The Seventh Passenger: A Titanic Murder Mystery (Detective Lorcan O’Dowd Mysteries Book 1) by Angie Rowe

Author:Angie Rowe [Rowe, Angie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ebook, Kindle Unlimited, Thriller, mystery, Historical, Titanic Mystery
ISBN: 9781781996928
Publisher: Poolbeg Press
Published: 2023-07-04T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

When the school closed for the day and the pupils returned to their homes, Ruth and Edith showed Sadie and Pao Chu around the mission and at dinner told them how they’d arrived there three years before. Pao Chu had heard it all before, but Sadie was perched on the edge of her seat as she listened.

Edith’s eyes shone as she talked about their work. ‘The first task,’ she said, ‘was to clean the whole building, replace some of the windows and put a coat of lime on the internal walls. We caused quite a stir, I can tell you. We distributed posters around the town letting people know their children could come to be educated at the new school. We had to answer so many questions, didn’t we, Ruth?’

‘They were probably just nosy, wanted to see what was going on,’ said Ruth. ‘There was a constant stream asking, “Can girls with unbound feet come to the school? Can slaves come to school? Will the children be taught to read Chinese characters or only foreign words?” Each time we responded that any child wishing to learn to read and write in Chinese and in English could come to the school. As for the children’s feet, I’m sorry to say many young girls still have their feet bound.’

‘We employed a teacher,’ said Edith. ‘Chia Loh. Wonderful girl. She had converted years ago – she’s married now, but she had been to a missionary school run by Mr. and Mrs. Pigott when they were in Taiyuan.’

‘Is that Tom Pigott?’ asked Sadie. ‘I heard him speak at home. He was one of the reasons that I wanted to come to China. I hope I’ll get to meet him in person while I’m here.’

‘As a matter of fact, he’s in Fen Chow Fu. Only about two days’ journey away,’ said Ruth. ‘Practically next door. Here, have some more dumplings.’

Edith twiddled her thumbs and waited, a little impatiently, for the exchange to end so she could go on with her story.

‘The Chinese are very wary of foreigners, and they were reluctant to let their children come. But they do value education highly, wouldn’t you agree, Pao Chu?’ She didn’t wait for Pao Chu to agree or disagree before she went on. ‘And we knew this was the way to entice them to allow their children to come. Chinese girls who are not engaged are kept in their houses from the age of about twelve years until a husband is found and they marry – often at the age of fifteen. We politely asked the families to allow us to teach their daughters the basics of English and maths and science. As an educated girl will attract a higher bride price, they usually agree. We hope that the children will be led by our example and become Christians as well as educated. They could become teachers themselves, like Chia Loh. On the first morning the school opened eight girls and four boys arrived. The number has risen slowly to twenty.

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