On Train.
November 8th, 1926.My dear Miss Turner;
Now I am on my way to Shanghai and I would use this good time to talk to you. Life now is a very busy one for me. Somehow or the other I do not get things done as before.
You have no idea how happy were we to see Miss Purungton [sic] and Miss Greene. They were good to us in staying at Tientsin five days. Tientsin is a seaport and really there is nothing historical too [sic] see. We did enjoy our time with them. How I wished that you were a member of this party also. You must pay a visit to China while she is going thru this transitional period. After a decade or two I am afraid that soem [sic] of our historical places would be in ruins as our government is not paying attention to preserve them. For this letter I would refrain in talking about political situation. I want to know if you did get my last letter. It did my soul good to see some good friends from America at this trying period. During their short stay with us I think Miss Purington did understand what a period we are going thru. I took her to see a part of my work as we did not have time to see everything I wanted her to see. We visited some homes because she would not have a chance to visit some common everyday folks. Both Miss Purington and Miss Greene were good sports in going about. They both looked little bit flesher than when I was at college. When they come home they would be able to tell you their impression of China and her young generation. They are going very fast so some of their days would be too full to make mental pictures. I am looking forward to the year when I could get off for a year of study and rest. Most my friends are impressed with the fact that Miss Purington and Miss Greene devoted so many years to educational work. I cannot think of one Chinese woman who has devoted so many years to one institution. This is an inspiration to we Chinese women who are in our different types of work.
Our work is growing altho. slowly. This is the first year that we are devoting a portion of our time to health work among students.
We have under our care now five schools. There are about one thousand girls in these five schools. We are trying to teach health methods to these girls. Most of them will be mothers someday and in turn they would teach their children methods of right living. It is most heart-aching to see patients in our morning clinics who are damaged for life and wo are beyond human repairs. The beginning is very small and we hope to get school authority to cooperate with us. We are in need much of a dentist who would associate her work with our hospital. My niece has changed her mind to take up dentistry. After the death of my father many changes would take place at my home. We still belong to the old type of Chinese home. Ofcourse [sic] I have cut myself from such a tie long time ago so I have my independence. But as a social unit of society I still have to abide by certain conventionalities. Now I am going to Shanghai for my father's funeral. According to Chinese custom the coffin must be stationed at home at least one hundred days before taking away. My father's sudden going was sad to me but I am in suffering because of their ignorance of modern thinking and ideas. To keep myself being called a radical I just keep queit [sic] my thoughts. You have no idea of unnecessary expenditure we spend for a funeral. China is in extreme poperty [sic] but her old genration [sic] cannot see ways of getting out of this poverty. We are extremely extravagant in our modes of social life and we are extremely economical in our real living. The common [sic] people do not live but exist. They work so hard for their three meals. Here in North people can afford only two meals a day. One often gets so dis heartened [sic] in thinking of varies [sic] problems and hopelessness of solving every one of them. The bright side of our national life is that many of this younger genration [sic] are devoting their energy to alleviate some of these conditions.
Your letter from England was carefully read. When we study carefully every country has something to contribute to the good of mankind. It seems to me that America is more progressive in science than European countries[.] I noticed this particualrly [sic] among doctors who are trained in England and America and their differences. For welfare work among babies I think that America is also more progressive than England. We get medical journals from England also. America is paying attntion [sic] to health of her people more than other countries also. This is especially shown in her work among children. For study of English literature I think England is the place to go.
This would be just a flying trip for I would try to get back to Tientsin this coming Friday. Miss Purington would be at Shanghai also. But I would be so busy with myown [sic] affairs that I would not have the time to take her around at all. I shall telephone to the principal of McTyeire School to invite Miss Purington and Miss Greene over to spend the day at our school. This school is outside of busy section of Shanghai and has a big compound. The dormotory [sic] is fixed more like a dormitory in America and our girls are from well-to-do homes from all over China. The comparison between this school and other mission schools would be interesting.
This train jerks rather badly at times and I am afraid that my thought has been interrupted at times. A poor letter is better than a card. As soon as I get back to Tientsin I would mail you one of my biannual reports. With much love for the present and Miss Purington will soon bring you my personal love.
Yours lovingly,
M. I. Ting.November 8th, 1926.