Morning Calm v.31 no.165(1920 Oct.)

Children's Letter.

DEAR BOYS AND GIRLS, — About thirty years ago, when the English Church Mission began its work in Corea, Chemulpo, a port on the west coast, was the place where it began. In those days British battleships often came into the harbour, and the sailors used to come to worship in St. Michael's, Chemulpo. For some ten years battleships have not appeared at Chemulpo, but I hear that the other day two of our ships were anchored there

BOYS AT CHEMULO HOTEL.

for a fortnight, and no doubt the sailors came as of old to our Church. Fr. Mark Kim, the first of our Corean priests, was the first Corean to be baptised in our Mission, and he was baptised at St. Michael's Church. Then there was a dear little American doctor, who healed the sick and took care of poor orphan boys in a little house by the sea, and after some years of devoted and loving service died of fever, but is remembered affectionately until this day. Then the beautiful hospital of St. Luke was built, and at that hospital thousands of poor suffering Coreans have been treated.

Although the hospital has been closed during the war, yet the Church life has been most vigorous and the Christians have been faithful. The church has been restored and quite a number of Coreans have been baptised.

Sr. Constance Irene, who is now in England, has worked for many years at Chemulpo, and it is always so nice to see the Sister wending her way through the tiny little dirty streets, on her errands of mercy to visit some sick person, or to teach some heathen woman.

For the last few years there has been on the compound at Chemulpo a hostel for boys attending the Commercial School near by. Most of these boys come from the island of Kanghoa or other neighbouring islands. We can only afford to give these boys rooms and tires, and they provide their own food and cook for themselves. These hostel boys have a good deal of espril-de-corps, and although left a good deal to themselves, since the priest can only get down on Sundays, yet with the little but good help of the Catechist they behave very well and are keen on church and school. It was for these boys that I asked you to send to Miss Seaton any old tennis racquets and nets, so that they can have some recreation when they are not cooking or studying.

The boys in the picture are all Christians except the boy with his hands in his pockets, standing between the two boys in white coats in the back row. The heathen boy was to have been baptised last Easter. He is the head of a small household, and his father being dead, he would have of course to sacrifice to his ancestors, I found he was well instructed in the Christian Faith, but before I decided to baptise him I questioned him about sacrificing. He said that he would promise faithfully not to sacrifice, but would have to be present at the sacrifice: I said, "You must promise not even to be present at a heathen sacrifice"; but it was too hard for him, and I was so sorry to have to refuse to baptise him. But I think him an honourable and gentlemanly fellow, and I hope you will pray that he will soon find the difficulty removed that prevents him from being baptised. Yours sincerely, CHARLES HUNT.

P.S. — The other Sunday, after talking to a congregation of children at St. Bartholomew's, Herne Bay, a little girl ran up to me and said: " Please, Father, here is sixpence for you; I was going to buy a photograph in a shop, but I want to give it to you for Corea." I was much touched by her self-sacrifice, and I believe there are many children who would do the same

About a month ago I was at Rosliston, in Derbyshire, and the kindergarten children gave me six beautiful Nelson Bible Pictures for our children in Corea. How kind of them!

Printed by SPOTTINWOOD, BALLANTIN & Co. LTD. Colchester, London & ~, England

Thanksgivings and Intercession.

THANKS BE TO GOD. For the missionary enthusiasm aroused, and the generous thank offering given at the Anglo-Catholic Congress For God's help and guidance to the Bishops in the Lambeth Conference.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. That money may be found to meet the pressing needs of the Mission. That priests may offer themselves to fill the many vacant posts in the Mission. That the way may be made plain for the erection of the Pro-Cathedral in Seoul in the near future. That Sr. Isabel and St. Edith Helena may be protected on their journey to Corea. That passages may be secured for the Bishop and his companion. Also For the Church in Kanghoa under the Corean Priests. For Fr. Hodges and the Training School. For a boy in the Chemulpo Hostel, that he may be helped to overcome the hindrance to baptism.

The Bishop's Letter.

(To the Readers of MORNING CALM.) MY DEAR FRIENDS,—

My last letter was written on June 18, a few hours after my arrival in England. And a good deal has happened since that—though the happenings have been mostly of a kind which have left me but very little time to attend to the immediate affairs of the Mission. I am now trying to take a little holiday, after the rather exhausting experience of the Lambeth Conference. Indeed, at a time when nearly everybody else is absent on holidays, it is not much use doing anything else! By the middle of September I hope that I shall find people once more accessible and ready to help us to the utmost extent of their power.

First, I must chronicle the ordination of our brother Albert Lee, of St. Boniface College, Warminster, to the Diaconate on the morrow of St. John the Baptist's Day {June 25}, in the Chapel of Fulham Palace, which the Bishop of London kindly put at my disposal. I had not realised before what a lot of difficulties there are in the way of an overseas bishop holding an Ordination in England. These, however, were at length surmounted, and the Ordination satisfactorily performed, with rites and ceremonies according to the use of the Church in Corea, in the presence of a small band of sympathetic friends and assistants, which included Frs. Arnold, Bridle, Gurney and Hunt. The Vicar of St. John the Divine, Kennington, is kindly providing the new Deacon with work to do in his parish, until the time comes for him to set sail to Corea with the rest of us. When that will be, nobody knows! Early in July I instituted enquiries which made it plain that neither the C.P.R. nor the N.Y.K. could undertake to get us out to Corea before Christmas. The P. and O., though they made no promises, said that there was a reasonable prospect of their being able to find berths for us early in November, and they registered our application for that date. Since doing so, they have maintained a sphinx-like silence. And I am beginning to get anxious, though I “live in hopes," as I certainly do not want to arrive in Corea, with all there is ahead of me, later than Christmas. On the other hand it is extraordinarily difficult to see how I am to crowd in all I want to do for the Mission, in the six weeks between the middle of September and beginning of November. At present I have hardly been able to do anything, as the Ordination was shortly followed by the Anglo-Catholic Congress, and that was immediately followed by the Lambeth Conference, which kept me occupied, morning, noon and night, until August 9, and by that time all the rest of the world had departed on their holidays. Of the Anglo-Catholic Congress {June 29 to July 2} you will have read at length in the papers. It certainly was a wonderful experience, exceeding both in enthusiasm and in dimensions, I think, anything that its promoters had dared to hope. The tone and spirit alike throughout were excellent, and the wonderful missionary turn given to the proceedings by the Bishop of Zululand's moving address was as unexpected as it was welcome. One can only hope that the Congress marks the beginning of a new era of real missionary enthusiasm in those Anglo-Catholic circles which have up to the present shown but a languid interest in the work of propagating the Faith in foreign parts. And if so, Corea may hope to share in the general uplift.

Of the Lambeth Conference I cannot speak in detail, partly because the proceedings throughout are of a confidential character, except for the Reports, the Encyclical and the Resolutions, which are by this time in your hands. The work was very strenuous during the whole of the five weeks occupied by the Conference. And I think the chief feeling left upon my mind was that we were attempting a far too ambitious programme in the short time at our disposal. I hope, at least, that we have done none of the harm which was freely anticipated in many quarters. We have certainly, by the help of God, avoided some pitfalls. And I am not without hope that, in most of the questions on which we touched, it will be found that we have been guided into taking really useful and fruitful decisions. I am, however, writing away from all my papers and cannot go through the "Acta" now in detail, though I do commend them to your very earnest and prayerful attention.

I should have been glad enough to get my Sundays as days of rest during the Conference. But, short as my time in England is, it seemed best to make use of them to fulfil some of the preaching engagements showered on me since I reached England. And some of my week-day evenings were similarly occupied, e.g. by visits to St. Peter's, Clapham, in July, and to the Church of the Transfiguration, Lewisham, in August. My Sunday engagements were as follows: July 4. St. Saviour's, Poplar, and St. Peter's, Limehouse, besides the opening service of the Lambeth Conference in Westminster Abbey.

״ 11. St. Alban's, Birmingham, and St. Gregory's, Small Heath. ״ 18. St. Michael's, Camden Town, and St. John the Divine, Balham. ״ 25. St. Michael's, Brighton, and St. Alban's, Holborn. Aug. 1. St. James's, Great Yarmouth. ״ 8. All Saints', Margaret Street, besides the closing service of the Lambeth Conference in St. Paul's Cathedral. ״ 15. Winchester Cathedral. ״ 22. St. Barnabas', Tunbridge Wells.

Everywhere I met a very warm welcome, which in some places (especially, e.g., at St. Barnabas, Tunbridge Wells) found an outward and tangible expression in very generous offerings.

And certainly these last are needed. I have had very few letters from Corea, but each one is occupied with a louder wail over our approaching bankruptcy than the last. And the position is without doubt extremely serious. At present it is difficult to see how, with all the efforts being made by Fr. Gurney and others in England, we shall be able to pay our way until the end of the year and after.

I had hoped to be able to lay before you in this number detailed proposals for reorganising the Association of Prayer and Work for Corea and other departments of our work at home. But except for two meetings of the Committee—one held almost immediately after my arrival, and the other amid all the pressure of the Lambeth Conference—I have had very little chance of consulting anyone. And I think I shall have to issue a special leaflet in October or November dealing with this and one or two other matters, such as our plans for proceeding with the erection of the Pro-Cathedral in Seoul. The necessity for economy in paper and printing is driving us to two changes which will be made without delay. It will no longer be possible, anyhow for the present, to go on publishing all the names of new members of the Association in MORNING CALM, nor to issue the monthly intercession paper. In place of the latter it is hoped by St. Nicholas's Day to produce a small Manual of Prayers for the Mission to be used throughout the year, and also to suggest in MORNING CALM, from time to time, certain subjects on which the prayers of our supporters are especially needed.

Certainly we do stand in more urgent need of your prayerful sympathy than ever before. Before closing this letter I ought to let you know that Sisters Isabel and Edith Helena, C.S.P., will, if all is well, be on their way back to Corea before this is in your hands, as they have secured passages by a P. and O. steamer sailing on September 10. Also you will be sorry to hear that Fr. Bridle is suspending his return to Corea for the present, as he has undertaken for a period of three years the post of Chaplain in the Port of Kobe (Japan), which was offered to him once before some years ago, and which he then refused. I am not without hope (nor is he) that he may return to Corea when his period of service in Kobe is over. But at present we shall have to do without his services, and you must pray that God's blessing may rest on him in his new work + MARK, Bishop in Corea 48 VINCENT SQUARE, S.W. 1, September 2, 1920

Association of Prayer and work for Corea.

THE members of the Association, who are in the habit of receiving their copy of the Intercession Paper at the beginning of each month, will have been surprised at their failure to receive one in September. The copy came in good time from Corea, but in consequence of a request from the Bishop that the monthly issue of the paper should now cease, the MS. was forwarded to the Bishop, who is now in England. It will be a comforting reflection to remember that, notwithstanding the War and the necessary delay in the receipt of the papers from Corea, not a month has passed without a paper, and nearly always the paper being issued at the beginning of each month, since Bishop Turner and, on his death, Bishop Trollope requested the President to supply each of the members of the Association with a copy of the Intercessions and Thanksgivings sent home from Corea + C. J. CORFE Bishop.

Letter from the Organising Secretary.

WHILE Frs. Hunt and Arnold yet remain in England they are both willing and eager to do all they can in going about and speaking for the Mission. I hope that county and local secretaries of A.P.W.C. will not wait to be asked, but, please, let me know what meetings or Sunday sermons they would like to have arranged for the autumn and winter, and one of us will accept your invitation if at all possible. Miss B. E. Hutchinson, 20 Regent's Park Terrace, N.W. 1, has a large supply of exquisitely designed Christmas cards, which she will sell for the benefit of the Corea Mission. Do let us buy our cards from her! Miss Hutchinson will send samples and price list on request. Will priests who are offering the Holy Sacrifice with intention for Corea on, or within the octave of St. Nicholas's Day (December 6) very kindly send me a postcard before November 20, stating church, date, and hour, and whether alms are being given to Corea? All moneys given or collected for the Mission should be sent to Miss Hewlett, Queensgate, Harrow-on-the-Hill, please, and not to me.

I have written, by request, a little Corean story called "Soo Pokki and In Sinny," which I hope will be found useful, especially for children. It will be published at 18, (with illustrations), and I will post a copy to each hon. secretary of A.P.W.C. when ready, hoping to receive orders for more.

I wish to recommend a book on Corea, essential for those who would understand the present position. It is called {excuse the K} "Korea's Fight for Freedom," written by F. A. McKenzie, and published by Simpkin, Marshall & Co.

Miss Clews, 33 Paget Road, Wolverhampton, writes to say that she has received some orders for fair linens, vestments, &c., but that she hopes to get a great marty more. .

Let me repeat what I wrote last quarter: "Miss Clews, who is quite first-rate at Church needlework, buys good materials for which she charges exactly what she pays; the moderate fees for making vestments, altar linen, &c, are all given to the Mission. A price list will be sent on application." Please apply!

I wish to acknowledge very thankfully further response to the request I made at the annual meeting for various gifts and for money to enable me to buy slides for use in propagating the Gospel in Corea—viz, altar cruets, two friends at Brighton; for slides—St. John Baptist, Holland Road, ₤3 108.; Miss M. Asprey. ₤1 18,; Miss A. Thompson, 108. ; Miss E. M. Bengough, ₤3 125. 6d. The slides are for Fr. Hewlett, for use in the Chin Chun district. I should like to add that the seventy shillings collected for this purpose from the Corean branch of the St. John Baptist, Holland Road, Missionary Association was "chiefly given in sums of 6d. or a little more by people who cannot afford a holiday this year, and one member sold a possession in order to be able to subscribe." God bless them!

Miss Chambers Hodgetts, who was Hon. General Secretary for the Mission from its beginning for many years, is now leaving Exeter for Plymouth, and has sent me three parcels of valuable books and papers about Corea, which I propose to sell for the benefit of the Mission." Histoire de I'Eglise de Corée," by Père Dallet, 1874. in 2 vols., 103.; "Corea, the Hermit Nation," by W.E. Griffis, 1882, many illustrations, 158.; "Chosen," by Percival Lowell, 1885, splendidly illustrated, 255.; "Life in Corea," by W. R. Carles, 1888, 105.; "Problems of the Far East," by Lord Curzon, 1896, 105. Any of these books (now out of print) will be sent post free. Also some diplomatic and consular reports from Seoul, 1877 to 1891, 18. each. "Bishop Corfe's Monthly Letters," 1 to 12, 1889-1890; MORNING CALM, Nos. 1 to 6, and 9 to 88 (incomplete); "Corean Mission Annual Reports," 1889 to 1901. What offers ?

More hat boxes, supplied free, are ready. Please write to Miss Simpson, 92 North Side, Clapham Common, S.W. 4. They are usually opened on St. Peter's Day and in the Christmas octave. The contents should be sent by cheque or P.O. to Miss Hewlett. One box opened on June 29 contained 167 coins.

Fr. Hodges, who has been conducting retreats first for the Corean, and later for the English priests, writes: "I have got the Training-school Chapel into working order and now have one of our former school teachers as my writer. He is cataloguing the Corean library and translating from the Chinese into Corean such books as 'The Practice of the Presence of God' and 'Instructions on the Collects, Epistles and Gospels of the Church's Year.’ I take a Catechists' school in September and then keep on a few of the senior among them. Whether circumstances, financial and other, will make it possible to train any of these men for Holy Orders one cannot say, but I feel that in any case these older men should have some months of change from their labours, and help and encouragement at the Training-school. These Catechists have done yeoman work and they receive a wage which is about the equivalent of that of an ordinary coolie. The Corean priests get less than a policeman. The Kanghoa position is a clear step forward, it may be into deeps where it is sink or swim. I live there, but in the north of the island Fr. Kou is in charge and Fr. Mark Kim in the south. The native priests and churchwardens manage the alms, &c., entirely. The priests sometimes consult me about their work, but as much as possible I wish everything to go on as if no foreigner was near them."

Thus we are gradually working towards a really native Corean Church, and the more heartily we support the Mission now the sooner and the better will this glorious end be accomplished. Please pray especially for the Church under her own native priests in Kanghoa, and for Fr. Hodges as principal of the Training-school.

WILFRID NICHOLAS GURNEY. MOONDARA, PINNER, MIDDLESEX.

The Orphanage.

THE Orphanage has been moved to Seoul owing to the shortage of Sisters in Corea at the moment ; and the children are loving the change. They are living in an old palace with huge high rooms which will be dreadfully difficult to heat in the winter, but which have been much appreciated during the hot weather.

Both Sr. Helen Constance and Sr. Faith seem much struck with the charm of the orphans themselves, and with the obvious use of the Institution. It is tremendously popular, and the girls from it grow up into such good wives that there is always a great demand for them! And Christian boys are more than anxious to secure a wife from the Orphanage. After they marry the girls come back to see the Sisters and show them their babies, and always look upon it as coming home.

Nora, the baby of the Orphanage, sounds very delightful "She is the last child Sr. Nora arranged for, and called after her at her baptism just before Christmas. She is an adorable pickle, a well-made sturdy child with lovely brown eyes and the sweetest baby smile breaking over pretty teeth. She will come to church at 6 A.N.—picks up any one's veil, any size—thrusts her feet into any one's wooden shoes, generally odd! and klip-klops over the stones, flops down on the matting, and smiles up under her long eyelashes. At this time of year {written in June} she disports in a white pyjama kind of suit, with a sprigged muslin frock for best!"

They had a house warming on St. Peter's Day, and many visitors were invited to see the children in the new house. The orphans entertained them by acting a heathen wedding ceremony, taking all the parts themselves; and afterwards singing action songs and Tipperary in English!!! I have a message from the Sister-in-charge to those who help the Orphanage in any way. She thanks you very much for all you are doing, and wishes you could see the children and the need for the work yourselves. If you could do so, she thinks you would feel rewarded for anything you may do towards helping the spread of Christianity among the girls of Corea.

MARY SANDERS,

Hon. Secretary for Orphanage in Corea.

Home Notes.

COREA will be represented at the Annual Sale of Work to be held on Thursday and Friday, November 18 and 19, at the Horticultural Hall, Westminster. It is hoped large numbers of friends will come and also interest their friends. It is hoped that there will be a consignment of curios from Corea, and that the stall will also be stocked with useful things. Could all our readers send one useful household article for this purpose? A set of friends might send a set of towels or dusters, as sets are more useful than single articles. We make this simple suggestion and hope others with inventive minds will think of original ways of following it out. All contributions for the stall may be sent to Mrs. Weir, 15 Westbourne Terrace Road, W.2. Please price articles if possible. It is hoped that the opportunity may be used also for supporters to meet the General Secretary and the Organising Secretary, who both hope to be present. All communications or inquiries to be addressed to Miss Seaton, 61 York Street Chambers, Portman Square, W. 2, who will gladly supply notices for distribution. Please note Miss Drake (6 Edward Street, Bathwick, Bath) hopes to hold her Annual sale early in December, and will be glad of gifts of work and clothing by November 25.

The Secretary, S.P.F.M.A., writes that the Day of Intercession for Foreign Missions at St. Peter's Home, Kilburn, will be held on Tuesday, December 7. The preacher at the High Mass will be the Rt. Reverend the Bishop of Nyasaland. The particulars of the afternoon meeting and other details will be published nearer the time. We are also hoping to take part in the stall for Corea at the Annual Sale in November. Parcels should be sent (for S.P.F.M.A.) to Sister Etheldreda, St. Peter's Home, Mortimer Place, N.W. 6; and it would be a great help if a stamped and addressed card were enclosed for acknowledgment.

Sr. Helen Constance and Sr. Faith, though of course they are still hampered by their new conditions, have as much work, and more than they can manage. Sr. Isabel and Sr. Edith Helena, who have just sailed, are most anxious to get back to their people, many of whom live in the country and will want looking up, but journeys even in the most economical way cost money in Corea as well as in England, and if the funds are not forthcoming their itinerating work, which is of such importance, must be left undone, and the Sisters will have to confine themselves almost entirely to the town. The women in the country will then be left to struggle on under conditions so adverse that if they fail in their allegiance to Christ we shall know that it is because we, with all our spiritual privileges, have failed to give them a helping hand, and their sin and the sorrow caused to the Sacred Heart will be at our door