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“...XV1.
Childhood. 1856 - 1872
Girlhood. 1872 - 1877
Obeying the Call. 1877 - 1878
Life in Hongkong. 1878 - 1880
Engagement and Marriage. 1880 - 1882
life in Hankow. 1882 ~ 1887.
First Furlough. 1887 - 1888
Opening of the Hess for Eurasian Girls .1888-1892
New Reeruits and Bereavements. 1892 - 1899.
Wuchang and the Boxer Movement.1899 - 1900
Work in Wuchang. 1900 - 1911
The Revolution. 1911.
Last Years in Wuchang. 1911 - 1918.
Life in Kuling. 1918 - 1922.
Lonely Furlough and Return to China.1922-1923
Women's Bible School and Retirement .1923-1936.
rate ih ae...”
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“...prayers? The ladies asked if she would be willing to go te
indie. Amy sald for herself she was willing te go anywhere,
but as her mother hed lest two brothers in Indie she thought
&t would be better for her te go China, or eleewhere, if the
need was as great. They then asked whether she had not
miter atuty wedicine, bub Awy felt no gift in that direction
eat all, and ag they expleined they only suggested this Because
ehe was ao young, ¢he said she would yather prepare in some
other way, and 1t was decided that she should attend the Gone
: , She could live with the Chairs
iy i jardiaw, and go into town every day by the Under- :
vein tales Bus the next tera did not begin til) January, —
and this seamed to Auy a long time to walt.
However, it belng decide thet she wes to go to China
Ee ee Belle wae half...”
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Page 24
“...becone Government Inspector
of Schoole; he had six children and a miseionary's salary
wae hardly enough to live on. He kept on very friendly
terma with all, end ocessionally persuaded some to accompany
him on hie trip round the I¢land to inspect the village
echools, In the schools opened by the Britioh Goverment
they ueed & terles of reading books which the children had
not only to resd but to explain and write from dictation.
Thie was the beginning of the revolution of teaching through~
out China. The teaching of arithmetic and geography was alee
introduced into some of these sohoole. Before thie small
pupile in Shine only learnt by rote and traced copies. The
(22)...”
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“...obvious why he
wished to come. Amy wrote doubtfully, but he came, and
during hie visit they became engaged.
Amy carefully wrote out the pros and cons, and came
to the conclusion that she would be able to do just ae much,
and better work, if she married one whom she could not help
loving, than by ataying on when she was no Longer heart-whole.
She aleo thought 1t might be her sad lot to disappoint other
men if they would fail in love with her on such short notice,
and the need for workers in Central China was even grenter
then in Homgkong,,.ac she promised to marry Arnold Foster,
only stipulating that she must not go for some time, a8 Mise |
Rowe wae just going on furlough. She kindly said that she
would only stay away a year 60 that the engagement might not
be unduly prolonged, Mr. Foster wae 35 already and did not /
want to wait longer than was necessary.
In anawer to the letter which Kr. Foster wrote at
(27)...”
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Page 36
“...CHAPTER Vi.
The very dey after their arrival wre. Griffith John
Left for home. She had been 111 for: some time and had to
go home for an operation. There was only one other L.M.5.
lady in Hankow, Mre. Wawbey; she could not speak SChinage
having been most of the missionary life in India, and she
died that Autuan. In “uchang there was lira. Bryson, but she
wont home at the New Year, ao Amy wae left with all the work
of the Society mong wonen and girle in Central China on her
hande. She wae very thankful @he bad not delayed her coming,
and felt @he had indeed been guided arignt.
It was a good thing that she had studied the new
dinlect for some months, but she atiil had to epend most of
her time in studying, as Cantonese wae like a different
language, and it was not understood at all by the people in
Hankow. -
Yer marriage was ideally happy, but Mr.Poater was
very busy and she was left a good deal slone. He had given
up the chaplaincy on his marriage, for he could not keep a
wife on fifty...”
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Page 38
“...religion, with the result that in that family there wea no
A religion at all.
There wat ® G6mall day~school for girls in connection
with the Mission; Amy Degan at once going to this; the teacher
wae the firet woman to be baptized in Central China, a very
good Christianrbut not particularly well educated. There
was a Biblewoman too with whom Amy visited sometimes, she
very soon began going to the hospital to talk to the women
out-patients, at first she had to listen to the Biblewomen but
che soon began to talk herself end found this = much better
way of reaching the women than vieiting in their homes.
Men, women and children all attended the Sunday School.
An old deacon, ® wesherman, taught the clase of women. Amy
joined this clase at first ae a listener, but es soon ae her
knowledge of the language ennbled her to teach she took over
the clase and taught it all the yenrs she was in Hankow. |
In Decamber there were two new reoruite to the Mission +
kr.Gonsey and Dr. Giilison. The...”
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Page 41
“...verandsh, It was a delightful place in swaer but in winter
it wee barnlike and bitterly cold. They had not been in the
house very long before they were glad they hed a spare room.
A party of missionarics for the C Isle had Just arrived on
their way Westy; there war trouble then in Sxehuan and the
Consul refused to give thes pessporte; with them was a lady «
Mise Green ~ who hed come out to start wrk for the Friends!
Foreign Missionary Society in China, irs. Poster invited her
to stay with them and she began her study of the language.
Ae months passed on ami there seemed no immediate prespest
of her getting to Sechuan she began work in Henkew, opening a
little dispensery in a village at the other emi of the conces~ _
sion fron Dr, Gillison's hospital and sending al serious eases
on to hime She had had some medieal training and was glad to
open up 2 new district to Mieaion work. Shale in Hankow hex
views as to the sseranents changed, she was baptised, believ-
ing it her duty to obey her...”
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Page 42
“...children's paper, and thet meant
writing a1] the articles herself every month in Chinese.
When Mrs.» dohn came back from home she took over the day~
school ond the hospital tala, Mere. Foster at firet felt
> keenly, but she set to work In other ways.
She wished to open another school, but there wre no trained
teachers, so she started a daliy clase at her own house for
ining women to be teschers or Ciblewauen. Sot sany of
they barnt to read their Sibles and were probably the first
women in Central China to be able to knét. Sone of them
became very earnest Christians. One + Mrs. Lee + was
decidedly original character, her son was @ colperteur in a
distent province anid she much wanted him te come home, One
Gay she #044 "I think he will come now for I have written to
tell him I am dead, and that he mst como to the funeral?
(ho)...”
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“...good bey, I want to be a Christian too." ‘The hospitel cook
wan fond of the lsd and invited him to Lve with him so thet
he might attend the Mission dey~¢chool. Ue did ao for some
years, and thet is how he came to be in Mre.Pomterta Sible
Class. After @ time the dector took him into the Hospital to
train as an assistant, and afterwerds into the Medics School.
After qualifying av @ doctor he id good work in L.!.S.hospitals,
and when the Chinese Government ordered that the Principals of
schools in China must be Chimese, it wae the daughter of thie.
Or» Chou that was felt to be best fitted to take charge of the
girla' boerding-sehool that had been started by Mrs .Vostor.
im 1885 ure, Jonn died and ira. Foster's hande were very |
ald of wort. |...”
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Page 49
“...come to tale ber home. lr» Foster wae going on to London, 48
nis home was at Bleackheat:, else he wished to deliver up the
children to tire. Waterbury, who had already arrived there. She
was better ent able to take the children agein herself. |
ardly walt for the next dey to see her mother
Brhatol at two ofelock in the morning
it seemed & emall fawily after whet it had been before
she went to China, os two of the sisters were umrried, but a
heer was living there, end Grace's
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drive Polly's remarking that if Pally would not go the wey ahe |
wanted her to she should let her go ker own ways it was e1) - |
delightful wherever they went. The old seenes wore so dear,
the downs very beautiful, and Folly alwaya got howe at last
all right. |
After a few days Mr. Foster osme anf was weloomed quite
into the featiy at once. chen they went off together to stay
with his relations + it was quite Giffioult te see them 22 |...”
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Page 52
“...GHRAPTER Vili.
Ae oes TA EH AER OND AN REY AO enh ae irs Vom tN “Uh AIRY RE CR can SS
Opening of the Home for Buraesian Girlie. 1888-1892.
Mise Green got slowly somewhat better and was able
to take & great interest in a plan which Mr. @ Mre. Foster had
for opening & home for Burssian girls, At that time there
wae only one Protestant sohool in China that would take them
and it was very Small and not particularly well managed.
The original idea wae to have a geparate house, and matron,
expecting to take a good number, but there were not many applica~ |
tions, and Mr. and Mre. Foster decided to begin et any rate,
in their own home and teach them with the English children who
game every morning. They began with three fatherless girle
in January 1889; = fow daye later another girl came, and by
April they had eix children living in the house. By slightly
altering partitions and giving up their own bright bedroom to
the girls and enclosing verandahs, they were all accommodated
comfortably...”
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“...ahe started back to Chine. Ghe felt very much not being with
her husband to comfort him when he cot the news by cable, but
she knew he would be glad she was eble to go to the funeral,
and to tell him on her arrival home all she could about hie
dear mother's last days.
Though #ehe benefitted much by the voyage and change
of air, and got good advice from throat upeciartete, yet her
voice did not return sufficiently for her to speak at any
meetings while at home.
While Mro. Foster was away from China there hed been
several riote; a Weeleysn missionary and a young man in the
Customs were murdered at Wuseueh, ® place not far from Henkow,
and the whole country seemed seething with unrest. But though
there were seares in Hankow there was no real trouble.
Mre. Foster was glad to be back in time to provide
the Christmas Tree, and also the usual treat for the Chinese
school children. This was in January, just before their New
Year. Friende from home sent doll#, serap-books and work-
bags. About...”
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“...Worship Song -
eo such that after their return to China they got it introduced
into the Church at Kuling instesd of Sankey's collection, which
bed been used there pt eviously.
Part of the time Mr. Foster spent in ® nursing-hone,
where he underwent an operstion. He was much touched by the
kindness of the doctor, who refused to take any fee from him.
‘When the girls’ holideys came Kr. Foster took lodgings by the
sea that the children might heve happy memories of the seneide.
Hearing thet some migsionsries' children had not been invited
anywhere these holidays they aeked them to join their little
party ~two girls with their brother, and @ friend of his, with
the two girle from China, made a merry party at Pokesdown, near
Bournemouth. 7
The second summer Mr. Foster was acting pastor at
Abingdon; Hre. Poster's mother stayed with them for a little
there. The school girle enjoyed walke by the Thames; Mre.
Foster gave o. weekly talk about China every Sunday afternoon
while they were at Abingdon...”
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“...Peake, a new man for the L.M.8.
among the number. They got back in March but hed hardly
settied down in Hankow when they were asked to move to Yuchane.
The missionary in qharge 6f thet etation ~- Mr.Cousings - had
juet resigned, and new arrangements had to be made. After
prayerful coneideration Wr.foster agreed to go; it would mean
giving up the Suresian school, but by thie tine there wae
#nother s¢ho¢l opened in Shanghai, end theirs was not so much
needed. The two girls who had been left in China returned
to them, but they could take four girls into their new home
end Mr.Poster was very glad to have ® work of hie own at last.
Up to thie time, though he had bad nearly thirty yenre in
Chink he had been practically curate to Dr.John, and in ¢ome
ways they looked at things differently, eo he tas glad to have
a free hand et ®uchang. There wee » desire, too, in the
Wiesion, that a boarding school for girls should be opened,
and Mra. Foster wns pleased at the thought of opening one in
Wuchang...”
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“...school opened half were sent by
missionaries, who peid for them, and even these would bind
their feet on the @ly. So the first term was not very enecourag-
ing. |
During the @pring Mre. Toaster wae far from well and
as ire. Uavengert had gone to Kuling in June she went to @pend
a few days with her. Before she was really well herself she
went to nuree irs, Gilligon, who had run up a high temperature
while her baby was only a few days old. “hile there reports
of disturbances in different parts of China reached them.
The Boxers bad begun their wicked work, and there was quite a
scare at Kuling. Remembering the meesacre of 0.1.3. mission-—
aries a few years before this at their hili resort, Mra.
Foster persuaded Dr .Gillison not to mowe his wife while @he
hed fever, and stayed with then till she wes better, then she
returned to Yuohang, very glad to ve back and to be able to
put ino few more weeke st the school before closing for the
summer holidsys. |
Some monthe before thie Dr.Ruth Hassey had...”
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“...Cheng Taz Tung, would protect foreigners. The old Umpress
had sent him her edict commanding that all foreigners should
be killed, and the Soxers made this inolude all Shristians.
So it wae with heavy hearte that so many miselonaries sailed
eff to Japan not knowing whet news would before long reach
them there.
At Kobe sume kind American missionaries came on Board
to invite 211 missionaries from China to go with them to Kobe.
College, which during the vacation had been turned into a |
bon rding-house and was filling up fast with refugees. Mre.
Poster took her girle there to tiffin, but finding that it
was poesible to get to Arime that same day by train left to
secure accommodation for herself and the three girls. They
none of them knew any Japanese, and just ss the train was
atarting the kind lady who had seen them off called through
the window, “Mind you change at the Junetion" but it was hard
to oatch the unfamiliar name of the station, and it was a
relief to recognise the name when they...”
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Page 75
“...a Little Psalter, marking all the paseages
that spoke of the Lord as reigning. It was the one comfort
to know that He was over all and thet nothing could be done
without His knowing eli about it.
In August news came of the relief of Peking, and
hopes revived of getting back before very long to China. But
for her anxiety i¢ would have been 1 pleasant holiday, as
Mre. Foster hed never been in Japan before, and there was much
thet wee very interesting, but she was unspeakably thankful
when & telegram came saying she might return to Yuchang. Mr.
Foster had already written to assy if she could arrange to
leave the eldest girl in Japan it would be wise to do so, as
things were still unsettled in China. So one wee left in a
missionsry'a family, and the other two went with Mra.Poater,
reaching Hankow on October jrd, the firet of many refugees to
return there from Japan.
(73)...”
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Page 77
“...dysentery, just
as they were all congratulating themselves that they were able
to go on with their work and not leave for Kuling, a8 30 Many
in Hankow had already done. It was very hot, and about ®
week after the dilnese began Mra. MoAll passed away. “hile
she lay very 111 end weak Mrs. Foater or Dr.jassey sat with
her much of the time, repenting the hymns she loved so well,
She had often gone to sing to the patients in the women's
hospitel before her illness, and though only a short time in
China she was much beloved by foreigners and Chinese alike.
After her death it was thought well that the others
ahould go to Kuling without delay. Mr. Poster took them up,
but would only stay a few days himeelf, going back into the
heat to work, returning to Kuling just in time to fetoh the
others down at the beginning of September.
After that each summer Mre.Foster went to Kuling
at the beginning of July. She found the heat inoreasingly
trying and could not #leep as soon as the nights were hot.
At...”
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Page 83
“...and could net walk as she then did. The same
two old servants who had been in the home before Mre.Foster
deft the first time were still there, and it was a most reet-
ful place to come to efter the long voyage.
She die not atay there #11 the time; there was the
ueaual deputetion work, the Game round in Yorkshire and Scotland
that she had been twice before. Kind friends welcomed her
again in each plece, and of course they visited Mr .Poster's
relations in different places. Before teturning to China
Mre."oeter underwent a serious operation. While she wae in
the nursing-home, waiting for it, Mr.Foster wrote her a Little
letter, “Juet a line to send you very much love and my bene~
diotion, which I hope will reach you before Nra.Sharlieb cones.
'The Lord bless thee and keep thes, the Lord make Hie face
to @hine upon thee and be gracious unto thee, the Lord lift
up the light of His countenance upon thee and give thee peace.!
You know how much you are in your beloved's thoughte and how
much...”
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Page 84
“....
>
an
was quite successful, and after it Mre.Foster was able to do
® little more deputation work before returning to China,
They took out with them Mr. Rowlands’ bride, and the wedding
took place in Shanghai on their arrival there on December ist.
While they were away they were having a new house
built in Fuchang next door to Dr,Massey's. Dr.Somerville
kindly superintended the building of it. So they were able
to move in on arrival, and leave their old house for Mr. and
Mrs. Rowlands. The garden was a wilderness, but it was very
interesting planting it out as they had previously done with
the land round their own home in Hankow. There was a back
door on to the hill on which the city wall was built, and
there in the Spring one could gether wild roses, and imagine
it was the country. It was convenient, too, to be on the
seme side of the road as the boarding school, though the girls
made a good deal of noise, and so did the patients» and nurses
in the hospital immediately below the...”
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