A FRIENDLY HAIL
Helen's first impulse was to scream, but with a great effort she
controlled herself. Then, reaching up quickly, she grasped the hand
between both of her own, holding on to it tightly. Instantly there was a
frightened exclamation, and a violent movement on the other side of the
straw curtain almost against which Helen's head lay. The next moment,
the hand was wrenched away, and she heard a heavy splash in the water.
Peering out through the opening between the curtains, she saw two Korean
women moving away from the sampan. Thus she knew her midnight fright had
been caused not through any evil intention but from the exercise of pure
curiosity. They had but carried into effect the desire for a closer
inspection of her hair.
So soundly did the other occupants of the sampan sleep that none of them
were aroused by this incident, not even Dorothy. Thus it was an
astonishing piece of news to them when Helen told it on the following
morning.
Dorothy was overcome by admiration for Helen's coolness. "O Helen, are
you sure you didn't scream, not the least little bit? Oh, I never could
have taken it as you did," and she drew her breath quickly.
Others besides Dorothy had words of praise for Helen's fortitude. "Nine
girls out of ten would have gone into hysterics," declared Clarence.
"Put the percentage lower," warned Dorothy, shaking her fist at him in
well-feigned indignation.
"Well, seven out of ten then."
"Oh, that is much better."
It was long after breakfast when the magistrate condescended to appear.
Then he kept them waiting an hour or more through his insatiable
curiosity, for he must needs inspect everything in the boat, even to the
faggots and the chicken coop. But at last they were off. They had been
afraid that the man might attach himself to them again ere they left the
village. However, up to the time of pushing off, they had seen nothing
of him. He had been dropped on the way from the magistrate's the evening
before, and evidently that was the last of him.
As they went along now, Mr. Reid and Mr. Wilburn were discussing the
event, as well as the man's probable meaning when he had muttered the
words "Marble Pagoda." Both missionaries knew of the old Marble Pagoda
in Seoul, one of the curiosities of the place, though, strange to say,
not many seemed to care to go about it. The natives especially shunned
it, that is, a large percentage of them did. They declared that it was
filled with demons and haunted by all kinds of evil spirits. It stood in
one of the foulest parts of the city, just back of a narrow alley, and
all around it were clustered wretched-looking hovels. It was said to be
more than seven centuries old. It had been originally thirteen stories,
but during the Japanese invasion of three centuries before, three
stories had been taken off. Many of the chambers contained the richest
carvings, especially that known as the room of the Five Hundred
Disciples. That had the images of many of the Hindu divinities.
"I understand," said Mr. Wilburn, "that several bits of detached
carving, some of them representing deities, and others the various
stages of the progress of Buddha toward Nirvana, or the Buddhist heaven,
have been found in the old pagoda up to a time within recent years.
There is the story, not very old, of the young assistant of one of the
Buddhist priests at a monastery in the mountains, who nearly forfeited
his life by stealing one of the images that had been brought from the
pagoda, a very rare and valuable one, by the way. But he escaped by the
narrowest chance, though the priest hunted and hunted him for a long
time, and may be doing it yet, for all I know."
"What a fortunate thing for our missionary labors," remarked Mr. Reid,
"that Buddhism was long ago abolished throughout the kingdom, and only a
little colony of the priests allowed here and there in remote places."
"Ah, my brother, but there are the horrors of demon worship with which
to contend, and the stonelike barriers of ancestral worship to break
away. The former is as bad as Buddhism, where it has taken deep hold."
"As it has in our sampan man here," observed Mr. Reid with a sigh. "Oh,
if I could only see some impression made on him by our teachings, some
little inclination toward the truth as it is alone found in the pure
gospel of Jesus."
"Do not despair. He may turn to the better way in time. It seemed to me
during the services last evening that he listened more intently than I
had ever seen him. He seemed to be impressed too, by the questions that
were asked, especially by the earnest ones of the old man."
"Oh, but he is so persistent in his devotions to that wretched little
image he has. Only this morning I saw him fondling it. Sometimes I feel
like taking it from him and pitching it far out into the stream."
"Oh but, father," said Helen earnestly, now joining the conversation
because she felt that she must, "that would not be best, believe me."
"But how are we to teach them a better worship until we take their
miserable idols from them?"
"Oh, father, we mustn't tear down to build up. If a man were living in
an old and insecure house, we wouldn't pull it down over him, for fear
of the damage it would do. If we were his true benefactors, we would
simply invite him away from the old and into a better one."
"Well said!" declared Mr. Wilburn, his eyes shining. "You are a true
reasoner, Miss Helen."
"But so long as they have these horrid images that they believe can
counteract the evil effect of the demons, they will go on worshipping
them. We must get them away."
"But not by compulsion, father."
"How then, Helen?"
"By love." She reached out and took his hand as she said the words, and
began to pat it softly. Her lips trembled but her eyes met his bravely.
"Yes, my dear, yes, I know. When the heart is touched, love is the thing
then with which to win them. But you can't pelt a stone wall with
cotton, Helen, and hope to make any impression."
"But, my father, if cannon were used, what would be the result? Only
devastation. We can't drive these poor things away from their idols. We
must coax them."
"A woman's way, Helen. But, my daughter, you are doubtless right," he
said a moment later. "I get so provoked at their persistency, their
blind infatuation, I feel that I must use force, or at least warn them
of God's wrath if they persist in their idolatry."
"Tell them of God's love ever waiting to receive them, you mean,
father?"
"Yes, of God's love," repeated Mr. Wilburn, his eyes moistening as he
looked at Helen, "the warm sunlight, gentle yet powerful, the one agent
that, using no force, yet accomplishes what force cannot."
They made pleasant progress all that day and the next. The views of the
river and from the river grew more and more picturesque. They had now
passed beyond the range of hills on the highest point of which stood the
fortress of Nam Han, with its garrison of Korean soldiers. The river had
grown broader and its banks lower. They passed many beautiful islands
and had more than one experience with rapids. While navigating these,
Mr. Reid had insisted on the girls' going ashore attended by Mallard and
Mr. Wilburn. This they did, joining the sampan a mile or so above after
some rather exciting adventures with the natives. However, as there was
no worse spirit displayed than that of curiosity, they suffered more
annoyance than alarm.
Through a considerable part of that third afternoon they moved along in
sight of several small villages inhabited by woodcutters and charcoal
burners. At one of these Mr. Reid said he must stop, not only for the
night but for much of the next day, for it was one that had been brought
to the attention of his mission Board as an inviting field for the
establishment of a station.
At first the people were alarmed when they caught sight of the
strangers. But on the assurance of Mr. Chefoo and Mr. Kit-ze that all
were friends, they released their chickens and their queer-looking
little pigs, not much bigger than rabbits, which they had begun to put
in pens at the approach of the sampan. They listened eagerly to what the
missionaries had to say, pressed closely to them during the services,
and had many questions to ask, all of an earnest character.
The magistrate too, at this place, to whom Mr. Reid had brought letters,
treated them cordially and offered to assist him in any way he could.
The chief men were also friendly and assured the missionaries that if
they wanted to come and teach the new doctrine, they should have
respectful attention.
One thing in connection with their stay at the village caused special
happiness to Mr. Reid. Mr. Kit-ze had not only paid deep attention
during the services, but he had remained thoughtful for some time
thereafter. He had also come to both Mr. Reid and Mr. Wilburn with
questions.
They remained all the next day, which was Friday, and that night at the
village. Early the next morning the sampan was heading again up the
river.
"Where shall we spend the Sabbath?" asked Mr. Reid.
"At Yo-Ju, I think, exalted teacher," replied Mr. Kit-ze. "If we pass
the rapids without ill-luck, and push on steadily, we can reach there by
the fall of the night."
But they had trying times at the rapids, the longest and the most
dangerous yet encountered, so that the late afternoon found them a good
half-day's journey from Yo-Ju. They had now come to the mountains in
all their wildness and ruggedness. Silence fell upon the little party.
No word could be spoken amid all that awe-inspiring beauty. Then Mr.
Reid's voice broke the stillness as he repeated the ninety-seventh
Psalm, "The Lord reigneth."
Though the way was so wildly picturesque on either side, yet the river
at this place flowed peacefully along, washing about the shore of green
islets or lapping the steep banks with a gentle murmur.
Suddenly, from the midst of some overhanging vines near which they were
passing, there came a loud hail. Then a voice added in very good
English: "Pause, friends! O exalted teacher, do I see you once more?"
"Why, that voice sounds familiar," said Mr. Reid. "Head the sampan
toward the cliff, Mr. Kit-ze, and let us see what it means."
Mr. Kit-ze had no more than started to obey when a small flat boat came
out from the overhanging bank and made toward them. It had three
occupants, an elderly man who was sitting midway of it, and two younger
ones who were propelling it. The old man was bolt upright despite his
years, and made an interesting and picturesque figure with his
snow-white hair, which, as is altogether unusual in Koreans, was falling
about his shoulders, and with his partly civilized dress.
"Why, it is Mr. Ko!" cried Joyce.
"Yes," said Helen, a smile breaking over her face, "it is he, sure
enough. Oh, how glad I am!"
"Old friend," cried Mr. Reid delighted, "can it be that I greet you
again?"
"Yes, exalted master. Your old servant heard you were coming up the
river. So, lo, since the evening of yesterday he has been watching for
you."
[Illustration: "THE OLD MAN WAS BOLT UPRIGHT, DESPITE HIS YEARS."]
Mr. Reid now introduced Mr. Ko to Mr. Wilburn and the others. The old
Korean had lived for years at the capital. There he had known the
missionary and his family through three or four years. During two of
these he had lived at the mission as gate-keeper and errand man. Mr.
Reid had heard that he had inherited some property and had gone away
from Seoul.
The old man was quite a character. He had shown considerable devotion to
the missionary and his family, but Mr. Reid, with all his efforts in Mr.
Ko's behalf, had never been able to get the old man further than the
admission that the Jesus doctrine was a very fair sort of doctrine and,
if he only had the time, he would give himself over to the practice of
it.
Now the old man was delighted at seeing the missionary and his children
again. They must spend some time with him, he declared. Everything had
been prepared for them. He had even secured a cook who could give them
the food as they liked it. Oh, this was a wonderful man, indeed. Only
yesterday he had come. "The good spirits sent him," asserted Mr. Ko, "I
am certain they did."
Nothing would do the old man but that Helen, at least, must have a
glimpse of this wonderful cook the moment she reached the dwelling.
"There he is," said Mr. Ko, with the delight of a child, pointing
through an opening into the kitchen.
A tall figure was bending over the _ang-pak_, or great rice jar. At
sound of Mr. Ko's voice he raised his head and glanced around. It was
the stowaway of the sampan.