December 16th, 1945.My dear Miss Turner,
Your good letter dated November 28th came this morning after our church service. I could hardly realize that this war is over and that we can resume normal living again. For eight years we lived under darkness. I never really understood the meaning of the word light until this war was over. Your letter told me everything I wanted to know. All have done very well with their studies and work except Mary Jean who is probably too young to understand lifes' meaning. Mary Jean is too fond of social life to make a good thorough student. There is no easy road to success and that she does not understand. I always have thought that she would make a good nurse or a dietician. I have not heard from her personally in regard to her future plan. But that she too would take up a special training before returning. Even she should get married like her sister I want her to have a training whereby she can use it anytime if in need. I have a young girl right here in my home. She is married to a man whom she thought she could live happily with him. Before the arrival of thier [sic] baby he proved to be unfaithful to her. She is now with me as my house keeper with her three year boy. She is so young that I am urging her to take a nursing training course. She has had high school education. Mary Jean went to America little bit too young but the war made my decision. Had she remianed [sic] here it would be worse. I would write to her and see if she would wake up to her situation. Yueh Ming was the oldest of the family so was Vung Yuin. I think that we gave more time to the oldest and neglect a little as the family grows larger. Yueh Ming's father my nephew is a very good scholarly man only he never had a chance to study abroad. So was my father who stood higher than anybody of his brothers.
Eight years have gone like a bad dream. Sometime during those past years I have waited patiently for good news but nothing was available. No radio, no outside letter, no newspaper, no magazine nothing except this Japanese propaganda of thier [sic] success. Fortunately we never believed what they told us in thier [sic] newspapers. Suffering is no word for our mass in general. Thousands and millions died because Japan just willed that we should not live so they would be lords of this earth. I always remember the verse [Vengeance is mine] They have robbed us of everything thinkable of raw material and food. But Americans are making them to return thier [sic] stolen goods to us. American marines are here to help China to send back these unwanted people. They have done too many ruthless deeds that we would not want to see them for centuries to come. China does not hate Japanese people but we cannot be friends with them until they have mastered their lessons of international friendship and mutual respect. Their deeds can be compared with cannibolism. [sic] Americans say that they would treat them humanely but not tenderly. 3000 are going to Japan every day. These who are left behind would be made to repair railways and roads they have destroyed in their warfare against China. What we sew [sic] we reap. This is one hundred percent truth. Those who have been traitors are being jailed also[.] They never thought that this day would be their end result. All gardames would be retained as war criminals for they killed too many of our innocent students.
There are many American marines in town. We have been busy entertaining them with good wholesome games or sports. They drink too much for thierown [sic] good. Indeed I am a missionary to these boys. Y. W. C. A. Y. M C. A. and Christian Council all do thier [sic] best to entertain them. But some boys would not enjoy these good things and they would go to bars, Some of these boys are college men and we often invite them to our different homes. We help them to get good things for thier [sic] wives and babies. They are very nice too giving us much reading material which we like very much I have not sen [sic] Readrs [sic] Digest since war. They brought us many magazines. They gave me some American coffee also.
China is so grateful to America for her military aid to us. Communists are giving trouble to us but the largest majority are with Central Government. The smallest minority belong to communism. We hope that America would remain firm in her policy to support our central government the government of 80 per cent of our people.
Ofcourse [sic] after the war we are poor like most people. We are suffering inflation. Our money is of no value. The cost of living is very high in comparison to prewar time. Shortage of food is being relieved by arrival of American flour the other day. Sugar, oil, rice are considered now as luxuries of life. Cloth is selling ten hundred dollars for one foot. I do not need material things but I do need medical journals. I have not been able to get any medical journal until this month when I got to know Marine doctors. I read about Pencillin [sic] and Sulfadiazine.
It would be sometime before I would be able to take any trip abroad. But anyway I feel that I have done my best to have my nephews and nieces educated during thes [sic] very difficult years. For China it would take quite a few years to have our colleges in workable condition. Every thing was destroyed By [sic] Japanese military people. Good books all burned to ahses [sic] by them. China is suffering cultural hunger. We were not allowed to have any English reading material so you can imagine what a plight our libraries are in.
When I have time I would write again. Kindly remember me to Miss Purington, Miss Greene, Miss Griffith and I would write to President Woolleye [sic] soon. I was indeed sorry to hear of the shock which made her so helpless. With much love.
Yours lovingly,
Me-iung Ting.