Letters - 1898.03.16 MEB
Letter
Keng Tau
March 16, 1898
Dear Mr. Baring Gould –
I am extremely sorry to learn from Mr. Lloyd that there is a possibility that we may get orders from England to leave our station & go to Foochow, in emergence of the report sent to the Society by Dr. Taylor. I am writing to ask you to allow us to remain here, any how until another house is ready for us. That is, if the Society decide that another house must be built. I am sure that Dr. Taylor himself would say that this home is perfectly safe for Europeans in the cold season so if we are obliged to go away for the hot & wet season, we may return here for the winter[,] may we not?
When Dr. Taylor was here out house was being ceiled. Since this work has been done the difference has been wonderful. Before the house was ceiled the strong winds, which are so cold & searching on the sea coast came sweeping up through the cracks in the boards & we could never get warm anywhere. The malaria, if there is any[,] will also now be prevented from rising. The work here grows more & more & there is plenty for us all three to do. We cannot carry on our work from Foochow & so it would all have to be stopped if we were removed. I am so sorry Dr. Taylor’s report is so very condemnatory. We did so hope it would favorable With regard to the well—I do not know if in a previous letter I mentioned the fact that Archdeacon Wolfe gave me money for the sinking of a well just before he left for England. It was then too near [to] the rainy season to sink a well & I decided to have the work done on my return from Kuliang when, as you will remember, I was detained in Foochow until December through illness. It is again too near the rainy season to sink a well but we hope to have one in the course of a few months.
You will be glad to hear that we have good cause to praise & bless God for His Grace manifested in these people around us. Some have been won from heathen darkness & we have several inquirers. I hope that 6 at least of the 11 women now in my station class will be ready for baptism in April. They are all trusting Jesus but they need more instruction. We shall be so anxious to get your decision & we pray daily that whatever that decision may be it may be received by us as an indication of God’s will for us. We all three hope it will not be “Go to Foochow.”
“I do not think three more united worked could be found in any missions station than we three here in Keng Tau.” This was Miss Suttor’s remark to me the other day. The Sunday services here last Sunday were very enjoyable—many of our people gathered with us around the Lord’s Table and realised I trust afresh the love of God to them. Mr. Lloyd had never before spent a Sunday with us & he was cheered by the numbers who came both morning & afternoon to the services.
With kind regards
I am
Yours faithfully,
Margaret E. Barber