A Tale of Red Pekin
Page 4
CHAPTER IV.
CECILIA CONTINUES HER STORY.
So many dreadful things have happened since last I told my story, thatif I had not promised Nina, I do not think I could have written anymore; but since the troubles began in China, Nina and I agreed to writea little history of what is happening every day, and afterwards we shallcompare notes, and then, as Mother says, it will interest our friends athome, and perhaps some of the Missionary papers may like the account fortheir magazines.
It seems years since last I put down anything, and yet it is only a fewweeks ago since that day when we were all together at Cheng-si. Howtrue it is we know not what an hour may bring forth. I remember the dayof which I am speaking so well; it began so brightly, such a lovelymorning. Rachel and I got up early and went into the garden withfather. That hour seemed to me afterwards one of the most precious inmy life; it made one understand a little of what the disciples must havefelt when the dear Lord Jesus had been laid in the tomb, and theythought of the last time they were with Him. How tenderly they wouldrecall His sweet, gracious words, and His loving looks.
I felt like this about father when he was parted from us. We had beensitting in the garden with him, Rachel and I, and he had been telling usstories, when all of a sudden we heard a noise, almost like the distantroar of the sea, and Seng Mi told us the rioters were coming, and thenwe had to say good-bye to father. I wished, oh, so much, to stay withhim, but I could not disobey him, especially when I knew it would onlyhave increased his pain and anxiety, but I crept out of the room wheremother and the others were, and went on to the verandah which overlooksthe court-yard. Oh, it was a dreadful sight! I had never seen suchfiendish, cruel looking people before. They had got hold of poor DaigOng and were going to beat her to death. Father did not know anything ofwhat was going on when he first came out, the crowd being so densebetween him and Daig Ong, but I was above them, and saw it all. Theydragged her along, shrieking for mercy; it was dreadful! I can hear herscreams now sometimes! and they tied her to one of the posts at theentrance of the court-yard. I pitied poor Daig Ong with all my heart; Iwould have done almost anything to save her, but when I saw father Iseemed to forget everything else but him. Just then he looked round andsaw me, and I cried out to him to come up to us. I could not help it,though all the time I knew it was useless. When I saw that my beingthere only made him miserable, I slipped back and ran to the room wheremother was and begged her to leave the others and come with me, and allthe time I cried to the dear Lord Jesus to help us, and protect poorDaig Ong, and to save father from the cruel people outside. Motherturned very white when I spoke to her. She did not know how to leavelittle baby Anna. It was one of baby's bad days. She did not seem inany pain, but she lay back in Nurse's arms very quiet and still, andlooked up at her with intently solemn eyes.
Mother had put on the Chinese dress, and all the others were dressed inthe same way; and appeared ready to start at a moment's notice.Mother's face was very pale, but she had that patient, enduringexpression with which the martyr saints are always drawn; it was onlyher eyes that were full of pain. I do not know why I wished her to come,save that I had always been accustomed to think she could do anything,and to save father.
When we got down to the portico he was nowhere to be seen. We stood onthe steps and looked out over a vast sea of cruel, wicked faces. Atfirst I felt no fear, partly because I was with mother, and then it wassuch a relief to me to see that they had left off beating Daig Ong, andthat father was not there. I kept on wondering where he was, and feltsure he had escaped with Daig Ong.
Now the great danger seemed to lie in the possibility of their rushingthe house. Mother had whispered to Nurse to take the others on the waythat had been arranged: through the Mission-house and huts, out of thevillage, and we were to follow afterwards.
As we stood there a grave Chinese gentleman came up and took his placeat our side. I had seen him sometimes when he came to study withfather, but had never spoken to him. He came quietly up and stoodbeside us, but he never once turned to look at us, though mother lookedup at him.
"Are you Mr. Li?" I heard her say.
"Yes," he replied, simply. I saw a great wave of relief sweep over herface.
"Do stay with us, do not leave us," she said.
"I intend to remain here," he replied, quietly, but he did not even thenturn and look at us.
"And you will do what you can?--My husband?"
He did not reply to the last, but only said very simply--
"Madam, I came here on purpose to help you."
"I came here on purpose to help you."]
"God bless you," said mother, fervently, and I saw her lips move, andknew that she was praying.
Mr. Li was not a Christian, but he was so struck by mother's wonderfulcalmness, the peace in which she was kept when so many dreadful thingswere happening all round her, that he felt he could hold out no longer,and that very day he yielded his heart to Christ.
By-and-by, Mr. Li said he thought it would be best for us to get away assoon as possible. He promised to do what he could to protect the houseand the native Christians, and when we again spoke of father, he said hehad seen him helping Daig Ong out at the back of the court-yard as heentered.
"I will find him," he added, "and will let him know that I have seenyou, and he will soon overtake you."
And so we went away. The others had started, and we hurried after them;but first mother made me put on the Chinese dress, and then, leaving thedeafening sounds behind us, we crept on into the Mission-house. We wereonly just in time. As we left the room, which mother locked behind her,we heard someone trying the other door, and knew that it would not belong before they forced the lock, and then--
Mother hurried me on through the Mission-house, carefully locking thedoors behind us, on into the first house, where we saw poor Daig Ong.Mother stopped to say a few words to her, and then we passed on again;we dared not stay, for the rioters might guess at our escape and bringus back again. House after house we passed through safely, for thepeople in the village knew us and loved us, until at last we reached theroad for Wei-hai-wei, and caught a glimpse of Nurse and the others ona-head. They were going very slowly, and we soon overtook them.