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Show - 72 - and hamlets. In the whole field 100 fairs for the sale of merchandise of all sorts, covering a period of from one day to one month each, are held annually There is no other Protestant work being carried on anywhere in this entire field." The work of the Greatvale d strict is naturally heaviest at the central station. There it centers in three "compounds," or walled enclosures. The department of education for boys has its headquarters in the "Flower Garden," a beautiful park half a mile east of Greatvale city. The evanglistic work for the city centers in the "gospel Court," on the south main street of the city, the site of the station's activities prior to 1990. A quarter of a mile south of the city, at the conjunction of three villages, is a large compound where are located the hospital, the girls' school, the residence compound, and the church. A small army of pupils, patients, servants, helpers, and teachers populates this tract. Experience has taught that it is not wise for missionaries to reside within the city walls, for Greatvale, as Southey said of Exeter, "is ancient and stinks. ' But in the wide, open spaces of the South Compound and the Flower Garden, residence is probably as healthful as at any point in Eastern Asia. We may now cull from the reports some further details as to the work the missionaries are doing at these three centers. Mr. Wolfe writes enthusiastically of his work in the Flower Garden, as follows: "The Academy has perhaps a wider and better reputation than any other school in the Province; better than other Christian schools in that it has more money invested and is trying to do a higher grade of work than others are doing; and better than Government schools because those that have not already closed their doors for lack of funds are running on a lour scale. Boys are being drawn from all parts of the Province, and from the Provinces to the east and south of us. By removing the first two years of the Grammar Department to a court outside of the Flower Garden, we are able to accommodate a present attendance of 125, as over against 98 at this time last year, and we have had a total enrolment for the year of 143. This term we have had to place over twenty boys on a waiting list, because of lack of equipment. Some of these boys have completed the first or second year in Government schools of the same rank as the Academy. One boy, who had graduated from a Government high school, wanted to enter our junior year and graduate with the class next year. Most of the boys who come from Government schools have had very poor training and have to enter back classes. We have had to refuse some entirely because of lack of preparation. "Three of our alumni are in the North China Union College, and three are in the North China Union Medical College at Peking. One of the latter number took the entrance examinations and was admitted direct from the A cademy, although the Medical College requires (the equivalent of) a college preparation. We have former students doing good work in the University and the Law School at Taiyuanfu, in the Army and Navy Medical College in Tientsin, and in other leading schools of North China. Our graduates are doing admirable service in teaching in our outstation schools. Eleven boys receive diplomas from the Academy in June. |
