Page 81 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 81
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
gave hospitality to many Europeans passing through Hanzhong, including Uncle George who at the
time was some kind of underground agent), the accusation was probably justified to a larger or lesser
extent.
GFA wrote of a visit he paid in September 1916 to Ningxia where Mrs. Nystrom had been 'holding the
fort' alone since the Fiddlers who worked on the same station had gone on furlough. In spite of her
isolation, George found her well and happy and very busy visiting homes and working amongst the
women of the area. He spent a day in the Manchu city where the people had sunk into great poverty
since the Republic had been established. He wrote of going to the market and, with an old evangelist,
preaching for two hours 'to a large and most attentive audience'. He was entertained to a meal in the
home of one of the wealthiest Manchus, a retired official, and explained clearly to him the way of
salvation through Jesus Christ. During the whole day he met with no evidence of antagonism either
to the preachers or to the message they proclaimed.
FURLOUGH IN ENGLAND
GFA was at that time only at the beginning of his exploits. In 1919, after eleven years in Inland China,
he and Fanny with their three children and his parents, travelled together to Shanghai and on to
England on furlough. In May 1920 he spoke at the CIM Annual Meetings in London, and at Christmas
time read in a newspaper that on 16 December Gansu in North West China had been shattered by a
terrible earthquake.
On their way back to Shanghai he completed the writing of his book "The Crescent in North-West
China", posting the Preface back to England from Port Said. They had a lot of bad weather, and both
he and Fanny proved to be bad sailors, so spent a lot of time in their bunks. On the trip they lost
three men overboard at different times. The first was a young sailor, 18 years of age, who fell
overboard at about 4:15 p.m. on 27 January. George says,
"He was a good violinist and was to have played for a dance tonight.
The ship stopped and cruised round for a time, but could not find the
lad, though they picked up the two lifebuoys which had been thrown
over. This was the lad's first trip. He was a merry athletic lad and a
great pet of the Captain's. Last night he was fiddling for the sailors
on the lower deck. His untimely death has cast a gloom over the
whole ship."
On the very next day something similar happened.
"At 2:15 p.m." wrote George in his diary "I was down in the cabin,
when the ship suddenly stopped. I rushed up on deck to find that one
of the Chinese third class passengers had jumped overboard. Two
boats put off and recovered the four lifebuoys thrown over, also part
of the man's clothing, almost certain proof that the unfortunate man
had been eaten by sharks."
On 18 February they were steaming up the river to Saigon, 30 miles inland through beautiful scenery.
"Another Chinaman jumped overboard in the river! A launch set out
after him at once, but did not get him - not known whether he was
drowned of swam ashore."
81
Amy Moore
gave hospitality to many Europeans passing through Hanzhong, including Uncle George who at the
time was some kind of underground agent), the accusation was probably justified to a larger or lesser
extent.
GFA wrote of a visit he paid in September 1916 to Ningxia where Mrs. Nystrom had been 'holding the
fort' alone since the Fiddlers who worked on the same station had gone on furlough. In spite of her
isolation, George found her well and happy and very busy visiting homes and working amongst the
women of the area. He spent a day in the Manchu city where the people had sunk into great poverty
since the Republic had been established. He wrote of going to the market and, with an old evangelist,
preaching for two hours 'to a large and most attentive audience'. He was entertained to a meal in the
home of one of the wealthiest Manchus, a retired official, and explained clearly to him the way of
salvation through Jesus Christ. During the whole day he met with no evidence of antagonism either
to the preachers or to the message they proclaimed.
FURLOUGH IN ENGLAND
GFA was at that time only at the beginning of his exploits. In 1919, after eleven years in Inland China,
he and Fanny with their three children and his parents, travelled together to Shanghai and on to
England on furlough. In May 1920 he spoke at the CIM Annual Meetings in London, and at Christmas
time read in a newspaper that on 16 December Gansu in North West China had been shattered by a
terrible earthquake.
On their way back to Shanghai he completed the writing of his book "The Crescent in North-West
China", posting the Preface back to England from Port Said. They had a lot of bad weather, and both
he and Fanny proved to be bad sailors, so spent a lot of time in their bunks. On the trip they lost
three men overboard at different times. The first was a young sailor, 18 years of age, who fell
overboard at about 4:15 p.m. on 27 January. George says,
"He was a good violinist and was to have played for a dance tonight.
The ship stopped and cruised round for a time, but could not find the
lad, though they picked up the two lifebuoys which had been thrown
over. This was the lad's first trip. He was a merry athletic lad and a
great pet of the Captain's. Last night he was fiddling for the sailors
on the lower deck. His untimely death has cast a gloom over the
whole ship."
On the very next day something similar happened.
"At 2:15 p.m." wrote George in his diary "I was down in the cabin,
when the ship suddenly stopped. I rushed up on deck to find that one
of the Chinese third class passengers had jumped overboard. Two
boats put off and recovered the four lifebuoys thrown over, also part
of the man's clothing, almost certain proof that the unfortunate man
had been eaten by sharks."
On 18 February they were steaming up the river to Saigon, 30 miles inland through beautiful scenery.
"Another Chinaman jumped overboard in the river! A launch set out
after him at once, but did not get him - not known whether he was
drowned of swam ashore."
81
