Fifteen Years Among the Top-Knots; Or, Life in KoreaUnderwood, Lillias H. (Lillias Horton)
Religion
Fifteen Years Among the Top-Knots; Or, Life in Korea
Underwood, Lillias H. (Lillias Horton)
Korea -- Description and travel; Missions -- Korea
On the day of Dr. Heron’s death they offered a place which we found
altogether impossible, beyond the sand beds across the river, a
long distance off, in very low ground. It was then decided that as
something immediate must be done, we would make a temporary resting
place on a piece of ground belonging to our mission, where there was
a small house, occupied just then by Mr. Underwood’s and Dr. Heron’s
literary helpers. As soon as they heard of this plan they objected
most strongly, saying it was against the law, and as the body must be
carried through the streets to reach there, there would probably be a
good deal of excitement and trouble.
We then ordered the grave dug on Dr. Heron’s compound, back of his
house, sending word to the Foreign Office that as they had provided no
other place, we were forced temporarily at least to make this disposal
of the remains. The time for the funeral was set for three o’clock, and
about a half hour before the literary helpers again came to us in a
state of the wildest excitement and terror, tearing their hair, weeping
and trembling. They averred that the people in that quarter were
planning to mob us all, to burn down their house, beat and kill them,
and very likely kill us too, if the body was buried within the walls.
It seemed cruel that no place could be found where we could lay our
dead. Our hearts were torn with grief for the poor burdened sister,
who ought to have been able to claim a quiet and decent burial for
her dear one’s remains, as well as the sympathy of every one, that
she must be refused a place for his repose, and assailed by all this
wrangling and confusion. We were hotly indignant with the teachers, who
we thought ought to have risen above heathen superstition on their own
part and kept the secret from the people. It was now uncertain where
Dr. Heron’s remains could be laid, and they were therefore embalmed and
hermetically sealed. The Foreign Office, however, on hearing that it
was our intention to bury on the compound, at once came to terms and
gave us a large field on a fine bluff overlooking the river, about five
miles from Seoul. This was obtained through the indefatigable efforts
of Dr. Allen of the United States legation, who besieged the foreign
office and insisted on this concession.
During all these months the work was steadily going forward; more
than we had dared to hope were added to the number of believers
and inquirers; a Bible translating committee, of which Dr. W. B.
Scranton of the M. E. Mission and Mr. Underwood were members, had been
appointed; a girls’ school in each of the two missions had been started
long before, and both were steadily growing (though the Methodists
were far in advance here), the boys’ orphanage had been changed to
a boys’ school, and hospital and dispensary work in both missions
was flourishing; with an increase of confidence of the people in our
friendship and trustworthiness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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