OCR Text |
Show SAN SEBASTIAN Once we had a "Castle in Spain," just a very small part in the great work of Mrs. Alice Gulick whom some of our Board knew and loved, having studied with her at Mount Holyoke. We made an exchange in 1902, reluctantly relinquishing it, and filling up our quota with Foochow which comes upon our books for the first time. CHINA FOOCHOW Our Board hailed with joy the enlargement of their horizon which came when they accepted a variety of new work in Foochow Mission, as up to that time they had almost exclusively carried only individual interests. Now they were to have a part in the varied work of a whole Mission: women's classes, day schools, Bible women, training schools and medical work. Mrs. Farnam, the Foreign Secretary said, "We should extend our vision beyond our narrow limits and feel that we have a part in the whole of God's great plan.'' For more than twenty years we have sat at the feet of Miss Emily Hartwell and Mrs. Nellie Peet Hubbard, both missionary daughters of Foochow. The vigorous appeals of the one, and the altogether charming word-pictures of the other have visualized for us the tireless native worker. We have been to Tucked-A way, and Stone-Wall, to Under-the-Pines and Hillside, and seen superstition, and idolatry, and ignorance giving away before the consecrated love, and persistence of the Bible women, who have themselves been taught in our station classes. And we have helped to finance humble village schools, scarcely realizing that we were a part of a great system of education being wrought out for China. The report of the China Educational Commissi(m last year throws a flood of light upon the situation. Of seventy million children of elementary school age, less than flve million are in school; and more than one half even of the Christian children are not in school. In government and Christian schools combined only four little girls for each ninety-six boys are found. This emphasizes China's great need, education for girls. These facts constitute a challenge not only to personal service and liberal giving, but to make the effort to understand China's fundamental problems. [ 71 ] |