Boxers or Briefs:

A Choice at Bottom

Some people think the Boxer Rebellion describes the refusal of young males to wear a certain style of undergarment. Actually, it was an event which took place at the beginning of the twentieth century in China. Old movie fans or fans of old movies might enjoy Charleton Heston and Ava Gardner in "55 Days at Peking".

My recent trip to China can be brief-ly covered. My regular traveling companion has been my wife for nearly 50 years, which, as every man knows, is not nearly enough time to get to know a really interesting woman. After flying from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles to Hong Kong we joined a groggy group in Beijing. At this first meeting we were asked to state our names and tell a little about ourselves. When my lady wife introduced herself she informed the assembled company that as a little girl in Africa she had seen a picture of The Great Wall of China, and one of her life-long ambitions, soon to be realized, was to walk on it. I was first dismayed and then hurt that she had NEVER told me about this dream. The explanation, however, soon occurred to me. Margaret had kept her dream secret from me because she knew I would try to build a replica of the Great Wall in our backyard as a surprise birthday present for her, meaning there would be no room for her flowers.

My own small dream for the China trip was to stand on the sacred soil of Paoting, which we reached on the third day. I trust Presbyterians have not forgotten their family members who perished in the Boxer Rising – still the single largest massacre of Christian missionaries in the history of the world. Also not to be forgotten, the Boxers killed thousands of faithful Chinese Christians. Historians still argue whether the Boxers (or Society of Righteous Fists) were simply patriots or simply murderers.

In 1900, sixteen Americans were serving Our Lord in Paoting (modern, Bao Ding) at two isolated and defenseless mission stations. The best known of the Congregational missionaries was Horace Tracy Pitkin. In China Pitkin had done little beyond playing the piano for worship and studying the language in preparation for a life of evangelism. In addition to Christian zeal, Pitkin was handsome, athletic, and rich – the kind of man most of us guys find easy to resent. At Yale he had been a fine musician and athlete (football, tennis, rowing, and boxing). He was a close friend of Henry Winters Luce, Presbyterian missionary and father of Henry Robinson Luce, who founded TIME magazine. Pitkin's wealth was such that he did not need and never accepted his missionary salary. For a wedding present in 1896, he took his bride around the world ending in Paoting.

In 1900, when unrest in China became dangerous, Pitkin sent his wife and two-year-old son back to America, but he stayed to offer some protection to the two single missionary ladies who would not leave. Both chivalry and Christian obedience can get you killed.

On July 1 when the Boxers attacked the "foreign devils" in Paoting, Pitkin fought back for a few minutes with a single pistol against hundreds of Boxers. Add bravery to his list of qualities. The missionaries were quickly captured and all were led away and beheaded except for eight-year-old Gladys Bagnall who, crying and running alongside her mother, was speared to death. In the impending and helpless hours before the Boxer attack, Pitkin wrote a letter to his wife expressing the hope that their son would some day return to China to continue his father's mission. The memorial service at Yale concluded with these words; "Truly God loves China very dearly and holds her redemption at a high price when her ransom demands such choice ones as Mr. Pitkin, the two ladies, and our Presbyterian friends."

At the Presbyterian mission, the best-known name was Cortlandt van Rensselaer Hodge, M.D., who had been baptized by his renowned grand uncle, Princeton theologian, Charles Hodge. The station owned one rifle, a fowling piece, and two revolvers. With these firearms the Presbyterians defended themselves until the Boxers set the house on fire. The Rev. Frank Simcox, Pittsburgh Seminary, class of 1893, was last seen on the roof surrounded by flames holding the hands of his sons, Paul, age 6, and Francis, age 4. His wife, May Gilson, attempted to hand their baby girl through a burning window to the Boxer mob, but she and eleven-month-old Margaret were forced back into the consuming fire. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" (Psalm 116.15) – especially the very small ones.

Sent to me by the Rev. Dr. Douglas S. Pride (PTS M.Div 1983, D.Min 1993, and carefully preserved between the covers of Ketler's The Tragedy of Paotingfu (1902) was a copy of the Clearfield (PA) Presbyterian Church's order of service in grateful memory of the Simcoxes. A century later this prayer was offered again.

This time on-site.

Almighty God, by whose grace Thy servants have been faithful even unto death, grant that the memory of their sacrifice may live in our hearts, winning us from selfishness and inspiring in us a true witness. Perfect the cause for which they lived and died; graciously minister to bereaved hearts, and seal us all Thine into eternity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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