It was a cruel blow at personal liberty, which Anglo-Saxons would die rather than suffer, and which the helplessness of this weak nation made the more pitiful and inexcusable. It was struck shrewdly too, at one of the specially distinguishing marks of Koreans, setting them apart from Japanese and Chinese, designed, we could not help thinking, as one of the first and important parts of a scheme to blot out Korea’s national identity, and merge her into one with Japan; but if this was the intention, never was anything more mistakenly planned. It was hotly resented to the very heart of the country, and added still deeper dye and bitter flavor to the long-nourished hatred Koreans felt for their ancient conqueror and foe. As for us (some of us), we put ourselves in the Korean’s place, recalled our national experience and harbored numbers of Koreans on our place, protecting them from the knife as long as possible. The cup of iniquity was nearly full. The queen, looked upon as the mother of her people, had been murdered, the king virtually imprisoned, the country ruled by the dictum of conspirators and tools of her conquerors, and now this last blow at every family in the nation was too much. A deep spirit of anger and revolt stirred the whole country; yet they had no leaders, no arms, no organization and knew not what to do, a poor down-trodden simple folk, who knew not on whom to lean for help, and who had not learned to cry to him who hears, defends and takes up the cause of the poor and needy. Bands of Tonghaks again ranged the country, insurrections broke out in various localities, some of the shaved magistrates who went to the country were sent back by the mobs, who refused to receive them as rulers, some were actually killed, and the magistracies destroyed, the soldiers were powerless to subdue the disturbances, and things seemed to be growing from bad to worse. Marines were ordered to the legations from Chemulpo (where there were many foreign gunboats and war vessels), and no one knew what next to expect, when suddenly an entire change in the whole situation took place. But now I must return for a while to other matters. In the district of Koksan, in northern Whang Hai Do (Yellow Sea Province), about two hundred miles north from Seoul, a very interesting Christian work had started, as so much of our work has, through God’s own direct dealings with the people, by his word and Spirit. A man from that place having come up to Seoul on business, and receiving some small kindness from Mr. Underwood, which he desired to acknowledge, felt that he could do nothing more delicately complimentary and grateful than to make a show of interest in his “doctrine,” and so bought four gospels in Chinese, which he took home in his pack, and forthwith shelved unread. Here they remained for months, I am not sure how long.