Page 263 →Appendix C Letters Received by Georgia Frey LeSourd from Ewha Haktang, 1919–34

From Jeannette Walter.]

Dear Friends,¹

As you have been struggling in America with the influenza all these weeks, we can only be thankful that we have escaped so well. When we last wrote the epidemic here was almost over and then came the problem of the pickle making, which is outdoor work and would be a great exposure to the girls who were still weak. For days we tried to plan to excuse them and still have money enough to hire help to do the hard work. At last we decided to send every girl who could possibly go to her home and use the money that would pay for her board for the help needed. No girl who stayed in the dormitory had a relapse and although some who went home were sick again there were no complications and no deaths.

One day during the epidemic an old woman came and called me to her home to see her granddaughter. She left before I had even time to see her and I had difficulty finding out who she was and where she lived. I found it was a home where I had called once and all were heathen except this little girl. She was very sick and in her distress she called for the foreigner to sing. When I got there I found the little life almost gone and the fever raging. I cared for her and the next day she seemed better. Her people were so grateful and said “Oh if you only make her well, we will believe.” I tried my best but the little girl never came back to consciousness and we were not able to sing for her the songs that she had learned in the Christian school and so longed for, but her last words were words pleading for her people to believe in the Jesus she had learned to love and she told them she felt sure God would make her well if they would only love Him.

Page 264 →The missionary society had their usual fall mite box² opening as last year and received about $9.00. It was used to buy rice and wood to give to the poor on Christmas day and I wish you could have seen the poor people who had gotten tickets coming and going away with their gifts, a little bag of rice and wood enough to cook one meal. Theirs was a Christmas dinner long to be remembered.

There were the usual Christmas trees and programs like we told you about last year, but the inspiration we all received, from the program of Christmas music given by the girls on Sunday evening, will never be forgotten. The church was crowded with Koreans and foreigners. The new pipe organ began to play and from out in the yard we heard “Joy to the World” and the two choruses dressed in white, marched down the aisle singing the Good News. Whether it was the pipe organ which inspired the girls or whether it was because special attention had been given to the translation of the songs, the girls seemed to have unusual freedom and sang to the hearts of the people. In a crowded house usually we have much disorder but as these girls sang, one could have heard a pin drop and the little boys on the floor in front sat with wide open mouths. The American Consul General’s mother, an old woman of 81 years said “I don’t know a single word they are saying but I seem to understand. How it must please the Lord Jesus to have people sing His praises like that.”

As a result of this program, Mr. Cynn, the principal of Paichai school³ came and asked for Miss Wood and two of the girls to go with him to hold a revival meeting in one of the Southern Methodist stations. As singing heretofore has been more for entertainment and evangelistic singing has not been done, it was a new adventure. But knowing that Mr. Cynn would know how to use such singing to advantage the girls went and the people were touched. As Helen Kim⁴ sang “He was not willing that any should perish,”⁵ an old man sobbed and later rose and told how that song had touched his heart. Now the girls are interested in finding the songs that will appeal at such times and getting them into their own language. One of the teachers in the Southern Methodist school said “The influence of these two little evangelists in our dormitory has been felt and it has been a proof to me that Higher Education is worthwhile and I’m going to try to plan for some of our girls to have the opportunity of College life at Ewha.

As Christmas presents were not plentiful this year we gave packages only to the girls who did not go home. The girls seemed to understand that there would be little coming from Santa this year and all were unusually grateful for what they did get. To give up getting a night gown that you have been waiting for years is not only putting aside a Christmas sentiment but is a real sacrifice. Page 265 →We are so thankful to you all for the effort you have made this year when there have been so many other demands. When the girls gathered around the tree, they gave a little program and then a play which represented a post office scene and people calling for their mail. Some grumbled because they got so little even tho’ their arms were full but one who got only a post card telling of the improvement of her mother’s health went away glad and happy. So you see we too have gotten the spirit of a giftless Christmas.

The tree for the school helpers and their families was one of the happiest events of Christmas day to me. The boys and their children gave the program and as the house boy stood to read the Christmas story (he had just learned to read with great effort) his little five year old daughter looked up and said, “My, can’t my papa read good!” One twelve year old boy, while singing his solo became a little shaky and his anxious father sitting nearby tried to help him. But the father never once hit the tune. Each man was bursting with pride as he showed off his little family.

This fall our school became registered and is now under government regulation. This sounds all very well to put down on paper but it means much anxiety on our part. All the work is done in Japanese now and even the tiny tots are learning it so well they never seem to notice a change when we speak in Japanese to them. The great problem is that the teachers must be qualified and that means salaries doubled and more teachers must be hired. With the salary of every helper raised, because of the high price of rice, which has been more than doubled, we can only go on having faith that help will come from someplace, for we know that the school belongs to the Lord and He will care for it.

Three years ago, one of our Ewha High School graduates went to the Higher Government Normal School of this city. She was the only real Christian there and as she was a H.S. graduate it was very hard for her to have to go back and study in the grammar grades in the Japanese but she did it willingly after she had a vision one day that perhaps God could use her there. We felt that to get in touch with one of these schools was an opportunity so we had Sukcha bring a list of names of the girls most interested in Christianity. Each one of our King’s Daughters⁶ leaders took a name and began to pray for that girl, first of all that she could be influenced to go to church. As they went one by one, our girls were delighted. In the Spring Sukcha organized a Bible class asking a Mr. Pak to teach. After the first meeting at which only three girls were present, each girl decided that she would bring in five girls for the next meeting. That day 17 were present, then came the summer vacation after which the girls returned with the same enthusiasm. One day Sukcha saw a notice in the paper of a girl Page 266 →in a nearby town, whose mother had been sick a long time and then died and left a great debt for which the girl was obliged to sell herself to the manager of a house of ill fame. The girl did this unwillingly but she had no one to help her. When Sukcha told the dormitory girls about this, their hearts were stirred and they told their teacher the next Sunday. He merely asked a few questions as, “What would you want done if you were that girl?” The girls broke down and cried and he dismissed them with the words, “Weeping will not help, you will have to work and sacrifice.” The girls went to their dormitory but there was no peace for them, then they prayed and began to give out of their poverty as only the Koreans know how to do. There was little money but there were silver spoons, clothes and embroidered things they had made, these they all gave. The thirty girls who had become Christians all gave much and best of all every girl in the School gave at least 25 cents each and altogether they raised $50.00. It required $110.00 to buy this girl from her life of shame and when they reported the result of their efforts to the church, the Aid Society did the rest and the girl was sent for and put into the home of Mr. Pak, the teacher, who has now adopted her and put her in school. The day of her arrival every non-Christian girl was present to see her and at that time heard a strong message from one of the pastors. Sukcha does not claim any of the credit, she says it was all because the girls here prayed. Last year at this time there were three Christian girls in that school, now thirty are working earnestly for the other thirty.

What a wonderful opportunity to train a leader and live to see her accomplish things that you could not possibly do: What a wonderful privilege of having a little part in preparing a seed and seeing it planted in a place where conditions seemed unfavorable and finding it to grow and multiply even thirty-fold.

Sincerely Yours,

Jeannette Walter

[From Marie Church.⁷]

Dear Mrs. Le Sourd,⁸

Every day is a reminder in a thousand ways of dear Lulu Frey. But most especially does the Christmastide bring its memories. How she glowed with pride when her girls sang! This year a beautifully finished sacred concert by the Ewha College glee Club was radioed far and wide. I was on the East-West Gate Page 267 →street-car and heard it from loud speakers the length of the ride and thought of how she rejoices in heaven over it all.

Thank you for remembering us each year. Miss Appenzeller shares with the high school. The part we received was enough to prevent a girl from having to stop school just before exams.

Sincerely

Marie Church

Thank you also for the cards.

[From Charlotte Brownlee.⁹]

My dear Mrs. Le Sourd:—_

The pretty red silk dress you sent came to me. Thank you very much. I’m sure I’ll get much good wear out of it.

The post cards you sent were lovely. I gave them to the children. It was good of you to take the trouble to send them.

I live in the room that your sister lived in for so many years and every day something comes up to remind me of her. How I do wish she could have lived these happy years with us here, in her adopted country.

We had a lovely Christmas except most of us had the flu and had to stay in bed. That’s not so hard to do when it’s vacation. I think we will be up for teaching on Monday. Better luck next Christmas I hope.

Again I thank you for all your kindness and thoughtfulness for us.

Sincerely Yours

Charlotte Brownlee

P.S. May the New Year be filled with joy and happiness for you and yours. C.B.