In former years a missionary’s wife was not under commission of the
Board. Her status was similar to that of the pastor’s wife at home.
It is not infrequent that the work of the wife is just as vital
to the development of the church as that of her husband, but she
receives no recognition in the official records of the church. Her
honour is emblazoned where the eye cannot see it—in the hearts of
the people. The wife of the pioneer missionary went out, not at the
call of the Church, but at the call of the husband, with no promise
of remuneration aside from the fabulous bridal endowment which the
groom made at marriage “with all his worldly goods” and with no
official rank to assure the preservation of her name on the roll of
honour.
So it happens that the scanty reports from the early Siam mission
seldom mentioned the name of Mrs. House. Yet one cannot read the
letters of her husband without perceiving that she supplemented
his educational work in a manner and to a degree that is worthy of
special recognition. But apart from that, she succeeded finally in
so organising and establishing female education in Siam that she
has come to be regarded as the founder of permanent educational
work for women in that country.