[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]
Peiyang Women's Hospital
Tientsin, China.January 12th, 1935.
My dear Miss Turner:
Just now I am waiting for patients between periods so I would utilize this time to write to you. I want to thank you for your book to me and that book to my girls. The game will be played in summer time when they go to beach. We live in an apartment and the house is very small. The book on nutrition is very good for there are some chapters which are very useful to my work. These are chapters for pregnant mothers. We are teaching a course at Nankai University and this book is very timely for our use for students.
We had a very happy day on Christmas. Mary Jean and Abby invited ten of their girl friends to their party. They planned their games. Everything went on well. I was happy that they made the decoration for the room also. Mary Jean is very clever with her hands. She is way ahead of her age in many things. Abby did her part this time. As usual she can only follow her sister Mary Jean's plan. I am getting worried over Abby's poor muscular coordination for she cannot do half the things of her sister who is only one year older. Abby has a good memory but she just would not use her hands. It is only thru much effort on our part to get her to do anywriting. [sic] For piano lessons she does not like them at all. She is made to practice fifteen minutes evryday [sic] just for sake of teaching her to use her hands. Otherwise she is grwoing [sic] normally. They were so happy with the fairy story book. Soon they would have their semester vacation then they would do some writing. They siad [sic] that they would write to you then. It is great responsibility to bring them up. They have given me much comfort also.
In regard to our work this is an easy month. In winter months we are not so busy. Our government is making rapid advance in Public Health Work. Government is making financial grants to private institutions for Public Health teaching. Cheloo University was granted thirty thousand dollars this year. Our government tries to do much for her people now. A course of military nursing has been started in all high schools for girls. We are teaching one course at Nankai. Military training for boys will start the first of April. All schools are subject to government regulations. All public schools must have standard test books and all students must pass government examinations for promotion. Education is being made very democratic for rich and poor are treated alike. Many students of well to do families were denied college education for they did not pass their examinations set by our government. My nephew is having his examinations these days for he cannot enter college without government certificate.
Another striking progress is paving of public roads. When I first came to Tientsin our streets were something terrible. But now we have good roads for automobiles. The New Life Movement is making headway among government officials. After all General Chinag has done much for our government and our people. He has given out very strict laws to suppress opium. Every city has opened up special hospital for addicts. The alw [sic] is very strict for the penalty of using opium is death. A number of officials were found gilty [sic] of smuggling opium and tey had to pay their penalty with death. We are with General Chinag in this respect for we must get rid of this degenrating [sic] drug.
I forgot to explan [sic] to you a little about this new life movement. It consists of honest simple living. It is really like the life of early Puritans. Chinese officials need these regulations more than we people for they were the ones who have lived lives of lust. It is harder for people with pull to get into government positions for now they have to pass certain examinations. Every organization is asking for experts rather than pepole with pulls. In other words we want people of training. These are all good signs for China. By no means are we going to perfection but we are making some advances. Officials cannot line pockets with gold so easily as former years for now we have counter checks for them. The penalty for using public fund is heavy also.
Another sign which I am noticing is that rich people are giving more to public institutions. A well to do merchant gave an auditorium to Nankai High School with a seating capacity for two thousand students in memory of his father. Such gift was unknown twenty years ago. Bankers are making loans to farmers on small interest plan. In former years banks have thier [sic] institutions in cities but now they are having branches in country districts and villages for farmers.
The last triumph is that we people have a voice in government affairs. Government is getting ad herent [sic] to public opinion. We must have patinece [sic] and endurance to put our country on a solid foundation. Our cconstruction [sic] is slow but we must build our foundation solid. Students today are more serious than few years ago. They are doing real studies. Now they are not allowed to interfere with political affairs which is the most beneficial thing for students.. [sic] In Japan and China students are banned from entering dancing halls. I am in favor of this law. Indeed this is our time for constructive work and not time for soft living.
Barbara Yen [MHC 1938] has written me that she is enjoying her college life. Miss Griffith is her frehsman [sic] English teacher also. But one thing she noticed that American girls smoke too much. Ofcourse [sic] this is also banned among our students men or women. Probably some of our students smoke in thier [sic] rooms but I have never seen smoking on campus. The general suffering condtion [sic] has made our students today serious for their studies. The curriculum is getting stricter everyday. Every college is giving special consideration for scientific teaching_ that is our government is giving special grant to this branch.
In recent years we have made rapid advance in athletics. When I first came to Tientsin thirteen years ago. There was not one skating ground. North China is very cold and we have many good days for skating. But now almost every mile there is a public skating ground for people. Our students are getting bigger and taller. They are much stronger today than ten years ago. In recent years our mothers also take better care of their children also. Milk is being added in our children's diet.
At last my baby record book is finished. I am sending you a copy just to show you my ideas for a record book for baby. The little book is good until the child is six years old. The idea is a borrowed [one] from such a book I saw in America. But I have adapted to our usage. Chinese mothers are taking better care of our babies today and they are anxious for such record books. From these pictures you would be able to tell what different pages are for. My Chinese secretary drew those pictures according to sketches I gave him. I have given him the copyright for printing of this record book so he could make little extra money at this time of business depression. The net cost is thirty five cents per copy and he is selling for fifty cents per copy at hospital and sixty cents per copy at stores. These books are selling slowly and steadily. It takes little time to get this idea circulated among mothers.
Then are you going to Moscow? I noticed in our papers that a number of prizes are going to be given at the coming Physiological Conference for outstanding papers. There are two institutions here in China that are doing work in Physiology and Biochemistry _ are Lester Institute of Shanghai and Peiping Union Medical College. I think that some of our physiologists may attend this confernce. [sic] Just now China is very anxious to know more of Russia andabout [sic] Russia. A number of our professors are studying in Russia this year. I wish that you can attend this coming conference. Ofcourse [sic] I wish more if you can visit us at the same time.
Just now the girls are having thier [sic] semester examinations other wise they would write to you also to thank you for your gifts. I close this letter with many happy wishes for you for year 1935.
Yours lovingly.
Me-iung Ting