My Dear Father:

Your nice long newsy letter was very gladly received. I don’t promise you know to write for publication and this is one of the letters which is not intended for the public eye altho’ I do not know that I have anything which is strictly private to write of. A few days ago the things which mother sent me and the box of ointment which is your gift reached me safely. Miss Paine and I had an interesting time unsoldering the box but finally managed to do so without injuring the lid in the least. It would not have been safe to send it without soldering it securely. Thank you very much for it. Miss Paine made a joyful exclamation when she read “itch” on the outside of the box. One poor child presented herself mournfully to me today and I took her into the bedroom and tried the new cure and much to her relief allowed her to go back again to the school room. I hope we may find it helpful in that line.———

We are enjoying the memory of a very pleasant visit from Dr. & Mrs. Baldwin.¹ They came last Friday and left this (Monday) morning. A very short visit but one which brought us some American sunshine. You cannot know what a pleasure these visits are from these home friends. Dr. & Mrs. Baldwin are both influential people in missionary circles. He is one of our Missionary Sec[retaries] of the General board and she is the President of the New York branch of the W.F.M.S. We were glad they came just now for they have seen our needs and I’m sure will make it more clear to the home boards than a hundred letters laboriously written would do. My disappointment was so great at not receiving anything to finish our new building² that I was almost beside myself with worry as to how we were to work situated as we are, but the Lord knows our need always and sent us these friends to encourage us and take back to the home land a true idea of our situation. I feel that the board have only to know our need really to do something for us. I speak of the Woman’s board. You Page 168 →know the men’s board is in debt and cannot do their part because of that. We have hoped from year to year that the Parent Board would do something for our new church, but as yet have been able to do nothing.

By the way what do you think of the missionary debt? Is it the fault of the Christians at large? I am inclined to think that the ministers themselves can rightfully take a large share in it, for unless they have improved in preaching missions since I left America, they do not keep the people well informed. I believe if people were to know the plans & results of mission work in all these countries they would go deeper into their pockets. I fear the ministers themselves are not well informed—how else have the members (except those of the W.F.M.S.) a chance to know of the work? I believe that if our preachers made fewer trips to the Holy land and instead visited the mission stations of the church the benefit would reach a much larger number of people.—Well what a dissertation I have made—My point is that I think the men of the church and the women too aside from a few loyal W.F.M.S. workers, know so little of the great work going on in China, India, Japan, Korea etc. that their interest is not deep enough to bring up more than a few coppers when the collection basket is passed in behalf of Foreign missions. What church paper do you take? I am taking the North-Western Christian Advocate. I think I like the Western the best but Miss Rothweiler takes that & I have the benefit of the reading in it. The Methodist Church is a grand big church & growing very rapidly. I think we all ought to keep up with her progress and be familiar with the names & work of those who lead in the work. I do so enjoy the Ram’s Horn³. It certainly is a means of grace to read it and you knowing the Editor makes it a little more interesting to me. I’ve thought several times I’d write a little of Korea for that paper but I can’t find the time, and besides what I write sounds so queer to me that I feel dissatisfied with it. You & mother are so used to overlooking my faults that you perhaps don’t criticize but others less interested do I’m sure. It is easily understood also, that they do not tell you or mother their criticisms. However we must even be willing to be considered a fool for Christ’s sake, and I realize that the work of grace has not gone deep enough yet in my heart to make me all I should be. I do want to sacrifice all of the self in my life as well as my body for His sake, that in some way I may be able to make the world a little better for having lived in it.

There is no special news to tell you. Everything is going on as usual. England’s ships in the harbour tell Russia plain enough that she can go so far but no farther.⁴ We would not be surprised any time to know the Russians had gone too far and Japan & England were about to interfere. I am afraid it may come to Page 169 →that. I think I should rather see the bloody war than to know Russia had taken full possession of this little country.

Miss Paine is studying the railroad maps and the steamer schedules very diligently lately. That means she is thinking of leaving me to hoe the row alone. I shall miss her more than you can know and then she will have to come back & miss me a year for my time is almost up. I’ll have been away six years when I get home again. I wonder if you will look very different. Laura Patterson says you & mother have changed very little. Georgia, of course, is the one who has grown most away from me. Helen & Grant won’t even remember me. Martha may slightly.⁵

Miss Rothweiler & I have made out the Hardware order for our new house. I wish you could have been here to have loaned us your experience. Don’t you see how a missionary ought to know everything? Why didn’t I look into your boxes and inquire as to the best kind of locks, window fasteners etc.?⁶ What a lack of knowledge I discover I have every day. Teach Georgia to observe everything. There is such an education in just observing nature as we see it, character in those around us, how things are done in all branches of work. I believe a child ought to be impressed that he may need to know this or that thing, altho’ it may seem most improbable, and encouraged to observe. Well my letter has lengthened and it is late so good bye & goodnight with love for yourself & all—

Your daughter Lulu.

My Dear Mother:

Mail came in Jan’y 28th. It would have been appropriate to have gotten a letter from you at least for it was your birthday but I did not get a single letter, a thing which has happened but a few times since I’ve been here, but it is disappointing, for you know how disappointed you feel if the carrier passes you by, but to wait two or three weeks and then get nothing, is not that worse? Today was mail day and as usual Miss Paine said “Who will you hear from today, your mother? ———” “Yes” I said “I’ll get two from mother” but not even one came. Father remembered me the last night of the old year and that letter came today. He said you were going the next day to Cincinnati, so I made up my mind that you would write me while away or after your return about your visit. I do hope you went. Miss Paine got an overdue letter a little while ago and had to pay 20 sen on it. I said I’d be only too glad to pay it if it were from you. I wrote Page 170 →you a letter enclosed in one to Father Jan 25th. I am anxious to know what you think of Harriet, Hattie Frey I mean. I do hope her lungs are not hopelessly affected.

We have been having the most beautiful weather lately, just like spring. I am glad we improved the opportunity and made some calls for today it is raining and may turn cold after the rain. There is a Shakespeare reading at the Reading Rooms this afternoon but I guess I’ll not venture out. Miss Paine is over her cold now. I am afraid for her to go out much in the damp for her throat is susceptible to changes in the weather. She says I’d better put her in a glass case and be done with it. Did I tell you she got well on a strange cure, salol⁷ & quinine.⁸

I do hope we can have an early spring for I am anxious to see the work commenced again on our building. We have a few hundred dollars yet and I hope that by the time more is needed more will be at hand. There is to be another meeting of the Executive Committee of the W.F.M.S. in March and we are hoping they can do something for us then altho’ that is really not the time to appropriate. We have asked for the balances which some of the branches have here, claiming that it was our good management that they have a balance at all. We want at least enough to build us a kitchen & dining room & bathroom for the girls so we can use the dormitories being built now.

Father says my letters are so filled up with hats and dresses that they are readable to no one but you, and so I’ve intended them to be, however I’ll try to improve. I must thank you anyway for the nice little telescope you put my hat in. I was somewhat disappointed in the hat. It is very pretty straw but I do not like the color or the trimming. Couldn’t you go to Miss Young when I want a hat, tell her something of what I want and then leave it to her as you do the making of my dress? Mrs. Jones, Miss Harris & Miss Paine all came out with new hats, probably not the latest styles but stylish looking to us and I don’t care particularly about style so my clothes look neat. This hat I got from Shanghai while it is very pretty, I paid an enormous price for it. It does trouble you so to get the things for me. I’ll be glad when Georgia can relieve you of the bother. Does she use her own taste as to hats & dresses? Does Zoe make her clothes? My dress fit me exactly. I have not worn it yet as I had to let the seams in the dress out and I haven’t got them pressed yet, so you see I haven’ t changed a bit. I asked you in the last letter to have me a lining cut and fit. Do you suppose Jessie would do it, I have some summer dresses which I want the tailor to make and he fits me so wretchedly. I wish I had some way of doing something for you. I have not forgotten you asked for a tortoise shell pin and I will get you Page 171 →one if I go to Japan this summer. I do not think I’ll get there, but if Miss Paine goes to America she can buy you one on the way.

I’m sorry to hear of Uncle Curtis’ death. One by one they go. The changes will be so great before I get home that I fear I won’t care to go. As long as you and father live, I shall always want to go. I shall be very much disappointed if I don’t get home my sixth year. I am counting on seeing Georgia graduate and then having some trips with her before I come back. I’m afraid I’ll be so tired by that time that I won’t be very agreeable, I’m almost there now. I try to live only a day at a time but this year’s school work has been hard on me nervously. I can’t help but let the work worry me. Father seems to think my letters do the people so much good. I fear my presence would not add anything.

I guess I have made an uninteresting letter all too long. It is time to climb the hill for supper. Write when you can.

We are all well. The whole family has been at the table most of the time lately.

Hope you keep well—

Very lovingly

Lulu E. Frey.

My Dear Father:

Your welcome letter of Dec. 31st reached me safely. Your description of the improvements in Bellefontaine always interest me. Whenever I read of the changes in the town and surrounding country either in the Republican or in your letters, I try to see it as described, but I can’t very well. I still think the old land marks must be there. So it is with the faces I shall miss. I try to realize it as I learn from time to time some dear friend has passed away, but I’m sure I do not, nor can I until I’m back again and find the vacant places. In my mind’s eye the babies I left are still babies; in fact no one has grown any older. I dreamed of you and mother last night and your hair was greyer than when I saw you both last, but in my waking thoughts of you, there are no changes. It is very foolish of me for time is making changes rapidly on this side of the world which has always been called slow. How much faster must things be going in America!

Last night as we were coming home from prayer meeting someone remarked on the improvement the street lights had made. I said to a gentleman who arrived only a few days since and to whom I know things must [seem] Page 172 →very strange as yet, “You don’t notice the improvements.” He laughingly said, “No.” One of our new ladies who has been here but two months assured him she could see the improvements. There have certainly been many changes in the 4 1/2 years I have been in the country, but that is not saying much for what has been done is but a drop in the bucket compared to what should be done.

Many of the streets have been widened and made passable for all kinds of weather, so if we keep on the principal streets walking is not bad but if one’s call takes him into the byways it is quite different. The city used to be in the blackest darkness, now a little coal-oil lamp at the gate of each house furnished by each house holder, make the city look quite gay. The filthy open sewers at the sides of each street are very unsightly, but under the circumstances I fancy the city is more healthy than if the ditches were closed to light and air.

A gentleman speaking last night of the new street to be opened from the palace to the West Gate said the Ewa Haktang (our school) would soon be on one of the back streets. I said not as long as we were on the way to the Russian Legation. Things go about as the Russians dictate now altho’ Korea is an Empire and her ruler is called an Emperor.⁹ However England and Japan are by no means asleep. England had a fleet in Chemulpo a short time ago, a few of the vessels are still there and the others are in waters nearby. Japan has a fleet of ten on their way. I inquired of the Japanese vice-consul a few days ago what would be done when they arrived. He shrugged his shoulders and laughed, and was as I expected him to be, diplomatically silent. The king seems to be a little uneasy of late. He begged admittance to the American legation, but as Uncle Sam’s policy forbids any meddling in political matters with other countries, Dr. Allen said he could do nothing for him except try to put a little backbone into him.—The steamer leaves tomorrow so I must close so this letter can soon be on its way to Chemulpo.

With loving remembrance to all friends–

Lulu.

[Written in different ink on the back of page.]

changes in Lulu’s first 4 1/2 years 1898

Dear Mother:

It is after 10 o’clock and Saturday night but I must write a little before I go to bed—mail in today nothing from home. Father sent me the paper with the Page 173 →notice of Belle’s accident.¹⁰ They say she is doing nicely. It was a very sad affair. I’ve just rolled up three of our Annual reports¹¹ for you. We have had only four hundred printed and the supply is limited, but I thought there might be those whom you might want to give to. I want to send to several whose addresses I do not know so I guess I’ll have to mail them to you and have you forward them to the friends. Only a few are from the press as yet but in a few days more I’ll send them. A letter from Miss Paine today; she talks seriously of coming back this fall¹²—if she does as she now plans she will be with you about the time this letter reaches you. I have some pictures ready to send but as one is not finished I am waiting so I can send all together. The mission picture has some eight or nine who are not members of the mission besides several children so we are not so big a force as the picture represents. A[h]—I’m so sleepy—for I’ve worked hard all day—Saturday is often a busier day than school days and Sunday is as tiresome as the others. I am very tired but oh—so thankful I am well!

Sept. 25 If Miss Paine comes by B[ellefontaine] Send me out a winter jacket of some sort and a plain felt hat to match in color, either a walking hat, sailor or turban—something small I mean to wear a veil with. I’ve enjoyed wearing that little green hat you sent me very much. I’ll refund the money. Mr. Appenzeller is away and I cannot get an order till he returns. I wish you might send the hat & jacket by someone if Miss Paine changes her mind and does not come till spring. However if it is too much trouble I can do without them, but I felt shabby last winter.

Mr. Campbell¹³ does not send me the paper again. Please do not speak of it to him but send me some of your county papers occasionally. Georgia can wrap them up and save you the worry & bother of it.

School is running smoothly and house building is going on though as it seems to us, slowly.

Monday Sept. 26, 1898—

All well—With love and haste

Lulu E. Frey.

Dear Father:

I was made glad again by another of your good letters, and have been intending Page 174 →to answer it for several days, but everything has been so unsettled that I have been at a loss to know how to write. Nor is it much better now but I’m going to attempt a letter anyway. (I think I have mentioned in a number of my home letters the Independence Club; then the last Repository gave a very good account of this organization so I’ll not go back to that but only say)¹⁴ it was organized by Dr. Jaisohn, an energetic Korean who has been able to do a great deal for Korea. He is a very bright man and a naturalized American which gave him necessarily many advantages. He is in America now, and in his place stands Mr. T. H. Yun¹⁵ an exceptionally fine Korean who was educated at Vanderbilt University but although in America long enough he was not naturalized and unfortunately has not the protection Uncle Sam could give him. You cannot know how fond we grow of Uncle Sam out here—(by the way tomorrow is Thanksgiving and in lieu of a turkey we have a goose. I was going to say I haven’t seen a turkey since I left home but I saw two in the American Legation compound last year and they looked fine. They are not native to Korea.)¹⁶

Well to return to the topic of the day—things were going along very quietly when one morning about two weeks since Mr. Yun came rushing in just after we had finished breakfast. His story was soon told. He had been called to the palace the night before and had been asked some very strange questions by His Majesty: “Where did he sleep at night?” and “Did he sometimes stay at the printing office?”, “Was the press building foreign property?”, etc.—He is editor of “The Korean Independent”¹⁷—a few days before a petition of the Club was granted asking that a council be formed and the Club be allowed to elect half of the members from among their men. Someone told the king they wanted to make Korea a Republic which of course displeased him, to put it mildly, and he forthwith ordered the arrest of these men. Mr. Yun was at home that night, was awakened early in the morning by a scream, suspected danger, jumped into his clothes and while his brave little Chinese wife¹⁸ held the officers at bay he escaped through an unknown gate, reached the railroad camp in safety and there getting a closed chair came through the gates unmolested to the Women’s hospital.¹⁹ The man who screamed was a friend who had come to warn him and was himself arrested with sixteen others. No doubt had Mr. Yun been caught the lives of all would have been lost. Mr. Yun after a cup of coffee went to Mr. Appenzeller’s the next house in our compound and has been comparatively safe, for no one can be arrested on foreign property. But the people have not rested night or day since. I never before saw such spirit among the Koreans. For days, hundreds of Koreans stood in front of the police station and begged to be imprisoned also as they were no less guilty than their leaders, but the police Page 175 →accommodations did not warrant so many guests at one time. Sympathizers grew until the Independence Club was lost sight of and the people by the thousands clamoured for a public trial for these men:

“Five days passed and the crowd showed no abatement in their determination. Neither cold nights nor bitter frost nor rain seemed to have any effect upon them. Contributions from $300.00 to a few cents pour in while poor vegetable sellers give their all to keep up the struggle for justice and freedom. A wood merchant from the country gave to the meeting an ox load of fuel for the night when it rained in the afternoon of the 8th, over one hundred & fifty oil hat covers were sent in by the paper merchants of the city. A few nights ago a barrel or two of Japanese wine was presented to the meeting by a wine store. But the leaders of the popular gathering passed a motion not to drink the liquor lest it might produce disorderliness.”

I have quoted the above from The Independent to show you the spirit of the people now and I believe before His Majesty is through with this he will find out that his subjects are not those meek, subdued people he has had to deal with before.

The sixth day of the trouble the King had the wisdom to free the 17 men who were imprisoned. The crowd in the meantime had moved down in front of the palace and His Majesty felt a little nervous to have them so near. The petition they presented asked for six things.²⁰ One was the arrest and punishment of the “Five Villains,” so called, who told the king these lies and caused all the trouble. They were all men of high positions. The crowd refused to disperse until this was granted. It was evident the longer they met and talked the stronger grew the spirit of bitterness against the King and the present form of government. Men talked until they were hoarse and wept like children. They were desperately in earnest. Finally their petition was granted but as no measures were taken to carry out the Six Articles and until they had some assurance it would be enforced they refused to disperse. They had reason to doubt the intentions of the King. The officials who have caused the trouble backed probably by the King sent into the country and by promising to give 60 cents a day managed to gather together several thousand men, who armed with clubs, came to subdue the people clamouring for justice. They wore queer white hats with a tuft of white cotton on either side, and carried lanterns made of bamboo and oiled paper. While the People’s meeting knew of these preparations, they stood their ground unarmed and were of course routed. As soon as the storekeepers heard the news they closed their shops and followed the crowd starting back to Page 176 →fight the peddlers, so called, because most of them belong to a guild of travelling merchants, and in past years were in great favor with the royal family.

Nov. 30th—Sorry I did not get to finish my letter when I began it but other duties pressed and my letter writing had to give way. I was writing Wednesday night when everything was at white heat. The peddlers were driven outside the city gates and barred out by soldiers. There was something about it all inexplicable. They were kept out of the city, yet for several days were paid well by the government. In the meantime, the King, failing to redeem his promise, the people, not the Club, but the rabble, leveled houses belonging to unpopular & unjust officials until 9 houses had been about destroyed. I think if the King had not come to his senses when he did the city would have been fired by the excited populace. Some think it was quite the most serious time—the most dangerous to foreigners of any time since the opening of Korea, with possibly the exception of the storming of the palace by the Japanese in 1894.²¹

Our ever-cautious Minister, Dr. Allen, ordered the Americans to hoist the stars and stripes on all American property. I put my girls to work and we soon had one floating over us. The next day the people were to carry out some of their desperate threats and the peddlers were to come in and subdue them. Great excitement prevailed, many thought they had seen their last day. I overheard the girls talking as they were making the flag. One said—“I was wondering if I should die tomorrow whether I’d go to heaven.” A great many people kept their clothing on every night ready to flee at a moment’s warning. The girls said, “When Miss Frey keeps her clothing on all night we will too.”

One day at dinner a man came and handed me a note. It was from Mr. Yun introducing Mr. Ko,²² one of the principal men in the Club asking a hiding place for him so we had several (five in all I think) refugees in our gate house for two days or more. I was interested to see how it was coming out but I had no fear. The first night of the trouble one of the members of our mission came up to tell us just how serious it was and “to sleep with one eye open.” He had borrowed a revolver from the American Legation and was prepared. We got one at the time of the war but as we had had no occasion to use it I had put it away so carefully that I had no idea where it was and as I thought I’d probably be more frightened with it than without it. I did not even look for it. “Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night,”²³ was quite as good as any weapon, and the promise was verified to me; with it I lay down in peace and slept.

Well to make my story short—to our amazement morning (this was the tenth day) brought us word the King had decided to meet the people and hear Page 177 →their petitions in person. This in all the history of the country had never been done before and the people were greatly pleased. So that the day which in the beginning promised bloodshed ended in shouts for the long life of the King. However, up to the present time he has not redeemed his promise to the people although he said in plain words before many witnesses that he would not deceive them. The people have little reason to trust him. He only cares to be safe and comfortable himself. So we wait and hope for the best.

I expect to go to Chemulpo to meet Miss Paine next Saturday your birthday, by the way, I’ll spend it on the river boat. Miss Paine’s boat comes in Monday the 5th. I’m so glad she could go to Bellefontaine and see all my friends. It will be almost as good as seeing them myself to see her and hear about them. Hope this letter will find you all well. The new year will be begun probably before this reaches you. While you are reading this remember I am anxiously awaiting another letter.

Your loving daughter,

Lulu E. Frey