l,Wi m t 
 
 Challenge of tke Open Door 
 
 to tke 
 Door Thrice-Barred 
 
 &v DONALDINE CAMERON 
 
Chall enge o f the 
 Open Door to the 
 Door Thrice -Barred 
 
 DONALDINE CAMERON 
 
 This article appeared in the July 1919 issue of the 
 New Era Magazine. Reprinted by permission. 
 
HEN the Presbyterian Women of California first threw 
 down their gauntlet before the "Powers of Darkness" 
 which dominated the Chinese community of the West, 
 they opened a door for enslaved women and children — "A 
 Door of Hope," beyond which the shackles forged by oppres- 
 sion and fear are struck from them, and they stand forth, a new 
 creation ! 
 
 Their challenge was taken up, and the conflict is still on 
 after almost half a century! Today, as of old, the barriers of 
 iron bolts and bars, as well as those more intangible hindrances 
 of gross ignorance, superstitious fear and moral depravity, 
 hold back those who long to reach the masses of Chinese 
 women, young girls and little children who are still enslaved 
 physically and spiritually, though living their lives under a 
 Christian government. 
 
 As the New Era program opens up larger plans for the 
 coming years, it is well to take stock of what has been accom- 
 plished in the past through this special department of the 
 King's business, that we may accumulate new faith and courage 
 for the forward step. 
 
 Looking back less than a year over files of daily papers 
 from Central California and from Oregon, one may read the ac- 
 counts, lightly even jestingly written, of how a young Chinese 
 girl, barely fifteen, was abducted from her home at Marysville 
 (a poor home, hardly worthy the name!) taken to Portland, 
 Oregon, and sold for $500 to an evil "Highbinder" keeper of 
 a gambling den and owner of slaves. His victim was safely 
 hidden for a few days, behind the well-guarded doors of this 
 infamous place; but the long arm of American law, directed 
 by a messenger from the Rescue Home in San Francisco, 
 finally reached through to set the child free; only to encounter 
 later yet greater obstacles in the struggle for final possession. 
 A certain type of American lawyers are always available when 
 the owners of a Chinese girl wish to invoke the technicalities of 
 the law to hinder or prevent an attempted rescue. Two weeks 
 of greatest anxiety and many distressing experiences were 
 
 2 
 
endured; but in this instance, as in so many others, justice 
 finally triumphed, "not by might nor by power," but by the 
 guidance and help of His Spirit whose battles we wage in His 
 Might. 
 
 In rescue cases we have learned that possession is nine 
 points of the law, and one good judge saying "yo u mav ta ^e 
 her," while another not so good was preparing papers on 
 which to delay our going; we finally made good our escape in 
 the early hours of the dawn and the dark hours of the night, 
 by routes which even the united efforts of attorneys and high- 
 binders were not able to circumvent. 
 
 After all these tragic experiences the object of our 
 anxious care is repaying us for the efforts made on her behalf 
 by her quiet obedience and ready conformity to rules of the 
 school, in all ways showing herself willing to learn and ready 
 to help cheerfully in the work of the Mission Home. 
 
 Another journey to the northern states was made in 
 response to an urgent call for help on behalf of a much aflused 
 little "domestic slave." Beaten and ill-treated beyond even 
 her long-suffering powers of endurance, poor Dong Leung at 
 last made her escape from the cruel taskmasters who had held 
 her in servitude since she was five years old and took refuge 
 with a woman who had befriended her. Her owners, of 
 course, demanded her and so the good young chief of police 
 in Pasco, where the child lived, had to interfere on her behalf. 
 He and his wife gave her shelter; but the problem of the poor 
 child's future was a serious one, until one day a chance visitor 
 to that far-away town told Dong Leung's friends of the Home 
 in California where such as she were protected and properly 
 cared for. After days and nights of travel the missionary and 
 her faithful young Chinese companion stepped off the train 
 at the busy little western town. Looking about for someone 
 to direct our way we were suddenly almost overwhelmed by 
 the joyous greeting of an odd, stunted and quite disheveled 
 small Chinese person, who dashed through the crowd on the 
 station platform straight toward her attractive young country- 
 woman, Miss Wu! Such was our first meeting with the little 
 girl we had traveled so far to save; and that wise primitive 
 instinct which quickly sensed in friends so new and untried, 
 
 3 
 
those whom she might fully trust, made it easy to get her whole 
 story; and a sadder one we have seldom listened to, even in 
 work which holds much of 
 life's tragedy. 
 
 A Happy Little Girl 
 
 For hours kneeling before 
 us, she poured out the sor- 
 rows of years, her words and 
 her tears flowed together, 
 both seeming to bring relief. 
 From head to foot that poor 
 little form showed the cruel 
 marks of brutish treatment, 
 and to some extent her mind 
 had also suffered. 
 
 It was a cheerful party of 
 thre^jthat boarded the west- 
 bound train the following 
 day when small Dong Leung 
 turned her back upon Pasco 
 and slavery; and her tear- 
 stained face toward that un- 
 known but longed-for haven 
 she knew was ready to re- 
 ceive her. Much of struggle, 
 of heartache and of defeat 
 lay before the little traveler 
 learned to seek help from 
 
 Playmates from the Children's 
 Home 
 
 on the better road before she 
 Him who alone could help 
 her overcome the tempestuous temper, the long-formed habits 
 of deceit and other sins never before corrected; but slowly and 
 surely the change came and the transformation has been 
 wonderful. 
 
 Some day, should you, who read this brief story, chance 
 to call at the home of the president of our most western For- 
 eign Missionary Board in San Francisco, her door would be 
 opened to you by a scrupulously neat and smiling little maid, 
 all clad in stiffly starched sham and fuh and white apron; in 
 quite good English she would bid you enter, and if she followed 
 
 4 
 
the bent of her own warm heart and ready hospitality, you 
 would be urged to stay for a meal prepared and served by her 
 capable and willing hands. You ask: "Who is this happy little 
 maid of the pleasant countenance and kindly heart?" Or 
 have you guessed that it is Dong Leung! Only in her life "Old 
 things have passed away, behold all things have become new." 
 
 Whole Story in One 
 
 Our newest arrival, So Ying, would make a whole story 
 all by herself; so varied and so great have been her misfor- 
 tunes from the days of her childhood in Hong Kong up to the 
 day when almost hopeless she turned her deepest misfortunes 
 into her greatest blessing. For three years this attractive young 
 slave girl experienced to the uttermost the misery, the bitter- 
 ness, the hopelessness of such a life; passed from one owner 
 to another, all evil and cruel. So Ying finally despaired of 
 ever buying her own freedom as at first lured on by false 
 promises she had hoped to do. Ever over her hung the weight 
 of $4,000 which never seemed to grow less. She tried to 
 assert her rights, only to become more enslaved, and finally her 
 life was threatened. All she ever heard of the Mission from 
 her associates in the degraded life she lived was enough to 
 terrify her away; but she at last met a woman who told her 
 the truth. She accepted it as such and, waiting her opportunity, 
 made her escape and arrived at the friendly door where she 
 was kindly received. The usual efforts were made to regain 
 possession of her; but So Ying stood her ground. Then came 
 the usual struggle with her own personal sins; temper, the 
 thoughts and the words that rise from a mind filled with evil 
 things for years; but suddenly and evidently in answer to 
 prayer, a great change came; a new So Ying seemed to grow 
 up within and all the ways of life underwent a change. 
 
 From a lovely friend, "A Lady from Missouri," came the 
 gift of a dainty Chinese Bible in a beautifully carved case. 
 Such joy as the precious gift was received with, one does not 
 often see in the somewhat immovable Oriental! So Ying's 
 face fairly radiated happiness and with tears in her eyes she 
 exclaimed: "I wanted a Bible of my own so much and I 
 prayed to God to let me have one and now He has answered 
 my prayer so soon!" 
 
 5 
 
Many-sided Work 
 
 These two or three stories, gleaned from among so many, . 
 can but very inadequately suggest the scope and value of the 
 rescue work. It takes on so many different forms, such as 
 preventive work in saving little girls of tender years from 
 plural marriage. Co-operating with the Immigration Officials 
 in preventing the landing and sale of young girls. Saving little 
 children who would certainly fall upon an evil fate did not 
 the Mission reach out for them before it is too late. 
 
 For these latter there is an ever-growing work which has 
 been the outgrowth of the Rescue Home, but which for the 
 last two years has had to be cared for in a' separate building, 
 though under the same Board of Directors. 
 
 This children's home, known as "The Tooker School," is 
 now quite beyond its present accommodations. Through the 
 gift of Captain Robert Dollar a fine tract of land for building 
 a new school for these children and young girls is now owned 
 by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions. And all who 
 are interested in this work for the Chinese in the United States 
 are earnestly hoping to see these plans for a forward move- 
 ment in saving and training for God's service more children 
 and young girls carried to completion as part of the New Era 
 program of our Foreign Mission Board. 
 
 How the Chinese Girls Helped Uncle Sam ! 
 
 6 
 
The Rescue Home in San Francisco is laying the founda- 
 tions for a well-equipped industrial work, which promises in 
 time to become a definite means of support for a large number 
 of rescued women and girls. The average number cared for 
 now by the Woman's Occidental Board is one hundred in both 
 Homes. We hesitate to add to our number because of lack 
 of room. Shall we stand still, blind to the opportunity God 
 holds out to us? Shall we not rather, "Praising Him for all 
 that is past and trusting Him for all that is to come," press 
 forward in the "Strength of the Lord," seeing to it that we hold 
 wide the Open Door, "That all who will may enter; and none 
 shall be denied?" 
 
 7 
 
WOMEN'S BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS OF THE 
 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 
 Room 818, 156 Fifth Avenue, New York 
 
 Price, 8c each 
 
 1NNES « StNS 
 PHILADELPHIA