The San Francisco call., 1898-02-06

\ J to Miss Mary L. Ostrom. Miss
 Ostrom has been laboring among them for years. Her experiences are unique in the missionary line because she labors independent of any society, defraying her expenses by speaking and by private philanthropic contribu- ton. Her method of work is to begin with the establishment of industrial schools for women and girls in the province of Quong Tung. in South ern China, among what Is called the Haka people, with whose dialect she Is perfectly familiar. Her theory is that the higher industries may be made potent in lifting a majority of women from their present existing state of degradation.
 In telling about the brutalized con- dition of the lower classes Miss Os- trom tells of a case coming under her notice where a woman gave into the hands of her mother a newborn daughter, with instructions to kill it against the corner of the house.
 The inhuman grandmother was with difficulty persuaded to desist, said Miss Ostrom, but at last con- sented to give the child away
 "On another occasion l saw two Chinese, with baskets upon carrying poles, but instead of fowls or vegeta- bles the baskets contained four or five very young infants, which had been given them and which they were trying to sell like so many puppies. When the children became hungry the baskets were lowered and the men, with the tips of their fingers, thrust a pastelike mixture into their watling mouths.
 This queer traffic of baby selling is not without patrons, and women with sons frequently purchase these female infants to rear as daughters in-law.
 Parents and guardians arrange marriages between very young chiI- dren, and these engagements are sell dom broken, notwithstanding the in- terested parties often display a strong dislike if not hatred for each other when the age of young man and WomanhOod is reached. So hopeless Is the future to many Chinese girls that we have known those who be- came converts to make the matter a subject of prayer, asking their friends at the mission to join them in peti- tioning the Father to deliver them from marriage with the husband of their parents choice.
 III Oile OI OuT IDlSSlOn ScnOOiS were two children of perhaps 8. who had been thus betrothed though hating each other with all the strength of their young hearts, a condition of affairs which seemed greatly to amuse their playfellows. who were constantly teas ing little An Ian and Took Sing about their future union. It does no good to hate each other they would say, 'fol. you'll be husband and wife one dav.'
 "On one occasion a woman sent word to me that she wished the missionaries to take charge of her son. I went to learn her object. thinking she wished a small boy taught or a youth employed as servant. l found her in one of the steep hillside graveyards, so common in this country. engaged in drying grain upon the flat stone surface of one of the projecting tombs.
 Informing her that I had come from the mission to learn her wishes regard ing her son. she inquired, Are there not two ku nyong Unmarried women) at the mission?'
 When l answered yes she said, T have never yet arranged a marriage for my son. but as he wishes to travel in foreign parts I thought it possible that one of those missionary woman might take him for a husband, and thus he could go abroad
 Much amused, I inquired, What is the age of your son?'