[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]
Peiyang Woman's Hospital
Tientsin, China.My dear Miss Turner;
I am now actually back at Tientsin and am busy with my hospital work again. This is 17th of February and I have been back already a month. After sixteen months of absence one feels good to get back to work.
Before I tell you anything else about my personal affairs I want to tell you about the trip from Copenhagen to Tientsin. The cost would be two hundred fifty dollars and the time would be about two weeks. My friend Mrs. Viola Fischer has just taken the trip back from Berlin to Tientsin Via [sic] Warsaw. She told me that it was an easy trip. Shetook [sic] tea, coffee, biscuits, butter and canned fruits on way. The return trip from Tientsin to San Francisco by way of Japan would be twn [sic] hundred fifty dollars. Just now exchange is very favorable for you to take a trip to China. An American dollar is worth four dollars and fifty cents. The normal rate is one for two - that is one American dollar changes for two silver dollars. I do realize that your time is short but I think the trip would be worthwhile. I think that I can help you to make this trip interesting and profitable. We do not live luxuriously as Americans but we would be able to give you comfortable living and we would be able to take you to many places.
You must be prepared to see China in her worst days after so many years of civil war. I think that you would also be able to see that there are many hopeful signs. We want you [to] be our guest during your journey in China. There are many Mount Holyoke girls in China. I would let them know about your coming to China as soon as I hear from you about your decision. I do want you to see me in my work. I do want you to see our women in our different lines. I am sending you time tables and maps of the Europe_Asia Through Traffic. You would also find a receipt whihc [sic] I got from Mrs. Fischer which would tell you the exact amount and what place to travel first class and what place to travel second class. You can get your ticket at the American Express also. You need Visas for Poland, Russia, Japan and China. I know you have your visas for Germany. Take this trip as a sight seeing trip this time. When you have your next off year then plan to tsay [sic] with us for a year to do your research work.
You must have gotten my last letter written soon after my return to Shanghai. My niece had an easy time and she is very happy with her baby David. I was at hospital with her so she was not timid at all. Our Helen left us on Christmas morning. Indeed we miss her.
Mary Jean and Abby have been very sick also and I am happy that they are well now. They are still delicate but they are gaining little daily. My children have been at hospital for sometime. As soon as spring comes I am going to let them to go to sea-shore. You have no idea how happy was little Abby when I gave her your cup and your teaspoon. She noticed her name right away. Abby is going to be a very promising girl. She is so bright. Come and see her. You can teach her anything in Chinese or English twice she would be able to say it herself the third time. Mary Jean would not concentrate her mind at anything yet. She learns easily also. I think that Abby is going to be a real student. As they are not robust children I am not urging them too much. They have been sick a good deal during my absence thay [sic] they are spoiled children now. But I am putting them back to their old schedule gradually.
Personally I am very busy with my professional work. I feel too tired at night if I have too much to do day time. Our work has grown so much and we must have a new building soon. We have made progress both in quality and quantity of our work. Our first book is out of press and our two other books will be out soon. The community is receiving our work gratefully. Just now we are enlarging our office rooms. We can no longer accomodate our patients in our former rooms. The happiest part of our work is that we are beginning to see how people are appreciating our health work among women and children. We also have a very fine staff also. Every one is earnest and is a willing worker.
Do let me hear from you of your work and your decision. We shall be so glad to see you in China this coming summer. We have two girls who would like to go to America this coming fall. If you should come we want them to take the trip with you to America. With much love.
Yours lovingly,
Me-iung Ting.[This letter was dated with help from Evelyn Ting, Me-iung's great-niece, who researched David's birthdate in family records and discovered he was born in January of 1931.]