Dear Mother,

Mail came in this morning bringing me a letter from Florence Le Sourd¹ and Anna Colton² but none from you—I always feel, as if the mail had not come at all, if it does not bring me a letter from you. I am very busy now, especially since there is special effort to reach the people. We have been having revival work now for three weeks and have been seeing some wonderful manifestations of power. I am sending you an account of the work in Pyeng Yang, under another cover, also one for Bro. Swank and Mrs. Davies. It reads quite like the times of Wesley.³ Night before last, in our church, after a number of confessions of sin and earnest prayer, but no special manifestation, suddenly the whole church broke out in violent weeping and the meeting could not be closed until 11 o’clock.—At last night’s, every confession was given with tears and again it was eleven o’clock. Some of our girls were too burdened to go to sleep, so came in to confess to us—It seems a strange way, God is leading us, but is most wonderful.

Today is Frank Dickinson’s birthday, tomorrow, mine—Wouldn’t you like to give me a birthday greeting? Unfortunately, we cannot be in two places at once. The flesh often wants to be home with you, but there is so much to do here I must stay as long as possible. I shall probably go out of the school, though I can see I am needed here, perhaps not so much as other places. Where to go, when so many places are open to me—Some one is needed for the Bible Training School. Some one ought to go with Mrs. Sharpe in the South District. Miss Miller goes home next month and some one ought to take her place with Miss Marker in Chemulpo.⁴ Then some one is needed for school-work in the North. As I am the only available person, I am asked to go to each place—I think I will go with Miss Marker in Chemulpo for the coming year—Work—blessed work!⁵ Is there anything better for the mind than work? Though the body gets [The rest of the page is cut off and the rest of the letter is lost.]

Dear Mother:

After deciding not to come north, Miss Estey sent me a telegram and so here I am. I left Seoul Tuesday A.M. 8:30 & got into Pyeng Yang at 7 P.M. stayed all night there and then took the train for Anju getting there after a four hours’ ride at 11:30. There I took a jinrikisha for Yeng Byen reaching here at 8 P.M. Wednesday. I stay till Monday when we all go to Pyeng Yang and from there to Seoul for Annual Meeting Tuesday.⁶ We will be one day late for the Conf. opens in the morning and we cannot get there till evening. It is beautiful up here among the mountains in the most Northern province of Korea. Dr. Leonard of our board from New York came up yesterday. We all go off to see the sights today. There are many interesting & noted places up around here. I came especially to see the house site. Miss Estey hopes to build next year. Mr. & Mrs. Morris,⁷ with whom Miss Estey boards, are the only other foreigners in this out of the way place. No doctor at all. Mrs. Morris’ experience when their baby was born is most terrible to think of.

I came off as I said in a hurry. The evening before I received the P[ost] O[ffice] notice that there was a package for me, duty 77 sen. I presume it is my dress but I had no time to send for it as I left so early the next day. It is just in time for Annual meeting—won’t that be nice? I just got a pongee skirt and jacket suit finished by the Chinese tailor, so I am all right for clothes. I hope there will be American mail when I get back to Seoul. I think of you now as being in Boston with Georgia,⁸ but when you read this you will both be back in Bellefontaine. Does Georgia go to Lakeside for the summer? I do hope you are enjoying your Boston trip and will not get sick. We are having a most lovely June in Korea, but I presume it will be hot enough next week when the house is full of company. We entertain seven ladies & one baby & our own family number five. Mansu has been off sick for a couple of weeks & was not back yet when I left Tuesday. He has not been at all well ever since I came back from America. He is our cook, you know.

I have not written a word of my report⁹ yet and this is Saturday. I hope I may have an inspiration this afternoon, for I’ll have no other time till I get back to Seoul & then I [will] be in the midst of things and be too busy to attempt to write.

Page 236 →June 20

In the midst of Conf. home again. I will just close & send you. I am wearing my pretty new blue dress today. Wish I could afford them oftener. It is such a delight not to have to select or plan the making. It is missionary work for you to relieve me of it.

With much love—

Lulu E. Frey.

Dear Mother:

Dr. Cutler prayed in our morning prayers this morning that our friends at home might not be disturbed by the newspaper stories of the trouble out here. I said afterward, “Mother thinks I am safe in Chemulpo”—but you will soon get the word that I am still in Seoul. We have been having it rather lively for several days. It is hard though I’m on the spot to get the straight of the affair.

You know the Korean Emperor without saying “May I” to the Japanese sent representatives to the Hague to intercede for Korea.¹⁰ The Japanese were quite indignant over this and evidently intend to punish the Emperor. Three demands are said to have been made. 1st that the Emperor go in person to Japan and apologize, 2nd that he give up the throne to his son (who, by the way, is an imbecile), 3rd that he sign the treaty the Japanese made out last November. The people were so indignant that great crowds gathered around the palace gates last Friday the 18th. We heard shooting before the day was over both Japs and Koreans having fire arms & numbers of both were killed & wounded. The rioting has kept up for several days. Several large fires have occurred. The Koreans setting fire to the homes of several of the new members of the Cabinet who are of course pro-Japanese.¹¹ A ceremony of some sort took place on Saturday. The Koreans claim that the Crown Prince was made Prince Regent & the Emperor has become the Retired Emperor while the Japs say the Crown Prince has become Emperor. A cable from Japan to the Prince congratulating him came—The Koreans refused to answer it as though the Crown Prince were Emperor, and several members of the new cabinet because they agreed with the Emperor & Crown Prince on that point, were cast into prison yesterday.

I’ve gone through so much of this sort of thing since I’ve lived here in Seoul that I do not feel the least disturbed. Miss Marker has wondered that I’ve not been excited.

Page 237 →We are holding a Summer Institute for our day school teachers, so I’m teaching every day, besides the regular work for the school & place. What are you doing?—I sent Georgia the waist for her dress. I hope she has gotten it all right.

With much love—

Lulu.

I am sending you $10.00 to pay for my green dress, the one you sent by Miss Estey. Have you yet received the $40.00 I sent before I went to Shanghai—By Post Office order.

[The start of the letter is missing.]

[To Georgia:]

Your letter not off yet & none to Mother lately. I fear she may worry so get her a card off saying I’m alive. I still have a little fever and get tired very easily. I go to school for my classes and then back to my rooms for meals & rest. I wish you could see my rooms—I have taken the room we had for a study upstairs last year for my bedroom because it is nearer Miss Marker’s bedroom & have made our bedroom the study & it is better for it is nearer the girls’ dormitories. Both rooms have been repapered & all looks so different that there is little to remind me of the past—it isn’t painful any more to think of it anyway.¹²

My environment is all I could ask. Miss Marker is so capable and so optimistic. Mrs. Ha¹³ is a jewel & I feel our school is going to be a success—if I were only strong enough to do all I am ambitious to do. If I can just get out of the hands of my doctor & nurse! Miss Edmunds, just as I get interested in doing something makes me go & lie down. I hate to ask someone to do everything for me and for that reason your birthday present is not off yet, though I’ve had it wrapped up for two weeks. If I could only hold your birthday off in the same fashion—but I can’t—let me see you will be 25 this time.

I wish I could hand over to you these two beautiful persimmons I have on the table before me. They are so delicious.

We are having the most exciting time with thieves and are proving the benefits of having the Japanese in our midst. They are Japanese and altho’ two or more of the foreign houses are entered nightly until the list has grown to about twenty, the Japanese police are not able to catch them—they are able but apparently do not want to. Of all of the Masters of the Academy I think the Page 238 →oftenest of the one with whom I discussed the Japanese question. I have wished I had him here to show him a little of what our people are suffering at their hands. Some parts of America & Canada I see are having about enough of them. I do not sputter like this out loud for it is policy since we have them to deal with to get along peaceably with them & in many ways I admire them. But they hesitate at nothing to accomplish their end they may have in view. Some think they want to drive us out. In fact the attempted murder of two of our number have made them leave Korea. Well my paper is filled so goodbye.

With love—Lulu