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 CHAPTER XXII.

Some Members of the Village Church.

that we have looked at the village church, I want to introduce you to some of its members, so that you may have a closer view and become better acquainted. This is my friend and fellow-laborer in the Lord, Mr. Ye Duck-su. Ye is the surname, which always stands first in Korea, and Duck-su is the given name. A dozen years ago Mr. Ye lived in a village on the bank of the Im-jin River, and was known as one of the bad men of the community. He was a drunkard, gambler, and wife-beater, at the same time being well acquainted with the whole tribe of evils that keep company with the above-named sins. He was not unacquainted with the village lawsuit, and knew what it was to be under the paddle. But, as in most other cases, the paddle could not reform him, and he went from bad to worse, till one day a colporteur selling Christian tracts and portions of Scripture came to his village. He met the colporteur, heard the story of the gospel, and it sounded good to him. He received a tract as a gift from the colporteur and began to read it. He could read, but that was about all that could be said in favor of his education.

The faithful colporteur did not forget to look up Mr. Ye the next time he came around. He himself had been saved from a life of sin and shame, and was fully persuaded that his Saviour could save this man (214)