The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-02-05

China. The new e>a may not be
of great assistance to tn passing gen.
Grafton, but it has already brought in
calculable joys to the young Chinese
women. who are rs nice, winsome and
worthy as our own American girls,
plus a deeper appreciation of their
new-found and dearly-bought oppor-
tunities. But for the missionaries,
the women of China would not even
have seen the ray of knowledge which
growing percentage.
The first school for girls was found
ed in Ningpo by a Miss Aldersey, an
English woman, in 1874, in response
to an appeal by the Rev. David Abel,
who. at the same time, had in mind
the endeavors of the society for pro-
noting female education in the east.
She started with three poor girls who
were almost scared to death at first.
The suspicion of the people was so
great that Miss A'dersey's habit of
shifting a bottle of smelling salts while
passing through the rnalodorous
streets caused the people to think that
she was releasing evil spirits to kill
them. A procession of idols along
Miss Aldersey's fragrant line of march
succeeded in overcoming the black
magic of the smelling salts. Needle
work. household arts, cleanliness and
some book learning was given the girls
of this pioneer school, whose student
roll grew to 40 in a few years. Miss
Aldersey ave 10 years Of her life to
this work and retired only on ac-,
count of i'll health.
Other schools started, notably by
Mrs. Baldwin in Foochow, the Misses
Woolston in h same city, Miss
Gertrude Howe and Miss Lucy Hoag
in Kiukiang, Miss Porter and Miss
Brown in Picking, Miss, Downing in
Chefoo, Mrs. Bridgeman in the same
city and the Shanghai Girls school.
For a long time it was necessary to
feed, clothe and pay girls in order to
get them into the schools, and the
membership was made up of found
lings and orphans. 1t was not until
1883 that the gradual enthusiasm of
Chinese parents warranted school
authorities in suggesting that they
support their own children while they
were in school. The parents willingly
did so. and now they eve pay small
fees for tuition and the girls have
the proceeds going toward the support
of the schools. The school work it.
self has also advanced. From lace
making and bible study it has de-
veloped into general primary, second
airy and college courses. The Presby-
terrain school for girls in Shanghai be-
gan in 1896 to give diplomas to grad
yates. In 1897 the Chinese themselves
began to take hold of the new work.
Several gentlemen founded an insti-
tuition in Shanghai, one remarkable
feature of the rules being that no
graduate of the school should ever
become a concubine. In the work of
organization so foreign ladies of the
city were invited to help. The school
has now reached the dignity of pub
fishing a magazine, "The Chinese
Girls Progress" In 1902 the old En-
press Dowager herself ordered a LIMA
temple in Peking turned into a sO9ool
for girls and gave $50, 900 for similar
activities. From that time the gov
eminent has taken a hand in the edu-
cation of girls along strictly modern
lines.
!. Hand in hand with all this has gone
the crusade against foot binding. The
first society against this curse was
founded in Annoy in 1874. In Picking
Mrs. Archibald Little did valiant work
for the cause. 1t has been officially
abolished by the republic, but never
theless it is estimated that not one
Chinese woman in 5000 can read, and
that fully $4,000, 900 are still victims
of foot binding. So there still remains
a great deal to be lone.