Anna V. Blough letter to Ida, March 1, 1917

              Ping Ting Hsien, Shansi, China
1 March 1917

My Dear Ida, -

Well Ida I have not answered your good Christmas letter yet. But These have been some strenuous weeks for me and there was no strength left for it. Have just had Edna here for an hour or so. My floor has been littered with blocks and playthings of all sorts. She asked for about fifty times �Whats this�, and what is in here. It is very interesting to have her. She was out feeding the goat, had a pan with ashes and bits of coal and said it did not like to eat very well.

Thank you so much for that Sunday School booklet. I saw in the Messenger it was out and did wish for it, as I had heard so much about its making and wanted to see your part in it. Then here it came. I think it is well gotten up and you have some very good little songs in it.

Then while I was gone this time the candy came, FeB. 17 it arrived. The rest said they did not know whether to k ep [sic] it till I came or not. Well they all got a taste and all enjoyed it very much. Taking the postage in it was no small gift. Thanks very much. It kept longer and better on the road than since here. Edna said thank you too. It was still moist and just splendid. You are surely good to supply my wants along the sweet line. I will also send a word to Edna Lichty. It was so thotful [sic] of her to send with you. Tour card was still in.

Well this month I have been out to thirteen villages and towns. It is a most enjoyable work and I only wish I had more enduring power. It exhausts me so much to go day after day where they come in such crowds and are so curious. I hope that when I give my full time to that again I will get used to it and not feel it so much. I have found some women who sem [sic] to be really anxious to know the Gospel and are making some progress by the aid of their husbands and sons. It does one good when you find it thus. Then there we e [sic] some places where they were not so warm hearted and it took lots of more courage to go. Sometimes I was happily mistaken and recieved a hearty welcome and then sometimes I got more than expectd. Those things must be expected and one should not lose heart when they come, for everyone has a will of his own, to accept or reject, and when they reject it is not us but the Lord they reject. But I can imagine that you too have just such experiences in Waterloo, some places where they would just as soon you would not come. I think perhaps if I was right inside I could overcome the situation and mak e a welcome. Never before have I felt so keenly theresponsibility of the womans work as at this time. Oh this ignorance! You would teach them but they do not know enough to to want it, or wanting it can not understand things spiritual. It is a tremenduous work. Yet, it is a joy to be called to things difficutl [sic] and there is joy in seeing that some make some advancement.

This afternoon I have had a talk with Ya Tou. Have wanted to for some time. His wife has eleven people in the family to sew for, including his father and mother and the two young daughterinlaws. He has a girl in school about fourteen years who does not do a stitch, not because she can not but will not. They make all the shoes and stockings and quilt the soles and then they last two or three months. Other girls in school make their own shoes and stockings. So I had the audacity to tell him that his girl ought to sew a [sic] his big boys ought to work and help earn for their keep. Well he said he would be glad for them to help but they would not listen to him. I told him what happened at home when my folks told me to do something and I said I would not. I tried to make him feel he had a part in getting them to work. He said when his wife tells his girl to do anything she cried and the grand mother pities her and then nothing can be done. Oh this awful home life. No control or system of any kind. Children grow up lazy and without any respect or shame as regards to laziness.

Today I began my first teaching in the school. Am taking over the music classes. Told Minerva that I am ready to take things as fast as she wants to hand them over. I do not appreciate the getting started, vor they