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1st.(9th of 12th Moon, Jong-yoo Year). Saturday. Misty.
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Busy all day long in making new year calls―
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The Palace and people are considerably excited on account of the arrival of 10 men-of-war at Chemulpo. If England cares to come into Corea as a political factor, she will find the people quite open-armed. We are sick of Cho Piung Sik, Chung Nak Yong, Yi Yong Ik, Kim Hong Niuk and Co. upheld by Russian Legation. These devils will be emboldened to push their deeds of darkness to a greater extent if the English fleet goes away without a fuss.
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Fears are underaided that the King might be scared to seek safety in the Russian Legation.
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15th.(23th). Saturday. Cloudy.
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Wandering News located:
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1. A week or so ago some fools (presumably 3 Yi's Co) suggested that H.M. should go to the U.S. Legation for protection. But Dr. Allen strongly protested against such a rash step. H.M. is surrounded by rascals whose self-interest prompt them to keep him always scared, for this gives them chances for private audiences, secret favors and high positions.
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2. After several days of trials I have only today dared to ride my "over-land" on the street―in a fashion. Have had most discouraging falls from the saddle but I hope I shall do better as the wheel and time roll on.
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3. Dr. Jaisohn is accused of having never paid a visit to the grave of his former wife who, rather than be disgraced, committed suicide in '84. When her father, old and poor, called on the Dr. after his return to Seoul, the son-in-law gave the old man two dollars which the latter didn't take. I know positively that Dr. J. is not over-sentimental but I can't believe such a story on him. Certainly he has alienated the love of many of his former friends among whom are Mun Yu Yong and Han Sei Chin by his coldness and arrogance. Han was shocked to see Jaisohn kicking a coolie on the street who dare to go near Dr. Jaisohn.
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4. H.M. sends Sim Sang Hoon to China to find out how things go there.
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5. Dr. Jaisohn told me the other day that the 3 Yi's are as bad as other Corean officials only to a less degree and that he didn't see why Dr. Allen likes them so much. I said, Dr. Allen is not here for health or for missionary purposes. He has to have some one here who will help him to promote the interest of America―and in the 3 Yi's he found the tools he wants, not honest men, but all the lottery fitter for a community like this. You couldn't do otherwise if you were in Allen's place. Jaisohn praised Kwon Chai Hiong as a good man. "He will not betray his friends" said I. If what Jaisohn said were not sincere―I don't care. I gave him no false answers.
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6. General Greathouse thinks that Speyer will use his influence to put in better men in the government before he goes away to cover up his track.
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7. As soon as Pak Jung Yang was dismissed from his position as the Minister of Finance, his house was almost deserted. But the appearance of the English fleet in Chemulpo again fills his rooms with office seekers who think that the English ascendency may put P. back into office. Then the rumor was afloat that H.M. was going to the American Legation. Dr. Allen has a stream of visitors―who wanted to be ready to get offices when a change should come.
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8. In '94 when the Palace was stormed, Min Yong Tal in order to send away his family to the country, hired lots of chair coolies. Lest they might not stay until the hour for departure, Min gave them all the money they wanted and fed them to their full. But when the moment came for his family to go, not a single rascal of the coolies could be found anywhere.
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9. From the above instances it may be seen that the people of Corea are rotten from top to bottom. No faith, no integrity, no shame―, not even common honesty. Only a little cash and you can buy them to do any amount of meaness of any kind.
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10. In a village in Chung Chong Do a "yangban" named Yi lived. He had a funeral in his house to which all the villagers went except a few Catholic converts so called. Mr. Yi indignantly said to his neighbors, "These Christians seem to have no sympathy for the sorrows of others. They should be expelled from the village". But a day or two after that he was summoned to the house of Yang Tai-In or the foreign priest near the village who told Yi that he must leave the village in five days or he would suffer the consequences. Such is the tyranny of Catholics that Yi has to pack and go away from a village in which his fathers had lived from sire to son for 200 years. Time of reckoning will come for the priest and his converts whom he has made twice the children of hell than before.
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11. The question is common here "How much do (or will) you pay me for believing in Jesus?" (The other Sunday, a woman who attended Dr. Reid's Chapel said to the chapel keeper "Please write my name down in your probationers' list if you will pay me. I have no means of getting money and I might as well get it by believing in Jesus." Of course, her name didn't go into the list.
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12. Mr. and Mrs. Collyer are getting on very badly with their servants. Am sorry for that. A missionary who gets a bad name among his servants and employees is not likely to become a successful worker. Dr. R. thinks that he would not be Mr. Collyers' servant for any consideration.
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13. The mother of H.M., the wife of Taiwonkun died on the 8th inst., an old lady of 82 years. H.M. didn't go to see her at all either before or after her death. This unnatural omission of duty on the part of H.M. has given rise to much of popular displeasure. People naturally contrast his devotion to his late Queen and the indifference to his mother.
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14. Thanks to the enlightened views of Yi Chai Yon, the people living in the main thoroughfares have been ordered to light the front of their houses. A good thing this, the night scene as viewed from our window looking down on the town bejeweled with lamps is very pretty.
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22nd. (1st of 1st Moon, Moo-sool Year). Saturday. Pretty.
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A beautiful day―Practiced bicycle part of the a.m. with Remedios. In the afternoon went to the Palace to congratulate His Majesty on the old style New Year.
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Chang Bong Huan informed me that there are two parties, one Royalists and the other, Russianites: that the latter had some days ago planned to clean out the former, but that the plot fell thro. Whether this was so or not, I don't know, but whoever wants to do anything worth doing will have to cleanse the Palace from the legion of little devils who are driving the country fast into hell.
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