A missionary lady, who for the 37 years has been teachings Chinese girls various parts of Chi snd. supervising their transla tions of well known wester! literature into inese, for other students to learn to enjoy, declared not long ago that the hope of Chinn was be found in Chinese women. do not think," she said, "that history records the death of any nation while its young women remain virtuous and virile. The Shinese young women are stronger ind better than the young men. Moreover, China is really proud of ts young women, who frequently show remarkable heroism—and loyalty."
The expression of such sentiments one whose long years of contact, juulify her to know, does much to-ards crystallizing the opinion of narly of us, probably, in this re-yard. A long story might indeed written about Chinese women of clay, whose heritage of traditions ind virtues still cling despite some the extremes into which modern ransitions have led a few of her A visit to the Woman's Department of the Christian Literature Society in North Szechuen Road, here young Chinese girls translate diligently into Chinese English books if all kinds, goes still further crystallize this impression.
Here will be found girl students, narly of whom are still pursuing choir studies, who have a distinctly literary flair, The ability is fos-ered in the most practical own to those who are in w posi lion to encourage talent—the girls ire given opportunity to translate foreign stories, ete, as well as to modify them to suit Chinese ideas, ind to write original ones.
Books of various kinds are to be' found on the translation tables, Alt of them have been carefully. with a view to presenting traditions of the West, regarding and the family and personal liars of conduct. Religious 208ks are included, but these do not comprise the entire selection. Books for school and home libraries, and any translations of pageants, plays songs make up a large section of the work, There are picture books for children, hooks for teachers, first. nid manuals, diagraphics, and in fact every form, of literature.
The elementary department particularly interesting. In this a happy thought was given expression by Miss Laura M, White, the mi sionary lady in charge of the work, when Chinese melodies of great antiquity were used as aecompaniment for modern hygiene school songs. Children, one imagines, who sing daily about the _praise-worthiness of being freshly scrubbed, or about swatting the insidious fly and mosquito and otherwise being little models of hygiene can scarcely fail to improve rapidly. All kinds of instruction is. thus handed out under a pleasing gui The department has also magazine, published monthly and called "The Home Beautiful (Nu To Pao) and this has cireulation among students. Its contents axe popaler and literary and hero, too, budding young writers are given their opportunity.
The girls translate from the English at the rate of about 750 to 1,000 Chinese characters a day, but now and then, some genius of rapidity and accuracy is discovered, Such a one was a Chinese gil who through an accident had lost both hor hands. With an artificial vight hand she was able to hold a Chinese brush and to do in two hours what the average bright young. stude requires a day to achieve, Her work, moreover, was almost faultless.
When the girl-translators' work was all finished, formerly, it was handed over to an old' scholar who passed on its classical correctness, For years the ancient scholar who passed on its classical veading translated essays and tories, and as a sequel to any discussion of the work of the Women's Department, it must be mentioned that only the other day he decided, at the age of 60, to forswear his arduous labours and to retire for! rear and reflection amid the hills of Hangchow. But the Women's Department, although long grateful to him, wis! able to give him its blessing for his retirement, confident in ite own ability to "carry on," with {hat poite and competence which characterizes the Chinese woman at her best, tua,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.