Fifteen Years Among the Top-Knots; Or, Life in Korea

by Lillias H. Underwood

From Hai Ju we proceeded to Chang Yun Eub, where the training class of leaders was to be held this year, and where Dr. Whiting and I had planned to hold a somewhat similar class for women. On the way a stranger, seeing my husband was an American, asked if he knew “a certain ’Un Moxa’ (Preacher Underwood) who sometimes came down that way and taught people to be good and kind to each other,” showing that he had been reading from the book of native Christian practice. All along this road, where only a few years before there was absolute ignorance of the gospel, we found evidences of the dawning light. Here and there in a wayside inn we found a Christian book, or a family half timidly beginning to believe. Everywhere they had heard of “the doctrine,” and heard well of it.

Everywhere there was a pleasant welcome for us and a ready ear for our story. At Chang Yun Eub, quite a number of Christian women had gathered to meet and welcome us. One or two days after reaching there I took a ten-mile ride in a bitter wind to visit a sick woman, which resulted in severe influenza and bronchitis, which, though I managed to fight off for five days, at length confined me to my room and bed for three long weeks. Many of the women had come from five to twenty miles on foot to study with us, so it was bitterly disappointing, but Dr. Whiting did her own part and mine, too, nobly. Nearly all the villages in that district were represented by the local leaders and pastors at Mr. Underwood’s class. They at this time organized a missionary society, which they themselves originated and planned in part, before our arrival. They perfected their scheme with Mr. Underwood’s advice.

Taking a map of the district, they arranged to work in couples, and to each man was assigned four heathen villages, each to be visited once a month, each man pledging himself to do this work every Sunday during the year. Two superintendents were appointed to oversee the general work, advise and help these missionaries, and report to Mr. Underwood. All were to go at their own expense.

By the time the class was over I was able to be carried along the road in my chair, and only one who has been shut in for three weeks, in a tiny room not eight feet high, without a pane of glass in it, quite alone most of the time, can realize how glad I was to be released into the fresh, sweet air and sunshine. Before leaving Chang Yun we bade a long farewell to one of the Christian women, who with a smile and the sweet words, “It’s all grace, it’s all love,” fell gently asleep in Jesus. Dr. Whiting, in accordance with previous plans, did not go with us further, but returned to Seoul. After leaving Chang Yun, our first stop was made at the village of On Chang, where we met quite a little handful of believers. One of these, a woman who was the first convert in that place, had been much troubled and burdened with a sense of guilt. At length she heard that in Chang Yun there were people that could tell her of One who could forgive sins. She went forthwith and learned of Jesus and found peace and pardon, and came back to spread the good tidings and “pass on the word” to her neighbors.

One of these women was a peddler, a class who have to make some sacrifices to keep the Sabbath. Nearly all their business is done at the little fairs or market days, which take place every five days at one or another of the hamlets in a certain circuit. Quite often one of these days falls on a Sunday, and so a whole five days’ profit is lost. But this makes no difference, the day is cheerfully kept; another who kept an inn as cheerfully decided to sell no more liquor, her chief source of profit.

Our next stopping place was at Cho Chun, and as soon as we neared the vicinity, we were met by men, women and children, who had walked out to meet us and conduct us to the home of the leader, in this case the richest and chief man of the whole neighborhood. People professing Christianity gathered here from several small villages, were examined and many baptized. It seemed too hard that we had only so short a time to stay in these places where we were needed so much. Most of the women actually wept when we were obliged to say farewell, and the men and boys followed us miles, sometimes to the next stage in our journey. They are touchingly grateful for the little we do for them, while we thank God for allowing us to learn from them, their simple childlike faith and entire dependence on him.

Mrs. Ha, the wife of the leader, was the only one in the village who could read, and she taught the other women beautifully. Calm, strong, intelligent, she seemed to me a rare type of a Korean woman, and one who was destined to be very useful if she were only better instructed. She was well acquainted with the Gospels and Acts, the only Scriptures till quite lately in their hands, and with nearly all the hymns. But her opportunities for study and instruction were also very few.

After leaving Cho Chun nearly twelve miles distant was our next destination, a little country town of about two thousand people, which we reached after a few hours’ travel. Here we lodged in a neat and comfortable little building consisting of two rooms, with a lean-to kitchen, which the natives had built for us near to the church, half at their own expense. The steps by which we ascended to our rooms were the family ancestral worship stones, which the Christians had once greatly treasured, but for which they had no further use. The women flocked in to greet me, and next day I had the larger room, sixteen by twenty-four feet, crowded with heathen women who came to see the foreign woman and child, but were willing to hear about Christ. Gifts of candies, fruits and other food poured in as usual.

Many were examined for baptism, and gave most satisfactory evidence of conversion, but among them all one deaf old woman interested me most. She was very deaf and stupid. It seemed almost impossible for even the Korean leader to make her hear or understand the questions. She was most anxious to be baptized, but how to learn whether she knew enough of the gospel, we were at a loss to discover.

At last a question seemed to reach her, “Where are you going when you die?” Her face brightened and the answer came, “I’m going to Jesus.” Mark, not heaven, but Jesus. This is the keynote that is always struck, Jesus, their stay now, and hope hereafter, their wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification.