Korea by Howard Lee

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · May 26, 1910

Korea

By Howard Lee

SOONAN.— We arrived here safely on Tuesday evening, April 5. At the Seoul station, Sister May Scott and Brethren Harold A. Oberg and R. C. Wangerin met us, and we went at once up to the house where Elder C. L. Butterfield lives. They have a very pleasant place just outside the city wall. We stayed there one week, as Elder Butterfield wished to visit with us, and also to have us look at some of the places where we might obtain land for the mission headquarters. We had a very pleasant time there, but were glad when the last stage of our journey was over, and we arrived at Soonan. The people here knew when we were coming, so the whole school and other interested ones were at the train to meet us. At the station, about a mile from the school, we found the students, all boys and men, lined up on the platform in two ranks. At a signal, they all took off their hats, and bowed. I then spoke to each one, and shook hands all around. Then they marched home in fine order. We like their appearance very much. Their word of greeting is Pyona hacia, meaning, “Peace dwell with you.” They call us Lee Moksa, and Lee Moksa puin. There are three teachers, one of whom speaks English quite well.

After supper the whole school came over to Dr. Riley Russell’s to give us a little reception; there were about thirty-five, including a few boys and girls not in the school. I spoke a few minutes through an interpreter, and they applauded with their hands. Then they wanted Mrs. Lee to speak, which she did. The teachers then expressed their joy that we had come, and told how they had been waiting for us. Two boys sang a duet of a Korean school song, to Korean music, the school joining in the chorus. We liked it so much that we asked them to sing another, and they responded by singing a hymn.

A Korean boy has picked up some knowledge of music, and has been trying to teach the others to sing, and they do pretty well. After a word of prayer, one of the teachers gave the boys some instruction on how to use their vacation, which was to begin the next day, and last for five days. They had waited three days before beginning it, that they might be here when we came. They took a large quantity of tracts to distribute on their way home. After bowing to us, and saying, “Pyona hacia,” they went home.

Miss Scott had arranged for us to occupy the house that Elder Butterfield built in Soonan, so we began at once to get settled. This home is in a fine location overlooking the valley.

HOWARD LEE.