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Show largely given to language study they are already making their influence felt in the work. Mr. Gilbert has begun developing the student field, and has set on foot plans for a city center for social and religious work. Miss Alice Murphy of the Ellis Laymen's Training School has been on furlough this year, studying the second term in Hartford. We look for her return in the fall equipped for even more valuable service than that during her first period here. The Training School lost two Principals during the year for various reasons partly connected with local jealousies. Both have taken up work in other Stations. In Mr. Liu Ch'eng-Hsiang we now have a man in early middle life, of considerable experience in various kinds of missionary work including evangelistic and educational. He seems to be carrying on very well. A spirit of earnest cooperation has prevailed both among the faculty and on the part of the students. We had twenty-six students during the year. On May 26th the fourth class was graduated, consisting of four promising young men, one from the Techow field and three from that of Lintsing. Our boys' and girls' schools were dismissed for the occasion, and a fine address was given by a deacon from the Chinese Holy Catholic (?) Church (Church of England Mission) from Tung Ch'ang Fu to the south of Lintsing. Dr. Alma Cooke had a very long siege of Paratyphoid Fever, beginning in August. We and all her many friends rejoice that she is now strong and able to do her work again. Civil war last summer did not interrupt our work, and so far there has been none this spring or summer in the North. It is hard to tell whether the one just beginning in the far South will amount to much or not. Much lawlessness continues in parts of Central China. In the North some fairly successful efforts have been made at bandit suppression and control. Telephone lines are being extended through the country, and are helpful in such work. Guards of constabulary have been stationed in some notorious bandit centers, including the one where Dr. Tucker and I were kept over night. Even so on our trip out two days ago on the motor bus an aide to a constabulary officer, carrying three automatics, had one drawn and ready for several minutes as we passed some wooded sand hills near one of these stations. Crops were fairly good last fall, and a splendid wheat harvest is in prospect. The drought-resistant grains for which we helped distribute seeds last year gave good yields in some cases, though in many cases they did not. Some further distribution has been made this spring, and with better understanding by the farmers of how to plant them we hope for better results toward famine prevention. We crave your continued interest and prayers for God's work in this great land. v ' 1 i Yours very sincerely, Dean R. Wickes. |
