,000 Japanese in Korea and they are coming\nat the rate of 50 to 100 a day (1908).\n\nSome Japanese schools were started by the protectors but the Koreans\nwere hardly prepared to profit by these, as the teaching was in\nJapanese, a language they could not understand, and yet it has been\nsaid that the Koreans did not care for education and were not willing\nor fit to make use of the advantages offered them.\n\nBut every little village has its schools, and among the Christians\nnearly every little group has its self-supporting parochial school,\nwhere the elements of Western learning are taught and the people are\neagerly begging American missionaries for colleges and high schools\nwhich, as fast as provided, are thronged with students and could be\neasily thronged were the capacity doubled. The attitude of the people\ntoward Christianity is stated in another chapter. Let it suffice to say\nthat now is the accepted time to push forward with the standard of the\nCross in Korea.\n\nA young woman graduate of one of our largest American women\u2019s colleges\nwrote, \u201cOf one thing I am certain, that Christianity is the force for\ngood and for enlightenment in Korea, in spite of all that may be said\nconcerning Japanese reforms, governmental, educational, social.\u201d\n\nAnother writes from Korea: \u201cThe whole country is ripe for the picking.\nThe direful political conditions have turned the people toward the\nmissionaries and their message is the only succor in sight. The leaders\nare openly declaring that in Christianity alone is to be found the\npolitical and social salvation of the nation. In their extremity the\nKoreans are ready to turn to the living God. It may not be so two years\nhence. _Conditions of which I dare not write are changing the character\nof Korea._[11] If the Christian Church has any conception of strategy\nand appreciation of opportunity, any sense of relative values, she will\nact at once--not next year, but _now_.\u201d\n\n[11] Morphine is being introduced with fearful success by Japanese,\nhundreds of immoral characters are plying their trade and the character\nof the people seriously changed. L. H. U.\n\nJust before the meeting of The Hague the Emperor decided to send an\nappeal thither for Korea. He was warned that if he did so it would\nresult in his death or abdication, but he held firm. He replied that\nhe knew that would be the case but that the appeal must be made. This\nwas done and the abdication followed as predicted. Since then the\nrebellious among the people, many of those who have sore grievances,\nwho have lost their homes, perhaps their all, and have been driven\nto desperation, have joined hands with the bandits, and form large\ncompanies of insurrectionists, called the Righteous Army, who keep up a\nkind of guerrilla warfare, giving the Japanese no rest.\n\nA newspaper correspondent writes \u201cThe whole country is ablaze with\n_eui-pyung_ (righteous soldiers.) Their professed object is to protest\nagainst Japanese rule and free the land from it.... As I take up\nto-day\u2019s paper it reads \u2018Modol (twenty miles west of Seoul) Dec. 7.\nCompany fifty-one of the Japanese fought with one hundred and fifty\nrebels (_eui-pyung_) and drove them off. Su Won (twenty miles south of\nSeoul) Dec. 2. _Eui-pyung_ entered the town, robbed, plundered and made\noff toward Namyang. Idong (twenty-five miles southeast of Seoul) Dec.\n4. _Eui-pyung_ entered and carried off the two chief men. Puk-chung\n(three hundred and seventy miles north of Seoul) Dec. 4. After much\neffort on the part of government (Japanese) troops, the _eui-pyung_\nhave been dispersed. Chechun (one hundred miles south of Seoul) Dec.\n2. Three hundred _eui-pyung_ were followed, brought to a fight and\nthirteen killed. Changyim (seventy miles north of Seoul) Dec. 1. Fifty\n_eui-pyung_ were encountered and in the fight six were killed. Eumsung\n(thirty miles southeast of Seoul) Dec. 4. An attack was made on the\n_eui-pyung_, two were killed and five wounded,\u2019 etc.\u201d\n\n\u201cAll the while every Japanese wayfarer is marked, followed and done\nto death. The _eui-pyung_ are everywhere. In the twinkling of an eye\nthey gather, they separate. To-day five hundred are here. To-morrow\nno one knows where they have been spirited away to. Seoul and the\nlarger cities alone are safe from their attack.... The task before the\ngovernment grows daily more formidable.\u201d\n\nIt has been reported that along the line of some of the railways the\nJapanese have been obliged to establish a continuous line of fortified\nposts with resident troops to prevent the constant destruction of the\nbridges and road bed by the _eui-pyung_, but in these reports coming\nfrom the government we are not told the numbers of their troops killed\nand wounded in these encounters, presumably too small to be worth\nmentioning. It is nevertheless evident that there is in the minds of a\nlarge number of Koreans objection to the present order which they are\ntaking this means of recording.\n\nAs for the large body of Christians, they remain the most orderly,\nreliable and peaceable of the whole native population. The\nmissionaries, one and all, whether from a wish to uphold Japanese rule,\nor a desire to save useless bloodshed, are unanimous in using all\ntheir influence to quiet the Christians and to induce them to prevent\nuprisings and revolts, and after the abdication the Christians in Pyeng\nYang went through the streets counselling forbearance and patience.\n\nThese Christians are, however, no less patriotic than their more\ndemonstrative compatriots. They are eager for progress, for education,\nfor uplift, because they believe and openly declare that in Christian\neducation and Christianity alone is to be found the political and\nsocial salvation of the country.\n\nThey are seeking \u201cKaiwha\u201d more diligently than ever, and they are\nlearning that progress and civilization do not consist in altering the\ncut and color of a man\u2019s coat or the length of his hair; that it is\nnot a matter of tramways, wide streets, tall houses, gunboats, well\ndrilled armies, factories, arts, luxuries, hideous European clothes,\netc. Most Eastern countries have all or many or some of these things,\nbut even where they are in greatest profusion one feels that something\nis wanting. It is as like true civilization as a graphophone is like\nthe true voice of a friend. There is a hollow, brassy ring about it. It\ndoes not come from a warm, living _heart_ but is only a poor caricature\nout of an empty shell. They are learning that true civilization is\nnot a veneer; it is the solid ringed growth of centuries reaching its\nleaves and blossoms unto Heaven. Some of its outgrowths are the things\nthese people copy so marvellously in paper and wax that we can scarcely\ntell the difference.\n\nAt a great f\u00eate given in an Eastern city they built most cunningly out\nof boards and canvas a grand old tree; they painted it with wonderful\nskill and crowned it with paper leaves and blossoms. It was a marvel\nwhereat the world stood open mouthed for a day, but the rain descended\nand the floods came and the wind blew and beat upon the tree and it\nfell _for it had no roots_.\n\nThe Korean Christians are learning fast, we hope, that better\ncivilization of which our dictionaries give but one or two definitions:\n\u201c_The humanization of man in society; the satisfaction for him in\nsociety of the true law of human nature_,\u201d and \u201c_The lifting up of men\nmentally, morally and socially_.\u201d\n\nThis never was, never will be done by tramways and new clothes. It can\nnever be brought about by armies and men of war. It will not follow in\nthe train of art and of luxuries, though they follow it. Men, however\nwell dressed and well informed, may be after all no better than the\nmanufactured tree, without the _vital principle of life_ that is in\nChristianity to \u201clift them up mentally, morally and socially\u201d above the\nmaterial and sensual and hold them there unshakenly rooted in the rock.\n\nThey are learning that all that is best in Western civilization, the\nmotor power that stirs the energies of men and brings out the choicest\nresults is Christian faith and love. Christian principle, and that\nwhere this principle is implanted, this spirit breathed, there is a\ncivilization made or making, for the choice things of which heathenism\nhas often not even a word whereby they may be expressed. Test them by\nsuch words as God, Heaven, Home, Love, Faith or Sin--where do they\nstand?\n\nThis is the reason that to-day Korean statesmen are saying that in\nChristianity is the only hope for Korea\u2019s national salvation.\n\nAnd here let me quote Dr. J. D. Davis of Kyoto who says, \u201cIf this work\nof Christianity can go on unchecked and unchilled Korea will be rapidly\nevangelized and filled with millions of happy, enlightened Christian\nhomes and this little kingdom, despised though it has been, will give\nto the world a priceless example of the way and the only way that the\nGospel can be carried to the whole world during the present generation.\u201d\n\nAgain Mrs. Curtis, another American missionary to the Japanese, writes,\n\u201cBy God\u2019s blessing, within the next ten years, if the Church in America\nwill do its part, this whole nation (Korea) may be reached with the\nGospel. Korea is fast becoming Christian, and, if Japan does not soon\nrespond to God\u2019s call to her, there is the prospect of a Christian\npeople, producing the first-fruits of true life, brought under the sway\nof a nation yet dead, who have appropriated the fruits of centuries\nof Christian growth, but who refuse to share the life which alone can\nmake those fruits sweet and wholesome and bring them to perfection. A\nChristian nation ruled by another whose real God is National Glory! It\nwill be laid to the charge of the Christian Church if this becomes a\nfact. Every man and woman who is \u2018looking for the kingdom of God\u2019 and\nfaithfully seeking to hasten its coming ought to consider this.\u201d[12]\n\n[12] Missionary review, March 1908.\n\nBooks which may be relied upon to give trustworthy accounts of\nconditions in Korea during the period above referred to are: Hulbert\u2019s\n\u201cPassing of Korea,\u201d Doubleday, Page & Co.; McKenzie\u2019s \u201cUnveiled East,\u201d\nHutchinson & Co.; Story\u2019s \u201cTo-morrow in the Far East,\u201d Chapman & Hull,\nH. G. Underwood\u2019s \u201cThe Call of Korea,\u201d Revell (Mission study book);\nHulbert\u2019s \u201cHistory of Korea.\u201d\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVIII\n\nPRESENT STATUS OF MISSIONS IN KOREA.\n\n    Present Status of Missions--Wonderful Progress--Education for\n    Girls--Medical Missions--Denominational Comity--Christianity\n    Spreading--Individuals at Work--Christian Heroes--Character\n    of Korean Christians--How the Work Grows--Christian\n    Influence--Training Classes--Circuit Work--Statistics--Rapid\n    Extension--Evangelistic Work--Joy and Triumph--The Nation being\n    Evangelized.\n\n\nWhat has been previously written in this book regarding missions has\nbecome ancient history already in the swift onward march of events in\nKorea. Great political changes have occurred, referred to elsewhere,\nand these have doubtless been used in the Providence of God to turn the\npeople toward the American teachers whom they have learned to trust.\nThey have been humiliated, afflicted, distressed and perplexed and in\ntheir trouble and anxiety they have been eagerly searching on all sides\nfor some light on a dark problem. Their cry has been, \u201cWhat shall we as\na nation do to be saved?\u201d Some of their advisers have said, \u201cEducate\nyour people;\u201d others, \u201cMake friends with English and Americans;\u201d others\nagain have said, \u201cOur old religions have never helped us. Perhaps this\ndoctrine taught by the missionaries is the truth. If so, we have for\ncenturies been offending the Almighty. He has permitted this curse to\nfall upon us. Let us hasten to repent and obey and worship only Him\nand perhaps He will be gracious and restore to our nation her ancient\nplace and name and deliver us.\u201d\n\nBut whatever the remedy suggested, the relief seemed to lie, for\none cause or another, as was said in a previous chapter with the\nmissionaries, and so the people have been groping, reaching out\nlame hands of faith towards what seemed to them the only hope, and\nturning in increasing numbers to the missions, to those who are there\nto \u201cbind up the broken-hearted, to bid the oppressed go free, and\nto publish the acceptable year of the Lord,\u201d and those who come to\nfind help have found far more than they sought; for earthly freedom,\nfellow-citizenship with the saints of the household of God; for their\nignorance they receive the wisdom that knows the love of Christ that\npasseth knowledge; and instead of their poverty and emptiness, all the\nfullness of God.\n\nAs we try to give some idea of the religious status of the people,\nperhaps it would be as well to consider the field at first station\nby station. Let us begin, then, with Seoul, the oldest station, the\nlargest city, and looked at from many points, the most difficult, and\nalso in some respects the most interesting.\n\nIt is most difficult because here for centuries have been the\nheadquarters of a corrupt government. Here reside numberless officials\nwith their retainers and sycophants, their concubines and dancing\ngirls, and round them seems to revolve most of the political, social,\nreligious and business life of the majority of the citizens. Graft\nplays a large part in the life of Seoul. Multitudes of its people are\nliving in the hope of making money out of the government or some of its\nofficials, the idle and the wicked of all classes and both sexes seem\nto gravitate naturally toward the capital and now it is crowded with\nthousands of foreigners of the most depraved morality. Yet here the\nfirst missionaries settled, perhaps as much because no other center was\nthen open as for any other reason.\n\nHere the Presbyterians have now three flourishing churches, the\nNorthern Methodists have four, the Southern Methodists two, the English\nSociety for the Propagation of the Gospel have a Mission and the\nRomanists also two or three churches. None of these churches would be\nrecognized to-day for those which were in existence five years ago.\nThey are all far too small for their congregations, though these are\ndivided, the men worshipping at one hour, the women at another. If\nwe are a little late in visiting them we shall not be able to enter,\nfor doors and windows are crowded and there is not an inch of space\nanywhere within hearing of the speaker\u2019s voice.\n\nIn this city the largest congregation is probably that of the Yun\nMot Kol church, which numbers eleven hundred people. The growth here\nis remarkable because not four years ago this was the weakest of the\nPresbyterian churches, not only numerically but in the character of\nits people. They seemed jealous, quarrelsome and niggardly. They were\napparently unable to work in full harmony with the other Presbyterian\nchurches of the city and unwilling to give in proportion to their\nnumbers as the others gave, either for the support of their own work\nor of the general work of the three carried on in city and country.\nBut now all is changed. This is now the largest church in the city and\nwhat rejoices all hearts is that it is gathering in large numbers of\nthe nobility, most of whom live in that quarter. This class of people\nwe have almost despaired of reaching for many reasons. The habit of\nkeeping concubines is general among them and it is a terrible ordeal\nto wrench away from a woman dearly loved as a wife, and her little\nones, for Koreans are exceedingly fond of their children and family\nties are strong. Again, the Korean noble feels more than the lower\nclasses, as a religious duty due to family and clan, the obligation\nof ancestor worship, and he is cutting himself loose from his place\nin social and family life when he abjures this. Still further, all\nofficials holding office or attending the court must bow before certain\nroyal tablets, and perform religious duties on certain national\nholidays. If this is given up his office must also be resigned. So we\nsee that for a nobleman to become a Christian he must break the ties\nof family, of social and of political life and sacrifice whatever\nemoluments he is gaining thereby, and to some of these men it is all\ntheir living. Yet during the last three years a large number of the\nnobility have taken this step and their women, who have always been\nbound by the custom of seclusion, go in their chairs or even on foot,\nwell veiled, to the Sabbath services.\n\nThe three Presbyterian churches, as has been said, work together as\none for the evangelization of the heathen population of the city and\nsurrounding country districts.\n\nAs for schools, both boys\u2019 and girls\u2019, they are all overcrowded; many\napplicants must be sent away. The churches have their own parochial\nprimary schools for girls and boys which they, of course, support as\nwell as their own church work, and there are boarding schools more\nadvanced, corresponding to academies, connected with the different\nmissions, for the reception of pupils who graduate from the lower\nschools and also for the children of Christians from the country.\n\nA noted feature of the change in the spirit of the people is the way in\nwhich all are demanding education for their girls. Twenty years ago\nit was almost impossible to get any girls into our schools except the\nfriendless and sick, little homeless waifs and orphans whom no one else\ncared for or wanted. It is interesting to see the way in which these\nchanges have taken place. Little by little the daughters of Christians\nwere allowed to attend if the Mission paid all expenses; then the\ncountry Christians began paying for the board and clothing of their\ndaughters; then the unbelievers began to ask us to take in their girls\nand now the nobility are insisting on schools for their young women\nand are allowing some of them to mix with the lower caste girls in the\nordinary schools. Mrs. Campbell, in charge of the girls\u2019 school of the\nSouthern Methodist Mission, who lives in a neighborhood where dwell a\ngreat many of the upper classes, has been literally besieged by wealthy\nand high caste ladies who beg her to establish a school for their\nyoung women and girls. Two such schools have been established in the\ncity under non-Christian auspices and so determined are the people for\neducation that they will provide it for themselves in these ways if we\ndo not give them Christian schools. There are now three large mission\nboarding-schools for girls in Seoul, which cannot accommodate half the\ngirls who are applying for admittance.\n\nThe story of the boys\u2019 school is much the same. The English\nEpiscopalians as well as the Presbyterians and Methodists have\nestablished boys\u2019 schools, although the former are near the river, and\nthere are also government native schools and Japanese schools of a\nnon-Christian character. It has been and still is the hope that these\nschools of the Methodists and Presbyterians may in the future be united\nand thus effect a considerable saving in money, time and effort.\n\nThere is little doubt that in the future the strategic point for our\nlargest colleges and academies must be in or near Seoul, which is\ngeographically, politically and socially the center of the peninsula,\nand with great fields of mission work north, south and east of it, and\nof easy access from all parts of Korea both by rail and water way.\n\nThe medical mission work centers in the Severance Hospital, just\noutside the South Gate. This is a modern hospital, fitted up in every\nway according to the usages of modern medical and surgical science.\nThere is a corps of nurses and assistants under the care of an American\ntrained nurse. Young men are being prepared to practice medicine under\nthe instruction of our doctors and the hospital and dispensary are\ncrowded with patients, most of whom pay something for their medicine.\nHere again we see the change in the attitude of the people; for whereas\nat first people were not often willing to pay anything, and the women\nof high class not only would not visit the male physicians, but would\nnot see them in their own homes except in the direst straits, now\nmost of them are willing to see the doctors, many of them will go\nto the hospital, and gentlemen of high rank are willing to go there\nfor treatment or operations, take private rooms, pay well for their\ncare and often express themselves with overflowing gratitude for the\nkindness shown them, sending handsome presents, in addition, to their\nphysicians and nurses, but what is far more important, go away either\nconverted men or strongly favoring Christianity and the mission work.\n\nThe woman\u2019s hospital and dispensary under the care of the ladies\nof the Methodist Mission has been just as flourishing, only it has\nnot been favored by having so generous a patron as the Severance\nHospital, but it is doing a good work and is known far and wide. The\ndevoted women in charge of it are heart and soul in favor of union and\nundenominational mission work and they and we hope that all the medical\nwork in Korea may be united under one medical committee and carried\non in harmony with one plan, for the better economy of time, money\nand effort, and for the better and happier spirit, the avoidance of\nsmall jealousies and frictions, the uplift that comes to those who are\nworking together as one, according to our Lord\u2019s will and command.\n\nFor the same reasons, until the happy time when there shall be in\nall Korea but one united church of Jesus, the various missions have\ngradually been coming to a certain degree of agreement as to division\nof territory in Korea.\n\n\u201cBeginning from the south, we find the provinces of North and South\nChulla, together with a few counties in the southern part of Chung\nChong assigned exclusively to the Southern Presbyterians. The Southern\nprovince of Kyeng Keui is divided by counties between the Australian\nand American Northern Presbyterians, but North Kyeng Keui is left\nexclusively to the Northern Presbyterians. The provinces of North and\nSouth Chung Chong fall jointly to the American Northern Presbyterians\nand Methodists and a careful division of the territory by counties\nis under consideration. Kang Won is divided between the Southern\nMethodists and Northern Presbyterians and the Church of England, but\neven here there are mutual arrangements to prevent overlapping. The\nprovinces of North and South Ham Kyeng have been left almost entirely\nto the care of the Canadian Presbyterian Church, while the other\nthree provinces of Whang Hai and North and South Pyeng An are jointly\nworked by the American Northern Presbyterian and Methodist churches, a\ndivision according to counties having been arranged for most of this\nsection and under advisement for the balance.\u201d[13]\n\n[13] From \u201cCall of Korea\u201d by H. G. Underwood.\n\nWe find then that Seoul is the center for a very large and important\ncountry work, divided between the missions of the Northern and Southern\nMethodists and the Northern Presbyterians and includes parts of the\nSouthern province of Kyeng Keui with all of Kyeng Keui North and South\nChung Chong and Kang Won, giving a population of considerably over\nthree million people, that assigned to the Presbyterians of Seoul\nalone having 1,500,000 inhabitants, and consists of a belt practically\ncovering the whole width of the peninsula, comprising an area slightly\nless than that of West Virginia and about the same latitude. The\nPresbyterians have 123 self-supporting churches, 178 places of regular\nmeeting, 1612 communicants, of which 315 were added last year, and\n7500 adherents, and in 44 schools, they have an enrolment of over\n750 scholars. For the care and oversight of all this they have eight\nclerical men, two doctors and four single ladies, but it must be\nremembered that three men must give the most of their time to Bible\ntranslation and literary work and Seoul being in a way the center for\nthe whole field no small amount of technical business and committee\nwork of the Mission devolves on these men, as well as the Mission\nschools. The Tract Society and Young Men\u2019s Christian Associations and\nthe Bible Societies have their agencies here and all these societies\nmust claim a good deal of the time of Seoul missionaries, so that we\nmay say that not more than five men are able to look after the needs of\nthe great Bishopric of over 1,500,000 souls, the share of the Northern\nPresbyterians.\n\nChong Ju, though as yet considered part of Seoul station and its\nreports of work given there, will be in the near future a separate\nstation and is now occupied by two clerical missionaries, one of whom\nis married. The work there is increasingly promising and the new\nstation is in a very populous district. Mr. F. S. Miller writes, \u201cThe\nyear has been one of lengthening cords, so that instead of 26 groups\nand meeting places we have now 44, instead of 46 communicants there\nare now 102, instead of 68 catechumens there are now 260, instead of\nfive church buildings there are now fourteen, instead of $264.10 gold\ncontributions there are $408.63. The work now extends eighty miles\nnorth, sixty miles south, seventy miles west and thirty-three miles\neast. We have groups and meeting places in twelve of the seventeen\ncounties of the northern province and are working in twenty counties of\nthe southern province. It takes two months of solid itineration to make\n_the round of the established work alone_. The Christians received much\nbenefit from the revivals which the Spirit worked first in the city\nchurch and then in a succession of country classes till even the most\nconservative helper found himself in charge of a revival where he saw\nsuch conviction of sin as he had not thought possible before.\u201d\n\nThe Northern Methodists connected with Seoul station have oversight of\nnearly 100 churches with 4283 members and some 2851 seekers. More than\none million people inhabit the territory of this Mission around Seoul\nand for the care of all these together with charge of their publishing\nhouse, which undertakes work for the whole country, and for the schools\nand Women\u2019s Hospital, they have only six men and seven single ladies.\n\nAt Seoul the Southern Methodists have four ordained men and four\nsingle ladies. The last statistics of this Mission show 181 churches\nwith 89 church buildings, 4998 members. Before turning to some of the\nother large centers of Mission work we must not forget to mention the\nMethodist Mission Press, which is the only mission press in Korea\nexcept a small one in Pyeng Yang, and the Y. M. C. A., which is\naccomplishing great things for the large numbers of young men of wealth\nand rank as well as for those of poorer families. Early in the history\nof the work we began to realize the need of some means of reaching\nthe very large class of young men who would not go to the churches\nor the schools, to provide a pleasant and attractive gathering place\nwhere they could find simple and innocent amusement and instruction,\nto make it all sufficiently attractive to be a means of reaching these\nyoung men with the gospel. This of course was its first, last and only\n_raison d\u2019\u00eatre_. Forthwith the Y. M. C. A. in America were approached.\nShortly after an agent was sent and from the first this association\nhas been an untold blessing and a great success. Hundreds of young men\nbelong; thousands attend and receive the gospel; the Koreans themselves\nhave given thousands of dollars towards its support. One Korean\ngentleman from whom we wished to purchase land made a present of it to\nthe Association and last year so great was the number attending one of\nthe meetings that even the new temporary building was insufficient and\nthe great throng were obliged to meet under a tent temporarily put up\nfor the purpose.\n\nIt must be remembered that Koreans have no theatres, concerts, operas,\nlectures, or any other evening entertainments. They haven\u2019t even any\nattractive saloons or gambling places. They gamble and drink, it is\nonly too true, but in their own homes, so that an attractive place\nfor evening entertainments like the Y. M. C. A. met one of the very\nmost crying needs of the public. There are classes here for the study\nof music, English and Japanese, and other branches of learning. There\nare games, newspapers, books and frequent entertainments, musical and\nliterary, and so this institution is reaching out widely among the best\nfamilies of the land, winning a place and a hearing for the missionary\nand the gospel he proclaims, reclaiming lost young men, yes, whole\nfamilies, and bringing them into the true fold. Whether it may or may\nnot be the best thing elsewhere, it is certainly a necessity in Seoul,\nand it has had so long and far a start of Satan\u2019s man-traps that we\nbelieve they will never be able to overtake it in the race. And now\nlet me give a few quotations from the letters of some of the Seoul\nmissionaries before turning to another part of the field.\n\nA Methodist missionary from Seoul writes to \u201cThe Korea Field\u201d of 1907.\n\u201cIn the early spring of 1899 I itinerated through the southeastern\nsection of the Kyeng Keui province and baptized a man and two of his\nfamily. It was like putting a match to dry prairie grass. Thereafter\nuntil the present day it has been a constant hustle to gather in the\ngroups of believers springing up all over the territory and organize\nthem into churches. Before I left on furlough in 1905 the number of\nbelievers had already reached into the thousands; since my return last\nfall it has been a continual struggle to organize the work and man it\nwith efficient leaders and get it ready for a grand rally all over the\ndistrict. The little group composed of a man and his family baptized\nin an obscure village was the first of a mighty host, for the work\nbegun there has spread into five provinces and now, as it stands on\nour rolls, numbers 298 groups, besides a number of those that are not\nyet counted, enrolling 16,202 believers. Daily new groups are coming\ninto existence and _pleading for guidance and instruction_. Chapels\nhave been built all over the district by earnest believers _who never\nthink of asking for foreign aid_ (in money). School buildings have been\nsecured and schools are being conducted on a modern plan. In this short\nwhile I cannot tell all the wonders that His grace has wrought in this\npart of the field, when I think of all the things that I have seen\nduring the last six months, my heart grows warm and glad within me. For\nthe best part of it is that people are being saved and are entering\ninto a live experience of redeeming grace.\u201d This district has a second\ntime within two years been deprived of the care of its missionary, the\none who wrote this letter having been laid low by violent sunstroke,\nand now this great district is in the hands of a new young missionary\nwho has not yet learned the language.\n\nHere are a few extracts from the letter of one of the Presbyterian\nmissionaries at Seoul, written to \u201cThe Korea Field\u201d of July, 1907.\nHis district is in North Kyeng Keui. \u201cThe first place visited was a\nvillage twenty miles south of Seoul where _no missionary has ever been\nbefore. I found a group of over fifty believers_, all an outgrowth of\nthe work of native Christians. I was further surprised to find a chapel\nalmost completed. * * * From morning till late in the evening we spent\nexamining men, women and children for admission as catechumens and\naccepted most of them.\u201d\n\nHe continues, \u201cTen miles north is my Soti group, noted for its\nmissionary zeal. Only a year ago the people built a fine big church\nwith a room adjoining it especially for the use of the foreign\nmissionary on his visits. During the past year, through the efforts\nof the four leading men and chiefly of deacon Paik three groups of\nChristians have grown up within a radius of three miles. One of these\ngroups numbers about twenty-five and has already purchased a house to\nbe used for worship. Another group was just started and consists of\neighteen adherents, while about forty men and women make up the third\ngroup that will soon have a church building of their own. Every Sunday\none or two men are detailed from Soti for each of these three groups\nto lead the morning and afternoon services.\u201d The leading man, deacon\nPaik, is of untiring missionary zeal and great earnestness. He has\nbeen blessed with a big, strong body and does not hesitate to use it\nfor the church. To carry heavy loads of lumber for miles on his back\nand to spend days in making mortar and plastering when the church was\nbeing built, to walk forty miles in the winter to Seoul for the sake of\ngetting material for preparing the church, to start out ahead of me to\nthe next group, ten miles away, to prepare them for my visit, to carry\nmy heavy country boxes himself when no coolie could be found--all these\ntasks are looked upon by him not as burdensome duties but a pleasant\nprivilege.\u201d\n\nAt Tang Mok Kol for several years past there had been but one\nChristian. Every Sunday he went three miles to the nearest church to\nworship. A year ago three more men became believers and last winter the\ngospel began to spread very rapidly among the villages. One of the new\nconverts was especially impressed with the necessity of getting a place\nlarge enough to accommodate all the worshippers. Rather than wait until\nthe new converts would be able to build a church he sold his big fine\nworking bull (a bull is a farmer\u2019s chief dependence and most valuable\npossession) and purchased with the proceeds a meeting place. When I\nasked him what he would do when farming time came, he told me he had\na young animal and by its aid he hoped to manage his work. What would\nwe think of a farmer who would sell all his working teams for the sake\nof buying a church? And yet no one among the Koreans thought this act\nvery wonderful, even though the giver had been professing Christianity\nonly a few months and was not even a catechumen. The self-sacrifice of\nthis man produced the natural result and when shortly after my winter\u2019s\nvisit the church became too small, the people at once obtained the\nnecessary timber and with their own hands enlarged the building. On\nthis visit I found a house seating sixty people and comfortably filled.\u201d\n\nMr. Pieters continues, \u201cIn another village composed largely of inns a\ngroup was formed and shortly after a building purchased for a church.\nOne of the Christians worked so enthusiastically that their numbers\ngrew rapidly. People who had all their lives been making their living\nby selling whiskey gave up this means of livelihood and turned to\nfarming. Further on, deep in the hills, is an isolated village where a\nnumber of men have been led to Christ by a boy. The latter had heard\nthe gospel in one of our churches and by his own words as well as by\nthe aid of Christian books he led his parents to believe. Then he began\nto invite people to their house, talked and read his books to them\nuntil one by one the neighbors accepted Christ.\n\n\u201cAll last winter these converts went down every Sunday to the church\nwhere the boy had been converted ten miles away but since this spring\none of the church members has been sent up there to conduct the Sunday\nservices there. It is quite unusual in Korea for a boy to take the\nlead, for the Confucian ethics require a boy in the presence of older\npeople to be silently respectful. Thus came true the prophet\u2019s words,\n\u2018A little child shall lead them.\u2019 In my next church there were a year\nago only a few believers. The need of a school for their children was\nfelt most keenly and I recommended as the teacher an earnest Christian,\nan old man. He went for a very meagre salary, but spent his spare time\npreaching to the people and teaching a number of people to read. The\ngroup grew by last winter to about fifty men and women. Most of the\nwinter they met for their services in two rooms and on the open porch\nof the house of one of the Christians. _When the freezing weather\ncame, it became trying to sit for an hour and a half in the open air\nduring the services_, and the people decided to build a church. By\nbuying trees in the hills and cutting them and carrying them down, by\ncollecting loose stones, by preparing other materials and doing all\nthe work with their own hands and by other very strenuous efforts,\nthe people succeeded in putting up a fine church that will seat 120\npersons. One part was partitioned off and fitted for a school, but it\ncan be thrown open during the services. Four boys of this school, each\nless than ten years old, came every day a distance of three miles to\nstudy. Last winter I met one day the four little figures trudging along\nthe muddy road carrying in their mittless hands bowls of cold rice for\ntheir dinner. They were cheerful and seemingly quite content to walk\nthe six miles every day since it gave them the opportunity of study\nthat so many boys did not have.\n\n\u201cThe average earning capacity of the majority of families that make up\nthe Christian constituency of this district is about thirty dollars a\nyear for a whole family. Keeping these facts in mind, we can easily\nsee,\u201d says Mr. Pieters, \u201chow a contribution of two dollars, which\nis quite common here when a church is being built, gives forty-fold\nmeasured by standards of values in America. In addition, none of these\nhave been professing Christianity more than two years and none of them\nare yet baptized. These are the catechumens and adherents.\u201d\n\nBut we must turn away from these incidents illustrating so thrillingly\nas they do the wonderful work of God among the people and the kind of\nChristians He is calling into His fold there. Their liberality, their\nconsecration, their zeal, their faith, all proclaim them preeminently\nthe work of the Spirit, and these particular provinces do not abound\nmore in these examples, than others of which every missionary can tell.\nThese, in fact, have never been considered so hopeful and progressive\nas those in the North.\n\nTime and space will not suffice to describe as carefully the work of\nevery station as of the larger centers and we must hasten on. Fusan\nStation was started next after Seoul, but a series of deaths and\nremovals from one unavoidable cause after another almost seemed to\nindicate that the will of God was that the station itself should be\nremoved to some other place. But houses and a fine hospital having\nbeen built, the brave missionaries have endured discouragement and\ndisappointment, not in the natives, but in the constant depletion of\ntheir forces, and to-day as everywhere in Korea the work is rapidly\ngrowing and spreading. The Presbyterian Hospital here, built by some\ngenerous Christians in America, is absolutely up-to-date, and the\nphysicians\u2019 work is an immense factor in spreading the knowledge of the\nlove of Christ through all the surrounding country. During the year\nthere have been added to this comparatively small church an increase\nof almost fifty per cent. The territory of this station comprises\nthe Province of South Kyeng Seng and considering the Australians who\nshare the work, there are left to be evangelized by the American\nPresbyterian Mission here 750,000 people. There are 47 self-supporting\nchurches, 520 communicant members, with 2017 adherents. All this work\nis under the care of two clerical workers and the assistance of an\noverworked doctor who sees thousands of patients and performs hundreds\nof serious operations with no assistants but Koreans. The Australian\nPresbyterian Mission who share this work here have a good local church\nand girls\u2019 school at Fusan and have started a new station at Chin Ju.\nThey have three clerical missionaries, one of whom is a doctor, and\nthree single ladies.\n\nAfter Fusan, Pyeng Yang was the next station to be established in\nKorea. Its history in the early times has been already given in\nanother chapter. Perhaps because of the many trials its people have\nhad to endure in the course of the two Japanese wars and subsequent\ncolonization by aliens, perhaps because from the earliest times,\nfirst from Manchuria and then from Seoul the gospel seeds were most\npersistently and continuously sown here, perhaps because the people\nof the north are more ready and receptive, we know not, but the work\nduring the last fifteen years has multiplied and spread with far more\namazing rapidity in the north than in the middle and southern portions\nof Korea.\n\nThe same can hardly be said much longer. Witness Mr. Swearer\u2019s letter,\njust quoted, and the wonderful percentage of growth in other places.\nThe south has at last taken fire, too, but nevertheless, even to-day,\nthe greatest fruits of mission efforts are being gathered in our\nnorthern stations.\n\nThis station was started in 1893 and has under its care the province\nof South Pyeng Yang which, though small, is thickly populated, and\na portion of North Whang Hai, including about 800,000 people to be\nevangelized. There are seven ordained Presbyterian ministers on whose\nshoulders in addition to this evangelistic work rests a large share\nof theological instruction, two large educational institutions, the\npreparation of school text-books and books of all kinds as well as the\ncare and direction of eleemosynary institutions such as a school for\nthe blind and home for the friendless.\n\nThe institutional work for women is largely under the care of two\nladies and the evangelistic work for women is ably undertaken by the\nwives of the missionaries who all devote to it a great deal of time and\nfaithful work.\n\n\u201cOne part of the province of Whang Hai, at first coming under the care\nof Pyeng Yang station, about two years ago was set off with a part of\nthat belonging to Seoul station to form the new station of Chai Ryong,\nand a part of Northern Pyeng An province which also was at first a part\nof Pyeng Yang territory, was set aside to form the Syen Chun station\nas the work grew too heavy and was too distant to receive the careful\nconstant oversight needed from Pyeng Yang city. The territory and work\nin this province is shared with the Northern Methodists. A division\naccording to counties has been arranged between these two denominations\nfor most of this section and a similar division is now under advisement\nfor the balance. The Methodists have at present only three ordained\nclerical missionaries and one physician to care for their share of\nthe evangelistic work in this district which includes the province\nof South Pyeng An with the entire province of Whang Hai, making this\nmission\u2019s share of the population in the neighborhood of one million,\nfor whom there are only four ordained men, one of whom must give his\nentire time to educational work. As with the Presbyterians, the wives\nof the missionaries take a full and active part in the evangelistic\nwork. In 1893, when these two denominations planted their stations\nand organized their two churches neither could have counted more than\ntwenty baptized members--not seventy-five baptized persons in the whole\nprovince, not four chapels in the extent of their district. Now, 1907,\nthe Presbyterians have 164 self-supporting churches with 258 regular\nmeeting places, 6089 communicants of whom 1106 were added during the\nyear and 20414 adherents. For the instruction of the children in those\nchurches there are 111 parochial schools of which 110 are entirely\nself-supporting, with an attendance of 3075 pupils. In the city are\nfour churches, Central, South, North and East, with another church to\nbe set off in the West almost at once. Although three other churches\nhave already been set off from the Central Church it is still too small\nand they are compelled to hold two services for the accommodation of\nthe one congregation, packing the building first with men, later with\nwomen. \u201cIt is here that the great prayer-meetings of between eleven and\ntwelve hundred are held, while on the same night similar meetings are\nheld in the other churches, giving some three or four thousand people\nfor the week night services. This has also become an institutional\nchurch, with its church house in the center of the city with recreation\nand reading rooms, night schools and classes for educational training\nand a large book shop for the dissemination of the printed Word.\u201d[14]\n\n[14] \u201cKorea\u2019s Challenge,\u201d by H. G. Underwood.\n\nTo a large extent the better class of the people of the city have\nbeen reached and to-day the whole city feels the effect of Christian\ninfluence. A Christian sentiment rules and the actions of church\nmembers have a reflex influence on the whole community. Not only\nis this the case within the city walls but this influence reaches\nfar into the country. Its own evangelists sometimes paid by the\nnative church, sometimes voluntarily at their own expense, go freely\neverywhere, preaching, establishing groups of Christians, which become\nself-supporting churches, and holding Bible classes. Most of these\ngroups have their schools and in their turn as they gain strength send\nout evangelists and workers, thus multiplying the influence of the\ngospel and everywhere that this influence prevails saloons are closed,\nthe Sabbath is kept holy, gambling and vice of every kind is suppressed\nand first of all idolatry is abolished. Let me here quote a few lines\nfrom the letter of an American young lady who visited some of the\nservices held in Pyeng Yang.\n\n\u201cWe visited eight Sunday Schools--Sunday Schools of small boys and\nsmall girls, of big boys and older girls, of married women and of\nmarried men, varying from one to three hundred pupils respectively.\nEvery room was flooded with sunlight and crowded with white, spotless\nlinen-dressed men or women, though nothing had been said to them on\nthe subject of their appearance or their dress; the Christians have\nall adopted the custom of making valiant efforts, no matter how poor\nthey are, to appear in clean clothes each Sunday. You can imagine what\nthis means for women who toil all day every day but Sunday, and who\nwear voluminous white dresses and white handkerchiefs tied around their\nheads like Dutch caps. The effect is wonderful. Their faces shone like\nthe morning, their clothes glistened like white satin. There were six\nhundred gathered in one church for special women\u2019s service at eleven\no\u2019clock. Seated close together on the floor, facing me (I was at the\norgan on the platform), with their black hair securely tied back under\ntheir handkerchiefs, their dark eyes full of expression, their white\nteeth glistening as they smiled at me or the speaker--they were truly\nbeautiful.\u201d\n\nThe country work is divided into seven circuits and in both local and\ncity work those whose assignment is educational or medical assist also.\nOne of these city churches will accommodate about fifteen hundred. In\nthe others about eight hundred to one thousand can be received.\n\nThe Methodists have two large city churches, one of which is the First\nChurch of Pyeng Yang and the other the Drew-Appenzeller Memorial\nChurch. They have four country circuits with a total membership of 4958\nto which we must add 5308 seekers. They have 43 primary schools with\n1405 pupils.\n\nIn medical work the Presbyterians in charge of the Caroline A. Ladd\nhospital and the Methodists have almost complete union, and the\nevangelistic opportunities of these hospitals and dispensaries can\nscarcely be overestimated. Thousands of patients are treated here every\nyear. Mrs. R. S. Hall, M.D., Methodist, has charge of the Hall Memorial\nHospital for women. Women\u2019s work is carried on by the Methodists\nthrough their married ladies and four single lady missionaries, one of\nwhom is a native Korean, educated in America and having received the\ndegree of M.D. in an American university. These ladies are constantly\nengaged in giving Biblical and secular teaching both in the city and in\nthe country districts.\n\nIn both the Presbyterian and Methodist missions one of the strongest\nfeatures here as indeed all through Korea, is the system of training\nclasses \u201cwhich are similar to a Bible Institute in America and range\nfrom those who are just learning to read to those who have studied\ntheir Bibles for years. In the Presbyterian Mission the class for 1907\nfrom the country districts of Pyeng An, meeting in Pyeng Yang City,\nreached an enrolment of about 1000, the classes for the men of the city\nabout 800 hundred, that for country women 560, that for city women 300.\nIn addition to these classes which in the case of the men was mainly\nfor leaders, 182 classes were held in central places in the country,\nthe women missionaries having charge of ten with an enrolment of 685\nmen, making altogether 192 of these classes with an enrolment of 9650.\nWe are sorry not to be able to give the figures of similar classes held\nby the Methodists. We thus have a complete system of Bible instruction\nwhich is illustrated by the following simple diagram.\n\n[Illustration]\n\nThe large spots at the end of the radii represent the country centers\nand to these the people from the little villages round, represented by\nthe small dots, gather to the country classes, while the leaders from\nall these places, large and small, and many laymen, go up to Pyeng Yang\nonce a year to the leaders\u2019 Bible training classes.\n\nIn this station is the theological seminary for all the Presbyterian\nmissions working in Korea. Here students carefully selected from all\nover the country are in regular attendance three months of each year,\nthe rest of their time being spent in active evangelistic work. The\ninstructors here are missionaries from all the stations and from each\nPresbyterian Mission, but those residing in Pyeng Yang do a greater\nportion of this work than others. A much more extended and complete\nunion in educational work between Methodists and Presbyterians has been\nattained in Pyeng Yang than elsewhere. In the college and academic work\nof this section there has been a tentative union, but those engaged\nin this believe it will soon be a fixed arrangement. This educational\nwork is under the especial charge of the Presbyterian missionaries\nassisted by other members of the station and by one of the Methodist\nmissionaries. The growth during the last year, especially, has been\nvery great.\n\nTwo single ladies have charge of the institutional work of the\nPresbyterians. There are girls\u2019 schools and women\u2019s Bible classes in\nboth city and country districts.\n\nA letter very recently received, February, 1908, giving a few reports\nfrom the country circuits, will show something of the present progress\nof missions there. Mr. Swallen, reporting for his itinerating work from\nOctober to December, 1907, says in substance, \u201cDuring a trip in which I\nvisited every point except one or two of the smallest ones I found the\nwork exceedingly encouraging. Especially through the central west all\nthe churches are growing rapidly. I made one visit to Pastor Seng\u2019s,\nholding a circuit class--Bible--in the latter section attended by two\nhundred men and a leaders\u2019 meeting with an attendance of nearly one\nhundred. The work of the circuit is so great that it has been divided\nand hereafter there will be two leaders\u2019 meetings and two circuit\nclasses. Last year the district supported eleven helpers at a cost of\ntwelve hundred nyang each, thirteen nyang more than this sum being in\nthe Treasurer\u2019s hands at the end of the year. Since then two of the\nhelpers have become pastors and are receiving thirty-six hundred nyang,\nbut in addition to this the people propose to support ten helpers and\nhave increased the salaries of all who are helpers of experience. Still\nmore, they have given enough money to send a helper to the new mission\nfield in the island of Quel Part, the mission field of Chu Chu. I\nfeel strongly the need of instruction for the multitudes coming in. I\npreached every day and night but what is that when the need is so great\nand much of my preaching is special instruction at the commemoration\nof the Lord\u2019s Supper. Even the helpers cannot spend much time in\ninstruction; there are so many places to visit they can scarcely know\nall the people. There must be lay instruction and I feel very strongly\nthat _we must do something at once in the matter of teaching those\nwho are to give it_. At one class twenty of the leaders and deacons\nalone expressed their desire to study for a month in Pyeng Yang in\npreparation for this work. During the three months I have baptized\n500 adults and 14 children and have received 799 catechumens. Thirty\nwomen\u2019s classes have been arranged for aside from the circuits in\ncharge of the two pastors, and during the first two weeks of the Korean\nNew Year forty-four classes for men will be held in the district.\u201d\nThese classes are from a week to ten days\u2019 duration. The same letter\ngoes on to say that \u201cMr. Bernheisel during fifty-five days in the\ncountry travelled about 650 miles, visiting 43 groups of Christians....\nThere are now five helpers in this district. 164 adults were received\nin baptism and 277 catechumens. In October Mr. Lee baptized 57 adults\nin his Whang Chu circuit and found great advance in educational lines.\nThere are now eleven boys\u2019 schools and one academy, seven night schools\nand four schools for girls. The church in Whang Chu purchased for three\nthousand nyang a fine tiled building, formerly a Roman Catholic church\nto be used as their school.\n\n\u201cEarly in November Mr. Moffett made his first visit to his Eastern\ncircuit in company with the newly ordained Pastor Han, they together\nreceiving in baptism 73 adults in three churches. In their district\nfour classes for women had an aggregate attendance of 123.\u201d\n\nTai Ku, being the third largest city in Korea, in the midst of a very\ndensely populated province, that of North Kyeng Seng, of which it is\nthe capital, a station was opened here, in 1899. The missionaries\nhad taken their residence there in 1897. This province is said to\ncontain 1,750,000 people and is left entirely to our mission and here\nin this city is a fairly well equipped hospital, a church with an\naverage attendance of between seven and eight hundred and an academy\nwhich it is expected will meet the needs of Tai Ku and Fusan for some\nyears to come. \u201cIt is still pioneering work in this district. The\nwork is divided into that of the city and four country districts.\nIn the latter they have 85 entirely self-supporting churches with\n564 communicants--of whom 280 were added during the year--and\n6145 adherents. These churches have 49 schools, 46 being entirely\nself-supporting, with an enrolment of 433 pupils. The numbers of\napplicants and baptized have been nearly doubling themselves in this\nstation yearly for the past three or four years. All this work with the\nresponsibility for nearly two millions souls is on the shoulders of\nfour ordained men and one physician, their wives and one single woman.\n\u201cThe responsibility,\u201d I said, humanly speaking, for could they not cast\nthis burden on the Lord it would certainly crush them, but in addition\nto the knowledge, the inspiring knowledge that they are workers\ntogether with Him, they also realize that they have the earnest prayers\nof brother missionaries and of Christians in home lands.\n\nThe members of the Southern Presbyterian Mission arrived in 1893 and\nhave always worked in harmony with the Northern church. They assisted\nthe Northern Mission for a few years while studying the language and\nfinally started their first station in Chun Ju, the adjacent territory\nfor which they are responsible having a population of five hundred\nthousand. There are 60 out stations, 386 communicants, 4000 adherents\nand there are ten schools of which nine are self-supporting. There is\nonly one missionary and his wife to work this territory. Kun Son is\nreally the port of Chun Ju and with its surrounding population has a\nterritory inhabited by five hundred thousand people with four clerical\nmen, one of whom is married, to care for them. They report 27 out\nstations, 381 communicants, 1150 adherents, six schools and 125 pupils.\n\nMok Po and Quang Ju should be considered as one station, the one being\nthe port, the other the capital of this southern province and this\nstation has entire charge of the province of South Chulla Chulla, with\na population something over one million. Here are four missionaries,\nthree of whom are married and one single lady. They report 53 out\nstations, 284 communicants, 3260 adherents and carry on three schools\nwith 66 pupils. Two million people are here left to be evangelized\nby eight missionaries. Says the Rev. Mr. Preston, \u201cThe number of\nrecognized stations on my circuit has grown from seven to fourteen. A\nchain of stations within easy distance of each other has been effected.\nThe growth has been very gratifying. I examined in all 331 people of\nwhom 74 received baptism and 193 were received as catechumens. The\ntotal number in these groups is 120 baptized and 188 catechumens, as\nagainst 49 baptized and 75 catechumens last September. It seems hard\nto realize that only a year and a half ago this work consisted of Mok\nPo with 27 baptized and 17 catechumens, Soo Yung with six catechumens\nand Sadong with none. Mok Po is in a flourishing condition, the _growth\nhaving been more than fifty per cent in the last nine months_. This,\ntoo, is in the south, where it was said by some only a few years ago\nthat the people were so different from those in the north we could\nnever expect similar results among them.\u201d\n\nThe Canadian Presbyterians, arriving in 1898, have by mutual agreement\nbeen assigned the northern province of Ham Kyeng and have stations\nat Won San, Ham Eung and one point still further north. They have at\npresent six clerical workers, one male physician, one lady doctor and\none other single woman. They have 62 self-supporting churches with\n814 members, adherents 3830, who gave last year $2,573.34. Almost the\nentire population of this province is left to their care.\n\nSyen Chun was set aside as a station in 1901, when the work in North\nPyeng Yang was growing so rapidly that it was impossible to care\nfor it from the old center. The territory is about three hundred\nmiles long by one hundred and fifty wide and includes a population\nof about eight hundred thousand, of whom fully five hundred thousand\nare the Presbyterian allotment, for the Methodists located at Yeng\nByen have divided this with them. When this station was opened, the\nenrolled membership including catechumens was 1800. There are now in\ncharge three married clerical missionaries, one doctor and his wife\nand two single women. A new church to accommodate fifteen hundred\npeople has just been erected in this town which, with a men\u2019s Sunday\nSchool numbering eight hundred and a women\u2019s numbering seven hundred\nthirty-three, is only a part of the results since the station was\nestablished.\n\nThe country work is divided into twenty-one circuits and during the\nyear twenty-four new groups have been started. Included in this\nterritory is the Kang Kei district to the north east. Here there are\nthree circuits with three helpers, thirteen school teachers, three home\nmissionaries and two colporteurs, all entirely supported by the native\nchurch.\n\nThe difficulty of access and the great distance make it imperative\nthat a new station should be started here at Kang Kei as the people\nare eager, intelligent and among the most responsive and progressive\nin the province. For this new station at least two ordained men and a\nphysician will be necessary.\n\nDuring the past year, 1906-7, this station reports 102 churches, all\nself-supporting, with 4,639 communicants, of whom 1085 were added\nlast year and a total of adherents of 15,348. These churches support\n103 schools with an enrolment of 2,290 pupils. The rapidly increasing\nnumber of graduates from primary schools who demanded further\ninstruction and the insistence of their parents have made it necessary\nto open temporary academies in various parts of the province but these\nwill be now united at Syen Chun, the necessary funds having been\ngenerously given by a Christian woman in New York.\n\nThe two single ladies with the missionaries\u2019 wives have women\u2019s work in\ncharge which includes women\u2019s training classes, girls\u2019 schools and two\ngirls\u2019 academies to be opened for a part of the year.\n\nChai Ryong station was started like Syen Chun because the rapidly\nincreasing work made it seem necessary to place resident missionaries\nin their midst, so this station was opened in 1905-6 with three\nmarried clerical men and one doctor and his wife. In this city the\nnatives have built and paid for a new church with a seating capacity\nof one thousand. The missionaries report 98 self-supporting churches,\n2,255 communicants, of whom 417 were added during the year and 7,420\nadherents. These churches carry on 45 parochial schools with 771\npupils. It was this district with regard to which much that has been\nwritten in previous chapters of this book had reference and here are\nsome of the oldest of the Christian communities.\n\nA summary of the missions of the Northern Presbyterian Church in\nKorea shows that she is solely responsible for six million seven\nhundred thousand people and in carrying out this work she has one\nembryo theological seminary, one college, three academies, three\nhundred thirty-nine primary schools for girls and boys, and here we\nare speaking rather of teachers and scholars than of buildings and\nequipment.\n\nThey have 619 self-supporting churches, carrying on meetings in 767\nplaces, have enrolled 15,079 communicants, of whom 3,421 were admitted\nlast year, giving a total of adherents of 59,787. (The others, making\nabout eighty thousand, belong to the other Presbyterian Church.) The\nSouthern Presbyterian Church has six hospitals and asks for two more at\nonce and an immediate reinforcement of missionaries.\n\nAs has been said, all the different missions of the Presbyterians\nworking in Korea form one united native church of Jesus and work\nin every way as one mission, having a Council of Missions meeting\nannually. With the consent of the governing bodies of these missions\nan advance was made in 1907, when a Presbytery was organized to take\noversight of all the Presbyterian churches and was constituted with\nDr. S. A. Moffett in the chair at the city of Pyeng Yang on the\nseventeenth of September, 1907. He writes, \u201cThe Presbytery had as\nits representatives elders from thirty-six fully organized churches,\nat least two other churches with elders not being represented. The\nPresbytery then elected its officers and as its first work began\nthe examination of the seven men who had finished the theological\ncourse of five years and proceeded to their ordination. At the night\nmeeting, in a very impressive service, the seven men were ordained. The\nPresbytery consisted, after the ordination, of these men, of thirty-two\nforeign missionaries and forty Korean ministers and elders. It has\necclesiastical jurisdiction over a church with 17,890 communicants,\n21,482 catechumens, 38 fully organized churches, 984 churches not fully\norganized, adherents numbering 69,098, and day schools 402 with 8,611\npupils. This church contributed last year for all purposes $47,113.50.\n\nThe ordained men were appointed as pastors or copastors over groups of\nchurches except two, one of whom was called by the Central Church of\nPyeng Yang, and one was sent as a missionary to Quel Part, the whole\nchurch to provide the money to send with him one or more helpers. Thus\nthe infant church, needing sorely more helpers at home, sends its first\nforeign missionary abroad.\n\nThe Methodist Church has centered its work for North Pyeng An in the\ncity of Yeng Byen and has divided it into six circuits. The territory\nis about three hundred miles long by one hundred fifty wide and has a\npopulation of about eight hundred thousand, and of these at least three\nhundred thousand are the Methodist allotment.\n\nThere are at the present time 551 members with 405 seekers. They have\nnine primary schools with 185 pupils and for the care of all this work\nonly one man and his wife have been assigned.\n\nThe whole allotment, then, according to division of territory, of\nthe Methodist mission in Korea is about three million people to be\nreached. There are several hospitals and dispensaries but not enough.\nThe Methodist Churches North and South have united along educational\nlines in establishing the Biblical Institute of Korea for theological\ninstruction. The Northern Church unites with the Presbyterian in Pyeng\nYang in college and academic work, and it has established a college at\nSeoul and has a large number of primary schools that center in a normal\ninstitute meeting annually at the capital.\n\nIn the development of her evangelistic work there are 23,455 members\nand probationers, 16,158 seekers and 113 schools with 4,267 pupils.\n\nThe Southern Methodist mission have already been frequently\nreferred to but their work at Song Do and Won Son has not yet been\nmentioned, because it has been the desire to speak of the work of\nall denominations as far as possible together, to show the force and\nthe strength of the whole church of Christ in these sections where\nmore than one mission was at work. But, as has already been said, the\nSouthern Methodists have a compact piece of territory, triangular in\nshape, with Song Do, Seoul and Won Son at each apex, and Seoul being\nthe only place where they have work with other missions, Won Son and\nSong Do have not yet been mentioned.\n\nSong Do was the objective point of this mission at the start and there\nthey contemplate having their largest plant. There are two married men\nand one single man for evangelistic work and two clergymen, one of\nwhom is a Korean gentleman educated in America, for their educational\ninstitutions, and two doctors and three single ladies. They intend to\nmake this city the seat of large educational institutions for girls\nand boys. They have in Song Do at present in their advanced school one\nhundred and fifty students. At Won Son, the most northeasterly point of\ntheir territory, they have two evangelistic workers, one educational,\none medical worker and three single ladies. They have here one city\nchurch with a large number of country churches, a day school for boys,\na boarding school for girls and a dispensary. The last statistics of\nthe mission show 181 organizations with 89 churches or chapels, and\n4,998 members, who gave last year $2,380.26.\n\nThe English Society for the Propagation of the Gospel has already\nbeen mentioned. Besides their work in Seoul they have evangelistic\nand medical missions at Chemulpo and Kang Wha and a substation at Su\nWon. Their workers are fine, earnest and efficient people and we only\nregret that they are so few and that we have not been able to get their\nstatistics in time for these chapters. We hope that although our forms\nof worship are so different they and we may at no distant date be able\nto enter into the same union in which we believe every true church of\nour blessed Lord must come.\n\nA few incidents have been related to show the attitude and\ncharacteristics of the native Christians, and the manner in which the\ngospel is being carried among the Koreans. One point which is very\nmarked is that they consider the work their own. They do not depend\non missionaries or leaders alone to preach and spread it abroad, but\neach man, woman and child feels that it is his or her business as far\nas possible to \u201cpass on the Word.\u201d While some of these people are\nignorant, some are well educated and some are brilliant young men\nwho have refused various inducements to accept high positions in the\npolitical and mercantile world and who are devoting their best strength\nand much or all of their time at tremendous sacrifice to serve their\nSaviour.\n\nThe attitude of the Christians everywhere is that of joy and triumph.\nPurified in the cleansing fires of the Holy Spirit during the great\nrevivals of a year ago, they are going forward with new enthusiasm,\ndevotion, consecration, aroused faith, as one man, to win and save\nall their countrymen. The missionaries, too, were never so much one\nin heart, thought and action, never so fully aroused and alert, never\nso full of assurance and gratitude. Not a man or woman but thanks God\nthat they are privileged to live at this day and work with Him in this\nplace and see the glorious things that He is doing. Not one but feels\ncertain God has far greater things in store in the future than in the\npast. Not one but believes more than ever in the power of prayer, but\nbelieves that through prayer Korea may be, shall be won for Christ in\nthe near future. Pulses are quickening, blood is tingling with the\nwonder and the glory of it and we ask ourselves how it is that we, _we_\nare permitted to see and hear these things. \u201cFor the wilderness and the\nsolitary place shall be glad for them and the desert shall rejoice and\nblossom as the rose.\u201d\n\nIn the days of Moses God led His people out of Egypt and through the\ndesert with a series of awful judgments and wonderful miracles, and\nestablished them in Canaan, under His own divine laws, as an object\nlesson to the age of His mighty power and of His ideal of a nation,\na symbol and example to His Church. And it looks altogether possible\nand probable that now, when faith seems to be growing cold, when\nsceptics are so openly questioning the power of God\u2019s pure Gospel, He\nis intending to use one of the weakest and most despised of the peoples\nto illustrate what the Gospel pure and simple can do to evangelize a\nwhole nation. One of the men of the New Theology asked me anxiously\nwhether we \u201cwere teaching the Koreans a theology that would soon\nneed revising.\u201d Thank God the theology the Koreans are being taught\nis not man made or man revised. Thank God He is vindicating the \u201cold\ntime religion,\u201d the old time theology, the old time Bible, as good\nenough for Korea, powerful to the pulling down of heathen strongholds,\npowerful to change wicked men into good men, heathen communities into\nrighteous, pure and good ones. Unto Higher Critics--a stumbling block,\nunto liberal New Theologians--foolishness, but to those who take Him\nsimply as little children and His Word--the power of God and the wisdom\nof God unto salvation, because the foolishness of God is wiser than\nmen, the weakness of God is stronger than men, and He is choosing the\nfoolish things of the world to confound the wise; He is choosing the\nweak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty, and He\nis saying to the men who stand as the Jews and Greeks of our Western\nChurches, \u201cHere is base, despised Korea. Behold what the old Bible, the\nold Gospel, with the teaching of the Spirit, received and believed, can\ndo for her.\u201d\n\nIt is in this way the finger of God is pointing, it is in this way He\nis leading, and we are following after, if we may apprehend that for\nwhich we were apprehended by Christ Jesus; reaching forth, we press\ntoward the mark _for the prize of the high calling of God for the whole\nnation of Korea_ in Christ Jesus.[15]\n\n[15] All the facts and statistics given in this chapter are taken\nfrom \u201cThe Call of Korea,\u201d by H. G. Underwood, \u201cThe Korea Field,\u201d and\npersonal letters, and recollections and Mission Official Reports.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIX\n\n    Pentecostal Blessing--Special Meetings--Prayer\n    Answered--Confession of Sin--Revival in Schools--Great\n    Meetings--Bible Study--Effects of Blessings--Transforming\n    Power--Holy Spirit Revival--Comparative Statement of\n    Growth--Features of the Great Work--Union of Christians in\n    Korea.\n\n\nThe story of \u201cHow the Spirit Came to Korea\u201d reads more like an extract\nfrom the Acts of the Apostles than an account of what could have\nhappened in our modern matter-of-fact world. More than twenty-four\nyears ago mission work was begun in this country, but before we relate\nthat story of first beginnings, let us turn to the last page and look a\nlittle, as best we may at a distance, and see how God had been crowning\nand perfecting His work of grace there.\n\nIt seems to the writer, in looking back over the history of events for\nbeginnings and causes, that the beginning as far as can be told was at\nthe conference for prayer and consecration held by all the American\nmissionaries of both Methodist and Presbyterian denominations in Seoul,\nAugust, 1904. There had then come upon all present, unexpectedly,\noverwhelmingly, a powerful impulse toward closer fellowship and entire\nunion in work, and the conviction that the native Church in Korea ought\nemphatically to be one. Men were swept away with an irresistible tide\nof enthusiasm. No one wished or attempted to resist the mighty movement\nof the Spirit. All who were present testified to the blessed sense of\nthe presence of the Spirit of Love. Hearts glowed; brother drew nearer\nto brother; misunderstandings, differences, divergencies of method, of\ncreed, seemed trifling and insignificant; difficulties vanished away or\nwere brushed aside; and they voted unanimously for a Council of Union\nof all the missions working in Korea, and for a United Native Church of\nChrist.\n\nIt was a blessed experience, but, as might have been expected, the\npowers of evil would never quietly submit without interference to a\nmeasure so calculated for their overthrow, so in keeping with the\nLord\u2019s will, and there forthwith sprang up in the minds of a few,\ndifficulties, doubts, mistrusts and hindrances. Nevertheless, a similar\nmeeting was held in August, 1905. A Union Council was then regularly\norganized with officers and rules. Plans were made and various\ncommittees formed to forward and perfect the organization of one United\nNative Church of Christ in the near future. Again one Spirit seemed to\nfill all hearts. One impulse of holy love to our Lord and to each other\nseemed to move us all to one supreme consummation--obedience to the\ndying command of the Master, and we all felt that He would follow this\nwith still greater blessings.\n\nIn the fall of that same year, Dr. Hardie and other missionaries of Won\nSan received a baptism of the Holy Spirit with power, characterized by\na deep and searching sense of sin and God\u2019s awful holiness and majesty.\nThis experience was extended to the native Christians as well, and\nwith deep repentance came a new feeling of peace and a greater zeal\nand consecration than ever before. To the other mission stations and\ncommunities of native Christians the news of this came, as well as\nthrilling accounts of what God was doing in Wales, in India and in\nother parts of the world, and a great longing filled all souls. \u201cBless\nme, even me, also, oh, my Father,\u201d was the continued cry of their\nlonging hearts.\n\nDr. Hardie came to Seoul and held meetings with some of the native\nChristians and the missionaries. Many felt that they had received a\nblessing, but there was no very marked or general revival.\n\nAt the annual meeting of our Mission, 1905, there was one afternoon\nset apart for a special meeting of the women missionaries for mutual\nconference as to the best means of bringing Koreans and themselves into\ncloser and fuller walk with God, and to pray for renewed consecration.\nIt was a solemn heart-searching time. They seemed to realize that\nall their efforts and prayers and desires had hitherto been but\nhalf-hearted compared with what they should have been, and ere they\nparted, they, on their knees, joined in a mutual promise to pray by\nname every day for the quickening and full sanctification of each\nother. It is not possible to put into words the deep impression made\non the minds of most of the women present by the Holy Spirit, in that\nlittle meeting.\n\nNot long after, a little printed pledge to pray daily for the\noutpouring of the Spirit on the Korea missionaries, on the native\nChristians and on the heathen communities, was sent by one of the\nSouthern Presbyterians to each missionary in Korea to be signed and\nkept if he wished. It was simply putting into definite form the leading\nof the Spirit in all our hearts, a united cry, \u201cBless me, even me,\nalso, oh, my Father.\u201d It was the cry heard in our little circles of\nprayer. It was the continued petition of our closets, the principal\nthought and desire filling our conscious moments. The natives were\nmoved as one man with us. Some of the little churches held nightly\nmeetings of prayer for this blessing. For months, even years, some had\nbeen holding these meetings before the foreigners began.\n\nThe women in some of the churches met regularly to pray for this. It\nwas the chief theme of their requests at all their services. How they\nprayed in secret none but God knows, but each man and woman knew how he\nor she was led to besiege the throne, with a spirit that would not be\ndenied, that with fasting and strong crying, continued in supplication\nbefore God. It was prayer divinely led, for even as the blessing was\ndemanded, as it were, the weak flesh wondered how such large things as\nwe were irresistibly impelled to ask could possibly be expected. We\nprayed that there should be Pentecostal outpourings; that thousands\nshould turn to Christ; that the great class of the nobility, (as yet\nuntouched), so bound down by caste, by custom and social usage, by\npolitical requirements and family duties and bonds, should come into\nthe kingdom; that the church should be spiritualized; that Koreans,\nintellectually converted, should realize the hideousness of sin; and\nthat we, natives and foreigners, might \u201ccomprehend with all saints what\nis the height and depth and breadth and length and to know the love of\nChrist that passeth knowledge and be filled with all the fulness of\nGod.\u201d\n\nThese were the prayers that had been unitedly offered by all the\nmissions at the conferences held every year since August, 1904, at the\nchurches, native and foreign, at family worship, in little neighborhood\nprayer-meetings, in the closet and as they walked the streets or went\nabout their work.\n\nAs has been said, the first blessings had fallen upon Won San. The\nnext report of which I have note is from Mokpo, where Mr. Gerdine held\nservices in October, 1906, twice a day for a week, from whence the\nreport came, saying:\n\n\u201cThe word was like a scalpel, laying bare the secret sins and hidden\ncancers of the soul. Strong men wept like children, confessing their\nsins, and as they realized the Saviour\u2019s forgiveness and peace with\nGod, their faces shone and the church rang with hymns of triumph. Men\nstood six deep waiting to testify of blessing received, sins forgiven,\ndifferences healed, victory over self, and baptism of the Spirit. From\nthe beginning the spirit of _prayer_, _intercession_ and _confession_\nwas poured out in a remarkable way.\u201d\n\nIn August, 1906, a Bible and prayer conference was held at Pyeng Yang,\nby the missionaries of that station, for the deepening of their own\nspiritual life. Dr. Hardie, of Won San, was present and \u201chelped them\ngreatly,\u201d and Mr. Lee writes that there was born in their hearts the\ndesire that God would take complete control of their lives and use\nthem mightily in His service. Immediately after this, at Seoul, during\nthe Annual Meeting of the Presbyterian missionaries, many of them\nreceived much blessing and aid in meeting Dr. Howard Agnew Johnson,\nwho had already been greatly used in helping the Seoul missionaries.\nHe went to Pyeng Yang later and stirred up fervent desire in the\nhearts of native Christians by telling them of the wonderful blessing\npoured into India, \u201cand from that time natives and missionaries were\npraying for the blessing, till it came,\u201d says Mr. Lee. To one looking\nback over the whole history of events, it had already begun. All the\nprevious fall and winter we had seen that something wonderful was\nhappening. A new spirit was abroad. There was a shaking and rustling\namong the dry bones. Christians were not only praying but working.\nEven those who had never done much hitherto, would go out into the\ncountry and spend several days or even weeks at a time, preaching to\nunbelievers and teaching Christians, the letters that came from other\nmissions and other stations in all parts of Korea to the capital as\nbooksellers and native helpers sent in their reports, all were of\nthe same nature; \u201cNot enough books, tracts and hymn books for those\nwho want to buy,\u201d--\u201cThe Bibles all gone. Unpublished new edition\nall sold in advance,\u201d--\u201cChurches and chapels crowded,\u201d--\u201cInquirers\nmultiplying,\u201d--\u201cNumbers of baptized and newly enrolled\ncatechumens far in advance of any previous time,\u201d--\u201cMissionaries\nover-worked,\u201d--\u201cHospitals paying their own running expenses better than\never before,\u201d--\u201cMany new groups formed,\u201d till our hearts thrilled and\nwe felt \u201cthis is surely the Lord\u2019s doing and it is marvellous.\u201d God was\nanswering the prayers of His people.\n\nIn our churches the sight of the increasing crowds every Sunday deeply\nstirred us. To see the throngs which not only filled to suffocation\nthe little buildings but stood crowding the windows and doors, was to\nus who had seen the first feeble timid beginnings of a little handful\nof men and women, beyond power of description, glorious and thrilling.\nWe knew that this eager, anxious throng were there because _Jesus of\nNazareth was passing by_. At every service Christians came to the\nmissionaries bringing those who had made their decision for Christ;\nfrom one or two to whole families. Idols were cast away and Christ was\nchosen. We could hear the Master\u2019s stately steppings and we felt that\nthe place whereon we stood was holy ground.\n\nIn Pyeng Yang, fervent prayer was continually offered for a special\nmanifestation of God\u2019s power, by natives and missionaries in special\ndaily meetings as well as in private. Just before Christmas special\nnoon meetings were held by the missionaries for the Men\u2019s Bible\nTraining Class. These men from the country, said by Mr. Swallen, who\nhad charge of the enrolment, to number about one thousand, had come up\nfor the winter Bible class, from many villages and distant districts.\nSome had walked many miles, most of them bringing their supplies of\nrice with them. On January 6th, evening meetings for the Class and the\npeople of the city began in the large Central Church which holds about\nfifteen hundred. As it would have been much too small for an audience\nof both sexes, it was arranged for the men only to meet in this\nbuilding and the women were asked to meet separately in four different\nplaces, and the schoolboys in the Academy chapel. The Central Church\nwas full of men every night. The meetings grew in power until Saturday,\nwhich was best day of the whole week. Sunday evening the expected\nblessing was withheld, but on Monday night the wonderful manifestation\nof God\u2019s Presence came.\n\nIt was marked, as had been those in Won San and Mokpo, by \u201ca spirit\nof prayer,\u201d conviction of sin, confession and intercession. Awful and\noverwhelming conviction of sin was its most marked feature. Men wept,\ngroaned, beat their breasts, falling to the ground and writhing in\nagony. Mr. Lee, speaking of one of those who confessed said, \u201cIn a\nbroken voice he began to pray and such a prayer I never heard before.\nWe had a vision of a human heart laid bare before its God. As he\nprayed, he wept. In fact he could hardly control himself, and as he\nwept, the audience wept with him. We all felt as if we were in the\npresence of the living God.\u201d\n\nMonday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, the same wonderful\nmanifestations, the same overwhelming sense of the immediate presence\nof the awful glory of God. Mr. Hunt says of them, \u201cTwo or three most\nearnest prayers were followed by such an outpouring of the Spirit\nas I had never before witnessed--great strong men, half a dozen at\na time, pleading for forgiveness and confessing their sins in great\nagony of spirit. From that day on there was not a day without some new\nproof of His presence with us individually and collectively. There was\npublic confession of sin that brought agonized groans from the entire\ncongregation. There were private confessions to God which brought\nstrong men to tears. There were similar confessions to men, accompanied\nby restoration or other real mending of wrong. It was a time of praying\nsuch as we had never known before. The prayer meetings were crowded.\nThe meetings held each evening in the big church were crowded, men only\nbeing admitted. Whole companies were reduced to tears. In the boys\u2019\nschools the work spread and to those at first most sceptical came the\nmost bitter suffering. Between these schools had sprung up some bitter\nrivalry. By reason of the Spirit\u2019s work among them, love and an earnest\nspirit of intercession has taken its place.\u201d\n\nOn the Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the same manifestations of power\nwere felt in the advanced school for girls and women, and at the\nCentral Church Boys\u2019 School, which had been experienced in the men\u2019s\nmeetings. On Thursday the Spirit fell on the primary school for girls.\nMrs. Bernheisel went down to the girls\u2019 school in the city and found\nthe Spirit there also; she wrote, \u201cThe Spirit of God literally fell on\nus, and we couldn\u2019t help but weep and confess our sins.\u201d Saturday night\nthe power fell upon the women of the church.\n\n\u201cAll through the class, the women had been meeting separately,\u201d says\nMr. Lee, \u201cbut there had been no special manifestation among them, and\nit was decided to hold special meetings for them also in the Central\nChurch on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings following. On\nSaturday night the power was felt and the women agonized over their\nsins and confessed as the others had done, and on Monday and Tuesday\nevenings the meetings for women being continued, God\u2019s mighty power\ncontinued to be manifested. So great was the strain that one of the\nwomen became unconscious.\u201d\n\nMrs. Baird writes that \u201cit was a matter of regret to all that the Pyeng\nYang college and academy was not in session at the time of the gracious\nvisitations described by Mr. Lee. Several of the resident students\nwere led through a very wonderful experience, and on all sides the\nearnest hope was expressed and the prayer offered that the beginning\nof the spring term might witness another wonderful manifestation of\nGod\u2019s power and that not one of the students might be left unvisited.\u201d\nSeveral days before the opening of the school, \u201cinformal prayer\nmeetings, attended as well by several of the Korean members of the\nschool faculty were held in the Principal\u2019s study. One morning, feeling\nburdened, he sought out his fellow (missionary) worker who had been\nmuch exercised in prayer and the two knelt together and prayed for the\ndescent of the Spirit upon the school. It was at that hour that the\nstorm broke in the study. Cries and sobs of anguish filled not only the\nroom but the whole house.\u201d\n\nFor two wonderful weeks the work went on among the boys, with whom\nmeetings were held every day at four. \u201cNo attempt was made to lead\nthese meetings. Indeed, leadership would have been impossible. All\nwere prostrate on their faces and all alike except those who had\nalready received a blessing were in an agony of repentance. Sometimes\nthey beat their foreheads and heads against the floor, sometimes they\nliterally writhed in anguish,--then when there seemed no more power\nof resistance left they would spring to their feet and with terrible\nsobs and crying pour out their confessions. No human power could have\ndragged these confessions to light.\u201d\n\nAt the beginning of the school term the usual curriculum was laid\naside, the first week was devoted to Bible study and prayer, reserving\nthe evenings for devotional services with the whole school. On the\nfirst evening one young man after another sprang to his feet and\ntestified to a sense of pardon, peace and joy. But these were only a\nsmall part of the three hundred young men and boys present, and many\nremained \u201ccold and lumpish as ice.\u201d The battle was between our God\nand His forces on one hand and all the hosts of Satan on the other.\nStudents who had received a blessing spent hours of every day in prayer\nand _some spent whole nights on their faces before God_.\n\nAt the meeting of the second evening, before ever the leader took his\nplace, the tide of prayer began rising and though three young men arose\none after another and attempted to lead in prayer, their voices were\nnot heard in the tumult of intercessory supplication that broke out. As\nprayer continued, the building began to resound with groans and cries.\nMany fell forward on their faces on the floor.\n\nAt this meeting and two that followed it was noted that while most\nof the Presbyterian students had been reached, the body of Methodist\nstudents was still largely untouched. The local Methodist preacher, an\nunusually able man _had from the first been opposed to union in the\nschool or in any other way, and had used his influence against it_.\nHe had longed for a blessing on his people and when it fell first on\nthe Presbyterians was jealous and displeased, and it was feared in\nseveral quarters that he was using his influence both in the pulpit\nand the class room to throw discredit on the movement. Special prayer\nwas therefore made for him by native and foreign members of both\ndenominations. On Friday evening the break in the Methodist ranks\nbegan. One young man after another, members of a band who had agreed\ntogether that they would stand out against the prevailing influences,\ngave up all pretence of resistance and cast themselves on the Lord for\nmercy. At midnight there were as many as fifty risen to their feet\nawaiting their turn to confess their sins. During the evening many\nthrew themselves on their knees before the preacher and confessed that\nthey had done wrong in yielding to his influence. Conviction seized\nupon him and at the close of the meeting this proud man was weeping\nin the arms of the missionaries and sobbing out penitent confessions\nof coldness, wilfulness and jealousies. During the remaining evenings\nthere was little disposition to resist the Holy Spirit. Then the Lord\nbegan pouring out His blessings upon the Methodist congregations in the\ncity and the same wonderful manifestations were exhibited here that had\nbeen seen elsewhere.\n\nMr. McCune said of the men\u2019s meetings. \u201cThe room full of men was filled\nwith voices lifted to God in prayer. I am sure that most of the men\nin the room were praying aloud. Some were crying and pleading God\u2019s\nforgiveness for certain sins which they named to Him in prayer. All\nwere pleading for the infilling of the Holy Ghost. Although there were\nso many voices there was no confusion at all. It was all a subdued\nperfect harmony. I cannot explain it with words.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe missionaries had our union meetings with the Methodists one week\nbefore the class began. They were a source of the richest blessing to\nall of us and when we were closing Thursday evening it being suggested\nthat we continue the meetings for the next week or so at noontime, we\ndecided to do so. Daily we have been waiting there and praying for the\nHoly Spirit. _We have no leader for the meeting. Each one who enters\nthe room quietly kneels down and as he is led prays._\u201d\n\n\u201cWe find that these meetings of ours are blessed _just in proportion\nas we spend the whole time from first to last on our knees in prayer\nor proffering requests for_ prayer or thanksgiving, _precluding much\nconversation or discussion_, even upon the progress or incidents of the\nrevival.\u201d\n\nThe blessing fell on both Methodists and Presbyterians, on missionaries\nand natives. Mr. Noble, of the M. E. Church of Pyeng Yang says, \u201cWe are\nhaving the most wonderful manifestations of the outpouring of the Holy\nSpirit on the native churches that I have ever seen or heard. Perhaps\nthere has been no greater demonstration of Divine power since the\nApostles\u2019 days. At every meeting the slain of the Lord are laid out all\nover the church, men and women are stricken down and become unconscious\nunder the power of conviction. The whole city is mourning as people\nmourn for their dead. Many spend whole nights in their homes agonizing\nin prayer, either for their own pardon or in behalf of others. The\npeople break out in spontaneous prayer. Hundreds of voices fill the\nchurch with a murmur that has no more discord than would the notes from\nso many instruments of music.\u201d\n\nFrom Syen Chun Miss Samuels writes of the coming of the Spirit in\npower in January. Mr. Clark wrote from Seoul, \u201cDuring the past month,\nFebruary, the most marvellous working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts\nof Christians in this city has been the subject of daily conversation.\nRevival meetings have been in progress in all the churches. I am\nreminded of the history which records the wonderful results that\nfollowed the preachings of Whitfield and Wesley.\u201d\n\nSo the power spread like wildfire from station to station and from\nlittle country group to group, at the country classes and among both\nMethodists and Presbyterians, time and space failing here to give\nextracts from all the thrilling reports that were sent.\n\nAnd now what were the results of this wonderful revival? Was it a mere\nwave of emotionalism? Korea had known Christianity for many years but\nnever before had anything been seen like this.\n\nWhat results can it show as a seal to its divine origin? \u201cBy their\nfruits ye shall know them,\u201d said our Lord. \u201cMen do not gather grapes of\nthorns or figs of thistles.\u201d Satan does not cast out Satan, and here on\nall sides we see following these revivals sinners converted, those who\nhad done wrong making confession and restitution of money and goods,\nthe churches crowded to overflowing with inquirers and new believers,\nthe coffers of the Lord\u2019s treasury filled, and men of different\ndenominations lovingly joining hands, putting away old jealousies,\nforwarding the Lord\u2019s kingdom shoulder to shoulder. Let me quote again\na few particular instances mentioned by men working in different\ndenominations in various parts of the field.\n\nMr. J. Z. Moore, writing to \u201cThe Korea Field,\u201d says, \u201cMany incidents\ncould be told but two must suffice. A young man who had been a\nChristian for some time received a strange new fire into his life and\nwent to his parents, who were not Christians, pleading with them in\ntears. They gave up keeping the saloon they had had for twenty years\nand are now earnest followers of Christ. In two large towns about\na half mile apart there were two quite strong groups. Ever since I\nhave had the work I have been trying to get them to unite and build a\nchurch, but a church quarrel has always frustrated not only our plans\nfor the church but the Lord\u2019s work in that section as well. The revival\ncame and there was great confession in agony and tears, of pride,\njealousy and hatred, and now they are united in the building of a large\ntile-roofed church. Besides the Bible study classes, nearly every one\nof the larger churches and some of the small ones have had revival\nservices lasting from one to three weeks. The native preachers having\ntaken part in the Pyeng Yang revival took the lead in this work, _which\nhas resulted in transforming churches all over the circuit_. These\nmeetings were times of heart-searching prayer, confession of sin and\nrestoration and straightening up of the past in so far as was possible.\nThis was followed by a real sense of sins forgiven, joy in the\nassurance of the new birth and baptism of the Holy Spirit in cleansing\nand power for service.\u201d\n\n\u201cThese revivals,\u201d he continued, \u201chave taught me two things. First,\nthe Korean is at heart and in all fundamental things at one with his\nbrother of the West. In the second place these revivals have taught\nme _that in the matter of making all life religious, in prayer and\nin a simple childlike trust the East not only has many things but\nprofound things to teach the West_ and until we learn those things\nwe will not know the full-orbed Gospel of Christ. Best of all,\u201d he\nadds, \u201cthis revival has written another unanswerable chapter of\nChristian evidences. The old gospel of the cross and the blood and\nthe resurrection now has become a free, full and perfect salvation to\nmultitudes and has taken literally hundreds of lazy, shiftless and\npurposeless Koreans and turned them into very dynamos of evangelistic\npower. Not only this, but it is proven that Christianity does satisfy\nthe spiritual needs and hunger of the people.\u201d\n\nMr. Clark writes from Seoul: \u201cThe most conspicuous thing, in the whole\nchurch life for the year was the great Holy Spirit revival in February.\nThe church was shaken as never before and, purged as by fire, now under\nthe guidance of the Spirit they are reaching out for others. The three\ncity congregations were never so much one in thought as now. It has\nbeen a beautiful year of growing together.\u201d\n\nMr. Cram writes from Song Do: \u201cI thank God that His mighty transforming\npower is realized by the Korean heart in definite expression.\u201d\n\nMr. McCune writes: \u201cWe have not been counting the new believers as\nwe did in previous years. There will surely be in all four churches,\nMethodists and Presbyterian, in Pyeng Yang, at the close of the\nmeetings not less than two thousand new believers, if we may judge from\nthe way they seem to be coming now.\u201d\n\nMr. Gerdine, of the Southern Methodist Mission, wrote, September, 1906,\n\u201cThe past year has been one of large increase in numbers throughout the\nchurch in Korea. It is probable that thirty thousand new believers have\ncome in during that time.[16] Our own church has shared in the general\nprosperity and advancement. This is true not only of the district as a\nwhole but each circuit will show a good increase over last year. Here\nis a comparative statement of growth:\n\n[16] This refers to the whole Church, the 2000 above referred to being\nin Pyeng Yang alone.\n\n                               October\n                             1905    1906\n  Number of societies          46     129\n  Adult baptisms              201     606\n  Total membership            759    1227\n  Probationers                457    1694\n  Applicants                         1712\n  Total number on rolls      1216    4623\n\n  In 1907 there was an increase in membership of 756, in\n  probationers of 1331, and there were forty-seven new\n  churches.\n\nThis is the growth in one church after the revival spirit had fallen\nupon many of its leaders in Won San and it has not been less wonderful\nin many of the others.\u201d\n\nMr. J. Z. Moore says there has been a gain of at least one third in\nmembership over the last year, (in many churches it has been 50 per\ncent).\n\nMrs. Baird says, \u201cThe night schools in the city were shaken. There were\nmeetings in all the churches for the unconverted and between twelve\nhundred and two thousand came out at that time for Christ among the\nPresbyterians in Pyeng Yang alone. At the meetings of the missionaries\nthere were sacred times, all hearts melted in a wonderful solvent of\nlove. Work spreads to the country classes and churches like holy fire.\u201d\n\nThe money given by the churches of the Presbyterian missions nearly\ndoubled the amount contributed the previous year.\n\nPledges for a certain number of days of evangelistic work have become\ncommon and at one of the Bible classes held in Seoul, men promised in\naddition to other Christian work and precious pledges, an average of\nseventeen days apiece for the coming year,--enough in all to make one\nman\u2019s entire time for six years, and the rule is that these pledges are\nmore than kept, most of the people exceeding the time promised.\n\nThese are simply a few of the results of this great work of God in\nKorea. In every station and village, in large cities and country\ndistricts, the fruits are being gathered. Let those who are permitted a\nshare in it thank God.\n\nBefore finishing this very incomplete review, there are several\nfeatures of it which should be noted.\n\n1st. It was preceded, as has been noted, for a period of three or more\nyears, by a constantly increasing desire and fervent united prayer of\nmissionaries and natives--desire and prayer undoubtedly inspired by Him\nwho intended to give--for the Gift of the Spirit.\n\n2d. It simply fell upon the people waiting before God in insistent,\nbelieving prayer, without having been worked up in any way by exciting\nappeals to emotion.\n\n3d. It came to a people who, during a knowledge of Christianity of\nsome twenty odd years, have never had anything of the kind in their\nreligious life, and have never shown signs of great excitability in\ntheir deepest Christian experiences.\n\n4th. It was marked, everywhere the same, by a realization of the awful\nblackness of sin, consequent upon an acute sense of the immediate\nPresence of the terrible Majesty of the Most High and followed by\nagonizing repentance, confession and restitution.\n\n5th. Wonder and regret have been expressed at the kind of sins\nconfessed by some of these native Christian people. It must be\nremembered that they were Christians who had come out of heathenism\nwith no previous Christian training and breeding, that they were\nliving surrounded by heathenism, but poorly instructed, and some of\nthem, no doubt, had never been more than intellectually converted.\n\nIt must be remembered also that the Apostle Paul addressed admonitions\nto early Christians, whom he evidently considered real Christians,\nwho had had the benefit of his inspired teaching and who had seen the\nmiracles, and perhaps been present at Pentecostal outpourings, who were\nguilty of the darkest sins on the calendar.\n\nAgain, is it not a fact that when we come to God or our brother and\nconfess in a general indefinite sort of way to general indefinite sort\nof sins, when nothing in particular seems to us to be an intolerable\nburden of sin, there is little genuine repentance, only a half\npleasurable sentimental feeling of regret that we are not as perfect\nas we could wish? This repentance means _nothing_. When men confess\nparticular sins they are really repentant. And again, one of our most\nwell known pastors in a large city said with deep emphasis, when this\nwonder was expressed, that were the Spirit of God to come with the same\npower to our American churches, the revelations of depths of sin would\nnot be one whit less appalling than those in Korea.\n\nIt is, however, greatly to be deprecated that those who have heard\nthese confessions should make them a subject of idle gossip. They\nbelong only to the confessor and his God and, perchance, the one who\nwas wronged. It seems to the writer an awful thing to meddle in such a\nmatter, sacred to the Holy Ghost.\n\n6th. And this seems to the writer an intensely significant fact. This\nrevival was preceded, accompanied and followed by a burning desire on\nthe part of the great majority of all Christians of every denomination\nand nationality in the country, for union, for one Church of Christ\nin Korea, an uncontrollable, Heaven-inspired conviction that there\nin Korea, then, at once, if possible, the Lord\u2019s last prayer while\non earth for His Church must be fulfilled, and that we must be one\nin effort, in aim, in name, as we were already in heart, that the\ndifferences and old worn-out historical divisions of the Occident must\nnot be foisted upon the Orient, that in the words of the devoted Bishop\nHarris, we missionaries had not gone across the Pacific to establish a\nMethodist or a Presbyterian church, but to advance the kingdom of the\nMaster, that native Christians were not converted to Presbyterianism,\nMethodism or any other sect but to the Lord Jesus. This was the spirit\nwhich preceded and followed the revival and which in Pyeng Yang, where\nthe power was felt by the greatest number of people and perhaps in the\nmost overwhelming way, seemed more general than elsewhere, and right\nhere I feel impelled to quote the words of Mrs. Baird in regard to the\ndaily prayer-meeting of the missionaries alone of both denominations.\n\n\u201c_All denominational lines seem wiped out forever and we wonder that we\ncould ever have attached importance to them or have allowed ourselves\nto be cramped by them._\u201d\n\nBut everywhere small jealousies have to a great extent been put aside\nand a beautiful spirit of mutual love and generosity prevails.\n\nThus hath God wrought. He has made bare His mighty arm and shown His\nmercy to one of the weakest and most despised of the peoples, for that\nis His will and way. He made His ways known unto Moses, a poor shepherd\nof a despised race, His acts unto the children of Israel, a nation\nof slaves, and He has glorified His Holy Name in little, enslaved,\ndespised Korea. \u201cFor ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many\nwise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:\nbut God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the\nwise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the\nthings which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which\nare despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring\nto nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence.\u201d\n\n\nTHE END.\n\n\n[Transcriber's Note:\n\nInconsistent spelling and hyphenation are as in the original.]","title":"Fifteen Years Among the Top-Knots; Or, Life in Korea","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":111987}