Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to William E. Souter, Shanghai June 12, 1928
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to William E. Souter, Shanghai June 12, 1928
Subject
Letter from Alfred E. Stearns to William E. Souter, Shanghai June 12, 1928
Transcription
Mr. William E. Souter
3 Hankow Road
Shanghai, China
My dear Mr. Souter:
Thank you for your good letter of April 26 and for your thoughtfulness in sending me a copy of the “World’s Health.” The latter I have not yet received, but I am sure I shall enjoy reading it when it comes. and especially the reference to Mr. Sun.
From all I have heard of Mr. Sun, not only from you but from others, and from the wonderful letters he has written me from time to time, I can't believe that your estimate of his character is a bit overdrawn. It is my hope that some day I may have the pleasure of meeting him and more intimately acquainted.
I am especially pleased to hear that Arthur is doing something that appears to you to be a "real job". Frankly, I have had some misgivings as to the value a good many of these Chinese boys derive from their education and stay in America, and it is mighty reassuring to that some, at least, are buckling down and really going to work on their return to their home land.
Both Charlie and Tom seem to be doing very well at Amherst and Middlebury Colleges, respectively, the latter much better than I had anticipated. Mary, on the other hand, has been having a hard struggle at Almira College and has been dissatisfied and unhappy there from the start. She has begged me for some time to persuade her father to let her take a regular nurse training course and give up the ordinary college course in which she finds little interest and on which she makes very slow progress. In connection with its Medical School ,Yale University now has a regular course for the training of nurses, and since I think Mary has unquestionably talents in that line, I have finally secured Mr. Sun’s consent to such an arrangement, though evidently the consent was given very reluctantly. I may be wrong, but it does seem too bad if Mary really wishes to train for some useful service in the world that she should not have this opportunity, and I can’t quite see what real advantage to her a mere college degree would be, though I realize that our Chinese friends rate it pretty high and generally without, regard to what it actually signifies. Anyway, at the moment Mary and I are negotiating with the Yale authorities to see whether the transfer can satisfactorily be made. It has been my thought that Mary might fit herself to fill a position later of superintendent of a hospital or something of that kind, a position of real importance from an American viewpoint, though perhaps not quite that through Chinese eyes.
Again thanking you most warmly for your friendly letter and trusting that you and your good wife are weathering all the political and other storms that seem to be beating all over China in these days, believe me with kindest personal regards
Very sincerely yours,
3 Hankow Road
Shanghai, China
My dear Mr. Souter:
Thank you for your good letter of April 26 and for your thoughtfulness in sending me a copy of the “World’s Health.” The latter I have not yet received, but I am sure I shall enjoy reading it when it comes. and especially the reference to Mr. Sun.
From all I have heard of Mr. Sun, not only from you but from others, and from the wonderful letters he has written me from time to time, I can't believe that your estimate of his character is a bit overdrawn. It is my hope that some day I may have the pleasure of meeting him and more intimately acquainted.
I am especially pleased to hear that Arthur is doing something that appears to you to be a "real job". Frankly, I have had some misgivings as to the value a good many of these Chinese boys derive from their education and stay in America, and it is mighty reassuring to that some, at least, are buckling down and really going to work on their return to their home land.
Both Charlie and Tom seem to be doing very well at Amherst and Middlebury Colleges, respectively, the latter much better than I had anticipated. Mary, on the other hand, has been having a hard struggle at Almira College and has been dissatisfied and unhappy there from the start. She has begged me for some time to persuade her father to let her take a regular nurse training course and give up the ordinary college course in which she finds little interest and on which she makes very slow progress. In connection with its Medical School ,Yale University now has a regular course for the training of nurses, and since I think Mary has unquestionably talents in that line, I have finally secured Mr. Sun’s consent to such an arrangement, though evidently the consent was given very reluctantly. I may be wrong, but it does seem too bad if Mary really wishes to train for some useful service in the world that she should not have this opportunity, and I can’t quite see what real advantage to her a mere college degree would be, though I realize that our Chinese friends rate it pretty high and generally without, regard to what it actually signifies. Anyway, at the moment Mary and I are negotiating with the Yale authorities to see whether the transfer can satisfactorily be made. It has been my thought that Mary might fit herself to fill a position later of superintendent of a hospital or something of that kind, a position of real importance from an American viewpoint, though perhaps not quite that through Chinese eyes.
Again thanking you most warmly for your friendly letter and trusting that you and your good wife are weathering all the political and other storms that seem to be beating all over China in these days, believe me with kindest personal regards
Very sincerely yours,
Creator
Alfred E. Stearns
Publisher
Phillips Academy
Date
June 12, 1928
Rights
All Rights Reserved by Phillips Academy
Language
English
Type
Correspondence