She was only a little Chinese girl, like ten thousand of others in the
great heathen land of which she was a native. She was the youngest of
three children, and her father died while she was but a babe. The
mother, being left a poor widow, was unable to support her little
family. Therefore, according to Chinese custom, the son (who was the
oldest of the three) was to receive the mother's attention, but the two
daughters were to be sold into other homes, to become wives as soon as
they were of marriageable age.
It is about the baby girl, Baulin, of whom I wish to tell you in this
story. The case was put into her grandfather's hands for management, who
arranged for her to go into her uncle's home, and to finally become the
wife of her cousin, who was a little younger than herself. As soon as
she was a few years old she was trained to help wash the clothes, cook
the family rice, and clean the bowls; and at an early age she had to work
many long hours in a silk-factory for only a few cents a day. These few
cents helped to buy her own rice, and as her uncle was a poor man, he
could not afford to support his "si-fu" (daughter-in-law) without
receiving something for it. Never a day was this dear child sent to
school. It was not customary to educate Chinese girls, except it should
be those of greater wealth or rank.
Time went on until Baulin was about fourteen years old. In the meantime
her uncle had come in contact with missionaries representing the
full gospel of Jesus Christ. As he became better acquainted with the
doctrine, and obtained an experience of salvation, he saw that it would
not be right to enforce the marriage of Baulin to his son; the matter
was to be left to their own choice, when they grew old enough to decide.
Still the responsibility was upon him to continue supporting her to the
same extent that he previously had.
In the course of another year or two, Baulin not only had shown an
interest in the gospel, but had a desire to take up her abode in the
mission compound to assist with the cooking for the other natives who
lived there. In this capacity she faithfully labored a few months,
during which time she came for prayer for salvation. The missionaries
in charge had found difficulty in obtaining native help for their own
kitchen. One day it suddenly dawned upon the mistress of the house that
Baulin might be trained for the culinary department. When the idea
was suggested, this dear young girl was delighted at the thought of
promotion in usefulness. Arrangements were immediately made, and the new
plan proved successful. Though she did not so much as know how to pare
potatoes, fry eggs, nor set the table for foreign food, yet her eager
willingness to learn made her easy to teach. Her natural inability to
take responsibility, to manage, and to exercise her own judgment, were
points greatly against her becoming a competent cook. However, by
the mistress continuing to plan the meals and to bear the general
responsibility, Baulin soon developed into a very reliable and useful
worker.
Two years later when the missionaries moved to another station, she
was pleased to accompany them and to continue as their cook. In the
meantime, however, a serious change came over her uncle, which made
Baulin entertain fears concerning her former engagement for marriage.
This man, who was so dependable before, gradually became entangled in
business matters, swindled others out of a considerable amount of money,
resulting in his utter spiritual downfall. Instead of making efforts
to rise again, he seemed to sink deeper and deeper into sin, until all
hope was given up for his return. Baulin was exceedingly fond of her
own people, and her relatives were not a few. But after her uncle had
backslidden, she began to receive more or less persecution from her
people. It so happened that the new station to which she accompanied
the new missionaries was the city in which her mother lived. She was
employed there as servant for a high-class family. The mother, though
having been in contact with the Christian religion for many years, still
remained a rank heathen, having great faith in the worship of idols. The
time came when the missionaries were about to depart on furlough to the
homeland, and now a serious question confronted Baulin: "What shall I
do, or what can I do?"
But before continuing this narrative, let me say here that during the
three years that she was employed as cook, she made a perfect record of
honesty and uprightness--something which probably can not be said of one
out of a hundred of Chinese cooks. Not once was she even suspected of
taking without permission, so much as a crust of bread or a spoonful of
anything belonging to the foreign kitchen. When other natives of the
compound would ask her for a bit of food which happened to be left in
the dishes, she would never give it without first asking permission to
do so. She seldom broke dishes, but when she did, she lost no time in
making acknowledgment. Thus her honesty, conscientiousness, and modesty
won a warm place in the hearts of those whom she served, and when she
appealed to them for help in solving the problem which so perplexed her
mind about the time that she must be separated from them, they gladly
shared her burden. It was by seeing her stedfastness through this trial
that her real worth could be appreciated more than ever before.
From a Chinese point of view, she was still under age, though she was
now about eighteen. Her mother had never given up the idea that she
should be married to her cousin when they both became old enough. At
this time her uncle was in a backslidden state, and in all probability
would insist on the marriage. The boy himself, her cousin, was growing
up rather a worthless young man. He had been in school more or less,
but was not extra bright. Recently his father had placed him as an
apprentice in a shoeshop. He had shown no inclination whatsoever toward
spiritual things, though he had had many advantages of hearing the
gospel. Baulin knew that she would soon be out of employment, and this
meant much to the young girl; for she was now fully self-supporting and,
besides, had helped her uncle more than once in his financial straits.
To return to the former mission station, at which city most of her
people lived, seemed the only open door before her. Yet this meant more
persecution, and should she have to return to the silk-factory to work,
she would be deprived of attending meeting, for the girls and women
employed there must toil on from early morn till late at night, seven
days a week.
It was when she heard that her uncle was making a business trip to the
city where she was now living and where her mother also lived, that
she became more anxious concerning a quick settlement of that marriage
question, and it was in this that she earnestly begged the missionary to
help. A meeting was called at which Baulin, her mother, her uncle, the
missionary, and a few others were present. Baulin requested a written
agreement signed by her mother and uncle, that the engagement to her
cousin was broken, and that they should have no power to compel her
engagement to any one else, but that she should have the right herself
to make choice of her life companion. The question was discussed, but
met with extreme opposition at first by the mother, insomuch that the
girl finally declared that because she was a Christian and desired to
do the right she would die rather than be compelled to marry a man who
was not a Christian and one whom she did not love. The uncle's greatest
objection was that he had no money to buy another girl for his son, and
the son would blame his father for not having a wife ready for him,
according to Chinese custom.
After several meetings, hours of discussion, and much prayer on the part
of the Christians, a paper and a duplicate were finally signed, which
set this dear young Christian free from her childhood engagement, and
oh, what a beaming countenance she wore! Keenly did she realize it would
not be easy to return to her home city and face her heathen relatives,
who would all be against her on account of the step she had taken, but
she was very happy in knowing that her persecution was for righteousness'
sake. Well able did she feel, through the grace of God, to meet the
worst that might come.
Her joy was increased some days later, when word was received that the
mission station in the same city where her people lived would be glad to
use her as cook and general helper in the house. Thus she would not need
to go back to the factory to earn a living, but could be employed more
directly in the service of God and be under the care of the church.
I hope all who read this true story will not forget to breathe a prayer
for this dear young girl, who so boldly took her stand for the truth and
right, in the midst of opposition from heathen relatives. We can not but
hope that she may some day be as reliable a spiritual worker as she is
today a temporal worker.