tuberculosis, and the next winter was spent in southern California in the
hope that in that favourable climate she might be cured. Even here her
eagerness to serve her people led her to do as much speaking as her
physician would permit. But she was anxious to get to the work for which
these years of preparation had been spent, and with hopeful and eager
expectation she sailed for China on the S.S. _Siberia_, June 11, 1904.
II
AMONG HER OWN PEOPLE
On her return to her own country, Anna began her work with great
enthusiasm. The spirit with which she entered into it is shown in her
report of the first year's work: "After six years of special preparation,
for which I feel greatly indebted to my Master, it is a happy privilege to
do what may be in my power to show Him my gratitude. The blessings I
received from the hands of those who gave cheerfully for His sake, I will
endeavour to pass on to others. During those years of absorption in study
there were times when I was anxious for others to share with me the joy
which comes from the Christian faith, but the real opportunity did not
appear until last July when I returned to my home land. With gladness and
thanksgiving I entered into the work already well and carefully organized
by my senior missionaries."
The evangelistic work for women, of which she was put in charge, offered a
large and varied field for service. "The success which my sister has had
in her profession gives me easy access to many classes of our people," she
reported soon after her return. Among the hospital and dispensary patients
she found one of her greatest opportunities. She was not only able to reach
those who came for treatment, but through them she had access to their
homes, and spent a large part of her time in visiting among them and in
entertaining guests in her own home. "Many know of the hospital and of the
lady physician, and come to see the work, and daily we cordially welcome
such guests into our home," a letter reads. "There are times when I walk
with my sister on the street, and the ladies call the doctor in. Thus I
gain access to friendly homes."
She was untiring in her efforts to fit herself to make use of every
opportunity which presented itself, never regarding her preparation for
service as completed, but always eager to learn any new thing which would
help her. A letter written soon after beginning her work tells of one of
the means by which she sought to increase her usefulness: "I think it is
imperative for me to study something more of the Chinese classics. The
little knowledge I have, God has helped me to use for His glory, and a
knowledge of the classical sayings will enable me at least to approach the
educated classes on a common ground, and to induce them to see that which
they know not, from that which they do know."
During her first year of work she had four Bible women associated with her
who went out with her daily, conducting meetings for women in the two
chapels which were under her direction, visiting in the homes, or talking
to patients in the dispensary waiting room. One of her early letters reads:
"I felt that these Bible women needed special hours for prayer and Bible
study, in order to give out the Bread of Life to others. So arrangements
were made to have at least two hours of study every Monday morning, and we
have prayer together before planning to carry out the Lord's will in the
week's work."
In addition to this work she was given oversight of the two day schools for
girls in Kiukiang. Of them she reported: "The teachers are trying to do
their best, but many times I have wished that we could secure better
educated women and have our day school standard advanced. The girls who can
afford to go to school don't care to study the old Chinese books which
these women are prepared to teach, so the better classes are not being
touched by the Christian teachers. Those who have nothing special for the
girls to do let them go to while away the time; then when tea picking time
comes they leave the school. All can see that such work cannot be of any
great value."
Conditions of this sort were discouraging indeed, but she met the situation
with characteristic courage, and added to her other duties the task of
teaching a little music and English in these schools. The introduction of
these subjects proved to be very successful in reviving the pupils'
flagging interest. "The girls are more interested just now," a letter says,
"because they have once a week a lesson in singing; formerly it was given
on Saturday in our home, but experience soon taught me that this was an
impossibility on account of the continuous callers and disturbances. I go
now to each school once a week and teach them there. They also have a
lesson in English during the week. It seems so strange to me that all
people, old and young, male and female, are seeking a knowledge of
English."
She was quick to see, however, that the only permanently successful
solution of the day school problem was in well-trained teachers. Her great
desire was for "the day when day school teachers should be better qualified
for their work, that they might draw pupils to school by their own
knowledge." In the meantime she did all she could to add to the efficiency
of the teachers she had. One of her letters tells of her efforts to help
one of her discouraged assistants: "One of the teachers is very anxious and
feels that she cannot teach the school. She spoke to me several times of
her inability to keep the pupils' attention because of her own lack of
knowledge. As we have no trained teachers to take her place I cannot spare
her. Though she has not a good head she has a good Christian heart, so for
the good of the school I have to keep her and give her a few lessons each
week. It is doing her good and helping her to teach better."
Again she reported the following year, "A special effort was made to throw
away the old, parrot-like way of learning. As the teachers needed
instruction as well as the pupils, sometimes, the text-books were taken
away. The teachers were required to tell a story every day; and with the
story a verse of the Scriptures, meant for a peg on which to hang the tale,
was committed to memory by the girls. The teacher would write six easy
characters each afternoon on the blackboard for the girls to copy before
going home. Thus the girls learned how to listen, to memorize, and to
write. Since the number of girls increases perceptibly when we have a
little English I use it as a bait. By Miss Merrill's consent, help was
secured from the boarding-school in teaching half an hour of English every
day in the two city schools."
In December of 1904, at the annual meeting of the Central China Methodist
Mission, Miss Stone was given the entire charge of the Bible Women's
Training School. A letter to a friend shows the keen delight with which she
entered upon this new work: "I am enjoying the work very much," she wrote.
"It seems so strange to me that these women are like my old friends. They
are free and at home with me, and I can say already that I love them.... I
wish you could be here just to look at them and see how willing they are to
be taught." It was her desire to live in the school that she might share
the life of the women outside of class hours, but after a few days' trial
this proved too wearing, and the doctor insisted upon her giving it up,
greatly to her own disappointment and that of the women.
She was very eager that these women, all of whom were from families of
small means, and were supported by scholarships while at the school, should
do something towards meeting at least a part of their expenses. A few
months after she had taken charge of the work she joyfully wrote Mrs.
Joyce:
"An industrial department is actually started, and we have found it
helpful to a great many. We are not attempting fancy things, but we
strive to make useful articles and things that we use ourselves, or
for sale. So far we have made only babies' shoes, which we sold to
foreigners living at Kuling, and some hemstitched handkerchiefs,
and some plain knitting. Each one of them is given fifty cash a
month for spending money, and it will leave a good balance for the
school. They work from three to five P.M., so their studies are not
neglected thereby. This work means also a livelihood to a poor old
lady.... She was in the hospital for over three years, living on
the charity money the doctor earned. I felt that she could be more
useful and happy by teaching sewing, since she is a beautiful
needle worker, so the school boards her and gets her teaching for
the women. I have been quite happy in this work, because I feel the
women are learning self-respect and to look upon manual labour as
something honourable. I have a chance to tell them about the
American ideas, how American people despise begging but would work
with pride in any position, for an honest living."
In the growth of the women she found her greatest joy. "The women are
learning," she said in the same letter, "and I feel that God is making
them zealous for the souls of others. I watch anxiously for improvements in
their characters and two or three of them give me secret pleasure by their
signs of unselfishness and spiritual growth."
Another letter to Mrs. Joyce tells of the way in which the members of the
Training School were given practical work in connection with their studies:
"Every day I call upon the farther advanced pupils to work. Two go out with
the girls to teach in the two day schools of the city, the other two take
charge of the industrial work. So every afternoon they have two hours of
work to do. On Sunday I send them to the two chapels in the morning and I
go with the first two one week and with the other two the next week. On
every Tuesday I send out all women except three, at three o'clock, to
invite our neighbours to our class-meeting. The three who stay at home are
to entertain those who come. Every Tuesday we get from twenty to forty
outsiders to listen to the gospel. Yesterday afternoon several pupils told
the guests how they learned to know the loving Father." One of her former
teachers at Folts Institute, who visited her at this time, wrote that she
knew not which to admire more, "the whole-souled devotion of the teacher,
or that of the women students."
Miss Stone's health did not permit her to do as much itinerant work as she
desired, but in the summer of 1905, during the vacation of the Bible
Women's Training School, she made a trip of some weeks, visiting every
station in the district. Itinerating in China is a process worthy of its
name, as all bedding, food, and housekeeping materials must be carried
along. But Anna was feeling well, and the very day after the work of the
Training School closed she and her mother set out. At every city she
reported that they "had a very good opportunity to work among the women,"
or that "many women showed a great interest in listening." Her father had
been the first Christian preacher at one place which they visited, and had
worked there for many years; another city was that in which the Stone's old
family homestead was located, so she and her mother were sure of a welcome.
"We had hardly any time to ourselves," she wrote. "So many people came to
see us, and mistook me for my sister. Mother welcomed all callers and
talked with them most of the time. Among these there were people from the
opposite village who came over to destroy our house in 1900. I think they
are quite ashamed of the act now."
Busy as she was, meeting and talking to the people who everywhere came to
greet her and her mother, Anna's mind was not so wholly occupied with the
present that she was oblivious to the future. On her return she made
several valuable suggestions for the development of the work in the various
places, such as that the chapel in one city be moved to a more central
location, that a vacant piece of property belonging to the mission would be
an excellent site for a day school for girls, etc. "There ought to be a
school in Whang Mai as a centre for women to work in," her report reads.
"There are many women in that city who are friendly to the church.... When
my parents were there there were quite a few women as members of the
church, but now they don't come to church, because there is no woman to
talk to them." She summed up the impressions of her trip in the words, "The
trip opened my eyes to the fact that the harvest is 'truly plenteous' and
the labourers are sadly few." At the same time her faith added, "But I am
so glad to know that my Master is before us who are few in number."
III
THE POWER OF AN ENDLESS LIFE
It is not surprising that with all her interests Anna Stone longed to live
and make use of the unusual opportunities which she had received. "If God
is willing I hope to work many years yet for Him," she wrote Mrs. Joyce
after she had been back in China a few months; and at the end of her second
year's work she said: "There are many things for which I am very thankful
in the past year, but perhaps the greatest was the joy in knowing that my
Heavenly Father has really allowed me a share of work.... I don't remember
that there were many days of work neglected because of ill health."
It was indeed remarkable that she was able to do as much as she did. One
who saw her in her work writes of the untiring enthusiasm and activity with
which she gave herself to it: "Her work was her very life. She talked to me
of her plans for the woman's school, and of her great desire to see a
revival here in the schools. I am sure you know of her work last summer
when the missionaries were all away--how, feeling that it was a mistake
that the native Christians should be without the helps of divine worship
and the weekly prayer meeting, she, with her sister's help, opened the
church and held services all through the hot summer, _doing the preaching
herself_ and thus holding the people together. I never met any one at home
or here whose whole soul was more on fire with a burning desire to win
souls than was Anna Stone's, and I have met a large number of prominent
workers in my work at home. She undoubtedly realized that her time was very
short and she must work all the time while she had strength. Her work was
not only in the school ... but she was at work in the day schools and
boarding schools, in the church, in the league, in the visitation, in the
hospital--everywhere where her life was able to touch others; and one felt
the influence of the Holy Spirit whenever in merest conversation with the
girl. That happy smile and merry laugh that so won the hearts of the people
at home were bestowed upon every one here, and I do not wonder she was able
to reach hearts where others failed."
Her enthusiasm for her work doubtless made it hard not only for her to
measure her own strength, but also for others to estimate it. But toward
the close of the summer of 1905 it became evident to all, even to herself,
that she had been overtaxing herself and must lighten her work. "Sister
makes me take beef juice, milk, and bread and butter," she said in a letter
to Mrs. Joyce. "Everybody tells me I am thin, but I am doing my best to get
fat. Every afternoon I devote all the time to get well. I sleep after
dinner, then go out riding for fresh air, so you see your little girl does
live high and extravagantly."
During this summer she received news of the serious illness of her friend
and foster-father, Bishop Joyce. This was a great source of anxiety and
sorrow to her. "How I wish I had means to go right to his dear presence to
tell him how I revere and love him for what he has done for me, and for
what he is to the world," she wrote his wife. "I envy I-lien's privilege of
being there. It must be a great comfort to be able to put one's heart-full
of love and sympathy into little services that he may need at this time."
The death of this true friend was a great grief to her, both on her own
account and because of the sorrow it brought to the family which she so
loved. "I loved Bishop as I did my own father," she said in a letter to
Mrs. Joyce. "Now I rejoice for both of them because they have heard the
Master's 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'" Then she added, "I will
ask him to ask the Master to let me work a little longer on earth. Of
course if he sees the reason why I shouldn't he will not do it."
[Illustration: The Anna Stone Memorial]
For a time it seemed as if her desire were to be granted, for when autumn
came she was able to open the Women's School at the usual time, and to
teach in it each morning. By keeping the afternoons free for rest she
gained so much that she could write: "I feel very grateful for my health. I
am up every day for my work. It is a busy life, but a very happy one." Dr.
Stone had decided in the autumn that unless Anna gained a great deal within
the next few weeks she would send her to the mountains for the winter, in
the hope that the dry air would help her. But, as she said, "Anna hates to
hear us talk about it because she does not want to leave her pet work." And
Anna soon seemed so much stronger that the doctor did not insist on her
going.
Anna wrote happily of the Christmas exercises in the school. "The women for
the first time attempted to have a public programme for the happy season.
They had a dialogue, three new songs, and acted out shepherds in the night
watch and Herod in his trouble. Then they had a tree on which were little
fancy trinkets which the women made for their friends. They had a joyous
time because they worked for it." She carried the work until the Chinese
New Year vacation, which began about the middle of January, and then
dismissed the school for the vacation period, full of hopes and plans for
the new term, for which she felt that the month's rest would prepare her.
Special services were held in the church during the New Year vacation and
Anna saved her strength that she might sing at the evening meetings. She
herself led the closing service. One who was there says, "The native church
will not quickly forget her clear and beautiful testimonies."
But her strength was not equal even to these tasks. Early in February she
had a severe hemorrhage from her lungs, from which it seemed as if she
could not rally. She felt this herself and said to Dr. Stone, with a brave
smile, "Sister, I am going. This is in answer to prayer, for I do not want
to linger on and endanger all of your lives." This attack was followed by
pleurisy, and for ten days of severe suffering her life hung by a very
slender thread. A fellow-worker wrote at this time: "She is bright and
happy, although fully expecting to go. She has been so enthusiastic in her
work, and always so cheerful, that she has often gone beyond her strength.
I think that she has been failing more than we who daily watch her have
realized. We feel that we cannot let her go, but it is not for us to say.
Since she would rather go to God than stay and not be able to carry on her
work, we can only pray 'The will of God be done.'"
Once more, however, she showed the elasticity which had made it so hard for
her friends to realize the true state of her health, and for a few weeks
seemed to improve. As life returned she began to hope that she might again
be able to take up her work, and for a time the eagerness to work was so
strong that she dreaded the thought of death. As the days passed and
strength did not come, she was troubled to understand why, when the need
was so great and the workers so few, she who so longed to work, should not
be permitted to do so. She said to Dr. Stone one day: "Sister, I have just
prepared myself to work, so much has been spent on me that I want to live
at least fifteen years to pass on some of my blessings to others. I am so
young, and our home life has been just beautiful. I am not anxious to give
it up so soon. I have great hopes of the Training School. I love the
women. I want to take a whole class through a course of training and then
leave them with my work. I want to see them well established in their work,
and a new school building put up well worthy of the name. Above all I want
to see our native church thoroughly roused by the Holy Spirit, and a
self-supporting church started."
One of the missionaries wrote afterward: "I wish you might have known what
a comfort Dr. Stone was to her through all those dark hours, carrying her
own burden constantly in her heart and yet bravely helping Anna to bear
hers. And Anna on her side was just as brave, for she suffered intense pain
through her illness, but constantly fought down every expression of it."
Anna's lifelong love for the will of God was so strong that she could not
fail to love it to the end, and the struggle was soon succeeded by complete
victory and peace. Her sister wrote Mrs. Joyce after she had gone: "She did
not know why, when so much had been done for her and she was so willing to
do any service unto the Lord, she should not be spared, and given a healthy
body for the work that seemed to be so much in need of workers. But she
said she was willing to go if it was the Lord's will, and she wanted people
to know that she loved to obey God mare than she desired her own life....
She said she was perfectly willing to go, only she had wanted to work a
little longer."
Her brief struggle passed, her thought was all for others. She often spoke
of the women for whom she had been working, and begged her sister to look
after them and keep them from going back to the old ways; and in delirium
she pleaded with one and another of them. She sent messages of love to
those who were not with her, some of them being on the other side of the
ocean, and sought to lighten the grief of those around her who so longed to
keep her with them. "Do not grieve for me," she comforted her sister.
"Think of me as you used to think of me when I was in America, only I shall
be in a more beautiful place." Three days before her death she gave
explicit directions about her funeral, wishing that everything in the
Chinese funeral rites which savoured at all of non-Christian religions
might be eliminated, that in her death, as in her life, she might witness
clearly and unmistakably to her loyalty to Christ.
When the last call finally came, on the sixteenth of March, it found her
ready and glad to respond. She told her sister that she had heard the
beautiful music and seen the great light and wanted to go. "That evening,"
reads a letter from one of her co-workers, "we missionaries all gathered in
the reception hall of their little house, together with her relatives and
more intimate friends. It was one of the most touching scenes I have ever
witnessed, for we were all drawn together by the bond of grief over the
loss of one we loved."
Although, in accordance with Anna's wishes, her funeral was conducted with
the utmost simplicity, the funeral procession caused universal comment. One
of the missionaries describes the scene: "As the procession of almost forty
chairs passed down the street all stopped to watch it pass, and despite the
unrest due to the recent riots at Nanchang, we heard nothing but kindly
remarks. The fact that foreigners were following one of their own people to
the grave, paying the Chinese girl the honour they would have shown to a
great man among themselves, seemed to impress the Chinese in a peculiar
way."
Another writes: "During the day the neighbours, Christian and non-Christian
alike, came to pay their respects.... A very large company of people
attended the funeral, including a number of missionaries of other
denominations. There was a procession of forty sedan chairs to the
Christian cemetery, which is about two miles beyond the East Gate. For the
half mile from the home to the city gate both sides of the street were
lined with people, who stood quietly and respectfully while we passed. The
absence of the numerous heathen symbols, and of any cover for the casket
save the floral tributes, was observed; and the fact that even the
foreigners had their chairs draped with white, 'just like us Chinese,' was
also noted. An English gentleman from the foreign concession, who was to
pay a call on the captain of one of the war vessels the next morning, said,
'I shall tell him that I have witnessed a procession to-day which will do
more to bring peace and harmony between the Chinese and foreigners than all
the war vessels will do.'"