|
3
Received a letter from Calvert of Baltimore announcing the death of S. Peun (邊燧) by being struck by an express train in Prince George's County. So shocked was I that I could hardly believe it. How sad! Mr. Calvert asked me to give him some information in regard to Penn's birth day and to the address of his family. Of course I couldn't give anything definite. Penn belonged to the Middle Class(中人) . He was born a dude. Studied certain branches of the science of agriculture in Japan between 1882 and 1883. Returned to Corea in the late part of 1883 and became a favorite of their Majesties. Got involved in Mr. Kim's conspiracy－no doubt against his wishes－and had to flee for life.
4
Most unexpectedly I met him in Washington last summer. Found him fast and dressed in the latest style. He told me he had graduated in the Maryland Agricultural College in 4 years. He was then－for the Summer－employed in the Seed Department of the Agricultural Bureau for ＄60.00 a month. He had been naturalized.
5
He was kind hearted and affectionate. Lack of principle was his fault.
6
A protracted meeting began tonight.
9
Wrote to Dr. Allen and Professor Bonnell. Told them that I would arrange my next movement according to their direction. In conclusion said I to Dr. Allen. "You will find me, if not as fully equipped as maybe expected, as least unspoiled in mind or manner or heart or servicibility, by an American education."
12
Last night, went to bed at 12:30. This morning about 3:45 I was waked up by an alarm that the college was on fire. Rushed to the scene, and found the building between the Gymnasium and Seney Hall in full blaze. No fire conveniences: no fire extinction. All we could do was to keep Gymnasium from catching the flame.
13
A thing that attracted my attention was a student with a high collar and a dudish cravat－all the more conspicuous because of the almost half dressed crowd－looking at the busy scene of fire, water, smoke, buckets and ladders with that supreme unconcern which characterizes a fashionable. He reminded me of a Vanderbilter who－the first year I was there－at a scene like this morning's stood with his umbrella up while everybody engaged in work was only too glad to have a shower, small as it was on the unruly fire. A man too careful of finery and fashion rather sees a building burn down than dip a finger in water to save it.
14
While I sat on grass in Dr. Candler's garden, the sun was genial and everything looked as gay as if in a vernal day. Maude－the pet dog－was behind me engaged in eating a bone; Fonzie and a little girl were busy with playing dolls by the side of flower-beds. These innocent creatures－girls, dolls and a dog－looked as happy and peaceful and natural as the crysanthimums were white and yellow, the roses, red and the grass, green.
16
18th. Yesterday and today have been as cold as any winter days I have seen.
17
It seems funny that I, after having graduated in a Department of Vanderbilt, should take a sort of post-graduate course in the Sub. Fr. class of Emory! To be more serious: As in all important events of my life, I can see a Providential design in this. Had I come to Emory in 1888 instead of going to V.U., I would never have the chance of going here and of learning and seeing what I learned and seen in V.U. So, all for the best!
18
Tonight, I feel very lonely and sad. Where is my dear Mother? What will become of Corea?
20
20th. Cloudy but warmer than yesterday.
21
The joint debate between Few and Phi Gamma came off at 7 p.m. in Phi. G. hall. The question read "Resolve: that the faults of great men shall be recorded." The Fews were on the right side viz. the affirmative, but the Phi Gamma made better speeches. Will, Nath Thompson and Budd represented Few. Will showed study and prepartion on the subject, but his delivery was very feeble. Thompson gave a sensible and humorous talk but was unpardonably ill prepared. Budd preached rather than debated－which means a bust. The boys on the negative showed that they came to debate and debate they did. Dr. Candler who acted the Presid. and the Judge gave his decision in favor not of the best speeches but of the better side－the Affirmative. I like him for that.
22
As for the question: The biography of great man－of a Washington, a Franklin, a Poe, a Napoleon－without his faults recorded may be a beautiful book but can not be a true Life. The Negative objected that young men would rather immitate the faults than follow the virtues, But a great man's Life with his weaknesses eliminated would be as false as to tell children that every good act was rewarded and every evil deed punished in this world. Yet who will deny that the effects of such a false teaching－the clock- work system of reward and punishment－are injurious on the mind and heart and faith and character of a young man the moment he sees the wicked prosper and the righteous afflicted in actual life? It would be far safer therefore to tell the young do right from fear of God than to deceive them by saying that the wicked are always punished. In the similar way, we should know and teach others that a great man is as human as ourselves, subject to same weaknesses, that the hero is not great on account of freedom from infirmities but on account of his better qualities; that a man needs not be discouraged because of this or that fault－for who can be free from it?; and that if we wanted a pure biography, we should live a life that needs not fear the record of a historian. Every body now-a-days demands that the history of nation－to be a history in deed and in truth－should chronicle not only the best things the nation has done and said, but also the worst things it has done and said. Is a biography a history of an individual? Then let it record the facts of his life, good and evil and let the posterity draw from them what lesson it chooses. We ought to never forget that the first and second and last object and aim of a history or a biograpy is to record facts and not to preach sermons.
24
26th. A gloomy day with sprinklings now and then.
25
College exercises suspended on this being the national Thanksgiving Day. At the service this morning, Dr. Candler gave a very fine sermon. He said:－
26
1. "That the reason of discontent among the people is not want of products or wealth but the inequality of their distribution. 75% of the wealth of the United States are in the hands of a million.
27
2. "Love of money for its own sake is the greatest vice of the Americans, poisoning social and political institutions. Sometime ago Gen. Price swore in N.Y. that it had cost him ＄10,500 to be elected a judge. Nobody will go to any expense for an office unless he expected to get it back with interest.
28
3. "It is not enough to pay for the service of the poor; you must pay enough to support them. It is all stuff to talk about the elevation of the masses without giving them the means and chances for improving their physical, moral and social conditions.
29
4. "Money gotten by unjust contracts; money hoarded by stinginess; money spent for vain luxury－all this is sin against Got and man. You, by extravagant display, set a bad example before the poor; and then by your meanness, you deny them the means of following your example. This produces discontent; and this discontent will grow more and more until the poor will seek for a redress in force and revolution. Just and fair dealing with them on the Christian principle of human brotherhood alone will avert this danger.
30
5. "As a people, we can not expect to excell in fine arts. Sculpture reached its perfection long before our days. We can not produce finer paintings than have already been produced in Europe. In these lives all we can do is to measure our attainment by how near we approach the creations of old masters in chisel and brush. But one glorious field of action is open before us: that of benevolence."
31
Dined at Professor Magath's. His wife is a very intelligent looking woman. The dining room was doubly attractive by its being open to a well kept flower pit. The dinner was what might be called a typical Thanksgiving dinner; the bill of fair comprizing turkey, ham, celery, maccaroni, ambrosia, pie, cakes, and Russian cranberries.
32
Mrs. Magath said that, in order to make boys visit her home more frequently, she was going to invite her sisters up from Florida. It tickled me to think that the presence of girls would drive away rather than draw boys in a Corean house.
34
27th. From now on my diary shall be kept－when it is kept－in from of letters. The name of my correspondent shall be Mr. Future.
35
M. H. E. O. G. Nov. 27-91.
37
What are Past, Present, and Future? Aren't they the names of 3 sections of the same continuous stream? Past was once Future; and Future will soon be present and then Past. As there are Morning, Noon, and Night everyday of my life, so there will be as many Pasts, Presents, and Futures in my life－be it short or long－as there are minutes in it. Why then should I address these lines to you, dear Future, rather than to Past or Present? The reason is this: Past came and went with its opportunities improved or unimproved; its successes or failures; its joys or sorrow. Present is now, its opportunities being improved or unimproved; its successes or failures being encountered; its joys or sorrows being experienced. It is you, Future, that is to be profited by the experiences of Past and Present. In addressing you I feel the responsibility of making the best of Present. May I do nothing and say nothing that I may be ashamed of your inspection. If I do or say, however, anything I may be ashamed of, God help me to have the pride to record the facts for the benefit or Future. So I proceed.
38
During this week our lessons in Physical Geography have been on the characteristics of races and their distributions. For the time being, of course, all national prejudices against the Chinese and Japanese on my part have been swallowed up in the broad partiality for the Mongolian race. Very natural!
39
In speaking about the Indians. Professor Bradley said that it is sad to see them step by step driven out of their possessions; and that their race being run, their race is to be justly extinguished to make room for a superior people. On the surface, there is something very cruel to hear a Christian talk so calmly about the extermination of a weak people by a strong one and that too often by means of treachery and injustice on the part of the so called Christian and civilized people. Yet, however our sentiments may be against such wickednesses, facts are facts. The doctrine of the survival of fittest can never hold true among the individuals of the same race or nation, but certainly it is true among different races or nations. For a nation no crime is greater than weakness; and among nations might is right. Justice and peace will never be established on earth until either the stronger races and nations shall have destroyed all the weaker ones or the latter shall have gained strength enough to protect themselves.
40
These reflections started this question in my mind: If the American Indians and other inferior races are to so soon pass away from the land of the living, is there any use of preaching the Gospel to them? After a few moments doubt the answer came in the affirmative. Why?
41
1. Because if the Gospel were not to be given to a people because it is doomed to extinction, no people need it. For what race or nation is it that will not come to an end sooner or later?
42
2. We preach the gospel to individuals to whom death is certain to come our day or other. Nay, those who are nearest to death need the gospel most. Doesn't the same logic apply to dying races?
43
The "Fall Term Impromtu Debate" came off tonight. Dr. Candler gave the question: "Resolution; that co-education is better than separate education." Phi Gamma was on the negative side. Of course they won the question. I myself am opposed to co-education.
44
Dr. Candler in congratulating the Societies on their prosperity, said that the A.B. course here is fully as high－if not higher than－as the same course in Cambridge, England or Harvard in the North. I don't believe this, highly as I esteem our strong and good President. That this college, in its own sphere and time has done as noble and as needed a work as any institution in the world, I don't doubt. But that it is as high in its courses as those of old and renowned colleges and universities, I emphatically deny. This college, however, has a good past and will in time, under God's providence, grow to be a centre of education that needs not fear comparison with any in the country. This requires means and time and greater enlightenment of the people of Georgia on educational matters.
48
Dear Future: This has been rainy day. Usual interest in the Society.
49
Received a letter from dear Mrs. Abbie Hoss. You know she is a friend for whom I cherish almost filial affection. You may say she is too young for that. Yes, so far as her age is concerned; but she has been so kind to me ever since I knew her that I can not express my love to her by any other endearing word than that of mother. She has to a large measure satisfied my natural yearning for womanly sympathy. What ever may be her faults－(and I know none of them) －I love her and shall love her. My only prayer is that nothing may ever be said or done on any occasion that may tend to weaken or sever the friendship now existing between her and me. I love everybody dear to her: Dr. Hoss, her boys and her daughter and her sister.
50
After dinner a phrenologist came and examined the heads of several boys at 25￠ each. On examination of mine he sagely pronounced that my head indicates thoughtfulness, stubborn will, ambition, self-confidence; that I am inclined to be philosophic, original, critical, analytic; that I have firmness of purpose, strong passion for women; that my talent lies in the direction of law or literature. The funniest thing he said was that I would or should (I don't know which) marry a woman of slender form, auburn hair, blue eyes and of fair complexion! If this be a prophecy, he told a lie, there being no more likelihood for my marrying a woman of that description than for my becoming a Vanderbilt. If this be an advice, he was off; for there is no reason why auburn hair and blue eyes and fair complexion should fit me better than my native colors. But in one thing he spotted me: He said that being reserved, I am not given to making friends; but that I am apt to form a strong attachment to those whom I do select as friends. He was also right in saying that I indulge in building castles in the air; that I eat too much (!) ; that I have a sanguine temper.
51
Dear Future it is you to show me how far this phrenologist was right in the estimation of the characteristics of my mind.
52
If rather offended my sense of honesty to hear the boys, who had eagerly sought the judgment of phrenologist on their brains, make fun of what he said (in most cases he hit the mark remarkably) as if they were too intelligent to believe in the "Professor". I am quite sure those fellows who say loudest that they don't believe in the verdict of the phrenologist to whom they submitted their heads, are the very boys who believe or wish most deep down in their hearts what good things he said of them were true. I call such fellows "Thrice Fools": first, for being fooled by a phrenologist; second, for trying to be too smart to believe his words; third, for being real fools.
|
