Bridgman School, Shanghai,
January and April, 1927.Dear Friends:
This is a general letter telling you of what I have been doing ever since I came back from my trip to England. I believe that you would also like to know what was my impression while in England. After I left the Empress of Scotland I went to London where I met my friends with whom we all went to Oxford to attend the World's Y.W.C.A. committee meeting. There were gathered there about 150 people of 34 different nations. The meeting was divided into small discussion groups and we talked over our troubles and hopes, our drawbacks and our assets frankly together. The spirit of "In Christ we are one" was present. I am thoroughly convinced that there shall be peace when each individual possesses the Christ-like understanding and Christ-like care for each other. Then the barrier of race prejudice and the national distinctions can come down and the meaning of Christian brotherhood can be realized. I enjoyed the Bible class very much. It was prepared by a French lady who had a Christ-like spirit of understanding. While in the meeting we shared each other's joys and sorrows; when we came away we had a deeper understanding for each other in the future.
After the meeting I went to Liverpool where I attended another meeting and then to Bradford and then to Swanwick where I attended the British students conference at Birmingham. I met a number of our Chinese boys and girls. They are our China's future hope and pride. I wished I could have stayed with them longer so that we could get better acquainted, but it is such a pleasure to look back at the two days that we were together.
I spent two weeks in U.S.A. on my returning trip and visited a number of my old friends. How good it was to see them! As long as my friends love me and as long as they are in America I shall go back again to see them, when the chance comes, even though I have to go through the immigration nuisance and humiliation!
I had a delightful trip coming back home, crossing the Atlantic. The Canadian Pacific Line certainly gives good service and care to the passengers. When I reached home my husband was waiting to turn the children into my care. He is now at Yale, studying. The children are counting the days of his returning home. Just for the year I am taking charge of this school. Our principal had to go home on account of her health. While I was traveling in the summer there was a new building built for our dining hall and dormitory, but we were much in debt for that building. Our students gave an entertainment and we gained $1500 net. Besides, it was such a good experience for us all. This school is from kindergarten up to senior high school. We have about 250 students. Our kindergarten babies are roly-poly darlings and our high school children are jewels but our fourth grade up to junior one high school children are the feathering chickies! It is a great, great joy to work with them because there is so much that one can learn. I teach in the morning and reserve my afternoons for school business and other committee meetings.
The fall term was a short one because we opened school late on account of the new building and closed school two weeks earlier for the war situation. However our students had their final examinations. Our girls are eager to study and so far they have been loyal to the school. The majority of girls in the high school are Christians but the majority of children in the primary are non-Christians. We want to keep the children even for a few years because we feel that it is our privilege to teach them right living through their play time. We are planning to open school on February 10, that is, if everything should be going on quietly.
Our Chinese are so stirred up. The Anti-Christian feeling is very high. However the Christian Chinese still have great faith to see the Christian nations to give square dealings. After all it is a time of uncertainty. Many of the Chinese are doing things which they do not mean to do. They are mad, they are pushed and forced to do things which ordinarily they would never think of doing. The right-minded Chinese have nothing to say while the other radical elements are carrying on this lawlessness. how much the innocent Chinese have suffered! how much! Only God knows how much we have suffered. My spirit is very low when I think of my own nation. I feel so helpless and so insignificant. How can I help. what [sic] can I do? In the night when I wake up I ask God that He will not forget to bless China even though she is the most weak and least important among the nations. I hope next time when I write you I can write a cheerful letter, singing the songs of peace and of joyful work.
This letter was never finished. We started the school on February 10th and after a week's work we had to suspend the school and then start off again, close again, and start off again. One does not know what is going to happen from one day to the next. The voice of taking back the educational control in [sic] quite loud everywhere. The trouble is that the young upstarts and uneducated have everything to say while the experienced and level minded peopel are classified as unimportant. Of couse we can expect all those troubles to come during the period of unsettled conditions which China is in now. I am only afraid it is too much for China to undertake just now. China is like a person just recovering from a serious illness. She really should take a good period of time to rest so as to restore her strength, but instead she has plunged herself into the gigantic task of trying to straighten her internal and international troubles. I am only praying that God's will shall be done and that He will use the right persons to lead China from darkness into light. I ask you to pray with me that we will not plunge into world war again.
Very sincerely yours,
(Mrs. C. C. Chen.)[a handwritten postscript follows]
This is a general letter which I have a number of copies made to send to the ladies whom I met acrossing the Atlantic & Pacific oceans. I just send a copy to you. We have passed quite a number of "ups" and "downs" in our national warfare. The outlook is quite dark now. We are just groping and do not know what may happen from one day to the other. So far our school work has suffered terribly, but physically we have not suffered much comparing to the country's places where no one defends them. War is a horrible thing!
Lovingly yours,
Tsoo-Sing Chen.