Peiyang Women's Hospital
Tientsin, China.
July 22nd, 1934.Dear Miss Turner;
Your letter from Woodhole came last night. I was very happy to get your letter. First of all I want to make clear that my plan for my nephew is 1935_36. He will get thru high school winter of 1934. Vung Yuin comes home summer of 1935. Then sister and brother shall come to America together. I thank you so much for looking up boys' school for me. There is another question that is not all schools can take in foreign students. The immigration office has a list and foreign students have to comply to this list. I know something about Milton Academy but I do not know whether it is in the list for foreign students or not. My nephew has to have some tutoring in his English first for six months before his coming to America. Chinese schools now do not give as much time to English as former years. Government is right in this respect for Chinese must know first their own language well. I think my nephew will be good in his studies for he is very studious and quiet. The only handicap is his delicate health. But he has improved these recent years with addition of cod liver oil and vitamin B extract.
Barbara Yen [MHC 1938] is going to sail for America on President Hoover August 14th from Shanghai. She is entering Mount Holyoke College as a freshman. She is a good student and would be able to master her college work well. She could enter Yenching University without further examinations as her average in high school is high. She has also passed her government examinations. You know the regulation is very strict in China. No one is admitted to college without first passing the examination ste by government. At recent examination three thousand students tried but only one thousand passed. This means only one third of this number will be allowed to enter colleges. This is indeed a very democratical method for weaving out poor students. Education is getting to be the problem for our parents. Parents can be ambious [sic] and have means but cannot send their children one step further without passing the test. All primary schoo children must pass thier [sic] examinations before entering high schools. Schools fall below certain standard will not be allowed to continue. This means progress for China though it is hard on our youths. One bad thing about our education is that we do not have enough good teachers who understand emthods of education. We study too many subjects in our schools. Our students are suffering mental indigestion. Mary Jean has thirteen subjects in her third grade, Abby twelve. So you can imagine what hectic time our children have. Inspite [sic] of these hectic times I see progress of our country.
If you are going to Moscow next summer for Physiological Congress I want you to meet Barbara Yen's father Dr. W. W. Yen. He is our ambassador for Russia. He is a most intelligent man to meet in diplomatic service. He keeps up with the progress of the world. Whatever you should decide I want you to get the most out of your trip for your work as well as pleasure. If you do not make plans to come next summer we shall patiently wait for your Sabbatical year after the Hundrdth Anniversary of Mount Holyoke College. Five years from now I would be able to take at least half year off to accompany you to see some interesting phases of China's progress.
I am glad to know that you are at Wood Hole doing the work you like. How I wish that I could see Dr. Clapp. It is wonderful that she is able to go about as she does. This speaks for healthy old age. There is one advantage to living in China that is we do not have help problem. We can get some one to do the work in our house easily. China is a bad place for young people for our youngsters do not do enough work. But this is a good place for the aged for everybody is trying to do something for the old.
Barbara Yen will bring you my personal love. She would be able to tell you about my work and my two girls. She is bringing you a small gift from me. I have folded it that the wrongside [sic] is out. In making it up you use the inside for surface. I hope that you like my selection. This is so early in the season for Christmas but this is a chance to send you soemthing free of duty. I close this letter with much love from all of us three. Mary Jean and Abby are at beach. I am going to see them this coming week end. They are growing to be strong girls. I have a college girl staying with them. She reads with them. Abby just would not use her hands so this girl is helping her to do more writing. Mary Jean is doing more reading for she is little careless in her reading. They just have one hour a day so they have plenty time to play to their hearts' content. My niece from Shanghai is with them. She has two boys age three and two. She is a cousin of these two girls. My sisterinlaw [sic] from Shanghai is also at beach. Indeed we have a big family at beach. There are ten children and ten adults at this little cottage so you can imagine what a jolly time they are having. Next summer when Vung Yuin comes home her four brothers plan to spend summer at beach with their two little sisters. Abby is eight years old today. I think my niece will prepare a birthday party for her today. Your little namesake is very bright mentally. But somehow I am worried over her poor muscular coordination. She is growing normally everyway [sic] except in this respect.
Yours lovingly,
Me-Iung Ting.