CHAPTER XV
Another Itineration—Christians in Eul Yul—A Ride in an Ox-Cart—Keeping the Cow in the Kitchen—Ox-Carts and Mountain Roads—The Island of White Wing—A Midnight Meeting—Thanksgiving Day in Sorai—The Circular Orders—New Testament Finished—All in the Day’s Work—The Korean Noble—Meetings of the Nobility.
We left Pyeng Yang about the 26th of September, 1900, by one of the toy Japanese steamers, and reached Chinampo, a half-Japanese, half-Korean port, at night. We were accompanied by three young ladies, one of whom, a new arrival, wished to study methods; one who needed the bracing effect of out-of-door country life in the north for a few weeks; and one who had previously arranged with me to carry on a women’s training class in Eul Yul that fall. We were obliged to spend the night in Chinampo, but arriving late, we did not know where to find an inn, till we met an old friend, Rev. Mr. Smart, of the Church of England mission, who kindly found us a Japanese hotel. Here, after telling them our nationality, our ages, our condition, past lives and future intentions, and having been forced in spite of all protests to remove our shoes, they condescended to receive us as guests, at an outrageous price. We must not use our own camp beds, but the mats which had served no one knew whom before us; nor might we have water in our rooms, but must perform all our ablutions in the public hall on the lower floor.
Next morning we gladly bade our too particular hosts farewell, and crossed the river in a wretched old junk, which looked as if it were on the brink of dissolution. Fortunately, the weather was fine and mild, and the river calm, else I am sure we should all have been dipped, for even I had never yet beheld so dilapidated a craft. We were all day on the river, only able to land after dark, thanks partly to the nature of our vessel and partly to the tides, for which we were forced to wait before landing.
The following night was hot, the inns nothing more or less than ovens, and morning found us all in an unusually wilted condition, and to add to the general misery, the young ladies of our party had made important additions to their luggage, which threw us all four into the utmost consternation. That evening we reached Eul Yul, where both men’s and women’s classes were to be held. As usual the people crowded in to meet us as soon as we arrived. Although harvesting was on and it was one of the busiest times of the year, quite a number of women came to study with us. They were so bright and receptive, it was a pleasure to teach them. I had some very interesting visits with the women in their own homes, and was edified to see the bright and practical way in which the Christian who accompanied us talked with some of the unbelievers. One woman was hesitating, fearing she was too ignorant or too wicked to receive salvation, to which our native friend said, “Why, if you are hungry, and a bowl of rice is set before you, you eat right then, and just so if you want salvation, you have only to take and eat.”
The listener’s eyes filled with tears, it seemed too good. All the time we were talking, another Christian woman sat with bowed head asking God’s blessing on the word. In the examination of applicants for baptism, I was much interested to see how carefully our native leaders questioned them. “You say you sin daily, but ask God to forgive, and so have a happy and calm mind. Is it then no matter that you sin?” Again, to a woman who said her past sins were forgiven, and her present sins were confessed every day, he said, “Well, then, what sin have you committed to-day?” She could or would only speak in a general way, and after various questions, mentioned nothing in particular. “But,” said Kim, “is that honoring God, to go and confess you have sinned, and ask him to forgive you know not what?” On Sunday twenty people were baptized. During the communion service all eyes were streaming, and some sobbed like children at the thought of what the Lord had suffered for them.
In the afternoon our native elder, Mr. Saw, gave us a delightful illustrated Bible lesson on the Christian armor, with illustrations drawn and colored by himself, and with most appropriate references. The native Christian was first represented in ordinary dress all unarmed, and in succeeding pictures, one after another of the needed articles, helmet, shield, sandals, breastplate and sword were added. These illustrations were unique to the last degree and extremely well drawn. In the evening an experience meeting was held, when one after another told what the Lord had done for them. Some had been the slaves of drink, and had fallen again and again after repeated attempts to resist, in their own strength, but now for years had been free men in Christ, and were looked upon as miracles of grace by their friends and neighbors.
One man told something of his home life. He had been a dissolute gambling fellow, whose reputation was well known through all the surrounding counties. When he went home at night, after days of absence and dissipation, his angry wife would scold and reproach him, and he in return would beat and maltreat the poor little woman. “It was all misery and discomfort, but now, all peace and love.” A neighbor who came in often remarked on this exceptionally happy home life, wishing hopelessly for something like it in her lot. She could not believe the happy wife when she told her it had once been so different, and that all this came through Jesus.
Then Mrs. Kim called in her husband and bade him tell if this was true. “Why,” said he, “I’ll do more, I’ll give my bond for it, bring paper and pen and I’ll write a bond to any amount you choose to name, that if Jesus comes into your home there’ll be peace there.” “Why,” said he, “people say if the Lord were only here now to do some of his miracles every one would believe, but I tell you the Lord is doing greater miracles now than he ever did on earth when he takes a vile wretch like me and changes his heart.” One man had been afflicted with an apparently incurable disease for over forty years, and now the Lord had healed him; and one had been such a liar that no one believed his honest statements, and yet now was implicitly trusted by every one.