Tientsin, China.
November 20th, 1933.
My dear Miss Turner:
I certainly should not let this good November pass without writing to a few of my good friends in America. I hope this letter will get to you in time to say our Merry Merry Christmas. My girls have wanted to write to thank you for their books. Abby finished her Peter Rabbit. It is remarkable how well she can read. There were few long words she could not pronounce. But she got the story as a whole right. Mary Jean read one story in her book. She told me Cinderalla [sic] in Chinese which was very well done for a child of her age. They are so busy in their school work. This year they started to attend regular primary schools all over China and every child must follow the regular tract; otherwise the child would not be able to enter high school. Mary Jean is in the third grade, Abby second grade. They have too many subjects. China is anxious to make progress in everything that she is choking her students Mary Jean has thirteen subjects and Abby twelve. The school life here means much study at home. Thus on Sundays we have given up the idea of atttending [sic] Sunday schools as they must have our [sic] door life. On Sundays I take them to park and let them play to their hearts content. They are keeping up with their English just once a week. Mary Jean has started piano so she has more to do. So our home life is a busy one. They have a nurse who takes care of them. She helps them with Chinese lessons.
Our new building is actually finished. We are going to move in our children's unit December the first. The building is a good combination of Chinese and weastern [sic] designs. It is going to be of good use to us. We have invited two more doctors to join our staff. The new building must have two residents to take terms in their work. We want to do much preventive work among our children. Our nurses have been busy for six months to get things ready for this new building. We still find that we need many more things in our new building. The board meeting will meet this coming Wednesday and we are going to decide the day for our Dedication. The new building is named for our first board member who gave much time to city improvemnets. [sic] He was a Chinese scholar of the first degree_ that is the highest. He died three years ago. His name is known among all educated people in China. Under the old Manchu dynasty he was the proctor of "Forest of Pen"_ the examinationg [sic] hall. He was the one who promoted Nanaki Univeristy. His wife Mrs. Yen is living and she is going to open the new building.
The Journal of Pediatrics comes regularly. It has many good articles. This number contains an article_ The Treatment of Pertussis with Gold Tribromides. Whooping caugh [sic] is a serious disease in its motality, rate, complication, and sequelae. The disease took an epidemic form last year at Tientsin. Many things recommended are either ineffectual or not practical of application. Those of us who are far from medical centers can only learn thru reading. However we are more fortunate than many other doctors in the interior[.] We are only three hours from P. U. M. C. and we get much help from that institution[.] Just now one of our doctors is away for a post_graduate course at Cheloo University.
The Chinese Medical Association meets at Nanking, March 31stto [sic] April 7th, 1934. I have decided to attend that conference. I hope to get much from this conference for our work here. China is making progress in her science although slow. However all constructive work is slow. The National Government has done much for health program of China. Our work here is improving both in quality and quantity. As we are so behind other nations one feels we are adding only one iota to the big ocean. Little beginning is better than nothing. The recent athlectic [sic] meet was a big success. You have no idea how much stronger and bigger are our present college girls. They compare very favorably with American college girls. I close this letter with much love from all of us three[.]
With seasonal greetings.
Yours lovingly,
M. I. Ting.
P. S. Thru a friend I am sending you a blue apron dress and three towels. Towels are from Abby and Mary Jean. Three are for Miss Purington, three for Miss Greene, and three for Miss Griffith. This friend is Mrs. P. C. Chang of Honolulu and she will mail my package to Dr. Rhoda P. Farquharson, 16550 Burgess Avenue, Redford, Michigan. Dr. Farquharson will mail your share to you with those of three ladies. Kidnly [sic] give them their share with my best love[.]
November 21, 1933.
Three orphan girls who I took from a home a few years ago.
They have finished their nursing courses and are now head nurses in our ward.