FATHER VAUGHAN ON HIS TOUR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1770, 7 June 1913, Page 9

FATHER VAUGHAN ON HIS TOUR.

THE INSOLUBLE CHINESE PUZZLE. After a sixteen months' tour, covering 20,000 miles, Fatlior Bernard Vaughan returned to London in April last. It wa3 a wonderful journey, packed full of strange adventure and picturesque incident; "I travelled," ho said to a "Daily, News" representative, "from tho Hudson to tho Yukon, from New York to Alaska, from the Rockies to San Francisco— through Japan and through. China, to Singapore,. Ceylon, Marseilles, Paris, and homo again. "I havo spoken between 300 and 400 times. 1 spoke twice a week for 60ven weeks at St. Patrick's Cathedral, NewYork, which was packed with 7000 people oaoh timo. I have spoken among the Indian tribes, to. the 'darkies,' and to the Eskimo, to tho Japanese I havo addressed tho Japanese society ladies, and also the Japaneso House of Peers. "I havo preached on tlio high seas and on express trains, i.n gold mines and coal , mines, and amid tho suowfields of Alaska. I have been among the negroes at their rovival meetings. I havo addressed audiences of Catholics, Protestants, Jews. Unitarians, Agnostics, and Atheists, i' camo back feeling the deepest sympathy,, with all sorts of heathen and 'pagau i peoples and Mbes." Those who seem to havo stirred Father Vauglmti's enthusiasm most of all the varied peoples and communities aro tho Chinese. "I find tho Chinaman," ho remarked, "so thrifty, so industrious, so patient, bo loyal, so sure, and so full of oil enchanting sense of Jiumour. "One tiling is clear," ho went on, "that if a Gliineso puzzle is difficult, the Chinaman liimself is far more complicated- and intricate than any of nis puzzles. The Chincso language in, its written form as abnost impossible for ouo little versed in hieroglyphics to interpret. But tho Chinese character is quite beyond 4 one's mental sphero of operations. Johu Chinaman never lets you know more than ho wants to, and it is not customary with him to want you to know; enough to clear up the situation. As for tho political position, however,' thero aro ninny millions of Chinese who know nothing, and if possible caro less about it." Father Vaughan has much to say about 'Christianity in all its forms in the Colestial Empire, and especially about tatho*. licity. Ho is full '.of;admiration of tho work dono by the French Jesuit Fathers in >thc proviueo of Shanghai. > Of tho sixteen months that tho tour occupied, twelve were spent ill lcctuinig in America. Lilt© all visitors to tho United States,- Father /Vaughaii speaks with enthusiasm of the courtesy, kindness and hospitality extended by'all sections of tho community." "If, .wo remarked, "one has, hypercntically, to refer to tho faults of tlio people there, it ought not to bo forgotten' that they are tlio pecoadillos of a yoiing country. But, as one who has, been their guest, I much prefer to deal with their virtues, which are, also, tlio expression > of youth, inspired with an enthusiasm for their llag, their laws, ami thoir Ja'iu. . Ono of tho incidents of his tour m tho States was an encounter with a sMlfragctto (American species). Tho haughty lady, approached tho English visitor and soul: "And where would you bo, pray, but tor a woman?" ' , « i ' "Madame," came tlio reply, on a sultry evening like this I should bo e;itilig ice-cream undor an applo treo in the Garden of Eden!" Tho eloquent father, whon he faced tho. Society damos in Japan, did not'amlress) them in tho. strain familiar to Jho cars of their English sisters. But ho s,'oke to Madamo Chrysanthemum on tho leM sons of flowers —"on liow tho beauties oc,, Japan mirrored forth tlio perfections oft! their artistio Creator." For tho peers—the seigneurs and eagoj of tho Japaneso;Empire—tho subject oft tho address was tho secret of tho wwlds, unrest to-day, the speaker insisting that, "lax morality" and "sex hygiene were; no substitute for virilo religion and no check on divorce and raco suicido. lho Japanese woro exhorted to follow tho ad< vico of their Mikado, and oopy not what! was degrading and vicious, but what was; vigorous and virtuous in the peoplca ofi, tho West. ~ _ "What struok mo most among all Jia, peoples I met," said leather speaking with earnest, eloquence, ivas thqj extraordinary sameness of human natur® always and everywhere—tho same long-| iugs and disappointments, tho sbuio jeysj and the samo sorrows, tho samo clinging.! lovo and tho same tortures of despair, tho/ samo gains and tho samo losses, tho same shadows and the samo sunshine. "I think it is a man's business to como - homo from such a journoy with tho con-, sciousness of having discovered, not so., much in what wo differ from ono another,; as on how many points W0( agroo. My sympathies mid my affections have gono out to tho poor Pagans, and I should level to work among thorn, identifying ■ myself? with their lives and their labours, ami giving, in exchange ■ for their lovo, thff; Christianity of Christ." It may be added that during his \<mr. neyings Fathor Vaughan wroto his book on Socialism from tlio Christian stand- J point, whioh is having a largo ctrcuhK tion.

WORLD'S SUNDAY SCHOOL DAY, • Wo lmvo recoivcd from Mr. A. H. Reed, } of Dunedin, a copy of tho Now Zealand . oditioii of tlio order of service for tho World's Sunday School Day (Sunday, July ' 13, 1913). It is Loing printed in mow than 100 languages, and millions of Sun- • day School scholars and teachers will 1m . talcing part in England, America, and; almost every country tho world over. Tho' general secretary of tho association writes to Mr. Keed as follows-.—"lt has occurred . to us that tho importance of tho widespread use of this service is so great, that the responsibility for its distribution ought to bo placed upon certain defuiito persons in order to bring it the greatest success. Wo have therefore picked out forty 'Key-names,' covering tho ontiro world. Will you not accept tho commission for your field, and do your host to help build up tho Kingdom in tliis way?" In reply to Jlr. Heed's letter ■ agreeing to their request, tho general secretary says: "It is a source ol' great encouragement to us that you are contemplating the wide use of t his sorvico in New Zealand, and we feel sure that the unity of prayer, purpose, and power, which will come from tho uso of this service, will bo a blessing to your ontiro S.S. field." l\lr. Heed a«lis for tho hearty co-operation of every S.S. worker in making World's Sunday School Day, July 13, a memorable occasion. 110 says: Not more than 15 minutes will bo required to uso it as an opening sorvico, and it affords n unique opportunity of giving our Sunday schools an inspiring- vision of the great \vorld-wide Sunday school movement, of which we form a part. At . tho same time this Order; of Service is being used, tho World's Sunday School Convention will. be in session at Zurich, Switzerland, attonded- by thousands of dolcgatos from ovory corner of tho earth, iucludiafi.Kow Zealand."