Letter from Chang Pah Lung to Dr. Alfred Stearns, July 28, 1920
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Chang Pah Lung to Dr. Alfred Stearns, July 28, 1920
Subject
Letter from Chang Pah Lung to Dr. Alfred Stearns, July 28, 1920
Description
Typed letter from Chang Pah Lung to Dr. Alfred Stearns requesting that his son, Chang Shao-Ling, an upcoming Chinese student of Phillips Academy, be housed in a private Christian home as opposed to a dormitory, in an attempt to build and fortify the moral character of his son.
Transcription
Tientsin, 28th July, 1920
Dr. Alfred Stearn,
Phillips Academy,
Andover, Mass U. S. A.
Dear Dr. Stearns,
My friend Mr. M. T. Liang wrote about two months ago requesting you to be the guardian of my boy, Chang Shao Ling, now named Harvey S. L. Chang whose photo was sent you in the same cover, I have not as yet had the pleasure of hearing from you that you would do me the favour to undertake the guardianship, but Mr. Liang assures me that as you are always interested in the good training and fine education of Chinese boys, your affirmative reply is on way coming here. It is needless to say how I felt satisfied and appreciated by my friend’s recommendation to place the boy entirely in charge of you, a learned and virtuous gentleman who will take a fatherly interest in this youngster.
Harvey was 15 years of age last month and has just finished his freshman year in Tsing-hua College, Peking. I think he has to study for some three years in your school before he will be qualified to join a College in America to pursue along a special profession. At present he has some inclination to learn civil engineering but he may change his mind later on. In course of time you will be a better judge than he or myself as to when he may be admitted to a College and what profession would fit him best.
The following are the books which he has studied or is studying:* Nesfield’s English Grammar Series (1, 2, A, 4)
Brewer's Oral English
Elson's Grammar School Reader (Book 4)
Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare Stevenson's Treasure Island
T. A* Quiller-Couch's Historical Tales from Shakspeare
Hall and Knight's Elementary Algebra
Wentworth's Elementary Algebra
Barnard's A Hew Geometry for Schools
Steele’s Popular Physics
Stone Hillis' Plane Geometry
Pease's General Science
Renouf's General History
Eraser and Squair's Abridged French Grammar
Blouet's Intermediate French
Wood-Working
Apart from useful knowledge and learning to be acquired in a school it is essential that he should be given a training in high morals and ethics that he may become a man of fine charter. If you agree with me that he will learn more about all these in a good Christian family than in the dormitory, please let him board and lodge in a home which you will kindly select for him, I have requested Mr. F. M. Pyke of the Methodist Mission to call on you while he is spending his summer vacation in Massachusetts, to acquaint you with my desire in this respect. He may make some recommendation and suggestion but nothing is final without your approval,
Harvey has not been baptized but I feel inclined to think that he believes in Christianity, I have given him freedom to choose a religion provided he would be sincere in what he believes. Eventually he may be a Protestant.
I am remitting to you through First National Bank of Boston, Boston, $1,OOO* and beginning from 1921 a remittance of $750.- will be sent you through the same Bank every six months. I suppose this will be sufficient to cover all expenses including clothing etc and an allowance to Harvey as petty cash. The boy has no choice in the matter of buying necessaries and has to be satisfied with whatever allowance you may give him. Kindly see that he will practice economy and will not spend more than he ought to.
My boy will leave from Shanghai on or about 23rd August by s/s "NANKING". The steamer may be due at San Francisco on 15th September. After stopping at the latter port for two or three days he will take train to Chicago and thence to Boston where a friend in Y.M.C.A will meet him and see that he will go safely to Andover.
Now, Dr. Stearns, I hope I am not intruding when I write you such a long letter. My next will be handed you by my boy personally. I therefore close this, adding that I feel most grateful to you for all the trouble you will take in charge of my boy.
Kindest regards.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Alfred Stearn,
Phillips Academy,
Andover, Mass U. S. A.
Dear Dr. Stearns,
My friend Mr. M. T. Liang wrote about two months ago requesting you to be the guardian of my boy, Chang Shao Ling, now named Harvey S. L. Chang whose photo was sent you in the same cover, I have not as yet had the pleasure of hearing from you that you would do me the favour to undertake the guardianship, but Mr. Liang assures me that as you are always interested in the good training and fine education of Chinese boys, your affirmative reply is on way coming here. It is needless to say how I felt satisfied and appreciated by my friend’s recommendation to place the boy entirely in charge of you, a learned and virtuous gentleman who will take a fatherly interest in this youngster.
Harvey was 15 years of age last month and has just finished his freshman year in Tsing-hua College, Peking. I think he has to study for some three years in your school before he will be qualified to join a College in America to pursue along a special profession. At present he has some inclination to learn civil engineering but he may change his mind later on. In course of time you will be a better judge than he or myself as to when he may be admitted to a College and what profession would fit him best.
The following are the books which he has studied or is studying:* Nesfield’s English Grammar Series (1, 2, A, 4)
Brewer's Oral English
Elson's Grammar School Reader (Book 4)
Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare Stevenson's Treasure Island
T. A* Quiller-Couch's Historical Tales from Shakspeare
Hall and Knight's Elementary Algebra
Wentworth's Elementary Algebra
Barnard's A Hew Geometry for Schools
Steele’s Popular Physics
Stone Hillis' Plane Geometry
Pease's General Science
Renouf's General History
Eraser and Squair's Abridged French Grammar
Blouet's Intermediate French
Wood-Working
Apart from useful knowledge and learning to be acquired in a school it is essential that he should be given a training in high morals and ethics that he may become a man of fine charter. If you agree with me that he will learn more about all these in a good Christian family than in the dormitory, please let him board and lodge in a home which you will kindly select for him, I have requested Mr. F. M. Pyke of the Methodist Mission to call on you while he is spending his summer vacation in Massachusetts, to acquaint you with my desire in this respect. He may make some recommendation and suggestion but nothing is final without your approval,
Harvey has not been baptized but I feel inclined to think that he believes in Christianity, I have given him freedom to choose a religion provided he would be sincere in what he believes. Eventually he may be a Protestant.
I am remitting to you through First National Bank of Boston, Boston, $1,OOO* and beginning from 1921 a remittance of $750.- will be sent you through the same Bank every six months. I suppose this will be sufficient to cover all expenses including clothing etc and an allowance to Harvey as petty cash. The boy has no choice in the matter of buying necessaries and has to be satisfied with whatever allowance you may give him. Kindly see that he will practice economy and will not spend more than he ought to.
My boy will leave from Shanghai on or about 23rd August by s/s "NANKING". The steamer may be due at San Francisco on 15th September. After stopping at the latter port for two or three days he will take train to Chicago and thence to Boston where a friend in Y.M.C.A will meet him and see that he will go safely to Andover.
Now, Dr. Stearns, I hope I am not intruding when I write you such a long letter. My next will be handed you by my boy personally. I therefore close this, adding that I feel most grateful to you for all the trouble you will take in charge of my boy.
Kindest regards.
Yours sincerely,
Creator
Chang Pah Lung
Publisher
Phillips Academy
Date
July 28, 1920
Rights
All Rights Reserved By Phillips Academy
Language
English
Type
Correspondence