Shanghai College
Shanghai, China
July 4, 1920My dear Miss Turner:
Before the Empress of Russia leaves for America I want her to carry this message to you. Your good letter of February 15th came a long time ago. I was so delighted to hear from you. I believe the Faculty house is a new building for I have no picture of it in my mind. You said it is much pleasanter than your former residence. Give my best love to Mrs. Turner. I am so glad to know that she is still living. My grandmother died 6 days after We-me came. My mother felt a great loss because they had been such good chums together.
I am not writing this letter orderly I know. I just write it down as the things come into my head & think that you maybe interested. By this time you must have seen Katherine Abbey Vanderbeek and Anne Hall Sterret. [sic] They said that they were going to their 1910 reunion. And Anne Hall's second sister is a trained nurse here in China, and has been engaged to be married soon. Ruth Savage 1913 and Ruby Higgins 1917 or '18, I forgot which class she belonged, are doing splendid work here. My mother is still acting as a matron in Bridgman School. Every body here in China says that Bridgman school has decidedly the Mt. Holyoke spirit. Ruth Savage is such a capable and Christ-like girl, I am sure, the school is going to grow. The foundation which Anne & Katherine set was good & strong and it couldnot [sic] be other wise. [sic]
Yes, we are having a little house all to our selves. Presently we are living in an infirmary building which has 5 good sized rooms beside bath room and kitchen. This fall we will be able to move into a new building which is specially built for us. Do you [know] Dr & Mrs. Harris H. Wilder of Smith College? They are here in China, living with us as our guests. We enjoyed so much of having them here. Both of them helped my husband in biology course. Mr. Chen met them at Cold Spring Harbor L.I. Just now they have gone to the mountains where I am going to join them Wednesday. How I hope that when your sabatical [sic] year comes you will make a trip to the orient, too. Our humble home will always be open more than glad to welcome you. I cook the American breakfast myself and my servants cook the noon and evening meals. Wilders love Chinese food. It is truly surprising how they have adapted themselves.
Do you know that Shanghai College is going to begin the co-education in 1921? Maybe Miss Helen Calder has told you all about it. Miss Pendleton and Miss Calder were here for the Women's Cofference [sic] this last January. There are many people who object to start the co-ed. here in this college and China as a whole. They say that China is not ready to have co-ed. college. Whether it is time or not the co-ed. is here. It is the only natural way to bring our Chinese young men and women together since Chinese homes which understand the young people's problems are so scarce. In Canton there is a co-educational college which is very successful.
We-me will be two years old when July 18 comes. She is a very big girl now. And can talk to you in whole string of Chinese, but very few English sentences. She can say, Thank "tank" you, good "goh" morning, How do you do, Don't fall! which Mrs. Wilder always tells her. She has some single word nowns [sic] which she uses quite often such as, "fish, buttons, toes, fingers etc" She is a regular Tom boy. She likes rough play. Her Daddy used to throw her high up in the air and then catch her.
This letter will probably be mailed at Seattle or some port in United States. My cousin Mr. N. K. Tang is going to study in Chicago Uni. this year. He will probably go to Yale in 1921. When he goes to see Dr. & Mrs. Wilder I hope he will come to see you.
With much love from
your Chinese pupil,
Tsoo-Sing Chen.