Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-07-05
MISS JoHNsoN's WORK IN CHINA.
pleted Second School Building for
GirIs-Home on Furiough.

1t is with much pleasure that the
friends of Miss Charlotte NJ. Johnson of
West Brattleboro welcome her home
from China where she went eight years
ago under the auspices of the Woman's
Union Missionary society of New York
to take charge of school for girls at
Shanghai started more than 40 years
ago by Mrs. Bridgman, wife of DR.. c.
E. Bridgman, the first missionary to
China under the American Board of
Commissioners for Foreign Missions
They find cause for qualification also in.
the fact that through her individual eff
forts and personal supervision a build
ing was erected a few years ago to ac-
commodate the growth of the school and
that this in turn has given way to a
much larger and more handsome build
ing, erected, like the first, under Miss
Johnson's personal direction and from
plans made by her, the money being
furnished by the Chinese and by her
friends.
Miss Johnson returned to her home
Friday night on a furlough of IA months,
and she expects to be back in Shanghai
at the end of that time, If not earlier
She is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Johnson of West Brattleboro.
She graduated with highest honors from
Middlebury college in 1901. and was well
able to cope with the intricacies of the
Chinese language, and in few months
mastered 1t sufficiently to enable her to
begin teaching the Chinese girls whom
she had loved from the time of her ar
rival.
The school consisted of a few pupils
of the poorer class and the original
buildings, which were then in use, were
small and inadequate. Realizing the
need of enlargement and betterment, Miss
Johnson set to work with her usual un-
tf,tta In thA of five
years the entire surroundings showed a
remarkakable contrast A fine new brick
building replaced the plaster house and
$50 feet of stone bundng took the place
of the decayed wooden piles along the
canal and protected the foundations of
the buildings. The filling of a malodor-
Gus creek which was responsible for the
typhoid germs that lurked about the
buildings and caused much illness, and
numerous other improvements all gave
evidence of her special executive ability.
The change brought about in the char
acter of the school also was very mark
ed From a few girls of the poorest la
boring classes, whose parents allowed
| them to attend school that they might
receive free support, the number in
| creased to over 40 girls, most of whom
were from the student and official class
| es and who responded to the personality
of their teacher and were filled with am
bition to learn and make the most of
| their lives The school had reached the
utmost capacity of the building, owing
to it's cramped accommodate The
numerous applications for admittance
| that constantly had to be refused goes
to show the respect the Chinese have for
| Miss Johnson and their appreciation of
her efforts for them.
| Although the aim has been to have
| the school upon as high an intellectual
| hpinU
primarily a mission school has been en-
| pha szed and its tone and influence has
been decidedly Christian. No pupil has
remained any length of time without eX-
| pressing a desire to become Jesus
disciple" AS soon as a new girl is ad-
mitted, one may hear the older pupils
telling her about the true religion and
trying to guide her footsteps to the
Christ who hung upon the cross for all.
A new and more commodious building,
having a capacity of 100 girls, was COM
pleted during the past year, Miss John
son making the plans, thus avoiding the
| necessity of having an architect. She
also supervised the erection of the build
ing. Thus she was able to procure it for
about half the usual cost of such hand
some and useful edifce. Notwithstand-
| ing the great odds against which Miss
Johnson was forced to contend-dfiicul-
| ties which those who build in this coun-
| try never would meet-Miss Johnson
| stuck to her post and was able to COM
plete the entire building with gate house
and wall before leaving for home on
| furlough.
A missionary of long experience in
| China who has had opportunities for OBJ
servation, remarked about Miss Johnson
| that no other young missionary in China
| by her own efforts had accomplished as
much in so brief a period of service. She
| has shown the strength of the granite
| of her native hills in her ardous labors,
and now success has crowned her efforts
| and all are glad to welcome her home
| again, and, through her to become bet
| ter acquainted with those Oriental peo-
pie who are now attracting the attention
| OF the world.