Life and light for woman . ciety school, which she liad attendedfor a time as a day pupil ; but, as this school was designed for the childrenfrom Clu-istian families, they could not receive her as a boarder, and itseemed probable that she would drift away from Christian influences. So Seiik Ing (Brave Virtue) came to us, a tall, awkward girl, wearingthe dress of the field class of women. She proved to be not especiallyquick, but a thoughtful pupil, and unusually sincere and simple our great regret, we learned one day tliat her father had recentlyb)etrothed her to a heathen boy on a s
Life and light for woman . ciety school, which she liad attendedfor a time as a day pupil ; but, as this school was designed for the childrenfrom Clu-istian families, they could not receive her as a boarder, and itseemed probable that she would drift away from Christian influences. So Seiik Ing (Brave Virtue) came to us, a tall, awkward girl, wearingthe dress of the field class of women. She proved to be not especiallyquick, but a thoughtful pupil, and unusually sincere and simple our great regret, we learned one day tliat her father had recentlyb)etrothed her to a heathen boy on a small island in the river, a place ofbad reputation, where, so far as we know, no Christian work had ever beendone. So the first thing to do was to send one of the native pastors to findthis boys family and try to gain an influence over them. This visit wasfollowed by others from the pastors wife and some of the Bible women, butno apparent progress was made. The girl remained in school two and a (i6o) iB99] DOES IT PAY? 161. FIELD WOMEN IN CHINA. 162 LIFE AND LIGHT. \Aprii^ half 3ears, when the boys family pressed for the marriage, and we couldnot prevent it, much to our regret, for we felt if we could only keep the girla few years longer, she would be much better prepared to meet what wasbefore her. But evidently she was doing much thinking, for one day, inspeaking of a schoolmate who was very confident of her strength to standfirm among heathen friends, Seuk Ing remarked, It is better to let peoplesee what you do than to talk about what you are going to do. She wasalready a member of the Christian Endeavor Society, but had not vmitedwith the church, and was not looked upon in school as a very decidedChristian ; but, as the time drew near, she asked the pastors wife to try tosecure a promise from the boys family that she need not engage in heathenceremonies at the wedding. The request was met with scorn and should they take a wife into the family if she would not g
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectcongregationalchurch
