University of Nanking - Linguist Yearbook (Nanking, China)

Page 83 text:

80 THE YEAR the hospitality of the plaee in the form of Chinese noodles, the eating Of which was boldly attempted by all, but 1 know of no one who will admit that he enjoyed it except IJr. Corpron, who at that time lost any reputa- tion he may have had for veraeity. On the way Clown the Mountain, we passed Miss- lieyda and NESS Bowne. who had chosen a beautiful spot from whieh to admire the view- 'lfhey called to us that if we reafrhed the station on time, 1he train would surely be hours late, but they forgot to mention that if we were HW minutes late a Chinese train would just as surely be ahead of time. S0 they continued to admire the sunset! And the last local of the evening came in on time. We boarded it in a very downeast mood, having left Conversation the funds neeessary for flagging the Sliangliai express. Our instruction to everyone in Lungtan. Chinese or foreign, were to treat them kindly and return them to us. They turned up 0VOIlfllfLlly, tired, blistered. and happy, like the rest of us, October twenty-second. Good morning! Please sit down. What is your honorable name? Where is your honorable home? and you were plunged into your first conversation with a private teaeher. You were glad you were sittillg down because your knees shook strangely, and your head was in a whirl. You tried to remember just why you had eome to Ching, and whether

Page 82 text:

THE LINGUIST '79 Mrs. Hamilton-Seerelo1-y-Ql'r0asa1'er. Mr. L. YV. Holland--Editor'-imChief qf the Linguist. Mr. L. T Helfricli-Business Manager of the Linguist. Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Davis! Circulaiioin Mcmagers of the Linguist. ' . October seventeenth. - . Our instructions were to be at the Shen Tseh Men station in time to take the 8.40 .-x. M. train for Lungtan. armed with fluid and solid stimulation Sllffieient to last us throughout the day. The preparation of. our lunches, Which was the pleasure of our respective hostesses, was sueeessfulg but our Own effort to master the Chinese language suliiciently to communicate to our ear- Flilge drivers and rieksha men f' W ODI' anticipated destination 'VM . V fs Wil-S not an entire sueeess. V, Two of the carriages rolled i merrily off to Han Si Men, in seine remot-e corner of the City. missing the 8:10. After leaving Lungtan, we Covered rapidly the five miles . l M t ' to the base of the mountain. ' Fume mm mn After that. much of our time was spent in thinking of lost breath and blistered heels. We were greeted at Bao Hwa Shan by Dr. Karl Reiehelt. who has spent many years studying and working among Buddhist priests He invited us to sit down, find our lost breath, drink oceans of Chinese tea, and eat our .lunches for which we had eannibalistic appetites, and to Which Dr. Reiehelt added various Chinese dainties, such as xvatcpmclon Seeds and wafers which looked and tasted very much like gold fish food. Bao Hwa Shan is one of the four monasteries in China where Buddhist Pl'ieStS may DHSS '0hF0llgh their novitiate. They follow a eourse of study in the ancient books of the library, and undergo various ordealg, Such as it daily beating with split bamboo rods. We were led from one room to llnothrr, each presided over by its special Buddah, or its thousands of Buddhas, until we would not have felt surprised if the person next to us turned out to be one. After our tour of inspection we were again shown

Page 84 text:

THE LINGU1s'r 81 lflu meant you or me. .But the teacher was very patient while you struggled to regain your eomposure. At the end of the period you marveled at your progress. Mentally you wrote a letter home to your family and your board telling them confidently that a whole year was ml1Cll too long to spend in language study. October twenty-third-twenty-sixth. Much interest noted in the tennis tournaments, especially in the mixed doubles. Strange, isnlt it, that both men and women play betferalone. October twenty-seventh. As you made the final adjustment to the mask that completed your disguise, and followed a ghost boldly down a long Clark hall, you knew you were a missionary Who feared nothing, but you weren't quite sure that you were glad you had 00Ine. When you stood outside a door A from which issued shrieks and screams, you began to think of the things left Undone at home, and wondered whether you fought to stay. Then the door Opened, and you were pushed in.. ltattling Chains, utter darkness, a sudden lurehing it Q- into something wet and elarnmy--you Sereamed too You weren't at all sorry t0 be piloted by another ghost into a Strange world inhabited byfreaks, elephants, black cats, Harlequins, goblins, and It real livo mummy. Queen Tut-tub Gateway at Ming Tombs herself revealed facts that you thought were dead, and east a rosy halo over the future. The set seemed to be an Iowa corn field. As you walked the lfraves erunched under your feet. But the erowning event was the eating Of a real American apple, skin and all. Now you know that Halloween in China is more fun than at home. October thirty-first. 'l'he first meeting of the Bachelors Defense League, organized by the i'unolaimed masculine blessings of Nanking's missionary GiF0l0S, was