Description:

(CHINA) CONSTANCE FREDERICA GORDON-CUMMING
(1837-1924), Scottish writer and landscape painter who traveled the world, especially Asia and the Pacific. Collection of ten A.L.S.s, 35pp. 8vo., various locations, 1894-1912, to members of the Bompas family, excellent content concerning her charitable work for Reverend William H. Murray's school for the blind in Peking, China. In small part: "…Your most kind letter finds me at…a very large & very fine Exhibition…I grieve to say, the very worst we have ever held, in…attendance, largely because the so called Christians are so acrimonious regarding the shades of opinion…the great mass of people here are absolutely indifferent to Foreign…It is said that not 1 in 10…attend any place of worship…Before Christmas with its innumerable claims, is quite upon us. I am very anxious to secure the needed coin for the maintenance of the School for the Blind at Peking and the Blind Evangelists trained there. And so, as usual I look to you for the help…It is now 30 years since I realized that I had to take up this particular task, of Collector and Chief…no one else shows the smallest inclination to take it off my shoulders…it is increasingly difficult to fill up the many blanks left by the passing away of so many of the most liberal helpers…I do think it is very courageous of you to bid me welcome, after all the worry I gave you last time! Please Heaven that episode was unique! I am thankful to say we have all got through the Exhibition here…How many of my kinsfolk have passed away since I was last there…while in London I may be able to meet some of the Directors of the B. & F. Bible Soc. whom I may have a chance of interesting in my Peking work…in the last week, I have had four meetings to tell [William Hill] Murray's Chinese stories to 4 sets of people…north to Edinburgh, to take part in a big Missionary Loan Exhibition…by the way, I now have with me some of those including a complete set of the Hawaiian volcanoes…friends specially invited to hear about Mr. Murray's work for the blind in China…the story…brought in nothing to start the Female School in Peking…" Much more. William Hill Murray (1843-1911) was a Scottish missionary in China. He invented the Numeral Type system through which blind and Illiterate Chinese learned to write. Constance Gordon-Cumming wrote a book about the school and its methods, published in 1899. Light soiling. A very nice collection.

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July 9, 2015 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

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