New Forces in Old China: An Inevitable AwakeningBrown, Arthur Judson
History
New Forces in Old China: An Inevitable Awakening
Brown, Arthur Judson
China -- Commerce; China -- Foreign relations; China -- Politics and government; Missions -- China
At two o'clock, we entered the ruined Presbyterian compound,
a mile southeast of the city of Wei-hsien. It was
thrilling to hear on the scene of the riot Mr. Chalfant's
account of the attack by about a thousand furious Boxers;
to see the place just outside the gate where single-handed and
with no weapon but a small revolver, he had heroically held
the mob at bay for several hours until the swarming Boxers,
awed by his splendid courage, divided, and while several
hundred held his attention, the rest climbed over the wall at
another place and fired the mission buildings. That the three
missionaries escaped with their lives is a wonder. But Mr.
Chalfant quickly ran to the house where Miss Hawes and Miss
Boughton were awaiting him, hurried them down-stairs,
and while the Boxers were smashing the furniture on the other
side of a closed door, snatched up a ladder, assisted them over
the compound wall at a point that was providentially unguarded
and hid them in a field of grain until darkness
enabled them to make their way exhausted but unhurt to a camp
of German soldiers and engineers nine miles distant and to
escape with them to Tsing-tau. It was a remarkable experience.
If that door had not happened to be closed, and if
a ladder had not been carelessly left by a servant beside the
house, and if the attack itself had not occurred just before
dark, undoubtedly all three would have been killed. On each
of those three ifs, lives depended.
Mr. Fitch cordially welcomed us. Mr. Chalfant killed a
centipede and various insects crawling on the walls near my
cot and a little after nine I was asleep. The next day we
took a walk through the city, impressed by its imposing wall
and the throngs of people who followed us and watched every
movement. Outside the wall, we saw a ``baby house,'' a
small stone building in which the dead children of the poor
are thrown to be eaten by dogs! I wanted to examine it, but
was warned not to do so, as the Chinese imagine that
foreigners make their medicine out of children's eyes and
brains, and our crowds of watching Chinese might quickly become
an infuriated mob.
Immediately on our arrival, we had sent our cards to the
district magistrate and in the afternoon he sent us an elaborate
feast. As we were about to retire that evening, he called in a
gorgeous chair with a retinue of twenty attendants. He stayed
half an hour and was very cordial, and we had a pleasant interview.
Wei-hsien is famous for its embroideries, and great
quantities are made, the women workers receiving about fifty
small cash a day (less than two cents). It was not necessary
to go to the stores as in America. The shopkeepers brought a
great number of pieces to our inn, covering the kang and every
available table, chair and box with exquisite bits of handiwork.
Lured by the sight I became reckless and bought four
handsome pieces for 19,800 small cash ($6.06).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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