From Stone Gateway. It is Sunday again and time for the home letter. He has never been quite as isolated before - he has heard nothing from Emily since Rangoon two months ago. He does not know when to begin sending letters to the USA [Emily's visit] or to which address. Presumably, the letters to Britain, should be addressed to Gordon.
They are one day from Chaotung, and if the weather is good enough, they will leave tomorrow and should arrive in Chaotung after a round-about route on Saturday or Sunday. By that time, they should certainly know the Miao country in all its diversity and be able to make judgements for the future.
The people here, especially the women, appear terrified by devils. There are no idols or temples, just devils and evil spirits. An anti-devil campaign seems necessary or the children will grow up with the same superstitions. There is still a great deal of witch-craft practised.
He wonders every day about Joan and Frank and the rest of the family. He also wonders if England is still there or if the Russians have blown up America with atomic bombs. No news reaches here and even the wireless does not work. 'What an opportunity for concentration on our proper task'.
Miss Milner had a nasty fall some time ago and pines after Hupeh. Miss Corless[?] is getting on with learning the Miao language and talks Chinese quite well. She has whooping cough and is therefore unable to accompany [Hilda] Porter on the next stage of the journey. Miss Hurlton[?] is coming instead. The rest has come in very useful. The climbing leaves one rather breathless.
He went to see the graves of [Samuel] Pollard and [Reginald Heber] Goldsworthy this morning. Pollard died at the age of forty-nine and has left a great heritage behind him, but a lot of persistent and steady work still needs to be done.
Notes
- Samuel Pollard (1864-1915) was born in Camelford, Cornwall, the son of a Bible Christian minister. After five years in the civil service he entered the Bible Christian ministry with the specific intention of offering himself for missionary work in China. He commenced work in the Chaotung district in 1887 before going on to Kunming in 1889. His most notable work was among the aboriginal Miao people which he started in 1904 in the face of intense opposition from the Chinese authorities. Pollard invented the 'Pollard script' for the purpose of committing the Miao language to writing. He produced Miao translations of the New Testament and many hymns. Source: Encyclopedia of World Methodism (1974).
- Reginald Heber Goldsworthy (1895-1938) was born into a Methodist family in Bristol. Inspired by a visit of the famous missionary Samuel Pollard, he became a local preacher and then candidated for the United Methodist ministry with the specific intention of becoming a missionary. Appointed to overseas service in 1921, he served in South-west China for the rest of his life. During his last year he was placed in charge of the work among the Miao and Nosu peoples which had been pioneered by his hero Samuel Pollard. Goldsworthy was murdered by Chinese bandits during an attack on his mission station on March 6 1938. He was the first Methodist missionary in South-west China to be martyred. Source: Minutes of Conference 1938.