Peiyang Women's Hospital, Tientsin, China.My dear Miss Turner;
Your letter came last night. I want to thank you for your tender thought of my niece as well asof [sic] myself. I think that my niece is a lovable girl. She is not so robust in her health as her aunt. But her four years of college life will do that for her. Her mother's going is a great sorrow to her youthful life. She does not say much but I have noticed her sad mood. Among her song pieces I noticed that she sings these pieces - "The Prisoner's Song, Are You Lonesome Tonight?, Romano, Silver Threads Among the Gold etc" She is the oldest of eight and she is feeling her responsibility. Her three sisters are also bright but poor in health. In fact all my brother's children are poor in health and mentally alert. My niece is here at hospital to have her tonsils out. Her oldest brother is here also - that is the second one of the eight. So I have a large family. Soon I would send these two to beach also. The other three have been at beach since June the first. They are gaining color and weight. My compensations are many for they are lovable and bright children. Yes, I was taking care of two other motherless children. They are now back at theirown [sic] homes. They are very robust and happy with their fathers and step-mothers. I still take an active interest in their education. Of one I have started her in music lessons she plays well for a child of seven. You know I am very fond of music altho. I never had a chance to take lessons. This is another reason that I am encouraging my niece in her piano lesson. I think it is so nice to be able to amuse youslef [sic] with mysic [sic] after a tired day. So far as her mental capacity is concerned I really need not pay much attention to her. She is by nature a student. I am concerned in building up her health so she would be able to carry her work in future. After all life of a busy doctor is a very strneous [sic] one.
I was glad to know that you are again at Marine Biological Laboratory to do research work on circulation of young women. P. U. M. C. is carrying on many physiological problems at their laboratory. Dr. T. G. Nee would be glad to furnish and exchnage [sic] scientific data on certain physiological experiments with you. Our government now is giving all possibilities for young students to enter scientific training. In magazines published by our government she is telling our people the relation between science and modern civilization. The Department of Helath has now a laboratory for people of Tientsin. Hospitals can send in anything for test. We are very happy for this privilege. Many women are going into laboratory work. Ten years ago a woman chemist would be considered as a rare specimen. Now all our universities are opened to our women. The next graduating class at P. U. M. C. consists of seventeen and seven are women. Our school of Railway Administration at Peking has also opened to women recently. China is an old country because she has a history of five thousand years. She is also a young country for it is only a matter of two decades that she is anxious to have civilization of the West disregard of cost or energy. You have no idea of the wide range of literature that is being read among our students. This is an interesting as well as a dangerous period for our students. Our students are seeing so much of new that they do not appreciate anything of our old civilization.
I do hope that you would give youself sometimes to play before resuming fall work. When I get to Michigan I would write to you of my plan for the year. There are so many invitations already and the year would go too fast than I desire.
With much love.
Yours lovingly,
Me-iung Ting.July 19th, 1929.