Page 51 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 51
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
high gold-plated image of Buddha was unveiled. On the day before the festival commenced,
thousands of pilgrims were arriving from all points of the compass, and from very long distances.
Many of them measured their length on the ground as they travelled, going down on hands and knees
as they knocked their heads on the ground, then stretching their hands forward as far as possible,
they made a mark on the ground with their fingers. They got up, put their toes against the mark and
went through the whole performance again. When they reached the monastery, they circled the
building in the same way before entering, and then again after entering, circling the great image.
Deep holes were worn in the boards through the thousands of pilgrims who had worshipped in this
way for generations.
At 6 p.m. when the Great Butter Festival commenced, thousands of people moved into the monastery
and made their way around past the thirty-eight or more images which had been carved entirely out of
butter. The centre of each piece was a huge image of Buddha surrounded by fancy designs in many
colours, and each lit up by hundreds of brightly burning butter lamps. The whole thing blended
beautifully together and tastefully with the many lights, making a dazzling scene.
Arthur was delighted to find that the Tibetan people were friendly, and bought Gospels and other
Christian literature very readily, both in Chinese and Tibetan. Even the lamas bought Gospels and
Christian literature in large quantities, and Arthur felt that their readiness to buy showed "a marked
change in their attitude to the Gospel". On the last day of the Festival, Arthur and his Chinese
companions were kept busy from morning till night both preaching the Gospel and selling literature.
REBELLION IN XINING
Back in Xining it was soon time for Arthur to take Esther back to Lanzhou for the birth of the baby.
Jessie Mabel was born on 16 March 1911 and, when Arthur and Esther returned to Xining with two
small children, they little realised the dangers into which they were taking their young family.
It was 1911, China's year of revolution, when the Manchu dynasty was overthrown and the Republic
established. All over China there was unrest, and Xining, though so isolated and so distant from
Beijing, was no exception. On 26 June the city was in a turmoil. Great yellow proclamations were
posted up at the south and west gates, and in a great many of the surrounding towns and villages.
They called upon the people to "kill the foreigners", and the "Ten Evils" they represented were clearly
stated for all to read.
Arthur's letters tell the story of those days:
Each day the excitement grew until the people were worked up to a high pitch of fear.
Our servants were advised to leave us, the milkman refused to supply us with milk,
and the country folk from whom we buy eggs would not sell any more. The general
topic of conversation was how we were to be killed. We were first on the list, then the
Chinese Christians, then the two government officials and the businessmen who had
dealt with foreign firms at the coast. Finally all who wore narrow sleeved garments
and had anything to do with foreigners were added to the list. The scholars at the big
schools and the Post Office clerk and other employees, were also threatened.
There were rumours that nearly a thousand men were prepared to carry out the
slaughter, and the second day of the sixth moon (or, failing that, the sixth day of the
51
Amy Moore
high gold-plated image of Buddha was unveiled. On the day before the festival commenced,
thousands of pilgrims were arriving from all points of the compass, and from very long distances.
Many of them measured their length on the ground as they travelled, going down on hands and knees
as they knocked their heads on the ground, then stretching their hands forward as far as possible,
they made a mark on the ground with their fingers. They got up, put their toes against the mark and
went through the whole performance again. When they reached the monastery, they circled the
building in the same way before entering, and then again after entering, circling the great image.
Deep holes were worn in the boards through the thousands of pilgrims who had worshipped in this
way for generations.
At 6 p.m. when the Great Butter Festival commenced, thousands of people moved into the monastery
and made their way around past the thirty-eight or more images which had been carved entirely out of
butter. The centre of each piece was a huge image of Buddha surrounded by fancy designs in many
colours, and each lit up by hundreds of brightly burning butter lamps. The whole thing blended
beautifully together and tastefully with the many lights, making a dazzling scene.
Arthur was delighted to find that the Tibetan people were friendly, and bought Gospels and other
Christian literature very readily, both in Chinese and Tibetan. Even the lamas bought Gospels and
Christian literature in large quantities, and Arthur felt that their readiness to buy showed "a marked
change in their attitude to the Gospel". On the last day of the Festival, Arthur and his Chinese
companions were kept busy from morning till night both preaching the Gospel and selling literature.
REBELLION IN XINING
Back in Xining it was soon time for Arthur to take Esther back to Lanzhou for the birth of the baby.
Jessie Mabel was born on 16 March 1911 and, when Arthur and Esther returned to Xining with two
small children, they little realised the dangers into which they were taking their young family.
It was 1911, China's year of revolution, when the Manchu dynasty was overthrown and the Republic
established. All over China there was unrest, and Xining, though so isolated and so distant from
Beijing, was no exception. On 26 June the city was in a turmoil. Great yellow proclamations were
posted up at the south and west gates, and in a great many of the surrounding towns and villages.
They called upon the people to "kill the foreigners", and the "Ten Evils" they represented were clearly
stated for all to read.
Arthur's letters tell the story of those days:
Each day the excitement grew until the people were worked up to a high pitch of fear.
Our servants were advised to leave us, the milkman refused to supply us with milk,
and the country folk from whom we buy eggs would not sell any more. The general
topic of conversation was how we were to be killed. We were first on the list, then the
Chinese Christians, then the two government officials and the businessmen who had
dealt with foreign firms at the coast. Finally all who wore narrow sleeved garments
and had anything to do with foreigners were added to the list. The scholars at the big
schools and the Post Office clerk and other employees, were also threatened.
There were rumours that nearly a thousand men were prepared to carry out the
slaughter, and the second day of the sixth moon (or, failing that, the sixth day of the
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