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 By REV. T. C. WINN, D. D. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
 Princeton Theological Seminary Library 
 
 https://archive.org/details/mrswinnofjapanmaOOwinn 
 
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 We have all seen photographs of absent loved 
 ones and thought that they were good. But nev- 
 er did any one see in the best photograph, the 
 beauty of soul which shone from the dear face 
 and eyes. 
 
 In returning home this time, I came convinced 
 that I could render no better service to those who 
 heard me than to tell them something of the one 
 I knew and loved the best of all. 
 
 I feel, however, that my best word-portrait will 
 fall far short of being a true picture of the real 
 achievements of that life of faith. 
 
 Lila C. Winn was a woman who did not know 
 the meaning of selfishness. Such a feeling I verily 
 believe never had a place in her heart. Her 
 
 thoughts and plans were always for others. She 
 
 unfailingly devoted her effort and labor to the help 
 and good of those within her reach. She was de- 
 voted in mind and body to every good thing pos- 
 sible of accomplishment. And it was always the 
 marvel of those who knew her that she could ac- 
 complish so much. She was always finding good 
 
 deeds to perform where others were idle. They 
 
 were idle because they did not see any thing to do, 
 or any thing they thought they could do. Her 
 eyes and heart instinctively saw the needs of oth- 
 
ers. And her hands and feet, impelled by love, 
 set about supplying those needs. 
 
 As I was passing through Osaka, on my way 
 home in May, a friend upon whom I called, then 
 living in the house we formerly occupied, recalled 
 to me some instances which I perhaps never thought 
 of except as a matter of course in her life. The 
 friend said, “I came here on an errand one day, 
 and I found to my surprise Mrs. Winn washing 
 and binding up the sore leg of a poor coolie she 
 had met on the streets and persuaded to come home 
 with her that she might thus minister to him.’* She 
 also said, “I can never forget what I once wit- 
 nessed in this front hall. I walked into the open 
 door unexpectedly to Mrs. Winn and there I saw 
 her down on her knees praying for a Japanese 
 woman whom she had apparently been teaching, 
 and it seemed as though she could not let the 
 woman go until she believed on the Savior.” 
 
 Her sympathy was not restricted to the lowly. 
 Those in high and even highest circles were objects 
 of her love, and for their best welfare her efforts 
 were put forth. She never hesitated to seek out 
 those who would naturally think themselves rich 
 and in need of nothing, and try to minister to their 
 spiritual good. 
 
 These things, which are only examples of her 
 unremittent service rendered to others, witness to 
 the fact that she never thought of saving her life; 
 nor seemed to be conscious that she lost it for oth- 
 ers’ sake! 
 
 She was a diligent woman, ever working up to 
 the limit of her physical powers. The day when 
 she was most suddenly called away, I felt that she 
 had literally worn herself out. Her powers had 
 4 
 
been exhausted by her incessant labors. She was 
 never, almost literally never, known to sit down 
 for idle chat and conversation as many of us fre- 
 quently do. If not too tired, and tired she seldom 
 acknowledged that she was, some useful work em- 
 ployed her busy fingers. Few persons are as un- 
 ceasingly busy while engaged in social conversation, 
 as she was. That social chat was ever made the 
 opportunity of introducing something religious and 
 helpful to faith and joy in the Lord. While I 
 would be thinking out the best way of approach 
 to a caller’s heart, it often happened that she would 
 introduce the subject in a most natural and tactful 
 manner, so that the conversation easily turned in 
 that direction. Religious things formed the subject 
 upon which she could talk more easily than upon 
 almost any other. It is what her heart was full of 
 and out of its abundance she spoke. 
 
 When travelling to Mission Meeting one sum- 
 mer, we had an hour to wait at a station. When 
 she found that out she said she wanted to make a 
 call on a young man and his parents. He was 
 sick and she would surely find them all at home. 
 The young man, formerly her Sunday school 
 scholar, had finished the grammar school. * It was 
 borne in upon her heart that she ought to encour- 
 age him to study for the Christian ministry. She 
 was back on time as promised, and had made a 
 sincere effort to help one more see his duty and 
 privilege. Later, word came that that exhortation 
 had enabled parents and son to dedicate his life to 
 the Gospel ministry. Here is illustration of being 
 zealous in season and out of season, which was 
 unceasingly exemplified by her. Scarcely a day 
 
•was allowed to pass, without trying to save or 
 bless some souls. 
 
 She was a good Bible student and knew the 
 Scriptures well. It was generally possible for her 
 to turn to any passage she wished. When a girl 
 yet in her teens, she read aloud to her grand- 
 mother whose eyes were dim, most if not all of 
 Scott’s Commentary. That exercise fixed in her 
 memory a large amount of Bible knowledge which 
 was ready at call for her use. Many of her ex- 
 planations of Bible texts were original and eluci- 
 dating. Her thoughts about the sacred Book were 
 beautiful and instructive. These ideas expressed 
 her experience of the truths she taught, and 
 gave them a singular power as uttered by her. I 
 received a series of resolutions which were passed 
 by the W. C. T. U. ladies at their annual sum- 
 mer meeting this year (1913). Those resolutions 
 ended with the statement that they were sent: 
 
 “Remembering with loving appreciation the in- 
 terest Mrs. T. C. Winn always shared in the work 
 of this society, and having felt the spiritual power 
 she exercised over those with whom she came in 
 contact, with special thought of the helpful devo- 
 tional service,” (a Bible reading), “she led here a 
 year ago.” 
 
 She was sociable and took the greatest pleasure 
 in showing hospitality. It was done with such 
 grace and kindliness that the most timid was won 
 to her. Our home was a place to which all 
 classes were welcomed and loved to come. Many 
 have found it to be an example of a true home. 
 It was because of the little woman who presided 
 over her house in such a Christ-like spirit. 
 
 Just one month after we had laid the dear form 
 
 6 
 
away to await the resurrection, a young lady mis- 
 sionary on her way to Chefoo called at my door 
 and asked if Mrs. Winn was at home. She said 
 she had received the kindest care from Mrs. Winn 
 when landing an entire stranger in Dairen a year 
 or two before, and she wanted to come around 
 with her husband to give expression to her grati- 
 tude. 
 
 Here is a tribute from the necrological report of 
 the Council of Presbyterian and Reformed Mis- 
 sions : 
 
 “Without undue reflection on any one, we may 
 still properly say that there are ideal missionary 
 homes, ideal missionary wives, and ideal missionary 
 mothers. The members of the council will agree 
 that Mrs. Winn attained the ideal in a degree per- 
 mitted to few; and her example, the example of 
 the home of which she was the center, may well 
 be a stimulus to us all to strive for the very best 
 things and the highest.” 
 
 From very early years, she was a personal work- 
 ei and soul winner. After hearing of her death, 
 a friend wrote: “Lila used to talk to me and try 
 to get me to become a Christian when we were 
 children together in the primary school. I think 
 that was her life.” 
 
 The mission to which she belonged made this 
 entry upon its minutes: “Resolved, That the Mis- 
 sion puts on record its deep sense of loss in the 
 death of Mrs, T. C. Winn and its appreciation of 
 the qualities of heart and mind which made of her 
 a missionary above our power to praise. She 
 turned many to righteousness and she will r.hine as 
 the brightness of the firmament and as the stars 
 for ever and ever. offer to her bereaved hus- 
 
 7 
 
band and children the heartfelt sympathy of a mis- 
 sion which admired and loved her, and which will 
 never cease to remember the example she has set 
 of a follower of Christ who pleased not herself 
 and was ever in her work as one who served.” 
 What follows is an extract from the Board’s let- 
 ter: 
 
 ‘‘Mrs. Winn was a graduate of Knox College, 
 Galesburg, Illinois, a woman of disciplined and 
 cultured mind, of unusual attractiveness of person- 
 ality, of a nature so loving that it drew all about 
 her into her friendship, of great skill and tact in 
 dealing with those for whom she was working, and 
 of such kindliness and good sense that her presence 
 was counted a great blessing in any mission station 
 to which she might be assigned. In Dairen and 
 throughout Manchuria she worked with unceasing 
 energy among the Japanese to make Christ known 
 to them; and to win them to faith in Christ and to 
 the joy and strength of Christian discipleship was 
 her one absorbing endeavor.” 
 
 Wherever duty took her; even in the market 
 place and shop, among callers and trades people 
 who came only to the door, very few who came 
 in contact with her failed to receive some message 
 about what was the dearest subject to her heart — - 
 the love of God for sinful men. 
 
 In my mind, these words were always asso- 
 ciated with her, ‘‘He that roweth bountifully shall 
 reap also bountifully.” It was because she sowed 
 beside all waters, ‘‘the good seed which is the 
 word of God,” that the things which I’ve quoted 
 could be said of her by her Mission and Board. 
 
 She was unceasingly visitmg homes and hospi- 
 tals to carry delicacies as well as to read the Word 
 
 8 
 
of God and to sing hymns for the comfort and 
 cheer of the inmates. I have a photograph taken 
 of her as she stood beside the bicycle on which 
 she daily went around the city to minister physical 
 and spiritual gifts alike. She did not ride for the 
 mental or bodily enjoyment of it, but because she 
 was enabled by it to accomplish so much more 
 than would otherwise have been possible. She and 
 her bicycle were familiar objects in every part of 
 the city. 
 
 Mrs. Winn’s personality was attractive. She 
 could gather people around her in a wonderful 
 way and hold them while the story of salvation 
 was presented to them. Many have been the 
 times when I sat in my study and listened, while 
 in another part of the house she kept a room full 
 of women convulsed with laughter at her wit- 
 ticisms as she was demonstrating something in cook- 
 ing or fancy work. This was only preparatory to 
 teaching them the Bible lesson she had chosen for 
 the day. At her funeral a man representing one 
 of the groups of Christians in the country spoke of 
 this fact. He said it had impressed itself upon his 
 mind. At times, he remarked, it was difficult to 
 understand what she said, (she was not what is 
 called a good speaker of Japanese), but yet people 
 would gather to hear her. “If I should talk in 
 that way,’’ he said, “peopie would run away 
 from me. Instead of being attracted they would 
 be repelled; and yet they would gladly come ta 
 hear her.’’ 
 
 Here let it be added, that in an emergency 
 she could be relied upon to take charge of almost 
 any kind of service that might be lacking a leader. 
 She was seldom at a loss for a Bible subject upon 
 
 9 
 
which to speak, but in a marked degree, verified 
 the Savior’s words: “He that believeth on me, 
 from within him shall flow rivers of living water.” 
 
 In her work she was resourceful. She was not 
 restricted to set ways of doing things, but was in- 
 ventive of new methods. Moreover there was little 
 in the way of womanly accomplishments at which 
 she was not an adept. Our children’s clothes were 
 most of them her handiwork. All four of them 
 were fitted by her for the High School before they 
 returned to this country to complete their educa- 
 tion. The forenoons were given to their class room 
 work, while the afternoons were devoted to such 
 activities as I have hinted at. 
 
 During the last two years of her life we were 
 more than ever engaged in touring together. May 
 I give you an idea of how she spent her time on 
 one of those tours? The first place at which we 
 stopped would be thirty to sixty miles away. Ar- 
 riving there, two or three meetings were the order; 
 one for women, one for children and the third for 
 a mixed audience of men and women. 
 
 Alighting from the train, the dear woman would 
 begin her activities at once. Calls were made to 
 invite people to the meetings. Things were bought, 
 by herself often, for the cooking class. If no cook- 
 ing class was to be held, the time on the cars had 
 been occupied by making sample pieces of knitting 
 <or crocheting which the class was to be taught. 
 She did this kind of work which taxed her phys- 
 ically, because she believed a knowledge of these 
 things added to the comfort of families, (and we 
 had proof of it), and because by teaching them, 
 many women were reached who would not be in 
 any other way. After a most strenuous hour or 
 10 
 
hour and a half at the woman’s meeting, she would 
 hasten to the children’s class — a Sunday school on 
 a week day. To these children her best efforts 
 would be given in teaching them Bible verses and 
 hymns. Her aim with children was to get them to 
 memorize Bible texts and hymns ; fully believing 
 that truth thus implanted in the heart would bring 
 forth fruit in the life. At the end of these two 
 meetings there were generally some who were called 
 upon, in order to teach or exhort them. Then 
 came our supper, consisting of what our lunch bas- 
 kets supplied. Before time for the evening meeting, 
 a few minutes were snatched for rest. At the 
 preaching service her duty was to take care of the 
 music. Generally the day closed with a social 
 time when religious and other subjects were talked 
 over. To reach the next place on our journey 
 might require an all night’s ride on the cars, or 
 only until two or three hours past midnight. In 
 the latter case the journey would be interrupted 
 and a pallet on the floor in a Japanese house would 
 be sought, where the night’s rest would be finished. 
 This program with some variation was followed 
 from Monday till Saturday, twice a month. In all 
 these experiences and circumstances her spirit was 
 serene and sweet. Her heart overflowed with 
 gladness because these things could be done in 
 Jesus’ Name. 
 
 This highest of all purposes had absolute mas- 
 tery of her affections and powers; and all she had 
 was consecrated to it. 
 
 She could say, “This one thing I do.” And it 
 required a very serious thing to prove a hindrance 
 or interruption of what she had planned to attempt. 
 Moreover, she never acknowledged defeat. If oth- 
 11 
 
ers thought her worsted she would not believe it. 
 If insurmountable difficulties rose to block her way, 
 she would, so to speak, calmly walk around them 
 and proceed unperturbed on her course. 
 
 When a little girl she had made up her mind to 
 be a missionary to the heathen. But she thought 
 that being a missionary involved being burned at 
 the stake. I have . heard her happy laugh at the 
 ludicrousness of her childhood thoughts, as she 
 told me that she used to open the door of her 
 mother’s heated oven and put her hand in and 
 hold it there to see if she could endure the pain 
 of being burned alive! But notwithstanding her 
 belief as to what it meant, she was not moved from 
 her determination to be a missionary. 
 
 Once she was attacked by a painful eye disease. 
 The doctor came to treat her and found it neces- 
 sary to tightly bandage her eyes and shut out all 
 the light for a time. During those days we sup- 
 posed of course she would rest and be quiet at 
 home. But no such thought was hers, and meet 
 her engagements she would! She had a jinrikisha 
 called, and to the coolie who pulled it she en- 
 trusted herself, while she directed him where to 
 take her. In this way she conducted meet- 
 ings, and went about calling from house to house, 
 probably. At two different times she was seri- 
 ously hurt upon the streets of Osaka by collision 
 with rapidly moving jinrikishas. Both times the 
 family doctor put her to bed, but she refused to 
 stay there and went on with her service to which 
 love constrained her, enduring much suffering the 
 while. 
 
 Since she has gone, the many, many letters of 
 Condolence that came from Europeans, and the 
 12 
 
sayings of the Japanese, agreed in showing the very 
 highest regard for her: “Thank you very much 
 for writing about Mrs. Winn's falling asleep. It 
 was not a bit like death, was it? Just like a child 
 who has grown so tired and weary, holding out to 
 the last ounce of strength and then giving up with- 
 out a struggle, and being carried off to sleep and 
 rest. One does not sorrow deeply for Mrs. Winn. 
 We are just glad that her reward was so great, her 
 home-going was so painless, her coronation so glo- 
 riously victorious.” 
 
 “Her life has been a constant inspiration to me, 
 and when I have been tired and tempted, and 
 when I have been disappointed in my fellow work- 
 ers and have all but thought the effort was not 
 worth while, times and times without number Mrs. 
 Winn’s beautiful life of unswerving and of untiring 
 devotion has come to my mind, and I have been 
 helped to go on in the struggle.” 
 
 “One of the pleasantest recollections of my 
 editorship of the ‘Messenger’ (a little paper in 
 Japan) is the reception of a couple of manuscripts 
 from Mrs. Winn’s pen. They were so clearly ex- 
 pressed, so beautifully written and evidently the 
 expression of a devout and consecrated spirit, that 
 they made a strong impression upon me as they 
 passed through my hands.” 
 
 “The funeral of Mrs. Winn taught me it was 
 time for us not to think of limitations, but of pos- 
 sibilities. Her strong faith, her power in prayer, 
 her quietness of spirit, even under the most pro- 
 voking circumstances, the multitude of souls she 
 won for the Master, all say: ‘There are no lim- 
 itations to one of her faith and consecration!’ ” 
 
 And now I am sure you will want to listen to 
 13 
 
some tributes from the Japanese. This is from a 
 young woman to whom a very real service had 
 been rendered: 
 
 “This evening when I came back from a meet- 
 ing, Miss Smith called me to her study and with 
 a pale look she told me that she had a very sad 
 news. But how could I dream that it was such a 
 sad, surprising one! I have never seen Mrs. Winn, 
 yet my heart yearns her dearly. I am so sorry to 
 think that my negligence has robbed me of the last 
 chance to express my hearty gratitudes to her for 
 her loving kindnesses to me and for what she has 
 done for our people groping in the darkness. I feel 
 though one of the shining lights of this dark world 
 is quenched too soon.’* 
 
 One of our Japanese teachers said recently: 
 
 “I was traveling alone several years ago and 
 was very hot and tired and without lunch. Mrs. 
 Winn did not know me, yet she realized my con- 
 dition and opened her lunch basket and insisted 
 upon sharing its contents with me. Such kinds I 
 had never before experienced nor can I forget it.” 
 
 The first sense of any comfort that crept into my 
 heart after my agonizing sorrow befell me, was in 
 listening to what the Japanese were saying about 
 her. I discovered that they had rightly judged her 
 character, and they understood and appreciated 
 her far beyond anything I had supposed was pos- 
 sible. 
 
 You no doubt have read of the unprecedented 
 action of the Japanese in trying to honor her mem- 
 ory. 
 
 The things I am about to describe, come from 
 their grateful feelings which were expressed with 
 sobs and tears, as they repeatedly said: “She was 
 14 
 
a benefactor of our country; she spent her life for 
 our people; she died for us in Manchuria.” 
 
 As soon as the sad news reached Dairen, the 
 Vice-President of the South Manchuria Railway 
 sent me a long telegram of condolence and sorrow. 
 A special car was sent for my use in returning to 
 Dairen; and Christian officials were appointed to 
 accompany me. A short funeral service was re- 
 quested before her body went from Sen Kin Sai, 
 where she laid down her life. A tent was erected 
 for the purpose, and all the highest officials and 
 their wives were in attendance to show their re- 
 spect and grief. Most of the women had been 
 earnestly taught the truth as it is in Jesus, and 
 prayed for and with, by her who now lay lifeless 
 before them. 
 
 I began the long sad journey at about 7 p. m. 
 The Christians sang a hymn as the train moved out 
 of the station, quite a number of them going with 
 me to the junction, thirty-one miles away. 
 
 After leaving that place where a company met 
 the train, I had no thought of any further demon- 
 strations of this kind. But all through the night 
 and early morning hours, groups of people came to 
 mingle their tears with mine and unite their voices 
 in prayer. 
 
 At a station sixty-five miles from Dairen, a num- 
 ber of friends had come out to return with me from 
 that point. From that on, others joined the com- 
 pany at different places, till my private car was 
 filled. 
 
 All that night through she had a triumphal 
 procession. It seemed to me nothing less than that. 
 
 At Dairen, I found that committees had been 
 appointed to look after every detail of preparation 
 15 
 
for the last sad rites, and that a very special friend 
 of ours was the chairman of them all. Concerning 
 everything, my own and my children’s wishes were 
 followed, and all arrangements were beautifully 
 carried out. One of the richest men in Manchuria 
 who had recently become a Christian, printed five 
 hundred copies of her photograph and gave them 
 io friends throughout that province. So that wher- 
 ever I go now, I find her picture occupying the 
 honored place in the guest room. 
 
 To our great surprise they begged to be allowed 
 to bear the funeral expenses and make it a church 
 or state funeral. For the non-Christian community 
 shared in it. A representative of the Mission ex- 
 pressed the feeling of us all when he said it was a 
 funeral “befitting a queen.” 
 
 Later as I was about to begin the erection of 
 a monument at her grave, they came and asked the 
 privilege of bearing the responsibility and expenses 
 of this labor of love, and to publish a biography 
 of her. It has all been too wonderful for me to 
 properly describe the love they showed for her. 
 
 This fragmentary recital is altogether inadequate 
 to rightly set forth the life and character of which 
 I am speaking. But, you have heard enough to 
 convince you that the beauty of the Lord was upon 
 her and that He established the work of her hands. 
 
 Such an outstanding fact as this life, must have 
 had a cause. I once asked her: “Lila, how old 
 were you when you became a Christian?” “Why,” 
 she replied, “I don’t remember when I became a 
 Christian. I think I was born a Christian.” On 
 another occasion when we were talking together of 
 having more of the Spirit’s power manifested in our 
 work, I said, “I think you are filled with the Spirit, 
 16 
 
and have always thought so.” Whenever I have 
 remembered her pleased surprise at that remark, I 
 have been glad that I made it! I sincerely believe 
 that like John the Baptist, she was filled with the 
 Spirit from her birth. The secret forces which 
 moved her heart and will, were from above. From 
 that source she ever sought and received gracious 
 supply. 
 
 Her prayer-life was the most real one that I ever 
 knew. 
 
 She was an early riser, and those early hours 
 were spent in prayer. In order to have that time 
 for communion with her Lord, she loved to be up 
 before others were stirring. Her prayers were not 
 a few words hastily uttered. She waited upon the 
 Lord. She had a prayer list of persons which she 
 daily spread before the Lord. Whenever it was 
 possible she went to solitary places in the woods 
 and upon the mountains, during those early hours, 
 with her Bible, for prayer. 
 
 Often she came back from those places where 
 she had been apart from all others, her face trans- 
 figured almost, as she whispered to me: ‘‘I found 
 such a nice, beautiful place this morning!” 
 
 When the evening drew near the same longing 
 to be at prayer took her away from others. If she 
 was sought for, she was invariably found engaged 
 in pleading with the Almighty Father. She loved 
 “to steal awhile away from every cumbering care, 
 and spend the hours of setting day in humble, 
 grateful prayer.” 
 
 We are looking for explanation for this life. 
 Jesus explained it when He said: 
 
 ‘‘If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, 
 ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto 
 
 17 
 
you.” ‘‘He that abideth in me and I in him, the 
 same beareth much fruit; for apart from me ye 
 can do nothing.” 
 
 THE WOMAN’S PRESBYTERIAN BOARD OF MISSIONS OF 
 THE NORTHWEST 
 Presbyterian Offices 
 
 Room 48, 509 S Wabash Avenue, Chicago 
 
 Price, 5 cents each; 50 cents per dozen 
 
 18 
 
MONUMENT ERECTED TO MRS. WINN BY THE JAPANESE 
 

 
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