Heathen Slaves and Christian RulersAndrew, Elizabeth Wheeler
History
Heathen Slaves and Christian Rulers
Andrew, Elizabeth Wheeler
Prostitution -- China -- Hong Kong
No. 6. Seen Fah. The first beams of the rising sun shone bright
and hopefully into a pleasant room in the Presbyterian Mission
Home one morning last autumn. It threw its cheerful radiance over
a group of three gathered there to plan an important undertaking,
lighting the bright, eager faces of two young Chinese girls, and
giving renewed courage to the anxious heart of the Superintendent.
What important event had to be discussed? What serious matter
decided? News had reached the Mission Home, a few hours before,
of a young Chinese girl just landed in San Francisco and sold for
three thousand dollars. Plans to save this helpless and innocent
child, before it was too late, were the subject of discussion at
that early morning meeting. In such a serious undertaking every
possibility of failure must be carefully guarded against. Each
possible device of the wily Highbinder slave-owner must he
conjectured and frustrated. So the three planned this campaign:
"When is Detective ---- coming?" asked Chan Yuen, as a step sounded
on the quiet street below. "At six he promised to be here with one
of his trustiest men. It is best to reach Chinatown early, that
our coming may not be signaled by those on the streets at a later
hour. If the alarm is given, every slave den will be doubly bolted
and barred; and perhaps little Seen Fah, whom we wish to save,
will be spirited away beyond reach of help." Well did the
questioner know the terrible truth of these words. A sympathetic
shade of sorrow and anxiety crossed her bright face. She, too, was
a rescued girl and had not forgotten the dark, mysterious ways
of Chinatown. The Superintendent rose to answer the summons of a
small electric bell. Two trusted detectives had arrived. After
a short conference, the rescuing party set forth on its strange
mission. One who had eagerly thought and planned for the success
of the undertaking felt her heart throbbing between hope and fear,
but was reassured when a slender hand slipped into hers and a
sweet, encouraging voice whispered: "I have faith to believe God
will give us the girl." Faith triumphed that day. Through two of
Chinatown's most desolate old tenements, upstairs and downstairs
in dark closets and unexpected corners, while Highbinders uttered
imprecations in the alleys below, the rescue party kept up a
diligent search for many hours. When at last the quest was about
to be abandoned as hopeless, suddenly a cry of success echoed
through every gloomy corner of the old building--Seen Fah was
found! A small, dark closet, overlooked in the earlier hours of
the search, was discovered. A lighted candle soon revealed a pile
of empty rice bags and broken boxes. Pulling these away, the
object of the long search was discovered, nearly smothered beneath
the debris.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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