There were wounded soldiers sleeping on the platform, and many more returning to their homes already closed. The suffering of this evacuation is beyond computation—women weeping as they left their homes and little children dragged along by tired mothers, to places where they knew they would be uncomfortable and lonely and without proper food. Word has come that in some sections there. are bandits and the fear from them seems to be almost as great as the fear of the enemy.
After 36 years in Hunan, one feels that now it is different—missionaries are wanted and are sought out, even by those who looked askance in former days. One is an asset they think, but the heart strings almost break at this terrible suffering and fear. The people have been spared extensive bombing, but every time the alarm goes, many are afraid, but the strange thing is that so many are not. They go about their work so far as permitted quite as though nothing has happened. It may not be courage, but it isa resolute desire to carty on as long as possible.
The strangest thing in it all, is the lock of expressions of hatred of the enemy. Seldom does one hear even terms of derision, and even posters are not as bad as one would expect.
it of this people can never It will carry on no matter what happens, and this surely be a deciding factor in any final outcome.
The hospital has done a splendid service these months of fighting. There are ten inpatients again in the hospital, and more coming, but how io take'cate of them will be the problem in case of occupation.
The property is all marked in En: lish and Chinese, American Presbyterian Property. Four signs are on top of the property for the planes to notice, "U.S.A." in large white letters on a black background,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.