Copyright, 1904, By American Tract Society . Copyright, 1908, By American Tract Society . THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS GRATEFULLY DEDICATED TO MY HUSBAND IN MEMORY OF FIFTEEN HAPPIEST YEARS...

It may be said at once, that Mrs. Underwood’s narrative of her experience of “Fifteen Years Among the Top-Knots” constitutes a book of no ordinary interest. There is no danger that any reader having even a moderate sympathy with the work of missions in the far East will be disappointed in the perusal. The writer does not undertake to give a comprehensive account of missions in Korea, or even of the one mission which she represents, but only of the things which she has seen and experienced. There

The chapters which are here given to the public are simply reminiscent, a brief story of a few years of the writer’s life in one of the most unique and interesting of all the Eastern countries, among a people who are singularly winning and lovable. I beg that in reading these pages it may be remembered that this book makes no pretense whatever to being a text or reference book on Korea, or in any respect a history of Korean missions. The writer has simply strung together a few events which have

First Arrival—First Impressions—The City of Seoul—Korean Houses—Mission Homes—Personnel of Mission in 1888—Beginnings of Work—Difficulties in Attaining the Language—Korean Religions—Palace Women—First Interview with Palace Women—Entertainment Given in my Honor by President of Foreign Office—The Interdict—Confidence Exhibited by Government in Protestant Missionaries—The “Baby Riots”—Babies Reported to have been Eaten at Foreign Legations—Restoring Confidence—The Signal—First Invitation to Palace.

The Palaces—The Stone Dogs—The Fire God’s Defeat—The Summer Pleasure House—Royal Reception Hall—Court Dress of Noblemen—First Impression of the King—Appearance of the Queen—The Queen’s Troubles—The Queen’s Coup d’état—The Verb Endings—The Queen’s Generosity—Stone Fight—Gifts—The Quaga—Poukhan—Its Impregnability—Picturesque Surroundings of Seoul—Pioneer Work—Progress of Work—The Queen’s Wedding Gift—Our Wedding—Opposition to my Going to the Interior—My Chair—The Chair Coolies. The palaces, of whi

We Start on our Wedding Journey—Songdo—Guards at our Gates—Crossing the Tai-tong—Difficulties in Finding an Inn—Korean Launderings—An Old Man Seeks to be Rid of Sin—Mob at an Inn—A Ruffian Bursts Open my Door—Fight in the Inn Yard—Pat Defies the Crowd—Convenience of Top-knots—A Magistrate Refuses to Shelter Us—The “Captain” to the Rescue—Pack-ponies—We Lay a Deep Scheme—Torch Bearers—A Mountain Hamlet—Tiger Traps—Tigers—A Band of Thirty Conspire to Attack Us—Guns Used by Native Hunters—A Tiger S

Leaving Kangai—We Choose a Short Cut—Much Goitre in the Mountains—A Deserted Village—The Jericho Road—We are Attacked by Robbers—A Struggle in the Inn Yard—Odds too great—Our Attendants are Seized and Carried Off—The Kind Inn-Keeper—Inopportune Patients—A Race for Life—A City of Refuge—A Beautiful Custom—Safe at Last—The Magistrate Turns Out to be an Old Friend—The Charge to the Hunters. Our next stopping place of importance was the town of Kangai. This was a walled city of between ten and twent

Our Stay in Wewon—We Give a Dinner—Our Guests—Magistrates Propose that we Travel with a Chain-Gang—Our Trip down the Yalu—The Rapids—Contrast between Korean and Chinese Shores—We Enter Weju—The Drunken Magistrate—Presents and Punishments—Unpleasant Experiences with Insincere People—Rice Christians—The Scheming Colporter—The Men Baptized in Weju—The Lost Passport—Another Audience at the Palace—Queen’s Dress and Ornaments—Korean Summer House—The Pocket Dictionary—Our Homes. Here, then, in the hosp

An Audience at the Palace—Dancing Girls—Entertainment Given after the Audience—Printing the Dictionary and Grammar—A Korean in Japan—Fasting to Feast—Death of Mr. Davies—Dr. Heron’s Sickness—Mrs. Heron’s Midnight Ride—Dr. Heron’s Death—Difficulty in Getting a Cemetery Concession—Forced Return to America—Compensations—Chemulpo in Summer—The “Term Question” in China, Korea and Japan—Difficulties in the Work. Early in the fall of 1889 I was invited to another audience at the palace, with some of th

The Mission in 1893—“The Shelter”—Opening of Japanese War—Seoul Populace Panic Stricken—Dr. and Mrs. Hall in Pyeng Yang—Heroic Conduct of Native Christians—Condition of Pyeng Yang after the War—Dr. Hall’s Death—Preaching the Gospel at the Palace—The Queen Seeks to Strengthen Friendly Relations with Europeans—Her Majesty’s Generosity—A Little Child at the Palace—The Slaves of the Ring—A Christmas Tree at the Palace—The Queen’s Beneficent Plans—The Post Office Emeute of 1884—A Haunted Palace—The M

Mr. McKenzie—The First Church Built by Natives—Mr. McKenzie’s Sickness—His Death—Warning to New Missionaries—The Tonghaks—Mr. Underwood’s Trip to Sorai in Summer—Native Churches—Our Use of Helpers—Christians in Seoul Build their Own Church—Epidemic of Cholera—Unhygienic Practices—Unsanitary Condition of City. In the meanwhile, in the fall of 1894, Mr. McKenzie, who had arrived from Canada in the winter of 1893, and, as we have said, had gone to Dr. Hall’s relief, after his return decided to go t

Difficulty of Enforcing Quarantine Regulations—Greedy Officials “Eat” Relief Funds—Americans Stand Alone to Face the Foe—The Emergency Cholera Hospital—The Inspection Officers—We Decide to Use the Shelter—A Pathetic Case—The Jesus Man—Gratitude of the Koreans—The New Church—The Murder of the Queen—Testimony of Foreigners—The Official Report. And now again the rod was to fall. The disease began with terrible violence, men in full vigor in the morning were corpses at noon, several members of the s

The Palace after the Murder—Panic—Attitude of Foreign Legations—The King’s Life in Hourly Danger—Noble Refugees—Americans on Guard—Mistakes of the New Government—Objectionable Sumptuary Laws—A Plan to Rescue the King—One Night at the Palace—Forcing an Entrance—Our Little Drama—Escape of General Yun. In the meantime the king and crown prince were held prisoners in their own palace by a cabinet composed of Koreans who were favorable to the Japanese government. Immediately after the death of the qu

Early in the day Christian men and boys were distributing copies of the tract and hymns throughout the whole city, and long before the hour of meeting men of all classes began flocking toward that vicinity, and when the speakers and missionaries arrived it was almost impossible to obtain access. The building was soon packed with a solid mass of standing people, and all the wide exits were thronged, the steps and the immediate vicinity. The services were opened with prayer, addresses (mainly reli

A Korean Christian Starts Work in Haing Ju—Changed Lives of Believers—A Reformed Saloon-keeper—The Conversion of a Sorceress—Best of Friends—A Pleasant Night on the Water—Evidence of Christian Living—Our Visit in Sorai—A Korean Woman’s Work—How a Kang Acts at Times—Applicants for Baptism—Two Tonghaks—In a Strait betwixt Two—Midnight Alarms—Miss Jacobson’s Death. In the late fall of the same year Mr. Underwood and I started again on a trip to the interior, the first we had made together since our

Our Mission to Japan—Spies—One Korean Summer—The Queen’s Funeral—The Procession—The Burial by Starlight—The Independents—The Pusaings—The Independents Crushed. In the following spring Mr. Underwood was asked to go to Japan, with instructions to assist his highness, the second prince, to leave for America. It was thought best that he should there, under Christian tutors, prepare for college, or a military training, and my husband, realizing of what immense importance this plan well carried out mi

Itineration Incidents—Kaiwha—Christian Evidences—Buying Christian Books instead of an Office—Seed Sowing—Moxa’s Boy in the Well—Kugungers Again—Pung Chung—Pyeng Yang—The Needs of the Women. Another long trip into the interior was taken the following year, some newly arrived missionaries from Canada who wished to study methods and people accompanying us. Just before this Mr. Underwood had revisited the river villages where there were Christians under his oversight, and found as usual a steady gro

Another Itineration—Christians in Eul Yul—A Ride in an Ox-Cart—Keeping the Cow in the Kitchen—Ox-Carts and Mountain Roads—The Island of White Wing—A Midnight Meeting—Thanksgiving Day in Sorai—The Circular Orders—New Testament Finished—All in the Day’s Work—The Korean Noble—Meetings of the Nobility. We left Pyeng Yang about the 26th of September, 1900, by one of the toy Japanese steamers, and reached Chinampo, a half-Japanese, half-Korean port, at night. We were accompanied by three young ladies,

Historical Review—Korean Characteristics—Football between Japan, China and Russia—Ill-advised Movements—Unrest and Excitement—Korea Allied to Japan—Japanese in Korea—Po an Whai—Kaiwha—Railroad Extension—Japanese Protectorate—Petition to President Roosevelt—Removal of American Legation—Education in Korea—Righteous Army—True Civilization. Before making a brief review of events which have taken place during the five years that have elapsed since the previous chapters were written, let us look a lit

Present Status of Missions—Wonderful Progress—Education for Girls—Medical Missions—Denominational Comity—Christianity Spreading—Individuals at Work—Christian Heroes—Character of Korean Christians—How the Work Grows—Christian Influence—Training Classes—Circuit Work—Statistics—Rapid Extension—Evangelistic Work—Joy and Triumph—The Nation being Evangelized. What has been previously written in this book regarding missions has become ancient history already in the swift onward march of events in Korea