September 26, 1916.My dear Miss Turner:-
This is my last week at home and I want to write a letter to you before starting for Michigan. I was so glad to know that you were at Woods Hole doing the things you like and being with the friends you enjoy. How I wish I was there to help Dr. Clapp to pull weeds. I am quite a carpenter. I think I can make a simple kitchen table for her - that is if she should employ me. I was told that Mount Holyoke College is going to be opened late this fall. I am ready to work now as I have had almost four months vacation. I was away twice, three weeks at South Carolina, two weeks at Lake Geneva & one week at Chicago. The rest of my vacation was spent at St. Louis.
May be you would like to know how I did spend my vacation.
Dr. McLean and her sister went to Colorado for six weeks. Our maids had their vacation at the same time. They are an old couple, who were with us for long time. They have no home of their own now; so Dr. McLean had them, rather invited them to spend their winter and summer at our home. For six weeks I was the mistress of the house. I was preety [sic] busy washing dishes three times a day, answering telephones, and door bells, doing hundred of little things to keep a home, in good comfortable condition. I enjoyed my house work; as I never had that chance to learn in China. I remember well that my father used to scold me for entering kitchen, that was when I was a young girl.
I studied three hours a day for five days of each week. I finished that correspondence course last week. The course was called "Intermediate French." It was a major, required one hundred forty hours. My recitation papers were very satisfactory - that is what my correspondent professor said. There is another thing I learned this summer - that is swimming. I can swim a little.
I wish you were at Lake Geneva. It is such a beautiful cool place. The students' conference was held there. The Chinese delegation was small in comparison to that of Silver Bay. There were twelve Chinese girls. The conference was the largest of all, about eight hundred. How I wish you were at our Chinese council hour. Each girl was given a topic, she was to discuss it for fifteen minutes, followed by open discussion. We had such topics as these: "How Household Science can be applied in China," "Why American-educationed Chinese Students are criticized by Missionaries," "Responsibilities of Chinese Students to America." There were many other things. I was specially interested because most of these Chinese girls are from universities. All the Chinese girls in the East are in women's colleges I was elected as the secretary of our delegation. I was busy. I have not written my final report for our christian magazine yet. I expect to do that when I get to Michigan.
Our government is sending more students to America. I do not know the number. I guess two of the girls may come to Mount Holyoke. The president of Smith College wants few Chinese students to enter his college. I think two or three may go there.
While I was at Lake Geneva, I visited the Yerke's Observatory. The dome is mounted on wheels. A professor explained the working of the machine to us. I had half a year of astronomy in China. The little I had was a help to me in understanding his explanation.
I am anxious to get into my medical course. I know it is a hard course. The language is becoming more familiar to me. The studies are not so hard to me as two years ago. I also learned to understand theories rather than to memorize them. My work of last semester was far much better than the first semester. I have confidence in myself that my work will be better in each succeeding year. I will take your advice getting some one to help me to start my work if it is necessary.
I just had a letter from Mrs. Tinker (the lady who is going to have me at her home) who has sold her house unexpectedly. Now I do not know where I am going. I shall leave St. Louis this coming Saturday evening. Collegeopens on the third of October. Dr. McLean has written to Dean Von about me. He was her professor thirty years ago. While she was a student at the university, she went to visit his family real often. His children were sick and she took care of them. I am more than fortunate to be her daughter. She plans every thing for me. She will be in the East for the congress of surgeons. The Polyclinic Hospital of New York has opened for wemen [sic] interns recently. She is going to get a place for me there. It is a big hospital and she thinks it is better to apply now. I did not see as many operations as last year. She has quite a number of operations this week. We are looking for a good maid. There is no one to answer bells and do the little things. I want to stay at home to help as much as I can.
My summer of this year was different from my last one. I enjoyed every day of my vacation. The only thing I dread to think now is going to a new place. I shall be here only few more days, then I shall be in a new college. I do not know a single person there.
I shall write to you from time to time. I won't be able to write to all my friends at Mount Holyoke College, but the few whom I know well, I expect to keep in touch with them.
Will you remember me to your dear mother? I close this letter with much love for yourself.
Yours Sincerely
Me-iung Ting.4339 Delmar Boulevard
St. Louis, MO.