Page:Village life in Korea (1911).djvu/253

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
Some Members of the Village Church.
215

who had fallen so low and remained in sin so long. He did not have to wait long till he saw the fruit of his labor, for Mr. Ye soon made up his mind to "do the doctrine," and was doing it. He began at once to attend the little church that had been started in the village, and soon showed by his changed life that he was in real earnest. He stopped his gambling and drinking and went to work to make an honest living for himself and family. This was not an easy matter, with no money and few friends; but he had found a new Friend, the one that sticketh closer than a brother, and with faith in him he started out to do the best he could. His work was carrying a jiggy, which is very hard work, low but honest. These jiggy men are to be found in every community. They are the public drays of the country. By sticking close to his job Mr. Ye could make enough to support himself and family. This was good for the poor wife and children, who had seen hard times in other days. It is no wonder that they soon joined him in "doing the doctrine" and became true believers. This went on for several years. In the meantime he had received baptism with the first class that was baptized in the little church, and was known by the community as one of "the Jesus doctrine-doing men." By hard work and close living he managed to get a little money ahead, and so started in as a merchant; not a merchant prince, it is true, but a merchant, just the same — a traveling merchant. He bought a tubful of dried fish, a sort of shrimp, of which the Koreans are very fond, put it on his jiggy, and, taking the jiggy on his back, started out