Seven Maids of Far Cathay: Being English Notes From a Chinese Class Book — John Shaqi
Seven Maids of Far Cathay: Being English Notes From a Chinese Class BookLedyard, Mary Forman
General
Seven Maids of Far Cathay: Being English Notes From a Chinese Class Book
Ledyard, Mary Forman
Chinese in literature
One day Miss Powers say, "Perhaps we are giving too much hard work just
now, perhaps more better we go on river have play for one week." O then
all College have greatest joy and excitement; girls all time talk, what
can do, how can do. Some times girls talk too late at night, Matron have
much hard work. When Matron say, "No more of talk tonight," then all
very still for little while, then when Matron go far away, talk begin
again, and go on and on. Matron have another bad trouble with girls,
every Chinese girl think she die if air from night get into her lungs,
so she go to bed and pull Mieng all over head and ears so no air can
touch her. Today too sad thing happen, "Miss I Sterling fall ill, cannot
to class room come, Dr. Ewing say cannot do work for many days, and ask
Matron to send some good girl to help Nurse. Matron appoint me to go, I
most happy to have honor, and because of this I can no more write at
this time.
To My Honorable Family, Bing Ang. Bing Ang.
Your Most Miserable and Contemptible Child.
Neuchang, China.
January 25th.
To My Honorable and Wise Mother, Moy Sen, Greetings. Bing Ang. Bing Ang.
Two Moons ago I have sorrow to tell you Miss Sterling very ill. This
time I have great gladness to tell you she all well again and we all
happiness once more.
Great joy and pain have gone over our heads like flocks of birds since
last time I have Honor to write to you.
Both day and night I watch over Miss Sterling though Matron say many
times I must to go into air or be ill. Nothing can my heart comfort but
to every moment look to see if some little thing I may not do to relieve
Miss Sterling from so great pain. Every day the burnings of the fever
make fire in brain of our Adorable Miss Sterling until she know nothing
of what say or of what do, this all too terrible, and make my heart to
bleed most so of all when she cry out one name over and over again, this
name sound like Dick, Dick, sometimes Dear Dick, then most times she try
to rise up, but is too weak and so she sink back on pillows and lie so
still, so still, I freeze with fear she be dead, O then I creep out and
cry to death, and pray pray to heaven, and burn much incense, and then
creep back and bend close over Miss Sterling to bear if any little
wavering breath come from lips or not, for it seem to me she is surely
to die.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account