Letters to Betsey

Foreword

I have read the manuscript of " Letters to Betsey " with a great deal of pleasure, since both the author and her adventures in China are well known to me.

So many of the books which purport to tell personal experiences are " made in America," that it is a pleasure to come upon one which is simply an unvarnished statement of the real experiences of a real missionary. That is the fact in regard to " Letters to Betsey."

Many workers in our missionary societies are unfamiliar with just the sort of intimate details about every-day life that Miss Cody has given, in these letters of hers actually written to friends at home, which have received very little editing and are therefore all the more valuable as a true transcript from the life of an American girl in China.

The book will surely be of value in creating a true understanding of the every-day life of the foreign missionary in China.

Helen B. Montgomery.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Page My friend, the Tai-Tai Frontispiece

A rural laundry °4 "

Mr. Shih and his family 88 *

The women of the Bible school IoS '

A typical country home

Mrs. Tfran 2oS "

San Francisco, October 5, 1908.

My dearest Betsey : Here I am at stop number one on my long journey to the Celestial Kingdom. Did your ears burn at one o'clock last Tuesday night? I awoke then to realize that for a little while I was near you and home. How I longed to stretch out my arms across the country and give you a big hug. As the train pounded on and on in the darkness, carrying me farther and farther away from you, dear, I had no desire to sleep, but spent the time in praying for you and mother. Near morning I slept, and awoke at sunrise to have a beautiful view of Lake Erie before we left it behind.

I am glad the summer is past and I am away. If I live to be ninety I am sure there will never be anything so hard for me again. But I never quite lost courage after that day in the Newton Church, when, in the quiet hush, God seemed to speak directly to my heart in the words : " Be not dismayed, . . I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." Nevertheless the summer has been hard; especially these last days of farewell to all my friends. I feel perfectly benumbed, and my backbone is still so stiff I dare not bend for fear I'll break it.

The long, unbroken trip across the continent has been the best thing that could come to me at such a time. How I have wished that I might write indelibly upon my mind these last impressions of the homeland ! We left the train on Saturday evening, hoping soon to be settled and ready for a good rest on Sunday. No such joy in store ! Instead, there was a repetition of the Cook party act of Chicago, only this time it was the ferry instead of a Parmelee bus. There are twenty in our party. The men thought it would be more expeditious to put our baggage all together to send up to the hotel. Hand-baggage for twenty people on their way to the Orient forms quite a mountain on a truck, and with a dozen females standing guard was evidently a spectacle for the natives, for three policemen and two deaconesses gathered around us, asking each other who and what we were. When they learned that we were merely a harmless body of missionaries they dispersed, and we wended our way to the ferry.

Never a bit of a rest have we had to-day or yesterday. Meetings and speechmaking, a reception, farewells, and even shopping and sightseeing have filled the days and half the nights. We sail to-morrow at twelve. My heart gives a queer throb as I write the words. Oh, my dear, the time is so near and then there can be no turning back. It is time for the sandman to come, so I'll waft you a last American kiss. Good night.

On board S. S. Korea, Golden Gate, October 6. Golden Gate to golden opportunities ? Or is the name a misnomer.

A Chinese lady sat in front of me on the car coming down to the boat. She was dressed in a black brocaded satin jacket fastened at the shoulder and under the right arm, a skirt with panel back and front and knifeplaiting at the sides. Her hair was brushed smooth as black satin in folds over her ears, and had large gold and jade ornaments in the coil at the back. She had numerous rings and a massive gold brooch set with dozens of pearls. So this is the manner of woman with whom I am to associate in the future.

At last we are off. We have waved to the friends on the dock until we can no longer see them. Now I must take this down to send back by the pilot. I have called the Chinese foreigners for the last time in — how many years ? Henceforth it is I who will be the foreigner and the stranger. I am glad you cannot see my face as I write good-bye. Misty eyes sound well, but they are not becoming to your

Jane.

[3] '

II Yokohama, October 24

Dear Betsey : The Land of the Rising Sun is just as fascinating as the descriptions of it, and how good it is to have my feet on solid ground once more! Old Neptune treats me rather shabbily, and I have nearly decided never to go home on furlough. Aren't you sorry ?

We have had a good trip, very few stormy days. Most of the ship's crew are Chinese. You never saw anything so funny as the row of Chinamen that lined up at the sounding of the alarm for fire-drill — so dirty and nondescript. Of course the table and cabin stewards with long, clean white shirties hanging straight to their ankles were very neat.

Honolulu is beautiful beyond expression. The luxuriant verdure, the palms and bananas, the gorgeous coloring of the flowers, the bright sunshine, the wondrous painted sea, and the strange mixture of the Orient and Occident all together left a picture in my mind's eye never to be effaced. The divers entertained us by diving for money while we waited for quarantine inspection. They looked like Fiji islanders, and tried to attract attention by queer guttural cries. Flowervenders waited on the dock to bedeck us with garlands of flowers for a small remuneration. Only one day there, but a day to be remembered for a lifetime. The crowning bit of beauty was the sight of the rosy banks of clouds veiling the tops of the mountains as we sailed away into the night.

Yokohama is having a grand holiday in honor of the visit of Admiral Sperry's fleets. Sixteen American and sixteen Japanese battleships are anchored in the harbor, and the whole city is gay with bunting and thousands of flags and Japanese lanterns. The streets are full of little people in picturesque costumes, bobbing and courtesying in most ceremonious fashion. The sight of such politeness is most attractive, but I fear it would be out of place in a Brooklyn bridge crush.

Miss Condit and Yamada San met us, and we went up to the Mary L. Colby school in jinrikishas. I felt like I was a lady in a book. Yamada San laughed at us for sitting up so stiff and straight. After that I leaned back and tried to look as if I were accustomed to riding in a rickshaw ; and, lo and behold, I am ! Already the novelty is past.

The school is very pleasant, and the girls' dormitories as neat as you would expect them to be with no furniture in them. But how would you like to sit on your heels, and to sleep on a mat on the floor, with a block of wood for a pillow?

Yesterday afternoon we were invited by the chaplain of the Virginia to go over the boat. It was very interesting; but I am glad I do not have a brother in the navy. The boys of Duncan Academy went with us. I wish you could have seen them when we got back on shore, waving their caps, and shouting-, " Banzai ! Banzai ! Banzai ! " in honor of the chaplain as lustily as ever American boys hurrahed. It was dusk already, but Miss Wilson and I undertook the commission of buying something for the crowd to present the chaplain as a souvenir of the day. I forgot that I was tired and hungry in the fun of hurrying from shop to shop. There were crowds of people, all so polite and good-natured. The little shops form such a contrast to our stores. In some the floor was partly a raised platform, on which we sat while bargaining with the engagingly polite shopkeeper. And how the pretty things did tempt me to spend every cent — sen, I should say. Rickshaw rates on this gala night were too exorbitant for poor missionaries, so we walked up' the hill to the bluff in the dark, and a dainty wee Japanese maiden served the dinner which she had kept waiting for us.

Early this morning we parted from our friends at the school, and went by train to Tokyo for a day's sightseeing. We went out to the famous old Shiba Temple. I was more interested in the city and the people than in the temple with its lacquered floor, its old carving9 and paintings, and " idols of wood and stone " to which the heathen bow down. Poor little kiddies we saw clicketying-clacketying in wooden sandals along the streets, with baby sister or brother tied on their backs ! Must they too grow up to worship false gods ? This afternoon we went shopping in the largest bazaar in Tokyo, the most fascinating place you could imagine.

I had to hold my purse-strings tight, or have no money left to tip the stewards.

I am now back on the Korea. Each of the thirty-two battleships is outlined with electric lights. Launches and motor-boats gaily festooned with strings of red and white lanterns dart hither and yon. Myriads of lanterns around the docks and along the Bund dance giddily in the breeze. From a little distance across the harbor a brilliant pyrotechnic display is doubled by the reflection in the water. Over all the steadfast moon, which a few hours ago looked down on you, now looks down on me. You can see for yourself this is no time for letter-writing, so I'll whisper the moon a message of love to carry to you and mother from

Jane.

Ill

Shanghai, November 2.

My dear Betsey: Really in China at last. Lucky for me that we had the stops in Japan to prepare us for China. We had a pleasant day in Kobe and Osaka, visiting the missionaries. Osaka is an hour's ride by trolley from Kobe. It was raining that day, and the farmers were all out in straw raincoats and hats which made them look like miniature animated Fujiyamas. Nagasaki is a wonderfully picturesque place, with precipitous mountains garlanded with green. The saddest thing in Japan is to see men drawing heavy drays, straining every muscle, until their faces express nothing but brute force, and they look like animals rather than men.

They fell me the foreign concession of Shanghai, where we are staying, is not at all like a Chinese city. It looks much like one to me. Chinese shops and homes are interspersed with the European ones, and Chinese people throng the streets. The men wear long gowns, and many of the women wear trousers with no skirts over them. I have poked around into all sorts of strange places in search of furniture to take to Hanyang. I had an exciting adventure this afternoon ; got lost and couldn't make the rickshaw man understand where I wanted to go. I was in a Chinese section of the city, and it seemed an age before I came out on a foreign street and began to get my bearings.

The modes of locomotion here are numerous. I have been in a trolley-car, an automobile, a rickshaw, and a wheelbarrow; perhaps I should say "on" the latter. It had a most captivating squeak. The tall sheik policemen with their big red, or yellow, or white turbans are most awe-inspiring. I assure you I do not intend to commit any misdemeanor and fall into their hands! I'd rather trust to the tender mercies of the Chinese policemen in the French concession.

You should hear the people here talk pidgin-English. It is the most ridiculous lingo imaginable. Here are some examples of this classic language : " Missy have got? " (Is miss at home?) " No, missy have not got." " Tell missy have got three piece lady? " (Tell miss there are three ladies to call on her. ) " Go topside catchee one piecie man." Isn't it " the limit " ?

On board S. S. Kiang Hsin, November f. I am the only American on board; the captain and a Chinese man, who is traveling first cabin, are the only other persons who speak English. There are two Frenchmen, a German army officer, and some Chinese. When I went out to tea this afternoon several Chinese ladies and two little girls were in the saloon. I was an object of great curiosity. One of the women whispered to her daughter, and the child immediately stooped and peered under the table at my big feet. These women and girls all have tiny " lily feet " in bright-colored embroidered pointed slippers about four inches long. How can a mother cripple her child so ?

Most of the houses along the river seem to be built of mud and reeds, thatched with reeds. They are grouped in villages with a few trees around them. The cities so far in coming up the Yangtze have not been impressive. We see many large fish-nets on frames, and near-by are tiny huts to shelter the man who tends the net. Except near the large cities I have seen no launches or motor-boats, nothing but Chinese junks, sailboats, and rowboats. It is very exciting to watch the passengers embarking and disembarking at the towns where there are no hulks. A large rowboat comes out with the passengers and their baggage. Such a conglomeration of things as they have ! Boxes and bundles and baskets, live chickens, perhaps even some fresh eggs tied up in a square of cotton. The poor women with bound feet are so awkward in trying to scramble up onto the boat. The river current is very strong, and when the water is rough it looks as if somebody or something would surely go overboard. There is a perfect babel of voices, the women jabbering and the men shouting until the rowboat is loosed and drops behind the steamer.

Before leaving Shanghai I went into the native city. O Betsey, it is awful ! I cannot describe it to you. I thought I knew what I was coming to, but I didn't have the ghost of an idea how dark heathenism really is. One " prominent preacher," who traveled clear around the world to study world-wide missions, went to the border of the foreign concession in Shanghai, looked over and saw the poor miserable creatures who thronged the street. Dirt and disease were too apparent. He decided it would be wrong for him to risk his precious life by venturing down the street !

Two days more and I shall be at the end of my long, long journey. How glad I am that I have a friend to welcome me.

Jane.

IV Hanyang, November 18

You blessed Betsey : Your first letter came to-day. I felt like dancing a jig or singing a song of praise because all is well with you dear ones. That " is " should be in the past tense, though. It is hard to realize that I am only now hearing that you were well five weeks ago.

" To resoom and go on " from where I left off, the Kiang Hsin got into Hankow early Monday morning. I was up and on deck before dawn, then waited until nearly ten before our people put in an appearance. I did not know whether they would come by boat or through Hankow; so I vibrated from one side of the boat to the other, watching for them. The sights were sufficiently novel to keep me interested. Swarms of coolies began unloading the cargo as soon as the boat anchored, carrying heavy loads on their backs, or on carrying-poles over their shoulders. At intervals one, two, or a whole group of sedan-chairs would come down to meet some of the passengers. The two Frenchmen and the Chinaman, who was a graduate of Columbia, went away with a tall young Chinaman in a handsome long garnet silk gown and bright blue satin trousers.

Every time I saw two sedan-chairs coming together

I thought, " Perhaps that is Genevieve coming for me," and watched eagerly to see who would get out But at last she came by boat, Mr. Howell and Mr. Gage with her. I thought Genevieve would be so glad to see me she'd laugh ; instead, she cried !

She had some errands to do, so I went with her to the bank and the stores. There is a good-sized foreign concession in Hankow. Although it is six hundred miles from the coast, it is a port city. The first foreigner we met as we walked down the Bund was Mr. Lewis. He did not know that I was to arrive that day. It did make the world seem small to land on the opposite side of the globe, and within five minutes unexpectedly meet some one from my home town. One is constantly tempted to use the bromidic, " How small the world is ! "

When we returned to the steamer Mr. Gage had all my baggage, viz., five rattan chairs, one rocker, a high-poster black iron bed with springs, a table, two rolls matting, two trunks, two suit-cases, and bags and bundles galore (actually all these things came with me as baggage), loaded on a small sailboat. This was on the river side of the steamer. The next question was how were Genevieve and I to get down into that little boat, bobbing up and down with the waves, seven or eight feet below the lowest deck of the steamer. At last they placed a chair on the small end of the boat. A Chinaman held my hand from above till I made the grand leap, Mr. Gage caught my other hand as it came within reach, and I landed on the chair instead

[I3l of in the water as I had expected. Genevieve was as fortunate as I.

The boatmen put up their sail and whistled for the wind. I wonder if Chinese boatmen did that hundreds of years before America was discovered. The whistle was ineffectual, and the current was so strong that the two men had to row hard to bring- us up the three miles in an hour and a half. They stand facing the prow to row.

When I landed in Hankow I thought, " China isn't so bad after all ! " In the foreign concessions there is a fine stone embankment along the river's edge, and landing-places with broad flights of stone steps leading up to the street at every block. There are wide macadamized streets and cement pavements, grass-plots and shade trees. The buildings are large and built in European style. If it had not been for the people I could easily have believed myself anywhere but in China. There are scores of beggars, miserable, repulsive creatures with long matted hair, dressed in sackcloth and dirt instead of sackcloth and ashes. Hundreds of coolies, whose appearance is little better, swarm the streets, doing work that at home is done by beasts of burden. From these up to the pompous mandarin and my lady in silk attire, every grade of society is represented. But in the concessions are also many Europeans.

When we got away from the concession in our little sailboat I realized that for the first time I had left foreign influences behind and was in real China. And,

Betsey dear, China is as different from America as night is from day. Hanyang is China, pure and simple. There streets are narrow and dirty, and we catch glimpses of the interiors of the tiny huts where pigs and chickens and dogs share the " parlor " with the family. There is a stone embankment along the river here too, and stone steps at the landing-places. But such steps ! The blocks of stone have been displaced by the river when it rises in the summer until now there is only a rough pile of stones; some on which we must step are so wobbly that they tip and tilt under us. The ascent is more precarious because the steps are always muddy and slippery. There are no garbage men, and the landing-place (or mor-teo, as the Chinese call it) is the dump-heap for the whole neighborhood. All the water used in this big city is carried from the river. Coolies carry two big buckets on a pole over the shoulder, and the water slops over and keeps the mat-teos and the main street in a horribly muddy condition. I've seen mud at home, but nothing like this. It is so slimy and filthy that it makes me feel contaminated to walk through it.

I wish I could show you Hanyang as I see it, but I know I cannot; for, after all- my reading about China, I had no conception of the squalor, disease, and wretchedness I was to meet on every hand here. Hundreds, if not thousands, of families in Hanyang live in mat-sheds. These are tiny huts made of unstable frames of bamboo poles with sheets of bamboo matting thrown over them, situated down on the mud-flats of the river or in any otherwise unoccupied space in the city. When I first saw them I thought they looked more like packing-cases than family residences. We would not consider them fit for a pig at home. It makes my heart ache to see the dirty little babies playing around in the mud in front of one of these " homes." By the way, did you know that the only word in Chinese for home is the character for pig under the character for roof? Home in China means a pig under a roof, but many people are too poor to own a pig. Happy the man who has a pig under his roof!

The mission compound is very small, and surrounded by high brick walls, which make one feel very much shut in, but which are desirable to shut out many undesirable things. The buildings are crowded close together, but there are beautiful shade trees, of which some are still green and remain so all winter. The Ladies', House (it is thus our domicile is designated) is brick, and when we get it furnished, as we hope to before long, it will be a very pleasant place for you to come and visit me. Oh, how I wish you could !

All the people of the mission have been very cordial, and have done everything to make me feel that I am among friends. They are lovely, but Betsey, do you suppose I shall look so queer and old-fashioned in two or three years? Speaking of looks reminds me of my experience when buying a pith-hat in Shanghai. When I tried on a sun-helmet and saw myself in the mirror, my heart went down thump into the bottom of my shoes. By no stretch of the imagination could the thing be considered becoming. If I must look like that all the rest of my life I could wish that I'd never said I would be a missionary. But I found a pith-sailor which reconciled me to my fate.

One of the events of the year is entertaining the West China missionaries as they go through on their way up river. They are here now. To-day six of us went across the river to Wu Chang, and out beyond the city to the Red Pagoda for a picnic. Wherever we had to wait for a few moments a crowd of men and boys would gather around and stare at us. The rickshaws of Hanyang and Wu Chang have little semblance to those of Japan. These are ready for the boneyard. I never feared a wreck in the subway or " L " train, but to-day I lived in constant terror of a collision. You cannot imagine the old rattletraps, or the narrow, crowded streets, and the hairbreadth escapes we had. The city streets have very rough stone pavements. The coolies walked instead of running, and we did not wish them to go faster. If they had we wouldn't have had a breath left in our bodies.

I (don't) wish you could have a picture of me as I looked on my way back from the pagoda — my hair flopping over one ear, pith-hat over the other, glasses ready to fly off! One moment I was on the seat, the next in midair, then, bump! onto the seat again. All the time I was trying frantically to keep my umbrella in position so not one ray from the sun should strike my poor old head ; my other hand clung desperately to the rickshaw, or was ready to warn off anything that came too near. Once I was sure I was going to run over a blind man we met, and leaned out to push him to one side, but we passed without touching even the hem of his garment. How I wish I could describe some of these garments to you. But, like most things in China, they are indescribable.

We clambered up the irregular winding stone steps of the pagoda to the top, from which we had a wide view of the surrounding country. The hills are all covered with graves, thousands and thousands of them. There are few trees, but we found a shady spot where we ate our lunch. Several funny-looking children in wadded garments were interested spectators, and had a chance to sample American cooking after we had satisfied our appetites. On our way back we visited some of the missions, then crossed the river after sunset, while the deep red glow in the sky cast a rosy light over the water. It was so quiet and beautiful after th^ noise and dirt of the city.

Miss Thomas took me with her to a wedding-feast in the country last week. Of course our " valet " went too. (Genevieve calls the coolie who attends us as bodyguard our valet. ) He is a country lad, and such a comical piece. The country roads are little more than footpaths over the hills or between the paddy-fields. We met five blind beggars walking in a line, the blind leading the blind.

It was a middle-class home, and this was the bride's feast to her friends, after which she was taken to the groom's home. The next day he would give a feast, and the marriage would be consummated. The very first thing I did was wrong. How in the world was I to know that I should not sit on the chair that was pointed out to me ? I should have insisted on Miss Thomas taking the highest seat at the feast, but not even knowing that it was a high seat I calmly sat down. Tea and Chinese sweets were served. I tried some dry, sweetened rice-flour, which was packed in cubes the size of a marshmallow. It looked good, but it was so dry and powdery it stuck in my throat. I was thankful for some hot tea. After that I indulged only in things that I was sure of — salted peanuts, dried melon seeds, and yellow rock-sugar.

While we waited for the feast people came and went on various errands. The neighbors crowded in to< see the two foreigners. When the crowd was largest Mr. Uh, one of our church-members, arose and asked the people to be quiet for a while and listen to him Kiang taoli (explain the doctrine). Miss Thomas had some tracts printed on pink paper, which the people eagerly accepted.

Finally the bride's sedan-chair, gay in red satin and gold embroidery, was brought in, and the middleman appeared. The men grew tired of waiting, and shouted to the bride to hasten her preparations. After we had waited seemingly hours, we were summoned into the tiny bedroom to greet the bride. Most of the women were in there trying to help her dress. She was trembling, and her hands were cold, and she exclaimed, " I'm so afraid I " Perhaps you would be too, if you were about to be wedded to a man whom you had never seen, and of whom you knew almost nothing. Her face was rouged clear up onto the eyelids, and she wore her betrothal rings and earrings. A sort of cloak of red satin was hurried on, the bridal veil, a square of red satin, was adjusted over her face so she could see nothing, and she was led blindly forth and placed in the sedan-chair. As she was seated Mr. Uh started a bridal hymn, which was sung by the Christians; then he offered prayer before the little bride was carried away to her new home. When she was gone a great weeping and wailing arose among the women relatives. Some of them continued it all the time we feasted.