The Nebraska Reporter publishes a letter to Brother A. T. Robinson, president of that conference, from a young missionary to China, who has just completed her first year. We copy as follows:
“To-morrow [August 7] I shall have been away from the home land one year. During the past year we have heard of many uprisings because of opposition to foreigners and opposition to the government. When I first came to Canton, the American boycott was the subject of discussion, but of late we have heard practically nothing of it. We thank our heavenly Father for His loving care. Tho we were in no apparent danger, yet we know13not from how many unseen dangers He has kept us.
“I enjoy studying the language far beyond my expectation. God has been good to me in this line especially. On leaving the States, I asked God for a promise of His help. In answer I was given Isa. 33:19. ‘Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand.’ By the time I have been in China one year, I will have read a book of conversations through twice, and the first four gospels, and ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ half through in characters. In studying English this does not seem very much, but when reading these characters it is considerable. When beginning to read characters I spent two weeks on the first five verses of Mark’s gospel.
“This year will mean more to me so far as actual work is concerned. As I have seen the girls in Miss Thompson’s school so pleased to learn to read and learn of Jesus as their Saviour, I have longed for the time to come when I might work with them. Now is our day of opportunity to establish schools, especially Christian schools for girls. The government is improving its system of education for boys, and the education of girls is more favorably regarded, especially in the coast cities. As I have thought of the needs, and the limited means in our treasury, I decided to place the matter before you. There is abundance of room in Canton for several schools, as it is a city of two million people. The better class of people in Canton live in the western half, and as yet we have no work there. A house can be rented large enough to accommodate at least fifty pupils for fifteen dollars gold a month. Then as we can not do all the teaching ourselves, native talent is employed, which can be secured for five dollars gold. Then there is the school equipments. Should some wish to support a girl, we would estimate the cost at about twenty dollars gold per year.
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“I present these needs before you, confident that you will be glad to help this people. I ask not for myself, but for these precious, blood-bought souls, many of whom have no knowledge as yet of their Redeemer.”
