OCR Text |
Show sider it an ailment worthy of taking so much time and trouble." This, being interpreted! in terms of their economic conditions, means, that in view of those many shoes and clothes to be made, all by hand, the meals to be cooked, and babies to be cared for, this husband felt the housemother coould not be spared to go to the hospital. When she could no longer stand, or work, then was it a disease demanding consideration. It does not always mean the heartlessness, that on the face of it, woidd seem to be the only construction one could put upon such action. It is rather an outgrowth of their dire poverty, big families,-too many mouths to feed on too few acres, and (their hopelesis ignorance of hygiene, or preventive medicine. They know nothing of sex eugenics, and are often not in a position to practice it if they did. We must often sow, knowing full well that the seed will fall on stony ground. But it is not always so, for God does give us the joy of seeing many of our coworkers and pupils, as time goes on, really grow in grace, and in the ability to take real individual responsibility. For those with a statistical bent, I may say that for these nine mouths of 1923, we will average about 750 inpatients, some 300 operations under anaesthesia, and about 8000 outpatient treatments. There are 23 pupil nurses in training, and four graduate Chinese nurses in employ as iieads of various departments, These last are a recent venture;, and their salaries are a financial burden calling for no little faith. It seemed best, and necessary, in this way, to try and relieve at least, a measure of tbxe. responsibility resting on our limited foreign force. In return for their, under foreign standards, absurdly small salary of something under gold $200 each, they have in these few months, been of untold comfort. It may be that some of you will like to take a share in making this help possible for us next year. We have raised these funds this year from special and personal sources, most of which will not be again available. We have been both interested and concerned in these last few weeks over literature which is being widely circulated among the; Chinese, published by a new sect which has arisen, and which claims for itself all the virtues of existent religions, and in addition has rather startling and pernicious aspects. They prophesy a series of calamities to occur just after the Mid-Autumn festival (the date of this present letter ! !) which are to confirm the claims made by their leader, a Tang Fang Chang, that he has received Holy Orders from on High to assume leadership of this sect. He represents himself as having received revelations of power by means of which he asserts he can make this world a Utopia in the next one hundred years, Out of all this has arisen the fear in the hearts of many non- Christian Chinese, and in not a few of our Christians, that this presages the imminent coming of the end of the world. Since some of his propaganda would seem to give Biblical authority for its statements, our pastors,' Chinese and foreign, are taking steps to refute such rumours, cir rather to make it plain, why, according to our light, such prophesies could not bo authentic. "Of that day and hour knoweth no man." Conflicting dates have been given for these days of darkness and calamity, the earliest being September 14th. and the latest, the 24th. At writing we have already had three lovely sunny fall days, which according to schedule should have been, sunless!! and we therefore trust that those about us, none too strongly grounded in faith, will take heart,. We should indeed, ever be ready, but found "at our tasks." The fourth commencetnient of our training school was held at cur city church two weeks ago, audi it seemed in many ways the best we have had. No either class has had as high record, uniformly, as had these five. One would go far to find four finer young men, and big red-cheeked sunny-hearted Miss Niu is a joy just to look at, aside from her professional ability. She was engaged long before she finished grammar school, and likely will be married as soon as her prospective husband finishes his education, but she will make a lovely wife and mother, the more so for her training. In the meantime we are glad to keep her for this year as charge nurse in Porter Operating Room, audi Outpatient Department. Of the four men, one has gone to Chiangsu Province, one to a Church of the Nazarene Hospital in southern Cbihli, one to' the othe* American Board Hospital at Lintsing, Shantung, and the fourth remains with us,-all in executive positions. We were very fortunate in securing a par-excellent speaker for our exercises, Pastor I, of Tsinanfu, a. Princeton graduate, a former "Y" worker, and never in any tongue, have I heard a more applicable), and inspiring address for graduating nurses. The training school sang to "Urbs Beata" ("Jerusalem the Golden") a selection |