RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1979 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/2801w5938 242 ORDINARY LOCAL MEMBERS BRIGGS, The Hon. Sir Geoffrey, Q.C., Courts of Justice, HONG KONG. BROMFIELD, Mr. Antony Clifford, King Fung Villa, 224/225, 104 Miles, Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan, NEW TERRITORIES BROUWER, Mrs. R.P., A3 Repulse Bay Mansions, Repulse Bay, HONG KONG BROWN, Mr. Edward de R., Flat 2IB, 19 Braemar Hill Road, North Point, HONG KONG. BROWN, Dr. H.O., School of Education, University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG. BURNS, Dr. John P., Dept. of Political Science, University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG. BUTLER, Miss B.A., Public Services Commission, Room 573, Central Government Offices, 5/F, HONG KONG. CAMERON, Mr. Nigel, 1ID Venice Court, 41D Conduit Road, HONG KONG. CAMPBELL, Mr. M.C., Oxford University Press, 5/F News Building, 633 King's Road, HONG KONG. CANTERS, Mr. Rene, c/o The Belgian Bank, P.O. Box 27, HONG KONG. CARDENZANA, Mr. John, Hill & Knowlton Asia Ltd., 1401 World Trade Centre, H.K., P.O Box 5389, HONG KONG. CAREY-HUGHES, Dr. John, Room 315, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Bldg., HONG KONG. CATT, Miss Pauline, Dept. of Geography & Geology, University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG. CAVAYE, Mr. Peter K., 8 Aigburth Hall, 9 May Road, HONG KONG. CENTRE OF ASIAN STUDIES, The Director, University of Hong Kong, HONG KONG. CHAN, Mrs. Amy, H.K. Tourist Association, Connaught Centre, 35/F, HONG KONG. CHAN, Mr. Sui-Jeung, U.S.D. Kowloon H.Q., 148 Sai Yee Street, KOWLOON. CHAN, Mrs. Teresa, H.K. Tourist Association, Connaught Centre, 35/F, HONG KONG CHANWAI, Dr. D.J.L., 203 D'Aguilar Place, 7 D'Aguilar Street, HONG KONG. CHAPMAN, Mr. V.F.D., c/o Wong Tai Sin Police Station, KOWLOON. CHEN, Mr. S.H., 79 King's Road, 4/F, HONG KONG. CHESTERMAN, Miss Merlyn, 24D Peak Road, 1/F, Cheung Chau, HONG KONG. CHEUNG, Mr. Oswald, 703 Prince's Building, HONG KONG. CHIAO, Dr. Chien, Residence No. 8, Flat 1A, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NEW TERRITORIES CHILVERS, Mrs. Anna E.S., 3 Mount Nicholson Road, 1/F, HONG KONG. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1981 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/ff36bt18m CHAN, Mrs Amy CHAN, Mr Sui-Jeung CHAN, Mrs Teresa CHAPMAN, Mr V.F.D. CHAU, Mr David H.S. CHEETHAM, Mrs J.A. CHEN, Mr S.H. CHERN, Dr K.S. CHEUNG, Mr Oswald CHIAO, Dr Chien CHILVERS, Mrs Anna E.S. CHISM, Mr Michael CHIU, Mrs Carol C. CHRISTOFIS, Mr P. CHRISTOFIS, Mrs L.E.R. CHU, Mr Lee CHUA, Miss Fi Lan CLARKE, Mrs Judith CLIMAS, Mr D. John COCHRANE, Mrs Valerie COLLINS, Mr Alan J. COOPER, Mr Roy COURTAULD, Mrs Caroline CRABBE, Mr Peter I. CRAIG, Mrs Peggy CRISSWELL, Dr Coline N. CROSS, Mr Niels T. CUMINE, Mr E. CUNNINGHAM, Miss Margaret DAVIES, Mrs L.R. DAVIES, Mrs Mona DAVIES, Mr S.N.G. DAVIS, Mr Donald V. DAWE, Mr Jock DAWSON, Prof. John L.M. DE BURE, Mrs Ursula DEPTFORD, Mr David DER, The Rev. E.B. DIAMOND, Mr A.I. DOLFIN, Mr John III DRAKEFORD, Mr Louis S. DYER, Mrs C.E. ECCLES, Mr Jeremy R. ELSOM, Mr Graham J.B. EVANS, Mr Clive Joseph EVANS, Prof. Daffydd M.E. FABRY, Mr R.G. FABRY, Mrs R.G. FAN, Mr Jack F.S. FAURE, Dr David FERGUSON, Mrs Carolynn L. FITZPATRICK, Mr J. FORBES, Miss Janet E. FORSYTH, Mr A.H. FORSYTH, James J. GAILEY, Mr H.G. GAILEY, Mrs Norah GAMLEN, Mr Richard GARCIA, The Hon. Mr Justice GARRETT Mrs Valery M. GATELY, Major Charles GHOSE, Mrs Rajeshwari GIBB, Mr Hugh GIBBONS, Mr John P. GOLDSTEIN, Mr A.L. GRANT, Prof. Charles J. GRAY, Mr Peter H. GRIFFITH, Mr Rodney O. GROVES, Prof. Murray C. GUILLAUME, Baron P. de HAFFNER, Mr Christopher HAHN, Mr Werner HAIGH, Mr D.F. HALL, Mr Christopher H. HALLIDAY, Mr Peter E. HALPERIN, Mr David R. HAMER-HUNT, Mr & Mrs H.D. HAMILTON, Mr Alexander HAMMOND, Mrs Jennifer Ho, Dr & Mrs Hung Chiu HOCHSTADTER, Dr Walter HODGE, Prof. Peter HODGES, Mr Ronald HODGES, Mrs Sylvia HODGKISS, Dr. I. John HOLLEDGE, Mr Simon HOLMES, Miss Jeanette E. HORSTMANN, Mrs Charlotte HOTUNG, Mr Eric E. HUGHES, Ms. Anne HUNT, Mrs Jillian M.C. HYSLOP, Mr John S. JEFFERY, Mr Malcolm J. JOHNSON, Mr & Mrs P.K. JONES, Mr Gordon W.E. KEMP, Dr Derek R. KHAN, Dr Latiffa KHAN, Miss Sherifa 213 ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1985 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/gt54s866x 153 1983, the others are alive and well in Philadelphia. Helen is the mother of Harry V. Ryder Jr., whose foray into the attic had led to the discovery of these letters from Edith Rowe. Nothing is known about the Rowe family. Since they were able to send their daughter to a private school that involved payment of fees, the parents must have been at least comfortable. In her letters to Louese, Edith had not mentioned any brother or sister, but it was clear that she had carried on a regular correspondence with her mother. Edith's mother had enjoyed seeing the drawings that were scattered throughout her daughter's letters, much like travellers today sending home photographs they took. Explaining the reason for sending Louese the drawings, Edith wrote, In lieu of a camera I tried to make these (drawings) pretty often in Mother's letters. They are very roughly done but they amuse Mother and so I venture to inflict them on my friends once in a while.* 5 Very little is known about Edith herself, except what can be gleaned from her letters. She had a teacher referred to in these letters as Miss Amy, and friends one of whom was named Florence. The fact that Edith had arrived in China in 1902 has been established by scanning missionary records. Louese was thirty-seven in 1909, therefore must have been born in or around 1872. As her classmate and contemporary, Edith must have been about the same age. This means that in 1902 Edith would be thirty. Being thirty and unmarried at that time probably had influenced her decision to become a missionary in China. American women of Edith's educational and social background in 1900 were following the same kind of spirit of service that had led Jane Addams a decade or so earlier to found Hull House, a settlement house in the slums of Chicago. Whereas women at home were also championing such radical causes as the right to vote and abolition of alcoholic drinking, the more conservative ones, like Edith Rowe, were going abroad as ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1985 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/gt54s866x 162 WEI PEH T'I but it's more to get the tea and sweets which we provide. We began by giving each one cakes, nuts and sweets and tea, but the people came in such crowds and the things disappeared so rapidly we had to dwindle the giving down till it was tea and nothing more. 37 Even on such seemingly social occasions, finding so many people under the same roof, the missionaries behaved true to form. They preached. Mrs. Malcolm has been better able to preach to them today, for there have not been so many and consequently more ready to stay awhile. Yesterday at one time we each had a room full and both talked at once. 38 Both women missionaries held classes for the children. There were Sunday School classes, but on weekdays too since children in Taiho did not attend regular schools at the beginning of the twentieth century. Workers of the China Inland Mission concentrated on Biblical knowledge rather than a general curriculum, so Edith was teaching the children reading using stories from the Bible as texts. She did not appear to have liked the Chinese children as she repeatedly dwelt on the theme that they were so dirty. In her first letter to Louese, Edith wrote about the streets of Yangchow "full of small boys looking like dirty rag dolls in their wadded clothes."** Hearing from Miss Amy that Louese had given birth to another child in 1903, Edith wrote that L · how I would like to see (your children). Little Chinese children are nice but they can't be hugged nor kissed. In the first place it would be too much of an amazement to them, and in the next some are too dirty.40 Again, describing the daughter of another missionary whom she visited, Edith told Louese that it was a pleasure to hold the eighteen month baby "after the little yellow babies and so clean, which the yellow babies are not.“' ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1985 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/gt54s866x 169 the outside as possible, and the first government is a pair of wadded for winter trousers, called k'u's, then a skirt lapped over back and front and pleated on the sides. Then a wadded or fur-lined Ningpo jacket, and over all, a qua-tsi or outer garment, which somewhat resembles a skirt. And of course Chinese shoes, embroidered on the toes. I will enclose a picture which will show you a little how I look. Would you mind passing this letter on to Miss Amy, as my time for letter writing is very limited indeed, and I do not know when I can get her letter written. Today is Chinese New Year and a general holiday. The Chinese women have been coming all day to call, as they understand they can go through the house today, and it is such a treat to them to see how the foreigner lives, and to see the foreign things. Our white beds are an endless source of comment and wonder, and they will not walk on the rugs which are in some of the rooms, but walk around them. Our simple comforts are the essence of elegance to them. Poor dear souls, and so few of them know that Jesus loves them. I am also enclosing for your little girls the first verse and chorus of "Jesus loves me" in Chinese. And on a separate paper you will find the key to it. It begins at the right-hand corner and reads right down the page. The little space in the centre indicates the lines of the verses and forms the poetry. My teacher wrote it for me and I hope it will interest your little ones to pray for the little children in China. I wish I could give you a glimpse of things as they are here. We are two days and two nights' journey from Shanghai. And when we left Shanghai our life as China women began. We came by steamer to Chinkiang, then up the canal in a native boat. I wondered why we had to have an older missionary with us when we started up the canal, because there were four of us, new ones, and we had a trusty coolie, but before we arrived at our destination I was so thankful to have someone that could speak Chinese. At one of the Chinese custom stations because we did not show ourselves we were accused of smuggling salt, and Miss ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1985 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/gt54s866x 171 so thankful for this place to get a start in it, and to learn some of the ways of the Chinese. But I start in to work in March when I go to my station, T'ai-ho, in the northern part of the Province of Anhui. I will be with Dr. and Mrs. Williams and Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm and Miss Trüdinger. I will be so glad to get started, although I cannot speak but the simplest sentences yet. My work partly will be with the children, which has already been begun in T'ai-ho. I can then write you a more interesting letter and will try to make the next one more legible. I send a great deal of love to Miss Amy. Will you also give my love to Florence and the others of our class as you see them. I trust this will find you well and the little one, if it has come. God has favored you Louese and I pray your little ones may give themselves to God as you have given them to Him, and may they be a joy to Him as they are to you, their earthly parents. Goodbye for the present Address after April Lovingly EDITH ROWE care of China Inland Mission Taiho via Wuhu Prov Anhuei China In the mean time just Shanghai, China c/o China Inland Mission, would reach me wherever I am. As I will be about a month on the journey in native boat. ================================================================================ RASHKB Journal 皇家亞洲學會香港分會學刊 | RAS-1985 https://digitalrepository.lib.hku.hk/catalog/gt54s866x 179 not to assist again in their medicine mixtures, especially if any of the ingredients are alive or have any signs of being. Miss Amy wrote me that you had had a little daughter. That is three little girls now isn't it? How I would like to see them. Little Chinese children are nice but they can't be hugged nor kissed. In the first place it would be too much of an amazement to them, and in the next some are too dirty. Please give my love to Florence when you see her and remember me kindly to your mother. Please pray for my work, it is not easy and the Native Christians need the prayers of all God's children. I do too for I have no power of my own. It is only as He works. With much love EDITH (4) Taiho, January 4, 1905 Dear Louise: The photographs came a little time before Christmas and I do thank you for them. They are little darlings and I just wish I could hug them. I have the two pictures standing on my table and it's a real pleasure to look at them. I can see a bit of you in Janet, but not in Helen. I still have a vision of you as a Syrian woman, do you remember that evening in the Baptist Church? Herbert Cushing thought it was the prettiest picture he had ever seen. You I mean. Have you ever heard anything more of Herbert? I must inquire, for after his wife's death they said he had consumption too. It is warmer these few days, we have been having some real cold weather but only one snow so far. Snow is to be dreaded in China for there are no pavements to walk on so the roads get in a ================================================================================