North China

8~)( ',ff7'6n."w Vi 1/

Woman's Conference

Methodist Episcopal Church

LACY & WILSON:

Methodist Publishing House in China

'SHANGHAI & FOoCHOW.

Jale Divinity libJary New Haven, CDnn.

1903.

-L

CONTENTS.

I.-CONFERENCE OFFICERS AND MEMBERS.

n.-STANDING COMMITTEES.

IH.-ApPOINTMENTS ........ .

IV. -CONFERENCE J Q(J}{K A L . . . . .

PAGE S 6

7 9

V.-REFERENCE COMMITTEE RgPORT.

VI.-PEKING, TIEKTSI:'\ AND TSl'K · 17

RITA COMBINED SCHOOL ......... .

vn.-PEKING DISTRICT REPORTS.

Evangelistic \}\T ork . . V\Toman's Station Class Day Schools. . . . . . Medical ""'ork. . . . . Bible 'Vomell' s Report:". Tartar City Day School Teacher's Report .

VlH.-TIENTSIN DISTRICT REPORTS.

. . . . : 18

.20

· 21

· 22

24 2S 29

Evangelistic '~Vork . . . 30 Bible Women's Reports. . . 31 Medical '\T ork . . . . . . . 32

IX.-TsUN Hu.<\ LAN CHOU AND SHAN HAl KUAN DrSTRIC'I'S REPORTS.

Evangelistic V/ork . 37 Station Class. . 41 DaySchool.. . . .42' Medical Work. . . . 43 Bible Woman's and Native Pastors Wives Reports .. 48

X.-SHAN TuNG DISTRICT REPORTS.

Tai An Boarding School. . . . . 53 Tai An Station Class. . 54 Medical 'Vork. . . . . . . . . 56 Evangelistic 'Vork. . . . . . . 60 Teachers' and Bible Women's Reports. . . 61

XL-STATISTICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6S XII. -COURSE OF STUDY FOR BOARDING SCHOOLS . 67

XIII.-CouRSE OF STUDY FOR TRADHNG SCHOOLS. . 70

XIV.-COURSE OF STUDY FOR MISSIONARIES. . . .7 1

XV.-CONSTI1'U'l'ION AND By-LAWS. . . . . . . • . 72

XVI.-MISSIONARIES OF THE WOMAN'S FOREIGN

MISSIONARY SeCIETY.. • • . . . . . 75

-5-

OFFICERS AND MEMBERS

OF THE

NORTH CHINA WOMANtS CONFERENCE

OF THF,

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

1903.

OFFICERS. President-MARIA B. DAVIS.

Vicc-Preside1lt-CHARLOTTE M. JEWELL.

Secretary-EDNA G. TERRY, M.D.

T,easurer-CHARLOTTE M. JEWELL.

MEMBERS. CHARLOTTE M. JEWELL. * Mrs. MARY PORTER GAMEWELL.

* ANNA D. GLOSS, 1LD.

EDNA G. TERRY, M.D.

FRANCES O. WILSON.

ANNA E. STEERE. *

M. IDA STEVENSON, M. D. * RACHEL R. BENN, M.D. * EFFIE G. YOUNC.

ELLA E. GLOVER.

* MARY E. SHOCKLEY.

GERTRUDE GILMANN.

EMMA E. MARTIN, M.D.

LIZZIE E. MARTIN.

* Home on leave.

" II

"

" . " II

"

MARIA B. DAVIS.

P. E. LOWRY.

BELLE G. PYKE.

FLORA Vol ALKER.

EMILY H. HOBART.

FANNIE B. HOPKINS.

AGNES BROWN.

FRANCES W. VERITY.

MIRIAM S. HEADLAND, M.D.

EDNA A. KING.

CORA C. LOWRY .

10. B. ST. JOHN.

IRMA R. DAVIS.

-6-

STANDING COMMITTEES.

Anna D. Gloss, M.D. Emma E. Martin, M.D.

REFERENCE.

Ella E. Gloyer. Anna E. Steere.

BOARDING SCHOOl. EXAMINATION".

Lizzie E. Martin. Effie G. Young.

Ella E. Glover. Anna E. Steere.

TRAINING AND DAY SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS.

Edna G. Terry, M.D. Maria B. Davis.

Anna E. Steere. Gertrude Gilman.

Charlotte 1\1. Jewell. Rachel R. Benn, M.D.

Rachel R. Benn, M.D. Charlotte M. Jewell.

Maria B. Davis.

Ella E. Glover. Gertrude Gilman.

Lizzie E. Martin. Anna E. Steere.

ESTIMATES.

Emma E. Martin, M.D. Ella E. Glover.

BUILDING.

Emma E. Martin, M. D. Edna G. Terry, M.D.

ApPOINTMENTS.

Ella E. Glover. Lizzie E. Martin.

PROGRAM.

Gertrude Gilman.

STATISTICS.

Lizzje E. Martin. Anna E. Steere.

PUBLICA TrON.

Edna G. Terry, M.D. Gertrude ·Gilman, Ella E. Glover.

APPOINTMENTS.

PEKING.

PEKING, TIENTSIN AND TSUN RUA COMBINED BOARDING SCHOOLS.

PrillCipal-Charlotte M. Jewell.

_ I Effie G. Young. 11lsbuct01S-"j G t d G'l I.. er ru e 1 man.

DAY SCHOOLS AXD WOMAN'S \VORK.-Frances O. Wilson.

MEDICAL VVORK.-Allna D. Gloss, M.D.

TIENTSIN.

DA Y SCHOOL AKD CITY \VOMAK'S \VoRK.-Lizzie E. Martin.

Tzu CI:ilT LIN \\TOMAN'S WORK.-Flora \ValkeL

TIENTSIN AND * COUNTRY MEDIC\L VVORK.

M. Ida Stevenson, M.D. Emma E. Martin, M.D.

CH'ANG LI.

DAY SCHOOL AND COUNTRY \VOMAN'S WORK. Ella E. Glover.

Cn'l\NG LI AND *COUNTRY MEDICAL \""ORK. Edna G. Terry, M.D.

SHANTUNG.

T'AI AN BO.,\RD~l'\G SCHOOL, DAY SCHOOL AKD "''"OMAN'S Vi,TORK.

Anna E. Steere.

T'Al AN STATION CLASS AND Vi,TOMAN'S WORK. Frances \~T. Yerity.

T'Al AN AND COlTN'l'RY MEDICAL \VORK. Rachel R. Beml, -:VI. D.

* Country work, the Districts of Tai Ch 'eng, Tsun Hua, Lan Chou and Shan Hai Kuan. Tai Ch 'eng to belong to Tientsin, TSUll Hua and Lan Chou to helong to Chang Li, Shan Hai Kuan to belong to Tientsin or Ch 'aug Li as the physicians in charge may hereafter arrange.

CONFERENCE JOUR"NAl.

FIRST DAY.-ENGLISH SESSlON.

Opsning.-:The Eleventh Meeting of the Woman's Con­ference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in North China met in the parlor of the W. F. M. S., home in Tientsin, May 26th, 1903.

Devotional exercises were conducted by C. M. Jewell. Officef's.-The officers were elected as follows :­

President-Maria B. Davis. Vice-President-Charlotte M. Jewell. Secreta1y-Edna G. Terry, M.D. 7 reasU1rer-Charlotte M. Jewell.

In the absence of the President, the Vice-President occupied the Chair.

RoII.-The roll was called by the Secretary. and eleven members responded.

Appointment of Committees.-The following Committees were appointed by the Chair.

Committee on the appointment of Standing Committees, Anna E. Steere, Edna G. Terry, M.D., Lizzie E. Martin.

Committee on appointment of Bible-women, Ella E. Glover, Gertrude Gilman, Rachel R. Benn, M.D.

Committee on ResQlutions, Charlotte M. Jewell, Rachel R. Benn, M.D.

Motions.-Moved and carried that Ella E. Glover, Rachel R. Benn, M.D., and Charlotte M. Jewell be appointed a delega­tion to represent the Woman's Conference at the next session of the North China Conference of the M. E. Church, to be held in Peking, June loth, 1903.

Moved and carried that Ella E. Glover present the report of the Woman's Conference to the North China Conference.

Moved and carried that we send a delegate or delegates to the China Central Conference of the M. E. Church, to be held in Shanghai in November next, and that the expenses be shared equally by the members of the Vol. F. M. S., of the North China Conference.

Moved and carried that Anna D. Gloss, M.D., be appointed a delegate to this China Central Conference provided she arrives in Shanghai at the opportune time.

- IO-

Moved and carried that Charlotte M. Jewell be appointed a delegate to this Conference, or find a substitute if unable to attend.

Repol"ts.-The report of the Peking, Tientsin and Tsun H ua Combined School was read by Effie G. Young.

The report of the Shantung Girls' Boarding School was read by Anna E. Steere.

The report of the Peking Day School was read by Charlotte M. Jewell.

The report of the Pai Tao Tzu Day School was read by Ella E. Glover.

The reports were approved and accepted. Miscellaneous Business.-A communication having been

received to the effect that the Thank Offering of the Standard Bearers will be appropriated to China next year, it was there­fore moved and carried that we recommend that this Thank Offering be devoted to a Hospital in T'ai An, Shantung, to be known as the Wang Memorial Hospital, in honor of our Bible­woman, Mrs. Wang.

It was ordered that the Conference, through the Secretary send a letter of appreciation and thanks to Mrs. L. A. Alderman for her long years of faithful service and her love and devotion to the work, as well as her personal interest in the individual members of the Conference.

Adjournment.-The meeting adjourned with prayer by Edna G. Terry, M.D.

FIRST DAY.-AFTERNOON SESSION.

CHINESE.

Opening.-The Conference convened at 2 P.M., in the W. F. M. S., parlor.

Devotional exercises were led by Li Fei Pi. Roll. -The roll was called by the Secretary. Fifteen

Chinese women and nine foreign women responded. Reports . -The reports read in English in the morning were

given in the afternoon in Chinese. The Bible-woman, Ch'in Ya.ng Shih, read her report of

work done during the year on the districts of Tsun Hua, Lan Chou and Shan Hai Kuan ..

These reports were accepted.

- 11-

PapsI' on Self Suppol't.-A paper on Self Support was read by one of the pupil teachers in the Boarding School, Chang ;Kuei Feng.

Discussion of Self Support followed in which several native women took part.

The meeting adjourned after prayer by Charlotte M. Jewell.

SECOND DAY.-MORNING SESSION.

May 27th, I903. Devotional.-The members of the Conference met at 9 A.M.,

in the W. F. M.S. parlor, the President in the Chair. The devotional hour was led by Mrs. Maria B. Davis.

Minutes.-The Minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved.

Repol'ts.- Evangelistic WOl'k. The report of the Peking Evangelistic work was read by

Charlotte M. Jewell. The report of the Tientsin Evangelistic work, Wesley

Chapel, was given by Flora Walker. The report of the Tientsin, West City Gate, Evangelistic

work was read by Lizzie E. Martin. The report of the Tsun Hua, Lan Chou and Shan Hai Kuan

Evangelistic work was read by Ella E. Glover. The report of the Shantung Evangelistic work, prepared by

ChIen Sai Na, was translated and read by Anna E. Steere. Repol'ts. -Station Classes. The report of the Peking Station Class was read by

Charlotte M. Jewell. The report of the An Ko Chuang Station Class was read by

Ella E. Glover. The report of the Shantung Station Class, prepared by

Frances W. Verity, was read by Anna E. Steere. These reports were approved and accepted. The Committee on Appointments.-The report of the Com­

mittee on Appointments was read by Charlotte M. Jewell. After discussion in which it was voted to change the term Training School to Station Class and to designate the three Boarding Schools as the Peking, Tientsin and Tsun H ua Combined School, the report was accepted.

A discussion on Self Support followed.

- 12-

Miscellaneous Business.-It was moved and carried that the one remaining Bible-woman with bound feet, be strongly recommended by the Conference to unbind her feet, and that Anna E. Steere and Rachel R. Benn, M.D., communicate this information to her.

Moved and carried that Rachel R. Benn, M.D., prepare a report of our Conference for the Woman's Missionary Friend.

Moved and carried that each member of the Conference, at some time during the year, write an article for the Children's Missionary Friend.

The plan for the West City Dispensary, Tientsin, was brought before the Conference and approved.

Adjournment.-Moved to adjourn. The meeting was closed with prayer by Anna E. Steere.

SECOND DAY.-AFTERNOON SESSION.

CHINESE.

Devotional.-The Conference met in Wesley Chapel at 2 P.M., Ch'in Yang Shih led the devotions.

Reports.-Evangelistic work done by native women. The report of the work in Peking was read by Li Tuan

Shih. The report of work in Tientsin was by Wang Wang Sih. Kao Tu Shih read her report of work done in the hospital,

and at the West City Dispensary. The report prepared by the Bible-woman, in Shantung, Liu

Shih, was read by Wen Jui Kuei. The report of Wang Lao T'ai T'ai, of Shantung was read

by Liu Mei J ui. At this point the Conference voted to send greetings to

Wang Lao T'ai T'ai by Anna E. Steere and .Rachel R. Benn, M.D., and also instructed the Secretary to send a letter expres­sing our love for her and our appreciation of her long years of faithful work.

The report of the work in Shantung, prepared by Ch 'en Sai N a was read by Li Tuan Shih.

The reports of the work prepared by the wives of the native pastors at Lan Chou, Lao T'ing and Shan Hai Kuan were read by Yuan Yu Hsing.

Station Classes.

- 13-

I Cheng Shih gave a verbal report of her work in Peking. Yuan Yu Hsing read the report of her work as teacher in

the An Ko Chuang Station Class. These reports were accepted. The reports of Ella E. Glover, Lizzie E. Martin and

Frances W. Verity were translated and read in Chinese, and accepted.

The meeting adjourned with prayer by Maria B. Davis.

THIRD DAY.-MORNING SESSION.

May 28th I903. Devotional. -The Conference assembled in the usual place at

9 A.M. The devotional exercises were led by Anna E. Steere. Minutes.-The Minutes of the previous meeting were read

and approved. Reports.-Medical Work.-The report of the Peking Medical

Work prepared by Miriam S. Headland, M.D., was read by Charlotte M. Jewell. .

The report of the Tientsin :Medical Work was read by Emma E. Martin, M.D.

The report of the Tsun H ua Medical Work, including Lan Chou and Shan Hai Kuan was read by Edna G. Terry, M.D.

The report of the Shantung Medical Work was read by Rachel R. Benn, M.D.

These reports were accepted. Standing Committes.-The report of the Committee of Refer­

ence, prepared by Miranda Croucher was read by Ella E. Glover. This report after some corrections was accepted.

The report of the Committee on Boarding School Examina­tions was given by Effie G. Young. Accepted.

The report of the Committee on Examinations of Station Classes and Day Schools was given by Edna G. Terry. M.D. Accepted.

The report of the Committee on Estimates was read by Gertrude Gilman. This report was accepted.

The report of the Building Committee was presented by Charlotte M. Jewell, and accepted.'

The report of the Committee on Program was accepted. Speoial Committees.-The Committee on the appointm~ntQf

;Bj1;)I~-w9men report~d, and this repQrt W3:S ~<;~epted.

- 14-

The repC'rt of the Committee on Standing Committees was read by Anna E. Steere, and accepted.

The Committee appointed to confer with a Committee of the General Board, with reference to the sale of the present property in the French Concession, Tientsin, and purchase of a site elsewhere, report that there has been consultation with the members of said Committee, and a piece of property adjoining theirs, consisting of about five English acres, situated in the South Suburb of the Native City, near the Japanese Concession has been purchased, and the contract for filling in the piece of land has been given.

Motions.-It was voted that an Amendment be made to the By-laws as follows:-

Committee on Statistics . -This Committee shall consist of one member from each station whose duty it shall be to compile a statistical report to be presented at the Annual Conference and published in the minutes.

This Committee was added to the list of Standing Com­mittees.

Moved" and carried that we have another session on May 29th at 9 A.M.

Moved to adjourn. Dr. Benn led in the dosing prayer.

THIRD DAY.-AFTERNOON SESSION. CHINESE.

Devotional. -The Conference assembled in the W. F. M. S., parlor at 2 P. M. Mrs. Walker led the opening devotions.

Reports.-The reports of the Medical Work given in the morning were repeated in Chinese.

Discussions.-A discussion on the advantages of charging a fee for medical service followed. All who took part agreed that charging a fee is an advantage to our work. .

The subject of native Christian women contributing accord­ing to their means to the W. F. M. S., was also considered in an informal way.

The subject of the advantages and disadvantages of teaching English in our schools was also discussed.

Reso/utions.-It was moved and carried that letters of greet ing and thanks be sent to the wives of the native pastors whQ have sent reports of their work in their respective stations ..

~diDurnm,~tr-rhe !D-~ting adjourned with prayer.

-15-

FOURTH DAY.-MORNING SESSION.

May 29th, I903.

Devotional. -The Conference met at 9 0' clock in the usual place. The morning devotions were led by Rachel R. Benn, M.D.

Minutes.-The minutes were read and approved. The Conference instructed the Secretary to record in detail

only such parts of the afternoon session as had not been previously given in English in the morning session.

Reports of Committees.-The report of the Committee on the Revision of the School Course was presented by Charlotte M. Jewell. It was voted to take up this course year by year. After discussion, the course was adopted.

The report of the Committee on Statistics was read by Ella E. Glover and accepted.

The Chairman of the Committee on Program for next year read a report which was accepted.

Miscellaneous Business.-Members of the Conference were appointed to be responsible for sending copies of our Minutes to the officers of the various Branches of the W. F. M. S.

Adjournment.-The Conference adjourned till 2 P.M. The closing prayer was offered by Mrs. Walker.

FOURTH DAY.-AFTERNOON SESSION.

ENGLISH.

The Conference convened at 2 P.M., the Vice-President in the Chair.

Devotional.-The devotional hour was led by Ella E. Glover. Motions.-Moved and carried that a change in the By-law

respecting the Reference Committee be made. and 1/ unanimous vote" be changed to "majority vote. ' ,

Moved and carried that the Historians of the several stations, appointed by the Reference Committee be retained, Emma E. Martin, M.D., to take the place of Miranda Croucher in Tientsin.

Moved and carried that the Delegation to represent our Conference to the North China, strongly commend to the atten­ti~!! ~f the said <;9!lf~r~nce the subj~~t of ¥oot-bin~n~.

-16-

RssolutiiJns.-The Committee on Resolutions presented the following report which was approved and accepted :-

We, the members of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society in Conference assembled, hereby express our gratitude to our Heavenly Father for the peace and prosperity and spiritual blessings of the past year.

RESOLVED.-That we rejoice in the prosperity of our North China work this year in every way, but especially in the success attending our efforts to locate and repair the ravages of war in our mission property, in the securing of such desirable land at Ch'ang Li and Shantung, and our new location outside the French Concession in Tientsin, and in the rebuilding at Peking.

RESOLVED.-That we cordially thank the members of the General Board who in this instance, as always, have been so helpful in planning and erecting buildings, and in buying and and selling property.

RESOLVED.-That we specially thank Dr. N. S. Hopkins for his inestimable services.

RESOLVED.-That we thank Mr. Edmund Cousins for his valuable advice in regard to disposing of our present property and buying elsewhere.

RESoiNED.-That we rejoice in the help and sympathy Mrs. Davis has always given us in our work, and in having her again in our midst.

RESOLVED.-That we hereby express our appreciation of the efficient and untiring labors of Miss Croucher while working with us, and our sincere wishes for her future happiness in her new home.

RESOLVED.-That we rejoice in the return to their old places in our ranks and hearts of Miss Steere, Dr. Terry, Mrs. J ewell and Miss Gilman.

RESOLVED.-That with grateful hearts we express our appreciation of the. generous and thoughtful hospitality with which the ladies at Tientsin have entertained the Conference.

Minutss.-":'The minutes of the morning and afternoon sessions were read and approved.

Adjournment.-The Conference adjourned with prayer by Emma E. Martin, M.D.

Respectfully submitted,

EDNA G. TERRY, Sec1etary1

- 17-

REPORT OF REFERENCE COMMITTEE. The Reference Committee have transacted the following

items of business. This Committee requested the home authorities to grant one

thousand dollars gold for the purchase of property in Shantung. Owing to the absence of Dr. Gloss from the field, Miss

Gilman was elected a member of this Committee. The following appointments were made :-

Mrs. I. T. Headland, M.D., Peking lIfedical W01k. Mrs. W. F. Walker, Tientsin Evangelistic T¥ork. Mrs. G. '\T. Verity, Shantullg Evangelistic Work.

The following persons were appointed historians:-Miss Steere historian for Shantung until the autumn of

1902, Dr. Benn to succeed her at that date for the remainder of the Conference year.

Dr. Terry historian for Tsun Hua until the autumn of 1902, Miss Glover to succeed her at that date.

Miss Croucher historian for Tientsin. Mrs. Jewell historian for Peking. It was voted that a set of Dr. Benn' s siege pictures be

inserted in the Tientsin history in the appropriate place. It was voted that the ladies appointed to the Tsun Rua

district should itinerate as they deemed advisable during the year. This Committee approved the purchase of twenty Chinese

acres of land for a new site for the Tientsin station. This Committee requested the home authorities to grant

the power of attorney to Mrs. C. M. Jewell to conduct all business arising from the probable sale of the Tientsin property.

This Committee requested the sending out of four new workers.

The Committee asked permission to transfer the Sarah L. Keen Memorial School to T'ai An, Shantung.

The Committee approved the selection of Ch'ang Li as a new mission site, and requested permission to transfer the entire Tsun Rua plant to said place ..

It was voted that the session of the North China Woman's Conference be held in Tientsin, May 26th, 1903.

Respectfully submitted,

MIRANDA CROUCHER, Chairman,

- 18

PEKING, TIENTSIN AND TS UN HU A, Combined School.

The past year has not been marked by any stirring events, but for the peace and quiet that have reigned we thank our Heavenly Father.

At the close of school last summer, the girls were sent to their homes for the first time since the trouble in 1900. They were anxious to go, and we felt that the change would be beneficial to all. Our hopes were realized, for they returned in September refreshed and ready for work.

Our hearts were made glad in August by the arrival from America of Mrs. Jewell and Miss Gilman. It seemed strange not to have Mrs. Jewell in Tientsin with us during the year, but she was obliged to stay in Peking to superintend the building there. She has still been Principal of the school however, and has given us advice and help in many hard places.

We had hoped to be able to move to Peking this year, but as the buildings were not completed, we were obliged to stay in the crowded quarters in Tientsin. Notwithstanding the incon­venience and many difficulties, the year has been a happy and successful one.

We have .been crow.ded to our utmost capacity, the total enrollment being one hundred and fifty-seven. Three of the girls who graduated last year, have done excellent work as teachers. The two elderly men who assisted last year, have also been with us, one giving his time to teaching the Chinese Classics and the character, and the other giving more valuable service in teaching General History, Church History and Composition.

Two of our number have left the school for the home above. Sadie, after many years of ill health and weeks of suffering, fell asleep one day in September. Some of the girls, with their teachers laid her away in the cemetery in Tientsin. Yii Chih was not well when she returned in the fall. After weeks of medical treatment, with no improvement, she was sent to her home, hoping that she would be better. After a few months of sickness she went to Heaven. She talked about its glories during her sickness and was anxious to go.

Christmas was an especially happy time. The boxes sent by loving friends at home furnished gifts for all. In the morning, the girls were called to the school room, where they received their p~esents. The little ones were very happy with their dolls,

-19-

A feast of pork and other good things followed. At eleven o'clock there was a Christmas service in the church. After service, some of the girls went to the hospital to sing to the women who had gathered there. In the afternoon, they had a good time in the school room followed by an entertainment prepared by the children in the Primary department. In the evening, there was a Christmas entertainment in the church, a happy ending to a happy day.

The next event of importance after Christmas was the Chinese New Year vacation. Mrs. Jewell came to spend it with the girls, which was a great delight to all. Vacation days ended all too soon and they began work again.

Miss Croucher has carried on the industrial work and all who were able to work were given employment on Mondays and Saturdays. Many girls who had no means of support have been able to help themselves in this ""vay.

The general health of the girls has been good. Contagious . diseases have been around us, but they have not entered the school. Dr. Martin has had her school clinic each day, where sore heads and eyes and other small ailments to which children are subject, have been faithfuly treated.

The two literary societies met each Friday night during the winter. The girls showed marked improvement in their discussion of 'the important subjects of the day. A final entertainment will be given at the close of school.

Although there have been no special revival services this year, the girls have not been going backward in their Christian lives. There has been a spirit of helpfulness among the older girls in caring for and helping the little ones. Eight have been baptized, four taken in on probation and two others have joined in full.

As the new buildings will not be finished in time to open school before the last of September we shall not close school until the last of June. There will be between twenty and thirty girls to stay through the summer.

Miss Crouche.r left us for the homeland May ninth, to enter a new field of labor, and so our working force is diminished. We earnestly hope that new ladies will be sent to us in the fall.

We close our report of the year's work with hearts full of love to the Giver of all good, that, notwithstanding the loss of buildings and so many things necessary to the work, we have been able to carry it on and keep the girls in school.

Respectfully submitted, EFFlE G. YOVNG.

- 20-

PEKING DISTRICT REPORTS. Evangelistic Work.

Doctor Stevenson and Miss Wilson were prepared to go home for their well earned vacation when I returned last August. Our medical work and therefore the evangelistic work that accompanies it would, of necessity, have lapsed altogether had not Mrs. Headland most generously come to the rescue. Exceptional opportunities have opened to Mrs. Headland during the year, bringing her into friendly intercourse with a good many ladies of high rank. She has won their friendship and confidence. This is gaining a great vantage ground; because these ladies are powers behind the throne. They are having an opportunity to see for themselves whether or not foreign women are the barbarians they have previously supposed them to be. In these homes Mrs. Headland has been both doctor and evangelist; administering, as wisdom directed, grains of truth or physic, a touch of love or an instructive book. The poor we have always with us in the daily clinics. The Bible-woman, Mrs. Li, has been the dispensary evangelist. I always feel confident that the work committed to her is done better than I could do it myself.

We have not had many accessions to the church this year from among the women. We have had a good many" outside women" coming to our services. I think the fear of further persecutions may be an impediment to the numerical growth of the church for some time to come. That mav not, after all, be an impediment to its real grow~h and strength. We are earnestly trying to strengthen the things which remain. The Bible-woman constantly goes from house to house teaching. We have had two weekly women's meetings. The attendance at the week-day meeting ranges from six to thirty-five; and the Sunday meeting, from twenty to sixty. The following is an outline of one of the week-day meetings which I jotted down after the service was over. It was led by one of the native women. Her subject was , , Resurrection' , . She read the story of Lazarus, led in prayer and then talked on the lesson. She spoke of Jesus' delay in coming to the sisters being for their sakes; and then of His great sympathy for them. She dwelt upon the words "I am the resurrection and the life." She said Martha thought Lazarus had been dead too long, that there was no hope. But whether he had been dead four days or forty days or forty years it made no difference to Jesus. He could give him life. In our recent revival meetings we had seen Jesus' power to raise to life those

- 2I-

whose hearts were dead. Some had said 'The revival can't effect much,' but very many were raised from the dead during those meetings." After this talk several led in prayer; and then testimonies were called for. One woman said "I had been dead forty years when I was resurrected. I thought all that time that I was alive and very wise; but I found out after I heard the Gospel, that I was dead and knew nothing. Now Jesus has made me alive and given me the hope of eternal life. I want our out-side-the-church friends (heathen women, present) to know about this GospeL"

Another, "I was dead in sin for a good many years. I used to drink and revile and get angry. Thank the Lord! He has saved me. What the leader says about Jesus' resurrecting power is exactly true. My son is truly resurrected. Praise the Lord! "

A third said, "I was dead for forty years too. Before I was saved my occupation was reviling and getting angry. The Lord has taken my temper away."

Still another, "The Lord has truly raised my family from the dead. 0, it is good to be a Christian. Before things used to go wrong in the home, the children were disobedient and I was impatient. N ow I and my children are Christians and the home is pleasant."

I want to say that our Peking women are faithful contributors to the missionary ca·use. They have a good Auxiliary which is affiliated with the New England Branch. The monthly gifts of these poor women are surprisingly large, in fact they could support a Bible-woman with their funds.

Respectfully submitted,

CHARLOTTE M. JEWELL.

Peking Women's Station Class. It was the 12th of January before a room was ready to

receive the Women's Class. It was a miserable shell of a Chinese building on the University campus-a purchase made by the General Board in the fall of 1900, when China was recovering' from her "convulsion". A few dollars spent in repairs made it habitable. Coarse matting was spread over the unsightly floor. Some crude benches and a table were brought in. Our stove protruded its pipe through the window which made our equip­ment complete. The class offered nothing but an opportunity each afternoon to study. Fifteen women responded. For one

- 22-

reason or another, more or less good, several of them dropped out as the weeks wore on. Eight have stayed by and have shown an earnest purpose to learn to read. Their efforts are being rewarded. They have been reading the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles and the first forty Psalms. I do trust that the women have found a good many helpful truths in these months' lessons to both brighten their own lives and help them to brighten the lives of some others. I am very hopeful that some of them may be developed into Bible-women, of whom we have great need. During the past few years a number of our Bible-women have died and others are incapacitated by sickness or old age; so that through our entire work their ranks are very thin.

The youngest member of our Study Class is a little orphaned boy who comes with his grandmother because there is no way for him to be left behind. He has learned to walk during the winter; and is just now beginning the Chinese language!

One of the women who was herself learning to read during my first years in China, and who has since become day-school teacher and then Bible-woman, but who is not strong enough for constant work now, has gratuitously helped with the class nearly all the winter.

The current expenses have been about five cents a week for tea; which being steeped in pure sweet water from our new artesian well, makes a much appreciated beverage. Indeed I think the women save up their thirst for the afternoons. They' say the old well-water is not good any more since they have tasted this other water.

Respectfully submitted, CHARLOTTE M. JEWELL.

Peking Day Schools. I have tried as far as possible this year to reinstate our old

lines of work. I have 110t been successful with the day-schools. Our premises are not rebuilt in the old Chinese city; so nothing could be done toward reorganizing what was known as the "Southern City Day-schooL"

, 'Rondout School" was. reopened on the old premises the first of last January. There were fair promises of a nice little school; but they did not materialize. The neighborhood more­over was infested with theives .. ~and desperate characters, which put my teacher andj~er two litHe children in jeopardy; so, after they had had their;~I11mer's supply of rice stolen, we shook the dust off our feet and came ,away.

.- 23-

The Tartar City school opened September 22nd. with an attendance of seventeen bright children. The total enrollment for the year has been thirty. The school will close its year's work June 2oth.-Mrs. K'ang is still teaching the school and is doing her work very acceptably. The majority of the pupils are from Christian homes. One familiar with the Chinese could hardly fail to perceive this from the appearance of the children. The elevating influence of a Christian home shows itself very early in the child.

The pupils have, almost without exception, done good work. Several will be ready to enter the Boarding School in the fall. I am sure this prospect is a decided stimulus to them. To enter the "Big School" is quite a popular ambition. Parents do not fail any more to see that education is good for girls.

Great Happiness, the five year old son of one of our martyred preachers, has been studying very happily with the little girls. He had whooping cough during the winter and had to stay at home for a while. He confided to his mother that he wanted to hurry back to school; for he was afraid Clear Strong would get ahead of him! He has more than realized his ambition; for he has quite outstripped his little rival.

I have been able to give about an hour of my time to the school daily.

Our children, in common with all who know anything about Christmas day, look forward with joy to it. Christmas Eve, although a gale of wind peculiar to North China, was raging and filling the air with blinding dirt, they were all on hand at the church to see the Christmas tree. On Christmas day, in a room near the school, a young girl lay dying of consumption. It was Yii piing, whom some of you may remember as the poor slave girl whom we rescued from the man who stole her from her master. You may recall that, to remove her from further danger, we sent her to our school in Tsun H ua. She survived the awful summer of 1900; but it's sufferings and privations developed that disease, latent in so many of the Chinese. She said to me a few weeks before she passed away "I know I can not live; and I am willing to die. I only regret that after all you have done for me, I have not finished my studies nor done anything." On Christmas morning the school children went to her room and sang a few hymns to ber and we bad a little prayer together. A basket of fruit was left for her. When the children came back to the school they found that Santa had been there and had left them each a pear, an apple, an orange, besides two candied walnuts and a lead pencil. They looked every inch

- 24-

the possessors of great treasure! May their school-days always be a bright spot in memory, helping them never to forget the truths we have tried to teach them.

Respecfully submitted,

CHARLOTTE M. JEWELL.

Peking Medical Work. The woman's medical work has been carried on under several

disadvantages during the past year. We had hoped that Dr. Gloss would be here in September to take up the work when Dr. Stevenson returned to the home-land; but owing to her con­tinued ill health, she was forbidden to return to China.

In this emergency I ,vas requested to undertake the work, but I CQuld promise to give to it only what time I could spare from my home and children. 1vledical work requires undivided time and attention if it is to be carried on successfully, for one must be ever at the service of the s:ck.

Our temporary dispensary is situated in a very objectionable quarter, as the street is frequented by disreputable foreign sol­diers who have entered more than once, causing no little conster­nation among the assembled patients. The assistants at times when compelled to go upon the street have been so 10th to go out by the front door that they have climbed out. through a back window into the school court, and thus made their exit through the gate of the college campus.

The rooms we are using are very cramped and inconvenient. If the number of patients were large we would find it impossible to accommodate them. We are looking forward to the time, which we hope is not distant, when we shall have new and more convenient buildings similar to those which were destroyed.

Mrs. Li has proved herself, as in other years, a most valuable adjunct to the medical work, being present eyery day while the patients are awaiting their turns, talking to or becoming acquaint­ed with them. After watching her for the past months I feel satisfied that her success consists not so much in her talking to the room full of women, as in her personal interest and sympathy for each troubled and sick one. I have not infrequently found her in the homes of the sick of the neighborhood, lightening their burdens not only with her hand but with her cheerful, helpful spirit as well

- 25-

Mrs. Chou, the widow of the martyred pastor Chou Hsiieh­shen, has been my dispensary assistant during the past few months. She gives promise of becoming a valuable helper, and is anxious to take special instruction so as to fit herself by medical study for her present position. Those of the school girls who have lost their husbands would be excellent material for a med­ical class, and their services would relieve the doctor of much of the ordinary, commonplace work.

I p.ave to thank Dr. Hopkins for his kind assistance when­ever asked for aid. Although carrying a load that might seem Herculean to shoulders less broad than his, he has ever been willing to put aside his more important work, to come at my request, treating the matter as if it were a pleasure when I knew that it must be an added burden.

I have followed Dr. Stevenson's plan of charging a small fee for treatments, a plan which .was the adopted rule of the physi­cians of Peking, the advisability of which I question, but have followed it because it was the custom. Many of the dispensary patients are exceedingly poor, and where constant treatments are necessary, even the payment of two hundred cash must tax the financial exchequer in homes where the husband is working for five hundred cash a day, and therefore with many of them, I would have much preferred to see them use the two hundred cash to buy something to eat.

One of the coldest evenings of midwinter I visited a family outside the Hata Gate, and while there they brought a child into the room without t..:ousers and only a thin coat. I spoke to them about allowing it to go with such scanty clothing. They assured me it did not experience any inconvenience and was perfectly well. On our way home I heard the carter muttering to himself, "Poor, very poor." "Who?" I asked. (( That family," he answered. "They had to pawn that child's trousers to get money to pay me for taking you to see them". At the risk of being shut out of the city all night, I forced him to return and redeem the trousers for them. And such is the condition of many of our poor patients.

Owing to the prevalence of contagious diseases, and the fact that I have had but one small waiting room in which all had to gather, I have had the Chinese Christians call me to their homes or bring their children to mine when ill, preferring the extra

. trouble to having them run the risk of contracting disease by bringing the children to the dispensary. This has swelled my l~st of o~t-calls, but, as I believe, has prevented much suffering.

- 26-

I cannot close this report without grateful acknowledgements to Mrs. Conger for the gracious way in which she has received, and entered into social life with many of our lady patients, who, knowing that she was a favorite of the Empress Dowager, were anxious to meet and become acquainted with her. She has shown herself in every instance a genuine Christian, and I feel like saying, a real missionary.

We are looking forward with much joy to having Dr. Gloss with us in the aut~mn to take up the work.

STATISTICAL REPORT.

Dispensary patients from Sept. 1St, to May 20 ..... 4005 Outcalls- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 570

FINANCIAL REPORT.

By receipts to date ................ U. S. Gold $120.00

Respectfully Submitted,

MIRIAM S. HEADLAND, M.D.

Peking Bible Women. After last year's Conference I came back to Peking and as

usual began the work to which I had been appointed. I have lost not a little time this year. Sometimes I have had to nurse my eyes and sometimes, my ankle. It reckons that I have spent about half of my time taking care of myself.

I will first tell about the work at the Hospital. The Hos­pital has not had its doors closed since last summer. Sometimes there have been more patients and sometimes less. Sometimes the small waiting-room was filled. That was encouraging. The patients all this year have very gladly listened to the doctrine. They inquire how to pray, and how their sins may be forgiven. There have been men too who have listened. They all nod their heads in an assenting manner. There are patients who often come to the church service and want to inquire into the doctrine. There have not been many "in-patient". One woman came with dropsy. The doctor relieved her and she felt so much better that she wanted to go home. The doctor did not deter her for she knew that the woman could not get well. After her going home I went to see her several times. She was anxious to be a Christian. When she was about to die she said to her child " You go quickly and call Aunt Li. I am going to die and I want her to read the Holy Book to me to take away my sins."

- 27-

I went right away. As soon as she saw me she shed tears and said "I am undone! I don't know what I shall become after I die. Read the Holy Book for me so that I may not become a horse or a mule. I want to become a Pig. I shall then be killed in a few months and that will be the end of me. I shall thus escape further suffering. ' , I told her of the loving words of Jesus " Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden." I felt that she was praying. After a little she said "Lord save me !" She died that same night.

There was a young woman who had consumption. The doctor said to me ' , You must talk often to her. Her sickness is criticaL" The doctor sent me to her home. I went a few times and the sick woman was very glad to have me come. Her family was not very well pleased. One day the mother-in-law said to me "Don't come these next few days. We have some family business." I of course did not go. After a while I inquired about the woman and found that she had died a few days before. \\Then she was about to die she said to the family " You need not call the priests with their incantations. I know how to pray God for myself."

There was a girl who was once in school. She was married a long time ago into a heathen family. She and her father-in-law did not get along very well together. Bye and bye he died and then she was afraid. Afterwards she herself became very ill. For several months she constantly saw the devil. One day she saw a whole army of them. They stood before her. One of them, a woman-devil, had a child on her back. This woman­devil told her to go quickly. Another devil said "No you need n't. On the 28th of next month we will come again." Then the devil wrote a sign on her face with his finger. The next day the family thought and thought how to escape from these devils the 28th of the next month; but could find no way. The woman herself said "It is best for me to go to the church. They immediately got a cart and came first to see Mrs. J ewell. Mrs. J ewell brought the woman to the Hospital to have her sickness cured. At the Hospital we had prayers night and morning; and she constantly read the Bible and prayed and came very near to the Lord. Her sickness got better and the devils disappeared. She went home in the second month.

Then an old Mrs. Shia, a blind woman, came to have her eyes treated. We had not thought there were any devils about our Hospital. One night the old lady heard something come in at the door and get onto her bed; and there, it not only snored, but panted. The old lady was scared. She thought it was a devil. She very politely prayed to it not to injure her, promising

- 28-

that she would only stay at the Hospital a few days. In a little while the thing got down off her bed and went away; but it came back again. The old lady concluded that politeness would not work; so she just opened her mouth and reviled with a loud voice. She kept this up for a long time until finally she woke up her daughter-in-law, who inquired "~That are you reviling?" The old lady said "There is a devil in the room. You see what is on the bed." The daughter-in-law replied (' Oh! that is sister Li's little dog that I accidentally shut in the room."

Last year in the fifth and sixth months cholera was very terrible here. Two of our women church-members took the disease. One of them, named Chuang, sent for me. I went and I saw that her face looked very bad. She said " I want to ask some favors of you. When I am dead ask Mr. Ch'en to conduct my funeral and try to help my husband to become a Christian and see that my children go to schooL" I asked her about herself. She said "I do not fear to die. My sins were taken away when I was baptized. She had been baptized only three months before. The other woman, named Yang, also died of this disease. She knew that her recovery was doubtful. She said to her family "These past weeks the pastor has been preaching directly to me. Previously I have been a hinderance to the rest of you in God's service. I want you to pray for me." That same night she passed away.

There was a large revival in Peking this year. The members received much grace. N early all were moved by the Holy Spirit. One woman had a son who was a (' probationer"; but he had been cold hearted for a year. He would not go to the revival meetings. All those days the mother besought the Lord for her son. God heard her petition and aroused him.

Another woman's husband was not a believer and he used opium. She prayed God to save her husband and the Lord answered her prayer. Her husband stood up and confessed his sins. Afterwards he left off his opium. There are many things about the revival that I do not know because I was not there. After the revival there were more women to study the Bible. Some heathen women began to study from that time. One of our old members was reading a book called "Discussions of the True Doctrine '.'. She had just finished the seventeeth chapter which told about Barabbas and was beginning another chapter, when I said "That will do." ["That will do", translated into Chinese, sounds very like Barabbas. ] She replied ' , Were That­will-do and Barabbas own brothers?" When she knew her mistake we had a laugh.

- 29-

One day I went to a heathen home. I knocked at the door 'and they all pretended not to hear. I went in. Their dog came at me and bit me. They paid no attention to it. Because my leg ached I was provoked. Then I thought how much suffering Jesus has borne for me and my heart felt comforted.

The harvest in Peking is great. The laborers are few. Will not the Society please evolve some plan for sending more help?

PHOEBE LI.

Tartar City Day-School. School opened on the 2Ist. day of the 8th. month of the 28th

year of the reign of the Emperor Kuang Hsii. Two pupils had last year finished the day-school course; and they were gone to school in Tientsin. There were between ten and twenty pupils at the opening of school.

The regulations of the school are :-Opening at 10 o'clock. Then Mrs. Jewell comes over and hears the lessons of the previous day. At I2 o'clock we have ten minutes intermission. At 3 o'clock, prayers and close of school. The children love to sing hymns and pray. Each of the children has determined to be good. They have not only thus resolved; but they do according to their resolution.

Later on in the term some more children came, which made more than twenty in all. They are studying" Discussions of the True Doctrine", The" Catechism", "Matthew" and" Luke" . They have studied three of the Chinese Classics. They also commit hymns to memory.

N ew Year's vacation came after about four months of school. The children are very good and they use their hearts in preparing their lessons. We. had two week's vacation. School began then as usual. One of the pupils brought a neighbor's little girl to school with her. This little girl does not belong to a Christian family. The girl who brought her loves her very much and very much wants to help her. Sometimes the little one is inclined to cry; then the other girl tries with a!l her might to quiet her.

There are twenty-five girls coming to school now. May God's grace be upon all the day-schools everywhere, so that all the children may h~vt;! an opportunity to know Jesus as their Saviour!

LIU KANG SHIH,

reacher.

- 30 -

TIENTSIN DISTRICT REPORTS.

Tientsin Evangelistic Work. West City.

When it was sug~ested to me last autumn that I teach a class of women in the native city, I felt that with my small know­ledge of the Chinese language it was more than I could under­take. The pastor in charge spoke of how barren of cheer and love the lives of the women are, and said if I could do no more that smile on them, thus showing my sympathy, my time would not be spent in vain. It was decided a young woman a widow of thirty ( who is too young to go on the street alone), could go with me to help, and so I attempted the work.

I found in the West City twelve or fifteen women who were already church members. The most of these have been very faithful in attending the services all winter. The comfortable chapel we once had was destroyed the summer of the Boxer upris­ing, so the services are now conducted in a dwelling house which also serves as city dispensary. The only heating apparatus for the building was a pan of coals, and during the coldest weather the room was not very comfortable; but no matter how cold the day nor how poorly clad were the women, they attended the meetings just as faithfully. This evidence of their earnestness was most encouraging to me.

After the sermon the woman's service was held in a room near by. After their lesson we gave an opportunity for testimony, and the Christans always took part readily. Lately the women have been reading the catechism and doing their best to memorize it. During the week, on clinic days, they occasionally go to the dispensary to have some one help them with their reading. On Sundays some of the women proudly brought with them their sons who had studied in the day-school, to help them read i this however was not always to the edification of the mother, as the boy wanted to do all the reading and answer all the questions.

A few heathen women have attended, three of the most faithful of whom have been permitted lately to enter their names as in­quirers. Three other women have been baptized recently and hope to become full members soon. There are, we find, quite a good many homes open to us, but we have not had any time to do any visiting during the week .

. At Christmas time there were special services here in Wesley chapel to which the Christians in the native city were invited. ~ujt~ ~ p~!>~r 9~me for the morning service, the most of them

-31 -

walking a distance of two or three miles. After the service the ladies served refreshments and gave each one some little gift. Several of the school girls sang for them some of the special music they had prepared for the evening service, and the women seemed to enjoy it all very much ..

A few weeks ago there was a meeting of the Anti-Foot-Bind­ing Society held in our chapel and quite a number of the women attended. Only two of our women there have unbound feet. They seemed much interested in the meeting. The next Sunday I took occasion to impress the lesson more deeply on their minds They all assented that it would be better for them to unbind their feet, yet they had various excuses why they could not do so.

The women need a great deal of help. We, who have liven in a Christian land and enjoyed the advantages of a Christiad education often feel the need of encouragement; much more do our native Christians, who are only just beginning to know a little of the one true God and Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Respectfully submitted

LIZZIE E. MARTIN

The Tientsin Bible Woman's Report. The following is the report of the work I have done for the

Lord this year. For the first three months I was employed in the school, cooking for the sick girls and doing other work. Afterward my duty was to help Dr. Martin in the hospital Because the Bible-woman, Mrs. Wang, was ill, I had to take her place in the hospital talking to the women. On Mondays and Thur­days I went with the doctor to the West Gate dispensary. There I preached the doctrine, and many came to listen. Because they had never heard the p!"ecious doctrine before, as they listened, they loved to hear. After I had preached to them the doctor dis­pensed medicine. Every Tuesday and Friday I talked to the women in the Isabella Fisher Hospital dispensary. Here they did not like to listen as they did at the West Gate. The reason is that more than half of those who came are Catholics.

Every day at half past ten I have gone to the school to put medicine on the girls. This year a Mrs. Wang came to the hospital to be treated. After her recovery, her mother believed in the Lard. Her mother has put both her sons in the mission school. There was another patient who went home when she wis well, but wh9 has come re~ql~r1;v to the chapel to worship since.

- 32 -

In the last month of the year I went regularly with Mrs. Li to visit the church members in their homes. Because they are very poor we helped them some. I went with the doctor outside the South Gate to see a young lady who was sick. Her disease was incurable. I talked to her of the beauties and joys of heaven. She was eager to listen. I gave her a little book which I had with me. I do not know that she read it through. There were many there to hear the gospel and they were glad to listen. Every Sunday I went with Miss Martin to the West Gate to help, and there I talked to the women.

This year I have received much of the Lord; s grace. I trust the seed I have scattered in the hearts of the women may grow and increase, and that the work done may not have been in vain. I desire them to be among the number of those who shall be saved. I know I am unworthy, but the Lord has given me much grace, and I want to be one of his humble workmen.

KAO AI TE.

'Tientsin Medical Report. As we look back over the last year's record, we wonder,

after all, what has been accomplished, and what is worth repor­ting. It would be much easier to tell the things that have not been done. We can Qnly -say that the gospel has been preached to many, and we cannot know what the spiritual results will be until the Great Judgment Day. We believe that through the dispensary teaching the light has come to some darkened souls, and put within them the longing to know the one true God. Prejudice has been broken down. Some who came the first time-rather than pay a few cash, and take their tum in the waiting room where the gospel was being preached, paying a dollar (Mexican) to come in by the front door and be treated first-afterward went into the waiting room and heard thegospel gladly.

On the whole, there is much to be thankful for and to en­courage us. Though the number of in-patients here in the French Concession has been less then last year, showing that our location here is growing less desirable to the Chinese, the work at the West Gate among the heathen is much more than it was last year. Here we sometimes have more than we can well man­age. Often fifty, seventy-five, or more people are crowded together in one room, about ten by thirty, furnished only with p.~rrow 1;>ackl~~~ 1?~n~hes~ all the light coming in through the

- 33-

paper windows on the north; and containing one small stove the heat of which was perceptible only a few feet away. In this one room we dispensed medicine, soothed fretful children, preached the gospel to the heathen, and hushed the crying babies as best we could, while the din made by the day-school children studying aloud across the court, and the noise from the street outside were somewhat distracting. We hope by another year we will have a new dispensary here. So many cases needing operation, have come to the West City dispensary, and we would say, "Can't you come into our hospital (in the French Concession); we have nice clean rooms and it will cost you nothing. And they nearly always say, "Oh, I would not dare go there. Can't you cure me here?" And they would go away and most of them never come again.

A good many patients this year have come from a distance, in two cases over 150 miles, to be treated; because they had heard, though perhaps it was years ago, that some one had been cured by coming here. This is encouraging, for since the late trouble so few have come to us from a distance.

Some of the old conservatism is gradually passing away. I have known several instances where Chinese women have been treated by men physicians; and I have had a number of men come in and ask for treatment, but I have always sent them to the London MissiQn Hospital. Many calls have come from the homes of young men who are somewhat enlightened, have good posi­tions, and are trying to live in semi-foreign style. Some few of these homes are well ordered and clean, but most of them are not, because the wives do not know how to adapt themselves to such modem conveniences as clean sheets and pillow cases, glass windows, and board floors. Often in these homes one sees wine and beer bottles, dice, cards, and cigarette pictures of beautiful women in low necked dresses, till one cannot but blush for the civilization which they have accepted without Christianity. Piti­ful indeed are these homes where the wife can neither read or write, nor know of anything going on outside her door. The happy homes are those of our school boys and girls, where the father and mother work for the good of the little ones and for mankind in general.

A good many calls have come from higher class families, many of whom left the city three years ago, having returned to the city when the provisional government was turned over last year to the Chinese. These a'fe not the most satisfactory people to work among, because of the formality and ceremony one must observe in visiting their homes. I was called once into a wealthy home to see a beautiful girl ill" the last stage of consumption.

- 34-

Her clear skin, lustrous eyes, and perfect nose were so unusual I could not but wonder to myself, where she came from. She lay in a side room opening into a main room, wh~e the master of the house sat in oriental lUxury. I thought this must be a daughter, but I did not wish to ask. After finishing my call, they invited me to refreshments with them, and led the way across the court to the main rooms where the numerous household of women gathered around to see me eat. How I longed to tell them the gospel story, but my words were not sufficient; and I hoped I would soon be well enough acquainted to bring the Bible-women with me. I went back again; but though they treated me kindly, I felt I was admitted beyond those doors only because of the medicine I carried, and that if anyone was to carry Christian­ity to them, it would have to be myself. One day as I was alone with the patient, except for the servant girl, she held my hand and asked me if she would get well. I could only say, , , I hope you will be better soon;" and she said, "0 Doctor, save my life. ' , She would soon be in eternity, and I longed to tell her of the life to come. I asked her if she knew of the true God, and she said "No." Then I tried to tell her of John three, sixteen, but she couta not understand even when I tried to explain; and I could only sit there by her and pray that Goel- would forgive me for not being able to tell her. And the same feeling came over me that I have had SO many times-I cannot practice medicine in China without the language, so that I can minister to 'souls as well as bodies. A few days later they sent me word it was no use to come any more; and from what the servant told my assistant, I know that this beautiful girl was the old man's con­cubine, and that be was an opium smoker. And I was glad then that she could nor live very long.

I suppose as long as we practice in China we will be called upon to treat the evils resulting from pound feet. Anyone who has never seen a bound foot with the bandages recently removed cannot realize the awfulness of this custom till they see the pink quivering mass of shapeless flesh. One day they carried a little girl to me on whose foot was a running sore from a broken bone. After we had dressed it as comfortably as possible, the old women began to replace the original bandage drawing it tightly. I said, '·'Don't do that, or it will never get well." She paid no attention, so I said again emphatically, "Don't do that you will spoil her foot. " But she kept serenely on drawing the cruel bandage snug and tight. I thought surely she did not understand me, and I cried out to my assistant, "Tell her she must not do it,' I which she did but the old woman only said, 'I There is no other way, it cannot be helped," After she had gone out, Mrs. Li said to me,

- 35-

as she has several times since, "You can't change the Chinese custom. ' , And I grow weary and heart-sick over and over again as I realize her words are only too true. One would think that the Empress Dowager's recommendation that the Chinese women unbind their own and their children's feet would be hailed with delight; but I know of no instance where it has been carried out. My Chinese teacher struck the nail on the head when be said, "You can't change this custom as long as the men like it. Poor people could not marry off their daughters if they had large feet. You must begin with the men."

So many sightless eyes have been brought to me for treat­ment; mothers carrying blind children, often blind from filth or carelessness; sometimes children leading blind mothers, often per­fectly helpless. One poor woman came from a long distance with one blind eye, and the other nearly so. She said that two years before they were all carried off by the Boxers; her husband had been killed; and she said she had cried her eyes out. We found she had Glaucoma, which we kI}ow is sometimes brought on by grief or emotion; and we thought possibly by operating on the blind eye, and relieving the tension, that we might preserve the better eye for a few years. She was anxious for the operation, as being her only hope of saving the other eye. We performed the opera­tion, she remaining with us several weeks, after which she returned home quite satisfied with her stay with us, But we have recently heard to our sorrow that she has since lost the

. other eye. Another woman who was a Christian came to us totally blind, in the hope of our being able to cure her. I waited day after day before I could tell her she was hopelessly blind. When I told her the tears rolled down her face, and she tried to smile and say it was all right, that I had wasted much time and heart on her, and that she would have to wait to see me until.she got to Heaven. I told the Bible-woman to tell her that beautiful verse in Revelation, twenty-one, four, "God shall wipe away all tears, and there shall be no death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away." More than once have I seen sightless eyes weep when I told them I could not cure them. Much to our satisfaction we believe we have by judicions treatment saved a few cases from blindness.

Some days in the dispensary as we listen to the tales of sorrow one tragedy seems to follow the other, and we realize that every heathen woman' s life is a tragedy, the depths of which none of us can ever know. I remember so well one busy Sunday, when weary in mj,nd and body I could not but shrin~ from beginning

- 36 -

the work of the week, for Monday is always a hard day. I took up my Bible, so often my source of strength, and my eyes fell on the record of Moses experience, Numbers, eleven, where he said, , , I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me," and he asked the Lord to let him die. The Lord told him to take the seventy elders and go into the sanctuary and He would come down and talk with him there; and Moses did1

and the Lord made it all right with him. And then I realized that I had allowed myself to be troubled about many things when I might have been sitting at the feet of Him who is the source of all strength. The next morning I was ready and glad to take up the burden of work again.

We are glad to say that self-support is making some headway. The dispensary patients we charge about one cent (gold) for their prescription, and even then some are so poor they cannot pay this small sum. We uever send any away, but have them wait till the last. For the out-calls we charge two dollars, (Mexican), less than one dollar gold, and the fee is usually given, with often a small donation beside, except sometimes among our church members who in former years had such favors free of charge.

Sometimes in the dispensary it seems such a relief when anything funny happens as it sometimes does. One day a woman came in and greeted my assistant as an old friend, and said, "Oh! we have a new doctor. What is her name?" V.l e told her, and asked her what was the matter, and she said the toothache. It seemed strange to have anyone speak so cheerfully about the toothache, and I inquired more partiCUlarly about it. In the meantime she took from the depths of her garment a small package around which was wrapped carefully a dirty little rag, and to my surprisc she showed me the teeth which had been extracted in previous years. She laughed as she said, "Dr. Gloss pulled these two, and Dr. BarJ;'ow this one, and Dr. Benn this, and Dr. Stevenson these." I extracted the troublesome member for whicn She thanked me heartily, and laughed in glee as she put this curious souvenir with the others.

Many times during the year have we needed a colleague, for the wrok at times has been more than one person could do who must spend the best part of the forenoon when possible with a Chinese teacher. Dr. Terry and Dr. Howard King have helped me several times in emergencies, for which we are grateful.

Our Bible-woman, Mrs. Wang, Sixty-one years old became ill in September, and for weeks hovered between life and death ; but the dear Father saw fit to leave her with us yet another year I

- 37-

for we can ill afford to spare this warm-hearted faithful woman from the work. I have used a young widow, Mrs. Kao, who has taken the Bible-woman's course, and whom I expected to have as a medical student, to do the dispensary teaching. She has done this work faithfully and cheerfully.

We cannot tabulate spiritual results, but we hope much seed has been sown that will being forth fruit in the future. We have done our best, and we leave the results with Him who has planned all things from the beginning.

Number of dispensary treatments at West Gate. 2374.

"" "" Hospital. . 2779. Total number of dispensary treatments given. . 5153. Number of in-patients. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.

" out calls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122. Fees and donations received .... , (U. S. Gold) $148.50.

Respectfully submitted,

EMMA E. MARTIN, M.D.

TSUN HUAt LAN CHOU AND SHAN HAl KUAN DISTRICTS.

Evangelistic Work.

The work and experiences of the year have been quite different from those anticipated when the appointments were read last year, but a lack of buildings making it impossible to do the work to which we were appointed at Tsun Hua, and the need of workers on the other eastern districts led to the decision to work on three districts instead of one.

We went first to Shan Hai Kuan where our Christian women are few. Mrs. Ch'in and I visited the homes of the members talking to the heathen who came; but not many heathen homes were opened to us, and the native preacher said the people were still afraid of the foreigners. We called on a scared sister who has not been to the chapel since the trouble. Her daughter­in-law interested us. Although not a Christian she might become one if some one would teach her. Her husband began attending' the Catholic services after the uprising, and his new wife said to him, ,. I married a Jesus man not a Catholic."

At Shih Men Chai the heathen were less afraid and crowds followed us from house to house, listening when their curiosity was satisfied.

- 38 -

At Huang T'u Ying we found a goodly number of women. A wedding was to come off the next day and we hoped the large number of heathen guests might furnish an unusual opportunity to spread the truth, but the confusion was too great to allow of much work. I was invited to perform the ceremony, but I said that was something I could not do. "Now don't be so humble" said they, and I had hard work to convince them that it was not humility that hindered me. A most earnest meeting was held in the afternoon and another in the evening. "It would be easy" said one sister, "to be a Christian if you or some other missionary were here all the time to teach us. Only a few of us can read at all, and if we do read a little we do not always know what the characters mean. Cannot you stay with us or come oftener? ' , Would that this pathetic cry for help might reach the ears and hearts of the Christian women of America !

The Tsun Hua district was visited next. The heathen were talked to, and when possible a meeting was held with the women of the church. At Tsun Hua and at Sha Liu Ho such services were held. There are hearts in both places that are still so blinded by grief as not to be able to see any silver lining to the cloud which so suddenly shut down over them in 1900; but there are others whose faith is strong for any trial. At Shih Tsu K' ou we have a warm hearted membership. Thirteen of the twenty and more families of the village were formerly members of our little flock, but during the past three years three families have gone to the Catholics. A brother told us how at the first of the Boxer trouble they had been brave, but that later some of them had denied their Master and burned incense to save their lives. He did not attempt to excuse their sin, and they an seemed so penitent that we hoped they like Peter would be true the rest of their days. The Catholics had been telling them that our preach­ers ought not to marry, and so they inquired how. they should answer them. They wanted to know all about Martin Luther and what he taught, and about John Wesley. We saw three of our former school girls. while there. Two of them look happy and contented· as the wives of Christian men. The husband of one, who is very anxious to learn, said that his wife knew more than he. His first wife, son, father and two other relatives were killed by the Boxers, but the Master's spirit of forgiveness is in his heart. The third school girl and her father and mother are all sad; she because Christian privileges are for the most part denied her, and they because in their time of danger they betrothed her to a heathen.

The third tdp was on the Lan Chou district. We we"nt one day to the home of an old pupil who had been betrothed to a

- 39-

heathen years ago when her father was still an idolater. She was married when the persecutions came. Her husband had become a Christian and is now in the Peking school, but his younger brother was a Boxer . We had hoped to taJk to the mother-in-law but she was not at home. Some of the neighbors came in and we gave them the message. The young brother-in­law was cordial enough to us but as soon as we went away he scolded his sister for receiving a foreigner into their home.

At 0 Mi Chuang more than twenty women gathered for our little service, at the close of which we went with the pastor's wife to her room. Others came in and the room :filled. Mrs. Ti our hostess, had spent a few months in the Tientsin training school and is a real helpmeet in her husband's work. While there one women was trying in vain to still a child crying for peanuts. A last she gave him two cash and he started for the peanut stand. I remonstrated as it was Sunday and gave the woman some needed instruction. Another sister spoke up and said, "Before Pastor Ti and his wife came here we did not know very much, but they have told us how to keep the Sabbath, and I do not buy and sell any more on Sunday." The words made more impression on me than on the child's mother for the peanuts soon appeared.

At Pai Tao Tzu we found the people so anxious for a day­school that we promised to see what could be done for them.

When starting out from Lan Chou the native preacher had said, "You must go to Ch'ien An and comfort the widows there, " and so we felt an unusual interest in meeting the sadly afflicted flock. On Sunday morning nearly twenty women came, the most of whom had been widowed by the Boxers. I asked if they came regularly and one said, "Of course. Where else shall we go? " Truly no other place on earth has any comfort for them. Nearly all the women themselves had been bound and taken to the temple and afterward released. They told of some of their experiences and of God's wonderful power in protecting them. "Were you afraid when you were taken to the temple?" I asked. " No, we were not afraid," was the general response. From Ch'ien Au as a center we visited several villages. We went to one place where all seemed to be engaged in making paper. After talking for a time to the heathen I asked the few Christian women to tell what the" Jesus doctrine" had done for them. One of the most earnest witnesses was scarred by a Boxer's sword. We went to the home of Martha, Mary, Lazarus and Paul, and were surprised to find in Martha a former pupil whom we left at Tsun Hua years ago. Here she was a wife at seventeen making her first home visit. It was the old story of

-40 -

having been betrothed to a heathen to save her life. With no Bible, no Christian privileges of any kind, do you wonder that this child-wife cried that night as she thought of the happy school days gone forever?

After a rest in Tientsin I returned to Pai Tao Tzu to start a day-school and to instruct the women. The school was opened, but as it was the last month of their year the women were too busy to study. I spent the few weeks there in working among the heathen of that and neighboring villages. At night the members all gathered for a service which was also attended by heathen. That they did not all come to see the strange being is shown by the fact that when she returned to Tientsin the chapel was crowded day after day with those who had come to pay their New Year's visits. A Mrs. Liu, who had believed but one year came every- night over a road which must have been long and rough to her poor feet. Persecutions from her mother-in-law and the cold weather did not deter her. Robbers came when she was at the service and stole nearly all she had, leaving only one old quilt and the clothes they had on, and friends said, "We will see if she still serves God"; but she came again with joy in her eyes because her old mother-in-law had said, "I will believe now for your God protected us else we had been shot.' I Another Mrs. Liu and her mother-in-law also received the truth the year before. The man of the house, at work in the T' ang Shan mines did not know of the change that had come to his home. On returning just before the New Year, he was angry that no preparations had been made to celebrate the day with heathen rites. He threatened to leave them to shift for themselves the rest of their days, but no threats moved them. He found that his wife and mother did not quarrel any more, and the change pleased him so much that he went to the chapel to hear for himself. He heard and believed and joined the church.

I spent six weeks at An Ko Chuang. What time could be spared from the work of the station class was gi ven to visiting the homes of the people. Several times I went to other villages, and at Chin Ying'rh I started a study class which met regularly for several weeks. Someone, often one of my assistants, .has gone with me each time and such help has made the work possible.

As we have gone over the districts our hearts have been saddened again and again to see the once happy school girls married into heathen homes. They had no choice in the matter and have shed many bitter tears over their lot. We tell them that if they are true to their God, he can use them to turn the

- 4 I

hearts of their familes to himself. Three of the former Tientsin pupils during the past few months have gone joyfully to the mansions above. When asked if Jesus was with them happy smiles lit up their pale faces. One of the three was injured by the Boxers, and for nearly three years has suffered martyrdom. I asked her if she \vas afraid when the Boxers first bound her. " I was at first, but when I thought of all Jesus suffered for me, I was glad I could suffer for him."

We have seen much to encourge us on these districts, and we feel that God is waiting to send out more workers into these needy fields.

Respectfully submitted,

ELLA E. GLOVER.

An Ko Chuang Station Class. In February I went to An Ko Chuang to hold a station

class. The oldest woman to come was fifty-four, while the youngest member of the large family was a boy one year old, whose mother is a widow only t~venty-two. Fourteen women and six girls have done more or' less studying, and the eight women and five girls who stayed to the close of the three months term have done good work, and we believe that from the number some in the days to come will be workers in the \'ineyard. When the women began studying, Ch'in Wen Jung, a former school girl now married and living in the village, spent part of the time in studying and the rest in teaching. After a few days Yiian Yii Hsing a high school girl, came and gave all her time to the work. She has proved a most efficient helper, and her gentleness has won the love of all the Christian women of the place. When I was unavoidably ab~ent for six weeks, Vii Hsing with the help of Wen Jung carried on the work very acceptably.

A few 'days ago one of the good brethren of the place was leading a meeting. He said he had something to confess. When he had heard that I intended to hold a station class there he was not pleased at all, for he remembered that when the women had studied there before they had quarrelled a great deal. He said, "I am sorry I objected, for you have had no quarrels." God was indeed in our midst. For two weeks we held services in the chapel every evening, and some of the harmony which prevailed was due, we are sure, to the new purposes formed and the new blessings received. It was during those meetings that one of our women who lived in the village came to me and said,

- 42 -

" Teacher, may I stay at home and do the work and let my daughter-in-law come in my place? She has never been willing before. She and I had a little disagreement but that is all over now, and she is willing to come." Of course I readily consented, and all the more so because I had been told "that if the younger woman would only become interested both could study in the fall. It was on that same Sunday that another mother-in-law came in while the women were praying very earnestly that God would revive the church and save the heathen, and she went out soon saying she was going home to see if she could not get her three daughters-in-law to come to the other service while she stayed at home with her sick daughter and cooked the dinner. Truly God was in the midst when such a spirit was shown.

I was pleased to have two girls and one \"loman unbind their feet, and to know that others are planning to follow their example this summer. Along the line of self-support we cannot say that the class has been a success, for but one woman paid for her food, the pastors of the others declaring that they were too poor to help themselves. "\\7 e intend to make an advance next year.

Respectfully submitted,

ELLA E. GLOVER. , Pai Tao Tzu Day School.

The Tsun Rua day-school, like some other departments of our work, had to take a vacation after the Boxer uprising as it left us without any place in which to hold a school. The vaca­tion has not ended yet so far as Tsun Rna is concerned, but we can report another school which will take its place for the present.

A great desire was expressed by the Christians at Pai Tao Tzu for a day-school, and so one was opened early in January. Wen Fu Wang, one of the' Peking school girls was put in as teacher, and old Mrs; Rou as chaperon, and we hoped too that

. the latter would be able to help the women some. The bId lady was willing enough but her physical strength was not sufficient, and after two weeks we had to send her to her home. Old Mrs. Wang, on whose premises the school "was held, was put in as the chaperon and Wen Fu has done all she could to help the women as well as the girls. She has been a faithful worker.

Fourteen girls have registered and eleven has been the usual attendance. Although the majority of the pupils are from Christian homes, nearly all were betrothed into heathen families before the parents had heard the new doctrine; consequently

- 43-

only three or four have any hope of studying very long. Two of the girls. hav( unbound their feet and others would do so if they were their own mistresses. One is free to do as she pleases but at present she is not willing to endure the ridicule of the heathen neighbors. Most of the girls have done good work in their studies but some have been hindered by busy mothers, who cannot read and who do not as yet appreciate the benefits to be gained. They think only of their O\vn busy lives and want the daughters to help more than is possible when they are in school.

One child interests us greatly. She entered the school not because she wanted to but because her father-in-law told her to come. He has become a believer since the betrothal was made. She told the girls she should leave if we scolded her. One line of characters ,;vas all she would learn in one day. \Ve were at our wits' end as to how to reach this heathen child. One day we gave a little picture card to a child who had completed her first book and told the girls we would give one to each child as she completed the same book. The heathen child opened .her eyes and the next day recited three lines. In a few days she asked me to go to her home and tell her father and mother about the true God. On the way there she acted as a policeman, silencing with her scowls and words any disrespectful small boy, Afterwards she took me to other homes too. People began to say that the good-for-nothing child was changing. The change is not great yet for she has no help at home. Who can tell what she might become with good home influences?

Respectfully submitted,

ELLA E. GLOVER.

T sun Hua Medical Work. After spending nearly two years in the home land, I returned

to China last October to take up the work again; not, however, on just the old lines, but to meet new conditions, and face the new problems resulting from the fiery trial through ·which our native church had passed.

To those appointed to Tsun Hua it seemed advisable, for this year at least, to be free to travel and work in any part of the' district rather than to settle among the ruins of our former station. This was the opportunity I had always desired, to be able to do country work without feeling at the same time, the demands 6f neglected work in hospital or dispensary.

The needs of woman's work and the opportunities being as great on the districts of Lan Chou and Shan Hai Kuan as on the Tsun Hua district, Miss Glover and I decided to cover' as much ground as possible in this whole eastern region.

We began our first trip early in November, and together with the Bible-woman, Mrs. Ch'in, spent three weeks on the Tsun Hua district. We visited fourteen towns and villages, spending two nights in some places and in others but one. Our next trip of about three weeks, ending just before Christmas, was spent on the Lan Chou district. For the first week ,,\'e made our headquarters in the city of Lan Chou, and \yent out to the villages from there. Then for six days, we made a circuit around among as many different villages, sleeping in a new place each night. Some of those weary nights ,ye were almost tempted to go to bed without undressing, and in the cold winter mornings, we wished we had. Miss Glover put into English a little Chinese rhyme repeated by the Bible-woman which \ve could fully appreciate.

" In this world below, a11 is trouble and. sorrow; Take off your clothes to-night, and put them on to-morrow."

At the end 6f these six days, we reached the city of Ch'ien An, where we were able to settle for nearly a week and visit the places in that neighborhood. Returning to Tientsin we spent Sunday in a small town where we have a prosperous native church. During the Boxer trouble of 1900, this church was the only one which escaped persecution.

After the Christmas holidays, it seemed best for the interests of the work for one half of our force to locate, while the other half should continue to itinerate. Accordingly, the day before the New Year, I set out with the Bible-woman to make a second tour in Tsun Hua, while Miss Glover went to open work in Pai Tao Tzu.

On this trip I went to places not visited on our first trip, yet for all that I could not make the tour of the whole district. We were invited to a number of Christian homes, and while we did not meet many Christian women at anyone place, we had manv opportunities to reach little companies of interested heathen women. In one home I met the sister of the first Christian martyr in all this region. We were shown some of the Testaments which he had hidden under the k'ang before he was captured; also his own hymn book, which the nephew said, II money could not buy."

At Yii T'ien, where I spent three or four days I.was within forty Ii of the camp of the reorganized Boxers. I was cautioned

- 45-

not to go nearer, and I thought myself, I was as near as it was advisable to go. There was a good deal of excitement among the people on account of the ex-Boxers who had turned high­waymen. These lawless individuals had a plan for setting up a government of their own and overthrowing the present govern­ment; but .the prompt action of the Chinese commander of the troops in Tsun Hua soon scattered them. The home of the wealthy man who had sheltered them was burned. The father of the new emperor was killed, and the emperor had to flee for his life. It was not difficult to find mothers-in-law among the village people for the young women who were to have been the imperial wives in this new dynasty.

On our first visit to the city of Tsun Hua, Miss Glover and I stayed in the temple at the East Gate of the city. The second visit, which I made alone, I spent in our old compound, in some of the servants' rooms 'which had been fitted up for use. It seemed like a horrible dream to look out over the utter desolation of the place.

After the Chinese N e\y Year I spent over a month on the districts of Lan Chou and Shan Hai Kuan. There were two large towns, Pen Ch'eng and Lao T'ing, which I had never visited before. In both these places the young preachers ,,,ere graduates of our Peking University, and their wives had been students in our Tsun Hua school. The people in the villages about Pen Ch' eng are anxious to have a Bible-woman live among them and visit from place to place to teach and help the women. When a Bible-woman for them can be found, they will pledge themselves to her support.

The week which I spent at Lao T'ing was one of the most satisfactory of the whole year. I met several of the better class who seemed to appreciate our work. During the last days of my stay, returning at night from the villages, I would find several well dressed, respectable native gentlemen waiting for medicine either for themselves, or for some members of their families.

From Shan Hai Kuan I went to visit Shih Men Chai, and then took that picturesque ride in a chair through the valley and over the hill where no cart road is possible.

The pathetic stories to which we have listened of suffering' and persecution, narrow escapes and wonderful deliverances would :fill a book. While riding in the cart the Bible-woman would talk by the hour, and would say, "If I should talk all night, I could not come to the end." At one time near Tsun H ua some Catholic Christians as well as some of our own had taken refuge on a hill. The plan of the Boxers was to surround

the hill with a circle of fire so none could escape, and then go up and put them all to death. Early in the morning many cart loads of fuel were brought to the place, and everything made ready. But during the night a man, who refused to give his name or his village, came and warned them, and all escaped.

One man was ill and took refuge in a temple. The old priest said to him, "Take this hoe, and go out into the field and stay there. If you see anyone coming, pretend you are working; and if you are questioned say you are in my employ." Thus he was cared for by the priest during all that summer.

Another man, whose business was spinning and weaving silk, :fled to the hills for safety. He spent the time gathering the wild cocoons on the hillside, and spinning the thread. The Boxers, seeing him thus employed, passed him by. In answer to my question, "How did you get food during that time? " he replied, "0, I took a little grain with me from home. I sold thread and earned a few cash. Then there was plenty of water and fuel on the hills, so I was able to live."

At eh'ien An, that storm center of the persecution, I visited one of the widows in her home. She had seen her husband and two sons killed. There were no outside Boxers in that village. All that dreadful work was done by her neighbors, and she had gone back to live among them as before. When I asked if she had any resentment in her heart she replied, ' , No, I have forgiven them all." She put her hand on the shoulder of a heathen who had come in and said, "This is my good sister. If it had not been for her, I could not have escaped. She sent me food, and afterward took me into her home."

That same day I saw another woman in another village who bore the same testimony to a heathen woman, saying, "This good sister saved my life. She sent me food and clothing when I was hiding in the tall grain. I can never thank her enough."

One delicate young woman of Tsun Hua with her baby was hiding alone among the hills. One day she came to the highway. Just over a little embankment by the roadside was a cool shady place. She climbed up and then sank exhausted with the child in her arms. No sooner was she' hidden behind the screen of leaves than a company of Boxers passed by. In talking with this young woman, before speaking of any of the troubles she had passed through, she told me with a lii-ht in her face I had not known in the old days, of the wonderful blessing she had received from the Lord. To my question, "Were you afraid?" she gave the invari~Qle answer, "No, I was not afraid. My h~~rt Was at peace,?'

- 47-

An itinerating dispensary has many disadvantages, yet in the country where our people are scattered miles apart there is no way to reach them but to go to them. My practice covers a territory as large as the State of Rhode Island. I have not been able to visit every part of it, and it is as the Bible-woman said, " If you should travel all the time for a year you could not go to every place." I have turned a deaf ear to the plea so often made, , , stay with us a few days," and say to them, "There are many other places where they need a doctor just as much as here."

Though I cannot visit many places more than once, yet by keeping a careful record of all the cases, and encouraging them to communicate with me by writing, I have been able to follow up some of them. More often, however, one can never know the result of the treatment, but it is an encouragement and a help in future work when a patient says, "My cough is better," " My rheumatism is all gone," "My eyes do not trouble me any more.' , In a village near Lae T'ing I saw a very aggravated case of painful contraction of the muscles of the hands and arms, with numbness, paralytic weakness, etc. so common among the Chinese women. Before I left the city the father of the patient came asking for more medicine. Improvement had begun, and she could "pick up a cash," something she had not been able to do in years. I saw two very satisfactory cases on my last visit at An Ko Chuang. One was a middle-aged woman and the other a young girl. Both were suffering from anaemia with all its attendant symptoms. It is hard to tell whether the pleasure of the patient exceeded that of the doctor to find that the indicated remedy, given on a former visit had started them both on the road to health.

The spiritual results of our itinerary work may be as hard to tabulate as the medical; yet I am more and more convinced that going from place to place is the way to reach both the bodies and souls of the great mass of the people. Many would never hear the gospel but for the opportunity thus offered. Some one has said that "Jesus, with a whole world to save, went about villages doing good. As the "sower went forth to sow" not all the seed fell by the. wayside. Some fell into good ground, and brought forth a hundred fold.

I must speak of the faithfu1 work done by our Bible-woman. Much of the talking to the heathen women must be done by her, as the doctor's busy time comes when the medicine box is opened. It requires tact, and an expenditure of nerve force to hold the attention of a company of these women with their natural curiosity and undisciplined minds, Yet this tIlust be done day

•

after day, sometimes two or three times a day and whether to a small overcrowded room, or to one or two individuals, the same story must be repeated and made very simple and plain, how "sin entered the world and death by sin," and the way of salvation through Christ.

As an encouragement to ourselves and an example to others, I want specially to mention the collection given to our W.F.M.S. by the women alone on the Lan Chou district. Their collection of thirteen Mexican dollars, about five and a half dollars gold, was handed to me 'with pardonable pride by the native presiding elder of that district, showing that he, as well as the preachers under him, appreciate the work of the \\Toman's Foreign Mission­ary Society. This collection means much coming from these native Christian women, but it means more, coming as it does, with the sympathy and appreciation of our native brethren.

The number of villages and towns visited during the year is sixty-seven, and the number of prescriptions given one thousand eight hundred and eighty. When it is remembered that my regular fee is less than one half cent, and a number of cases must be treated free, it is not surprising that my receipts for the year amount to but five and one half dollars gold.

Respectfully submitted,

EDNA G. TERRY, M.D.

Bible Woman's Report.

TSUN HUA, LAN CHOU AND SHAN HAl KUAN.

Last year at the Conference I was appointed to Tsun Hua. Soon after the Conference I went to Lan Chou to pass the summer, because I was not strong. I was asked to look after one of the sick scholars. In this I was helped by my two daughters.

Because the air at Lan Chou was good, when invitations came from the Christians in the villages soon after I arrived, I

, was able to go and explain the gospel to their heathen neighbors. I am very glad the Christians have such hearts that they desire the salvation of other souls. Because of this sick scholar I was not able to go out all the time. The people of that region love to hear the gospel. They have no disdain for the gospel. I hope other places may be the same. Truly God's grace is upon that. place. I pra;y fervently for the people who are unsaved.

- 49-

In the 8th mouth we returned to Tientsin, and after two weeks the sick girl was roceived by the Lord.

In the 9th month I went with Miss Glover to Shan Hai Kual1, and from there to Shih Men Chai and Huang T'u Ying. In these places many heath~n came to hear the gospel, and the Christians received us with loving hearts. Miss Glover led them in meetings and strengthened their hearts. The Christian are some of them strong and some of them weak.

When we returned to Tientsin, Dr. Terry had arrived from America. There was no place to live in Tsun H ua. The houses had been destroyed by the Big Sword Society. There was 110

place to live, so Miss Glover, Dr. Terry and myself went to a great many places to preach the gospel.

At Ch'ien An we remained for a week. Every morning we started out and returned in the evening. The people to listen to the gospel were many, and those \yho came for medicine not a few. Sometimes we divided into two companies. Miss Glover took one of the Christian women of that city with her and I went to help the doctor, because the places to which we were invited were many and the time short. vVe were not able to stay several days in a place as they urged us. We pity the widows of that place and pray for them. The husbands of these women suffered death at the hands of the Big Sword Society.

In whatever place we entered, \ve led the Christians in worship, preached the gospel to the heathen -and the doctor treated the sick. Often in the afternoon even after four o'clock there were still patients to treat, and we often returned after dark. The mules were afraid in the dark, and we were often in great danger. Sometimes there was not time to eat, and the people kept us up very late. Once in the daytime the cart upset, but we received of the Lord's grace and neither the mules nor ourselves were injured. We were certainly under the Lord's protection.

We have visited places without number. Sometimes when the room was too small, we had to preach to them in the court. In the 4th month I went to Feng T'ai to visit my son. The pE.ople of that place are very devout worshippers of the false gods. The idols and the temples are kept very clean, and they burn incense at the sound of the bell. The Lord helped me in that place to testify for him. There is no chapel there, so we had our worship at home.

I am in the Lord's presence a worthless piece of pottery, but the Lord used me a worthless person to testify of hjs grace. I

- 50 -

trust his grace may still be with me and help me more hereafter to work for him. I trust next year may be even better than this, because Christ. died for me on the cross and has redeemed me.

CH'IN YANG SHIH.

Report of Work at Lan Chou.

By NATIVE PRESIDING ELDER'S WIFE.

Last year my appointed duty was that of the wife of the preacher, to use my strength to teach the women who come to church on Sundays, to help them, and teach them the SUllday­school lesson and cause them to receive grace.

After the conference last year I went with Mrs. Ch'in to Kao Chi a K'ou to talk to them and lead them in a prayer meeting. There were many who came to listen to the gospel.

I have been to 0 Mi Chuang three times, and have talked to the heathen and had a meeting with the Christian women. The latter are very warm-hearted, and not a few of the heathen women came to listen. Twice I visited Heng Shan Ying, and there were many women to listen. Visits have also been made to Ch'en Chuang, Yiin Ying Chuang, and in both places they are very warm-hearted in listening to the doctrine. A visit has also been made to Hao Ts' ao Chuang to comfort a Christian woman who had lost her husband. Notwithstanding this bereave­ment, the whole family have been blessed of the Lord, and been led to believe on him. Nan Chuang, Chiang Pei Chuang, Pai Shu Chuang have also been visited. In these three villages the women listened attentively.

I trust these places which I have visited may receive much of the Lord's grace; that their hearts may be moved to believe the Lord.

This year the women of this district send thirteen Mexican dollars to the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society.

Because I am not strong I can not attend conference; although I cannot see your faces, I send you all greeting. May the grace of fhe Lord rest upon us all is my prayer.

Respectfully submitted,

MRS. WANG CH'ING YUN.

-5 I -

Report of Shan Hai Kuan Work. By NATIVE PRESIDING ELDBR'S WIFE.

To the sisters joyfully assembled in the Conference; alas! I am not able to meet with you in the same place and see your faces. Although I am not able to be with you, I yet constantly think of what is going on. Although I have no report, I long for my sisters. There are many messages which I will give in detail. Several years ago the church at Shan Hai Kuan was in a flourshing condition. Since the Boxer trouble the foreign soldiers are on the streets constantly, so the woman do not dare come to the chapel; consequently the women to attend worship are few. The women outside the church are still more afraid and cannot be expected to come.

This year it is much better than last year. Last autumn Miss Glover came here and with Mrs. Ch'in visited the homes. We had much hope; but alas! they had to return to Tientsin. Again this spring Dr. Terry came to Shan Hai Kuan and went to Shih Men Chai; also the Bible-woman Mrs. Ch'in. We hear good reports of their work. The women to hear the gospel and to receive medicine were not a few.

This year I have not been able to do any visiting; yet at the chapel I have been able to see several of the Christian women, and I have' exhorted them to keep the faith, and with steadfast heart trust in the Lord. I take advantage of every opportunity to exhort them- according to my ability.

This is all. My hope is that my sisters may receive much of the Lord's grace.

Respectfully submitted,

T:e HSIANG SHIH.

Report of Work at Lao T 4ing. By NATIVE PASTOR'S WIFE.

Two years ago we came to Lao T'ing. During these years we have received much of the Lord's grace and protection. When we arrived at this place we found all the circumstances favorable. There were four or five women belonging to the church. These had been brought to the Lord by Mrs. Ch'en Sai N a, the wife of the former pastor. I was pleased to come to this place to work for the Lord. While in school I received much

- 52 -

of the Lord's grace, and I now desire to be able to help others, to exhort them to live near the Lord, and to understand his truth. At the present time there are eight more believers. They are very warm-hearted and in love with the doctrine.

Still there are difficulties. These women's homes are far from the chapel, the nearest being eight Ii, and the most distant twenty or thirty li away. There are no wealthy families. When they come to church they must borrow an ox cart from their neighbors, making it difficult for them to attend, and on this account they can come but once or twice in a month. During the summer, "when the country is flooded with water, it is exceedingly difficult to come. In the winter it is v~ry cold, the wind blows and makes it very dusty, blinding the eyes so that coming and going are difficult, and the opportunities for hearing the gospel few. Consequently they must remain at home much of the time.

I have not been very strong, and have two small children to look after, so have not been able to visit them and help them. When they do come to church I teach them the Sunday-school lesson and lead them in a class meeting. I take advantage of every opportunity to exhort them to understand the true doctrine and be faithful.

I am very glad that at the present time there are three women living in the chapel court who are very warm-hearted church members. They are using their hearts in trying to learn to read. They have nearly finished the catechism. Every evening we have a little meeting and sing and pray ..

The outlook is very promising. If we had an earnest Bible­woman, whose only business was to save souls, to go from village to village and teach the women and children, many might be saved, and led to give up their old superstitions and believe on the Lord. For this we constantly hope and pray.

At present there are five baptized women in the church and eight probationers.

The collection of the women for the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society is one ounce and one fifth of silver. This has been given to Presiding Elder Wang.

We entreat the members of the Woman's Conference to remember us constantly in prayer, that the women here may be saved from their sins.

May the blessing of the Lord rest upon the members of this conference, beloved of the Lord!

Respectfully submitted, TstNG FENG TE.

- 53-

SHAN TUNG DISTRICT. Tt ai An Boarding School.

Not till I had reached the Pacific coast on my return to China did I know I was again appointed to Shan Tung.

After reaching Tientsin I had many preparations to make before I could start on the long journey to the interior.

Mr. and Mrs. Verity and I had been here before and Dr. Benn took the place of Dr. Barrow who had left us to reinforce one of the families of a sister mission.

We left Tientsin October third taking our way up the Grand Canal of China. Vve spent one Sabbath on the canal and one with American Board friends at P'ang Chuang. Vie left there Monday morning in the rain tra\Teling in Mr. Verity's buckboard which was a great improvement over a Chinese cart. Dr. Benn "vas horseback. Most of the way the weather was ideal but the roads were muddy. We reached here Friday afternoon but it was not till the first of December that our place was in shape so I could open school.

It will be remembered that two of our valued helpers, Chinese, ,,,ere killed in the Peking siege; Liu Chi Hsien and Wang C'heng P'ei. The widow of the former and two daugh­ters of the latter were in school, one as teacher and the two as pupils.

Owing to Mrs. Liu's little girl she could give only part of the day to school work and of course could not live there, so I sent for one of myoId pupils who had completed the work here but was afraid of being homesick so did not go on to Peking.

I did not need her help all day so had her study Bible History part of the time; this coming year I want her to open a day-school at her own home so I will have to find someone else to help me here. We hope too to have Mrs. Liu do training school work another year and that will mean an entire change in the boarding school. I have enrolled fifteen pupils, about as many as I could accommodate. The older of Wang C'heng P'ei's girls is an earnest Christian and a great help to me.

One little girl carries a long scar on her cheek which was made by a Boxer knife, and two other girls had the dreadful experience of being carried off by the Boxers in company with the whole family except the father who was nearly frantic till he succeeded in buying them back.

- 54-

A heathen woman, mother of one of our probationers, interested herself in a little heathen. girl whose parents were wretchedly poor and with the help of some of the church members she was provided with a school outfit and taken into school, to her great joy. When asked if she was not afraid she would get homesick she said. "Why should I get homesick in a place where I have enough to eat and wear when at home I was always hungry and cold? " One of our helpers came in the other day to consult about several girls who wished very much to come to school but were too poor. He had a plan by which the difficulty could be overcome if it met with my approval; he was to get these girls good Christian mothers-in-law and have them send them to school; he looked a little doubtful as he unfolded his plan and soon concluded some other way must be thought up.

On the whole the girls have done excellent work, their studies covering the course from primary to high school; :Mrs. Verity taught them singing and while none of them are gifted in that direction their singing has greatly improved. One little girl has been soundly converted and shows a very sweet spirit in her attitude toward the other pupils; in fact the spiritual atmosphere of the whole school has grown much clearer.

Our accommodations have been very poor, fourteen sleeping in one room and that not a large one; they ate too in the same room, and had to take their baths in the school room. Since buying more property we have repaired a dining room, bath room and another small bedroom, so another year we will be better fixed for accommodations, and have a larger court as well.

I have started hvo small day-schools, one here and the other in An Chia Chuang; this latter is taught by one of the Peking school girls who had been sent home on account of poot health. I hope next year to have a fine day-school report but they are too new yet to have much to report.

Respectfully submitted,

ANNA E. STEERE.

Tai An Station Class.

In view of the fact that it was rather late in the autumn before we arrived on the field; and also because of our firmness along the line of self-support, we had but one woman in from the country, although two others planned to come, but were preven-

- 55-

ted from doing so at the last moment by the death of a near relative. Mrs. Chu brought her grain and husband. He hoped to study in the men's training class, but as the class had just finished their month's work and had been disbanded, he was obliged to return home without accomplishing much. Mrs. Chu had already studied some in Tientsin, and one term here, so that she was able during the winter to complete the Old Testament History, and ,'ery nearly the little primary Geography. Two of our city Christian women joined her in the History, makin<T a fair-sized class. l:>

In addition to these students, four others came in daily for an hour's study, taking the Sheng Tao Ch'u Chieh (First Steps iIi the Doctrine,) and making a beginning on the Catechism, besides learning to repeat from memory and sing several hymns. Miss Steere and I have taught them all in our own home, with a little assistance in preparation from Mrs. Liu, widow of Rev. Liu Chia Hsien. One of the younger women has a rather interest­ing history. Her husband is now a teacher in the boys' school. Previous to his conversion she was subject to fits of depression, sometimes amounting almost to a degree of insanity. On one such occasion she attempted suicide by jumping into the well. They say that in answer to his prayers she has been entirely freed from the disease, a1).d this fact has made such an impression upon the old mother-in-law's heart, that from being violently opposed to Christianity she has become a devout believer in God's ability to hear and answer prayer. Mr, Chao is very anxious for his wife to unbind her feet. Mrs. Wen gave her a pair of her shoes, but not findng them comfortable she has returned to the bandages, but declares that when she can get a pair made to fit her well she vdll make another attempt.

Mrs. Chen has done good work in teaching some of the Christian women to read in their own homes, visiting them once or twice a week for that purpose. Old Mrs. Wang too has not been idle. Several in-patients and others are indebted to her for more or less instruction in the Shen Tao C'hu Chieh and Catechism.

We hope another year to have a school-room, and do more regular and systematic work, and that there will be a larger number of women in from the out-stations. And above all we trust that the Holy Spirit may be our teacher.

Respectfully submitted,

FRANCES W. VERITY.

- 56 -

Shan Tung Medical Work.

Like the little mustard seed which a man took and planted in his field began our church in Shan-tung, by the faith of Mr. Wang. It hasn't grown to a large tree as yet, but it is pushing its head heavenward and fastening its roots deeper in the hearts and homes of the people.

I have just been to An Chia Chuang, Ning Yang, Chiang Ch'eng, Hsia Hsueh and Tung piing, holding clinics, attending services, receiving and talking with multitudes of women and children after clinics, while my faithful helpers, Mrs. Wang and Mr. Kwo preached the gospel, and it seemed to me the mustard plant had grown to no mean proporbons. And what it may be in the near future loomed up in prospective and filled the heart with joy. Bright little girls gathered around me who would all be in school studying with all their might were day-schools establish­ed in each of these places. But alas! there are no teachers except at An Chia Chuang, and there a nice class of little girls is at work. One was absent because they had begun to bind her feet, and she could not walk. They brought her to clinic for me to treat her feet, and the little toe was disjointed and pressed under the foot, tender as a boil. The mother-in-law sent word that it was not the binding vvhich did it. There are intelligent young women at these places also, but they do not come to church because all the preachers or helpers except at An Chia Chuang, are single men or their wives are not "dth them. It is a great drawback to the work. It practically shuts the church doors for the women and girls. Only at An Chi a Chuang and Tung P'ing church do the women attend. When at Ning Yang the bell rang ... for evening prayers, while my room was full of women and girls. Noone made a move to go. "Are you not going to prayers? " I asked. "Is the doctor going ?" was the reply, and then I learned that Chinese modesty forbade their going, because the preacher's wife was not there. It was with mingled feelings of amusement and indignation and thankfulness for age and Christian woman­hood that I fell back upon my gray hairs and fifty years, and nlarshaling clan, chaperoned them to prayers. We need to be very watchful to keep heathenism from contaminating our Christian Church in regard to women, and a physician visiting the stations has more to look after than the sick. The minds of the native preachers, like those of the early church, having been imbued by heathenism with the idea of the inferiority of the female, as naturally as water seeks the level, they consign the

- 57-

women to a back seat. At Tung P'ing the women occupied a small room at the back of the church, and going into an evening service at An Chia Chuang I saw only men and was retreating when a faint voice behind me said. "Here we are," and in the extreme back corner in the dark, (the few lamps being all monpolized by the men) sat the women. I also learned that the common practice in the country churches ,vas to administer the sacrament first to all the men communicants and then to the women. By laying the situation before the preacher in charge at An Chi a Chuang, I led him to see how ridiculous it was that his wife, an educated schoolgirl, his daughter, also a schoolgirl, Wang, who studied in the Training School at Tientsin and my­self should sit in the back of the room in darkness, when three out of every four of the men who were in front with lights could not tell one character of the lesson and hymn from another, and on the Sabbath he placed the little girls of the day-school in front, opposite the schoolboys, and the women behind them, and let the men occupy the back seats after their side of the church was full.

At Hsia Hsiieh the women came early in the monling, and it was after nine before we met for evening prayers. Mr. Kuo had preached to the men and Mrs. 'Vang to the women during the clinic time, but after their evening meal they returned till the room could not hold them, and the men and women adjourned to the open court leaving the children 'with me. Mrs. \\T ang preached till weary, then Mr. Kuo, then the helper and so on till nine o'clock. I dismissed the children at dark and went to my room worn out; but the children went out and sat on the ground and listened. It was no idle curiosity that held the crowd, but lvIrs. Wang. It was wonderful how she headed off the \\randering attention and brought it back to the main issue. Sitting by her side on the bed while she talked in the afternoon, a woman near reached over and touched my shoe, when Mrs. Wang's hand came gently over ~nd while covering my foot with my skirt she looked in the woman's face and said in her gentle way, "The doctor's shoes are of no importance, but there is a very important matter I want to talk to you about, and that is your immortal soul," and the whole roomful was again giving her their whole attention. It was so everywhere we went. The crowd by the wayside when we stopped to r-est left the curious foreigner and gathering around Mrs. Wang, listened attentively.

At Tung P'ing they had never seen a foreign women before or tasted foreign medicine, and they followed us along the street like a flock of chickens after the one who is about to feed them,

- 58 -

and pounded on our gate for hours after we got inside the court, demanding entrance, but being repeatedly assured that they would not be admitted till the morrow, at last they went away. The next day we agreed it would not do to open the gates and let the mob in, for it would be impossible to preach to them or to, treat the sick with any degree of comfort, so we placed a table across each door, and stationed a man to sell the tickets I had prepared, and admitted none but those who had tickets. Then a door-keeper at the entrance to the room where I dispensed the medicine, took the ticket of each patient. It was a rather bold thing to do, and I saw that the helpers seemed anxious, but it worked beautifull.y I treated thirty-eight patients, the women first and then the men without a bit of confusion, while those outside heard the gospel. Mr. Kuo preached to the men in the front court, and Mrs. Wang to the women in the side court. At three o'clock we closed the doors and they went quietly away. Later a good many women came, were introduced to me, sat, and visited and listened to the gospel till dark, then bidding me good­by went their way, and the advent of the first foreign woman and the first foreign medicine in a strange city had been a success. I could not help thinking as I laid me down to sleep of the distance between me and all other foreigners, and how slight a cause would put my life in jeopardy. A convulsion or a sudden death of a child treated, and an ill-disposed priest 01

scholar to incite the people, and those who had been so friendly an hour ago would be howling at the gate for the blood of the devil doctor who had ridden into the place on a devil animal which had the·feet and ears of a horse and body of a mule, and had bewitched the child with strange drugs.

Having been long convinced that free dispensing of medicine is a mistake, I have held rigidly to a paying basis with very gratifying results, each patient paying fifty cash for a ticket, and the families and school of the mission paying by the year, the ward patients a tiao for room and fifty cash for each treatment, and the out-calls according to the nature of the case. Some of the scruples about charging have proved groundless, its being a hinderance'to the preaching of the gospel, for instance, and several unexpected advantages have followed. It relieves the doctor of the nuisance of helpers and preachers all over the district asking for medicines to use in their stations. It gives the doctor a chance to talk to the people about other things than their bodily ills. Why I don't know, but it is a fact. It relieves the doctor from applications for treatment at all hours, and particularly on Sunday. It sweeps away the old idea that church members, teachers and preachers must be favored, seen

- 59-

at odd times or treated first, or exempt from the rules applied to others. It does not exclude the extreme poor, for it is understood that they will be treated free after the rest are seen; but it makes them and all the rest realize that they are receiving a favor, which has a wholesome effect on all. Then it keeps out the curious who ..crowd in and make confusion, and last but by no means least, it gives the doctor the great boon of seeing her patients one at a time without curious on-lookers amid a babel of tongues. Curiously enough it does not appear to affect the philan­thropic aspect of medical work, but seems to enhance it. The amount received shows how even a very small fee-less than one cent gold-counts up. I have enough to fix up a place for me at Ning Yang, and buy a country outfit.

A curious state of mind in regard to paying for attendance upon suicide cases prevails in T'ai An, which led me to refuse to go. For some reason they will not pay. Twice I went to neighbouring villages, bitter cold days and worked over a suicide till exhausted, and once dressed and went in the night to the Yamen, and none of them paid a cash. Therefore, I refuse to go unless they bring the money when they call me. There wen:: nine calls within the first two months-including the three to which I responded-which accords well with Wu T'ing Fang's article in the January Harpers, as to the happiness arising from Chinese civilization. Of the three cases I attended, one was because of abuse by husband's family, one was a girl of eighteen sold to the official's nephew for a concubine, and having no other way to escape from her misery took opium, and the other was a well-to-do man who was weary of life. I find that the members of the other missions here have been in the habit of sending an antidote to suicides. Is the unwillingness to pay the doctor to be found here?

The dispensary attendance at first was very small, and when there were five patients outside the school and servants I felt encouraged. May seventh, there were twenty-three.

Though the statistical report is small, and the money receiv­ed shrivels to very small dimensions when reduced to gold, yet when we remember that the work when only begun fell a prey to war and matrimony and has just been reestablished, both at Tai An and out-lying stations; that women have been represent­ed in our Christian services, and multitudes have heard the gospel of love from the lips of Wang Lao T'ai T'ai, one has no call to feel discouraged. The future holds large promise for our work in Shan Tung. When the W. F. M. S. gets the land necessary for the varioij.s buildings and the buildings on the land

- 60-

and the pupils and patients in these buildings, and a foreign house for us to live in with the north windows and veranda giving us the beauties of old T'ai Shan she will have great reason to be proud and rejoice over her Shan Tung station.

I cannot close this report '\vithout saying more about Mrs. Wang. Both in the daily work at the dispensary and on the country trip we took together and in the daily prayers she has been a real inspiration to me. To see her wrinkled old. face light up as she talks of heaven is almost· to catch a glimpse of the pearly gates. At Hsia Hsueh a half dozen men and women greeted her as an old beloved friend. I' \\Then did these people come to know you?" I asked. ,. Why, was n't it when they came to T'ai An to k'e t'ou and burn iucense?" she replied, and one of the men spoke up, "\\Te don't do that nmv. ,Ve are Christians. " ,Vas it the word she spoke to' them as she sat by the hospital gate that turned them to their Heavenly Father?

Crossing the river on the way to Ning Yang a passing wheel-barrow man stopped and came running back to us with a genuine light in his face, and taking both her hands (something they seldom do) he inquired after her health saying, 'I Great many days have not seen your face. She asked him about his family and exhorted him to trust the Lord, and we passed 011.

Who was that, Wang Lao T'ai T'ai? A relative? "No," she laughed and replied, "I don't know "~Tho it was. . Some one to whom I have preached. A great many people know me whom I have forgotten." A gentle woman! A mother in Israel ! Would that she might live another eighty years!

The following are the statistics for the year :-Number of clinical treatments ................ 2375.

" " ward patients.. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9. " " treatments in patient's home. . . . . . . . 16.

Fees received, ...... Tiao 101.310 == U.S. Gold. $27.87 Respectfully submitted,

RACHEL BENN, M.D.

Evangelistic Work. I cannot report a year perfect in work and free from

mistakes, but have tried to do the best I could. Last year before Miss Steere's arrival I gave rilOst of my time to helping in the girls' school. That, with the prolonged illness of my baby prevented my getting out amongst the women, 'but in the autumn when Miss Steere came to Tai An, and took charge of

-6I-

the school, and my child recovered her health, I was at liberty to do some visiting, and have taught some of the Christian women to read a little in their homes, and wherever opportunity offered have carried the story of the Gospel to the homes of our heathen sisters.

Every Thursday morning it has been my custom to lead a little prayer meeting with a large family of Christians who live in a small village just outside the South suburb of the city, and afterwards remain a little to teach those who can spare time to read. At first I went alone, but on consultation with Miss Steere, 'we decided that I was too young, and she proposed that her woman go with me. Sometimes old l\1:rs. Wang's daughter has given me her company. Once or twice we have taken long tramps, and have occasionally visited a famous temple in the city which is the resort of many pilgrims during the spring months. ,\Ve have ahvays been listened to "with interest, and I hope that some of the seed sown there may-bear fruit. Since the New Year many of these pilgrims, some from long distances, have come to my home, and I have had opportunity to talk to them, and try to dissuade them from continuing to follow our stupid heathenish custom of worshipping idols, but God alone knows what results will follo\v these efforts. It is truly pitiful to think of the ignorance of these poor people who do not realize how woefully deceived they are, and we ought to pray earnestly that their hearts may be opened to receive the loving Saviour who is so willing to help them to become the sons and daughters of the Heavenly Father.

A few days ago I went with old :Mrs. "Tang to visit two villages quite a distance from Tai An. We had a great many listeners, but alas! my dialect being that spoken in Peking, they were unable to understand a good deal that I said. HmYev'er, I gave away two small books, and trust the Lord will bless the reading of them to the salvation of more than one. This is my heart's wish. I know there have been times this year when I have been lazy, and I pray the Lord to forgive me, and help me to do better work next year, and give more abundant results.

Respectfully submitted, CH'EN SAl NA.

Report of reacher in Boarding School. It is nearly three years since I have been working here but

I am unable to give all because the days have been so many; I can only remember and tell about this last year.

- 62-

For half a ye~r before Miss Steere came Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Wen and myself had school. It was not convenient for them so I alone lived with the children. There were eleven pupils and they did not behave very well. In the fourth month we closed school because my mother was very ill.

In the fal1 Miss Steere came and she opened school in our eleventh month. She used me to help in the school half of each day, and I heard the children recite Christian books. I also helped her teach some women. Some of them read part of one book and one read one book and part of another. They used heart in reading and I hope they understood the meaning in the books, and will read more and become warm-hearted to be the Lord's people.

Respectful1y submitted,

LIu JUI LING.

I' ai An Bible Woman's Report. Last year I was appointed to Tung P'ing Chou to work for

the Lord. 1 had just arrived when I saw women taking paper money to

the temples to bum before the gods hoping thus to be rid of their sorrows and secure happiness. I also saw sick people going to the temples aud burning incense and paper money before the idols and pouring wine and tea on the floor in front of them and calling them gods, good spirits, and old lords, and askipg them to give them some of their medicines to heal their diseases. After bow­ing before the idols and thanking them they would return to their homes and wait to be soon cured; if they found themselves just a little bit better they praised the idols, and there was no one to tell them it was God's goodness. They were deceived and did not know God. When I saw this I was truly sorrowful. I had no other plan than to go out every day and preach to them and witness for the Lord and urge them to believe. As I preached people said I was a deceiver and was crazy. With some the doctrine I preached went into one ear and out the other, and some would have been glad to listen but were afraid of being laughed at so did not dare to. This was a state of affairs difficult to change. Although they were in much darkness and would not listen I still continued to exhort them. .

I kept going on the street so people could all the time see me and know I was not crazy, till finally they dared come and sit wi~h me a~d bear me talk, After a time some ·of them half

believed and half doubted, and they also dared take me to their homes. N ow circumstances are much better and eight or nine women come to church regularly. Although their faith is small­they hope their souls will be saved and they listen to the preacher and are gradually understanding not a little. There are several who want to be baptised but their faith is not yet what it ought to be and they are afraid of their sons and husbands; because of this I have not recommended them but I hope after a while their faith will be greater and they can be baptised.I have also wanted to go out into the country and preach in the villages but the road is too long and Ihave no cart and no money to hire one so I cannot go; but in the city I have gone seven and eight Ii in different directions preaching and trying to get peogle to be­lieve.

Respectfully submitted,

LIU T'AI-TAI.

Shantung Bible Women. T'ai An Fu, 1903, 1st moon, and fourth day.

Now what I have to report is this. God shows his mercy on me. Though I am eighty years old, yet I still have much strength and am able to work for God.

After I came back to T' ai An from Chi Ning Chou, I always sold books under the trees near the gate of the hospital because this street leads up to the top of T' ai Shan (which means great­est mountain), and there are many women who will pass this way to worship the idols on the mountain. This is the oppor­tunity for me to preach God's doctrine to them. Some books and calendars were sold, but there were few who would buy the books.

Sometimes I went to the homes of Christians to talk with the women, but I could go only to those near by for my feet cannot help me walk far. I hope God helped me and did not let me preach in vain.

Now I preach every day in the hospital to the patients.' Some of them are moved by the Holy Spirit and are willing to receive God's doctrine but still they do not wholly believe in Jesus Christ.

I hope God will help me and let me bear much fruit in my old age. God's grace is in my heart so my heart is peaceful and full of joy, and my eyes are not dull nor my ears deaf. I do not

know why God shows his mercy like this on me. I have a daughter ~who is a widow, and as she had nothing to do she came to me and helped me.

On the eighteenth day of the fourth moon I went with Dr. Benn to An Chia Chuang, Ning Yang and Hsia Hsiieh. All the Christians in these places were very well. There also I gave some witness for God and then I returned peacefully. I think the Church in Shantung is much blessed by the Heavenly Father and will be still more prosperous.

This is the report of the work I have done this year and I know you will be glad to hear it.

WANG CHIA SHIH.

Mother of Wang Ch'eng P'ei.

-----... ~~.~.-----

-I··~· Q rt ~ --~ PJ ~ ..... tj

1<+ ~ ur :: ~ ~ ~ \1q :::. \1q ..; .c...

~ ~ ~ 0 ~ ~ I \1q .... C! 'Il . o . n ~ . ..;

in I' Yl

1

Number of :M·~is-·s""io-n-a-ric-e-s--'i-n-S-c-h-o-o-l----I <n.... ~ ~ vVork.

I. ~urnber of Missionaries in Evange- ~

.po. .... .... .... H listie \Vork. .

1

Number of Missionaries in Medical ;rJ .j::>. .... H H H Work. t;;J

!"""

<n 1 : <nO. C . . ';J) -;-l 1 Cf' JV 2.. NatIve ontnbutIons to W. F. M. S. '-I . <n ~o.

o . 0 C"-"

<n I ~ H ~ Number of Schools. CJ, I ~ H ~ Number of Native Teachers. g' I \O.t: <c1 Total Enrolment. 0>\..... ~ tj ~ ;< JV . Average Attendance. ;> m' 0 m ~

0> 1 H ~ Number of Pupils from Christian in '-I 0> ~ I\) Homes. g I\) \ H Number of Pupils from Heathen 0

.j::>. m t-,l m Homes. ~

1

. Number of Pupils Finishing Day- ~ '-I • '-I School Course.

----------------1

\ . Number of Pupils Entering Boarding

~ . ~ School.

0> 1 H H .... Number of Station Classes. -"---------------

.j::>. 1 H ~ H Number of Native Teachers.

-e \ '-I -:0 ~ Total Enrolment. (J)

1

. Number of Women Completing First ;;; H • .... Year's Course. ~

1

. Number of \Vomen Completing ~ 1_--.:_· _ Second Year's Course. n

1

. Number of "Women Completing Third t:

. Year's Course. ~

1

. Numberof\VomenCompletingFourth ~

. Year's Course. . I' Number of Women Becoming Bible . . Women.

1

<n I ~ H ........ Number of Bible "Women. 'B l""-l g' .j::>..... Number of Villages Visited. ________ _

- ~9-

~ ~ ~ ~

~ a ~ ::x::

@ -~ ~

~ ~ ~

, r g ~ "d (I)

(I) ~ ~ =

p)~ = [ = g = ~ aq s· aq

~~i ~ aq ~ •

~ y1

-1=>-1 .... H .... H Number of Schools . I ",IH .... I-J I-J Number of Native, Teachers.

~I .... H (;.l .... Total Enrolment . 0

(n (n 00 0 I-J

~I .... Number of Pupils from Christian

H I-J 1.0 Homes. (;.l I-J 00 1.0 -I=>-

~ I ~ Number of Pupils from Heathen t:d .... 00 Homes. 0

tl-l=>->

H I-J 1.0 Number of Baptized Pupils. ::d I::j

(;.l (n co Z (;.l I :

Number Received into Church on (;.l Probation.

C)

(f)

(;.l11-J Number Received into Church in Full ()

H Membership. tI: 0 0

~I .... H ~ H Number Partially Self-supporting. t"'

I-J (n "-l 0 8 Ul

-1=>-1 .... Number Graduated from Primary

I-< I-J Grade. ,. Number Graduated from Intermediate (J1 • (J1 Grade,

-1=>-1 -I=>- Number Graduated from High School.

~ II\) H Number Teaching in Sunday School. I\)

(;.l I H .... H Number of Hospitals . (J111-J I-J H Number of Dispensaries.

~I" (J1 ~ Number of Dispensary Prescriptions. (;.l H H 8 ~ "-l (J1 ~ (J1 ~ (n

tll.O I-J Number of House Patients. co ~ ~ trl.

"-lll-< I-< (J1 Number of Outcalls. I::j

~ '" I-J "-l n I\) 0

1.O1(;.l Number of Country Trips. > '" t"

~II-J H

~ co Number of Treatments in Country. g> 8 g> 0

!I: ::d

~--- ~

~~ Donations and Fees Received from

~ "

~s: Foreigners. ~ , (;.l '-"

~I *~

~ I" H I.O~ Donations and Fees Received from

.1

-I=>-"-l "-l (J1 ~ (J1 ......

8' If en (J1 'p.. Natives. 0 0 ~'-"

• - 99-

Course of Study for Girls' SchooIst N. China Conference of the M.E. Church.

PRIMARV.

YEAR. CHRISTIAN. CHINESE. MATHEMATICS. SCIENCE, &c.

Memorize Memorize Sentence

San-Tzu-Ching, " San-Tzu-Ching, Building.

First Ten Hymns. Po-Chia-Hsing,

Tzu-Hao-Erh. Writing.

Year. Reading.

S~dy Memorize Number Work Oral

Chen-Taa-Lueh- Ch 'ien-Tzu-Wen, from I ta 20. Physiology.

Second Lun, Catechism. • Ta-Hsiieh,

Tzu-Haa-Erh. Writing. Memorize Year. Sermon 011 the Mt.

by Matthew.

F"'IRST INTERMEDIATE. I

I ,

Memorize Memorize Number Work Primary Third Mark. Shang-Lun-Yu, Geography, . Study Vol. II . to ISO,

Year. Sheng-Ching-Chih- Tzu-Hao-Erh. Blackboard Lueh. Practice. Writing.

Reading. ------- ._-------------- -------------

Memorize Memorize Advanced Illtermediate

Fourth John. Hsiah-Lun-Yu, N urn ber Drill. Geography,

Year. Tzu-I-Iao-Erh. Writing, Reading. i Composition.

\

SECOND INTERMEDIATE.

Memorize . Memorize \Vritten Advanced Fifth Rom.; I Cor. 13; Shang-Meng-Tzu Arithmetic Geography,

Eph. 6; Phil. 3, 4; Vol. 1. Year. I Thes. 4, 5; II Tim. Explain 'Vriting,

2; Heb. 13; Shang-Lul1-Yu. Composition. Rey. I, 2, 3, 21, 22. 1---._---- ------------- --------------- ------------- ---------_.-----

Study Memorize \Vritten Physiology. Sixth Bible, Gen. to Shia-Meng-Tzu. Arithmetic, Writing,

1. Sam. First Half of Composition, Year. Explain Vol. II. Zoology( optional.)

Hsia-Lun-Yu.

-71 -

COURSE OF STUDY FOR NEW MISSIONARIES.

Methodist Episcopal Mission.

FIRST YEAR :­

Gospel of John. Mateer's Mandarin Lessons--50 Lessons. Recognize Characters in 50 Lessons. Write 500 Characters Martin's Shuang Ch'ien Tzu. Names of 18 Provinces and Capitals in Character. Courses of Yang Tzu and Yellow River and Grand Canal. Bounds of China proper and of each of 18 Provinces. , , Chinese Etiquette" -Christy.

SECOND YEAR :-

Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. Mateer's Mandarin Lessons-50th to I

Pilgrim' s Progress-Part I. Evidences of Christianity-Part Write 500 more characters . Fu cities of Chih-li P

IS minutes COlIVE!rSliti()J:

THIRD YEAR :­

Complete new Mateer's Sacred

- 72 -

CONSTITUTION.

OF

The Woman's Conference of The Methodist Episcopal

Church in North China.

ARTICLE I. NAME.

This organization shall be called" The Woman's Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in North China."

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE.

The object of this organization is a united effort for advancing the Kingdom of Christ among women and children in North China, and supplementing the efforts of home Missionary workers in interesting the church at large in our Missionary field.

RELATION TO THE MISSIONARY AUTHORITIES

OF THE CHURCH.

work in harmony with the North to the Constitution of the Woman's

's Foreign Missionary Board are members of

actively engaged in be entitled to a vote,

1

II

- 73-

BY-LAWS.

1. -This Conference shall convene at the same time and place when practicable, as the North China Annual Conference.

II.-THE ORDER OF BUSINESS SHALL BE AS FOLLO\VS:­I. Calling of Roll by Secretary. 2. Election of Officers. 3. Appointment of Committees. 4. Reports of Work. 5. Miscellaneous and Unfinished Business. 6. Report of Treasurer. 7. Appointment of Standing Committees. 8. Reports of Committees shall be gh-en daily after reading

of Minutes.

IlL-THE RULES OF ORDER SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS:­I.-Each session shall open and close with prayer. 2.-Resolutions to be discussed must be submitted in writing.

IV.-The Standing Committees shall be appointed by a commit­tee chosen for this purpose and are as follows:-

I.-Lommittee if Reference: This Committee shall consist of one member from each ~tation. All business pertaining to the work of the Con­ference, arising in the iJlicrim of its sessions, shall be submitted to this Committee, and decided by a majority vote; and 110 representation of such business to the author­ities at home shaH be considered official unless endorsed by the Committee. The Chariman of this Committee shall be Official Correspondent.

2. -COlll.m£ttces Oil School Exam illatiollS : These Committees, consisting of one member from each

- station, shall examine or make provision for the examintion of all schools conducted by this Conference and shall report ' results at ensuing session of Conference.

3.-CoJJlmittee Oil PreseJltatioll if Estimates: This Committee shall consist of one member from each station, \\"ho shall consult with the members of this Con­ference in their respective stations,- and prepare (, List of

:.J

11111~ll[iIiIUjliullll~11 3 9002 10638 7047

-74-

L

Estimates" to cover the needs of the work. These Es­timates shall be voted upon by the members of the Woman's Conference, and be submitted to the General Board for endorsement, after ,yhich the Treasurer for North China shall transmit to the Chainnan of the Reference Committee of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society.

I/.-Committee Oil Building: This Committee shall consist of one member fro111 each station, and all plans for building or extensh·e repairs shall be submitted to and approved by this Committee before being presented to the Building Committee of the General Board. .

5.-Committee OJl Program: This Committee shall consist of two members whose duty it shall be to prepare a program for the Annual l\leeting of the Woman's Conference.

6.-CoJ1tmittee OJl Pltblication: This Committee shall consist of the Secretary of the Con­ference and two assistants to be chosen by the Secretary, whose duty it shall be to publish the Minutes.

7. - Committee on Statistics: This Committee shall consist of one member from each station, whose duty It shall be to compile a statistical report to be presented at the Annual Conference, and -published in the Minutes.

V.-DUTY OF OFFICERS :-

I.-The President shall preside at all meetings of the Con­ference.

2.-1n the absence of the President the Vice-President shall act as interpreter .at all Chinese meetings of the Conference.

3.-The Secretary shall keep a full record of all proceedings, and fonvard a report of the same to the Official Correspond­ent of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society.

4.-The Treasurer of the Woman)s Conference of the :Methodist Episcopal Church in North China shall be the Treasurer of the Annual Conference, and shall have charge of all funds collected in the Conference, and disburse the same by order of the Conference.

VI.-A majority of the voting members attending the Confer­ence shall constitute a quorum.